We drove to _______ this weekend to visit Pete's side of the family. It was a long drive, but I did okay. I shifted in my seat often, kicked off my shoes, and we stopped several times so that I could stretch my legs and pee. (I almost always have to pee. In fact, I have to pee right now, but I'm ignoring it.)
When we got there, my parents-in-law had already arrived, along with Pete's brother and his family. Charon was so excited to see her cousins! Rachel was fine and ready to play, but we saw that Hannah was curled up in a chair, looking exhausted. "She's got a fever, just came down with it when we got to the hotel," my sister-in-law explained. I felt bad for her; she was obviously miserable and fighting something hard. They gave her a dose of Tylenol, which helped to feel better and she perked up and was able to play for a while with her cousin and sister.
Pete has two brothers, and they both live in the __________ area. The plan was for their families to stay over at the hotel just on Saturday night. (We were there Friday and Saturday with my inlaws, since it was a long drive for us.) The hotel boasted a small water park, which must be a new thing in hotel features, as I'd never heard of this before. They had two waterslides and a zero-entry fountain for little ones to play in, plus a regular swimming pool and hot tub. The kids were so excited!
On Saturday morning, my father-in-law called our room.
"They are going to take Hannah to the doctor today. She had a rough night, and still has a fever. Rachel is determined to play in the water park, so they want to be sure it's okay with you guys if Paul brings her in, since she might be contagious with something even though she's fine so far."
"Sure, that's okay." I explained that Pete and Charon were fighting colds, so we had our own germs to spread around.
"That's not all. Andrew [Pete's other brother] also called this morning to say that Alli has a fever and Aubree is still struggling with RSV. They also want to know if it's okay with you all if they come in."
"As long as their kids are feeling good enough, it's okay with us."
We all did okay. I thought for sure I would catch the cold Pete and Charon had, and although I got some mild symptoms, it never hit me as hard as it did them. Hannah ended up having strep, but none of us came down with it or a fever or anything else, thank goodness. The little girls had a wonderful time together, and I think it was good for everyone's health to watch them play.
Charon loved going down the water slide on her daddy's lap. It looked like so much fun, and I wanted to try, but was determined to be cautious and not do it since I am pregnant. There are plenty of waterslides in our future, I know. Charon will make sure of it!
I also didn't go into the hot tub, which is one of my favorite things to do when we stay in a hotel. I've read enough about hot baths and hot tubs during pregnancy that I don't want to risk it. And really, I didn't miss it at all. I loved being pregnant, wearing my new maternity swimsuit because my belly needs the extra room now (yay!), and sitting in a beach chair chatting with family while watching Charon's huge grin each time she and Pete came in for a landing off the slide.
I feel lucky to be pregnant right now. After the miscarriage, I really worried that it wouldn't ever happen for us again. Being in this place is really a lovely miracle to me, knowing that it could have not happened. I want to savor every minute of it - even the worries and the fears. I know am lucky I have this pregnancy to worry about, and that makes the worries less worrisome.
