Fresh off her nursing strike, Millie has thrown me another parenting curve ball.
She caught a damn cold.
For you and me, it’s no biggie. We’d snuffle our way through our daily duties, pop on a pair of socks, make some Lemsip and use the sickness as an excuse to have an evening on the couch watching the box.
But for a baby, to have a cold is to be absolutely miserable.
I’m not sure where she got it from, but it’s knocked her for six.
It’s been a week (!?!) of runny noses, sleepless nights, constant coughs, tears, tantrums, baby Panadol and Puss In Boots eyes.
You remember in Shrek where Puss In Boots does his doe-eyed look to make everyone sigh and be sucked in by how cute he is? I swear Millie does the same look, but her huge blinky eyes looking up at me were ones of ‘Mum, why do I feel so sad – and why can’t you help me?’
It’s heartbreaking for a mum. My little petal has struggled to feed and sleep, getting more and more upset by the lack of these two necessities.
Usually a great sleeper, Millie has been awake at hours we haven’t seen since she was a lot younger.
We’ve tilted the cot, given doses of Panadol, used a vapouriser with Euky Bear inhalant in the top and bought saline spray to clear the mucous (at this point I’d like to thank my friend Yvette for the tips, she’s a gem).
Millie is otherwise ok, so we just have to ride it out. But riding it out takes a LOT longer in a child who is too young to blow their nose.
My little sick Millie couldn’t even stand play time for long without getting quickly frustrated by her blocked nose.
It’s just a lousy cold. I can see she is slowly getting better. It’s been tough for me because I’ve spent the entire 8 months of her life soothing her, feeding her, making sure she has little reason to cry, and then all of a sudden I can’t fix what is making her so upset. I’m sure I’m not the first to feel like this and I won’t be the last.
But for a bit of perspective, I think of the parents at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital and it immediately stops me feeling sorry for myself and my girl. We are very lucky to have our health and I will never take it for granted.
Instead of buying her an Easter present, I’ve made a donation to the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal in Millie’s name.
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