Booo Sicky Sicky

We battled our first illness this weekend and thankfully it came and went like a North Texas thunderstorm. :0) Noa began to sound congested Friday and that night could not sleep or nurse well at all because of all the snot buildup. I couldn't seem to reach any of it with the bulb syringe, and of course, she can't blow. So we tossed and turned with her, hoping that some sort of allergy attack was to blame. Saturday morning we got up with the sun and decided to have an early breakfast without waiting for Josh to get up (I was starving!) and as I was sitting with a red-eyed snotty-sounding little girl, I reached to tickle her feet and was startled at how warm they were. Next I felt her hands and then her face. I didn't realize skin could feel so hot to the touch! Nervous now, I grabbed the forehead thermometer and took her temp... 102.4. I broke out in a cold sweat. ILLNESS!!! The worst thoughts occurred first... meningitis, systemic infection, flu! I first called our pediatrician who stopped asking questions once I told her about the temp reading I just got. She gave us the next appointment that morning, about two hours away. I calmly smiled at Noa (got a sweet, watery-eyed smile back), nursed her, gave her some water, nursed her again, then called a friend who is an RN. Her feedback helped to calm me. She didn't mention meningitis or imminent death, just the possibilities of ear infections and a cold. Ok, this was sounding a little less threatening. Josh was up soon after and helped keep Noa company while I scurried to get us dressed, and then we were off.

The ending to this story is pretty anti-climatic. The pediatrician took her temperature (it was down below 100 by then), checked her ears, her chest, and her throat, and asked us alot of questions about her habits lately. Everything looked and sounded clean. Noa was diagnosed with her first cold.

Here she is hangin' with Daddy before we headed to the Doctor's office...

... and here she is after her visit. Josh was so happy that it was "just" a cold. So was I!

Saturday night was equally rough as the night before. Her fever came back for a little while, and she was miserable, as expected. Last night was better. Her sinuses sound like they are clearing up and her fever did not return. We are so grateful for illnesses (that remind us of our fallibility), modern technology, doctors, friends, prayers, and our Creator (for designing a body that heals itself).