Looking on the bright side...

In the midst of the sickness at our house I've been thinking of lots of things that I'm thankful for. (Warning: This could be long and random).

First of all how nice is it when your kids learn how to get to the bathroom in time before they throw up all over their bed or the carpet between their room and the bathroom???? SO NICE!!! Ashton, after having his high fever all night, slept in till about 9:30, but when he did finally wake up he immediately said he needed to throw up. So I hurried and got him to the bathroom and he made it just in time! Then he said he just needed to lay down, but he proceeded to (about 4 or 5 more times) get up from the couch and run as fast as he could to the bathroom to throw up again and again. Poor little guy...but I was so proud of him for making it!

I made him and Gunnar an appointment this morning with their pediatrician at 11:20. Besides a runny nose and cough Gunnar doesn't act too miserable, but he's had this nasty diaper rash, so I was glad to be going in to get that looked at too. So I get them both ready and we're on our way when Ashton yells from the backseat that he has to throw up again. So I pulled over as soon as I could and got him out and he puked in the gutter.

That was the last time that he's thrown up and I could tell after that last time he was starting to feel much better. He gradually started talking again. NON-STOP. Lars and I always say that as much as we hate to see Ashton sick it is the ONLY time that he is quiet and still (unless he's sleeping) and we secretly (well not secretly anymore) kind of enjoy the quiet.

After school yesterday he started feeling really sick again and he finally zonked out at 6:00 last night on the couch with Gunnar's birthday balloons...(and of course lovey)So anyway during the rest of the drive to the doctor he got chattier and chattier asking me all sorts of questions and telling me why certain things are the way they are and on and on and on. At one point he was asking me if God looks like us...and if not what does he look like and when we go to heaven will we become babies again? And will we have birthdays there? And yes we better so we can have LOTS OF CAKE! It's like all the words that got stuck inside of him while he was feeling so sick were coming out all at once and he just couldn't stop them!

So sure enough after going to the doctor we learned that they both have strep too and he gave me a prescription for antibiotics for them as well. Gunnar's horrible rash on his bum is how his is showing up. And the doctor said that Ashton's throwing up could definitely have to do with it too. He always seems to throw up after he's had a high fever like that anyway.

On the way home Ashton must have been getting really hungry since he hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon and threw up so much this morning. Because the non-stop chatter turned into talking about every food he could think of. He started out saying he was hungry for lunch, then started saying all of the things he wanted. Maybe I could have pancakes, or waffle maker waffles, or no I want pizza...yeah pizza and chicken nuggets! Then Mommy... someday we need to make a really big pie. I think it should be either a ramen noodle pie or a blueberry pie! Do I like blueberries? And hey what's that on the windshield? Bird poop?? Yes Ashton it's bird poop. Why do birds poop on our windshield? And how do they poop while they're flying? Well Ashton it just comes out while they're flying I say. And they don't even have to push like we do??? And on and on and on.

See why we enjoy our few times a year when we experience the silent version of Ashton???

I'm so glad he's feeling better and I love all of the fun crazy conversations we have with him, but my gosh he is tiring some times!!!

Anyway one other thing I'm always so thankful for is this...

Gunnar gives me the best hugs and Lars finally got a picture of it. I of course can never see his cute little face when he's squeezing me so Lars is always explaining to me how happy he looks. Honestly almost every time I pick him up he does this.

I LOVE it!

I guess I won't be going to use my hotel gift certificate tonight, but I'm going to tomorrow if everyone is surviving. If I don't use it this weekend, I'll have to put it off for another month or so since all of the next few weekends are taken. And I've been looking sooo forward to it all week. (especially the times that I still have to get up in the night or when I'm up at 6:30 every morning!) I just picture myself sleeping in with no interruptions. Just once!

The other day when Lars stayed home sick from work I went to Macey's with just Gunnar to get groceries. As I was getting ready to put him in his carseat to head home I realized that I could try him out in Ashton's carseat now that he's 1 and almost 20 lbs. Oh my gosh he loved it! He couldn't quit smiling and he looked so tiny in it after seeing Ashton in it all this time.

Anyway blah, blah, blah...Hey I warned you it might be long...and it was definitely random!