(Delayed post, from two weeks ago)
Hayden, sweet trooper, has been sick. And I mean sick. So far, she's thrown up 9 times, has had a fever of 38 degrees, has broken out into mysterious hive-like welts 4 times, has had green slime running from her nose constantly - and has a dark, damp rattle in her chest. And I'm not going to talk about her diaper. It's been a rocking few weeks.
But. She's absolutely on the mend whch is why I feel confident enough to report on three things I've learned from this experience:
Hayden, sweet trooper, has been sick. And I mean sick. So far, she's thrown up 9 times, has had a fever of 38 degrees, has broken out into mysterious hive-like welts 4 times, has had green slime running from her nose constantly - and has a dark, damp rattle in her chest. And I'm not going to talk about her diaper. It's been a rocking few weeks.
But. She's absolutely on the mend whch is why I feel confident enough to report on three things I've learned from this experience:
1) I'm a NEUROTIC WRECK and the blasé attitute I adopt regarding my own physical condtion does not carry over to my offspring. No, no. The only reason I didn't rush her off to an emergency room somewhere demanding !PROMPTmedicalattentionNOW! was because my sister - who has three kids - promised me that she would be fine and that my daughter's green, feverish puking was just a cold/stomach bug/reaction to food/normal. I guess she was right because Hayden is indeed ok - but I almost lost my mind with frantic worry. I don't know if I should have any more kids because I'm A FREAK!!! Someone please tell me it gets less stressful as they get older ... 2) Hayden is 'as tough as nails', as they say in Newfoundland. Seriously, the child has been more or less happy-go-lucky throughout the whole affair and has only paused a few times when necessity decreed that she take a break to puke on my foot/hack in my face/demand a diaper change. I was wringing my hands and chasing after her with a themometer and tissues and looking for signs of dehydration while she was happily chasing bubbles around the park and snotting on the younger kids. Fit as a fiddle - horray!
3) In Canada, everything - it seems - is full of immunities. Or that's what people say regarding anything I consider to be unhygenic or dangerously contamintaed. It seems that a few people (probably those with dirty sinks and a penchant for petting zoos) chanced upon these articles which argue that too much steralization, too much cleanliness, too much handwashing prevents us humans from building up our own immunities and defenses against yucky germs and teeming bacterias. Fine. I'm not going to argue with that. In fact, I advocate saying no to antibotics, I don't use antibacterial soap, and, eventually, I'm going to get a pet for Hayden. I know about the hygiene hypothesis.
But. As an 'outsider' coming into Canada for the first time in two years it seems to me that the whole damn nation has gone immunities craaa-zeee.* Baby has a cold? That'll make her stronger! Baby eating clumps of dirt? Full of minerals!! Baby chewing on a cat's tail?? You got it - it's "good for the immunities"!! The question used to be: "is nothing sacred anymore?" but since we came to Canada, my resounding cry has been: "is nothing dirty anymore"? Lol, as they say, lol. What doesn't kill us really does make us stronger, I guess.
Anyway. Hayden and I are busy building immunities, gaining weight and having fun. Newfoundland is cold but my 4.5 sisters and I are keeping it warm. I have the best family in the world!! More pictures to come soon.
*that, and crocs. When we first landed here I thought that everyone was wearing Korean shower slippers, outside!
