Last night went pretty well for me at least. Since the wife is breast feeding, she doesn't get me up when the daughter gets up in the middle of the night or early in the morning. I got in bed late at about 1:00 am and the daughter was just waking up. the wife changed her and fed her and I just fell asleep.

I found out this morning that the daughter took an hour at the breast (the glider rocker was a good investment) and then another hour to go to sleep. She just fights sleep. We really don’t know why but we speculate that it is just gas pains. the wife has eliminated all dairy from her diet. It takes a while for the effects to show up in the baby and we have waited a little less than a week. It might take a few more days to find out if the diary was bothering London or not.

I kind of feel like I am not doing my part because I have slept through the nights and the wife has not gotten me up during the early morning feedings. During the day the daughter is almost attached to the wife all day long. I just prepare the meals and make sure the wife has enough water to drink and enough food to eat. I went to the grocery store today for what seemed like the fifth time in five days, but I don’t mind a bit.

The daughter seems to be stuck in this little routine of feeding for an hour, fussing for at least an hour, and then sleeping for about an hour or a little more. In fact last night she slept from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm! The wife got some sleep as well.

I noticed yesterday that our dog smelled clean. We have not given him a bath in about a year because he hates the water so much. Have you ever heard of a golden retriever that doesn’t like the water and won’t fetch? Now you have. Anyway, someone washed him for us. I noticed it right away because I didn’t get the everyday assault on my olfactory senses. Debbie the neighbor (Henry’s second owner) says she didn’t wash him so I have no idea who did.

Today was a different story. Debbie the neighbor came by to visit and after she left the daughter started crying. It wasn’t the mild standard cry we were used to. It was more like a grueling and straining cry. It was like a shrill- a shriek. We both felt terrible for her but nothing seemed to sooth her. It seemed like it lasted over an hour! Actually the overly-strained crying lasted probably 15 to 20 minutes, but when she is in that much pain it seems like much longer to the parents!

I took the time to clean out the office and file a bunch of old bills and papers. I am drowning in a sea of paperwork! I have most of my bills coming electronically, but I still am inundated with paper! I also drained the spa and refilled today. It was too damn cold to be outside doing that. I should have been IN the spa.

I am returning to work tomorrow after two weeks off to be at home with the wife and daughter. I am not looking forward to being back at work. Problems, problems, problems. It will take me at least a week to dig out from under all the paper and to put out all the fires! Oh well, someone has to pay the mortgages (all four) and feed the dependents.