Grandma Time, Thrush, Visitors, and Gwen Hates the Bath (Still!)

So yesterday's "Grandma Time" went great. I didn't end up staying out as long as I could have - my exit from the cafe was mostly hastened by the fact that my laptop battery was dying. Perhaps next week I'll get there soon enough to snag the table with a power outlet...

Wait, did I say "next time"? Why yes! Karen and I have made a standing date for Wednesday mornings. How glorious to be me. Karen also told me that if I want her to do any chores around the house while I'm out, I should just let her know.

As amazingly awesome as that offer is, I don't think I could stand to ask my mother in law to do housework.

Anyway, back to more current events. Gwen's thrush is still going strong. A list of things we have tried so far:
- Monistat Cream x2 weeks
- Vinegar Rinse x4 days (there was a vast improvement at first, then it stopped having any effect)
- Stopped using wipes since last Saturday since the antibacterial stuff feeds the yeast
- Have been using disposable diapers (not cloth) since the onset since disposable diapers wick moisture more effectively
- Canesten cream x3 days after I heard that thrush is becoming resistant to Monistat

I spoke to both my midwife and my naturopath today and have a few ideas on deck. The naturopath recommended breaking open some acidopholus tablets, mixing the powder with water, and putting the paste on my nipple before feeding her, to help strengthen her digestive tract. So I've started that. She also suggested yet another cream, which I decided I would try after the weekend if the Canesten is still not effective. Lillian suggested the All-Purpose Nipple Ointment. (I'm a little annoyed at that because last week when I called Lillian in a tizzy, begging for something, anything else I could try to help Gwen get rid of the thrush, she told me there was nothing else I could do. And now she's recommending Jack's APNO? Sigh.)

The final step - and believe me, it's not the one I want to take - is to cut sugar out of my diet.

(A moment of silence, please, in respect for all the taste buds currently screaming in agony in my mouth.)

I guess this is payback for my pregnancy, when I was so gratified that I didn't have to quit alcohol, cigarettes, or caffeine - since I don't have any of those habits. The one habit I have, and have bad, is sugar. Can I give it up for the sake of my baby girl? Yes, I can, but it might not be pretty. I might have to take a picture of her poor rashy bum and put it on the fridge or something.

On a totally different subject, I had a lovely visit with Amber and her two beautiful kids today. She brought me a Hooter Hider!! I was stoked. How extremely thoughtful, especially since my attempt at making her postpartum period slightly easier, by bringing her a meal for her freezer, failed so utterly.

Aside from the loot, it was so nice to visit and catch up with her. Her little girl is about two weeks older than Gwen, so it gives me a glimpse of the near future, and her son is 20 months old, so it gives me a glimpse of the farther future. We also decided that Amber is no longer allowed to be jealous of me for my plix-glower-sleeping baby (which, incidentally, Gwen has never repeated), because I have now heard her baby crying, or should I say "crying", because that sound is nowhere near the hurricane of horror that comes out of Gwen's mouth when she is angry or upset or hungry or lonely or just plain messing with our heads. No, Amber, that is not crying. That is whimpering. Maybe.

Our final news item before I leave you for a few days (we're going to Vancouver for the weekend) is the latest episode in our ongoing saga of How To Convince Gwen Not to Hate the Bath.

Things we've tried so far:
- Bath in the big tub in Daddy's firm arms (FAIL)
- Bath in the infant tub (FAIL)
- Bath in the infant tub with expert Granny helping out (FAIL)
- Bath in the infant tub with warm facecloth over her body (FAIL)
- Bath in the big tub while nursing (closest yet to success - she didn't scream, but we could only clean half her body)

So tonight we tried another suggestion we've gotten, which was to submerge everything except her face. It made sense, as the water would go in her ears and give her a nice "white noise" effect. But of course as soon as she was in the bath she was screaming and writhing and making her body go rigid, and as we lowered her enough to submerge her ears, she wrestled her head loose enough to turn it the wrong way and get a mouth full of water. Then her body went limp, her screams choked off, and my heart stopped. I immediately brought her up to my shoulder and started chanting, "You're okay, you're okay," mostly to persuade myself. It was a horrible moment. She was, of course, okay, as evidenced by her continuing to scream throughout the rest of the bathing experience.