Cabin Fever and a sick baby

Well, my sweet baby girl is sick.  

I could tell that she was coming down with something when we were at the beach last week...being cranky and not sleeping well, etc.  But on Friday, she woke up from her morning nap with a fever of about 100.9.  I thought, "no big deal" she's probably teething and I gave her some Motrin and went about my day.  By supper time, it was up to 103.1.  I wasn't too concerned because she was happy and squealing with excitement when her sisters played around her.  I just assumed she had caught the virus I had.  I called Children's Healthcare to ask about what to dress her in for bed (warmly or not so much).  They were concerned about her fever and had our pediatrician-on-call call me back.  He seemed to feel some urgency to have her seen because of the possibility of a urinary tract infection.  So, I wake her up at 9:30pm and load her in the car to take her to Egleston's ER by Emory.  It is now POURING down rain and I HATE driving in the rain, much less driving at night in the rain.  I get to the parking deck and begin to pull in and hear this loud bang.  I thought it was thunder, but it actually was the van topper (still on there from our trip home from the beach) nailing the top of the parking deck...nice.  I was so embarassed and frustrated because of the weather and the time of night.  So, I drove all the way back home and had Kevin take it off the top of the van (all the while praying that Kevin doesn't get struck by lightening while doing it!).  Then we finally arrive back at Egleston around 10:30pm.  

When I have made past trips to ERs (with Quinn, Chloe and Mia...lucky me) I am always amazed at who I see, or should I say, who I don't see there.  I mean, I walk in with a sick child that looks, at that point, like she really doesn't feel well, and I don't see any other "emergencies".  I expect to see broken bones or really sick-looking children, but it is usually just like the regular pediatrician's office sick room.  Anyway, I guess as I'm paying my $150 ER co-pay, I am trying not to feel like I am somehow paying for other people's free care.  OK, enough about that...

When we finally saw the doctor at 12:15am, she didn't want to run any tests.  She just said she probably caught my virus.  Really?!?  Where's the urgency about the UTI?  Not that I want my child to have to go through having a catheter (again) for a urinalysis, but isn't that the whole reason we came down there in the first place?!?  So, we go home and she is still running a fever...it hasn't been above 102.5 today, so things are looking better, but she just looks like she feels crummy.  Poor thing.  

So, I have been here in the house for about 48 hours straight (except for my 10 minute trip to Publix this afternoon for a couple of things)...when our babies are sick, they just want Mommy, and I'm ok with that, but it can be exhausting.  

Oh, and she began eating finger foods last week at the beach.  She was eating pretty much tiny pieces of whatever we were eating.  Now, she is boycotting all food except for those little Gerber Puffs.  They are pretty much like eating air.  At least her diapers don't stink anymore...they are basically like newborn, breast-milk only diapers...I guess she's just not hungry.  But, I hope I am not creating a hard habit to break with those Puffs!

I just pray that my baby girl feels better very soon.