Cherry on top.

I will never see these words the same way again. That ‘cherry on top’ thing landed us in the emergency room yesterday. What a way to spend the last weekend of 2012.

It was a typical Friday yesterday. It started early, as usual because our baby boy? He wakes up extra early on mom’s only day off. I don’t mind, really, as I see it as extra time to spend with him although I probably yawn a thousand times before it hits noon.

We had leftover ice cream cake from Pristine’s birthday last week and the big box was taking too much space in the freezer. I asked Pristine to take it out and we’ll eat the remaining cake because I am a bad mother like that – feeding ice cream cake to her kid on breakfast! At least it was for dessert.

Ben reached out for the red cherry on top, sitting on the frozen whipped cream. I remembered, today he turns 14 months! I gave it to him as a treat and he munched it with delight. (He already had his proper breakfast earlier. ) Minutes later, he started scratching his neck, his eyes and got rashes all over. What now?

Was it the cherry? or the bit of whipped cream on the cherry?

The rashes spread like crazy all over his body and his eyes swollen shut. He cries like he’s in pain. He’s breathing well so I know this is not the worst allergic reaction (anaphylactic). Ten minutes after the explosive allergic reaction, I jumped into my feet and gathered all his things, my wallet and left the house without looking how I look like in the mirror (we just woke up and I have not combed my hair nor worn bra…thankfully I had a thick-ish black cardigan on).

It’s the worst allergic reaction so far. Benjamin’s face was unrecognizable. Pristine was crying so much looking at her baby brother in such condition.

~ baby boy playing before the allergy attack ~

We got to the hospital fast thanks to the taxi driver who could be charged with traffic fines for speeding. I know he must have wished I called the ambulance!

The doctor ordered immediate cortisone shots so the nurses inserted IV at the back of his little hand. And the nurse was not successful on the first try! Arrrgghh!! She has to do it again on the other hand! It was a pain to watch. We were told he needs to be admitted for observation for at least 5 hours. With allergy symptoms still present, they gave him another medicine. The itching has stopped but he is still red, puffy and teary.

And very irritable.

You don’t want to see how he looked like! I feel so bad why I have to give him that damn cherry. Or was it the tinge of cream? Allergy sucks and it doesn’t play fair. How on Earth will I know he is allergic to a preserved cherry?!

The next hours at the hospital was spent restraining him from pulling the IV drip. Super curious toddler just won’t give it up! Finally he slept but didn’t want to lie down in bed so I was holding him for two hours. The rashes went away but his eyelids are still puffed up. Poor, poor baby.

So that’s it! No more cherries or whipped cream in the house. Not even a mention of those words!