Roseola

So Tabitha, my daughter, got really sick for a few days.  Normally she's smiley and very active.  She can't sit still and when she's in my arms, she wants to wiggle and move constantly.  A few days ago, Tabitha developed a high fever.  Her body was emanating so much heat that a piece of steak could easily be well-done by being placed on her tummy.  She was hot!  We knew she had a fever.  She lost her appetite and she wasn't smiling no more.  She didn't sleep well and wasn't her normal self.  This was not a good time for Seattle to have it's heat wave of the year.  It was stinkin' hot in my house and we didn't have A/C.  My poor pumpkin was burning up and she was miserable.  We made sure a fan was on her constantly and monitored her temperature.  We gave her fluids and some baby Tylenol to alleviate the temperature and her ailment.  Poor baby. 

Finally, three days later, after Tabitha sweated all night long... the fever broke!  But red, pimply marks replaced the high temperature that left her.  The red dots first appeared on her chest and back and then eventually, they spread to all over her body.  My wifey and I were a little freaked out, but the good thing was Tabitha didn't seem to be irritated by the red marks.  They didn't itch her or turn into blisters.  They were just there.  Friends at church and the nurse on the phone told us that it's probably roseola.  I said, "What?  Who's Roseanna?!"  

Roseola, from what I've gathered, is a viral illness most commonly affecting those between the ages of 6 months and 2 years.  I also read that roseola typically has symptoms of fever that lasts for a few days followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.  But boy, was I scared!  Babies are so vulnerable and yet I keep realizing that they're more resilient than they seem.  Their little bodies have what it takes to fight off disease and to bounce back from things that hurt them.  Still, they seem so vulnerable.  Often, as a parent, I feel like I have no idea what the heck I'm doing.  When she was born, she didn't come with an instruction manual.  I wish she had.  I guess the best place to look is in the good Book in terms of how to raise her.  Along with that, good friends who are more experienced in child-rearing come in handy.  I guess I just have to trust Jesus to protect this little gift from heaven cause I sure don't know what I'm doing. 

Tabitha is now back to her normal self.  She beat the tar out of Roseanna!  She's got her appetite back and she's active and smiley again.  She's sleeping well and pooping well... except her poop was all BLUE last night!  What the heck?!  Now what?!