Call me Florence

This week has been … fun.

Some type of virus (possibly, after a Google search of symptoms, adenovirus because of the fever, cough, stomach pain/vomiting, red eyes, extreme malaise) has made its way through our house.

Both of the couches in my living room have been strewn with sleeping bodies all week. I’ve never seen an illness that produced such profound fatigue. It was as if a fairy sprinkled sleeping dust over them. They slept all day and all night, stirring only to cough or ask for water (and often, by the time I produced it, they had fallen asleep again).

I worry mostly about my preemie, who has lost weight despise nursing constantly day and night, and who has the nastiest, sharp, croup- sounding cough. Pneumonia is a possible complication of adenovirus, especially for preemies.

Without big kids doing their chores, and my not being able to remove myself from the couch without loud protests from little ones (so much for exercise, my rear end is probably rocking-chair shaped at the moment, my back hurts from all the sitting), my house is a wreck. Nobody is eating much other than grapes, so I haven’t had to cook much. I managed to keep up with the laundry, but that’s about it.

Thankfully, I hired a cleaning lady a few weeks ago. I’ve only used her services once, but getting through this has been just a little bit easier knowing that, once everyone is well and doing schoolwork again, and I’m able to get back to my cleaning routine, I can call her to help me out.

The only thing I’ve been able to accomplish is reading this entire book, along with a dozen other picture books, aloud.

All 7 of the kids have been sick, and my husband has had fever, aches and chills, but me?

I’m tired, having spent most of the last few nights endlessly patting the butt of a coughing, feverish preemie, or sitting upright on the couch, attempting to nap… all night.

But other than that, I’m right as rain.

I think I know why.

I think it’s the sugar free diet, y’all. Because I always get sick when my kids do. And this is the second time a virus has run through the family and I’ve stayed well. Gotta be something to it.