sick on snow days

Both Teoman and Tomris have coughs.  They haven't gotten sick too many times in their little lives - maybe because they haven't been put in pre-school yet, but I'm hoping it's more to hearty genes.  Teoman started with a stuffy nose and progressed to a slight cough.  Tomris's hit all of the sudden last night.  I noticed her nose running a bit that day, then whamo - That night we were debating to take her to the hospital because her breathing was raspy.  It sounded like she just needed to give a good cough to clear it out, but I wasn't sure.  She had woken up and I nursed her, and her breathing sounded phlegmy.  She coughed, and I could tell the cough was painful.  I just knew it, or felt it, or had it that morning too ... I don't know, but there was no doubt in my mind because she looked at me and cried, "Mama."  I cleaned her nose, tried to give her some medicine, put Vick's Vapor Rub on her feet,  and rocked her in the chair.  My Columbian friend told me about the vapor rub on the feet.  I tried it when I was desperate with Teoman, and then I saw a generic post on the Internet about it and realized it probably wasn't true (which it's not).  I forgot that I had learned that, or didn't care, because I was looking for something to help her poor little body.

She calmed down and went back to sleep while I rocked.

It's really stressful when your kids are sick.  Tolga and I were looking at each other little panicked, and then lay in bed wondering whether we should let her sleep or take her to the doctor.  We kept her with us to hear her breathing, and Teoman soon joined us so that we were four across.

They've both been a bit ornery and needy.  Tomris has been having roller coaster days, laughing and giggling, sitting comfortably with me, or crying and following me around always wanting something.   She woke up crying, unsure of what she wanted - milk, sleep, playtime.  I did all three.  I nursed her, she slept while I nursed her, we went to the living room - she wanted this and that and cried for everything.

It's been an exhausting snow day, but I'm glad I'm home to take care of her.