day four of pneumonia

Perhaps you heard my singing this morning at 7:40am? Well, it was premature.

When Mac woke up this morning, he said his throat hurt, but I checked it with a flashlight and declared it fine enough for school and so off he went (with a note to his teacher to call me if he needed to come home). The morning was snapping right along - I'm having a coffee tomorrow at my house for about 35 women and needless to say, prep work has been minimal this week - until about 9:45 when my cell phone rang. I looked at the number, recognized it as a Chapel School number and hoped it was the PTA president calling to wish me a happy Wednesday. No such luck.

It was the lovely Mrs. Winkelmann calling to tell me that Mac was acting awfully pathetic and looked sick and it would probably be best if I came to pick him up. I willed some muffins to cook faster - sorry to the ladies coming tomorrow if they're not brown enough on top, but I think they're cooked on the inside - and drove off to get him.

As soon as he came out the classroom door, he seemed a little more cheerful. Was it just that he missed his moma? Highly unlikely. We walked down the ramp to the car and I saw him skip. Sick people do not skip.

We went back to Marita, the consulate nurse, who checked his throat (red but no sign of infection), listened to his complaints of a stomachache (he had very little breakfast because of the aforementioned sore throat), and checked his lungs (left lung continues to improve but now right lung sounds worse than before). Can we just all say "AAAAGGGGHHHH" in unison. When does this end?

I had a list of things to do today before the coffee tomorrow, so I had to drag Mac along to do them. First stop was the bagel shop where he promptly ate 4 mini muffins practically before I got the car cranked back up. Did someone say stomachache? I've chalked that one up to extreme hunger.

We finally got home and I left Mac to his own devices because there was baking and organizing to be done. He's played quietly all afternoon and is now at his friend Michael's house for awhile. Laura rescued me so I could grocery shop for the last few items.

Do I send him to school tomorrow? Do I keep him home to rest another day? I told him if he's too sick to go to school, he's too sick to come to my coffee and get my friends sick and that he'll have to stay in his bedroom. Do you suppose I have any chance of that happening? And of course, we're supposed to fly out first thing Friday morning. Marita still says we can definitely go but I will be a nervous wreck watching him breathe and listening for changes in his cough. I haven't even researched where the nearest good hospital is. So much to worry about. I really think new gray hairs are popping out on my head as I think through these things. This is precisely why I'm not meant to be a single mother. If Jimmy were here, he would tell me to relax, Mac's fine, his breathing is fine and the vacation will be great. Oh. I'm feeling better already just hearing him tell me that...