Hostage Situation

Emma got sick on her first slumber party with her cousins. She must've picked up a bug somewhere in the few days before when we were out running all over town. I was shocked when my sister told me she vomited. That hasn't happened since White Rain. I felt terrible that my sister had to deal with that on her first time with them overnight. And I heard later that her kids got sick after mine left. :( Both Emma and Ethan's Christmas pajamas had to be washed. She told me that she'd given Emma a much needed bath that night without Ethan and that he had cried and cried outside the door. That was their first bath without the other since they have been taking a bath in the big tub. Amy said she thought it was odd that Emma didn't cry or whine because she had "been sick" all over their air mattress and must've been feeling awful. How ironic that it was Ethan who needed comforting outside the bathroom door, being worried and left alone without his other half.

Emma was running a high fever when we picked her up. We treated her symptoms and let her sleep with her daddy in our room when she got home. I was dreading the inevitable infection of Ethan. It's impossible to keep them separate. Well, not impossible I guess, but it makes things so much more difficult. I think I would probably need help, a sitter to be with my well child. Plus, they cry if they are isolated from the other for any amount of time, especially at bed time and especially if they know the other is near, being withheld. If I were to take Ethan into our room, or vise versa, for bedtime or make effort to keep him away from her for her entire sickness, I honestly believe it would cause her more stress in time of weakness and I can't stand that. At the same time, I feel like I am not protecting Ethan from this sickness that he will surely get if I don't remove him.

So he sleeps beside her in the crib even though she has a fever. And yes, a few days later, he came down with the same bug. By that time, Emma was better. But she also slept by her brother's side in his time of sickness. In the morning when I went in to check on them because they hadn't woken by 8:00, they were both sleeping so soundly and peacefully. They had both moved to the other end of the crib because Ethan had thrown up on their usual end. It smelled terrible. Poor babies. And then I looked closer and saw that Emma had throw-up all in her hair and  on her shirt. Ethan too. They are like hostages to the other's sickness. I cannot imagine being puked on. I was never puked on by my sister or any one else. But I wasn't a co-sleeping twin. I didn't live my life side-by-side with my sibling.

They didn't seem to mind being covered in puke, but I stripped them down, stripped their bed and put them in the bath tub immediately.

Even aside from the co-sleeping, they would still undoubtedly infect each other every time. They share sippy cups no matter how hard you try to keep them separate. They kiss and hug. They want to be right next to each other a lot, so who am I to keep them apart, to tell them, "No, you can't sleep with your brother tonight. Lay in there and cry all night. Don't touch your brother; don't breathe on him," etc.?

When they get older, things will be easier to explain. They will surely understand more about germs and sickness, and how to stay well. But for now, judge me not, I think it's best that they just endure toddler storms together, comfort each other in a way that I can't, help each other fight the same viruses, build immunity together.

Together, in sickness and in health.