This creeping crud in my lungs just refuses to go away. My voice is slowly coming back, but it sounds weird enough that Annabel looks at me funny when I speak to her. She turns up her lip as if to say, “quit sounding like daddy and talk to me normal!”
The worst part is the nasty juicy hacking cough that pops up at the most inopportune times. I have been working like crazy to get Annie back on schedule. The three-hour time difference from New York is proving quite challenging. Yesterday, she flat out refused to nap. The ONE MOMENT where she started to get droopy eyes? I coughed out a lung. When I finally straightened myself out, Annie was wiiiiide awake. No nap for her. No nap for me. NO NAPS MAKE HEATHER GO CRAZY.
When I’m sick, all I want to do is curl up on the couch, eat won ton soup, and watch reality tv reruns while I drift in and out of sleep. Unfortunately, Annie isn’t sick and finds that plan boring. So instead we play on the floor, and read, and dance, and then we pause while mama hacks out her other lung. Childhood memories for life!
Did I mention that Annie is at the separation anxiety stage? This is bad news right now because this illness requires lots of..bathroom…trips, and I put her down for those. Oh, the screaming. It makes a great situation even better!
HOW do parents survive being sick when they have a diva baby at home needing attention? At this rate I feel like I’m going to be sick forever.
Although, I DID just take some cough syrup. So what if it expired two years ago? Nothing bad could possibly happen.
Amanda M. says:
I don’t know how I’ll handle this sick-with-a-baby business once I start popping out kids. I’m a baby myself when I’m sick!
I hope you feel better soon. And by “soon” I mean like now. Yuck.
Kate @ UpsideBackwards says:
Oh, I do hope you feel better soon! We just have to keep on keeping on, I’m afraid, there’s no miracle solution. I have a mega chest and sinus infection at the moment too, so I am right there with you. I’m a bit luckier, though, my kids are older and in school and daycare a fair part of the day, so I do get some rest.
Best of luck!
Chrisie says:
Being sick is no fun! Hang in there, and I hope you feel better really soon!!!!
(((HUGS)))
Jennifer says:
I hope you feel better soon. Does the Red Cross or somebody there have a service where somebody can come by the house for a couple of hours to help you get some rest? Here in Switzerland the Red Cross has a Parent’s Relief service where somebody will come help a sick parent at home. I’ve used them twice – both times they sent me grandmother types who were great with the kids while I took a nap.
Lara says:
NO! We so don’t have that type of service in the states, but how ahhhhh-mazing would that be?!?!?
I have threatened a European move before, but that settles it! I’m packing my bags and headed over the atlantic!
WOW!
Lisa says:
I’d so pay for a service like that!
Katrina says:
Ugh…I feel for ya. Being a sick mommy with little ones is no fun. You cannot take the time you need to rest — it’s just impossible. I am lucky right now because I have older kids, too. When I don’t feel well, I can count on them to cover for me for a few hours here and there. I have children of all ages – nine of them – ages 19 down to 2. They all live at home, so while I do have a crazy, busy, loud and demanding household, I also have the help of teenagers and elementary-age children when I’m desperate. Those who are ages 7 and up can be really helpful. They can play with the preschoolers and babies which helps to keep them distracted so that they are not asking for me. The older ones can cook, change diapers, and bathe the little ones for me. I have one who can drive and will help out with transportation if I need that. I don’t get sick often but it’s nice to know that when I do, I can count on my kids to take care of each other.
But when you have just one little baby….oh, it’s so hard when you are sick! What I used to do back then is just lay on the floor with the baby next to me, with a ton of toys and things that will keep the baby interested, and I’d bring a big pillow and blankets and just camp out down there on the floor for hours. But when you have a crawler, you can’t really do that for long because eventually the baby will crawl away. Ugh. What I’d do in that situation is put the baby in the high chair, put on a cartoon or a BABY EINSTEIN dvd… place the high chair in the room where the tv is…give the baby a bunch of new “things” to play with on the high chair tray, and then rest on the couch (in the same room as the baby, of course) while the baby is busy with all that. That usually bought me about a 20 minute stretch before I had to get up to give the baby something else to play with. With a baby that is walking around, it gets even harder. I have to admit that TV and DVD players at that time are my best friends. I’d put in a favorite video, or one that perhaps they hadn’t seen yet, set them in their high chair, but with this age food works better than toys for entertainment. So I would give them some food to nibble on — depending on the baby’s age, of course.
