Baby's First Emergency Room Visit

Or, How To Panic A Grandmother

Little Sammy got rushed to the emergency room last night. Apparently there was a bit of a fever. No worries, all is well. If it wasn't, I know for a fact the phone lines would be melting under an overload.

I'm thinking this is a rite of passage for new parents. First time the thermometer scoots past 99F, they spare no horses racing for the medic.

I don't blame them, really. I'd probably do the same thing if I was a new parent. Still, after observing many multiple child households (my own included) I'm pretty certain if this was kid #2 or #3, he'd get a baby aspirin dissolved in the formula, and be put in the vegetable crisper drawer in the fridge for a few minutes to cool down. The earth-shattering crises of Child #1 kind of lose their intensity on the subsequent children.

How many times have you seen brand new parents steam-clean every square inch of the house, and boil the laundry before applying a Lysol varnish to disinfect for the new baby? Almost without fail, by the time kid #3 hatches, the attitude has changed somewhat.

"What? Little Billy's eating cat poop? Well, lots of protein in that. Cheaper than Twinkies, and now I don't need to scoop out the litter pan!."