It's been a long time....

Goodness it's been over 6 months since I last posted here...what's new?

I've been doing a new job since April which has been keeping me busy. I have a grand title of Information Coordinator working for a Youth Support Service on behalf of a local authority. Most of my work so far has been for Connexions so it's been new, varied and interesting. In essence it's taken me to some interesting places, part time so I get to spend more time with Fini and also helping me develop some new skills in new areas of expertise. But enough about that.

Fini is now 28 months old and is a treasure (if not a trying one on occasion). She is still a boob monster and although I'm trying to follow my friend's 'don't offer, never refuse' philosophy I have to admit to numerous fall outs over where, when and how often she has it. Whenever I become really frustrated I tend to turn to La Leche League for support. On there you can read about the stoic breastfeeders of 4/5 year olds, loving it and confident that they are doing the right thing for their children. Not so great when you want someonee to tell you how you can stop tomorrow with little fuss. Don't get me wrong, i'm not quite resenting it yet but I get frustrated by the fact that whenever I try to set any limits or try out a routine with it, Fini completely rejects it and steps up her demands - aaargh! And also, though I'm not particularly concerned about others reactions, feeding a 2 year old in public is a lot different to feeding a newborn and is maybe still not so socially acceptable.

Great news about her development is that we have finally done away with nappies and are having (mainly) great success with potty training. Weird how it happened too....we've had the potty around for a long time and have had dalliances with it but this weekend I just decided to stop buying nappies and see how we get on. So far so good - she is really taking to it. We're not completely there yet but are confident it's all progressing as it should. I am confident that she will start nursery next year completely independent when it comes to her own bodily functions.

Developmentally she is, i think (being her mother) bright, funny and clever. A sensitive soul most of the time who I love to bits.

More later got to do something else now!

What a 'bloody car' week.

Well my car died last Friday. It decided to die on my way to work (NO work - good thing), just before Strensham services (could have died nearer the services and then maybe I could have waited for AA indoors with a coffee - average thing), all the male experts (nod, wink) have proclaimed the car engine-dead (bad thing).

So I've had the stress of considering whether the car is worth saving or to scrap it and spend my meagre savings (at least I have some) on a new one. The problem there is that I don't feel confident negotiating when I'm not in possession of a good sound knowledge of the topic in hand. This is especially true of dealing with mechanics and car sales men because there I am also a woman in a male dominated arena which generally has a bad reputation for being untrustworthy. And I hate the idea that these men might see that I know nothing about cars and think it's because I'm a woman when in actual fact it's because I have never had real cause to know a lot about cars. Having had a mechanic father I've not had to think about it too much. But those days are gone, although he's still very good for advice, and I've got to be big girl on a small budget and try not to get ripped off.

So the weekend was spent in grumpiness and generally feeling sorry for myself. Monday was spent sorting out having a friends car for the week so I could get to work. On Wednesday I spun the car onto a roundabout which made me a bit nervy in the car for the rest of the week. Saturday was spent thinking about buying a new car, finding out about a potentially sound private sale and also finding a nice looking, seemingly sound car from a dealer. Incidentally, after talking to several friends and my Dad and doing a bit of research (thanks to Al for his contributions particularly), I think I've managed to give off an aura of competence and might end up with an ok car.

I'm not out of the woods yet though, I still have to secure a deal before tomorrow or end up worrying about getting to and from work next week!!! Fingers crossed I'll have a new motor before I next post.

Back in one piece

I am now back home after spending 2 weeks in Greece. It's been an emotional trip in relation to my mothering skills as Fini was bitten by something, an insect or spider. I initially thought it was a mosquito bite and for the first 24 hours that's what it looked like but she knocked the top of the blister and this then reformed into a bigger blister covering a large area of her arm. We managed to clear the poison using a chamomile poultice but the blister was very sore for most of the time we were away until
I discovered plasters that allow the skin to breathe with these oxegenated pads, designed for blisters and scalds.