It’s tough, but I will say I used to be a big baby whenever I got sick before I had kids…I would complain and whine and sleep all day and just do nothing. As a mom, I’ve toughened up and have learned to function quite well when I’m sick. You learn to out of necessity. But as soon as your husband gets home from work, you hand him the baby and get to bed. That has to be your time for rest. It just has to. Because we don’t get much rest is the reason we stay sick longer. So rest when you can. Sleep when the baby sleeps NO MATTER what else you might have to do (laundry and dishes and household chores can wait). And if someone offers you help, accept!
Hope you feel better soon
Elizabeth says:
I am a stay at home mom to two girls and a boy on the way and everytime I had to go to the bathroom I would put my daughters (whoever was the baby at the time) in their bouncer and sit the bouncer in the bathroom (or you can sit it right at the door if the bathroom isn’t big enough) so they could see me and wouldn’t think I left them. It worked really well. Just a thought for the separation anxiety.
amanda says:
Ugh – it is so hard to just be sick when you have a baby around. You’re trying not to get them sick, entertain them, etc, and you barely have time to get better yourself. It takes me forever to recover from something these days, because there is never a moment to just relax! I hope you feel better soon!!
Karen says:
Oooo, you have my sympathies. I get chest infections at the drop of a hat.
Dont forget that even after the infection goes it will still take another 6 to 10 weeks to cough everything up, which while it may sound depressing, may help you relax about your recovery time!
Try lots of steam inhalation, or steamy showers! That will really help everything move. Get lots of fluids.
Sit Annie in her seat in the bathroom doorway, she will stop screaming and you can do what you need to whilst chatting, singing, reading, etc.
And I wish I lived in Switzerland!!!!!
gugs says:
Oh my gosh Karen you sound like me. I had a cold which resulted in a loud death rattle of a cough that lasted 2 months. It finally went away by itself (despite numerous doctor’s visits) only to come back after a minor cold that lasted two days… I am at my wit’s end at the moment. I have had it since the end of June.
Jenn says:
Hang in there girlie….you’ll get better. It isn’t fun being ill with a kid (in my case, 3 running around) wanting to be entertained?! One of our worse illness was when we all got the N1H1 last yr and we were all so sick, Sam was spiking 105.0 temps (we were up to the h one wanted to risk catching the flu. I remember it still so clearing, even though that 3 yr will be 13 in Sept and Sydney will be 11 in and Sammy wasn’t really a consideration at that point . Both of us working full time at that point didn’t help with matters either.
But, we got thru it and so will you. Thankfully Annie isn’t really sick b/c then you would have a cranky, coughing, oozing, teething, making strange baby on your hands to be stressed about and that, would be awful!
Isn’t the timing perfect though? Out of all the times for Mike to get a full time job, it has to be when you are so sick and exhausted! Go figures, eh? Life is such fun some times! ha ha
Take Care my friend,,,,this too shall past and then, you and your beloved Annie will be on to your next adventures!!! Until then, I’ll be thinkinf of you and as always….wishing you the very best!
Your Friend,
Jenn
Kim says:
Do you have grandparents nearby? I would call on them. I had the same thing 2 weeks ago but my twins also had it so they were pretty lethargic. We watched a lot of TV! Hope you feel better soon!
cj says:
get well soon!!
MamaCas says:
Being sick whilst taking care of children = really hard to do at times. When my first baby was 4 months old, I got my first UTI (fun times!). I took my medication and we crawled into bed together…with a nice warm mommy next to him, he slept (and I slept) for several hours. THAT wasn’t so bad (well….aside from the searing back pain and the urge to tinkle every 3 minutes).
