I can count on three fingers the number of times she's thrown up, she somehow manages to dodge all the bugs that fly around during cold and flu season, and our pediatrician jokes about testing her to see if she has some sort of super-immune system that we can study to learn how to keep kids healthier. On the rare occasions we have to make a special trip to the doctor, it's always for something interesting...like the time she spiked the 104-degree fever but acted like nothing was wrong. Or the concussion incident. But I'd rather not talk about that.
So when I took Caleb in to the doctor to confirm a case of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease that a friend was kind enough to share with us, the doctor again commented that I probably didn't have to worry about Abby coming down with it, what with the immunity bubble and all to protect her.
She was wrong.
Abby did indeed suffer the wrath of this horrible rash, and it wreaked havoc on her little body with high fevers, ulcers in her mouth and throat and blisters all over her little fingers and toes.
The first day she showed symptoms, I was in denial.
"Do you want to go play outside, Abby?" I asked.
"No," she replied, climbing onto the couch with a necklace in one hand and a book in the other. "I'll just lay here and wear these beads and read this book."
Caleb pushed through his bout of the virus, and but for some extra crankiness and what looked like a case of leprosy, he was mostly okay during the week or so that it took to run its course.
Abby is another story altogether. The epitome of pitiful, she sulks around the house, cringes each time she tries (unsuccessfully) to suck her thumb, and lives under a dark cloud of despair at mealtimes when she realizes her mouth hurts too much to eat.
We're quarantined until further notice. Justin and I are most likely safe from the virus, but I might come down with a serious case of the crazies if I have to be trapped in the house too much longer with these sick kiddos.
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