Cold + Ear Infection (x2) = Fall

Well it had to happen sooner or later! Lucky for us, it DID happen on a long weekend stay with Nani and PaPaw (the kids maternal Great Grandfather)...Gracyn got sick for the first time in her 10 months of life! And boy, did she get the works! She had a little bit of a runny nose on Sunday, nothing major, but awoke screaming at 4:20 AM Monday morning very UnHaPpY. Of course, I jump up, run in to check on her, before she wakes up her brother, because brother is an ogre when he's woken up out of a sound sleep. She was burning up with fever, so I go to the bathroom to get our Infant's Tylenol. I look in the normal "medicine" drawer, not there. Under the cabinet, not there. In the kitchen "medicine" cabinet, not there. UH-OH...this is not looking good. All the while I am toting Gracie around with me on my hip searching while trying to calm her tears! Finally, I wake up Steve and enlist his help in the medicine search and rescue operation. Still we cannot find that elusive bottle to save our lives!

Why does this always happen when you really, really, really need stuff???

Steve devises a plan to run to the 24 hour Super Wal-Mart down the street and I decide to nurse Gracie while he's gone to calm her. This is all occurring around 4:45 AM, mind you. Around 5:15 Daddy returns with the goods! Just to show you how easily distractable my hubby is, he also comes home with the movie Ironman and proudly says, I saw it on sale near the check out line...maybe we can watch it tonight!

God love him...

as I'm thinking to myself...how am I going to stay up and watch a movie when I've been up half the night already. Love you sweetie and I know you were only trying to be helpful. Anyhoo, we down the Tylenol, put Gracie back down and fall back in bed around 5:40, only to hear the alarm sounding at 6:45 AM to get Cade ready for preschool. Gracyn progressively gets worse as Monday goes by, capped off by a LONG solid crying episode that afternoon that was not stopping. Mom and I were worried about her so I call in and of course...no openings in the doctor's schedule, but they say they'll work us in if we come on up. Mom and I load up, Papaw stays here with Cade while he's napping and thankfully they get us right in. By this point her little eyes are swollen b/c she's cried so much and she is miserable, the infant's Tylenol is just not cutting it.

Diagnosis: DOUBLE ear infection with a bulging ear drum b/c of the fluid and a cold.

On the way home, we swing by the pharmacy pick up her meds and head home, exhausted but so relieved that Gracyn got a dose of Motrin which helped SOOOOOOOO MUCH more. We are giving her amoxicillin for the infection so I am hoping it will clear it up soon. She just started these terrible coughing stints last night which brought about another sleepless night. Our pediatrician is wonderful though, and called in a supplemental script for cough meds this morning. Whew, what a whirlwind these last 3 days have been! I am so thankful that my Mom was here to help out...with cooking, caring for us, allowing me to nap, cleaning up, doing laundry and playing with the kiddos! The past 3 days wouldn't have gone NEAR as smoothly if I'd been on my own. Love you Momma :)

Are you stocked up for cold and flu season? I certainly wasn't, but I am now! I devised my top 5 items to have around the house when your kids have a cold...here my top 5 must haves!!!

#5- Chicken Noodle Soup: it just does the trick whether you have 2 teeth or a mouth full. Even for little folk, they have the chicken and stars which Gracie loves! It's thicker than than the chicken noodle variety so all the good broth goes down!

#4- A SOFT burp cloth: for nose wiping! I have come to realize this fact, NO BABY LIKES TO HAVE THEIR NOSE WIPED, it's just something all people under 3 feet want to avoid like the plague! I choose to go with either a silky or super lush and soft burp cloth instead. We LOVE Gracyn's burp clothes from Caden Lane. It has soft cotton minky backing which is perfect for sore, runny noses. I even use them on Cade when he's got a runny nose!
#3-Vicks Baby Rub: LOVE this stuff. I still use it with Cade and now with Gracyn. You can use it on any baby over 3 months of age. I usually rub in on her chest and back before naps and bedtime. It does have a strong smell, but to be honest I really love it! I think it leans more towards the lavender/eucalyptus scent and it breaks up all the crud...can't beat that.

#2- Infant Motrin: it's 4 AM your baby wakes up screaming and crying, burning up with fever...what do you reach for? From now on it will be Infant Motrin in this house. It worked FASTER and LONGER than my old infant's Tylenol stand-by. #1- Must have to survive cold and flu season? A Piping Hot Cup of COFFEE...when I've had a long night, which has been frequently lately, nothing gets me awake moving and caring for everyone else like a cup of joe! If I'm not up and at 'em...whose going to take care of all the sickies? Some days I just need a jump start to my day. My personal coffee vice happens to be Peet's Decaffeinated (b/c I'm still nursing) French Roast...with cream and Splenda, please! It will clear away any fog left over from getting about 5 hours sleep TOTAL...

What are your household must haves for cold and flu season?