Day 48, Doctor Visit

Last night Elle's breathing made me uncomfortable. I felt nervous. What if she needs medicine and I'm being to "Mother Earthy" to give it to her? So, I called to Pediatric Associates and made an appointment for 7:45 am today.

7:45 am would have sounded really early to my Pre-Elle self. But nowadays, I know it's not really early in the morning, if you never really got to sleep at night anyway.

Elle and I arrived right on time. The nurse instructed me to strip her down. She weighed her on a little scale as if she were sliced deli meat. Elle weighed in at a healthy 12 pounds 10 ounces. Which is considered "above average" on the growth chart. (I'm already scouting which schools have the best college volleyball team since she's poised to be 6'3.)

When Dr. Acosta arrived, she assumed we were here for the one month checkup. I felt a little annoyed I had to tell her we already did that two weeks ago. Dr. Acosta, after all was holding Elle's file in her hand. Anyways, my annoyance changed to embarrassment when I had to admit we were there because I had given Elle a cold.

The doctor listened to her lungs, checked her ears, her throat, and her temperature. She asked if Elle was eating well. I reported she was. Then Dr. Acosta passed Elle back to me and made the following recommendations:

1- Since her lungs were clear, no medications were necessary.
2-Run a vaporizer at night to keep her mucus moist.
3-Use saline drops to break up the snot.
4-Suction her mucus to keep her nasal passages clear.
5-Prop her crib to keep the mucus from collecting in her throat.
6-Bring her back if she gets a fever or stops eating.

So, as it turns out, I do know what I'm doing! I left the doctor's office so proud of myself. Maybe I am qualified enough to be Elle's mother after all.