Yes, it is true, our son came down with his first cold over the past week and went to the doctor's on Friday to have it checked out. He had a runny nose for about a week with a dry cough in the morning presumably from the nasal drip that accumulated over the previous night. There really was no complaining, no fever, and he was still his normal, happy self; with the addition of a constantly runny nose filled with boulder sized boogers. The only thing that changed, that ultimately made us bring him to the doctors office, was his cough moving into his chest, or so I thought. It was Friday morning and his cough just didn't seem as dry as it had for the past few days. Needless to say, being first time parents with a first infant cold in the house, we were a little concerned. We didn't reach the point of rushing him to the hospital or freaking out, because we just aren't those sort of parents, but we did want to get him checked out after he finished his day at daycare. Come to find out, his cough wasn't emanating from his chest, in fact, he was perfectly fine except for his runny nose. The ultimate verdict as issued by the doctor? It was a cold, simple as that, most likely caused by his upper teeth starting to come in. Nothing was prescribed, the only advice being to keep feeding him that breast milk. She did say to watch for more cramping of the stomach as a sign of the cough moving into his chest, but she thought it was unlikely. Further, she also said if we did notice his temperature going up, to call her only if it got over 101 degrees Fahrenheit. She even said we didn't need to give him a fever reducer unless we really wanted to.
I guess what amazes me the most about our son is that he hasn't really complained about his runny nose, his occasional coughing and sneezing from his congestion, and most of all, his teeth coming in. Granted, there are some days where he is a little more melancholy than usual, but it doesn't seem like he gets to the point anymore where he is a total fuss-bucket. I only hope that every cold and illness he gets is like this first one, because it would make our lives so much easier as parents. I know, I know, before I get it from all the seasoned parents out there, things will probably be worse at some point than they are right now, but a parent can hope for the best, can't he? Beyond my amazement at him and his tolerance for pain and discomfort, I am also equally amazed at our pediatrician and her natural approach to children. Just the fact that she told us we didn't have to give him a fever reducer (if he got a fever) and to only call her if his temperature gets over a certain point is incredibly welcomed by us. After all, a fever is a response to an illness, an attempt by the body to kill off germs or bacteria. We are truly grateful to have found a doctor that doesn't want to intrude to much into the well being of our son and simply prescribe him medications to make him feel better. Beyond that, our son's cold still persists, his nose continues to run, and until his top teeth are in, I have a feeling that his nose will be like a slowly leaking faucet.
I guess what struck me most about our son on Friday, especially with the thought that his cough might be moving into his chest, was the amount of concern I had for him. Deep down I knew he would be fine, I knew that it was probably nothing, but what if his runny nose was morphing into something worse? It is those eternal questions, those "what ifs" that will get me all along the way. But I guess that is just part of being a parent, having that concern for your child's welfare, wishing there was a way to get rid of his discomfort while having no tangible way of actually doing it. There is a desire to take away any pain he might have and just ensure that life is good for him. But isn't dealing with pain part of growing up? I know, he is just five months old and shouldn't have to deal with that much pain, but its a fact of life. As long as we don't treat his issues like they are a big deal, he will probably see them the same and simply deal with them and move past them quickly. Beyond the cold he has now, I am sure there will be times, probably broken bones, concussions, or lacerations, which will affect me even more and truly test me as a parent, but that is the future. I can handle his cold right now. I am simply glad that he still remains his normal, happy self. He is still getting more and more vocal every day, testing his voice out, and I know that the cold is merely a temporary discomfort that he has decided isn't worth complaining about. So to a happy baby, rolling and making himself, our son the trooper, may your cold vanish quickly and your teeth arrive without pain!
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