All posts tagged: toddler

On illness and encouragement

Published by Oana

Okay, I was hoping to go and see the Titanic Quarters last weekend but the opportunity never materialised. Instead I was back to nursing sick people in our home. This time it was my hubby. He came down, fast and furious, with the same throat infection Ems had at Easter. And I was not a happy bunny!!

It’s not the nursing that got to me, it’s never the nursing in itself, it was the constant moaning: one toddler on the mend, making demands for my exclusive attention; one sick hubby, feeling sorry for himself and sniffling miserably around the house.That and the ISOLATION. You have to remember I had been in the house ALL Easter week with a feverish child (she was given antibiotic that Friday but she was still weak on Easter Sunday) and I missed hubby’s birthday party on Easter Saturday and the Easter service. Both events had been much anticipated but eluded me at the last moment. I just couldn’t bring myself to drag a wretched toddler out of the house just because I needed to see friends and take part in the Easter celebrations.

So all that kept building up over two weeks. And it did get to me this Sunday past. So as the worthy daughter of a former nurse, I ordered hubby to see the out of hours doctor and stop moping about and then I had an emotional shut down. I just didn’t have anything else to give. I downloaded the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy and I finished it in a day and a half. That sort of focused my mind on something else. Today I came upon this other book, “Mother Letters”, that’s just been released. “Share the mess and the glory”, such an appropriate logo for parenthood. It promises encouragement and support, a silent companion for mothers everywhere. Check it out, I sure will, my only regret is that I haven’t found it on Sunday night. It might have filled my emotional tanks sooner…

Little Miss Contrary, sick toddlers and un-conditional love

Published by Oana

Okay, so this Easter hasn’t been the easiest we’ve had. For the same reason the past Christmas or our visit to New York or many other occasions haven’t been the easiest. My toddler had yet another infection and after a nightmarish week was finally put on antibiotics on Friday and order has fragilely been restored by Sunday. I say fragilely because as soon as she was over the fever and the Paracetamol-induced snoozing clinginess and extreme mood swings kicked in. One evening, after a fit over something ridiculous like “I didn’t want my shoes off!” that lasted 15 minutes and left us all completely drained, I rummaged the garage for “new” toys, in order to distract her attention and I came upon my stash of “for later” books. Books she got from friends and family at birthdays and special occasions but hadn’t been age appropriate at the time. Among them, three of the “Little Miss” collection, by Roger Hargreaves . Because my Little Miss was in bed already I sat down with “Little Miss Contrary” …

Why I love my toddler

Published by Oana

It’s not a secret and I have written about it before, I didn’t have an easy start with my baby. She was refluxy, I had hypothyroidism, not a great combination. I am doing this volunteer course for supporting mothers with difficulties at the moment and I’ve come to realise that I should have had some reassurance back then. I found it so hard, coping with my own emotions and minding an ever crying baby. But this is in the past and I suppose it makes me appreciate even more having a beautifully balanced toddler now. I’m gonna, randomly and as it comes to mind, make a list of how my toddler melts my heart on a daily basis: -she uses “Peas(please)” and “Tenk(thank) you” all the time. Especially when she’s after a round of “Yeea, yeea,oooh” on my computer but also when she’s offered a drink, her favourite food or help with dressing up. -she’s ever so determined to do things herself. Be it either a puzzle, eating her cereal in the morning, putting her …