Claire's sick. :( She picked up a cold at daycare a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty much just a runny nose for about 10 days, but right before I left for my trip (literally as I'm packing her into her carrier to go to daycare Monday morning) the cold added on a cough. James said her cough was still there Wednesday when I got home from my trip, so I decided to call the nurses' line on Thursday morning to see whether I should take her in. If Dr. Frank was just going to tell me that it's a cold and we can't do anything about it, I didn't want to bother going in and would go to strollerskate instead. But, the nurse said that given the fact that she had the cold about two weeks at that point, we should bring her in to make sure the fluid wasn't going to her ears. I called the school to let them know Claire wouldn't be in that morning.
Dr. Frank confirmed that her ears looked great (no fluid) but that I was right about the cough; the cold was moving into her lungs. He prescribed her her very first medicines for the bronchilitis (not bronchitis) which pretty much means some inflammation of the lungs. I asked him whether she was contagious, and he said that her cold (well, the snot) was but that the cough wasn't. I asked whether she should go to daycare, and he said that it's probably where she picked it up in the first place and that a common cold is probably expected when that many kids are in close quarters to one another. Sooo ...
I call the school after I pick up Claire's prescription to find out what the procedure is if they need to administer medicine during school. The lady who answered asked how Claire was and I responded, "fine, she just has a small cold". She asked what the doctor called it. I thought it was a random question, but I said, "he said it's a cold moving into her lungs, giving her some brochiolitis, I believe; not bronchitis, though". She said, "oooh ... that sounds very contagious; I don't think you should bring her in". Now, I know where she's coming from, but I specifically asked the doctor, she has had no fever, plus it's already been 10 days so I have a feeling all the kids already had whatever Claire had (or gave it to her in the first place).
I pretty much explained that and her response was "I haven't seen any sick kids in the infant room. There may be some little ones with runny noses due to teething, but there's no notification posted that there is anyone sick." Are you freaking kidding me?! You can just LOOK in the room to see there are snot-nosed kids everywhere. I told that to her in so many words (in a pretty nice way, though, I think). Then she said, "well, I have this paper right here, and what you said she has is very contagious and you're not allowed to bring her in".
Now, if I had an option that day, I would not have, but I had meetings .. and now I was pissed. "Are you a doctor?", I asked. "What?". "ARE YOU A DOCTOR?", I asked again. "No.". "Well, neither am I, but I did ask my doctor whether it was okay to bring her in, and he said yes. What do I need to do in order to clear this up?". She said she'd have to get the director to call me back in a few minutes. Fine.
The director called me back shortly and apologized. She said she looked it up, and it sounds like Claire has a cold that's moving some into her chest (duh) but it would be okay for her to come in. So, I packed her up and dropped her off, but this one's sticking with me.
On Friday, I ended up not having to take her in either because my parents came up to visit. Yes, you read that right; my parents - who canceled their trip up here last week because they decided to stay in Houston to enjoy the beautiful Ike experience despite (or because of?) a mandatory evacuation - decided to come up now that the power was finally back on. Hilarious.
The meds are working, though. Claire was a little groggy on Thursday and Friday, I think mostly due to her first flu shot, but in much better spirits today. I held her to sleep on Friday night to aid the drainage, but she's much, much better today. I'm totally bummed I had to miss strollerskate Thursday and our impromptu playdate Friday, but I'm not willing to get others' little ones sick. My goal right now is just getting her well enough for our normal playgroup next week! It's a little ridiculous how much I look forward to those things, but I really do enjoy them. Something about hanging out with other moms with their babies about the same age as Claire ... so fun!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Home, Sweet Home
I went on a business trip three days this week, and boy, did it feel like forever. My flight out was late Monday morning, so I hung out with Claire in the morning until about 9 then dropped her off before heading to the airport. James got to play Dad AND Mom Monday night, Tuesday, and Wednesday since my flight didn't get in until about 11:30 Wednesday night.
