This Is Not The Diary Of A Wimpy Kid
March 10, 2011 at 7:00 am RootsAndRings 14 comments
I was going to tell you all about our Mardi Gras adventures last weekend but we have something else to discuss. Quickly. And then it’s back to my boys.
Stephen is sick. We have no clue what it is, either allergies or just a general cold. He has a sore throat, a cough, a bit of a fever, and lots of mucus. His head is pounding and he just feels like crap. I feel bad for him because being sick is awful, but I don’t feel too bad for him. Why? Because he is a grown up. He can voice his issues and take the appropriate medicine.
Jansen is another story.
On day one of his life, I started calling him my little booger. I have no idea why, it just seemed to fit. He has taken that nickname and made it true. He is currently a booger. One giant, snotty booger.
He started getting fussy on Sunday. He didn’t sleep well Saturday night and was moody all day. Sometimes he’d be giggly, but then he’d randomly start fussing. We all just figured he was teething since he was chewing on EVERYTHING. On Monday he was still moody, but leaned more on the upset side. He didn’t want to be left alone, he didn’t want to play, he just wanted to cuddle and eat. Still, we assumed it was teething. In fact, we are 99% sure we feel another tooth breaking through on his top gum.
Monday night he was a mess. Crying and wiggling and pouty. He woke up SCREAMING at 3:30. Not fussy, but screaming. So I went to his room and that’s when I heard all the junk. Snotty congestion. The poor kid couldn’t breathe! So I picked him up and brought him back to bed with me. He slept on my chest for the rest of the night. I was told that teething can cause snotty colds, so I didn’t worry too much.
But Tuesday night I started to worry. He was a mess. Boogers everywhere! He cried for hours on end and there was nothing we could do to calm him down except feed him. (For some reason, menfolk forget all of their problems when food is around. Funny how that works.) I was finally able to get him to sleep and I put him in his crib. About thirty minutes later, he was hysterical.
(It’s at this point that I realize I am writing the most boring post in the entire known blogosphere.)
I went to his nursery to picked him up. We rocked and rocked until he calmed down and fell asleep. The crying had only made his congestion worse and he was gasping for air. I brought him back to bed with me and cuddled him against me and gave him about 72 kisses on the forehead. That made him feel a bit better and he fell asleep.
When I dropped him off at my mom’s house yesterday, I started thinking that maybe we were dealing with a bigger issue here. He started having tears (or clear juices?) come out of his eyes. I was pretty sure that teething had nothing to do with that. Plus, Jansen isn’t a rookie to this teething thing. He already has a tooth and he took it like a champ. A few fusses here and there but nothing drastic. My kid isn’t a wimp. He’s tough. He doesn’t lose sleep over a measly tooth. (I realize that I’m going to be putting my foot in my mouth here in a coupld weeks when Jansen is a crying mess because of new teeth… But let’s just ignore that for the sake of storytelling.)
I went to work and did the first thing I could think of: I asked my Twitter moms what to do. Most thought the same as me… humidifier, maybe some Tylenol, etc. But then people started mentioning the possibility of an earache if there is a lot of drainage in his eyes and nose. So I got worried and called the doctor.
Then I got a text from my mom. Jansen woke up with so much yellow eye junk that his eyes were stuck shut. She was putting warm rags on them but we now knew that this wasn’t just a measly cold.
Sure enough, the doctor told us he has an upper respiratory infection and pink eye. in. both. eyes. Poor baby! No wonder he was a screaming mess. No wonder he couldn’t sleep. No wonder he didn’t want to play. He looks awful. I took a picture with my cell phone but it doesn’t relly show the severity of the puffiness and green puss.
So we have antibiotics to knock these out. I’m hoping they work quickly because we all know that a sick baby means a worn out non-sleeping mama!
Entry filed under: Jansen.
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1.
Southern Gal | March 10, 2011 at 7:17 am
Poor baby. Poor mama. Hope he feels better soon. Sometimes it’s just so hard to know if it’s time to visit the doctor or wait it out. I’ve waited before when Ethan had strep. Now I jump if he says his throat hurts. (Of course, he can tell me that now.)
I used to sit my babies in their car seats beside my bed when they were so stopped up. Sitting upright helped to keep them clearer so they could breath a little easier. Plus the humidifier works wonders.
2.
Autumn @ One Boy and Two Cats | March 10, 2011 at 8:29 am
Poor little guy! (And poor big guy, too!)
A sick baby is no fun… Praying he’s on the mend very soon.
We just got over the flu around here… hope Stephen gets well soon, too!
The sleeping more upright and the humidifier both work great!
3.
Amber | March 10, 2011 at 8:58 am
Poor little man, I want to scream and cry when I’m sick too, it’s just not socially acceptable. 😦
4.
osarah | March 10, 2011 at 9:33 am
Poor Jansen! I hope that the medicine does the trick and he starts to feel better soon.
5.
Donna Dewey | March 10, 2011 at 9:34 am
Hayden just got over what Stephen has….lasted about a week. Poor Jansen. It’s so hard to know when to call the doctor. With Ryley I always knew because she never complained, so when she did, she was SICK. Addie had a new “ailment” every day which made it extremely difficult to determine when she was truly sick. (I had a time or two when I regretted not believing her…think throw-up in the car)! Hopefully the medicine will kick in quickly and give him, and you, some much needed relief!
6.
Tabaitha | March 10, 2011 at 9:56 am
Aww, the picture of Jansen made my eyes water. Poor guy. Atleast now you know and you have medicine to help. Hoping it will kick in quickly and he will feel better soon and you will be able to have a peace of mind and rest.
7.
Mama Fuss | March 10, 2011 at 10:06 am
Poor little booger! 🙂
My favorite remedy for nasal/chest congestion in little ones is the Quiet Vapors Plugs ins. Seriously, they work really well each time my kids get congested and it helps them sleep, which of course allows mama to get some rest and them to get better faster. I don’t like the Vicks brand ones – they smell like burning kitchen herbs – but the quiet vapors smell like old-school Vicks and it works great.
8.
Holly | March 10, 2011 at 10:16 am
Poor Jansen … I hope he feels better soon!
9.
Nora | March 10, 2011 at 11:20 am
Aww, the poor kid. I hope he gets better soon! Sending hugs to the entire family, especially Jansen (and you since I’m sure you’re sleep deprived).
10.
Sister | March 10, 2011 at 12:22 pm
Poor little man! Even swollen, his eyes still sparkle.
11.
Breanna | March 10, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Awww….poor little guy. I had pink eye in college and felt miserable. I can only imagine how he feels! That little picture just about broke my heart! Lots of snuggles : )
12.
DottieDags | March 10, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Wow his little eyes do look bad. He still looks like he’s trying to get out a smil, sweet boy. I hope his meds have him feeling better ASAP. Stephen too but like you said, he’s an adult. I imagine being sick when you’re too little to even know that it will pass much less tell people where it hurts is REALLY scary.
13.
Taryn | March 10, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Ugh. Not fun. Hopefully they gave you antibiotic eyedrops or gel as well? Luke had pinkeye awhile back and that stuff worked wonders, especially to combat the goopy morning eyes.
14.
That Married Couple | March 10, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Oh poor baby boy! I hope the medicine works quickly!