Eli's cough

Eli has been seemingly sick for months and months. She gets a cold, most likely from Parker from day care. Miranda gets it too. But with Eli, it lasts forever and becomes this deep, deep cough. It keeps her up. It makes her miserable. She has trouble breathing. It's bad. We've tried many things from cough medication to a nebulizer to albutoral. Now we are on steriods and antibiotics to eliminate the possibility that she has an infection in her lungs. It seems to have improved somewhat but not entirely. The next step would be xrays.

I asked about the possibility it was allergies to food (since I wasn't being very good about introducing new foods slowly.) He said food allergies weren't likely, but pollen and animal allergies could be it. Then he asked whether there was a history of allergies. I said, "I'm not allergic and neither is Michael." But then I corrected myself and said, "Well...her genetic mom is allergic to cats and her grandpa is allergic to pollen and cats." The doctor said, "That is what I would call a history."

So, now I am all freaked out about the possibility that she is allergic to cats. I've written blogs, newspaper articles and even website content about how lame it is when people give up their cats when their new baby arrives. I've scolded people. I've shamed people. I've argued with people. To think that I may be one of the people now is horrible. It makes me anxious daily.

So, I hope and pray that little Eli feels better soon because I'm not sure if I know anyone (besides my family who are all, as noted above, allergic to them) who would take an old cranky cat or a middle age, punk-ass, tom cat mouse catcher.

Cross your fingers for all us.