Daddy Daycare

I returned from a very relaxing 4 days away and everything 'appeared' fine! Both Daddy and Drew are still here and all 'seems' well. First things first.

What happened while I was away?

a) No use of Calpol - well done Daddy!
b) Drew only slept an hour at a time during the day - poor Daddy!
c) Daddy didn't go to Waterbabies with Drew...Luckily for Daddy, I received a phone call from Waterbabies whilst away saying 'Waterbabies is cancelled...someone has poohed in the pool! However, even though I packed Drew's swimming bag with ALL essentials, Daddy didn't attempt it due to Drew not having much sleep - bless!
d) A bruise appeared above Drew's right eye. Her first bruise. It definitely wasn't there before I left. Apparently, Drew was sitting up playing and fell onto her DJ console (yep, she's a budding DJ). Or that's what we're telling Social.

Jerry did a fantastic job 'parenting' and although it must have been a bit daunting...4days and 3 nights on his own (I haven't even done that!), he rose to the challenge and even said he enjoyed it!

I was really happy to see both Drew and Jerry when I got back although while I was away, I totally switched off and was able to really relax and have a break. I did use the hotel's internet webcam to talk to Jerry and Drew on a couple of occasions which was quite funny. They could hear me, but I couldn't hear them, so Jerry had to use the universal language of mooning.

Overall, my trip and Jerry's single parenting stint was a roaring success. However, not wanting to send Jerry on a quick trip to Nagville, I didn't mention the state the house was in.

For at least 30 minutes.

Daddy's in Charge

The 'I-never-thought-would-happen' has happened! Yes...I'm going on holiday and Drew is staying at home with Daddy! I'm not sure who I'm more worried about...

a) Drew - will she be good for Daddy? will she stay in her '2 naps a day' routine, will she sleep for hours like normal or wake after 30mins in a bad mood, will she scream with teething pain.

b) Daddy - will he think to change her nappy even if "she's only had a wee", will he plonk her in front of one of his deadly bloody PS3 war games while he saves the universe from his chair with his AK47, will he sit her up on the sofa and wonder how she got to the floor with a funny little bump on her head, will he even think to give her bath as "she smells okay", will he remember to walk and feed the dog, remembering to get both of Drew's legs through the baby harness, will he remember to turn the baby monitor on and not wonder why "she so quiet for Daddy", will he take her to Waterbabies or not even venture outside, will he change her clothes when she's been sick instead of wiping it away and leaving the dog to lick up the rest, will he remember to get Drew's lunch and tea out of the freezer everyday or choose to use the emergency jars...the one thing I am certain of...Daddy knows where the Calpol is.

I leave on 16th July and return on 20th (our first wedding anniversary). Remember to check back here to see what happened and what didn't happen! I don't even want to think about it!

Teeth

Our precious little lamb, our bundle of joy, our angelic princess, our la petit package, ...




has become...





















(For those of you who don't recognise this child, click here)

yep...Drew has got TWO teeth and don't we know it!

Some days she's great, some days she's...not...
Some days she'll sleep, some days she won't...
Some days I have lunch, some days I don't eat til 10.00pm...

We tried to get a photo to upload to this post, but we were worried about losing our fingers! Even the dog stays away!

Sitting Up

At last, our little treasure is sitting up. It took a while and she is still a bit unsteady, but Drew is up there with the rest of 'em!

It happened on 25th June 2008!

Surrounded by soft pillows and cushions, Drew is happy to play with her toys sat up and then slowly she'll lean an ickle bit too far and...PLOP, she's fallen onto a feather filled safety net.

Crawling next! Which means I'll have to start vacuuming! TUTT!!

Door Slam

I've worked out the perfect solution to diffusing a heated discussion/argument with your other half.

I'm great at slamming doors. Always have been. I have a lot of experience. Try slamming a door when you have an 8month old baby... The rubber door slam stopper child safety device on all our doors does its job perfectly, the door bounces off the frame with a soft thump. Guaranteed to bring a smile to you both!

For those of you reading this at work...Have you ever tried slamming a door in your office?

...with a door closer.

It doesn't really have the shocking effect you would get from a normal head-turning door slam...its more like a slow, controlled, smooth closure...not even a closure...more of a soft 'click'.

Thank goodness for health & safety eh?!

Driving Miss Drew

Very naively, Jerry and I thought we were through the worst with Drew and her teeth troubles...

It now appears that Drew has a kind of constant flow of watery mucus from her nose, similar to that of Niagara I should imagine. Coupled with this never-ending nasal stream of goo is a never-ending dribble.

It doesn't matter how many times you wipe her nose and mouth, the goo from her nose usually ends up in her mouth and then she tries to create MORE dribbles to get rid of the nasal goo.

To make matters worse, tonight Drew woke from her usual 7.00pm slumber screaming. This usually means she needs to burp or her teeth are hurting. No burp would come up. Drew seemed like she was in real pain and wouldn't stop crying and got herself so worked up. Having given her gripe water to help ease any pain she might have, we think it went down the wrong way and she started to choke and gasp for breath. After a few frantic seconds (which seemed like minutes!), Drew caught her breath, but couldn't stop coughing and gagging. This made her continue to cry. We tried everything...except one thing. The car. Guaranteed to make your baby sleep. I wonder why no one has bothered to add this to a vehicle specification...

...Permanent all-wheel drive; Mid engine; 6 cylinders; 180kW (245bhp); sleeping baby guarantee; leather seats...

So, to cut a long and tired story short, Jerry and I ended up going out for a drive. Twice. Drew did fall asleep the first time (8.00pm). One of us driving, the other in the back trying to calm her down. Trouble was, she woke up again as we tried to get her in her cot when we got home. So off out we went again. In the meantime, we called NHS Direct for some help and advice.

They were very good and asked loads of questions to determine the severity of Drew's symptoms. They promised to call back within the hour and a Nurse did call us back while we were out driving with Drew. After finding a safe side road to stop and talk to her, Jerry stayed in the back keeping Drew calm and I answered the Nurse's questions best I could. Whilst trying to work out the difference between a 'gasp' and 'breathless', I noticed a vehicle on the other side of the road had also parked up. Nothing odd you say?

However, this car had stopped half on the road, half on the pavement, positioned over a metal bollard (now horizontal!) and wedged into a low wall! I could also see a man hunched over the driver's wheel and was trying to attract Jerry's attention in the rear view mirror. Eventually, Jerry could see the same bizarre sight and rushed over to check on the man.

I was concentrating on the Nurse's serious questions about Drew, looking over at the man in the car in front and realised I could hear cooing, laughing. I turn round to look at the little lady responsible for us being out this late...butter wouldn't melt. When Drew saw me looking at her, she grabbed her foot and put it in her mouth. I think she was feeling better.

Jerry returned to the car. Apparently, the man in the car was hunched over his mobile phone. Calling for help with his car. The driver (his wife!) had done a runner! That's HIS story!

The Nurse determined Drew was in no danger, apart from choking on her own feet. She recommended 5ml of Calpol, check the room temp. was under 20degrees and to keep Drew hydrated. We followed her instructions completely and within 5 minutes of putting her in her cot, she was sound asleep.

...and breathe...