So SICK SICK SICK of being SICK!

Well, after two nights of 1-hour stretches of sleep, and after checking her ears once or twice a day, I finally caved in and took Veronica to the doctor's today.

Tuesday she had conjunctivitis and got her six-month vaccinations. Wednesday her eye got better (from drops the doctor gave us), but she started with a cough and a high temperature (not quite fever). Thursday the upper respiratory infection was full-blown, and she reached fever status. Friday she was even worse, and she didn't sleep (she woke up EVERY HOUR Friday night!). Saturday she wouldn't smile. That should've been a SERIOUS CLUE that she was more than just sick with a cold! If any of you have spent any time, and I mean seriously, even 30 seconds, with Veronica, you'd know that she smiles for EVERYONE! and loves to have people smile at her so she can return the joy.

Sunday I'd had enough. I think it was mostly due to the fact that between Megan, Miranda and Veronica, the last two nights Travis and I each got maybe four hours of sleep total- with hourly interruptions, mind you! This is where having more children is really hard! I also think that I'd had enough when, just after bathing both of us, and smelling oh-so-good and clean, she was crying and started coughing, and puked up EVERYTHING all over me, her and the stairs and floor (it just kept coming).

I did look at her ears (actually, just before the puking incident). To me they were a little questionable. But, combined with all the other symptoms, I figured I'd better have an expert check them out. The pediatrician spent, and I'm not kidding, less than 5 minutes with me (I know because I'd been timing Veronica's respirations and heart beat with the stop watch on my phone, but didn't turn off the timer when the doctor walked in. I checked it 8 minutes later when I was sitting in the front seat of my van- after having seen the pediatrician, buckled 'Nica in her car seat, payed our co-pay at the front desk, and walked the short distance to the van. In fact, maybe we were in the room with the doc less than 3 minutes!). He took one look at each ear and said they were "Raging"! Hmmmm, either my diagnostic skills are off, or I wasn't seeing the same thing as he was.

At any rate, Veronica still had a rough afternoon. The cough wakes her up, and she cries after each bout. But, this evening (about 8 hours after her first dose of antibiotic), she had more pink in her cheeks, she fell asleep calmly, and was breathing more normally. Her temperature also seem to have come down (without the help of an antipyretic).

I said a little prayer, as I was cuddling my sweet little half-year-old tonight. Once again, I am so grateful for antibiotics, and the power of modern medicine. I'm grateful that God has given us these tools to help relieve suffering (both for patient and mother!) And, I also prayed that everybody in this virus-infested house would sleep well tonight!

Have I mentioned I am tired of illness?