You May Think it's Funny, but it 'Snot...

Now I know why parents let their kids walk around with dried, crusty boogers in their noses.

Before for my son was born, I used to be appalled by the countless children I saw with either crunchy, crusty nostrils or full-fledged, two-canal faucets that ran straight from their nose to their mouth. I could not understand for the life of me why their obviously neglectful parents wouldn't do something about this.

Enter Colin's first runny nose. With every sneeze or wheeze I was there with tissue in hand despite his inevitable protest. A nasal aspirator might be useful for clearing out amniotic fluid when a baby is born, but just try to get that thing up a 4-months old's nose without a major showdown that eventually you will lose. I even splurged on 'Boogie Wipes' which are basically glorified wet wipes made with saline. You would think he would be thankful to get that crap out of his nose, but the truth is, babies HATE getting their noses wiped. He doesn't care that he will breathe better and look cuter, one wipe is all it takes for a colossal meltdown.

By the time Runny Nose #2 came around, I tried my best but was definitely far less diligent. My outbursts to my husband of, "Quick, Quick, get me a Kleenex!" had become fewer and fewer. I still experience pangs of guilt as my son rolls around with a snot string stretching from his nose to his mat, but between the drool and the snot, I would have to have a bucket and a box of tissues attached to me at all times. That's just not going to happen. And I have a feeling he is just fine with that.