T minus 19 days and counting...

I have to go back to work in 19 days. 19 DAYS, PEOPLE! That's ridiculous. The past week & 1/2 has felt like something on In the Motherhood. Take a look if you're not familiar. I, in fact, am thinking of writing in. Here's the short, short, super-short version.

prior to Day 1: we bring home brand spankin' new infant boy

Day 1 : Emma comes home with fever of 99

Day 2: We discover flea infestation & I buy Advantage for the cats(amazing stuff, this) Yeah for humidity and mild climates of freakin' FL

Day 3: Emma still running fever of 102+ AND spewing snot (keep in mind this is, of course, the weekend). I spend 2 glorious and horrific hours combing dead fleas bodies and eggs off said cats who we now refer to as "The Carriers"

Day 4: We bomb the house with OTC insecticide and spend the day at the park with a breastfeed infant and a feverish 3 year old; Andy begins feeling ill but perserveres in cleaning every surface in the house that might be eaten on or licked after we have bombed for fleas

Day 5: Emma goes back to school. Andy runs fever. I feel illish.

Day 6: Andy still ill with fever, chills and aches. I have fever.

Day 7: Emma sent home from school with fever again. We all have the CRUD. Jackson blissfully unaware and healthy, demanding all things babyish. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT: Jackson eating. Emma has bad dream. Andy stumbles to E's room to deal with screaming. Jackson falls back asleep. I stumble to our bed and crawl in. Leg touches something wet. Andy emerges from E's room right as I say, "Yuck." Discover MASSIVE hairball bestowed upon us by girl-cat who is immediatly cussed and verbally damned to hell. All linens and blankets in giant plastic bag under bed to avoid flea-bombing chemicals. They haven't been removed due to PLAGUE residing in our home. Cannot disturb plastic bag for fear of waking both kids. Make-shift comforter (ours is at cleaner's being de-flea'd) and top sheet thrown on floor. Throw-blanket from living room brought in for show (b/c is it really gonna cover both of us???) AND - wait for it - a towel is thrown over the cat-gack wet spot so we can both go back to sleep.

Day 8: Feeling better after an irrational crying jag in which I assure Andy that MK will disown me due to the state of the house and the fact that they could leave infected with Plague and vermin. No fevers all around. E still can't go to school b/c she has to be fever-free for 24 hours. Sheets and make-shift comforter get washed. Jackson still healthy. Massive load of dishes in sink finally cleaned and put in dishwasher AFTER it is unloaded from 4 days previous. MK and Scott coming tomorrow...we must clean the filth so they don't get the PLAGUE or fleas or hate us or run screaming from the living room. Jackson still fine.

The lowest point was discovering the cat-gack. Of course, all I could do was laugh b/c if I had let myself cry, I think I would still be crying. Sleep deprivation + flu + newborn baby = borderline psychotic break. I took my prescription pain pills on Thursday, not b/c I had abdominal pain but b/c I couldn't swallow to drink water or choke down soup so I could continue to feed the baby. Isn't life grand?

Here are some funny shots we managed to take despite the fleas and the PLAGUE and an overall feeling of doom. Just in case you are wondering, we are all finally healthy and Jackson never got sick. God is laughing.

Andy and Emma traded bodies for this photo. Andy was in charge of all the babies and Emma was reading the Sports section.
This is Jackson with a faux-hawk. He also looks a little peeved at having his photo taken. Tough, buddy.
Zoey decided to play queen-fo-the-mountain with Andy. I'm not sure he noticed since this was during the height of his sickness. She was kneading his back which I thought was sweet. They just recently started sleeping with us again since Jackson's arrival. I think they're finally used to the midnight squalling.

Love to you all.