Phil's Insomnia

Phil has reached full-blown adrenal failure. He has had a few nights this week with insomnia until 3am or 5am. And since I am up no later than 7:30, and the boys are up and playing a short time later, he was getting more and more run down.

The engineering work he's still trying to finish from his trip last month is a constant stressor. I always wish work on the block building was going more quickly, and he senses that. Plus the occasional need for him to make sausages for dinner, to manage the cows (and knowing every day that we need to de-stock (sell some of our herd), but without the infrastructure or time to do so) ... I've been plenty miserable physically, but I'm not dealing with big picture stresses.

He spent a little time laying block yesterday, but most of his time is spent in his office.

The boys and I have been reading together a good deal. The last two evenings Isaiah has come out to milk with me. He squirts milk directly into his mouth, which tickles and tastes good.

The boys head into the woods, too. Jadon went into a different patch of grass this afternoon, and shortly after had a horrific histamine reaction. I thought maybe he had been bitten all over by mosquitoes, so I sent him to shower. By the time he was done, he was sobbing and clawing at his face. The "bug bites" were actually hives, and his eyes had swollen out until it looked like he had been stung on the nose: red, shiny, puffy slits.

Happily, he wasn't having a hard time breathing, but anyone in that much misery is so upsetting to see. I tried a few homeopathic remedies, but either I chose poorly or he needed a stronger dose, so we went to Benadryl. The horrible itching and the redness ended, but the swelling hasn't diminished as we head to bed.