Thursday, January 27, 2011

recovery

Slowly our litle man is making a recovery from nasty mr whooping.  Despite being fully immunised we still succumbed.  It has been now just over 2 weeks that he has been coughing, gasping as his little chest is gripped with pain and then vomits.  I rang the Public Health Department and the kind lady confirmed my suspicions after a week of coughing and several practitioners dismissing our concerns.  So I took the matters in my own hands and started the treatment myself.  There is current research that there is a new emerging strain of  Bordetella Pertussis that is not fully covered by the current vaccine available.  Hence just a little note to others who may pass by this blog to be mindful of this if your little one is coughing for more than a week and tends to go red and teary in the face, gasp or whoop and then  vomit.  Seek medical attention and ask for a specific swab for Pertussis.

We have been keeping a low profile but spent the hot afternoon in the bush near a fantastic waterhole.  Unfortunately I am not really into Nationalism.  I do feel very lucky to be living where I am.  I feel that borders and nationalistic pride can get a bit out of hand.  Maybe it is just my age.  I note that many young people really take it all on.  It did not happen in my day.  It is in human nature to help each other out. It is not particular to a race or culture.

Monday, January 24, 2011

good morning

Phew that was a big nite.  Gosh our little man is a vigourous one.  Oh well today is a new cheery day.   Yesterday there were a few little steps,maybe 5 or 6 and then plonking back down onto bum.

Morning routine:

morning booby and cuddle
nappy change and tidy up nursery
quick shower
prepare breakfast
empty dishwasher
put load of washing on
eat breakfast with bub, set up bibs, placemat, chair with booster and encourage some sort of civil way of eating our porridge/cheerios/mini wheats or maybe french toast or scrambled eggs
then sigh, yes clean up while bub roams and explores
start planning dinner for tonight, maybe organise recipe for slow cooker, thaw meat, check fridge for needy purchases
organise emergency snack pak and left overs and stuff for lunch for bubba
sweep floor
make our bed
change bub into going out clothes
walk dogs (Marty usually does this for me if home) with bub in stroller
hang out washing on line
put away clean clothes/linen from yesterdays wash
think about making myself a bit respectable to walk our front door
usually lucky to be out by 10am.

Does it get easier??


This week have decided to start meal planning.  My very good friend Maren arrives from Darwin this week.  We are going to be setting up a stall at Dirty Janes Emporium for BIMA wear.  Its going to be fun to have her here.  Today I made greek style roast lamb and potatoes to put in the slow cooker.  Hopefully ready by 6pm dinner tonight.  Think may have with baby spinach and asparagus salad.  Babcia is coming over as well.

Need to brown in frypan and then onto the browned dutch cream potatoes some stock and cook slowly for 8 hours.  Hopefully delicious.

PS. I won  a meat tray at the Burrawang Pub.  I am usually am not a winner in this way.  Hence such an extravagant sexy leg to decorate.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

weaning

Floods are still rising everywhere and the country is still reeling of the aftermath of the tragedy of Queensland.  The ingenuity and generousity of clever bloggers amazes me.  I have entered a few flood auctions and donated to those that are helping out.  I do wish I was a bit more crafty to make those softies.  I am reminded of the previous devastation of the Victorian fires 2 years ago.

Here at our house we are still wrangling a bub coughing his little heart out from whooping cough.  It has put our sleep routine and feeding aspirations on hold for awhile.  Before he became sick I was really wanting to stop feeding overnight and gradually winding so many feeds during the day.  It is such a bind.  He loves to breast feed so much.  For the last 13 months I have been there for him, when he wanted it he got it.  Half of me wants to go with the flow, continue and just see when he is ready himself.  I am not saying weaning him completely at this stage, just to feed him less and for me to be a bit more, well, like I can have a bit more of me back.

My aim is to be loving and kind hearted as possible.  Would like to know how other Mother's have approached this and what has worked for them.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

being positive and calm

When you wake up cranky and scowling and focussing on the negative.  It is just a simple choice to think differently and concentrate on the positives.  But sometimes it does not seem that easy.  Falling into old habits.

It has been a challenging week with our little man being quite unwell with to me was so obviously whooping cough and being a bit disappointed and disheartend by my fellow medical colleagues.  I won't go into details but the history alone was enough.  Every hour during the night bubba is gripped by demon pertussis as he gasps for breath and then vomits.  Many changes of his linen and ours.  Precious breastmilk lost and soaking everything.  His poor little chest must be burning and that horrible taste that can get in your mouth.


Amazingly I passed my Paediatric exam. Scoring 83%  for the Diploma in Child Health.    Hmm where to go from here?

At the moment a little focus on self care.

Friday, January 14, 2011

dreams



Now we are getting a bit more sleep have noticed dreams are returning.  Only remember bit from last night; my little man walking and sitting on my lap and saying "you remembered".

There have been only occassional pockets of sunshine here but on our walks we have been enthused by all the lovely blooms and green.  Lots of inspiration.  My favourite little ramshackle house is the little red one.  I could live there.

In the wetness we visited the Sturt Gallery, Mittagong and made a little purchase of locally made ceramics. They were on special and this combination looked so sweet.  The gallery has a summer and winter school of wonderful art courses to partake.  3 years ago  one cool summer I relished in a whole week of making art, living in and talking and walking creating with many other inspiring people.  One day would love to do again.
Marty has been doing term courses from the school of wood.  Very smart bread board pending.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

rainbows

hoping that rainbows will appear soon and help those who have lost so much.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

faith - getting to know her

     
Trusting your instincts when you dont quite fit in.

Going with the flow .   Not judging.

So nice not to be in a hurry.  For some time now  felt I was running.

Find my own race.

Notice that someone is watching and learning.

Good things do come to those that wait.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

milestones

                                         

                                   first words  with meaning and context

                          as per usual "Dada" and then "ball" and  then "dog"

                                       now saying "ball dog" together

                           not yet walking, but speedy gonzalas with crawling

                         AND NOW AFTER 13 MONTHS SLEEPING ALL
                         THROUGH THE NIGHT AND NOT ASKING FOR A
                                 BREAST FEED AND IN HIS OWN BED

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

the year that was for me

The last year fed and fed and fed and fed my baby all day and all night all year; finished off renovating my first home; lived very frugally trying to make ends meet; squeezed in a bit of doctoring; harvested my last vegie crop from my own home; worried too much on trying to get everything right; listened as much as I was able; started a blog and have been constantly inspired by fellow bloggers;have had no more than 2 hours sleep at a stretch; sold my home  without an agent in 3 days; met some other pretty cool Mamas; gave notice and said goodbye to great work colleagues; moved house one handed; decluttered; started a new job one morning a week; have been a bit demanding of Marty; started to cook again; found new places to do walkies with doggies;missed people had only just started to know; studied late into the night; examined for Diploma of child health; had a little holiday by the sea;  remembered how to crochet by just picking up a hook and wool after about 30 years;had christmas with my baby boy and loving Man and wonderful family.

No solid new year resolutions for me , maybe just to be me and to cuddle my boy.