The Sicky Ickies

We have officially survived our first baby illness.

It was the suckiest sucktastic thing of things to ever suck.

It began as an innocent runny nose and an occasional sneeze. No big deal. It was even kind of cute. Ha. We are such amateurs. We didn’t even know what was coming.

That’s when the baby virus big guns came out and took the mother (yes, me too) and baby HJ down with fever, severe head congestion, coughing, sneezing, constant runny nose, and the inability to enjoy anything about anything.

Super fun for Aaron. Poor guy.

Not only does it absolutely suck to see your child suffer in any way and not be able to do anything about it, but top it off with an illness of your own (an exact mirror of what she’s feeling) just makes it horribly awful and almost cruel. I knew when I became a mom that she would get sick someday, but I totally forgot about the fact that because of the close quarters I’d be living in as a WAHM (work at home mom), I’d probably be sick with the same ick that she was. Ugh.

So the fever came on Sunday night. Low. 99.5. Gave her some Tylenol. Put her to bed. Next morning, 100.6 and super pissed off baby. We went to the doctor, confirmed it was just a head cold, went home and snuggled. Tuesday morning she wakes up with green goop oozing out of both eyes. No fever though. Thursday, she wakes up at 4 am with a cough that mimics the horrendous, nightmare inducing one from the whooping cough commercials and a fever of 101.5.

And I think, “OH. DEAR. GOD. My child has whooping cough and is going to die because some stupid hippie in our town didn’t immunize their child. I will cut someone!” Is anyone rational at 4 am with a sick baby?

I waited until the exact minute the pediatrician’s office opened to call to be seen again. I also made sure to tell them about my whooping cough concerns. I’m probably now considered the crazy new mom that demands her child be seen for every hiccup, but I don’t care. Mama Bear’s claws are out when the cub is sick.

They got us right in and the doc gave us the diagnosis within 30 seconds of looking at her.

Still just a cold, but now with pink eye in BOTH eyes, an ear infection, and a cherry on top.

Fucking A. You’ve got to be kidding me, right? I didn’t even know these things could happen simultaneously, let alone to a precious baby who’s not even able to communicate what hurts. That’s just mean. It killed me. She was miserable.

After a day and a half of antibiotics, eye drops, and even more snuggles from Mom and Dad, we’re finally on the mend and she was back to her old self this weekend. Thank God.

I’ve decided to become a hermit crab with this baby until cold and flu season is over. Nobody’s touching this kid’s hands, face, or her toys. Don’t even breathe on her. I’m serious.

Mama bear’s out. And she misses her sleep.