Updated to add: I think it should be noted that I wrote today's post prior to hearing the devastating news coming out of Connecticut. It now seems quite selfish and petty to be complaining about having all three children at home when the most severe emotion we'll experience is being a little stir crazy. Perspective is everything, my dear friends. Hug your loved ones.
1. Oy! Today is going to be a tough one.
a.) William has strep.
b.) I have all three kids at home, inside, without the possibility of venturing out because of previously mentioned item.
c.) I'm still pregnant.
2. William woke up yesterday morning not feeling well. He was achy, had a sore throat and a slight fever. I gave him some ibuprofen and by the time it kicked in he was insisting he felt OK to go to school. I did not believe him. But he wouldn't budge. "Mom! I'll miss all the projects!" We're raising a school nerd, folks. What kind of kid fakes being well so that he can go to school? Ours.
I gave him strict instructions that if he didn't feel well during school he needed to tell his teacher right away and I would come get him. I waited for that phone call all day. It never came. When it was time for dismissal I watched for his patrol line out the window like I always do. When I saw him at the front of the line, head hanging, not goofing around with the other kids like usual, I knew he was really sick.
He came in the house, white as a ghost and burning up. I sent him up to bed with another dose of pain medication. At first my heart sank. I knew we had a real doozy of an illness that was about to strike our entire house. But the more I thought about it -- sudden sore throat, high fever, no other cold symptoms like a runny nose or a cough -- the more I wondered if it could be strep, a sort of rite of passage for every kid entering school for the first time.
I was a strep child growing up. It was something I got 2-3 times a year. Finally, I got my tonsils out at age 20 and haven't experienced a strep symptom since. He was showing all the classic signs. And that voice he was using. It was the same back-of-the-throat voice I used to have whenever I had strep. I called Brian at work to see if he could ditch out early to take William to the Minute Clinic. Half an hour later they were walking out with a positive strep test and a bottle of antibiotics. I heart Minute Clinics.
Now before you start feeling bad for me that I've got a strep child and a baby coming any minute, you should know that strep was the best possible outcome here. We don't have to wait days for a virus to run its course. Once antibiotics are in the system, strep symptoms begin to fade dramatically. Yes, he has to miss school today until he's been on his medication for 24 hours. But step in my house for one minute and you would quickly realize this child is no longer feeling down in the dumps.
3. It was before 8:00 this morning and William and Lucy were already driving me crazy. I sent them down to the basement to play so that I could sip my coffee in peace and maybe catch a few news headlines. They weren't down there for five minutes when I heard a certain door slam. I ran down there and sure enough the Present Closet door was wide open. I can't win. Luckily, the presents are intermixed with a whole bunch of bags of baby clothes so they didn't even notice. But still. Close call, right?
4. I'm really, really, really hoping to have this baby this weekend. I confessed to Brian last night that I thought I might be standing in my own way. Yesterday I was experiencing a lot of lower back cramps and some painful contractions here and there. But every time I felt one coming on, I wished it away. The problem with having two pregnancies close together is that there isn't enough time to forget the pains of childbirth. And even if I wanted to cut myself some slack and take the epidural with this baby, I know that's not really an option for me because my labors go way too fast.
So, because I think there can be a psychological component to going into labor, I had a serious talk with God last night. I'm feeling much more confident in letting go and getting this baby in my arms. So this weekend...let's get this party started.
5. Speaking of this weekend and parties, tomorrow is Brian's birthday. It's normal for his birthday to get washed up in the preparation for Christmas but this year there's the added factor of a new baby on the way. I haven't even begun to think about what we should do tomorrow. Mostly because I hope to be in a hospital bed. But the glorious thing about Brian is that he really doesn't care. Throw him a six pack of a craft beer he's never tried or a good bottle of Scotch and he's a happy man. Love that about him.
6. Since today is an indoors day, we'll be spending it with our favorite Christmas movies on rotation. Our top five include: Elf, Home Alone, Home Alone 2, A Charlie Brown Christmas and the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas. My kids could win a movie line contest if the contest included only those movies. Seriously.
