Tuesday 30 October 2012

Sick as an... owl?

Once a week McKenna and I meet up with some other moms and babies for a play date. With today being the day before Halloween, the babies all came dressed in their costumes for some cute photos and fun times. There were lions, a skunk, a couple of superheroes, and my beautiful little owl. She looked so sweet in her costume, and even indulged me by wearing her owl hat long enough for me to get some photos of her and her friends. Within about 15 minutes of being there, McKenna threw up all over her costume. It wasn't a big deal until she threw up again, and again, and then again. At that point, I decided we should probably head home before she made the other kids sick as well. On the way home she was sick twice more (we only live 10 minutes away). I took her home, intending to give her a bath and put her down for a nap but she wouldn't stop vomiting.

Fast forward an hour and we are sitting at the hospital; McKenna is puking her little guts out, and daddy and I are covered in vomit. Oh, and we're kinda stressed as well. In a 90-minute period she was sick more than twenty times, but she never let it get her down. In between spewing yellow bile onto her parents, she smiled, she laughed, and she played peek-a-boo. After a series of tests and ultrasounds, the doctor came to inform us that she could not find anything wrong with her. She didn't have a fever, her blood pressure was fine, and there was no evidence to suggest that she had ingested anything that she shouldn't have. It seemed like my little angel was going to be just fine. We were told to take her home and keep an eye on her, which we were only too happy to do.

I guess I should consider myself lucky. We've made it to 10 months with no real health scares. She is the happiest, sweetest little girl you'd ever want to meet. Today was a stressful day for the three of us, but we're hoping to still get out for Halloween tomorrow... if I can get the chunks out of her little owl torso, that is.

Monday 8 October 2012

Flying Solo



This week I am attending a conference in Halifax, NS. Normally, I don’t go anywhere without my little sidekick, but since we have only recently gotten McKenna on somewhat of a schedule we decided it would be less disruptive to leave her behind. So for three days I get to sleep in, hang out with grown-ups, and pretend to be a serious academic. And when I’m not networking and presenting my own research, I get to sneak back to my hotel room, hook myself up to a couple of suction cups, and milk myself. See, you never really get away when you’re breastfeeding – while she may not be with me in person, she will be present in every soggy nursing pad, every throbbing boob, and every ounce of liquid gold that I pour down the drain. Ugh.