I've experienced stress in my lifetime - school stress, work stress, personal stress.
Yet there is no stress like being a parent to a sick baby.
Nathan caught his first cold a few days ago, developing a fever, cough and congestion. His face is a blotchy red mess of stickiness and he's been pretty miserable. Each morning I wake up hoping that he will turn the corner and start feeling better, yet so far he's just been getting progressively worse. The pediatrician checked him out, and said it's just a virus that will pass. Today has been the worst yet. Today he was a Vomit Volcano, throwing up all.over.the.place. Including into the basket of clean laundry.
At bedtime, I put him down to sleep in his crib, awake as usual. He fussed a bit, and I left to prepare dinner. About ten minutes in, I glanced at the video monitor and saw that he was silently spewing vomit into the air. I ran into his room and got him upright, where he continued to throw up. Jay and I cleaned everything up and I put him back to sleep, but it really shook me up. Actually, it scared the shit out of me. What if I hadn't glanced at the monitor at that moment? He could have silently choked to death on his own vomit and I wouldn't have noticed. This being-a-parent business is going to give me grey hairs. I'm feeling a bit shaken, and not sure how I'm going to get any sleep tonight.
3 comments:
You are not alone. If my kids are sick, I lay awake and listen for a cough and then a wet cough that might transform into puking. And if I'm really worried, I spread towels all over the bed and bring the baby into bed next to me. It eases my worries and I can listen to them breathing. I've been puked on, but you get used to that.
Oh man. Is Nathan okay now, Michelle? I know what you mean. Being a mom can be emotionally painful.
Thanks guys. Nathan is doing better now. He's still sick but definitely on the upswing. Now if only I could get rid of the cold he passed onto me....
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