Sick and heart-sick on V-Day

Going to Kaiser Permanente's urgent care seems to be a new Hathcock family Saturday tradition!

London hasn't been too interested in eating anything except his FIRST FOOD (if you know what I mean... OK, if you don't: breast milk) since last Saturday night. He vomited last Sunday morning while staying at Grandma Nomi's, and continued to be sick.

We figured out it was norovirus when the rest of us (except for Liberty, thank God) caught the bug. Although the rest of us seemed to shake it, London never really did, and never got his appetite back.

Wednesday was the last time he threw up ... until today ... Valentine's Day. Taking that, his nonexistent appetite and the fact that some red-tinged liquid (blood?) appeared in his diaper on three occasions led us to the only Kaiser urgent care open on Saturday night: Interstate Ave. -- that's North Portland, folks.

They took some blood and asked questions and really decided that London has two different things going on: He's still recovering from norovirus (or suffering from it), and is psychologically adjusting to Liberty's presence.

That makes a lot of sense to me (Marcus). London is his normal, happy, energetic, flirty, zany self when it's just you and him. Grandma Nomi came over today and he was animated. He and I went around Sandy on some errands and he was a hoot to everyone he met. When he got home, the difference was like night and day. He was inconsolable.

The nurse practitioner said that during major changes like this, children revert to earlier stages to try to cope. She said that had London been older and was potty trained, he would be back in diapers. It's a process, and not an easy one. Poor little fella.

While we were waiting to leave urgent care in the middle of Portland on Valentine's night (and as I was thinking of the glass of wine I'd have upon getting home), we had what I think was a bit of a breakthru. I held Liberty up close to London, and let them interact.

He was such a gentleman. Of his own accord, he rubbed her belly and head gently, he said a cheery "Hi!" to her, and he blew her kisses. It was really sweet. I think we just need to give him the ability to understand that she doesn't just mean something to us -- she means something to HIM, too.

We're going to arrange a few more of these little play dates ... just as soon as we're sure he's kicked the evil bug.