The Eric Carle Hunt

We have had a little bit of success in our hunt for Eric Carle books. We found a new copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see. The copy we had was one we got at a garage sale for free. It was very ratty and the cover was peeling off. I was pleased to find a new one. We also found the mini board book of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Then today we found Animals, Animals in the hardcover version. All of which were found at thrift stores. And the hunt continues.

Dust Particles

Let me tell you the latest and greatest (as my Grandma would say). So the fruit flies were freaking Stinx out quite a bit last week. But he's slowly getting over it. But right when his fears were most heightened, he started thinking that any little thing was a bug. He'd see a piece of dirt on the floor, then he'd point and say "Bug!". It even got to the point where one morning we were sitting in the living room, and the sun was shining in. He kept saying "bugs".. I couldn't figure out what he was talking about. I realized he was mesmerized by the dust particles floating in the air, visible in the sunshine. Mesmerized in a nervous & anxious way. I kept telling him it was dirt but it took awhile to convince him.

I had bought some mini muffins for Stinx to eat for breakfast last week. As he was eating one at the table, he looked at the crumbs and said "bug!"... He was scared just looking at the crumbs. I ate one and explained that it was a part of the muffin that fell off.

This previous week end while we were in Lake Louise, my mom mentioned that during bath time on Saturday night, Stinx was paralyzed with fear in the bath tub. "Bubga" just couldn't figure out why he wouldn't move in the bath and wasn't sure why he was crying to come out. Then, as she looked thoroughly at the bath water, she noticed the tiniest little speck of dirt. Sure enough, he thought it was a bug. Poor Stinx.

I didn't intend for this to happen. I really was just surprised by the ladybug.. I tried to make up for it... oh what have I done. If you have no idea what I am talking about, click here

More on vaccines.

I've just been doing a little more research. Came across this info on Jenny McCarthy's site. Wanted to share it. Very informative.

http://generationrescue.com/vaccines.html

Vaccination Choice

On Tuesday evening I went to a really interesting seminar called "Vaccination Choice". The speaker was a local doctor, Dr. Stuart Wilkinson, who is in Autism Doctor. My cousin had seen him before about 3 years ago and said that he was really informed. And that he was. He really seemed like a great doctor. When he explained how he works as a doctor he said that he tries to help people in the way they want treatment. He said that if someone doesn't want to use a certain type of treatment, he'll continue to provide solutions until the person agrees with one they are comfortable with. How cool is that? Most doctors offer one solution and if you say you don't like it, they're like "Then what the heck are you doing here?". It sounds like he does a lot of western medicine as well as naturopathy.

My cousin shared with me previous notes from his lecture 3 years ago. I also took notes on Tuesday but they are much the same. Here are some things that I learned and thought was interesting.

He wasn't pro-vaccines but wasn't totally against them either. He really thinks its something people need to research and make an agreed decision on (between parents). He thinks vaccines have helped but have also done some damage. His first child was vaccinated but had a reaction to the vaccination causing brain stem swelling. His child was treated and is ok now. His 2nd and 3rd child are NOT vaccinated.

Rockefeller owns part of all 3 Vaccine producers, as well as the FDA who are supposed to be the "watch dog", and as well as the distributors.. a little sketchy I would say. Rockefeller is also the one who pays people out when there is a vaccine related injury.

Most people are concerned with the MMR vaccine. This is probably due to the first studies possibly linking vaccines with autism. However, Dr. Stuart said the vaccines that cause the most problems are actually the Dtap-ipv and chicken pox. The chicken pox vaccine doesn't seem to work very well. He said that the only way to guarantee immunity is to actually catch the disease. He recommends chicken pox parties.

Hep B vaccine contains the most amount of Thimersol of all vaccines. The flu shot also contains thimersol. An interesting note on the flu shot, it contains an anti-biotic ingredient that children can not have, but the vaccine is given to 2 month old babies.. weird! Stuart mentioned that if you get your kids vaccinated, you need to request very specifically for vaccines without Thimersol. He said to get them to show you the monogram which should say "No Thimersol". Ask to see it!!

He mentioned that the doctor who created the Polio vaccine was asked once if he vaccinated his own children and he responded by saying, "Why would I put that shit in my kids?". Yikes....

The Dtap vaccine can't be separated inn Canada. All or nothing with that one.

Recommends women get the Rubella vaccine since it can be very harmful to unborn babies. However this vaccine doesn't always work.. Possibly doesn't last very long.

