Pass the Lysol

What a go these last two weeks have been.  I'd love a do-over with everyone healthy and happy.  But one thing two weeks like this gets you is a renewed thankfulness for health and happiness.

Almost two weeks ago, Henry came down with the runny nose and cough that the girls had had but for Henry it turned worse quickly.  By Thursday I realized that this was more than your run-of-the-mill cold and took him in to the doctor who told me he had RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and the normal treatment for RSV is a trip to CHEO (our children's hospital).  But she thought he was "just on the cusp" of having to go in and we should try and treat him at home with the steroids but be prepared to go to the hospital in the night if required.  Thankfully we made it through that night at home, with lots of steam and steroids and Advil.  The next few days were a constant stream of crying, nursing, whining, sleeping, coughing and cuddling.  And Dora's Christmas Special.  Know around here as "Dora Ho"... Henry's term, not mine.  Honestly, if it wasn't for Dora Ho, I don't know how we would have survived those few days.  It was the only thing other than nursing that stopped him from crying and the only thing that gave me a laugh during those few days.

It was more than a week until he was back to himself.  In fact, yesterday was the first day that I would say he was totally back to himself.  He actually ate real food - he didn't eat anything but breast milk and apple cider for an entire week (he's looking a little skinny now compared to his previously chubby self).

And now we deal with the clean-up as it were: back to night-weaning (he was fully night-weaned before the RSV), to getting him off the whiny train, and back to better eating habits.

In the midst of all this, I succumbed to a cold (my first in about two years), we started Emily on a gluten-free diet (seems she has inherited my sensitivities) and John was down with a cold.  I won't use the MAN COLD term here in case he's still sensitive about it.  Oops, already done.  Sorry, J!

All this to say, I am so thankful now for good health, happy kids (Emily is still struggling with having to give up some of her favourite things but she's getting better... more on that in a future post) and the time to start to clean the house after all this turmoil.  Having a toddler on top of you most of the time means that the house is sorely neglected... more so than usual, even.  I plan to Lysol the house top to bottom.

Thank goodness March Break is coming.  I really need a break from running around to activities, school projects... and the constant onslaught of germs.