It’s just a cold but it feels like more.

When your baby is sick, all a parent wants to do is kiss and cuddle their pain away. We know that in time they’ll get better and that often it’s just a cold or the flu. But it still stings a mother’s heart to see her baby struggle to any degree. 

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Meanwhile, we turn to Google. We message our own mother or any mom friends, hoping they have new ideas we haven’t yet tried to help ease their sickness. We lean on doctor friends and family, hoping they have some expert insight even though we’ve heard it all before.

We book appointments and make healing soups and snacks.

We try giving water from countless “magic mugs” or their favorite cups, knowing they need liquids. We read the same storybooks in cozy blankets and give in on screen time limits. All the while, quietly praying for our little love to feel better soon. From back massages and naps in our lap to singing comforting lullabies—a mother does it all in the hopes to ease her baby’s pain. 

And if you’re like me, you overthink . . . what could’ve caused this? Yes, it’s flu season and kids get little colds all the time. Sure, it’s even good for their immunity building, and sure, a fever means their body is fighting off the bad germs. But knowing that just doesn’t satisfy that anxiety of that moment. 

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So we promise to always zip up their jackets. We wonder if it’s because loved ones kissed them too much? We try to retrace our steps, especially in this scary pandemic time. But we usually come to no conclusion. 

Yet, we run the same course every time they get sick . . . because every time feels like the first time for a mother.

So we love and support them as much as we can, patiently waiting for the sickness to pass. We look forward to seeing that bright smile on their innocent face that tells us, “I’m OK, Mama, I feel better!” 

It’s not easy when you’re in it, and it’s a relief when you’re out. So here’s to hoping for healthy and happy babies everywhere. And to the parents doing it all for your baby, I see you.