Saying Goodbye to January

Here's a little video footage of the past couple of weeks. I've got a good story to share, but it'll have to wait. It's time to feed the babies.

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A Modern Day Leper

Glum, Glum, Glum.

So, I’ve been busy fighting mastitis for the second time, as well as the assumed poison oak. Only, I went back to the doctor today because I’ve had the poison oak for over three weeks now, and I’m just plain sick of it. I saw the doctor instead of the physician’s assistant. The doctor took one look at my hands and gave me some bad news. My poison oak was in costume, masquerading as that itchy allergen when I actually have acquired an adult onset skin disorder.

I have dyshidrotic eczema. (http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/dyshidroticDermatitis.htm) There’s no known single cause but there are many triggers. And I have this atrocious disease all over both of my palms and up my fingers. And it itches. And I’m now embarrassed to shake hands with strangers at church. It’s one thing to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to shake your hand because I have poison oak” but it’s quite another to shake hands and for them to feel the dried up crusty bubbly blisters and pull away in disgust. I feel like a dirty person, and now I’m depressed.

Until I go back in two weeks to check up to ensure this is what I have, I’m not supposed to take baths (that was my one luxurious alone time), bathe less frequently (I’m sorry but I will shower EVERY DAY) wash dishes in the sink, bathe the babies with my hands submerged for longer than 15 minutes, do wear gloves if I do housecleaning, keep applying my steroid potion twice a day, and follow all sorts of other irritating rules.

Apparently it can run in the family. Two of my older brothers have a different type of hand-eczema and they constantly battle with it. I checked out many different sites and many different pictures. The outcome is dismal - - those ghastly hands look like mine. And I even double checked pictures of poison oak...those pictures don’t look like my hands.

Looks like this is a lifelong battle. I think I’m even more dejected after writing about it. Makes it so much more real.

Week in Review

So, Scarlett is 3.5 weeks old, I still have poison oak (Hollie, I’d be glad to hear of your homeopathic remedies), Jeff and Gideon have ear infections, and Scarlett ruined our down comforter. She pooped all over it with her infant sized poop particles which resemble yellow kerneled dippin’ dots. You might wonder why I didn’t use the changing table…well, it’s in Gideon’s room and he was asleep. Since Scarlett’s bassinet is in our room, I usually toss a burp cloth or blanket on the bed and change her there. I had just taken off her full poopy diaper, put the other one on (but didn’t fasten it), turned around to toss the offending first diaper away, and by the time I’d turned back around, she’d done her thunderous personal business all over the place, somehow missing the cloth she was on and spraying everywhere else.

Big mom sigh.

We had visitors from Texas (Stacy and Megan from our last church) and Gideon was in hog heaven since he had TWO playmates. Every morning while they were here, he’d go and stand by their door just waiting for them to come out. He even did it this morning and they’re gone.

Gideon loves Scarlett. If I’m nursing her downstairs or just holding her in my lap, he comes over, pats her head, lays his head on her head, tries to take her pacifier, and walks around saying “bebe bebe.” It’s rather much too precious.

I got some footage of it, plus Megan and Stacy’s visit, as well as the cutest pictures of Gideon holding Scarlett. Bear with me as I revel in joy for a moment, over my precious babies, this new mother’s prerogative.

And yes, Aaron, in the video I am wearing the "Stewart" pj pants you convinced Kim to buy….

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Poor Poor Pitiful Me

Well, I haven’t been working on the birth story (as you can tell). Why’s that, you might ask, since I typically can’t wait to share crazy stories?

I got a case of mastitis, the worst infection I think I have ever had. I won’t go into detail about where the infection occurs, but I will tell you that it is the MOST painful inner pollutant I have ever had, and it was accompanied by flu-like symptoms. I was back and forth to the doctor (and even had to have a sonogram on that area to see if I had an abscess). Even after I finally got an antibiotic (another terrible saga all together) I had a 103.5 fever, chills, incredibly painful headache, backache, and the “main pain” every time I moved in my, well…look up mastitis and ooze with sympathy for me, please. And guess what? This was all on Christmas Day. It was the worst Christmas ever. Poor Jeff had to take care of me, entertain Gideon, and try not to be lonely and miserable as I lay semi-conscious in bed only moving to get up and nurse. I’m just now recovering. It took 6 days of the 7 prescribed days of being on the antibiotic (and I really don’t think that even really worked) before I finally felt “somewhat” normal and unclogged. And I’m still not completely healed.

And to top it off, as soon as I got over that, I got poison oak. Apparently, when my mom was here and out doing yard work, she brought something in. I have this terrible rash all over my hands and down one arm…and even my fingers are looking mottled. Thankfully, and please keep praying, the babies have been spared. I can’t not touch them, but I try pretty hard to avoid their skin - - it’s just practically impossible when I’m nursing. I went to the doctor (it seems like I’ve been more in the past three weeks than I have in the past three years) and got some medicine. It’s yet to take full effect so I’m still itching like a mutt with fleas and emitting poisonous serum from the scratched open sores.

So, Scarlett’s easy breezy birth has been followed by the worst three weeks ever. And I mean EVER!

I would appreciate some heartfelt prayers because I’m just one crabby, sleep-deprived, scratchy, itchy, unhappy mama. And I could use a little relief.