Stella's first time being sick.

Stella has never been sick before, besides a little cold or runny noise. I contribute it to my continued breastfeeding and also to the fact that she doesn't get out much so isn't around other sick people. (I'm not sure if that one is a good or a bad thing.) On Monday Stella had a runny nose but was acting normal. On Tuesday she woke up with greenish yellow goo oozing from her eyes and as the morning progressed her skin was turning pink around the eyes. She seemed to be acting normal but a little more fussy then normal. Her forehead felt a little warm but nothing that would make me super worried. I was using Young Living essential oils when I thought it was just a cold but I decided her eyes looked bad enough to bring her to the doctor. 

Our regular pediatrician is out on maternity leave so we saw whatever doctor was available. When we got there she could tell right away that Stella had pink eye. But after looking in her ears found that she also had ear infections in both ears. She also had a temp of 101.3. I felt horrible that I didn't know she had a temperature. I have never taken her temperature rectally, I'm afraid that I'm going to puncture her rectum or something. I keep telling myself that I need to buy one that takes the temperature from the ear I just haven't done it yet. 

We were given a prescription for antibiotics and sent on our way. I should also note that I did not like the doctor we saw, she was very smart but not personable at all. She was very technical in explaining things and for a layperson it was hard to understand. 

For the first couple nights it was really a struggle getting Stella to sleep. Her ears hurt her when she would lay down so we spent a couple nights sleeping in the living room in the lazy boy. But lets be honest, I did not get much sleep like that. So one morning I ended up just putting her in her crib, shut the doors, turned off the monitor, just let her cry it out and I went to bed. She must of fallen asleep eventually because I finally woke up at 9:30 and she was still sleeping. But I got some much needed rest. 

During the day she was a little more fussy then normal but she didn't want me to hold her, she would give me the "stiff arm", as Corey calls it. But if I would set her down she would cry. So that made it hard, I just wanted to comfort and cuddle her but she didn't want that.

Then on Friday I woke up with a horrible sore throat and as the day progressed I started feeling worse and worse. My ears were aching and my temperature was rising. I finally text Corey at 5pm and asked him to come home. (He gets done at 5:30 anyway) Once he was home I went to urgent care and was found to have an ear infection myself. The doctor wanted to give me a prescription decongestant but because I am breastfeeding I can't take that so I'm using Anfrin nasal spray and essential oils. I just started using essential oils and I do think that they work but I'm not at the point where I will use for Stella over medicine that my doctor prescribes. 

But Stella's small bout with sickness made me so thankful that we were blessed with a healthy baby. I can't image what it must be like for parents who have chronically sick kids. I know someone who as I write this has their newborn baby in the NICU. I can't imagine what that family is going through. I'm trying to keep that in perspective when I complain about having to take care of a sick baby.