The Burkett Bundle

One year ago today, I experienced the most terrifying few minutes of my life. 

I was nursing Kyran around lunch time, when Karyssa's monitor went off.  I set Kyran down quickly to stimulate Karyssa, and when I knew that she was ok, I went back to nursing Kyran.  About 30 seconds later, Kyran's monitor started going off. 

The monitors had never gone off while the babies were awake, so I immediately was scared.  Just two weeks before, a couple of days before we brought the babies home, we went through an infant CPR training.  I remember thinking that I would learn it, but that if anything happened, Jason would be there to perform the CPR.  I guess in my mind, if something was going to happen, it would be at night.  I failed to consider that I would be the one home with them all day alone. 

I went through the steps shown on the video.  Look to see if he's breathing.  Tap his foot and call his name.  Look at his color.  No breaths, no response and he had a slightly blue tint.  At that point, the only way to describe what happened is to say that God took over my body.  I was shaking and scared, but quickly scooped him up, laid him on the bed and started the breaths and chest compressions. 

The instructor told us that, with children, it is very important to do five rounds of CPR before calling 911.  I remember thinking over and over again that it wasn't going to work.  I was so tempted to call, but I knew I needed to keep going. 

I know that the entire episode lasted only about a minute or two, but during the CPR, I could have sworn that an hour had passed.  I was so scared that he was gone.  After the fourth round, he coughed and then started crying.  It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.  I picked him up and hugged him so hard. 

I guess I wasn't thinking all that clearly, because I called Jason first to tell him to come home.  After I hung up with him, I called 911 and soon our house was flooded with people.  The police got there first, then the firefighters and finally the ambulance.  They all agreed that he looked good, but that he should go to the ER to be checked out, so Kyran had his first ambulance ride. 

By that time, Jason had just gotten home, so I rode in the ambulance and Jason stayed home with Karyssa.  In movies and TV shows, they always show someone riding in the back of the ambulance with the patient.  I can tell you that, at least here, they can't let you do that for liability reasons.  I sat in the front, but could talk to the paramedic who was in the back with him. 

The ambulance ride only lasted a few minutes, and then we were in the ER.  My mom showed up about the time that we got there, and we went in and waited while they hooked him up to the monitors.  They drew blood, did X-rays and listened to everything.  After everything was done, they said nothing was wrong, and because he had been nursing, it was probably silent reflux that caused him to choke. 

He spent the next two nights in the hospital, and came home healthy and on Zantac. 

Today, I am thanking God for keeping my children healthy.  I know that he has saved them more times than I will ever know.  I don't know for sure, but I think that the circumstances of their birth and this experience make me hug them just a little harder and longer. 

They have become kissing machines recently.  They just love to kiss us and each other, and I think it is so, so sweet!  They are also learning how to team up to get things done.  Karyssa has been opening cabinets just wide enough for Kyran to grab the door and hold it open so that she can get in there and play with all of the new goodies.  Looks like it's time for cabinet door locks!