
I don't do sickness very well. It's the one area of motherhood that makes me feel stressed and anxious and like I'm not at all remotely qualified to handle anything that transpires. Ethan will sneeze and I'll fall to pieces on the floor sobbing and surrendering to an inevitable pediatrician visit the next day while my concerned husband gives me the side-eye and asks why I can't just wait to see what happens in the morning. And, sadly, that's likely an accurate scenario.
Many parents like to spew some garbage about "just the sniffles" or "just a cold." Sometimes they wipe their kids snot with the bottom of their shirt and say "maybe it's allergies" when we all know that this sudden onset of first-time allergies is totally a cold. Or a virus. Or something that requires antibiotics and throat cultures and medicine that takes CVS four hours to fill while my kid screams in the backseat because he will inevitably catch it. And, considering he gets his crappy immune system from his mama, I'll get it, too. I always do.
I just don't play the "just a cold" game and for good reason: Ethan never, not once in his little life, had "just a cold." His very first experience with illness happened to be a nasty bout of RSV that landed us in the hospital and served as the start of our formal relationship with his nebulizer (or "Nebbie," as the blue plastic bastard is called around here in an attempt to attach some affection and fondness towards it). RSV quickly spawned into RAD which, let me tell you, is anything but rad and basically stands for "you will have major respiratory problems that will one day become asthma, sucker" (or Reactive Airway Disease). From that first sickness on, Ethan couldn't get "just a cold" or "just the sniffles." It's an impossibility completely. A common cold that another child kicked to the curb in forty-eight hours becomes two weeks of respiratory misery for Ethan. Two weeks of treatments and lung steroids and sitting inside our house feeling stifled and bored with every project on Pinterest that we must have done at least seventy-four times each. Oh, and the coughing and the "breathing breaks" weeks after "just a cold" is finally gone, the promise that weeks later Ethan still won't be able to keep up with the other kids or play on the playground without flushed cheeks and a shortage of breath a la asthma. Yeah. No. Take your "just a cold" and shove it, please. We don't play that game. And don't pretend your kids crusty, goopy eyes and face full of snot is the result of being "really tired," either. We don't play that game, either.
If there's one thing other people love to share, however, it's germs. This has made living among society a challenge for someone like me who has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sharing germs. (Keep those suckers to yourself, please.) If I had a dollar for each time a mother toted her sick kid to a mommmy and me class, museum or playground and had the audacity to utter the words "we just couldn't stay cooped up at home any longer" with the intention to garner sympathy and understanding from me, I would be be rich. Or at least able to fund the Germ Restricting Bubble that I dream of inventing for all kids who are sick of the germ sharers among us.
Dude, just keep your sick kids home. Commend yourself on being noble and brave enough to survive the confines of your home during a time of illness. Take your kids on a car ride or a walk around the block for fresh air like the rest of us, not to the children's museum where your strep-ridden kid is free to lick their hands and then touch everything in sight.
I guess you can figure out where I'm going with this. We're sick. Again. It's been weeks since we left the house (aside from the one day, after day six of my antibiotic and finally feeling fully healthy, I let my friend take me out for a pre-birthday foot massage) and the germs inside these walls are keeping me up at night. No, they really are. Just when I thought we were all healthy, Ethan woke up barking like nothing I've ever heard before which, two hours later, was diagnosed as croup. For some reason, Ethan is really into having croup. He hasn't stopped telling me "I have the croup, mommy" before giving me a totally exaggerated cough which, thankfully, has finally lost the bark. Apparently croup (or "the croup" as Ethan says) does best in cold weather and, luckier yet, it's actually been chilly in Florida so in an attempt to beat cabin fever, my stroller-hating child leaps into his stroller every morning and we've been walking miles upon miles just breathing in the fresh air. We don't do good trapped at home. We become desperate and cranky and stressed out and frantic. On his third bubblebath of the day (because, you know, it's something to do), Ethan declared that he missed My Gym and his friends and hoped they would remember him when "the croup" went away. I assured him that they would. He smiled sadly and gave me an exaggerated cough.
We're miserable.
Miserable and ready to play rock, paper, scissors, throat punch with the next person who thinks sharing their germs is a rite of passage all children must endure to build their immune systems.


