A Flaky Scalp and Sleep Pattern

Shortly after Katie was born I noticed what appeared to be cradle cap on her eyebrows.  I assumed that it was just dry skin (the poor kid was covered in dry peeling skin when she was born) and waited for it to come off.  Ok, I picked at it here and there when she would tolerate it.  I'm a picker.  I bite pick stray hairs off of Bryan's ears and generally can't help myself when I see things that look like they ought to be picked [like ear wax].

On Saturday, Bryan gave Katie a bath.  I'm pretty dismal at this task and I take so long to wash the poor child that she's shivering by the time I'm done washing her.  I'm as bad at washing a baby as I am at putting a pullover shirt on one.  Small babies just aren't my forte, but I can change a diaper in any position and even while the baby is on the run.  At least I've got that skill.   Clothing and bathing could be considered optional depending on who you question, but diapers simply aren't.  Anyway, back to Katie's bath.  Turns out the kid has the beginnings of cradle cap and bathing her seems to make it spread.  It seems like every time we get some of it to come off, a few more patches of it appear.

I just washed her determined to loosen some of the cradle cap because picking at it didn't work, but I think I only succeeded in making her look like a baby with a dandruff problem and a moderate case of cradle cap.  Madeline never had this and I am convinced it's because I used this medical scrub brush that I was given in the hospital.  When Ellie was born I used a brush made for removing the corn silk from corn on the cob.  She eventually developed a really bad case of cradle cap that took a while to loosen even when using a cradle cap lotion that was supposed to break up the crusty skin.  Katie's scalp isn't as bad as Ellie's was but based on where it's forming, I have a feeling it could be worse.  I'll probably have a crusty scalped baby for Christmas. Awesome.  It will go great with her black sweater.

So on top of the cradle cap we now have Katie toying with our sleep.  For a couple of weeks she's been really good about sleeping for a 5-6 hour stretch and then another 3-4 hours after that.  Then, last week she made Bryan and I very happy when she slept for about 8 hours straight for three nights in a row.  Unfortunately, she has been waking a couple times a night for the past two or three days.  I felt so rested after Friday night when she stayed up until 11PM and didn't wake until around 7AM.  That was exactly the stretch of sleep I had been telling her she should consider.  She tried it and decided it wasn't her her.  Saturday night she was up twice and I felt worn out when I had to get up in the morning to go teach my class.  I have no idea if she woke up once or twice on Monday but Bryan was unable to sleep the rest of the night because of it.  I think she might have been up twice last night.  I just can't remember.  It is becoming clear that when she's on her back she sleeps for shorter increments.  Bryan gets nervous about her sleeping on her belly and typically will not put her down that way when we're sleeping.  I on the other hand, prefer to put her on her belly (she prefers it, too) since she sleeps better and she doesn't gurgle and choke when she spits up.

I'm hoping she starts sleeping for longer stretches soon.  Bryan is wondering if Katie's very lumpy looking gums have something to do with her not sleeping as well.  I'm currently in denial that she could possibly be teething.  She has been drooling a lot and trying to chew on her fingers but I'm not ready for teeth.