Well that is the last time I brush something off as media hype... (but probably not)

Alternately titled, "I survived H1N1 and all I have to show for it is this lousy blog post."

What a week. Last week all the norms of our house were broken. The tv stayed on for several hours a day, no one wore anything other than pajamas, orange juice consumption was at an alarming high (I even handed out some undiluted juice to the children... how about that?), Mommy didn't work, Daddy didn't go to school, Laundry piled past our heads, we cleaned out bottles of tylenol and Gabriella even took naps.

Saturday (10/10/09): I first started feeling ill late Saturday afternoon after a very normal and lovely trip to the pumpkin patch with some friends. During the day I had a bit of a dry cough and tight chest, but once we got home it just hit me like a ton of bricks. I was up that night shaking and shivering with a high fever and then sweating... this would become what the next three days would look like.

Sunday: Sunday was much the same. Shaking, sweating, aching, bemoaning the fact that I felt like I was dying, etc...

Monday: Monday morning Jonathan took Gabriella to her preschool class field trip (to another pumpkin patch) and when he got home he was not feeling so good. *Perhaps I should purpose a theory that pumpkins are a catalyst for swine flu. Anyhow, by Monday afternoon I was ridiculously sick. My muscles were exhausted from the shaking chills, I was dizzy, short of breath and felt awful. I called the advice nurse who forwarded me to the on call doctor. The on call doctor said I probably had pneumonia and that I should go to urgent care. As much fun as that waiting room sounded, I decided to stay home in my bed. Although, Jonathan said that at some point in the night I told him that I thought I should have gone in. I also said a lot of other things that made no sense. Mostly, I scared the bejeebers out of Jonathan by laying in bed shaking and sputtering absolute nonsense. Oh yeah, and vomiting. That was fun too.

Tuesday: Tuesday morning I went to the doctor. He asked a bunch of questions and announced that I had H1N1, Swine flu. He actually had a very nice movie-esque spiel for me. When the nurse came back in and I noticed that the nurse was now wearing a second mask over the mask that he was wearing when he first brought me in. He gingerly picked up the pen that I used on my patient questionnaire with his gloved hand and tossed in in the trash. I couldn't help but chuckle, but you know... I was wearing a mask myself so I could keep my bemused status to myself. I was swabbed for the flu (they confirmed the H1N1 diagnosis the next day), had blood drawn and went off to the hospital for a fun chest x-ray. Jonathan and I were both able to get on tamiflu (antiviral meds) right away, but I spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone trying to work out how to get a compounded liquid version of tamiflu for the girls (trust me, it was way more complicated and frustrating than it needed to be.) Gabriella was falling ill literally before my eyes. By Tuesday night Gabriella was 103 degrees and Jonathan was feeling pretty awful himself.

Wednesday: Juliana developed just a bit of a fever, Gabriella and I were still feeling awful and Jonathan's fever broke. We were finally able to start the girls on tamiflu Wednesday afternoon.

Thursday: Jonathan was feeling much better, still tired. Gabriella was still at 102 and was a couch fixture. Juliana felt fine and I felt a bit better, but was still running a fever.

Friday: I woke up and my fever seemed to have broken. The kids had a touch of fever and Juliana was a cranky pants, but otherwise it seemed we were all close to getting over it. Then my doctor's office called. My strep culture came back positive. I actually laughed at the nurse. She called in antibiotics for me and told me to continue to stay out of public circulation for awhile. I called the pediatrician to make sure the kids didn't have untreated strep. Their office was booked, but we got an appointment at another location so we schlepped all four of us across town for strep swabs for the children. The children were given giant masks that covered their entire face. Juliana's covered her eyes and so she refused to keep it on. Gabriella decided to wear Juliana's mask as a hat. I really wish I knew how to get that picture off of my phone. Anyhow, we were ushered out the back door of the across town ped's office and then Jonathan had to head over for his very own strep test. I started on gianormous antibiotic horse pills four times a day that I'm not supposed to take during meals. Fortunately, everyone else was free and clear of strep.

