Who's Curious About What I've Been Up To?

Well, I'll tell you anyway. I've had a sick child every day for the past month -- but Buddy was sick even before then with those infamous ear infections. I keep telling myself if this goes on for another day, I'm going to pull my hair out. But I'm looking on the bright side and realize that things could be worse. My parents have been attending to sick parents during the middle of the night and cleaning up after them. Let's put it this way: I'd much rather have a two-month old baby's vomit on myself than that of a 75-year old man. So yeah. Things could be worse. And they were worse six months ago. At least I've got my precious baby in my arms. You won't hear me complaining about that.

• This all started with Buddy's raging double ear infections. Just as his deafness was going away... all hell broke loose.


• Did you know that newborns can get the stomach flu? Me either. And yeah, it's as bad as it sounds. Pee-Wee was sick for a good ten days. Four days of vomiting, a thousand hours spent rehydrating with a syringe, a million nasty diapers, nearly a full pound of weight lost on a baby that was already too small, three new cans of soy formula, one evening spent at the children's hospital, and a partridge in a pear tree later -- he got well. For a few days anyway.


• Meanwhile, Buddy also got the pukes. Thankfully his only lasted for a few hours and he survived mostly unscathed. And by the grace of God, he didn't get any vomit on the carpet or couch! That made life easier. Everybody always says, "Just wait until you have more than one child with the stomach flu at the same time! Than you'll be initiated into the amazing mom's club." Well, I've been initiated.


• Just as Pee-Wee was getting well, Buddy came down with a cold. How he got a cold, I have no idea because we hadn't left the house in days. We were due to leave for Reno to visit G's parents on Wednesday and by then Buddy seemed to be on the mend. So off we went.


• By Saturday, Pee-Wee was starting to cough a lot. His reflux had been better the past two days and we were just thinking that the new soy formula he had been on was really helping in that regard. By the way, the flu did a real number on his poor digestive track and he was no longer able to handle milk. So we switched to soy. The doctor reassured us it would be temporary, but with the improving reflux, we wondered if maybe he had a problem with milk all along. After all, his birth father is allergic to dairy and never grew out of it.


• By Sunday, Pee-Wee was refusing food, was congested, coughing and wheezing, and had a fever. Monday was worse and by then I was convinced he had RSV. We were to drive home on Tuesday and everything I read online said that if you can get the baby to sleep, that's the best remedy for RSV. Boy can that kid sleep. He slept the whole way home, which in retrospect, was critical for his recovery. I took him into the doctor first thing on Wednesday and RSV was quickly confirmed. Thank goodness he had been getting his rest because between more rest and an inhaler, he's getting well on his own without any hospital visits.


• So that brings us to yesterday. Buddy woke up with really bad asthma again. I woke up with nasty allergies, so I foolishly assumed he was healthy, just suffering from his usual allergies. Off to church we went.


• As we were leaving church I mentioned to a friend that if we have one more sickness or medical "emergency" I was going to lose it. Just as those words left my lips, I heard Buddy's blood-curdling scream. He had slammed his thumb in his friend's car door. It broke the skin and bled and swelled up right away. But luckily he's fine today, even if it's sore and swollen still.


• So Buddy's asthma then became a lot worse and today after preschool he informed me he's sick. This isn't allergies, he said. Why couldn't he have told me that before preschool? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!


• And Pee-Wee is extremely constipated. This is a constant battle with both kids, but usually apple juice does the trick with Pee-Wee. It's not working this time. Which makes his reflux flare up. All that pressure in his gut forces everything he eats right back at us. Can someone tell me how we could possibly have two children with reflux and chronic constipation? What are the odds?


• So yeah. Motherhood is awesome. Since Pee-Wee has been born I've forked out 10 co-pays for the two kids. That's out of control. But I've been including a special thanks for good health insurance every night in my prayers.


• But the good news is: G hasn't been sick at all. He's only paid one co-pay this month and that's to schedule lasik eye surgery. I haven't been sick either and I've only paid two co-pays this month and those have been for dermatology appointments. I won't bore you (or embarrass myself) with those stories.


• Oh, and I got nine loads of laundry done today. That's pretty good news.


• And the best news of all: My sister is having her first baby tomorrow or the next day!!!!!

How's your health? And did you find anyone else that looks good in green today?