Nik first learned sit-to-stand shortly before Thanksgiving. She mastered that, and has been too thrilled to be able to do it over, and over, and over again. She hates to lay down, (forget trying to change her diaper--I have to hold her down with the grips of life!), and she constantly wants to be standing. We received several toys for Christmas to assist her in standing, which she recently has begun to really utilize. She really just uses anything she can: me, Daddy, couches, chairs, tables, table legs, cabinents, doors, dressers, etc to stand.
Last week, Nik started Cruising, and really grasped a hold of it this weekend and the past two days (pulling herself up everywhere, cruising along the couches over and over, and pushing her little train as a walker). Today, she was moving from one item to another, with one hand at a time, so I know she is getting close to walking...and I am so excited for her, but a little part of me wants her to slow down, just a little, and not get so big so fast. It just went by in the blink of an eye, especially since I wasn't there everyday in and out. Her two front teeth are coming in, they have broken the skin, and one right behind the other, and before long, this little pumpkin will have four big teeth (well on her way to a full mouthful!)
As you know, Nik had her belated 9 month Check-up last Wed. We also gave her her second dose of the Seasonal Flu Shot (as the flu shot craze left the doctor's offices depleted in vaccines). I put it off as well, partly because she had an appt coming up, and becuase it tends to make her sick?? and throws her off for a couple of days. Well, I swear, the moment I brought her home from the doctor's office (without fail) her nose starts running, and then ny Friday, she had a full on cold. It never fails, and if I may say so, is quite frustrating, that these shots actually make her sick! Yes, I know that a cold, and a cough is better than a fever and a bought with the Flu (or Eek!, worse), and it's just her immune system building up to face worse deamons, but goodness, I just feel for the poor little pumpkin.
Doctors and the pediatricians encourage these shots for our children, and we unsuspecting, over-protective, anxiety stricken new moms are pushing at the gates-and I'm one of them! Our poor little Pumpkin, whether the flu shot aggreviated it, or what the case may be (Ahem, daycare), Nikolina has a runny nose and a terrible cough. Of course, then (post shot) I go running into our Pediatricians office (cha-ching) and am exasperated that my child cannot breath bc she is having these coughing fits that sound horribly like Bronchitis, only to find out that it's perfectly normal, and it has not spread to her lungs, and she's a Champ, holding up just fine, just a cold and cough, that will probably last two weeks (until the next one)! I swear those ladies in the office are going to think I am stalking our Pediatrician!! I've been there 3 times in the last 3 weeks!! It's a good thing I have a full-time job, or they would be in there snickering that I'm some over-stressed, crazy, deranged, naive, lonely, hypo-chondriac lunitic housewife who is desperate for some (adult interaction) attention!! I'm just praying Nik doesn't get sick for awhile, or they are going to be in there whispering, "It's HER again!!" I literally asked our pediatrician if I could just have a stethoscope so I wouldn't have to keep coming back in again, and again, and again...
I find it ironic that I pay our daycare provider to watch Nik and she gets sick bc other kids are sick, and bc their parents take them to daycare sick, but, you really are not supposed to take them when they're sick, but you still have to pay them when your child is sick but you cannot bring them to daycare, and they are only sick bc they're at daycare (say that again?!). Then you have to repeatedly pay the pediatricians office bc your kids are sick, and they administer these shots that weaken your child's immune system and causes them to get sick at daycare or get sick in general...AHHHHHH!!!!! It's this crazy vicious cycle that never ends!!!
So, anyway, our little pumpkin has been struggling with this horrendous cough, and it just breaks my heart! She keeps waking herself up coughing, and her little face gets all pink, and it seems like she won't be able to stop...it's horrible! And, she doesn't want to nap, bc she feels cruddy, she wants to nap with you. And of course, I go check in on her about 5 times a night just to make sure she's still breathing, and then, I can't hear her because of the white noise, and it's dark, so I have to touch her back and try and feel her chest moving up and down, and then she starts to stir, so I have to quickly duck down, hold my breath, and try and sneak back out practically crawling on the floor (whose the adult?) so she doesn't wake up and see me or she'll scream her head off...It's Crazy!! Besides that though, she's as happy as can be, and such a little trooper.
So, that's where I've been. Just praying she fights this and gets a handle on it soon, so she is out of her misery. Hope everyone is doing well.
