It's that time of year

Freaking winter!! I tell ya. I love the changing seasons, the trees, the crispness of the air, that winter smell. I even like snow. But one major difference between here and San Diego is how many freaking time we get sick because of how freaking cold it is. I think last winter I got a total of five severe colds. It isn't even November and I've already had one... and it's turned into a sinus infection. Ugh! Nothing quite like having your teeth hurt because of a sinus infection.

I will tell you, the only thing worse than having a cold is having a young child with a cold. So here's a recap of our last two weeks. Ready? Katherine gets sick, down for three days. Kevin gets sick, down for three days. Katherine gets food poisoning, down for two days. Lyla get's sick, down for three days. It was a dark dark time. Especially because when you weren't sick, you were worn down by having to take care of a sick spouse and a baby. Not fun. Fortunately, we're on the road to recovery.


I think the hardest was dealing with sick Lyla. She's never been sick like this and she just seemed so helpless. Especially at night because she was uncomfortable and thus didn't want to sleep. Which meant, no sleep for us. Fortunately the recommended treatment for a baby with a cold really worked. It is: steam, salt water, and suction. After the first night of being up with her, I wasn't shy about administering it (even though Lyla really didn't like it).


For us, steam was either running the humidifier and trying to get her in the path of its vent or taking her in the shower and letting it run hot. So over the last few days, Lyla took three showers, which she liked moderately more than her baths so it may become part of the routine. For salt water, we bough a nose sprayer designed for children. Of course Lyla did not like the intrusion of me jamming it in her nostril and had to be held down to administer it. Though I think she recognized the good it was doing because she would lean forward to line her nose up to it, but then she'd turn away when it got near her face as if she had suddenly realized what was about to happen.

Suction consisted of post-salt water, sticking an aspirator (a rubber bulb with a nozzle on one end... kind of like a tiny turkey baster) in a nostril, releasing the squeeze bulb and drawing out... (what's the polite word for snot? mucous?) mucous. That girl had a lot of mucous. She also had no hesitation about how much she dislikes the aspirator. Not fun trying to pin her down and jam something in her nose. All while being gentle and reassuring. Especially when your reward is mucous. But despite the discomfort and potential trauma, Lyla's health improved quickly and she's almost past it (she is sleeping through the night again).

So the pictures are of Lyla up late because she couldn't sleep. Sad because of the cold and being tired, yet somehow still in a good mood. Glad to be reading books with mom and dad.

And this picture is just a taste of all the cute pictures of Lyla in winter gear that you can expect over the coming months.


Also, Friday is Lyla's first Halloween and I guarantee you that if you check back in in the coming days you will not be disappointed by how freaking cute she is in her costume. Yay baby costumes!!! Oooh, Lyla's going to be 11 months next week. Do I have to stop referring to her as a baby?

Final count: 4 uses of the word "freaking"; 4 uses of the word "mucous". I smell a Pulitzer... actually I don't smell anything. Freaking mucous!