Just Worrying...

Posted by Jaicee

This past week has been another one of our many sick weeks.  When Naivie and Norah were just babies, they never got sick... at least nothing worse than a case of the sniffles.  But these past two years have been sick-fests!  We seem to catch the viruses EVERY time they pass by us.  And not even just the "common cold" viruses, we get the bad ones... like rotavirus and other stomach viruses which present themselves with many endless days of vomiting and diarrhea.

This, as you all know, is really difficult with small children who don't know to run to the toilet or even make good use of the many bowls I've placed around the house.  I've been lucky to not catch the illnesses myself most of the time, but this past week has been awful and has certainly made it's rounds to everyone in the house.

In the past it's been really difficult for me to keep my wits about me and not turn into a basketcase when the kids get sick like this.  I usually cry constantly, worry constantly, and sleep little, but this time around I decided not to be like that.  I decided I was going to draw on my experiences, be strong, try to be cheerful, and just do what I have to do without crying or complaining (And remember that the sickness wasn't going last forever, as I usually suppose it will.)

I feel like I have done better this time.  But today I definitely am growing weak and I just want to cry because I feel like it's the only thing I can successfully do.  After a full week of this yuckiness, despite all my love and care and prayers, they just don't seem to show any signs of getting better.  I know that often these viruses last for more than a week, and I know I can expect them to be better by the weekend--and if not, I know I have a good doctor to take them to--but when I look down at my growing belly, and see that there is another child coming to my family, and then look around at my sick children, I start to feel panicky.  If life is so challenging when 3 children are sick, how in the world will I survive 4?!  And he will be born right at the beginning of sick season!

This is where I turn into a freak and buy 54 bottles of hand sanitizer, as though there is anything I can do to prevent my kids from getting sick.  But certainly after a week of rinsing, scrubbing, washing, laundering, bathing, dismantling, and re-mantling beds-- and not to mention the entire past six months of precious few healthy weeks-- I really start to wonder how I can possibly make it through these years!

When I feel like this I always have to count my blessings.  First and foremost, I have my Savior, who knows how I and my kids feel.  And I have my Heavenly Father, to whom I constantly pray for the health of my family.  I have the gospel--the good news!--that these challenging experiences are only for a short time, and one day sickness will no longer ravage our families.  Then I have my husband who, even though is still recovering, is strong, dependable, and capable.   We have our families to lean on, I have a comfortable home, I have a good washing machine and dryer, and my children might be sick for now, but I am very grateful that they have no chronic illnesses.  When they are healthy, they are 100% healthy, active and happy.  And that is really something to be grateful for!