RSV

Nolan has had the sniffles for about 2.5 weeks. We were hoping it was just the dry air, and that it would go away quickly. Unfortunately, that didn't come to pass. Instead, on Saturday, he started coughing. As the paranoid first time parents that we are (and because Nolan was exposed to pneumonia over Christmas) we have been to the doctor several times as his sickness has progressed. At first he was coughing, but still happy and still sleeping, but those things have gotten less true as the week has gone on.

Basically, he has bronchiolitis caused by RSV. RSV was always my worst fear as a mom. I had heard so many horror stories about kids being hospitalized and how awful RSV is. It turns out, up to 2/3 of all kids get RSV. The virus itself isn't the scary thing. It's the things it causes, like bronchiolitis and pneumonia and other complications. RSV itself has a 7-10 day course, according to yesterday's doctor, so we still have a couple of days left before he does better. . . but in the mean time we're watching him closely. He didn't sleep at all well last night, so we're hoping he improves in 7 days rather than 10.

One interesting point. . . that rumor about the baby Vicks on the bottom of a baby's feet helping their cough. . . I think it's true. We tried it for a couple of nights and he slept pretty well. . . last night we didn't do it, and it was awful. I put it on his feet about an hour ago and he is finally asleep and not coughing!!