Updates

I am putting some pictures in of Natalie and Hannah dressed up as Dora the Exploror. A friend from church gave them the costume. We are also growing out Natalie and Madelyn's bangs. Madelyn's hair is much thicker than Natalie's and is long enough to go behind her ears and doesn't hang in her face like a horse. But Natalie's is very fine and hangs right down in front of her eyes. So she still has to wear something most of the time to keep it out of her eyes. I still have never cut Hannah's hair.

Hannah is in love with horses. She is so cute and runs around the house neighing all the time. She also has started telling me things like "horses don't wear shoes" when it is time to put them on. Some other horse don'ts... "horses don't wear panties" "horses don't eat carrots" We convinced her they did and Madelyn got her to eat 2-3 little ones that way. She wants to watch SPIRIT every day, more than once if I would let her.

I am still pretty puny. I took 2 naps yesterday. Got up and helped Aaron get the girls ready for church, then went back to bed. Made lunch when they got home, stayed on the couch for a few hours and after that exhausting morning, took another nap on the couch. I prepared for our kids class A and I started teaching on Sunday nights. I was just going to do a craft and let them watch a movie. So, I went to church and they were going to have a 15 minute service, so they cancelled class, but ended up lasting almost an hour. oops. Oh well, I started feeling horrible during church and we left early. A took me and H home, and took M and N back with him to the Christmas dinner at church. My throat still hurts, but not as bad, but now it seems I have moved into the exhaustion mode. I have to lie down all the time. Oh, it is so annoying. Today, I have felt much better. We did school, although it had many breaks and drug out all day, and I cleaned the kitchen and made no-bake cookies. But by suppertime, it took all I had to drive to Pizza Hut for dinner. My neck on the sides is starting to hurt today - Swollen lymph nodes?

Natalie has been sneezing and coughing some. Also, has started to lie around a little and cling to me. Her throat looks a little red and I thought I saw a spot on her tonsils. I asked her if her throat hurt. She said "no". I told her she shouldn't have to take medicine for it, but I really wanted to know if it hurt, so she should be honest with me. She said "it only hurts when food goes down it" Good thing is, you usually don't get mono more than once, so we can all have it done with in one year.

15 days until Christmas. Have I bought the first Christmas present? Why no I haven't. And does it look like I am going to feel like shopping anytime soon? No. I don't like to shop when I feel good. Oh well, maybe next week.

Mononucleosis

Well, the verdict is in... I have Mono. Which would explain why I have had no get up and go for the last 3 weeks or so. Also probably explains why every few days a joint hurts that I don't remember injuring. Last week it was my knee. Then my right thumb joint, then my ankle. Then my right thumb joint again. Very strange. I had taken Madelyn to the doctor last week. The pediatrician said that tonsils like that were usually either Mono or strep and her strep test was negative. So was mine. Thanksfully, I went back to the doctor, when my throat got worse and armed with the info the pediatrician gave me, asked if I could get a mono test, therefore saving the kids from having to get their blood drawn.
I thought I was just getting lazy. I managed to go to church yesterday with the girls alone, although I really didn't feel like it, but the thought of staying in the house another day was depressing. Aaron got called to work, so he was not home. He did get back in time to go last night though, and after that busy day, I feel pretty horrible today. Lightheaded and slightly sick to my stomach. And of course the ever present sore throat and headache.
I think Aaron probably has a mild form of it. His throat has hurt for a few weeks, and he had a headache for about a month off and on starting before we got sick. He doesn't have tonsils though, so it is hard to tell in his throat.
I have seen how sick people have become with it and maybe the worst is yet to come, I hope not, especially for the kids sake. The fact that Madelyn and Hannah hardly act like their sick, is something to be thankful for. Luckily, we can still go places if we feel like it, as long as no one drinks or eats after us, and we don't cough in peoples' faces or have a fever.
Please pray we have a swift recovery and that Natalie avoids it, which she has done so far.