Psyche!

Have your children ever done this to you?

Right before our move MaryP started acting differently. It started on Saturday with her cry sounding scratchy. I don't know how else to describe it - it really sounded like she was becoming hoarse. Sunday she sounded worse, but no fever, so I called the on-call pediatrician because I'm a new mommy with a steep learning curve and a touch of paranoia. He said it may be something viral and it might be good to bring her in on Monday or Tuesday to our doctor. Except we were moving that day. So we made the drive to Connecticut and MaryP did well until the very end.

Monday she still sounded hoarse and, though no fever, was not herself. Instead of really crying if she was upset (like she normally does) she would make these whimpery little cries. And she was acting more mellow/clingy.

Enter paranoid new mommy.

I called the doctors Monday morning, but because we just moved here and it's a temporary duty assignment for Wood they had neither mine nor MaryP's medical records and would not allow me to make an appointment until all of the paper work was complete (don't they make exceptions for people who have been there less then 24 hours?). So, Wood came home for lunch and we started running around trying to get the paperwork done. I dropped him off at work so I could have the car and continued plowing ahead. A seemingly long time later, paperwork done!

MaryP still was acting whimpery. Kindly, the doctor made a special arrangement to see us that day because I'd been unable to make an appointment. Hooray.

About 3 minutes before the doctor sees us MaryP decides she's really hungry (I'm not good at nursing in public yet and she was happy if I swung her, so she was a little overdue for her lunch) and starts screaming. Loudly. It doesn't sound hoarse. She's not whimpering. Enter doctor.

*I feel so stupid at this point!

Me: Really, for the last 3 days she's had a hoarse voice.
Doctor: She doesn't sound hoarse to me.
Me: And she hasn't been crying much, more whimpering.
MaryP: "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
Doctor: Sounds good to me.
Me: And she's been acting sort of lethargic.
Doctor: This doesn't look too lethargic.
Me: Sighhhhhhh

MaryP checked out just fine, though the doctor said we could use Tylenol and graciously remarked that mother's intuition is often best. He did re-define lethargic for me, which will be logged away into my catalog of "when to worry about your kid" definitions.

Yesterday MaryP was back to her amiable self, I'm so glad she is healthy. I'd rather wound my own pride and have her be healthy .... but I sure felt silly. I did speak with my older brother who laughed and said his 2 boys have done the same thing - be sick right up until the doctors appointment, then show no signs of having ever been ill.

Ah well, our paper work is done and hopefully I won't have to worry about anything here but well baby visits.