He did fabulous.
It may have helped that the Saturday before, I went out with "the girls" from Claire's playgroup ... Mom's Night Out! I think it was the longest James had to deal with Claire all on his own, and he handled it like a champ. Gave him good practice for what was to be just a couple of days later! I had a great time and can't wait to do it again.
Actually, the same thing happened a few months prior when I had my "girls' weekend" and stayed away from Claire for the first time. The weekend prior to that other business trip, Syndee and Nina swept me away to do two night away in Southlake ... far enough to not be in the thick of things but close enough to hurry back if necessary. Two days later, I headed to Charlotte. Interesting.
Anywho, I was so ready to come home, and not just because it was an exhausting trip. I actually yearned to see my family. It certainly didn't help that Claire was sick; I ended up taking her to the doctor Thursday morning, and she's on her first set of antibiotics. Snotty and hacking, she's in great spirits. It's good to be home.
On the Ike update, my parents are fine. The night of the storm, my dad and I texted all night (at one point I think he asked me to stop texting so that he could get some sleep), and they got their power back on Tuesday evening (exactly 4 days). The worst thing was having no power, but mostly because there was no circulation (think: no A/C in Houston?! Yikes). They lost a tree in the front yard, but there was no flooding or damage to the house. My mom said it was really interesting in their neighborhood because - even though there was a lot of debris and felled trees - no trees fell on any houses; they all fell towards the street or across yards. Weird, huh?
He did fabulous.
It may have helped that the Saturday before, I went out with "the girls" from Claire's playgroup ... Mom's Night Out! I think it was the longest James had to deal with Claire all on his own, and he handled it like a champ. Gave him good practice for what was to be just a couple of days later! I had a great time and can't wait to do it again.
Actually, the same thing happened a few months prior when I had my "girls' weekend" and stayed away from Claire for the first time. The weekend prior to that other business trip, Syndee and Nina swept me away to do two night away in Southlake ... far enough to not be in the thick of things but close enough to hurry back if necessary. Two days later, I headed to Charlotte. Interesting.
Anywho, I was so ready to come home, and not just because it was an exhausting trip. I actually yearned to see my family. It certainly didn't help that Claire was sick; I ended up taking her to the doctor Thursday morning, and she's on her first set of antibiotics. Snotty and hacking, she's in great spirits. It's good to be home.
On the Ike update, my parents are fine. The night of the storm, my dad and I texted all night (at one point I think he asked me to stop texting so that he could get some sleep), and they got their power back on Tuesday evening (exactly 4 days). The worst thing was having no power, but mostly because there was no circulation (think: no A/C in Houston?! Yikes). They lost a tree in the front yard, but there was no flooding or damage to the house. My mom said it was really interesting in their neighborhood because - even though there was a lot of debris and felled trees - no trees fell on any houses; they all fell towards the street or across yards. Weird, huh?
Friday, September 12, 2008
Here Comes Ike
Hurrican Ike is here, and by "here" I mean on the Texas coast. It's the first big storm to hit Galveston in 25 years, and I have to admit I'm scared. The last one hurricane to slam Galveston (and Clear Lake, where I grew up) was Alicia back in 1983, and it has a strong impression on me. I guess what happened was my parents moved me from their bedroom to the dining room that night in the dark, and not much longer after, the roof where we were sleeping caved in. I'm not 100% what is actual memories and what is impressions from pictures, but the storm in '83 left a hole in my parents roof, water on the floor, and a huge sense of respect for Mother Nature.
But what's most shocking about this storm is the fact that my parents decided to hunker down and stay at home in Clear Lake. DESPITE the fact that they were planning on visiting Dallas this weekend anyways. DESPITE the fact that their zip code was ordered a mandatory evacuation. DESPITE the fact that they went through Alicia and know the devastation it causes.
Claire and I did a web chat with them earlier and ended up being cut off when their power went out. Luckily we were on cell phones, and those are still working, so I'm still able to keep up with their status. As of right now, Ike is still offshore, my parents are in the dark with flashlights and a radio, and there's a long night ahead.
