I don’t know what day or time it is. The fact that I’ve been awake for 27 straight hours may have something to do with it.
After we left New York City, we stopped in Ohio to spend sometime with the Family Gibbons. And like the last time I was there with my child, Annie decided to turn into a hot snotty crazy mess. It’s like she finds out that we’re going to be with my friends and goes, “I WILL SHOW YOU WHO IS BOSS” and then whips herself into a tizzy. Or maybe she just wants to be the biggest diva in the room. YOU WIN ANNABEL.
It really shows my friends what a happy, well-adjusted child I have. Not.
You know, I actually think I’ve been awake for longer than 27 hours. See, Annie decided to not sleep our last night in Ohio, and then we had to get up at 4 am for our flight. I could figure this out but there is math involved.
After the bumpiest flight ever, we are back in Los Angeles. At least I think it’s Los Angeles, at the airport I just got in the first car that would stop for me. We may have been kidnapped.
The baby is really taking this diva thing to the max, and is actually sick. Yes, she just got off of antibiotics less than a week ago. And, now Mike is sick. That means when Annie cries I can’t roll over and pretend I don’t hear it (not that I would ever do that, clearly the exhaustion is talking). And the poor diva is super-stuffy and has a cough, so she can’t sleep unless she is ON me.
So here I sit, wearing my baby accessory, wondering if I can get away with turning on the air conditioning. Also, she snores. So does Mike, AND the dog. I am NEVER going to get to sleep.
How can I decongest this child? It’s like she gets sick over holiday weekends on purpose. DIVA.
Is decongest a word, or did I make it up?
Rigby is talking to me. I might be hallucinating.
Sherri says:
I hate to say it, but it sounds like you should forego sleep and just enjoy the fact that Annie is still and not climbing all over the house. I know when my littlest would get sick, I hated that he was sick, but it was the only time he was still so I could cuddle with him. He was way too busy when he was well for me to just sit and love and smootch on him. And really, Heather, what is a little sleep deprivation? Who needs sleep? j/k Good luck. Wish I had some great advice, but beyond cold meds and Vick’s vaporub, I got nothin’. And they took all the good cold meds off the market for kids. Grrrr.
Janet says:
Awww I’m sorry, sleep deprivation like that does no one any good! I think you may have a kiddo with allergies? My Norah snores like her dad and it’s because of allergies and the way her nose was made (just like dad) She gets Zyrtec every night and the snoring/stuffyness is just about gone. I also know Clariton is safe for little people(had to give my youngest some his first yearish. Get the ped to check into it for you.
storm says:
Get the bathroom all hot and steamy, then sit in there with her. That always worked for my kiddies.
Jen says:
I second the steamy shower. Just take one with her. I’ve done this a few times and it helps quite a bit. But just beware of when they sneeze…snot party! Kinda gross but at least you know your helping them out a bit.
Good luck!
Anna says:
We are in the same boat in my family right now. You might be able to give her some benadrly. I would call your doctor and ask. This might help her sleep too. It never fails though these little stinkers ALWAYS get sick over the holidays or on vacation. My little guy has an ear infection so he is sleeping in his swing right now. Not sure if little Miss Annabel still fits in her swing or not? So I say drug the kid and let her swing away!!!! Ha Ha:) I hope you get some sleep soon.
Tamara says:
Poor little gal. Hope she’s feeling better soon and you can all get some sleep! And YES, decongest is a word!!
amanda says:
Poor Annie! I am sorry you are the last one standing in the sick Spohr house. However, the fact that you want to turn your air conditioner on makes me jealous (I am watching even MORE SNOW FALL here in CT, during the winter that will never end)
Kim says:
I second the Benadryl. Only problem is with the luck you’ve been having, Annie will be one of the small percentage of kids that gets wired and won’t sleep. Not sleeping is the worst! Can Bampa come help for a few hours?
Mijke says:
I’ve got nothing for you in the decongest-department. What I do have is this:
If you are indeed the last one standing right now, wait until the other two are back on their feet. Once they are, pretend you are sick yourself. Let them take care of YOU for a couple of days and catch up on all your lost sleep…
And Mike: you did NOT just read this.
Mandy says:
This works…I’ve tried it…and it’s such an awesome payoff! Gives you something to look forward too. Just pretend your on shift work, working for those 3 days off of sleepy, dreamy, bliss.
Rach says:
Thank you for distracting me from my impending ultrasound. Your blog is the best.
LOVE the “wait until the other two are back on their feet and pretend you are sick yourself.”
ha!
