Dastardly December

 Oh December, why is it that we always get sick in December? I truly believe that stress, busy-ness, and little rest cause the body to just break down, therefore allowing us to be more open to illness, which I guess is why it never fails that someone in my family is sick in December. Usually all of us, some way or another, and usually right at Christmas time. Right when we want to be doing fun things, enjoying time together, with friends, and eating! 

We moved right after Thanksgiving, causing plenty of stress, little sleep, and poor eating. Then Tommy went out of town for two weeks. Things went downhill from there... 

It started with both kids. Tommy was out of town for two weeks, and both kids and myself had been nursing a cold. I'd been medicating them with benadryl and aspirating the baby as much as possible, in hopes to clear it up. Tommy was scheduled to come home Saturday afternoon. Friday night, in the middle of the night, a hot-as-a-match Addie Kate came to get in bed with me. When I can feel the heat from my child before I actually touch her, I know she's sick. She can be read like a book, that one. So first thing Saturday morning - mere hours before I had my other half back in town to help me - I drug both kids to the doctor. Drew was still just having a runny nose and little cough, but I didn't have time to round up a sitter, so he came with us. I had her just "check him out" just in case. I told her I probably wouldn't have even brought him had Addie Kate not been so sick, and Tommy had been home. She told me it was a good thing I did, because he had a double ear infection! I felt terrible. Awful. I asked her if they were "like bulging," and she told me to stop upsetting myself, he had been in a good mood, no fever, no ear pulling (Granted, he has only recently- right after Christmas- found his ears.), so how was I supposed to know? Addie Kate just had the miserables, and the fever and cold symptoms that had gone on for almost two weeks, so I never even got a diagnosis from the doc., but a prescription for an antibiotic for her as well. We left the doctor and pulled through ChickFilA, where Addie Kate wanted nothing, but Mommy was in definite need of some protein. I was on the phone with Tommy, being nasty I can admit (like he can help his job requirements and I know we are so very fortunate), and my aunt, who so graciously offered to come up and spend some quality time with Drew while I took Addie Kate to see The Nutcracker, our Christmas tradition... when Addie yells at me to look out my window. Lo and behold, Santa was at ChickFilA. He was waving to Addie Kate so sweetly, then motioned for me to pull up, and he came out to the car, we rolled the window down, and he talked and talked to Addie. I told him we'd been at the doctor (for his own protection, ha!), and I think he could tell. He even covered Addie back up with her blanket (my kids always have a blanket in the car - even in the summer!). So sweet that man. The story doesn't end here - I was going back and forth with whether or not to take Addie Kate to the Nutcracker still. I decided a quick nap and we'd see. Aunt Ellen was already in Greenville anyway. Well, she fell asleep in the car, I carried her up the stairs, and while opening the door, I hear the cough. The cough any mama knows. Then I feel something warm running down my arm and back. Ugh. She had ralphed all over herself, me, and the floor. Bless her heart, I got her inside as quick as I could and parked her at the trashcan, because I had to go get Drew out of the car. Having two sick kids (shoot, two healthy kids), alone, is no joke! I quickly changed all of us, picked up pieces of vomit from the floor with my hands and a dishtowel (disgusting.), and got AK in bed. I threw my ChickFilA away, no longer wanting it for some reason, and called Aunt Ellen to cancel her coming anywhere near us. Addie Kate was so sad that we missed The Nutcracker this year. And I was too. (And I had just bought her a new dress with Clara, The Nutcracker, and the prince on it, the day before!) We napped then went to get Daddy from the airport, where his luggage was lost and I was in the foulest mood ever. We visited our favorite Target pharmacists, (who are on our Christmas card list after getting to know them so well - fertililty treatments, five surgeries, and two children will do that to you!), and were feeling better by Sunday morning. I think we should get a standing antibiotic prescription for Advent. That can be our countdown. No matter what, several of us will need one in December.

