Last year I traveled for the first time with Ruby overseas. It felt so smooth.
Six months later here we are again in a plane traveling to visit my family. Because she is two now she had her own seat and things were a bit easier as she could sleep more comfortable. It was a three hour flight with no whining or crying. She had a snack, slept and woke up right before landing.
We stayed for a full week this time and the weather was lovely.
On our first trip everything went so smoothly that my stress level this time went a bit towards zero. I thought it would be such a relaxing holiday, leaving my parents to baby sit so I can get a bit of a break, visiting old dear friends and also going to the Christening of my nephew. I arranged to see one of my best friends and finally meet her daughter. We planned an overnight stay at her place and we imagined how our little ones will play in peace while we just take perfect pictures and enjoy motherhood.
Everything was going to be a fairytale and I would get to rest a bit, let the sun caress my skin from morning until dawn.
Oh well, did you ever plan something and reality was just as expected? Never happened to me. I should have lowered my expectations by 🤔 let’s say 100%, maybe more.
Have you had a teething toddler on a holiday? Nightmare I tell you.

Not one tooth coming out but three. Not being in her environment and the pain were just too much. For months now she doesn’t use a dummy unless it’s bedtime. Guess what? She cried for it constantly. All I could hear was “mummy”. And that was not the word for me.

She loved being outdoors, playing with the chickens and my dads dogs but a minute of joy was always shadowed by another of winging and frustrations. My happy baby, my good little girl became a little monster and i felt like screaming and crying most of the week.
I found myself useless in front of this situation. I gave her the dummy in a desperate attempt to calm her down. I only wanted her to shut up. She had nightmares for two nights and the winging hasn’t stopped for the entire week.

I visited my friend and I thought having another girl to play with will make her forget somehow and just behave like she always does. But no. Why would she? We are on holiday and all has to be annoying. She cried, she winged and funniest thing – she was scared of my friends daughter who is only one year old. I felt embarrassed for a while forgetting where I am.

Lucky I realised soon that I am next to my friend and she completely understands me, I am safe and I am even break down. There was no one around to judge my parenting skills, no one around to tell me my daughter is to old to have a dummy, is too spoiled or she should be potty trained by now. I took a deep breath and while I was there I stopped worrying that Ruby was not eating and just gave her what she wanted, I stopped wanting to scream and just enjoyed my friend as much as I could.
Ruby on the other hand was a complete little shit but there was nothing new. She has been like this for an entire week. She was fine at the Christening and that made me happy. She danced and ran around, smiling like her old self.

But you just wait when night time came. She woke up screaming and kicking and again I felt useless. She fell asleep in my arms towards the morning and I was way too scared to even try to put her back in her bed.

I enjoyed my family and that’s about it. I came back home more tired and stressed than ever. But let me tell you something. Her teeth are out and she is back to her old self. Giving me kisses and cuddles all day, running around, picking flowers, playing all day and eating like a good girl she is.

Thank you Ruby for offering me a full week of stress, thank you for showing off in front of everyone, making me look like a lunatic ready to break. OH, and thank you for not being able to celebrate my birthday this year.

LOVE,
Mum