Sick

My little guy is sick. We ended last week with terrible diarrhea and a trip to the doctor with orders to collect a stool sample...and in my efforts to feed him a safe, bland diet, he hasn't pooped since. Compounding the issue is his usual winter bout of croup. I heard it coming- he gets a froggy voice, and then the next couple nights are terrible. He's a repeat offender with croup- he gets it twice a year at least. Last year was the worst, with an emergency trip to the ER in New Hampshire on Mothers Day. We know what to do and when it is an emergency- we are well versed in all the nuances of croup...But that sure doesn't make it any easier to deal with. So far this particular episode has been manageable, not much stridor, no gasping for air episodes. I can only hope that as he gets bigger, he'll grow out of it, as "they " claim he will. I wonder about the root cause all the time. Is it our woodstove? Does he have a smaller windpipe than normal? They took radiographs in New Hampshire and didn't find anything alarming, but I still wonder.

His appetite is down, and he is afraid to eat too much- he worries out loud that he will throw up. It's just awful to see your child worry about stuff like that. He's had more than his fair share of puking episodes, some of which I think may be acid reflux related, but every time we get to the doctor, there is some other issue we deal with and I forget to mention it. Which of course, makes me a horrendous mother.

He's so big and tall that the doctor doesn't think there is anything serious going on- if there was he wouldn't be in the 97th percentile for height and off the charts for weight. But a mother can't help but worry, and I do think there is something going on that needs to be dealt with, I just can't put my finger on it.

Of course, it is a holiday weekend, and the doctors office is closed tomorrow. Mike has the day off and hopefully we can think of something fun to do together as a family. He's been working non stop on the railing for the upstairs he is making by hand. We drove out into the woods with the golf carts and cut down some beech trees and dragged them home on the top of the golf cart about 2 months ago. Ever since, he's been hand scraping the bark and sanding the spindles, railings, and posts. It looks magnificent. I will have to post some pictures when it is done. The man is truly incredible. I am so very lucky to have him as my husband.

All is quiet now. Jacob has fallen asleep, but no doubt will wake in a few hours due to a coughing fit. I should get some rest now so I can deal with it at 1 am.