The Symptoms

On Friday (Joe's birthday, no less), I got out of the shower at 8:30 a.m. (yah, I 'm lazy) and noticed I had 7--SEVEN--missed calls. My showers aren't that long, so I knew someone was really trying to get hold of me. I had two messages--one from the school nurse telling me that Madison was sick, and one from Joe telling me that Madison threw up at school.

I felt kind of bad, because that morning she had been whining about being tired and not wanting to go to school, but I brushed it off and told her she'd have fun once she got there. She normally loves school, so I should have listened and thought to myself, "Something must be wrong. She doesn't normally act this way."

I loaded the kids up in the van and went to pick her up at school. When we got home I told her to get her jammies on and to lay down and watch a movie in the play room. Her words: "Yay! Being sick is kind of fun." She watched a few movies (and Grant got to profit form her sickness, too). I made macaroni and cheese for lunch, and Madison begged to eat it. "Girl, you just threw up! You can't eat mac and cheese!" The rest of the day I gave her the BRAT diet--applesauce, dry toast, apple juice. She was running around and playing and laughing. Definitely not sick symptoms.

The next morning she was lethargic and begged to eat some cold cereal. I think she was just weak from not eating much the day before. She gobbled up 3 bowls of cereal, an apple, apple juice, and toast. 

Yesterday Logan started saying he didn't feel well, so we kept him in and let him watch movies and read books all day. This morning we figured he had somehow skipped the throwing up part and told him to start getting ready for church. All of a sudden, he said, "I'm gonna' throw up!" We grabbed the bowl and let him do his thing, and then told him to go watch some church movies. I stayed home with him and Ammon (who now has his first fever, poor baby). That was about 11:00. I started warming up leftover (homemade) mac and cheese for lunch and Logan begged me to let him eat some. 

Logan has been feeling fine the rest of the day. For dinner I made some chili. I asked Logan what sounded good to him, and he said cold cereal. The other kids were wildly jealous and wishing they had been sick today while they ate chili and salivated over Logan's rice crispies. 

Apparently this illness includes 1 throwing up incident, and cravings for mac and cheese and cold cereal. Very interesting. I'm not complaining, though.

As I mentioned, Ammon woke up from his afternoon nap with a 102. 5 fever--his first illness. We gave him some infant tylenol and he is now happily crawling around. He is still eating fine (I gave him a freeze-pop--another first, and he loved it). It is so hard to hold your little baby and feel him burning up. As a parent, I would happily feel sick for him (except that then it would be hard to take care of him, so I am glad I'm not sick). The other kids did not have a fever, so I don't know if he has it because his body is smaller or if it is a different sick germ. 

I am sure Grant will be feeling sick soon. That's the way it goes when you have kids. 

In honor of Thanksgiving, we've been making feathers with blessings to put on Mr. Tom Turkey (I'll include a pic someday). Today I am thankful for good health, and for living in this time period; I know that not too long ago a sick child with a high fever or vomiting could be something very dangerous and uncertain. While I definitely wish we could avoid the sick germs, I am grateful for good doctors and medicine.