Christmas Lowlights

The day after Christmas we were hit with "the Cold from Hell." Seriously, this is a villain, my arch-nemesis, worthy of it's own evil theme song.  The bass line would be rhythmic coughing.  Cue the fever, body aches, coughing, sneezing and of course, WHINING.  And then Husband spread it to the kids as well.  (Just kidding.  Husband doesn't really whine.  He just sits on the couch wrapped in a blanket and shivering until I send him to bed)

My only (and very disappointing I might add) super-power seems to be that I don't get colds very often.  I spent so many years working with little virus carrying kids that I've already had every bug available.  So I get the sniffles and everyone else is on their death beds.  That, or maybe I'm just a WOMAN, and I don't have the option of NOT getting up and taking care of everyone.  

(pause in the re-telling of our pathetic week to enjoy some cold-related humor)

I feel so bad when one of my kids is sick, but all five at once? Whole new level of awful. I've spent every night for the last two weeks sleeping in hour long increments and going from bed to bed dispensing medicine and Vicks and drinks and tissues and hugs (and occasionally saying "poor little bunny")

And I've never seen anything more pathetic in my life than a 6 month old trying not to cough because it hurts so much.  She doesn't even cry anymore.  She just looks at me with tears in her eyes and hums.  Its very sad.  

I know that a lot of my friends (at least on facebook) are sick or their kids are sick.  I've been kind of confused by all the "sick kids updates" in my newsfeed lately.  What is the point?  Many of them seem to be simply to let friends know what is going on, and I get that.  I don't get the other super-detailed "this is awful" updates.  Especially multiple times a day. I'm just not sure how to respond.  Obviously, you can't "like" their complaining.  I feel bad for them - I really do; its just that after saying "I'm sorry" and "I know how you feel" what are you supposed to say? I know they don't want me to try and one-up them with how sick my kids are, and it isn't like I should be giving medical advice.  It just makes me feel awkward when ALL someone does is complain.


Especially when complaining about a blessing.  I have lots of friends who would give ANYTHING for the privilege of having children to comfort in the night.  Friends who once had that, but now it is the silence at night that is breaking their hearts. And I chose this.  No one forced me to have this many kids.  And I can't even pretend I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I knew it would sometimes be like this. It feels ungrateful to complain that I had to hold my precious little ones an hour more than I wanted to.

So it is with some trepidation that I post this at all.  I don't want your sympathy.  You know how it feels to have a cold.  We all do. This is one of the most universal human conditions.  And I know that. It is just part of life.  Not one of the more fun parts, I grant you.  Still, you know how I'm feeling.

So I'm posting this mainly to let you know that you are reading about real life from a real family here on the ole' blog.  I don't usually write about this stuff because if, at the end of the day I have a few seconds to myself, I don't want to spend it reliving the worst bits.  And I don't want you to think that we live some kind of perfect life (Adrienne).  My children don't always ooze adorableness and rainbows.  Sometimes they just ooze.  And yeah, it sucks.

A couple of things have been on my mind through this.  I've heard lots of moms say that they hate when their kids are sick and they just wish they could be sick for them.  That's crazy.  Maybe if my child had something serious, or life-threatening, it would be different.  But a cold? One thing I learned when my oldest was only two weeks old: If someone is going to be sobbing on the couch - it had better be the kid.  Because I can help them, but they can't (and shouldn't have to) help me.  So there is my plug for taking care of mommy first.

what it looks like when a real
man sleeps with two girls at once

And also I've been thinking about the Savior.  He suffered for the sins of the world and made it possible that we can repent and return to Him.  When I was younger, I always thought when we came to Him with problems He would say essentially, "Suck it up.  I suffered for everyone's sins.  Your agony is nothing compared to mine."

But it isn't like that at all.  He went through all that so that He would know how to comfort us - how to understand exactly what we are going through.  He wants to help us, not prove how much stronger He is.

That has become more real to me this past couple of weeks.  Because when my friends with two kids tell me how hard it is to get up at night with sick kids, I'm not tempted to remind them that I have five.  I'm just sorry.  I know how it feels.  We're all just trying to hang on, and maybe we can get through this, together.