But THEN….several years later…..I got myself in the family way when my 2 older boys were 5 and 3. My boys learned to be patient. Thank god we have a bathroom right next to the kitchen. “Stay at the table, guys. I’ll make your breakfast right after I throw up.” or “Mommy will finish reading this book in one minute. I have to throw up.” or “FOR THE LOVE OF PETE….what’s that SMELL?! I have to throw up.”
Cassandra says:
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I have had that exact same crud going on for 6 weeks now. It starts going away and then comes back full force again. I have been to the doctor twice, got 2 shots,a course of steroids,a course of antibiotics and a whole slew of other medicine! I have also been on mucinex through all of this and it helps, but doesn’t get rid of it. I also have asthma, so mine is always bad. Hopefully yours won’t be as bad. Hope you feel better soon.
Leslie says:
Not trying to add paranoia to the mix, but California is in the midst of a pertussis (whooping cough) breakout. From my understanding, adults do not necessarily present with the same “whooping” – like cough, but still can transmit the disease if they are infected. A bad cough that doen’t go away is the most common symptom for this disease that can be deadly to newborns under two months.
Of course Annabel is protected by vaccine, but others, including mothers and fathers (or caregivers) with new babies can be infected by even casual exposure to anyone with the illness.
Vaccines are readily available for adults — with our daughter expecting her second child any day now, our entire family has received the vaccine at the recommendation of our family physician.
Linda B says:
Fortunately, Heather was very cognizant of Whooping Cough especially living here in California, so she insisted that everyone from Grandparents to Aunts and Uncles get their updated shots. Hopefully all parents will follow suit and get vaccinated.
Lora says:
I hope you feel better soon!
All three of my older kids and I got the Swine Flu when my husband was gone to Ranger school last year. That was a good time. Parenting while sick is the most exhausting thing ever.
cindy w says:
Expired cough syrup is the best kind. Gives it some time to ferment so it has a nice little kick. You’ll ditch the cough AND get drunk at the same time. It’s like a 2-for-1 deal.
Lamb says:
I hope you’re feeling better soon. Your “juicy” cough just made me put down my breakfast
As long as it wasn’t Maximum Strength Tylenol Cold & Flu, you should be fine. I took some of that stuff in desperation before a long day at work that I couldn’t get out of. It made my pupils HUGE and all our customers stared at me like I was a druggie. They did not go back to normal for 3 days!!
Come to think of it, is that product still on the market?
Mary @ Holy Mackerel says:
Expiry dates are fake. At least, I hope so. Get better soon, Heather!!
Ali says:
Oh my goodness, that cough sounds awful! Hope you feel better soon!
Brandy says:
I got the norovirus the night before my husband was due to report back to his submarine – which meant at least a 12 hour work day for him. I literally cried and begged him to ask them to let him go in late (I had NEVER asked him to shirk his responsibilities in any way when he was in the service) but he absolutely refused, he felt it was letting his shipmates down if he didn’t go in, even with permission. I had no family nearby and I was so scared about taking care of a 9 month old alone when I needed to be alone with a toilet. But, I made it through ok. Thankfully noroviruses don’t last nearly as long as hacking coughs!
SleepyMom says:
Think my first comment didn’t make it:
The gist of it is was:
Yes, it is terrible and the only thing more exhausting is when baby is super sick too and wants to be held while you pace the floor. What worked for me was having my baby watch a 20minute baby einstein dvd while I napped to its classical music.
Kristen says:
We just survived that situation in my house. My 8 month old son brought home Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (that also strangly came with vomitting and diarrea) from daycare, and kindly gave it to me. I never even considered how I was going to take care of a sick kid when I couldn’t get out of bed myself. I had to call my husband to come home from work to take care of my son. It was a mess. Did I mention that our dog was also sick? He was diagnosed with colitis, so my husband had to clean up after three of us! Luckily he didn’t get HFMD; I don’t know what we would have done.
Audra says:
Get well soon! Can Annie’s Grammy come up to visit for a day or so and give you time to rest?
