You look good...

For having four kids.

How do I gently explain that, even with the best intentions that isn't exactly the best way to word that?  This phrase is generally uttered by someone I haven't seen in a long time, or worse yet, someone who has significantly fewer (read: NONE) children than I do.

Do I only look good if the "for having four kids" is added to the statement.  If I had only one child, would I look like a train wreck?  If I had not yet had children, would I be a disgrace to mankind?  Would people talk about me behind my back about how I have let myself go?  If I wasn't carting a Suburban full of kids with me, would everyone wonder how many children I had given birth to to put my appearance in such a horrendous shape?

I understand the sentiment, I think.  I have gained and lost 60lbs a year for the last four years. The majority of the gain and loss was primarily in my abdomen, which somehow manages to still remain reasonably flat and allows me to button most of my jeans.  Wearing most of my clothing, bathing suits excluded, I am fairly presentable.  But, no, don't invite me to the beach for Spring Break, I simply cannot compete with scantily clad beauties in bathing suits that resemble dental floss.  I can build a mean sand castle though.

My poor boobs have varied from barely there to Bunny quality (sometimes overnight!), leaving me with an extensive bra collection in a wide variety of sizes, as well as a lot of extra skin and stretch marks there!  They have suffered the wrath of nursing four babies for a year or more a piece, through feeding difficulties, teething, infections, and nursing strikes.  Fortunately, nothing a WonderBra hasn't been able to fix.

My face has lines and dents in places that were buttery smooth before, but most of that is because I just hadn't smiled enough before any of my children were born.  My hair is short, frayed, and what hasn't fallen out is mostly gray.  That doesn't really affect my ability to change a poopy diaper in the dark or kiss a boo-boo, so I guess no harm done there just yet.

My hands are a bit chapped from multiple washings a day and my nails haven't seen polish applied by anyone over the age of 6 in a while.  But, I wear my purple sparkles with almost as much pride as the little girl who painted them for me.

My clothes are frequently wrinkled, and I often find a small sock or Dora underwear in my sleeve while standing in line at the grocery store.  I have passed the time where I smelled of designer perfume or fragrant lotions and now I walk around emitting the aura of baby vomit, and am generally sporting a variety of toddler snot, ketchup, and (thanks to Levi) blood.  My kids are well dressed each morning on their way to school.

When I get up each morning and get out of the shower, catching a glimpse in the mirror could be disappointing or frustrating, but then again, I generally don't have time to look in the mirror while getting four kids ready each day.  Nor do I have hours to spend at the gym, unless it is watching my kids wrestling, dance, play basketball....

I guess for having only four kids, I'm doing okay.  

And by the way, "You look pretty good too, for not having any kids."

I should proof read better

I posted the last entry with out doing a final read through.  I wanted everyone to know that yes, I realize now I used the phrase "pretty much" an excessive amount of times.  Apparently, I do not feel as well as I thought I did, and my brain is not yet functioning at full creative speed.  I guess I will just have to go to bed early tonight to ensure I am up to par before I attempt to write another blog entry.  That, and there isn't anything on TV any way.

I tried to edit what I had written, but it wouldn't let me.  Possibly another indicator that I need additional recuperating, the computer being able to outsmart me and all.

Down for the count

Last Thursday for the first time ever I had to call my daycare parents and ask them to come and pick up their kids.  I had a fever, chills, the shakes, a runny nose, a headache, I was a total mess.  Brandon had to come home from work to take care of our kids and I was pretty much MIA for the remainder of the weekend.  We tried to get some stuff done, but halfway through our Saturday morning WalMart trip, I was certain I was going to die, and we had to go home.

The kids and I took turns sounding like we were going to cough up a lung, and we all pretty much slept for most of the weekend.  Surprisingly, Monday morning I felt like a new person!  A little bit of a cough remained, but I really felt much better.  

Having to clean up the mess that was made while I was hiding in my room knocking in death's door has made me quite grateful for my health in more ways than one.  I was amazed at the sheer amount of dishes and laundry that can accumulate in only a few days.  Brandon did a good job making sure that all the kids were still breathing at the end of the weekend, but his contribution pretty much stopped there.  Daddys just aren't equipped with the ability to multi task!

Now that we are recovered, we are looking forward to spring break (sort of) and have a couple fun things planned.  Hopefully our trip to Sapora next week will leave me with some amusing stories to share.  I suppose anything must be better than reading about my excuses for not writing anything important for a month!

Fever Phobia

On Monday we were at my pediatrician, whom I love.  In her office was  a posting about fevers.  As a firm believer in letting  a fever "do its job" it was refreshing to read what she had posted.  I am uncertain of the origins of this article, but believe it may have been written by the Dr because it wasn't notated anywhere, just posted on her wall.

Fever Phobia

 

Misconceptions about the dangers of fever are very common.  Many parents lose sleep and experience unnecessary stress due to unwarranted concerns about the harmful side effects from fever.

 

Fevers are part of the body’s effort to activate the immune system, so they are one of our innate protective mechanisms.  Most fevers are good for children because fevers help them to fight infection.

 

The body’s temperature fluctuates throughout the day and peaks in the later afternoon and evening.  For instance, an oral or axially (under the arm) temperature can be 97.6° F in the morning and go to a high of 99.5° in the evening.  Similarly, a rectal temperature can be as low as 98.4° F in the morning and become as high as 100.3° F in the late afternoon.

 

If your child has a fever, remember to stay calm and use the following definitions to put your child’s fever into perspective.

 

100-102°F            Low-grade fevers are beneficial.  Try to keep the fever in this range.

102-104°F            Moderate grade fevers are beneficial.

>104°F            High fevers cause discomfort, but are harmless.

>105°F            Higher risk of bacterial (not viral) infections with very high fever.  This is

when you should call your pediatrician.           

 

Many people mistakenly believe that fevers cause brain damage and that temperatures about 104°F are dangerous.  However, fevers with infections don’t cause brain damage.  Only body temperatures over 108° can cause brain damage, and body temperature only climbs to this level with every high environmental temperatures (like in a closed car).

 

Fevers only need to be treated if they cause discomfort, and these are usually fevers over 102 or 103°F.  The exact number of the temperature or fever is not as important as how your child looks.  Is he/she alert, interactive, curious despite the fever?  Is he/she drinking and urinating?  Most children with temperatures below 105°F are alert and interactive despite their fever.  These are the questions that should be asked to determine if you should seek out a doctor’s care (unless your child is less than four months of age). 

 

If you treat a fever, temperatures don’t always normalize.  With treatment, temperatures often drop 2 or 3 degrees Fahrenheit, usually enough to allow your child to feel a little better.  And if the fever doesn’t “break” this isn’t cause for alarm.  There is no greater risk that a fever doesn’t come down is caused by a serious infection.  Fevers that don’t respond to fever medicine (usually ibuprofen or acetaminophen) can be caused by viruses or bacteria. 

 

Fevers will not continue to climb higher and higher if not treated.  Fevers from infection usually stop rising at about 105-106°F or lower, because the brain’s thermostat keeps the body temperatures lower than this.

 

Not every child with a fever is at risk for a febrile seizure.  Only about 4% of all children will ever have a febrile seizure.  If your child has a febrile seizure, though it is scary to watch, they cause no permanent harm and usually last less than 5 minutes.  Children who experience febrile seizures have no increased risk of developmental delay, learning disability, or epilepsy.

Some great info for everyone to consider!