Vicks and Honey

So, I've decided to mark my calendar for next year, with a big reminder on the month of February, that reads... "Proceed with Caution, Vicks and Honey". Let me explain. For goodness sake, the monkey tribe has been sick THE WHOLE MONTH long. It pains me to hear my baby boy and girl cough like sailors. I. Just. Can't. Stand. It. I feel a stab in my chest when I hear either of them labor over a stuffy nose and a cough. It's awful. Awful. Though, given all the usual symptoms of a bad cold, we're in pretty good spirits... most of the time. The key is to keep baby girl happy. Cause once she's in the cranks, the whole house is. Baby boy is still young yet, so any mood dip can usually be remedied with a snuggle, a boob (the right one, thank you very much), a bounce (on the exercise ball) a bed, or a diap. Lather, rinse, repeat. We didn't get flu shots this year, so you can bet your sweet bippy that I'm going to give it a whirl next year. Please, oh please let this be the cure for the sick-house doldrums in Feb 2010. Wha? 2010?! Anyway. Literally, 5 weeks of illness in tennis match style. One gets it, then serves it to the next, then back again, then delivers another round, and again, and again. And the crowd runs for the hills to avoid contamination. Oh, man. I'm spent. And I look like it too. I've got perma-chapped-lips. Hair in a pony tail every day. Mani & Pedi not even thought about until right now... for like EVER. Protein stains on my shirt. Speaking of, I thought breastfeeding was the miracle immunizer! I guess when big sister affectionately licks your face, sneezes on you, and sticks her finger in your mouth, the wonders of liquid gold can only go so far. While I try to encourage a little hygienical distance, it's fruitless in the climate of big sister-little brother love. Plus, I guess it's part of the deal.

If only I could get these babies to spit. How awful it is to hear their productive coughs followed my an icked-out swallow. Save me. I just wish they'd get rid of the gunk. But alas, they don't know how, so the congestion elevates to new heights. Ugh!! I've tried everything I can think of to ease their discomfort. Doc says they don't need meds, since there aren't any infections - thank goodness. Just major post-nasal drip accumulation. T.M.I. I know. Sorry.

So, what do you do when your little ones are sick? Tips, please! So far, I'm doing humidifiers each night and replacing their filters regularly. Lotion massages. Saline nose drops. I've even gotten my suddenly-picky-eating toddler to acquire a taste for a spoonfull of honey to sooth her soar throat. Hey Winnie the Pooh loves the stuff, so can you! For fun, cause I think happiness is next to healthiness... lots of books and stories, drawing, picture taking, dress-up, song singing, dancing, puzzles, favorite kiddie shows, imagination games, Yoga, and other indoor fun. Oh, and naps. I can get them to go down at the same time at least 3 days out of 5. On those days, I snooze too. As far as meds go, I don't do the over-the-counter stuff except for: Vicks vapor rub on the chest for my little girl, on the feet for my baby boy. I even use of those Vapor plug-in doo-hickies. They're really cool, if you're into the scent of eucalyptus.... and camphor. I especially love eucalyptus. Ah, inhale. It's green and it smells like the most beautiful shade of green should smell.... it just resonates with me. One of the good things that came out of this month-long-boogie-bout has been those plug-ins. Love 'em. They smell devine. Another really sweet thing, the sound of my little girl's hoarse voice. I can hardly explain how fuzzy I feel when she speaks with a raspy voice, and stuffy sinuses. I know. That's a little out there. But she's so sweet when she sounds like that. I've decided to embrace the hell out of these colds, since I can't rub them away with Vicks and Honey. My monkeys are sick and I've got to make the best of it. We can't play with other kids and their Moms. Can't go to story time or the library or other fun playdate stuff. We're holed-up. It's cold outside. I think it's going to be in the 20's again tonight. Gag me out. Now I've got the flu: fever, achy body, runny nose, and I'll spare you the rest of my ailments. Suffice it to say that while I don't like being sick, and I REALLY don't like my kiddies being sick... it sure makes for lots of snuggle time. And I'm down wit dat.