Friday, November 02, 2007

Mummy’s entry – It’s good to be back!

Lilypie 2nd Birthday Ticker

We’re back in KL and I have to admit that it is good to be back home. Being away for nearly 3 weeks has taught me a lot in many ways in the aspects of being a mom. Will elaborate on this below. Overall, we enjoyed the trip very much with the exception that we felt 2 and a half weeks were kind of long, especially with a baby! ;)

I will be posting more on our trip along the way when I’ve the time (so please bear with me). Updates on Las Vegas will be soon after this once I’ve uploaded the pictures (I’ve actually finished typing out on this a while back during the trip but the downloading of the photos took some time that I didn’t manage to download most of them on time). We took so many pictures for the whole 2 and half weeks we were in US and yes, the bulk of them are all the girl’s pictures. I will remind her for the rest of her life how she enjoyed the trip so much. Haha.

In summary, we were at LA for 2 nights before we headed to Las Vegas for 3 nights and then spent 4 nights at LA in which we went to Disneyland for a day and then we were at Monterey Bay for 2 nights, San Francisco for 2 nights and then a night at Napa Valley. The remaining nights were in LA before we headed back to KL.

On traveling, the girl is a natural born traveler. I am very proud of her in terms on her behaviour on the flights (both going there and returning) and in the car (we traveled around by car). She behaved way better than I expected and adjusted very well to the different environments around her (way better than I).

The poor girl fell sick when we were at San Francisco, no thanks to me as I had a sore throat from the lack of sleep and exhaustion. She had it worst as she also got the flu but luckily, she didn’t get a fever nor was her mood affected by this. She was still her usual cheekily self. However, her cough was so bad that she vomited twice, once at the hotel’s bed during the night while she slept and the other, when we were at Timberland’s outlet in Napa Valley. We managed to get some medicine recommended by sil’s friend’s dad who is a paed which helped the girl but still she had her cough although no more vomiting.

During the night of our second last day at LA, the girl coughed out her phlegm which had blood in it. We were worried sick about it and thought that it could be due to the medicine. When we wanted to purchase the medicine at San Francisco, the pharmacy said that they couldn’t sell it to us as it was one of the medicines that were recalled back 2 weeks back. Somehow, the Targets at Napa Valley also had it on their shelves and sil managed to buy it. The medicine worked for Rye Li but due to the blood in her phlegm that night, we had doubts on the medicine and went online to check it out. Luckily, it wasn’t one of the medicines that were recalled although another medicine under the same brand was recalled. And what they had to say about the medicines that were recalled was that it can pose danger when there is an overdose and this can lead to death. Nothing else of any other dangers were mentioned.

Also, while we were checking online, the girl coughed again badly and this time she coughed out some milk that she had drank earlier which shows no sign of blood. This reassured us a little and also the fact that Rye Li is still her usual self. And whatever phlegm she managed to cough out after that shows no trace of blood. But we felt that we should take her to see her doctor once we landed in KL on Wednesday. We took her to see another paed (her doctor was not in) and he said that she’s just having the common flu once he managed to check her. He assured us that the blood could be due a blood vessel that burst while she was coughing so hard which was also what we thought it was. He also said that the medicine was alright to use and only to give her if she coughs badly, no need 4 times a day. He told us to let her heal on her own if can. Since then, we have yet to give her the medicine as her cough is getting better.

Okay, now here’s the part where I’m going to sound like a bad mom. This holiday has exhausted me, both mentally and physically. It is not easy traveling with a toddler. Full stop. Yes, I mentioned above how good a traveler Rye Li was but I was not prepared with how I will be coping with her 24 hours constantly, with her demands most of the time. These 3 weeks, since my confinement time with her when she was born, has been the longest time that I’ve spent 24 hours with her daily. It could be due to the fact of the changes in the environment that she became very clingy to me. She wanted me most of the time, to push her stroller (no one else can push but I), to carry her when she didn’t want to sit on the stroller and of course, when she was tired and cranky. Her papa and Ah Mai (sister-in-law) tried to help most of the times to get her away from me but still after a while, she would want me. Of course I love the fact that she wants my attention and when she sees me after I was out of her sight for a while, she would give me a big smile and go “MUMMY!” and run to me with open arms. But when she got so demanding, it really got to me.

And since she is already talking, I had to response to her all the time, if not, she will repeat calling me till she gets a response. This got to my nerves, especially when I was so tired. When I’m in a good mood, I will entertain her. But when I’m tired, I will ignore her and tolerated her calling me literary hundreds of times. I regret to say that there were a few outbursts from me to her. No, I didn’t ask her to shut up although I so badly wanted to nor did I smack her (although I did warn her several times when she was naughty). It was just a loud rude response like “WHAT RYE LI, WHAT DO YOU WANT?” etc. Her papa will take over when he knows I’m already in one of those “dangerous” moods.

Honestly, towards the end of the trip, my only comfort was when I was in the bathroom having my shower. My showers never felt so good before, so good that I didn’t want to come out from there. Hehe, ok, it’s more of coz the weather was cold and a hot shower was just so welcoming! And perhaps with the fact that I don’t have the little one calling me Mummy every 2 seconds. ;)

Please, again, don’t get me wrong. I love Rye Li to bits and she means the world to me. I guess I am used to the full time working mom situation that when I have my kid 24 hours for the longest time, it just gets to me. Weekends are fine….although I do have outbursts when she’s testing my patience when I’m just in one of my foul moods. Haha.

I really do not know how SAHMs (stay at home mom) manage this, let alone those with more than 1 kid without any help at all. Whatever it is, you moms have my total utmost respects. I guess when I am put into this situation as well, I would eventually learn how to deal with it. But for now, I am happy to be back home like how it was. Me working during the day and Rye Li is at the daycare.

For the record, when I sent her off at the daycare the next morning, it was such a relief. But by lunch time, I actually missed her and was looking forward to seeing her that evening. Ah, motherhood! You just got to love it!

I need another holiday to recuperate…without the girl and hubby (why hubby too coz the girl relies on either one of us to be with her at nights). But in reality, this holiday I want will not be happening for a longest time. Rye Li is just darn lucky that we cannot leave her behind. So, I just need to constantly remind myself that I need more patience! :

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i know how u feel. i felt that way too when my kids get on my nerves. its either they are too clingy or too demanding. just feel like tearing ur hair out huh! like u when i'm with them 24hrs for a long stretch of holiday, i wish they are at the nursery. i felt extremely relieve after dropping them off but when they are there i miss them so much. motherhood .. ups an downs. take it easy. dun stress urself too much. maybe you can make a trip somewhere with frens only .. that way u get to really enjoy and u'll feel extremely rejuvenated after that.

great to know that you guys enjoy the hols. More to come ... year end oredi :)

Anonymous said...

I'm glad her cough is nothing serious. And boy is your girl chatty..lol! I think she's more chatty than Belle!

KittyCat said...

Welcome back! I SO understand what you mean and am *very* worried about how I'm going to survive being with Lucas 24-7.

He hasn't started talking yet but he's been using "Papa" for almost everything - pretty similar to the "Mummy" every 2 seconds routine!

Also, remember your post on Rye Li repeating everyone's names? Aaargh...Lucas is doing that to objects he knows or wants to knows!

Because he can't say them, he'll point from one to another so I'm saying, "Mummy's mouth", "Lucas' mouth", "Mummy's mouth", "Mummy's nose", "Lucas' nose" again and again and again :P

Sorry for the outburst here...will blog about this when I survive the packing & move!

Love the photos - Rye Li looks great in all of them! All worth it right when you see her happy face? ;-)