Sickly Prickly

     I had not been sick in a year, maybe a little more. And that's amazing, because I'm one of those--know me long enough and you'll experience my sinus infections, colds and flus right along with me. I get sick multiple, multiple times a year. But as soon as I was pregnant--wham! Sickness didn't stand a chance with me. According to my doctor, it's because your body approaches a baby in your uterus as a foreign object. Baby isn't wholly made up of you, he or she has your husband in them too. So to deal with this, your body makes tons and tons of steroids...which in turn kept me from getting sick. Fast-forward to Junior at his six and a half week old mark...and I'm sick. Sore throat, weak, a cough and a headache. In other words, I feel lousy. And since Mr. Wonderful is on the tail end of illness himself...it's not too fun around here. I have come to the conclusion that if I'm sick, I can tolerate no other stressors before I become extremely irritable; read: prickly.

Add to all this the fact that Junior is less than a fan of napping. And by that I mean he screams bloody murder for the majority of the time he's in his crib. We've tried swaddling, not swaddling, pacifier, no pacifier, warmer outfit, cooler outfit, a bath beforehand...

with no luck. As I write, this very second--he is hollering to the extent that I fear the neighbors will call CPS to accuse me of beating my child. But when I check on him--he is fine. He's crabby and tired but doesn't want to nap. Mr. Wonderful questions whether he is truly my child, as I lay down to nap and am out before my head hits the pillow--for hours. We're lucky to get 20 minutes out of Junior. So the new method we're trying is to put him down for a nap every couple of hours and just see what happens. It worked this morning at 7:30 like a charm...less so at 10:30 but he still napped, and when I put him down 15 minutes ago, well--I may never hear quite right in my left ear ever again. That being said--it's getting better. Only now do I hear the fan and his Sleep Sheep's ocean sounds in his room (trying to get him accustomed to the ocean!) rather than his tonsils vibrating around in his little head.

                  Yes, this was taken 7 weeks ago, but not much has changed...that's still his mad-face. :)
     In order to ensure that Mr. Wonderful and I do not strangle each other during this most frustrating of times (illness, screaming baby, etc.) we will, I believe, have to find a regular reliable babysitter and make sure we bring back Date Night, stat. One recommendation is...

     He's reliable, I'll give him that. And the two of them are very interested in each other. He's generous too. During one of Junior's earlier-on crying fits (this was before we figured out his tummy issues), I opened Junior's door to leave his room and Tyson had brought the baby a toy and a bone and set them down outside his door. :) We have promised Tyson a saddle when Junior's a little older so he can offer the baby "pony rides".
     I am off to finish reading "Baby Wise". I would stop at this point, as I am somewhat frustrated by all the varying parental advice out there, but I never feel good about stopping a book before I've finished it...unless it's a text book. :)