Sickness stats

I just can't keep people well around here.

We arrived back home last Friday night, and Saturday morning I took Rose and Ethan to the doctor. Rose had an ear infection, and Ethan looked like just bad allergies, possibly starting a sinus infection. Just as we pulled into the driveway, Ethan threw up all over the inside of the van. I removed the seat and spent the afternoon with a scrub brush and while I was at it, some sweet friends who had called a couple of weeks ago aout giving us a bunkbed, called to ask if they could drop it off! I didn't want to put them off any longer, but it was nuts. Making gluten free food is generally not a quick process, Brian felt terrible, the grass needed cut badly, and in order to put the bunk beds in the house, Anna Kate and Rose's toddler beds had to be disassembled and put in the attic (the pull-down-a-ladder-from-the-ceiling variety), Ethan's bed has to be dissassembled, moved to their room, then reassembled, then the bunk beds had to be assembled.

It was time to call in back-ups. Our sweet shepherding group friend Chris came over and cut the grass, which is no small task here since our riding lawn mower won't work. And Brian's dad came to set up the beds. Needless to say, the kids got to bed late. Brian was really sick all weekend.

The week was only slightly better, Brian got a little better, then worse again and could barely move today. He went back to using his cane. Ethan's cough seems to be a lot better, but he's been having really bad headaches. He's been breaking out in welts from the grass too. I'm going to try giving him Claritin every day. If he's not better tomorrow, I think I'll try the antibiotic the doctor gave me just in case. I think Rosie's ear is better, but she's been mumbling about the other one, so I'm not sure. I can't decide if I should give her the antibiotic or keep waiting. Neither of them have a fever.

Anna Kate's been the sickest, though. We actually were at the doctor's this morning. I didn't even know they were open on Sunday. It's apparently for emergencies only. She has the yucky cough and choking that Ethan had last week and has awakened between 12:30 and 1:30 AM for the past four nights choking and screaming and having a tummy ache and sometimes throwing up. Then we watch a movie until 2 or 3 AM when she falls back to sleep with me on the couch. I think I've only slept in my own bed once this past week! Last night the infection was pouring out of her eyes and pink-tinged, which freaked me out and made me call the nurse. So now she has eyedrops. But no sinus or ear infection or lung problem. And she plays almost all day with great gusto. But she has an off and on fever that shoots up and makes her miserable until the Tylenol kicks in again.

So it's been nuts around here. And I don't think I've heard a sermon at church since Easter. I took the kids the week after, but helped in the nursery because I didn't see a friend to sit with and hate sitting alone (Brian was home sick), and then all of them have been sick the last two weekends. I MISS CHURCH! I was actually there serving a snack to three hundred people that were at a conference Friday night, but I can't wait to make it back to a real service.

Did I mention that I'm tired and that I don't think the laundry will ever be done? :^)

Well it's late and I need to hurry to Walmart for a humidifier filter before Anna Kate wakes up screaming tonight. I just wanted to finish this post finally. There are so many other things I've been wanting to write about, but hopefully now you'll at least see why I haven't.