Top 10 Lessons on Swine Flu

10. It's contagious. Even your gourds can catch it. And read here about a house cat that got it.
9. If your child has a history of wheezing/pneumonia, start breathing treatments right away. It's made a HUGE difference for Zeke.
8. If your kid has a runny nose, a little cough and a fever, chances are good that it's swine flu. I thought it might just be a cold because Zeke had identical systems when we went to Philly this summer. Go figure.
7. Just because your two-year-old has swine flu, doesn't mean he doesn't want to dance his booty off. Moms, you must say no! Exercise and jumping around can cause coughing fits.
6. Even if it's early November and the high is in the 70's, don't take the baby outside. He'll just get worked up and start coughing.
5. Invest in those antibacterial wipes and clean everything. Snot will get everywhere. Clean everything constantly.
4. Just assume the baby will not sleep through the night. Even when the fever is gone, it's hard to sleep through the night when you're coming off of swine flu.
3. Catch it early so your kid can get on Tamiflu. It's shortens it and decreases the severity.
2. Excessive jumping/exercise can lead to episodes of pook. Avoid at all costs...unless you want a few more things to clean.
1. Do NOT under any circumstances get swine flu.

If there's a silver lining to all this, it's that we can now move into the colder months and the holiday season without fear that Zeke will get swine flu. And he's already gotten his seasonal flu shot. So, we can breathe a little easier knowing we've BTDT (been there, done that).

On a completely separate note, I'm considering a little splurge. It looks like one of our beloved babysitters is available to watch Zeke Saturday, November 21st. The new Twilight movie opens that weekend. So, I really am jonesing for a cool Twi shirt to wear that night. Among the finalists are shirts bearing these slogans: La Push Cliff Diving Team, Ciao Volturi, and Black Swan Motorcycles: Reckless Distractions Guaranteed. If you've read the book and have a favorite among these, let me know. I'm leaning toward the La Push one.