Kristin says:
I hope you feel better soon.
defendUSA says:
The way I did it…I just hung out….and when I had to leave the room, I just kept talking so Erin wouldn’t cry…she took a nap with me, and I fed her what I was eating, different bowl/spoon of course. Hang in there…
Melissa says:
Heather, I feel your pain! Moms are just not allowed to get sick, ever. I had the beginnings of the flu last winter when my younger son was about 5 months old and desperately wanted to stay away from him, but my husband just didn’t get it (i.e. “what? you want me to take care of TWO children?”) So I was not able to rest as much as I would have liked. Of course, the following week when DH got sick, guess who holed up in the bedroom all day and rested?? Yeah, that’s right. ANYWAY, re getting you well – I’m a big fan of taking probiotics daily. Our pediatrician has recommended it for our younger son since birth since he was born via csection and I was on antibiotics for that recovery. So both of my boys get a probiotic daily and I take either one in pill form or drink kefir. It REALLY keeps your immune system up and I have to say, knock wood, we rarely get sick and my kids are in day care or school. When you DO get a little virus, amp up on the probiotics and you’ll feel better faster. Also, I take a little vial of something called ossiloccinum (you can get it at vitacost.com) three times a day and find my illness is pretty much trumped. And if you have congestion, the neti pot is going to clear you out really well. Hope some of these less medicinal remedies work for you, it REALLY stinks to not be able to rest. Feel good.
Jamie says:
I can’t wait to read the suggestions for separation anxiety, while she is a little bit better, my daughter has had it for a good 8 months. She likes 4 people total.
Nicole says:
As a stay at home momma to a 3 year old, 2 year old, and 5 month old….I know all too well that we moms do not get sick day’s. It plain sucks being sick and having to take care of the kids because they do NOT slow down for us.
When I am sick I put them in the living room with toys and I lay on the couch. Sometimes I will even put a movie on. It works. You gotta do what ya gotta do, right?!
I hope you feel better soon!
Cheryl says:
You sound like you really need to be on antibiotics. I had pneumonia when I was in my late 20’s and was on bed rest for weeks, with 2 young kids, luckily no babies but my then-husband was less than thrilled to have to take over with everything. Have you had an x-ray? We don’t want anything to happen to you. I know you don’t like to be away from Annie but it would probably help you if your mom or somebody like that could take her for a few days so you could get some rest. I’ve gotten to where I hate to fly, I get stuff like you’ve got every time.
Jen says:
Ugh. It is the worst when you’re sick and need to take care of a little one. Is there anyone who could take Annie for a bit while you get some rest? We’ve all been there at one point or another but it’s so hard.
I am very prone to viruses that cause bad coughs and they’re so frustrating because they can take so long to go away. I also HATE coughs because they make it impossible for you to get any good rest and they’re so hard on the body. I actually take codeine cough medicine with me everytime I travel because I’m afraid of getting a virus while away. It’s happened enough times already and now I have a bit of an anxiety about it.
All this to say, I feel your pain and hope you feel better soon, Heather!!
Shannon Leon Etnyre says:
I LOVE won-ton soup!
& have since I was a kid. I thought I was the only one. My husband thinks I’m nuts, but its the only thing that makes me feel better when I’m sick! It’s goodness will offset any funky side-affects from the cough syrup. Believe me.
Laurie SL says:
Oh I’m so sorry that you’re sick. That’s not fun at all and on top of that you want to be there for Annabel. My husband and I both had food poisoning but thankfully our 17 month old didn’t eat what we had. We were both there curled up on the couch or floor in utter pain all day. My pain was the least, so I tried to take care of our daughter. I just tried to take care of myself as much as possible so I could get better and take care of her. Even though I didn’t feel like it, I smiled a lot at her and gave her as much attention as food-poisonedly possible.
Are you taking Annie into the bathroom with you? If you are and she still cries because you have to put her down, then maybe take along a new toy or something new (non-toys seem to intrigue babies more!) for her to sit near you and play with. Maybe some music?
Hope you feel better!!!
Megan says:
Ugh! Being sick with a little one is the absolute worst thing ever! I have a 3.5 year old and 6 month old and all of us got REALLY sick right after my 6 month old, Jordan, was born. I had a fever of over 103 and was coughing non-stop (really nice for that c-section incision…) and was just plain miserable. I just laid in bed and my husband would bring me Jordan whenever he needed to nurse. Luckily, steroids knocked out my pneumonia quickly Other times when I’ve been sick , I’ve relied on Grandma and Grandpa daycare or parked Aubrey in front of Dora or Diego-doesn’t quite work that way with a 6 month old though….Hope you’re feeling better soon!