Diera says:
It’s at moments like these one wishes for the days when one was allowed to give the baby cold medicine. In the meantime, have you tried using saline spray in her nose? In my experience, it makes the baby VERY VERY irritated when you use it, but it does flush out the sinuses (as does the subsequent yelling after you deploy it).
dona says:
They say airplanes are a hotbed of germs, so does Annie get sick during/after these trips? I always do. Decongestion- moisture, humidifier. No benedryl, it will dry her up but if her lungs and throat get dry you will have croup. Croup is not good. I had five ( seven, two lost to prematurity) and my one surviving premie has BPD. She is 31 and still calls me to check on the otc meds she can take.
catherine lucas says:
Not fun having both a sick baby and a sick husband. I hope they will feel better soon. You have better things to do then wiping snotty noses…
There is always your blog groupies who need their news feed!
Take care and get some sleep if you can, when you can!
Tracey says:
Sorry everyone around you is sick. Try Ocean for her nose. It is basically just salt water spray and you spray two squirts in each nostril. Over the counter at any pharmacy, Walmart, etc. It really does help loosen the mucus and the best is that it is not a prescription and contains no drugs.
jen says:
I second this idea! It really works!!!!!!!!!!
Mara says:
tThe NoseFreida- snot sucker is amazing! It does a much better job than an nasal aspirator. You can search their website for a store near you.
Sara says:
I second this! Just got the Snot Sucker (terrible name for a great tool) and I like it much better than the traditional aspirators. It’s less invasive and elicits WAY less screaming!
Liz says:
Yes the nosefrida is great! Works much better than the others.
Ana Brightful says:
Gotta go with the NoseFreida too. That snot sucker is life altering. At least when your life is overcome by congested offspring. Good luck. Hope everyone is better very soon.
Joleine says:
Childrens Robitussin, she can take it. Our dr recommended it for Morgan when she had a cold last fall.. Just check w/ your doctor on the dosage, but it’s a lifesaver! And the humidifier .. and saline spray w/ a GOOD nose sucker!
Teresa says:
One thing that works with my little munchkin is to use vicks vapo rub. I put it on the bottom of her feet (I know…weird!!) and then put socks or feetie jammies on her. I also rub some on her chest and put a little by her nose. They have a baby one too. It really seems to clear her up enough to get some sleep. Good luck and hang in there!!!
KK says:
I second this suggestion. Works on adults, too!!!
Jen says:
Hope everyone feels better! Glad you got to stop in my fair home state of Ohio (sorry for the weather).
Penbleth says:
You poor thing. Lack of sleep is the worst. Perhaps some steam would help Annie and something to keep her temperature in check.
I hope she and Mike feel better soon.
J+1 says:
Humidifier! Makes all the difference in the world.
Also, google the Nosefrida– “the snot sucker.” I know, sounds incredibly gross, but it WORKS. Some saline spray and then the Nosefrida, and her little nose will be clear (for a while, at least). I think Whole Foods carries them, since you don’t want to wait for Amazon.
karen says:
I second the snot sucker – the best baby implement in the world! Get one and you’ll find life sooooo much easier!
Lisa says:
Ugh, sleep deprivation plus a sick kiddo does not make for fun times. I hope Annie is feeling better soon, or at least well enough to let you sleep.
Paige says:
I have always used benedryl for my kids. Liquid childrens benedryl. Once they hit 20 pounds, they are ok to take it. When my son was 1 year old and about Annie’s size, he took 3mL. It will relieve the runny nose and maybe make her drowsy. It is about the most benign thing you can give her. I still give it to my kids when they have colds. Also, a steamer or humidifier helps – vicks vaporizer makes a few you can get at the grocery store or a pharmacy.
Mara says:
Turn on the shower as hot as it will go and sit in the bathroom with her. Use some Vick’s vapor rub and a humidifier too. I give our baby Benadryl too. I have three kids with nasty colds, and of course I now have it too. Mucinex D is my best friend right now. You might as well go pick some up for yourself, cause Mommy is ALWAYS next, at least in this house. Hope sweet Annie feels better soon!!
dannielle kennedy says:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1384997/vicks_vapo_rub_bad_for_babies_and_young.html
beware the vicks.
you can’t give babies anything anymore and it really stinks. i used the ocean spray (or little noses ,which is an aerosol so it’s easier to get up their noses without laying them down) and the suction ball… frequently.
good luck, it’s amazing how something as simple as a cold can make your life so miserable.
Mommy says:
I’ve never heard that about Vicks. Our pediatrician even recommends it. Crap, now I am worried! What about the baby vapor rub? Is that bad too??
guarros says:
I’d go with the shower / steam option when it’s time to go to bed – also: prop up one side of the bed. If you have a huge binder OR huge book – you put it under the side Annie has her head – so she sleeps on a slant. Sounds bananas – but it works like a CHARM – also helps with the case of the snores.
