I am slowly venturing out of the house into the world again. It's pretty hectic. I've been practicing with trips to the local playground, and taking Julian to preschool. Nothing too stressful.

The trip to preschool is kind of a pain, because it's literally just 6-7 blocks away. Not close enough to walk with Adrian yet (and I don't have time in the morning anyway), but putting him in his carseat for 6-7 blocks and then taking him out again right away is a hassle.

Adrian is giving Julian status at school though. When I show up for pickups and dropoffs with Adrian, the kids all crowd around me, "A baby! A baby! Can I see him? Can I touch him?"

I just smile and say, "He's Julian's baby." And secretly think, "No way in hell are you getting those virus-laden little paws on my baby, kids. We've been through enough illness lately, thanks."
They *are* cute...it's not their fault they are so germy.

Yesterday was Julian's first full day at preschool. He did great and even took a nap there. I figured out that he will do just about anything as long as there are accessories involved. For example, taking a nap at school was exciting for him because he got to bring in a pillow, blanket and sheet for his mat. Going to a new classroom with a new teacher was fine because Daddy bought him a new Thomas the Train backpack, and he already had a Thomas the Train lunchbox. The kid is already way clued into retail therapy. But it seems to work just fine, so I'm not complaining. It's not like he needs diamonds and gold or anything, the kid is excited about a blue flannel crib sheet.

Adrian and I arrived yesterday to find Julian out on the playground riding a tricycle. Adrian was actually awake for a change, and looking around at everything from his sling. Kids were clustering around, clamoring to touch him and see him.

When Julian and I made it out of the throng, he said, "Baby Brother LIKES my school."
"Yes, he does. He's excited for when he gets to be big like you, and he can go to school too", I said.
"Yeah, and he'll have TEETH then!" said Julian.

My boy cracks me up.

Adrian had his first fussy day yesterday. He fussed all night long the night before, and fussed all day yesterday. If I wasn't holding him, he fussed. In fact, if he wasn't latched onto a nipple, he fussed. Then he unlatched, barfed, and started up fussing again.

It was a long day. A very long day. I had all kinds of grand plans for what to do while Julian was in preschool for six hours straight, but in the end about all I did was sit around and nurse Adrian, and ask him what was making him so fussy.

By 6:30pm or so I was at my wit's end. Fuss, fuss, fuss. In desperation, I swaddled his ass up TIGHT, hoping to calm him down. He usually won't let me swaddle his arms, but I strapped them down and swaddled them too. Just his head was poking out of the top.

"He's a burrito!" said Julian.
"Let's hope he's a NON-FUSSING burrito", said Mama.

Well, he seemed kind of mad about being swaddled up like that, but within 5 minutes or so he totally chilled out. He was biting at the edge of his blanket, so I gave him his pacifier (he was already tanked up on milk and I didn't want him barfing) and that put him into La-la land. I propped him up on the couch and let Julian hold him, which was easy in his burrito form. I took about a thousand photos of the two of them together, they were so cute, and J was THRILLED to be able to hold and kiss Adrian at will.

Still calm, Adrian sucked his pacifier and blissed out in his bouncy seat. Not a single fuss out of him for almost two hours. He slept pretty well all that night too, except that it was too hot for him with the blanket swaddling him, and he got sweaty and fussy around 4:00am. I really need to work on swaddling without Velcro. It's so hard to get the damn blanket wrapped tightly, and then make it stay that way.

Today he was calm again. Whew. I was really worried that my mellow sweet baby had gone colicky or something. But I guess it was just a blip, and the swaddling worked OK, so there's one tool in my toolbox at least.

Adrian was three weeks old yesterday. I can't believe it has been that long, but I already don't remember very well what it was like before he came along.

Today I planned on napping while J was off with Perri (our babysitter, who sometimes takes J to Starbucks or the pet store instead of to the park, but I guess as long as they're both happy and he's not taking up on sugar it's all OK). I was super-tired, but I had a to-do list a mile long. I was just going to knock off a few things before laying down to sleep for a bit, but then one of my tasks turned into a two-hour ordeal.

Scammers are still after my grandmother, so I had to disconnect her current phone service, have the referral message give my phone number so that I can screen all callers and only give the new number out to friends and family, then start new service for her under a new unlisted number. That took forever.

Then I had to call my grandmother's caregiver to discuss how she has recently lost 10 pounds and her doctor thinks she needs full-time care.

After all that babysitting time was over. Sigh.

Oh damn. Julian's nose was running tonight, but I just thought it was leftover from the LAST cold, which darkened our doorstep less than two weeks ago. Now he just woke up screaming and crying and coughing and runny-nosed, so looks like the Enemy is in our house again. Goddamnit. I am so fucking sick and tired of cold viruses destroying our health and happiness. Will spring ever come?