This is the flu that never ends, yes it goes on and on...

Ellie recovered fairly quickly from the flu after her nap the first day she had it (Tues). I thought Robbie was on the upswing also, so when the kids woke up yesterday having made it through the night without incident, I gave them little bowls of cheerios and sliced bananas. Poor Robbie took two bites, stopped eating, and threw up. Back to the couch and one teaspoon of water every 10 minutes!

I babied his tummy and we made it through the day without any more throwing up. Although he was still flushed and seemed to have a low grade fever, water and even a Popsicle had stayed down so I allowed the kids a Graham cracker. What a relief to finally actually be on the way to health again!

The kids were sitting at the table finishing their crackers when Maddie started to get fussy, so I pulled her up on my lap to give her a bottle and planned to put her right to bed (she's never fussy, I assumed it was from being tired).

Well she got 4 ounces down and then pushed the bottle away, which is odd. I held her as I talked to the kids and all of the sudden she threw up her bottle on my lap! I could not believe it. She was the one child I haven't had to worry about for the last two days!

I was at a loss - could a baby get the flu twice in one week? Was this really the flu? She has now thrown up Friday night (in her crib), Sunday morning in her stroller, and Wednesday evening in my lap. I called the pediatrician and talked with a nurse for a long time as we tried to figure out the pattern or what could be causing her illness (stomach virus vs another issue related to her diet, milk allergy, formula, etc). We came up with nothing, so she recommended seeing the doctor which we will be doing this afternoon.

We are a mess! I am beyond thankful that Rob and I have not caught this bug, but now I feel like we need to get to the bottom of Maddie's issues. If anyone reading this has any insights, ideas, experiences with something like this please feel free to leave a comment. I did start ogive Maddie yogurt and bits of cheese along with Florastor to help her body break down the milk protein about 2-3 weeks ago. I am suspicious of that being the culprit, but who knows.

Oh one more funny story, so after Maddie threw up I took her upstairs for a quick bath. The kids were resting on the couch watching a show, so I explained what I was doing and that I'd be right back, and they barely acknowledged me.

I come back down with Maddie wrapped in a towel to dress her where I could see the other kids, only to find that in their hungry state, they had raided the kitchen! They had pulled donut holes off the counter, fruit out of the refrigerator and spoons from the silverware drawer. Robbie had taken the raid to the next level and found himself a ziplock baggie, filled it with some of the fruit, and stashed it under the chair in the playroom! So glad he is still at the age where he tells us everything he's done truthfully, or that would have been disgusting to find later.

I felt like I was spinning my wheels today! I have been prayerful through the kids' illness because it often leads me to unnecessary worry and anxiety. I have felt the strength and peace of God fall over me and have felt calm and even grateful for the last few days. I am certainly ready for the kids to be healthy but the slower pace and time with just them, caring for them when their needs have been so immediate and high, has been my privilege. It also helps me appreciate our healthy days so much more!