Our First Illness

We made it 9 months without the little one getting sick. My husband and I both got sick this winter; I even had strep throat and a flu that left me in bed for three days, yet we managed to keep our daughter germ-free. Until now.

I am always teased by my family for being a germaphobe and having a baby has only increased my paranoia. However, I have had to relax somewhat since she entered the "everything must go in my mouth" phase. Sure enough, this week she developed a runny nose, followed by diarrhea and of course, a nasty diaper rash. Nothing can prepare you for the heartbreak of seeing your child cry when they go to the washroom because it burns their skin. I have stayed indoors pretty much all week wiping her nose and applying every diaper rash ointment under the sun. .

Before motherhood my life consisted of school, work and enjoying my easygoing life. I never would have thought that one day I would be overjoyed to open a diaper and see a normal stool. Likewise, I never expected to love my husband in a whole other way when I came home to find him panicked and our daughter in a lukewarm bath because she had cried when she peed and he didn't know what else to do.

I will let you in on a secret: we have no idea what we're doing. I laugh when my childless friends ask how I know what to do in each situation. I don't. I have my older sister on speed dial, I belong to Mommy groups, I read and I ask a lot of questions. Then I take what I have learned and make it work for my household. If it doesn't, I try another strategy, another type of food, another cream. I am happy to say that my baby girl is on the mend and I will probably have just enough time to catch my breath before she moves onto something else that puzzles me and the cycle starts again...

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