Henry went to the pediatrician today for his first sick visit and it reminded me of how much I’ve changed since Stella was born!
Date: 2007
Situation: Infant with 104 temperature in the middle of the night
Course of Action: Both Andy and I are up with Stella and make the decision to take her to ER because we are flipping out (skip pediatrician consult); diagnosed with ear infection and given antibiotics; get prescription filled immediately; baby kept home and away from others (ear infections are NOT contagious).
Date:2011
Situation: Infant with 104 temperature in the middle of the night
Course of Action: I do everything I can not to wake anyone in the house including Andy – at least one of us should be getting sleep; feels obligated to call pediatrician on-call due to high temp.; she recommends tylenol and check-in with office in the morning; sleep on couch while baby Henry sleeps in swing in living room; baby seems better in the morning – eating, laughing, playing; however, call pediatrician only because Andy will ask if I did; pediatrician wants to see baby due to temp.; doesn’t bother me that available appt. is not until the afternoon; take (now exposed) girls to daycare because there is no way I am taking all three to dr. office; but first head to lunch on the coldest day ever with girlfriends (did fully disclose to friends that baby is ill, but baby will remain in carseat and will not lick them, they are ok with it…must say that I would not have expected them to be ok with it if they didn’t have multiple children themselves); finally got baby to pediatrician and diagnosed with RAGING ear infection (the kid barely cried, how was I to know? Oh right, the 104 fever…); go Krogering; drop off something at a friend’s house; finally drop off prescription at Walgreens – tell them that Andy will pick up on way home from work in 2 hours; give baby more Tylenol; pick up girls at daycare; finally get sick baby home and on antibiotics. Will most likely take baby out of the house again tomorrow.
Morale of the story = Your parenting will change over time and if the sick kids are eating, peeing, pooping and laughing; they are usually going to be just fine…however, you don’t understand any of that until you live it over and over and over and over…