Monday, January 14, 2013

Fevers and Coughs

The weekend was spent nursing a sick kid. Luckily, Munch was in good spirits for the most part. We could all take a lesson for how he conducts himself when he's feeling under the weather--if he complains, then you know it's really bad.

On Friday, it seems he came down with the respiratory thing that is sweeping the nation. He also had a fever, which drives me insane. I check it all the time, running my head over his head, cheeks, and limbs nearly constantly. I try to remember that a fever is the body's way of fighting the infection, but it still whiggs me out. I think: "What underlying problem is this fever indicating?" It used to be that a fever meant an ear infection; however, it seems the fever may have abated today, so maybe his body is just doing its work.

On the whole, it was a nice, productive weekend. Hubs and I cleaned out our closets and dressers in prep for a new bedroom set coming our way in February. Finally, we'll have a queen bed! I'm sure I'll ask how I ever slept in a full-size for all this time, especially since a third body often wiggles in.

Update on Sleep

I am happy to report that for the past 6 days, Munch has adapted to our new routine. Firstly, we all go up to brush our teeth together, which Munch LOVES, then Hubs and I both go in to sway him for three lullabys at the end of which we kiss him and lie him in the crib. Then, we lie on the floor next to him until he falls asleep, which is generally within 15 minutes. The first night, he screamed for an hour, and that was hard, but I reminded myself--I am touching him through the bars, I'm right here, I don't need to pick him up. And, largely, he is sleeping, and he's sleeping longer in his crib. Of course, the illness has put a bit of a wrench in that, but only after he's initially not had an issue falling asleep. I hope this progress solidifies and continues.

One thing that really helped me was in my downtrodden post about this issue--I sort of wrote myself into an answer. It was about me feeling I have to put him to sleep rather than trusting him to put himself to sleep. It's a bit of letting go, of knowing he can do it, of being there more as quiet support and reassurance rather than active participation. This may be the story of motherhood. I know I'll need to eventually transition to not lying on the floor next to him. But this is much better than holding him for an hour and hoping he eventually falls asleep.

The best part of the weekend (or was this late last week?) was when Munch sat between Hubs and me and the floor, holding a bowl of Goldfish. Then he kissed each of us (by making a smacking sound with his lips and offering his head to our lips), then went to the front door and said, "Buh Bye!" This kid!

Resolutions are still mostly on track. I did break one last night--the reading, which was thwarted because of the late running of the Golden Globes, then the prompt wake-up of my sickly. I did read for an hour one night and 45 minutes another, so that must count for something, right? I went to the gym both Friday and Saturday and tracked food, though my meals were a bit higher than I'd like. 29 points is not very much at all, unfortunately!

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