A DOOZY

This past week has been a doozy. Three-quarters of our little family was hit pretty hard with illness and we're just beginning to finally recover. Ava had a slight ear infection (not enough for antibiotic), sore throat and a runny nose. Poor little Jax suffered his second ear infection in less than a month. Actually, the doctor didn't think he had completely recovered from his last ear infection and had likely developed a resistance to Amoxicillin, so she prescribed Omnicef and it seems to be doing the trick. I have been worst of all. Before I go on, I should say that I am feeling TONS better today and actually went outside for a bike ride with the fam. Outside of a cough and a headache from lack of sleep caused by said cough, I feel pretty good. That said, I somehow got the H1N1 virus... otherwise known as swine flu. I only feel okay sharing that now that I'm pretty much over it and no longer contagious. We were hesitant to tell many people because of the misconceptions about swine flu and didn't want to wake up one morning with quarantine tape across our front door. I feel like I now know how Curtis (#3 of the 5 Kleinman boys) felt when his brothers would taunt him with "Contagious, contagious." I feel your pain, Curty. Anyway, really, it's just the flu. All the same symptoms -- fever, green snot, hacking-up-a-lung cough, painfully sore throat. H1N1 is just a different strain of the flu virus.

So, I'm going to take it easy a few more days, but I think I'll be back to myself soon enough. The only blessing that has come from this wretched sickness is the opportunity to sit back and reevaluate my business. I think I got sick because I was only getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night for about a month, weakening my immune system. I was just up late every night working, coming up with new designs, answering e-mails, etc. I don't work when the kids are awake, so naptime and nighttime are really my only windows to work. However, that being said, I don't need to be up until 2 am working. I'm not going to lose customers if they have to wait an extra day or two to get their orders. I don't have to come up with new designs every day. I do fine with the ones I have. This business was just supposed to be a little side thing to help earn a little extra money, but I've let it turn into a full time job. That's not necessary, and it's certainly not healthy. It's unfortunate it took the swine flu to make me realize that, but I think it had to be that extreme or I would have kept it up. So, I've vowed to stop working by 10:30 every night. I'm excited to go to bed earlier and see my face without bags under my eyes... it's been so long, I've almost forgotten what I look like well-rested.

I wanted to post some pictures of the kids... because, let's face it, that's why you're really here anyway. Ava pushing Jax and me on her trike

She is always so interested in watching Andy shave and asked one day if she could too. She has some Tinkerbell foam soap that we let her spread on her face and "shave" with her finger.

Just like his Daddy, happiest in the buff.

Huh?!