Diamonds in the Rough...

Where to start...

As I said in my last blog, we've been fighting head colds, etc.
Believe it or not, I was actually happy when it hit me before Christmas - thinking it would be gone before the big day... silly me.

It looks like 2007 still held some surprises in store for our family.
Let's take a look at what they could be...

After hacking until I could no longer breath, I decided to go to the doctor on Thursday. Good news! I'm not just sick in the head... It's moved to my chest. I now have bronchitis... again.
(Bronchitis is the gift that keeps on giving as it will keep you hacking for four to six weeks. This is a nontransferable illness and void where prohibited.)

But wait! There's more!
By late Thursday afternoon Ben tells me his ear is bothering him. Nothing bad, and he's a teen so from his description I attribute it to a blemish in the ear canal. Since it's an hour before the doctor closes, we decided we would go the next day also knowing that they were booked, because we were just there for me.

Fast Forward to 10:30ish PM. Ben is now in tears and I feel like the worst mother in the world for trying to put this off until the next day.
Early Friday Benjamin heads into the doc to find out he not only has an ear infection but he has ruptured his eardrum as well.

But wait! There's still more!
Friday morning Brandon is still struggling with what seems to be an allergic reaction under his eye. This is an easy one for a mom, right? Wrong.
My thought is to take Benadryl and place some ice on it. When he gets home from work, it's even bigger. Now once again, we are within one hour of the doctor's office closing. You would think that I have learned my lesson and would call anyway, right? Absolutely... not. Since he works at a place with lots of animals, I think it's something to do with that so I give him more Benadryl and ice and tell him to rest.
I should also note that besides this golf ball size swelling under his eye, he's acting just fine. Any mom will tell you that when your children can still pick on each other, they're on the mend. I'm here to tell you ladies that this is not always true.

Fortunately, I have a wonderful friend who lives down the street and who happens to be a nurse stop by to help us figure out what this mystery mass/bump/lump/looks-like-you-should-see-what-I-did-to-the-other-guy thing is.

It turns out it's nothing less than cellulitis. Lovely. I'm o for two in the mom department this week. So as I type Matthew has taken him to get some emergency care.

I would love to tell you this is the end of the story, but it looks like it may be continued. Alex woke up with a cough that matches mine and a sore throat to boot.

What really stinks is this was a vacation week for Matthew. So instead of enjoying his time off, he's been busy with the Days of our Lives and running Haney Hospital.

Alright, so God wants me to praise Him in all things...
In some ways this ones a thinker. I mean, I could hit the usual, "thanks for my family, thanks for our home, thanks for yadda, yadda, yadda..."

But as I was contemplating this, it was actually a really cool God and me moment.
Even though I failed miserably at being a mom these past few days, He gave me some real gems to hang on to.

The night before I went to the doctor, I remember two things. Coughing and hacking until I couldn't breath and receiving a gift from Brandon.
He went to the store and bought some fun trinkets, a cooshie pillow and a card. The card was funny and wished me well, but it was the thought that struck me. He actually took the time to go read cards and find one he liked for me. Inside he wrote that he loves me and hopes that I feel better soon. Now, that may seem fairly normal to some of you, but I think this is the first real card Brandon has ever bought for me on his own, and not only signed (without me having to hound him to do so) - he did it in his own name no less (not a video game character).

Another precious memory that I will have forever is when I fell asleep watching tv with Ben yesterday. When I woke up, he was turned towards me (also asleep) cuddled in as he did when he was just a little guy. Boy do I miss those days, but thanks to this crazy time, I am able to thank God because He gave me one more of those special moments.