A week after first seeing nasopharyngitis symptoms in EJ and subsequently having some himself, the New Family Dad has succumbed to the misandry virus affecting half of the NF household. Despite two cups of coffee, and a strong motivation to contrary, Dad could not rally himself to perform the day's duties as prescribed. He was simply sapped for energy. Instead, Mom had to pull double duty, thus exceeding her professional and personal commitments all while listening to the whining (and nasal wheezing, coughing, and sneezing) of her big and little boys.
Update Friday 3/29: Mom has now been hit with symptoms and Buggy's nose is runny. So whatever it is, it has broken through the glass ceiling. Looking at the trajectory, the girls will get worse before they get better.
Dad lost all of his energy today and would have spent the day on the couch if he could, but the Twins have to be fed, changed, and tended to. Fortunately for him they slept a lot.
Dad fully lived the notion that as a parent, he never really gets a day off.
Update Saturday 3/30: Buddy is almost symptom free and back to normal. He is only a little Krusty Clown.
Dad has some energy back, and his faucet nose has shut off (thanks to Mom for letting him snore 'til 8:00 this morning), but he is still swollen and irritable and that makes everything harder to do.
Buggy's nose is still pouring and she cannot inhale while on the bottle (or when swallowing solids) so she does not want to eat. So she is miserable and hungry. Her face too is swollen. Dad promised a few readers Easter pictures, and he tried his best, but they are not the best. She was miserable, uncooperative, and not very pretty.
Mom is about two days behind Dad in her symptoms. That means that tomorrow, Easter Sunday, will be the worst day for her. She does not want to hear that. Monday should see improvement, though she might not have the stamina to go to work.
Update Monday 4/1: Mom thought she had the strength to go to work for a full day's work. She did not and came home early.
Update 4/2: Dad's symptoms still linger. EJ is the most symptom free. Mom is off work for another sick day (despite a mounting workload). Liesel's sinuses are still stuffed up. Coffee substitutes for energy to get the day's chores accomplished.
Dad shares a thought with Mom during one particularly challenging episode wrangling the Twins while low on energy and patience, "Do you know what the difference is between imagining what life would be like with the Twins before they came and what life is like with them now that they are here?"
"No," Mom replies.
Dad, "Now, when I am done imagining them, they are still here."
Mom, at first gives a puzzled look, then understands, "Ah yes, never a day off."
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