Sick...

Neil caught a nasty bug last Thursday, and didn't waste any time sharing it with his girls. It hit me Friday afternoon, and Chloe Saturday night. I finally got my voice back yesterday, and though Chloe's cough is still bothering her, she no longer sounds like a barking seal! It's been quite an exhausting week to say the least. And I've learned a couple things:

1) Moms aren't allowed to get sick, ever. If they do, life goes on. Neil said to me Sunday, "Well you seem to be doing better", basing this on the fact that in the midst of caring for Chloe, I'd made very little mention of my own discomforts. In reality I felt like garbage, but I couldn't just drop everything, pop a NyQuil and head to bed. Like probably most children, when Chloe is sick, she wants Mom, and only Mom! No exceptions!

2) The greatest challenge of motherhood is watching your child(ren) endure pain. We've been really lucky with Chloe so far. She's never had an ear infection, only endured a couple mild bouts of this or that, and all things considered, handled teething and shots very well. So perhaps that explains why this caught me so off guard, ultimately resulting in a feeling of inadequacy as a mother. Chloe didn't say much Sunday or Monday, though on occasion I'd hear her faintly whisper "Please, Mommy. Please, Mommy." Talk about feeling helpless. Why not stab me in the heart a few more times!

Luckily the road to recovery has begun! Neil went back to work Tuesday, and yesterday I woke up actually wanting to pay bills and scrub my toilets! That is definitely a sign that this has gone on too long! Chloe is slowly coming around. I am hopeful that by this weekend this yucky bug is out of our systems completely. Being sick puppies is no fun!