School, 31 weeks, and Sanity

With all that's going on with Poppet I've not given an update on big brother Rafi. This past week he was supposed to start preschool - just one full day to gently get him used to going before starting more regularly. After his first morning there last week I was feeling a little nervous because I wasn't sure he'd get the attention he needed. I know that we have to let him struggle a bit, for him to develop and to draw on resources as he navigates new experiences. This is much easier to do in theory, and yet when you see your little one upset, bewildered, and more, you just want to scoop them up...

So I was sort of glad not to be able to take him to school on Wednesday. Rich spoke to his teacher a bit about Raf possibly needing a bit of extra support during these first days, especially with all the changes underway and with me mostly in bed. They seemed receptive and Raf seems to have had a good day. Rich picked him up and took him out to dinner before going to gym class, so he was exhausted when he returned home! The next day he seemed happy enough to go to school - which was another sign to us that he's coping just fine.

It's just us!

Poor little Raf, though, became very poorly and the school called us in the afternoon so we could pick him up. I was at a medical appointment and Rich was in a meeting so we were both late getting the messages. Our friend up the road, Margaret, was called and just before she kindly left to pick him up. Luckily I was en route home to bed and detoured to pick him up myself. Poor poorly Raf was on the stand-in teachers lap being rocked back and forth and he was burning up horribly with a temperature of 104. On cue he vomited just as I took him and he was sat on my lap but by the time we got home, got in some medicine to bring the temp down, he was doing much better. He's definitely under the weather and the fever returns horribly once the medicine wears off, but he seems to be getting better.

Let me say, though, that a sick toddler on top of bed rest is just a bit of a nightmare. I am feeling the benefits of bed rest, for sure.. less cramping, less lower backache (often a sign of preterm labor) but today I think I was close to going bonkers. It's not that bed rest is boring.. there are things to watch, read, and listen to, it's just that this body of mine does not enjoy sitting still. This afternoon I could literally feel the energy pulsate through my body, willing it to run. Instead we all watched Mo Farah win his second amazing gold medal as he took first place in the Olympic 5k. Simply phenomenal.

I keep hoping that our next appointment or ultrasound will bring good news and at least a downgrade from bed rest to modified activity, but I'm also resigning myself to a few more weeks of this, and hoping that I don't wither away in the process.

September can't come fast enough. I may have bankrupted us with online shopping, too! Today I discovered ebay and put lots of bids on clothes for Raf and the baby! I won my first auction this evening on a nice little Mini Boden jacket/cardigan for the poppet. Hope I don't win everything I bid on!