"The Works"

I've made a vow to never go on vacation between January 15 and February 15. For three years now, during this time, my toddler's been sick, sick, sick. 5 day high fever in Belize at age 0 (kept us off our private island paradise: Southwater Caye), his first vomiting virus at age 1 (just after his brother's birth), and now "the works" at age 2. "The works" is a virus that includes vomiting, high fever, running nose/eyes/butt, swollen face, persistent phlegm cough, and ear infection. I guess strep, bronchitis, and pneumonia bacterial infections aren't present (at least yet), but those are all killed by antibiotics. We just have to wait this one out. Little brother, who turns 1 in only 3 days, looks just like his brother did 5 days ago (glassy eyed and hot and cold and sweaty). So, containing the toddler to only the den and his bedroom apparently didn't work 100% but maybe the baby will still fight it off with the help of my milk's antibodies. I can tell the boys really miss each other, after being separated all week. In passing, they say "hi," put on big smiles, and giggle.

Anyway, maybe next year will be better. Last year was the year of cold viruses. 7 I think we had before the baby was born. This is not surprising for a son just weaned from mom, first daycare exposure, and a pregnancy. This year is the year of flu viruses. Just a month and a half ago the toddler, then I, then the baby each had 7 days of a really, really nasty stomach bug. Lucky dad was on nightshift during most of the process and avoided it. It was so bad one night I called my father-in-law and asked him if he could watch the kids because I had barfed so much and was so dehydrated I couldn't get off of the floor without falling back down. I've never had to make an emergency call out before, but he was happy to do it. It could be because we opted not to get vaccines this year or simply because I've been using the daycare more because school's been busier for me. In any case, it's good to build immune response. Just for kicks, I think we'll get vaccines next year. Keeps the CDC in business and gives us a littler high body burden of mercury if nothing else.

But, I think this will be the norm for the next 17 years or until we move somewhere much warmer. Colds and flus are correlated with the number of hours spent indoors. And at -40F we don't really get out at all. If you take a look at the families with 2 or more kids who are close in age or even with one kid in daycare (play a lot together and with the same things), sickness is a big part of life.