His thoughts on homeopathy vaccines was that they might be worth checking into, but could just be a waste of $$$. Said that you have nothing to lose, won't hurt your kids, but might hurt your wallet.

He said that our natural immunities are usually well developed by 12 years of age.

Best way to prevent disease - washing your hands!! and exercise.

On a different note, he thinks that ColdFX is awesome. Hmm.. maybe I should try that stuff. I do have friends that swear by it.

And just in case you are wondering what my stance is on vaccines. I got Stinx vaccinated at 2 & 4 months old. The first time I just did it blindly.. The second time I was starting to question it a little, wondering why some people choose not to. Then I started to read up on vaccines and the more I read, the more I didn't want to vaccinate him. Oh man, "Evidence of Harm" has scarred me!!I do think vaccines are good and that they have really helped our continent, but I do think its quite weird and not natural to inject babies with all sorts of weird shit like mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde. And there are some other very very controversial ingredients in some of them. Anyways, so I think once Stinx is a bit older I will consider giving him some of the vaccines.. We'll be doing delayed and selective vaccinations. Choosing the ones we think are really a concern to us, and delaying them for as long as we can.

If you'd like the full notes version that my cousin gave me just leave me a comment. Its really informative and has some good guidelines to follow should you decide to vaccinate. (For ex. Never ever ever vaccinate your child if they seem to be sick or acting unusual - cancel the appt).

Lake Louise

Dad had his company Christmas Party at Lake Louise this week end. Right at the Fairmont Chateau. It was all fancy schmancy. I felt totally out of place. Sometimes, honestly, I kid you not, I feel way more comfortable in a room full of homeless folks. At least they are approachable and friendly. Anyways, for the most part it was a nice week end.

Stinx went to bed really well both nights for Grandma. I was so impressed. And, great news, Stinx even managed to have a nap on Saturday!! That was a shock since Stinx refused the nap on our last trip to the mountains. So all in all a pretty good time.

Good Bye Retro High Chair

This is my delicious Tuna Casserole. MMM. I love it. Too bad no one else in the family likes it. I've tried offering it to Stinx a few times but he never even swallows the first bite. Dad on the other, is extremely lactose intolerant, and usually won't bother to eat it. And, I understand that. BUT, I don't think its fair that he risks eating things like Blizzards from dairy Queen and overdosing on the lactose pills. So anyways, I usually eat the whole casserole myself in a couple days.

I've been trying to clear some of the stuff out of our basement lately. So far I gave away the futon, a baby walker and now the Retro High Chair. I bought the chair when I was about 6 or 7 months pregnant. I found it on local site similar to craigslist. I thought it was the greatest high chair ever. And it is... as far as looks go. It's a beautiful old relic. I naively thought that this chair would be practical for Stinx.. Well once Stinx turned 6 months and I started him on rice cereal, I realized there was no way I'd stick my baby in there. The chair is probably most practical for a 1-3 year old. And even then, there are no straps to keep them in the seat. Originally the chair is designed so that you flip the tray up and the child sits in it, and then put the tray down. However small children like Stinx could slip right under the tray. So needless to say, we only used this high chair once he was older and very rarely at that. I didn't buy classic modern high chairs, I bought the type that sit on top of a normal kitchen chair.

The beautiful old retro high chair has been living a simple life in our basement. Until this morning. Yesterday morning I emailed a local restaurant to see if they'd like it. It's a retro diner and they have the exact same style of high chairs. I know this because Stinx had to use one of them this summer. It was a painful dining experience only because Stinx kept trying to climb out of the chair. Anyways, the restaurant called me back and they totally wanted it. Awesome! So I'm $40 richer and the high chair is living a more exciting life in a neat, trendy, busy, urban retro diner.

Stinx seated in the high chair for the last time. Well, until we go back to Diner Deluxe.

On a totally different note, Stinx is petrified of fruit flies. He freaks every time he sees one. He shots, "Bug! Bug!" and points. And because fruit flies are so small, I can never see them and I say, "Show me? I can't see it. There are no bugs!". And then a second later, of course I see it. My poor son, terrified of bugs. All because of the ladybug.

Braw Beh

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?" By Eric Carle is absolutely Stinx favorite book of all time. At least for the months of October and November 2008. He runs around saying "Braw Beh, Braw Beh". He adores this book. But I do think the book is slowly falling from Stinx ultimate treasure. The only reason it hasn't lost its touch yet is because no other book seems comparable. If he had found another gold book maybe Brown Bear would have been short lived. I'm just waiting for Stinx new favorite book.

