Pre-boogers/fever

I mentioned in my last post that Piper got sick last Thursday.  It was nice in a way that it happened the last night we were in Utah because generally, when I have a baby and take said baby home, inevitably, that baby cries and fusses and I stress the whole time about being the one with the fussy baby.  Which is silly.  It has happened a few times where I go home with my baby and because there are 11 siblings, someone else also has a baby there and quite often I find myself comparing my fussy-gussy to the quiet, calm, chill baby of my siblings.  Again, silly.  I completely realize that and mostly, I've just accepted that my babies are generally fussy.  But then, after about nine months they aren't fussy anymore and they are generally happy.  I also realize that it seems everyone has their stages where they might have a happy baby and then suddenly have a hard toddler, or as my brother continually likes to point out, obnoxious teenagers.  Well, I have fussy babies.  And sometimes fussy toddlers too.  But you would never guess that by looking at the boys now.  I guess what I'm saying is that I know I don't hold the market on fussy children and that I'm sure a lot of it is all in my mind and I'm just extra sensitive to the fussing my children make around people.  (But also, let's just be honest.  I have fussy babies)

Anyway.

I'm not sure why I wrote all that. Oh yeah.  Because I was talking about how it was nice that she got sick the last night we were in Utah.  Like the rest of my kids Piperleigh was a pretty fussy newborn.  She had reflux and cried a lot and woke up regularly like newborns do and also didn't nap.  So she was not feeling well and always tired.  I'm glad we didn't visit Utah then.  But also like the rest of my kids, around nine months Piper started sleeping and has been a pretty wonderful, happy girl since then.  Piper was really happy and pleasant in Utah.  Even with bad naps some days and having to be stuck in the van while we traveled from place to place.  She was pretty fantastic.  And it was so nice to go home and have everyone see her happy.    

The only thing hindering Piper's happiness is when she starts to get another tooth or when she gets colds.  She does not handle sickness well at all.  And just as a side note, you know how everyone says that breastfeeding contributes to healthier babies?  That isn't the case for me.  Both of my exclusively breastfed babies have ended up being my sickest.  

Piper won't let me see into her mouth (she screams and hits my hands away) but Mike says he saw a little tooth trying to poke through so I assume that is what is wrong with her.  It could also be that she has an earache but unfortunately, her ear canals are as small as a newborn's and the doctor can never see into her ear to see if she has one.  She has had a low-grade fever since Thursday night and crazy amounts of boogers.  It's really so sad.  She just wants to cuddle all day (which is nice for me but sad for her because that means she is just feeling miserable).  

I hate watching my kids be sick.  I know it is part of this experience of mortality but I wish I could make her not suffer anymore.  In the meantime I just keep snuggling her and give her ice cream whenever she will eat it.  Since it's pretty much all she will eat since Thursday, I'm saying ok to the ice cream.  I am looking forward to her fever breaking and her boogers drying up so I can have my happy Piper back and so I can get back to taking pictures of her in her adorable clothes and accessories.