As if that wasn't bad enough, this 'head cold' travelled into my chest causing me to cough excess amount of mucous that just was not going away.
Concussion
Some time in the first week of this sickness one child (while playing) ran directly into.. a wall.. giving himself a concussion and us an emergency trip to ED. He beautified my MILs car with vomit right as I pulled up in the car park. He has recovered really well.
Baby Rashes
A few days later, our baby (24 months) told me she had some 'hurts' and presented one red foot. Spotted with dots and covered in a red rash I put vinegar on it thinking it was bites and wanting to take the sting out. Then she tells me "more" and presents the other foot.
On checking her tummy out she's covered in rashes. I have learnt to NEVER fool around with babies and rashes on the tummy, so off to ED we went. Head Cold and all.
The outcome? Probably a reaction to some kind of viral infection, bring her back in if she becomes lifeless and limp and not like a happy/tantrumy 2yr old. She hit that tired state, went over it, and had her biggest tantrum she's ever ever had. Ever. When I got home, she was so relieved to be put straight to bed and I was at a state of exhaustion but happy to eat a subway :)
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| Being checked out in Emergency Department |
Kid Rashes
Over the upcoming days the same rash came back on 3 children but it went away within a few hours. What ever it is that spreads on their body fast and causes itchiness disappears quickly too.
Suddenly Deaf
A few days after this I awoke around 5am with severe pain in one ear + achey body + all the other ailments I already had. Hubby put ear candles in and it helped with the pain, but I had already lost a lot of my hearing.
Time Off
This crazy not-getting-better sickness has ended up in Hubby NEEDING to take time off work I think on two occasions. I feel bad because he will be taking time off work when this baby is born. I could only imagine how bad things would be in our home if he hadn't and how much worse I would be feeling and not recovering.
ED
In the end, I took myself to ED at 3am with instructions to return at 8am when the Dr rocks up. The result.. I have an Upper Respiratory Viral Infection. Likely to keep the cough for 6 weeks if not months.
Can not take any medication to relieve anything because I am pregnant.
Rest, Keep fluids up, try eat healthy foods, Rest. Keep doing what I was already doing.
My hearing will not likely return until the Eustachian tube is cleared, which won't happen until after my nasal passages are cleared which does not seem to be happening.
I must say though, I am relieved I did not have bronchitis, pneumonia or was admitted into hospital, that sure would have changed things around here.
Home Schooling
Over the past two weeks, incredibly we have still managed to do school work. We have done Maths, Phonics, Reading, Read Alouds, Sensory Play, Cooking, History, Geography, Human Biology, Painting with Water Colours and I am not remembering what else we have done right now. Because I choose to school year round we are (thankfully) not behind in our school work, that and I really pushed them through work when I was feeling that little bit better.
Guilty
Laying in bed trying to rest and recover so I can do what I have been created to do has left my mind to wander so far that I am failing at schooling the children, because I am lying in bed and they are playing. Whilst I know that this is silly, with all this ill feeling & pregnancy I am feeling the full force of my inabilities and limited capabilities. I have wondered how I am going to school with sudden deafness, I am not prepared for such inabilities, I rely on my hearing. As I have tried to move through phonics (sounds), and listening to child read I have been repeatedly asking what did you say? So it has been hard, and I have felt guilty, not that he is behind where I want him to be, but because I was hoping we could push in and get it done faster than I had originally planned.
Feeling bad because I am sure I have no idea what I am doing with raising these children and want the absolute best for them.
I've felt guilty pushing children away who are trying to get into my coughing snotty face and hurting my ailing my body, and guilty for not being on top of my game.
Hubby Steps Up
I am married to a busy man, that does busy things. He offered to do groceries for me and ended up preparing full meals (breakfast, lunches, dinner + snacks) for our entire family, he's made home made dog food & frozen in portions. He has in fact taken over my kitchen, even doing dishes and keeping it all cleaned up, and uhm.. teaching kids to wash dishes, one of two jobs I do NOT get the kids to do. He even brings me watermelon cut into cubes with the seeds taken out. In our household that is called "real love".
He has run my errands, dropped his daughter off at Gymnastics and picked her up, picked up another child and taken our dancing kids to their class and returned extra child to her home and run more errands.
He has quarantined me, shutting off bedroom doors and not letting children disturb me so I can rest & recover.
Tears
I have cried a river of tears this past fortnight, overwhelmed with physical pain, guilt, feelings of failure, feelings of not being able to or not being good enough or anything. So many emotions.
