Sickness Hits Us Again

Petite is still not well. It's been a week filled with keeping her occupied. Playing games (peekabo, chase), playing with her toys (she laughed so hard when I showed her that the Fish.er Pri.ce Daddy could actually go through the front door of the play house!) and reading lots and lots of books. All of the preceeding interspersed with pauses here and there to wipe her runny nose. You know... before she can lick it. (*shudder*)

Anyway, for the past two nights, Petite has stirred around 11 p.m. and starts coughing. And coughing. And coughing. Both nights, she coughed so hard, she made herself throw up. On me. Oh joy. I adore the scent of baby barf at midnight.

Not.

What worried us though wasn't so much the whole 'cough-til-you-vomit' thing. Lots of children do that.

Nope. What worried us was the sound of the cough.

I'd never heard it before, but you can be certain that it was unmistakable. And as parents of young children and adults have told me, it was spot on. It sounded EXACTLY like a baby seal.

Croup.

Petite was diagnosed this morning with a very mild case of croup. The doctor prescribed only one dose of medication, expecting that is all that she'll need. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he's right.

He advised us not to take her to her swimming class on Saturday morning, indicating that the warmth and steam may provoke a cough. However, he said that we could take her to the Santa Claus Parade on Saturday evening, as long as the cold didn't aggravate her cough. If it does, I'll head home with her immediately.

All this assuming she's doing fairly well tomorrow when we get up. I hate it when she's ill. But I am fully aware that croup is common among young children. And besides, I know I'll have to get through chicken pox, measles and heavens knows what other childhood illnesses with Petite yet.

One day at a time.

Poor baby girl. :(