Heavens to Betsy, what a week and it's not even over yet! Halloween is tomorrow and there is still much to be done. I have to bake a pumpkin cheesecake for the office (AND home or the natives will get restless), make my costume, tweak some things on Sybilla's costume, and make her Halloween candy bucket. I probably would have completed all of this earlier if it hadn't been for poor Billa getting sick.
We got home on Tuesday and when I pulled her out of the car, she felt warmer than normal. Lo and behold, her temperature was 100.6. I gave her some Motrin and we went about business as usual. I took her temperature again later that night and it had gone up by a degree. I gave her more Motrin and prepared myself for the possibility of staying home from work. The next morning, her temperature had gone up again and she was coughing something fierce, so I made an appointment with Dr. Patil.
The doc looked her over, asked about her symptoms, took her temperature (which was 102.8 now!) and decided that what Sybilla had was a cold. The only thing we could do was get a humidifier for her "juicy" cough, saline drops for her congested nose, and Motrin/Tylenol for the fever. So Mommy went to the baby store and Target to procure said items, stopped by the office to grab a couple of things to work on, and headed home to wait out the fever. We kept up the Motrin, but her fever kept going up, reaching 103.8 about midnight. On the suggestion of Aunt Kellie, Daddy went out to get Tylenol and some more Motrin since we were now almost out. While alternating Tylenol and Motrin doesn't necessarily make any difference, Kellie said that sometimes it was the only thing that would stop a stubborn fever in her kids. We didn't actually get around to using the Tylenol, so it appears that the Motrin did its job as her fever finally broke at 4 am.
People always told me that having kids would change your life, and I thought they just meant your schedule, your priorities, and your grocery list. But it changes you emotionally too. Before I had Sybilla, if it had been anybody else's kid, I would have been cool as a cucumber in this situation. But seeing Sybilla so listless and in pain just about broke my heart. I was near tears every time I touched her little body and felt it burn; I felt so helpless and it killed me to know that I couldn't physically make her well. Seeing her laughing and giggling and running everywhere this morning just made all of the stress I'd had from the past two days disappear.
We got home on Tuesday and when I pulled her out of the car, she felt warmer than normal. Lo and behold, her temperature was 100.6. I gave her some Motrin and we went about business as usual. I took her temperature again later that night and it had gone up by a degree. I gave her more Motrin and prepared myself for the possibility of staying home from work. The next morning, her temperature had gone up again and she was coughing something fierce, so I made an appointment with Dr. Patil.
The doc looked her over, asked about her symptoms, took her temperature (which was 102.8 now!) and decided that what Sybilla had was a cold. The only thing we could do was get a humidifier for her "juicy" cough, saline drops for her congested nose, and Motrin/Tylenol for the fever. So Mommy went to the baby store and Target to procure said items, stopped by the office to grab a couple of things to work on, and headed home to wait out the fever. We kept up the Motrin, but her fever kept going up, reaching 103.8 about midnight. On the suggestion of Aunt Kellie, Daddy went out to get Tylenol and some more Motrin since we were now almost out. While alternating Tylenol and Motrin doesn't necessarily make any difference, Kellie said that sometimes it was the only thing that would stop a stubborn fever in her kids. We didn't actually get around to using the Tylenol, so it appears that the Motrin did its job as her fever finally broke at 4 am.
People always told me that having kids would change your life, and I thought they just meant your schedule, your priorities, and your grocery list. But it changes you emotionally too. Before I had Sybilla, if it had been anybody else's kid, I would have been cool as a cucumber in this situation. But seeing Sybilla so listless and in pain just about broke my heart. I was near tears every time I touched her little body and felt it burn; I felt so helpless and it killed me to know that I couldn't physically make her well. Seeing her laughing and giggling and running everywhere this morning just made all of the stress I'd had from the past two days disappear.
How could you not love this face?
I truly understand now why some mommies and daddies suddenly become irrational people who would punch your lights out if you so much as look at their kid wrong. When you've carried that little person around in your belly for so long, they aren't just another human being, they are a piece of your heart, and when they hurt, you hurt. I am so thankful that it's over now and that she's better. Now if I can just prevent us all from getting sick again!
I'll be posting again later after the Halloween festivities!
Love,
K & Co.
