Sickos

I have a house of sick babies today. Chalula, the puppy whose name spelling I change daily, got her second round of vaccinations today and she's been asleep ever since. Normally, when I sit on the couch, she rushes over to sit next to me if she's feeling remotely lethargic. Most of the time, however, she and the kitten (Scramble) are chasing each other around the house, biting Paxton's toes while I try to change his diaper, running off with baby toys, you name it. It's baby pet mayhem. But today, Chalula hasn't even budged from the spot she's been sleeping at all afternoon. She's lost in a couch cushion nowhere near her beloved mommy and she could care less. It's peaceful around here. I kinda like it.

Paxton is also under the weather. I'm waiting for the nurse to call us back to give me some guidance. For a while now, both Paxton and I have been battling allergies. He usually wakes up with a crusty nose, but that's about the extent of it, so I haven't thought too much about it. Yesterday, he had flushed cheeks, so I took his temperature and it was within the normal range for a rectal reading. Today, though, he's been fussy all day. He's been crying more easily and has had fewer of those just plain joyful moments that normally fill his day. Mom noticed that he has four front teeth coming in on top now. One broke through a while ago, and I noticed the second one at the surface. Apparently the two middle teeth are rushing to catch up, because his top gums are just a mess of pre-exposed chicklets suddenly. That certainly could and should be contributing to his crabbiness. But when he woke up from his nap this afternoon, one of his cheeks was really red again, and he felt warm, so I took his temp again. It was 102.6, which is high, even for teething and for a rectal reading. He was only up for 40 minutes--just long enough to eat some lunch and get a diaper change--before I put him back to sleep and I haven't heard a peep for over an hour. The last two nights, I've heard him talking to himself a lot. It's almost like he's whining or singing. It doesn't break out into a full cry, and he usually goes back to sleep fairly quickly. Heck, he might be asleep while he's making these sounds. He's too much of a light sleeper for me to check on him. Every time I try to quietly stick my head in his room, he jumps like I threw a grenade in ahead of me.

So the house is quiet today, and I'll be honest, I'm liking it. I just ate three helpings of spinach salad which has left me queasy, but happy. I'm just about to watch my "news" program, Inside Edition. I hope I don't ostrasize you with my intellectual nature. It's important for me to keep up with current events. You know, Barack Obama allegedly calling Palin a pig with lipstick, and a woman who got mauled by a bear and lived to tell the tale. And I need to stay tuned to see which famous singer just got busted for DUI. Important stuff.

Say prayers for my little sweetie (and the puppy dog, too). The nurse just called and said that I should give Pax Tylenol and Motrin and just keep an eye on him over the next day or two. There are some viruses going around and all the plans we had this week with friends were cancelled, because they came down with sicknesses. Hopefully his immune system is strong and will battle this quickly and he'll feel better in no time. I hate to see him under-the-weather. It both breaks my heart and warms it to see him feeling bad, but still mustering a giggle for me when I make a goofy face or pretend to chomp on his fingers. He's my angel.

By the way, it was Eric Carmen who was arrested for DUI. Disturbing video. The police had to hold him up. Yikes.