1 Mother 2 Another

Madeleine turned four months old yesterday, and we celebrated with a fun round of shots for her.  That’s immunization, not alcohol, though I would have gratefully taken the alcohol.  Our doctor’s amazing with the needles, lining them up on the table, then jabbing Maddie in quick succession, finishing almost before Madeleine has a chance to start crying.  I honestly think it traumatizes us more than her.  She handled it like a pro, recovering quickly and heading to sleep during the return car ride.  And then last night, the fever struck.

We were expecting it, of course, but hoping it wouldn’t strike this time around.  To make emotions run even higher, there’s a piece about SIDS on the evening news, and it runs through the newest guidelines.  So as the television is talking about how you need to keep the baby’s room cool (about 68 degrees) and not over-layer her, as overheating is suspected to be one of the prime causes of SIDS, I am worrying about how Madeleine, down for only 20 minutes or so, is dressed and if it’s too much with her fever.  I’ve got her in a footed onesie and a Halo Sleepsack, which I think is great since they’re a light-weight sleeveless cotton and it alleviates my guilt at not giving her a blanket; is the sleepsack too much?  Are you supposed to give a feverish baby more clothes to wear, to help her sweat it out, or less?  How cold will it get tonight?  Should we turn on the heater in case the temperature plummets?  Should we turn on the fan in case it rises?  She sleeps very little of the night, fussing from the fever and achiness that accompany the shots.  She gives me plenty of time to worry.  Why is it that every decision you make as a parent – fan or no fan, sleepsack or no sleepsack – seems to have myriad consequences, half of which you don’t even know about when you make the decision?