Sun of the Beach
The hot Georgia sun is baking everything within its reach. My lawn is turning brown, and the flowers have all but wilted in the pots on the patio. It's unbearably hot today, with the temperature climbing up to 97 degrees rapidly. It is going to be a crazy hot summer if this first day of summer is any indication of the months ahead. My thoughts are turning to little Sydney. Is she going to be able to handle the heat? We are planning to take a few days in July to go to the beach. What if the Florida sun is as merciless as this? Her skin is still delicate, and the eczema has not yet disappeared. Are we being selfish? Nahhhhhhh, she's tough. She can handle it. We are getting one of those inflatable travel beds with the netting enclosure called a Pea Pod for Sydney. It should protect her from sun and wind as well as insects. I wish I had one of those. Mosquitoes just love me. I'm like the filet mignon on the mosquito dining menu. I can't step outside for 5 minutes without losing a pint of blood from those God-forsaken freaks of nature.
Back to Sydney. Her skin is doing better since the last time I mentioned her acne problem. Tracie is vigilant with applying medication to Sydney's face and body to keep the acne and eczema problems under control. I just hate it that I can't kiss Sydney on the cheeks since they always seem to be covered with a layer of cream or ointment of some sort. Her face is usually shiny and somewhat oily from the medication. I don't know how many flies and mosquitoes have lost life and limb trying to land on Sydney. I could have sworn there is a small pile of insect carcasses along the wall where Sydney lies on the changing table.
A new problem of late was Sydney's decision to wear cradle cap. Well, actually it was not really her decision to have, not wear, cradle cap to be exact. It just happened, I guess. She has these really, really annoying, scaly skin infestations about the size of a large Texas tick that rub off flakes of skin that remind me of dry instant mashed potato. I don't know how she feels about it but I'm thoroughly annoyed when I go to brush her hair and see these flakes of dandruff clinging to her soft hair like aphids on rose buds. I have to refrain from picking at her scalp, remembering my mom's tale of my dad picking at one of my sisters' scalp until it bled. It was not a pretty sight so I don't want to see Sydney covered in blood like a scene out of the Stephen King's movie Carrie. We consulted our wise pediatrician, who uniwttingly recommended a mineral oil treatment for Sydney. Call me crazy, but I don't think he knows who he is talking to. Obviously, he has not heard of me or has read my blog about Sydney's pimple. I think the nurse has, though. As we were leaving the doctor's office, I thought I heard the nurse rushing into the pediatrician's office and shouting, "My God, Doctor!! What have you done?!?!? Oh, that poor child!!" I grinned.
Off to the drug store we went to stock up on supplies before heading home to prepare the laboratory. We bought a large bottle of mineral oil, tasteless and odorless. We bought a new bottle of Head and Shoulder shampoo, cotton swabs, and gloves. I debated the purchase of a pair of swimmer's goggles to prevent the mineral oil from dripping into the baby's eyes, but Tracie talked me out of it. She insisted that she would handle the oil, and only a small amount was needed. What a killjoy! Nonethless, I was as anxious as Dr. Frankenstein before Igor threw the switch to raise the lightning rod.
We got home and stripped the baby down to her diaper. Let the experiment begin!! Tracie dabbed a small amount of mineral oil all over the baby's scalp and massaged it in. The doctor told us to leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash off with the dandruff shampoo. It was the longest 20 minutes ever. We carefully washed the mineral oil off. I discovered that it leaves a sticky residue if we used too much oil. We did, much to my delight! Here's an idea - we could fashion the baby's hair, without the use of gel or mousse. Another evil grin.
After drying off the baby's hair with a towel, she resembled a member of the Lollipop Guild from the Wizard of Oz. She was awfully cute. When we brushed her hair, some of the dried skin came off with the brush but they felt soft. The scaly areas looked better. "It's Alive!! It's Alive!" I shouted, much to the annoyance of Tracie who had just about enough of me. She had just better be glad that the chemist in me did not surface to try to mix some ingredients together first. I thought I was doing great. We were to keep this mineral oil treatment going a few more times until the cradle cap went away. Excellent!!!
We had done the mineral oil treatments a few times now, and the cradle cap problem was barely still visible. I had behaved through the entire treatment. I did not once tried to pick at Sydney's scalp or apply the oil myself. Tracie was in control, and I was not able to get myself banned from bathing Sydney. Sydney's scalp is doing much better without my intervention. I just have to make sure we keep it protected when we're under the sun of the beach.
I knew there was a good reason for why we bought the cute hot pink outfit with a little sun bonnet. The doctor said that a baby's skin was very delicate and should never be exposed to direct sun without protection. We dress the baby in her new outfit to check it out.
The bonnet was just perfect for her little round face. She was a delight to see, posing like Scarlet O'Hara, with her smug facial expression as if to say "Frankly, Dad, I don't give a darn." She seemed ready for the beach. We bought sunscreen lotion for babies and a larger bonnet just in case the sun was too brutal. We will probably buy a large tent or umbrella to provide additional protection for her as well as bring a spray bottle to mist her throughout the day. Tracie booked us some hotel rooms right on the beach so we could take Sydney inside periodically to cool off. I think we got our bases covered.