Soul Searching
I have really turned inward, remembering things from childhood, teenage hood and early marriage days. Some of it has been extremely hard to process while others are just ok. So much of it pure ugly, so much of it I am choosing differently for my own family, my own children.
Praise
Praise Him through the good times, and in the bad times.
Pregnancy
The illness came at 34 weeks gestation, now we are at 36 weeks gestation. Bub wriggles strongly and has begun the decent into my pelvic area, I know, cos I can feel it. I am having regular tightenings most of the day through and feel as if bub is preparing for its exit. I still have no idea on gender and only a slight possibility in a name.
At this stage in this pregnancy I am feeling like I do not want to go through labour and birth, and I do not want to go through another pregnancy. I also feel that there will be more pregnancies, so I am hoping that I can begin to feel better, emotionally.
Preparing for Baby
I was supposed to be well, not flat on my back with illness, and certainly not deaf. This has brought such a sudden and unexpected halt to preparing for the birth of the baby that basically nothing is ready.
I had the children put together the baby bassinet. Actually I said we were going to put it up and they just did the rest. That is the kind of kids that we are raising. That is the kind of kids that I have, and I know how fortunate and blessed I truly am.
Bub has the capsule ready to go, it is not in the car because I am not sure how the 'car thing' is going to work out. MIL is going to have children which means she will need the car (we swap cars so we dont have take car seats in and out) but she needs extra seating for her own kids (we both have 7 seater vehicles). Plus it is still a bit early. But it takes only a few moments to put this seat in, so it is sitting in the lounge room waiting.
Having little children who eat in the car has meant I've discovered rice cracker stashes, I need to pull all car seats out, clear the floors, vacuum the seats and every crevice I can possibly find and then some. I need to vacuum the sand and dog hair out of the car before returning car seats into a new configuration. This is no easy task! My vacuum is an upright!
I want the dust to be wiped clean too, red dust picked up from driving through tracks and gravel roads. I don't think my car has ever been this bad. Ever.
I need to wash the few pieces of baby clothes we have, check what we have and what we might possibly need. But washing baby clothes comes second to catching up on our own washing.
I need to unpack baby linen from the shed. Wash sheets, blankets, rugs, wraps. Find that extra stash of nappies that I am sure that I bought.
And I need to go to the baby shop and pick up the toddler attachment for our pram. We have one already, but our old pup chewed through seat belts and I need the seat belts for the next child who will be in it.
I think that is about it in preparing for baby. Except the mental preparations.
These Children
These children have been taught and trained so well that they really are keeping great tracks at keeping things running smoothly. Yes I need to ask for help and remind children to continue doing something with a cheerful attitude but overall, especially at their ages, they are incredible.
Ill give you an example.
Breakfast
Children have set foods for breakfast. Weetbix, Oats, Milk. Some days I might make us porridge but generally that is it. Older children make sure the younger children have what they need, afterwards children clean the dining room which basically consists of stacking chairs, clearing table, putting food away, wiping table and sweeping underneath the table. I don't need to do any of it. The conversations that take place while I am out of sight is incredible. They know the routine well.
So Blessed
Given the ages of my children, the amount of work they put into things is incredible. Just last night I brought a bucket of warm soapy water into the dining room with a toothbrush. They all wanted a go, but I got my dining room floor scrubbed and scrubbed well, only needing to mop up the excess water which I used to mop the rest of the floor area.
Child's Play
Children have been so amazing at playing, conflict resolution amongst siblings and serving one another. Some times squabbles break out but on a whole it is all about getting along. I contribute this to the mass amounts of time they have available to play together, learn together and practice their social skills in a safe loving environment.
Mass Amounts of 'tv'
We do not own a TV and have not for many years now. We've watched too many movies and too many you tube clips.
I have watched the entire season 10 of the Duggars reality TV show 19 kids and counting, inspired by the quiet & meek spirit of Michelle the Mum, and touched by the obvious training her older children (in particular the girls) have received that makes their household run smoothly. The older girls also speak with a quiet and meek spirit to many younger children. If your not into the Duggar's but are into your family I suggest you have a watch and see for yourself, the gentle calm in which a household of 21 people maintain.
Children have been watching a family who had quintuplets (Quints by Surprise)
Then we've watched our regular movies that I deem suitable and even a few I don't.
5 Things I am Thankful for:
1. Recovery
2. Rest that I received
3. Not having to prepare meals for the family
4. Really great kids!
5. A Really Great Hubby!
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