catalog of ailments

This winter has been especially brutal in the Blake household. I have tried maintaining a positive attitude about all the illness that we have suffered, thinking it's just because the kids are all little or because we are exposed to new strains of viruses now that we live in a new area...
But this weekend just about broke me. Seriously. I'm done. My right eye is infected and was swollen shut for a day and a half. When I could finally open my eye, I quickly realized that the gelatinous red pus that was supposed to pass for my eyeball was best left unseen, and proceeded to close it much of the day (especially when children were present). This latest ailment got me thinking about how ill we have been since the new year and the results are staggering.

Since January 1, 2009 I have had bronchitis and pneumonia. Alex had a ear infection, bronchitis and a virus that caused him to run a fever for a couple days. Devin and Isabel also shared that virus, each getting ill a few days after the other rallied. Devin also had an ear infection and a stomach virus. Isabel had two ear infections and ear tube surgery, and now I have an eye infection. I am amazed not only at the volume of illness that we have faced, but also at the one name that is not part of this list. With the rest of us fighting various plagues (and looking rather nasty at times, I might add) Andy comes through unscathed. I don't know how he does it, but I am damn jealous.