Hormones, flutes, kingsize beds, and dream, dream, dream.

I won't bore you with details but I have been having the strangest dreams ever lately. I'm assuming it's a result of not being pregnant anymore (awkward sentence, this!), and not a sign of insanity. I had weird dreams while I was pregnant, too (example, here).

• Last night I dreamed that I had to swim down a big canal of water. It had some power lines in it, and I was scared about having to swim past them, and then I reminded myself that if they were live, I would've been dead. I swam past them without getting electrocuted. 
• Last week I dreamed that Alex, my friend from work, had stolen Tom Cruise's car, a silver BMW that was all tricked out and sporty.
• A couple of weeks ago, I dreamed that I was in a TV show starring Rob Lowe, and I played his chauffeur/wife. Rob was a weapons designer (not at all like Tony Stark) and on the run from some bad guys.
• Last night (or maybe it was the night before; no, 21 robbers did not come knocking on my door) I dreamed that I was the secretary to the President of the United States, and she and I were boarding a plane (Air Force One?), and the fact that the president of the U.S. was female was so normal that I was free to notice that she had a bad-ass black leather handbag and I was wearing a pair of killer pointy-toed pumps.
• One night on the weekend I dreamed that my teeth were all rotten and gross.
• Since having the baby, I've had the Bookstore Dream at least twice.
• When we first brought him home (i.e., before I decided that it was OK to let him sleep with us), I would have the strangest sensation, after I'd gotten up to feed him and put him back in his crib, that he was somewhere under all the blankets. More than once I woke up completely panicked that I'd squashed him, when all the time he was safe in his Moses basket.

In addition to the crazy dreams (there are more! and I know I didn't give many details here, but these dreams are vivid, exciting, and very, very real), my darn hair is falling out. I've done enough Internet reading to know that this is normal, but seeing just how much is falling out is alarming me. Not clumps - huge swaths of hair (when it first started, I asked my doctor about it, and she sort of murmured, "I've heard that can happen." Needless to say, I found a new doctor. I've heard that can happen!? I liked that she was able to get me into the breast clinic in a heartbeat when I was having trouble, but I really didn't like that response)! They clog up the bathtub drain, collect in mats on the floor, and stick to the baby's clothes and hands. I am constantly picking hairs off of him, and since he's discovered that pulling mommy's hair is just as much fun as pulling daddy's beard (more so, because I think those beard hairs are more securely attached), it's a never-ending activity. Picking hairs off the baby. My hairs. After awhile I get grossed out. Luckily, I don't think he minds a bit.

The other thing is, I'm having a major eczema attack! It's horrible! I have prescription strength cortisone cream but I am really hesitant to use it while I'm breastfeeding. It's on my arms, a new location (yay?) and oh, man! Itch, itch, itch. Pick up hairs, pick up hairs, pick up hairs. Dream, dream, dream! Somebody told me that your body doesn't go back to normal, hormone-wise, for a year, after having a baby. A year! Is that true? I don't want to have to wait a year to normalize! Anyway, in the meantime, I am moisturizing like crazy.

Cool news: this weekend we bought a king-size bed! I'm so excited. I have to buy new sheets and a comforter before it's delivered. Hopefully I'll have time on Friday. And hopefully the bed doesn't come before then.

I don't think I've mentioned it here (Facebook is sucking away all my time I used to spend blogging), but last week I was asked if I could sub for a flutist in the flute choir who can't make it to this week's concert. I haven't played my flute in six months! I worked it out with Patrick, freaked out about leaving the baby all night (I don't usually get home from Culver City on flute choir nights until about 10:15), and got out my flute and played some scales and long tones (and JP didn't cry or fuss; in fact, he went to sleep). I went to the dress rehearsal on Thursday and it went pretty well. They're playing some hard music this quarter! The rehearsal was fun - I was able to concentrate and mostly kept up. I'm playing piccolo on one piece that's gorgeous, and on another (Mozart; I forget the title, I'll have to tell you later), there's a huge section of double tonguing that I may not get in time. I hate double tonguing. Luckily my stand partner has worked it all out and she can play it. I just might let her go for it and instead count my way until the next doable part. I don't usually chicken out like that but come on, a week? Did I mention that piece is in 1? It's tough!

Yesterday I let the baby play on the floor with his blocks while I got in a good 45 minutes of practicing. It might be the only practicing I get to do, so luckily he was very happy rolling around, playing with the little piece of cardboard that was in the box the blocks came in. He's such a good baby. As long as I rememeber to count and can stay in tune with everyone, it should work out just fine for the concert. Patrick's going to bring him to see mommy play but I doubt he figures out what's going on. Still. I'm excited to be playing again.

I think the music on the stand is flute 2 of the Schubert.
If flute 2 is that hard, I shudder to think what flute 1 is like!