Scarlet Fever

Yes, it still exists and Clementine has it. It turns out that Scarlet Fever is just strep throat with a rash. Who knew? Well, I guess doctors knew, but I didn't.

Luckily we live in the age of penicillin and it turns out to be easy to treat. Unfortunately her rash looks terrible and it is super itchy, so we have to keep telling her not to scratch it and she pretty much ignores us. We have tried benadryl and cortaid which help only a tiny bit. Today we are trying calamine and aloe vera. Hopefully it will just go away quickly, because we only have so many leggings and pants in her wardrobe!

Here she is sitting on the floor watching "Annie" (again).

Long overdue update & a sick little girl

Everything has been going along pretty well. We have unpacked almost every room in the new house and started putting up pictures, etc... Clementine had a great time visiting grandparents this last weekend and got to stay all day with Grandma Shirley while Chris & I went up to Georgetown to check on the 4-plex. Grandma said she was an angel all day!

We picked up a new (used) breakfast table with chairs and a couch Grandma gave us. The table fits perfect in the breakfast area and the couch is already a favorite place for everyone to curl up on with a blanket.

We had planned a big trip to the coast with some friends and have been working overtime to get the house in order for their visit, then on Tuesday Clementine got a fever and a rash. It has been pretty persistent since then with her temperature getting as high as 103.6. So we took her to the doctor this afternoon and found out she has strep throat and an ear infection in each ear. So, sadly no coast visit for us. :( And we are hoping that we don't get sick ourselves. She has been very generous with her kisses since getting sick.

Chris & Clementine were working on cleaning up her room today and she crawled into her giant pile of stuffed animals and covered herself up!

Exhausted & Sick

Poor Clementine is sick right now. Runny nose & fever. She only wants her mommy, so I've been playing/holding her non-stop. Poor baby! She is so sweet though. When I hold her she pats me like she is comforting ME.

Sleepless nights

I am so tired! Clementine has been sick this week. She is on an antibiotic (which gives her diaper rash) & dime-a-tap (sp?) which makes her an insomniac. She was up all night last night! And when I say all night I mean:

11pm-1:30am: Christine's watch (trying to get her to sleep, no luck)
1:30am-3am: Chris' watch (trying to get her to sleep, no luck)
3am-5am: Christine again (still trying to get her to sleep, decided to read book on how to get babies to go to sleep, not much help at this point)
5am: finally decided to go to sleep...in *our* bed

There's only so much fighting you can do without any sleep.

Here's a cute picture to remind me how much I love my sleep-depriving baby!

All snotty & Peacocks

Chris took Clementine to the doctor today & she officially has a cold. She is all snotty & miserable, poor thing. I thought she might have an ear infection because she has started putting her hands up & covering her ears and sometimes she pulls on her hair, but the doctor said her ears looked OK & the infection may be working it's way there, but hasn't reached them yet. It is pretty obvious her nose is sore though because anytime I make to wipe it she starts crying. Sometimes before I even get to it!

On a happier note. We went to Green Pastures & had lunch with some friends (also put a big dent in their milk punch supply) and got some picture with Clementine & the peacocks.


Yay, Peacocks!


Pretty girl

Feeling Better, Six Months & Mama!

We are starting to feel better today. We went to the Doctor & got checked out. Clementine is still congested with a cough, but they did a blood test & her white blood counts are fine so there is no sign of any infection. We are just going to wait & tough it out unless things get worse.

On an up beat, Clementine is SIX months old!!! I can't believe it's been half a year. She is rolling everywhere & sitting up on her own. I've been feeling for any teeth, but there is no sign yet (just drooling).

She actually called me 'Mama' while I was changing her diaper...Then she said it to a dragon puppet she has!!! I'm trying not to take that personal though :) She usually just says 'umamamam'. But gets closer to saying it when she is crying.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Sitting pretty

Must...eat...the...foot!

Sick

We are all sick again! Chris has been fighting bronchitis and then got really sick about 2 days ago. Then I got sick yesterday and now Clementine is showing signs of coming down with whatever it is. Bummer.

Edit: We made a run to the pediatrician today because I didn't want whatever this is to get as bad as it got last time (atypical pneumonia). So we've got her back on nebulizer treatments just in case.

Thank you for all the well wishes, I'll keep you updated!

Doctor's visit - pneumonia Update

Clementine had a well baby visit yesterday & the doctor said she was doing great! She weighs 14 lbs, 10 oz (50th percentile) & is a little short for her age at 24 inches. The doctor didn't say that she was short, 24 inches puts her in the 25th percentile for her age. But that's OK, she's short & cute!

She said Clementine's lungs sounded good & that she was fine & ready for vaccines again. In fact offered to give her one that day. I opted to wait since she had just had one on the 15th & I want her immune system to relax a little.

Feeling Better

Clementine is feeling a lot better. She has started talking again and blowing bubbles like nobody's business! She is also working on sitting up & can hold it for about 5-7 seconds!

Doctors Visit - pneumonia

Clementine finally got bad enough that we had to take her to the doctor. She was wheezing pretty bad & had some major congestion.

We got in & they had trouble taking her pulse oxygen level, but finally got it & it was at 91! They were pretty concerned at that point and thought she might have RSV. They did a nasal swab & determined it wasn't, so took some x-rays of her chest. There was an infection in her right lung & they determined that she has a-typical pneumonia and did a breathing treatment with a nebulizer right then & there. Her pulse oxygen level went up to 97 & her breathing was better immediately!

So, the doctor prescribed her some antibiotics for the infection & a nebulizer machine & meds for her breathing.

Hopefully she'll recover quickly. She's still the happy little baby, but looks so sad & tired! It breaks my heart for her to be sick. I'm not too worried though, I'm sure she'll bounce back in no time!

Not a good week

My poor sweet baby is sick this week. She has major congestion & a croupy cough that just sounds terrible. :( Every time she naps it gets bad so I've been trying to hold her while she sleeps so her head can be elevated some & all the congestion will go down instead of up. It doesn't work very well, but it makes me feel a little better.

She's only been sick once before & it wasn't this bad, so I hope I'm doing all the right parental things I should be doing. I've been taking her temp but it has not been high, in fact it's been lower than what I expected especially since she seems to get sweaty every so often. Hopefully it will pass soon and Chris & I will be saved the joys of getting sick ourselves (Chris still has a cough from the last time we were all sick, it's pretty nerve-wracking).

Here's a picture of Clementine before she was sick & was still smiling!