Little red riding hood

It seems Botany and I have had a cold forever. It's getting to the point I can't even remember a time when I wasn't hacking, spluttering and mopping both our noses in a futile effort to keep the snot at bay. I'm taking my vitamins, I've tried various boosts of Vitamin C, zinc, you name it. Nothing works.  It feels like I will never be free of it for the rest of the interminable winter, caught in a veritable Pleistocene epoch of rhinovirus, the Ice Age of nasopharyngitis.  

One of my greatest fears as a single parent (other than my child's death, maiming or disfigurement, abduction, long term illness, profuse bleeding, vomiting, or excessive poop disasters, roughly in that order) is that I myself will at some point be so unwell that I will be either unable to function, or function very poorly and that there will be no one else to help.  Back in the pre-baby days, I remember coming home from work with a storming migraine, lying prone on the sofa making small whimpering noises, and thinking, "actually, maybe it's a good thing I have no kids. How on earth do people manage in circumstances like these?"

As it happens, I have had two opportunities to answer that very question. In short- pick up wriggling child from nursery, stagger to car, drive home with temples on fire, stagger out of car, up the stairs, wrestle coat off child (who now has hands vigorously thrusting down front of my shirt in effort to attain boob), pick up wailing child, stagger to kitchen, throw up in the sink, grab bottle of painkillers, swallow large dose, stagger to bed. Flop. Nurse. Hope she wants to nurse for two hours or at least until drugs kick in. Fortunately, on both occasions, I was back to functioning by dinnertime or at least able to move around without feeling of steel spikes through brain. But it was...a little grim.

On Sunday night I woke up about midnight and started vomiting. This continued on and off for the rest of the night. Aside from feeling like death, I worried what I would do once Botany was up at her usual crack of dawn and in bed nursing with me, since I wouldn't exactly be able to jump up to run to loo to puke. My solution- a pot strategically placed within arm's reach above the pillows. I figured, she's slept through my hacking up a lung so she might not even notice me barfing over her head. Happily, there was no need at that point- but when we woke up for the day, I was on the phone to E. first thing for assistance. Luckily he was off work anyway and so able to help out, but it got me thinking. What if he had been out of town, as he sometimes is? What would I have done? Who would I call?  I feel I need to put some back-up systems in place, but I'm feeling a bit limited in that regard. And it scares me.

Anyway. As I mentioned before, I am somewhat conflicted about putting pictures of Botany up on this site. However, I was looking through the photo albums recently and noted there are quite a few shots where she has her back to the camera. Forever on the move, it's quite hard to get her to stay still to take a picture and often by the time the shutter has clicked, she's off and away. I then had the amusing notion of posting (for your enjoyment and mine) a series of pictures entitled "Botany from the Back". I don't think she is all that identifiable (thus assuaging my guilt about potential violations of her privacy) but it's enough to give you the general flavour of the goofy cuteness. Here's the first one:

       

Incidentally, she pitched a major fit when I took off that red cardigan for bathtime. I tried to explain that wearing jumpers in the bath was a bad idea but she was having none of it. Little red riding hood must have her armour against the wolves.

Comments

[Toni]

Look at that head of hair!

I'm so sorry that you are sick. It's time to get a friend with a similar aged child to help out in times of need. She'll understand :)

Good luck!

[Jk]

aw! I do lots of back of the head shots on my blog-that-is-for-my-sanity too. I have a "family blog" where I show full-on frontal ones of everyone in the fam, but the girls are old enough to think it's cool and they love going to look at the family blog on the computer.

Sometimes, when I take a picture of them they tell me, be sure to put that up on the blog so Grandma can see it.

[Christa]

You do need some back-up in place, even if you never need them; having them will give you some comfort. Have you been able to have a night out with some girl-friends or work friends since the break-up and going back to work? Every once in a while it is a must. Its also a must to have social outings (or friends over) that include your kids as well.

She's just darling. Don't you love that whispy hair on the back of their necks. My 18 month-old son has hair about her color and the back of his neck is the sweetest place to kiss.

You mentioned pending good news on your Nov 4th post. Did I miss it?

Best wishes,
Christa

[Hairy Farmer Family]

I got very poorly once, when Harry had been home from hospital about 5 weeks. All I wanted was to lie in bed and expire quietly - no chance!

Poor Mare. Migraines and toddlers don't mix much.

Botany simply looks beyond munchable!

[Timi]

I hope you both feel better soon. I'm very impressed with how you take care of Botany by yourself so well. I got a small but scary taste of it when my husband went off to reserve duty for two weeks and of course my daughter gets sick and then I start throwing up the same night. I also live across the ocean from my family, and it's really scary when you feel like you can't take care of your child. It's a good thing you can call E for that sort of thing. Good luck, you're doing an amazing job.

[Sandy]

Love the cardigan! I have been reading quite awhile but never posted. I guess I am shy. But I wanted to ask you to check for mold in the apartment if you both have been sick for so long. Only reason is I had a problem with that at my work and I was sick for months. Sorry you have been sick. You are doing a great job and good luck.
Sandy

[Laura]

That's a wonderful cardigan. I wouldn't want to take it off for the bathtub either. And you're a trooper; too bad us bloggy friends aren't closer to lend a hand.

[MsPrufrock]

One of the worst (brief) periods of my life was when I was on maternity leave and home with a very infant P. I had a terrible sinus infection and felt like warmed over death, yet I had to look after a colicky, refluxing baby with sleep issues. Oh, the hilarity!

Also, I'm completely not joking when I say that I had a cold - or some variation - for about 6 months last year. My colleagues were forever coaxing me to go to the doctor, who just said, "You have a baby at nursery. This happens." Oh.

[Anna H.]

(look at your girl -- so grown-up!)

xxoo

[Katy]

I feel you on both the single parent thing and the illness thing. My children and I have been sick since September and it is slowly killing me. I am lucky that I have my Mum near to me but I'm still too proud to ask for help. Highlight of my parenting career - throwing up while two small children watched. Classy!

And awwwwwww how has Botany got so grown up? Too cute, beautiful hair.