I am all over the shop since moving house. All my usual work routine has gone out the window and I am barely getting any blog posts done and I apologise for this. With instagram, you probably don’t even notice or care about the lack of blog posts these days, but for me, its a huge deal. I have been blogging for almost ten years and it is my pride and joy and the one thing I own in the online space that cannot get taken away from me. It also, obviously, provides me with work but this three kid juggle is getting harder for me to keep up.

As children get older, your time gets even more consumed and leaves you with less and less time for yourself. Let it be known that I am purely speaking for my self, I praise those that think otherwise. You hear “You wont know yourself when they are all at school”, which I totally believe will be amazing for work, but still, it is still only going to be my same 9am-2:30 pm work hours that I already have, and each child will have additional after school activities, so.. yeah nah… don’t think things will get easier until after high school.

I will tell you this, I wouldn’t change this situation for the world though, I am lucky to be a hands on mum and also work (with a full time salary) at my own pace. I will add, that I have two HUGE career goals I want to achieve this year but will most likely prove to be difficult in accomplishing but, bit by bit as I get close and closer to them, I will be grateful that I did it in my own pace.

Okay, over to Freddie!

Toddler tantrums are an interesting thing. The crying over the cup they can’t reach, the banana they finished or The Wiggles not being on quick enough. Don’t you just love it when you try and console them and they arch their back and flop their body and shoulders so you simply can’t pick them up to hug them?

Oh, I also love it when we go into a cafe and Freddie throws himself at the floor near the barista in attempt for a free marshmallow, that’s his reasoning right? Man, I am so lucky I have gone through this twice before as I am pretty cool and calm but I can sure remember the first time this all happened to me, the panic I would be in, the embarrassment and the “what the heck can I do to stop this” feeling. For those feeling me, this doesn’t last, we all go through it and just keep your cool and smile to everyone watching you with a “kids will be kids” smirky face.

Freddie hasn’t been sleeping very well lately and he has been back in my bed. I could do the sleep training again that I was taught from Richelle from sleep right tonight (highly recommend) but I am living at my in-laws house and I don’t like the idea of waking them up through the night, it has just been easier to put him in with me so we all get some sleep. Mind you, because he has been sleep trained, we do get those night where he does sleep all night, in between the non-sleeping nights, so it isn’t so bad. Again, this too shall pass.

Freddie had croup for the first time which really hit him hard. I could tell in the days before, he had a slight bark that I could hear when made a small cough, I knew it was coming. He got a fever a few nights later and of course the bark started. I know there are only two things you can give for croup, Redipred steroid and the steroid by mask at the hospital, these both open up the airways (separate to asthma). Will, my second child was a huge croup and asthma kid and still is and again, because I have been through this many times, I was very calm and I took Freddie to hospital before he got worse.

His symptoms of croup

  • high temp
  • barking cough
  • lethargic
  • not eating
  • irritable
  • laboured breathing (up and down breathing fast)
  • tugging at the lower neck (the hollow middle part of the neck you see it suck in and out as he breaths)
  • strider when breathing (the dry lack of air almost scratchy sound as they breath in and out)
  • some kids have a runny nose days prior but he didn’t

The hospital gave him the Redipred and I had given him Panadol earlier (they say not to give Nurafen with breathing issues- check your doctor to confirm this) and after several hours of monitoring him, we agreed he could go home to be taken care of. The steroid is then taken for two more days. He improved 24 hours later! Croup is viral and is very contagious.

Freddie is 13kgs at 22months, he is quite tall, taller than most two year olds! He is loving playing with all sorts of sports balls and even more-so his balloons.

Here’s a tip: keep some balloons in your bag for emergency distractions, whip one out for your child during a tantrum or for another child who’s mother needs saving!

Freddie’s routine-

Wake, breakfast, play, pre-lunch, nap at 11:30am, wake, lunch, play, dinner, bath, bottle and bed.

One more thing… you know how I said I am hoping to launch two big things this year? Well one of them you are going to love but it will be emailed out to you once a month (for free and no spammy stuff in between) and I would love you to sign up to my subscription list so you are on the list to getting it! Think- shopping shopping shopping!!!

Add your email HERE xxx