ears, noses, and tummies

There has been an evil bug going around our household this week. It started last Tuesday, when Ridley woke up from his nap clearly not feeling well. His eyes were puffy and his nose was running. It seemed the minor cold that had plagued him most of November and December was back. Then on Wednesday, he got worse. I took him to the Target Minute Clinic and he was diagnosed with his first ear infection - a double ear infection no less.

Yucky feeling Ridley

We started him on amoxicillin and even the next day we could tell he was starting to feel much better. He continued to improve over the weekend, during which time I was dealing with some sort of bug, but mostly better by Sunday.

Ridley feeling much better

Since she was born, Haley has had some minor congestion, which is fairly common, and it was never bad enough to bother her. But Sunday evening it seemed to be getting worse, so I called our pediatric urgent care office, who advised us to run a humidifier in her room at night (check), take her in the bathroom and run the shower on high heat so she could breathe in the steam (check), and to do some saline irrigation in her nose (check, after they explained how to do it). Well, all those things didn't do much in the way of helping, and I spent almost all night up with Haley as her congestion got worse - to the point that she was having difficulty eating.

So first thing this morning, Haley and I were off to see her pediatrician. Turns out, Haley has her first ear infection (just in her right ear though). Her doctor says that in 15 years of practice, she can count on one hand the number of babies under six weeks old who have had ear infections. So now we have her started on amoxicillin as well, and her congestion seems to be improving. She is finally getting some sleep too.

Now hopefully between these two sick kids (and a sick husband) I can get a little sleep too.