It's been a long couple of weeks here in the Kavanaugh house. We've had our second round of Covid for a couple of kids which was no fun. But then Penelope also got sick. And as hard as it is to have big kids that are sick, it's even harder to have a sick baby. Well, one trip to the emergency room for a fever and cruddy breathing later and we found out that she has a summertime case of RSV. Ugh. The RSV was tough enough but it led to a double ear infection that is making for long days and even longer nights.
So, I've fallen a little behind on Penelope's weekly Montessori baby series. But honestly, she isn't doing much right now cause she's mostly just snuggling, sleeping, or otherwise feeling kinda crummy. But I thought I would share a few of the things that have been helping me help her through this time of sick.
- Saline Drops - so good for getting gunk out of noses
- Nose Frida - we've been a fan of this for a few years, but the ER docs told me it was a must have with a baby with RSV and it really has been incredible at helping her breath
- ErgoBaby Embrace - baby carrier's are really personal, but this one has been a lifesaver for me lately. It's comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time and so soft and cozy. Penelope loves it and has gotten most of her daytime sleep in it this last two weeks.
- Easily Washed Toys - generally we stick to a lot of wooden/fabric toys at this age but with the amount of snot that comes with RSV...um no. I've been switching some of our harder to clean toys with our winkle, and silicone beads that have been helping her stay busy while also being easily wiped down.
- Simple Body Suits - Fevers in the summer have been fairly rare for our family, mostly the kids don't pick up a lot of germs in the heat. So I've found simple onesie type outfits to be really helpful for making sure she doesn't overheat. Plus easily changed when her coughing has led to vomiting.
Hopefully, with any luck she will feel better really soon. And back to learning and moving and all that fun stuff. But for now, lots of contact napping, lots of snuggling, lots of grumping and acknowledging feelings for us.
This post is week 23 and 24 of my Montessori baby series focusing on Penelope. I'm combining these because just nothing else is going on with her right now.