So now I'm doing my own "hunker" tonight to live Ike from far away. Right now, I'm sitting in front of the TV flipping through all of the news channels to watch the latest updates and getting mad when someone dares to discuss the presidential election rather than the weather. I'm also texting my dad every hour to see how things are going but trying not to because I don't want him to know how scared I am.
The thing I'm dreading most is when the cell towers go down and there will be that period of silence where no communication will get through. Getting through until I hear from them again will be the hardest. What in the world were they thinking?!
Through this I'm also realizing that I have a new sense of purpose in my life. Call it a fear of death or an appreciation of life, but with Claire here now, I would never do anything so risky because she's my priority. Keeping her safe is the most important thing I can do. Maybe if I were younger and riskier, I too would have hunkered down and not have gone anywhere, but now I can't imagine putting my family in such a position; it's not worth it. There is nothing material that's worth the fear it might impose on my child.
It makes me think of another story I heard this morning about a father and his autistic son that were washed out to sea. They treaded water for 14 hours, through the night, until they were rescued. But what makes my heart ache is the account given by the father that, during the night, it was so dark, they couldn't see each other. His son is autistic, so they communicate through Disney phrases. He would call out "To infinity! ... " and his son would reply, "And beyond!" As they floated, they also started floating farther and farther apart until there were moments where he couldn't hear his son at all. I can't even imagine what was going through that father's mind as he tread water in the dark, wondering if his child was still alive. (shudder)
Whew! Okay, well back to TV scanning ... stay dry, family and friends, and I'll talk to you when communications are back up. I'm thinking of you and look forward to hearing that you're all safe and sound.
P.S. A number of you have asked how Claire's sleeping is going. She's actually going down about 9pm each night now, wah-wahing for about 5 minutes, then going to sleep. She stays down (with some grunting and whatever, but we don't go to her) until about 6:15am. Incredible, I know, but I still miss her and sneak it naps with her when I can. :) I'm not 100% sure that she's sleeping all that well - I swear she looks a little tired, but that could also be her cold - but I know it'll get better and better. Thank you for asking!
But what's most shocking about this storm is the fact that my parents decided to hunker down and stay at home in Clear Lake. DESPITE the fact that they were planning on visiting Dallas this weekend anyways. DESPITE the fact that their zip code was ordered a mandatory evacuation. DESPITE the fact that they went through Alicia and know the devastation it causes.
Claire and I did a web chat with them earlier and ended up being cut off when their power went out. Luckily we were on cell phones, and those are still working, so I'm still able to keep up with their status. As of right now, Ike is still offshore, my parents are in the dark with flashlights and a radio, and there's a long night ahead.
So now I'm doing my own "hunker" tonight to live Ike from far away. Right now, I'm sitting in front of the TV flipping through all of the news channels to watch the latest updates and getting mad when someone dares to discuss the presidential election rather than the weather. I'm also texting my dad every hour to see how things are going but trying not to because I don't want him to know how scared I am.
The thing I'm dreading most is when the cell towers go down and there will be that period of silence where no communication will get through. Getting through until I hear from them again will be the hardest. What in the world were they thinking?!
Through this I'm also realizing that I have a new sense of purpose in my life. Call it a fear of death or an appreciation of life, but with Claire here now, I would never do anything so risky because she's my priority. Keeping her safe is the most important thing I can do. Maybe if I were younger and riskier, I too would have hunkered down and not have gone anywhere, but now I can't imagine putting my family in such a position; it's not worth it. There is nothing material that's worth the fear it might impose on my child.
