Down and Out

Raise your hand if you're a mom. (Mine is up.)

Raise your hand if you ever get sick. (Mine is up.)

Raise your hand if you feel like your kids have gone haywire. (Mine is up... but not because I'm a sick mom, just because they are, well, out of control a lot of the time.)

Raise your hand if you feel like your home has gone awry. (Mine is not up.)

I've been sick this week. Seemingly, out of no where, I was smacked with the flu. Not the nauseas kind, but the feverish and achy kind.

I had a few sneezes during the worship service at church on Sunday. My nose started to drip a little during Sunday school. By the end of the day Sunday, I knew I was in for it. My entire body ached. I couldn't get warm. My head felt like it was about to explode.

I woke up Monday, showered, and thought I'd get ready for the day. After almost blacking out in the shower, I decided to lay back down and, because I couldn't yell since my voice was practically gone, I texted my husband who was in his office downstairs working.

A quick couple of minutes later I heard him bound up the stairs and he was greeted  by a sobbing wife whispering, "I'm so sick. I can't be a mom today. I need your help. You can't leave me with three kkiiddssss..."

He rubbed my hair, kissed my forehead, sent me back to bed, and told me not to worry about anything - he'd be on full time Dad duty for the day.

I can't remember the last time I spent a day in bed. Even being sick every day while pregnant, I still got up and around and made life seem normal.

Today has been much, much better. The fever and the aches are gone. My nose, well, it's a brilliant shade of red and is beautifully chapped from all the tissues I've swept across it.

I don't have pictures to give you a glimpse into our lives these past few days. I thought about taking pics of the trash cans loaded with wadded tissues. Or the sink cluttered with orange juice and chicken noodle soup remnants. But that's just boring - and a little gross.

Grady Lee ran away from me when I came down the stairs this morning: "Are you still sick Mom? I don't want to get your sickies because I want to play outside and not be in my bed all day!"

Micah just stared at me and then asked why my voice sounded silly.

Since Annalyse is a nursing infant we've still had our fair share of time together these past couple of days. She has no idea how I've felt, but I do know that some of my sneezes and coughs while she's nursing have scared her to tears. Literally.

So, here I am, almost to Wednesday and have nothing to show and nothing to say. Actually, I'll say that I have the bestestest husband because he stepped up to the plate to care for the kids and didn't even think twice. He's handled meals and trips to the playground and showers and bedtime routines.

I'm sick, but my home is put together and my kids are cared for. What more could I ask for?