SEPTEMBER 2005
As the month started we were still on our holidays in Wales. As the week progressed we were starting to notice more and more that Callum wasn’t right and began to suspect that the dreaded tonsillitis was on its way back. He still wasn’t eating too good and was looking very dark around the eyes. As ever, Callum just had small moments where he would go quite, but then carried on playing and laughing as normal. He obviously loved having his cousin Luke around.
On the Thursday morning, Callum was eating his breakfast fine (he loves breakfast). He was busy pulling faces at his Dad and for the camera. Then, all of a sudden from nowhere he was really sick. He was distraught bless him, but once we cleaned him up and got him changed, he soon perked up again. He didn’t really eat anything for the rest of that day, but he did still manage milk.
After watching how he went on for a few hours we decided to head out for some fresh air. This was the day we decided to go on the steam train to devils falls. Callum was a little subdued, but he enjoyed the steam train ride. While we were at Devils Falls, we called into a tea-room for a drink. Callum was then sick again. With the return train not due for another hour, all we could do was clean him up and give him love and sympathy for the time being. When we got to the station, the train was in early, so we got on. Callum was fine. He was playing with Luke on the train, then he went for a walk with his Dad and Uncle Andrew before getting back on the train to Aberystwyth. Pretty early on in the journey Callum fell asleep, which was probably best. Once we got off the train, Shaun and I headed straight back to Plwmp whilst the rest of the crew went to the supermarket to get some supplies.
Once we got back, Callum had perked up again. He still didn’t fancy eating though. By now he was starting to be a bit congested, he obviously had a cold. He was also missing home a little… or at least he was missing his friends; he was signing for Joseph and Lucy for a while.
On Friday night we decided to go out for a meal to the Crown in Llwyndafydd which is only around 2 miles from the cottage. We had been earlier in the week and really enjoyed it, so we decided to mark the last night of our holiday be going there again. Callum was ok, a little clingy and very snotty… but ok. We had a lovely meal, then Callum fell asleep sat on his Dad’s knee. We took him back to the cottage and got him ready for bed. It wasn’t long before we went to bed too. However, after only an hour or so Callum woke up screaming. His temperature was through the roof and he was very poorly. We were up all night with him. Poor kid. He fell asleep on the bed between us about 30 minutes before our alarm was due to go off. We were shattered. When we were getting out of bed Callum rolled over and automatically started rooting for a feed from me, obviously looking for the comfort of it with feeling so ill… I had to remind him that he didn’t have ‘Mummy Milk’ anymore and stop him in his tracks. I felt awful doing it. I felt like I was depriving him. Callum was then upset and clingy pretty much non-stop for another two hours, which made packing up and leaving very difficult.
To be honest, we didn’t think we would make it all the way home without having to stop somewhere to get Callum seen by a doctor. Fortunately we did though. Callum slept all the way home, with the exception of when we called at a service station… we managed to keep him awake long enough for a drink of milk.
Callum was eventually seen by a doctor on Monday. We hadn’t managed to get one out to see us over the weekend… the NHS Advice Line said he must be seen by a doctor that day, so referred us on, but the on-call doctor rang us and diagnosed a virus over the phone saying there was nothing he could do as it was ‘self limiting’ and said Calpol and Ibuprofen could continue to be used to lower his temperature as we were already doing – yet he was still having temperatures of up to 40 degrees.
Our own doctor who saw Callum on Monday said that Callum had a throat infection and croup. On top of this he had a heavy cold and was still being troubled by his canines coming through. He must have felt rotten! Callum was given a strong course of antibiotics to fight the infection. It would be another two weeks or so before he returned to his normal self… then for the first week he ate us (and my Mum & Dad) out of house and home! I felt much better at this!
All in all though, the holiday was fantastic. If you ever fancy visiting West Wales I really do suggest you try staying in Glyntawel Cottage… you can check the place out for yourselves on their internet site www.glyntawel.co.uk. I think that it would be hard to find a better equipped cottage, or one with so much beautiful landscaping. We are definitely returning next year.
So, holiday and illnesses over (Callum infected us all!) and life has returned pretty much to normal. Although Callum struggled to come to terms with the fact that Joseph was back at school. He’d obviously got used to seeing him during the day at his grandparents, but of course now he wasn’t there until tea-time because the school holidays were over. Talking of Joseph and School, it turns out that earlier in the year Joseph wrote a piece of work about Callum. I have copied below for everyone to see. It’s really rather sweet.
Callum and Lucy had their first fall out recently. Callum had Lucy’s dummy and she wasn’t at all pleased. She kept asking for it back, but Callum was standing firm. They both ended up shouting at one another, eventually Lucy shouted “pleeeeeeeease” with real anguish and urgency in her voice, to which Callum replied “No” firmly and ran off. I don’t know why Callum wanted it, he doesn’t really know what to do with it… he just holds it between his teeth. Lucy’s grandma tried to solve the argument by giving Callum Lucy’s other dummy, but this ended in tears too! There’s a picture of Callum with Lucy’s dummy in the photo gallery – you can see the wickedness in his face!
Callum’s speech is progressing, with new words being added all the time. It’s a shame he didn’t use them the other day though when some friends were looking after him whilst Shaun went for a hospital appointment. We’ve decided to try to get Callum used to staying with people other than my Mum, Dad and brother, so Shaun’s appointment was the ideal opportunity for us to leave Callum with our friends Sue and Rob. Callum really enjoyed himself… three kids and a cat, what more could he want? He obviously had lots to say, pointing out everything he could see… but here’s the problem, he decided to sign a lot. We take it for granted now, after all, my Mum and Dad understand him ok. You forget that not everyone learned it with us. Shaun had shown them a couple of signs before he left, but Callum had much more to say than that. To the point that Sue and Rob spent ages on the Internet researching baby sign-language so that they could understand what he was so frantically trying to tell them. It was so funny. (sorry guys… we really do appreciate the efforts you went to!). It can’t have been too bad, they didn’t ask us not to bring him again! At least they now have a head start for next time.
Well, Callum is asking for a drink, better go get him one (even though he is in the bath with this Dad).
See ya,
Amanda xXx
