I Don't Beat My Children
I swear I don't.
However, this is Little Miss today. I've faced the question constantly over the past four days, "What happened? Did you punch her or something?"
*sigh*
No, I didn't touch her. I would never touch either of the wee ones. Little Miss happens to be allergic to mosquitoes. If you look carefully, you can see the bite -- now that the swelling and bruising has gone down slightly four days later.
You'd think that I would keep her at home when she looks like this - and worse in previous days. You'd think that I'd have the sense to avoid the questions and the suspicious looks.
Nope. Not so much. Little Miss has been to the nursery at church, in church, to the childcare area at our club, to the pool, to Spanish classes, to gymnastics, out to dinner, and to the grocery store.
And everywhere I go, I now preface it with, "Little Miss is allergic to mosquitoes. Her eye is pretty well swollen, but it isn't an eye infection and nothing is contagious."
We stay inside whenever we expect mosquitoes, and we use the new clip-on bug keep away things. They work, for the most part. But wow, were those mosquitoes vicious on the Fourth. She got bit twice on her arm and one additional bit on her jaw line. Poor kid.
But next time she gets bit near her eye and it looks like she's got a shiner versus the usual swelling and bruising on her arm or leg, I'm putting her into hiding until it goes away!
Fingers crossed that she outgrows this allergy someday! Soon.
25 comments:
Friend, I have been right here before with my oldest! She is terribly allergic to mosquitoes and I got the same horrible looks from people when she looked like she had a shiner last year. Good times!
oh poor little sweetie! At the moment my husband has an abcessed tooth that was removed today and his face is swollen to his eye. Looks like I punched him good! but i didn't! his friends at work were teasing him though that i had a great left hook!
What a cute little girl, darn those mosquitoes. I wish I knew how to keep them away...I get bit a lot also but most of us aren't really allergic to them.
My youngest daughter was allergic to mosquito bites. She got several on her temple one time and the doctor was really nervous that it was going to cause some major problems. But all is well and she has grown out of it.
Just hang a sign around her that say's "No mom didn't hit me."
Poor little Miss! I hope she outgrows this allergy too:) All those questions and looks must get "old" real fast. At least, you have your prepared speech.
Nah, you definitely beat her. Kidding, of course. I hate when you have to preface every visit to every place with the whole, "It's not contageous..." thing. You'd think people would eventually remember about allergies. Poor little Miss looks pretty miserable in that top pic. Hope she doesn't get anymore of those hateful bites. They're bad enough without the allergy!
Yikes! That does look bad. I hope it doesn't bother her too much. The pediatrician didn't have any magical remedies to help?
Oh my goodness! I've never actually heard of a mosquito allergy: that's awful!!! Poor kid. :(
Alright, poor you too. :)
Just be thankful you don't live here in MN. She'd look like the loser of a heavyweight boxing match all the time.
Angie - It's no fun, is it? I keep hoping that she'll grow out of it.
MaBunny - Youch! At least this doesn't hurt her.
Heather - No kidding. It's making us all much more vigilant, which may not be a bad idea anyway what with West Nile and everything else.
The Desperate Cook - Thank you! You should see her when she's BEING cute.
Sheryl - Yikes, poor thing. I AM really glad to hear that she grew out of it. There is hope.
septembermom - Yep, I've got the speech now! Here's hoping I don't have to use it any more this summer.
RAS - The contagious part I throw in because the first time she got bit and her eye swelled shut, it happened at daycare, and they made me pick her up and take her to the doctor because she had an eye infection. Ahem. Or not.
Cookie - No magical remedies, sadly. And to be honest, it doesn't bother her too much. It doesn't hurt, so....
Laura - No, I haven't heard of that. I may have to look into it. I work from home two days a week, so Little Miss needs activities that take her out of the house on those days so that I can work -- Spanish Monday mornings and gymnastics Tues and Thurs. Aside from once a week swimming, they're her only activities. And come school, we'll drop the Spanish and at least one of the gymnastics, too.
Melisa - It's amazing the allergies these people dream up now, isn't it? :)
Jeff - No kidding. It's actually just about as bad here as I remember it there. We live directly in front of a nature conservancy that has some swampy stuff nearby. We don't go outside past 5pm if we can help it!
Ouch! Poor sweetie. She absolutely has the pout down, though! Where did she possibly learn that......?
I believe you. When I was little that used to happen to me all the time. Sometimes the mosquitoes would bite the top of my eyelids and I could hardly open my eyes.
It's pretty sad that society jumps to such conclusions, but it sounds like you are handling it well! Good on ya!
Carol Lynn - She does, doesn't she? She also can cry on command. I swear you're going to see her in movies someday!
Unknown Mami - Oh you poor dear! Little Miss hasn't had that (yet), but that sounds so unpleasant for you. I hope you've outgrown this!
BPOTW - It is, but ... welcome to the world we live in.
Poor baby! And poor mom too!
As a kid I was always running into things and falling down... my mother had to explain a whole lot of weird bruises and bumps.
Hope she feels better soon!
Martha - More poor her. I can deal with it and find people's reactions vaguely entertaining.
Kay - Ummm yeah. We have that with her, too. She runs straight into corners and get huge lumps on her forehead, arms, etc. Fortunately, my doctor just tells me that this shows she's an active girl. :)
Poor thing! I hope she doesn't get bit too often.
Poor little girl! Your post reminded me of THE LOOKS (at church)I got from people when my son was a toddler and he got a black eye one day and then, just as that bruise was beginning to fade, he got another black eye on the other side! They were from his falling and hitting his cheekbone on 1st) a metal keyholder, and then 2nd) the edge of the coffee table. I had a lotta splainin to do!!
I think my son might be allergic to mosquitoes as well. He has a bite on his arm that's swollen in the same way and has developed a rash on his neck and under his chin. Odd.
I hope she feels better & is less swollen soon.
Karen - Unfortunately, we live in Chicago in front of a nature conservancy. They are EVERYwhere. We do our best to not be outside when they're out, but ummm you should see the "hickey" on her neck right now....
Pat - Ouch, poor kid! You've got to love how they know just exactly how to fall!
Reluctant Housewife - It quite possibly could be an allergy. It's 11 days later now and mostly gone. It definitely takes awhile to completely fade, but the worse has been gone for awhile. Good luck!
Poor little sweetie pie- funny how judgmental people can be, isn't it? Hope she's doing better.
dddiva - It really is... although I have to admit that I certainly raise my eyebrows sometimes at people, but mostly internally! She's definitely doing better. I can still see where it's a little red and swollen, but anyone else wouldn't think anything of it, thankfully.
Thank you for sharing this. My 2 year olds forehead is swollen across and between his eyes. I am glad that you kept "Little Miss" involved in her activities that tells me to keep my son in his. I am glad to know that I don't need to panic (yet) its only been 36 hours. Thanks again.
Aleya - Figners crossed that your son has long since healed and that itw as nothing major. It's scary when they get those huge swollen faces though, isn't it?
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