It makes me think of another story I heard this morning about a father and his autistic son that were washed out to sea. They treaded water for 14 hours, through the night, until they were rescued. But what makes my heart ache is the account given by the father that, during the night, it was so dark, they couldn't see each other. His son is autistic, so they communicate through Disney phrases. He would call out "To infinity! ... " and his son would reply, "And beyond!" As they floated, they also started floating farther and farther apart until there were moments where he couldn't hear his son at all. I can't even imagine what was going through that father's mind as he tread water in the dark, wondering if his child was still alive. (shudder)
Whew! Okay, well back to TV scanning ... stay dry, family and friends, and I'll talk to you when communications are back up. I'm thinking of you and look forward to hearing that you're all safe and sound.
P.S. A number of you have asked how Claire's sleeping is going. She's actually going down about 9pm each night now, wah-wahing for about 5 minutes, then going to sleep. She stays down (with some grunting and whatever, but we don't go to her) until about 6:15am. Incredible, I know, but I still miss her and sneak it naps with her when I can. :) I'm not 100% sure that she's sleeping all that well - I swear she looks a little tired, but that could also be her cold - but I know it'll get better and better. Thank you for asking!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Missed a "First"?
One of the things that I regret most about having to be a working mom is that I'm probably going to miss a lot of Claire's "firsts". I've come to terms with it some knowing that after a "first" will always come a "second", a "third", and then it'll just become the everyday norm. If I can't see it right when it happens, well she'll just get used to having to repeat it for me again.
Another thing that makes me feel better is that I might not even recognize if I did see the first ... take yesterday for example. Claire's teachers were so excited that she was copying them by patting another baby on the back that was being burped. It was a pretty big deal, but I don't know that I would have necessarily noted the behavior at being a milestone or first! So maybe it's a good thing that we have those teachers around to tell us when to be excited about the mini-milestones. :)
Another thing that makes me feel better is that I might not even recognize if I did see the first ... take yesterday for example. Claire's teachers were so excited that she was copying them by patting another baby on the back that was being burped. It was a pretty big deal, but I don't know that I would have necessarily noted the behavior at being a milestone or first! So maybe it's a good thing that we have those teachers around to tell us when to be excited about the mini-milestones. :)
Monday, September 1, 2008
The Fabled "Magical 4th Night"
Everyone says that the 4th night is the "magical 4th night" when it all turns around. Apparently you lay the baby down in the crib and they look up, smile at you, and roll over to sleep. To that, I would like to say B-freakin'-S.
For us, Claire was put down after her usual routine: bath, books, bottle, cuddling. We also added a new piece to the beginning of the ritual ... bubbles! After dinner, we're going to give her bubble-time before everything else since she loves it so much.
Tonight, Claire started crying about two seconds after we laid her down in her crib at 8:55. Grrr ... we did the patting and loving words and then quickly left the room to set the timer -- 20 minutes.
At 9:13, 18 minutes later, Claire fell asleep. Whew! At least we didn't even need to go in to console. I do think that it does get easier, perhaps more for the parents than anything else. As much as it still does pain me to hear her cry, it doesn't hurt quite as much or as deeply. Another corner has been turned.
For us, Claire was put down after her usual routine: bath, books, bottle, cuddling. We also added a new piece to the beginning of the ritual ... bubbles! After dinner, we're going to give her bubble-time before everything else since she loves it so much.
Tonight, Claire started crying about two seconds after we laid her down in her crib at 8:55. Grrr ... we did the patting and loving words and then quickly left the room to set the timer -- 20 minutes.
At 9:13, 18 minutes later, Claire fell asleep. Whew! At least we didn't even need to go in to console. I do think that it does get easier, perhaps more for the parents than anything else. As much as it still does pain me to hear her cry, it doesn't hurt quite as much or as deeply. Another corner has been turned.
Monday Morning (Sunday Night Contiuation and Follow-up)
Just thought I'd share since I posted early last night. Claire slept through until 6am when she woke complaining. We made a bottle for James to feed -- which she ate the WHOLE THING -- and then went back to sleep without a peep. At 8am I got up and happened to peek in the room to find her awake and just hanging out in her crib ... no crying, whining, or complaining!
