Yesterday, Adam was cranky didn’t want to sleep boy.
This morning, Adam is sound asleep barely woke up for a bottle and a bottom change boy.
And the Health Visitor was encouraging putting him on a schedule. Yeah. Right. That’s gonna happen…
Six Weeks Old…
as of today, Little Man is six weeks old. Time is flying by.
Tomorrow is my 6 week postnatal appointment with my GP. This is the conversation we will be having:
me: I feel like crap. All meds back, please.
her: Okey dokey!!
🙂
Let’s Talk About Swine Flu
Or rather? Let’s not.
Why?
Because it should be a non-story. Instead its everywhere. And its totally irresponsible reporting on behalf of all the news outlets in the UK. Possibly the US as well, but I don’t know about that.
The information is contradictory, the headlines have been proven to be misleading over and over again. And all it is doing is causing mass panic.
I believe 100% in freedom of the press. I don’t believe 100% in bad reporting.
Sample? Okay.
Some major big wig doctor here in the UK said something along the lines of ‘there will be between 2,000 and 65,000 deaths. Which, overall, is less than the regular flu. And don’t quote me as saying “there will be 65,000 deaths.”‘ The next day’s headline in The Times? 65,000 Deaths Expected from Swine Flu
Another doctor said there might be 100,000 new cases every day during the worst of it. The news blurb I heard the next morning on BBC? ‘100,000 new swine flu cases a day.’ As if it was happening that way right now.
Its causing panic. Its scaremongering. And its confusing people.
Pregnant women should avoid crowds? Really? Define a crowd.
Small children should be kept away from nursery and school? Really? Define small child. And if that small child has an older sibling, who could bring the flu home with them, then what do you do? And who watches the small child? Perfectly healthy Mum and Dad who won’t get paid if they take time off ‘just in case’? Who may need that paid time off later, if small child does get the flu?
So what are we doing around here about it?
Nothing.
Because, let’s face it. Its the flu. Its in the air. Not going to school/work/out to the mall isn’t going to stop others from bringing it to you. Its everywhere at this point. The mail man may bring it. The grocery delivery man. Your husband as he comes home from work.
Pandemic does not mean OMG WE’RE ALL DONNA DIE!! It means world wide.
Try to remember that, okay?
It Has Been Brought To My Attention
that Adam is nearly 6 weeks old and I have done nothing about birth announcements.
So, guess what?
I’m not doing them.
We’ll do a picture holiday card instead.
Seeing as everyone has seen him all over the ‘net and all!
And The Ways They Stay The Same…
I was told, by more than one person, that I’d never get to finish a book again. I’ve actually finished the entire Dresden Series in the past approximately 3 months. Slower than I would have pre-Adam, its true. But I still find time to read.
I was told, by more than one person, that I’d have no time to go online. I’m on almost as much as I was before he was born. There are lots of times he will only sleep in my arms (or Simon’s). So one hand surfs the net, the other hand holds him.
I was told, by more than one person, that I’d never get to eat a hot meal again. Well, sometimes that is true. Other times he sleeps away while Simon and I eat. I am sure that will be more true as he gets older and sleeps less.
I was told, by more than one person, that I’d never get to soak in the tub again. Why not? Simon is just as capable of taking care of Adam while I did that (for almost 2 hours!!) the other day.
I don’t know, maybe I’m a bad mummy because I still do the things I enjoy even though I have a 5 week old baby? Or maybe I just know that sometimes it is more important to read a book/play on the computer/eat a meal while the baby sleeps than it is to hoover the floor/do the dishes/dust the front room?
Or maybe its because my husband and I share the load 50/50? That he is up in the night with Adam as much as I am, while I sleep in our spare bed? And vice versa?
Are we really that unusual in this? If so, how sad for everyone else. And how fantastic for us.
The Way Things Change…
Obviously Simon and I knew our lives would change, once we had Adam, even before we knew he was Adam!
But I am not sure we knew about some of the things that would change.
