In the past few days my daughter has been sick. It has been a few very exhausting, anxious, and worrisome days. When my baby is sick time seems irrelevant. The days all seem to blend together. It is hard to see my little one go from energetic to lethargic so quickly. I feel helpless as I feel how warm she is from her fever. Knowing that all I can do is make sure she’s getting plenty of fluids, taking medicine, and resting as much as she can makes me feel insufficient. It has been hard to maintain composure as she has laid in my arms comfortable in my arms but fighting off a fever. Sleeping has been infrequent. Packing a go bag in the event I need to take her to the hospital scares me. This is the first time she has ever been sick and I have been terrified.
Thankfully, today marks the first full day that my daughter seems more like herself. No high temperatures. No frequent naps. She is once again moving around as if she owns our place. There is once again more smiles than tears. It feels as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. We have managed to weather the storm. I feel relief and I am looking forward to both us getting a good night’s sleep.
When my baby is sick next time…
I will probably still feel anxious. I will probably still have moments where I feel helpless, insufficient, and terrified. But next time, I do not t think the feelings will last as long or be as intense. Or maybe they will. Either way, I will feel a bit more experienced having weathered this storm. I will keep holding her tight and remind her how much I love her.
