Are we better yet?

Oh wow.  It has now been one week since the first illness hit our household and what a week it was.  I don't think that we have ever been this sick for so many days in row and we are still recovering.  


This all started last Tuesday when I came down with the stomach flu.  Right behind me was our little girl getting sick all over her crib.  Then 24 hours later I thought that we were on the mend and very happy that we didn't pass on our illness to my sister (who was getting married on the coming Sunday).  Then it hit us.  Our little girl gets a nasty nasty cold.  I think to myself, how can one little girl be so unlucky?  Well I have my theories...Teething.  Leah, now, has 6 teeth.  They always come in sets of two and she always always always gets a cold with them a nasty cold.  To the point that once again on Saturday we take her to our weekend Dr. clinic just to make sure that it really is a cold and not something else.  The Dr. working this weekend reassures us that it is a virus.  Plenty of fluids, saline rinse for her nose and rest.  He tells me no Tylenol or Advil unless her fever is over 39 degrees.  That I did not listen to.  Tylenol and Advil made her happy, comfortable, and not in pain.  She was back to her old self again by Saturday afternoon.  We thought all was well.  


Sunday rolls around, she was clingy (not Leah) and upset but okay.  Sunday evening, Gramma comes to watch Leah, Dave and I get ready for the wedding.  We leave to a screaming little girl and go out for a night of fun.  The wedding was lovely.  Thankfully my sister had recovered from the stomach flu that she caught from us a mere 36 hours before hand and was truly happy on her day.  


Dinner was wonderful, the reception was just starting to kick off and....Dave gets sick.  The poor man gets sick at my sister's wedding.  I felt horrible and because I am wife of the year, I had already had to much to drink, which means after being sick in a strange public bathroom he had to drive us home.   I really felt bad for him.  We get home to find out that our little girl is also having a rough night having spent most of the evening sleeping on Gramma on the couch downstairs.  I knew that I was in for a bad night.  We all go to bed.  An hour later Leah is up and will only sleep if I rock her in the chair in her room.  What a night! I think the first night that you spend up for the entire night rocking your baby so she/he will sleep evening even though you are getting no rest is one of those things that truly makes you a parent.  After five hours of rocking I am able to put Leah to bed and get a few hours of shut eye.  


The next morning we try and rest and make it through the day.  Leah becomes more of herself in the afternoon and there is now light at the end of this very long dark tunnel.  We are all in bed by 9:00 pm and get a good night sleep.  


So far our day is going well today.  But you worry.  It has been 7 days since my little girl has had a decent meal.  She is eating and drinking but not like she normally does.  One of two teeth are through and I think we are down to a matter of hours before the next one arrives.  She is happy and herself.  But man.  How many teeth are there in the human mouth and how many more times do we have to go through this.  I know it sounds horrible.  But at this point in our lives I wonder...Does she really need teeth?  She can eat steak without them!


So please please please cross your fingers for us that we are on the road to recovery.  And send good healthy thoughts out to my new brother-in-law Mike as he is the only person who was staying my house that has not gotten sick yet.  I would really feel bad and guilty if he got sick on there trip across Canada on Via Rail.  Alas....

Life of a Dog

I think, if re-incarnation exists, that I want to come back as a dog.  Specifically my dog.  She basically eat,sleeps and poops.  Really, think about it.  I know you want that life too.  She really has the best sleeping places: in sun, on the couch, in the sun while on the couch.  She knows nothing but unconditional love and expects nothing back.  I am pretty sure the highlight of her days are when we leave and give her a treat.  Firstly, she gets a treat.  Secondly, she gets the house to herself all day.  Thirdly, she doesn't have to answer to anyone.  Who doesn't wish for that?  And to top it all off, she has no chores or responsibilities.  I mean she obviously has rules that she has been taught to follow.  But who really wouldn't want a loving home, good food, good treats, someone to take you for a walk, play with you, and give you good scratches behind the ears!?  It makes me think that dogs really do know how to live.  Hmmmm.....

Whot Whot Dayhome

Oh I am so excited. We have found a dayhome!  The epic adventure of finding that someone who, in your own opinion, has the right attitude about raising children.  My little girl loved being there and literally made herself right at home.  Playing with the other little girl there, chewing on toys, climbing the stairs...  She basically made herself right at home.  Which is what this place has; a homey feel.  One stressful thing down and one to go.  Going back to work.  I want to go back and am looking forward to going back but if last night is any indication on how this is going to go then it is going to be ruff.  Last night I left to go to a work out class and my poor little girl basically cried until she was in the bath and went to bed.  Apparently, watching me leave is not the best option.  The funniest thing was she was left with her dad.  It's not like I left her with a stranger in a strange place.  Oh well.  She will learn and like so many wise friends have told me soon she will find her dayhome as a second home and be happy to be there.  Which, in the end, is what I wanted to find.  I am happy with my choice but it all still seems to good to be true.  I think more because the reality of the situation has come forward...I will be going back to work soon!

I know this sounds crazy...

I know this sounds totally crazy.  But I really kind of miss the massive snow piles.  I was talking to a great friend today who told me that the snow is piled so high at her house that they have made a toboggan run off of there deck and into there yard for there little girl.  (this deck attaches to the house from the second story so it's BIG).  I know, like many others in the city) that we were running out of places to put the snow, it was hard to throw the snow that high when Dave shoveled. I don't shovel it's a "blue chore".  But it was kind of mystical and fun walking down the sidewalk to get the mail or whatever and having the snow piles higher than your head.  It really was a real life winter wonderland. Then the temperatures soared above 0, the snow piles got heavy, settled into themselves, and started to melt.  I miss watching my very big/little wuss of a dog having to clear a four foot snow bank to get to the part of the yard that she does her business in.  But now, the snow has settled, even melted a little bit and I am kind of sad to see it go.  I/we had great plans to make awesome snowmen.  But now it is gone. Well not gone, but, there is much less of it then there was a week and a half ago.  The good part is, it is only February.  There is a lot more winter left and I really have now where to go until April 11.  Snow I say Lamenia (don't know if I spelt that correctly) bring on the SNOW!!!!

Finding Child Care

I knew right from the beginning that I would want to return to work. Return to my career, my work structure, that thing that has made me tick for all of these years. I really do love my job. There are times when it is trying. But who has a job that isn't?!

But now embarking on this new adventure of parenthood has me completely confused. How do you know when you have found the right person to take care of your little one while you are away? Dayhomes? Daycares? Which one is right? At one point, I thought that I should just stay home and open my own dayhome service. But then quickly realized that this is not for me. Not right now anyways.

Interviewing people to take care of your children seems intimidating. And being a person that my judge before I get there thinks. What if they are just putting on a show because I have made an appointment and they know that I am coming? Why can't I just show up unannounced to see what day to day life is really like. Which is why I though daycare. But.....the daycare doesn't have the flexibility. What if my baby girl needs to nap in the morning? She can't do that at daycare. Uh. So here I am a week before I am "suppose" to start calling dayhome agencies and I wonder....should I go to the appointment that I have booked to talk to the women who was willing to hold my spot for three months? Is the spot still open as I spoke with her over a week ago? If the spot is still open why? I know why she will hold the spot...because she will want me to pay to hold it. I can't afford that. So today we will cancel with her. I have a daycare spot. An expensive daycare spot. So my search now includes dayhomes and ensuring that we find the best care (in our opinion) for our little girl.

Wish me luck!