Pile of clean laundry

Here I sit next to a big pile of clean laundry. It is on the floor next to Papa's side of the bed because he isn't feeling well. Me neither, I was sent home from daycare last week because of hand, foot, and mouth disease. Please don't confuse this disease with foot-and-mouth - that's a different virus that one contracts from farm animals. Mama took me to see my pediatrician but she did not find any sores in my mouth and I wasn't carrying a fever. She gave me a note saying it was ok to go back to daycare. I am trying to be a good sport about it but my appetite is off and I am not my usual self.

Papa went to see the doctor last week too. He was complaining of leg pain and decided to see if the doctors could find anything wrong. Several blood tests later confirmed that his hematocrit was low despite having normal numbers of red blood cells. What was surprising though were the results from a test called the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Papa's values were high indicating that there is some sort of chronic inflammation or infection ongoing in his body.

Mama is not feeling great either. We are the house of sick at the moment. She is going to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) next weekend, the first one since having me. I hope she gets better. She's been training hard for this and deserves to do well.