Sicko

Little peanut is quite sick at the moment. Justin and I thought we'd wait it out as people get colds, people survive colds and, most of all, there is no way to cure a cold.

But with his fever still looming Wednesday, breathing a bit shallow and his cough so bad he threw up most of his morning bottle, I called the pediatrician to talk over his symptoms with a nurse to make sure there wasn't something I overlooked. When I mentioned "barky cough" they suggested I come in that afternoon. 

I didn't know a little baby could produce a string of snot two feet long (ok, more like one foot) until they swabbed Rolin's nose, causing him to sneeze. Color me impressed! Sadly, the swab tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) so I'm glad I took him in. 

There is no quick fix for this nasty bug, but they did give us a nebulizer and a prescription for the vapor that will help break up the mucus. It doesn't make him better any sooner, but it'll help along the way. It makes him more miserable for a while after using it -- more coughing and sneezing -- but at least we're getting some if the nasties (nasty-s?) out. I've never been happier having strings of snot across my shirt. 

It also helps him be able to eat a little better; he hasn't had much of an appetite. Plus, it's hard to suck on a bottle when your nose is stuffed.

The night before last and yesterday afternoon were (I'm hoping) the worst of it. It's the worst watching him cough so hard his whole body convulses. It can't be comfortable at all!

Thanks for the prayers for Rolly (and for me!). The cough is expected to last for a while, but hopefully his fever will go down and he'll get some energy back soon.