A Big Price to Pay for a Bit of Fun

Julia is a very active kid. She likes to climb and run....not just likes, she needs to climb and run and play. The problem comes when the weather outside is cold and gray. A little over a week ago, I took her to the play area at the shopping mall. She had a great time playing with the other kids, sliding on the little slides, crawling through the tunnels.

We have been paying for it ever since. Poor little girl.

No fun.  At all.

I've never been a germaphobe, but I'm changing my tune. It started with a runny nose the day after our trip to the play area. A few days later, it escalated to three near sleepless nights with a feverish, congested baby in my arms. No one in the house got much sleep, even Jake.

She wasn't herself most of Thanksgiving Day, but after a suprisingly good nap in the Pack n' Play, she had a good hour or so of playing with and entertaining Oma, Opa, and Uncle Roger.

It can be so deceptive, because kids seem to feel better during the day, and at night, the high fevers and major congestion returns. I wondered what parents did years ago before the modern wonders of Ibuprofen and Actimetiphen to help reduce the fevers. I felt awful for Julia and just wanted to make her feel better. To help her breathe, I had to torture her with the nasal aspirator (aka the infamous Bulb). The pediatrician said they did not prescribe antibiotics until a child had a fever of 102 degrees or higher for 4 full days. 4 FULL DAYS!?!

Luckily, Julia slept through the night last night for the first time since Tuesday. She cried out in the night a couple of times. Formerly a heavy sleeper, I have a special radar for Julia's noises at night. R says I can be dead asleep three rooms away, and I will bolt up in bed if Julia so much as farts in her sleep.

So, last night, we all got some rest last night. It was a little too late for me, as I have caught the bug. R took care of Julia, who is better but still cranky and clingy. Thankfully, I was able to spend the afternoon in bed.