Drew had Christmas week off and after what has been a rough job transition regarding time away from home it was such a relief to have him home with us during this week especially. Nana got in with Aunt Tammy and Kelsey on Saturday for Tuesday Christmas. I had prepared Everett's room for her to have the maximum comfort a room full of dinosaurs and other beastly creatures could allow anyone. Sunday morning we awoke at our usual early hour all waiting anxiously for Nana to wake up. When she did we took the morning slowly eating cinnamon rolls and drinking coffee in the kitchen just enjoying being together. Around 10 Nana left for a Christmas tree with the Schmidt families as we kept ourselves busy baking treats awaiting her return. Nana got back and rested for a bit then she and I made chocolate fudge and began preparing her new favorite tomato soup recipe to have family over for dinner with grilled cheese sandwiches. It was such a wonderful day and one just full of happiness and the feeling of home.
It was obvious come Sunday evening that Everett was just not quite feeling himself. Desperate to not have an ill baby for Christmas we began pumping him full of all the meds we had to try and get him over the little cold I thought he had gotten. Everyone went to bed with full bellies from delicious soup and Christmas treats excited for Christmas Eve the next day. Everett didn't last long in bed though and was up most of the night running fever and feeling all over sick. By 5 am we decided to get him in to an urgent care clinic asap and by 7 am we got the news I was praying against as soon as he started to sniffle, he had RSV. Although it would not be too bad for him to get over it with just some coughing and lethargy for a few days (perfect for Christmas) it was especially bad for Children under 1, Rory, children with asthma, Haven, and elderly adults with heart problems, Nana! In our house we had all three of the highly susceptible people for getting complications from RSV, GREAT!
Immediatly we quarantined Everett from Everyone else, lysoled everything and put on mask on him but it was clear it was too high of a risk for Nana to remain in our house and risk her getting seriously ill from it, had she not already gotten it that is from comforting Everett in the wee hours of the morning. Nana had been questioning whether to even come to Midland and at that how to long to actually stay so when it was apparent she couldn't stay at our home any longer she took it as a sign to just head back home to spend Christmas in Amarillo. Although I knew there was absolutely no way she could be in our home I felt gutted knowing our plans would no longer be! I was so sad that poor Everett was feeling so yucky and would not be in the best spirits for Christmas. After Nana left our home on Christmas Eve morning we canceled our plans to for the day not wanting to risk infecting anyone else and stayed home watching movies trying to keep the girls separated from Everett. The kids went to bed with excitement for the hopes of the mornings surprises.
Christmas morning we awoke to all the magical gifts Santa had left which included a trampoline for outside along with bikes the big kids got from Mom and Dad. However No one felt like trying out the new outside toys and it was clear that Haven and Rory both were going down with RSV. We stayed inside all Christmas day hunkered down alternating pushing liquids, giving out meds, cradling sick kids and resting. First thing the day after Christmas we got the girls both in with their pediatrician to confirm RSV. The most bummer thing about RSV is that it is a virus and antibiotics will not help it we just had to "help them through it." So the rest of our Christmas week was spent doing just that. Sick kids is the saddest most pitiful thing ever, sick kids at Christmas is just extra extra sad and pitiful. By Thursday we felt ok enough to venture out to Lane and Neeley's to do a tree with their family along with Mimi and Aunt Kelsey who had delayed leaving an extra day to share the tree with us. It was by far the most special time of our week but we left their house with a very sick Rory who was extremely labored in her breathing and causing alot of anxiety for her Dad and I. With another trip to the doctor the next day for her we decided that our plans to go to Amarillo for the weekend for White family Christmas celebrations must be canceled. It took several more days before anyone felt much better and wanted anything to do with their new toys.
Our first Christmas in Midland was certainly one we will remember! Although nothing went quite as we planned and hoped for we still were blessed beyond what we deserved! We still got to cherish one another and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and the biggest gift of all, Jesus' birth into our broken world! Here is to hoping next Christmas is full of health though!!
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