Apropos of nothing, really, I’ve started styling Breanna’s hair in a little bun high up on top of her head. Surprisingly, she really loves it. There are only three ways she likes her hair – loose (which unfortunately causes knots), in two braids, or this bun. This is my favorite of all, I think it makes her look even cuter than usual; George said it makes her look like Raven Simone did when she was a little kid on The Cosby Show, and he’s absolutely right.

Apropos of everything these days, now it’s Breanna’s turn to be sick. Hayley still isn’t 100% but she’s well enough that she finally went back to school on Wednesday, a full week of sickness behind her. Luckily she didn’t seem to be too far behind and we’ll catch up on the homework over March break. She nearly didn’t survive today, which was Carnival Day at the school. They played outside a lot (the weather today was perfect, not cold at all and the snow was perfect for building snowmen) by playing games, going on a horse-drawn bus ride, and enjoyed a big bouncy house in the gym. After lunch they let them all wind down by watching a movie, and by the time she came home she was a big pile of exhausted. I’m surprised she didn’t spontaneously combust from the tired-related, end-of-plague crankiness. It took her less than three minutes to fall asleep.

Overall though, Hayley is okay other than the sporadic coughing and the sniffing. Have I mentioned my hatred of sniffing? It makes me insane. But it’s getting better.

Breanna, on the other hand, is a whole big mess. The faucet in her nose sprang a leak and she still can’t really blow her nose very well so it’s driving her crazy. She hasn’t really been feverish, but she has the worst cough ever. She sounds like a little old man who’s been smoking two packs a day for the past 60 years. She can’t sleep long without waking herself up with a coughing fit. We’re taking her to the doctor tomorrow because she had bronchitis this time last year and I want to see if that’s what this is again. On the other hand, the sound of her cough fits better with the description of “the barking seals of Croup” so it could be that too.

If ever I wanted another baby, this tag-team sickness is curing any such desire – mostly because I am remembering what sleep deprivation is. The past few nights I’ve only had a handful of hours of sleep and most of them are broken into 20-30 minute stretches. I don’t think I can willingly go back to that.

Of course, it’s not just me. After all, the reason I’m not sleeping much is because Breanna isn’t either, so the poor kid is overtired and cranky almost 24/7 right now. There are large parts of the day where asking her a question results in high-pitched shrieking, as though we were torturing her instead of just asking if she’d like some more water.

I am doing everything I can think of, beyond the basic “wash your hands eight hundred times a day” concept, something I do anyway, in order to prevent getting sick myself. Next Friday morning we have to get on a train and head to Toronto for my sister-in-law’s wedding. I can’t imagine a five hour train ride when you feel like Death.

Please go douse your hands in bleach after you’re done reading this, I’d hate to pass all of our germs on to you!