Happy Fever-tine’s Day!

Seriously. This post is not about me. But it’s sure might end up sounding that way.

Let me tee up the past 10 days so you’ll understand.

First, as I’m sure you’re aware: a) there’s a measles outbreak in the US, much of which showed up at Disneyland, just 50 minutes south of us, and b) we have an infant. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, infants can’t be vaccinated against the measles until 12 months of age, which means we’ve got a ways to go.

So last weekend when our 4-year-old had a birthday party at one of those jump, climb, shoot balls at each other places, I was terrified. But I, of course, assumed I was being overly cautious… until my germs-make-them-stronger husband said, “Are you at all concerned about taking Ella to the party?” To which I promptly responded, “YES, but I’m going to wear her and NO ONE is going to touch her.”

To which HE responded, “Measles are airborne.” Crap.

Needless to say, I stayed home with Ella while Zoe and Dad went to the birthday party AND to a festival at Zoe’s old school the following day. Good news: Ella did not get measles ;) Oh, and also, I got a chance to read up on the measles and found out that there are TWO shots for kids (and that we REALLY don’t want our kids to get it).

So I called the doc on Monday, and Zoe had not had her 2nd shot yet (you get that between 4 and 6). They said “since she didn’t get it at 4, she will get it at 5”, and I said “or NOW, right?” And we booked her to go in on Friday with Ella for her 5-month checkup.

Bad news? While neither Zoe nor Bart got measles, they BOTH ended up sick.

First, my husband got sick. While lying in bed, certain that he was dying, he had a phone consultation with a doctor through our company’s “doctor on demand” program, who diagnosed him with the flu. And prescribed Tamiflu. AND suggested our small children go on Tamiflu as well, which our pediatrician promptly prescribed.

On Friday (a day later), we went in for Ella’s 5-month checkup, described symptoms to the pediatrician who didn’t believe it was the flu, so he tested Zoe: Negative. Phew. HOWEVER, they are both snotty and coughing, with low grade fevers.

So here’s where it’s about me. Picture this on Valentine’s Day:

5-month-old, mildly irritable from shots she got at her checkup, and just being a 5-month-old
Sick husband (need I say more?)
Sick 4-year-old who REALLY wants to go to Ninja Nite to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but she’s sick…

And that, my friends, guided our special day. Thank goodness the Johnsons know how to make lemonade.

Zoe was a trooper, downing Gatorade and chicken noodle soup all day long, in hopes that she could go to the party (early in day her “fever” was only 99.1, which isn’t technically a fever). She took two hot showers for her nose, squirted nasal saline and went promptly to bed for a 2-hour nap. Unfortunately, she woke with a 101 fever… so No Ninja Nite.

Instead, we made a special pallet on the floor with blankets, complete with dinner tray and pillow, and we watched Night at the Museum, which she loved. My husband, though still sick, miraculously made me Parmesan Risotto, a NOT easy dish he made for me in our “Courtship Phase” which I beg for every year to prove he still loves me :) And little Ella slept well on/off and ate oatmeal in my lap while I shoved yummy risotto in my face for dinner.

So.Very.Romantic.

And so I can complete my WAAAAAAH and get it out of my system, Ella is still having nipple confusion and on Friday I barely had time to pump, so we were behind on milk (meaning I had to pump real-time), and I can’t pump and hold her. Let me tell you, trying to produce milk with a hungry child screaming beside you is NOT ideal. Oh, and since I haven’t blogged about this, I officially have Hip Dysplasia (one source of my hip pain since my 3rd trimester of pregnancy), which means I still have pain (that’s mostly from a torn labrum but that’s not the worst part) and will ultimately need a hip replacement, since I already have degeneration from the dysplasia. There, I said it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS?

I clearly need to brush up on my germ knowledge (or not).
The Rolling Stones were right: You can’t always get what you wa-ant ;)
Life is what you make it.

Above all, I’m thankful to have my health, my job, my home, my family and my amazing friends who make all the not-so-ideal days better and remind me that it’s NOT all about me ;)