What a way to celebrate your first birthday :(

We woke early this morning, had breakfast, and then took a long nap when Addie took her morning nap. At 10am, we climbed into the car and left Pueblo to go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. It only took two hours to get there, and we were pleased to find 18 campsites left when we arrived. After we picked the perfect one, set up our tent, and had a snack, we covered Addie in sunscreen and left for the visitor’s center. By the time we arrived, her left eye was red and swollen, and that side of her face was covered in big, red blotches. She was clearly having an allergic reaction. We approached the ranger information desk to ask if there were any local insects that cause such a reaction. The woman behind the counter went and got Ranger Juan, who was so kind and helpful. He rinsed Addison’s eye with saline, and then suggested we drive into Alamosa to get her checked at the local clinic.

The 40-minute drive was very tense – though the redness was going away, we were both on edge. We arrived at the clinic, and went through the registration process. I have to say, everyone there was incredibly nice, and not one person batted an eye when we introduced ourselves as Addison’s moms. We were treated exactly how we should be – two nervous moms with a sick baby.

So – the positive – Addison was reacting to her sunscreen, but it wasn’t a major allergic reaction. Baby Benadryl to the rescue! The negative – Addison had another ear infection. We were bummed, but relieved. After stopping at Walgreens to get her medicine, we headed back to camp. The entire trip took up the rest of our day, so we ended up having dinner and tucking in early. Not the most exciting way for Addison to spend her first birthday, but we’ll celebrate tomorrow!

Sunset over the dunes.