Monday 27 December 2010

Sometimes waiting pays off.

Back in October Maya saw an ear specialist, due to constant ear infections and glue ear, who recommended that she have grommets (you can read that post here).  I decided to take a wait and see approach but wondered if I was doing the right thing. Perhaps she would find relief with the grommets and my wait and see approach was delaying this?

I decided to see a second specialist, whom we saw at the start of December, and by then her left ear had cleared. He wanted Maya to have some hearing tests before he would decide any course of action.  The hearing tests were a few days later and by then her right ear had also cleared.  The tests revealed that her hearing was normal, so there was no longer any need for grommets.

The plan now is for Maya to have regular hearing tests throughout 2011 to make sure her hearing remains OK.  And I hope 2011 is a better year for us in terms of illnesses.  I hope her immune system is now more capable of dealing with the onslaught of illnesses from child care and we don't see a repeat of the constant illnesses we had this year.

On the path to recovery.

My mother was released from hospital about a week ago, which was much sooner than I expected, but she was happy to go home.  She is still very weak and recovery is slow.  She has lost a lot of weight and struggles with minor activities like taking a shower.  It is hard to see her so weak and so ill.  And there's still a long way to go.  But I really hope she's finally on the path to recovery and can return to a normal life soon.

Sunday 26 December 2010

Christmas 2010.

This year we bought our first Christmas tree and Maya loved the lights and decorations.  At child care Maya made a beautiful decoration for the tree as well as a Christmas themed calender for 2011.

We spent Christmas Eve with Greg's family and stayed overnight to spend Christmas day with our extended family. Maya enjoyed opening her presents but most of all she loved spending time with her extended family, especially her cousins.

Sunday 19 December 2010

The meaning of Christmas.

Now that Christmas is fast approaching I find myself thinking about Christmas and what it means to me and what I want it to mean to Maya.  I want Christmas to be about spending time with family and about giving rather than receiving.

I suddenly find myself wanting to purchase a Christmas tree for the family to decorate, whereas I previously had no such urge.  I also find myself wanting to buy Maya gifts, whereas the previous two Christmases I wrapped things she already had.  I didn't see the point of buying presents specifically to give her on Christmas day.  Her first Christmas she was three months old and had no clue what was going on.  The second Christmas she was fifteen months old and more interested in the people around her than opening gifts.  This will be the first Christmas, at the age of twenty seven months, that she will enjoy opening gifts.

And now here comes a doozie... I actually don't want to have a "Santa" at Christmas time.  It's not that I object to Santa (although I do feel that he is commercialised) and if other people want to introduce him to their children that's great.  I just don't think Santa is necessary for instilling the Christmas spirit.  And perhaps he even takes away from the Christmas spirit by placing a focus on receiving gifts rather than spending time with family.  I think children would be just as happy receiving gifts from their parents.

However, not having Santa brings about a dilemma.  Practically everyone else tells their children about Santa and if Maya doesn't believe how will this effect her and others.  I imagine I won't be too popular with parents if Maya reveals to their children "but Santa isn't real".  Also everyone will assume Maya believes in Santa and she will be bombarded with "What did Santa bring you?" and "Are you excited about Santa coming?".

I feel peer pressured to introduce Maya to Santa because everyone else does it.  One thought Greg and I came up with is to tell her that Santa brings gifts to other children but we wanted to give her gifts from us.  However, this might cause problems for Maya - why doesn't Santa bring her gifts?
 
I guess I'd like to create (with Greg and Maya of course) our own family Christmas traditions.  But what does one do when the majority of the population around you follow traditions that you don't want as part of your own traditions?

Saturday 18 December 2010

Honestly it wasn't me!

Whenever Maya hears a noise that sounds remotely like flatulence she will scream at the top of her voice "Mummy farted!  Mummy farted!"

Which is particularly embarrassing when you are out shopping with said two year old and her stroller scrapes against something and makes a noise and this said two year old then starts screaming for all to hear "Mummy farted!  Mummy farted!" :-/

Friday 17 December 2010

What's that?

Maya has reached a stage where she is interested to know what everything (and everyone) is called.  It's great that she is interested in the world around her and what things are.  But honestly it is driving me a bit crazy when all I hear all day long is "What's that?  What's that?  What's that?"

And what's frustrating is that some of the things she asks me about, she already knows what they are called.  So I am not sure if she is seeking confirmation or making conversation.

Everything we do now - eating, reading a book, going for a drive - is filled with "What's that?"

Our dinner conversation tonight went something like this:
Maya - "What's that?"
Me - "Pasta."
Maya - "What's that?"
Me - "That's pasta too."
Maya - "What's that?"
Me - "That's also pasta.  It's all pasta."
Maya - "What's that?"
Me - "What do you think it is?"
Maya - "Pasta."
Me - "Yes."
Maya - "What's that?"
Me - "Pasta." sigh

And on it went....

Saturday 11 December 2010

The saga continues.

About five weeks ago my mother had surgery to remove her bladder (and the cancer contained within it).  It was major surgery and there's a long road to recovery.  She spent the first two weeks in hospital but then was moved to a rehabilitation hospital because she was making good progress.  Last week Maya and I visited her and went for a walk outside.  She was so happy to see us.  She was doing so well.  And she was told she'd go home on Friday.

On Friday she was readmitted to hospital because she was extremely ill.  This was followed by another operation on Saturday to remove an obstruction from her bowel.  She is now recovering from a third operation within two months.

I really hope this is the last of it and it's an upward journey from here.