Allergies?

I’m not the biggest fan of one of the MOPS nursery workers. Any hint of a runny nose and she won’t let the child in the room. Even if it’s the middle of winter and we’ve just come in from the cold. I thought everyone’s nose ran when out in the cold. Is it just me (and my daughter)? Every time Meg even steps outside the door for a few seconds I have to wipe her nose. She doesn’t have a cold. She’s not sick. She just has a very runny nose (as do I). But every single meeting, I’d have to “discuss” her nose with the nursery and practically scream SHE’S NOT SICK. Believe, me when she WAS sick, I didn’t bring her. I get that a cold could be RSV and that there are babies in the nursery. I agree that even if it’s just a cold, it’s not nice to pass it on. So I don’t. But sometimes a runny nose is just runny because it’s cold out, right?

Well…maybe not. The nursery lady kept insisting that if it wasn’t a cold, it must be allergies. I insisted NO, she didn’t have a cold and she didn’t have allergies. Due to her abrasive attitude, I didn’t really consider her suggestion. But after a few months, I did have to acknowledge Meg always has a runny nose. I swear, it’s not always a cold. I thought all kids had perpetually runny noses. But I suppose it could be the fact she sleeps with 15 stuffed animals, several of which were mine when I was little and none of which have ever been washed. It’s likely she sleeps with a LOT of dust mites and perhaps that bothers her nose. Although I don’t know that I’d call it an allergy – probably more of an irritant.

I’ve become more convinced it must be environmental this week, as I’ve noticed my own nose has been behaving similarly. I don’t have a cold – whatever it is is completely confined to my nose –and I think the arrival of spring weather this very week has something to do with it. My mom has hay fever and I’ve always had a touch of it. Some years I’m miserable (although not as miserable as her) and some years I have no more than a runny nose. If the symptoms are bad enough to take Claritin, I do and it helps. I was even prescribed Flonase once, which smells awful but really works. Since I’m pretty sure what I’m dealing with right now is mild hay fever (I suppose it will probably get worse as spring progresses), I am fairly convinced Meg does have a mild allergy to something. Abrasive lady was apparently right.

So, do I take the stuffed animals away? Would you rather have a runny nose all the time or be banned from sleeping with your loveys? I know Meg would say, without a doubt, RUNNY NOSE. It really doesn’t seem to bother her much and she loooooooooves her animals. She may refuse to sleep at all if we take them out of the crib. But should I do it anyway? Will prolonged exposure make it worse or help her build up a resistance?

We do rotate her very favorite animal (kitty) and store the extras in the freezer, which is supposed to kill dust mites and some germs. Do I just make roast and/or ribs every day for a month to clean out the deep freeze so I can fill it with stuffed animals?



P.S. You want to know the only other annoying thing about the arrival of spring? Japanese beetles (those little ladybug-looking things) EVERYWHERE. I am lucky enough to sit by a window at work (it’s awesome), but the window isn’t sealed very well, so it’s freezing in the winter and swimming with Japanese beetles in the spring. I swear I kill one at least every 10 minutes. They’re driving me craaaaaazy.