It all started on July 4th. Jin and I both had the day off for the holiday and since Betty was coming to take care of Bella, us parents had planned a nice day to ourselves.
That is, until that morning when Bella awoke burning hot with a temperature of 102 degrees. At first we didn't quite know what to make of it. We thought perhaps the ear thermometer was giving us a bad reading. But Bella was cranky and not being her usual playful self. We gave her some Tylenol, made sure she was in light, cool clothing and soon the fever went down. In the absence of any other symptoms (aside from the copious waterfall of saliva she produced - a tell-tale sign of teething), we attributed the fever to her lower molars rather than to a more serious sign of infection or illness.
Then a few days later, Bella woke up in the middle of the night (an occurrence that rarely happens these days) full of congestion and having difficulty breathing. Babies tend to be obligate nose breathers, meaning they don't breathe well through their mouths. So when their small nasal orifices are clogged, breathing becomes very labored. We gave her a bottle of milk - the sucking uses the mouth muscles that helps to move the mucus out of her nose (a friend taught me this trick). Bella went back to sleep, but in the morning, she was still congested. She didn't have a fever which was a good sign. Regardless, I rushed to the nearest Walgreen's and bought (no joke) $50-worth of children's medications.
After a drop-in visit with Dr. Lam, a quick listen to her lungs, and an examination of her ears, Bella was diagnosed with her first viral illness. Dr. Lam advised to let the illness run its course, give her plenty of fluids and administer over-the-counter medications to keep her comfortable.
So that's what we've been doing: pushing the liquids and drugging her on the side. The meds make her extra tired so rather than her usual 10-12 hours of sleep/day, she sleeps more than 14 hours/day. Poor baby...let's hope this passes soon.
Back to the more important issue, me (kidding), I think I've fared well in enduring my first real-life-mom situation. Aside from her near choking experience at Gymboree, her first illness gave me a real dose of mother-anxiety. Last night I got little sleep due to my hyperactive ears straining for the slightest sound of whimpering. Crazy worrisome ideas buzzed in my mind all night, but Jin has been wonderful. He not only has mastered a technique of administering yucky-tasting medications to a very defiant little girl, he holds her and soothes her at night, wipes snot from her nose, and rocks her to sleep.
All his love has not gone unnoticed. Today when I was holding her, Bella started to whimper. I tried to calm her but instead, she reached out her arms for Daddy! Once in his arms, she laid her tired head on his shoulder. Jin's face beamed with joy! It was a touching moment between father and daughter. Bella loves her Daddy!
Stay tuned for more...
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