Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Good Night Sweetheart

Let me set the stage for you:
Isabelle has been sick from daycare continuously for the past month and a half. Everything that she has gotten, she has given to Conrad and I. I understand this is par for the course. Just what happens when your children are in group settings. Okay. Got it.

But this weekend she seemed to be feeling better. But I was feeling worse! Enter Stage Right Hero: Nyquil (the sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so you can rest medicine…need I say more?). So Sunday night I take a nice dose of Nyquil about 10:30 and sleep the sleep of the drugged for two solid hours. I dream about Olympic swimming competitions and mansions that resemble Charlie and the Chocolate factory scenes. Old friends I haven’t seen or thought of in years visit me and bring nice presents…don’t you love drug induced dreams?

Here we go:
A cold and snowy Sunday Night

1:45a.m. Baby (who is sleeping upstairs in crib, instead of in pack and play) starts crying. Daddy goes and gets her and feeds her. She keeps thrashing around, falling asleep and waking up. I think she can’t breathe…stuffy nose. Or her tummy is upset…maybe it’s the rice cereal we have just started feeding her? Maybe she has a fever? She feels kinda hot. So we dose her up. Baby Tylonel, Baby Gas medicine, Baby Cough Syrup, don’t forget the antibiotic that she is still on.

2:45a.m. Baby still up. Daddy (who took a 3 hour nap that afternoon) is graciously up with Baby…trying to put her to sleep…no success.

2:50a.m. Mommy gets up. Rocks baby to sleep (sings a little, with a voice only a baby could appreciate) *sigh* sweet relief

3:25 Stumbles back in bed in her drug induced stupor.

3:32 Baby up again crying. Mom and Dad up, because, really who can sleep while baby is crying??

3:33 Tries rocking, singing, swinging, bouncing, walking, talking, watching TV, watching fireplace, bottle, sippy cup, cuddling, hugging, crying, pleading. Mother still in drug induced stupor. Some works a little, falls asleep, wakes back up.

4:15 Daddy goes to bed and shuts door. Really, who can blame him?

5:55 Mommy and baby fall into light sleep

6:15 Baby wakes back up, crying. Mommy cries a little too knowing in a little while she has to get up and drive two hours to a clinic.

7:30 Daddy gets up and calls doctor out of desperation. Makes appointment for 11. Takes baby. Mommy goes to sleep and closes door.

8:30 Gets up, puts baby in bath, where she stops crying and laughs and smiles in warm tub…

9:00 Mommy drinks two cups of coffee and drives through the snow to clinic for work. Daddy stays home with baby.

This makes for a great start for the week, huh? By the way, the doctor said she’s over the flu, over the bronchitis, this was just another virus. Keep her fluids up, use the humidifier, and the snot bulb thingy. But she seems to be fine now. We were wondering why she couldn’t be sick on a Friday night? Sometimes at 2 in the morning I have thoughts like she is doing this on purpose?!? I know, how bad of a mother am I??

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is nice that you have Conrad to at least take some of the burden off. YOu might not be able to sleep, but you can rest your body for a minute or two while he takes a turn. That is always nice. I hope you are all feeling better soon!!

Shanygne said...

Oh man! You chronicled it so well! I can remember nights like that, and though I didn't have to "get up and go to work" I did have to get up and be with the sick baby all day, with no relief, so I DO understand...

My friend Carrie's baby had lots of viruses and illnesses from daycare too...she eventually had to have tubes in her ears... yikes! Praying Isabelle's immune system beats the "system"!

Did you get/take the new job?? Do you have to drive TWO hours to get there?? ONE WAY?!

JaydensJourney said...

I hope she is feeling better real soon! The first winter was a rough one from the colds, on-going sickness perspective. I remember being up with Jayden so he could "drain". Second winter has been much better...I think being able to rollover has been a real winner for him. Will the doctor let you give her anything?

I hope you guys are able to sleep soon. Nights get to be long when you are up for most of them.

Anonymous said...

Hang in there with the sick baby. When Carlie started daycare, she was sick constantly! The first 6 months, she had 8 ear infections, cold, flu, strange viruses I can't even remember the names too.
Now, she is resilient and very rarely gets sick anymore other than a cold. She has finally outgrown the ear infections! Thank God for that!