Oh man look at the time. It's almost 11:30 and what did I do with my evening? I put Athena to sleep three times, I played some vids with Tim and I caught up with my internet haunts. I just don't have as much time as I used to adequately reply to other blog posts and really comment well. Though I do read a bunch through out the day and craft responses in my head, as well as blog posts. Those of you who blog know exactly what I mean.

Tonight I realized that the rash I have on my left breast is probably ringworm. The rash has one big circle and some forming around it. I remember reading about rashes in kids this past year and one of the rash types they talked about was ring worm and how it's not a worm but a fungus. I went and looked up pictures and a decription and sure enough ... ringworm. Blah. Is this worse than thrush? I am not sure since they are so similar in treatment. It also says it takes four weeks to clear up ... ugh. I just need this to go away and then I can really focus on how awesome nursing is.

I mean it. I almost can't believe I have been nursing for 10 weeks. It is so easy. I don't have to spend all that time worrying about making time for pumping, carrying that crap around with me, washing parts, freezing and storing milk and obsessing about my supply. I just have to remember to drink a lot of water, take the prenatal and try to avoid dairy (like milk, cream, ice cream, yogurt etc). I do still have some dairy if it's cooked and have been keeping to lactose free stuff. I don't know if that makes a difference...I do know that when I avoid dairy that Athena doesn't cry much and seems to be a happy baby. I am just amazed at how easy it is for us to start and stop nursing. She latches on without my help (well maybe a little direction here and there). I am even starting to get the cradle nursing thing down without having to use a pillow. Though using a pillow makes thing so much easier, I can't use a pillow when I am on the go, hence the cradle position. Maybe she just needed to be bigger. By far my favorite nursing position is laying down. I think Athena prefers it too. She's also getting better and handling the letdowns and getting started without choking all the time. Oh sure there are still plenty of times that milk goes down the wrong tube, but they are getting to be less frequent. I really did only have sore nipples about that first week and then it was easy...until the thrush came in, and now the ring worm. It's just that the rash is on the top where the nursing bra makes contact with the skin which irritates it and probably has been reinfecting the area over and over.

I am so glad that it's going well. In fact, this whole nursing business is going better than I ever could have imagined and I love every minute of it.

Oh man, yesterday Morella made me so proud. I had been wondering when she would try it, or if she ever would. She clearly knows that me nursing Athean is feeding her and she calls the whole act of it "nom nom." Well yesterday she sat down in her little, blue chair and held a teddy bear. Then she looked at me and then down to lift up her shirt with one hand and nurse the bear with the other. I could barely contain myself! She nursed the bear for a good minute or two before...get this .... burping it! Then she nursed it again. What a great Mom she'll be one day, right? Ha ha. I should just give Athena to her when I need a little extra pick me up.

No, I'm just kidding. Morella actually has a thing with wanting to be too close to Athena. She really wants to hold and hug her, and sit on her.

We got Morella's Halloween costume today. Tim said after we left the store that he suspects that she is now starting to be afraid of spooky things. I told him I got that feeling the day before when I showed her the Nightmare before Xmas and she cried when Jack fell down the tree into Christmastown. It's just that is the only kid type video we have...thank goodness for streaming netflix, even if it is a hassle to set up.

Tomorrow we are going to a pumpkin farm for a family event since it's supposed to be almost sixty and party cloudy. Last years trip for Morella doesn't really count -- since I was there to just get a bunch of small pumpkins. I'm looking forward to it.

Tonight for dinner I made basked apple french toast that was more like bread pudding and a sausage skillet dinner. Morella barely ate any of it. She has barely eaten anything this whole past week to the point where she is getting constipated. Tim held her down and felt up her mouth this evening and determined that all of her second year molars are coming in. Ugh. He said one actually broke though. I had checked earlier in the week and didn't feel anything so that must have been in the last two or three days. I bet that would explain the night she cried that prompted me taking her to urgent care the next day. I am just so glad that these are the last teeth we have to deal with for another couple months before Athena starts in on the action. I hope she is one of those teethers and just randomly adds teeth without a grimace.

We heard and almost laugh from Athena on Thursday night. It was almost there but not quite...I remember Morella's first real laugh. She was exactly four months old and it was Easter and we were at her Uncle Mark's place. She was busting up over Tim knocking over bottles. What will Athena first laugh for, I wonder? She is also starting to sit with support and making her look more like a baby than a newborn. Aww my little girl is growing so fast! Soon the time between naps will get shorter and she'll be interactive, and then I can wear her around more. It's so much easier to wear a baby when they have proper head control. Did I mention she has a bald spot on the back of her head? She rubbed it out from her self soothing/going to sleep technique of turning her head side to side. Oh well. I think Morella had a bald patch around there too and it was the last to grow in.

Athena's schedule as of now:

Bed between 8:30-9:00
1st night feed between 2:00 - 3:00Am
2nd night feed between 5:00 and 6:00 am
Breakfast: 7:30-8:30
Naptime from 9 or 10 to 12 or 1
Lunch, awake time from nap for about 2 hours
Napsnack
Afternoon nap
Awake at 5:00-600-dinner nursing
Awake time, more nursing and eventual just Athena playing and attention time then more nursing before she sleeps.

So in all she eats about 8-10 times a day still, It's starting to get to a routine though which is kind of cool.

Okay. I should get ready for and go to bed. It will be 12 before that happens.