(no subject)

[the_rck]

Yesterday, we gave Delia her first real bath. It had been more than a week since her cord fell off, and everything looked properly healed. Sadly, she hated the tub even more than she hated the washcloth baths. She screamed so hard that her face turned almost purple, and we felt pretty evil. Delia's good at making her parents feel guilty already.

I also managed to wash the dishes yesterday. It doesn't sound like much, but this is the first time since March that I've been able to manage the chore. Admittedly, there weren't as many dishes as usual, but I'm still feeling proud. Who knows what I'll manage next?

I'm feeling rather worn out. Now that Scott's back to work, I'm trying to keep Delia's night time feedings from waking him. Basically, when she wakes, I take her for a diaper change and then sit in the living room to feed her. This actually has some advantages since I can turn on the TV and have something to occupy my brain that will keep me awake. I love watching Delia's face, but... Holding her when I'm tired tends to make me sleepier (Scott calls the effect "baby narcosis"), and, in the bedroom, the only other thing I have to do is watch the clock. I suspect I'm going to start knowing the late night TV schedule pretty well. The tactic seems to be helping Scott, too.

I've had a cold for about the last week. At first, I thought (hoped!) it was allergies, something Delia couldn't possibly catch from me. When I lost my voice, however, I had to admit that this was something more. I haven't been able to talk since Friday. Scott's taken to using text messaging to call me from work.

We now have a crib. There's a resale shop near my in-laws' place, and they had a good crib for $175. We decided to grab it rather than waiting to see if something cheaper came along. Cribs disappear rapidly from that store. Scott hasn't had time to assemble it yet. I'm hoping that will happen on the weekend.

I've been writing thank you notes for the various gifts that have been trickling in for Delia. Some of them have come from people we hardly know (or even don't know at all, like my mother's neighbor), so it's a bit of a challenge. I've got three notes left to write and should get them done tonight, assuming I can stay awake.

Comments

[missysedai.livejournal.com]

Oh, gods, bathtime. When Alex was born, we lived in a building of VERY nosey neighbors. Every night at bathtime, Alex would scream like we were killing him, and one neighbor or another would come up to ask if everything was OK. It was such a relief when he finally started enjoying the bath!

[the_rck]

I've been thankful on several occasions that we're in a house and so have some privacy. Delia screams over diaper changes, too. My mother teased us about "baby torture" over one of the sponge baths because she could hear Delia in the basement.

As to the neighbors, I can see it being a pain, but... In many ways, I'd rather have people care enough to ask (assuming they'd do something about it if something were really wrong) than not. Still, I'd find the interference just one more bit of frustration and embarrassment in an already unhappy situation. When she screams like that, I keep wondering if we're doing something wrong.

[missysedai.livejournal.com]

You're not doing anything wrong, it's normal for babies to hate the bath and diaper changes. Something about their inner thermostat still not being calibrated yet, so any temperature change (no matter how slight) upsets them.

Or so said our pediatrician, who was absolutely the calmest and most helpful doctor we'd ever seen.

Eventually, she'll have a cow over being taken *out* of the bath. Hee!