Riley and Avery

So, I'm on day six of my dairy-free and egg-free diet. So far so good. It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be. I only really have to modify my diet, but when Avery is older and really really wants a cookie from the store, I will probably have to tell her no, and that will be difficult. Now that I know for sure that she is allergic, it makes the changes easier to handle. Before when I tried to give up dairy, it was difficult because I didn't really know if she was allergic or not. Avery is already a much happier baby. She laughs and "talks," things that she really didn't do much before. She is sleeping better for the most part. She is still a little clingy, but not as bad as before. I know that the dairy is still not totally out of my system, but the progress is promising. Avery is also at a difficult developmental stage, with separation anxiety, teething, and the frustration with the gap between what she wants to do and what she is physically able to do. She is definitely a little explorer now and likes to pull up on anything and everything, making messes along the way. She also likes to play tug-of-war with whatever Riley is playing with, which as caused many a fight. Riley just doesn't understand why Avery can't be told "no" and gets really frustrated which usually ends in physical injury.

A funny little side story on Riley. In the middle of the night, I hear Riley get up and go in the bathroom and I hear one of the drawers open and close. I kind of drift off back to sleep until I become aware of slight motion from Riley. So I look over my shoulder at her, and she's laying there with a Q-tip in her nose. She says, "don't bother me, I'm picking my nose with a Q-tip." And I thing "by whatever means necessary" and go back to sleep.

Riley is not handling my return to work very well at all. Avery is getting better, taking breastmilk from Daddy, but if she hurts herself, nothing will console her. Rudi brings the girls into Starbucks for my 10 minute break so that I can nurse them, and it is usually this time that Riley breaks down. She obviously cannot handle seeing me there and not having free access to me. She also will not go to bed anytime soon after I come home from work and she wakes up frequently during the night really whinny and really demanding, so we've had some really bad nights and early mornings. Hopefully it will get better, otherwise I will have to quit. I got my first paycheck from Starbucks and I really liked it. Even though it was only for $93, it's the first paycheck I've gotten in nearly three years. I know that I should get direct deposit, but for now I really like holding the check in my hand and reading my name on it.