Alex in wonderland part 2

One we arrived in Florida, Dear Alex seemed to sag a little bit - it took a little too much energy, and she really wasn't her usual spunky self. The dark circles darkened, and the mood got moodier, though her generally good nature remained. Dear Alex didn't feel so well, so there's a certain disjointed, lonely quality to the usual sure-hit photo-ops from this part of the trip. The dear girl really was miserable despite the loving and lavish attention from Grammy n' George, who should win some sort of award for being such swell grandparents. After consulting with a pediatrician, it was a pretty simple thing. A cold. (though I hardly approved, we decided that it'd be okay to try Benadryl - It did seem to help, and for a while her nose stopped running and she stopped slapping herself in the face. All we could really do was wait it out... and feel really bad for her. After just two days in the sun, and the pool and outside, Dear Alex has rebounded to the point that she's busting with good energy, and has to be dragged screaming from all of her chosen activities, be it the pool, the beach, or her golf. I'm not kidding - It's great that she's having so much fun fun that she tires herself out so completely that naptime and bedtime go without a fight. g'night dad (don't let the door hit you on the way out) g'night mom. See you in the morning. Of course, bedtime and going to sleep are one thing, but sleeping through the night is another. Dear Alex has been sleeping magnificently, but she's also been waking up early - early for me in any case. Two consecutive days of 6am, with Beautiful wife lovingly kicking me out of bed to go soothe the screaming child in the next room. It's been a piece of cake - A quick hug and a diaper change, then back in the crib. But Dear Alex doesn't really go back to sleep - I know, because for the last couple of days, I've fallen asleep (sort of) on the bed next to the crib. It's not really sleep, more of a half-doze, punctuated by slurps, snorts, silences, and bursts of chatter fron Dear Alex, as she sucks her thumb, snores, and talks to her bunny friends in the crib. You can't really sleep through that... mostly it's waiting in anticipation of the next odd sound or gurgle - leading up to the extended silence, which is followed by "poopie diaper, poopie!" Dear Alex will surely soon be ready for the toilet, because she's anticipated it two days in a row now - the false alarm, followed in a matter of minutes by the real thing. At least she's allowing me the joy of changing her diaper again. For the first few days after the return of Beautiful Wife, only mommy could do the honor. good for her I say, but damned inconvenient for BW.