It's funny how no one tells you about some of the tougher parts of parenting. This could be because what's hard for me is easy for someone else. Or it could be that your friends & family with kids don't want to scare you too bad, in the event that you might actually change your mind and not have them too... There are two things that we are currently dealing with that are on my "nobody ever told me" list.
1. Sickness.
I'll be honest: I had no idea what's involved in a kid "building up their immune system". This winter Derek & I have had a pretty easy going attitude about germs, which is that we're not going let S&Z live in a bubble at this stage of the game. That was NOT true last winter, because they were preemies and they were < 6 months old. Everyone had to be healthy and Purell'd. Now that they are close to 1-1/2 years old (!!), however, we know that they have to get exposed to things at some point. We would rather start the process now, otherwise it will happen when they go to preschool or kindergarten.
I guess I just didn't realize that they will get sick to varying degrees after every freakin' bug they meet. And of course there are two of them who share everything which means they pass bugs back and forth. For example, Silas has been sick for over three weeks now; Zoe was right there with him for the first two weeks. We saw the doctor 1-1/2 weeks in and she said it was a virus and we just had to ride it out. A week after that Silas was getting worse with a cough and a continued fever, so back to the doctor we went (Zoe at this point was feeling better). The pedi said his lungs sounded clear but there was fluid in his left ear, so he was prescribed his first (ever) dose of antibiotics. He has been a very sad, very needy little boy all week, which as usual is complicated by the 2 kid-to-1 caregiver ratio. Finally today he seems back to his old happy-go-lucky self. Of course, Zoe now has a croup-y, yucky cough and had a 102 degree fever this afternoon. I am totally and completely over it.
2. Teeth.
When I hear parents of babies < 1 year talk about what a rough time a kid is having with cutting upper or lower teeth, I now think to myself "just wait". The top 4 and bottom 4 teeth are nothing compared to what's to come after 1 year. I now know that there are "1-year-old" molars and "2-year-old" molars. In between those EIGHT, GIANT teeth there are also 4 incisors. In our house this means there are 12 new teeth within a year x 2 kids = 24 teeth
Off and on, Zoe has been miserable due to molar teething the last 2-1/2 months. She is a bear when she wakes up in the morning, and on many occasions she has cried all through breakfast. Her crankiness continues throughout the day. She looks something like this,
Or this,
Her gums are swollen and red and almost look bloody; at times she has had a fever. All of this is on top of whatever sickness, per point #1, has existed in our house at the time. She has now survived all 4 incisors and at least 2-3 molars and she has been like a different kid for the last week. Silas cut his first molar ~ 2 weeks ago and was also a teary disaster.
Outside of all the snow & storms we've had this winter, this will definitely be remembered as the season of teething & sickness!
1. Sickness.
I'll be honest: I had no idea what's involved in a kid "building up their immune system". This winter Derek & I have had a pretty easy going attitude about germs, which is that we're not going let S&Z live in a bubble at this stage of the game. That was NOT true last winter, because they were preemies and they were < 6 months old. Everyone had to be healthy and Purell'd. Now that they are close to 1-1/2 years old (!!), however, we know that they have to get exposed to things at some point. We would rather start the process now, otherwise it will happen when they go to preschool or kindergarten.
I guess I just didn't realize that they will get sick to varying degrees after every freakin' bug they meet. And of course there are two of them who share everything which means they pass bugs back and forth. For example, Silas has been sick for over three weeks now; Zoe was right there with him for the first two weeks. We saw the doctor 1-1/2 weeks in and she said it was a virus and we just had to ride it out. A week after that Silas was getting worse with a cough and a continued fever, so back to the doctor we went (Zoe at this point was feeling better). The pedi said his lungs sounded clear but there was fluid in his left ear, so he was prescribed his first (ever) dose of antibiotics. He has been a very sad, very needy little boy all week, which as usual is complicated by the 2 kid-to-1 caregiver ratio. Finally today he seems back to his old happy-go-lucky self. Of course, Zoe now has a croup-y, yucky cough and had a 102 degree fever this afternoon. I am totally and completely over it.
2. Teeth.
When I hear parents of babies < 1 year talk about what a rough time a kid is having with cutting upper or lower teeth, I now think to myself "just wait". The top 4 and bottom 4 teeth are nothing compared to what's to come after 1 year. I now know that there are "1-year-old" molars and "2-year-old" molars. In between those EIGHT, GIANT teeth there are also 4 incisors. In our house this means there are 12 new teeth within a year x 2 kids = 24 teeth
Off and on, Zoe has been miserable due to molar teething the last 2-1/2 months. She is a bear when she wakes up in the morning, and on many occasions she has cried all through breakfast. Her crankiness continues throughout the day. She looks something like this,
Or this,
Her gums are swollen and red and almost look bloody; at times she has had a fever. All of this is on top of whatever sickness, per point #1, has existed in our house at the time. She has now survived all 4 incisors and at least 2-3 molars and she has been like a different kid for the last week. Silas cut his first molar ~ 2 weeks ago and was also a teary disaster.
Outside of all the snow & storms we've had this winter, this will definitely be remembered as the season of teething & sickness!
As if spending 10 days with you guys in May wasn't scary enough! At least you keep it real.
ReplyDeleteMy mom always told me "You need to thank the lord that you were cute, otherwise I would have sold you to the gypsies." Thanks mom.