Losing the Plot

So Sunday Padraig wakes up with a 104 degree fever and uncontrollable drool. By afternoon, even with motrin, he was very sleepy. I almost lost my mind. Off to the doc we went and he was diagnosed with the dreaded double ear infection. By bedtime the fever was nearing 105 degrees, even with motrin and tylenol on board.

There are no two ways about it. When Padraig gets sick, I stop functioning. I am basically in the fetal position rocking in the corner. My breathing is labored. When it is time to go to the doctor, I have to clean myself up and grab snacks with the expectation that we will have to go to the hospital and live there and maybe be accused of child abuse. No PTSD here. Oh, and then after the diagnosis I doubt the doctor for hours on end. It's great. I am so mentally healthy.

I'd like to say he has really turned the corner from his illness but I can't say. Last night was a disaster. He is symptom and fever free, but he would not sleep. All he would do is cry. Scream. Screech. For hours on end. We think maybe it was his teeth but hells, what do we know. So then I went back to the doubting-the-doctor phase. He seemed okay this am when we went to daycare, but I still think John is going to pick him up early cos if he puts on the show for Miss Wendy that he put on for us last night, he is def a daycare dropout.

Hopefully tonight will be calm. We are getting up early tomorrow to drive to Rochester for Thanksgiving with my family. There will be no shortage of walkers, canes and crutches to tempt poor Paudie.

Oh, Paudie has a phrase! It's "Get Down." Apparently between hearing at home when he climbs on the stove and any other elevated item he can find, and Wendy's pug trying to eat the children's food, he hears it a lot. And he repeats it too. Good stuff.

I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a lot that I feel really unthankful for, but mostly life is good and I am so appreciative of my wonderful husband and amazing children.

ROAR!

Finally, a Halloween pic of our little lion. It actually suits today's post quite nicely given that I had to have a talk with the daycare provider about Paudie and the fact that naps are yet again posing much grief for her and some of the other kids thanks to someone's apparent and incessant crying and whining. According to Wendy, Paudie's nap skills have deteriorated badly - yesterday's note home said he would wake every couple of minutes crying in his sleep with his eyes closed and this went on for the entire nap period. I was so stressed last night upon reading this - and learning that Wendy wanted to meet with me. Argh!
So we chatted this morning. I brought in a pillow from home and a bottle - I really think his cries are a bottle jones but I know she is very pro sippy cup. I worry he will ultimately be asked to leave the group. She admits he is an awesome kid otherwise and never cries for any other reason, is always playful and smiling - it's just the nap thing. And it's really so strange as he is going great with sleep otherwise - slept in his own crib in his own room almost all night last night! For 12 hours!!

So that's the major news. Paudie: daycare dropout.

He is getting increasingly verbal, repeating things he hears - but still not great with the mamas and dadas. His latest trick is that he has to march his empty bottle to the sink every night after he finishes it. Between that and the broom obsession, I am starting to worry he may have some OCD going on. Must have order!

We are all off to Rochester next week for Thanksgiving. My dad is finally home from the hospital, about 6 weeks after his foot amputation surgery. Sounds like he is doing allright navigating around the house - we shall see. I think my mom is struggling with him being home - she is used to being the sick one, being the one that needs all of the attention - doesn't sound like she is coping with having to share resources. Good times!

loves implements.

Paudie was helping John rake last week. Very cute stuff. He is a fan of the rake, as he is a fan of the broom and dustpan. I can't even sweep up after dinner if he is in the vicinity because it is an exercise in futility. I always give in and let him have the broom which is quite possibly his favorite toy. It's not exactly child size so I keep meaning to get him a little hand brush.

The last two weeks have been busy ones. We had friends from London stay with us for a weekend. Had a lovely visit - was our first sort of "another-couple-with-a-baby" weekend. Paudie was mostly well-behaved with their 8-month old girl. We all even managed to have a nice Sunday brunch out in the south end with little drama!

Then this past weekend was Halloween of course. Paudie was a lion and I should have those pics in about, oh say 3 weeks. He really wasn't feeling the costume at all until he went outside and started to basically run wild in the street with some of the neighbor's kids. Then he played with the candy bowl, dumping it on the floor and walking on the candy. Kids would knock on the door and I'd open it and pick candy off the floor for them. Nice. We also had a lot of visitors this weekend - an old friend Becky was over for Halloween. We reminsced about crappy plastic halloween costumes of the 70's and having to wear your coat of them and how the mask would make your face sweat. Then Paudie's godmother came by for a visit as well, not to mention John's cousins visiting from Ireland. The cousins' kids were all over playing with and and minding Paudie. Made me wish I had my own 13 year old daughter from a previous relationship or something. I should have had some foresight in my 20s that I would need help in my 30s.

Day care continues to be going mostly well. Naps are still sort of hit or miss - either really good or not so much. But at least the separation anxiety has lessened.

Next weekend looks quiet. Hooray! Hopefully Paudie will adjust to daylight savings because I can't handle too many more pre-7:00 wake ups...