Bea’s first sniffles

Runny nose, low-grade fever, icky diapers … it appears Bea has her first cold. Or maybe she’s teething because it seems that just about every abnormal behavior or physiological reaction could also be a sign of a sprouting tooth.
Either way, I feel bad for my sweet, sniffly baby. In fact, I may actually feel worse than she does. She can be a tad fussy here and there—especially if the Nosefrida is involved—but, for the most part, she’s a really good sport about losing the use of her nostrils.
Like every parent, I know the days of never-ending kid maladies are ahead, I just thought I could delay her first bout with germs a teensy bit longer than six months. Even when I heard those first nasally rattles coming through the monitor, I told myself it was simply a result of the changing weather—surely I could turn up the humidifier and pull out the fleece pajamas and those nasty sniffles would retreat back into the dark cavity from whence they came!
But the thermometer doesn’t lie. Seeing that first reading of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit gave me a jolt of surprise and sadness mixed with a tinge of mommy guilt. It’s like that little blinking number was a flashing reminder of all of my potential mom-fails. 100.4F: When was the last time I sanitized her pacifier? 100.4F: Did I wash my hands after touching the shopping cart? 100.4F: Maybe someone sneezed on her at the grocery store when I wasn’t looking. … 100.4F: Did I expose her to something when I thoughtlessly put her into the gym nursery, like a spotless, unsuspecting lamb being thrown to a pack of snotty, Cheerio-crusted wolves?
The thoughts are crazy and short-lived, but they’re there. I just hate having a sick baby and kind-of want someone to blame, even if that someone is myself.
One thing that made me feel less pathetic was a factoid I came across that said there are more than 200 different viruses that can cause colds, and most kids get sick with all of them at some point. Whether that’s fact or internet fiction, at least it helped me turn my opinion around. A baby’s first illness isn’t a setback; it’s a step toward immunity. Bea is just getting a head start!