Hottentots

Mostly the boyos haven't had issues with their immunizations, but they got a couple of new vacs on Monday and today, Wednesday, they have been running fevers like nobody's business. A little Tylenol this afternoon and some Motrin this evening have helped, but their temps have been enough to make this mama nervous. Gus had a rectal temp of 102.2 this afternoon and Sam was 101.8. Just before bed, Gus was 102.4 and Sam was 103.5. (Yikes!) I called Humongous HMO's advice nurse this afternoon and quizzed her about it. She said that fevers on Day 2 with the pneumococcal immunization were very common and no biggie in general. She advised us to keep tabs on it and call if (a) either of them got up to 106 (106!!! She said it so casually, too. You could make toast on a forehead like that!) or if they hadn't gone down by 11 a.m. tomorrow. So we shall see.

I stripped the boys down this afternoon to just a diaper and pair of shorts (so the diaper actually stays on, ha ha) and that helped. They perked up after the Tylenol, too, and ate well and ran around and played. So really, I think they're fine. But it is disconcerting to put your hand on a child's forehead and have the impulse to jerk it back because you think you'll get burned. I opened their bedroom window and put a fan in it to draw in the cool night air (it was up to about a hundred here today but it cools down to around 60 every night). (My old typing teacher would be so disappointed in me. I'm blogging in the dark here, and every time I want a numeral or parentheses-- have you noticed I live for the opportunity to use parentheses? -- I have to bend down to peek at the keyboard. OTOH, my old typing teacher told me that some people never learned the touch typing system and for quite a time she thought I would be one of them, so perhaps not.)

In other news, my dad got here tonight. Finally. After about a zillion issues with his airline. It was hard for me to see him looking so tired and old, but I guess I should just be glad he is here at all, since he is pushing 80. He walks like our nearly 19-yo cat Ursus, sort of bent over a bit and watching where he puts his feet. But it was still lovely to see him and give him a big hug.

I don't know if I mentioned or not that D is leaving for Russia on Saturday? No, I didn't buy him the ticket ... he is going to be teaching a class there for three weeks, and I miss him already. He swears he is going to behave. I am not at all worried about him philandering but he does trust people too much, and I'm a bit concerned he'll meet some overly friendly Russians, go out drinking, and get rolled for his money. I hope, hope, hope not.

So my dad will be here for a couple of weeks, helping with the boys. I doubt he'll change any diapers, but at least I'll be able to get out of the house for 20 minutes or so to take a walk. And the company will be nice. I adore our boys but when the conversation is limited to mama, dada, baby (Sam says baby clear as a bell these days!), bur bur (for bird), dee gah (kitty cat) and various squawks with all kinds of meaning -- I guess -- it's nice to have some adult conversation, just to round things out.