Week 18 - Baby's first sickness

My poor Littles is sick.  This began about three days ago, but got worse last night.  I had previously been using the mucus-sucking bulb from the hospital, but it didn't do enough.  Last night, Koral was so hungry but couldn't breath through her little clogged nose!  It was SO AWFUL.  At 9:00 in the morning, Target opened and Senthil went to buy the Nose Frida - a Swedish invention that lets you suck the mucus from her nose with a tube that goes into your mouth.  Settle down - the mucus is trapped and does not go in your mouth, and the suction is fantastic.  It works!  Yes, I was a parent that saw it months ago and said, No way!  Well, just wait till your baby can't breathe.  You'll buy one, you'll use it, and you'll be happy.  Thank you, Swedish inventor.

Yesterday we celebrated Senthil's 31st birthday, and I was reminiscing about how last year we celebrated his 30th shortly after finding out I was pregnant!  Now we have our sweet little girl and I am so glad.  Yesterday was important as a family because really it was the first day since coming home that we all relaxed - no work, no unpacking, just family and rest and meals together.  I got Senthil a breakfast sandwich maker that he loves, and we made egg, cheese, spinach and tomato sandwiches on english muffin.  It's designed to make sandwiches in the "McDonald's Egg and Cheese Muffin" style.  Also, a hot-air popcorn maker.  We are both focusing on a healthy diet now that we're home, and these two are meant to help.  That being said, I feel like I still have a ways to go, and the stretch marks are I think pretty much as bad as they get on anyone, but the weight is reducing over time.  This is good, since I started stress-eatting my last two weeks in Iowa and that was quite a backward step.

Postpartum Month 4 - TMI Reality Pic of an average, exhausted, happy new mama:
[](http://img.svbtle.com/siurtrdmramjcg.jpg)

If you compare to the 2nd day after birth pic, then the 2 weeks post partum pic, this is really good.  Slowly just shrinking down!  I know I keep motivating to really exercise, but honestly, just too tired most days with all the travel we've been doing.  Oh, my, travel alone is a beast.  We have been away from our home half of her life!  Just glad to be settling in again, refusing to leave for a while.