January has been a long month here in the Jones' home. For the last three weeks all three of the kids have been sick. Two of those weeks, Robert was traveling. It all started off the night before Robert was to leave on his first trip.
I had started the day with three healthy kids. By noon, Alaina was acting really sleepy. Ethan came home from preschool with a hoarse voice. By bedtime Ethan had a cough and the twins had fevers. At nine o'clock Robert heard a funny noise from the boys' room and found Ethan struggling to breathe. Croup had hit with a vengeance. Unlike most croup attacks that I've seen, Ethan wasn't even able to cry or talk or stand up. Robert rushed him to the ER where it took a gas steroid with a nebulizer along with two more steroid shots before he was breathing better (still croupy, but manageable) Rob brought him home and started packing for his trip.
So far, all three kids have had croup, fevers, chills, coughs, head colds along with excessive whininess (of course). Last week Ethan got an ear infection. Yesterday I took the twins in and they both had sinus infections and Austin has an ear infection. I can't remember a night we haven't had to stay up with one of the kids or sleep with them.
But today...today Ethan is officially no longer sick in any way. The twins, while still sick, are getting better. I finally see an end to the mucus and lack of sleep. There is HOPE!
One of these days I may even get out of the house. Shoot...I might even get out of my sweats. Maybe even do my hair. The possibilities are endless. Whahooo for healthy kids! (almost :) "When was the last time you said whahoo?"

picture by aussiegall via flickr