The week after Christmas, our family got what felt like the plague.  It started with a common sinus cold with all 3 of us and moved into a fever for Miguel and Linnea.  With all 3 of us sick at the same time, but me the least "sick", I was up all night with Linnea who couldn't breathe through her nose.  It is so sad to have such a little being that only wants to suck on her pacifier to go to sleep - since she hasn't slept all day - and she can't breathe with it in her mouth.  Luckily the sickness didn't hit until we were back from our 3 hour drive to my mom's house.  The next week, however, was painful for all of us.

I thought I had evaded the fever portion of the cold, but alas, come Tuesday evening, I was shiverring with a temperature of 102.  I wanted to be chipper because Miguel's brother Chris was visiting for a week, but I had lost my voice by dinnertime, and I felt like I'd been rolled flat by a steamroller.  I went home and immediately got in a scalding hot bath to get warm.  I tried to sleep, but still woke up to feed Linnea who was a snot bundle herself.  Nursing with a stuffy nose is tricky and generally un-fun for all involved.  A couple days later, Linnea and I both had laryngitis - and if you've ever seen an infant with a silent cry, it is super duper sad.  She was trying so hard to scream and yell and tears were rolling down her cheeks, but nothing was coming out.  It reminded me of those dreams I sometimes get where I'm terrified that the bad guy is going to attack me and when I yell, nothing comes out of my mouth - terrifying.  

It is now the second week of January, and the snot-monster hangs on.  Linnea will be so peacefully falling to sleep when all of a sudden, slurp gurgle grr comes out of her - trying to breathe through her nose.  This startles her awake and often at a crying stage.  It is just like that piece of spinach you see on your friends tooth, and you just wish you could wipe it away as they're in the middle of this wonderful story - but you leave it there as to not interrupt.  We want so badly to stick that little plunger up her nostril and slurp out a big green snot-monster; it should be that easy.  However, EVERY time we broke down and actually tried it, all we got was an empty plunger and a pissed off Linnea.  Even with all the times we've tried and failed, when it happens again, we have to fight the urge to squeegee with the plunger tooth-and-nail, and sometimes the urge wins out.  "If we could just get that one glob of snot out, she'll fall right asleep", we tell ourselves - over and over again.  The last several nights, I've resorted to just laying her on her side - and hoping she'll breathe out of the clear side.  If that doesn't work, she gets to sleep between us in the bed - which miraculously works most of the time.  Hmmm is this legitimate snot or some sort of ploy to get into the big bed?  Regardless, once this snot session is over, I'm looking forward to that gentle breathing sound once more.