Catching up

• Thomas is a proud Hawkeye after yesterday's Orange Bowl! Thanks, Uncle Jim and Aunt Deanne for helping him sport his black and gold! :)
• Mom's updates are over at Caring Bridge. I also added the link in the sidebar. It's helpful for everyone who wants to find out how she is doing, without having to read about the Skis (I know, I know, who wouldn't want to read about the Skis?!?). In short, she is tenatively scheduled to be in the ICU through Sunday, have another week in the general hospital, and then think about going home. The damage is significant to her lungs, but it's slowing down, which is exactly what we are hoping for.
• The one day that I don't wear a mask at the hospital, I come home with the stomach flu. Woke up yesterday morning around 2 am with 103° temperature. My loving husband's reaction? Edited for family content, "Darn it. That means I am going to get sick too." :) He moved out to the sofa in the living room and has been out there since. He did a run to the store for me yesterday morning, and I didn't get up out of bed more than a few times. Thomas was a superstar, especially since the masks Jonathan picked up for me resemble a nipple, so he wants to nurse from that. :) My whole goal right now is to get better without getting my family sick. It seems so petty to complain about being sick after everything Mom has been through - so I've done a lot of 'offering it up'. Mom was so great though - still trying to take care of me from her hospital bed. "Jonathan? Make sure she sees a doctor. See if Tamiflu will work. Make her stay down."
• Gives me flashbacks to 2002 in Hawaii, when we all had the cruise virus. Mom and I spent Thanksgiving curled up on the couch while the guys went out for dinner. We had toast and watched NYPD Blue. I'm feeling much better today, the temp is coming down, and I'm drinking a lot of Gatorade, juice and water. Dad had it before Thanksgiving, and Mike got it after, when he took a short trip over to Molokai to the leper colony of Fr. Damien's.
• I hope to get a little caught up in the next few days. Lots of emails and voice mails that I haven't opened yet. I'm sorry -- I promise that I'll be in touch shortly!
• And I hope to get caught up in blogging: year ending posts, year starting posts, and lots of as-yet-unblogged shoots from Finian Road, since it's now after the holidays!!