It all started the day after Christmas. Pastor started feeling a little, well, run down. This is not uncommon for him after Christmas and Easter, and we all just stock up on vitamins and minerals, try for extra sleep and less scheduled activities. We followed all those rules this year, including taking the week after Christmas as a week of Stay-cation, planning to play with the kids and get some odds and ends done around the house. Instead, I found myself nursing a sick husband, who didn't get out of bed for two days, and playing mother in overtime, as nobody was going to school or receiving therapy. It lasted three weeks.
I then declared the house 'ill free' and we looked forward to a few snowstorms with some serious sledding. Instead, Elia got sick. After determining that she was teething, we pumped her full of Tylenol and teething tablets and waited for the end to come. We're still waiting.
February began and Lars woke up in the night barking like a dog, or more accurately, a seal. Croup. Off to the doctor for some steroids, antibiotics and cough syrup. Oh by the way, try to find a combination of these three drugs that are dye free. After much searching (thank you Scott!), we settled with cherry flavored honey to quell the cough and suffered through 5 days of Zithromax until the pink stuff was gone. It was gone two weeks ago and his behaviors have not ended. In fact, as I type, he is screaming at a matchbox car, banging it on my desk and yelling at me while Elia cries in my arms. I guess I should probably go try to take care of this.
.............much................later.................
Now, all three children are sleeping. I didn't think this hour would come today and I wish I had more energy to do all the things that didn't get done all day. I managed to fold two loads of clothes and put one load from the washer to the dryer. That's all I did all day. When I wasn't holding Elia (did I mention she's teething), I was fending off Lars, who has had several weeks now of increased aggression, from attacking Eden. Ask the pastor to show you his bite marks on his chest. Impressive.
Anyway, back to the original story. Lars was sick with croup, got over the illness, but brought along the behaviors into his healthiness. Still working on that.
On Sunday, when we thought everybody was better, Elia spiked a fever. Then the preacher woke up Monday morning and announced he had a high fever, felt like crap and was staying in bed. For three days. On the 3rd day, he rose again and I took Daddy and baby to the doctor. Negative for Influenza. Since I woke up with a fever, the doctor decided to shove the rake up my nose and down the throat. Positive for Influenza. Mommy and baby went home on Tamiflu.
You know that stuff causes weird dreams and hallucinations? yeah, cool.
Five days into the flu I self-diagnosed bronchitis/sinus infection and decided I might die. Nearly a week later, I decided I will probably live, as long as I don't have to lie down at night and try to sleep. Not that Elia lets me, anyway. After sleeping on my chest for a week, she has settled now with sleeping next to me. Which is good, because I've had to get out of bed with Lars every morning around 0300.
With Elia back to teething now, she has snot pouring from her nose 24/7, diarrhea, diaper rash and spiking fever. Eden has begun a new cough (she was spared the full flu) and Pastor went from feeling 'better' to 'stuffy nose'. Allergies??
We sit here side by side on the couch, the preacher and I. The Kleenex box is nestled between us and the dog under our feet. He coughs while I'm speaking and I cough while he speaks. That's the extent of our recent conversation. Can you pass me another cough drop? Thanks.
We sincerely hope that spring is right around the corner. Of course, it's supposed to snow tonight....
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