Friday, December 5, 2008

What IS It???

I'm going to offer some background and then I'll take opinions from the smartest readers in the world.

Ellie has been home six weeks today. We have been together a month and a half. On Tuesday this week, she had her first set of immunizations (HIB, DTaP, TB test (neg) and a flu shot). We were told (and expected) that she would be cranky and possibly run a fever for 24-48 hours. On Tuesday, I pretty much carried her around in the carrier all day because she was just lethargic. We gave Tylenol every four hours.

By Wednesday, she seemed to feel better and I went out in the field to work and she stayed with Kevin. Wednesday night's sleep was fitful and not sound.

Thursday, I was with her all day and she was clingy, cranky and not smiley like she normally is. Thursday night she woke up at 11:00 and did not go back to sleep until 1:30. She was crying and fitful. I started to notice a red face rash.

Today I've noticed a very red (not raised) rash on her cheeks and under her chin. I attribute the chin one to drool and her pacifier as she pretty much has that all the time, but now it's very red and her cheeks are too. She doesn't seem to be running a fever, but I gave her some Tylenol a bit ago -- just in case.

I've checked for teeth breaking through -- none. She's not tugging on her ears.

She was at the doctor's office today just for the nurse to look at her arm to tell us the results of her TB test and Kevin said she didn't say anything about her cheeks being red.

So... what in the world is causing her to be so fitful, unhappy, crying and red-faced? It's just not her "typical" behavior.

Any tips/suggestions appreciated!!

5 comments:

Mom to 2 Angels said...

I know that there was one set of shots that knocked AP down for several days. It could still be that. She was very lethargic and cranky. But, I don't know about the cheeks, other than the weather. AP's cheeks have beeen red just from being outside in this crazy cold weather. I hope she feels better soon!

Jeanne said...

Maria, seems like she could still be having some post-immunization issues. I looked at her face in your cookie pictures, but it didn't seem red there. Did it get redder after the cookies? If so could be from the egg or other ingredients. Flu vaccine is also made with egg protein.

Hilary Marquis said...

FYI-Anara never did pull at her ears when she got her first ear infection after coming home...she couldn't sleep, wouldn't eat, and clinged to me like a little monkey...but rarely cried. I think she was so used to getting them and not being treated (or being a lack of medication for treatment) that she didn't fuss. If she's still miserable might be worth a peek in those ears.

Rachel said...

Borh of my kids have gotten horrible red rashes on their faces in the cold weather. It was eczema. Scarlett has super dry patches on her elbows and knees, but her face has been so red it almost looked like burns. It's totally fine now and I think it's because she's getting older and getting used to it. Both kids had it over in their birth countries as soon as we took them out into the cold.

SOOO...I would try to the Baby Eczema cream (you can get it at Walgreens...it has baby Winne the Pooh on the front). That may help, but the redness is super common this time of year.

Stahnke said...

My son Andrew was miserable for 3-4 days after his first set of immuzations. After that I was in no hurry to get them done again, however he is now caught up and the only time he acted like that was the first time he got them. Hope things get better!