Misery and Woe

Mirthless Jude at the Zoo

This has been a week of misery. Jude's canines (which, I accidentally called "carnivores" once by mistake and now Mike has changed the story to "cannibals," because he thinks it is more funny..so if he tells you the story with "cannibals"...he lies...) are bulging and red and there are little peaks of teeth emerging from inflamed gum mountains. Jude has spent the last week hardly eating, crying pathetically, taking naps on my chest, cuddling for hours at a time, and streaming prodigious amounts of snot from his red, little nose. This also means my week has been filled with manic moments.

Tuesday: Jude awakes terribly sad and wanting to cuddle. We snuggle up in a sunspot in our front room and I hold him and rock and sing him songs. His little fuzzy head tickles my chin and nose. He is delicious.

Wednesday: I think he is doing better so we decide to chance a trip to the zoo. He is not better. He cries and moans and could care less about the massive gorilla eating cardboard just inches away from us (Hello! Gorillas are MASSIVE!) or the leopard pacing hungrily in front of us through an inch of glass. I hold him the entire time and my back wants to give out by the end. He cries all the way home. So much for adventure.

Thursday: Jude takes a three hour nap on my chest. I am in heaven, nay bliss, that is, until my bladder is bursting and I get really hungry (lunch at 4:00 PM? what?), and then my bliss was ready to make a trip to the bathroom and the kitchen.

Thursday night: Jude says a sobbing "n-n-noooooo." to eating everything from rice to blueberries to ice cream to chocolate chips (really? I mean, reeeaalllly?). He won't eat anything but cries and whimpers and careens around the kitchen like a sad drunken man until I want to cry and whimper and careen around the kitchen too.

I've felt like my boy has disappeared into the body of somber, mirthless zombie and I want him back. Now. Today he showed signs of improvement. He ate well and then did a little dance on our coffee table, his little mischievous smile flashing out. Praise.