He's had a lot of favorites. Some include: Goodnight Moon, Bear and Kite, Hands Hands Fingers Thumb, Sam Loves Kisses, Tale of Tails, Little Ambulance etc.

I'd have to say of them all, Eric Carle's books are my favorite. I just love his design. It's really brilliant. Stinx first Eric Carle book was the classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. My pal Chelsea bought for him as a gift. Stinx quite enjoys that one too. Especially the holes in the pages. We have the First Shapes and First Animal Homes as well. I think he will enjoy those even more once he is a bit older. I'd like to get my hands on Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear?

I'm really looking to add more Eric Carle to Stinx collection.. So if you happen to pass some by at the local thrift store or used book store, pick it up for me and I'll pay you back :)

Jumbled thoughts on sleep and other things

I love love love when Stinx gives me kisses. Just like any mother loves receiving kisses from her child. It makes me melt. Ahhh... I love it. I also love when Stinx is nice and gentle to other kids. Yesterday in the nursery at church Stinx was walking up to the other babies and toddlers and giving them kisses on top of their heads. I like that much better than him whacking them on the head.

I'm trying to figure out what to do about Stinx's sleeping arrangements. Right now he is in the crib, and occasionally in my bed (usually between the hours of 4-8am). I'm contemplating getting him a toddler bed, or a twin bed. My lovely e-penpal from the south explained that she started her daughter off by taking the front rail of the crib off. In its place she put a bed rail. And a stool so her daughter could get in and out. This seems like a good idea. I also like the idea of a toddler bed because it's lower and fairly small. But, I also like the idea of a twin bed because it would last him a very very long time. But also with that, I don't want to buy Stinx a twin bed that will look really old and nasty in about 10 years. I don't want it to be super outdated. Oh i don't know.

But I do think I will end up co-sleeping with the next child much, much more. I'm not sure why I was so adamant about not co-sleeping with Stinx. I mean, I gave it a try and did it once in awhile. I often woke up wishing to turn over but dreading waking up Stinx. Or I'd wake up and my neck would be all kinked. If we had a king size bed it could have worked. Or if I had side-cared the crib. Or used the Co-sleeper. But I much preferred having all the space I could for the short while I could sleep. 2 hours of plenty bed space was what I wanted before the next feeding.

Yes next time around, I am envisioning myself on a bed with a bed rail nursing my tiny baby and sleeping at the same time. My cousin always talked about how she would just nurse her kids and sleep at the same time. That did not happen with Stinx, not when I tried it. I mean, now, yes I can do that, but not when he was younger. I guess it may have been new mom jitters. I'd just lie there awake wondering when he might fall asleep. Perhaps fears of him falling off the bed, or me and Dad rolling over him (Haha, that is so silly!) The other problem is that for the first month or so I was healing from the c-birth. That alone is very uncomfortable. I had a hard time getting in and out of bed. Some nights I'd roll over and find myself in pain. It just wasn't a good option for me in the begining. Then there was the fact that I couldn't find a comfortable way to nurse him lying down. This is actually the biggest reason why co-sleeping never seemed tempting to me. If I had found a super comfortable way to nurse my lil Stinx laying in bed, I probably would have co-slept from then on.

So when Stinx would wake up for a feed I would go to his room, nurse him while I sat up in a chair, and then put him back in the crib, then I'd go back to my bed. It doesn't sound too bad, but it really is when it is happening numerous times through out the night. Next time I will just keep the baby much closer to me, either in a bassinet next to the bed, or in a crib side carred to my bed. Yes, I will save myself much more sleep next time.

Oh and here's an interesting link on side-carring a crib to an adult bed.
http://www.freewebs.com/sidecarcrib/

100% Guarantee

If you are looking for a way to piss the hell out of me I have one good suggestion.

You could start by waking Stinx up from his nap. This will irritate me but it won't make me want to kill you. So if you want to go that extra mile, you could enter Stinx room while I try to either put him to sleep or resettle him. This is guaranteed to make me hate you. At least for awhile.

The foolish, unwise folks who have tried this have definitely made me want to cut their heads off, but I have forgiven them all (It usually only takes a few minutes for me to regain composure). Well, except for that one roofer who came to give us an estimate a few months ago. He didn't actually come in the house or Stinx's room but he did rudely interrupt a nap. I'm still mad at him, simply because I don't know who he is. I just heard him walk loudly on my roof during Stinx nap, and woke him up twice. I likely would have kicked him in the nuts had I seen him afterwards. I was literally fuming ALL day after that happened. Anyways...

