It's (a) Cold...

The cold has moved in...and I'm not talking about the weather. Tenzin has been virally baptized at daycare and is officially sick. Normally I would be more worried than this, but we're finally past that stage. Like our OBGYN said, "He won't develop an immune system if he doesn't get sick." Here's the story...

Rachel awoke at 3:00 am on Fiday morning exclaiming that Tenzin felt a little hot. Normally most parents would be somewhat concerned by this, however our son is, by trade, a human kerosene heater (hot regardless of health, layers of clothing, weather, etc). He constantly emits 1000 degree heat beams (I like to imagine he's a superhero in training) and as a result, I didn't think we had to worry about this situation anymore than when did others (like when he sleeps on my chest and creates sweat-circles on my shirts).

Unfortunately, my thoughts of superherodom came to an end when mother's intuition outweighed his Superman-like characteristics...he was not harnessing his special powers (invisibility would suck when they first start walking!), he did in fact have an illness.

We now have a HUGE problem...Not the fact that we now have a sick child, but the fact that it's his first illness and we only live three blocks from the hospital. Panic.

After taking his temperature and seeing that it was a balmy 100.4, I began to duct tape Tenzin to my bicycle and take off out the door in my underwear (like any parent would). Rachel stopped me before leaving and suggested it might be better to call our trusty sister and brother-in-law first, since they've already run the gammut with Henry, and might be able to provide us with some direction (apparently, ducttaping your three-month old to your handle bars and biking him to the hospital is a last resort).

Sarah and Michael suggested we call Dr. Bobby Jo, a philanthropic medical suggestioneer to all kids Rayo (and now Thornburg). A Pediatric Doctor in her off-time, Bobby Jo was quite helpful at talking us down from the ledge and bringing us back to reality. It was not, in fact, Malaria or Ghiardiasis like I had diagnosed, but a common daycare cold. Whew. Time to start taking off the duct tape.

Surprisingly, we found that we were doing everything we should have been: studying restlessness or lack thereof, monitoring in the correct monitor manor, spot-checking for dehydration, and even checking and counting proper poos. We were told to just keep checking temperature, dose a little Tylenol here and there (based on his ever-increasing weight), and if everything keeps where it's at, call the doctor on Monday for a follow-up(I have a strange feeling babies only get sick on holidays and Fridays after 5:30pm).

So we spent all weekend evacuating his nose (an oddly fascinating job for me, gross as anything for Rachel) and riding out the storm. Do you know how much snot one baby nostril can hold? It's kind of like a basement...there's a lot of crap down there, but you don't really realize it until it you have to move it all.

I can honestly say that Tenzin handles colds much better than his dad. While I cry and moan about a stuffy nose, he continues to grin and snort through the snot and slobber. It's humorously sad.

The Monday doctor's report came and went, saying everything we already knew: it's a simple cold. Monitor, hydrate, rest, repeat. We did everything correctly and handled it all in stride. Needless to say I would still like to thank Bobby Jo. Without her sage advice, things might have turned out differently. Bike frostbite around the underwear line (coin slot?) doesn't clear up too easily.

Admittedly, that first fever was a lot to handle. Our hearts dropped out of our chests on numerous occasions, checking breathing and coloration, but I'm not sure if you can ever really get used to your child's illnesses. Although with my leg and ankle surgeries, I think my parents did get accustomed to the "I'm-in-the-E.R.-again" phonecalls. God help us when that day comes...