Skip to main content

I've got no fancy title...

it's been a week! Influenza Type A (yes, that would be the dreaded swine flu) invaded our home and reared it's ugly head first in the girl. I knew the jig was up when I arrived at church Sunday night for our new pastor's installation service. She had gone early with her Daddy for children's choir (all exposed by the way!) and stayed while he had to be there with the other elders for the commissioning service. When I got there...there she was, curled up soundly sleeping. She was cool to touch, but I probably checked her every five minutes during the service. I finally woke her up. She complained of a headache, barely ate any of the sweets at the dessert fellowship afterwards so I was NOT surprised when I went to tuck her in and she was burning up with a fever. She's better, her cough is still horrible. She was quite pitiful and spent 3 days in bed...I mean IN THE BED! Last count one half of her class has gotten it as well. She's got a pile of school work to catch up on, but we'll work on it this weekend.
The boy succumbed, waking up with a high fever on Wednesday morning, but got Tamiflu, so his duration was shortened dramatically and he didn't descend into any respiratory symptoms...he just threw up everywhere...over and over. It's just not pictures they include in the "What to expect" books..or in Parenting magazine with all these sweet cherubs in gap clothing. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful we avoided steroids and around the clock breathing treatments. Just throw up is...well yucky (and yes, I am a nurse...and a good one...but the sounds of many of a patient have left me turning green...I haven't ever thrown up on anyone after they've thrown up, but I did come close once when I was pregnant with the girl...). And another thing...when I'm cleaning up vomit, it kinda muddies the waters of whether I am getting sick or if I'm just feeling bad because of cleaning up the mess. It just makes everyone involved...well, involved.

Hubs was able to work some creative work hours this week (sooo very thankful for his workplace/boss/coworkers flexibility), wouldn't be possible to do that just anywhere. But a few days, he stayed home/worked from home while I went into work and then he drove on to Hamlet once I got home at lunch time then worked burning midnight oil.

Staffing changes were announced at the clinic, but my position remains unaffected. There may be grumblings about the changes, but I've really not heard them-maybe it's because I'm the new girl. Everyone kept their chin up and seems to have great attitudes compared to some other places I've worked.

I am enjoying working...even with the added stresses of making sure the kids are cared for. I'm beginning to get into a routine, know where the bathrooms are, am beginning to remember some co-worker's names, and can leave my "office space" (a cardiologist walked by today and said, "I like where we've stuck Loretta"... I'm in a room over on the Electrophysiology side where some sort of treadmill test of internal cardiac defibrillators are done-who knows...I'm not even sure, but I have a bat mobile desk that folds up and will roll out of the way...and share the space with a huge treadmill and some monitoring equipment...to say space is at a premium is an understatement...But, it's quiet) anyway, I can leave that space and actually find my way around without walking in circles.

The boy begins a two week fall break next week and it will be a daily juggling act to have friends and family take care of him while I work. I'm very thankful for the willingness of those friends and family...but you know me and my scatterbrainedness---so if I show up at your house to pick up the boy, just kindly remind me you don't have him today and that I need to recheck the schedule. It will happen, I just know it!

Hubs took his second Greek test this week...he passed and that's all the info I have to share. He's beginning to translate passages...and he's reading his Greek New Testament every day. He walks around the house mumbling in Greek...like I could understand his mumbling in English, haha. Every now and then a word sounds familiar to me and I can hear the root word that an English word might have come from.

It's autumn...but I've really not had a chance to relax and enjoy the change in the temperatures, maybe next week. I know the moment will come, it always does.

I'm going to put on a pot of soup for the weekend...clean the house...catch up the laundry...just in case I start oinking or growing a little squiggly tail ;)

Comments

b said…
Oh, dearie... Joe told Matt about the kids being sick. Sorry, but am glad they are doing better! B.

Popular posts from this blog

Unexpected Blessings, Birds and Bees

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. It came on the heels of a weekend of sickness, both Nate and Joe. Nate was officially diagnosed with croup and exacerbation of asthma and is still taking steroids and sounds worse, but the light at the end of the tunnel is on! Joe stayed in all weekend and sounded almost as bad as Nate minus the wheezing. We kept our family home (even from church, small group, etc) feeling like hermits. And, even though the boys were both sick, I picked up sweet Bella the dog on Saturday from a friend who works with the NC Lab rescue group. We know we eventually want another dog, but not until Nate is old enough to handle it. Bella, a one year old yellow lab- sheltie mix, house-broken, crate-trained 28 pound sweet girl, is going to spend a little time at our house and see how it goes. The kids think we're pet-sitting to help out Mrs. D, which is true, sort-of. The sweetest moment came yesterday when Nate gave a bedtime blessing to Bella the Dog. ...

Overheard from the front seat of the Mini-van...

Nate: "mommy is E (a friend's son) 2 or 4? Me: "He's 2" Nate: "Well, that's not far from 4" Nate: After a moment "Mommy, How did E's Mommy get the baby sissy in her tummy" Me: "Well, it's pretty cool...God made a very special way for Mommy's and Daddy's to grow a baby in Mommies' tummies kinda like planting a seed" Nate: "Can boys have babies" Me: "No, God just gave mommies the special parts to have a baby in their tummies" Nate: "I want you to get a baby in your tummy" Me: "Well, Mommies parts don't work to have babies anymore" Nate: "Mommy, how old do I have to be to play basketball...."

Last week of summer vacation

We'll start our homeschooling next week. Yep, one week from today...we'll start second grade. I'd planned something fun almost every day this week. But, not today. Today was spent taking Nate for his follow up for his food allergies and asthma. He weighs 34 pounds....don't know how tall, but I think close to 36 inches (he's about as tall as a yard stick in height). The M.D. visit didn't reveal any earth shattering news...no real asthma issues since winter...eczema has been pretty stable since around March, still just seems to flare when he has a lot of dairy...probably will be years before he "outgrows" the peanut allergy. Later today, we went to our local hospital (which Emily still calls "Mommy's Hospital") for a blood draw for levels of antigen for all the most common allergens. We won't know the results for a few days/weeks. There is a possibility that some of the antigen levels have decreased and could indicate that he...