Word to the Wise: Listen When Your Baby Cries

Well, call me Mom of the Year. You'd think after three of these child units I'd get a handle on it, but Tuesday night, after getting Brigid to bed, I went upstairs to do some sewing. I had the monitor with me and after about 45 minutes, I heard her start crying. We try not to run right in so she can settle herself back down, and she did. An hour later, she was fussing again, but the same thing happened. She stopped crying after a few minutes. It happened again later in the evening a few more times. Jack came home from work; we watched TV, and then I went back upstairs to do more sewing. I'm making a few costumes for a friend who is putting on "Wizard of Oz" at her school. So I'm upstairs when I hear Jack call out for me to come down. He's at the foot of the stairs holding a very glassy-eyed, vomit-covered Brigid. She had been sick, probably more times than one. I scooped her up (no small feat ... she reeked) and while Jack took care of the god-awful mess in her crib I gave her a bath. She was so listless. She usually loves her bath, but she just sat there. I also discovered she was covered in poop, too. Poor baby had diahrreah as well.

Within a half-hour of her bath she had a raging fever. We brought her into our room and all she wanted was boob. So between boob and barf, it was a very busy night. The next morning, she was still very feverish. I went to work, leaving Jack holding a crying Brigid. She threw up again in the morning but took a few very long naps. Yesterday afternoon wasn't too bad, but she was feverish and I knew, even though it was Tylenol-induced, that her improved demeanor wouldn't last very long. By 6:30 she was asleep again. She woke an hour later, had a bath and was up until after 9.

She went down in the crib, but at 2 a.m. when she started crying, I jumped up to get her. I didn't want to take the chance at a repeat of the other night. She hadn't vomitted again, but she was boiling hot. I dosed her with baby Advil and brought her into bed where it was boob all night again. But at least she got some sleep, albeit restless sleep. An early morning today probably means early naps again. She was feverish when I left for work so we dosed her again with Tylenol. I hope it doesn't spread to her ears, but if the fever doesn't subside by tonight I'll have to call the doctor's office.

Jack in the meantime spent the morning having his hip MRI'ed -- is that even a word? -- because he has had no relief with his leg. They thought it was his back for a long time, but are now thinking it's the hip/leg because of the nasty fall he took while skiing a few months ago. Hopefully, the MRI will give them a better idea on how to address it. It's been very discouraging to him to have this constant pain and to be on so much Advil and Alieve. I can only handle one health crisis at a time.