Boom Boom Pow!

We were dealt our first big blow! ALL FOUR KIDS HAVE BEEN SICK! It all started last weekend with Emma. She started not feeling well and then slowly over the course of friday night and saturday became really congested and started running a fever. By monday she was so sick so we went to the doctor! Our wonderful neighbor Teresa is an FNP and treated Emma for STREP! By Tuesday the babies were starting to show signs of a cold and then the boom lowered on this house! It has been a week of sleepless nights and lots of coughing! The babies ran small fevers for two days and then they cleared only to have the hacking croupy coughs begin. Henry and Jill have been the worse so far. They have not slept well for the last few nights. Henry had an especially difficult night last night, by 11pm we had to give him a saline/steam treatment. Jill has been sleeping in the guest bed with my mom because they have all three been up at one time or another during the night. Emma and Anna are starting to get better which is so good. This is the sickest Emma has ever been in her four little years! I knew they would eventually all get sick but didn't think it would happen so soon! I am hoping that tonight will be better although as I type Henry is having trouble going to sleep, he has already woken up twice crying. Before bedtime we loaded them up with baby vapor rub, tylenol and little noses saline drops. I have humidifiers running in their rooms and we elevated one end of their cribs in the hopes they they will be more comfortable. Everyone had a very uncomfortable day even Emma who slept for an hour and a half this afternoon. The babies took sporadic naps this afternoon and did not have their normal appetites so we just gave them two extra bottles and less cereal because Jill and Henry have already thrown up twice from coughing/gagging while eating. Jill covered my mom in formula last night after she burped and coughed at the same time....needless to say we will be steam cleaning the rug in the girls room! I took them to the pediatrician so he could listen to their chests and look in their ears...of course all is well it is just viral although if they are not better by Monday then we go back in. I hate to see them so uncomfortable and not be able to do anything for them. I wish they were old enough to take some sort of medicine to ease their congestion and coughing. Emma is on amoxicillan (the pink liquid brought back childhood memories!) and has done so well on it. We thought it was just viral but when she went down hill we knew there was something more to it. I wish the babies had the same luck but we are just riding out the virus....hopefully in a day or two things will return to normal. In the meantime we continue our quest to keep the house calm, quiet and sanitized! As with all things....this too shall pass! We are praying for a good night!