When it rains, it pours. This has been a month long shower. We have been sick forever it seems. It all started at the first of the month when I came down with a head cold. This wasn't your ordinary head cold. My head felt like it could possibly explode and if I thought it would have bee wise to insert a shunt to relieve the pressure I would have done so. Then Mai got a bladder infection. It was the saddest thing. She wet her pants out of the blue one day. She told me she didn't even need to go, that it just came out. Through out the night (which was Friday, of course) and the next morning she was sprinting to the potty only to be disappointed. She was so cute when she would come out of the bathroom and say "my pee tricked me again". I don't know from experience what that's like and I felt so bad for her. It took a few days before she would go potty by herself because it hurt. She wanted me to come in and sit on the edge of the bathtub for moral support. When she finally went by herself we were at my sisters house. When she was finished she found her Daddy and whispered in his ear that she went by herself and she didn't need help anymore because it didn't hurt. We were quite relieved for her as well.

Feeling like we might be out of the woods was a bit premature. On Tuesday of last week Madalyn started complaining of her neck hurting. When I asked her to point to where it hurt it was kind of behind her ear but down her neck. I thought maybe she had an ear infection but thought it was weird that it was hurting her neck. She wasn't herself, real cranky, didn't eat very good, oh wait, that's normal actually. Anyway, she didn't show any definite symptoms of anything. In the mean time I am still battling this cold thing. Well, what I thought was a cold. By Friday, Madalyn was still complaining of her weird neck thing and the left side of my head felt like it was bulging and when I bent over I thought my eye might pop out of my head. Since it was Friday afternoon by the time I decided we better head in, our MD was booked and the kind receptionist advised me to seek an insta-care facility.

I was actually at my mom's house when I decided to go in. I wasn't sure about Mad though. My mom thought I should take her in. After all, I was going anyway and she would watch Mai for me. I still wasn't sure but it turns our mama really does know best, or Grand-mama knows best. Turns our Madalyn has an infection in her lymph node chain. Generally, there is a reason for this. The PA couldn't determine why she was so swollen with no other obvious symptom. Her throat was a little red and she had (be prepared, this is a little gross) calcified ear wax in both ears about the size of a pea, that they kindly flushed out. He thought that maybe the wax wasn't allowing everything to drain correctly but wasn't certain. He prescribed her a couple meds and she was good to go.

I have to say that I love to take Madalyn to the Dr. She is so cute and ultra helpful. She sits so still and manages to crack a joke or two during the exam. This time the PA's name was Jason which is also my brother's name. When he came in he introduces himself. Madalyn, in her funny voice, says: "Jason, that's funny. You're not Camree's daddy." She is just so easy going and I am so grateful for her ultra relaxed personality. When they had to flush out her ears the two assistants were very prepared to make a huge mess. They come in with all sorts of absorbent pads to collect the water just in case Madalyn didn't like the flushing. She sat perfectly still! They only needed on paper thing and I am not sure it even got wet. When they squirted the first syringe in her ear she said: "Whoa Mom, that feels good!" She had no problem sitting still for it, in fact, I think she was a little disappointed it was over.

Then it was my turn, I had a sinus infection. A pretty bad one according the Jason (wink, wink, like we're best friends). He gave me the Rx and asked why I hadn't been seen, the reason is because I thought I would just get over it, and because my teeth never hurt. After working in the dental office for all those years and seeing so many patients come in thinking they had a tooth problem only to find out it was from the pressure in their sinuses. I thought sore teeth was a tell-tell sign of a sinus infection. I'll know better next time!

That bring us to this week. Just when our many bottles of anti-biotics are finding their way to the garbage can.....here we go again. Maile has croup! I have only heard of croup but have never had to deal with it. I don't like it!! She is so sick. She has had a pretty high fever and hasn't felt good throughout the day, when night comes that's when the beast comes out. She has the hoarsest cough, and can hardly talk. If she gets upset at all she can't breathe, it's by far the worst thing yet. I am sure we will make it through yet another time, I am just not looking forward to it.

Big, Strong,Ultra hot, Darin has been battling a cold for since I started mine. He has just kept going and living on Sudafed. I think his over worked immune system has finally succumb. He isn't sounding very good and I can tell in his face that it is coming on. It's hard to notice all the great help he is until he is sick. I shouldn't say hard to notice but I fail to notice all of his help. I am so grateful for him and think he is GREAT!I think this is going to be a lazy weekend for us, and maybe that is just what we all need!