So the whole fam is not feeling well this weekend. Which is no big deal. It's not like we needed to get anything done the weekend before my parents and brother come in town for Christmas. It's not like I have to finish making any handmade gifts or clean any bathrooms or do any last-minute errand running or go to the grocery store or organize and eat my way through an overwhelming amount of Christmas treats that a certain principal received from students and teachers.
We spent yesterday morning at the pediatrician because Zuzu woke up with crusty eyes and crusty nose and this is her tell-tale sign of an ear infection. No fever, no crankiness, slept through the night just fine, but the dried mucus on her face gives it away every time. Poor little thing. I have to admit, I was taken aback the last time we were at the pediatrician for her 15-month check up and the doctor said one ear was infected and I was shocked. She hadn't been feeling bad, no green/yellow snot, no fever, no crankiness. It totally caught me off guard and I felt like a bad mom not noticing my preshus snowflake had an ear infection. So this time I was all "She's got an ear infection" and BOOM. She totes does. But now I'm wondering why she gets so many ear infections. This is her fourth and she's only seventeen-and-three-quarters-months-old. I know that binkies can sometimes increase the risk of ear infections, and this is information I DO NOT WANT. Because I'm trying to be chill about the binky. She freaking loves it, but she only gets it at bedtime/naptime/stop-whining-in-the-car-time. We are not ready to give up the bink. And yet... Our doctor didn't say anything about frequently recurring ear infections or indicate there was any kind of concern, so for now we're just doing the medicine thing (which, thankfully, she loves to take now that we've ditched the syringe and we let her sip it out of a teaspoon--I can't really blame her for preferring this method of administration).
Anyway, yesterday was a totally lazy day. It was cold and rainy and we all just sat around in comfy clothes. David and I complained aloud about our various ailments and took turns waiting on each other and bartering favors in exchange for the other person doing diaper changes. My stomach was such that I could not even handle the turds. Zuzu was pretty chill also. I can't remember the last time she wanted to just lie around on top of us--it was definitely in her pre-crawling days.
We watched Carrie Underwood in The Sound of Music which I enjoyed hugely. I mean, no, she's not Julie Andrews, but who could be? I thought the show was super fun even though David kept saying that Captain Von Trapp needed to bust out his vampire fangs and kill all the Nazis. (For those of you who don't watch True Blood, Stephen Moyer plays a vampire in that show.) Zuzu seemed relatively into the film, but then she's been entertaining herself for twenty minutes this morning playing with a no-longer-sticky sticker and the end of an already-burnt match. (#MOTY) Anyway, we didn't watch it "live" so maybe we missed some of the thrill, but we also got to fast-forward through all of the Wa.lmart commercials (and, let's be honest, through the boring songs the grown-ups sing), so I think we actually made the best choice. It makes me want to watch the original Sound of Music now.
I'm feeling marginally better today. Zuzu woke up crusty again but has now had two doses of meds so should be well on her way to improvement. David is napping this morning. I hope we can get a little more accomplished this afternoon, but if you know anyone who wants to babysit and clean my house simultaneously, please don't hesitate to send them my way.
This might sound too wack-o, but here's my story on ear infections: Ewan used to get them ALL THE TIME. When he got yet another one at about 2 and half, my then-boss (who I did and still adore and respect) suggested NOT giving antibiotics. Advil and/or Tylenol for pain as fine but no antibiotics. She said we would probably have one bad night but then it would be fine. I decided to give it a try (with the prescription on hand, just in case). And you know what? We did have one kind of bad night and then it just went away on its own. AND??? He never had another ear infection again! I swear. Now, it might have also been coincidental with his age and he just grew out of them, but still... Also, DH who works a the Hospital for Sick Children and sees all sorts of crap all the time says antibiotics for ear infections are 99% ineffective because the medicine can't really get to the right part of the ear to really work properly anyway. So he says. I don't know how true that actually is.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of all that, you've started the meds and are on that route now -- it certainly can't hurt! I hope little Zuzu (and you) recover quickly! XO
George had about 5 ear infections between the age of 1-2 and then it was like magic - he turned 2 and they went away. And he got infections after we ditched the pacifier so I don't know if that makes the difference. They are either prone to them or they aren't, I think. Good luck and hope you're all the mend. And Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThere have actually been studies that recommend taking a 'wait and see' approach for ear infections and that the current recommendation should be (maybe is?) antibiotics should only be given if there is a fever, ear drum is on the verge of rupturing, or trouble sleeping/severe pain. So don't feel bad for not noticing. Most ear infections will evidently go away on their own and abx don't necessarily help. I believe that about the antibiotics because we just finished our 4th round for Matthew's same ear infection. I think he is FINALLY better, because he is sleeping okay, but sad news...we have colds again here too so I am praying it does not come back. I have no time for this!
ReplyDeleteDon't wait and see. Ruptured ear drums and scarring. Or if you are super paranoid like me, you decide the infection will fester and turn into bacterial meningitis. :)
ReplyDeleteTwo of my breastfed babies had tubes. Crappy ear anatomy and crappy family history. They outgrew it. Rarely get them with colds now.