RSV, ear infections and other loveliness

There is a pox on my house.

Saturday we discovered Clair has an ear infection and RSV. She's on antibiotics for the ear infection. She's sleeping poorly.

Yesterday, on one of the most exciting days in recent history, I spent the day at the doctor with Cary and at my own doctor. Cary, it turns out, also has RSV (but his ears are clear, thank God). And I have an upper respiratory/sinus infection. Cary got albuterol; I got antibiotics. Last night, I had drainage from hell -- I seriously could not breathe. Between that and Clair not sleeping well, I got very little sleep.

And then this morning, when Lester woke the boys up for school, Dean cried and told him his ear hurt. When I hugged him and asked him what was wrong, he said his neck hurts (that means his throat). Lester took his temperature and it was slightly elevated (100.2) but when I called his doctor, he said to just see how it goes today. When I dropped Dean off at school, his head felt really hot to me. And he was sullen and slightly whiny. So I guess we will just see how the day goes. If I end up having to take him to the doctor today, I guess I would not be the least bit surprised.

I am sick of sickness. Have I said that already? Ugh!

In other news, what little I did get to see of the inaugural festivities moved me to tears. And Cary and Dean thoroughly enjoyed watching the parade. They danced and jumped and banged on their drums, saying, "Look Mommy, I'm a marching band!" And whenever they caught a glimpse of Barack Obama, they whooped.

Also this weekend, Clair climbed up all the stairs while I was outside putting a carseat in the car and scared the living CRAP outta me. Once again, I was completely caught off guard by her reaching this milestone.

And also...this happened -- many, many times:

In sickness and in health, folks, time keeps moving on.

SCOTUS upholds Affordable Care Act! Whoo-hoo!

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was upheld by the Supreme Court today!

Hooray!!!!!!


Thanks to a progressive President and a generations-old system of checks-and-balances, I can more readily believe that my children will get the kind of health care/treatment they need as adults, whether or not they work for an employer who is able to provide them with subsidized health insurance.

I know this was a tough topic for a lot of people. I can actually see both sides of the coin (though obviously, I am for only one side).

I do hope, however, that despite our party-line differences, people will remember today and years from now that this was not a political decision.

The Supreme Court ruled (and ruled fairly) not on behalf of President Obama -- but on behalf of the U.S. Constitution. And for the benefit of tens of millions of Americans. This is the purpose, the very point, of our system of checks-and-balances. It is our Democracy at work. If you don't agree with the decision, that's one thing. But you cannot say -- in this case -- that the system didn't work.

I love being an American.  God Bless the U.S.A.!