12 Days of Sickness

It's that time of year! Christmas is almost here! We love spending time together as a family, doing fun festive activities and celebrating the birth of our Savior. We love this time of year in so many ways.

But there are other things I hate about this time of year.

Tis the Season...for spreading germs. Cold and flu season. The season of runny noses, sore throats, and croupy coughs. The season of tummy bugs, vomit bowls, and high fevers. The season of doctor visits, ear infections, and antibiotics. Oh yes. It's that time of year.

And boy is our family being hit with it. All 5 of us have at least some degree of cold. I'm starting to feel mostly normal again, except for a lack of voice. John mainly just has a cough. Emma is congested with a croupy cough, sore throat, and occasional fever. Hyrum has the same symptoms as Emma, and then some. Nathan seems mostly ok; he has a little bit of congestion and cough. Lucky baby gets my antibodies.

But Hyrum...our poor little Hyrum went to the ER last night. His breathing sounded eerily like Darth Vader. He was wheezing and pulling at his shirt collar. John took him in while I stayed home with the other 2. Poor baby has croup. They gave him a breathing treatment and a steroid shot. He's doing much better now, but he still sounds too much like Vader. And he's entirely too good at impersonating Gollum. He's also incredibly grumpy from being sick and lack of sleep.

Ha, we're all grumpy from being sick and lack of sleep.

In light of the "joy" of cold and flu season, I reworked the lyrics to a well-known Christmas carol. Parents everywhere will understand entirely too well.

12 Days of Sickness

On the 1st day of sickness, my children gave to me a week of quarantine!

On the 2nd day of sickness, my children gave to me 2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 3rd day of sickness, my children gave to me 3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 4th day of sickness, my children gave to me 4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 5th day of sickness, my children gave to me 5 sleepless nights!
4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 6th day of sickness, my children gave to me 6 ear infections
5 sleepless nights!
4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 7th day of sickness, my children gave to me 7 doctor visits
6 ear infections
5 sleepless nights!
4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 8th day of sickness, my children gave to me 8 bowls of vomit
7 doctor visits
6 ear infections
5 sleepless nights!
4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 9th day of sickness, my children gave to me 9 new prescriptions
8 bowls of vomit
7 doctor visits
6 ear infections
5 sleepless nights!
4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 10th day of sickness, my children gave to me 10 croupy coughs
9 new prescriptions
8 bowls of vomit
7 doctor visits
6 ear infections
5 sleepless nights!
4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 11th day of sickness, my children gave to me 11 grumpy days
10 croupy coughs
9 new prescriptions
8 bowls of vomit
7 doctor visits
6 ear infections
5 sleepless nights!
4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

On the 12th day of sickness, my children gave to me 12 boxes of Kleenex
11 grumpy days
10 croupy coughs
9 new prescriptions
8 bowls of vomit
7 doctor visits
6 ear infections
5 sleepless nights!
4 sore throats
3 runny noses
2 days of fever
And a week of quarantine!

I think I'm going to print that off and give it to their pediatrician next time we go in...

Happy cold and flu season! Try to stay healthy. And please, please - do me a favor and keep your sick kids home. Stop the spread of germs and help them recover faster. I'm all for sharing, but not when it comes to germs. Please keep them to yourself. We don't want them.

Here's to hoping we get better by Christmas. I've pretty much given up on everyone getting better for our 5th anniversary on Wednesday. Yeah, no chance of everyone being well in just 2 days. So much for going out on a date...we'll postpone it for when we're all 100% healthy again. I just hope that's sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, we'll do what we can to get well again.

I think I'll go drink some more orange juice. Or maybe disinfect something.