Athena has been nursing non stop all evening. It's incredible. I actually feel sore and don't think it's thrush. I fully expect her to double in size overnight. ;) It also explains why I am so hungry.

A few things while she lets me -- I tried to just put her down because she had fallen asleep but I think she might fuss in a minute. I can just type so much faster with two hands than one.

Morella loves baths now and didn't want to get out of hers tonight. I actually had to do the age old "pull the plug" trick and let the water drain out. Once she realized the water was gone she started scrubbing herself with the wash clothes. Sheesh. I pulled her out and let her do some naked time before getting her into pajamas. Then we commenced the rest of our Thursday ritual of single parenting in which I let her stay up until 8 because we watch Bones and snuggle. She is SO good during this time. I think she knows she gets to stay up late and is mellow and good natured and it's almost a shame when I do put her down to bed.

One of Morella's cute things is hiding something behind her back and then asking me "Where'd it go?" and then showing it to me a few seconds later. "There it is!" Ha ha. Oh man. I think she really thinks she has one on me by making it disappear.

Athena has been giving out more smiles and is starting to be awake longer in stretches during the day. She went to bed last night at 9 --- it doesn't look like that is happening tonight though. :( Oh. Tonight while I was letting Pluto out and carrying her against my chest, her head slipped a bit and she started to latch onto my neck. It was funny because Tim likes to call her a milk vampire and here she was, acting like a real vampire and trying to suck my neck! No but really, tonight this milk bandit is in full form. Oh and look that. She is falling asleep. That's nice. I have to change her diaper.

Cloth diapering her is awesome. She was blowing through every single disposable whenever she pooped -- all the way up her back, or her front. It was disgusting. But the cloth diapers contain it...every drop. It's amazing. I think it's because they absorb the liquid faster than the paper ones. Whatever it is, it's amazing. I still use a disposable at night for her because she rarely poops just pees alot and they seem to hold more pee comfortably than cloth.

Cloth diapering Morella has become a challenge. She has a rash on her inner thigh that has been plaguing her all summer because of chaffing from the diapers because they sag once they become wet. No matter how vigilant I am her diapers become so soaked with pee that I would have to know the instant it happened to avoid any saggy diaper syndrome and that just isn't going to happen. I have tried. I tried a contoured diaper called Tiny Tush but even with doublers she is leaking out of them pretty bad (enough to have to change pants). I got six of them so I am sort of disappointed about this turn of events. Maybe she just needs two microfiber inserts...I am not ready to give up yet. It's just that they aren't at match for her deluge of pee. I also splurged and got one of those fancy all in ones - twiddlewinks I think. It's awesome. Oh so very awesome. I love it and can totally see how people would spend oodles of money on diapers. Sigh. I just have to hang in there. Soon it will be pants and onesie under all clothes weather which should help until she can be potty trained.

My Mom was transferred to Sacred Heart in Eau Claire. We are going to go and visit her this weekend, spending the night in Eau Claire. They are still running tests, but there is something very wrong with her liver and her heart. Both liver and heart specialists have been called into to give their professional opinion which we will hopefully hear tomorrow. I am not sure if young children are allowed in the intensive care unit so I am sort of hoping she'll get transferred to a room. She said that she has been feeling much better because of the breathing treatments she has been getting. Now I need to find someone to watch Pluto and book a hotel that has cribs in Eau Claire. I guess I could be doing that right now.

[just looked ... gonna need more time on that .... maybe Tim should just do it]

So I had a granola bar like a 1/2 an hour ago and I am still hungry. Sigh. I have refrained from a lot of obvious dairy and Athena is back to her old self. I had heavy cream the other day in my soup and she spit up and screamed the next day .... I think that there is a connection though her intolerance is obviously not as bad as Morella's was/is. I wonder if we should do another milk trail with her. It would sure as heck be a lot cheaper and easier than having to buy 8th Continent Vanilla Soy, especially since she is drinking so much of the stuff lately. She's obviously going through something because her mouth and head seem to be hurting. I wonder if she had headaches. I wonder if they are two year molars.

Gah, wearing silk pajamas with a laptop on you is one recipe for being over heated. Well the laptop is going to die in a few minutes (battery) so I should sign off. Here are some more photos:

Noah - one of Morella's BFF's.

I found her in the kitchen like this back when Tim was on paternity leave. Little stinker.

Burping the baby.