You know, I should have just gotten everyone a flu shot in October. I've been working on turning the blog into a book to get it printed. I sent 2008 off to the printer yesterday and was working on 2009 today. I was reading through the first few months of 2009 and was reminded that Nash & Caleb had both gotten RSV that winter. It was after that that I started doing flu shots for the kids and I regularly. Last year we didn't get flu shots - I can't remember why. Then this year I figured last year we didn't get the flu so I will bypass the flu shot this year....stupid!
Friday night after Sam did the USU half time show I could tell she was getting sick. By Sunday she was in bad shape so we went to InstaCare and were told (after about a 2 hr wait) that they were classifying her as having Influenza. Well, Thursday was the first day she had a temperature under 99*. This means she went from Friday through Thursday of being sick (which is less than the 14 days I've heard it can affect kids). On Thursday Caleb woke up with a fever of 101.4*. I ended up canceling classes Thursday to stay home with him because I couldn't justify leaving a sick Sam home to take care of a sick Caleb. I also ended up not going to SLC for the conference I was suppose to go to for work on Friday.
On Friday I took all four kids and we trekked into the pediatrician's office. Dr. Clarke listened to Caleb and said he didn't think it was asthma so we didn't need to keep doing the albuterol with the nebulizer. I told him that we had been doing it the night before to help with the wheezing and gasping for air. Dr. Clarke gave us some dexamethasone for Caleb's croup. I also asked him if he thought it was too late for Brooke to get a flu shot or if I should just do it. He said that up until now we've had Influenza A hitting everyone. Now Influenza A is tapering off and we are starting to see Influenza B hit. So, I decided to go ahead and get Brooke a flu shot while we were there. I asked Nash if he wanted one too (no point in doing Sam's or Caleb's at this point). He semi freaked out and told me "NO!"
Saturday night Caleb ended up with a temperature of 104*. That will freak a mamma out pretty quick. I got him striped and in a cool tub. That lasted for maybe five minutes. He wasn't too keen on the idea. I got another dose of Motrin in him and called my mom. She was kind enough to run to the grocery store to get me some acetaminophen and some Gatorade for him. I was able to get his temperature to drop back down somewhat quickly by doing all that but it still freaked me out. He didn't want to take his medicine and the only way I got it into him was by telling him his brain was going to start cooking if we didn't get his temperature down (fine mother moment, I know).
Today he woke up and his fever seemed to be down. He's been eating, hasn't thrown up and has played during the day. What's been weird is that the fever hits around 8 pm really, really hard. I really don't know what else to do for the poor kid. I can't cancel classes tomorrow because my kids are presenting (they were suppose to present the last week before Christmas but Sam had the flu and I canceled class to stay home with her. Since there has only been 2 Monday's with school in session in January this was our only opportunity to present!). I think I may end up canceling classes on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday as well - even though I have a meeting with the teachers after school Wednesday and Wednesday night is Dancing with the Relay Stars that I've volunteered to help at. Just crossing my fingers that Nash, Brooke & I don't get this junk!
This has been his location of choice since Thursday:
Yesterday I spent the day cleaning the house all afternoon. After I got all the cleaning done I had the kids help me get out our Valentine's Day decorations. One of them looks at me and says, "Wow mom. You really don't have that many Valentine decorations!" I had to smile and said, "Well, I don't run out and buy them all at once! I have to collect them over time!" I think it's probably just because I have an obscene amount of Christmas decorations so now that we're decorating again and we aren't looking for somewhere to keep putting decorations it's a bit of a shock for them! I was glad I had recently bought a kit from Mandy (at One the Avenue - her link is on the left hand side of the blog). I spent part of yesterday and part of today painting, modge podging and finishing it up. It turned out super cute. Right now I have it sitting on my table (notice the cute table runner? Part of the collection my mom made me for Christmas.) I have to agree with the kids though - considering Sam's birthday is right close to Valentine's Day (and I love this holiday) we really ought to have more Valentine's Day decorations. Guess I'll have to be on the look out!
