Thursday 23 December 2010

Germs, germs, germs...

I'm sick of them; I've had more than enough. I want to behave like a toddler; stamp my feet and scream till I get my own way. Except I know full well that tantrums don't work so I'm just going to have to ride it out.

As you know from my last blog and endless updates on Twitter and facebook my toddler has been really poorly. We thought he was getting over it last week when he ate but it took a few more days for him to be back to himself. Even now coming up to two weeks later he's not 100%.

Baby has a small cold now, he started sounded all snuffly with a blocked nose and then he got a temperature. Which made me worry; I couldn't have him getting as ill as his brother. Coughing followed so I decided to give NHS direct a quick call. They agree it sounded like a cold but because he's only four weeks old they advised me to take him to see our GP.

We managed to get an appointment that evening, which in itself was a pain in the neck. He wasn't yet registered which is a joke since they have sent me his appointment for his 6week check up. Anyway the stupid receptionist told me I should have registered him the day before I wanted the appointment. Well sorry for not being able to see into the future and knowing I'd need it.

Anyway off we went and I got to see a lovely Irish doctor. He did all the checks. Temperature was raised, breathing was too fast then he fetched a nurse to bring a machine to check oxygen levels. Next thing I know he's telling me to go to children’s A&E. What? Why? Is he okay? A million questions I couldn't even manage to ask floating around my head. I half listened as they told me where to go and to get someone to meet me there. Then he considered getting us an ambulance but decided it'd be faster for me to just go straight there. Ambulance and talking’s of the possibility of him being kept in scared me to death. Resulting in me crying at the lovely doctor. He redressed Riley, walked me out making sure I was okay.

Quick call to the hubby and my sister, who said she'd bring hubby to me and let my parents know. Luckily Joshua was with them.

Over Three and a half hours after arriving, a normal doctor and a senior consultant we are discharged. It was just a cold. I was majorly relieved, colds I can handle. Oh and an eye infection which is clearing up already but it's a two man job trying to get the ointment in his eyes.

Hubby is also ill, I had a runny nose for a few days but got away lucky. Just as well as it's not possible to sit and feel sorry for myself.

My Christmas wish is that we enter the new year as a healthy germ free
family. Wishing for it for Christmas is to tall an order.

Friday 17 December 2010

Cheese spread makes me happy

Never thought I'd  say that, it is a slightly random statement. But a cheese spread sandwich put a smile on my face today. Joshua hasn't eaten anything since Saturday, apart from the odd nibble on things. It's a long time with no food, so when he sat down an gobbled 2 slices of bread and cheese spread I was seriously happy. It means my poorly baby is finally on the mend.

It's been a rough week, visit to doctors, endless snot (which he likes to wipe on my clothes...eww), calpol which he started to refuse. Can't blame him medicine everyday isn't pleasant even if it is strawberry flavoured. He's slept and slept and slept some more. Crashing out on me, the sofa, in his high chair and even on the laminate floor. You've gotta be shattered to sleep on a hard floor, but sleep is good and now finally after 5 really bad days he seems to be picking up.  Not without sharing his germs with me first though.

It's the first time he's been properly poorly like this. He's had sniffles and been sick but nothing has knocked him like this. I'm sure I'll go through it all again endless time between the two of them.

Here's hoping we're all feeling better this time next week. 

Friday 3 December 2010

The Battle of Wills

Who’s more determined Mummy or toddler? Sometimes I think it’s the toddler, he’s a determined little one I will give him that much, but I have to believe I can win these daily and nightly battles we are currently going through or I’m going to go insane.

Sleep time battles are no fun for anyone, they make the whole household tired and miserable yet there isn’t a great deal you can do about them. Other than ride them out.

I was always adamant that I wouldn’t leave my children to cry it out (CIO), I felt it was cruel and it reminded me of that advert were no one answers the babies cries. Well after trying everything else, and I mean everything else we’ve found ourselves resorting to the CIO method. Controlled crying (CC) worked so well for us in the past, we’d leave J to cry for ten minutes before going back into his room, resettling and repeating as many times as necessary. Would take roughly three nights and he’d be back self settling and sleeping through. This no longer works and if anything makes J even more worked up, his screams going up a gear after we’ve been in and left again.

Tuesday night he went to bed perfectly and we found ourselves breathing a sigh of relief, however it was short lived and a mere fifty minutes later he was awake again. We tried CC for about half an hour but realised it was never going to work. He had extra cuddles, extra stories, plenty of reassurance but nothing was working so in the end we left him to CIO. Two and half hours later there was silence and he was we assumed sleeping. We didn’t dare go back in to check – we didn’t hear from him again until morning.

Wednesday, we decided CIO was the only way to go so at 7pm after half a dozen stories we kissed him and left – cue shouting, stamping feet and banging on the door for an hour. Then silence. Phew we hoped this would be it for the night, but we were never going to be that lucky. At 12:30 and 2:30 we endured another hours worth of protesting before silence again. When 5:30 came round we could deal with it no more and into our bed he came – possibly undoing everything we’d tried to establish. But after enduring so much, as well as waking at different times to feed a newborn I was shattered.

Thursday, he fell asleep mid story but we weren’t hopeful that it could stay that way. So when he woke an hour later we feared the worst, however off we went tucked him back in and he went straight back to sleep. I even managed to creep into his room at 10pm to get some nappies for the baby because stupidly I’d forgotten to get some before I put him to bed and J didn’t even stir. This was too good to be true right? Correct at just gone midnight, when we’d finally managed to settle a windy baby he woke. 45 minutes later and there was silence and we could finally try and get some sleep. 3am we hear him again, but both shattered we didn’t have the energy to go and put him back in his bed so we didn’t and ten minutes later there was silence and we didn’t hear from him again until 7:20.

So I can see the improvement, it makes me feel better about letting him CIO. It breaks my heart but he’s mostly not even crying, because there are rarely any real tears. Here is hoping that tonight there will be improvement again.

Naptimes on the other hand, I don’t even know where to begin. Yesterday we didn’t even try and have one as we were out that that was never going to happen and he was fine without. Today he was showing definite tired signs so as normal daddy takes him for his nap. Always daddy he never naps for Mummy...an hour later we give in and bring him down. How long do you let them CIO for at nap times? I have no clue. I think some google reading is required.

So there was me thinking it was going to be the newborn keeping us up all night, but it’s the toddler. Yes R wakes, but generally, wakes feeds, nappy change and he settles back down. Its tiring and bloody hard work. I’m dreading the husband returning to work already, I have no idea how I am going to cope on my own.