sick

family x is sick. i had thought that mama x had brought a bug home from her last business trip, but it turns out that a nasty strain of bronchitis/sinusitis is going around here lately, so i don't suppose it's all her fault. mama came down with it last week, starting a a sore throat, and progressing to a nasty cough, an intermittent fever, raging sinus headaches and general exhaustion. she tried bravely to fight through it, but it's worn her down, and for the first time in years, she actually missed work for being ill.

and then baby d got it. he spent three days with a face full of snot, a mild fever, lethargy and a generally crappy mood. the poor thing spent days so congested that he was forced to breathe through his mouth, looking like a fish out of water. there were some nights with fever, and we considered dragging him into the ped's office. in the end, we were more concerned about exposing the boo to a roomful of sick kids than we were about his fever, and we got by with an infant analgesic. still, his misery led to several mostly sleepless night for daddy x, with the natural result...

..daddy x is sick. i got a raw, throaty cough, intermittent fever, stuffy head...the usual suspects. this morning i couldn't manage more than a hoarse croak. worst of it might be this: the congestion seems to have invaded my ears. i seem to have half my hearing in my left ear, and a third in my right. i'm talking too loud, which hurts my throat more, and saying "what?" often. mama x is also hoarse from coughing, and it pains her to speak up as well. she can't talk, i can't hear, and our troubled communication is compounding the days of illness and exhaustion. fortunately, we're both too damned tired to fight about it.

baby d was the first of us to get over it. i suppose that he's had more rest than his parents, so it shouldn't be a surprise. he's gone back to being the bright, active, inquisitive little boo that we know and love, while we shuffle around like sniffling zombies. of course, this frustrates him, as he's accustomed to a certain amount of parental interaction. as i lay on the couch, dying by degrees, he's pestering me for a story. i fear that if i get down on the floor with him i'll be unable to get back up.

i don't know how to end this post, dear reader. i don't know when we'll feel better, but i pray it's soon. send kind thoughts and chicken soup recipes...