Saturday: By this point we were all feeling more or less better, but Saturday night Gabriella and I STILL had a bit of low grade fever.

So there you have it, we lived and we're now allowed to circulate amongst the general population. It wasn't much fun though. I don't remember ever feeling so sick and Jonathan (who had the tamiflu reduced version) said the only thing he could think of that might compare was the intestinal virus that landed him on the hospital in junior high. I'm so thankful Gabriella made it through so well and I'm even thankful for the cold she caught earlier this fall that caused a severe asthma attack and prompted us to put her on daily inhaled steroids along with her oral asthma medication. I think those two things plus the tamiflu kept her from having more serious lung involvement.

Now, go get yourselves vaccinated.

Dodging the flu... and DHS.

The other day I took the girls into the peds office to get the flu shot. The plain old regular (preservative-free version) flu shot. I'm a little cold and flu nervous this year. Not because of media-hype, but because of Gabriella's lungs. A little cold can turn into pneumonia so quickly for her and watching your child gasp for breath... well, it makes me a little teary just thinking about it to be honest.

So we get the girls into the exam room and Gabriella, who had been pretty worried about this shot situation, went into complete hysterics. It took Jonathan and I to hold her down while the nurse gave her the one tiny poke. When Gabriella was done I looked over at Juliana to see how she had fared watching her sister through what must have appeared to be an excruciating, horrendous ordeal. Juliana was sitting quite unphased, in a chair by herself and she had managed to pull one pant leg all the way up and was holding it up, ready and waiting for her own shot in the thigh. That girl will do anything if she thinks it makes her a big girl. And let me tell you, she took that shot with only one little grimmace.

Gabriella, on the other hand, limped pathetically down the hall and told me she needed to use the bathroom. I went in with her, while Jonathan and Juliana waited outside. Once in the stall Gabriella resumed sobbing about her shot. She wailed, "I don't like shots! I don't want anymore shots! I just don't want to get hurt anymore!" We emerged from the bathroom and Jonathan gave me a funny look and asked if a red haired woman had been in the bathroom with us. I said that I thought a lady had gone in right ahead of us and asked why. Apparently, the red headed woman had come out of the bathroom ahead of us and told her companion who had been waiting for her, "There was a little girl in there that was just sobbing and sobbing! I think she told her mother that she didn't want to get hit anymore!" So... umm... if child protective services comes knocking on my door... You'll all help me clear that one up, right?

(This photo is from last week, but I figured I'd throw it in. I love these blue flowers. So vibrant... and this photo has very very little processing and no color alterations. Too bad Gabriella threw on her "I don't really like pictures" face. Sigh... I hope I'm not painting her as an uncooperative child, but she draws lines with pictures and shots. and dogs... but that is another story)

The (not so) perfect portrait

I don't have any particular subject to post about, but here are some random tids and bits...

Gabriella has a baby in her tummy. I know, I know, I was shocked too. But, she has been married to Aladdin (her imaginary husband) for over a year and it was bound to happen. I was first informed of this on Sunday. The conversation went like this:

Gabriella: Mom, you need to take me to the hospital.
Me: Oh? Why is that?
Gabriella: Because there is a baby in my tummy and it needs to come out tomorrow.
Me: How do you know it will need to come out tomorrow?
Gabriella: I'm just fairly certain it will. You can take me to the hospital after preschool.
Me: OK, that sounds like a good plan.

She then proceeded to tell everyone at church. She even told a few people that they needed to "look out for her" because she had a baby in her tummy. She is quite insistent it is a real baby. She intends on naming it Ruth. I'm sure Gabriella's Great-grandma Ruth will be quite honored to have her great-great grandchild named after her.

Juliana chatters away these days. It seems she is talking more while we're out and about in crowds of people. Calling our friends by name and attempting long strings of (sometimes difficult if not impossible to decipher) conversation.

Gabriella still looooooves preschool. She wakes up 30 minutes to an hour early on preschool days just to jump on our bed and insist we get a move on with breakfast lest she be late. Preschool doesn't start until 9:30 and she has yet to be late.

