First Bout With a Cold

We have been so fortunate that Ethan's general health has been excellent since we brought him home from the NICU. I think that the only fevers that he has had were related to vaccinations, and he has never even had a runny nose. This is probably at least partially due to the fact that I have been a bit overprotective and have not left him in the church nursery until two weekends ago... ;) Poor Ethan got hit with a whammy of a cold this week. He seemed groggy but happy on Saturday morning, and that evening he started getting cranky, congested, and developed a low grade fever. The congestion has gotten worse and worse, and he is now running a moderate fever when the Tylenol Plus Cold and Cough wears off. He can't take his bottle very well at all because he can't breathe through his nose, and I am surprised (sorry to gross anyone out) that it is possible for such a little nose to be so snotty! We've been encouraging him to use his new sippy cup with a straw instead of the bottle, but he thinks that it is more fun to suck liquid into his mouth and let it drip out all over himself and any surrounding objects than it is to swallow it. Therefore, we've only given him water in his sippy cup since we don't want milk all over him and all over the house too! We're hoping that Ethan gets well soon as we prepare for our first "real" trip with him this weekend. We'll be driving out to Oklahoma City to visit Dan's parents for a week. Up to this point, the furthest Ethan has been from home is about a 2-hour drive away. Should be an adventure! We are toying with the idea of leaving ridiculously early (like 2-4 am timeframe) so that we can get a good chunk of the trip out of the way while Ethan is sleeping and avoid making stops until he wakes up. We'll see how that goes. If any of you all who are much more experienced at traveling with little ones have any tips or advice, please let us know. Thanks!