Deatlhy

We have been oh so sick around here.  We've had a nasty virus.  I came down with it first.  Then Croix caught it, then Brent followed suit.  The first day I was sick Croix just could not understand why I wasn't playing with him.  It truly made him so so sad!  Then he came down with it, and was so so sad because he was misrable and sick.  He actually fell asleep in my lap!  This hasn't happened in at least 10 months!  I was so worried for him as his fever climbed to 103.5.  He was in the bath 5 times that day cooling down his feverish body.  He couldn't sleep that night.  So he slept with us, only finding comfort in my arms.  Then Brent got sick and there was no one to take care of any of us, we were all misrable.  Brent felt a little better and went back to work after a few days.  Then I, rather then feeling better felt worse.  A trip to the Dr. discovered I'd developed broncitis!  Some antibiotics and I was just feeling crummy again, rather then deathly.  

This was a couple  firsts for us in our house.  It was the first time Croix has even been really sick.  It was also the first time I'd ever been really sick and still have to care for Croix (and Brent).  It was also the first time we were all sick and miserable at the same time.
I learned a few things.

A few things about love.
Love grows as you care for someone.  Your heart aches to watch your child hurting, especially when he's so young and doesn't understand what is going on.  Your love grows when someone cares for you.  How grateful I was for Brent taking care of me before he got sick.

A few things about Motherhood.
It truly is a 24 hour job.  It forces you to reach, try, do, go, beyond what you think you are physically and humanly capable of.  There were a couple days I really didn't know if or how I was going to make it through the day.  Yet some how I did.  As a Mother, in the midst of horrible illness I willingly gave up a good night of rest so Croix could get that good nights rest.  As I brought his hot feverish body into my bed, my amount of sleep diminished as my love grew.   The next day as I barely made it to nap time there was not a moment of anger or grumpyness that I didn't get sleep the night before.  The sacrifice was gladly made.

A few things about friendship.
Sometimes it comes just when you need it, when you least expect it.  Who knew how much a pot of soup of Tupperware of pasta could mean to a person!  Also the acts of kindness came from new friends, ones I never would have called to ask for a favor.  Some times people's goodness is refreshingly surprising!

A few things about Fatherhood.
It's not as hard as Motherhood.  Or at least it's hard in different ways.  I cannot describe the depths of my jealousy of Brent's sick day taken to lay around in bed the entire day.  (on this note Brent did an amazing job of helping, even when he was sick.  He is an excellent Father and Husband).  He also "got" to go back to work while I "had" to stay home and put our home and lives back together.

A few things of gratitude.
Why is it we take the simple things, like our health for granted!  Being sick and caring for a family was so hard.  How can I not wake up everyday and be grateful for the energy I need to fulfill my responsibilities as Mother and Wife!  I'll tell you what, I'll be more grateful now.  I'm still not 100%, none of us are yet, almost 2 weeks in, but I'm grateful to feel better!

Snuggling with Dad.

 Asleep on Mom

So sick in the bath.