A few days later I trapped her finger in a door. At first this wasn't a problem. She cried for a few minutes and I put some Arnica cream on it and she seemed fine. That night she was really rewstless and kept waking up crying. By the morning she had a blister covering her right index finger that was 3 times the size of her finger.

We took her to a clinic - clinics in Greece are free 24 hour services but are staffed by trainee doctors, qualified doctors are privately run and expensive - they seemed reluctant to diagnose or prescribe anything for her but advised us to take her to the hospital an hours drive away. It all seems like a bit of an adventure now but at the time it was so nerve wracking. Waiting in a strange corridor with other injured people for someone to come from behind the quintessential swinging hospital doors. When we were finally seen they wouldn't let my husband or Greek speaking friend in with Fini, only me. By this time she had developed a red mark across her hand which was obviously from the pressure the blister was creating under her skin and would cry painfully and squeak 'No' if anyone so much as looked at the offending finger. I was besides myself trying to appear calm and confident and reassuring for her sake.

The nurse sent us straight to a doctor who sent us straight to the Xray Department. They immediately dressed me in a protective metal gown and instructed to hold Fini's hand down. This was upsetting for both of us but it was done quickly. Back then to the doctor who confirmed it wasn't broken and then burst the blister with a scalpel, sprayed some antiseptic ice spray on the finger and sent us on our way. The relief for both Fini and me was elevating.

However the finger got infected some how and then she seemed to develop impetigo around her nose. The blistering returned to her finger and this time spread across three fingers and down both sides of he hand. Back to the clinic to demand antibiotics - I never thought I would hear myself say that but I now realise the truthfullness of the phrase 'needs must' and my daughter needed to start getting better. I was so worried that I'd not caught it in time, had dithered too much, that she would have to have a hand removed due to septicemia........not to mention the guilt of being the one that trapped the finger in the first place.

Needless to say the antibiotics did their job and other than a few blemishes on arm and hand she is well and happy....besides her new cravings for chips, chocolate and red wine!!!!They didn't mention that in the baby led weaning book.

Oh holidays will never be the same again.

New at this

So I'm home now, armed with antibiotics (urgh) and a wish to feel much better for tomorrow's pending interviews!

I've been meaning to set up something like this for a good while now. I wanted somewhere to post random ramblings and something to act as a journal for my daughter's development (19 months and growing quicker every day).

I had started a diary for her - and one day when I have time and/or if this works out for me i shall transfer those ramblings to this space.

So what can I tell you about her? I shall call her Fini here. She's a monkey...adorable, frustrating, a joy, clever, daft, serious....and a load of other stuff that may or may not be classed as transference of her parents' wishes and desires, insecurities and pride.

To date my parenting has been loosely based on the Continuum Concept in that she is breast fed and co sleeps. We also have followed Baby led Weaning as a way of introducing her to solid foods. So far so good. My philosophy with food is:

• Don't make it an issue
• Good Food is it's own reward
• We wouldn't have survived as a species if we really needed our food pureed

So for the first 6 months she was exclusively breast fed; the next 6 months was introducing the feel, texture and taste of food; the last 6 months has been about food as sustenance and sociability and the next 6 months has been a little bit of proper weaning - we are currently attempting 'No boob when it's dark, let's wait until it's light' with some small successes. I'm working on the premise that if she cries and then forgets it's a habit, if she cries and persists it's a need. The World Health Organisation now suggest that breastfeeding should continue until at least 2 years old so she's got 5 more months before I have to rethink my strategies.

Don't get me wrong though, I sound all confident and certain I've made all the right choices but that's far from the case. I often have moments of doubt, insecurities, frustration, but I'll let you know when she's 25 if I feel I've done it right!!

Anyway that's enough for now - going to try and work out how i invite people to this thing.....xx

Test

Sat in CR using free wifi but need to go now - check in again soon xx