The Missing Ear Infection

Cora has fooled us once again. She was up all night - ALL NIGHT - sobbing inconsolably until about 4:30 a.m. when she finally passed out in exhaustion followed quickly by her parents. She had a mild fever, discharge from her ear, and wasn't drinking her bottles. She was doing All The Things that made us confidently call the pediatrician to request an appointment to diagnose an ear infection and prescribe antibiotics. Today would be Cora's second only sick baby visit and unlike last time when I was only 92% certain she had an ear infection but walked away with "just a cold," this time I was 100% certain. 101% even! She definitely had bright red ear canals and maybe even a perforated ear drum. My husband, survivor of approximately one thousand ear infections and 15+ ear tube surgeries said so too.

So sick. Can't you tell?

Guess what? She has just-a-cold.

Ha! Last night was SO FUN MOM!

Her only two ear infections remain diagnosed at her regularly scheduled check-ups and her only two sick visits after her only two nights of constant sobbing and no sleeping have netted us "try some saline spray."

Yay for unnecessary trips to the pediatrician! It's just like I'm the first kid!

Cora woke up delighted by life and basically had the best morning ever before heading to the pediatrician's at 8:45- me in my work clothes with 5 layers of under-eye concealer and Cora in her bunny outfit that I couldn't resist from the latest Gymboree sale even though she has inherited all of Claire's clothes and really didn't need a 6-12 month anything. But did you see the little tail on the back? What am I supposed to do? We call her bunny. It fell into the "essential items" budgetary column.

So I worked from home, having confidently taken a partial sick day in expectation of Cora's raging ear infection. But 8 hours of crying! 8 hours! Cora's bed is her happiest place- who knew a stuffy nose would offend her so deeply? (And so LOUDLY?)

Sun hat; taking a staycation day to recover from the rigors of screaming all night

JP is offthis week, something that happens four times a year and something  I now look forward to more eagerly than Christmas. I was so excited to be able to go to work and then come home to all the kids already being here and dinner already simmering on the stove. But I guess it was alright to just hang out in the same room all day with our absurdly happy baby while the big kids were both at school. I had two conference calls in the afternoon and turned around from the dining room table to find Cora chewing diligently on a foam tile in her pen and JP fast asleep on his desk. Cora had just woken up from a 4.5 hour nap, but JP just got 30 minutes of semi-permanent keyboard indentions on his head (and I got to not-bill 2.0 hours). So refreshing for everyone!

JP dragged himself away from his comfy keyboard to pick up the big kids and then we convened in the backyard to introduce Cora to the pool for the first time because I'm pretty sure just-a-colds are cured by a dip in chlorinated lukewarm bodies of water.

Cora found the (still kind of chilly!) water to be as delightful as her 3.5 hours of nighttime sleep and Landon immediately tried to teach her to swim. 

And Claire found my presence in the pool (all the way past my knees!) to be almost as exciting as her birthday party. The kids would never believe I once had Olympic Trial cuts. 

Cora's penchant for holding her own hands just slays me. As does basically everything she does. Except 3:00 a.m. heartbroken crying. Well, I guess that does slay me, but not in the chubby wrist-roll hand-holding way.

All in all, I think Cora went to bed tonight thinking she had the best day ever. I'm just hoping it made her tired enough to accept the stuffy nose situation and sleep for the usual 12 hours she has allowed us to take for granted.

Because how else I am supposed to have the energy for endless internet surfing for patterned barre tights and the perfect black eyeliner and maybe a strong eye cream? Cora, only real ear infections can justify messing with priorities like that.