January was a rough month around these parts. The new year started for me with a terrible viral upper respiratory illness which had me down and coughing for weeks... and ended with some kind of stomach bug that hit me hard last Friday afternoon in clinic, where I vomited in the room while doing a circumcision (thankfully, this child's parents were not in the room for the procedure, although they often are!) and a few more times that night.
Iver missed four days of daycare due to febrile illnesses in his first month there (got called this afternoon to pick him up due to a 102-degree fever), and he hasn't really been his fun, playful self this week. Luckily, my parents are in town and were able to provide emergency babysitting while we still worked, but they, too, were feeling a bit under the weather today.
I've been exhausted being a parent and a (sick) working mom, with a (sick) and high-intensity, strong-willed toddler.
On the up-side, though:
Last night, Iver only woke up once in the night (between 8pm and 5:30 am), and it didn't involve any nursing, so I went a whole night without getting out of bed! It was amazing and I felt like a normal, rested person this morning (even though I still woke up multiple times, wondering why he wasn't up!)! I'm not sure this pattern will be repeated any time soon, but I'm hopeful.
He also (perhaps after a few days of being sick/having no appetite/starving?) actually ate dinner tonight, which was a first. If you, like we do, have a toddler who refuses to eat (solids other than fruit) you have to read this book My Child Won't Eat, by pediatrician Carlos Gonzales. It totally calmed my anxiety about Iver starving to death and officially let me off the hook from fighting the food battles.
I saw this picture a friend posted on FB and teared up, as it really captured how challenged I have felt as a parent due to *my child* not doing things the way or how I expected him to. But he's not a robot, I have to remind myself, and has taught me many things about flexibility and patience.
Here's to February, a new month, in which I hope to be a happier, less frustrated, less stressed parent, and in which I will (with hope) not vomit in any patient rooms (and we, with hope, will all stay healthy!)
Iver missed four days of daycare due to febrile illnesses in his first month there (got called this afternoon to pick him up due to a 102-degree fever), and he hasn't really been his fun, playful self this week. Luckily, my parents are in town and were able to provide emergency babysitting while we still worked, but they, too, were feeling a bit under the weather today.
I've been exhausted being a parent and a (sick) working mom, with a (sick) and high-intensity, strong-willed toddler.
On the up-side, though:
Last night, Iver only woke up once in the night (between 8pm and 5:30 am), and it didn't involve any nursing, so I went a whole night without getting out of bed! It was amazing and I felt like a normal, rested person this morning (even though I still woke up multiple times, wondering why he wasn't up!)! I'm not sure this pattern will be repeated any time soon, but I'm hopeful.
He also (perhaps after a few days of being sick/having no appetite/starving?) actually ate dinner tonight, which was a first. If you, like we do, have a toddler who refuses to eat (solids other than fruit) you have to read this book My Child Won't Eat, by pediatrician Carlos Gonzales. It totally calmed my anxiety about Iver starving to death and officially let me off the hook from fighting the food battles.
I saw this picture a friend posted on FB and teared up, as it really captured how challenged I have felt as a parent due to *my child* not doing things the way or how I expected him to. But he's not a robot, I have to remind myself, and has taught me many things about flexibility and patience.
Here's to February, a new month, in which I hope to be a happier, less frustrated, less stressed parent, and in which I will (with hope) not vomit in any patient rooms (and we, with hope, will all stay healthy!)
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