my sick arsenal.

I have been so missing in action around these parts lately, mostly because of a sick baby (man, they are time consuming) and also because I’ve been planning the sick little guy’s 1st birthday party. I was trying my hardest to make him as comfortable as possible and also wanted to try and speed his healing process up so that he wasn’t feeling ill on the day of his party. Because I came down with what he had as well, we were both suffering through it together – going through boxes of tissue and drinking fluids like crazy. I stuck to hot tea instead of breast milk. Although I couldn’t help but think with all the good stuff in breast milk that it may have helped my recovery too! But alas, hot tea it is. Oh and we had his first birthday party yesterday! It was a blast. Really so much fun. I’ll post pictures soon.

Anyway here are some things that really help us get through a stubborn winter cold:

a super snot sucker.

My hubs and I are both HUGE fans of the NoseFrida. So much so that we give it as a baby shower gift now, because in those early newborn days where winter sniffles made it hard for Joaquin to sleep, this was the only solution. The standard hospital style nasal bulb did not do the job. Even though he kind of despises the NoseFrida now that he’s older, if he’s having trouble breathing or nursing we do a stealth attack style suck to get the gunk out. He fights it like a champ, but by the time we’re in and out he’s over it.

the best thermometer.

This thermometer has proven to be favorite. A family I used to nanny for used it, my sister uses it, and now I use it. Joaquin has only had two fevers in his one year of life, and when he had the first one I ran out an bought a CVS brand thermometer in a hurry, thinking anything would do the job. I was so wrong! The little things you learn in motherhood. It took his temperature so slowly, I had to press the button several times to get a reading, and with just a few seconds in between readings the temperature would be drastically different. I noticed that it read temperatures lower that they actually were when I did a comparison, and that can be dangerous if you’re dealing with a high fever. A few points can be the difference between dosing with some medicine and an ER trip. So from now on, I am a Braun fan. It’s accurate, it’s simple and I know it has a long life. Boy I should be getting paid for these endorsements!

this is a cute humidifier!

When I noticed that Joaquin’s sniffles were turning in to a fully developed clogged nose I broke out our humidifier. We used it last winter every night, and I could tell it helped his breathing. In Northern California when the air is really dry and the heater is cranked up, breathing is a sport. My hands are chapped, my lips are parched and I wake up with a dry nose every morning. I noticed that as soon as I put the humidifier in Joaquin’s room he started sleeping better, and he didn’t wake up with a crust desert around his nostrils. And with a squirmy baby who hates a good face wipe, I end up being one of those moms that has a baby with a goopy crusty sick face. Yuck.

my not so secret (anymore) weapon.

And last but not least, here is my favorite secret weapon for myself. Now I only like to support things that I believe actually make a difference in our health and not just because I might imagine they do since the packaging says so. I take note. I remember. I feel it. And if I begin taking this at the onset of a cold and continue regularly throughout the cold, it lasts half as long and the symptoms are WAY more bearable. It’s a homeopathic wonder and I don’t even care how it works, I just know that it does. And the nice thing about homeopathics is that they are very rarely contraindicated with anything. Now if my husband gets sick, I have to pull out some serious guns – because even though the guy has an immune system made of steel, when those walls come down and he gets sick it’s as if he is sick with malaria. Is this all guys? Maybe as women we are just built to withstand a little more pain. In any case, if anyone in your family gets sick this winter like the rest of us; take care, keep warm, and most importantly, give lots of cuddles. Evidence in our family shows it is actually the best medicine! Happy Sunday.