Not to be outdone

We expected Megan to get the cold. She's in the grab and snag phase of toddlerhood. If her brother has it, she wants it - including every cup or snack he gets his hands on. Before you can blink she'll be running away with his sports cup, straw in her mouth. Yes, she was bound to pick-up whatever germ set recent events in motion.

Her little nose started running late Thursday. Friday she was clearly stuffy and runny but not anything at all like big brother had been at the start of his recent bout. In the last 13 and half months, Meg hasn't dealt with many colds, but she's dealt with enough for us to know that she's typically a rather easy sick baby. She tends not to whine or cling much. She just goes about her day as chipper as usual, just smearing the mess of a nose whenever she feels compelled to.

Last night was different. Megan was up a lot last night and she felt hot. Her little body lying on mine made me warm enough to kick a blanket off us. I took her temperature. It read 99.6. I decided to double check. The second reading was in the 98 range. So was the third. Perhaps the first was off, I figured. Perhaps she was just warm in her pjs.

When she woke up this morning she was unusally clingy. Even when fighting a cold, Megan tends not to sit in one spot long. She's not the sort of child that wants to feel better by resting. She's also not one to mind if it's Mom or Dad with her. We knew she was off the moment I foolishly attempted to walk down the hallway without her. She screamed. She pushed at Daddy. She called "Mama! Mama! Wahn Mama!" (Wahn = want.)

Her little body still felt hot. Her forehead was warmer than I recall it ever being. The thermometer read 101.5. Megan has her first fever. It's not a milestone we were hoping for. I called the doctor's office, thankful yet again that we selected the practice with weekend hours. Megan's only other 'doctor requiring' sickness also fell on a Sunday. That time it was an ear infection we didn't know she had. She seemed otherwise healthy then except for the little issue she had keeping food down.

We assumed she'd be diagnosed with her own ear infection. She has been covering her right ear with her hand - something I thought had been mimicking her brother, but perhaps not. The doctor's first reaction to hearing her symptoms was ear infection too. Her ears are clear.

Her throat, however, is not. Her throat is raw and red. Doctor ordered an over-night throat culture and a rapid culture. The rapid is positive. Meg has strep.

Little girl is back to sleep now. Her antibiotic is about to be picked up. Poor kid is miserable and it's no wonder why. Now we're on look out for a sore throat with Logan (I'm hoping his own 10-day antibiotic treatment will ward off any strep infection, although it's wreaking havoc on his stomach.) We're also to watch Meg for an ear infection. Doctor is wary that she may develop one with the way she's playing with the ear.

You know, I do like that they play well together and share fairly well considering their ages, I just wish they didn't opt to share this.