I remember prior to staying home, other SAHM’s would express their profound adoration for being at home with their little hooligans day in and day out. Not knowing what my future held, I listened intently, trying to glean a bit of info that would help me lean one way or the other on the topic. Sure, it was great that I would get to spend every day with the very person I had created but a lot of moms don’t stay home and their children are just as fabulous as the next. Certainly it would be great to not have to wake up the little sleepyheads each morning and rush them out of the house to get to daycare and then to work, but I was already used to rushing around to get myself out in a timely fashion so that argument did little to sway me because at the time, I couldn’t fathom how much extra time a little tot would take. The one thing that swayed me however, when it came time to take the plunge, was the assurance from so many SAHMs that in staying home, my peanut sized preem would never be sick. For me, the thought that, if I stayed home, Barrett would not be exposed to all the germy goons, was appealing. Less chance of him snagging RSV, less sleepless nights, less trips to the doctor. These things all sounded like a great benefit of keeping a 5 pound babe at home.
Last year, we were fortunate enough to receive three doses of a rather spendy Synagis shot to safeguard against RSV and otherwise, Barrett was only dealt one ear infection and one cold for the entire first year of his existence. I really felt like the decision to stay home was in Barrett’s best interest and for a new mom, that was all the confirmation I needed.
Prior to his surgery at the beginning of the year, Barrett ran into a severe bout of bum rash that was likely a result of teething troubles. I can’t totally recall the origin because now, four months later, it’s been a blur of a winter. We’ve been in a mode I have deemed “lather, rinse, repeat” at the Brehm house and I’m ready for spring to truly have been sprung.
It started out with Barrett’s surgery … with the surgery came a prescription of the antibiotic Cefdinir. The following week, Barrett ended up with more yeast in his diaper than you’d find in a fresh loaf of bread and the raised red bumps on his little cute rump caused many tears {from babe and mom, alike}. After the first yeast infection dissipated, Barrett had what I call, a Rinse week. Rinse weeks are glorious. Barrett is happy, mommy is happy, the world is happy. Then, Repeat kicks in. Repeat week is crappy. Repeat week usually consists of a cold, virus or teething terrors. When we’re in Repeat mode, Barrett is fussy, easily rattled and the epitome of co-dependent. Whatever the ailment, be it cold, flu or ear infection, the Repeat week is inevitably followed by a Lather week. Lather week consists of diaper rash from excess drainage or a yeast infection from yet another attempt at a new antibi. Lather week is spent lathering up B’s butt with a thick coat of Calmoseptine post each diaper change and often requires administering lotrimin and culterelle. Although Repeat week is not exactly a blast, it somewhat pales in comparison to the hell of yeasty, scaly city.
This week has once again brought a runny nosed, coughing, and on occasion cranky crankerton, Barrett. In all this time, I’ve tried to put my finger on it … to pinpoint exactly where he has picked up these prickly little pests. It could be the gym daycare, the church daycare or maybe the massive overload of clorox and lysol I’ve used since he was born are just not strong enough to fight the germy wormies that have been out and about during the winter of twenty ten. Whatever the root, I can only hope that next week is the end of this vicious cycle.
Barrett’s certainly been put through the ringer this winter and I will likely recount it to him for many years to come. Surely soon Barrett will realize that it’s only Lather, Rinse, Repeat … as needed.
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