The Croup

Madeleine made it almost a full year being sick only once (she and I shared a cold back in June). Last night though, we detected a really dry and "barky" cough and called the pediatrician on-call. He believed she has all of the symptoms of croup which is primarily characterized by a seal-like cough caused by swelling around the vocal cords and windpipe. While it is nice to have a name for her discomfort, unfortunately there is little we can do for her except keep her calm, give her lots of fluid, and try to help her rest as much as possible...all of which can be difficult when you're dealing with a virtual toddler. She woke up last night coughing after being asleep for 2 hours and decided that her "nap" justified some playing. She played for three hours until midnight when I finally got her back down. We're all pretty tired so I'd appreciate any prayers you can send our way, especially for this to pass quickly.