Carrie says:
You go to the bathroom by yourself? I do not remember what that is like. Everytime I have to do…any number…it’s a bathroom party with my one and two year old. The toilet paper gets unwound…sometimes eaten (I dont normally condone the eating of toilet paper) the magazines get tossed around, and if by chance I shut the door in an attempt to get privacy I get the pounding, crying and “MOM, MOMMY, MAMA, MAAAA, MOMMMMM”. Yup. peaceful bathroom times never happen anymore unless my kids are sleeping…and even then…it’s like they KNOW just when to wake up.
jessie says:
i just walked away and let him cry. dude, if you’re not healthy and not getting better, it won’t make things any easier. she’ll be okay by herself for a minute, you can go to the bathroom and not feel guilty about it.
you gotta take care of yourself. she’s not in any immediate danger, so take a few minutes to do whatever you need to do and just coo and sing at her from wherever you are if you have to.
Poppy says:
I so agree… You have to take care of yourself Heather and she will never remember this. Get better soon. I remember the days when I was sick with little ones, brutal
Inna says:
I totally remember coughing up a storm at totally inopportune moments…like breastfeeding in the middle of the night, which made my daughter clam up my boob… good times indeed. Then rocking for 40 min after, because i would jump from pain and totally freak her out…
I feel for you! Get better soon!!!! no suggestions unfortunately here, just know i’ll go away eventually (of course you know
And I second another commenter who mentioned using a bouncy seat while in the shower/bathroom, that’s what I did.
take care
AmazingGreis says:
If I lived closer I’d totally come kidnap said non-napping baby for the day so you could rest. And because I love you both, I’d totally do it for free! XOXO Ok, well maybe not totally free, there would need to be some baby snuggles in the deal!
Suzie says:
I hope you are feeling better. I would have to suggest not to take expired cough syrup. My neighbor took old Nyquill and had hallucinations then passed out, it makes for a really good laugh now but probably not at the time. I am in southern california and one of my nurse friends said that everyone working at the hospital had to get a whooping cough shot. Take care of yourself!
mp says:
Mom and dads can never rest…I get tired just thinking about all the rest we never get…
My husband and I are pretty equal partners in the childcare arena (we both worth full-time) and we TRY to let each other rest when we get sick, but the fact is–we have kids! It always takes us longer to get well than it should because we have to keep going when we’d just like to curl up in the fetal position and die (ok, watch TV all day). There’s no sugarcoating it, there’s just surviving it. But maybe it will help you to hear that we’ve all been there!
Alison says:
Ack! I’m so sorry. I hope you get better soon. I think sometimes Annie will just have to cry if you need to take care of yourself. Annie is a strong little girl. And this separation anxiety is a normal part of development. She’ll be just fine!
Ashley says:
I greatly enjoy your use of the word “juicy” to describe your hack. :c)
Maybe you can get Annie hooked into your reality shows and won ton soup?
Glenda says:
Feel better soon Heather!
Allison M. says:
LOL…I love how you wrote: “Unfortunately, Annie isn’t sick…” I had to do a double read on that one. Cracked me up. Just a few posts back you wrote about your fears of your baby being sick. So funny! I understand completely, my son being born at 26 weeks he has severe chronic lung disease and we fight every bug that exists….and he will be 2 tomorrow, in due time I suppose he will get over this. Get better soon Heather!
AnnD says:
There are few things worse than being sick and being a mom, especially a mom with no one around to help her.
I have only experienced this once. Our oldest daughter was 1 and she, my husband AND myself came down with the stomach flu at the SAME time!
It was horrible trying to clean up her diarrhea off of her and whatever she happened to be standing over or laying on while vomiting myself.
Thankfully the worst of mine lasted only about 12 hours but the child was fed from the couch all day long with nothing but crappy finger foods; chips, graham crackers, etc….neither of us could make real food or take care of her.
