hi All, Not posted on here for ages and have just spent at least an hour catching up on all your news.
Bilblio - hope everything is going ok with your dad - what a shock.
grace was in hospital a couple of weeks ago - she had had an on off high temperature. took her to emergency doc who thought she was hungry and took her to a doctor the next day who sent us straight to A&E. Within what seemed like minutes they were talking about testing for meningitis and taking blood out of her for all sorts of things.... We stayed in for 2 days and there were no conclusive results, diagnosis being likele viral infection. By the time we left she was back to normal again, but it was a difficult time... We are also doing an extension in our house at the moment - this has been going on for over a year and we are in the final phase of the kitchen so me and the girls moved to my parents whilst walls were being knocked down. I can't help feeling that the whole upheaval had an effect on their health, with Gracie going in to hospital just as we were moving back in, and now the older one getting chicken pox this week. Poor thing (almost 3) has been really ill - spots everywhere: in her hair, between her toes, up her bottom etc.
Feeding - those of you still bf - what amount of time do you spend? Each side? One side each feed? Am never really sure if Gracie as had enough. She is not exactly a textbook baby in the way that she wants feeding. She wakes in the morning and can wait an hour or more before needing to be fed, then roughly 4 hourly, and can go through the night, but more often than not wakes at 3 or 4ish. Am sure this is usually out of habit but I feed her to get her off to sleep again. gracie is also really in to other food. She moans at every mealtime and likes to be in on the action of seeing what is going on. Am hoping to put off weaning until after xmas though out of convenience, what with being at other peoples houses and with the kitchen stuff going on!
And on that front - am not as organised as some but more organised than others - 'nuff said!!
Re: Returning to work. I'm not planning on returning long term this term, but when faced with the same prospect last time, I was a complete mess. I too would sit with her on my lap and cry and fell like the worst mum ever and then I cried for at least a week after i had returned to work. But then it gets better, and as long as you realise that your lo is safe and happy, you will start to relax. I found it really hard not knowing everything about my child - up until that point I knew every wee, poo, feed etc and then you are handing him / her over for the best part of the day and getting only a brief summary of what's been happening. BUT it DOES get easier and better, and in some ways I wish that I was going back to work to have that 'grown up' contact that does not revolve around around my children. that said, it is just too tricky, especially paying for childcare etc so what we are doing makes sense - I think!
Love to you all! xx