Update

Hi all. Things are going well here. I've just been busy, so I haven't posted.

Lacey's daycare is closed this week for the Charles Co. school spring break, so I'm home with her Monday - Wednesday. Butch's break starts on Thursday and goes through next week (lucky dog). I'm planning to work 1/2 days b/c I don't want to burn 3 days of vacation when I need to take some more after her daycare is closed.

Speaking of, we've worked all of that out. We put a deposit down for Lisa, who has an opening in August. Butch's parents are coming down the 1st 2 weeks in May and then again for about 1 1/2 weeks in early June. We have 15 work days to handle with our vacation time, or help from others. I'm hoping that I can work 1/2 days at home so that 5 vaca days last 10 full days. I'll need to go into the office at least 1x a week, I'm sure. Need to talk to my boss about it this week.

We are supposed to have decent weather this week - sunny & mid-60's - so I hope to head to the park with the munchkin a couple of days. She loves the outdoors.

Speaking of weather, it finally rained a good deal yesterday. We really needed it, but the timing was bad! The 5K hospice walk was yesterday morning. Being wimps, we didn't go. But, at least they have our donation.

We finally called our friend, Mike, to say "yes" we are ready to move on the basement project! He's coming by tomorrow night to talk more about it. I'm excited, but it might be rough since Lacey will be home during the days. I don't know how much noise they'll be making and how well she'll nap! We might have to do visits to my dad's house if it's too bad.

We also have to get new carpet for the bedroom before the furniture is delivered. (The carpet is ruined from water damage we had last year - a leak in the shower.) Anyway, preparing to move all kinds of stuff out of the way for those 2 projects is a pain! We'll figure it out.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Other stuff

It was too much to include everything in 1 post! Now it looks like you have a special treat - 3 in one day! ;-)

In my very long commute last night, I was able to catch up with Agnes. She and Trampas are doing well. Everything is unpacked in their new house. They were picking up his mom at the train station when I was talking to her. Butch & I are hoping to visit them this summer for a weekend.

I ordered an iPod yesterday! I never thought that I would. Just didn't see the reason for the hype since I'm not a huge music person. But, they are so freakin' cool. You can also put audiobooks on them. And, you can store your digital photos - so I can always have current pics of Lacey when people ask! It's so weird now with digital cameras - I rarely have pictures with me to show people because they are still on Shutterfly. Oh, they also can store your calendar and contacts/address book. So, Marsh has a deal with Apple and I got it for 8% off. I almost forgot - there is a converter to let you listen to anything on it in your car. So, I no longer have to have CDs and audiobooks all over the place. It can all just be on the iPod. I'm hoping the audiobooks are a little cheaper this way, too.

Can't think of anything else at the mo.

Daycare update

The daycare person that I mentioned before - Lisa - won't have an opening until at least June, maybe (most likely) August. I called several other places and only have 1 other possibility so far (Kathy). We are going to meet her today. I didn't ask many questions on the phone, but it sounds like she doesn't have any LITTLE ones, which I don't like. We are trying to make things work with Lisa. We have 7 weeks between the current daycare closing and Butch being off for the summer. Butch's parents have offered to come help some, so we are waiting to hear what dates they would be able to do. And, I think that between Butch & I, we can take about 3 weeks off (alternating, maybe). I've had a couple of other offers for help, too. My cousin, Shelly (thank you) and another cousin's housekeeper has offered. So, I think it might work out. I'm meeting with Lisa on Tuesday next week. She has strep throat right now, so she's not available to talk.

Butch & I have talked about it all so much. Part of me thinks that we should continue looking for a solution that would start earlier. But, we want to do what is really best for Lacey in the long-run, and I believe (from all I've heard) that Lisa's daycare is the best option. When I told her that we are trying to work it out with her, she sounded excited. Even though enough business isn't a problem for her, she knows Kristina and her sister, Karin, so I think she already feels like it could be a good fit.

Butch's (and my) summer will be totally different than we planned. He was planning to spend a good deal of time getting his business moving along. But, Kristina also has the summer off and she might be able to watch Lacey once a week or so, so that he could focus on the business. And, I told him I'd be happy to let him have a couple of evenings per week to himself to work on it, too. I work from home 2 days a week, too, so he certainly won't be by himself 2 days a week.

