Prayer request

Joseph, Matthew, and Meghan are sick. And, of course, John is away. He's with Tommy at orientation and then on his way to a quick visit at home.

Joseph has a serious cold, but is getting better, although he is still very worn out from fighting it. He has taken an afternoon nap every day this week.

Matthew has pneumonia. He started with Joseph's cold and it only got worse so that by Thursday afternoon he had a fever of 101: lower than Joseph's 103, but enough to convince me to take him home and put him in bed. He slept through dinner and when I went to check on him as I was going to bed, he was having a hard time breathing. He asked for dinner then, so I fed him, we brushed teeth, and I put him back in bed. His breathing was rapid and shallow, so I kept an eye on him After he fell asleep, his breathing didn't slow down at all. When I checked on him before I went to bed, he was taking 60 breaths a minute. Way too many. So I woke him up, told him we were going to see the doctor and drove with him and Meghan to the hospital.

We spent Thursday night and all day Friday in the hospital on base with him. They released him to home care with amoxicillan, steriods, and albuterol Friday night. I spent the night on the floor next to his bed so I could give him albuterol immediately if he should need it at a time not on the every 6 hours schedule. Thankfully, he didn't need it any extra times and we both slept a lot better than we had in the hospital.

Saturday, he was much, much better, playing normally, singing as he does about everything, and cheerfully eating his yogurt and bananas. Because of course, the amoxicillan gave him diarhhea. The doctor saw him for a follow-up on Saturday evening after we went to Mass (we had to go to base anyway for the doctor's appointment, so we hid in the back of the auditorium and slipped out right away when Mass was over). I needed that Communion so much!

The doctor said Matthew is doing very well, but still has the wheeze in his right lung and congestion in the left. So we need a follow-up with the pediatrician early next week. Matthew has been amazing through all of it. I'll have to write more about the hospital experience later because he was such a trooper.

Meghan now has a congested cold and is draining and sneezing but not coughing much. She was with me at the follow-up so the doctor took a listen to her lungs and told me it sounds like she has the same cold as Matthew, but it isn't pneumonia, just a cold. So I put a pillow under the head of her mattress, and as I type, I'm listening to her breathe. I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep much tonight either.

Praise God, Matthew and Joseph are both sleeping peacefully and breathing regularly at the moment.

But if you have time for a few prayers, we could sure use them.