its been 10 days since I’ve felt ‘well‘ and almost 2 weeks since everyone in the house was feeling ‘great’.

seeing your kids sick is the most heartbreaking thing on the planet. I think this is officially the first “family takedown” ever.. all 6 of us were overcome with the flu (Flu A is what Parker initially tested positive for) and all 6 of us have secondary sicknesses resulting from it.

after about 5 days the kids started to feel better. and then they started to feel worse again. Parker, Brady, and Jolie have terrible ear infections causing fever spikes to 103 and more sleepless nights, but have since been put on antibiotics to help clear them up.

I’m pretty sure I have an ear infection now, too.

that last time I was this sick, I was 18 and in college.. I had pneumonia and diagnosed with mono. I didnt leave my bed for two weeks.we’ve been trying everything over the counter you can buy in hopes to feel better and ward off passing the flu around again.

Jordan got a fancy deposit in his HSA account on January 1st for being “healthy” and we have since blown through that on repeat doctor visits, trips to the ER, prescription medications, over the counter meds.. more over the counter meds.

exhibit A:I tried so hard to keep up with the essential oils. I failed. and the smell of the ‘wellness blend’ in the diffuser next to my bed made me want to gag, but the kids loved it. I’m a horrible “oily” person.

elderberry syrup is GROSS.

when Jordan spiked a fever on Sunday night I pretty much crawled into the fetal position to DIE because he was the last of us holding it all together.my kids have yet to be dressed in “real” clothes in the last 10 days. pajamas, Netflix, and crayons/coloring books arriving by Amazon Prime have pretty much been the saving grace in keeping these kids busy while their parents were under the weather.after feeling a bit better on Sunday evening, Monday I spiked fever again and by Tuesday morning Jordan was insisting we go to get me checked out. I was sent to the ER for persistent fever over 103 and a chest X-ray to confirm I didn’t have pneumonia. blood work confirmed no sepsis or other complications but my white cell count was elevated, which was expected, but nothing else seemed abnormal. I couldn’t pass air through my lungs very well, so they gave me breathing treatments and lots of fluids and sent me home several hours later with meds and an inhaler.

I tested negative for the flu. irritability has been at an all time high between the two older girls. they are getting along about 60% of the time and the rest has been spent bickering.this is how Baker’s bed has been for the last 8 days. ..and Baker has been sleeping here on the floor in the twins’ room. the three of them have been sleeping together off and on since last summer, but when Parker started feeling bad and sleeping in my room, Baker asked to sleep with Jolie and hasn’t moved out.

crap and clutter is everywhere. I hate it. a lot. we spent $100 on a “sweethearts” wine tour tomorrow. we have a sitter scheduled to be here at 10am..and I am determined to go. DETERMINED.

I need to wash my hair. really bad.

I have started watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix while I’ve been held up in bed and I’m sort of bummed that I cant watch it..season after season, back to back anymore.

I have a knot in my back under my shoulder blade due to the fact I’ve been sleeping for 10 hours a day in addition to being asleep by 8pm every night.. and I can hardly move my neck because of it.

everything hurts. I feel like I’ve broken a rib from coughing so hard.

my kids (and myself) haven’t really had much beyond dry cereal and popsicles.. and G2 Gatorade.  I’m not sure how its going to go when I have to feed them real food at normal meal times again.thankful for family thats helped us tremendously (while wearing masks) when we were both down and out.

thankful for friends that have sent multiple meals and made their best effort to help with porch drops of soup and elderberry syrup. (elderberry syrup is still gross.) I’ve coughed/cried/sneezed/slept off my eyelashes which is incredibly disappointing. there are worse things, but, just saying.

worse things like.. I cant pick up Brady. literally. I am so weak and have been having a really hard time carrying him without becoming overly fatigued.

in this very moment I don’t see how I can ever have the energy to work out ever again. and thats defeating in itself.

I’m better today. I didn’t wake up with a fever and I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in 10 days. freaking hallelujah.