Hot Headed

104.8, 103.6, 102.8, and on a good day 100.2.  Every mother knows what those numbers are, don’t they?  Yep, a sick child’s temperature readings.

It’s been a long 10 days (and still counting).  That’s how long Levi has had these fevers (and coughing and no energy).  No one, and I mean NO ONE has ever seen Levi on a couch as much as he’s been this last week and half!  Not even as an infant did he “rest” this much!!  I say “rest” with quotes because with the cough, he’s not really resting great any time (night or day); which is probably accounting for the lack of energy more than the sickness in and of itself.

Thankfully, the chest x-rays showed no pneumonia yesterday.  Whew!  Just a virus turned into an infection, the doctor thinks, so we started antibiotics last night and are hopeful that this illness will be over before too long.

All-in-all I’d say Levi’s had a pretty good attitude about all he’s missed throughout this time.  First, he missed his baseball game (he was actually sick for one before this one, but the one before this wound up being cancelled due to weather so it’s kinda like he didn’t miss that one).  Next he missed the last P.E. class at Medart Elementary (he goes there sometimes on Tuesdays and Fridays for P.E.).  Then, he missed a short fishing adventure with Uncle Herb and cousin Blainde that same evening.  Followed by missing the last AWANA night at church.  But, I’m not done yet…

On Memorial Day, one of my sisters and I had planned a get together at my parents’ house.  And, yep, you guessed it, Levi had to miss that, too because there were several kids there that we did not want to expose to whatever he had and risk them missing their last week of school.  Fortunately Levi has a wonderful dad who not only stayed home with him so Jonah and I could visit the family we don’t see often enough, but he even grilled steak for him (one of Levi’s favorite meals).  He is such a great dad (and husband!). 

You’re probably thinking that’s the end of the stuff he’s missed, right?  Especially since we are not a real “active” family and don’t generally do a lot outside of our own yard.  Well, you’d be wrong.  Here’s the real character test!  Poor Levi had to miss not only his last baseball game, but the baseball party that follows!  You know, the one where the kids get cupcakes and trophies?!  That was tough, but he’s a trooper.  All he said was, “I wish I could at least WATCH them,” with much sadness in his voice.  But he understood that many mamas would not be happy with us if we took him there and exposed their kids, so we skipped all together (and I, being team mom, had to pass off the trophies I had ordered and picked up as well as arrange for another mom to pick up the cupcakes I'd ordered).  

At least I had his trophy and was able to present it to him this morning (he was too sick/tired last night after we got home to get it). I managed to talk him into posing for a picture, but he kept saying, "But it's not the same as with the coaches."  This is the place where everyone says in that sweet, southern voice, “Bless his heart!”  Go ahead, you can say it; it was sad. 

But we’ve managed and hopefully we’re almost done with this sickness (praying no one else gets it!).  And while it’s been tough and long and “hard”, we are very aware of how good God has been through it all.  Not only has Levi kept as good of an attitude as can be expected, but he doesn’t have anything really “bad” wrong with him.  There are so many people in this world who are seriously ill; can we really complain about a week or two?  So, we’ll certainly be glad when his fever and cough are gone, but we’re very thankful right now that he does not have anything worse than a virus turned into an infection.  Thank you, Lord for your protection and goodness when we certainly do not deserve it!