A cheerier update

First, God seemed to know I needed a break, and Mal managed to sleep just over 2 hours in his crib last night, so I got some "alone sleep" for the first time in months. Ahhh. :)

Today, we had Mal's 4 month well check-up, and I LOVE his doctor (whose son is at U of A right now!), but cringe against the vaccination lectures. We *are* going to get Mal vaccinated. We're just waiting until he's a little older, we won't do the STD ones or chicken pox or that kind of thing, and we only want to do one at a time. I have been a little ticked off by the "arrogant that their beliefs trump one hundred years of medical science" things that have been bandied about since the Disneyland measles outbreak. I don't think I know more than the medical community. I just wonder what the increasing number of vaccinations does as a cumulative thing, and want to spread it out, waiting until Mal's crucial early development is behind him. And the only time I had a question about vaccinations, when Daphne was 2 and up until then had been on-schedule and up-to-date with all shots, I was treated like an idiot... and this is what makes people skeptical of what "the authorities" say. When the authorities forget that people love their kids individually and might have the same fears as a huge bloc of people... but they still deserve some attention and serious thought given to their questions. Anyhoo.

So, Mal is at 17 pounds! Such a big kid! The doctor said I could wait until 6 months to start food but recommended not trying on vacation. I told him that's why we stopped a week ago, when it was clear that it was bothering him. Mal is also 25.5 inches long. His head is now only in the 48th percentile. Whew.

The doctor, like we, didn't feel any teeth. He said it's possible to "teethe" and then not have teeth erupt for six months. He did tell me I can give Mal some Tylenol, so when he wakes up (yea, car ride!) I'll take him to CVS to get some for the trip.

The 4-month handout from the office was amusing. "Most [breast-fed] infants need at least 5 to 6 breast-feedings in a 24-hour period until solid feedings are well established." No problem. We sometimes do that during a night. Also, in the part about continuing to make your baby go to bed when he's "drowsy but not asleep," a skill which "must be learned," it says it's okay to have a toy in the corner of the crib (but not pillows, bulky blankets, etc.) because "your baby will look forward to seeing it's familiar features..." Well, so, great at giving advice but not so great at proof-reading, eh?!

So, here's a picture of my dad the day he was born. HE'S SLEEPING ON A PILLOW! *gasp*

I'm almost certain he survived! *fingers crossed*

Also, I really want one of those baskets. They look very portable and easy.

You should see me... I've been using Mal's (rare) nap to alternately furiously type this and sweep. Sweep a little, write a little... And we're having the house cleaned tomorrow! But I *hate* stepping on litter. This is why I almost always wear shoes around the house. Blehh.

Yesterday, I had to write that blog post. I told James that one of the reasons I feel like I'm not dealing so well with stuff is that I write to process and I haven't been able to really dig in a write anything in almost a third of a year. This is difficult, and if you're a writer, you'll understand. It's like therapy. It's my pensieve. 

Blah blah. He woke up. :)