Screamdelica

Since we've been back from Canada, Emily (and I) have recovered from a nasty bout of "fizzy gravy". Mine was accompanied by a case of dehydration and some aching (I mean aching) kidneys. I'm actually quite happy I went through it, as I have a better understanding of the hell Emily must have gone through, not having experienced diarrhoea before.

Since she's got over it, and to celebrate returning from North America, Emily growing up and Sue and I thinking it's about time, the evening feed has stopped. There have been evenings when she's fallen asleep without a feed and all has been well, but these past few days (I'm counting almost a week here), she's been a little scream monster. It's not a small bout either, it goes on and on and on.

I've lost my patience on a number of occasions (although not in a Christian Bale way... yet) and have to calm myself down before dealing with her. Sometimes I think there's actually something wrong with her and can recall all too well the aching in my kidneys, wondering if the pain is mirrored. However, the screams then can slide right into a smile or laugh and I realise that that kind of pain doesn't turn off like a tap.

She'll get used to it eventually, going to sleep without boob milk. No one can enjoy the sweet delights of bittie forever, else we'd all be clamouring to the teet still and no work would ever get done. I just hope she gets used to it sooner than later, as her banshee-like shrieks are ripping a strip off my hearing.

Sleep, my friend, why have you abandoned me?

Ok before I have a go at Emily, I have to offer a mea culpa. The last couple of nights we've kept her up WAY past her bedtime and she's retaliated the only way she knows how - by screaming. (Last night just after arriving home around 10.15p, I'd left her on the sofa while I took my shoes off. When I put her down she was crying, when I looked back after removing said apparel, she was asleep.)

Having said that, we're going through another phase now - ROLLING!

Emily used to just lay there like a doll or a log and if you wanted her to move, you moved her. Now she's figuring out the rolling thing and moving her head, it's becoming increasingly difficult for Sue to feed her without Em's little eyes darting everywhere and her focus on anything but the feed. Invariably she lets go to look at what she's found interesting, realises she's not feeding any more and screams. WONDERFUL!

But I digress, along with the rolling has come the "I don't wanna sleep" phase of life. Sue has called me the last couple of days with tales of how Emily just seems to be missing her afternoon nap. This is setting us up for a fall, as when I get home at night her eyes are glazed over and she has rings around them like an all night factory worker.

We've just got used to her old regime and it looks like we've been thrust into the middle of a new one we've got to learn pretty quick.

At least she's sleeping through the night still. Although, being awoken at 6am is still jarring on the system, it's not as bad as it is for Sue who has to feed the little tyke.

I'm just getting used to showing up at work with my own bags under my eyes and the constant yawn.