After complaining of a sore neck yesterday then sleeping for 3 hours after returning from her friend's birthday party, Belle spiked one of her infamously high fevers. It became apparent her sore 'neck' was actually a sore 'throat'. Probably strep again. She *just* got over it. Ben went through the same thing at almost exactly her age. Strep. Antibiotics. Week or so of being okay. Fever. Strep. Stronger antibiotics. And so on. Except his fever got so high a couple times (105+) we ended up at the ER. We learned if you wait 3 days after your last dose, you go back in to do a re-check and see if the strep is resistant to antibiotics. Hence, tonsils and adenoids coming out. She does *not* want to follow in his footsteps regarding this. I don't want her to either. But we will if we have to. Strep is a nasty little thing that spreads like wildfire in a little ones body.
Regardless, here we are again waiting to go to our doctor's appointment. And I find myself doing what my mom did whenever I got sick. I stick very close by.
This morning, as Belle slept in, I gave her medicine to her to try and subdue her almost 103 degree fever. Both kiddos get these high fevers so I set my alarm in the middle of the night, just like my mom did, to check on them when it's time for their next dose. I'm afraid if I don't, it could get even higher and I don't want to take the chance. So back to this morning... I re-wet her washcloth, got her fresh ice water with a straw, made sure the sheet was covering her toasty, little body to prevent chills and I crawled into bed with her. I know they are high-fever kids, but it still makes me so nervous. I want to make sure their heads stay cool. When they turn over and the washcloth comes off I can put it back on. And sometimes when they get a high fever, they get disoriented and I want to make sure I'm there to keep them calm. I just want to make sure the medicine brings that fever down before I feel comfortable enough to leave them. If they have to go to the bathroom, they are usually too dizzy to make it there safely. They know now to call me vs. try and walk by themselves when they "feel funny".
They also get achy and I want to be there to rub their little muscles. Really, all-in-all, I just want to make sure I'm there and that they know I am. I'm their mommy and it's my job to take care of them. There's something about a mom's care taking when you're hurt or sick and I think that goes for everyone. Nothing against the dads, they are great too, but we moms are just wired to be caretakers and frankly, it's a role I cherish.
I guess to some it may sound silly to lay right there next to them when they have high fevers, but for me it's just being the kind of mom mine was to me and I remember feeling very loved and safe. And that's exactly the way I want my kids to always feel. Once I know the medicine has brought it down, I feel comfortable enough to just let them rest. But until that happens, I'm right there. When they are at their sickest, they can always turn over and see a face who loves them smiling at them and saying, "I'm right here. Everything is going to be okay." Because it is. That's what moms do...make sure it's all okay.
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