Wow. Just.... Wow.

Just when we all thought we were going to see the light...Tasks were being accomplished. Colds were at least manageable. 

Bam.

Ear infection.

Then double ear infection.

But let us bask in progress before we go there, shall we?

While Piper did not take to sleeping through drills, we have managed to work around her a bit. And considering her continued nighttime antics, neither of us wanted to push the sleep issues right now anyway.

Sleep isn't happening.

Why make it worse.

But with some planning ahead, some progress has been achieved.

And I'm not the only one totally loving our inside/outside living room. I swear it has kept what little sanity I have left, intact.

And added bonus?

She found her pens, opened the box and started drawing away one afternoon.

Awesome sauce !

Sorry folks. With how everyone feels and the fact that it's now 8:30 pm and I'm still in last nights pajamas... This is the current belly shot.

Cute, eh? Honestly with all the illness of this pregnancy I'm not nearly the size I was with Piper. I'm 9 months prego for sure, but I'm still quite agile for a 9 month pregnant Lady. Between chasing and carrying Piper and not being able to eat for most of the pregnancy- I've put on less than 1/2 of what I carried the first time. Kinda missed out on the whole pregnancy excuse to eat everything and anything. 

So ya.

Anyway. Enough about the size o' me.

The night before my birthday Piper was happy, running around - climbed her bookshelf and fell. Not too big a deal. Minimal crying. She's been pulling all kinds of fun ( please insert sarcastic tone here) antics. Running out of her room at bedtime and all through the night. Pulling the whole one more potty break, one more sip of water tricks. So this night was epic for this. I mean, crazy. She just would not settle. After 2 hours of trying (it usually takes 15 minutes) I just felt something was amiss. Was it the fall? Was it something else? After checking out the good bruse on her chin we decided to give her some pain meds. After yet another rough night the morning showed something different.

Obvious ear infection.

Okay, great - but come. on. 

Are you kidding me? 

And she was just on some high octagon antibiotics a freaking month ago.

I've been reading a lot about letting the body fight it out in an effort to strengthen the immune system. How the overuse of antibiotics are rendering them ineffective.

So I called a local, and well renowned, naturopathic doctor who specializes in pediatrics. He held my hand ( over the phone) and gave me some tips, guidance, and encouragement - to wait it out.

And that's exactly what we 'be been doing.

The first night, my birthday, Piper wouldn't eat and disappeared - putting herself to bed- before came came out.

And it went downhill from there.

Josh has continued to take the night shift and is getting a small taste of what Piper's infancy was for me. 

I think he's in awe I did it for 7 months. 

So I get the yelling and overall crazy town cranky all day and he gets the fitful sobbing all night.

We 're a team on this one for sure.

And have managed not to kill each other.

Well...at least no visible bodily harm has been done.

Do not tell him I posted this. He wanted a haircut and would not be happy this being shared. But in the moment, need of haircut or not - it shows our world right now.

She is continuously trying to sleep, but just can't settle. So she'll disappear into her room for a 5 to 10 minute cat nap.

Hey- at least she likes her room!

Poor thing. She still keeps up her pleases and thank yous when she's up for it. And on my birthday she kept saying, sorry Momma...

I realized some of the things she says and does doesn't always make it on here. She's putting 2 and 2 together a lot. It's a bit scary what comes out.

Then there are the sweet Piper-isms.

Fairy GodMuffin. She knows it's a Fairy Godmother - but most times is a GodMuffin.

Summer Time = morning time

For some time now she greets us in the morning ecstatic that it's "summer time"

Jamas = pajamas

She's talking a lot about her baby sis-tor. Not to me mind you. No, she saves the questions and philosophical mustering for her Dad in the early morning hours.

Today is day 5. Pain meds are finally working. And she's eating and drinking. Poor kid has seen my birthday cake on the counter this whole time and has gone with the flow. So while we've cut out a ton in an effort for her body to heal, I caved and shared 2 bites of cake with her. Not that I should have any. I'm still coughing up 1/2 a lung.

I tell her just a bite or two no more. "okay Momma, I understand. But it's your birthday cake. I need to sing for you."

And in the sweetest, tiniest little shy voice she sang her version of Happy Birthday to me.

 

And it was the best Birthday present, ever.