Considering buying stock in The Pediatric Group...

Well, I have the feeling my Baby Noelle is going to follow in her big sisters' footsteps. Today, at not quite six months of age, she was diagnosed with her second ear infection. Some may not think this is too big of a deal, but in our family, ear infections are somewhat of an epidemic. Plagued by them in childhood myself, I seem to have passed on some sort of mutated gene. My oldest daughter has had more ear infections in her eight years than I could ever begin to keep track of. When she was about six months old, she went from perfectly healthy to a chronic mess. She's had tubes three times. Her first set were inserted at 13 months. My second daughter's problems also began when she was six or seven months and she earned her tubes at 12 months.

Noelle beat her sisters and got her first ear infection, a double one at that, at only two months of age. After that cleared up, she remained healthy for the next 3 1/2 months until she came down with a bad cold about two weeks ago. She finally seemed to be getting over it when she went on a nursing strike and developed a low fever a couple of days ago. Though she hasn't grabbed at her ears in pain (none of my babies ever have), I was sure the curse had fallen over our household once again. A cold followed by a fever always means infection around here. The pediatrician confirmed suspicions this afternoon. Here we go again. I'm starting to recall that my children's baby and toddler years are practically defined by weekly visits to the pediatrician, occasional emergency room visits, terrifying bouts of croup, breathing treatments, pneumonia, and of course, ear surgery. I wish I could say they outgrow it, but it only becomes a little less frequent. Caitlin got her tonsils out at age 6 due to chronic strep throat and still gets the occasional ear infection or episode of pneumonia. Taylor is on medication for reactive airway disease. Let the good times roll....