My daughter's teeth are causing me strife.

"Would you rather have had a fussy baby and a happy toddler instead of a happy baby and the fussy toddler we have right now?" I asked Brad today as our daughter roamed around the house for what seemed like the 400th day in a row in her funk. It's a mystery. It seems she's so unhappy and then there are windows of great joy. Laughing tickle fights with her dad, and bathtime giggles with mom. Today I finally went on a hunt...for the funk culprit. Turns out she has two little triangles of white poking out from either side of her top teeth. If memory serves, it doesn't seem we even got a respite from the last batch of teeth (the same ones only on bottom). Poor girl. Her mouth must be throbbing. That would explain why she always has her hands shoved in her mouth chewing on them. Her little gums hurt. Just when I feel like I can't take her anymore...I am reminded that she's still just my little baby. And not every hurt can be fixed with a kiss from mommy.

Here's something you don't hear enough when you're a young married girl, naive and hoping to start your family asap..."Being pregnant is hard." It's not all cute maternity clothes and feeling your baby kick. Yesterday I said to Brad, "This kid is going to be the end of me." I'm worried. The fact that I feel so completely different this time around could mean I'm having a boy (the opinion of a few voices in my world), or that this kid is going to be a hellion (a much more viable outcome in my view given the way I'm feeling). I hope it's just God's way of reinforcing our plans to only have two kids...I can't imagine wanting to do this again. It's really been hard this time around.

I got a pedicure today. My toes are pretty in pink. My friend Barb took me for a pedi and lunch to celebrate my recent birthday. Soft feet and cute colored toes are some of my most favorite things in the world. So are delicious italian salads and chats with friends. Even if I did spend the entire time in a fog due to the still ongoing allergy attack. (Sidenote: someone told me I shouldn't call it an attack..when you're going on one full week of allergy snot...it's safe to call it a siege....I agree.)