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Are we done yet?

Well, I thought the Munchkin was healthy.

She’s had a rash around her hands and wrists the last few days, but I just chalked it up to her possibly getting into something that she was mildly allergic to. I had no idea what, but it sounded good. After all, none of the rest of us had these welt-like splotches.

Saturday, it spread all over her body.

So, I began a long process of elimination. It’s not chicken pox – she’s been vaccinated and no one we know of has had it recently. Plus, the rash is all wrong for it – no raised bumps, and she wasn’t scratching at it. Food allergy? Possible, but since she’s been such a picky eater recently, the only likely culprit was the lemon-lime Gatorade. After-effect of stomach bug? Also possible, but Tad is rash-free, and he came down with this first. Viral? Not really likely, because we haven’t been going anywhere that she could have caught anything, because I was trying to keep everyone else from catching the tummy bug.

Fortunately, it faded out fairly dramatically overnight, and I treated it with hydrocortisone cream. My mother thought it might even be a form of eczema – a possibility, since I am prone to it at different times. But her skin has nearly returned to normal after a little more cream and no more Gatorade, and a real effort on our part to flush out her system with trustworthy fluids – milk, water, 100% natural apple juice. It would make sense for this to be an allergic food reaction – the timing is just about right for something to have accumulated in her system and start to react – but Gatorade? Then again, who out there thinks that “glycerol ester of wood rosin” is good for you? That’s the second-to-last ingredient listed on the lemon-lime Gatorade. The only way to know that the Gatorade was at fault for the rash is to let her drink it again now that her skin has cleared up. But ewwww. I don’t think I want to try that experiment again. Next time, I’ll just buy a different flavor of Pedialyte.

Meanwhile, Tad has cut his last 12 month molar (hallelujah!), and has tried to eat even more of his copy of Goodnight Moon. I have a biter, people. Steer clear of them chompers. New word: “uh-oh”, which he has both said spontaneously and mimics. He has a doctor’s appointment this week – his 15 month check-up – and I’m going to have to take the Munchkin with me, which will excite her. She has been begging to go to the doctor ever since she really got into Corduroy Goes To The Doctor. If she’s disappointed that she doesn’t get a shot, I’ll let you know.

And, the Munchkin found a picture of a Christmas tree in a book a couple of days ago. “Look, Mommy, a Kimmis tree!” she squealed. She makes “Christmas tree” sound like “chemistry”, which will please Doc. “Mommy, Kimmis tree means my birthday is coming!”

To quote Tad: Uh-oh. She’s figured it out.

One Response to “Are we done yet?”

  1. Little Cousin's Mommy
    November 13th, 2006 08:17
    1

    That’s cute that she’s figured it out! You have nothing to worry about, it is not as if you were going to pull the wool over her eyes and skip her birthday this year.