quarantined

We've got the POX at our house. Kinda. Last Monday, the 7th, Nuala started breaking out with a few itchy little bumps on her tummy and her back... then her shoulder and arms... It was 3 weeks to the day after I got an email from our friend Susan, the mom of their little friend at church, letting us know that Mia had just broken out in chicken pox. On a Monday. The day after they'd all been cavorting about together at church. I thought Maeve was a shoo-in for getting it first, and possibly only. She hasn't been vaccinated, and Bran and Nuala both got their vaccine late, at 2-1/2 instead of 12-15 months. Not all that long ago...

Well, after the 2-3 week incubation period, looks like Nuala won! But it's kinda lame. I mean, they're mostly gone now, but she only got 26-ish pox. That's it. And was only itchy about 3 times a day. Only a few of the spots even got to the pustule stage. Classic mild case after having been vaccinated. Bran got a few spots Saturday night, and they're still there, but he's only been itchy maybe 5 times. That's IT. I'm glad they're comfortable, but really, it's so hard to not venture out when they have such mild, mild cases.

I had almost convinced myself it would be okay to go to church this past Sunday (almost a week since N got 'em) because surely all the Bulgarians at church had already had chicken pox, and the only other Americans either had them or had been vaccinated. But Mia's dad, who is a med student, pointed out that unless we were 100% sure that everyone had had them, it would be risky. Older people catching it can be really bad. And our little branch is full of sweet (mostly, haha) old people. Sigh. AND, it seems pointless to avoid our vaccinated friends, too. I mean, if they've had the vaccine, they won't get it or it will be really mild, most likely, like N&B. Of course, then they'll be inconveniently quarantined, too, and that stinks...

I finally called the embassy nurse to run all this past her, plus I wanted to schedule Maeve's official one-year check up. Anyway, she said, yeah, they're contagious, stay home. And we don't know when Maeve will be done "incubating" the virus so she could be contagious at any point, too (a couple of days before the spots appear).

AND, to add to it, Zac's been gone since last Wednesday, the 9th. He gets back this coming Thursday, but we've all been going a bit stir-crazy, being house-bound for so long. With no change in routine, you know? I mean, Daddy's not even coming home to mix things up a bit... I had a few plans I was excited about, to pass the time with Z gone. Just stuff like the zoo, Jumbo (the gigantic store full of Made-In-China stuff that N&B LOOOOVE going to), the park, playdates... so not super huge, but still, stuff to do that they'd like.

I did sneak out to the store yesterday. I took my ticking-time-bomb baby inside, but locked N&B securely in the car with their ipods (that they only get while traveling, etc., just wanna point out), set the alarm, and zipped in and out.

At least the weather's been gorgeous, so my "sick" kiddos can be outside a lot, and we go on walks. Not too many elderly Bulgarians in close range on our little jaunts. Oooh, our gardener... They were "helping" him a few days ago, and I didn't even think about it! I'm sure he's had them, but still...

Sigh. Come on, Maeve! Just get 'em already!! Poor babe. Oh yeah, the pic is of the infecta-tykes yelling "HELLO!!!" to the group of kiddos playing in our neighbor's backyard. They were sorely bummed to not be allowed over. They look like little jailbirds. And I'm pretty sure we all feel like them! Jailbirds, that is. Let us out!!!

p.s. Seriously, if anyone wants a baggie of infected spit, let me know and I'll package it up ASAP. Or maybe wait for Maeve to break out just to be sure it's good and strong... ;)

p.p.s. What would be extra-super-mega lame is if we misdiagnosed these guys and really there was just a rogue spider loose in their beds... really, if Maeve doesn't get 'em, I'm going to punch something really, really hard. I know... drastic...