Clarification

Just a clarification about yesterday's post. I don't actually want your old meat. I happened upon that request when I was perusing yesterday's Freecycle listings, thought it was odd, and so posted it on the blog. The woman who posted the request is named Carol & her Skagit Freecycle ID is "geepers 578". Feel free to contact her, but please, whatever you do, don't send me your old, freezer-burned meat. I have enough problems as it is...

Old Meat

Here's a post from today's Skagit Freecycle list for your consideration:

WANTED: raw meat

Do you have some old meat in your freezer that you don't want, will
never use, or that has been sitting there too long? I'm looking for
old meat (beef, pork, poultry, fish, game, etc) that is raw (not
cooked, no casseroles, no sauces, no spices, no breading, just raw).
Freezer burned is not a problem.

I would like to come by and get it at your convenience.

Thanks in advance,
Carol ("geepers578")

Jack's New Toy

Since it turns out that Jack hated the jiggle chair that we bought him, we returned it and upgraded to the Fisher Price Rainforest Cradle Swing (see above) as recommended by our friend Greg (and his daughter Jane). Jack's favorite thing about it is that it swings not only front to back but also side to side! My favorite thing is that it is a big ugly plastic piece of crap that thoroughly blocks the only thoroughfare in our tiny house. Poor Griffen doesn't like it so close to his bed either. We're all making adjustments... At least the little one is happy (and sleeping contentedly) for the moment.

Chillin'

My daddy dressed me this morning...aren't I cute? The coffee stand girls certainly thought so! I swear, Josh has been hit on more in the past month than any married man deserves to be. There's just something really attractive for women about a handsome young dad taking care of his baby (especially if it seems like he might need their help - doesn't that hat need to be pulled up over the baby's eyes?). I'm really not exaggerating here. A woman tried to pick him up in the diaper aisle the other day. ("Pampers, huh? I like Huggies... It's tough being a single mom. Is it hard being a single dad?" and so on...) Are you kidding me? Did she think his two week old infant just hatched from an egg? (I guess he did, in a way, but you know what I mean.) He should have told her that Jack's mom ran off to Vegas to become a stripper. Probably could have gotten her digits.

For a woman on the other hand, toting a baby seems to be a potent man-repellent. Yesterday in the parking lot of the grocery store, the man getting out of the car next to me smiled and started up a conversation about the weather. I was busy trying to unload my multitude of bags and other assorted baby supplies (a simple errand to the store these days requires more gear than a 10-day trek through the mountains). As soon as I reached in to get Jack, however, he smiled apologetically, did a 180, and hurried away. Was it something I said?

Ouch, it's hurting my eyes!

Here's Jack looking confused by the sun (and also perhaps by the giant floppy sun hat that his silly mommy put on him). Considering our recent weather, he just doesn't have much experience in the sunshine department yet. Not to worry though, I'm planning to take him in for an airbrush tan next week. We'll get him ready for swimsuit season in no time!

Poor Baby Thrush Mouth

Jack & I survived our trip to the doctor's office. He does, in fact, have thrush. So, we have to rub medicine inside his mouth twice a day (which I'm sure will be loads of fun) and it should clear up in a week or so. It is a pretty mild case of thrush, as we caught it quite early, so is really nothing to worry about (other than the obvious discomfort).

Otherwise, Jack is in excellent health. His weight is up to 8 lbs. 1 oz., which is exactly where it should be based on his age (23 days) and birth weight (7 lbs. 7 oz.). Isn't it funny to think that he is so young that we are still counting his age in days? The doctor (Dr. McGuiness) was wonderful and really took his time examining Jack, explaining things to me, and answering my questions. His nurse was also one of those genuinely nice people who seem to really love their jobs. So, in a way I'm glad that I had to take him to the doctor, because now I feel like I have someone to call in case I have any other concerns.

The little patient is pretty calm this afternoon. As you can see in the photo, Oboe is doing his part to nurse him back to health. In addition to the frozen pacifiers, we have also found that he likes to suck on the ends of his new blankie toy. My Uncle Jack and Aunt Bobi sent him this cute little stuffed toy last week (thank you!), and as it turns out, it's also very practical. It's made from super soft cotton, and has little knots tied in each corner. I dampened one corner and popped it in the freezer until it was nice and cold. It's great for sucking on, and stays cool longer than the pacifier.

Happy Father's Day!

The macaroni necklaces and fingerpaint creations will have to wait until Jack is a few years older. For Josh's first Father's Day, Jack decided to give him the gift of thrush. Well, actually he gave it to me (he's a little confused about how this whole gift thing works). At least we have an explanation now for why our previously delightful little baby has gotten fussier and fussier each day over the past week and a half. Yesterday we noticed some little white spots on his gums, which I was a little worried about. Last night he decided to stop eating entirely because it hurt too much. Instead, he tries to eat for a couple of seconds and then pulls away and screams in pain (a cycle which was repeated over and over and over again all night long). He is able to drink from a bottle more easily though, so I have resigned myself to near constant pumping. We also have a rotation of pacifiers in the freezer (one in his mouth, one cooling off, and one ready to go when he spits the first one out). This helps for about 2 minutes (until the pacifier starts to warm up). Apparently you're not supposed to use Baby Orajel until after 4 months of age - I'm going to talk to the pediatrician about this today though, just to be sure.

I have to say, it's horrible to watch your baby suffer. I know this isn't a serious condition by any means, but he's in pain, and I hate it. Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated!

We have a doctor's appointment at 11:30, so I'll post an update this afternoon.