*Cough*

Our of nowhere, Alex has a cough.  It's raspy and persistent and he plays it up sometimes to the point of gagging himself.  The gagging only happens if I acknowledge the coughing.  Then it becomes a whole body experience. Speaking of that...coughing, sneezing, jumping, etc. have all become whole body experiences since I had a kid, if you get what I mean.

Anywho, the boy has a cough.  And last night I was transported back to childhood with one single cough through the monitor.  All I could think about was how I would try my hardest to stifle my coughing by any means necessary in hopes that my dad wouldn't hear me.  Because if he did...?  Codine cough syrup was on its way.  AKA, nasty bitter yellow-ish foul-ness.  Man that stuff was naaaaasty.  So I would bury my face in my pillow and try to swallow a million times to quiet the endless tickle in my throat.  But it was no use.  I would cough and then hear his bedroom door open and know my fate was sealed.

So this morning, with the cough still present, I questioned my actions.  As I left him at daycare, I had to ask myself if I am one of those asshat parents that have no regard for spreading illness at daycare.  On the one hand I don't think that I am, but on the other this kid sounds like a hobo hooked on Marlboro Reds.  But that is the only thing wrong.  He has no fever.  He has no snot freeway running down his face.  Should I be keeping him home with what is simply a cough due to cold?  I'm a big germ spreading jerk, aren't I?