Thursday, February 22, 2007

Testing times

This post is on the fly, hard to concentrate with the poo monkey going mummymummymummy every five seconds. Guess today will be a no nap day, which are alarmingy becoming more and more frequent nowadays. As are the incessant demands for "dummy! snugzeez!" whenever I dare to say no to such requests as two hours of wiggles videos in a row or chocolate cake mix for breakfast.

So, um yeah, guess you cn already tell which direction this post is going....

Test #1
The toxo thing. Thankfully my first blood test came back in the clear, however I will do a repeat in about ten day's time just to make sure that I haven't been really unlucky and was merely incubating an infection at the time of the last test. So Usurper and I aren't totally in the clear yet, but it's looking like the odds are in our favour.

Not so for our cat. No infection for me means no immunity either, and as he will still be a carrier regardless of his own immune status we have to find him a new home. Any takers?

Test #2
The scene is outside of a friend's house post mother's group today. I have not been able to coax the poo monkey into her car seat for twenty minutes. I cannot put her in there myself, given that she is 16.5 kg of rigid toddler when she has a hissyfit, and I am disturbingly showing signs of symphisis pubis disfunction at 23 weeks. Bear in mind also that mr hissychick has been away for work and won't be returning until late Friday night.

Me: (after all attempts at bribery, cajoling have failed, and patience is extremely thin.) Poo monkey, for the last time please get in the car seat. (Utter desperation) Do you want a smack?

Poo monkey: (Immediately sitting back in her chair). Yes please mummy. Smack! Smack! Abi wants a smack! Hooray!

Me: (Trying and failing not to laugh). You don't know what a smack is do you darling? I said smack, not snack.

We both laugh and drive off.
Ah the terrible twos.

Test #3
Tomorrow is the poo monkey's first day of formal childcare. A spot has come up, we've decided to take it now given that:
a) If she truly hates it it's no big deal to withdraw her until we absolutely have to put her in care once my maternity leave is up

b) It gives her a chance to socialise (although don't get me started on the heartbreak i felt today when the poo monkey went up to one of her little friends, held out her had and said "Ring a rosie Kaija?" only to be brushed off)

c) It may provide me with a chance to spennd one on one time with usurper and give the poo monkey her own special time doing lots of interesting activities, without being linked with the arrival of her sister

d) It gives me some time every week to feel alternately guilty and absolutely ecstatic to have a break. Break meaning time to do all the chores that you simply can't get done efficiently with an exuberant little girl around.

Wonder who will cry the most? Bet you a dollar it's me.

Time to sign off, and surrender the fantasy that a nap will be taken by anyone in this household right now.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Toxoplasmosis

So many low risk concerns in pregnancy have been blown out of proportion nowadays:

- Listeria (rhymes with hysteria, if you take sensible precautions with food you're very unlikely to cop this one)

-Toxoplasmosis (people it's ok for a cat to look at you, you'd be so unlucky to contract this and face an agonising wait to see if your unborn child is also affected, and by affected I mean at risk of stillbirth, mental retardation and so forth. Provided you don't eat cat poo hahahaha )

...no wait, scratch that last one.

My cat has just been diagnosed with severe systemic toxoplasmosis following a trip to the vets for a seemingly innocuous eye infection.

I have just had a blood test, and am awaiting test results early next week to see if I have immunity or no immunity to the disease. If it's the latter I have to wait another two weeks to see if I have contracted the disease, as there is an incubation period.

To say I am beside myself is an understatement. Then again, I'm always a winner with the low odds. Ectopic pregnancy, Graves' Disease anyone?

Fuck this shit.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

A quickie

Finally back on line now that the inlaws have left. Need some breathing space before I can write a decent post, especially a celebration of the poo monkey's second birthday which was last week. So please note for now:

1.How many newly turned two year olds will calmly announce to an unknown man in the library that "mummy isn't inspired today" in between loudly declaring the colour of each book on the shelf in front of them, and asking "what's that letter?" to which I cannot provide pronunciation of said letter and an example word quickly enough before said two year old is off jumping up and down and singing all the words to "where is thumbkin?" You are all action, colour and movement, with a complex commentary thrown in for free. No wonder people don't believe me when I say that you've just turned two. And that's not just because you look like you're older in the first place!

2. 21 weeks today, and plenty of movements that can be felt both internally and externally from a healthy happy usurper. Daughter number two seems to be taking it all in her stride.

Now if only there was time for a lie down.