Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Sleep, shmeep! (or "When It Rains, It Pours")

Last night I was Florence Nightingale reincarnate.

It started when I should have been in bed, but was blogging and watching an episode of The Office with my husband. (He’s trying to convert me.) Lee came downstairs wanting to snuggle—not unusual—but complained that I was too hot and left to the couch—unusual. Shortly thereafter he started crying that his ear hurt. Sure enough, when I palmed his forehead, it was warm.

Side note: I read about some findings that a Mom can gauge her child’s temperature by hand within a degree. I’ve tested it since, and I’m usually pretty on. How cool is that?

After convincing him that Tylenol is a good idea and warming up a rice bag for his ear, he went back to sleep. He was sleeping so well that we left him downstairs on the couch (with the bathroom light on).

I finally climbed into bed after midnight, but climbed right back out to prepare warm honey/lemon water for a croupy Alex and to bring pillows to prop him up.

Before I could get in bed, Cora woke up feeling icky. She joined us in our bed, but couldn’t get comfy. Especially after Lee came upstairs and they were sleepily vying for the coveted spot next to me.

The rest of the night is a blur: Lee waking Cora because she squirmed and pushed him; Cora fussing and waking Lee. Cora being moved back to her crib so she could get comfortable. Taking Lee downstairs so his intermittent crying wouldn’t wake Cora; sleeping on the couch toe-to-toe with him. Abby coming down to tell me that she couldn’t breathe; me dozing back off before she even turned on the nebulizer for her inhaled albuterol treatment. (I love that she’s old enough to do it herself!) Waking up to Cora crying upstairs; bringing her to bed and soothing her back to sleep. Did I nurse her? I don’t even remember. Lee rejoining us; Riah reheating his rice bag; rearranging so they both could be by me…

Awake, asleep. Awake, asleep. This morning Riah reported that he feels rather foggy. I can't imagine why.

When my alarm went off at 7:00 I stayed awake long enough to call the school attendance hotline. Then I went back to sleep…until the children woke me up to save them from imminent starvation.

I wonder when Ms. Nightingale slept.

(Postscript—this morning the pediatrician, Dr. Lampet, proclaimed that Lee has a “real ear infection, not a pretend one.” Good. Now we’ll give him some real
antibiotics.)

1 comment:

  1. nice job, flo.

    so mabel had the exact same symptoms..i called wendy and was telling her all about it and she said it sounded identical to what lee had. so funny..we just waited it out though. lots of breastfeeding and a couple doses of tylenol and she's all better. whew!

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