Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Do I make it worse by talking about it?

Um...I have discovered something that I find both fascinating and disturbing at the same time.

It started out when I found this link in this blog. It is a moving commercial that is being shown in Victoria, Australia. The song ("Pictures of You") especially caught me, so I decided to look for it on You Tube.

That lead me not only to two different versions of the song (I like both), but also to something I didn't know existed: Harry Potter tribute videos. There are several devoted to Severus Snape's life-long love of Lily Potter. (Freaky. Freaky. Freaky. But someone has done some beautiful artwork that is totally not based on the story line. More likely what the artist imagines Snape's ideal life with Lily Evans would have been like.) There are many, many videos set to lots of different songs that memorialize those that die in Deathly Hallows. Most of these videos look to have been made after Deathly Hallows the book came out, and after the movie of Goblet of Fire came out but before Order of the Phoenix was released on video. I am totally weirded out and at the same time totally hooked.

On a different, but equally disturbing note, I am once again taking prescription pain killers while breastfeeding a child. The first time was when I had surgery in Janet's 4th month of life. At that time I was taking Tylox (a lovely combination of Tylenol and OxyCodone), which I credit for Janet starting to sleep through the night. This time I'm taking Vicodin. It was prescribed for my post-childbirth related pain. But I didn't really need it then. I need it now. This cut in my hand really, really hurts. I'm pretty sure the Vicodin is why McCloud is so sleepy today. I was assured that it was perfectly safe for breastfeeding, otherwise I wouldn't be taking it.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Adventures in Knife Juggling

Me + 10" Chef's Knife = Trip to the local ER.

I did a seriously bonehead thing. I was cutting a sweet potato in half (lengthwise, not that it matters). I was holding the potato and cutting toward my hand, and the knife broke through and then some. I have 2" long laceration (I like to use the big, technical terms) between my thumb and index finger on my left hand, which is now decorated by six lovely stitches. You can't see them right now because there's a big stack of gauze bandages on them.

I had my wits about me, and immediately applied a clean dish towel to the large, nasty cut in my hand. Then I picked up the phone and cried when my husband didn't answer his phone. My next call was to my sister, who skipped out on the last 10 minutes of work to come rushing to my aid. Then I called my husband's work's dispatch, and Amy the dispatcher very kindly got Big Kahuna on the radio and told him to call his wife, then find someone else to wash his truck for him. In there somewhere I applied gauze and tape to my hand so I wasn't carrying a dish towel around with me.

The neighbor came over and stayed with Busby and Janet until my sister arrived, then BK, McCloud and I headed for the ER. (McCloud came with us because I'm still her sole source of nourishment.) Overall, we had exactly the high level of service and care that I expected from the ER staff, with the exception of one nurse. The nurse we had back in the treatment room had a less than fabulous bedside manner. He was removing the bandage I applied to my hand, which kind of stuck a little. To assist things, he sprayed an antiseptic spray. I said "OUCH!" and he said "Oh, I didn't warn you about that." BK told him to watch out, as he (the nurse) hadn't previously been warned about my right hook. The nurse's bedside manner improved appreciatively after that. At the end of it, he let us take home the scissors, tweezers and clamp thinger from the suture kit. (He was going to throw them away otherwise. And we were going to be billed for them no matter what.)

Also, in spite of the fact that I haven't had a tetanus shot since 1994, I didn't get one tonight since I'm still nursing McCloud. I'm supposed to ask her doctor if it's ok for me to get the shot. There's not a huge concern, though, since this was a kitchen accident and not an animal bite or some other nasty incident.

So, this means showers with a glove on my hand for the next two weeks. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to have Big Kahuna wash my hair in the sink. Already diaper changes and breastfeeding have proved slightly painful. Wish me luck.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Happy Mothersteim's Day

Yesterday was my 4th Mother's Day as a Mom. It's my second Mother's Day with a weeks-old baby. It was my first as a mother of 3.

McCloud and I didn't make it to church yesterday. But Big Kahuna took Bubsy and Janet with him to choir practice then deposited them in Sunday School. When they came home, Busby walked in, very excited and holding out a bag and said "Happy Motherstiem's Day Mommy!" and gave me a potted plant that was supplied by Mrs. B, one of his Sunday School teachers. (You may recall that he kept declaring "Happy Balensteim's Day" on February 14th.) I almost fell over laughing, and needed tissues for the tears running down my face. Tears of happiness.

I hope your Mothersteim's Day was great.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

What's in a name?

Busby and Janet have been great with the baby. They are each attentive in their own ways. Busby's way is to decide that the baby, while sleeping, needs a binky. And to be patted on the head. Janet's way of paying attention is to squeeze herself into the Laz-y-Boy chair with me while I'm nursing, and holding the baby's feet. They both appear to be doing well with the new baby in the house.

But Busby has developed an annoying habit. He has started calling us "mama" and "dada." And using a really baby-ish tone when doing it. Last night at dinner, I reminded him that I am "Mommy" and that Daddy is "Daddy." Then Big Kahuna said "I'd liked to be called 'Funky Winkerbean.'" (Big Kahuna looks nothing like Funky Winkerbean, by the way.) So I asked Busby to call his daddy "Funky Winkerbean." To which he responded "Funny Weinerbeans." It only devolved from there. I can't remember all of the variations, but I can tell you I was still laughing about it when I went to bed last night. Busby eventually landed on "Funny Weinerforkandspoon." Today he went back to calling daddy "Daddy."