Not Feeling So Hot

Ani has been under the weather since Saturday, and the poor little girl has been miserable - -stuffy nose, congestion, coughing, gi issues...  I am not used to a fussy baby, and the past few days have made me even more grateful for the easy baby that she normally is.  Coincidentally we were at the pediatrician's office for her four-month check-up this morning, so the doctor was able to check her out to make sure nothing major was wrong.  She has a pretty severe virus that lasts about a week, and the first 2-3 days are the worst of it.  Here's hoping we have passed the worst part!

As miserable and fussy as Ani has been, Alexa has really upped her game to compensate; I really could not have asked for better behavior on her part.  Yesterday she was very disappointed that our afternoon of swimming was cut short by Ani's cries on the monitor, but she took it in stride.  She was helping me out however she could, trying to find Ani's favorite toys, getting me burp cloths, etc..  I'm not quite sure if she was feeling sorry for me or if she was bilking the situation to watch an extra television show or two.  Whatever the motive, it worked.  I'm on the hook for a lot of swimming this coming Memorial Day weekend, but her wonderful behavior more than compensates for a few hours in the pool.

I worked remotely today, staying home with Ani until we had to pick her up for afternoon gymnastics.  As we drove to gymnastics today, Alexa was tending to Ani, singing to her to make her feel better.  The two round band-aids on her thighs, the result of two immunizations, really evoked sympathy from Alexa.  She began making up a song specifically for her (I was just happy to hear something other than Frozen's "Let It Go"), and I honestly did not know whether to laugh or cry at the lyrics: "I'm sorry you are sick today, Ani.  You need shots and medicine to make you feel better so you don't get sick.  Granty died because he was sick, and I don't want you to die too."  As I type the words, I realize how much more sad they are than they sounded when being sung by an off-key Alexa.

As much as I hate to see Ani sick, in some ways it is actually a very good thing for Alexa.  Her prior experiences with a sick sibling obviously had the worst possible result, so it's encouraging for her to see that being sick does not always translate to death.  I am hoping that Alexa learns this lesson pretty quickly; I don't know how many more days of a fussy baby I can handle!

Clutching her soft Sophie the Giraffe as she napped....
being comforted by giraffes is a family trait. :)