February Flu
/Ok, we are sick. The baby is sick, Eli is sick, and yes mama is sick. I remember my mother saying, "It is easy to take care of a sick child, hard to take care of them as a sick parent." This is true. It actually hurts to hold the baby.
We are doing the broths, garlic, miso, teas, kombuchas and the baby is nursing steadily. Do you know the feeling when you have the flu and even your teeth hurt? You've put on three layers of warm and are still shivering...that's where we are. It came just after Eli had his tonsils out, which has been a remarkable transformation for all of us.
Eli's tonsils were so big he had sleep apnea. He would snore heavily as he slept and every few minutes he would stop breathing for a few seconds, then startle and the cycle would continue. He climbs into our bed at some point during most nights, but even in his own bed I would be aware of his breathing all night long... listening, waiting, listening, waiting. The day his tonsils were taken out he was laying on top of my chest and slowly fell asleep. I lay there realizing our breath was in sync. For every two breaths he took, I took one long one. He was quiet, still...he was having his first true sleep. After a few nights of sleeping I realized that I was dreaming again. I have not dreamt at night for years. I imagine Eli sleeping now with his own dreams finally finding him in his sleep. Perhaps he is Super Eli flying into the sky on an ice cream sandwich space ship out defeating the evil kale monsters. Maybe he is on the playground with his buddies from school and they are throwing purple snowballs and building snow forts as tall as the trees. Never have potential dreams been so sweet!
Both boys are slumbering now so I thought I'd share the broth that we have been making, drinking in big mugs and warming up with.
strip of kombu
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
4 leaves of kale, torn
1 carrot
2-3Tb or more to taste of miso paste
(dissolved in a separate small bowl with some of the broth)
I put everything except the miso in a pot and just let it simmer away on the stove. When we are ready to drink it, I add the miso to the strained broth. Other add ins to your own bowl could be tamari, saracha sauce, black pepper or for a heartier meal add some cooked fish or chicken, brown rice and veges.