Sick Boy

I know I need to wrap up my blogging on meeting the Pioneer Woman and I will, promise. But today, I have other things on my mind and in my world.

Today I am home for the second day with a very sick boy. He has a high fever that just will not go away. All he wants to do is drink sips of water, but his tummy has turned against him and makes even this small task difficult, and at times, impossible.

I absolutely love being a parent, but having a sick child ranks pretty high up there with things I hate most about being a parent. I hate seeing my boy who is otherwise filled with joy, laugher, and fun times just laying around too sick to move, too sick to be funny, too sick to do just about anything other than watching ridiculous amounts of TV, and of course sleep.

I hate not being able to snap my fingers and make it all go away or even snap my fingers and move the sickness to myself. I hate feeling helpless.

So, I do the only thing I can. Give him fever reducer and pray. Pray this passes quickly. Pray his little body will stop being so hot and feverish. Pray he sleeps some. Pray he can drink a little water and keep in down.

Last night his fever started climbing even higher right after giving him some medicine. I drew a cool bath and let him sit in it a while. I realized that I also hate making a sick boy who’s body is on fire take a cool bath. It made him cry. Those cried hurt so badly, but I knew it would be good for him. And it worked; his fever went down a little bit. He was eventually able to settle down a bit a get comfortable on the couch and fell asleep.

This morning we find that his fever is not near as high as it was yesterday, but his tummy seems to be worse. This has turned me into the water monitor. A job I loved in elementary school, but hate as a mother of a thirsty boy. A few sips here and there is really all he can really tolerate, but not at all what he wants.

The only “perk” if you can even call it that, is that a sick boy wants more love and affection that normal. I do like that I am able to cuddle up with him on the couch and give him extra love. I like that he will let me rub his back, legs, and arms.

As we sat on the couch watching TV this morning, I found that his little hand was up around my head. Then all of the sudden, he was twirling my hair. And I just melted inside. In all his sickness, my sweet boy was trying to be lovey to me.

I used to twirl my mother’s hair when I was a kid.

I wonder why kids do this? Not that I really care why, I just enjoyed it. Then I started twirling his curls. It was easy to do as he is in serious need of a haircut.

Hoping and praying my boy is well soon.