Third Time's the Charm (sort of...)

Little Vi has been sick. Really sick, in fact. We almost took her to the ER last night, as she was having coughing fits that turned into choking fits. We had scheduled another Dr's appt. for this morning, but were concerned that we might not make it that long. Eventually we decided to just stay up with her all night to make sure she kept breathing. Long story short, all three of us made it safely through the night and then to the appt. this morning.

A little background:

About a week-and-a-half ago, Vi went in for her four month checkup. She was in great health, and her stats are as follows: weight, 11 lbs 14 oz; length, 24.75 inches; head circumference (for those who monitor such things...), 15.7 inches. The Dr was happy with her growth and overall health. We had a happy, healthy baby.

Last Wednesday or Thursday, Vi got a bit congested and developed a bit of a cough. Nothing much, so we didn't worry about it. No fever or other symptoms. On Friday, things got worse, and Vi was having a hard time sleeping and nursing due to her congestion and cough. On Saturday things had not improved, so we went to the pediatrician's office and saw the weekend Dr., whom we had not seen before. He looked Vi over and said that although she looked a bit miserable, her lungs and ears looked fine and that he thought we should just go home and watch her. If things got worse, he suggested we come back. He also suggested we invest in a humidifier and some saline drops for her nose, both of which I picked up that evening.

Sunday was about the same as Saturday, but none of us was very happy. We had now learned that a sick Vi makes for a somewhat somber household, as she (like most babies) loudly requests comforting in the form of being carried around, snuggled, and generally being clingy. We've also come to realize that if Vi isn't feeling well, we don't get to see her smiles and she isn't very talkative. For a little baby, however, I think she is a trooper. (And speaking of a trooper, she is in baby LOVE with my dog, Trooper...) The humidifier helped, but the saline drops were violently protested against. We did use the bulb syringe to suck out her nose, but we now know that she really, really hates that.

Monday dawned and we hoped that Vi would be feeling ever so much better, as the Dr had predicted she probably would. Not the case, however. All day she had a cough that could have been confused for that of a grown man, and began to arch her back and moan/wail. That was then followed by her going limp and whimpering. Not a fun sight, and probably not very fun for her, as well. By evening, she was completely miserable and was beginning to choke after some of her coughing fits. That was the point that we considered going to the ER. We thought of trying to help her get some sleep, and put some phone books under one end of her mattress to elevate her head, but quickly realized that that would not be enough. So we took turns holding her more upright and rocking in our rocking chair. Not only would that (maybe) help her congestion drain better, but that way we could be sure she was still breathing.

During Mike's turn rocking her, I spent an hour or so downstairs trying to get some work done on Mid-Columbia Symphony program notes that I need to have completed by the end of the week. I didn't get much done. Upon my return to the bedroom, Mike had fashioned a wedge-shaped sleeping area for Vi on our bed, and was laying next to her keeping watch. She had finally calmed down enough to fall asleep, and we took turns with her all night. Actually, Mike swapped spots with me and he slept on the floor for the rest of the night.

This morning Vi and I met Mike at the Dr's office, and after a brief inspection, our regular pediatrician diagnosed another ear infection. He prescribed another round of Amoxicillin, continued use of the humidifier and elevated rest. When we mentioned our trip to CT this coming weekend, he also suggested (albeit very "off the record") that if it were his kid, he'd use a tiny dose of decongestant (like Dimetapp) about an hour before we boarded each of our flights (two out, two back). Not only did I fill the antibiotic prescription, but I also got some Triaminic. The pharmacist and his assistant were a bit hesitant to "recommend" an equivalent to Dimetapp (they didn't carry it) for an infant, but once I described what the Dr had suggested and at what doseage, they were willing to help out.

So, long story even longer, Vi has recieved her first antibiotic dose and will hopefully be feeling better very soon. And hopefully that will allow all of us to get some good sleep tonight. And maybe I can even get some work done on my program notes today!

I should offer some special thanks to some of our friends on FaceBook for keeping tabs on Violet's progress and for offering some advice and emotional support. Thanks Amber, Amy, Kristen and Alisha!

Here are a few images from the past few days:

Vi looking a bit sick on Monday.

Vi taking a bit of a rest, and watching the curtains blow in the breeze today. BTW, a warm front blew in last night and almost blew the house down. It is currently 57 or so degrees outside, and the snow is disappearing fast!