Ten Wipe Minimum

Peaches came down with some sort of stomach funk last Friday while we were out of town. Sometimes she gets diarrhea when she is teething so I didn't worry. She was in great spirits, eating well and drinking the way she should. I figured it would go away. By Sunday, she had a violent diaper rash and would literally run away screaming if she saw me coming toward her with diapers and wipes. Sunday evening and Monday evening she was running a low grade temperature, so I decided to take her in to see the pediatrician on Tuesday morning.

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a hysterical mother when it comes to calling the pediatrician. Maybe it's because I have two children now. Maybe I just hate to bother paying a $15 co-pay to be told what I already know--it's a stomach virus and you have to let it run it's course. But Holy Smelly Diapers, Batman! I have never in my life witnessed or smelled such raunchy diapers. And since I am not feeding her fish and rotten eggs, I figured it was time to have her seen.

Have I told you how much I like my pediatrician? After I spoke to the nurse and told her that the diarrhea had gone on for longer than I was comfortable, she squeezed us in right away. The doctor was wonderful as usual, but he confirmed my suspicions--it's a virus and we have to let it run it's course. He did take samples of it (poor guy, she was able to poop on command. I swear I saw his eyes watering.) They are supposed to let me know what they find out.

Yesterday, Peaches' good mood came to an end. I pretty much held her the whole day when she wasn't sleeping because she just wanted to bury her head in my neck and whimper. She refused all food and drink and started vomitting. I was supposed to go to a Mom's Club function yesterday but called one of the moms to cancel. Within an hour, two of the moms had come over with 4 different kinds of Pedialyte and a detailed printout from Children's Hospital on what to do when your small child has a stomach virus. One of the moms also brought over a bottle of Mylanta for the raging diaper rash. I must have looked at her like she was a crack whore trick-or-treating, because she hastily promised that she wasn't crazy and that it really works.

We spent the rest of the day giving Peaches the unflavored Pedialyte by the dropperful and applying Mylanta. This morning she woke up much improved. She is still blowing nastiness out of her butt, but that Mylanta really works. She ate and drank well today, so I thought we were out of the woods.

There's just one problem. Baby Girl now has diarrhea...