If it rains the whole time while we're there after all of the preparation for the sun, I'll be one ticked off son of a gun. I have to think positively for now.
Back to Sydney. Her skin is doing better since the last time I mentioned her acne problem. Tracie is vigilant with applying medication to Sydney's face and body to keep the acne and eczema problems under control. I just hate it that I can't kiss Sydney on the cheeks since they always seem to be covered with a layer of cream or ointment of some sort. Her face is usually shiny and somewhat oily from the medication. I don't know how many flies and mosquitoes have lost life and limb trying to land on Sydney. I could have sworn there is a small pile of insect carcasses along the wall where Sydney lies on the changing table.
A new problem of late was Sydney's decision to wear cradle cap. Well, actually it was not really her decision to have, not wear, cradle cap to be exact. It just happened, I guess. She has these really, really annoying, scaly skin infestations about the size of a large Texas tick that rub off flakes of skin that remind me of dry instant mashed potato. I don't know how she feels about it but I'm thoroughly annoyed when I go to brush her hair and see these flakes of dandruff clinging to her soft hair like aphids on rose buds. I have to refrain from picking at her scalp, remembering my mom's tale of my dad picking at one of my sisters' scalp until it bled. It was not a pretty sight so I don't want to see Sydney covered in blood like a scene out of the Stephen King's movie Carrie. We consulted our wise pediatrician, who uniwttingly recommended a mineral oil treatment for Sydney. Call me crazy, but I don't think he knows who he is talking to. Obviously, he has not heard of me or has read my blog about Sydney's pimple. I think the nurse has, though. As we were leaving the doctor's office, I thought I heard the nurse rushing into the pediatrician's office and shouting, "My God, Doctor!! What have you done?!?!? Oh, that poor child!!" I grinned.
Off to the drug store we went to stock up on supplies before heading home to prepare the laboratory. We bought a large bottle of mineral oil, tasteless and odorless. We bought a new bottle of Head and Shoulder shampoo, cotton swabs, and gloves. I debated the purchase of a pair of swimmer's goggles to prevent the mineral oil from dripping into the baby's eyes, but Tracie talked me out of it. She insisted that she would handle the oil, and only a small amount was needed. What a killjoy! Nonethless, I was as anxious as Dr. Frankenstein before Igor threw the switch to raise the lightning rod.
We got home and stripped the baby down to her diaper. Let the experiment begin!! Tracie dabbed a small amount of mineral oil all over the baby's scalp and massaged it in. The doctor told us to leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash off with the dandruff shampoo. It was the longest 20 minutes ever. We carefully washed the mineral oil off. I discovered that it leaves a sticky residue if we used too much oil. We did, much to my delight! Here's an idea - we could fashion the baby's hair, without the use of gel or mousse. Another evil grin.
After drying off the baby's hair with a towel, she resembled a member of the Lollipop Guild from the Wizard of Oz. She was awfully cute. When we brushed her hair, some of the dried skin came off with the brush but they felt soft. The scaly areas looked better. "It's Alive!! It's Alive!" I shouted, much to the annoyance of Tracie who had just about enough of me. She had just better be glad that the chemist in me did not surface to try to mix some ingredients together first. I thought I was doing great. We were to keep this mineral oil treatment going a few more times until the cradle cap went away. Excellent!!!We had done the mineral oil treatments a few times now, and the cradle cap problem was barely still visible. I had behaved through the entire treatment. I did not once tried to pick at Sydney's scalp or apply the oil myself. Tracie was in control, and I was not able to get myself banned from bathing Sydney. Sydney's scalp is doing much better without my intervention. I just have to make sure we keep it protected when we're under the sun of the beach.
I knew there was a good reason for why we bought the cute hot pink outfit with a little sun bonnet. The doctor said that a baby's skin was very delicate and should never be exposed to direct sun without protection. We dress the baby in her new outfit to check it out.
The bonnet was just perfect for her little round face. She was a delight to see, posing like Scarlet O'Hara, with her smug facial expression as if to say "Frankly, Dad, I don't give a darn." She seemed ready for the beach. We bought sunscreen lotion for babies and a larger bonnet just in case the sun was too brutal. We will probably buy a large tent or umbrella to provide additional protection for her as well as bring a spray bottle to mist her throughout the day. Tracie booked us some hotel rooms right on the beach so we could take Sydney inside periodically to cool off. I think we got our bases covered.If it rains the whole time while we're there after all of the preparation for the sun, I'll be one ticked off son of a gun. I have to think positively for now.
posted by DaddyEyeduck at 12:32 PM
1 Comments:
Too darn cute! You could've saved yourself the trip and used olive oil, too. Rub in, let sit, and then comb thru. ;)
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