Infestation

A bug has infested our house yet again.

Last Sunday, Brooke started getting a little runny nose.  It continued until Tuesday, when she was wheezing so badly that I could hear her from across the room.  Yet, she was acting like her normal, happy self, albeit a little more tired than usual.  I did what any Mommy would do - gave her a nebulizer treatment and put her to bed a little early for some rest.

Wednesday, she didn't sound any better, so Jim took her to the pediatrician office.  She has yet another double ear infection.  We're continuing with the nebulizer treatments, and she is also on antibiotics.  When she's done with the meds, the dr gave us a prescription for something called Xylarex, which is an all-natural medicine that prevents bacteria from building up in the e--- tubes of the ears (I can't remember the name for the tubes, ever!).  I think we'll give it a shot and hope it cuts down on the ear infections.  (Side note: does anyone have any experience with this Xylarex?)

The dr said that at this age, kids in daycare will "live at" the dr office.  Last year, Brooke still had my immunities from being in utero.  Now, she's lost them, and her own immune system has to build up - and the only way for that to happen is for her to get sick.  The dr said it will probably take until Brooke is about 3 before her immune system is built up and she doesn't get sick so often - that's the bad news.  The good news is that when she starts school ("real" school), she won't get sick as much as the other kids do.  I wish I would have been able to breastfeed exclusively longer, but it just wasn't happening once I had to stop for 10 days for antibiotics....

Brooke is doing much better today - the congestion is MUCH less, and she slept all night without so much as a single cough. 

But now, I have it.  This is usual - I have the immune system of a 1 year old when it comes to colds.  Seriously.  I go years without catching the stomach flu or anything else - but, colds, I get at least 6 per year. And they ALWAYS turn into ear infections for me.  Joy.  I'm not there yet, but today is the first day I've felt bad - I feel like something is sitting on my chest and have a terrible cough and a runny nose.  I wish I was home in bed, but here I am, working through it as usual.

Hopefully this weekend will still be somewhat fun - we were supposed to get together with a friend of mine, which I cancelled since Brooke and I are both sick.  A church right by our house is having their annual "Greek festival" this weekend, so I think we might check it out tomorrow - the fresh air will do Brooke and I good, and the weather has been gorgeous lately!