We eat together at the table now, rather than in front of the TV. Well, together in that we both have a place setting at the table. Usually not together as Adam has that baby ability to get fussy/hungry as soon as our dinner is ready. So one of us is usually feeding him while the other one eats. But still, we’re at the table!
The three of us have been out of the flat nearly every day this week. That’s a huge change for me, who would be content to sit on her butt in the flat every day all day for the rest of her life. But, some how, knowing I am getting Adam out into the air, even if he sleeps the whole time, makes it easier for me to get organized to get out there. That might change the other way once Simon goes back to work next week, but this week it has been nice.
I’m sure I’ll think of many others, but those are the two big ones. Next entry will be about the things that haven’t changed. Despite people telling me they would…
Has Been A Rough Couple of Days…
Adam has not been settling easily and eating constantly. Tried changing his formula, doesn’t seem to have made him any less hungry. I will speak to the Health Visitor about it on Wednesday when she stops by to see him.
Also, my arthritis is kicking in. My hands have been hurting a lot and my legs. Part of it is fatigue and the reason I do think I may have fibromyalgia. I am suppose to have another appointment with the Rheumatoid people in a few months and we’ll pick back up the investigation.
I am counting down the days until I can start doing yoga again. I really miss it. I may have to do some basic positions with Adam in a sling, but at least I’ll be able to get moving again in a couple of weeks.
Being a mummy is the hardest and bestest thing I have ever done.
Letter to My Baby – Adam – 1 Month Old
Dear Adam
Today you are one month old. Its been quite a month, my son. You spent the first week and 3 days in the SCBU getting your breathing straightened out. Then you came home to mummy, daddy, grandma and pops.
Then a week ago today Mummy dropped you on your head and you spent another 2 nights in hospital. Mummy will never be able to tell you how sorry she is that that happened. She doesn’t even exactly know how it happened. One second you were safe in her arms, the next you were flying through the air and hitting the floor, with her screaming your name. It turned out that you cracked your skull. Just a small fracture that did no other damage, but the sentence Daddy and I never want to hear again is: ‘The good news is his ribs are fine, the bad is that he cracked his skull.’ We both thought we would throw up right there in the cubicle at the A&E.
But after two nights observation in hospital and a set of full body XRays you were announced right as rain! And Daddy and I were so glad you were home.
You also had your SCBU follow up this past week and were officially discharged from their care. Your lungs and your heart are perfectly fine.
The other exciting thing that happened was the birth of your younger cousin. Aidan was born 3 weeks and 3 days after you, so you can lord that over him as much as you like. 🙂
Mummy and Daddy have been having so much fun learning about you. About how it takes you a good 10 minutes to wake up. About how you like to play with your bottle for awhile before actually swallowing any of it. About how you really hate getting your nappy changed 99% of the time. About how you enjoy a hair wash, up to a point, but hate a full body wash.
About how you love being swaddled. And we are learning more things about you every day.
The adventure that is your life is just beginning, my son. And I can’t wait to watch it unfold.
I love you.
Mummy
Yesterday Was A No Good Very Bad Day…
Adam was a fusspot from noon until he finally fell fully asleep at about 2100. Daddy had night duty and he apparently woke up again at 0145 and 0445. Mummy, however, put herself into the spare room and slept from 2230 to 0600. Daddy has gone back to sleep!
Today is Adam’s follow up appointment from SCBU. They want to XRay him again, but I am going to ask if that’s such a good idea, since he was XRayed so much over the weekend. They want to see how his chest is now. I am wondering if this much XRay exposure is okay or if it might cause harm. He’s so little they can’t exactly put a big lead apron on him! Maybe they can see his lungs on the XRay they did of his ribs on Monday? Or is it a different kind of XRay for lungs? I have no idea!
He might have a little sniffle, poor wee dote. He is just not having a good week.
And Happy Four Weeks Old Today!!!!!
And what makes all the spit up,
dirty nappies, crying for no reason, exhaustion worthwhile? An almost 4 week old baby asleep on your chest.