Well, we decided not to travel for Thanksgiving and then my kids became sick the day we were to leave.
Sky started coughing Wednesday night but pulled it together during the day times. As I lay with him on Friday night his cough became labored and wheezy.
I feel so inexperienced with children's illnesses. As a teacher I could call parents as warning symptoms began appearing on their children's faces. And Boom! The kids disappeared from my classroom not to reappear until their runny noses slowed and their fevers had been gone for 24 hours. (For those parents that lied to me: Curses!)
But with my own, and with a young infant, the confidence is not so strong. Every wheeze sounds as if it originates within the lungs and every cough brings visions of red, painful throats. I go back and forth on determining the right time to dose a fever. If the fever is only 100 degrees, should I let it be? If North is restless during the middle of the night, should I just give him the fever suppressant so that he will sleep better?
Having Sky sick this week was mentally tricky. He never had a fever and his deposition was lively and sunny. His cough still lingers, so I feel a slight concern about that. However, he is only 4 months old! I hope the first challenge to his immune system passes well.
Reed has also been gone for most of this week. Both boys have been sleeping in my bed during the nights. I love sharing the big bed with them. North sleeps next to the wall with a glass of water on the windowsill (he takes big gulps of water during the night), I sleep in the middle, and Sky is on the edge (closer to the cool steam mister). We wake up together, North and I talk about our plans for the day and we head downstairs for breakfast. I sleep surer knowing that my kids, though challenged by night coughing and stuffy noses, are close by. I can comfort them during the night without having to leave my own warm nest. And that creates a happy mama; not a grumpy, walking down the hall for the billion-th time grouch.
May this be the worst sickness of the year.