The Time You Had Your First Fever

Yesterday was a difficult day for us. As you know, I have been struggling with breaking my nasty habit of co-sleeping with you. I get all of this negative feedback about this parenting approach from work and the pediatric association while the La Leche League and members highly promote it for your development. It's about time though because you are getting a little more mobile and even "safe" co-sleeping is in jeopardy now. BUT, I will be hard pressed to break it after my most recent round of attempting to get you in your own crib. You have had several successful nights in your crib throughout your short life so far; however, you keep finding your way to our bed for many reasons. 1) You sleep longer 2) You eat whenever you want so you are full longer and sleep more comfortably and 3) We like to snuggle! But, the night before last night was going to be my new effort to make a commitment to your new crib life. We have the heater on, but it is still a little chilly outside and this house is not that energy efficient. You wore a fleece sleeper onesie with the sack bottom and long sleeves. It did not appear to be a "too hot" option. I laid you down and probably checked on you five or six times throughout the night. I could not sleep through a single noise you made. You flipped on to your stomach the first time I heard you fuss. I flipped you back. You are pretty good at consistently flipping from your back to your tummy in both directions but you do not often flip back from the tummy to the back. Paired with your ongoing congestion issues, I just didn't want you to be uncomfortable - what with the whole pediatric association push for safe sleeping, back to sleep. However, about five minutes later, I hear you fuss again and there you are on your tummy again. I left you this time. Each whine noise I heard, I would leap out of bed and run to your bedside. Most times, it would be nothing and I would just watch you, but at about 6AM you usually wake for a sleep-feeding so at that time I brought you into bed with me. Now this was just over about 6 hours. Typically you sleep for 10-12 with co-sleeping and sleep-eating so it was not a huge success, but it's a start for the new routine. I just need to sleep through some of the sleep-fussing. The hard part was EVERY TIME you have slept in your own crib when I wake you up in the morning you seem warm but your little hands are ice cold. We have tried mittens but you suck on them and then they are even more cold. So when I pick you up in the morning I hold them and snuggle you to heat them back up. This morning was no exception - little icy hands! A little later, I felt like you were more lethargic than normal and a little more fussy. You are such a chill and happy baby this did not seem right. I kept feeling your head and thinking you were warm but I was not sure. Every time my cheek touched your head it seemed like it was on fire and your hands were still very cold. I made your dad come feel your head. Of course at first, he just assumed I was being the overcautious, hypochondriac mother/person that I am, but then he agreed you felt pretty hot. I had remembered your pediatrician also mentioning that it was not just about a warm head but that the hands are often pretty cold too. So we busted out the thermometer for the first really necessary time and took your temperature. 100.4! I was so nervous - What do we do now! I thought we maintained our cool but it appeared that as soon as we knew it was a fever, you knew it was okay to start crying about it. It went downhill from there fast and you became even more tearful and uncomfortable. While we waited for the triage nurse to call us back from the doctor's office, we went ahead and gave you baby Tylenol. It was like magic. You definitely seemed a little more comfortable. Later that night you did not have a temperature anymore, but we figure it's the Tylenol doing it's job because you were still pretty warm. We gave you lots of extra love and care, but unfortunately, I had to go to work so daddy gave most of the extra love in those first hours of your fever. When I came home, we snuggled lots more. I didn't have to give you anymore Tylenol and you managed to sleep pretty well. I noticed you still felt pretty hot all the way until this morning so we shall see how you do today. The doctor's office said - it happens - and not to worry until it's prolonged or goes higher - so let's hope for the best! But, guess where you slept last night? With me! Back to the drawing board on breaking our co-sleeping pattern. ;)