A feverish week

How do single parents do it? Around 4pm on Tuesday afternoon, I started to feel a bit out of sorts. I had a business trip to Stanford on Wednesday, with a flight that left at 6:45 a.m. Of course, the fact that I had to be up at 4am meant that I woke up every hour to make sure I hadn't overslept. The lack of sleep on top of already feeling sick was brutal. I somehow slogged to the airport, slogged through the presentation (blowing my nose every 10 seconds) and slogged back home. Keith and Owen arrived home shortly after I did, and honestly, I could barely function.

It's easy to forget what it feels like to have a fever. In my case, it was 102.2, but the exact number is irrelevant because any fever sucks. The horrible sensation of freezing, then burning up. The exhaustion, the clamminess, the constant desire to moan, and the new certainty that your bones are actually more flexible than you had originally believed. When you have a baby, you don't really get to be sick, but at least when there are two parents, you can catch a break every now and then. I honestly do not know how single parents do it - I was completely unable to function on Wednesday night.

My dear dear husband "banished" me to bed. This man encouraged me to go to bed at 6:30pm, yes you read that correctly and no I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm also not ashamed to admit that I did some pretty serious damage to a box of Thin Mints as I roused myself out of a deep slumber at 7:45 the same night. Keith merely looked up at me from the computer and asked how I was feeling as I was half-asleep Cookie Monstering in the kitchen. I grunted some reply and shuffled back to bed. At some point in the following hours I think I summoned him to the bedroom. Although I'm not positive, I believe the conversation went something like this:
Keith: Hey cutie, did you call me?
Me: Nfffffff. Dis um yeah.
Keith: What sweetie? What do you need?
Me: Dis is um and there. And um.
Keith: [laughing quietly] I didn't understand you sweetie.
Me: Mmmmm I need um. It's on the.
Keith: Sweetie?
Then I sort of wake up and realize what's going on and we both start cracking up.
Keith: What did you need, cutie?
Me: I think I needed you to do something with my clothes.
Keith: Ok, what did you need me to do with your clothes?
Me: I need a cookie.
Keith: OK, one cookie coming right up. But you also get the thermometer in your mouth, because when you're being delirious, you also get your temperature taken.
And he stuck the thermometer in my mouth and went to get me a cookie.

Now tell me that he isn't the most amazing man on the planet, I dare you.
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Unfortunately, now Owen is sick and I can't tell you how awful it is to have a feverish, lethargic baby. It's the most helpless feeling. I know that he will be ok, but it's his first major fever since he went to the hospital when he was 5 weeks old, and honestly that just does not rouse good memories. At. All. So he was pretty limp and ragdollish today, sleepy and needing a lot of snuggles; of course we were more than happy to oblige. Just the look on his face this afternoon - I knew exactly what he was feeling and it was awful.

He seems to be feeling a little better tonight. The thing is, it was really rough for a 33-year old Mom, but I can't imagine how it feels for his 11-month old body. Poor kiddo.