Updated: Sick Again

As a parent I have often worried that when the children are sick I may somehow miss the signs and fail to take them to the doctor when they really should go.  So far it's been obvious and only one time was anyone sick enough that they required medical attention.

But this week Jeremiah and Rachel have been sick and we haven't known whether or not they needed to see the pediatrician.  :(  Along with Abby, they've had flu-like symptoms and are generally under the weather.  Abby has gotten over it, but these little guys are struggling - coughing, stuffy/runny nose, labored breathing, lethargic, lack of appetite, etc.  Jeremiah can hardly keep his eyes open.  :(

Joshua said today, "Jeremiah is usually the happiest one here.  I really miss his little smiley face."  And we all agreed that life with the Crew is not the same without this jolly little guy running around.  Claude and I have been getting approximately 100 times the cuddles, though, since Jeremiah does not want to be put down except to sleep in his bed.

We have been waiting out this sickness since they were just coming down with it on Tuesday.  So far there is no improvement.  So, this morning, after a fair amount of deliberation, Claude and I made the call to take Jeremiah and Rachel to the pediatrician.

We decided right in time, too, because in the entire network of clinics that we use there were only two pediatric appointments left for today.  We are talking about a clinic spread across the Houston area that has multiple locations each with several physicians on staff.  It seems that we are not the only crew with sick kids!

Amazingly, the appointments were at the location we usually visit.  Praise the Lord!

Hopefully we will have some answers later today so that these little ones can get back to their energetic selves.  And in the mean time I'll enjoy these cuddle bugs.  I know that once they are healthy I'll get two hugs like this a day and then Jereiah will be off exploring the world with his big brother and sisters.  Rachel, at least, still has several more months of nursing (and immobility) but soon enough she will be up and about, too.

They really do grow up fast!

Updated to Add:  The diagnosis is RSV for Rachel.  No treatment necessary at the moment.  Jeremiah, on the other hand, has pneumonia most likely caused by RSV.  Since we were the last people in the clinic this afternoon, the doctor sent us to Texas Children's ER for observation.  So we did a quick car seat swap and Claude took Jeremiah to the hospital.  I have to say, it's hard not going with them.  However, the pediatric clinic was enough of a wait for the other kids.  They're much happier playing at home.