Sick of it

Good news: D is recovered. No fever, just a bit of a cough. Back to her self, for sure. Bad news: Baby A seems to be heading down the same Miserable Road that D just traveled. Woke up with a 102 fever, flushed cheeks, rattly cough. Darn it. We're headed back to the doctor this morning. I've officially given up baking this year, and I'm about to give up on the Christmas Cards too.

What day is it?!

So. Tired. D up many times last night - water, meds, potty. I literally fell asleep in the hallway when she got up to go to the bathroom at around 3 or 4. This morning she's tired, but her cough is so much better. I thought she was going to lose a lung last night. We ended up filling her Rx for Zithromax late yesterday so hopefully it will kick in by the end of the day and we can put this all behind us. Just hope A doesn't come down with it too. Or anyone else.

Somebody? Anybody?

As if things weren't crazy enough around here, Baby A JUST WON'T NAP! (Sorry for yelling.) It's driving me crazy. I mean I put him in his crib and he looks all calm and peaceful and I tiptoe away and then like 15 minutes later he's crying. Argh. So he's overtired and I'm tired out.

Maybe it's that we haven't left the house in 3 days.

I may need to take up drinking wine again. Just a bottle glass at night to relax while we watch TV.

It didn't look like this in the Pottery Barn catalogue

D only has a 100 fever this morning - but we're not celebrating yet as she seems to have developed a nasty chest cold overnight. I'm thinking she has the flu. She'll probably be home at least one more day, but maybe she'll be feeling well enough today to eat or play a game or... sit for a Christmas picture?

Yesterday (in between administering medication, forcing people to eat and playing endless rounds of "where's baby" and "peek-a-boo") I found time to clean, straighten up and finish decorating. We were being overwhelmed by piles of laundry, stacks of mail and bins of Christmas decorations. Even after the most thorough clean-up, within minutes toys will be scattered all over the living room, dog hair tumbleweeds will drift from under the furniture and the dining table will be covered with crumbs -- which appear even if no one has eaten there for days.

Sadly, no matter how hard I try, our house will never look like a Pottery Barn catalogue. For instance, here's Pottery Barn's beautiful Emma bedspread in a real-life setting:


And here's their super cute animal hoodie towel as interpreted by A:


Not quite what I imagined when I bought this stuff.

O Tannenbaum!

Before:


After:

Cabin fever

So D is working on her third day of 102 or higher fever (note the pink cheeks!) We took her to the doc this a.m. and thankfully it's not strep, but they don't really know what else it might be. At least if it were strep we could just go straight for the antibiotics and treat it. Anyway, no school for the next two days at least. She's too run down to go out, so I'm homebound too. So much for the remainder of my Christmas prep. Thank goodness for the Internet or I might as well just move on to Valentine's Day! But at any rate, I probably only have two brick-and-mortar stores to go to: Borders and Target. Then I'm done.

Baby A is feeling the effects of being stuck at home with two miserable females as well. He's off his already terrible nap schedule and doesn't seem happy to do anything. I've run through all the options - feed him, hold him, rock him, walk him, the gymini, exersaucer, bouncy seat, repeat. Nothing doing. So he's crying it out in his crib right now, I'll give him five more minutes then go in and start all over again.

Bah humbug

You ever get that feeling that you are out of sync with everything? Where you seem to be doing everything in fits and starts and you can't get anything done? Well, that's pretty much how this weekend has worked out. There's nothing like a sick kid to throw a wrench in your plans.

D was sick all day yesterday with a really high fever, so instead of baking and decorating, the day was mostly spent giving her Tylenol every 4 hours. Today she woke up fever-free, but really whiny and fussy. So we spent our whole morning comforting one crying kid or the other. After breakfast -- and by now it was noon - M wanted to get the Christmas tree. He said it had to be a family outing or it would just be another chore, so we all trooped out and found a really beautiful Fraser Fir right away. It's gorgeous. Came home. More whining and crying and presto! D's fever was back up to 102. Poor thing. So I put on Noggin (thank you Lord for TV) and tried to do some baking. Again, nothing worked out right. I burned some lovely pears that I was roasting. Then burned the choc-chip cookie bars. Then I burned my hand when I grabbed the oven rack by mistake. I would give up baking entirely this year except I spent a fortune on dried fruit and chocolate and stuff and don't feel like storing everything til next year. And I doubt the food bank would want 4 lbs. of dried apricots, cherries, craisins, etc. Unless there are a lot of homeless bakers out there.

