During Five's first year of daycare (starting at the ripe age of 10 months), he contracted roseola on his second visit, a stomach flu two weeks later (and this bug lasted two weeks), and what seemed like a perpetual cold for the entire year. And he only attended daycare two days a week. Those first few months were the toughest, on the health side and also on the transition to daycare. Somehow we (the hubs and me) managed to avoid getting Five's health woes.
Q. has spent a month in a half in his new preschool. His first cold arrived a week later and hit me shortly after. It took me three weeks to shake it. Now, less than three weeks after getting rid of that cold, we're back to square one. Q.'s Saturday afternoon started with the slightly runny nose followed by one explosive sneeze that opened the floodgates to oodles of snot. Next up, the hacking, dry cough. And finally, the unavoidable call: "Mommy, I want Mooooommy."
I could have predicted it. I woke up this Sunday morning with a scratchy throat and an achy-breaky-neck. I've been sneezing all day, my eyes are ready to fall out and my head is about as foggy as the Sunset on a summer day (Mrs. Geek, you know it's bad.) The worst part is that a sick mama doesn't really even get to enjoy being sick. There is no lying in bed all day resting up. You go on about your business. Or at least try to.
Here's the thing. Since I had my second baby, I don't just catch a cold. Colds always equal sinus infections and I'm lucky if I don't get bronchitis. (Yes, I take vitamins, okay?)
I always wonder why simple bugs hit me so much harder. Sure, I'm older. And yes, pregnancies can seriously alter your immune system. But I'm convinced that it's one simple thing: sleep. Or shall I say, lack thereof. This mama ain't gettin' enough rest.
I'm working on solving that problem. Ear plugs so I don't hear a whiny Luna in the middle of the night. Getting to bed earlier instead of staying up late working. Partaking in a little siesta when I have the opportunity. Scaling back on the general parental activity called "running back and forth" on non-work days. And beefing up the ability to "just say no."
But I'm also curious about all you other mamas out there. Do you find yourselves getting sick more often since you had kids and when you do get sick, is your recovery seem to take ten times longer?