Elle says:
Hugs to you! My hubby, the little girl, and I are sick with raging colds and we’re moving into our new house. It sucks. We have to find the time to unpack in between coughing up a lung and blowing our nose.
J+1 says:
Separation anxiety or no, if there’s anyone who can take Miss Annie out for an hour or two, it might give you a break to sleep a bit…
(I have an almost entirely non-napping little one of my own. If I get a half hour, I feel like I’ve won the lottery.)
Danielle says:
Heather,
Try Buckley’s Cough Mixture. It tastes and smells horrible, but works wonders in quieting a cough and making you feel a little better.
Get well!!
Krissa says:
Feel better soon! I’m sick myself for almost a week now, but I don’t have to take care of a baby through it. Hope you can get some rest soon.
CoffeeJitters (Judy Haley) says:
ah yes my friend I have breast cancer and a cold right now – and damn if it isn’t that cold that’s kicking my ass. baby’s got a cold too. We’re quite a pair.
sometimes all you can do is endure for a little while – eventually you get back to life.
Kate says:
I SO feel you on this, when I get sick during deployments I set the kid up with sesame street and lay on the couch. I also gate EVERYTHING up because my son is sneaky. I have a gate to the bathroom door and my son stands at the gate and talks to me and asks questions if I have to do anything, even pee. Kids are crazy. Hopefully you’ll be right as rain soon!!
Sarah says:
When Tyler was really little and could only crawl/pull himself up on stuff, I barricaded us in the living room (using dining room chairs). I got toys out for him, turned the t.v. on for me, and chilled on the blanket nest I made for myself on the floor until Joe got home.
Key to success…. rid yourself on Mommy Guilt, it does nothing to make you get healthier faster
Kristie McNealy says:
Oh Heather, being sick while being a mommy is really hard work!! My particular favorite is having a bad stomach bug and a nursing baby. Nothing makes them scream louder than yanking them off the boob at an inopportune moment so you can go hide in the bathroom for 20 minutes.
I hope you are feeling 100% better soon. M never naps, ever, and I was sick last week, so I feel some of your pain . . .
gorillabuns says:
i’m using children’s cough syrup at the moment. I have to say, I’ve been coughing so hard, I’ve peed in my pants a few times…
Hoping this isn’t happening to you and you are feeling better soon.
Wendy Black says:
Hope you feel better soon!
Leigh says:
Heather – sorry you are feeling so awful, it is really hard to be a sick momma when you have a little one that is still going full force. I highly recommend you try a cough syrup called “Delsym”, it’s over the counter and a freaking miracle cough medicine. I won’t use anything else. It will keep your cough settled and it will not make you drowsy. Another drug of choice is Mucinex. It gets all that yucky plegm out of your throat and lungs, it’s amazing. My husband and I joke that they should just put it in the water supply, everyone would be so happy!
Hope you feel better soon. Oh and as far as what do I do when I am sick and couch-bound w/my daughter…..TV TV TV TV. Is there a cartoon that mesmerizes her yet? At that age I remember Kiera was into this freaky show called “Boombah” or “Teletubbies” – something colorful and bizarre =baby crack. Is she able to do the exersaucer yet? hang in there!
TracyKM says:
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: babywearing! You can go potty with baby on your front in a wrap or mei tai, or even a pouch. If you’re wearing baby on your back, you can try sitting backwards If you’re puking, just use a bowl, and keep her on your back. Also, I’ve mentioned it before, a bouncer hung from the bathroom door way. Not one like the old Jolly Jumper that requires tieing the baby into a harness, but one with a seat like an Exersaucer so you can just plop her in on your way through.
Get better soon!
Lessons in Life and Light says:
I had to come by and tell you that you saved me last week. I read this post a few hours before I had surgery. (I had a missed miscarriage and ended up having to have a D&C.) I couldn’t get the thought of wonton soup out of my head all day and after surgery, my husband went on a hunt to find me some. It was seriously the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life and he even went out for more the next day. It was literally the ONLY thing that sounded good to me. So thanks, girl. You helped make an awful day just a little better.
-Brittany