The Flu Strikes
Gabriel woke with a bad cough Friday morning. We kept him home, expecting the inevitable escalation, spread to other family members, and fever patrol.
We weren't disappointed.
Hannah is taking a mid-day fever nap near the office as I write. She woke this morning groggy and eyes half-closed. Her fever was running in the 100-101 F range. Gabriel woke with rosy cheeks as well. We're tracking dosages on a post-it attached to the locked medicine cabinet. Every 4-6 hours, we're documenting a new dose, time, and kid.
Being that Gabriel is prone to throwing up when he gets a fever, I've asked him to carry around a round, plastic bowl.
"This is your friend," I introduced the bowl to Gabriel. "Take him with you wherever you go."
"C'mon friend," Gabriel said, towing the bowl to the tv couch.
Now that Hannah is also sick, Gabriel insisted she get a bowl-friend, too. Hannah doesn't throw up, per se, due to a surgical procedure that makes her stomach a one-way event. We relieve her gas and throw-upness via g-tube. Still, it did seem fair, so I pulled out a small plastic bowl and made similar introductions for Hannah.
"Have you named yours?" I asked Gabriel.
"Tom," he said.
"That's sensible."
"And Hannah's is named Jerry," Gabriel said.
So Gabriel and Hannah are carrying Tom and Jerry with them wherever they go today. And we'll keep score in 4-6 hour increments on the medicine cabinet.
-- Dad
