Monday 23 January 2012

Touch your toes? Only Lara can

It's painfully amusing at home at the moment, as if something needs picking up off the floor, the quickest way is for us to shout for Lara. Olga has an obvious reason why bending, touching toes or lifting anything heavier than a lamb madras is a no-no, but since the end of last week, it's a bit struggle for me too. I've had lower back pain on and off for years, most likely caused by a change in posture after I mangled my knee playing footy back in 2003.  Previously it's been treated with heavy duty nurofen and some physio, but this latest bout was different. So different that it required a trip to the GP on Friday, who has diagnosed sciatica, and prescribed elephant tranquilizers and anti-inflammatories.
There was a funny moment on Friday morning, after I'd gone to get Lara up for nursery, and the pain nearly made me chunder, so I headed to the bathroom and lay on the floor. Lara came and found me, and this was the conversation:

Lara: "Papa, why are you on the floor?"
Me: "I thought I was going to be sick, Lara."
Lara: "Do you need the pan? I can go and get it." [We give Lara a pan to be sick into when she's under the weather]

Me: "No, thank you, Lara, I'll be OK now."
Lara: "If you're sick on the toilet, Papa, I can clean it up. I'll get tissues."
Me: "It's OK, Lara, I'll not be sick now."
Lara: "Or you can be sick in the sink or the bath. I'll clean it up."

Humour is the best medicine.

Since then the other non-Lara news is that I struggled through the cricket club AGM on Friday night, and that officially ended my reign as Second XI Captain, as my successor was voted in. I did resign, rather than being sacked, given that my efforts this summer might not be 100% aimed at Littlewick Green. 



Nappy-free house for 2 months?

Given that Lara has her new bed now, and has settled perfectly into it, not falling out once, we decided it's finally time to take the plunge and dispense with the night-time nappy. Up to now we've been quite content for all three of us to enjoy nice lie-ins, as Lara's good at sleeping until 6.45 at the earliest, and often past 7am. We've had no reason to rock that comfy boat?!
But now, we've decided we have to take the plunge at some point, and probably better to have those disturbed nights now before Junior arrives - the chances of them synchronising their efforts at waking us are pretty remote.
We've been talking to Lara about this for a couple of weeks, and all this week since she's had her new bed, but last night was the first night we tried it. We woke her for a potty visit (we're happy for her to use a potty in her room for night time tinkles to start with) just as we were going to bed, and whilst she wasn't delighted at being woken up, it had the desired effect, as she slept right through until 6.50 before we heard her stir, and it was difficult to tell if she'd woken and tinkled or tinkled and that woke her, but either way, it was a very good first night.  Fingers crossed things carry on that way, although we have a mountain of clean bedding ready to go at a moment's notice.