Helping hands

I wish someone had told me one of the worst things that happened to you after you give birth is that all of the moisture will be sucked out of your hands and they will look like the appendages of a witch.

My hands get washed approximately 4,279 times per day. There is not enough lotion in the world to save them. They are cracked, red, raw and sore. I have a particularily horrid patch on the inside of my middle finger on the right hand that I swear has morphed into sandpaper. I like to show it to Josh by whipping him the finger and saying, "Dude! LOOK AT MY FINGER."

That one never gets old. Am 5 years old. Ha.

I love how "they" -- you know "them," the people on all the pregnancy sites who seem to know everything -- say you should toughen your nipples up to prepare them for breastfeeding. But they should tell you to take your hands and plunge them into cold water until you can no longer feel them and then stick them directly onto a hot iron until they turn bright red and burn.

My nipples? Nowhere near as sore as my hands. And that is saying a lot.

I usually slather on some baby lotion after washing them, since I know Jack won't have any terrible reaction and break out in a hidious rash. But it's not cutting it. I even tried a little A&D diaper rash ointment, hoping that would help. Not so much.

Perhaps bathing my hands in Crisco would help? Or possibly dipping them into the animal fat they use to make McDonalds french fries?

Something has to give, because I am thinking about immersing my digits in cement and calling it a day.

But! Wait! The reason for the sahara dryness! Jack!


Baby prize fighter in training

(Thank you to Josh for fixing the FTP issue finally.)