The last time I remember being ill this much was back in high school.
I seemed to be a magnet for disease back then, never going any winters more than a day between the next round of colds and flus and fevers, or just annoying coughs and sneezes.
And now, that my own daughter is in school (kind of? Daycare is like a school for babies, I guess?), she is often sharing what her classmates shared with her.
Even when we aren't getting ill afterward, handling a child's illness is exhausting:
The kid: Slight fever, lots of vomiting (four months old)
The parent: Fortunately no vomiting or fever for us, but extreme exhaustion from a night of trying to keep her hydrated and keeping food down.
The kid: Pink eye (five months old)
The parent: A newfound supply of hand sanitizer and tissue boxes everywhere. Everything she touched or wore was washed and sanitized, and every crumb that appeared in our eyes was cause for concern that we were next. Fortunately, our eyes stayed clean.
The kid: Very high fever for a week until antibiotics (six months old)
The parents: Both of us caught strep throat and we took a few trips to the pediatrician for her, and a few trips to the doctor for ourselves. Most inconvenient and exhausting of all was that she was completely recovered by the time we first began antibiotics ourselves. So, tired and sick parents were watching a lively baby (that had spend a week mostly sleeping, so she was ready to bounce off the walls) goo endlessly. Goo, baby. Goo.
The kid: A fever, with a hint of coughs and sneezes (seven months old)
The parents: Congrestion that we blame on the weather... and our own set of fevers. Recovery was fairly quick for both parents and baby, but she continues to cough in the middle of the night... which wakes her up. And then, she wakes us up.
I really think that we're doing everything we can to keep her healthy:
1- Doing laundry regularly. Sheets, cloth toys and clothes get about a weekly (or bi-weekly) washing.
2- Hand sanitzier and tissues nearby throughout the house, especially now that it's fall/winter!
3- A clean house. Vacuuming every weekend. Clean dishes as often as possible (usually nightly, or at least loading them into the dishwasher). Disinfecting surfaces. You name it!
Should I be doing anything else? Thoughts?
--Althea Peterson
Trimesterly tribute: I first learned that we were expecting a little boy or a little girl (we didn't know for sure until she arrived on March 14) back in July. However, rather than launch the full-out assault of good news on everyone that had ever met us... we sat on the info for three months until October. Why? Because my older brother and sister-in-law were expecting their first as well, who was due in October. It was difficult, but we made it (mostly) for those three or so months. It was a very interested trimester.
Mommy moment: A co-worker asked how old my daughter was now. "She turns 8 months on the 14th... which was yesterday!" Wow, that month went by fast. I can't wait until I can classify her age by years instead of months. I gave up on "XX weeks old" back before maternity leave ended.
Baby bit: Much to my daughter's annoyance, even if she wiggles her way out, I always dutifully place her blanket on top of her again at night so she stays warm. But, baby had different plans earlier this week. When I came to check on her, she had wiggles out of her blanket... and was now sleeping on top of it. So, I couldn't put back on top of her without waking her up! Smart baby
Althea's previous entries:
Oct. 22: Little parent-child time makes big differenceOct. 15: Choosing a daycare center for your childOct. 8: Baby blood drawing, catheter, congestion, antibiotics...Oct. 1: Beginnning to feed solid foods to a babySept. 24: Baby's first long car tripSept. 17: Photos: A newborn baby in her new homeSept. 10: Motherhood misconceptions and baby mythsSept. 3: When a baby can't sleep and won't stop crying (possibly due to her first cold)Aug. 27: Baby's appetite changes can make breastfeeding more difficultAug. 20: Mom's hospital stay after the baby arrivesAug. 13: Returning to work after maternity leaveAug. 6: Life as a single, working mother with a babyJuly 30: Dealing with a baby's first sick timeJuly 23: Delivering a baby by Cesarean sectionJuly 16: Introducing a new baby to your pet cat and dogsJuly 9: Breastfeeding a baby is a challenging decisionJuly 2: Baby airport travel requires patience and timeJune 28: Baby means there's never an awkward silence
Althea Peterson is the proud mother of a eight-month old girl. Althea returned to work at the Tulsa World in May after two months of maternity leave. Baby advice, baby questions or baby words of encouragement can be sent to althea.peterson@tulsaworld.com. Also, follow Althea on Twitter at twitter.com/a1a4ou.