Mommy says:
I agree!! Propping them up helps so much- I think it is because the snot doesn’t drip into their throat that way… maybe that is why they can sleep on Mommy so much better than lying flat too.
momttorney says:
The thing that works for us is to use Vicks on her neck (the baby vicks) and also to have her sleep on an incline . . . which usually means I’m propped up and she’s on my chest. . .
marilyn says:
Look for showertabs.. you put them in the shower and it makes your shower steamy and the smell opens the nose.
Once we had to take our infant son to the ER so they could suck the crap out of his nose. pour resp. therapist..what a job.. sucking crap out of infants noses, but he was so congested they were concerned. I have had the same thing for a MONTH.. hang in there. M
Elizabeth says:
Oh, so sorry to hear it. Multiple kids here means we have been sick for going on 12 days. I am all for the steamy showers and nasal spray (our preferred brand is Little Noses) but I have to urge caution with Benadryl. For some it works but for others (like mine, unfortunately) it makes the kids HYPER. Believe me, sick hyper child is much worse than sick, sleepy child. Good luck!!
Kristin (MamaKK922) says:
Awww I’m sorry the Diva is sick. And I would buy Decongest as a word. And trust me I understand the no sleep thing. Wait dogs don’t regularly talk? Seriously though I hope Aniie gets better soon so mommy can get some rest.
Barbi Emel says:
I’d try Vicks vapor rub or a vaporizer. Hope she feels better soon & momma gets some sleep
Brittany says:
Let me put a care package of drugs together. For…all of you.
P.S. Hurry home, I mean, back. We miss your faces already.
Arlene says:
My first time “commenting”
Problem solver for congestion. I have a 8 month old who recently got sick, the whole nine yards. I went to Wal-Mart looking for something and I found Vicks V1900N Vaporizer with Night Light. I pulled it for the less than 30 mins and it cleared out all the grossiness she had in her nose.
Then slept like she wasnt sick at all. The scented pad it comes with can last up to 8 hrs but I only used it for 30mins.
Well worth the 9 dollars spent!
Jane says:
Steamy shower! Steamy shower! Steamy shower! Right before her bedtime. And if she’s sippy-cup-savvy, (sounds gross but works), warm lemonade mixed with honey. All day. As much as she’ll take. It really helps my kids. Oh yuck….poor Annie. Wait, forget Poor Annie. Poor HEATHER!! ; )
Elle says:
Poor mama and Poor Annie! My daughter is under 2 and options are limited but I do the baby vicks, the cool mist humidifier, steamy showers, and one that seems to possibly work if all else fails unless it’s hot outside or rainy is I wrap my daughter in a blanket and take her outside. I let her breathe in the cool night air for about 10 minutes. There’s not a guarantee that it works but when I’m sleep deprived and desperate, I will try anything.
Suzie K. says:
I know this sounds CRAZY but when I have a sick baby with a cough and congestion I rub Vicks vapor rub on their feet then put socks on them before they go to bed. I had a few friends with sick kids lately and told them the same thing, they let me know the next day that it was a miracle and worked like a charm. I know a lot of people that do it and I’m tell’n ya it works! Hope you all feel better.
Heather says:
Vix on the bottom of her feet. Sounds weird, I know…..but it works!
Brenda says:
And here I was whining that my baby kept me up for six hours..
Hope she feels better soon!
Megan@TrueDaughter says:
Humidifier, baby vicks, and *ahem* – a doc will tell you not to, but cut a Triaminic strip in half and give her just a half at a time, every 4-6 hours. It really does help. Might just get you some rest. Good Luck! Blessings, Megan
Heather says:
I have a little one who was diagnosed with pneumonia over the weekend. Her nurse and her doctor both told me independently (along with a good friend of mine as well) to buy baby vicks rub (safe for 3 months and up), rub a thick amount of it on the bottoms of her feet, put socks on her and let her sleep. I was skeptical, but my kid has slept through the night even with this gunk for the past 3 nights, thanks to the vicks on her feet and the humdifier in her bedroom. I’m convinced of it.
Just a thought. Hope everyone gets well soon.
H
Rebecca says:
A quarter of a teaspoon of Benadryl? Worth a try?
Rebecca says:
…and not to discredit the person above me, but I had bronchitis and tried Vics on the bottoms of my feet and I heard the makers of Vicks Laughing at me as I slathered a thick layer on my feet and put on thick socks. I coughed my head off all night long…………
Think you can get her something with Codeine mixed in? My son received codeine at 6 months old for pain so I know it would be safe for Annie………….She doesn’t need it for pain…..it will keep her from coughing, codeine turns off the ‘cough’ part of the brain.
