It has been a while since my last post. This has been one of those crazy weeks that parents with multiple children have every now and then. If you have kids (especially multiple children) then you can relate.
About a week ago, the little one was having trouble sleeping. She woke up several times that night and kept my wife up all night. For some that would be an issue but our little one has only slept through the night 5 times in the 14 short months of her life. So we just thought it was a little worse than normal but nothing big. Well, the next night was my night. So I had the same night as my wife. I was up with her the WHOLE night. Nothing like going to work on 3 hours of COMPLETELY interrupted sleep.
After 2 nights, we decided it was time to take her in. She had a slight fever but nothing crazy. But this is our 3rd child so we are seasoned pros. We know when it's time to take the kids in to the doctor. It was time. We take her in and find out she has a double ear infection. YEA!!! She only has 2 ears so might as well infect them both so the other doesn't feel left out. They gave her medicine and that night she slept through the night. I wish I could say the medicine worked multiple nights, but it didn't. She's not sleeping again... So we are back to normal there.
3 days later... The middle child wakes up and is calling me into the room. I go in there because she doesn't usually wake up early. When I go into her room she says, "Daddy, I need to go to the doctor." I had never her say that sentence in my life. So I ask her why. And she grabbed her ear and said her ear hurts. What really tipped me off that she was really sick was when she held our her arms for me to pick her up. The middle child is NOT one of those huggy-feely children. She'd sooner hit you than hug you. But that morning, she wanted daddy hugs... We immediately took her to the doctor! I bet you can't guess what it was.
Yep, another ear infection!!!! I know those aren't (supposed to be) contagious. But what are the odds!?!? I should have gone out and bought a lottery ticket. But I didn't. We are still poor (as one of my other blogs suggests). And we have sick children. They gave her the same medicine and life was back to normal... for a few days.
The story goes back to the little one (who was just getting over an ear infection). 2 days after the middle child had her ear infection, the little one gets up in the morning throwing up and looking sad. We didn't know if it was an isolated YAK or if there was an encore performance. Well, on the way to daycare, the encore started like she was playing The Beatles Rock Band. So my wife decides to keep her out of daycare. Actually a little bit later the decision would have been made for her. One of the kids at the daycare tested positive for H1N1. So they closed the daycare down anyway.
With the H1N1 scare going around, the doctors decided they wanted to test the little one because of her symptoms. So my wife took her BACK to the doctor to get tested. After 2 trips to the doctor (within a few hours of each other) and 2 individual tests, they find out she doesn't have the Swine Flu (good news) but she does have a highly contagious stomach bug (BAD NEWS). Now we have to nurse her to health and keep the other kids away from her at the same time. The old kid juggling trick is in affect! That part I'm kinda ok with. I get to test my cat-like reflexes when separating the kids. It's also the only time I get to stiff arm and push kids to the side... for their own safety (of course).
I wish the story ended there... But 2 days later (today, this VERY morning)... The middle child wakes up PROOKIN'. That is just awesome! My reflexes failed me. If I had just knocked her out of the way ONE MORE TIME we would be fine right now. Now I get to play the lets-not-get-the-internal-juices-on-the-carpet-furniture-or-other-kids game. This will definitely count as one of the father/daughter moments I get to cash in on later! Let just hope the oldest doesn't get this bug. She has a gymnastics meet today (that I will miss because my day will consist of carrying the middle child back and forth to the bathroom with super speed).
Hopefully we are on the backside of this mess. I will let everyone know if I need to "part two" this story.
Oh man...that's so not fun. Hopefully the kiddos get better soon.
ReplyDeleteYou know what? Whoever decided that ear infections are not contagious is a LIAR. A Big Fat One. My kids without fail share their ear infections, and I'm pretty my one year old is working on one right now. (Just in time for our big Thanksgiving trip to Virginia.)
ReplyDeleteI snickered at your joyful stiff-arming. Jeremy gets happy, too, when he can use his muscles in our house full of girls.
Glad you blogged; I was wondering where you were. Here's some vitamins for you all.
Thanks for the well wishes... Since writing this... I GOT THE STUPID STOMACH VIRUS!!!!! Saturday evening/night was an interesting development all to itself. But I'm ok now (I guess). I could have been on The Biggest Loser though. I lost 8 pounds in 2 days!!!
ReplyDeleteAwww, man. I am sorry to hear you all are having such a hard time at your house. Hopefully all will be better before Thursday, so you can enjoy some time off with everyone (WELL, of course).
ReplyDeleteI haven't read all of your blog but the little one doesn't sleep through the night even when she's not sick?! Agh! Have you tried the cry it out method?
ReplyDeleteHello, Amy. Yeah, we have tried a cry out method where you let them cry for longer periods of time between each room visit (up 15 minutes). Our middle child didn't sleep through the night until she was 18-months old, though. So my wife just blames my genes for this.
ReplyDeleteHowever, since the original posting of this... The little one has put together an unprecedented 4 nights in a row! We are excited about that. She had never put 2 together in the same MONTH let alone back-2-back. Unfortunately (as if they had planned this crap), the middle child (4) is now waking up in the middle of the night for a potty break (3 nights in a row). I'm going to let my wife know that she shouldn't have any liquids after 12:00 noon. We'll see how that pans out.
HA. I feel like a mommy--though I'm not I've got enough experience with kiddos :)
ReplyDeleteI always cut them off with the liquids at 7 and make them pee before bed. And then I say, "You're a big boy/girl, if you have to pee pee in the middle of the night DONT WAKE ME UP JUST DO IT!" (obviously that applies to when I'm doing overnights)
Hopefully the little one keeps it up! If not, have you tried a baby bottle of water in the crib? Sometimes the kids are just thirsty..and since that one is still in diapers...
:)