The other culprits include a grandma, a friend, and now - one of the kids I baby sit. Why people?why do you think its a good idea to interrupt me during this very crucial time?

The poor kid I babysit. She's the youngest of the 3 (ages 5, 7, 11) and today she got a taste of the nasty babysitter. The kids had woken up Stinx by playing basketball too loudly, directly under Stinx room. So I told them I needed them to be very very quiet and not play basketball while I tried to help Stinx go back to sleep.

When I got into his room I laid down in the crib with him (yes, its weird, I know). My plan was to lay with him until he fell asleep. Well 2 seconds later I hear the bedroom door open and the littlest says my name. OH MY WORD. Venom was ready to spit out of my mouth. "Get out" I said. She looked at me blankly (probably thinking, "What in the world is she doing in the crib?"). I say it again, "GET OUT", probably in the most annoyed, frustrated and pissed off tone I have.

It is then that I realize that there is no way Stinx will go back to sleep. Not now that he has seen a pretty blonde haired creature. And surely not after his mother has spoken in that awful mean tone (and who is also cursing quietly to herself now).

So I take Stinx down stairs and apologize immediately and profusely. I felt so awful for being so harsh with her. Terrible babysitter I am. It's just that she happened to cross that line.... It's a thin line and I know I shouldn't care.. But if Stinx and I are in his room with the door closed - it certainly means I don't want any interruptions. I know I should have made it EXTRA clear that I didn't want anyone to come upstairs.. I tried to explain that after too - the future plan. Next time I will know to make it very very clear. And maybe next time I won't snap and just realize, this nap is over.

I blame this crazy behavior on the intense sleep deprivation I suffered since Stinx was born. It's not that I have been sleep deprived the whole time.. but definitely the 1st year. It became obsessed with it. I nick named myself the Nap Nazi. And since Stinx has been sleeping so well since the spring and summer I am no longer the NN. But that does explain what happens when someone attempts to interrupt me during sleepy times... The Nap Nazi is still there, underneath my not so obsessed cover.

Sorry little M. I'll try to not freak at you next time... That is, if you didn't learn your lesson today. (Is that creepy? She doesn't read this.. I'm just being dramatic.. Haha.)

Oh man I am in a crazy mood today. Can you tell? Anyways... If you really want to torture me you could come over during nap time and throw rocks at Stinx window... I just can't promise I won't hurt you.

Stinx 1st Dental Visit

So a friend of mine mentioned that she took her son for his 1st dental visit. It got me thinking about how I should take Stinx. I was looking through the local children's magazine and checked out all the Pediatric Dental adds. I chose a pediatric dentist who was in the same quadrant of the city and who had particularly modern advertisement (yes, I guess I am that shallow). I also saw some positive comments about this dental office on a forum.

The appointment was this morning at 8:45am. It took me awhile to fill out all the paper work. Then we were brought to a room which was very very dull and boring looking. It was orange and had a dental chair in it. That was about it. It seemed sterile and cold. This is where a dentist came and talk to us about a few things. She asked some questions and then said she'd look at his teeth. She got Stinx to straddle me and then lay his head back into her lap. He looked a bit nervous but let her brush his teeth... for a few seconds. Then the panic set it. Then he was crying. the dentist and the assistant kept saying this was normal and it actually made it easier because they could see his teeth. Then it was over quickly. Thank goodness, it was a bit painful for me.

She said everything looks good. She told me that I should help Stinx brush his teeth until he is 8 or 9 years old. Wow. Ok. And I guess the best way to brush them at this age is the way I had helped her. A two man job. So Dad and I will have to try that out.

The she asked if he gets a bottle at night. Argh... I should have known this subject would come up. I told her that he nurses before bed. She asked if I brushed his teeth afterwords... I said Nope. She said I should "wean him from that habit" and also suggested that I at minimum wipe his teeth with a washcloth. I think the washcloth is do-able.. but outright telling me to wean my child??? Bizzaro woman. She said the word "wean" a couple times. And perhaps she just meant the bedtime nurse, but still it sure rubbed me the wrong way. The second time she said I should wean she said it would be a few rough nights.... Oh boy, that I didn't like. I clearly told her my son was not dependant on nursing to sleep and that his dad often puts him to bed.

