Jeepers Creepers, Where'd Ya Get Them Peepers?

It was hot yesterday, but Baby B held up very well in the weather. We bought an air conditioner for her room in anticipation of a hot summer (now watch: it will be cold and miserable). Her room is so small, a tiny unit will be enough to keep her comfortable. And here's something funny: The kid doesn't like to be covered up. When I bring her in with us in the morning, she kicks and kicks until she's completely uncovered. It isn't by accident. It's deliberate, which means she pulls all the covers off us as well. Maybe she has an ultra-sensitivity to things like that. But we do know she's been having some kind of sensitivity issue on the back of her neck. For the last few weeks, she's been scratching the back of her neck like crazy, creating (or responding to) a red rash. At first, back then a few weeks ago, we though she had some black fly bites. But they didn't go away and she continued to scratch the area. Her hair falls just at that level, as does the collars and necklines of her clothes. Then we thought it might be detergent-related, so we switched to Dreft baby soap, which we used to use months ago. But her clothes have been washed with the regular laundry soap for months and she's never had a reaction. That didn't seem to make a difference. She had her 15-month check-up last week, and Dr. Chaskey said it could be a few things, not the least of which is the dreaded, all-encompassing "Contact Dermatitis" -- translated means "We don't know what the hell it is, but something came in contact with her derma (skin)." He gave us a hydrocortisone cream to try; he also recommended using some kind of anti-itch cream. She doesn't seem as bothered, but she's still reaching back there to scratch, and sometimes it goes up into her hair on her scalp. (cooties? Lice? Her microchip implant by the mother ship??) We've also switched to some anti-allergic type soap for washing and shampooing her to see if that helps. But with the heat and the sweatiness of it all, I'm afraid she's getting really itchy again.


One thing the sweatiness is bringing out is the curls, just like Margaret used to have as a baby (still does as a big girl but she has much more hair now). I hope Brigid ends up with curls like Margaret had. They were adorable and always managed to elicit comments from strangers. She already gets comments on her blue eyes, which, as far as I can see, are a different shade of blue than any of ours. Whenever we go someplace, someone mentions her blue eyes. (I think I've used this photo before, but it really shows off them peepers)

Today marks the first day that Margaret is the official babysitter since she didn't have school. We'll see how that works out, but so far so good, according to Jack, who reported she is doing a very good job under some difficult circumstances (a visiting friend of Patricia's). I think Margaret would be great no matter what, but the prospect of this being a "real" job -- and we're treating it as such -- makes her take it all the more serious. I'll be leaving work in a few minutes to get a report. I hope she isn't wiped out in the corner someplace, hair askew, food all over her clothes, furniture turned over, baby playing with something unhealthy in the middle of the mess. (think "Jack Jack Attack" from "The Incredibles.")