Just an Update

Trudging along. [Trying to] do the next thing. Hoping for a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep. Praying for peace and help in perseverance. That's how I feel lately in our fog of sickness. But that aside, there's plenty to be thankful for, and the kids persist in being cute even when life is hard.

Here's a little update on our doings of late:

1. On a positive note, Josiah turned the corner in his bout with scarlet fever and conjunctivitis. I'm so glad and grateful to see him more cheerful and energetic. This has been his toughest illness to date, I think--long and hard for all of us. 

Well enough to wield a cardboard-roll sword!

2. The girls turned 19 months old on my parents' 31st wedding anniversary! More new words: both say, "Wa-wa" (water) and "me" (while pointing to themselves). 

Today while nursing they kept up a back-and-forth argument: 

Lydia: "Me!" 

Abby: "Me!" 

Lydia: "Me!" 

Abby: "Me!" etc.

I'm not quite sure what it was about, but they both used indignant tones. They also like to launch into "uh-uh"/head nod arguments.

They continue to be best friends and rivals. Lately each likes to gleefully pull Sister's hair while she screams in pain. They also like to sit close on the couch and page through books together, though--one points out items of interest on the page with finger and an "uh," and the other nods sagely.

Sparring for the saddle 

 Abby on left, Lydia on right

 Happy solution?

 Maybe not . . .

Nope. Lydia definitely doesn't want to be sat on, and doesn't want to give up her spot.

3. Abby now has conjunctivitis in at least one eye. I won't be surprised if the other swells up and gets red, too. (Lydia had it in both eyes last week and is just about clear.) Jeremy took her to Goodnight Pediatrics this evening, and we found out she also has an ear infection. So now she'll be on antibiotics for the ear infection and eye drops for the conjunctivitis. 

Sickie Abby--her eye definitely looked worse today :(

While Jer and Abby were at the doctor's, I took the other two to Trader Joe's for milk and a few necessaries. Josiah kept saying he was sad Abby wasn't with us. He actually cried a couple times before we left for the store--when Jer and Abby drove away, and when we were getting ready. At the check-out he asked for stickers, and he tore off a strip of them to save "for Abby."

I was touched by the brotherly love. But after all, who wouldn't miss our little Abby sweetie? Just look at her . . .

4. Jeremy and I both have a sore throat today. I'm losing my voice, he has canker sores and achiness . . . I guess it was inevitable that we'd end up sick, too. But you don't want pictures of us sick. So here's cute (and relatively healthy) Lydia . . .

5. I read Psalm 77 to the kids at breakfast this morning. It begins like this: "I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and He will hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord . . ." At this point I stopped to quiet Josiah, who was yelling. But I realized he was only taking the words of the psalm literally--he was shouting, "GOD! GODDD! GOD!"