Toddler Traumas & Reaching Out

So, it’s been a rather unpleasant week. Monday started with taking Charly to get her MMR and Hep A vaccinations. I had the usual anxiety and trepidation I think we all feel when our babies (or toddler) are going to get a jab of any kind, exacerbated by our girl’s utter terror of anything resembling a doctor.

I was feeling hopeful when we arrived and were second on the list, and she was happily going around the pharmacy without any grumpiness. (I still can’t believe Charly isn’t considered a baby anymore so no early appointment – this somehow caught me completely by surprise, that medical people don’t consider her a baby anymore. It feels somehow more official that she’s a toddler now.)

Anyway, the hopefulness swiftly evaporated the second we entered the room and Charly laid eyes on the “doctor’s” bed. She flew into the same blind panic, hysterical screaming, uncontrollable shaking state that she does whenever we enter anything that even smells like a doctor’s room.

I can’t begin to verbalise how utterly horrifying and traumatic it is to see my loving, beautiful, smily toddler in that state; clinging to me, screaming for me and not even knowing I’m there she’s so beside herself. And this was before we even said hello to sister Stella and began discussing the vaccinations needed.

Luckily Stella was as professional as ever and realised this was not a drill, and that C would not calm down after a few minutes, and got it over with as quickly as possible. Two shots, one in each arm – again the “only babies get shots in the legs, a toddler gets them in the arm” shock filtered to my brain through my baby’s sobbing.

No time to do any more chatting or checking in than that, because I needed to get Charly as far away as possible as quickly as possible so she could calm down. Which she did the second we got to the front of the pharmacy. A few little sob-gulps, but calm and starting to smile again already.

I don’t know what to do about it. I wanted to try play therapy, but apparently Charly is still too young for that. I got a few suggestions from an adult therapist, so I need to find a way to try implement those in the meantime. Sheesh, being a toddler mom comes with a whole new set of things to worry about, doesn’t it?

The rest of the week has been as expected after vaccinations, Charly never handles them well. She had a few low grade fevers, has been generally miserable and tearful; wanting only me all the time; waking more through the night – though how she manages more than hourly, I’m not sure; her temper tantrums have definitely leveled up, another thing I didn’t think possible; and this morning she woke at 4am and decided it was daytime and NOTHING I tried, did or said, including opening the curtains to show her it was still pitch dark outside, made any difference.

And did I mention those 8 teeth that have been punishing us for months now are still trying to finish coming through??!! Only 3 are fully through, so 5 are still tormenting us with red swollen gums, half-erupted white pointy spots, (admittedly gorgeous) flushed cheeks, loads of hands and everything else in the mouth, and general moodiness and tears. I’m feeling so finished. And still getting work done, trying to find time to organise the spare room so it can be turned into an office for me, and mostly working on the blog.

This is so my happy place at the moment. I’m struggling a little bit with the balance here. I am loving getting to know and try new brands and experiences and sharing them with you guys and mostly, getting to give away awesome things and make people smile.

And I am absolutely loving hearing other mommies stories about their pregnancy journeys, exploring it all with them and sharing it with you. I love that no matter where we are from, how old we are, how different our cultures and beliefs are; we, as mommies, share this incredible “sameness”.

I have absolutely not forgotten or discounted those mommies who have travelled different routes to get to be mommies – fostering and adoption are journeys that bring parents to the same place as mommies that get here any other way. And I am working with a very special mommy to share a story of that journey as well.

I’m worried though, that in stretching the boundaries of what PiCT has always been, I might lose the space I love so much. Like last week I just didn’t have it in me to write anything about me, and because I knew I had 2 posts by default, I kind of hid behind that instead of pushing beyond it.

The plan is currently – Monday week 1, review and giveaway, week 2 winner announcement. Friday is interview day. And then at least one of my posts a week.

How are you guys feeling about how things are going?

What are your thoughts on the giveaways? Am I getting it right? I’m just sharing what I am experiencing, and things I think other mommies and mommies-to-be might love as much as I do. Are there things I am missing? Am I doing it too often (every second week)?

And how are you finding the Pregnant in (_) interview series? Is there something you would love to know that I am not seeing? Is once a week too often? Do any of you pregnant mommies have a story you want to share with other mommies? Send me a mail with a little of your story and I will get in touch with interview questions.

Outside the Pregnant interviews, I am also beginning to write a series from experienced mommies sharing things that could have changed their journey; I haven’t decided if this will run after the Preggy interviews or after a certain number of them.

I would so desperately love your feedback and your input on this guys. Outside of getting what’s in my head out there, my mission for this blog has always been about sharing experiences, making sure that other mommies know they are not alone in their situation and doing what I can to be there for any other mommy who needs it. I’m hoping the additions to the blog are supporting that goal. How am I doing?

Sending all the love xx