Chili Cook-offs and Fevers

So this last week has kind of been a bust. As always, I have these grand ideas of actually getting things accomplished and marked off my proverbial to-do list (which only ever seems to grow, even when I am productive. What's that about?!). But it just didn't work out that way. Life came at us, and we just held on for the ride. 

 I was volunteered to enter a chili cook-off and bake sale charity thing for Arthur's work. No pressure, right. Well, uh, yeah. There was some pressure, for sure! I got in over my head. There was a ton of large quantity cooking to do, and it just turned out, we also had a sickly girl on our hands. Addalee ran a low-ish fever off and on Monday and Tuesday. I had to gather some supplies for my culinary adventures, Tuesday we needed to go vote, and Wednesday was cook-off day. That's a lot crammed into 2 days. Especially with a 14 month old that just isn't feeling quite herself. Thankfully, she was mostly just a bit extra tired, but showed no other real symptoms. By Wednesday, when I had envisioned slowing down a bit, her fever hit 104.5. Yikes. I'm kinda a panicky mama...you could say I've earned the right to be...and that temperature was a bit uncomfortable for all of us. So, we went to the Pediatrician. They looked her over, found nothing bothersome, sent off some bloodwork, and told me to just manage her fever. K.Thanks. I was actually hoping for an ear infection or something we could treat instead of just waiting around on who knows what. By Thursday, she was feeling real bad. So, I took her back for them to run more tests (wonder why they didn't just do that while we were there?!?!). This time there was a flu test, negative (praise the Lord), a catheter to check for UTI (ouch, pitiful and painful to watch), and a virus screen for about 15 common viruses. And then it was back home to await results and manage that hateful fever that came back with a vengeance when the meds wore off. Poor girl was just pitiful. She wanted to laugh and play, but would wear out so fast she'd just end up laying down on the floor. By Friday, she was still spiking her fever in the early morning hours, so we knew it wasn't quite over. I got a call later in the day with all of her test results...all clear. Well, that's great, but why is she sick then?! Final answer: Probably just some type of virus. Okay. I have to accept that. But I really like things to be wrapped up nice ans neat. This wasn't. And I was frustrated, and scared. The next tests to be run were for real illnesses, inflammatory illnesses, make you sick to your stomach type stuff...not a road I was comfortable walking down. After a lot of worry and prayer, she finally broke her fever on Friday night! She's still not 100%, but she's headed in the right direction and we're thrilled. 

 I remember when we lost Caroline, even fantasizing about taking care of her through her childhood sicknesses. I so desperately wanted to mother her. Of course, I never wanted her to be sick, but kids do get sick. And she was a kid. And I wanted all that went with her growing up. I never want Addalee to be sick either, but somehow I can even cherish that I'm being able to care for her, when her cheeks are all rosy and her little head is sweaty, when she throws up all over both of us, when she cries because her teeth really do hurt that bad, when she falls down and scrapes her hands and knees...I get to be her mom through all of that and so much more, and I feel so very blessed. Tired yes, but oh so blessed.