Paging Dr. Mommy

A SEASONED MOM AND HER LITTLE SNUFFALUPAGUS

Jake's been sick this week, although we're not quite sure when it started. Tuesday night or Wednesday morning when I dropped him off at my mom's for the day, I thought in the back of my mind, "Hmm... his nose seems a bit runny." Consumed with planning the Big First Birthday Party, I picked him up later in the day, completely forgetting about it, and catching up with the day's anecdotes with my mom. She also seemed not to notice much about it either. Her day was highlighted by the epiphany that even a modern swim diaper will not contain the after-effects of feeding Jake an entire sippy cup of undiluted apple juice. Guess I forgot to mention dilution percentages. Oops, sorry, Mom!

On Thursday, Jake was noticeably drippy, developing his own little nasal waterfall. He was also incredibly cranky. (I'm not sure if his crankiness was illness-related, or just boredom from being stuck at home with me and missing playgroup activities.) My mind flew over plausible cold and allergy options and landed square at teething effects. "Gee," I thought to myself. "I know it's been a while since he's gotten any new teeth. Guess I forgot how much his nose would run while teething." My theory seemed confirmed when Jake woke up in the middle of the night screaming, sending me on a midnight trip to the store for Infant Tylenol.

Friday morning, Jake woke with a "bubbling crude" coming out of his nose. When my mom called to chat later I mentioned that Jake seemed to have developed a runny nose. She said she noticed it too, but we both chalked it up to teething. That is, until Mom watched him again for me a couple of hours that evening. Then when I arrived, she pointed out that Jake had become slightly wheezy. It was now official: Jake was sick. Only took 3 days to figure it out!

Mom gave me the immediate advice to set up a humidifier in Jake's room, with specific instruction not to "blow it directly on him". Admitting that the now-greenish, thick mucus was probably not resulting from teething any longer, I followed the instructions that night. Neither one of us thought it necessary to call the doctor.

On Saturday, Mom watched Jake again so that Dan and I could finish painting the interior walls of our house. Immediately suspicious when a drippy Jake was placed in her arms, my mom demanded to know whether we used a humidifier. Yes, we did, Mom. No, it hasn't seemed to help, Mom. Yes, we'll keep trying to use it tonight, Mom. It was then that I suggested the idea that if Jake wasn't better by Monday, I might have to call the doctor.

Now, let me pause to acknowledge any brand-new mothers out there who are reading this story. You're probably horrified that I haven't already dashed to the pediatrician to demand medical attention for that poor, sick baby. But other than the drippy nose and occasional wheeze, Jake has been as active as ever. He's not been feverish at all, or lethargic. He's had plenty of fluids and as much rest as we ever can convince him to take. And it wasn't until the mucus started to turn a bit greenish that I ever considered that it might be anything other than teething. In fact, Jake's been so actively, happily playful that several times today Jake has "helped" Dan install some new mini-blinds, much to Dan's chagrin.

I've been on the "new mommy" side of the fence. After a few times of rushing to the doctor's office or calling late at night over concerns, I've learned a few Basic Questions that are always asked: What color is the mucus? Is he having any trouble breathing? Is he lethargic, or has it affected his eating habits? Unless the anwers to these questions are alarming (which they've never been), the usual response is to give him lots of fluid, aspirate the mucus out of his nose as much as possible, and just to call them back if he seems to be getting worse or new symptoms develop.

So, to any new mothers out there, I assure you that I am NOT neglecting my child, or denying him needed medical attention. I have simply become a well-seasoned mommy by watching my delicate little newborn thrive and develop into a usually-healthy, hardy almost-toddler. This occurred despite runny noses, head bumps, diaper rashes, a case of cradle cap so bad I continually referred to it as "Cradle Crap", and an emergency phone call to Poison Control over ingested cat food (thankfully not all at the same time, mind you). So I feel fairly comfortable now putting aside the panic button, and calmly calling the doctor's office only whenever Jake develops problems or illnesses outside the realm of my experience to handle.

So, yes, if the snot's green, I'm taking him to be seen. If the snot's clear, we're staying here.

(I can't think of any clever rhymes for wheezing, but I'll probably call the doctor's office on Monday anyway, if only to listen to the Basic Questions again.)