Snot a big deal

We made it out alive!

This is exactly how it feels to have survived a two week cold infestation.

Being sick is one thing, but having your child(ren) sick while you're sick is just plain wrong! Thank God I wasn't sick this time while baby girl and my hubby were sick. This was, by far, the sickest I've seen my child. :0( So, I was determined to make sure I'd stay... unsick ('tis not a word but it makes more sense than using the word 'healthy' cause you could be sick while still being healthy, you know?)

I've posted something similar to this before, but seeing how this time it was a worse case, I did the following:

For the home and stuff I:

• Washed all her bedding and both her "friends" that sleep with her in her crib, every other day
• Every time I wiped her nose clean, or had any kind of encounter with her mucus, I'd wash my hands as well as hers So, basically we lived near the sink.
• While she slept, I would soak her water safe toys in a sink full of water and used a 1/4 cup of Clorox bleach to disinfect them, I did this twice a week instead of my usual bimonthly 
• I often wiped her books and toys that aren't water safe with Clorox disinfectant wipes
• I'd crack open some windows to let fresh air in and let the sickies out
• I used my trusty vaporizer with Vapo Steam (the liquid form of Vapo rub) to help her with her congestion every time she slept ( I'd first shut the windows in her room)

For her:

• Since the cold and flu virus lives and thrives in the nose, I would spray her nose with children's saline spray twice a day if not three times. This not only helps rid the nose of the malicious virus but it helps thin the mucus making it easier to breathe and less likely to get to the bronchioles. When I say spray I really mean pour. I'd lay her down and pour it down her nose. No, she nor I like this process but, her doctor told me to do it cause it works!
• Ayer, the gel like form of saline spray. I'd use my finger and apply a dot of it on the insides of her nostrils, when necessary
• I also had her on pain killers (some moms gasp at this so I will not get into the details of my preferred kind of pain killers for the sake of keeping the peace) but, her pediatrician noticed blisteres and "beefy redness' at the back of her throat and recommended X and Y medications so, I obliged.
• Vapo Rub for her chest and back, around the clock
• Since there are no safe cough syrups for children her age (under 3) I made my own cough syrup using water, honey and lemon. I gave her 2 teaspoons every 2 hours
• My new best friend---Boogie Wipes--- the name speaks for itself but, they are hypoallergenic, have no alcohol, are without parabens or phthalates, they are gentle enough for all ages, their aloe & vitamin E provide moisture to sore noses and were developed by moms tired of chasing runny noses. Yay, moms! I discovered these when my sweet mother-in-law gave me... er...gave my child these wipes for Christmas in her stocking. Thanks, Nana!

This may all seem like a lot to some, but it's never too much work to see your child comfortable even while fighting a nasty, mean, old cold. May I add that she never lost a night of sleep and neither did I ;0)