It helps to write all this out! It's like my little online journal!

Cherry Blossoms, Tourists....and Traffic...Blah!

Butch thinks I'm sort of mean because I think there should be a rule that tourists stay off the road during rush hour! I'm quite serious about it, though. Our metro system is very user friendly, so there is no reason to avoid it!

Of course, the tourist cars aren't the only thing driving my crazy right now! There are a ton of tour buses and tons of pedestrians EVERYWHERE. It doesn't help that my commute takes me right through the WWII memorial, the Mall and the dreaded (but absolutely beautiful) Cherry Blossoms! It was completely insane yesterday. My total drive was 2 hours and 15 minutes. I only go 45 miles. Yes, you read that correctly. It took me an hour just to get out of downtown (only about 3 miles, tops). Now you see my frustration with tourist season. Had I realized how bad it would be, I would have either worked later, gone for a drink, or taken the metro myself! However, Wednesday was nowhere near that bad, so I didn't think it would change so quickly.

The Blossoms are gorgeous, though. If it wasn't such a stressful drive from the traffic, I could probably enjoy staring at them. I'd love to go downtown at some point, but I know this weekend will be nuts and I don't know if it's worth doing.

Daycare Woes

Kim called last night to tell us that she is closing her daycare at the end of April. A friend has offered her an opportunity that she can't pass up (better hours, more money). I can't blame her at all, but of course, all I can think about is what does this mean for us?!

We've been so happy with Kim (and Bernie). Yes, there have been minor issues - as there always will be when someone else is taking care of your child - but nothing big. I have counted our blessings with daycare and now we have to start over. Not only do we have to try to find someone in less than 5 weeks, but, I would imagine Lacey is not going to be happy about the change (to start, anyway). I imagine she will adapt okay, but Lacey goes to Kim with such ease in the mornings. She does NOT like to go to people she doesn't know. In fact, she doesn't much like to go to anyone if she's in mommy's arms. (Good thing Daddy usually takes her.)

I called & left a message at 1 place. She has been recommended by Kristina and also by a neighbor. I know she had an opening in January - she'd called because I was on her waiting list. I can only hope that she has an opening now. She's close by & I've heard that she really teaches the kids quite a bit (including Spanish). I don't want to do a daycare center, unless that is our only alternative. I've heard too many things that I don't like about them. They are really strict with all of their rules. (No more bottles at 1 year old, hard soled shoes are a requirement, etc.)

Blah.

A couple of pics

Okay, here's a pic of the bedroom...newly painted.















Here are pics of the new living room furniture.

Movies, Work, Lacey & Vacation!

It’s been longer since my last post than I thought! Sorry!

Dee, Butch & I went to see Harry Potter a couple weekends ago. It was good, but since I am an avid reader, I was disappointed at how much they cut out! I heard that they were thinking of making this book into 2 movies, but were talked out of it.

That weekend, Butch & I watched Walk the Line (very good) and this past weekend, we watched Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I didn’t want to like that one b/c I am still a weird person that’s mad at Brad & Angelina for their affair and hurting Jennifer Aniston. But, it was a good flick.

I was in Chicago last week for work. Twice a year, all of the Client Execs get together for a 2 day meeting. Blah. All in all, it was an okay meeting. However, I stayed up late with several colleagues on Tues. night and had a bit too much wine….along with everyone else. So, sitting in a meeting for 6 hours on Wed. was not fun.

Friday & Saturday, I painted our bedroom. It’s “stem green” and quite nice. I can’t wait for the furniture to be delivered….in late April or so.

Lacey’s doing really well. She’s saying some new words – baby and pretty. She will also growl when we ask her “what does the bear say”. So freakin’ cute! I just LOVE LOVE LOVE this age! Last night she woke up around midnight crying and since I can see her eye-teeth coming in, we gave her Tylenol. That worked until 4:00 a.m., but she quit pretty quickly. Poor baby. I hope they come through soon.

