Poor Karina

Karina kept us all up three nights ago. She was coughing and wheezing, and in retrospect, had been pretty clingy to Tanja during the day. I stayed home that next morning and took her into the doctor. She has some kind of respiratory bug (tests for the flu and RSV came back negative) and an ear infection to go with it. I suppose it was bound to happen at some point; I'm grateful she's gone 10 months without any illness that required medication. The doctor (nurse practitioner, but whatever) put a sensor on Karina's foot to test her blood oxygen levels. They came back initially at 92%, so she got a misting treatment of albuterol that opened her airway and bumped her up to 95% (which is normal). I was just thinking about our nephew who was born with a serious heart condition and how excited my sister and brother-in-law would be if his oxygen levels had been that high. Makes me appreciate how healthy Karina has been so far.

Anyway, they sent us home with the nebulizer to use with the albuterol, and a couple prescriptions. She's been doing much better. She screamed and fought the nebulizer the first time she had it in the doctor's office. At home, she takes it in stride. I like to think that she is smart enough to know that it helps her breathe better.

Here's the poor little girl being brave.



In other news, she weighed in at the doctor's office at 19 pounds, 12 ounces. She was fully clothed for that weigh-in and was squirming all over, so I'm not sure I trust it, but her tummy does seem disproportionally chunky.

She is also the proud owner of a sixth tooth. The Tooth Fairy is already saving up for when all these new teeth start falling out.

She has also developed a fascination with her tongue. She has kept us laughing as she sticks out her tongue and winds it all around her lips. We imitate her and that makes her laugh too.