Love! There's actually a book called "Germs Are Not for Sharing!"
ReplyDelete2015-06-19 zhengjx
ReplyDeleteray ban sunglass
pandora charms
abercrombie
chanel outlet
oakley sunglasses outlet
air max 90
caoch outlet
soccer jerseys
ray ban sunglasses
burberry handbags
nike air max
mont blanc pens
michael kors bags
coach outlet online
toms shoes
tory burch outlet online
oakley sunglasses
burberry scarf
michael kors outlet
kate spade bags
coach outlet store online
gucci outlet online
polo ralph lauren
tory burch outlet
kate spade outlet online
michael kors outlet online
true religion sale
coach outlet store online
cheap oakley sunglasses
michael kors bag
michael kors
kate spade
ray bans
oakley sunglasses
rolex watches
true religion jeans
abercrombie outlet
ralph lauren outlet
hollister clothing
michael kors uk
insanity dvd sale
ReplyDeletelouis vuitton outlet
oakley sunglasses
jordan shoes
toms promo code
coach outlet
chanel no 5
louis vuitton
michael kors outlet online
cheap ray ban sunglasses
true religion outlet
michael kors outlet online
louboutin
coach bags
retro 11
michael kors outlet
abercrombie & fitch
nba jerseys
ray ban sunglasses
louis vuitton outlet
louis vuitton outlet
fitflops
abercrombie
tory burch outlet
hollister co
jordan concords
abercrombie kids
mont blanc
ed hardy outlet store
coach outlet
louis vuitton handbags
ray ban
michael kors outlet
hollister co
christian louboutin sale
abercrombie and fitch
20150720xiong
nike air max, http://www.nikeairmaxshoes.org.uk/
ReplyDeletestuart weitzman outlet, http://www.stuartweitzmanoutlet.us/
soccer jerseys, http://www.soccerjerseys.us.com/
washington redskins jerseys, http://www.washingtonredskinsjersey.com/
iphone cases, http://www.iphonecase.name/
arizona cardinals jerseys, http://www.arizonacardinalsjersey.us/
gucci, http://www.borseguccioutlet.it/
designer handbags, http://www.designerhandbags.us.com/
north face outlet, http://www.thenorthfaceclearances.us.com/
tiffany jewellery, http://www.tiffanyjewelleryoutlets.co.uk/
ralph lauren outlet, http://www.ralphlaurenoutlet.in.net/
true religion jeans, http://www.truereligionoutletstore.us.com/
north face outlet store, http://www.thenorthfaceoutletstores.org/
michael kors outlet online, http://www.michaelkorsoutletonlinestores.us.com/
bottega veneta outlet, http://www.bottegaveneta-outlet.net/
chanel outlet, http://www.chanelhandbags-outlet.co.uk/
gucci handbags, http://www.guccihandbags-outlet.co.uk/
valentino shoes, http://www.valentinooutlet.us.com/
tiffany and co, http://www.tiffany-outlet.us.com/
michael kors outlet, http://www.michaelkorshandbags.in.net/
roshe run men, http://www.rosherunshoessale.com/
mont blanc pens, http://www.montblancpensoutlets.com/
mcm outlet, http://www.mcm.in.net/
blackhawks jersey, http://www.chicagoblackhawksjersey.us/
hermes outlet store, http://www.hermesoutletstore.us.com/
thomas sabo, http://www.thomassabos.co.uk/
dallas cowboys jersey, http://www.dallascowboysjersey.us/
michael kors handbags, http://www.cheapmichaelkorshandbag.in.net/
0917maoqiuyun
cyber monday 2015, http://www.blackfriday2015.in.net/
ReplyDeletecanada goose coats, http://www.canadagoose-coats.us.com/
tiffany outlet, http://www.tiffany-outlet.us.com/
tiffany jewellery, http://www.tiffanyjewelleryoutlets.co.uk/
cheap jordans, http://www.cheapjordanshoes.in.net/
wedding dresses, http://www.weddingdressesoutlet.co.uk/
soccer jerseys, http://www.soccerjerseys.us.com/
ray ban, http://www.occhiali-rayban.it/
hermes belt, http://www.hermesbelts.us/
chanel handbags, http://www.chanelhandbags-outlet.co.uk/
