Lia is sick

Lia is sick. She's been sick for almost a week now, peaking last Friday when she had a fever, Saturday morning no more fever, and then it came back on Sunday. She doesn't have a fever anymore but she still has a cold, and an awful cough that's just heartbreaking to hear. But the thing we're all having a hard time with this sickness is the crank. Lia is soooo cranky she's been throwing tantrums left and right. We couldn't understand what she wants, she doesn't want to eat but doesn't want to leave the table. Doesn't want to go to bed, doesn't want to stay on the floor. Doesn't want to go with me, but doesn't want me to leave either. The answer to each and every question, thing, statement, syllable is NO. It can be NO! Or Nonononono! Or the brand new hysterical NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just this afternoon, Lola Cora tried to lure her away with every imaginable bribe she can think of, whether she's actually prepared to give it to Lia or not, and in the past, one of those things always worked. M&Ms, Kitkat, lollipops, chicharon, ride the car with Abrilla, the moon and stars in the sky, all the riches of the earth was met with a resounding and unequivocal NO. With matching walk to the other side of the bed away from Lola. It wasn't even that we were watching Dora at the time. I was watching tennis and Mike was playing games on the PSP. She's just saying No for the heck of it. I bet she wanted to take a ride in the car. But she just loves the word No so much. Poor Lola had to leave Lia with no fun Mommy and Daddy.

We're not used to any of this because for one thing, Lia is hardly ever sick. The couple of times she's had fevers in the past, it never lasted more than 2 days of just lying around, sleeping and a lot of carrying and cuddling. By the third day, her appetite is back, and so his her normal, happy, inquisitive, yabang self. Now she's crying at the littlest thing.

Last Friday, when she was really sick, I just gave her whatever she wanted so she wouldn't get upset. We played Little Leaps and watched Dora and Baby Einstein all day. Of course, she still has to eat and change her diapers, and whenever we have to do this, interrupt the total corruption of her brain, we get served an erruption of tears and screams, peppered with head throwing and lying on the floor bits. With me having to do some work for JVP and prepare stuff for Ia's 18th Birthday Party, it has been a very drama filled week.

Fortunately, we are able to spread the craziness between me, my mother-in-law and Yaya Jenny. Of course, Lola Cora just gives her whatever, and NEVER does anything that might upset her in any way. That's ok, I expect that of a Lola. Good thing she rarely gets anything past Yaya Jenny. I totally dislike tantrums so my first reaction to it is to ignore it. Same with Jenny, if she does her screaming on the floor bit with her, and refuses to be assuaged or to tell us what she wants, Jenny just goes and finishes some other chore until Lia is ready to make nice. And she always does. Eventually. Unless her Lola comes and takes her away to candyland (i.e. lola's bedroom). Haha.

The difficulty I have with not giving in to tantrums is I can't physically make her do anything. If I try to take her and she resists me at all, I can't lift her because, well, we're likely to fall over. All my strength is reserved for carrying the heavy heavy unborn child. Ooohhh... how I hope she's not hearing her ate and taking down notes. But mostly I'm praying really really hard that Lia gets well already and gets over the terrible twos. I am not cut out for this drama.