jaysaint Getting it all down on paper…

1. Stop talking about politics for a moment or two.
2. Post a reasonably-sized picture in your LJ, NOT under a cut tag, of something pleasant, such as an adorable kitten, or a fluffy white cloud, or a bottle of booze. Something that has NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS.
3. Include these instructions, and share the love.

I’m writing the rare from-work update because I want to promptly thank everyone who gave me good advice and encouragement last night.

It went fine. Alden’s easy going nature asserted itself and he mostly cruised through until morning. He half woke a few times, but Damon easily shushed him back down. There were a few tears and some emphatic pointing at the door (which is what he does when he wants Damon to quit messing around and go get me) at 5am, but nothing massive. He drank a few ounces of soy milk and was back out by 5:30. I came in at 7:30 to find Alden cheerfully pulling on Damon’s nose while they cuddled in bed.

And I slept for almost seven hours. I fully expected that with an infusion like that I would wake up a) totally healed b) shed of the vestiges of this cold and c) brimming over with energy. It didn’t quite work like that, but there was progress on each point.

We’ll do it again tonight and if it does as well I fear Damon will decide it’s me, not Alden, who needs her own room.

If you are squeamish, look away. If you don’t want to hear about my breasts, look away. Seriously.

So, Alden has a cold and has been nursing more than usual — several times through night rather than once. Usually he nurses for just a few minutes and then flips over and goes back to sleep. But for the past few days he’s wanted to pretty much sleep at the breast. Which, you know, fine. He’s sick. A few days ago he and I had both drifted off when suddenly I leapt backwards. He’d bitten me in his sleep. It was a right hard bite too. I know it wasn’t intentional, he was obviously out cold. So it was sore for a few days, which I expected. But, disconcertingly, it was getting more painful rather than less. There was a clearly-visible cut, exactly the width of a baby tooth. It didn’t look infected and my hope was to just power through it until it healed. But, again, the cold. Alden wanted to nurse all the time and the stretching of the tissue was making it really difficult.

I went into overdrive trying to distract him. I offered delicious snacks, dancing, toys, bribes. If none of that worked, only then would I nurse him. And things began to improve.

What about the other breast, you reasonably ask? Hasn’t made more than a few drops of milk in months. I keep starting him on that side, both to distract him and to get the most aggressive nursing out of the way, but it isn’t like he is going to stay there. He isn’t one of those babies content to nurse for the comfort once the milk stops flowing.

But that’s okay, because my efforts to cut out a few drive bys seemed to be doing the trick in terms of allowing for some repair to take place.

Until last night. When he bit me again. I knew that was a possibility, but wasn’t sure how to prevent it. He was sleeping again. I’d been making an effort to ease away from him once he drifted off, but my timing didn’t work out.

So I was very sore again today. And tonight, just before dinner, I was nursing him on the no milk/no injury side when I felt my milk let down and my shirt got a little damp. I thought that odd, since I haven’t had any leaking in ages. I investigated only to find milk seeping from the bite mark. *I warned you not to read this if you’re squeamish. Aren’t you sorry you’re still here?*

After a few moments of dumbfounded staring, I told Damon and we decided that we’re going to have to take aggressive measures. Before, you know, anything even MORE awful happens. Tonight I’m going to sleep upstairs and the boys are going to power through on their own. I feel terrible about it. Alden is getting better, but still not fully himself. I believe a sick baby should get all the nursing and attention he wants. And now I won’t even be there. I know in terms of the larger picture this really isn’t any big deal. But I’ve slept with him every night of his life until tonight. It was not my intention to change that any time soon. Night weaning was still more an idea on the horizon. And I’m not sure that’s what we’re doing here. I just need a few longer stretches of time for the bite mark to heal. Still, we spent more money than I care to admit flying Damon along on all my business trips just because I was unwilling to sleep away from Alden. So it hurts to break the streak over an injury.

**I’m arming Damon with a bottle of plain soy milk. Alden has had a few sips of cow’s milk by now, but not much. I don’t want to test his belly in the middle of all this. Also, I am a firm believer that having a cold means dairy is off the menu. I figure soy milk is kind of sweet and I won’t worry if it sits for hours next to the bed. But if anyone has any other ideas, I’d love to hear them. Not that I gave you any time to offer them, since it’s 10pm now.

Things that Alden is allowed to do while he is sick:
— Eat a bowl of oatmeal with his hands
— Watch Blue’s Clues and Dancing With the Stars to his heart’s content
— Rub his snotty nose on my shirt

Things that Alden is not allowed to do, even when he is sick:
— Decline a diaper change
— Smack the cat in the face
— Dunk his hands in my drink

This is only an entry-ish as I am feverish and miserable with a cold. I don’t get sick that often, so I’m unafraid to complain complain complain when I do. But I know that’s boring, especially when you don’t get the full effect of my ruby-red nose. So I’ll keep it to a minimum here.

You know the best thing about this virus? It didn’t hit until late Sunday night. So while it is upending my work week in a really bad way (I actually drove home today to lay on the couch for half an hour and then drove back to my office.) it did not interfere with the colossally fun time we had in Atlanta.

Highlights include my first face-to-face with:
— with her fine, fine cakes and a snake-charmer effect on Alden.
— ‘s all-in-one-piece self plus P, Anya and Ezra who were all kind enough to be exactly as appealing and clever as I envisioned.
— brought her laid-back cool and her I’ll-see-you-one-darling-boy-and-raise-you-two.
Also a much needed catch-up with:
, , as I had never even met their lovely daughter. I also enjoyed a dinner visit from and a surprise appearance by .

And that doesn’t even begin to dig into all my friends who aren’t on LJ.

I had the best time. And if your name is listed above then you are why.

Last night we were happy, though, to be back in our bed. Every time a train went by in the middle of the night Alden would stroke my cheek until I opened my eyes and then he would whisper “go go,” which I’m pretty sure is his first crack at “choo choo.” I would whisper, “Yes, choo choo” and then he would smile and go back to sleep.