On the Mend

We are definitely on the up swing of a very long week with a very sick little girl. It started last Saturday with a cough. It was such a gorgeous day, though, and Moon and I got out in the woods for a wonderful hike and picnic.

The middle of that night was filled with hot sweaty little fists, terrifying (to parents) coughs and sleeplessness for all. After a few more feverish nights and very little sleep, we called the pediatrician's office on Monday. The nurse said she thought it sounded like "whatever is going 'round" and that they are seeing it take 72 hours to swing upward. The nurse said if she still seemed like a "limp dishrag" the next day, she would suspect pneumonia and we should bring her in.

Well, after another rough night of bed-hopping for all of us, I awoke hopeful. I stayed home with her Tuesday. At 10:00am, Sesame Street announced that their "word on the street" was "BALLET" and by 10:05am, I officially declared her a limp dishrag.

This kid has been obsessed with all things ballet and her little body did not even crack a smile... not even a little glimmer or twinkle in her eye.

In we went to the cootie-filled pediatrician's office. I do love the people there and always get such good treatment-- validated for our parenting choices and all that. However, the toys in the corner that all the sick kids play with (including my own!) do make my skin crawl.

The little monkey had x-rays and the whole nine yards. "A little pneumonia right there on her right lung", they said.

Such a big word for a little body. She started on the heavy drugs that day and really seems to be doing well. We have kept her out of school the remainder of the week. Between Grandma (my mom), Pops (Stephen's dad) and our uber-flexible jobs, it has worked out just fine. It does make me feel lucky that Stephen and I both have these positions where no one's job is on the line if we have to stay home with a sick little one. I am keenly aware that not everyone in our filthy rich democracy is so fortunate.

Today she really fought taking her antibiotics so I think that is a sign that her fire is back. She (and consequently WE) slept STRAIGHT through from midnight to 6:30am this morning. Whew! We needed it! It is finally starting to catch up with me so I am off to bed quite early tonight.