Oh... there are a bunch of carolers walking by! They'd better not knock on our door or they'll wake up both kids. Plus they're singing Silver Bells and no one knows more than a couple lines of that one.

I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day, except that I imagine D will have to stay home from school so I'll be behind yet another day on my Christmas preparations.

Sleeping in.... NOT!

I hate waking up on Saturday feeling like your weekend has already gone to crap. Started yesterday afternoon when my initial attempts at baking went awry. I guess residual prego hormones and the distractions of two kids (one that I still have to carry around 99% of the time) prevent me from being able to follow even the most simple freakin' recipes, like say for the banana- nut bread that I make at least 4-5 times a year. The bread turned out HORRIBLE (shades of last year's cookie disaster) undercooked and gooey in the middle, burned on the bottom and with absolutely no flavor. What did I leave out.. the bananas?! Sugar? I have no idea.

Then, after dinner, I fell asleep on the couch as predicted, but woke up at 11:00 absolutely wide awake. Ended up watching Mission Impossible till about 1:00 then somehow got hooked into watching Real World: Denver until 2:30. I haven't watched the Real World in forever, but it was comforting to see that their casting formula is still in place - the "hot" guy, the gay guy, the enraged black man (men in this case), the quiet girl who spends a lot of time standing around looking alternately amused and judgemental, the drunken slut, and the pretty but clueless chick who routinely falls in loooove with the hot guy in the first 24 hours, hooks up with him and spends the next 6 weeks endlessly rehashing her poor choices. The last time I watched there was a lot of girl-girl kissing, but maybe that's gone out of style.

So anyway, I got to sleep around 2:30. Then D woke up crying at 5, burning up with a 103 fever. A followed at around 6, wanting to eat, needs diaper change, blah, blah, blah. They're all in the living room watching Kipper right now. Since I'm a morning person anyway, I'm ok for now. But I know after a full day of dealing with a sick kid and a baby by 4:00 I'll be a complete mess. Good thing M is around today.

Winter wonderland

Nothing like a cold snap to get that Christmas spirit going. Highs only in the 50s today and there's a wicked wind to boot. We'll definitely be able to stoke up the fireplace tonight and maybe enjoy some of the movies I've got Tivo-ed. I managed to get all of the newer Star Wars (I, II and III), Harry Potter/Goblet, and A History of Violence (starring Aragorn Viggo Mortensen). Movies at night are tricky since most of the time I'm so exhausted I'm dead asleep by 8:30. I didn't even make it through My Name is Earl last night, and since The Office wasn't on, there didn't seem any point to staying awake. (No offense to M.)

In other news, Baby A and I will be out and about today doing errands - stocking up for Christmas baking, buying some final gifts and a special trip to the bakery for my favorite Christmas treat, fruitcake. I love fruitcake. Especially the liquor-soaked variety, loaded with dried fruit. But I'll eat the regular kind with candied fruit too. Light or dark. I store it in the fridge for months and they get denser and chewier and are just awesome lightly toasted with a thin slice of extra sharp white cheddar cheese.

On my holiday baking list this year: PB kisses, snickerdoodles, and peppermint bark. We're having a cookie exchange for D's playgroup next week so I might do one extra type for that - maybe something chocolatey. I'm sticking with tried and true this year after last year's disastrous attempt to make new cookies. I tried this butter cookie recipe that I'd been saving for years from Gourmet magazine and it was awful. The dough was so stiff that I couldn't get it out of the mixing bowl. It sat overnight in my sink with hot soapy water and I still had to chip it out bit by bit. Then the Russian teacake cookies (which my mom makes perfectly every year) turned out just as horribly. They were so crumbly you couldn't even pick them up. Anyway, I spent a fortune on butter and chocolate and I STILL had to do some last minute running around to make substitute cookies and I just won't/don't have the time or inclination this year.

Tomorrow is Decorating Day. I love the smell of a fresh Frasier fir in the house. So Christmas-y. We play Christmas songs and drink cocoa while we decorate and then D and I hide in the hall while M lights up the tree for the first time.

Have a wonderful weekend!

GO GATORS!

You know where I'll be January 8!

