Some Observations

1) If you say to your friends at prayer meeting on a Sunday night, "We have been really blessed- Madelaine is six months old now and has never been sick," after hearing a prayer request that apparently most of the church is currently sick, then YES, you are asking for trouble.

2) Even if you follow up your statement by saying, "Wow, maybe I'm asking for trouble..." that will not cancel the fact that you are, indeed, asking for trouble. [She woke up coughing and sniffling Monday morning.]

3) Babies who have never had a cold before do not understand Proper Coughing Technique. Thus, they will frequently gag when they cough, leading to numerous vomiting episodes.

4) Babies who are sick like to nurse more. Preferably constantly.

5) 3) + 4) = More vomiting.

6) Since babies do not know how to properly deal with their Mucous*, what doesn't get thrown up must be processed by the stomach, but since they have immature digestive tracts, the stomach doesn't deal well with this, which leads to Even Runnier Than Usual Poop.

7) Runnier Poop means More Leaky Diapers.

8) We do not have a washer and dryer in our apartment. And although our child's wardrobe is extensive, it is, unfortunately, not Infinite. Nor is our collection of bedsheets. Or nursing bras.

9) 5) + 7) +8) = laundry crisis. I should have photographed Mount Laundry for you before we hauled it over to Judy's house yesterday. At least now we have clean baby clothes, sheets, mattress pad, etc. again. As for cleaning the car seat, the upholstered desk chair, the carpet, the carpet again, the bed skirt... well... Maybe we just won't think about it too much. It's too overwhelming.

10) We lost the bulb syringe (do you prefer the term "nasal aspirator"?) early in the week. We spent a really long time looking for it (not much else to do, cooped up in the house with a sick child.) It has not been found. Its replacement has been purchased from Stuff-Mart. [Those of you who are childless are now asking- what is a bulb syringe? Here, I will show you:]



You use this to suction out the baby's nose, because babies don't know how to blow their nose until... [when do kids learn to blow their nose, anyway...?] See 3) above.

11) It has been a challenging week. I feel sorry for my little chicken and hope she feels better soon. I feel sorry for Nate (who is also sniffling, and cleaning up vomit) and for myself (who has a sore throat, and is cleaning up vomit.) But I'm so thankful we live in a country with good healthcare and clean drinking water and plenty of food. :-) And hopefully, she'll be better soon!

Love,
Neb