the REAL 30th birthday

So I scheduled my last post a couple of days ahead of my actual bday to post the morning of my bday thinking at some point that afternoon I'd post a look back at past birthday's kind of like I did for Jeff on his 30th. However, as some of you know my 30th was spent doing just about everything but celebrating, and certainly not looking down memory lane. No, my birthday went something like this:

8:45am: wake up to Jack crying, he's burning up
8:50am: take Jack's temperature, 104.7
8:55am: call Jeff in a panic, we conference in his dad, he tells us to take Jack back to the doctor
9:00am: I call the doctor and get an appointment for noon, also I talk to the nurse and she tells me to get some ibuprofen in him, put cold compresses on him, take off his clothes and try to get his temp down.
9:10am: I get Jack (via force) to take his antibiotic
9:15am: I mix ibuprofen into Jack's juice to get him to take it (the night before when I tried giving it to him straight he forced himself to throw up afterwards)
9:45am: I try coaxing Jack to drink the rest of his juice. There was about 1/3 left and I needed him to finish it ALL to make sure he got his full dose of ibuprofen. He refused. I tried bribing him. He refused. I tried reasoning with him. He refused. I tried forcing him. It didn't work. Meanwhile I've got him stripped of his clothing and have cold towels on his head and under his armpits. He's still burning up. I don't know what to do. I finally get a small dose of the medicine and pin him down forcing it down him. (Horrible I know. He was crying, I was crying. I hated it.) I finally get the medicine in him. I'm feeling hopeful.
9:50am: Jack asks to get in the tub. I oblige thinking this will help drop his temp faster if I make the water sort of cool.
9:55am: I have Jack standing by the tub while I get the water running.
9:56am: Jack gets himself to throw up. (he HATES the medicine!) Orange goop EVERYWHERE! (luckily we are standing in the bathroom)
10:00am: I get Jack in the tub, the rug and towels in the washing machine.
10:05am: I take Addie's temperature. 101.5...great. I now have 2 sick kids.
10:10am: I call Jeff in tears. Ask (demand) him to come home. I NEED help! Jack is burning up and he's now thrown up all of his ibuprofen and most likely all of his antibiotic.
10:15am: Pray.
10:30am: Get Jack out of the tub & dressed.
10:45am: Take Jack's temperature. 98.6!!!
10:50am: My prayer was answered.
11:00am: Jeff arrives home with Tylenol suppositories.
11:05am: I administer my first ever suppository. Not as horrible as I was anticipating. Jack didn't realize anything had happened. I didn't have to fight him to take his medicine. The medicine will keep his temp down. Everyone wins.
11:10am: Breath
11:40am: Get all kids ready and loaded in car to head to the doctor.
12:00noon: See the doctor. She helps us (yes it took three adults) get Jack's antibiotic down him. She checks out Addie. Still has a fever, but luckily no infections (ie: sinus, eye & ear infections, which is what Jack has...ALL 3!). She tests negative for influenza A (again what Jack has) but says the test can be wrong 25% of the time. (helpful) Due to the fever and the fact that Jack has it she prescribes Tamiflu for Addie. We give her a does right then. She takes it like a champ!
1:00pm: Load all kids in the car, they fall asleep almost immediately.
1:30pm: Transfer kids to their beds.
1:40pm: Breath a sigh of relief.

I'll stop the time line there and say that the day definitely got better from there, but still consisted of playing nurse/mom to my kids. Jeff was a HUGE help and I was so grateful he could come home and be with me. Not only did he help me with the physical stuff, but he was my mental rock since I was a bit out of sorts with worry. That evening we'd originally had reservations to a nice restaurant and a babysitter lined up, but those plans were obviously canceled and instead we got take out and watched a movie. Not the picture I had in my mind when I thought about how I'd celebrate turning 30, but sort of fitting as I enter into the decade that will be spent primarily raising children. The majority of my 20's were spent with just Jeff & myself and we could come and go as we pleased. The next 10 years will be very different, but equally, no superior to the past 10. I wouldn't trade the privilege of raising my kids for anything. You always know you love your kids, but nothing quite reaffirms it like when they are helpless and sick.

So, the pic you saw on here the morning of my birthday was actually taken the Tuesday before my birthday when Jocelyn & Nachelle took me out to dinner and a movie to celebrate. (that was fun) Good thing we celebrated early because as the week went on everything got a bit hairy. Here are a couple of pics on my actual bday. Notice the "Get Well Soon" balloon (Jeff picked that up for Jack when he was buying the suppositories), hair not done & no makeup, a gift from Wendy & one from Jeff & my half eaten slice of Godiva Cheesecake with a "1st" candle (from Jack's 1st bday) stuck in it. Makeshift? Yes. We weren't planning on being home this evening. It worked. I made a wish and (I bet you can guess what I wished for.)

blew out my candle. (those are some serious cheeks for one itty bitty candle, apparently I REALLY wanted my wish to come true)It wasn't the most glamorous of birthdays, but I'm lucky enough to have Phoenix to look forward to. As of this morning Jack's fever is gone and Addie's is going down. Things are looking up & I'm looking forward to Tuesday evening when I board a plane to the blow dryer state. Ahhhhh. Warmer weather and healthy kids here I come! Let the celebrating begin.