Ellie, Little Trooper

I had plans to do something "fun" today. It's Friday, I don't work on Fridays, and I wanted to take the girls to a good playground.

However, Ellie woke up around 10pm last night with a barky cough. That's the moment you know your plans for the next day are shot. 

This is the third time I've had to take her in for Croup. As I pulled into the parking lot, I took out her Alberta health care card to put in my pocket like I do with my Costco card so I'm ready at the door. I even recognize some of the nurses when I go in from the other times we've visited.

The weird thing about Croup is that if you research it a bit on the internet, you will mostly find many sources saying that you can ride it out, just get the baby in cool air so their lungs relax and they can breathe easier. It will go away on it's own.

But when you go to the emergency (at least at the Stollery), they are happy to see you, especially if you come as soon as the cough begins. With only a few questions, they give your baby a steroid to help with the cough and you go home. Nothing too complicated. You go home, your baby sleeps, and you don't have to endure a sleepless night with a poor baby that is up because her throat is killing her. Each time Ellie gets Croup, we go in faster than the last time, knowing that waiting doesn't do any good.

Can I just say that Ellie is pretty amazing through things like this? She has only 3 hours sleep after waking up from her cough. Our wait time at the Stollery was over 2.5 hours...Imagine, a baby waiting that long in a waiting room. Time crawls by, and yet 2.5 hours also moved quickly because you are focused on your baby the entire time, not realizing you just sat in a waiting room for the same length of time as a movie in a theatre. 

I wish I could have watched a good movie. The Backyardigans were on instead.

This kid has a disposition like none other. She was relatively pleasant under the circumstances the entire time. 

This morning she was playing with Wren's Barbie car, and as I am snapping a few pictures of her, I realize she is trying to climb the car. 

See her little feet on the hood? They're clinging for dear life.

She must be feeling better already!