Saturday, February 24, 2007

Stomach Flu and Its Effects

G. has recently recovered from a stomach bug, and B. just came down with the same thing. Their different reactions to it are fascinating to me.

G. stopped signing and talking, and alternated between lying listlessly on the floor or asking (whining) to be held. I held him and rocked him a lot, and tried not to worry about his not communicating. Even after his tummy seemed to be better, he acted listless for a couple of days, and I was getting set to take him to the doctor. He was the twin who had a harder time in the NICU, and has always been a little smaller, so I worry about him. Then suddenly he was back to his old self, and even using a new sign, "play", and a new word, "waffle" (sounds like "ra-ra", but close enough).

B. on the other hand seems more connected when he's sick. He actually held onto me with his arms when I picked him up today. And he noticed my return from the grocery store. More and more, I realize that he shows the most reaction to me when under duress (visiting my in-laws with 6 cousins, at J.'s birthday party, or when he's sick). Just have to work on transferring that reactions to happy times, too.

I've been getting up a little after 6 and taking a walk most mornings, and it's been wonderful. Many birds seem to be migrating through now, and it's been warm and a little foggy. The dog still refuses to get up, but I have to admit I enjoy being completely by myself.

4 comments:

Mom without a manual said...

Sorry to hear about the guys being sick! I am glad that everyone is pulling out of it!

AND good for you for following through on the walks! Your dog doesn't know what he is missing!

WarriorMom said...

I hope G and B feel better soon, and I hope it doesn't spread to the rest of your family!

When my son is sick, he wants more cuddles. I haven't noticed an increase or decrease in communication when he's sick, but I'll look for it next time.

Mom to Mr. Handsome said...

Sorry your boys were sick. I think it's interesting about how different they are too. After being sick, Gabe is more attentive and talkative, but only if he had a high fever (100+) It amazes me everytime. I wonder what the connection is?

The walks in the morning sound absolutely wonderful! I love walking outside. Being alone to reflect can be a much needed perk at times :o)

Kristin

Maddy said...

Curious. If both of mine are REALLY ill [104 and 103 temperature] the 'autism' falls away - quite terrifying!
Below that temperature [ill] the speech disappears / is severely reduced. I think that they just have too much to process and so speaking, becomes a low priority.
It's been a while now, so hopefully you're all up and running and ready for the weekend.
Best wishes