one minute she was watching tv (upside down, rather gymnastically) like her usual after-school self, the next minute she was asking if it was ok to take a nap. that was before the nightmares that caused her to yell out in her sleep every 20 minutes…

she spiked a fever. she stopped eating and drinking. she coughed a dry painful cough and was puke-y into the wee hours of the morning. she was restless but lethargic. she only wanted mommy, and she wanted mommy every second of the day and night, even though she’d sometimes be so uncomfortable that she’d say “don’t touch me! just be near.”

it was heart-wrenching. i’m not one to go rushing to the doctor for anything that time heals best (and i try to avoid giving her antibiotics when possible), but i was getting worried. on the fourth day she woke up and said “ahh!!! my face is wet! i don’t want to be wet!” …her fever had broken, finally.

we took her to the doctor on monday, because her eyes were still runny and goopy and i don’t want to be that mom who knowingly sends the sick kid to school. of course, she felt mostly better by the time we got to the doctor’s.

we grabbed lunch (she’s still not eating much, but i’m so glad she’s drinking) just before Bear starting looking pale and fevered and excused himself to go home and rest up for his turn with the virus. .sigh. 2010 has kind of been this way so far, sharing our germs and taking turns coughing.

one fabulous thing about emma is that even when she’s a little under the weather, she has infectious bursts of pure joy. thank goodness for that. hey, i know that this is just a little blip – just a little flu-ey normal thing that everyone goes through, and in the big picture of what’s going on in the world today and what some people have to deal with, this is nothing. i think i do a pretty good job of keeping that in perspective. sometimes, though, i have to admit that i’m caught off guard by just how exhausting and heavy and powerful it can be to be a mother. to have a person, in their most vulnerable state, look to you for their every need….it’s humbling and emotional and beautiful (and did i mention exhausting? oh yes).

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many cheers and warm (healthy!) thoughts to you today, friends. do take care.