We don't want your germs

Thank goodness my kids are not as sick as I feared they were going to be, and this seems to be the quickest and mildest flu we've had. Finally some luck! :) Maybe it helps that the sun is shining and it's almost 60 degrees...beautiful! I still thought that maybe I should share what I was going to write when I got stressed last weekend....because I'm sure there will be a next time and I think the message is pretty darn important.

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Ok, time for another outburst....because I'm annoyed. Like really annoyed. And that's because I have 3 sick kids AGAIN. And most of you who are reading this know what that means. It means worry above all else. It means no sleep. It means coughing fits that end with vomiting (which means loads upon loads of laundry). It means looking at my babies struggling to breathe. It means ear infections. It means doctor visits. It means hundreds of dollars for doctors and medicine. And if you have any children at all, you must know how utterly exhausting it is to take care of 3 very small children, let alone 3 sick children.

For those who don't have Facebook, you might've missed that Matias and I went to our Thursday night music class and were surrounded by kids who were coughing, sneezing, and had noses totally dripping with ooze. Nice. Especially because it's in a small room, the door is closed, and in some songs we dance in a circle and hold hands. Even if I wasn't in the situation I am in, I don't think I would necessarily enjoy holding a kid's hand which happened to be coughed into and wiped on 5 seconds ago. But because I am in the situation I am in, I was more than a bit stressed. I almost left. But I didn't leave because poor Matias LOVES that class and wouldn't understand why we had to leave. It is the only hobby Matias has. It is the only fun thing we get to do. Some weeks it is the only time I get to go ANYWHERE. It is Matias and mommy time. So I didn't leave. I tried to grin and bear it, and I hosed Matias down with hand sanitizer as soon as we left the room. I washed his hands and changed his clothes when we got home. But this morning (Saturday) he woke up with a chesty cough, running nose, and lots of sneezing. The girls already started getting runny noses this evening and the scary coughing has begun with Olivia as well.

I have just one request. I know that if I could put someone (anyone) in my shoes for even one day, they would appreciate and totally understand my request. All preemie moms would understand my request. Most people who know me would also probably understand my request because they have seen what a difficult year we have had. My request is just to ask that if people who have semi-normal lives and semi-healthy kids could KINDLY stay home for one day, two days, maybe even 3 days when their kids are totally sick. I don't think it's too much to ask. Yeah, you have to work at some point and take your sick kids to daycare. Yeah, you bought expensive tickets to a kids' concert and really want to go. I get it. I get that some kids have runny noses ALL the time and you want to have a life and get out of the house. I get that people have to go to the grocery¨store and bring their kids even when they're sick. I really do get it. Sometimes you don't have a choice. But when there IS a choice....or when your kid is VERY sick....please stay home. And again, I'm pretty sure I don't feel this way just because of our sensitive health situation. This is in my opinion common sense. Even before the girls, I would never take Matias to someone's birthday party if he has a fever and runny nose. I would be totally mad if someone would come to our house coughing like crazy without even informing us that they're sick or asking if it's still ok to come. I think it's common sense and common courtesy to avoid certain activities and events if you are sick.

Anyone who tells me that they can't manage to stay home for A FEW DAYS with a sick kid or miss out on a few actitivities....I'm sorry, but I might have some difficulty empathizing with you. I have been sitting in a hospital every day for 4 MONTHS. I have been sitting at home almost every day for the last 9 MONTHS. I haven't had a life. My baby girls haven't had a life. They cannot go to any baby groups and participate in music classes like other kids. They basically only know life at home with mommy. One year is a really long time to be at home with very minimal social interaction. Most weeks, Tero and the ladies at Matias's daycare are the only adults I see. So if you.... a person who has a semi-normal life with semi-healthy kids who has the option of going into public places every day.... tell me that you CANNOT miss one music class because of a sick kid, because you have go in order to avoid boredom, because you need to have a life, because you basically just want to go....well, I'm just saying that it's not right and it's not fair and it's extremely inconsiderate. The little boy your kid coughs on might have asthma and end up in the hospital with pneumonia, just because you couldn't stand to miss one music class. The lady your kid sneezes on might have a newborn baby at home who will get really sick. Or maybe the little girl your kid shares his germs with has a poor immune system and will get sick and have to cancel her own birthday party.

I'm not saying that everyone with a runny nose needs to stay home. I'm not saying that everyone who coughs a few times a day needs to stay home. I'm saying that if your kid has a fever, looks sick, needs his nose wiped every 30 seconds, coughs a deep, barky cough at least every minute....then please try to stay home. Or please at least think twice about it. Please. There are a lot of other people in this world to think about besides yourself.