I'm simpatico, sj. Even with benadryl I was getting pretty wheezy at JZ's dad's house after two hours. And he's only got one cat and a huge place.

Deb does a good job of making her place habitable for the cat unenabled. Even before she took out the carpeting and went with the hardwood floors. I think she's extra careful about vacuuming the furniture, which is usually where I get into trouble. People will vacuum their floors for you, but the couch is where I usually get hammered with my allergies.

I'd give them the benefit of it and ask--if they are indeed freely willing, they want you there badly enough do to what you consider too much work.

I think I might have TCG do it. It is his stepmother's niece and I hardly know her at all. I feel bad asking her to do a lot of work when 1. She has young kids and that is why she wants to be home 2. I might still not be able to stay for very long.

I hate always being a problem for everyone.

Thanks for the sympathies, Hec. I try to always sit on a hardwood chair if possible and not to even touch anything like a couch.

It's way easier than I thought it would be, but I expect it would be next to impossible if you don't have your own washer/dryer.

My great great aunt Chachi gave all the new Mothers in my family three months of diaper service as a present. She was awesome.

Plei, I really admire you for using cloth diapers. Seriously.

I found out this weekend that friends are raising their (now about a year old) daughter diaper-free. Baby-girl's grandma and aunt, who told me about it, were already making enough not-in-this-lifetime faces that I didn't have to.

(Baby-girl's parents are also raw foodists, so I'm not as surprised as I might otherwise be, though really just as baffled.)

I found out this weekend that friends are raising their (now about a year old) daughter diaper-free. Baby-girl's grandma and aunt, who told me about it, were already making enough not-in-this-lifetime faces that I didn't have to.

Practicing EC?

It's roots are age-old, but man, I'm just not that good at reading my kid's potty signals, nor would I WANT to be.

I've read about diaper-free parenting. Not unless I lived outside. In the dirt. With a lot of long grass around. And the baby could sleep there.

BumGenius

Yeah, I read about it too. And I've seen it in action in a couple countries. It does not match my First World lifestyle. Just out of curiousity, I've observed Mal to see if I could tell when he is preparing to, uh, flurm, and there's no way. Not until it actually starts.

OTOH, I discovered last night while trying to take his temperature that he has sphincter control now. Lots of it. Enough for San Quentin.

Um. Sorry. TMI.

So, how 'bout them A's? Oh, right, another bad topic.

Raq, you are far braver than. With the exception of medical professionals, Em has only had her temp take in her ear.

The Bean is, indeed, a freaky ass cutiehead. She looks like a porcelain figurine when she's asleep, though.

sj, I'd toss up feelers as to the lengths they'll go to make sure you don't end up in the ER. It sucks having severe allergies and having to explain them to families who have no experience with them so they might not have a clue as to how bad it is. My brother in law once pooh-poohed my mom's allergy to venison and thought he'd prove she was making it up by making his chilli with deer burger. Mom broke out into hives after one bite. Luckily, her reaction isn't that severe--but it doesn't excuse asshattedness.

My great great aunt Chachi gave all the new Mothers in my family three months of diaper service as a present.

Oh, man is that a great gift. Columbus' last diaper service went out of business right before I had Owen. I would have gone cloth if I could have had a service. I am lazy and not ashamed to admit it.

I don't get the overly strong desire to return to the stone age in parenting with EC. Yes, third world parents do it without thinking of it. But I think even a mom in the Kalahari might be tempted to snag up a box of Huggies if she had the chance.

BumGenius

How cute is that brand name?

Dare I say...genius?