Annette gives us a scare...

Here is a picture of Annette yesterday afternoon feeling fine and dandy. That was how she was all day. For fun, she and Max switched beds so that she was "spending the night" with Misha and Max and Hannah camped out in the girls' room. Turns out that this plan would come in handy a few hours later...

Around eleven o'clock, Steve and I were sitting in the kitchen stringing beans and watching an internet 'tv' show when we heard some thumping around down the hall. Misha is known for sleep walking so we ignored it until we heard a louder thump and some crying. Steve went down the hall thinking Misha was just disoriented and couldn't find his bed but when he tried to open the door it was blocked and it was Annette's crying we heard.

Once Steve got into the room he found Annette behind the door lying on the floor. She had thrown up into her hair and was disoriented and wailing. Thinking she was sick and half-asleep he guided her out the door and to me so that I could wash her up. Trouble was, I couldn't get her to stand up while I ran bathwater. She kept listing to one side. So I called to Steve. I asked him to just hold her up while I started the bath. Still thinking she was just half-asleep. I turned on the water and went to pull of her shirt but when I did, her right arm just flopped down. I picked it up and dropped it. Floppy again. I asked her to squeeze my hand, nothing. She actually reached over with her other hand to comply. All this time she was wailing incoherently.

I got her over to the tub and said to Steve, "You better get dressed." While I washed her hair and cleaned her up there was no improvement. She mentioned that her head was hurting but not until I asked. Steve then showed up at the door dressed and with an outfit for Annie. Two shirts. Okay, so I ran down and got some pants for her and Daddy carried her out to the car. I could see the alarm in his eyes and he announced before driving away, "I'm taking her to Children's".

We were scared. No doubt about it. Our friend Bryan called (Steve had already called him) and said he would come over and sleep on the couch so I could go to the hospital. Like any good woman, I looked around and busied myself tidying up. Praying and answering phone calls all the time. It kept me busy for the 35 minutes or so till Bryan got there.

I drove to the hospital trying to keep to the speed limit but leaning forward in my seat. Steve told me later that he had gotten stopped going about 90 but that the officer let him go with a simple, "Calm down". I didn't have my glasses or my license ( they were in the car Steve was driving) so I didn't want to get pulled over!

Annette had thrown up again at the hospital. Apparently, in the waiting area which seemed to get her finally to a room. By this time the paralysis had pretty much faded and her movement had come back.

Once I got there, the Dr was in with them and I arrived in time to hear him say that he was thinking it sounded like a classic migraine. Skeptical but relieved not to hear Stroke or tumor, we waited while she had a cat scan and blood work and just rested.

At four am when the Dr came in to give her a final look-see, she was happy and perky at his offer of a Popsicle and gave me a demure smile when he called her a Princess. She already knew it was true.

In the end, we were there till 4:45 am and didn't get home until 5:30. Annette sang "Joy to the World" on the way home and was feeling, "Perfect!," but apparently still sleepy since she conked out about 20 minutes from home. Goodbyes and thank yous to Bryan and we were into bed by 6:30 just as the sun was coming up.

The kids woke up as usual and, with Annette sound asleep, no one realized that we had been gone all night! In fact, the first one to notice was Hannah who said, "Mom, why is Annette wearing those pajamas?" And Annette was beaming, proud of all the attention and of the fact that she had a new nightgown, albeit a bit drafty.

And today, you'd never know that she'd had any kind of ordeal! She is chipper and cheerful and good as new. And me? I need another nap.

Yawn...