Sunday 10 May 2015

My poorly baby


I loved have an extra day with Austin, getting Bank Holiday Monday off.

The sun was shining so we headed out to the park.

Austin’s’ walking has come on leaps and bounds, his favourite thing is running the length of the field in the park, it is beautiful to watch him giggling and laughing while he runs, chasing me or charging at the ducks.
 
Back to work for me Tuesday and Wednesday so Austin and daddy can have quality time together.

I look forward to Thursdays so much, my time with him for 4 days.

But Thursday he woke up with a cold, it looked like a radioactive slug had been set free on his bed and over his teddies.

He cried, was clinging, screamed and refused to nap.

I took him with me to vote (lucky him) then for a walk in the hopes that the fresh air would help him nap.

No such luck.

He slept in my arms on our return, but the spirit level in him knew when I attempted to put him down, which meant the screaming restarted.

Whilst he was screaming the house down, we had a surprise visit from my parents!

Worst timing ever.

They stayed while I attempted to rock him back to sleep, which was not going to happen so I gave up and brought him down stairs.

He was falling asleep in his food so an early night was on the cards.

I foolishly thought, no nap means a full night’s sleep, how wrong was I?

He woke screaming the house down at 3 am, I tried to calm him down, but he was in so much pain that I had to give him calpol and rock him back to sleep.

He woke at 5 am, I rocked him back to sleep and he was up again at 6am, this is when our day started...
 
Friday was much the same at Thursday, crying, screaming, clingy, refusing to nap, it was also raining so no chance of any fresh air, so we bought him a ball pit in the hopes that that would cheer him up. He is not interested in it right now, but I have high hopes for when he is better.

Saturday; Hubby and I were supposed to be going out on a double date to see the band I have booked for Hubbys 30th birthday party (which I still am NO further forward organising!?), but due to Austin being so unsettled I cancelled, I didn’t want him staying out in this state. As tired as I am (and believe me I am tired) I need to be the one that he sees that can make him better.

The sun briefly came out Saturday so we took him to the park for some fresh air and for a run; we didn’t know that there was anything happening but when we got there a little festival was happening, with food stalls, beer tents and dragon boat racing on the canal which was fun to watch.

In the midst of his cold, he is also cutting a new tooth, which explains his behaviour.

He refused to sleep Saturday night, it has been a long time since I have had to rock him to sleep, but Saturday, I had to.

Sunday, today, he has been clingy, tired, falling over because he was too tired to walk, but I got a few smiles and giggles out of him.

Today we just sat and watched Rio on TV, we NEVER watch TV, I never have a need to turn it on because he is so happy playing and entertaining himself, but today he just wanted to sit with me and I had read him EVERY book he owns multiple times over the last few days, oh, did I mention I am full of cold too and my throat is so sore? No? Well I am, so I took the TV option.

I don’t want to make a habit of watching TV with him, but I absolutely loved watching him watching TV, pointing at the characters, brumming along with the cars and planes, copying me saying ‘wow’ and clapping when Blue learned to fly – my heart actually swelled with pride!

He refused to nap this afternoon and didn’t eat much of his food so he went to bed early, luckily no screaming and fighting tonight.

It has been a tough few days, actually reminds me of the early days, before today I couldn’t remember the last time I had showered, I am exhausted, I really looking forward to going to bed, and actually looking forward to going to work tomorrow so I can have a rest.

 
But in exciting news, a post I did for Fourth Trimester Magazine website which is live today!

Saturday 2 May 2015

Bottle feeding


Bottle feeding mamas – I need your help!

As Austin is now over 12 months, I wanted to start the transition from bottles to sippy cups for his milk. He is fine drinking water out sippy cup / sports bottle.

He has been to the health visitor for his 12 month review and booster jabs and she mentioned that he needs to be off bottles as they are so bad for his teeth (which I knew anyway!) but said we probably won’t be able to get him off bed bottle...

He has 2 bottles of milk a day, one at 7am when he wakes up and one at 7pm just before bed.

This week I have started giving him his milk in a sippy cup (tommy tipee 4+months cup) but he is just not interested in drinking milk from it, he would rather paint my floor with the milk instead.

I have tried him in the Nuby sports bottle, but he just doesn’t seem interested in it unless it’s in a bottle!

I have resorted to feeding him his milk in his sippy cup so he can’t throw it everywhere, but I never wanted this kind of relationship with food or drink with him.

I have bought a new cup today to try in the morning – Munchkin 360 miracle cup 100% No Spills! Except that he has figured out how to sprinkle the water everywhere!

Does anyone have any advise, any bottles/sippy cups that you swear by.

Or kind words of “he’ll just get it in his own time.”

Maria