Skip to main content

How we love our children...

...by letting them throw up on us. Luke had a stomach bug (probably from something he put in his mouth while I wasn't looking) all Friday, and he still wasn't all himself today. He seemed to be getting over it by bedtime tonight. I had been looking forward to the first weekend in more than a month when the entire family would be well. Maybe next week.

My theory of child illness: the two important things to do for sick children are 1) control their fever, and 2) keep them hydrated. If their fever gets out of control, they don't want to drink, and they get dehydrated, and then they can't keep anything down. With Luke, he had a hard time drinking anything, so I ended up giving him a few sips of pedialite in a medicine dropper every few minutes, up to 4 oz. per hour. He was mad that I wouldn't give him more at a time, but if I gave him too much, he would lose it all anyway. If you can keep the fever down and keep them from being dehydrated, the kids usually recover quickly. If you get behind on hydration, or let their fever get out of control, they get sicker and sicker. (Important Note: this theory is based on a sample size of 3 (as well as stories from other parents) and is not a substitute for medical advice =). I have often found that the best cure for a sick child is to take them in to the pediatrician's office---this often works miracles that can't be provided by any medicine.

While the motrin was working, he managed to start walking across wide spaces (instead of choosing to crawl--he usually made it about 11 steps before falling) and saying "ma ma ma ma" to refer to me. He is entirely cute, even when he is sick.
Labels:

Comments

Gary said…
Awww... so sorry to hear it! We've been really healthy this winter. I got the flu shot as early as possible, which seems to have made all the difference for me, at least in comparison to my last pregnancy. I was hoping flu season was over...

-Lenise
February 13, 2008 at 8:23 PM
mathmom said…
Hi Lenise! I am so glad you've been well. I think I managed to get the stomach flu every pregnancy, and with Eleanor, I actually had to go to the Dr. office to get an IV to get rehydrated.

When we went to see the Dr. yesterday because Luke had stopped eating, she said that the flu was running rampant. Time to get out the hand sanitizer, I guess.
February 13, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My hero, Helen Parr

Otherwise known as Elastigirl , a.k.a Mrs. Incredible. She is a stay at home mom ( SAHM ), she clearly feels that what she is doing is important and is willing to give up a lot to do it (remember her comment in the intro: "I'm at the top of my game! Leave saving the world to the guys? I don't think so.") But she is finding fulfillment in leading her family from day to day, in doing a hard job well. She also knows that she is very talented, and that knowledge helps her see beyond the repetitive drudgery of staying home. My favorite scene is from the deleted introduction, where she talks with a "career woman" who is of the opinion that staying home is fine for people who can't do anything else. She responds that taking care of her kid is at least as hard as saving the world, and is valuable contribution to society. The point for me is that someone has to do the job that I'm doing, and it's not something that you could pay someone to do. I see...
8 comments
Read more

Why you should study the history of math

  Why you should study the history of math In the mid 1300s a fad made its way around Italy. Mathematicians would challenge each other to “mathematical duels”. They would post problems for their opponents to solve, sometimes along with their solutions in coded poetry. The winners would get support and funding from rich patrons, the losers would descend into obscurity. One such contest, between Fiore and Tartaglia, involved a new method for solving the cubic. In order to win, Tartaglia worked day and night to find Fiore’s method---unfortunately, Fiore did not do the same and only knew his own method and no others. (*Recall that the formula for solutions to quadratic equations of the form use the quadratic formula, Giorlamo Cardano---physician, philosopher, astrologer and mathematician---convinced Tartaglia to share his method and promised never to reveal it. Then Cardano figured out a more general method, and wanted to share it, but was blocked by his promises. Fortunately (for Ca...
Post a Comment
Read more

Things that are true

"Axial tilt is the reason for the season." (Picture a globe with the northern hemisphere tilted away from the sun...) I believe this is meant to be an anti-theist slogan, although I would point out that I believe there is a reason for the axial tilt. This is a runner up to my favorite true science picture, the "Gravity Forecast." I linked to this when I was a graduate student, but the site is long since down. Picture a weather forecast graphic, but instead of clouds and temperatures, the 5-day forecast predicts 9.8 m/s^2 down. Even the idea still makes me laugh, perhaps I will reproduce it someday. Luke cut his 4th tooth today (Finally!). So far they haven't caused us too much trouble. We'll see what happens when he gets his canines.
8 comments
Read more