Dianthe’s Blog

i know, it’s shocking – a blog … from me – it’s been so long that i almost don’t know what to say – Sydney is 10 1/2 months old now ans so much has happened that i don’t even know where to start – so i’ll just apologize in advance because i’m sure this blog will be completely sporadic and random – but hey – at least i’m blogging, right?

so it’s 6:21am and i am WIDE awake – i have no idea why – maybe it’s a sign that i’m ready to go back to work – and that’s sort of true – i’m not quite there yet – but come Monday, i’ll be completely ready and rejuvenated and ready to get back to it – but today, i just want to be asleep – every one else is – even the dog – but not me …

so 10 months later, and we’re still co-sleeping – yes, i’ve become one of THOSE moms – the mom who doesn’t even attempt to put her kid in the crib – i just start of the night with her in bed right next to me – now, i should be irritated that i spent so much money on that crib that she never uses – but she does actually nap in the crib – so it does get some use – but since she never sleeps alone for longer than an hour and a half (and it’s usually closer to 30-45 minutes), there’s no point in putting her in the crib at night – because then that means when she wakes up, i have to go traipsing down the hall in the middle of the night – and let’s face it people, i’m old and tired – and i tend to be grumpy when awakened from a deep sleep – so it’s easier on me and her if she just sleeps with me

i have to admit, in the beginning i was worried – i heard all the stories from the people that said “you better get her in the crib now or you’ll never get her out of your bed” – yeah, well guess what – i’m over that nonsense – how many 10 year olds do you know that still think it’s cool to sleep with their mom every night?  uh huh – none!  and these days, the only time i can truly snuggle on her is if she’s asleep anyway – so whatev – and the truth of the matter is, on school nights i’m lucky if i get 3-4 hours of sleep – plus i’m still nursing (on demand) – so when Sydney wakes up at 2am looking for the Breastaurant (thanks Valerie!), it’s easier for me if it’s right next to her instead of me having to stumble down the hall to her room and go through the whole process of getting her out of the criband getting set up in the rocker and then putting her back down when she’s done – this way, she rolls over and find s the boob and goes back to sleep and my sleep disruption is minimal – and come on, isn’t it really all about me?  i mean after the baby of course …

so i don’t know if this is an El Nino, La Nina or just plain Global Warming – but this back and forth “80 degrees one day and 32 the next” weather is killing me – not to mention my kid!  Sydney has been congested for the last 3 weeks – and for about the last week and a half it’s been that wheezy congestion that makes it sound like she has pneumonia or some other life threatening illness – of course she isn’t running a fever and she’s still tearing through this house like a tornado, so i know she’s not really sick … just congested – so rather than pump her full of medicine that won’t help at all, i’ve been trying “natural” remedies – yeah, that crap is useless too – so the Mommy Gurus on my local Mommy Message Board suggested a humidifier, saline drops and suction and Vicks VapoRub – now, when i was a kid the humidifier emitted a ton of hot mist into the air and smelled like Vicks – and i hated that thing – but these days you’re apparently supposed to use a “cool mist” humidifier (because apparently warm mist creates some sort of mold that will kill you … or something like that) and let’s face it – those things are ugly!!  but after much research, i discover that Target sells a cute humidifier that would be perfect – so i head off to Target to pick up the cute humidifier – only they’re out of it – and because i’ve seen the cute humidifier, i can’t quite bring myself to purchase the green frog humidifier or the red dragon one – it must be the pink pig – so instead, i buy the Pedia Care Gentle Vapors Plug In – yes, i am compromising my kid’s breathability based on cuteness – what of it?  anyway, the plug in thing seems to work well enough initially but it doesn’t last a full 8 hours like it advertises – so on to the next thing on the list – saline and suction – WOO HOO!!!  now when Sydney was a newborn, i could use that suction thing all day long and she never blinked an eye – but now she sees that baby blue bulb coming and she screams bloody murder – and of course you have to do the saline drops first to make the crusty cooties in her nose suctionable – yeah, she loves that … NOT!!  so basically it goes something like this:

“Come here baby – Mommy’s gonna help you breathe” – Leary glances from a 10 month old – “lay down baby girl” – the second her head hits the changing pad, the screaming begins – i immediately start to repeat, “it’s okay mama, i’m almost done – Mommy loves you – i know you don’t like it – Mommy’s trying to help you” over and over while trying to pin her arms down, hold her head straight, put saline drops in her nose and wait for there to be actual snot (no – it’s not gross at all!) – then, just when she thinks it’s all over – out comes the worst baby torture device ever … the baby blue bulb – WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – or as i translate it, “NOMOMMYSTOPIHATEYOUYOU’RETHEWORSTMOMMYEVERYOU’REKIIIILLLLLLLLLLINGMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!”

geez kid – dramatic much?  shut up – she TOTALLY gets it from her dad – anyway, after almost 2 weeks of this, the congestion finally started to drain – and there is nothing i hate more than a snotty nosed kid – so i am constantly attacking her with kleenex (well, actually Puffs Plus with Lotion!) which she loves … NOT!  and the battle continues – the sight of kleenex triggers a similar reaction to that of the baby blue bulb so the fun around here is just never ending!  so last night, i pulled out the big guns – and at 9:41pm i sent Kelley to Walmart for … wait for it … the Vicks VapoRub – i can’t recall what traumatic event spawned my hatred for the Vicks – it must have been so traumatic that i blocked it out – but i hate that crap – it’s not the smell because i’m actually okay with that – but something about it oogs me out – but with Sydney’s breathing getting bad and her attitude getting worse, i decided to take one for the team – plus i’m starting to get congested and we have big plans for New Year’s so i need to be able to drink (and breathe!) – now the Mommy Gurus suggested slathering the Vicks all over her feet and then putting on socks – so i did exactly that – and i did it for me too – well it must have been the footie pajamas that made the difference, because it’s now 7:48am and she’s sleeping soundly and i’m stuffy and congested and have a scratchy throat from breathing through my mouth – maybe this is my punishment for not buying that damn humidifier – life is not fair.