Mine-itis. And bronchialitis.

We have two infections in the Morillo household.

First, and more serious, Reni has a viral infection that makes him cough so hard he throws up and makes me cry every time he has another fit of it. There is absolutely nothing we can do but wait this out, although he did enjoy the nebulizer they gave him at the doctor today and it improved his oxygen intake somewhat. The wheezing and coughing may continue for up to a month.

And secondly, the word "mine" has officially entered the lexicon. Nearly always accompanied by its oft-used companion, "noooooooooo!!" as in, "nooooooo, mine!!!" when mama is holding Reni or touching a toy or trying to get Anika breakfast or trying to help her get some food in her mouth and not on the floor for once. "Nooooo, mine!!" is also seen lurking about with its n'er-do-well friend the foot stomp. As in, "noooooo, mine!! [stomp stomp stomp]" when Anika is hungry, tired, irritable, frustrated, or just damn well feels like it.

This combined with Reni's illness and the constant laundry (puke and mucus, not surprisingly, require loads and loads of it) make for a challenging week. Reni was also tested for rotovirus and pertussis today, so to add insult to injury we're quarantined in the house for the next two days while awaiting the test results.

One positive is that, a few days ago, I learned that mine-itis does not kill all forms of generosity. Here is Anika, sharing her toys with Reni and, the next evening, snuggling with her little brother in her big-girl bed: