Sick Day

The kids are sick. AGAIN. David has a cough and runny nose and is very pitiful in general. Ian's nose is dripping as well, so I have a feeling the pitifulness is spreading.

I've lost count how many times the boys have been sick this year. I hate it, but I guess it comes with the territory of playgroups and Y nursery.

But all these sick days beg the question -- what on earth shall I do with two sick kids? How can I keep all of us from going crazy? Our various outings for fellowship and exercise keep us physically and mentally fit, and losing that during a sick week makes everybody a bit stir crazy.

Movies and cartoons are one option, especially when everybody is so sick that they want to be held and snuggled all day. Adding a living room tent to the mix can make that a bit more exciting option that requires at least a bit of imagination.

Ian feels well enough to play today, so while David is napping Ian is creating monkeys and stars with Play-Doh. I'm thinking once David wakes up we may have some marathon book-reading sessions.

Honestly, though, I'm dreading another week where both kids (and possibly both grown-ups) are sick.

How do you keep your brood occupied when sickness comes to call?

Caught a Good One

On a recent Monday morning, Paul woke me up by bringing me waffles in bed. Two days later, he hit the East Nashville Farmers' Market and brought home a bounty of locally grown food. He used his purchases to create a five-star meal of sweet potato gnocchi with honey sage butter. The Saturday after that, he took our little family to the Tomato Art Fest, where he bought me organic, locally-grown flowers.

Yep, I caught a good husband.

Horn of Africa -- You Can Help

You guys, things in East Africa are really, really bad. Drought has killed livestock and crops, causing a famine that is threatening millions of people in Somalia. Ethiopa and Kenya are severely affected as well. Some estimates say that up to 2 million children are at risk for starvation.

I cannot imagine not having enough food for my kids. I have never been unable to get the food that my family and I need. To think of watching my children die of malnourishment, unable to do anything......it's unspeakable.

Somalia is also facing a cholera epidemic due to poor sanitation.. The country's plight is magnified by the fact that militants control some of the hardest-hit areas, making it difficult for relief organizations to deliver help.

So I'm doing what I can. For me, this means praying for Africa and donating to World Vision's Horn of Africa Food Crisis Fund. Maybe you know of another organization that is taking action, or perhaps you can spread the word that these people need help NOW. I think everything we do, no matter how small, makes a difference.


What are your ideas for helping malnourished families in Africa?

Freedom!

Guess who got his restrictions lifted last Monday?

Yep, Mister David has been given the all-clear by his neurosurgeon. We can now pick him up under his arms, give him a bath, and let him play in his bouncer. Paul and I are so much more relaxed when we hold him, and David is a happier, wigglier baby. I'm so grateful that the surgery and recovery went well.

We are still running into surprise issues here and there. Since David hadn't had a bath in six weeks, he wasn't very appreciative the first time I gave him one. Actually, he shrieked and screamed until I decided that a two-minute bath was a good enough start. Yesterday he still screamed at the beginning of bath time, but he settled down eventually and seemed to be adjusting a bit.

The exersaucer also hasn't been popular after six weeks of disuse. David has been crying when we set him in it, refusing to put his feet on the floor -- he bends his legs at the knees to hold his feet up. With lots of entertainment and reassurances from Mommy, Daddy, and Ian, he is gradually warming up to it. Yesterday afternoon he even did a bit of bouncing.

While he rolls over like a pro, David is still working on sitting up, since he spent several weeks mostly in a prone position. He'll get there, though.

Currently we have a follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeon in a year, when we can see how David is walking. There is a chance that David's spinal cord could retether, but the surgeon says he only sees that in about 10% of his cases. The biggest thing we'll need to watch is bladder issues as David gets to potty training age. Those are the nerves most likely to be damaged by the lipomeningocele. Since those issues won't become apparent for several years, for now I'll just enjoy my squeaky, happy baby.

The neurosurgeon did suggest using "common sense" when it comes to sports and perhaps steer David toward individual sports like swimming and track. Definitely no football, and no checking leagues for hockey (if David wants to play, goalie is probably the safest position for him). The combination of the congenital spinal defect plus the laminectomy as part of the surgery means that David's back is a little more vulnerable to injury. I feel petty saying this, but there is a part of me mourning those tiny limitations on David's activity. Part of the joy of childhood for me is all possibilities that exist for the future, and it's sad when any of those possibilities disappear, even if they were unlikely in the first place (NHL career, perhaps?). But overall, I am grateful that we are talking about limitations of sports, not limitations of mobility.

We've had a fun week having a healthy baby again.