Down With The Sickness

So we can only be thankful and count our blessings that in Nolin’s 13 months, he has never really been sick.  At the same time it kind of makes you realize how unprepared you are for it when it comes crashing down on you.

The fun began Father’s Day. My whole plan for the day was to take Nolin on a bike ride now that he and Jenn were back in town.  In the morning he just seemed off, but we figured that was just him getting back on schedule from traveling. When he woke up from his nap, he was sweating and Jenn got a little nervous, but we decided to wait for a little bit because after all, Nolin doesn’t get sick.

Finally we realized, he wasn’t getting better and he was not himself at all.  So we dusted off his thermometer and went to take his temperature.  Do you know how difficult it is to try to keep a thermometer in a sick baby’s mouth?  Well, I’ll tell you, it is not to easy.  We then had to go to plan #2…literally. And let me tell you if you don’t want a thermometer in your mouth, you definitely don’t want plan #2.

Jenn held him in her lap and I was lucky enough to get to take the temperature.  When it completed he had a temperature of 105.3…Holy crap (no pun intended)?! I don’t know a lot, but I do know that that is not good…at all!

In a panic, we immediately got into the car, and went to urgent care.  When we got there we found out that we had a very very very sick thermometer.  Apparently I missed the day in parenting class on how to take a proper temperature, because Nolin was just a little over 101. The doctor tried to make me feel better by saying maybe it was 100.5, but I still swear it said 105.3.

So we got some medicine and kept him on watch for any changes.  He seemed much better in the morning and Jenn took him with her to work.  By the time she got there, he was in hysterics and his fever was back.  Here we go again…back to the doctor, this time his pediatrician.

Same old story…it is just something you are going to have to wait out. Really, that is the best you can do, wait it out?  The poor kid wasn’t eating, and was very very emotional.  It pained me to see him quite and reserved, but my favorite was when he was about to have one of his brief meltdowns, he would look at you and just say “Baby, Baby, Baby”.  Each baby got more drawn out and whiny.  You knew that the waterworks were about to start and you felt terrible, but at the same time really what can you do but laugh?

We went back and forth where his fever would rise and then go back down.  Luckily for me, typically by the time I got home from work, he was feeling better and was not fussy.  By Thursday, his fever seemed to be gone, until Jenn noticed a rash forming on his back and chest…in a panic, she had me call the doctor to set up an appointment.  I left a message, and then 10 minutes later since they had not dropped everything and called me back, I called them again.  This time I was able to get someone and set up an appointment.

Almost immediately after I hung up the phone, I had to cancel that appointment because Jenn was told that it wasn’t much to worry about.  Plus he already had an appointment for shots the following day before we left for our trip (which makes an unhappy child so much better).  So we now officially looked like crazy parents.  While I don’t think we are, it was probably overkill that I now seemed to be on a first name basis with the nurses at the doctor’s office who laughed at me every time I called.

Good news…the rash meant he was not contagious and the fever had officially broken.  Bad news he would have the rash for 7-10 days.  Which shouldn’t make him look contagious at all when we got to France….awesome.  More good news, by Saturday he started to have his appetite back and his rash started going away.

At this point, we have our son back in full force, and let me tell you it is so much fun!  He has always had a lot of personality, but now that he is walking and talking he seems to have a new-found confidence.

So we are now down with the sickness (hopefully not again for a while) and we have a happy boy back in our household…we’ll see if that good nature lasts on our 9 hour flight tonight to France to see Axelle and meet her family.  I am so excited for this trip, and hopefully we wont have another Justin Bieber moment along the way…baby, baby, baby.