Cootieville

I'm still up after spending the first part of this rainy night listening to the kiddo cough. Recently I'd been thinking we were really on a healthy streak and I'd hoped it would continue. Ah, it was nice while it lasted, but he came back from his dad's house with a continual cough. He had the hardest time falling asleep because the cough kept waking him up, but he finally managed to stop coughing and seems to be actually sleeping now (fingers crossed). I've spent the last several hours lying on the bed with him, reminding him to lie on his side, checking the steamer, fetching cough medicine, helping him blow his nose, and offering appropriately sympathetic comments. At one point, he was coughing pretty hard and when he was done, he said, "This is really making me suffer!!" For sure!

Tomorrow (well, technically today) is his seventh birthday, and we'd planned to celebrate, but if the birthday boy is still hacking away tomorrow, we may postpone part of it. I already told him we might have to do that, and he was okay with it because he wants so much to be well. Oh, I just remembered -- now that he's actually asleep, I need to make the magical "nightstand presents" appear before I get too tired and fall asleep. I stole the nightstand present tradition from a friend's family -- a little gift always appears on the kiddo's nightstand on the morning of his birthday (or the day after, if he's spent his actual birthday with his dad). I always have to remind the kiddo that nightstand presents are usually little things, so he won't be disappointed to discover a candy bar and a small toy instead of a new video game. Ah, better toddle off and leave the gift now. I'm starting to yawn...