Two Sides of Brigid, Neither of Which Has Been Pleasant

The combination of ear infection, croup and fever have left our Baby Brigid beside herself. One moment she's her happy self, the next she's screeching and screaming and crying uncontrollably. We don't know how much of it might be the medication she's on, but even after an unprecidented two-hour nap today, she's been miserable. I think she's also just bored -- bored of the house, bored of the TV, bored of her family. All she wants to do is nurse when she realizes how bored she is. What makes her any different from any of us, who, when bored, go stand in front of the refrigerator wondering what there is to snack on?

Jack took Margaret and Patricia on a hike today, leaving me with the loveable tyrant all day. We waffled between Buzsh and Woody, boob and the Lion King. I tried to get her interested in Antiques Roadshow, but she'd have none of it. It didn't even impress her when the Keno Brothers found a great 18th-century hutch. The hiking gang got home about 4:30 and I high-tailed it out of the house to pick up some things for supper, since I didn't even have the chance to extricate myself from Brigid's grip long enough to get something out of the freezer downstairs. Dinner didn't do it for her, either, although she seemed happy enough to sit on my lap through most of it. But that made it difficult for me to cut my own steak. When her interest turned to mashed potatoes and ketchup, I thought she'd sit in her high chair, which she did, for all of two minutes before shreeking again with arms outstretched for me to take her. I left to work on the calendar at the Press, leaving Jack to give the baby a bath. She was screaming as I was walking out the door. And as I bid goodbye to Patricia, she said in small voice, "Can I go with you?" Funny kid.

Brigid had a bad night. Woke up about 11:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep in her own crib, so once again we had her in with us. She was fitful for most of the night. I'm hoping once she gets past the hurdle of this illness, we'll return to some sense of normalcy. The antibiotics and prednisone haven't done much, I fear, but she's only been taking them since Thursday. At least she's been taking them like a trooper. Otherwise, we'd have an even-more-stressed-out child on our hands. Let's hope for an uneventful and peaceful night.