Oh! We booked our vacation house! I am so excited! We’re going to OBX with some friends (Tonya and family) for a week starting July 14. They have 2 young daughters, so it should work very well. The house is pretty close to the beach, so it shouldn’t be too much of a pain to lug all of our things! (I hope.) It seems like I should still be doing planning – even though it’s 4 months away.

I think we’re starting Lacey in swim lessons next month. With her Pa Pa’s pool, I think it will be worth it! She is totally lovin’ the bath these days, so I’m hoping it will work well.

Stuff

Don't you like how my titles are so boring?

My drive home today was a B*t*h. It took me 1 full hour to go about 8-10 miles. I'm not kidding. Then, on the beltway, I hit some strange piece of metal. It was thin & wide. It covered the width of the lane I was in. I couldn't avoid it b/c there was a car right in front of me, so I didn't see it until.....too late. Then, my car made a strange noise when I was going at low speeds the rest of the way home. Amazingly, Butch fixed it. For those of you that know him, you know he's not a "car guy". I guess the metal thing in the road jammed something and he got it back into place. So glad it wasn't an expensive thing.

I have to go to NY tomorrow for work. (Was kind of hoping the car thing would keep me from having to go. Like maybe, I couldn't drive up to the airport. There are no cabs down here, so that's what would happen if I had a car issue.) Anyway, I'm leaving at my normal time & should be home by my normal time. And, at least the weather will be AWESOME!

For the weekend, plans are still being made. We really want to go see Harry Potter at the Cinema & Draft House. It's playing at noonish both days. Dee wants to come, too, but is all stressed about packing for their Punta Cana trip. But...she had BETTER come to this! ;-) Kristin is hoping to come, too. I'm hoping that Kristina (or Rick, or Jess) can babysit. Mind you, I'll have to reschedule an overdue hair appt. on Saturday if we go then, but I DON'T CARE! HP is more important!

I started doing Weight Watchers Online this week and it is downright scarey how much I'm eating!!! ;-) WW helps you track that...by counting "points" (based on calories, fat and fiber). Chai Lattes and wine KILL me. I'm supposed to have about 20 points a day. If I let myself enjoy wine and chai, I take about 40! If I cut those things out, I'm still at 30. At least I'm thinking about it. I'm only 3 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, but I want to be lower when I see Dr. Aron next month!!!

Well.....I think that's enough. Hope you all are having a great week!

More...

As promised, I thought I’d post some “non-Lacey” stuff. Although, I have to start with Lacey news first! She took steps last night! Very wobbly steps, but she walked about 3-4 steps toward me. So sweet. She did it twice so that her daddy could see, too.

Our furniture for the living room was delivered yesterday! Finally! It only took about 4 months. On top of the length of time, the pillows on the love seat are wrong. The loveseat is floral and the pillows were supposed to be striped. They are floral, too. I’m trying to decide how to handle it. It does look good, so I’m afraid to push for the stripes now. Butch wants to tell them we want the striped pillows and we aren’t giving these back. They took 4 months to get our furniture to us and we had issues throughout the process. I don’t know whether to blame Broyhill or Holladay House (where we ordered from). Holladay House should have checked to make sure all was correct prior to delivering it, so I do believe they are at fault to some extent.

I hope the process for our bedroom furniture goes much more smoothly. We ordered that earlier this week. It’s supposed to be 6-8 weeks. We’ll see. We also have to time things well – we need to paint the bedroom and have new carpet put in before the furniture comes. The carpet is ruined from a water problem that we had a few months ago.

I had lunch yesterday with one of my “online” friends, Danee. For those of you that don’t know, I joined babycenter.com when I was pregnant with Lacey. I found a group of 1st time moms that were all due in February 2005. And, we are still posting together. Most of us, anyway – some dropped off after the babies were born. Anyway, Danee is in town from TX (Dallas area) for work. It was great to meet her! We had very similar labors (extremely long and hard). Both of us had wanted to go naturally (no epidural or meds) and neither of us could because of how long things went. Ours were the 2 babies that didn’t sleep well until 8-9 months, etc., etc. Kieran (her baby) and Lacey are so much alike.