Not that again

I have nothing to wear. Yeah, I'm sure we've all said it, but you know it's desperate when your 4-year-old says "Not THAT t-shirt again" with a perfect blend of pity and disgust in her voice, a tone I'd hoped not to hear for at least another 10 years or so. Anyway, we're one day out from Thanksgiving and I have nothing to wear but THAT t-shirt, again. Part of it is due to my wanting - REALLY - to get back to my pre-preggers size and by that I mean 2001, before we had D. So I haven't been shopping at all for myself. The weight is coming off a lot faster this time around, but what I still have left to lose seems to have re-packaged itself in places where I've never normally carried a lot of weight. In short, Baby's Got Back. And I ain't exactly happy about it. Pants look really odd on me. Jeans look odd. Skirts are out of the question. Anyway. The other part of it is I'm still nursing Baby A so I'm stuck with shirts that can be easily re-arranged. Nothing that tucks in, nothing that's going to show stains or leaks or leave me feeling naked. In other words, THAT t-shirt.

We're off for our Thanksgiving in Georgia tomorrow. We're driving. I think it'll take about 8 hours as I anticipate having to stop at least 3 times to feed A. Luckily, M is taking the day off so at least we're not leaving at 5 like we've had to in previous years. It will either be a nice family outing or the car ride from Hell, depending on A's frame of mind in the morning. I wish we had a minivan since it would be nice to be able to tend to the kids without having to perform a contortionist act from the front seat.

Have a safe and happy Turkey Day!

One bad apple...

Our Mac was in the shop for four days. Bad power supply. Or whatever. Hopefully I'll get a chance to post a better update later tonight - sometime between the children wailing, gnashing their teeth and rending their clothes and when Amazing Race starts.

Girls v. boys

Reading
D: Sat quietly; showed comprehension and mimicked action in favorite books
A: Tries to eat favorite books; head butts pictures of other babies; grows bored after 4-5 pages

Travel
D: Travelled extensively, including internationally, by four months old
A: Going to Target and Publix in one trip is a big deal; has not left the West coast of Florida (yet)

Playtime
D: Loved to be sung to; would play with whatever was dangling nearby; loved toys
A: Laughs when I sing; likes to try to get away by scooting around on his back; prefers shoes to toys

In the car
D: Would chatter to me; sang along to music
A: Sleeps

However, they both love baths.

Trying harder

I hate when I re-read a post and realize that I sound much harsher, meaner, angrier, unkind-er than I actually feel. That's how I feel this morning about last night's post about D. 99.9% of the time I LOVE listening to her -- she's both funny in a totally innocent way and (although this is probably taking parental license) amazingly astute for her age. She is very verbal and I love her for it and we will always encourage her (both kids!) to speak up and be heard and express themselves. My mom & dad say I was a talkative kid too -- some would say I still am, I'm sure -- call it karma or whatever. So, please forgive me, when sometimes, and especially at bedtime, it all gets to be a Bit. Too. Much. Even for a normally patient Mama like me.

What do I have to complain about anyway? I have a wonderful husband who loves us, intelligent and healthy kids, a 4-month-old who naps and a new recipe for chocolate chip coffee cake which I'm going to make as soon as I sign off here.

House of the rising son

Now that A is napping in his crib pretty reliably, I spend my time dashing -- silently -- around the house taking care of as many chores as I can during those crucial moments of "alone" time. But (and I don't think I'm alone in feeling this way) he has the uncanny knack of waking up the minute I've finished some task, but before I can actually do something enjoyable for myself. For instance, the moment I've finished cleaning the bathroom, but before I can actually sit down for a few minutes with last month's National Geographic, he's awake. Or just as I've put a batch of brownies in the oven, but before I can lick the bowl clean.

In other kid news, I've started sending D to school full day (7:45 - 2:50 - YIPPEE) two or three days a week. It started as just one day a week, but the prospect of having almost a whole day of relative quiet is a slippery slope indeed. D's conversations are sort of like Muzak - always on, sometimes enjoyable, but after a full day of background noise your nerves are worn away. Some of the fascinating subjects we've covered lately include 1) why we have knuckles, 2)why we shouldn't squeak instead of talk, 3)what to do with pink pompoms, 4)how come glue is "like that" and 5)how many popsicle sticks she can fit in a cereal box (my response: I don't know, why don't you count them? her: no mommy, just guess! Guess!! Guess!!!)

So, to sum up, I'm still exhausted, but it's not from lack of sleep.