oakley sunglasses, http://www.oakleysunglassescanada.com/
hermes bags, http://www.hermesbags.co.uk/
cheap nfl jerseys, http://www.cheapnfljerseys.org/
nobis outlet, http://www.wellensteyn.com.co/
adidas wings, http://www.adidaswings.net/
coach outlet canada, http://www.coachoutletcanada.com.co/
louis vuitton outlet, http://www.louisvuittonoutletstore.name/
ugg boots, http://www.uggbootsclearance.in.net/
canada goose jackets, http://www.uggbootscheap.eu.com/
tory burch outlet, http://www.toryburch.in.net/
designer handbags, http://www.designerhandbags.us.com/
nike huarache, http://www.nikeairhuarache.org.uk/
timberland boots, http://www.timberlandboots.name/
louis vuitton handbags, http://www.louisvuittonhandbags.org.uk/
nike outlet store, http://www.nikeoutletstore.us/
ed hardy clothing, http://www.edhardy.us.com/
ralph lauren, http://www.poloralphlaurenoutlet.it/
ugg boots, http://www.uggboot.com.co/
1012maoqiuyun
TEN
ReplyDelete0329
michael kors outlet
mont blanc pens
ralph lauren uk
burberry outlet sale
coach outlet online
ralph lauren outlet
ferragamo shoes
lacoste pas cher
celine outlet
kate spade handbags
oakley sunglasses wholesale
nike air max 90
tory burch outlet
lululemon outlet
tiffany and co
cheap replica watches
ray ban sunglasses
true religion jeans
kate spade uk outlet
true religion jeans
michael kors uk
louis vuitton handbags
coach outlet
hollister shirts
polo ralph lauren
longchamp solde
tory burch shoes
hollister clothing
mulberry outlet
coach outlet
2016-4-16 xiaozhengm
ReplyDeletemichael kors outlet
fitflops
jordan concords
oakley sunglasses
coach outlet store online
nike air force 1
michael kors outlet
kate spade outlet
louis vuitton handbags
oakley sunglasses
jordans
beats headphones
gucci shoes
oakley sunglasses
celine bags
canada goose outlet
louis vuitton outlet
hollister clothing
michael kors bags
louis vuitton handbags
abercrombie
louis vuitton bags
louis vuitton
nike air jordan
jordan 11s
true religion shorts
michael kors outlet clearance
gucci handbags
coach outlet
michael kors outlet
abercrombie & fitch
ray bans
kobe bryant shoes
cheap jordans
timberland boots
louis vuitton outlet online
tiffany jewelry
coach factorty outlet
louis vuitton
louis vuitton bags
oakley sunglasses
ReplyDeletechaussure louboutin
air max 90
tory burch outlet
tiffany outlet
jordan pas cher
burberry outlet
beats headphones
rolex outlet
tory burch outlet
oakley sunglasses wholesale
nike air huarache
mbt shoes
cheap nhl jerseys
coach outlet
longchamp outlet online
louis vuitton bags
cheap ray ban sunglasses
hollister shirts
ralph lauren outlet
fitflops sale
jordan pas cher
michael kors outlet
nike huarache
coach outlet online
kate spade handbags
true religion jeans
kate spade uk
nike air force 1
hollister clothing store
prada outlet
tory burch outlet online
fitflops clearance
michael kors uk
mulberry handbags sale
20160428caihuali
شركة نقل عفش بالدمام
ReplyDeleteشركة نقل عفش بالطائف
شركة نقل عفش بمكة
نقل عفش بالخبر
ReplyDeleteنقل عفش بالاحساء
نقل عفش بالخرج
نقل عفش بخميس مشيط
نقل عفش بابها
http://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituremecca.html شركة نقل اثاث بمكة
ReplyDeletehttp://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituretaif.html شركة نقل اثاث بالطائف
http://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituremadina.html شركة نقل اثاث بالمدينة المنورة
http://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituredammam.html شركة نقل اثاث بالدمام
http://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturekhobar.html شركة نقل اثاث بالخبر