Well it was more of a three-day school week for RF....
Monday morning arrived and we were ready to go.
He was smiling and jibber jabbering all the way across the bay. Once we got to school, I took him to his room and got him settled. I told him I loved him and that I would be back in a little while to get him. Then I turned around and walked out.
Not. A. Peep. He didn't even look back, he went right to playing and smiling at his teachers.
When I called to check on him they reassured me he was doing just fine.
I didn't want him at school for an entire day his first few days, so I picked him up from school about lunchtime on Monday. He spent the afternoon with Lola and Aunt Haydn crawling all over their house while I went back to work.
After I picked him up and we got home that afternoon I noticed that he didn't look so well. And sure enough, he got sick (all over me too by-the-way) that evening. I checked his temperature and it was higher than normal, but not in the fever range yet. Maybe a good night's sleep will do him some good - he slept well, but certainly didn't feel well. By morning he definitely had a fever.
No school for RF on Tuesday. I had a conference to attend so he spent the day with Lola and Aunt Haydn and then RA in the afternoon. When RA called to tell me that his fever was up to 102.8 I left work and headed home. Poor thing...he was miserable. RA gave RF a tempid bath and that seemed to help quite a bit. A call in to the pediatrician's nurse reassured us that his body was working properly to fight off whatever was going on inside. Unless the fever continued to climb, keep him hydrated and let him sleep.
Snuggling on Lola while feeling yucky...
Snoozing in Aunt Haydn's bed...
By morning the fever had broken and was on its way back down to a normal range. I kept him home from school again on Wednesday to make sure that he was over it. Wednesday afternoon he was back to his normal happy, bouncing self.
I tell ya - I have felt a whole range of emotions since becoming a parent, but this was the first time I felt helpless. I wanted to do whatever I could to take away his yuckiness, but I knew I couldn't. I just laid next to him, snuggled with him, sang to him, and reassured him that he was ok. But at the end of the day I am very thankful to know that his immune system is strong and that his body knows exactly what to do when something starts attacking it.
Thursday (his 2nd day of school) was a bit rougher. His teacher noted that every time another parent or another teacher would come in to the room RF would look at the door and then start to fuss - like he was expecting me to be there. But when I did pick him up he smiled from ear to ear and I again reassured him that mama always comes back to get him.
Friday was a bit rougher than Thursday. We went through our usual routine of him getting down and playing while I put away his things, me telling him that I love him and kissing him on the forehead before walking to the door and telling him that I will be back soon. He watched me leave and started crying as I shut his classroom door.
Heart.Breaking. It took everything in me to continue walking and not to walk back in his room to comfort him.
After I picked him up Friday we went and had lunch with Aunt Hartley before coming home and being lazy the rest of the afternoon and evening.
A happy boy at lunch with Aunt Hartley
Being a silly boy at lunch with Aunt Hartley
Even though it wasn't a full week for him, it was still exhausting (for both of us). And being sick I know didn't help the situation for him. I have also read (and been told) that little ones tend to do fine the first day and then the next few days are a bit rougher as they adjust to this being the new normal and not just a fun day playing with new friends, in a new environment and with new toys.
This weekend is all about relaxing and gearing up for the upcoming week. RA and I are spending time cleaning and making sure our schedule for the week is clear as this week is our practice week for what begins next Monday, the 19th --- all the kids are back to school and mama is back to working all day, everyday.
Goodbye, summer (take your nasty, muggy, hot weather with you). Hello Back to School, fall, and the planning of RF's first birthday.
How I found RF and RA this afternoon... L. O. V. E.
