More Clare

Okay, all you seasoned moms have convinced me to keep on trucking with Clare's therapy! Thank you!

Clare is still not 100% herself, which is contributing to her increased tiredness as well (and her looming echo in April can't come soon enough so I can have some peace of mind that it's not her heart acting up). The last three winters have been so tough on Clare health-wise. Once she catches a cold, she cannot get rid of it easily and usually coughs and has congestion for the rest of the winter. The last two Aprils have landed Clare in the hospital for severe dehydration following a stomach virus. I think by April, her immune system is just run down from fighting colds all winter that one virus wipes her out entirely. Then she usually bounces back in the spring and is fine until the next winter. This winter has been worse than the previous two with Clare and illness, so I pray that we're getting the brunt of it now and not gearing up for a complete breakdown come next month.

Clare is still coughing and congested from her on-again/off-again cold/virus/bacterial infection/whatever she's had for weeks. Like this morning, Clare woke up covered in vomit because she had coughed so hard, she set off her gag reflex and threw up in her bed. ((I thought it was bad cleaning vomit from the top bunk down to the bottom bunk - this was the first time I had to clean it out of Clare's morning rat's nest of tangled curls. Sorry for the details, but it was gross!) That must have helped because other than looking extremely tired, Clare has been in good spirits for the rest of the day. I want her to rest, but she refused to nap, so I don't feel bad at all about letting her lounge in bed this afternoon watching "Curious George" while Simon and Violet nap, Jamie is at school, and I play on the computer! (Just while I am waiting for Clare's bedspread to finish in the dryer, of course.)