She gets the last laugh

So, um, about that vagina that hates me yeast infection? It's taking not a one day course of D!flucan to kill it, oh no no, it's taking a seven day course.

But the best part of all? I got my period (yes, again!) yesterday.

Hahaha, silly vagina. I will win. Oh yes, I will.

My vagina hates me

Yes, you read that right and what proof, you ask, do I have that it hates me?

Well, dear reader...

First there was the postpartum bleeding, you know that turned into several episodes of postpartum hemorrhaging with a fun late night side trip to the ER. Five weeks of postpartum bleeding--okay, I'll give you that...it's not out of line to bleed for five weeks after passing a watermelon out of your vagina.

But then, to add insult to injury...five weeks to the day I delivered, I got my first postpartum period...and bled for three (!) more weeks.

So that makes eight weeks of bleeding.

But wait, there's more.

Following the eight weeks of bleeding, I got what may have been the worst yeast infection ever. If I could have scratched off all of my labial skin, I would have. One coochie cream insert later and things get back to normal...or so I think.

A week later...hello, postpartum period #2. Five days of fun...though never more than spotting and sludge. Not normal.

Fast forward 10 or so days...woke up with very sore throat a few days ago. Go to ENT yesterday, he diagnoses strep. Start 7 day course of antibiotics...today is day #2 on them and already my vagina has started the insane itching. Hello, yeast infection #2.

Between the bleeding and the itching, I think my vagina has given it's two-week notice.

And with that thought in mind, above you'll find a photo of the two best things my vagina has sent into the world...big and lil' sis... (and my vagina would like you to know that 11-week old lil' sis currently weighs half as much as her 22 month-old big sis does (!): 12 lbs., 13 oz. vs. 26 lbs.)

Glad that's over

Yes, I did in fact make it through A's absence this week. And I'm happy to report that both nights had minimal scream time (10 minutes or so) from J. I didn't do anything different than usual--though you all had such great suggestions! Sadly, we've tried all of them before and nothing has helped. Oh, well, I guess this too shall pass. Ahhh, I love the terrible twos (even if we did enter them a little ahead of schedule).

D threw a small wrench into the plan Wednesday night by staying up later than usual (1 a.m.) and then passing out blissfully after five (!) lovely spurts of projectile vomiting. It seems that our big girl gorged herself over the course of the evening (I just figured she was hungrier than usual courtesy of a growth spurt or just because). She did the same thing last night but then returned to her regularly scheduled programming tonight (down at 10:30, will sleep until at least 5:30 a.m., if not later). I don't know what I did to get so lucky in the sleep dept. with this one but I'll gladly take it. 10 weeks old yesterday. Holy crap...chunkles is growing up (my new nickname for her majesty).

This roly poly baby is a new concept for me. J was born on the small side (5 lbs., 13 oz. and came home at 5#7) and pretty much stayed that way all along. She never fit into clothes sized for her age, they were all too big. She didn't fit into 12 month clothes until closer to 15 or so months and still sizes small in most clothing. Yeah, D...not so much. Sister is already fitting into the 3 month clothes and outgrowing some labeled 0-3 months.

The little rolls on her arms and legs are dee-lish as is her tiny little double chin. Alas, the neck roll not so dee-lish. It tends to get 'cheesy' and stinky given all the spitting up.

Wow. It still blows my mind to think that I'm somebody's mom. Heck, I'm two somebodies' mom. But you know what? I'm finding that the 'stories' I've heard are true: it is possible to love two children, one as much as the other. I remember wondering while pregnant how could I love the second child as much as I love the first (in fact, I remember asking it here). "You just do" was the most common response I got to that question.

Now I know just how true that is.

Oh, the screaming...a call for help

No, not mine.

Bedtime for J has become a ritual in patience. From 12 weeks on, she's been a champion sleeper--going down easily and staying that way.

For the past month or so, more times than not, she will put up a fight when we tell her it's time for bed. Ultimately, though, we prevail and down she goes. Until lately that is.

Now when we put her into her crib, she screams...and screams...and then screams some more. In the case of crying, flame me if you will but we've always done CIO and that method usually finds her petering out within 10 minutes max. But with the screaming, oh no, it goes on and on and on. This now means that either A or I will have to go into her room and sleep on the floor next to her crib to get her to stop screaming and ultimately go to sleep. During the frantic ear-piercing screams, she scrabbles and scrabbles up the posts of the crib, trying to climb out (luckily, so far no success). It is not pretty.

Here's the worrisome part. This Wednesday, A is going out of town for business for two days and two nights. There is only one of me, and two small children, one of whom I have no doubt is going to scream bloody murder when it's bed time. One whose screaming typically wakes up the littler one, who then needs to be soothed back to sleep, or occasionally, fed. Trouble is, one of me, two hands/arms, two children who may need me at the same time. Normally I can manage this (it's not pretty but I get it done). But for two nights? People, it may get ugly. I may not get any sleep. I may be a wreck.

I am dreading Wednesday and Thursday nights. Dreading with a capital "D."

Any hints on how to deal with the screaming? How to alleviate it going forward? And yes, on particularly bad nights, we've tried putting her in our bed, but once there, she wants to play, or rifle through our bookcase, or just generally be anywhere but in the bed.

I am at my wit's end with this and have no idea how to handle it. It's only getting worse recently. I know she's exploding developmentally and also dealing with D's arrival and that either or both can cause sleep disturbances, but this goes way beyond that. This is not a sleep disturbance. This is all-out screaming with everything she's got. At times it's scary and always it is heartbreaking.

Hints? Tips? Valium (for me, not her--just kidding)?

It's all about the chub

Little miss D had her two-month check up the other day. Girly is weighing in at an impressive 11 lbs., 2 oz., putting her firmly in the 75th percentile for weight. She's 22 inches long, which is in the 50th percentile.

I looked at J's baby book and saw that she didn't hit the 11 lbs. mark until sometime between three and four months old. Looks like her little sister's got some weight on her.

The ped pronounced her lovely, with some residual left arm weakness (that she's currently receiving physical therapy for), and a "big girl."

She's chubbier than J ever was, with rolls and munchable pudge all over--and the cheeks, well, you saw those for yourself :-)

After getting her shots at the ped, I knew we were in for a rough night and I was right. She has not slept through the night since (and she had been doing it for two! straight! weeks! prior) but is now doing about 6 hours or so at night. I'm hoping she gets the memo about the Dee family liking to get its sleep on and resumes her previous schedule sometime soon. Until then, I'll be the harried mom walking around with the dark circles under her eyes...oh wait, did I perhaps just describe most moms?