Poor Baby

RJ is sick for the first time ever. It's so dis-empowering to have him feel bad and not be able to help. We went to the Dr. today, and it's a viral thing that COULD lead to an ear infection later on, but it's NOT AN EAR INFECTION. (bolded for my sister, queen of ear infections :)) 

Instead, we are using allergy medicine to keep fluid from building in his ear, and treating the fever aggressively. I had to buy a rectal thermometer today, but the new design is so much better than the one I remember my mother wielding, that RJ had no issues with it- and I didn't have issues using it. 

He is sleeping a lot more than usual, which is the best part, since I have a touch of a cold too, I'm getting to rest. The hard part will be later in the week, if he has not recovered, he cannot go to daycare. I've activated PLAN B, which involves a couple of hours of help from a friend while I run to work for the essential meetings, then work from home for the rest of the day.  We won't know until tomorrow if I have to use this plan, or have a normal week. We shall see...

In Sickness and In Health

Too bad we're stuck with husbands and kids no matter what! (just kidding) Little RJ has his first cold, thanks to me. I've been sick for a week and the terrible illness struck him down at the stroke of midnight last night. I got a total of 2 hours of sleep this morning after giving him Tylenol. Here are some of the strange activities that I participated in during the wee hours:

1. Steam up the bathroom, and soak your socks while holding a screaming, sniffling kid near the steam in the shower stall.


2. Open the Vicks vapor rub, but since you're not sure if the baby can handle it or not, gently waft the fragrance in his general direction. Set the open container on the back of the toilet while you sit on the lid holding your baby and wondering why the lids of toilets are so uncomfortable for prolonged sitting.


3. Repeatedly plunge the EBE (enormous booger extractor) into your child's nose, attempting to pull out the unseen, but definitely heard offensive snot.


4. When you can't get anything OUT of his nose, try spraying some saline INTO his nose, with the hopes of washing it all downstream. (didn't work)


5. Go to the car at 3 AM for the Baby Bjorn, which you strap to your chest to keep the child in an upright position so he doesn't drown in his own snot.


6. Try to sleep propped up with all of the pillows in the house in the guest room, keeping the baby upright in th Bjorn and periodically checking for breathing.

To top of the extravaganza of snot, we are taking RJ on his first plane ride this weekend. There was a death in CJ's family, so we're heading to Columbus. Hopefully we can get the snot festival under control before then.