Ears:  Kieran’s surgery is scheduled for 8:30 tomorrow morning.  (March 2.)  We have to check in between 7:00 – 7:15am.  Kieran can have food until midnight, formula until 1:00am and clear liquids (in our case, Pedialyte) until 5:30am.  We’re excited and anxious for tomorrow – but we’re convinced that Kieran will reap such huge benefits from this procedure that we’re eager to have it done.  (His teacher told me this afternoon that he had a rough day of patting at his ears.)  I just want my baby to feel better.

We should be home by noon or so tomorrow, I assume.  We will be updating on Facebook before, during and after I’m sure.  Prayers for Kieran’s health, our peace, and focus and calm for the doctors would be appreciated.  I know this is supposed to be a super simple procedure, but it’s still scary as heck to this first-time Mama.

Nose:  Kieran is still SUPER congested – two months and counting.  The anesthesiologist wasn’t happy to hear it this evening when I spoke with him, but it shouldn’t be a problem.  He even agreed to try to suction out Kieran’s sinuses while he’s under tomorrow.  (We’re hoping that once the pressure equalizes inside his little head, that Kieran’s sinuses will finally drain as well.)  In the meantime, the snore wafting up from the crib matches the one rumbling from Paul’s side of the bed in tone and pitch, if not volume.  On the whole, it’s quite adorable.  (That said, I’ve had quite enough of having a literally snot-nosed kid, and I’m sure he’s sick and tired of me attacking him with the battery-powered nose sucker.)

Butt:  I asked my friends and family on Facebook for suggestions today on how to deal with Kieran’s little bum, having suffered through a month of progressively stronger antibiotics.  He looks like a little baboon, and screams like a Banshee during diaper changes these last few days.  I’m frustrated that all diaper rash creams seem to be geared towards protecting his bum from moisture – but nothing seems to address the honest-to-goodness pain my little guy is in until the antibiotics stop and he stops pooing fire. * After wading through a plethora of great suggestions, Kieran and I hit up Target this evening and made a few purchases.  (The top three creams I was looking for are apparently hard to find locally:  Mustela, L’il Goat’s Milk, and Triple Paste.  I called around to several places looking.)

So I ended up with a gentle diaper area wash spray from California Baby (with calendula, witch hazel, and aloe vera – all of which I was hoping to find in a gentle cream or something) and a spray rash protector from Bourdreaux’s.  I really like that both of these are sprays, limiting the amount of touching/rubbing/applying necessary.  I’m using cotton cloths and cool water with the spray wash, and once dry spraying the protector.  So far, one diaper change down – and no tears.  I picked up a little plastic bin to make a baby sitz bath with some baking soda as well.  We’ll put that to use tomorrow if necessary – but Kieran was so sleepy when we got home this evening, that I didn’t want to put him through it.

So THANK YOU to all my friends and family who answered the call of Kieran’s red butt:  Tricia, Claudia, Nina, Heather, Kelly, Grandma Dee, Patrick, Cousin Glenn, Linda, Kym, Cousin Eowyn, London, Jessica, Rachel, Teri, Aunt Nita, Barb, Kelley, Mia, Amy, and Kristy.  It takes a village sometimes.  I am grateful for your willingness to offer suggestions, if nothing else.  :)

*  At the suggestion of family friend and pediatrician, Dr. Meghan – Kieran is taking probiotics with this course of antibiotics.  The diarrhea isn’t as bad as it has been with some of the other meds, so I assume they’re helping.  Dr. Meghan has been such a blessing to us this past week, calming Paul and I as Kieran cruised through last weekend with a nearly 104 degree temperature while on the max dose of tylenol.  So if you’re reading this, THANK YOU again Dr. Meghan.  <3