Well, I’d better get some work done. I have a client meeting tomorrow and while the report is done, I still have lots of prep work to do.

Last week….

We had one heck of a week last week! Over that weekend, Lacey had been pulling at her ears and had also gotten a cold. So, on Tuesday when her temperature was a little over 100 on Tuesday, I decided we’d go back to the doctor! I was supposed to take a 1:00 train to NJ that day. And, Butch had a big meeting that morning. So, I decided to change my arrangements and planned to take the 2:00 train. We went to the doctor….and Dr. Mike simply said “just a bad cold and maybe some teething”. So, we left with no prescriptions.

Butch’s parents (Chuck & Nancy) came into town that afternoon. They were coming to celebrate her birthday. Butch said Tuesday night was bad…she cried out numerous times. At some point, he gave her some Tylenol and she finally settled down.

So, Wednesday, she seemed a little bit better. We opened some birthday gifts (a day early) since Butch wouldn’t be around the next night (work). When I picked her up from daycare on Thursday, Kim said (as soon as I walked in), “so glad to see you”. Or something like that. Not what you want to hear. Lacey was sitting on Mr. Bernie’s lap with her binky, just hanging out. When I took her, she just laid her head on my shoulder. So, back to the doctor on Friday (3rd time in 8 days – the 1st was just a recheck from her previous ear infection). Dr. Jill found both ears infected. So, we walked out with the prescription. This is not the way a birthday should be spent.

Anyway, after getting a dose in Fri. night and another one Sat. morning, she was doing so much better and very ready to enjoy her party! I somehow managed to bake her caterpillar cake on Friday night. (I was tired and not really wanting to.) Everyone came over around noon-ish. We had some of Lacey’s favorites – cheese and crackers, spinach dip (she’s not much on veggies, but likes spinach) and pizza. Too much pizza by far, so we have a lot in our freezer now.

We got her a ball pit for her present and she LOVES it. It totally keeps her occupied.

She got lots of other fun things….clothes, toys, books. I think her favorite book is the Teletubby one that Grandma got her. She loves them.

I think you all have probably seen the pictures….and you could see for yourself that she had fun with her cake! Green icing all over her face and in her hair.

She took a good nap after everyone left, but since it was a late nap (she woke at 5:00), she wasn’t ready to go to bed until 9:00. That’s about 1 ½ hours after her normal time! The whole time she played in the ball pit.

She’s doing better now. We went for her well-baby visit on Monday (4th visit in 11 days). She’s 19 lbs., 9.4 ounces (25th percentile) and 30.5 inches (50th percentile). Dr. Jill is very happy with her growth. She’s actually slowed down – used to be 50th percentile for weight – but Dr. Jill likes little babies. She got 2 shots – screamed at first, but was fine after about a minute.

I’ll try to post again within a day or so about some non-Lacey stuff (for those of you that care)!

Misc.

I thought that maybe I should post something since I get annoyed when I check other blogs and there is nothing new.

Butch & I took off on Thursday to go to lunch and get massages. It was quite nice. There is a "couple's room" at this place, so we were in the same room. We also looked for furniture at a couple of places, with no luck.

Yesterday, we went to Northern VA - near Dulles - to look at furniture again. Found a couple of sets (bedroom) that we really like, but so expensive! Ugh. I was hoping to find some moderately priced stuff that we liked, but nothing. So, our entire tax check might be paying for furniture. There is 1 set that I'm sure is cheaper (Broyhill), but the website doesn't show that it comes in a King size bed. And, I'm so annoyed with Broyhill that I'm not sure I want to order it again anyway.

Lacey went with us yesterday and she did really well. I know she was sick of being in the car. It's about a 90 minute drive. On the way back, we stopped at Sweet Water Tavern - one of our fav restaurants - to have lunch. L did pretty good, but had no interest in the food. She stuck with her normal yogurt, cheerios and cheese. I swear that girl eats a ton of dairy!

