Sick? Really?

3/8/11 School Report - OT: Doing animal obstacle course several times - needed less cueing after several reps. At table - started vocalizing when started animal drawing and name printing. Stopped when did dot art fish paper. Vocalizations were definitely during non-preferred tasks.
Bathroom: Nikko was lethargic today and coughed quite a bit.

Last night around 1a I heard a barking cough coming from the bedrooms. I was at the computer and listened. It was coming from Nikko. It sounded like the kind of wet cough that Ronin makes when his airways are getting worse. I checked on Nikko and while his legs were hot, his head was not. I had to change his diaper before I went to bed. Around 4:45a I heard him crying so I got up and went into his room. He sat up, irritable, then crawled out of bed and waited for me in the hallway. I debated bringing him to our bed but thought he wouldn't fall back asleep right away. He'd probably lay there and babble, and maybe squirm around a lot. Instead, I ushered him to the living room couch and let him lay in his corner while I sat next to him. We both drifted into sleep again, as I woke up at 5:45a to see him sleeping and I shifted my position on the couch a little.

This morning he was walking/babbling and moving about like his regular self. He even had a session with Kathy this morning and did well, very focused. The school nurse called this morning and asked if Nikko was for sure going to be at school today because he was having a hearing test with an audiologist and that person was driving in. I said he was coughing last night, but didn't have a temp or fever this morning at all. So I sent him to school as usual. It wasn't until I was driving home from Target with Audrey sleeping in the back that the school nurse called and said that Nikko was reportedly putting his head down on his desk and falling asleep, and had a 101.9 fever. Oy. I had to go pick him up (and Audrey was dead weight while I carried her slumped on my shoulder into the school office). Nikko's neck felt hot but he wasn't whining or acting terribly out of sorts to me. At home, after a snack, he got tired and I put him on the couch for a short nap. He felt warmer to me so I gave him acetaminophen. He won't go to school tomorrow, I cancelled his morning speech session with Lisa, and I'll have to cancel Rebecca tomorrow just to be safe. I hate for Nikko to miss school, especially during this period of good moods and progress in speech. It can't be helped.

Today was also Mineral Oil Day 1. I put it in his morning apple juice and saw the oil separate right at the top. Here I thought that oil would be heavier than water and would sink to the bottom, easier to slurp up. WRONG! Where the heck was I in science class? I don't know how much mineral oil he actually ingested. I will try again tomorrow, but put less juice in his cup so that he'll finish the first round and then require a fuller refill. If that doesn't work, I'll try the chocolate syrup mixed with oil, a 1:1. I hope that works. I hope the mineral oil doesn't interfere with Nikko being sick right now. I also wonder when I'll see the oil take its effects on Nikko.