2 and a half

A pot, a lid and a sippy cup of water

Audrey just got out of bed to come downstairs to get a pot and a lid and a sippy cup of water. She's worried she might get sick, and the whole idea originated, I think, from when my wife was sick with the flu this past winter. Audrey, of course, is not sick - she is imagining she might get sick. And even if she got sick, a pot with a lid on it isn't going to do her much good. But at least she has taste - she picked All-Clad. And at least she has her sippy cup - that means Daddy won't have to head downstairs in the middle of the night when she comes in to say she's thirsty.

6-month-olds and colds

When your 6-month-old has a cold you're kind of in a dilemma. First that's pretty young to have a cold because kids that age generally have their mother's immunity, but when they do get a cold at that age there's increased health risk and nothing you can really do about the symptoms.

Kids who are 6 months old can't take cough medicine or decongestants or any sort of thing that might cause drowsiness. There's too much risk. They can't suck on a cough drop or drink lots if liquids that contain vitamin C. And they don't know how to blow their nose or when to cough up junk that's stuck in their lungs. The poor things just muddle through the cold as best they can, coughing and gagging and wheezing and wanting to be held. About the only thing at a parent's disposal is Baby Tylenol, which helps a little but not a lot.

Such is the case for baby Grace right now, who either caught a cold from her older sister or got it while on her plane ride back from D.C. She honestly looks like a person from a NyQuil TV commercial - red itchy nose and eyes and that generally tired look. It's worrisome, not just because you hate to see her that way, but because you've got to keep a closer eye on her while sleeping because of respiratory issues.

Despite her illness Grace still flashes her smiles as us all the time. But I hope she gets better fast.

Cold

Audrey is sick. She has a cold. Listening to her cough is agonizing. Honestly it's been about a year since she's been sick at all.

Tomorrow we go see the doc to find out news we probably already know - that she needs rest and Vitamin C and an occasional dose of Motrin.

I hope Grace doesn't get sick. If she's got a cough like Audrey we head to the hospital.