Fever, runny nose, and cough

It seems to happen on occasion.  One child greets me in middle of the night stating, "Mommy, I can't sleep."  It is 2 am Saturday morning, and I know that when I checked a few hours ago, he was fast asleep.  It takes a few seconds to gain any composure so that I can start to think.

It is my 8 year-old making the statement.  He rarely, if ever, gets sick.  I know that it isn't a good thing.  I feel his head, he is hot.  I get up to take his temperature, the thermometer is gone.  I feel his belly, that is hot too.  For some reason, I have always checked both.  I go back to the medicine cabinet and grab out the children's acetaminophen.  After reading the label, I see that he gets 2 tsp.  I grab a medicine measuring cup thing, and measure it out.  He drinks it like a little trooper.  After about an hour, he is sounds asleep.  Me, not so lucky.  I see 3 and 4 am roll around.  I stop looking at the clock.  His fever is gone for now. 

In the morning, about 8:30 am, I tell my husband that our son is sick, and I am heading to Wal-Mart for a new thermometer and ibuprofen.  Off I go, with those two things in mind.  I get there, and I end up buying a lot more.  I get popsicles and fudgesicles as I know those are nice to have when there is a fever.  I get some soup, macaroni and cheese and peas.  He loves to have macaroni and cheese w/ tuna and peas.  That is what will be for supper.  I make my purchase and head home.

I promptly give the ibuprofen as the fever has returned.  It is 100 degrees.  During the course of the day, he gets one more dose of ibuprofen and a couple more doses of acetaminophen.  By evening, he is well, no sign of a fever and he is back to his old self.  We even go feed the ducks and go on a walk.  He takes time to play on a playground.  Thank goodness, everyone is well!

Now it is Sunday.  We were all at church.  I look over at my 3 year-old.  Nose is running, he is trying to suck it back up.  Yes, 3 year-old children, at least my children at that age, seem to find some great pleasure in trying to suck it back in.  I have my husband bring him out of the chapel, to the bathroom, to blow his nose.  He doesn't have a fever.  Chalk it up to whatever is in the air this time of the year.  He throws in a cough every now and then.  I don't know if he has a little tickle in his throat or what is going on.

Remembering the fever from yesterday very well, I grab the ibuprofen.  Better safe than sorry.  I ask him if he wants medicine.  He loves medicine, so I know the answer.  He wants squirt medicine.  Meaning, the medicine that is administered orally and squirts out of a syringe looking thing.  I explain that we don't have that, he will just have to drink it.  Just as happily, he drinks it out of the medicine cup.  He seems to be doing better now.

It is hard to see the children under the weather.   I always feel bad for them.  Especially when they don't know exactly how to explain what is going on.  It is hard to guess what the best plan of action is, but I do what I think will help them the most.  Hopefully by this evening, he will be up to feeding the ducks and going on a little walk.  Oh, and by the way, he has been to sleep by 10:30 the past 2 nights.  The sleep readjustment schedule seems to be working pretty well!