Hardest night yet....

Oh it's not getting any easier...

Had a nice weekend. I made a fantastic recipe (so proud of myself that I had the time to do it - took a bit of juggling of Toby with cooking utensils but I managed to cook). It's called Magic Chicken and I saw Jo Wood make it on This Morning...here (a la Jemma) is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1 chicken breast, cut into about a dozen cubes, 3 tbsp maple syrup, 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped, 1 medium egg yolk, lightly beaten, 250g plain flour, pinch garlic salt, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil.

METHOD
Place the diced chicken in a bowl and add the maple syrup, garlic and egg yolk. Leave for an hour to marinate. Place flour, garlic salt, salt and pepper and mixed herbs in a large bowl. Dip the marinated chicken cubes in the flour, making sure that the surface of the chicken is completely coated with the flour. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and, when hot, add the chicken and fry until golden brown. Serve with pasta and creamed corn.

Oscar has been really fussy with food recently but he ate a whole chicken breast's worth of these.... I didn't measure - just slopped some maple syrup and an egg yolk (and cheated and used garlic puree as I didn't have any cloves). Same with the flour - didn'r measure it - it was easy as pie.

So that was nice. Oscar has a cold again though. And by Saturday evening it became apparent that Toby had a touch of it too - very snotty nose. So Saturday night was long - took a long time to feed him as he couldn't breathe properly and he was doing half feeds - dropping off to sleep cos it was so much effort to suck, then waking up an hour later for the second half. So I was knackered.

Sunday was a good day - I aimed to go to bed early to make sure I was fully rested for Monday with the boys.....

At 7pm last night Toby started to scream - pull off the breast and really scream - wind. I assume. He kept doing this.....screaming really high and loud, pull his knees up to his chest. Nothing seemed to settle him.

Guess what time he finally settled down to sleep?

4am. Yup. 4am. From 7pm to 4am I was jiggling him, giving him gripe water, rocking him, letting him suck as much as he could cos that soothed him for a moment.

He'd sleep for maybe 10 minutes.....then wake up screaming again.

Rob took over for an hour around 11 so I slept for about 30 minutes. Then at 4 I took Toby into our bed and he fell asleep fitfully until around 6am. Also Oscar was coughing all night - really nasty wet cough.

I woke up soaking wet......he hadn't been able to feed properly cos of the colic so I had two cannonballs in my bra. Which had leaked all over the sheets. I was in agony. Toby was still asleep but I woke him up and desperately tried to get him to relieve the pressure! I'd forgotten how painful engorgement is.

So - Monday comes around - me and Oz and Tobes....and I've had 2 hours sleep. ARGGGGHHHH!

But - funnily enough it wasn't as bad as last week. I was so tired I was almost more awake than when I've had say four or five hours sleep. We met a friend at the soft play place (I'd forgotten it is half term though - it was fucking mental in there) then got home with only minor temper tantrums. I took the boys to the doctor to check Oscar's chest and just look at Toby (I read on all the baby websites that if your under 3 month old has a cold you should get them checked).

Doc thinks Oz might have asthma which isn't briliant - or it might be just triggered off by his cold. We'll have to wait and see.

Oz wouldn't eat lunch but went down for a nap. Toby had a good feed (though my boobs were still too full and tender) and slept too so I had an hour and a half nap.

This afternoon (I'm insane) I took them both to the supermarket and it also wasn't too bad. Oz only hit meltdown at around 5.30 and Rob was home an hour later.....

So.....I survived. Better than last week on less sleep. It was hard to keep my patience but I didn't lost the plot. I ignored bad behaviour and walked away when Oz refused to come with me so he quickly followed.

I just had a nescafe home-made packet latte and a custard slice. My treat from the supermarket. Toby is snoozing in his swing having just finally emptied my boobs (so much better). Oz is upstairs having his bath with Rob. I feel slightly human....I'm having ultimate comfort food for dinner - sausage and mash with American white sausage gravy. I've dosed Toby with Dentinox colic drops....

I'm terrified it will be a repeat performance tonight but it's twenty past seven at the mo and he's quiet.....

I'll let you know. (wow that's a long post)