That darn cat!

Oh, the life of a parent. Sleep? Do any of us know what that is? You think that once they get out of a crib, can talk in complete sentences, and learn to wipe their own bums, you would start getting to sleep through the night. That is not the case on many occassions....somewhat like our current situation. My 3 (almost 4) year old has run low grade fever all day long. What's wrong with her....the flu? (God, I hope not), ear infection? (ouchie), what? No symptoms, not sure. So, being the concerened (overly so) parent that I am, I sit up for a little while after she goes to sleep to keep watch over her. I finally fall into a somewhat fitful sleep and am woken up numerous times from her mumbling in her sleep. Bad dreams. Sad face. No one likes for their babies to have nightmares or night terrors or such. I pat her arm, rub her face, whisper in her ear, "mama's here sugar, you're okay.", try and reassure her so that maybe she'll get back to peaceful dreaming. I doze back off for a short time and again am woke up by her mumbling and tossing and turning. Another bad dream? No. That would be the sound of her wheezing. The fever culprit? Croup. Yuck. The reason for this viral upper respiratory issue....allergies. More specific...the cat. Little Miss Jelly Bean, (nickname, I swear), has pretty bad allergies. When all of the components are JUST right, she ends up with croup. Very common in children with allergies. 4 days ago my parents took in my brothers cat while he is on TDY in Turkey. 2 days ago we figured out that not only is my 10 (almost 11) year old son, Butter Bean, (also a nickname, scouts honor), allergic to cats (mildly) but my beautiful allergy ridden daughter (regular allergies, as in pollen, molds, grasses....not wheat, milk, berries or whatever) is also SEVERLY allergic to the cat. Sigh. Of course. Why would it be any other way?! So now at 6:04 a.m. I sit here listening to Jelly's raspy breathing, waiting to get dressed so I can carry her to the doctor. Who has two thumbs and just wants to go back to sleep? This guy right here! Who has a blog that nobody will ever read and has to stay awake and get her baby girl all fixed up and feeling better instead? Also this guy right here. Oh, the life of a parent....