Cutting back

Is this post about the recession?  Nope.  Well, I suppose it is, indirectly.  You see, it's time for me to get a full-time job, which means I need to undertake a job search.  And those job searches take a long time these days, so I'd better start now, even though my second child (whom my husband occasionally calls "the other one," apparently forgetting his name) is still young.  And starting now means that I don't have time to pump after every feeding.  Also, I hate the fucking pump.  We shouldn't overlook that.  So as of today I am pumping after the morning feeding, the 1pm feeding, before bed, and in the middle of the night.  

Did you guys see the article called "The Case Again.st Bre.astfeedin.g" in the current issue of The Atlantic?  It has gotten the Internet into a furor, but, personally, I found it to be a nice reality check.  And if you're a low-supply gal like me who goes to great, possibly insane lengths to breastfeed, it offers some good perspective.  Like that it might be better for me to spend time with my offspring than to be pumping all the time.

In other news, Seb.astian's sleep is kind of a catastrophe.  He's getting his ass sleep-trained next weekend.  I'm ruthless.

A quickie

I have other posts brewing, but this is just a quick one to give myself a pat on the back.  You see, today I ventured out with the infant, the toddler, AND the dog -- all at once.  The dog was really the problem, seeing as he's been driven from the brink of insanity into real insanity due to the excess of children and the dearth of walks in his life.  The infant and toddler were very well behaved.

How do people have more than two kids?

I mean, sure, maybe you get better at managing the chaos created by many children, but how do you handle the germ transmission?  I mentioned in my last post that Se.bastian was sick -- well, it turns out it's RSV.  I've been having to take him to the pediatrician every day for a checkup, but that's at least better than having him in the hospital.  He's lost a pound and his sleeping has gone to hell.  I've since heard from several friends that their second or third babies ended up in the hospital when they got RSV at a young age (from an older kid in the house).  Yikes.  FYI, you're supposed to take your baby to the doctor immediately if they get a cough.  And the treatment Se.bastian is getting now involves two things through a nebulizer.  He should get better this week, according to the doctor, though it could linger.  Meanwhile, So.ren has some other virus that is causing a fever -- I hope we avoid that in Seb.astian.  We are keeping them far, far apart and hoping that I am immune to whatever So.ren has.

I'm on zi.thromax for an ear infection and taking many anti-thrush precautions, such as probiotics galore.  Also, I change my nursing tanks frequently and wash off my chest with vinegar, causing me to smell vaguely like salad at all times.  Well, salad on top of maple syrup, since I am also taking fen.ugreek.  In short, I am a joy to behold -- and smell.

But in other news, Seb.astian is making lots of intense eye contact and even smiling from time to time, so my postpartum OCD/anxiety levels have dropped.  For that, I am extremely thankful and will happily deal with sick offspring.