coughs and other things to do with throats

I abandoned my work this afternoon so I could go with Selena and Istra to our second last midwife appointment. Normally it would have been our last (6th week) visit; but since our primary midwife is off this month, she's letting us have one more check up with her when she gets back.

So, here's the crew from today's checkup. This is Katrina, our secondary midwife, and her student, Jenny. You may recognise Jenny from some of the birth photo. Katrina was off the weekend our of birth, so we had a stand in for her that night. In fact as fate would have it, Katrina often was called away when we had appointments with her. So much, that it became almost a bit of a running joke. But anyhow, there she is! We have captured a picture of her at last, so we can prove she exists, though we didn't see her very much.

The appointment went all right. Istra generally seems okay. She is gaining weight as she should, and so on. She did cry though most of the appointment though. Especially when being weighed... she wailed.

She's been crying all day in fact, and not eating much. She rarely takes her soother, and hardly sleeps for more than 10 minutes. She especially won't tolerate being layed on her back. Something gurgles in her throat when she lies that way. Just about the only way I have found to calm her is to carry her around upright against my chest. She also tolerates the bouncy chair(s), for sometimes for brief periods. She's been coughing every now and again, for the first time that I've ever heard. She sneezes too, but that's nothing new; maybe just a bit more frequently.

In short, our 38 day old little girl seems now to be sick .

Selena also has been suffering from a sore throat all day. I've also got a bit of a cough now... not bad, but something tickly in my throat.

We've taken Istra's temperature several times. She doesn't seem to have any fever. We think maybe she has a sore throat, as Selena does (and, to a lesser extent, as do I). It would explain her nearly constant discomfort, and not wanting to eat... and not wanting to swallow perhaps causing build up in her gurgly throat.

It's a fairly sad, and helpless thing, i guess every newparent goes through eventually...

Selena's trying to get some sleep. I've had a heck of a time trying to write this posting, while trying to Istra quiet and as calm as possible. (She has nodded off a few times, I'm happy to say...)