When THE MOM gets Sick...

The past 2 weeks we have been battling pink eye (Ryland, Dacie and Sterling) and serious amounts of tissues & drainage.

I got some of that and it was at its worst during our marathon date 2 weekends ago.I could not breathe and my ears kept getting plugged all the way to and from Phoenix.

But alas, things started to dissipate and we prepared for the end... (so this is the mask they made me wear in the waiting room at the drs.! ha ha)

~

THEN I came home from ward conferences and I started to not feel so hot.

After an unbelievably sleepless night (at no account of the baby inutero...go figure!)

I woke up the next morning with my throat on fire and the chills, by that evening I was dragging myself into bed and it became my friend (sort of)

Everything reminded of when I had strep throat.

(where I pretty much lived for 2 days!)

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By Tuesday I was super grateful I had a regular OB check up. Things had only gotten worse, and I knew I needed help.

There is NO TIME or HELP for sick moms.

It took everything I had to get showered and dressed (as well as Dacie) and get us to that appointment.

BUT I did IT! and I came away with a prescription of antibiotics... and was excited to start eating again.
By evening I knew things were headed up.

Dan really stepped up. He came back from seminary in the mornings (which I NEVER get-he goes straight to work) and helped get the boys dressed, lunches made, and drove them all to school (including preschool)-then he took his lunch break to go and pick up Ryland from preschool, so I would not have too.

That day of complete rest really helped!

One of the afternoons while I was in and out of "consciousness" (the kids had early releases and parent teacher conferences all this week too-yeah, I know! No sick moms allowed) the kids were NOT fighting and I could hear giggles and contentment. At times Dan and I really wonder if our family does anything more then fight. In my sick state I was worried something bad was happening because of this.

I went outside and found them all just having the time of their lives on the tramp with their bouncy balls (thanks grandma H). They played there for quite sometime, and then only came in to play happily with one another again!
It was a "tender mercy" for me that afternoon.
I mean, who can walk out of their room super sick only to find their children reading to each other.
My heart was so happy!

AND although the next day they flooded the garage with the hose and threw Dacie's Barbie on the roof....

I still considered that one afternoon a blessing!

~

My sore throat eventually dissipated and it has been replaced with the most ANNOYING cough and random drainage.
Now by a cough I mean, non-stop tickling in your throat and a constant rough cough-particularly at night

So... I think I have gotten more then 3 hours of sleep one night this week (after Dan gave me a blessing)

The rest of the nights have been full of the bathroom, transferring from the bed to the rocking chair and back, and watching the sun rise!

There is no naps for mommies either, that is not an option when the elementary kids get out at 2:20

Now I know sickness is a way of life and is to be expected.

BUT for moms that are expecting I believe it can be a cruel joke at times.

In our not to distant future we will be getting only 3 hours of sleep for LONG periods of time (we need sleep now!!! not an hour to to lose)

Pregnant women are already going to the bathroom in the night, BUT with a rough cough try doubling that number and having "accidents" (sick I know)

IF the prego mom was not uncomfortable with her 8 month prego belly (I was doing pretty good) try shaking it like a bowl full of jelly all night...and then it is

NOT TO MENTION what it is doing to the once "peaceful" kid (which mine had been) inside!

Many "soon-to-be" moms already have a mile long list of extras to get ready, BUT when you are sick the everyday stuff just piles up, forget the extras!

SO while the bins of baby clothes to go through, inventory and wash--stack up AND the baby equipment makes it way from the attic to piles on my floor...

the everyday laundry piles in my room and we eat lots of cereal for meals!

~

I am ready to BE DONE being sick, NOT PREGNANT as most people are at this point, just SICK of being SICK (it has been about 4 weeks of just not feeling well).

BUT until then...tender mercies will have to do!!!

(did I mention that I passed some of it on to my hubby?- he has a super sexy voice right now!)