rotten night

... not surprisingly, followed by a rotten day. Argh. So here I am back in the land of the sick and the maimed. I'm telling you, parenting is an awesome gig, so long as everybody is healthy. Really, I can handle almost anything when everyone is breathing well and sleeping well. But throw a cold in there and shit starts to go downhill real fast. I considered taking a picture of my living room to show you the amount of mess: clothes, both dirty and clean, diapers, sundry used cups and pretty nearly every toy my child owns strewn around the room. But it really seemed like too much work. You know its bad when pressing a button seems like an effort. 

So last night, I knew it was going to go badly because the Little Dude had had a runny nose all after noon. And it was a particular kind of runny nose. You know how they say that the Inuit have many words for snow, as they describe all the different kinds of snow, because snow is such in important and impactful part of their lives. Well, that's how snot is for me. (note: this is why I love the internet. I just did a quick search to check the veracity of that 'multiple Inuit words for snow' concept, and apparently it is not true at all. Here's a link to the very useful Wikipedia entry regarding said question. You learn something new every day) I have many different words for the mucus that comes out of my kids nose. This particular kind of snot (clear but constant, combined with sneezes that cause the snot to exit his nose with an explosive force) did not bode well for a night of sleep. And I was right. I got about 4, maybe 5 hours if I count the 15 minute increments that I slept in L.D's bed. It was wretched. The poor kid was awake very regularly, and very uncomfortable. We did all our fight-the-congestion tricks (bed on an angle, humidifier, homeopathics, etc) but it was not so much congestion as a constant runny nose, so nothing really worked. He'd wake up with mucus running down his face, and howl with such anguish "wipe my noooooooose!", that you'd swear the snot was acidic. So I spent most of the night laying next to him with a tissue in my hand. Eventually, we went out the the living room and sat up in a chair, as sitting tends to alleviate the congestion somewhat. He was quite awake, so he chatted and asked me questions that I answered mostly incoherently while I dozed in and out of consciousness. I was also trying to tell him stories, because that distracts him from the discomfort, but I kept screwing them up, and he kept calling me on it (Mama, da big bad wolf doesn't fall in the river!) Then, finally, at about 2:00 am he fell asleep again. So I went to bed and slept until the baby woke up. At 5:00 am. At which point, I looked to the heavens and said "Are you kidding me?" Nope, not kidding. Got the baby back to bed and went back to sleep until 6:30 am when L.D was up for the day. A truly rotten night. 

And then the day was not much better. Was so tired that when the baby went for his first nap at 9:00 am, I asked Hubs to stay with L.D. so that I could take a nap while the baby slept. He somewhat reluctantly agreed. Oh, because did I mention, his left arm is in a full cast! Right, as I told you earlier, he was injured at work, and it turns out that he not only had a nasty gash, but also cut the tendon above his elbow. So on Saturday he has surgery to repair it. So, he's on day four of a post surgery recovery. So really, not functioning at 100% to say the least. He's over the groggy and nauseous, but still is in some pain and is extra tired. Also, he needs to keep his arm elevated at a weird angle that is not conducive to doing, well, anything. So he stayed with the Little Dude and I had a nap, but the Baby only slept for about an hour, and had a brief crying wake up at the half hour mark, after which he went back to sleep, but essentially it did not do me much good. Sigh. And then when I got up and went to see Hubs his hand was all swollen because he'd been doing too much. Which made me fell guilty, of course. Argh. 

Oh, and then after L.D's nap, he woke up super uncomfortable and with a familiar and very unpleasant sounding cough. So I quickly called my doctor and went in for an appointment, and yep, confirmed it, he has croup again. AGAIN! So, the chances of much sleep tonight are again, slim to nil. Everyone is being a trouper (Hubs doing his best to help out where his injury allows him, the Little Dude being fairly pleasant during waking hours) but still, its much, much harder than it normally is. 

Which just brings me to ask, how do single parents do it? How do army mom's do it? How does someone with a husband or wife who works long hours and does not get home until after the kids go to bed do it? I know that many people manage in situations MUCH harder than what I'm dealing with, and I tip my hats to them. But MAN, it sucks to try and feed and bathe and wrangle two kids, one of whom is sick and unhappy and unco-operative, into bed each night, especially on a dearth of sleep, when you are (essentially) all by yourself. (Hubs is pretty much in bed from 6:30 on)

If the baby gets sick too, I'm screwed. 

Speaking of which, I'm very tired, and should go to bed myself. Wish me luck people. Send prayers and frozen pizzas. 

Thanks for listening to me vent. It helps.  

Comments

[Marcia Van Drunen]

We were outta town, so I just got caught up. I wish I lived closer to help! Although bringing my three chilluns into the mix probably would add chaos, and not be oh so helpful. Sorry about the tendon. *sigh* may that heal with great healing. And L.D. too. That poor kiddo and croup and his family. Sleep, blessed sleep, I wish for you!

[hannah]

Ah, man! SO sorry. Definitely sucks. I wish you frozen pizzas with artichoke hearts and grilled red peppers (or whatever else you find takes them up a notch).