I took her to the doc on Fri. for a recheck from the ear infection she last had. They like to take a look about 3 weeks later. It looked pretty good, except a little fluid in 1 ear. No need for drugs, yet, though. Hopefully the fluid will drain & we'll be okay. Ha. Her nose is running now, so I imagine it will get worse. The doc did tell me that she's doing okay. She said that the rule for tubes is 6 infections in 6 months and/or ear infections that just don't clear up. Lacey's clear up - she just gets one again if the nose is still running.

I can't believe she will be a year on Thursday! I think I'm going to try to take a 1/2 day at work so I can pick her up early. Her party is on Saturday.

Work is going to be really busy this week. We're closed tomorrow, but I wish we were open. It's too hard to try to work @ home when Lacey is around! I leave on Tuesday afternoon for NJ. Yea. (Read with sarcasm.) It's only an overnight, but still annoying. Especially when I have so much other stuff to do. I will never understand how so many client reports (for different clients) can end up due at the same time.

Lacey is napping, but since she's been down for over an hour, I know it won't last much longer! I'd better go before I have to rush off!

Chai Lattes

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about money and budgeting. We are planning to finish our basement this spring. And, we are waiting on our living room furniture to be delivered soon (which we'll have to pay the balance on). And, we want to get bedroom furniture so I don’t feel like we're living in a dorm room with everything mismatched. So, that’s obviously a lot of spending. Which is why money is on my mind. Oh, and our cable internet bill went up, too. And, our electric bill has been insane this winter. You get the picture.

I was standing in line for my Chai Latte yesterday morning and started to calculate the money that I spend on those each month. I only work in the office 3x a week, so that’s about how often I get my “treat”. It’s at least $3.69 per drink. If I get it with soy milk – which I’ve been doing to be healthy – it’s 50 cents more. So, I just assumed $4….3x a week. I’m spending $40-50 a month on a morning drink. And, it’s mostly a habit. I think I have to walk downstairs to buy that wonderful tasting thing every day I come to the office. Even if it’s raining, I’ll cross the street to Bread & Chocolate to get it.

And, no….the store bought brands are not the same. There are some that are good. But, they are not nearly as good as getting one done “right”.

So, I resisted the urge this morning. I did NOT go get one. Yet, I am thinking about how tasty it would be. And if I don't stop typing about it and get to work, I'll probably take the elevator...cross the street....and spend over $4 on a tasty drink.

To do lists

Why is it that my "to-do" list continues to grow? Nothing is getting marked off these days! I need to change something about my time management. Hmmmm. Some people would tell me to stop watching so much TV. But, I am an addict. To Days of Our Lives, Lost, Desp Housewives, 24....and a few others. It's actually very sad.

So, I was going to return some safety gates to One Step Ahead today. They didn't work on our stairs. They have sat in our basement since early December. I think I ordered them in October. Thankfully the company doesn't have an expiration on returns. Shipping was going to cost $40. That's insane. The company has a policy that if you exchange for something else, they will pay for shipping, so I've been looking online at what I can buy at OSA for about $100. With L's birthday around the corner, it's pretty easy.

Speaking of her birthday, I need to order the Baby Einstein party supplies. You'd think I could find them locally - but no. Only through a catalog. I'm actually going to MAKE her cake! Ha! Considering I'm attempting for it to look like the Baby Einstein caterpillar, I think it's pretty brave of me. ;-) Truthfully, I am looking forward to it.

I don't think I've balanced the checkbook in at least a month. By "balanced", I mean written anything in it. I rely heavily on what their website tells me.

I have to call to schedule....taxes, L's 1 year doc appt., having our heating/air serviced (I've had that number since the fall), I could go on and on, but it really might bore you. Or make you wonder why these things haven't been done.

Oh - I'm listening to Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince for the 2nd time. The main reason I am doing this is so that I can talk to my favorite sister about it when she reads it. She told me a few weeks ago that she had the book and was going to start. I would be willing to bet that she hasn't read one page. (She's as addicted to TV as I am. And, American Idol just started, plus 24, and Lost....and DH....etc. I don't watch AI, but she has asked me to this year. Exactly what I need. 2 more hours of TV per week.) Anyway, I'm about 3/4 through the Half Blood Prince and by the time Dee picks it up to read, I will have forgotten details again and may have to listen for a 3rd time!!!