I have the best baby ever. Weissbluth, Ferber, Pantley and Sears ... not exactly sure whose method we ended up using, but I'm feeling pretty good about it and am glad that we did it. Now if only I can figure out how to fall asleep myself!
Tonight's the true test because we head back to work tomorrow. Our intervals are 20-30-30. Thank you to everyone for all your support! All of your words of encouragement and similar stories really did help us get through this whole adventure that much better.
I have the best baby ever. Weissbluth, Ferber, Pantley and Sears ... not exactly sure whose method we ended up using, but I'm feeling pretty good about it and am glad that we did it. Now if only I can figure out how to fall asleep myself!
Tonight's the true test because we head back to work tomorrow. Our intervals are 20-30-30. Thank you to everyone for all your support! All of your words of encouragement and similar stories really did help us get through this whole adventure that much better.
Day 3: Sunday Night
Another fun-filled, action-packed day today. We hung out with Dwo and Crystal -- at home making breakfast, at the mall shopping, and at sushi buffet! I haven't had real sushi (and a lot of it) since when I first found out I was pregnant, so I definitely enjoyed myself tonight. I gave myself a little treat by taking a nap with Claire earlier as well. I know, I should be sleep training her for naps, too ... but I figure that since I don't see her during the day much, I'll let her wonderful teachers at school deal with that little problem. :)
Okay, so for the meat of it ... it's 15-20-30 tonight ... here we go:
Okay, so for the meat of it ... it's 15-20-30 tonight ... here we go:
- 9:00pm - Super-tired from playing a bunch (Claire LOVES bubbles), we do bath, books, bottle, and cuddling. We say goodbye to Dwo and Crystal who are headed back for Austin and cuddle some more.
- 9:30pm - Eye rubbing and droopy eyes galore, Claire's ready for bed. This time, she wastes no time figuring it out and starts crying as soon as I lay her down in her crib! We hurry out and set the timer -- 15 minutes.
- 9:40pm (10 minutes into the 15 minutes) - The screaming crying is just complaining exclamations now. It's like she's saying, "hey! you! this is annoying! meanies!" but at least not yelling at the top of her lungs.
- 9:42pm (12 minutes into the 15 minutes) - Silence. Asleep. Seriously. AND her head is turned to the side, AND I can see it in the video monitor clearly. Wowsers.
- 10:20pm - Wakes crying, softly at first, then in more earnest. I set the timer -- 15 minutes.
- 10:28pm (8 min into the 15 min) - Asleep again.
- 10:33pm (11 min into the 15 min? Or should it be a new 15 min?) - Up and crying again, but it's not bad. Just her yelling.
- 10:37pm - We go in there, but even as we're approaching the crib, we realize the crying is just her calling out but not actual cries. We sneak back out to watch her on the video monitor without alerting her to our presence.
- 10:42pm - She's managed to make her way to the other end of the crib, but she's quiet and appears to be asleep.
- 11:24pm - Up again. I set the timer just to be consistent (15 minutes), but I think I'll just wait to see if her crying escalates to needing to console her. I'm thinking no, though.
- 11:30pm (5 min into the 15 min) - Asleep. I'm thinking that maybe I stop timing and just go with the gut for these night wakings. Or maybe don't time until the crying out becomes all-out crying. Also thinking maybe I should try and go to sleep.
- 1:40am - Maybe I'm the one that needs sleep training. How come I can't take advantage of this and sleep?! I miss aving Claire's little warm body next to mine and being able to snuggle up. :( Okay, okay, here I go to try the whole sleep thing again.
The final tally (at least until 1:40am):
- Time to sleep: 12 minutes (-10 min from last night)
- Times woken up in night: 2
- Times we had to go in: 0 (we did once, but we didn't HAVE to)
Tomorrow is 20-30-30, and then we'll just do 30 min for now on. Hopefully (crossing fingers) it doesn't matter since we never even got to the "20" from the 15-20-30 intervals tonight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)