Mommy says:
Humidifier, saline drops in her nose and then the nose frida. Looks so gross but it isn’t at all- promise.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=nose+frida&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=6699005982742161320&ei=c8JiTfLzB4f6swOb7vW6CA&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDcQ8wIwAw#ps-sellers
We got ours at Whole Foods.
Also, having her propped up will help. Do you guys have a Nap Nanny? Or maybe someone can lend you one? She is a little old for it, but you could still let her relax in it as long as it is on the floor and you supervise her carefully.
Good luck! Hope you are able to get some sleep!!!!
Dee says:
My first thought was the steamy shower too, and maybe just some simple Tylenol to take away the general icky feeling and allow her to relax. I’m so sorry Heather, I hope you get some sleep soon!
Expat Mom says:
I was taught a neat trick by a Guatemalan woman. You light a candle, take a nice gob of Vicks VapoRub on your fingers, heat it over the candle until it starts to melt (but don’t burn yourself, of course), then rub it on the baby’s chest and back and put a sweater on her. My boys are both sick right now and I’ve been doing it every night so they (and I) can sleep. Works VERY well and doesn’t involve getting all sweaty in the bathroom.
Kathy says:
VapoRub on the feet with socks or on the chest (or both!) plus a teaspoon of honey. Works like a charm for my daughter…. Good luck.
Super Lily says:
Oh, I just experienced this feeling this Saturday at a family reunion. I was praised for an hour for having the most well behaved child…then my daughter decides she is bored and begins running around and complains when I restrain her. I felt like a fraud.
shannon says:
Will tylonel help her sleep? Or Benadryl? Not that I would EVER do that. But I have & it’s worked esp when I’m des-per-ate! Sleep is GOOD! Sick babies are NOT! Tell Annie Divas are not either! except she’s so cute its okay.
michelle in MO says:
Wow, she’s not just pulling out the sick for major holidays? She’s hitting the secondary ones as well? Girl is gonna be Ferris Bueller for sure by the time she’s a teen! I was sick for most of my childhood. Like 16 total years out of 18. I only muddled through with Dimetapp.
Jenn says:
Poor baby….poor YOU!!!! Hope things get better and better!!! Thinking of you!!!
Love,
Jenn
Jacqueline says:
We use California Baby Cold & Flu bubble bath, baby Vicks, saline, nose frida (gross concept, but oh, the relief!), a humidifier and we prop the munchkins while they sleep. The bubble bath works wonders and my kids love playing in the tub, even when they’re sick. I used it when I was pregnant and had a sinus infection and it was a life saver. I hope Annie feels better fast!
jeanine says:
ok so i have not read all the other replies, so this might be repetitive. But since “cold medicine” is taboo for kids under six or 14 or whatever it is now, we usually do the vicks vaporub (baby kind) and on the FEET (since there was some study that said it was bad on the chest) unless they’re really snuffly, then we put it on their belly (like by the belly button); and humidifier in the room. There are a lot of crap humidifiers out there but we learned that the hard way. Finally porked out some big dough for a good one at costco which is what we should have done the first time. Also, those vick’s plug ins are a good alternative if you dont want to put the vaporub on the child themselves. Lastly a little motrin if it seems like they are possibly in pain, even if no fever, because i know sometimes i get colds and i get that achiness (like with the flu) and ibuprofen helps that.
Saline drops work OK but honestly not my #1 choice. Tried them myself once and it was kind of like torture.
Anyway, i hope you dont catch it too, otherwise Rigby will have three people to take care of, and that might be too much for one dog!
Get well soon and sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Audrey says:
http://www.nosefrida.com
this. thing. is. life. changing.
i know it looks gross, but i PROMISE you it is amazing! and there is a FILTER on it for god’s sake!!! a disposable filter!!!
sucking the snot frequently with aforementioned device + humidifier 24/7 + tons of fluids+ a little ibuprofen if she’s warm/painful =a well baby in a jiffy.
i promise this will work…and you have no way of verifying this…but i am a phone advice RN and a mother to a three year old with really bad seasonal allergies….which combined basically means i’m a genius
good luck….and GO BUY ONE OF THESE NOW!!!!!!!
Elizabeth says:
Awww lil Diva! Hope her and Mike get better soon and I hope you get some well needed rest!!
Jennifer says:
Rub Baby Vicks on the bottoms of Annie’s feet and then put socks on her – seriously this works – do it before she goes to bed. She will breathe easy and not cough!!
Good luck!