Man, it was a good run

We were well for almost 2 weeks around here but then James and Audrey had to go catch RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). We were with my 5 month old nephew, Samuel and the rest of the McDaniel crew on Sunday, when he started running a fever. Betsy took him to the doctor the next day and was diagnosed with RSV. I know how contagious this virus is, so I'm not surprised. In fact, I've been waiting on it! I don't know if any one remembers, but when we first brought the twins home they had to get monthly shots for 6 months to protect them against RSV. It is very dangerous for infants under one year and even more dangerous for premature infants. We dodged the RSV bullet for 2 years and for that I am so thankful. Children who are 2 and up really don't have any serious complications, mostly just common cold symptoms. James has RAD (Reactive Airway Disease aka: Asthma) so it's affecting him differently than Audrey Grace. I was up Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night with him for a few hours because he woke up having little coughing fits and I'd have to give him a steam bath. This is a pretty common occurrence around here and the steam usually works. Until Wednesday night. I ended up having to give him his inhaler because everything else I tried didn't work. He coughed all morning yesterday and by the time I got him to the doctor he was wheezing at the end of every breath. The doctor listened to him and said he definitely has RSV and started writing all these prescriptions for meds. A steroid, an antibiotic because his ear looked really red and ear infections come with RSV, albeuterol and a scrip for a nebulizer. She wanted to give him a breathing treatment in the office so she could listen to him afterwards. Oh my. The screams. I'm sure people in the waiting room could hear him. Probably even across the street. The breathing treatments at home started out horrible but he's getting more and more tolerable after each one. Probably because I bribe him with donut's, or odunts as he says! I know some of you out there are getting a good old laugh at the thought of ME giving one of MY kids a donut in the middle of the night and all throughout the day. I know, I never thought I'd do something like this either. The things we do for our kids!

Audrey just has a runny nose and a barky cough when she coughs, which isn't that often. Thankfully she doesn't have to do the breathing treatments! I really don't know if I could handle 2 kiddos on Albuterol. One is quite enough! She does have to be on a steroid for 3 days though. not looking forward to that!

Despite the extreme fatigue I feel right now, I have to laugh. James is all cracked out, running up and down the hall like a wild man! He runs every where he goes and does everything with lots force. He will not be still, mean while all Audrey does is lay around. They have completely reversed rolls here! After his treatment at 1:00 this morning he was WIDE awake. (I thought we were gonna get off easy because after his first two he was just as mild mannered as always. But that third one triggered something.) I turned the t.v. on for him and got him some juicy, grabbed me a blanket and tried to go to sleep. I know that's awful but don't worry I wasn't able to. Thanks to the little guy saying "mommy, mommy, mommy" and constantly poking me in the eyes and on the face saying "wake up mommy, wake up mommy." I was sooooo tired but he was soooooooo funny! However, I really hope he doesn't do it tonight. Oh I hope he doesn't do it.