The Sickies Part 2

Ava is just finishing up her third illness (other than the common cold which she's had plenty of as well). This chick goes big when she gets sick. First she had Croup, then RSV, and now she's recovering from Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease AND a bacterial skin infection. Yes, both at the same time. That's why is was so hard (and stressful) to figure out what the heck she had. Whew. It feels like just when she recovers from one illness, the symptoms for the next one start coming on; with eczema just a given during and in between...

For being breast-fed and not in day care, we've sure gone through it with the illnesses. It hasn't been easy. Everyone knows that babies and kids get sick a lot but I don't think anyone could have prepared me for this part of parenting. It's exhausting caring for a sick child. Physically sure, with the increased laundry and wardrobe changes, a baby who won't let you go .02 seconds without holding her (even when she's sleeping), and don't forget the battle of medicine administration multiple times a day and into the night; but mentally and emotionally as well. You have to be on day and night. It's stressful trying to figure out what is wrong and it's a huge responsibility knowing that I'm supposed to be her advocate, the one who's supposed to be able to make it all okay, only I'm just as lost as her ER doctor dad, all his cohorts and her pediatrician. Add the fact that she can't communicate to tell us what's wrong; what hurts and where and the whole experience is downright frustrating.

The worst part for me is when she can't nurse. Usually it's due to congestion but in this case it was ulcers all over her little mouth, gums and throat. It's heart-breaking holding her lethargic little body and touching her hot, feverish face and telling her it's going to be okay, all while I pray it will be. Praying. I've been doing a lot of that lately. I've said it before, but I've never prayed as much as I have in the last 10 months of being a mom. She's dependent on Mark and I and we're dependent on God. Simple as that.

Here are some photos of Ava looking (and feeling) hard up this week:

Needless to say, we'll wait a bit to take her ten month photo shoot...

On a brighter note. Mark and I got to go on a date last night! We have a great babysitter who Ava loves and who can handle a recovering baby so we got to use the movie tickets we had purchased before she got sick and went on a much-needed date. We went to Islands for Happy Hour; sliders, fries, a lava flow for me, and a Kona Longboard in a frosty mug for him. Then Hunger Games at the IMAX. I was SO excited. I loved the books and have been waiting to see the movie, it lived up to all the anticipation. It was the first movie we've seen in the theater in 11 months. So there's that too. It was so nice to work out, shower, get dressed up just a bit and go on a date with my husband. So refreshing. I woke up feeling like a new woman, a new wife and a new mom. The great news is that we woke up to a new baby too! She was looking and feeling great. Back to her active, fun, funny, great little self. And guess what? She learned how to clap this week! She's a trooper, this one. Check it out: