When cranky is understandable

I have always told folks that Pork Pie is a High Maintenance child. I realize that I am also spoiling her since she is my first child - she definitely gets a LOT of attention and demands to be entertained 24/7. Whether or not this is part and parcel with being High Maintenance, Kaitlin is also a cranky little girl. She likes to "bark" (I don't know how else to describe it) when she is not satisfied with the level of service. I am fairly certain that some of the first words out of her mouth will be "Excuse me, may I speak to the manager here? I am not satisfied."

Usually, I just attribute her crankiness to being bored - so I'll try to do something to keep her busy. But over the past few days - we saw the crank level stay at a somewhat elevated level.

Then I noticed she was a little warm. Scratch that - she was downright toasty. And if she's my daughter - the crank level is a dead giveaway - then she shouldn't be toasty. Because lord knows - I'm RARELY toasty.

Hmmm - slight fever, no other symptoms - let's go see the doctor.

Well - she has an ear infection. Yay. We are now on the pink bubble gum flavored antibiotic regimen. Oh and guess what - she also cut her two top teeth two days ago. So we have double the fun when it comes to discomfort.

Then today - while changing her for the Nth time (lots of explosive diapers today) I noticed speckling all over her belly. I flipped her over and saw it on her back too.

Yay us - we can add Roseola to the list of ailments. A triple decker of fun for an infant. I have to confess, my mother has been warning me about roseola for WEEKS now. And I gotta tell you - I pretty much thought this was just one of the arm's length list of things she liked to nag me about now that I'm a parent. I chalked it up to the same part of my brain as the fact that 1) I never dress Kaitlin warm enough 2) I don't talk enough to the baby so I'll be lucky if she talks before she collects social security and 3) the baby should have her face scrubbed with a hot face towel every time after she smashes something into her mouth to eat.
But get this - my mom was right. Hot damn. My kid (from the reading I did) probably has roseola.

From the Mayo Clinic website:

• Fever. Roseola typically starts with a sudden, high fever — often greater than 103 F (39.4 C). Some children may also have a slightly sore throat, runny nose or cough along with or preceding the fever. Your child may also develop swollen lymph nodes in his or her neck along with the fever. The fever lasts for three to five days.
• Rash. Once the fever subsides, a rash typically appears — but not always. The rash consists of many small pink spots or patches. These spots are generally flat, but some may be raised. There may be a white ring around some of the spots. The rash usually starts on the chest, back and abdomen and then spreads to the neck and arms. It may or may not reach the legs and face. The rash, which isn't itchy or uncomfortable, can last from several hours to several days before fading.

Other signs and symptoms of roseola may include:

• Fatigue
• Irritability in infants and children
• Mild diarrhea
• Decreased appetite
• Swollen eyelids

 Well now - there you go. I can pretty much check most of this stuff off (she didn't hit 103 but we were already on the Tylenol thing because of the ear infection).

So - okay okay - I'll cut the kid a break. Let her crank away.... after all - getting hit with all three things at once has gotta suck.