Ruby’s finally beaten her bug and managed not to pass it on to any of us. It was five days without food in the end – quite the trauma for all of us. I often thought about what people had told me – that bigger babies or kids with a ‘bit of fat on them’ cope better with illness as they have ‘stores’ to see them through. And like the most excellently-designed camel, Ruby did just that. However, I think she was coming to the end of her stores by the 5th day, as her shoulder and back bones were so much more prominent than usual and she just felt lighter all round. How people cope with kids who are really really sick, I don’t know. My hat goes off to all those parents.
In the last week, it has been like living with a teenage boy. Not only did she have to recoup all the food she missed in 5 days, but evidently she went on a growing spurt too, as she has gained a couple of cm since last measured just after Leah was born. No food is safe. She'll eat her porridge, follow it up with some ricies and then half an hour later while I eat my own porridge, she'll snuggle up to me in bed and eye up my bowl. If that's too subtle, she'll say "I want some fruit" and then it becomes one mouthful for mummy, one mouthful for Ruby. Thank goodness we didn't have boys if that's what would be coming!