Next up, three days before Christmas, I got the stomach bug that was all abuzz. It hit me hard and fast. I had run out that night, after putting the kids to bed, to pick up a few last minute things. That turned out to be bad for two reasons - #1 - when I shop like that, I pay no mind to price or quantity - if I see it and want it or need it, I get it (Dec. 22nd, and I bought Addie Kate 3 swimsuits. My reasoning to my husband - all the cute ones are gone if you wait until it turns warm. He didn't buy it. Men don't know. Or care.). I pay for this later. And #2 - I woke up about 5 AM sick as a dog. I have to say though. I had a BLAST on my little 9-midnight shopping excursion. I was on some kind of a high from all my favorite stores being open so late, Tommy was home, I was alone (After solo-parenting it for two solid weeks with not one free moment without kids - yes, I work, but I'm a teacher remember?), we had done so many fun Christmas things, etc., etc. So, on the morning that it hit me, we were supposed to be going to Lexington to take yet another load to our storage unit, and Addie Kate and I were going to make Christmas cookies with my mom. (Apartment kitchen = too small to do the bulk of baking we like to do.) I still made it to Lexington, stopping to ralph only once, but then spent the entire day there on my parents' couch. On a better note, when I'm sick, there's just about nowhere else I'd rather be though. Mom and AK still made one batch of cookies. Some of our favorites - peanut butter blossoms - of which I had no desire to touch. Little Man was an angel just playing in the kitchen in his exersaucer (my mom's exersaucer bounces really well and he loves it), as long as he couldn't see me. My dad was fighting the tail end of a sinus infection, so just to be cautious, he was staying away from the kids. Mom did great though, entertaining, baking, and playing with both of my kids, and taking care of her one kid (that was there), while Tommy unloaded our massive amounts of stuff alone at the storage unit. In the rain. Below are pics of my babes having fun with Mimi.

AK does a fantastic job, and enjoys it too, of unwrapping the Hershey Kisses for any baking we do with them. And that tends to be a lot.

Tommy does at least dress my young'ins cute (helps that that's all they have in their closets), but he and AK do not hee and haw on hairstyle. He actually does a pretty good job getting her bow in, but for some reason she cannot stand for him to do it.

And here's mama... since this is as close to a scrapbook as it gets, I may as well have proof. Thanks Dad for the glamour shot.

And let's thank the good Lord right now for friends with "perks." On the way back home from Lexington I had Tommy call our friend Anthony for some fluids. He's a medic and I knew he'd have some. At first Tommy thought I was kidding, but I wasn't at all, and Leslie, Anthony's wife and an EMT, came and hooked me up with the most glorious IV I've ever had in my whole life. I knew I needed to do something or I'd be feeling bad for days, meaning Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Thank goodness for good friends. And I was feeling better just one day later.

So, we make it through our Christmas Eve Eve party, and onto to Christmas Eve festivities. Due to me feeling so bad for two days though, I got behind on the last of my Christmas plans, and was in one foul mood trying to get out of town Christmas Eve. Fortunately, Tommy got me back under control and we enjoyed our day with family and friends. 

We got to his parents house and were getting unpacked when I asked Tommy if he'd unpacked the kids' clothes yet. He said he had the bag, but that's it. Yep, for our several days in Lexington, none of the kids' clothes made it down. All they had was pajamas. So, I went with my two kids (met my parents there) to the Christmas Eve service at church, while Tommy and his sister drove back to Greenville to get the pile of kids' clothes that had made it to the door, but not out the door. 

Santa came, Christmas Day was fun - the most fun we've had at Christmas yet. Then, right before Christmas dinner with my family, Tommy came down with the bug. He went to his mother's house to quarantine himself from the rest of the family. Late that night, as I'm lying in bed with Addie watching the Grinch, per her request, one last time until next year, she tells me her stomach hurts. I figure it's the three deviled eggs she ate, and pray for the best, although knowing better. About 10 minutes later, I hear her in my mom's bed. There's nothing in this world like a four year old throwing up. They give no warning and just hit anything near by. This happened about four more times, resulting in so much laundry I'm surprised we didn't pump my parents well dry. (Thank goodness for high efficiency washers and dryers, or we would have. Been there, done that.) So, in case anyone's counting, that's two rounds of vomit for Addie Kate with Mommy solo-ing it. Two days later both AK and Tommy are feeling better and we set out to enjoy the rest of our holiday together. 

Fast forward one week to Tommy being out of town again, and my mom up to help me out. Addie complains of a headache, to the point of screaming in pain. I give her some motrin, and about five minutes later she tells us (Thank the Lord that she's learning to feel and communicate such things.) that she feels like she's going to throw up. Sure enough, and luckily enough, I get her to the trashcan for vomit round #3. Fortunately, she felt better right after she threw up, but she's continued to complain about headaches. Trip to the doctor is scheduled (headaches make Tommy and me very nervous). And yes, that would be three rounds of preschooler vomit, just Mommy. That Tommy is one lucky man. 

Thankfully Little Man avoided all of this (other than the double ear infection). And thankful again that we all seem to be feeling very nice for January! Whew. That was a rough month, but I'm glad we still enjoyed being together and having fun, and making Christmas memories to last a lifetime!