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Yesterday, Mache went to a Super Hero party. Yes, we dressed our little beauty as the Lord of the Sith and took her to attend a Super Hero party 🙂 Our daughter, it seems, took her role seriousy though and the method actress she is, she thought she’d work at sound like Darth Vadar as well.

Over the past week Mache’s nose became quite the spout, but Friday night she caught a cough. We played it off, as we would with ourselves – nasal drip, trying to clear up what’s in her system – but as overnight it got worse. Her temperature started to rise and the nasal drip got really bad. She wouldn’t lay down for more than 15 minutes, unable to clear her throat. She wanted to be cuddeled. She wanted to sleep but couldn’t get comfortable.

We finally took her to bed with us. I let her sleep on me and we got a solid hour – but then – then it happened. She coughed her usual cough of the day; it hurt and she cried. At least, she tried to cry. A half gasp of air followed by a rasp cough, a second of silence, and a wheeze as she tried to breath again. The pattern continued.

During the day we talked about doctors but we both thought – maybe hoped – that she’d last until Monday and even be better, but certainly stay well enough to avoid the emergency room. Yet, here we found ourselves. Not quite 5am, and a 14 month old who could barely breath.

To E.R. (Oh look! It’s a verb now!) is human; at least, that’s what I told myself as I started to tear up. Most kids find their way to the emergency room once or twice – broken legs, alergic reactions, great falls, and over reactive parents – that last one a line I have no doubt we come close to. Here I was; 5am and I’m telling my wife it’s time to take our baby girl to the emergency room. The place where sickly and injured go. Our baby was sickly. Maybe we’re over reacting but it’s past the time of caution. We need to act. For what it’s worth, I’m a giant baby about these sorts of things!

The story is short, thankfully. After an hour in the hospital everything looked good: Mache’s sinuses drained on their own and she was smiles and giggles again; her fever wasn’t too bad, hovering around 100 degrees; her lungs are clear, which I couldn’t be more thankful for. The beginnings of a middle ear infection and a viral cold. Antibiotics for the infection, motrin for the fever, fluids and rest. She still cries a little when she coughts but it only lasts a few seconds before she gets distracted by something good.

My wife is great! She kept calm, asked questions, and knew everything we needed to know about her medical history for the doctor and nurses. My little method actress no longer sounds like Darth Vader and is napping, no doubt dreaming about something a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.