When the Sickness Hits

Our whole family is sick.

This is the first time that I can remember every family member being sick at the same exact time. Although some seem to have more energy, strength and overall will to survive than others.

Some of us take sickness in stride. Some of us do not.

See, it’s usually just me and the baby. The other three have these super human immune systems that make me want to secretly cough on my husband’s pillow at night but I don’t because…the man flu. No one wins.

But this time, all of us have it. It came in waves dropping us like flies.

Sawyer was a champ.

Cooper slept and never complained although he was actually really sick.

Jamie asked me to call his mom.

And the baby, well he’s been to the doctor twice already. I’ve never seen a sicker looking child.

Which I assume is because he refuses to sleep.

He hasn’t slept longer than 30 minutes in 72 hours. I’m not joking. Or exaggerating. I mean you know how we assume all parents exaggerate about how little sleep they get? This is not one of those times.

This is what we train for people.

It’s literally all hands on deck.

Last night the two big boys slept in our bed. And Jamie and I alternated between the couch, Cooper’s bed and Harbor’s floor.

We questioned everything. We cried. We laughed. We negotiated and bargained. We bribed. We made promises we’d never keep.

We wondered if the sun may never ever rise. We also wondered how we used to do this stay up all night thing in college.

We eventually turned on each other. I’d like to tell you that we didn’t. That our love is so beautiful and pure that we took it all in stride. Nope.

The baby became his son and not mine. I lost the Kleenex box. I threatened his life over snoring.

We fought about medicine syringes and bottles and kept score over who got up more.

I say I did. But he is quick to remind me that I napped for an hour. Apparently that matters.

The doctor said we have another 72 hours to go. We both know we may not survive this. We are too old. And this sickness is too strong.

We are dirty, unshowered, and I’m wearing the same snot covered sweatshirt I have for three day. Our house is a disaster.

God speed friends. This will separate the strong from the weak.

My money is on Cooper and Sawyer. And don’t count that baby out either.

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