RSV

For those of you out there who don't know what RSV stands for, it stands for Really Sucky Virus (As I'm sure some of you have already experienced) Both Talen and Kendal got diagnosed this week with RSV - it seems it's been a popular diagnosis lately among friends. Well I can honestly say I'm not sure I've ever been so emotionally and physically drained in a long time. Taking care of two irritable, miserable, toddlers is not my favorite thing.

They sent me home with a Nebulizer to open up their airways, and today we went in for a checkup and they discovered that Kendal also now has an ear infection (Talen got diagnosed with an ear infection on monday and then they suspected he had RSV and an ear infection on Tuesday) - needless to say this week hasn't been one of my favorite's. After 3 trips to the doctor's office, 3 trips to the pharmacy, round the clock nebulizer treatments, cranky kiddos, a few vomit spills, lot's of interuptions at night, tons of antibiotics (some of which I've had to force down Talen due to the unpleasant taste), becoming sick myself, and having to be cooped up inside because for 1) we don't want to get anyone else sick and for 2) we don't want to catch anything else with our immune systems already weak - I'd have to say it's been one of the worst weeks ever.

We went to the YMCA last week for 5 days straight - I was determined to start going back so that I could start to get back in shape and I was very excited about it - and what a coincidence they both start showing sick symptoms on day 4 - my theory- they got it from the Y. 3 months ago when we went to the Y last - they both got sick after only going for 1 week. It took a month to get over the colds and it took me two months to finally work up the appetite to start going to work out again - and what do you know they get sick AGAIN. What do we learn from this - if our kids are sick respect everyone else, sacrifice your life and leave your kids home -

I will probably be cancelling my membership at the Y - I'll be out of shape to avoid having miserable children. (It's a sad realization)

The good news: Talen is on his way out of it - he's been much more himself today, full of energy and dying to go outside and play - so hopefully soon this will all be over. We finally got out a little this evening and played. Our apartment complex had an easter egg hunt and we took the kids and they really enjoyed it. It's amazing how healing it is to just be outside, to feel the wind, to see other people, and to just play a little.

Miserable Kendal - this has pretty much been her permanent facial expression for the past 5 days
Watching cartoons during nebulizer treatment - each treatment takes 25 minutes per child, and we've been doing it every 4 hours, which equals about 4 hours of cartoons a day (it's the only way to get them to hold still - the doctor even recommended it) That's a whole lot of PBS in one week.
We can't actually do them both at the same time - but for the purpose of the pictues I wanted to get a picture of the both of them with their little nose masks on - poor babies

"Talen and Mommy - show us your sick faces" He's much better at facial expressions than me :)
This one of his worst days(Sunday - we left after Sacrament meeting because he slept on the bench,which hasn't happend since he was an infant) and asked him to smile for me for the picture - this was the best he could do - I think it's pretty good.
One of the better moments this week