The Valentine's Day Massacre

Valentine's Day was not the smooch-filled, romantic holiday I hope and dream for year after year.  When one has a family, one with many children, romantic holidays must wait until kids are in bed for alone time to commence. 

Usually year after year, I buy my children their little Valentine's, as they too are my Valentine's.  A small little gift, a few different kinds of heart-shaped candies, and a love note from their mama.  My husband basically got the same thing as the kids.  I don't like to splurge on my husband, not because he doesn't deserve it, but because worrying about finances and our budget is my job. 

This year Luke got a two-pack of sharpie pens, Max received a Duncan yo-yo, Sam a Rubik's cube, OJ a book of 1200 stickers to adorn whatever, and Wyatt received a bottle of bubbles to blow.  Cici received my constant snuggles, at nine months old they don't need anything.

We made a nice dinner of steak, steak fries, asparagus and salad.   It was delicious.  I hadn't eaten all day and was famished and ravenous. 

Valentine's Day of 2011 is one Jarrod and I won't soon forget. 

Cici has been battling fever, coughs, and some of the worst nasal drainage for short of a week.  While Sunday she seemed to be over the hump, acting normal and perky, Monday morning I was greeted with her acting lethargic and her eyes were heavy and dark....AGAIN!

With this new development I decided to call and make an appointment for our doctor *. 

Earlier in this day I had a dental appointment that was LONG overdue and overly needed.  Numerous problems were found in my mouth, and this just set the wrong tone for the day.  After the dentist I had to run to the grocery store and get dinner supplies.  I also ran to Walgreens to gather up all the kids' Valentine gifts and candy.  I then met up with my husband to grab Cici for her appointment.

She was seen by our doctor and he confirmed she had contracted a secondary infection in her ears which needed an antibiotic.  He also decided that with her symptoms he would run a influenza test.  Let me just say that the tech that took the swab, basically stabbed my daughter's sinuses with her tool of torture.  She has been having bloody clot boogers and blood running from that nostril ever since.  I'm quite displeased with that.

Well she tested positive for influenza A, to which he prescribed Tamiflu.  Question:  Isn't Tamiflu only for the first 48 hours of the flu?  That was my thought after the later evenings events.

So I went to Walgreens next to the doctor's office and waited for an hour +.  Then was sent to another Walgreens to pick up the Tamiflu.  Waited some more.  At least I had time to sit in my car and put together the kids' valentine bags, because as it was I was gonna possibly not make it home in time for the kids to get off the bus.

I finally got home, had ten minutes to sit and breathe and give Cici her medicine.  Then we were invaded as usual at 4:08pm.  Luckily it was so nice outside and the kids came in, gave Cici snuggles, grabbed their valentine candy and evacuated the house.  This left me beginning dinner prep. 

I had already decided that there was going to be no point in trying to find time to relax.  Relaxing would result in a coma setting in and I did not have time for that.  So up and moving and continue to be busy it was. 

My husband and I have been in a really good groove lately, so we just teamed up and knocked out the care taking of children and dinner prep/grilling.  That took a lot of the pressure off.  Thanks Honey!

Just 20 minutes before dinner was ready, Cici began to get awfully fussy.  Since she's been sick she has literally been sleeping more than she's been awake, so I picked her up from the floor to go lay her down.  We barely made it into the dining room and wood flooring that she threw up all over me, her, and the floor.  This being the second time in a week she has thrown up on me.  I love formula puke!  NOT!  So while I gave Cici a bath (note:  I did not get clean until the next day), Jarrod cleaned up the throw up all over the dining room floor.

Cici was not ready to go to sleep as it turns out, she just wasn't feeling well.  So she went back out to lay on her quilt in the living room while we finished up dinner.  We just got sat down and I had taken four glorious bites, Cici erupted again.  All the kids in unison were grossing out.  And it was gross, set the wrong start to a lovely meal. 

I am pretty much immune to throw up and poop and things of this nature.  I cleaned her up again and washed my hands and sat back down and actually enjoyed my dinner.  I was THAT hungry.  I rarely have days that I am so busy that I simply cannot afford the time to eat.  My day revolves around the food I eat.  It's very important in fact for me to eat and keep my energy and mood up.  But this day was one of only a handful that food didn't make its way into me, nor drink for that matter.  It was a ridiculous day.

Finally dinner and dishes got done, kids got all tucked in, kisses given in a harried way, and Jarrod and I were able to finally collapse together on the couch at 9:30.  PHEW!  What a day. 


*In case you were wondering, our doctor is Dr. Richard Wurtz with Holy Family Medical on 56th and Pine Lake.  He's the best!