Fountain of Youth

Susanne was struggling this morning. She had completely taken over Paxton's schedule the last two days because Scott was sick and she was feeling it. Scott had been running a fever, aching, coughing, and feeling congested for a little over 48 hours. Susanne took as many precautions as possible to try to avoid getting sick. She was trying even harder to avoid Paxton getting sick. She wanted to limit their exposure as much as possible. Susanne had managed to protect both of them from getting the common cold or flu for almost a year now. She didn't want to tarnish her record especially since Paxton was so close to turning one. Susanne had decided early on that Scott should not partake in any of Paxton's care until he was 100% better. She didn't even want him to hold him or be in the same room with him. Susanne chose to sleep in a separate room for the past couple of nights to minimize her exposure. She knew there was no way to protect herself completely, but she would do her best. She was hoping that her exposure would be just enough to mount an immune response against it. She would then be able to pass on her warrior antibodies to Paxton through her breast milk. This sounded good in theory, now to see if it worked.

Susanne wasn't used to much sleep as it was, but to go back to getting a max of three hours per night was torturous. The only thing keeping her going was the smile on Paxton's face. They spent the morning playing with a variety of his toys. Susanne worked on his head control and posture. She was hoping that all the time and efforts that she put in everyday working with Paxton would eventually pay off. Even though she couldn't see any major improvements, she had to hope that his muscles were getting stronger each time.

Susanne thought that it would be a good idea to let Paxton air dry for a little bit to aid in the healing process of his diaper rash. It was looking much better, but not completely resolved. Everytime she thought she could predict when Paxton would urinate next, she was caught off guard by getting sprayed. She always protected the area he was laying in and around by placing absorbent pads everywhere. It never failed that his aim was anything, but accurate. He managed to pee anywhere, but on the appropriate surface. Throughout the course of the day, he soaked Susanne's pants, the bedspread, the top of his diaper, his leg, and his receiving blanket. Susanne should have learned her lesson, but she made the same mistake after his bath. While putting on his lotion, she was startled by the warm feeling of liquid on her arm. What was she going to do with him?

Susanne thought that it would be nice to sit outside with Paxton. The weather had warmed up a little bit and was quite pleasant if sitting in the sun. Susanne had spent some time perfectly placing Paxton in her Moby Wrap. This was a wide piece of fabric that could be used to carry the weight of a child and secure them close to mom's body so that she could be hands free to do other things. She thought that this would be the perfect set up to soak up rays. No sooner than Susanne sat down, Paxton started gagging and vomiting all over the place. Of course, she did not come prepared. She did not have a burp cloth or receiving blanket. She didn't even have a tissue or paper towel. He covered the Moby Wrap, his outfit, and Susanne's outfit with his latest feeding. Their outside adventure was short and not so sweet. So much for trying to add some variety into his day.

Susanne spent the next hour bathing Paxton, doing laundry, and getting him set up for his next feeding. She was amazed at the mess that had accumulated in such a short time. She had her work cut out for herself. There was never a dull moment in her life.