Elizabeth and Edward asked Paul to read them a book, so Paul read Henry to them: he folded Henry in half, then opened him up flat. “Once upon a time, a baby’s head. Then, the baby’s tum. Finally, the baby’s feet. The end!” (*closes Henry*)
Henry was some kind of MESS last night. He kept waking up during the evening, which was perplexing because he doesn’t normally DO that. He’s got a molar coming in, so I gave him a dose of tylenol and put him back to bed. But he kept waking, like every hour. And his nose was running and he was rubbing his eyes itchily, so I thought, “Allergies?” So I gave him some benadryl. But he kept waking up!
So at our bedtime, I took Henry and a big blanket to the recliner, and I rocked him and rocked him, and soothed him and sang to him, and put him in different positions that seemed cuddly and/or comfy and/or good for stuffy noses. He would settle in and start dozing, so I’d start dozing, and then he’d wake up and cry some more. For two and a half hours. I kept trying to move him to his crib when he was dozy, and he would cry the most pitiful cry you have ever heard, and we would go back to the recliner.
I mean, what the heck, Henry? I nearly called the 24-hour nurse line, because this was so out of character for him I wondered if something might be Seriously Wrong. But at around 1:30 I thought, “He seems MORE dozy than the previous dozes,” and that time when I put him down in his crib he stayed down.
And then Edward was up at 6:00, so let’s just say I am a few diapers short of a jumbo pack this morning. In lieu of content, I will leave you with THIS, which Paul has started USING in our CONVERSATIONS (our computer desks are next to each other).
Oh NO. Does Henry seem to be feeling better this morning?
sounds like run-of-the-mill teeth to me. Hope he slept better after he finally went down!
How awesomely ANNOYING! I hope Henry is feeling better now, and it was just a several hour anomaly.
as for Paul, I find myself channeling my mom circa the 1980s: that is funny the first or second time, but by the 80 bajillionth time? You are just being ANNOYING. Now go outside and play!
That SFX is awesome!
Poor Henry. Tryinig to sleep with a cold sucks, but not having the motor skills to blow your nose sucks even more.
Sometimes my allergies make my ears really itchy and the benadryl doesn’t fix it. Hope Henry (and by extension you) get some better sleep tonight.
The rimshot made me guffaw loudly.
Jess Loolu- This morning it is a fever of 102.3! What ails the child? He fell asleep on me mid-morning and we just rearranged childcare duties so I could stay put.
Fairydogmother- I KNOW, RIGHT?? The first time he did it, I was like “snort.” And then, like 2 seconds later, I said, “You are NOT bringing that into our lives.”
If he didn’t sleep on Benadryl, he must have been uncomfortable. Poor Henry, and poor you. It’s like feeling constantly drunk and unable to sober up, that nasty sleep deprivation.
That book story is one of your funniest Paul stories.
Hope Henry feels better soon and you get some sleep.
Aw! I hope Henry gets to feeling better soon. Poor little guy.
I’m torn about the rim shot. On the one hand I LOVE it and can think of a few people at work I would like to zing with it. On the other hand, I can see the Walrus abusing it and me taking a sledgehammer to the computer. WHAT TO DO?
Ok, this is a touchy subject, but what I would do is let him cry. I’d look at the clock, and let him cry for 20 minutes. Then I’d go in there and try to rock/ feed/ soothe him again. Then I’d let him cry for 30 minutes.
We recently went through something similar with Emmett. He was sick, and then had a hard time getting back on his regular sleep pattern. I used that system and it got better after a few nights.
SORRY! Hope tonight is better for you!
Oops! I just saw your comment about Henry having a fever. With fevers, all bets are off. I can’t bear to let a sick child cry. Hope he feels better very soon!
Oh no, poor Henry. I hope he’s feeling better soon. I love the reading Henry as a book thing. So funnny.
And the rimshot site…awesome! I bookmarked it and am now waiting for the perfect time to use it on my husband. We’re computer geeks too, so he’ll love it.
Poor Henry. Ear infection maybe? Plus tooth? Feverish children are the hardest to help. And they’re so sad to look at.
Oh wow. A rimshot. I laughed. But then I would want to take a drum stick and beat him with it. :)
LOVE the rimshot. Hope Henry’s feeling better soon.
Man, I hate a variation of routine. I am so comforted by the same-same that when it’s different, it sends me.
Except that one time when she didn’t wake up to nurse at ALL one night. I didn’t get too upset about THAT change to my routine.
Hope Henry’s on the mend and thanks a lot for the rimshot. I won’t be sharing THAT with my husband.
Delurking because my son was in a similar state last month – waking screaming almost hourly and not going back to sleep, rubbing his face, really congested, and he had a fever of 102.1-102.7 for three days and fever reducers were NOT helping. Poor guy could only sleep if I was holding him upright and rockig him. Turned out to be a sinus infection, which caused an ear infection. Hope this is not Henry’s ailment, but wanted to post since their symptoms were so similar.
Oh, Jenni! That sounds a LOT like Henry’s problem!
Normally I read your mentions of Paul reading in the shower, etc., and I’m like, “Geez, what a poop-head Paul is.” Then he comes up with stuff like reading Henry and I’m all, “Gosh, how cute is Paul!”
I have no helpful advice, but I sure hope Henry is feeling better soon. It hate when the kids are sick — you know they don’t understand why they feel so awful. And the lack of sleep is such a challenge – ha! – that’s putting it mildly.
Hang in there.
I loved the Reading of Henry and I’m sorry he’s sick. Better soon!
My son has been going through the same thing for about 3 days. He is so miserable and it is so unlike him. The worst part is the teeth don’t look that sore so it could be a while. Hope Henry feels better soon.
Henry sounds exactly like my fiance when he’s sick . . . hope he feels better!!!
I hope Henry is feeling better, but I had to comment to say that my Andrew wants to be Paul’s friend. Especially after I went back and read him your “Life with Paul” entry. Show Paul this: http://www.docmaureen.com/ and let me know when we should schedule their playdate.