Nightmare Night 2: The Return of Alex
So I'd love to return this blog and Mobi back to their originally schedueled blog programming, and actually get some development done while I'm at it, but Alex is keeping me pretty much occupied at the moment. My shift is between "bedtime" which was around 11 tonight until 4:30 a.m. or so. Normally I don't have much problems staying up so late, but the stress of crying and snorgling and vomiting really makes the hours drag.
Tonight is going much better (so far... It's early yet) because of some ingenious use of Vic's VapoRub. Last night I put it on his chest and it worked for a little while, then he woke up screaming. I think somehow he touched it and got it into his mouth and wouldn't stop crying like a maniac until I had sponge-bathed any scent of Vics away. Tonight I'm being smart - I'm putting small dabs in a tissue, twisting it up and tucking it in his shirt so that the dabbed portion (on the inside) is near his face. No danger of accidental touching this time and I can replace the tissue when that Vics effect goes away (basically when the menthol evaporates). I should patent this. I wonder if it's healthy to be breathing menthol all night? Sssshhh. He's sleeping.
He's actually right next to me lying on a blanket on the couch. I'm not going to put him in the bedroom because I want to hear when the snorglng gets bad so I can adjust him or replace the Vics. So far so good... as long as he doesn't roll off when I'm not looking.
Life will seem REALLY great if Ana and Alex both get some sleep. I'm sort of used to being sleep deprived, but today I have to admit I was rather cranky. I think it was the stress of last night - Ana and I talked about it today, having a sick kid makes you feel pretty damn helpless and your life out of control. You think "is it ALWAYS going to be like this?" for the first time. But now that the house is quiet again (for the moment) and Ana and Alex are sleeping, things feel much better...
To be continued...
-Russ