Chubby and the Cheeks...

Ok I'm still mad, not as mad as I was more of a simmering state than the seething mess I was last week.  Why?  Well hold on tight...

Friends of mine recently had a gorgeous wee bub whom we went to visit in hospital, whilst there we noticed the new Dad had a nasty rash.  Nothing to strange in that as he suffers a great deal from eczema and as you know I can relate, well Abbey can.  Turns out he had shingles.  That didn't make me mad, that broke my heart.  Can you imagine not being able to hold your newborn?  I can't and he couldn't.  He could gaze at her lovingly from across the room, I cried when they told me, well when I was off the phone as the new Mummy was teary and I didn't need to add to her hormones.  But I digress...

A week later the Princess had two spots on her face, she has had the chicken pox vaccine but we thought we'd get her checked out anyway as she had been off her food.  Cue visit to the local Doctors.

Our local Doctors are lovely, you can see anyone and it is a wonderful multi-cultural mix with some rather gorgeous young English doctors that make you want to become a hypochondriac so you can flash them your boobs.  Digressing again, sorry.

We saw a new South African Doctor and discussed rugby (as you do) well he talked to Mr P about it, Mr P handballed to me as usual!  Why do men assume that the man is the one into sport?  

Anyhow the spots were insect bites nothing to worry about,   he told us how he gets quite exciting about shingles as it is a fascinating disease (sigh - well he is a Doctor).  Then we moved onto the food issue...

He gave us a talk about childhood obesity and how children eat too many snacks etc and that the Princess had probably developed a sweet tooth (no denying that) but then...  he had the absolute gall to look at the Princess and without so much as weighing her, seeing how tall she is, even looking at her belly, he pronounced...

'She's chubby, you need to watch her food intake'. EXCUSE ME?!  I was stunned so any comment, comeback, slap to the forehead, I usually would have given passed me by.  For one of the very few times in my life I was speechless.  Tears welled in my eyes as I thought what a nerve this man had.  How dare he foster body image issues onto my daughter (well me)  now when she is only 21 months old.  We smiled and did the pleasantries and left.  We got in the car and I was 'WTF'!

We got home and I raced to the bible blue book (Maternal and Child Health provided diary of your child's well being and guidelines).  I then measured the princesses height and stuck her on the scales.  Went back to the book and graphed her... She is between the 50 and 60th percentiles.  That means she is a perfect weight and height for her age.

Granted she has full cheeks but if that Doctor had actually done some doctoring and measured and weighed her rather than making an assessment based on looking at her he may have changed his mind.

I asked another Doctor this week when I went in for an unrelated matter, his opinion 'No, she's perfect.  You have a beautiful and healthy wee girl'.  So there.

The wee miss catching raindrops during a storm, photo was taken the same week we went to the Doctor!

Still sleep deprived but I think I'm well past losing it...

So the Princess still doesn't like sleep.  Unfortunately whilst on holiday being by myself I co-slept, well from about midnight onwards anyway.  Co-slept is a silly word for it as really who sleeps when you have a small persons feet in your face who decides the best way to wake you is to sit on your chest with her hand at your throat?  Or to attempt to put your glasses on as that's what Mama does when she wakes (and that's why I now have a broken pair).

Anyway, the pattern has continued since we have been home,  I do attempt the resettling but when she wakes every 15 minutes there really is only so much standing over a cot shushing one can do!

The Princess loves 'ni ni's', so much she wants to go to her cot constantly for ni ni's with her baby.  'How fantastic', I hear you exclaim, 'so clever knowing she wants to go to bed'.  Yes she is but no not really.  As its all pretend, when its is actually time for a sleep or evening bedtime, I'm pretty sure that the residents two suburbs over can hear the wailing and screaming that accompanies this.

Ugh.

So I continue on, slurring my words as if I've had a bottle of wine at 9am.  Not getting anything done. But I tell you this when she wakes and licks you (her kiss), smiles with a twinkle in her eyes and says 'Mama'  it makes you go a bit gooey and think 'well it won't last forever'.  Will it?

I should be doing housework...

But I thought I should come back to my poor neglected blog and its followers and update you!

I can't believe we are half way through February already, time has flown past.  So here is my updates, bullet point style so I don't swamp you with too many details!

• Holidays, hurrah!  The princess (my new name for the wee one!) and I took off to NZ back in early December and spent a wonderful two week getting to know her cousins (my side) and family before Mr P joined us.  He was a bit hurt when she didn't run to him with open arms at the airport but she was rather stunned to see him!  Needless to say within an hour Mama wasn't getting a look in!  Then we had another week with my family (and of course Christmas) where the Princess got spoilt and had fun before heading up to the East Coast of NZ for 3 weeks  with her other cousins and family.  It was fantastic and made us pine for home (our native country and not our adopted one!).   
• The Princess!  She is changing rapidly, everyday a new word, new imaginative play and just great fun to be around.  She was more excited with everyone else opening presents at Christmas and did a lot of 'oohhh,' and 'wow' watching.  She found the adjustment back to just her and her Mama hard as she had her cousins, Grandparents, Aunties and Uncles around almost 24/7.  Lots of play dates has fixed that!
•  Online. You may notice I have been absent from Twitter.  I decided to delete my account as I spent more time on there than playing with the Princess. Easy choice really!  I had to delete a lot of blogs from my Reader and so I could skip to the ones I love, no offence but after 6 weeks away I had a lot of catching up to do!  A bit gutted that Whoa Mamma has stopped blogging as she is one of my favs. 
• Working.  I have picked up some part-time, well 1/2 an hour a day, work for some friends company.  Its mind-numbing stuff but extra money always helps.  I've also taken up Avon and am on my 2nd campaign.  It takes time and I'm not expecting to become a millionaire as there are (like any business) ongoing running costs, so a little pocket money every 3 weeks will certainly help.
• My big ideas!  Oh so many of them!  Baby steps and hopefully I'll be able to gloat and link to my glorious achievements soon!

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and 'hi'!

Note the pasta in the Princess's hair!  Taken in December 09