On the subject of Mucus.

I hate snot. It disgusts me. I have been known for lengthy, uncontrollable dry heaves in the middle of a staff lunch room (setting off a chain reaction of dry heaving) after seeing people picking their noses while driving by on the street below.

So this made it pretty unusual that I would embrace, without a second thought, a device that involved me sucking the snot out of someone's nose. But the nose is question might be the cutest nose ever of all time.

Baby Z has been snotty ever since she was born. Mucus-y, snotty. After she developed a cold two weeks ago, I started looking for ways to help her breathe better ("what do you mean babies can't blow their own noses?"). The public health nurse suggested taking her into the bathroom while the Fella or I were bathing or showering to get the steam to help clear things. I found long walks outside were more effective, but enjoyed having BabyZ snoozing in the Snugabunny beside the tub while I had a super hot long bath (still a novelty after pregnancy).

What works much better?

The HydraSense Nasal Aspirator for Infants. It comes with saline drops to help soften the mucus, and then using a bulb with a soft tip you insert in the nostril, you gently suck the mucus out of the nose. Not only does it help instantly, but it seems safer than the hand bulb and has the elements of a science experiment as the bulb is clear.

I highly recommend picking it up and keeping it in the medicine cabinet in case you need it when the pharmacies are closed. Rather than listen to the baby snuffles all night with your eyes open staring at the ceiling and counting the minutes until you can wake her up and hold her because it makes you feel better.

Dreigel Driegel Driegel and Fart Smarts

Someone is six weeks old today. What is a driegel? Someone's current favorite 'word'.

I can ask her, "would you like to go downstairs?" She'll reply, "dreegiel, driegeellll".

It's all in the tone. You kind of have to be there, or ask me to do it in person.

It was a busy couple days prepping for more visitors. Everyone keeps saying "let the housework go" and I have a little, but in this compact townhouse it's a bit like a ship and everything must stay in it's place from me to retain my sanity. Fortunately Nana-to-Z came over and hung out with us while I ran the Dyson for the first time since foaling and it was very satisfying.

And someone won't stop hitting herself. I finally figured out (a-doih!) that she was probably trying to scratch the dry patches around her ears and eyebrows. So I greased them up with some of the most amazing bum/face cream ever (Bum Cream by Peas in a Pod - link to follow). Her skin looks so much better, especially as I mix the creams and with the introduction of nightly baths. No pooping in the tub yet, but some serious farting.

Today I was told by the public health nurse that farty babies can turn out with a higher intelligence then non-farty babies. (I should have opened with that line). She said the extra rhythmic rocking that farty babies get to calm them helps them build synaptic pathways.

I heard farts=smart.

BabyZ=lots o' farts=quite smart.

The routine progresses. Word is that a baby has to repeat a change for three days before it becomes set. I think the routine is pretty set.

Tomorrow: humidifier shopping and more Bjorn time.

Welcome...

Hi-eee! Although the name of this blog sounds kind of like a Japanese love-motel, it's actually going to be (however ambitiously) about me talking about being a New Mother. (Herein referred to as NM). Seem that all I can do these days is talk about babies, baby-related stuff and my Baby (Baby Z). I could talk for hours and hours about all the new (to me) stuff regarding being a NM and what BabyZ is doing (or not doing, or half-doing, or should be doing, or I imagine she is doing but others say not so etc etc).

We are about six weeks into life with Baby Z, and although things are settling down a bit, there's probably enough going on still to be interesting to someone (most likely Baby Z's Grandparents - Grandpa of Z and Nana of Z). Maybe if you're a NM something I yammer on about will be helpful. Maybe not. At least you'll realize you're not the only one whose clueless and baffled and sleep deprived and wondering if you're messing up for life the little person who you suddenly love more than anything in the whole, wide, (and also suddenly terrifyingly threatening) world.

Side note: I probably won't post too many pics, if any, of BabyZ. Why? Perverts. Stalkers when she's older. Shady entities possession of Baby Z's images.