104.2°

I'm generally not one to worry, usually taking stances like "it'll all work out" or at most "let's keep an eye on it and see what happens." when my kid's fever is at a relatively normal (in my mind at least) 101-102 range, it's easy for me to let things run their course.

but when he's positively radiating heat, and the new thermometer says 104.2 after a day's worth of fever-reducers, the worry wheels start to turn. just one tick away from nasty stuff like "possible bacterial infection" and only a few more till such things as "organ shutdown."

the first worry that sets in is quite practical: crap, what if we have to take him to the emergency room? I really dislike emergency rooms, as it seems you have to wait at least 8 hours while all the heart attacks and gunshot wounds get taken care of first. plus I dont even know where the kids hospital is, or if they even have an ER?

and lingering in the back of my mind are all the unthinkable thoughts. what if he doesnt get better? what if I've heard his laugh for the last time? it's no wonder Jesus commanded us not to worry, because this stuff could eat away my soul in short order.

so we pray and call the nurse and grandma (who is also a nurse) and are thankful for the little signs of health. he was especially into snuggling and books and TV. he was trying so hard to be himself. even when he was burning up and utterly exhausted, he still would wave his fingers at me in the mirror (while his thumb was in his mouth). when the tylenol would kick in, he'd sit up and play in my lap a little, even giggling at the silly games we play.

it's now a couple days after the worst and he's definitely feeling better, just in time for a short visit with grandma and grandpa. we'll see if the pox do in fact show up. while we're in the middle of all this, it can sometimes seem overwhelming, but then we get reminders that we still lead a simple life. right now I have a hard time imagining what 2 will be like, much less all the craziness with five.