About the middle of last week Eli started to develop a cough. It was only while he was sleeping, and usually at night. I didn't think too much about it because he was fine otherwise. That Saturday we went out to dinner with my family, and they all commented that he didn't look like his normal, cheery self. He'd been pretty quiet and solemn that day. His eyes were watery and he felt hot to the touch. When we got home I took his temperature and, sure enough, he had a fever. We gave him some tylenol before bed and dressed him lightly. The next morning his fever was gone, but his cough was getting worse and now occurring throughout the day and night. He became very congested as well.
By Tuesday, it was obvious that Eli was miserable and not doing well at all. Every time he coughed it scared me because it sounded so bad he was practically choking. We had been running the humidifier, using saline drops with the bulb syringe, and rubbing vaporizer on his chest to help him with the congestion, but none of it seemed to make a difference. I was nursing him close to every hour because he was so irritable. That evening when it was time for bed Eli started to cry. The only time he cries that intensely is when we leave him alone in his crib, but then he was crying so hard while David was holding him. We didn't know what to do!
Finally I thought to call my pediatrician's urgent care line. I described Eli's symptoms and they told me a nurse would call me back in an hour. That was one dreadfully long hour. We were so worried about Eli! While we were waiting we gave him tylenol again, and David was finally able to get him to sleep. I talked to the nurse, and she said to get him to the ped. the next day.
Tuesday night (and every night since) was a doozy. Eli sleeps in our bed, and he woke up at least every hour, crying hard, and nursing him was the only way to get him back to sleep. He could hardly breathe and was coughing a bunch. David gave him a blessing that night.
At his appointment on Wednesday we found out that his terrible cold had led to an ear infection (what I had suspected). He was given amoxicillin,and we were told to continue the tylenol, too. Oh how grateful I am that we took him in when we did! He was obviously in pain, and it could have gotten much worse! The medicine took a couple of days to do its magic, so those days were still nightmares, but we got through them and Eli's much better! :)
Unfortunately, I caught Eli's awful cold. :( Going on Day 5 now. Those darn things sure are persistent! Boy is it hard to take care of your baby when you're sick! I'm doing a bit better now, just in time for DAVID to get sick! That's right! Gotta share the misery! :) He has a fever and no cold symptoms, so hopefully it's not a completely different virus. He was planning on working tomorrow, but I hope he'll stay home and give his body a chance to heal.
So that's what's going on in the Hayes household! Hope you all are in better health than us!
For your amusement...
Poor sick baby. What is it about snot bubbles that makes us want to take pictures of them? :)
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