Sick Kiddo

It's that time of year again, when the leaves change, the weather cools, and children get sick. For the most part we are a very healthy household. Very rarely do any of us get sick, so when we do, it is a serious event. It all started a couple of days ago when K came up to me and told me "Mama....I is hot." And sure enough, she was burning up. 

That's when I switched over to Nurse Mommy mode. Taking her temperature just to be sure, giving her some Tylenol, and camping her out on the sofa with some apple juice. She didn't seem super sick...yet...but I knew it was coming and so I kept my strict eye on her to figure out exactly what she was sick with.

That night was seemingly uneventful, other than her crawling in to bed with me in the middle of the night and tossing and turning the rest, with yet another fever. The next morning she seemed fine again, but a I could detect a small cough and I worried because I knew it would probably escalate pretty quickly. 

After work, I called the hubby to tell him I was headed home and to ask about K and how she was feeling. Sure enough she was coughing and feverish again. At the same time I had text from my Auntie canceling my little cousin's birthday because, she too, was sick. 

So I immediately called the doctor to make a early morning appointment because I WAS NOT dealing with a sick kid all weekend, or worse, a crowded, icky emergency room with a sick toddler. I was a little worried that maybe I was being too paranoid and I would take her to the doctor and they would just send us on our way, but my preemptive attitude was vindicated that night when K was up every hour coughing and crying. 

Now K is on the mend and I don't have to worry about her passing whatever she has on to baby M. A sick 3 month old would be even worse! Whew! Our Saturday has so far been productive. I got to catch up on some much needed sleep, thanks to my hubby who let me nap while he cleaned the whole downstairs, allowing me to get to some much needed decluttering and deep cleaning. Now I can enjoy cuddle time with K while I Blog.

Here is K "cuddling" with my arm :) If you know her, 
you know that is as good as it gets.

This whole "event" got me thinking about what we do and need to do to continue our good health record. I attribute having healthy children to a couple of things.

 One: Breastfeeding. Of course not all breastfed babies are healthy and not all formula fed babies sick, but I do think that I have given my kids a pretty good jump-start on their immune systems. 

 Two: I'm not a germaphobe. While I like to keep my kids clean and wash Ks hands after she plays on the playground, I don't feel it necessary to disinfect every single surface that she touches. Kids have to build up a good immune system, and to do that she has to be exposed to some dirt. 

 Three: I keep her away from sick kids. I think that this is the most important but also the most difficult. Kids will be kids and share EVERYTHING and that is why you gotta keep them away from each other when they are sick. I have found that every time K gets sick, it is because I wasn't able to keep her away from another sick kid. Granted I won't always be able to do so either, but that's when I go into my disinfecting mode and clean the house from top to bottom.

Lysol is my best friend. Especially with a toddler who loves to touch everything. Maybe this sounds contradicting to my second rule, so I'll explain. While I don't always wipe down every door knob or grocery cart while I am out and about, I do like disinfect most surfaces in my house at least once a week or daily when someone in the house is sick. I wipe down door knobs, light switches, sinks, and remote control buttons. I also make sure I clean K's sheets and blankie when she is sick. 

Here are some things I make sure I have on hand to help 

disinfect before, during, and after an illness.

Lysol, hand sanitizer, wipes, and hand soap 

(especially this kind from Target: it's Vanilla Chai scented!)

Now it's time to change the laundry and start dinner. Happy Saturday everyone!