Really Really Sick Baby

This has been a scary week.  On Monday I took Leah to the doctor.  She had a sore throat, cough, ear infection in one ear, and temperature of 103.7.  On Tuesday she cried all day, and refuse to eat.  Any liquids I could get in her, she would throw up when she coughed.  This morning, she was still burning up, still coughing, still refusing liquids, still not eating, and so lethargic she could barely hold up her own head.  We went to the doctor.  After a mini-lecture from the nurse on why "you should always take her temperature before giving any Tylenol" I sharply said, "I guarantee you, she has a fever."  She did - 104.6. 

The doctor checked her ears.  Both of them were fully infected and had only gotten worse since Monday, even on the antibiotics.  The doctor took her blood - Leah did so great (actually the nurse is the one who did great, Leah didn't even know she had a needle in her arm - she just kept up with her constantly moan/cry and never flinched once).  So far her blood looks fine, thank goodness, more tests will be run over the next 2 days.  And she's now on antibiotic shots.  She got one round of shots today, and we go back to the doctor Thursday and Friday of this week to finish the second and third round of shots. 

She has been miserable this whole time.  A double ear infection plus a nasty virus combines to make one monster illness.  It is just awful to hear her moan, in such pain.  She hasn't fought a diaper change in three days and she no longer has the energy to fight the car seat.  Today she was barely sucking her pacifier, which was absolutely pitiful to see - she usually goes at her paci "W" with gusto and vigor.  And I am supposed to be studying, but how can I when my baby is in the other room, crying , "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma ..?"  She just wants to be held and sleep all day and has absolutely no energy.   And it's my responsibility to try and sneak liquids in her every chance I get.  So I run up and down the stairs checking on her, offering Gatorade or apple juice in her bottle, studying in short spurts, while Nana rocks and holds her all day.

I hold her at night.  When she wakes up with a hacking cough (about once an hour) she will either put herself back to sleep if it's not too bad, or it will get so bad that BA or I will run in there, scoop her up and cuddle her to try and stop the coughing.  Since fluids are such a priority for us, BA and I have resorted back to the syringe as a feeding device.  Last night at 1 a.m. BA and I were sitting on the floor of our bedroom trying to force feed Leah apple juice from a syringe.  She was refusing her bottle, but if I could get a syringe in her mouth she would usually take about 20 mL of juice before she gave up on that. 

I miss her smiling face.  I miss her giggles and the sneaky look she gives me right before she takes off crawling at full speed toward the living room (which is still not baby-proofed and is off limits to her).  I miss watching her stand up and crawl.  She has such a wonderful personality and we haven't seen it in 4 days now.  But at the same time, she is so lovable when she is sick.  She will cuddle up on whoever is holding her and fall asleep in their arms, open mouthed and panting. 

So that's the update.  She is a really, really sick baby.  Hopefully she'll be back to her perky self by the weekend, and I'll be back to Bar review lectures and practice problems.  In the meantime I expect to get some more cuddle time from my sweet, beautiful, baby girl tonight.