Wednesday 13 October 2010

Me and Poppy

After being bored waiting for my doctors appointment this morning I figured out while fiddling on my phone I can send photos directly to my blog from my phone. Fab!

Below is one of Poppy and I sat on a bench at our Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust center, after me showing her that we both appear on the phone if she smiles at it. Cutie pie.

Me and poppy



Tuesday 12 October 2010

The Simple Life

It's funny how the little things in life can bring pleasure. Yesterday my day consisted of doing laundry - weather is gorgeous at the moment so managed to wash, dry and iron pretty much all of it. The satisfaction rating was pretty high. Today I've made blueberry muffins and banana scones, and have done a lot of baking recently. The process of measuring, weighing, sifting, mixing, stirring, rubbing in, the heat of the oven, soothes me. Yes it makes my hands and wrists ache more but brings me some peace. No noise around me, relaxing.

The Rheumatologist confirmed that I have some sort of undifferentiated poly-joint arthritis that will require treatment with medication. I have to reduce the steroids right down and see him again in 3 weeks, have some more blood tests and xrays, and will probably start it then. It could be a rough few weeks until the right dose is found for me and of course the side effects. Plus to have any more children I have to be off the meds for 3-6 months which will make it all flare up again, and as we had some trouble conceiving Poppy it may mean that I can't be off it long enough to get pregnant without becoming ill again. But I suppose all that is way off and I should concentrate on getting through the next 6 months.
He said also that as treatment is started earlier and more aggressively the joint deformities don't occur, which made me feel very relieved. I shouldn't have the stereotypical RA hands, as that happened 10-15 years ago to everyone when treatment wasn't as good.

Poor hubby has been signed off work with stress down to me being ill and his job not being any help whatsoever in accomodating his need to not work extra hours on top of his usual role. He's really struggling with the idea of being off work as neither of us are the type of people who go off sick willy nilly. We feel the guilt. I told him that give it a day or so and that'll pass, I always feel sick when I first phone in etc. Still can't decide what to do myself about going back, I've got to expect to get worse before I get better as I bring down the steroid dose. As hubby said, my current state is 'chemically induced'.

Thursday 7 October 2010

Word of the day

New word from Poppy today = Bampa (welsh term for Grandad). Very very very very cute.

Biggest achievement for Mammy = letting go of Poppy to go down the slide on her own at the park. This was after numerous attempts of going down on my lap, and then alongside me holding hands to judge the speed. And she was lying on her back when on her own. Still pleased with myself tho.

6am start today has really wiped me out all day. I was dozing on the couch while Poppy watched Something Special on my lap. Haven't felt that out of it for months.

Oh and she had a poo in the bath this evening. Thankfully that has been the one and only time as it was completely gross and I now have to go and scrub the bath with the bleach that's soaking in there. Uch y fi.

Wednesday 6 October 2010

2 more sleeps

Hubby asked me in bed last night to please tell him what's the matter, asking if he'd upset me or done something wrong as I seemed off him. I don't think he realised how much I'm building things up in my mind for Friday's appointment, I want to know what's going on once and for all but don't want to get bad news either. I put it bluntly that I'm not just off him, I'm off everything - I can't sleep for thinking about it and am just counting down until Friday. That seemed to satisfy him anyway. Why does everything come back to bloody sex with blokes?? It's the last thing on my mind at the moment!

Mum picked Poppy up from nursery today, which usually involves her taking her back to her house and giving her dinner. However she was at my house by 345pm, me rushing out the front door to see what the matter was - she didn't know I was expecting her to feed her. Duh. That was never explicitly said but the other 5 times she's picked her up that's been the routine. So she basically just drove 20mins past her house on top of her normal journey home to pick up Poppy and bring her to me, instead of me doing a 20 minute round trip to get her myself. At least she stayed for about an hour for a cuppa, managing to irritate me more by thrusting toys in Poppy's face and trying to distract her from reading her books quietly by herself. Ungrateful? Me?

Poppy seemed to be trying to tell me earlier that she'd done something in her nappy, by pulling up her top and looking down at her belly/crotch. No poo on inspection so perhaps it was a wee. Then she did it again 10 mins on and she had pooed. After being changed she did it again after 5 mins as if to point out her first wee in the fresh nappy! Bless her. It's fab if that is what she's doing, I hate it when I find she's dirty and am constantly checking her nappy. Cloth-bummed babies are meant to be easier to potty train too, and with her keen little mind I'm sure we'lll have no problem when the time is right.

Sunday 3 October 2010

Steroid tablets are my new best friend

Finally a dose of steroids that's doing the job. I can sit on the floor, with my knees crossed, bend my thumb, not have to double-step down the stairs...I could go on. Even managed a whole day out to a museum and Mothercare today with hubby and Poppy, with only a slight limp and achy legs to show for it.

Poppy is starting to vocalise so much now. Anything you tell her the word for she pretty much has a go at saying it. She points out every car she sees 'Car!', calls the dog 'Oz!', shouts 'Mama!' when she wants pretty much anything. So cute.

Friday 1 October 2010

How much parents do to pacify

My parents were at my house tonight to help me do bath and bedtime with Poppy as hubby's away overnight on a golfing/drinking trip. It was a huge help but at times quite stressful, it showed me how much we as parents do things in a certain way so as to avoid crying and/or tantrums. Just getting her dressed after her bath nearly resulted in a meltdown (on both Poppy's and my part) as my Mum obviously did things differently to how I or hubby would. And while we ignore the shouting and screaming Mum tries to calm her down instead of just getting on with it. It won't work! Just get the pyjamas on!

Plus they always want to pick Poppy up for cuddles or kisses. I think I may have blogged this before, sorry if so. She will give HUGE hugs and lovely sloppy kisses, but on her terms. Just sit back and she will come to you. Insisting on a hug when gripping a squirming toddler who is screaming to be put down just isn't going to work. And (sorry, rant nearly over) if she's engaged in one activity, enjoying herself, concentrating, why try to distract her with another? She's quiet, happy, not tantruming - is that even a word? - so just leave her alone. She doesn't need to BE entertained every second, it just winds her up and makes her more prone to temper.

Rant over.