7. And now that I've run out of things to say, I think I'll go pay bills just to make sure I've got all my I's dotted and T's crossed before this baby makes his/her debut.
1. Oy! Today is going to be a tough one.
a.) William has strep.
b.) I have all three kids at home, inside, without the possibility of venturing out because of previously mentioned item.
c.) I'm still pregnant.
2. William woke up yesterday morning not feeling well. He was achy, had a sore throat and a slight fever. I gave him some ibuprofen and by the time it kicked in he was insisting he felt OK to go to school. I did not believe him. But he wouldn't budge. "Mom! I'll miss all the projects!" We're raising a school nerd, folks. What kind of kid fakes being well so that he can go to school? Ours.
I gave him strict instructions that if he didn't feel well during school he needed to tell his teacher right away and I would come get him. I waited for that phone call all day. It never came. When it was time for dismissal I watched for his patrol line out the window like I always do. When I saw him at the front of the line, head hanging, not goofing around with the other kids like usual, I knew he was really sick.
He came in the house, white as a ghost and burning up. I sent him up to bed with another dose of pain medication. At first my heart sank. I knew we had a real doozy of an illness that was about to strike our entire house. But the more I thought about it -- sudden sore throat, high fever, no other cold symptoms like a runny nose or a cough -- the more I wondered if it could be strep, a sort of rite of passage for every kid entering school for the first time.
I was a strep child growing up. It was something I got 2-3 times a year. Finally, I got my tonsils out at age 20 and haven't experienced a strep symptom since. He was showing all the classic signs. And that voice he was using. It was the same back-of-the-throat voice I used to have whenever I had strep. I called Brian at work to see if he could ditch out early to take William to the Minute Clinic. Half an hour later they were walking out with a positive strep test and a bottle of antibiotics. I heart Minute Clinics.
Now before you start feeling bad for me that I've got a strep child and a baby coming any minute, you should know that strep was the best possible outcome here. We don't have to wait days for a virus to run its course. Once antibiotics are in the system, strep symptoms begin to fade dramatically. Yes, he has to miss school today until he's been on his medication for 24 hours. But step in my house for one minute and you would quickly realize this child is no longer feeling down in the dumps.
3. It was before 8:00 this morning and William and Lucy were already driving me crazy. I sent them down to the basement to play so that I could sip my coffee in peace and maybe catch a few news headlines. They weren't down there for five minutes when I heard a certain door slam. I ran down there and sure enough the Present Closet door was wide open. I can't win. Luckily, the presents are intermixed with a whole bunch of bags of baby clothes so they didn't even notice. But still. Close call, right?
4. I'm really, really, really hoping to have this baby this weekend. I confessed to Brian last night that I thought I might be standing in my own way. Yesterday I was experiencing a lot of lower back cramps and some painful contractions here and there. But every time I felt one coming on, I wished it away. The problem with having two pregnancies close together is that there isn't enough time to forget the pains of childbirth. And even if I wanted to cut myself some slack and take the epidural with this baby, I know that's not really an option for me because my labors go way too fast.
So, because I think there can be a psychological component to going into labor, I had a serious talk with God last night. I'm feeling much more confident in letting go and getting this baby in my arms. So this weekend...let's get this party started.
5. Speaking of this weekend and parties, tomorrow is Brian's birthday. It's normal for his birthday to get washed up in the preparation for Christmas but this year there's the added factor of a new baby on the way. I haven't even begun to think about what we should do tomorrow. Mostly because I hope to be in a hospital bed. But the glorious thing about Brian is that he really doesn't care. Throw him a six pack of a craft beer he's never tried or a good bottle of Scotch and he's a happy man. Love that about him.
6. Since today is an indoors day, we'll be spending it with our favorite Christmas movies on rotation. Our top five include: Elf, Home Alone, Home Alone 2, A Charlie Brown Christmas and the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas. My kids could win a movie line contest if the contest included only those movies. Seriously.
7. And now that I've run out of things to say, I think I'll go pay bills just to make sure I've got all my I's dotted and T's crossed before this baby makes his/her debut.
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