Quinn on Jan 31st.....

It’s Saturday.  By 9:10 a.m. we are on the 401 heading to Toronto.  It’s clear and the roads are dry and fairy quiet.  We’re glad about that; winter driving is not stress free for us.  We get hung up a little bit on Allen Rd., but once on Eglington we’re moving well and at 11:20 we are parking in front of Jan & Jon’s place.

Quinn is still napping when we arrive and Jan shares that she’s been fighting a cold this week and so her extra-long nap is welcome.  Jan and Jon pop out to Starbucks and Ky and I wait patiently for Quinn to wake up.  My latte is delivered before that happens and we continue our chat.  Its 12:40 before we hear her stir and Ky makes her way begrudgingly upstairs (not). 

I wait a couple of minutes and then pop up behind her in time to see Quinn’s sleepy eyes trying to put the puzzle pieces together.  “Mommas were not here when I went to bed, but here they both are now”.  She looks back and forth between us, rubs her eyes sleepily and then reaches toward me for our customary cuddle.  We take her pj’s off, change her diaper, pick out an outfit.  She’s very compliant until we wipe her little nose.  L   Then we’re ready to head downstairs.  By now she’s smiling - quite pleased that she has company.

Jan and Jon depart after Quinn has nursed.  She’s in her high chair when they leave and her little hand moves from side to side to say goodbye, while her other scoops up her kidney beans, avocado, blue berries and cold chicken.

While Ky interacts over lunch, I make nachos for us.  Jan has a new corn salsa that looks amazing, and fresh guacamole.  I layer chicken, cheese, peppers and then, to my side, add some kidney beans for good measure.   I pop them in the over and then move to clean up Quinn and her highchair.  We head downstairs to play until our lunch is ready.

The afternoon is uneventful, but when I take Quinn up for her nap, for the first time she asserts her will, and lets me know she isn’t feeling great and she doesn’t want to nap without nursing.  Of course Mommy isn’t home, and so nursing isn’t an option.  She takes to odd sip from her cup when it’s offered, but it isn’t what she wants.

We spar gently for twenty minutes or so, and then I get to see how frustrated she is.  She arches her back and flails her arms.  I hug her close, hum in her ear and rub her back.  I kiss her cheek and tell her it’s ok.  She replies with a wild hand to my face and before I know it I’ve a scratch under my eye.  I sit up straight, take hold of her two hands and sternly look her in the eye.  “No!  Don’t hit Grandma Quinn!”  She tries to pull her hands away for a moments but then her eyes register that she has realized Grandma used a stern voice for the voice time is 13 months and she breaks into sorrowful sobs; heartbroken.  With that she lays her head on my shoulder and her little body shakes with her cries and then the resulting coughing.  Her nose fills and her congestion is awful.  I feel so bad she’s sick.

Soon her cries have stopped and there is the frequent sniffling that comes when you’ve had a good cry.  Within about 15 minutes she’s asleep.  I stand up to put her in the crib but she stirs and so I again sit, let her settle on my arm and we remain like that in the chair for about 90 minutes. 

I hear Jan and Jon come home and shortly Jan is at the door peeking in.  Quinn is still sleeping and so Jan returns to the basement and chats with Ky.  Jon heads to bed for a nap as he too has been sick this week.  Within 15 minutes Quinn wakes up.  She pushes herself up from my shoulder and makes the “all done” sign with her hands.  I scoop her up, remove her sleep sack and decide to head downstairs to change her.  Mom pops up when she sees us and Quinn is eager to nurse.  She had a great nap, and after nursing is happy to play with her Mommas.  I’m relieved to see she holds no grudge following our nap-time disagreement.  I receive many kisses and cuddles and she smiles at my antics as she normally would.  I’m glad.

Jan and Jon decide to go out to dinner and make a reservation for 8.  After her supper Ky and I take Quinn upstairs for bath and enjoy playing with her and her tub toys.  She lets me wash her hair although not with her usual patience.  She definitely is not impressed when I endeavor to clean her nose and face up.

At bedtime she is not settled and it seems she’s feeling worse than she did during the day.  Both Jan and Jon take a turn putting her down.  She doesn’t comply, and by 8 pm when Jan is doing her make up, Quinn is in the crib complaining.  I ask Jan if I can rock her and she says, “For sure, you can try.”

When I go in she crying softly and standing at the corner of her crib.  She looks up when the door opens and reaches for me.  I scoop her up and after wiping her nose we settle in the chair.  She lays her little head on my shoulder and lets me rock her but her lament continues and she is definitely not happy.  After 10 minutes or so I hear the front door and know Jan and Jon have left.  I continue with the cuddles and rocking for 20 minutes or so, but she does not stop complaining and she’s getting warm and showing no signs of sleep.  We’re now about an hour past her regular bed time.

I call Ky’s name softly a couple of times.  She’s in the basement with the monitor and so I know she’ll be up quickly.  Sure enough I hear her on the stairs and I stand with Quinn as she comes in the room.  Quinn looks up and reaches for Momma Ky.  She is sniffling, but quiets then.  We talk about how unusual this is, her level of discomfort, is she hot, what should we do.  We decide that either her teeth or her throat are hurting her and that Tylenol might help.  At least we decide it won’t hurt, and we want to try something.

She takes the Tylenol willingly and seems content that we are up with her.  She points down the stairs and then makes the “all done” sign about her bedroom.  Down the stairs we go.

After 20 minutes of quiet play, books and cuddles, we head back up-stairs and Ky leaves me to rock her again.  It’s after 9 now and she’s tired.  She snuggles in right away and within 10 minutes she’s sleeping and I’m able to lift her into her crib.  Success J

We watch the final episode of Downtown Abbey and just as we’re done, about midnight, she wakes and we head upstairs to her cries.  We go in together, Ky holds her and we snuggle and rock her side to side while singing The Itsy Bitsie Spider.  She isn’t consoled and we are glad when we hear the door and Mommy is beside us.  Within minutes she and Quinn are in the rocker and Quinn is nursing quietly.

This morning I hear her at 6:30, but I know Jan prefers she go back to sleep when she’s up early and so I stay in bed and listen.  She’s quiet then for a bit, but at 7:05 I hear her again and go to check on her.  She’s standing in her crib and is happy happy when the door opens.  I lift her up and we sit in the rocker for a few minutes.  I can’t take it when she’s making the “all done” sign and pointing to the door.  I give in and we go to check in with Ky.  She gets up as well and the three of us head downstairs.  We play for 45 minutes or so and then when I ask Quinn if she’s hungry she nods her head quickly yes, and heads for the stairs.  I love that she can communicate.

For breakfast she has raspberries, blue berries and when I load the spoon she can feed herself yogurt.  She has about ½ of a portion cup.  She’s proud of using the spoon and Ky and I also appreciate her accomplishment!   Then she surprises me by pointing to the stairs and making the “milk” sign.  Ky and I exchange glances – this is so impressive.  I ask her if she wants milk from her mommy.  She shakes her head yes.  We head upstairs and wake mommy and daddy up for a quick feed.  10 minutes and then back down stairs for another hour and when she starts rubbing her eyes and taking extra cuddles I change her diaper again, cuddle her up and tell her to say night night to Grandma.

She waves night night to Ky and up we go.  This time she snuggles in as soon as I sit down.  I sing a little, rock for 5 minutes and she’s asleep.  I lift her into her crib, she rolls to her side and seems content.  Ky and I pack up, tip toe downstairs and leave Jan and Jon asleep as we head home.

We cherish our time with the grandkids and getting to know Quinn continues to bring us such joy!