Two, and three.

I knew parenting was going to be hard. I was under no illusions. But the part I most dreaded was when my children got old enough to want to play with me. The early part, while mind-numbingly exhausting, is fairly free of mental interaction with your child. You feed them, get them to sleep, hold them, make eye contact when they're actually awake, and you're good. I'm excellent at performing routine and dull tasks. I was really good at newborn parenting and got lots of compliments. Of course, I'm sure most new mothers get lots of compliments, but still. No, the newborn part didn't phase me. The toddler part and beyond did and does scare me. You see, given the choice I will find myself a nice pleasant spot away from people with a book and stay there. You don't have to talk to me or play with me. In fact, just leave me alone. I'm sure I was different when I was younger, but starting at the age of ten the previous description fits me to a T (until I get done with...

After vanquishing the TMJ symptoms I came down with a bad case of pericoronitis , which is basically an infection of a wisdom tooth that didn't fully come in. Hurts like the dickens, but I found a dentist willing to see me yesterday morning (another said I had to wait until the 20 th , even after I told her about the extreme pain I was having, and obviously I found her help inadequate) so I'm on antibiotics and big doses of ibuprofen. Even Vicodin, which I didn't take until this afternoon. I used to have a martyr complex and wouldn't take anything stronger than regular ibuprofen, but after going through labor (four and two years ago, not anything recent) and major jaw and neck pain I have no hesitations about taking the strong stuff. I discovered this afternoon that I felt like "airy love" and that I was "floating clouds" and that I definitely should not drive or text anybody while under the effects of Vicodin. Part of my reaction was probably the s...