Nothing like going through one of lifes 'Tests' right before Christmas

Yesterday was the start of a new month, and that is exactly what I need. A new month to help me forget the struggles we have had here in our home the past 2 weeks. I finally threw my arms up and yelled "I surrender" about a week ago (which is why there have not been many posts lately). I got down to business and focused solely on my family. Everything else was placed on the back burner (including much of the food for Thanksgiving). We were tested these past two weeks. I am hoping we passed, because one should not be this tired having not passed. I am starting to feel like a human being again, an exhausted human being, but human none the less. I want to thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. For those that don't know the full story, let me explain...

Nov. 20 my entire family came down with food poisoning. I can only assume I did it to us. Hubby and I have been married 16 years and that was the first time I nearly killed us. O.K. it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't pretty either! The next day (Thursday) I needed to keep LeiLei up until midnight for her sleep deprived EEG which was taking place the next day (Friday). A bit of a hard task on any given day, but the day after food poisoning nearly did me in. Friday Nov. 22 LeiLei had her EEG, which came back normal.

We were looking forward to a weekend of rest because we were all running on empty at that point. That is not what we got. Saturday JayJay woke up with a sore throat, she did not have much of an appetite, and was very moody. I put all of the kids down for their nap around 1:00 and when they came out of their room at 3:00, one look at JayJay made me realize that I had a very sick kiddo. When she attempted to speak, her lips would not move (like a lady with too much Botox). In retrospect I now realize that her entire face was so swollen, that her lips could not move. Then I put two and two together... Sore throat, hard time talking, not wanting to eat, I immediately took a look at her tonsils and they were so swollen that they were actually pushing on each other. Off to the Urgent Care she and daddy went. The folks at the urgent care decided that this was more of an ER visit, so off to the ER they went. That evening she was diagnosed with Strep Throat. Bad but I knew we caught it early so I wasn't worried. She was suppose to feel better in 2-3 days. Unfortunately, she didn't. We followed up with her Pediatrician on day 3 which was Nov.26 . Her Pediatrician thought we needed to do blood work. For those of you who have never done blood work on a three year old, consider yourself lucky. That evening when the blood work came back our Doctor called us. You know its not good when your Doctor calls you from home to go over the lab work. She tested positive for Mono, which means this entire house probably has Mono.  She will be contagious (and probably not feeling well) for the next six months. It was at some point around this time that I threw my arms up and yelled, "I surrender".

There may have been a few moments over the course of those 7 days, that made me want to run away or at least have a good cry. Since we do not have a large support system there was not much I could do but keep moving forward. By Wed. I made the executive decision that one can not stay cooped up in their home for six months. So I went to town and ran errands with two healthy kids and one who was full of raging emotions (due to the massive steroids she was taking). The way I see it, we looked no different than any other family rushing around the day before Thanksgiving.

Our Thanksgiving plans went unchanged. That is the beautiful thing about family, they don't care if your child is sick with Mono, they will still be there. We indulged on prime rib and king crab, not the traditional meal but we aren't exactly traditional people.

By Friday we were all feeling much better so we went to a local Christmas Tree farm and cut down a tree that is a cross between the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and the Griswald Christmas Tree.

With enough ornaments it disguises the massive crooked trunk, as for the height well let's just say it did not fit the usual Christmas Tree spot.

I must say I think it's the prettiest tree we have ever had. The rest of the weekend we decorated and rested. Just what this family needed! We did kick off our 24 Days of Christmas by watching Polar Express. Thank goodness day one was family movie night, not sure we could have handled baking cookies or Christmas Caroling.

I am hoping we are going to be given a bit of a break after this last test. Sometimes its good to be reminded that you are strong and you will get through it. I am so very thankful for my husband who is a "family" man. He would do anything for any one of us and though he may like to throw around the line from It's A Wonderful Life, "Why do we have to have all these kids anyway?" I know he wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support these past few weeks.