Sick and Tired!

We've had another milestone from the Monkey today.  His first stomach virus. Oh. Yay.

The results so far (and at the time of writing, it's not even past 11am!): The bed sheets must be burned.  My pyjamas must be burned.  Large patches of carpet in the living room must be burned (or at least thoroughly disinfected).

I am continually amazed that something so small can (repeatedly!) regurgitate so much!  The biggest challenge of the morning has been to provide the necessary comfort without soaking up too much of the Monkey's output.  He would make a beeline for me when - I suppose - he started to feel a little uncomfortable.  The first couple of times, I wasn't quick enough to work out the pattern of events, with the inevitable result being  .. well .. inevitable.  By the third ejection, I had a basin at the ready, and while it wasn't entirely splash-free (YOU try holding a 9 month old over a basin when all he wants is a cuddle!), at least the vast majority was contained.

*sigh*

Anyway, the support system here is pretty good, and a nurse has given me a list of things I need to do to keep him hydrated, etc, so I'm rather hoping that a) this is an extremely short-lived stomach virus, and b) I don't get it before he's kicked it.  Or even better: c) I don't get it AT ALL!

Apart from this, things haven't changed remarkably from the last post.  He crawls, he cruises.  Very occasionally, he lets go and stands for a second unsupported before he has an SSM (Sudden Sitdown Malfunction).  The notable changes have been more on the cognitive side.  For the last week or so, he's worked out a couple of things.
1. He can put things in boxes
2. He can take things out of boxes
3. He can make mummy sing along with his silly musical snail toy

I've also seen him directly mimic someone - clapping, mostly - but this is still pretty rare.  If we make 'ba-ba' noises at him, he just watches us quizzically, but certainly doesn't see the need to make the sounds himself.  In fact, he doesn't really make much in the way of speech noise - most of his noises are sort of nasal grunts, sort of a "gloonggloong" noise, interspersed with the occasional "a-da!" or "rararawa"

He seems to be a lot more interactive - holding out his saliva-coated blocks as if to say "Go on, YOU have a chew, too!".  He seems to understand "no!" and "uh-uh!" (yes, sadly we use these words far too frequently), though whether he obeys them or not is another matter.  He also appears extremely intrigued by my layers of clothing.  He'll stand by my chair, lifting up my jacket and top until he gets to some bare flesh, at which point he squeals with joy, and digs his fingers into folds.  Nothing to make you more conscious of your muffin-tops than an inquisitive 9 month old!

I suppose the biggest milestone this month is actually mine.  Until now, I don't think I'd quite grasped just how hard the transition from selfish to selfless was going to be.  And nothing makes you realise the extent of your selfishness like a demanding dependant 24/7.  Normally after a stressful day at work, I'd charge home, prostrate myself on a sofa, and decant the best part of a bottle of merlot into my gullet, pausing at brief intervals to insert a chocolate biscuit.  Nowadays - if I'm lucky enough to have a work to escape to - I come home and take over Monkey-minding duties from a frazzled Hubs.  If work is stressful, tough! If bills pile up, tough! If there's not enough time to make a nutritious meal for myself, tough!  I now can appreciate just how much parents have to suck it up - particularly if they want to shield their beloved offspring from life's harsh realities.