my girl

my girl, originally uploaded by medusahead.

I think since the beginning of the holiday season, and I am counting from the best one of all - Halloween - Harlow has been healthy for maybe a total of one week. We had a good stretch down in Florida immediately after Christmas, but then we came home with a toddler who felt like molten lava to the touch and has a cough to rival my late grandmother's. One could look at the accompanying photo - pantless toddler on the beach - in December, and assume we were actively trying to court pneumonia to come calling. The beach wasn't the problem but her proximity to other little ones who, I am beginning to suspect, magically conjure germs when entering other babies airspace.

Fortunately she just has a nasty ear infection as the result of yet another cold. But I have never seen this child so sick. She slept about 18 hours yesterday, tossing fitfully and coming to briefly to ask for a sip of apple juice and then going back under to try and let her poor body rest. When she was awake, she just laid her blazing hot body against mine and softly cried. She is better today. The fever is down and glimpses of my sweet baby are back. But there is that persistent nasty cough, the snot, the pitiful crying and the sheer helplessness of my not being able to make it better.

I just keep coming back to this photo, and how proud I was to watch my daughter charge into the waves, screaming BATH! and trying to pull her clothes off so she could go for a soak. That girl loves her the the ocean. It'll be a pity that she will have to enjoy it inside a bubble on our next family vacation.