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But life isn't always a bed of roses. Our little guy seems to have RSV. For those of you who have been through RSV with your kids, you are probably cringing right now. For those of you who haven't, RSV is like a cold virus, but it affects the lungs, causing wheezing and shortness of breath. It commonly lasts a few weeks, and sometimes gets severe enough to require hospitalization.

Well, Joshua started a little fever a few days ago, with a runny nose and cough. Then he began to wheeze and have some difficulty breathing. Worried that he might have pneumonia, we got an X-ray, which thankfully was clear. I consulted the expert, Dr. Bill, who agreed it looked like RSV.

This virus is not treatable, so we just have to wait it out and let it run its course. We have been giving him inhaled breathing treatments with a medication to open up his lungs and ease his breathing. It certainly helps.

I feel kind of helpless. Watching the little guy wheeze and cough, and knowing there's not much I can do. As a doctor, I am trained to fix things, not just let them be. But how often have I told concerned parents that there's nothing I can do for a particular illness. They just have to ride it out.

Now I know how they feel. It's rough when it happens to your own baby.

He actually is doing fairly well, getting by on two or three treatments a day. I've seen a lot worse cases of RSV. I guess I can be thankful for that.

Andrew, my nine year old, has his own answer. With Joshua sick, he has watched everything me, Cheryl, and Dr. Bill have been doing. He said today, "I'm glad we don't have to call people to know how to take care of our babies." With everything that has gone on with Joshua these past few days, with all the ups and downs, I can't imagine what it would be like to not know for sure exactly what to do. We would be calling the doctor 5 times a day, and rushing into the office twice a day, worried sick. Some of my patients have done this, and now I know why!

The problem with the Sears family is that we are all doctors! There's no diversity! Sure, if anyone gets sick, we are well taken care of. But hey, when my car breaks down, I have to shell out $500 to get it fixed. Why couldn't my brother Jim have gone to mechanic school instead? Then we'd all really be set!

Maybe I can convince my younger brother Matt, in high school now, to forget his medical school plans and go to law school instead. That would save us all a bundle too.

Many parents complain to me when they bring in a sick child, "He's been up all night, and I didn't get any sleep! I need some medicine now!"

Now this has a whole new meaning for me.

So for the next few months, I'll probably be a little more sympathetic to the bleary-eyed parent who brings their sick child into the office.

And just when I begin to forget how rough this can be, Joshua will probably be ready to remind me with another cough and cold a few months from now.

My six-year-old Alex heard this, and curiously asked, "Mom? What's chicken baby syndrome?"

Sigh.

Enter the new baby. Now the morning smoothie just doesn't do enough for me. Sure, I still make them most mornings, but after only sleeping 5 or 6 hours, there's no substitute for that caffeine rush.

I hope to crack the habit soon. I guess that's up to Joshua.

I was rocking the baby on my lap, talking and cooing with him, when Cheryl just came up and took him out of my arms. "The dishwasher is clean and needs to be emptied" she stated, matter-of-fact.

I was stunned. "But . . . . . I was holding . . . . . what the . . . . . I was already helping . . . . ."

I guess the ruse is up. Cheryl is way too smart for my own good. But that's one of the reasons I married her.