Do as I say, not as I do

If you were to call me and say, "Hey Sara, I think my kid has croup, do you have any advice?", I'd have all sorts of things to say. I would ask about your child's color, whether or not they were having retractions while breathing, have you taken them outside in the cold air, have you given them a steam bath, and I would probably end by saying, "Croup is scary but it sounds like you are doing the right things and I'm sure they will be fine. Just keep an eye on them." I would say these things to you to because, let's be honest here, it's your baby, not mine. And while I love your kid I don't love them as much as I love mine. Plus, it is easy to be calm and collected from 100 miles away while your own children cheerfully, and healthily, scribble on your walls. Besides, you are probably just over reacting.

OR, I could ask myself all the reasons why I shouldn't panic with my own croupy kid. First of all Sara, you are a nurse and are supposed to have a clue about such things. Get it together and act educated for half a second. Secondly, this is your third child, you've been through this before, you know what to do, ACT LIKE IT. Or thirdly, go ahead and panic. After all, this is YOUR baby we are talking about and you are way to emotionally invested to be objective and he looks terrible and why aren't you in the car taking him to the ER already?!?!?!

Which is what I did. At 5:30 a.m. this morning. Because our sweet baby Dane went from healthy last night at bedtime to a struggling for air, feverish, baby this morning. It was when I laid him down to change him and his chest was sucking in with every breath that Greg looked at me and we both said, "We are going!"

He is fine now. By the time we made it to the ER the cold air and calming down had eased his laborious breathing. Which I knew it would because I know what makes croup better, and worse. But still, even if you know these things with your head your heart doesn't have a clue when your baby is struggling over each breath. Plus, I was surrounded by nurses and doctors and oximeters and delicious prescriptions for prednisone and that alone was worth the $100 co-pay. Which, again, I already knew.