Welcome to daycare…here is your daughter’s first cold. It will last about a month and then, when you finally think it’s gone, she’ll pick up something else. And so will you.

I knew our baby would get sick from being in daycare, I just didn’t think it would happen so soon. April was in daycare for all of four days before she woke up congested. Now, a month later, she either has the same cold or a new one, and guess what? So do I! I would tell you the top 5 ways to fight your child’s cold, but obviously we haven’t figured that part out yet, this has been more of what you call a learning experience. So here is what I have learned:

(1) Your baby would rather have you take her rectal temperature than have you clean her nose.
Seriously. I had purchased a NoseFrida a few months ago, not because I needed it, but because other moms seemed to love it. I had already used it a few times and was nonplussed and then I realized that you don’t really need one until YOU REALLY NEED ONE. Every time I use it on April, she screams like I’m ripping off one of her limbs but she’s totally fine with me taking her temperature the old fashioned way.

(2) What you consider a fever and what the doctors consider a fever don’t jive.
April had a temperature of 99.9 degrees and that was enough to scare me. To the doctor, that is nothing, don’t bother calling unless your baby has a fever of 100.4 degrees or more.

(3) There is nothing you can give your baby to feel better except children’s Tylenol. 
And I haven’t even tried that because, as I mentioned above, she did not technically have a fever.

(4) You can keep your baby in daycare if they don’t have a fever.
Which is probably why this feverless cold keeps being passed back and forth.

(5) Your baby will give her cold to everyone and their mother.
Babies spread love and germs. It’s not their fault – the problem is they are too darn cute and you always want to kiss them. So you pay for it.

I feel terrible that we put our daughter in daycare and she got sick, but apparently it’s something I am going to have to get used to. The good news is that all of the ailments April picks up at daycare will help build up her immune system. Hopefully these germs will make her stronger in the long run.