Katie had a rough night last night. She took hours to fall asleep and woke up multiple times. She was fussy this morning and glassy-eyed. She woke from her afternoon nap with a 100.7 fever.
Our awesome pediatric office was able to see us at 4:40 p.m. on a Friday. By 4:55, we had a diagnosis -- a cold. Like anyone with a cold, she's highly contagious right now, which means we have to keep her away from Steve as much as possible and be careful of what she touches and then he touches. We don't know how susceptible he is right now to germs, but there's no reason to test it. Katie's doctor says one of the current virus strains is often turning into croup and laryngitis.
When I put Katie to bed tonight, she cried, "But I want to give Daddy a hug and a kiss." Blowing him a kiss across the family room wasn't sufficient.
Steve and Katie, November 2007, Log Cabin Village
2 comments:
Hope Katie (and Mommy & Daddy) are feeling better! Carys had a fever and virus last week; it's never fun when the babies are sick. Hope everyone is getting lots of rest!
May I suggest you have Katie draw a kiss (or plant a lipstick-covered kiss on paper) and "send" her kiss to Daddy via the Mommy-kiss-deliverer? Seeing Daddy open his mail and touch the tangible kiss may feel more real to Katie than blowing kisses.
You can give meaning to the new style of kiss by suggesting that she is helping Daddy by trying to keep her cold away from him. And you can remind her that this kiss-situation is temporary.
Lastly, despite everyone's best efforts Daddy may catch the cold. And if that happens, Katie needs to know it is not her fault. Many kids do worry that they are responsible for what's happening, even when the adults tell them it is nobody's fault. It never hurts to remind them that this is not their fault.
Hoping Katie gets better and nobody else catches it. With hope, Wendy
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