We did have a wonderful weekend with our families though. The christening went fine, except that A popped the snaps on his waaaay too small outfit just before the ceremony, so M and I quickly did a shoddy swaddling job on him and just prayed he didn't decide to squirm too much. He was pretty good for the rest of Mass, I only had to leave to walk him around for about 10 minutes. On Sunday we had brunch at the Vinoy. Their brunch is too die for - from traditional breakfast goodies, to seafood, carving stations, salads and of course, DESSERT. I think it's great that I can get all my daily calorie needs met in just one meal. Since I'm abstaining from coffee, tomatoes, citrus and chocolate (they make A fussy, natch) I got to go all out on the seafood, pan-roasted lamb and non-chocolate desserts. Yum. Happily, A helps me burn it all off!

We're supposed to have some beautiful fall-like weather by the end of the week, so it will be fun to bundle the kids up for a change. I'm looking forward to sweater weather.

TGIF

Lots to do today in between conversations about putting away our toys when we're done playing with them and exactly what kind of artwork is OK to display on the couch, which to me would be no artwork and to D would be anything that isn't still dripping wet with paint. She's got stacks and stacks of decorated paper bags, paper scraps, construction paper covered with glued-on beans and glitter and what-not ready for display, but glitter and brushed chenille just don't mix.

I'm making a seven-layer taco dip, salsa and my friend V's yummy pumpkin fluff dip. All that plus cheese and crackers ought to keep the crowd happy tomorrow afternoon before the christening.

M's in charge of grilling tonight - as of 8:14 this morning he has yet to plan what he's cooking or go to get the charcoal, etc. but I've vowed to stay out of it. Even if it gets to 4:00 and there is no sign on action. The kids can eat pb&j if they get too hungry.

A is holding his own - still pretty congested and you can hear the rattle in the back of his throat, but it seems to be a bit looser. He's tolerating the nebulizer, but there isn't a baby in the world that wouldn't get antsy sitting with a steaming mask on their face for 8-10 minutes.

Target, which is becoming a giant black hole where I spend all my money, had some great deals on Christmas stuff so in a frenzy of pre-Christmas shopping I got cute wrapping paper, trimmings and my Christmas cards (something I usually wait until the very last minute to buy). Also the kids Christmas outfits. No last minute rushing around for me -- at least not for that stuff.

Funk-y

Oooh. Uck. The unexplained musty smell in the kids room was coming from their clothes hamper - one of those mesh bag thingys. Must have gotten something icky on it. I can only imagine what.

That's more like it

Okay, I've regained my composure this a.m., despite having had to spend $800 on chimney repairs due to the lightning strike this past summer. Baby A is feeling sooooo much better today (at least as far as I can tell) and isn't a snuffly mess anymore. Now he's just a drooly mess. There was a lot of hair in his crib this a.m., so I wonder if Albuterol has a side effect of sudden hair loss? Must Google that later today and see if it's common.

We had a quiet night. I was in no mood to cook, so M picked up delicious salads and chicken souvlaki from our local Greek restaurant and we watched Friday Night Lights, one of the few new TV shows that we (well, I) like. It's supposed to be about football, but mostly it's about the players. Sure, there's some high school drama there, but nothing too melodramatic except for the crazy cheerleader-sleeping-with-the-best-friend-of-her-star-quarterback-boyfriend-who-was-paralyzed-in-the-first-episode scenario. Come to think of it, for a show that is supposed to be about Texas, football and high school, there is a lot of sex in there. But I just watch it for the football, which, speaking of, how 'bout them Gators?! Still in the top 5, woo-hah.

Baby is napping in his bouncy seat, so I should be rush, rush rushing around cleaning up the house, doing laundry, changing sheets and investigating the slightly musty smell in the kids room, before I have to pick D up from school.

Why I get up every day

You try this

Baby A has bronchitis. His doc put him on Albuterol breathing treatments, so he is tired & cranky from the bronch AND wired from the drugs. So he's back to napping on my shoulder. I've got cramps in my left arm from carrying all 17lbs. of him around all day, and cramps in my right hand from trying to type one-handed. "Someone" left the kitchen a mess after lunch and the cleaners broke M's treasured milk frother (for his coffee in the morning). I've got 11 people coming in this weekend for A's christening and I don't have a thing to wear that is church-y, yet able to be dismantled quickly to nurse and also won't show any miscellaneous stains. I'm tired of lotioning my feet and pretending it's a pedicure and putting my hair in a ponytail and calling it a style. And to top it all off I;m turning 40 this weekend. At least I have my health.