So I was a bit disappointed in this dentist office. I wish the environment was more "fun". When my friend told me about her family dentist's office it sounded awesome. This place was dull, it didn't seem much different than a regular family dentist. And then the crying during the exam was a bit much. I heard most 1st visits are just to make the child comfortable in a dentist office - not to scare them and make them cry... And then the weaning subject just topped the cake of disaster.

Oh well... Guess we'll try the other Pediatric Dentist in the local professional building. Serves me right judging the office by the nice advertisement.

Soap Nuts

In the summer I decided to start cloth diapering Stinx. It was a decision I made based on a few reasons. But mostly it came down to just trying it. I had planned to cloth diaper Stinx when he was a new born but I weakly let Dad bomb that idea. So now that I have the time and energy to be cloth diapering, I really really like it.

But it took me quite awhile to figure out which diapers I would use. There are sooo many different types of diapers out there. Fitted's, Pre-folds, Pockets, All-In-One's etc. I ended up buying lots of diapers off sites like http://www.diaperswappers.com/ or http://www.kijiji.ca/. Then when Dad went to Texas I got him to buy me 6 Bum Genius diapers. They are way cheaper in the states (at least they were this summer when the dollar was okay). So I mostly use pocket diapers but also have a few fitteds.

So then the question was, how do I wash these things? Everyone seems to have a different opinion on how to wash cloth diapers. I settled with cold wash or rinse, then hot wash with soap, and an extra rinse cycle.

Soap is another complicated issue with diapers. If you use the wrong soap it will wreak havoc on the diapers. Detergents with natural oils seem like a good choice but in fact they're bad! They can cause all kinds of trouble. Same with fabric softener... so i did a little research and found that many moms use Country Save. http://www.countrysave.com/ This is what I have been using and I have had no problems at all.

However, the same people who recommended Country Save to me also recommended these things called Soap Nuts. They're a fruit from a certain tree in India. The shell contains a natural soap. Well I then saw them listed on a local co-op so I decided to give them a try. And they actually work. You stick 3 or 4 of them in a little cloth baggy and throw it in the wash. I also tried them in my dishwasher this week end when I was all out of regular automatic dish washing detergent. Worked like a charm even though Dad was skeptical. The trick is that they have to be used in hot water.

These little soap nuts really are brilliant though. They're 100% natural, good for the environment, and really work. If only I could grow them in my yard. I haven't been using them all the time, I still like the Country Save for the cloth diapers and I have a big jug of Ecos from Costco that I want to use up. But all in all, I like having these soap nuts in my laundry stash.

Here's a link if you want to check them out. This is a local site from Alberta that sells lots of cloth diapers and other things. http://www.fluffybottombabies.ca/item_94/Kaleys-Soap-Nuts.php

Two Worlds Collide.

Work went well last week. It felt really awesome to be back there. I am really happy to be working 4 hours a week. It's just the right amount. I'm still basically a stay-at-home-mom with one night off.

Being back part time really reminded me of my start at the shelter. When I first started I worked 3 or 4 nights a week. It was seriously the best pt job ever. And that's what it was like on Wednesdays but even better because I didn't have to lay any mats or do any cleaning. It was great - just chatting with clients.

It felt like two worlds colliding. My life before Stinx and my life after. It was a bit weird. The old me mixing with the new me.

It was good for a good kick in the face as well. I can't believe being away for almost 2 years can make me forget what the daily life of a homeless person is like. It was a good reminder of how good my family and I have it. We are soooooo blessed. We have shelter, clothing, food, family, friends, jobs etc.

Looking forward to work again this week.

Recycling

I have never been a self-proclaimed recycler. I've been a terrible recycler. I didn't even really start recycling consistently until a few years ago. I started with cardboard. Then when Stinx was having some baby food from jars I started to recycle glass. Now that we live in the house and have a garage I've been recycling much more.

There is one problem.

Mice.

Dad spotted one a few weeks ago in the garage. He caught one with a mouse trap a few days later. Then I saw two in one day. We caught another one. Then we realized they've been loitering in the recycling bins.

I took the bins back about a week ago. It was disgusting. Mouse poop all over the bottoms - even in the glass jars. So I vowed that we would sign up for a curbside recycling program. I figure if the recycling is disposed of weekly then I'll know if the mice are still around. No poop = no mice.

