Urgent Prayer Request

I hate that the only time I blog lately is when something is up. Yet, I'm glad I can share this prayer request with people who will lift it up to God.

A friend of ours at church was diagnosed last night with viral meningitis. She was hospitalized and isolated, but she is going to be released in the morning. Though she needs prayer, this is my main concern: this week was VBS. Most of our church family, as well as many neighborhood kids, have been around it all week. Thankfully, she was doing administrative work and not taking care of a class of toddlers. However, as a mother of a 3 month old baby, my skin crawls when I consider that this has been around since Monday. (There's a 3 day incubation period.)

Viral meningitis does not generally spread, but it does in rare cases. Please pray that this does not go beyond Shannon. Pray for the safety of her family (3 kids, one under 2). Please pray for Vera and Conlan...I did not find out about this until after our VBS parents night tonight. If I would have known, we would have stayed home. Also pray for Adalaide (8 months) and Jude (2 weeks). These babies were also at the church. (Jude was only there tonight and Wednesday, not all week.) We also currently have two very pregnant women at our church, Lindsay and Leslie. Both babies will be here in July. On top of all that, pray for the other families that attended.

I could personally use some prayer as well. Vera is showing many signs of teething, which can be somewhat similar to meningitis in infants (at least in my mind). Her teething started this week, so my stomach has been in knots tonight. She has been screaming and not all that interested in eating, stiffening up her back from gas (because of all the screaming). Infants with meningitis have a really high pitched scream and arch their backs a lot. Those are the only comparisons I see. Meningitis causes very high fevers, and she has had none. She's also drooling a lot and has knobs on her bottom gums. But still, what was very obviously teething 12 hours ago is starting to seem like meningitis to me. Sure, to most people 3 months seems early for teeth, but Conlan had 3 by the time he was 5 months old. They all came in at the same time. My babies teethe early. Anyway, the worry wart in me is freaking out.

Thanks for your prayers.