All Veggied Out

This family has been sick in one way or another for a month now. It's hard to be sick with little kids because they depend on you for everything. You can't tell your toddler to go get themselves something to eat. You can't expect them to do a whole lot of entertaining themselves. If you are sick, they are watching TV so you can rest. If they are sick, there is more TV while they rest. When your husband is sick, you are wiped out from taking care of everything and everyone and there is more TV to pacify them and hope that their brain isn't mush.

Everyday for a month now, Abby has gotten up and been parked in front of the TV for Veggietales. This morning, everyone is well! Can you believe it? I can't...

She comes into my room this morning at 6 and I think, 'I'm not going to be well after this. How is it possible that the baby stays up until midnight and then the 2 year old gets up a 6?!'

I hear her little sing-song voice, "Mommy, I ready to watch Beytales. (She still doesn't say veggie...)" That's when I knew I was in trouble. This is what she thinks her life is about. Veggietales. Clifford. Thomas the Train. When did these characters become a part of our lives? When we were sleeping, that's when.

Time for the intervention. I'm cutting her off. It's going to be a long hard road to recovery with her. We are going to have to deal with the withdraw and the screaming that goes with it but hopefully, after all that is through, she will know there is more to life than vegetables.

'Tis the Season

Well, my cold is not gone. Now Abby has pink eye and I'm just waiting for it get get worse... for Cate to get sick too. Or Andy for that matter. What would we do then? 'Tis the season for illness I guess. I will be coughing all winter.

Here's the thing about sick kids - I am not stable enough to handle sickness from them or me. I freak out and cry. Seriously. When I'm sick, I cry. I cry because I can't get things done. I cry because I feel guilty that someone else has to take care of me. When my kids are sick I cry because I know how yucky I feel when I'm sick and I hate that for them. Seeing Abby's face (and it's not pretty with pink eye, let me tell ya!) I just want to hold her until she gets better.

Well, gotta run. Cate's very cute and not sick face is peeking around the screen and she's beckoning me to a non-cry fest giggle session rolling around on the floor. Happy weekend everyone.

A History of Illness

I have not been able to shake this coldish thingy that is hanging around in my throat and making me laugh like a smoker. In honor of the fluish, coldish, whatever season, I'm going to recount the last several times I have endured this punishment.

When I was a Junior in high school, I had this same phlegmy thing that hung around for a month before we went on a vacation to California where my parents insisted I was fine and went off to spend time with... I don't even remember who now, leaving me with my Aunt and Uncle who discovered me in bed with a fever of 104. Parents returned, took me home to Alamosa where is was discovered that my phlegm had turned into pneumonia and I was put into the hospital for several days. (May I mention that if my parents had not changed our tickets and taken us home early, we would not have gone home for several weeks as the next day, the airports were flooded and no flights could leave for more than a week. God works miracles so his children can be in hospitals near their own homes.)

Just after I married Andy, I had the phlegmy thing again. We headed out to Ecuador as sponsors for a mission trip where it was discovered that I had a fever of 102 and my phlegm had once again turned into pneumonia. I spent the majority of the trip sequestered in the hotel. (May I point out that this is one of the only mission trips where the students were put up in a nice hotel. God works miracles every day. Can you imagine having pneumonia in some third world school gym?)

So now the phlegm is back and I'm not sure what to do about it. Should I race off to Mandi (my new doctor) and get a prescription or should I follow the family tradition of claiming its all going to be ok until we are strapped to a hospital bed (and in our heads still ringing up the total)?

When It Rains...

Started having contractions this week. At first, they were just Braxton Hicks and it wasn't that bad. Then they got worse and worse and I was in pain. I had an appointment with the Dr. the next day and since the contractions weren't regular, I just waited. 2 cm dilated and starting to thin so I was happy that I wasn't in pain for nothing... But Mom (Andy's) left and I was still recovering from having the flu and then Abby got the flu. Can it get any worse? Then relief! My mom, although I told her not to, decided to change her ticket and get here TODAY! I'm going to get her at the airport and let me tell you, I have not been this happy since I picked up Andy's mom...


There is something about Mom's and the way they take care of you that is just awesome. When Abby is sick, she just wants to cuddle with me. Although I am sad that she feels yucky, I love being the one she want's to cuddle with and that she sits on my lap for longer than the duration of a book. When I am not feeling top notch, my mommy is the one I want around. She knows just what I want, soup and sleep and she does everything in my house similarly to how I would do it so I know that everything is in good hands. I love her. I miss her and I can't wait to see her tonight.

Valentines Nightmare

Andy and I are not big Valentines people. We have always said we love each other and he gets me flowers or something but it's never been a BIG deal for us. This year, with all the issues - me being pregnant, sick, and stressed over the coming events in our lives - I decided to take advantage of the fact that Andy's mom is still here and suck it up and go out on a fancy, expensive date regardless of how cruddy I felt. I drugged myself up on Tylenol Flu and got dressed. We headed out to a new Italian place where the food was fantastic. As I walked through the restaurant to use the bathroom, people were staring at me the whole way, hoping that I would suddenly give birth next to their table. (In their defense, I was holding my stomach and wincing the whole way there and back as the baby was punching me in the bladder and I'm sure I'm going to give birth to Sugar Ray Leonard.) I packed in as much of the food as I could, dealing with the pain of my little boxer using my organs as punching bags, and we headed out to a movie. Thank goodness the theater is right there next to the restaurant. My Tylenol was wearing off as we took our seats. There were VERY few people in the theater which was good as I sniffled and snuffled and tried not to hack up a lung through the whole thing. Once the movie was over, Andy held my hand as I waddled to the car thinking that I will never leave the house again. Last night I coughed so hard, I thought my water would break. Andy slept on the couch. I can't believe our Valentines Day was so miserable but we did get out and I can tell you this, after all that, my husband still loves me. That is the best Valentine's gift any girl can get - the knowing that no matter what kind of seething mass of germs, snot and fat, pregnancy hormones you may become, you have a man who will love you through it all and always be able to help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.