So I asked two of my lovely friends about curbside recycling. They recommended a couple companies.

I called one company and he reminded me that the city will be doing mandatory curbside recycling starting inn June 2009. Awesome! It's paid for out of our tax dollars but its still a bonus in my opinion. But in the mean time I'd still like to get ours picked up. For a 6 month term it is $84 including tax. A bit pricey but I think it will be worth it.

Dad and I are just so lazy at returning the recycling. It just piles up and piles up.... building awesome little cozy forts for mice to live in.

The company emailed me their flyer which included a list of all the products they recycle. Oh my word. I saw things on there that I could have been recycling for years, like shampoo bottles. I am feeling really guilty about this. If only I had started this a long long time ago.

Oh well. I am starting now and that's the best I can do.

How Stinx came to be.

In my family, we have a tendency to call cute delicious children "Stinkin's" or "Stinker". Once my son was born, I realized I liked plain ol' "Stinx". And so it was fitting when we found him this costume for his 1st Halloween.

This year he was zebra. No cute nickname to match. But still a cute zebra.

Shelter

So I am slowly becoming less and less a stay-at -home-mom. I am going back to the shelter once a week. I'll be working 1 night a week for 4 hours. I am really excited about this. Wednesday's are usually my "night off" but sadly I usually forget to make plans so I end up wasting my time at the mall (or seeing crap movies by myself). So when the shelter called to offer me a flexible position I said yes.

When my mat leave ended at the beginning of this year I planned to work one night a week. However at that time they only needed me on the week ends. I really wasn't up for that so I had to hand in my notice. I did make it clear to them that I might be interested down the road. It was really hard quitting. I had worked there for 5 years and would be leaving many pals. It's the type of job that leaves you wondering. What happened to so and so? Did so and so quit crack? Did so and so get help for their mental health? I just find myself wondering how everyone is doing.

It's not that I haven't visited in the past 22 months. I have visited very regularly (in my opinion). Having worked there for 5 years, I don't really recall many ex staff coming to visit. I was there every 1-3 months just to say hello. I had planned to volunteer but have found it hard to actually get myself there. It seems when there is no commitment, there is little to help me remember. I would always say "yeah i want to go every couple weeks" - but then life gets busy and Stinx keeps me jumping through hoops.

So now I will for sure get out of the house every Wednesday, I will for sure know how all my pals are doing, and I will get to do what I love. Don't get me wrong, I love mothering Stinx more than anything, tis why I am only working 4 hours a week. But I really enjoy working with the homeless too.

When I left work because of mat leave, I really needed the break. Now being away for almost 2 years, I feel refreshed. I feel like a softer human being. Maybe not quite as crusty and burnt out. I almost fear that I have regressed to my super naive self. I guess my tough skin better grow back quickly.. I've forgotten what its like to be called every dirty name on earth. It really isn't like that very often... (Hmm.. am I being forgetful? haha). But really, working as little as once a week I don't think I will have to deal with too much stress. And really, for the most part, the clients are the most amazing people I have met. They have so little, but have wonderful hearts and great sense of humours.

We'll see how my re-entry to the "work force" goes.

Roseola

Today I figured out that Stinx has Roseola. Or maybe, "had" roseola. The fever went down yesterday and this morning he had the rash all over his trunk. As soon as I saw the rash I remembered my friends telling me about this happening to their children. I looked it up on-line and Stinx matched all the symptoms: fever for a few days, irritable and fussy, no appetite, rash comes once the fever breaks. The thing that really sucks about Roseola is that children are most contagious before any of the symptoms show up. Here's a link for more info if any of you are interested:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/roseola.html

So poor Stinx is cutting all 4 eye teeth and had Roseola. No wonder it's been a brutal few days. I am so happy that Stinx is still breastfeeding. What a life saver that was. When he woke up in the night, hot and fevering, I would just take him into our bed a nurse him right back to sleep. And actually, that's all Stinx wanted to do for the past few days, nurse - all the time. I didn't mind because I wanted him to stay hydrated. I gave him lots of other fluids and tried to get him to eat but he wasn't too interested. EBF'ing has its benefits that's for sure.

Today Stinx seemed back to his regular self (which is teething and terrible two's). I have never been so happy to have a teething and tantrumming toddler. It's way worse when their sick on top of that normal stuff. He was actually in a pretty good mood all day.

Hopefully he'll be feeling great this week and hopefully the worst of the teething is over.

I'm just praying he'll sleep through the night now.