She was 4, and although she ignored her guests and just played with her crazy Murray costume the whole time, I think it lived up to all of her expectations. She loved it and was thrilled with everything. Thanks so much to the Podliskas for helping us to celebrate. You should rent yourselves out as family party guests, you're so good at it. There are lots of us out there who are looking for some extra in-town cousins- really fun ones, like Simon and Aleia. Think about it.
Norah was a doll on her birthday but then got a coughing thing that broke the blood vessels in her face, burned her up to a 103 temp, and generally ruined our week. It came on slowly, during Grandma Gloria and Papa's visit, and kind of crested after they left. So for the most part we were able to enjoy the visit. Of Grandma Gloria and Papa. (AND FRANCIS. Norah will always insist, if I leave him out) Teddy was so sad when they left. He loves them so.
Norah endured through her coughing and coughing and more coughing and now Vivienne has started the process. Last night she was running the fever and I had to put her in the tub to clean her up, from that last bit of puke that was still in her hair and the strangely foul smelling ear discharge that plasters hair into her ear canal. She resisted getting in, and then she sat in the warm water resignedly and miserably, and then she didn't want to get out. When I got her out I wrapped her up and she was shivering, and oh, I could just feel that fever chill. And I got her jammied up and wrapped up in blankets and I rocked her and she immediately melted into me and fell asleep in my arms. Feverish and sleeping. Knowing that Norah survived through this made me a little less worried about my baby. She's still so little, my baby Vivienne, with her dainty arms and legs and upturned tiny nose and ethereal eyes. She still lets us hold her. All 23 pounds of her. Norah and Teddy are hard to hold these days. Teddy twists all of my embraces into some wriggling wrestling capture. And Norah, you just have to catch her when she's tired. Then she'll let you love her up.
Norah's still coughing but Karl just got up last night whenever she started and rolled her onto her side. That seemed to work. The worst thing about Norah being sick is that we get out of her routines. I let her wear her snow jammies during the day when she had that big fever and now I'm paying for it. We'll get back to our tightly run ship. Who am I kidding. We'll get back to our rickety Chinese rowboat.
How many days/weeks have I spent like this over the last few years? The days that I don't get out of my pajamas and just sit with sick kids. The house doesn't get cleaner and it's just such an oppressive time. The amount of time that the kids and I have just been cooped up this winter is an all time record. Due to sickness and horrid weather it's just been week after week after week of existing inside of our house. Somebody let us out. Our vacation is coming up!
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