There's A First Time For Everything

Even colds.

Have you ever watched a 4 month old try to figure out why he can't breathe through his nose? Or what a "cough" is? Last night Max was rolling around in his crib, rubbing his tiny fists on his face, trying to make whatever sick feeling was infecting his head go away.

Poor, poor baby.

So today we went to the doctor, and had to go in the SICK Waiting Room. Yep, there's a seperate one. To quarantine kids with germs. Nice idea, except for the fact that when there's a sign on the door that tells you that every other child that has licked the toys in that room, spit up on the chairs in that room, and sneezed on the table in that room is even sicker than YOUR kid....it makes you want to temporarily stop breathing for the 10 minutes that you're waiting for your doctor.

And then they take you to the SICK exam rooms. And you can just smell the sleepless nights, and hear the snotty noses.

Our Dr. L wasn't there today, so we saw Dr. S. She's fantastic, though difficult to understand with her thick accent. What she didn't say, was "You are such an anxious mom! This child just has a damn COLD! Tis the season! Go home and give him some Tylenol, you big wuss!"

Of course she didn't. Instead, she greeted us with "Oh, my Max! When I got the note that he had a little fever I wanted him to come in right away! He is so small....we need to see him if he is sick! If he was five we would tell you to stay home, but oh no....he is so little!"

Ahhhhhh......drinking in the "you're not crazy" sympathy. It's like she climbed into my head and listened closely to the little voice that was screaming "my poor helpless baby is sick and I don't know how to fix it and I want to just rock him for hours and then throw myself on the floor of his room when he's sleeping so that I can listen to him breathe while simultaneously praying furiously that he starts to feel better". Makes me feel like less of a rookie.

Diagnosis? Bad cold, some trouble breathing when he is lying down, but otherwise....no H1N1, no RSV, no major wheezing that should cause concern. But she wants us to bring him back tomorrow just to be safe.

Prescription? Cool mist humidifier in his bedroom, saline spray and bulb syringe for his nose (this NEVER works, but whatever), Tylenol if needed, and watch him closely. Oh, and macaroni and cheese for dinner. With a side of fried clams.

Wait....that was for Mom and Dad. Why? Because Mom is sick too, and the food of her childhood makes her happy. VERY happy.