A Vet, A Fever and Another Book

Indie the dog will not drink water.  On Friday and Saturday she was ill to her tummy due to a parasite, a virus or, as the vet calls it "a dietary indiscretion."  $321 and 2 hours in pet emergency later (am I wrong to think if I am paying $321, I shouldn't have to wait 2 hours with a vomiting dog and a preschooler?  Why do I feel like waiting in a human emergency is more acceptable?  Money?  Hmmmm), she is on antibiotics , had a gallon of subcutaneous fluid injected under her skin, is eating "gastro" food and seems energetic enough, but she will not drink, so I am reduced to feeding her ice cubes by hand.  I even put chicken broth down for her this morning, but to no avail.  Is it the antibiotics? 

Yesterday, Anja developed a sudden onset headache followed by fever and, when we dropped Kirk off at work, vomited all over the car, and I do mean all over.  This is not a good combination.  I don't think it's a gastro, because she is keeping most things down and does not have "the runs", but naturally I Googled it and came up with the diagnosis of meningitis, especially when Tylenol did not treat the fever (Advil subsequently did).  Luckily I have someone to page to keep me calm, otherwise I would have been in yet another emergency room last night (and yet not short $300.).  Still, what if he is too casual about his own kids?  Although if he got really worried about something, I would faint in fright.  Anyway, it was a very long night of giving her fluids and fever relief, and she woke up chipper, but the fever resumed this afternoon.

I do get very squirelly when I feel cooped up in the house, particularly because it is so beautiful out the last few days. 

Of course, too, if baby complies with a 37 week birth, I have just over three weeks to get organized, but can't seem to organize my brain or the various sick creatures in the house.  I have a list.  A list is a good place to start, but as our routine is now changing, I find it hard to know at what point to do what during the day, which brings me to my next rambling about "How to Raise Your Spirited Child" - another parenting book that I am reading and wishing I had read 4 years ago. 

One thing I related to was the book's discussion on extroverts and introverts, as I learned Anja is an extrovert and thrives on knowing where we are going next, and being around lots of people on the move, and being in the same room with me regardless of if I would like to keep sleeping or not.  I, on the other hand, tend to like seeing a few people at a time, not going to hugely crowded places (I used to get full blown panic attacks even going to a coffee shop), and then going home for quiet time.  She likes to chatter alot, and tell me all about her day many different ways until I repeat it back to her exactly right, whereas I like a fair amount of silence.  All of this to say that once I realized this, it is easier to realize that she is not trying purposely to bug me, but just approaches the day differently.  For a long time, this made me feel non-fun, non-spontaneous and generally a bore, but now I can look at ways that both of our needs are met.  The book also talks about how for spirited kids (the definition of which is just more kid - more sensitive, perceptive, kinestetic), time outs don't work because they need you to help calm their bodies down.  I've tried this with Anja and am surprised how much it works.  I've told her to say when she gets really upset about something "I need you to help me calm down, and I need a hug" and it works.  Huh.  The book also says that spirited kids will act out through their actions whatever tension is going on in the house, which has always been hugely accurate of Anja.  It also says that most kids go through behaviour difficulties around their birthdays and half-birthdays as their perceptions and way of seeing the world changes as the age.  Another eye opener.

Back to routine.  I think I am a "spirited adult" - i.e. am an acutely sensitive and need routine to keep ME balanced.  This is hard, because neither Anja or Kirk seem to need order as much as I do - they seem to be freer spirits (though Anja does benefit from some structure, I think too much, as was the case in her preschool, tends to drive her nuts).  So, as work winds down and Anja is home with me, I'm just finding it hard to dive into what needs doing, and feeling fairly discombobulated and under self-imposed (and deadline driven) pressure, which renders me restless and immobile at the same time.  One way I realize I waste time quite a bit is on the computer, so I am going to experiment with computer time once every three days.  Is it doable?  Any success stories out there or different interpretations of time wasting?  How do you waste time?  Does it drive you nuts or fortify you?

One last thing:  I am starting to get "the comments."  Last night in the grocery store it was "My, aren't you about to go."  Today, walking by the park and talking to some of the day-home providers, one of them said "We all watched you go by and thought "She must be due at any minute."  Indeed, no.  Sigh.  I should make a shirt I can change:  "6 weeks to go, 5 weeks to go," etc.