First day healthy.
Oct. 14th, 2007 09:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkaMan, there is nothing that strains my maternal patience more than the first day that Alex is better, after being sick.
It's hard when she's sick. It's hard on all of us. This particular illness was harder than most - she's had bronchitis, a week of worsening cold symptoms and general debilitation followed by three or four days of constant fever and coughing and misery. She spent a lot of time clinging, a lot of time whimpering and crying, a lot of time spaced out in front of vapid children's videos, a lot of time sleeping, and a lot of time being demanding. It wore all three of us out.
Today, for the first time, she woke up without a fever and stayed fever-free all day long. Although she's clearly still on the mend (she slept in until 9am, and took a three-hour afternoon nap), she had enough energy to play. She was also needlessly, pointlessly provocative all day long.
For example: I found her drawing on her legs and feet with a pen, firmly told her to stop, and crossed the room to get drawing paper. In the few seconds it took me to return with paper, she decided to start drawing on her brand-new pajamas instead. Or: every time she had a tantrum this morning (which was many many times) she insisted that she needed to take a nap with her pacifier. I'd haul her heavy little self all the way up to the third floor and settle her into her crib. She'd spend the next half-hour demanding that I come up and down the stairs to help her with things or get her things, but insist that she didn't want to go downstairs because she really really needed a nap.
At one point, my refusal to return a cup that she'd hurled across the room caused her to throw a tantrum so severe that she wound up in a coughing fit that made her throw up. So I had to wash her hair - possibly her least favorite activity of all time. She screamed and begged me not to, all the way through.
This is how she always is, the day after an illness. And it drives me up the wall. When she's sick and miserably demanding, I have a fair amount of patience. It's easy to remember that it's not her fault. But this first-day-healthy nightmare behavior? I have no coping resources for it. It hits just at the point that I'm already completely exhausted from days of hard parenting work.
At least I got a three-hour nap this afternoon too. Man, did I ever need that.
It's hard when she's sick. It's hard on all of us. This particular illness was harder than most - she's had bronchitis, a week of worsening cold symptoms and general debilitation followed by three or four days of constant fever and coughing and misery. She spent a lot of time clinging, a lot of time whimpering and crying, a lot of time spaced out in front of vapid children's videos, a lot of time sleeping, and a lot of time being demanding. It wore all three of us out.
Today, for the first time, she woke up without a fever and stayed fever-free all day long. Although she's clearly still on the mend (she slept in until 9am, and took a three-hour afternoon nap), she had enough energy to play. She was also needlessly, pointlessly provocative all day long.
For example: I found her drawing on her legs and feet with a pen, firmly told her to stop, and crossed the room to get drawing paper. In the few seconds it took me to return with paper, she decided to start drawing on her brand-new pajamas instead. Or: every time she had a tantrum this morning (which was many many times) she insisted that she needed to take a nap with her pacifier. I'd haul her heavy little self all the way up to the third floor and settle her into her crib. She'd spend the next half-hour demanding that I come up and down the stairs to help her with things or get her things, but insist that she didn't want to go downstairs because she really really needed a nap.
At one point, my refusal to return a cup that she'd hurled across the room caused her to throw a tantrum so severe that she wound up in a coughing fit that made her throw up. So I had to wash her hair - possibly her least favorite activity of all time. She screamed and begged me not to, all the way through.
This is how she always is, the day after an illness. And it drives me up the wall. When she's sick and miserably demanding, I have a fair amount of patience. It's easy to remember that it's not her fault. But this first-day-healthy nightmare behavior? I have no coping resources for it. It hits just at the point that I'm already completely exhausted from days of hard parenting work.
At least I got a three-hour nap this afternoon too. Man, did I ever need that.
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no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 01:58 am (UTC)Two nights ago, Baz managed to barf at will. And then, since he was "sick" he wanted cherry-flavored medicine and to watch movies all day.
I don't THINK so.
Which is to say, poor you.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 02:08 am (UTC)The good news is, she's getting better, right?
no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 02:11 am (UTC)We love them, truly, but a peevish sick person who has the energy to object to being sick is much harder to deal with than somebody who is sick enough to be grateful for your ministrations. :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 02:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 05:30 pm (UTC)Oh yeah, we've been there. Try oxy-clean spray. That stuff works miracles. And be glad it wasn't the couch- mine has a smiley face drawn on the back of it.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 08:24 pm (UTC)I reckon she's still learning to deal with the frustration of being "not sick" but "not well" either... but that's hardly any help to you.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 09:07 am (UTC)If I ever work out how to get the biro off my armchair, I'll offer advice on how to get ink out of pyjamas,too. Until then all I have is sympathy.