Our own winter wallop

Like everyone else I know who hopes for snow, our TV has been locked on the Weather Channel for the past couple of days. Unfortunately for us, we got just a dusting of snow on Friday and a lot of cold miserable rain. So the "Winter Wallop" that the Weather Channel kept broadcasting about didn't really hit us... but another type of winter wallop sure has.

The illness that started early last week still isn't gone. Luke seems to have been hit the hardest, followed closely by Nate, and Will has a touch of it too. I seem to have been passed over by this illness, which is good on several fronts. Someone's got to take care of the troops, plus it isn't ever fun to be sick while you're pregnant!

We thought at first this was a simple cough that was going to pass in a couple of days. A fever soon followed. After 3 trips to the doctor, Luke is now the proud owner of a nebulizer, to deliver medicine deep into his lungs. He's also on an antibiotic and an oral steroid. Some of the side effects of being a preemie is coming back to haunt him...

Luke was on oxygen the longest in the NICU. Probably more than 30 days between the respirator, CPAP and nasal cannula. Will was off of oxygen a lot faster. The doctor on Saturday told us that if a child is on oxygen for longer than 30 days, they are much more susceptible to lung viruses and infections. The boys have both received Synagis over the past two cold and flu seasons, which protected their lungs from these types of viruses. Now that they are nearing 3 years old, they aren't getting Synagis anymore... so this is our first winter of potential lung issues.

Luke spent Saturday on the couch, sleeping almost all of the day. It was so different from our typical Luke. Nate didn't feel much better. Will was attempting to be his normal self but the coughing kept getting in the way.

Thankfully today, the nebulizer seems to have helped Luke out quite a bit, and the virus appears to be nearing its end in Nate and Will. We're still taking it easy, not really moving from our protective cocoon in the living room. We have watched a lot of Elmo, the Incredibles and Cars too... thankfully there's football on today to break up the cartoon monotony!

Here is a photo of Luke with his beloved nebulizer. For a kid who has fought us tooth and nail when its time to take medicine by mouth, he doesn't mind holding the nebulizer for the full 10 minutes that it takes to deliver his dose! We were holding it a little away from his face the first couple of doses, but now he's happy to hold it himself, right up to his face. Its like he knows that it is helping him, and is very cute.