Butch & I are feeling MUCH better. It took about 48 hours to feel like eating again - and I lost 2 pounds - which will come back very quickly, I'm sure. Lacey is doing better, but it's obvious her body hasn't completely recovered. She's been a cranky bear the past couple of nights and it seems like she's gassy. I guess the virus is still working it's way out of her system. I hope she gets to 100% soon!

The Stomach Bug

Lacey finished her antibiotic for the ear infection on Saturday night. We had THE BEST day on Sunday. She was so happy and played well on her own. Wasn't really clingy at all. It was awesome! Then on Monday morning when I went to get her from the crib, she was making a gagging/vomit noise. I hoped it was just phlegm. I decided to keep her home for an hour or so to make sure she was okay. She took her bottle, then ate some yogurt for breakfast, and on the way out the door for daycare, she threw it all up! Lovely. It happened again about 30 minutes later. Thankfully, it didn't happen again. There were some nasty diapers, but at least that is somewhat contained. She refused Pedialyte, Liquilite, etc. I even tried mixing it with juice, but since she's never really had juice, that didn't help either. I just gave her 1-2 ounce bottles through the day. By early afternoon, she was HAPPY and playing well. And, she slept through the night. Butch stayed home with her today so that if she's still contagious, she won't give it to the other kids, or to Miss Kim. He said she's playing happily.

Of course, Butch & I got it a little, too. Neither of us ate much of anything yesterday. I had 2 peanut butter crackers for breakfast and 1/2 a Lean Cuisine for dinner. I was 2.5 pounds lighter on the scale this morning. The only benefit to being sick. Luckily, we both feel like we are back in the land of the living again today.

On Saturday, we went to a friend's daughter's 1st birthday party. (I'm sure that's where the bug came from.) There were several other little ones there, but Lacey had no interest. She was very clingy at first - I think just overwhelmed from so many people that she didn't know. But, then she started playing in this "ball pit" and had a blast. I might have to find one for her birthday.

Sorry for such a short post, but I've really got to get some work done! I promise to check in again later - hopefully the next several posts will be about things other than illness.

More antibiotics...and other updates

Lacey has an ear infection again (still). She finished her last antibiotic last Wed., and had a fever yesterday. So, back to the docs. At least this time it is only 1 ear and the antibiotic is only for 5 days - and it seems to taste good. She eats it right off the spoon. Cold & Flu season BE GONE!

Last Saturday night, we met Agnes & Trampas for dinner and expected to hear all about their wedding in Las Vegas. Imagine our surprise when we learned they had actually been married a whole year! They eloped in Vermont on 12/17/04 after about 5-6 months of dating. They weren't ready to share that with anyone yet, and other matters caused it to sort of snowball. So, they decided to wait until their anniversary and renew their vows in front of everyone. Which, didn't work out since Trampas was sent on a 30 day assignment during December. Anyway, I suppose they aren't "newlyweds", huh?

We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants - Bonefish Grill. I really miss the restaurant selections in VA! Fabulous "Bang Bang Shrimp" for an appetizer. Then, I had Mahi with spinach & crab on top. Mmmmmm....

We watched the Steelers game at our neighbors' house. He is a Steelers fan and she is a Skins fan. Their basement is decorated with both teams throughout. Burgundy carpet, a black wall, a burgundy wall, some yellow/gold walls. A Steelers shower curtain in the bathroom, Skins wallpaper border. You get the picture. It's hysterical.

Butch is quite happy about the outcome. Oh - our neighbor was physically feeling sick leading up to the game. He had dry heaves and was shaking. RELAX!

Lacey was in heaven when she found their toy room. Of course, I couldn't see the game from there, but I could hear it.

Don't know if any of you watch 24, but Butch & I are hooked! What an adreniline rush. I love it. I hate that it's only on for 1 hour a week. I've watched some previous seasons on DVD and love being able to do a "24 night" and watch 4 episodes. When I was pregnant, I did that & Dee was concerned about my blood pressure!

Well, I have nothing else interesting to share. Not that any of the above was interesting, but....

