The Chicken Pox

Sure enough, Myles has the chicken pox. We have now learned: (this after talking to an infectious disease doctor in our congregation) the chicken pox will not show up for the first 10 days or so. Kids are okay to be around others until day NINE. Then, from day nine until day 20 or 21, they are supposed to be locked in solitary confinement...because our jobs are so family friendly that they understand when you have to take two weeks off because your kid MIGHT have the chicken pox. Kids are due for the chicken pox vaccine between 12 and 15 months. However, chicken pox is one of those things that is not so dangerous if you have it as a kid, it's just really inconvenient. In fact, the vaccine does not gauarantee a life time without chickent pox so some people think you risk getting it as an adult if you have the vaccine, and then it can be very dangerous. Other kids who had the vaccine and have been exposed to chicken pox have been known to come down with shingles, though I don't think that's common. SO, what's a working mama to do? On Thursday night, we realized he had it. In the last two days its grown worse, I'd say he has at least 100 spots right now, and some of them are pretty mean lookin (i.e. huge blisters). On the bright side, Myles is too little to understand that he has the chicken pox and should be itching himself, so he has not been doing any itching that we've seen. This afternoon he did get a bit tired, cranky, and seemed to be achy. We've been taking baking soda baths and applying lots of calamine lotion, also using a poison ivy soap in the hope that it has an anti-itch element to it (Burts Bees). So that's what's new with us.

These photos are of two of my sweet nephews. Cullen and I are hunting for easter eggs behind my folks' house, Cullen is the middle child of my brother Corey and his wife Irene. And the other photo is Finn, my sister Brenna's 4 month old baby (husband/dad Brian) who has a tiny little frame with some rolls of chubb on top.

Today we had a memorial service at church for another member who passed away. Mary Etta was 87 years old and one of the wisest women I've had the privilege of knowing. It was a beautiful service.

It's been rainy here, and Seth's hard at work digging out our front walk way, which we have some gravel for and will later top with concrete. The good news is, it promises to stay 65 degrees or above for the next 10 days. I think spring is here to stay.