Baby boo-boos

Cole is sick again. He has a cold, as do I. Again. This has got to be my 39th cold of the season. I had the flu shot, so thank God for that. How does Cole get these colds? Well, I'll tell you. Everywhere. We cannot stop it. He goes to day care where he puts his mouth on everything. And he isn't the only one who puts his mouth on everything. There are lots of other babies with  mucus dripping from their noses who put their mouths on everything. Then there are the day care teachers who kiss the babies. I know that this cannot be helped. Cole is too cute. You can't not kiss him. I guess the other babies are cute too but, seriously, none are cuter than my baby.

Then, at home, or when we take him out, Cole continues to put his mouth on everything. EVERYTHING! We went to Kharma Road yesterday to get a light vegan lunch (yummy on the creative cuisine sans dairy AND soy!!!) and he put his mouth all along the high chair. We came prepared though. We brought Wet Ones to clean off the high chair before we placed him in it. Because God knows how many OTHER babies put their mouths on that thing. Then he also is guilty of the biggest offender - putting his hands into his mouth no matter where his hand has just been. And lately he has had an affinity for putting his hands into our mouths and noses. I know that putting everything into his mouth is a teething thing and it is very cute when he's sitting there with half of his hand lodged into his mouth, but still, the germs. Oh the germs.

I learned today that my cold came from a co-worker. She described her cold and it was EXACTLY like mine, to the T (is that the saying?) It's funny because I came into the office and she and another co-worker were complaining that they were sick. One had obvious sniffles and the other sounded nasally. Then I left and came back and one of the co-workers came back in from a meeting and handed me my only red pen and said, "I borrowed this for a minute. Thanks." And I was all, Gee thanks for asking. And then I tried not to touch it. But then it was 8th period and I was a zombie and by the end of the period, and at the sound of the bell, I picked up the pen and ran to class. Then later on in 9th period I was all grossed out again because I discovered the pen on the desk in my classroom (yes I am truly in that much of a fog sometimes). So I was all over my hand sanitizer.

Then when I got sick last week I thought that naturally it was from the contaminated red pen. But no, it dawned on me today that the OTHER teacher, the one who sounded worse and who also was out sick on Tuesday, teaches Study Hall in my room. Which means her hands were all over the computer mouse, the keyboard, you name it. And I had forgotten that small little fact. And so I was all scared about a stupid little pen when everything I touched for an entire afternoon had already been contaminated.

So here I am. Sick. And don't forget sleep deprived. Cole is still getting up 4-5 times a night and we are at our wits end. We are going for a sleep session with Donna B. tomorrow night. She's the local La Leche League leader and she also runs the baby/mommy group I went to during the summer. I sincerely hope we leave there with some useful tips.