Tricia

Nothing Much

I guess I don't have a lot to report on, but I'm afraid if I don't put something out here, Dee will give me crap about not posting! ;-)

Yesterday was such a crappy drive to work. It was raining, so I knew it would be bad. But, when I got behind a slow-poke in my neighborhood, I knew I was in for trouble. I was hoping they'd turn left...but no....they turned right. And, they drove 35 in a 50. Yes, it was raining & yes, it's a dark road, but give me a freakin' break. I finally managed to pass him/her several miles later. Then, there was an accident on Branch Ave. and it didn't make sense to for me to try another way because every way was bad. So....2 hours and 15 minutes after leaving my house, I was at work. Finally. You'd better bet I treated myself to a Chai Latte. Of course, I do that most mornings, but felt I truly deserved it yesterday.

Lacey had her last dose of the antibiotic this morning THANK GOD! I was so tired of holding her head while Butch shoved it in her mouth.

Butch & I are going to VA to meet our friends, Agnes & Trampas....the newlyweds....for dinner on Saturday. I know nothing about their wedding yet. They want to tell us everything together. All I know is that it was planned to be in Vegas over New Year's. Who knows if that's what happened!? And - on top of that, he has gotten information on his transfer. They won't tell us anything about that until Sat. either. I'm so bummed that she's leaving again. Not that we get to see her often, but it's nice to know that I can.

I'm listening to Harry Potter #6 again. Hoping that Dee will FINALLY read the book. It's been so long since I first listened to it, that I need to refresh my memory so that Dee & I can discuss it.

I've got to get back to my guilty pleasure....watching Days of Our Lives.

Tricia

The flu...and other things about the weekend

For anyone that doesn't believe in the power of a flu shot....believe it. I have gotten one every year over the last 10 years....except 2. Including this year. Both times I got the flu. This one was bad. It tried to get me during the week (Tuesday night into Wednesday), but didn't get bad. Then, Saturday morning, I woke at 4:30 -- miserable. I had a 102* fever most of the day. Did I already say miserable? So, Butch had parent duty most of the day while I laid in bed. Yesterday was better, but I still hardly ate anything and felt weak. Finally... last night I improved. And, today, while I have a cough that hurts, I feel much better.

Anyone a fan of 24? Yea on the new season! Finally....at long last! Butch & I stayed up to watch that last night. (I say "stayed up" b/c I am normally an early to bed gal.)

Lacey went to the doc last Monday -- b/c of pink-eye -- and we found out that she had a double ear infection. Not surprising with the runny nose that she has had non-stop for weeks. So, she was put on a different antibiotic than the last time - one that helps with pink-eye, too. I hate it. It's thick and nasty. The last one could be mixed in her bottle & she didn't have a clue. This one doesn't mix well. So, it takes both of us to force it. I hold her head while Butch squirts it in her mouth. Butch said that either we are getting better at it, or she's getting better. I corrected him & said "we are getting less sensitive with it".

Anyway, she's still a little "off". The pink-eye seems to be gone. (BTW, she could go to daycare after 24 hours of being on the meds, so we didn't have to worry about taking much time off work.) She's just cranky. She normally wakes up happy & plays by herself a good portion of the time happy, etc. So, I don't know if this new antibiotic isn't working as well on her ears, or if it's hurting her tummy.....or if she's working on new teeth....or if she's just being a stinker. It's all guess work, huh?

It's always something.....

Lacey seems to have pink-eye!!! I noticed her eyes having more discharge yesterday & Butch said "it's just eye boogies". Nope. There is a lot more today. And, she looks like she has black eyes b/c they are so puffy. She cries when we wipe the eyes (I've read it can hurt). So, back to the doctor tomorrow. At least we made it a few weeks since the last visit.

Oh, her diaper rash is all cleared up, thanks to lots of "air time" yesterday and gobs of goop slathered on.

So.....pink-eye is contagious and she can't go to daycare until it's cleared up. Hmmm. What to do. I supposed I'll see if I can work from home....1/2 days....since I know I won't get much done when she's awake. Butch will take a day off every few days so I can go to the office. Hopefully it will clear up within a week. I've read 7-10 days...sometimes longer. And, did you know there are 3 types of pink-eye? Viral, Bacterial and Allergin. Since she's had a cold for so long (well, really just a runny nose), I'm betting they tell me it's "viral", which means they won't give us an eye cream. I hope we get a Rx to help it. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Our week has been fairly quiet, so I haven't posted. This will probably be quite boring to you all!

