We're Northerners afterall...: Sickness, sickness, & more sickness (AKA January 2013)

The title pretty much sums up the whole month. But, somehow, we did manage to get a few pictures taken during the month that reflected a few other activities besides vomiting, diarrhea, fevers, runny-noses, coughing, ear-infections, screaming, not-eating and not-drinking, and lethargy. Did I forget anything? Seriously - I think this was probably the worst month our family has ever seen of sickness. Well, let's hope that's all in the past! Here's our photo update of January 2013:

Polar Plunge 2013: Nick, Jonikka, Heather, & John (and Dad, not pictured) jumped into a frozen lake in the middle of winter (temp at time of jump was 10 degrees with -4 windchills) in Support of Special Olympics of MN.

Dad Wyffels's (left) 6th Plunge!

Jonikka's 1st Plunge, Heather's 2nd Plunge, Nick & John's 3rd Plunge. Yes, we did go all the way under!

My first free-handed machine-quilted quilt. Made for my awesome niece Kenzie's first birthday!

Eliana's Photography Skills: Victoria is the pony, Malin is the cowgirl, Ellie is the foot. :)

Yet ANOTHER sick day at home with Mommy. When I wasn't cleaning up vomit and diarrhea, we managed to bake some brownies, make some bead necklaces, and watch some scarey movies.

Victoria and Nana at Kenzie's first birthday party!

Eliana, Nick, and Jonikka at Kenzie's birthday party!

Malin & Kenzie: These two are going to be such good playmates growing up!

Trying to capture a good shot of how her lateral incisors came in before her central incisors (front teeth).

Still trying to get the shot, but enjoying her smiles all the same.

Success! Ellie's teeth grew in the same way - doesn't she look like a little vampire?

One of many (FAR TOO MANY) trips to the doctor's office this month. SOOO looking forward to the day that we are in this clinic only a few times a year, instead of a few times a week!

A day when the girls actually had some energy! They were jumping all over Nick, and though I'm sure it wasn't that comfortable, I know hearing their laughter and energy was more important at the time than Nick's comfort.

Thank goodness for Grammy and Papa! They were invaluable during the worst 2-week stretch of illness in our house. They really helped to nurse the girls back to health while Nick and I had to work. Here are the girls making some kind of dough at Grammy's house.

Eliana got hit the worst of everyone in our house this month. Despite the first test for Influenza A coming back negative, follow-up doctor visits told us that she did have it. And she got it hard. Fevers for almost 2 weeks straight, coughing, respiratory issues, dehydration, no appetite, weight loss, etc. She was a mess. She missed over 2 weeks of daycare. Sadly, this wasn't her only sickness during the month, but it was by far the worst. This picture shows her enjoying a care package from her preschool teachers (crowns, stickers, chapstick for her peeling lips, treats, coloring supplies, stuffed animals, etc). We love all the teachers at the girls' daycare and I can't thank the preschool teachers, especially, enough for their kindness. They even bought us dinner for the whole family one night (paid for completely out of their own pockets)! Thank you Loving Arms Preschool Teachers!

One of our MANY pj days at home this month. Apparently, Victoria got her hands on her sisters hat, gloves, and shoes, and Ellie must have been too out of it to care.

Snuggle time turns into nap time when both Ellie and Mommy are sick.

Victoria decided to "help" daddy one day. While he was busy fixing lunch, Victoria poured her sister some more puffs to munch on. :)

Someone has learned how to army crawl! Malin is playing peek-a-boo around the corner of a chair with Nick and I.

It kind of breaks my heart a little to see this picture because this was the girls "playing" together. This was during a time when neither had much energy, so they played "sleepy-time" and Ellie would curl up next to Victoria on the ottoman and rub her back to get her to fall asleep.