Fulfilling My Purpose

We’ve been talking about it and planning it for days, and today was the day! C, C, and I had a party to celebrate the end of chicken pox and Caleb going back to school! Balloons, confetti, banners (can 8×11 colored sheets count as banners?), and yummo treats (all-natural, of course!).

Good-bye Calamine lotion! So long oatmeal baths! Hello natural immunity–woohoo!!

I’m so proud of my kids for how they handled the chicken pox. They were brave little soldiers, and they didn’t scratch! Chelsea proved beyond any doubt she is as tough as nails. That girl was up for at least two hours every night not able to sleep because of the itchiness, and she never took a nap all week!

Caleb’s case was much milder, but he did have one particularly difficult night. It gave me a good opportunity to talk to him about how God not only wants us to pray for healing but also for strength to handle our illnesses. We talked about how David didn’t whine and cry when he had to face Goliath. He just prayed and asked God for courage and strength.

Pics from today’s party:

Jumping for joy!

We made ice cream cookie pizzas (got the idea from Team Umizoomi).

And ice cream cookie sandwiches.
 

And for Mom, a hot fudge brownie sundae.

Another reason to celebrate: Last night, both kids slept through the night for the first time in a week. Yeah!

I’m so thankful everything went smoothly, especially with Chelsea getting strep. I was a little concerned about her little body being bombarded by two illnesses at the same time.

It’s not easy to go against the flow, to go against social norms. So, I guess I’m just really excited that we succeeded! God truly granted the desires of my heart and answered my prayers. I wanted C and C to get the pox when they were young. It is very rare to find someone who has chicken pox, so it was a huge blessing that God allowed friends of ours to “share” it with us. I’ve heard of people driving hours to meet up with someone who has the pox, and sometimes the kids don’t even catch it. What a blessing that we didn’t have to go searching for it. 

Most people probably think I am C-R-A-Z-Y for what I did, but that’s okay. I still love them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. (I think I might have to do a post to explain my vaccination views sometime.) But the bottom line is, I don’t look down on anyone who vaccinates, and I hope people can respect my decision not to vaccinate. It is a very personal decision, one that should not be made without much research, thought, and prayer.

The kids are doing great. It’s almost over! Caleb has just two or three blisters that need to “dry up” before he goes back to school, probably on Wednesday. Chelsea has six or seven stubborn blisters that are taking their sweet time going away. Her blisters were quite a bit larger than his, so I think that’s why hers are taking longer to dry up. She’ll probably be reunited with her friends at school on Thursday.

Poor Chelsea came down with strep throat on Friday, so she got a double whammy. But she has been a real trooper, handling everything very well. They both have been good little patients.

I took this picture of Caleb yesterday:

I know. Chicken pox is not pretty. It looks very painful to me, but Caleb said once they scab over, they don’t hurt unless something hits or rubs them. I was five years old when I had the chicken pox, and I don’t even remember this part. I just remember the beginning when the blisters were so itchy.

p.s. I wanted to add this note to reassure everyone that the kids have been fine. I know the picture looks bad, but it looks worse than it is. Aside from the spots and the itchiness, you wouldn’t even know the kids were sick. We have been doing everything we usually do–games, crafts, playing outside, etc. Caleb has been riding his bike, and we had about five Easter egg hunts in the back yard yesterday! I don’t want you guys to think they have been stuck in bed for the past week.

Caleb and Chelsea had only two days that they slowed down a bit and watched movies. Even on those days, they still played some. When we went to see our chiropractor yesterday, the kids were proudly showing off their spots like they were badges of honor. So no worries people! It’s the chicken pox–not the bubonic plague!

Caleb said, “You’re not going to put these on Facebook, are you?” But he didn’t say anything about my blog.

Caleb has a mild case. He has several tiny blisters on his trunk. Poor Chelsea is covered with large blisters from head to toe. Caleb has been a little tired, but he hasn’t had any other symptoms. Chelsea has been very itchy, and she has had some trouble sleeping at night. Other than that, she is feeling fine.

I think Caleb has a mild case because he was exposed to the virus when he was twelve months old. I had the shingles, and he was nursing. He had a fever the entire week I was sick, so I think he has already built up some immunity to the pox.