I'm A Survivor - Day 180
We did it, Grayson!
We survived your first cold, and it was a truly awful experience. I think we are all better for it, improved versions of ourselves even. However, the last 10 days or so have casted a dark cloud on the “glories of Parenthood” we've been experiencing.
Looking back, the contagion ground zero must have been your Lala's house. The day started pleasant enough. We were gathered for the birthday tailgate. Your mom and I had managed to sell our tickets to the game for a pretty penny the night before. All of your cousins were in attendance, enjoying each others company. But at the speed of a sneeze (and more likely as a result of one), everything changed. Little known fact: sneezes clock in at about 100mph, context to make things less complex 😉😎.
We're outside watching the Falcons blow yet another home game in the waning minutes of regulation. It's been a rough season to say the least. At the onset of the illness, the Falcons were 4-5 with hope will alive. As I write this, we're 4-7 with no hope in sight. I've already told you that I wouldn't be mad if you choose NOT to root, root, root for the home team. Being an Atlanta fan is a long and tough road you can accept if you find it in your heart, but I won't force it you on. There's enough sadness in this letter without discussion of the Falcons, so I'll move on.
After the game, you and I move inside. The temperature had started to drop as the game was coming to a close. The older kids remain outside for awhile without proper jackets. They eventually come inside, and the day goes from bad to worst. First one sneeze, then another, then a third. And apparently, covering your mouth when you sneeze is not something millennial parents teach. Germs are everywhere. I do my best to defend you from the onslaught, even sacrificing myself to a sneeze to the neck at one point. Be that as it may, my protection was for not.
The GERM SQUAD
Before your mother and I leave for the Drake concert, you're in great shape. No sneezing, no boogers, no heavy mouth breathing. But the next morning, you're this pitiful ball of snot who makes us want to cry with every faint cough. By day 2, all nasal-based airflow is constricted. You're wheezing like crazy, your cries are all half-hearted, and the nurse line is telling us we just have to wait it out. By day 3, your once gargantuan appetite is to the point of where we're having to force you to eat. We are also using this new age apparatus to suck snot from your nose…THROUGH A STRAW!!!
Day 4 is actually Thanksgiving, and after a dose of baby Tylenol your health and mood start to improve. But your cousins are back in the fold. No sneezes that I remember from any of them this time, but I make sure to put them on a strict hand washing regimen nonetheless. Daddy and your Uncle Nigel leave to go Black Friday shopping. Again, you're in good shape when I leave you, but upon my return the mouth breathing is in full effect again. The next 3-4 days I sleep maybe 3 hours a night, and that's not uninterrupted sleep either. It's legit like a return to your newborn sleep schedule, though maybe a bit worst because your cry is so sad and heartbreaking instead of need based.
You had a nasal drip that causes you to choke while laying flat on your back, which was absolutely terrifying to wake up to. You ran a fever that caused you to sweat throughout the night. And because of these ailments, you had to sleep in our bed. You take up quite a bit of real estate for a baby. I wish I could have bore this illness for you buddy, but that was not an option. Thankfully, we didn't have to go through being sick together. I didn't want that smoke. Mommy wasn't so lucky.
All that being said, you are better now. Your appetite and energy have returned, and mommy and I couldn't be happier. Thank the Lord and welcome back, brotha. They say the experience only gets worse once you start daycare, so you will be homeschooled for the foreseeable future. You also no longer have cousins, at least not until you can drive to see those germs yourself. I cannot and will not go through another cold. He war on germs has begun. Stay on the right side of the fight.
Stay healthy my friend,
Daddy
