We're home.....again.

Max spent a lovely two days home until Monday night. In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, Max woke up to eat. He felt warm. I took his temp and it was 100.8. 100.4 is generally the 'go to the ER' limit on a neonate. I undressed him in hopes that he was just overheated. Despite my efforts I couldn't get his temp down enough. At 4AM I woke Christopher up to tell him I was headed to the Children's Hospital. I cried the whole way, I knew what a fever in a 4 day old meant. I arrived at MCH, walked up to triage, said "I have a 4 day old with a fever.", about 15 seconds later the triage nurse takes us in the back, weighs Max and takes his temp. 101.8. The ER hops into action. Max and I were immediately taken to a room and three RN's arrive and start IV's and taking blood. The ER doc shows up in the room a minute or two later. She was very compassionate but very straightforward. A fever in a neonate is a serious thing. He would need a full septic workup and a minimum of 48 hours in the hospital. He (and I) endured a lumbar puncture (spinal tap), catheterization, IV insertion and a lot of blood drawn. We were sent upstairs to an intermediate care unit where Max was hooked up to monitors and IV fluids and abx. When all was said and done they found enterovirus in his spinal fluid. Viral menigitis. All his bacterial cultures came back clear, Deo Gratias! It was a long few days and for a couple of them he was quite a miserable little boy, very feverish, not nursing, lethargic etc....but now he is nursing like a champ, alert, making eye contact and generally acting like a healthy, happy newborn.
He probably caught the virus from Grace or Ben or had been briefly ill with a headache and fever, despite us trying to keep them away from him. Separation and hand sanitizer only go so far unfortunately and we had no idea the severity of the virus-they just weren't that sick. Everyone else is still healthy.
Yet again, our experience at MCH was top-notch. Being in any hospital is a trying experience but I can't tell you how the staff at MCH could have been any better (aside from one old school hospitalist who tried to tell me to supplement with soy formula....:P but she took my 'no' as final and didn't push it)
So we're home, a little worse for wear but oh, so grateful everything turned out so well.