Sick Again!

After just getting over the flu, I (Doug) got a cold last weekend. It wasn't a bad one, but it was surprising. I hardly ever get sick, and now I got sick 2 weekends in a row! Well, I ended up giving it to Kris and Maddie. Kris started feeling bad Wednesday. Maddie was acting fine, but her nose was plugged. Wednesday night was not good for me. I work 2nd shift, and I'm nocturnal by nature anyway. I was up until 6 a.m. Wed/Thurs, and Maddie woke up at that time. Kris tried to feed her, but it is hard for a baby to nurse with a plugged nose. I sucked her nose out and used some nasal drops to break up the mucus. Maddie did not like that at all. Kris thought Maddie felt hot, and wanted me to take her temperature. We have two types of digital thermometers. When one thermometer read normal, Kris wanted me to take it with the other. It read normal as well. Kris thinks that there is something wrong with BOTH thermometers because she was sure that Maddie had a temperature. She thought that Maddie's body just felt hot.

Maddie was hot, upset, and probably not feeling well when she woke up at 6 AM. The nose aspirating and the temperature taking did not help things (just made her mad). We gave her some Tylenol to help her sleep. Sleeping did not come very easy for her though. She would fall asleep, but as soon as we put her down, she would wake up. We decided she needed her sleep more than we needed ours. I told Kris to go to bed because, being sick too, she needed rest. She said we should take Maddie in 4 hour shifts. I went first (from 7 to 11). Remember - I had yet to go to bed the night before. I took cat naps in a chair with Maddie asleep on my chest. I did not sleep very well.

Every 10 minutes or so, I would wake up because Maddie was cutting off the circulation in my arm. My shoulder hurt so bad, and my arm was numb and cold. My legs also got numb from the way I had to sit with Maddie asleep on me. I tried to put her down about seven times between seven and eleven, and she woke up every time. Finally at eleven, I went upstairs and told Kris it had been four hours. She told me to try and put Maddie in her crib. When I did, she slept soundly (After all those times I tried to put her down and she would wake up!). As soon as my shift was over, she decided to sleep. Kris got to stay in bed, and I let the blood drain back into my arm and legs. I slept for 4 hours before going to work.

Maddie's nose was not near as plugged on Thursday. She seemed to feel better (although her nose was a little runny and she was hot a couple of times throughout the day). Today (Friday) she seems fine and only has an occasional runny nose. She seems to have a very strong immune system (most likely from the breast milk) and is able to get over sickness quickly. Maddie never did act like she was extremely sick, so it must not have been too bad for her. Not bad for her first time getting sick (and no sickness until 9 months of age - not bad either!)! Kris is still sick, but she is getting a little better everyday. Well, I'm off next week and am going to do some landscaping in the back yard. Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!