Monthly Archives: February 2011

I love nursing, in fact, I’m nursing as I write this, but one thing that frustrates me is my daughter’s total disregard for my right boob. She has made it known that this is her least favorite of the pair, and she gives me hell when I’m trying to get her to latch on to it.

She loves the left boob. The minute she comes out it’s as if she’s saying:
“Hello old friend and source of food!”

The right boob is like an albatross. It comes out and she shuns it. I don’t know what it ever did to her, but she hates it.

I don’t understand it, it offers the same thing on tap, it’s never done anything malicious to her, in fact it’s only been there to help, but she might as well put a dunce cap on it and laugh at it.

I feel badly for my right boob, I really do. Maybe it’s misshapen in some unpleasant way and that’s why she ignores it. I may have to schedule a mediation session between baby and right boob. This can’t go on any longer.

Hey nursing moms out there! Did/Does your child have a boob preference?

It seems like most everyone I know is sick these days, adults and children included, so when Ari woke up one day with a barking cough, I wasn’t surprised when the doctor told us it was croup again. Only this time, he didn’t want to take his croup medication (the steroids they prescribed him to reduce inflammation in his lungs) and his cough lingered. We tried everything to get that medication into him:

• “Ari, if you take your medicine you get a cookie!” “NO MEDICINE!” He screamed

• We attempted to force feed it to him. This resulted in him wearing his medicine on his shirt and all over his face. It was bright pink and slimy, not a good luck. When we force fed him Children’s Advil, he was purple-faced; also unattractive.
• Finally, Wil figured out that the only way to get him to take his medicine was to mix it in chocolate milk. This worked out well.

Unfortunately, Ari wasn’t getting better. His cough persisted as did his 102 fever. He was also noticeably lethargic. We were really concerned about him and worried about him transmitting his virus to Samara as well, so Wil took him back to the doctor while I stayed with the baby. He was diagnosed with Secondary Pneumonia, placed on antibiotics and told to rest. I wish I was
there, because I would have said “Have you met my son? He doesn’t stop, let alone rest.”

Now Samara is congested, spitting up and coughing. We’re on our way back to the pediatrician, fun times!

In other news, the transition to having two kids has been challenging, and after crying multiple times every day out of frustration and emotional exhaustion I’ve made an appointment with a therapist who specializes in Postpartum issues.

Wish me luck with it all! How did you adjust to having two kids?

I was at the library today with Ari. I’m not quite sure how we managed to get there. It was treacherous outside with sheets of icy rain and streets that were covered with sleet and snow. Despite the weather, we boarded the train and took it to the library. We arrived at the library and read some books. Ari refused to remove his coat or hat, but happily took off his boots. He stood there in wet socks smiling at me.

“Ari, you have to put your boots on,” I said already feeling exhausted.
“NO!” He retorted glaring at me.

Since he was unwilling to put his boots back on by himself, I mentally prepared myself to take matters into my own hands. I grabbed him, while he kicked and screamed, and I attempted to shove his boots onto his feet. But my exhaustion level was so high, that he was easily able to slip out of my grasp. While he was wailing, a mother with her young daughter was sitting next to me on the library floor, staring judgmentally. Meanwhile, I was just trying to clothe my child.

There were a few nannies sitting across from me watching as well. I made eye contact with one and said:
“I just gave birth a week ago, otherwise I would have more energy to deal with this.”
“I totally understand.” She said.

After another minute of unsuccessful attempts to restrain my child down and “re-shoe” him, another nanny came over to me, knelt down and said:
“Do you need help?”
“YES!” I said “Thank you!”
I restrained him with all the force I had left in me, and this amazing woman came to my rescue.
“You’re very strong,” She said to Ari “But I’m stronger than you!” And with that she proceeded to swiftly shove his boots onto his feet while he screamed “They’re wet!”
“Honey, I know they’re wet, but I got news for you, you can’t go outside with no shoes on! It’s cold!”

I thanked her profusely, we left the library, and he fell asleep on my shoulder on the way home. Thankfully, he had his boots on.