I wish I was talking about the weather, but unfortunately, I’m talking about how the cold and flu season has taken over our family.
It all started at the end of December. Ryan started with a runny nose that wouldn’t quit. Then chest congestion invaded his body, followed by the stomach flu. Wow, now that’s something to talk about right there!
Ryan had the stomach flu for the first time in his life and it wasn’t pretty. Actually, my carpet isn’t pretty. I’m not quite sure what I was thinking when I bought him a strawberry soda from El Pollo Loco that night, but let’s just say I taught myself a lesson. Don’t give your kid colored beverages when he’s sick!!!!
He had thrown up many times that night (in the bowl I gave him for such instances), but for some reason when I went to put him to bed he didn’t quite think fast enough. Before I could realize what was going on, he had thrown up strawberry soda (and the rest of his dinner) on our year-old beige carpet and all down the side of his nightstand.
Was I able to get it all out of the carpet, you ask? Of course not.
Thankfully that was the end of the stomach flu for him and he slept peacefully that night. We did end up visiting the doctor a couple days later since he didn’t seem 100%, but he just had a cold, nothing worse, so the doc couldn’t really do anything for Ryan. She did say he could possibly get an ear infection as a result of the cold, but that he was smart and he’d let me know.
Sure enough, he woke up screaming at two in the morning on New Year’s Day. Todd and I had only been asleep for about an hour when we were quickly awakened by his cries. Ryan really couldn’t be comforted. He was in so much pain.
We gave him some Tylenol hoping he would be able to handle the pain long enough to get some sleep until morning. He was in lots of pain for about three hours and then finally fell asleep in our bed at 5:30 a.m. Lucky for us, he slept in until 8:30 so we were able to get some shut eye too. That morning the doctor confirmed that he indeed had an ear infection caused by his cold. He was on antibiotics for 10 days and got a clean bill of health today!
He did not get away that easy though! He had so much wax build-up in his ear (apparently that’s a normal thing…who knew?) that the nurse had to use a syringe filled with warm water to flush it out!!! Ryan was such a trooper though. He didn’t look happy about it, but he didn’t complain either! He’s so good!
His cold managed to go away, but attending preschool 3 days a week has caused him to get another cold. Poor guy! Not only Ryan, but now Todd has a bit of one as well. Ruby managed to get a tiny one over Christmas vacation, but healed quickly. I, on the other hand, did not. A few days before New Year’s Eve I came down with a cold and had to spend a couple days in bed. I haven’t been that sick in a long time. Luckily I was better and able to go out to celebrate the new year and my friend’s birthday!
Hopefully Ruby and I will miss this round and we can all get back to our healthy lives again! Maybe I should pull him out of school for the rest of his life so he doesn’t bring the germs home? Ha, ha!
I hope 2012 has started off wonderfully for you! Even with all our illness, it is proving to be another great year already!
