Medicine and the toddler = mission

It is a mission to give the toddler any medicine. When she sees the medicine or the medicine “injection-type” of feeder (forget about using a spoon), she starts to complain. When I pick her up, she starts kicking, throwing back the head and shutting her mouth with a mean conviction.
It feels/looks like we are doing something incredible horrible to our loved one. I have her in a vice grip, with a cotton nappy draped over my shoulder and near her chin, with dad or sister holding her head. I then have to force the medicine into the side of her mouth, sometimes blowing on her face to get her to swallow. She tries to get it out of her mouth again by trying to spit it out again. Very traumatic – for her and for us! There must be a better way?
Luckily the toddler is much better. She had the last antibiotics last night. (Phew – sigh of relief!)
My parents looked after her on Tuesday. My child illness leave for the year has been used up – we get five days (which is a big bonus already). At one stage when I phoned them my father was sitting with her sleeping in his arms. They were getting worried because she was sleeping for quite a long time... worried about not getting enough hydration or food. She kept them busy with her demanding pointy finger for the whole day! Thanks Mom and Dad for looking after her and being there when needed!
Now, we must try to find a way of giving medicine without having to feel like the meanest parents every time!

We sidestepped the hospital! Yeah!

This morning we were seriously worried. Our little toddler was very lethargic, with the runny tummy and the fever. When all a little one wants to do is sleep, you know there is something seriously wrong!
We landed at a paediatrician, a Dr. Tsigambe, at Flora Hospital in Florida Hills. I was seriously impressed. It transpired we were not supposed to give her antibiotics – we were on our second course already. It doesn’t help for a viral infection, and it exacerbates the runny tummy.
Why do the doctors give it as easily as they do?
We had to make the call to have her booked into the hospital, or try beating it ourselves. With lots of fluids! We made the decision to try a last time. She started to perk up at the doctor already. We forced the hydrating stuff (it is really awful!) with a medicine dropper down her throat. She must seriously hate us for it! She begins to scream as soon as she sees the medicine dropper. Luckily she loved the coke, and by this afternoon we got a smile, and she was walking around again. (Sighs of relief!) I hate the hospital, and especially for a little one who doesn’t understand yet...
Why I was impressed with the doctor? It seems he has time for his patients. Some of them phoned him while he was busy with us. I did not mind even a little bit, because I know it may someday be me. And there was actually a receptionist who knew the people coming in, calling them by name. And commenting on all the little ones and how they have grown. She also did not mind it when the little ones wandered off into the offices, or played with the water. She took in her stride...
Tomorrow I am going to stay with her – the breast feeding is the lifesaver which keeps up the fluids!
(She is sleeping now!)

The baby is sick

Mieka is sick! The fever kept us up all night. Between 12 and 1 last night we were bathing her to get the fever down. At 3 I thought I finally won the battle when I could put her down in her cot. No, not so! It wasn’t long before she was back in our bed. The recollection of a night like this the following day feels like trying to recollect a bad dream. It is all bleary and broken bits of deprived sleep torture.
She got her first course of antibiotics at the doctor and after the first suppository she was a happy baby again. Phew! We are lucky that we don’t have much of these.

Dries and I look like the zombies we feel today!

Photo: At Doppio Zero on Saturday when she turned 11 months. A fav restaurant! She was sleeping on the couch in the restaurant.