Croup Got the Best of Our Halloween

It's not been the best week in the Downs household. Brigid's fever has lasted longer than we thought it should, so by Tuesday morning when it hadn't broken we took her in to the doctor's office. The PA there said her ears looked good, said it was probably just one of the viruses going around but to bring her back in if it hadn't cleared by Thursday or Friday. Well, she was still feverish on Halloween, so the poor angel didn't get to go out. I worked Tuesday night getting Patricia's costume done; Margaret's was easy and I had it made Wednesday afternoon before dinner so she could wear it that night, but alas, Brigid, glassy-eyed and broiling, stayed home with Daddy. I took Margaret, Patricia and Margaret's friend, Logan, to Grace Avenue where we did the usual route and ended up at Grandma and Granddad Downs' house. Logan's mom picked him up there. It was already 7:30 and we stopped by the rectory to say hi to Fr. John even though his Godbaby wouldn't be with us. We were then going to swing by Aunty Shell's house and then Lois' house for her usual get-together, but on the way Margaret started to come down with a migraine, so we headed home instead. Could have been better, could have been a lot worse. Baby B was already in bed when we got home, although she was crying a bit here and there. Margaret went straight to bed even though it was only about 8:15 and Patricia was allowed to paw through her candy briefly before she, too, was ushered upstairs.

About 2 a.m. Brigid started coughing and crying, but it was a barking cough so the first thing I thought was croup. I brought her in with us and she slept fitfully, which means so did I. I went to work Thursday morning and called the pediatrician's office. Jack brought her in and the report wasn't good. She has an ear infection AND croup, so she's on antibiotics and prednisone. One good thing is she's a good medicine taker and hasn't balked at the stuff yet. Yet. There's always time. Margaret was awful as a baby. I had to sit on her to get her to take her medicine when she was about 3 and had pneumonia. So far, I haven't had to resort to any such tactics with Brigid. She says, "mmmm" when we give her medicine. Could be a cautionary tale.

Yesterday afternoon and evening she wasn't herself, naturally, and it was a weird experience getting her to bed. She shrieked and screamed -- diferent from her usual protestations when being put to bed wide awake -- last night three times when I attempted to put her down. She finally went to bed fitfully, and cried out and barked a few times during the evening, but at 12:30 a.m. she started to bark and cry out "Mahmee" for me, so I went and got her. Rough night again as a result. She slept in some this morning, and was in a good mood when I left for work. We'll see how she does throughout the day. The prednisone is to be given for five days, with the last day being the day after her last day of coughing. Hmmm, hope that works.

Meanwhile, the rest of us have thankfully and mercifully been spared. We've all at one time or another the last couple of weeks sniffed or coughed, but so far, no fevers or barks. Even though Margaret had her migraine, she said she enjoyed Halloween; Patricia loved her Elizabeth Swan (from Pirates of the Caribbean) costume even though very few people knew that's what she was. Margaret, as a vampiress, got a few correct guesses. We were able to resurrect her Malificent cape from a previous costume to pair with her vampiress dress, so she did pretty well. It was a beautiful night, weatherwise. This afternoon, Margaret has a harvest dance she's attending, and next week is the combined band and chorus concert, so she's been busy with that. That should be an enjoyable evening because it's the first time she'll be performing both chorus and band. She loves both enterprises.

I took photos of Margaret and Patricia in costume; I'll dress Brigid up as she was supposted to be for Halloween and post them when I can. Perhaps we can create an after-Halloween event. Maybe we'll send them out for Election Day. The politicians are scarier than anything we could ever come up with.