Yesterday I broke out the fall clothes and put actual shoes and socks on the girls in goodness knows how long. Juliana and I went to a baby shower in the morning while Gabriella was at preschool so I picked out a cute outfit for her that used to be Gabriella's. Some outfits I'm just so happy to see again. Anyhow, in the afternoon the girls and I made a park trip and I brought along the camera. I have to reconcile myself to fall somehow and cute pictures with stripey tights may be just the cure. I even had some secret hopes of that illusive perfect sibling portrait.

I was very pleased to actually capture some very cute pictures of Juliana sitting on the lap of... a cute five year old from the neighborhood that the girls often play with at the park. It would've made a darling sibling picture... too bad it wasn't with Juliana's sibling.

I love the potential of this picture, where Gabriella is actually the cooperative one. Juliana had no intention of laying on that grass.

This, however.... this is truly a slice of life with two small girls. One second I have the girls sitting next to each other sweet as can be and the next moment, Juliana is on top of Gabriella with her finger, well you know...

A perfect portrait, a not-so perfect portrait... take your pick. No pun intended.

I ♥ Faces: Completely Candid

Most of the pictures I take are candid. I will give direction when needed to get just the right shot, but I by far prefer to just blend into the background and capture real moments. This was a fun weekly challenge category. What does a completely candid photo look like? What makes a candid photo shine? In the end, this fun mirror photo of Liddy getting ready on her wedding day stuck out. After all, two candid faces have to be better than one, right?


Plus, I really wanted to share another wedding photo. I have to say, she rocks those curlers. See more candid photos at...

Fashionista

Mama provides the diaper. Baby girl provides the style.

First Day of Preschool

This post is alternatively titled, "No, I didn't cry."

Gabriella has been sooooo excited to go to preschool and I've been exited for her. It helps that she has a wonderful teacher. Any time I leave Gabriella with someone I have to trust them to manage Gabriella's food allergies. Will this person think about allergens hiding in craft activities? Will they think about cross contamination and residue on sticky hands? Can I trust them to administer the epi-pen without hesitation in the critical first few minutes after peanut exposure? It is a big job. In the case of Gabriella's preschool teacher... I feel very much at ease leaving Gabriella in her care and that is no small thing. Gabriella's classroom is peanut free and I appreciate the other parents and children making that sacrifice to keep Gabriella safe at school.

Anyhow that got a bit off track... back to Gabriella's first day...

Gabriella was up bright and early proclaiming that she was ready to go to preschool. I managed to hold her off for a few hours, but we still ended up heading out the door with way more than enough time for our short walk. When we arrived in the classroom Gabriella's teacher mentioned that she had some papers for me to sign for medication administration so she asked if I would stick around for a few minutes. Gabriella went happily off to explore the paints and the play kitchen. As I was signing the papers and answering a few questions for her teacher, Gabriella came up to me and proclaimed under her breath, "MOM! The other parents are leaving!" Sigh. I really thought I had another 8 years or so until she was embarrassed by my mere presence. So I waved, tore Juliana away from the marble tower and headed out the door.

I will say that as I walked away with Juliana I couldn't shake that vague feeling that I had forgotten something. Juliana quickly overcame her frustration at having to leave her beloved big sister AND a room full of toys as we headed for her first solo park trip. For once, she controlled the pace and we spent a good long while smelling roses (each of which must be declared "thats nice" or "not nice") and watching ducks.

When it was time to pick Gabriella up she was full of stories from her day. They pack a lot into a morning! I think that will be my favorite part of preschool days. Letting her have her own little adventure and sitting down with her to hear about it afterwards.

Contemplative

I've been wanting to join in the fun of the weekly iheartfaces challenges for awhile now, so I'm excited to put up my first entry for the "contemplative" challenge.

Most of you know that Miss. Gabriella is a thinker. It isn't hard to catch her in contemplative mood. I was excited to capture her sweet face perfectly framed by these colorful walls when I took this earlier in the summer.

Be sure to check out more "contemplative" photos on the iheartfaces blog!