Another tooth?

Could it be ... already ... well, apparently! Kendall is cutting her 3rd tooth ... within a month ... I guess she thinks she's got some catchin' up to do or something! It's her 1st top tooth and it cut through her gums on Friday!

So, this week she's been a tad fussy ... I really just chalked it up to having a few days of weird schedules ... and missing some naps. She really hasn't been eating that great for several days, but she's such a small eater anyway, she goes through spurts of eating ... she's really not that consistent anyway. She's had a bit of a cough ... not bad and not all day, but a little of one.

But, Friday ... she woke up at 7:30am for her 1st feeding, she just didn't look quite right ... her cheeks were red and she was warm, but her room was very warm as well, so I thought that was the reason. She took her bottle (pretty well) and wanted to go directly back to bed (which is our normal routine) ... she took a short nap and then we ran to Khol's make a return ... she fussed through out our errand and felt hot by then and her eyes didn't look right, so I took her temperature (under her arm ... the same thermometer we used in the NICU ... when we would take her temperature 6 times a day during "touch times"). She was squirming around so much (she never liked having that done), I really don't think it was accurate, but it read 100.1 ... it probably was higher, if I'd been able to keep it in place better.

I started a light-panic ... flashing back to those 8 long weeks in the NICU and fearing that she was extremely sick and would be put back in the hospital due to RSV or Swine Flu or something ... and why was I just now taking her temp when I could have done it at 7:30 when I thought she didn't look quite right ... what kind of a mom am I? This is the 1st time she has had a fever since we've left the NICU ... 10 months old ... I know God has protected her (and us) through this winter season & she has stayed so healthy, thus far ... we are so thankful! (She's only had a small cold in November but never ran a temp. so we didn't take her in to see the doctor then.) I know that she is very strong and is not the same little preemie that she was when she left the NICU 8 months ago, but this just put me back there and it was scary! I know that all kids get sick (some kids get sick a lot) ... but we've just not experienced this yet.

I called her doctor's office to see if we should come see him that afternoon (as it was a Friday and they aren't there over the weekend ... if this really was something serious, we would to go to Cooks Children's Hospital, if she worsen over the weekend) ... our Nurse Judy called me back within a few minutes ... after hearing Kendall's symptoms (and subsiding my fears), she thought she was teething ... not RSV, not the Swine Flu ... just teething!

Teething? Kendall had just popped out her 1st 2 bottom teeth within 5 days of each other ... and that was 3 weeks ago ... and she hardly fussed at all ... I didn't even know she had cut the 1st one until I felt it ... that's how pretty normal she had been! And, I thought they were supposed to get 1 tooth per month ... So, it didn't dawn on me that all of this could be teething! I gave her a dose of Tylenol and extra love & attention (as recommended by Nurse Judy ... she is the sweeeeeetest lady I think I've ever met) ...

After some Tylenol and extra love, Kendall took a good nap ... ate a very little bit ... fussed a bit ... got more Tylenol ... took another nap ... ate a bit ... fussed a bit ... took another nap ... this was our Friday (also mixed in there was lots of love and extra attention, of course). By the evening, she was looking much, much better ... her fever continued to go down and stay down ... and she slept through the night as well. (I am soooo thankful she is such a good little sleeper! I know God knew that I needed a baby that would sleep so I could function properly!)

I am sooo thankful that it was just a tooth and nothing serious! I know the day will come when she will really be sick with something ... and I hope that I am bit more composed on that day, now that we've made it through this Friday. I'm learning how to be a mom ... and I always do better after a "trial run"!

Kendall woke up happy again Saturday morning ... her normal self, with no temperature, so we are off to start our day ... first event ... attend her first little friend birthday party ... yeah! (Sorry ... no pictures of Little Miss from Friday ... we weren't in the picture posin' / picture takin' mood!)