I've been listening to the latest book in the "Mitford" series. Audiobooks really help me to handle my commute better! I'm also reading a book (The Christmas Train), which I am determined to finish next week. I didn't even start it until AFTER Christmas - even though it's a Christmas book!

Lacey has had a pretty good week. She is so much fun! I love listening to her "talk" and watcher her play. We started mixing whole milk into her formula this morning. I'm just starting with a 25%/75% mix at this point. Whole milk is "supposed" to be started at a year, but I'm anxious to get done with formula. I don't want to switch her very quickly, though, in case it causes her stomach issues. So, we'll go slowly.

Last night, she came home from daycare with a horrible diaper rash. She struggles with that all the time. Drives me nuts. So, we had diaper free time in the Pack N Play this morning to air her out. Will probably do it again this afternoon, too. I hope it doesn't result in another trip to the doc. Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to go back until her 1 year well visit??

I made a really yummy dinner last night - "Mexican Casserole" - I got it from one of my online friends. Butch & I chowed on it. Hmmmm....the rest of the week was more "normal" food - nothing really "new" - Chicken Divan, pizza, etc.

Oh - daycare is closed Mon. & Tues. Mr. Bernie's uncle was hit and killed by a car on Friday. So horrible. Butch is staying home with her on Monday & I'll work during her naps on Tuesday -- and I guess take a 1/2 day vacation. It's the downside of home daycare -- but I would much rather deal with this than deal with a daycare center at this point. All my friends that have had their kids in daycare centers complain about the lack of naps - b/c the babies don't have somewhere quiet to sleep.

Better finish this up & get some things done before LJ wakes from her nap.

Tricia

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's Eve! I couldn't even make it until midnight! Ahh...the life of a mom of a 10 month old. ;-) After we put her to bed, Butch & I cooked a nice dinner, ate at the table without either (1) chasing LJ; or (2)continually feeding her snacks. Then we watched a movie -- Sideways. I was not impressed with the movie. Butch wasn't really either. Too much hype, maybe?

We took Lacey to church yesterday - I'm trying to make a better effort in 2006. It's just hard with her schedule. Sometimes she is still napping when we should be leaving. And, I refuse to wake her up. I think God is probably okay with that. Anyway, this is the last time we'll try church without putting her in the nursury! Wow, she was a handful. Quite chatty, quite squirmy and, of course, quite cute.

Then, we watched the Steelers play at a neighbor's house (with Lacey in her Steeler's outfit). It's always fun chasing a baby in someone else's house (not). Lacey was quite funny when she found their toy room! She crawled in & just kept screaming! So much to pick from.

After that, we went home & put her in the Redskin's outfit to help them out, and TRIED to watch the game. I say "tried"b/c our directv isn't working in the family room. So, we had it on in the bedroom for a while. Then had to come downstairs to feed LJ and eat dinner ourselves. So, we put a small TV with rabbit ears in the kitchen. Not much of a picture, but we could keep up with the game.

It seems that separation anxiety may be an issue these days. Lacey has gone to sleep easily for months - she doesn't always sleep through the night, but she always "just goes to sleep" in her crib. The last week or so has been hit or miss. Last night she screamed & cried. If I went in, she'd grab my shirt. She'd settle a little if I rocked her, but even if she fell asleep, she scream when I put her back in the crib. :-( It was heartbreaking. And, we let her cry. It was awful. I feel so horrible doing that, but she has to sleep. My poor baby. So...we didn't hear anything more from her from 9:30 to 6:30, but I worried about her all night.

Believe it or not, our office is open today. They are giving us 2 days at 4th of July instead of today off. At least it is quiet & was a very easy drive in.

Oh - I almost hit a deer this morning. Had to slam on my brakes so hard that my car slid. Thank God it was a "noncommute" day and I didn't have anyone behind me.

Tricia