A Whirldwind of a Trip

Last week, we embarked on an excellent adventure. Our first stop was NJ for a wedding where we knew only the bride and groom (a couple other folks we had met once before, but other than that, we knew NO ONE ELSE!) We did make friends with some of the folks at our table during the reception, but up 'til that point, nada. Still, it was a nice wedding, and it was nice to get out away from the kiddies (my parents came along to watch 'em.) We would have taken more pics but the battery(ies) on our camera died and I didn't have our other cam handy. Oh well.

After that, we headed to NYC for a few days. It was a lovely time, as we got to hang out with Jeremy's cousin Mary and her fam in their schwanky Manhattan apartment (which has an AWESOME view! Could have stayed up there, just looking over the city all night.) Again, no pics, because I didn't want to drag out my good camera for just a few shots, and our other camera was.... dead. Yeah. But we had a good time, the food was yummy (Mary made Texas style bbq, as that's where they've been for the past 4 years!) And all of her siblings also came to dinner, which was an unexpected surprise (well, we were pretty sure one would be there, with her new hubby, as they also live in the city, but her brother, James, is nearly impossible to track down. Always globe trotting somewhere.) They even got cupcakes for dessert! Mmm... yes, America, NYC cupcakes ARE worth all the rave. Well, not from Magnolia, but more on that later.

The next day, we did head out into the city a bit, FINALLY venturing into Toys R Us Time Square (meh, it's just a big toy store... Jeremiah was too upset to ride the ferris wheel because he wanted to go in the "beep beep" and not the "truck." Oh well. He did get a Thomas train out of it, so he was happy.

One thing we did learn about NYC while there is that it's really difficult to traverse with kids. At least, if your kids are stroller bound, and your stroller is heavy (as ours is...) Yeah. It was way more hassle than it was worth to take the bus or subway anywhere, and cabs made me nervous, too (since the kids wouldn't be in car seats, and they drive crazy...) So we walked quite a bit. And it was all good. At least we were able to justify the cupcakes we ate later that day, right before we headed up to the Top of the Rock. I will say, though, Magnolia is totally NOT worth the hype. The cupcakes were so dry! The frosting was good, and necessary, but I do not pay $3 for frosting, so I was disappointed.

Top of the Rock was fun! Jeremy's Uncle Chuck and his family was able to meet us there (they live in NJ) so we had some company to enjoy the sights with (and help watch the kiddies!) We timed it right around Sunset, so we could see the city during the day, and get a nice view of Central Park, yet still be able to see it fully lit up, and watch the sunset. It was a little more crowded than last time I went (around 8:30, I think) but by the time the sunset, almost everyone was gone, and we could take it all in ourselves (and Jeremiah and Jesslyn could entertain everyone with their little dances.) 'Twas a good time had by all!

Those were the highlights of NYC. Off to RI we go! This part of the trip was crazy. We basically were there to eat. And eat we did! The night we got there, we had a bunch of RI favorites--fried clams, clam cakes, and lobster rolls. The next day, sampled some Portuguese fare at Sagres. We had papsicos! (Portuguese hard rolls... can't get 'em here in VA!) And Sumol (a Portuguese soda. You CAN get it here in VA, but there are only two places that sell it, and both are a little hike [and overpriced...]) We also had quejo fresco, a soft goat cheese with a texture very similar to greek yogurt--very fresh, indeed! And of course, we had to have the caldo verde, or Portuguese Kale Soup. Not as good as homemade, but nice, since there version is very smooth and refined, whereas our version is more rustic.

For our entrees, Jeremy had what I had wanted to order, which was a Portuguese Steak. They put fried eggs on top of EVERYTHING in Portugal, so of course, that's how it came to us! And the fried potatoes were nice and crispy, like thick potato chips. I had the "bacalhau" or salted cod. It was cooked with potatoes, olives, and LOTS of olive oil, with, of course, fried egg on top. It was yummy, but I would have preferred Jeremy's dish. Oh well. Maybe next year, when we go to the Azores to visit my Grandparents (my Avó and Avō) I can have it then!

We did visit Battleship Cove, because I thought Jeremiah would think it was cool. Well, he played along with that idea for all of 5 minutes and then decided he'd rather run around on the waterfront (pics coming soon...)

We also took a trip to Fogland beach, which was our beach of choice growing up. We didn't spend a lot of time there, though, since it was VERY chilly, with a stiff breeze coming over the water. I wanted to stay, since the kids obviously did, but it was just too cold for me, and we didn't have the proper outerwear to justify it (and I don't care how tough Jeremy thinks he is--wearing just a short sleeved polo shirt and shorts in cold like that is crazy.) But it was nice to stop by and see the place.

We didn't really do much else. I was able to find fresh malassadas (or malasadas, depending on who you ask,) and it came with a huge breakfast (2 eggs, 2 strips bacon, 2 sausage, 2 french toast, 2 pancakes, potatoes AND the malasada... crazy!) for $8! Jeremy got a chourico, cheese, and egg omelette that was a steal at $5. Jeremiah was perfectly happy with just his malasada, though. :)

Before heading to Pittsburgh (why did I think that would be a good idea....) we had breakfast with a friend of mine from High School, Ali. I don't think I've seen her in... 8 or 9 years now? So that was a nice way to end our trip. :)

The Pittsburgh part of the trip was not the highlight, that's for sure. Endless traffic, en route, miscommunication about a reunion meal at Jeremy's ol' college campus, meh food that kept me near the bathrooms, swarms of bees that wouldn't go away, chilly temps, and uncomfortable shoes made for a rough day. And I didn't even get the sandwich I wanted (a Pittsburgh staple: meat, fries and coleslaw, between two huge piece of Italian bread,) so it was a bust for me. Oh well. Next time (yeah right... not a lot of reason to go back at this point.)

Needless to say, we're SO glad to be home. I won't do a trip like that for a while. Poor Jeremiah was so desperate for stability and his own bed, instead of a different hotel room every other night, practically. Yeah, too much in too little time. But it was fun. Unfortunately, we're all sick now (and were partly on the trip, as well!) so it's hard to be cheerful at the moment. :( Hopefully, we're getting this all out of our system now, so we don't have to worry about it come the holidays!

And with that, I sign off. 2 a.m. is too late for bed when you're supposed to be getting as much rest as possible. Ah, screw it. Too sick to care. :p

On the mend...

For the few of you not on Facebook, I had the awesome luck of having surgery yesterday to remove my gall bladder. Since Jesslyn's been born, I'd been having these weird pains, which I've learned are actually "gallstone attacks". Apparently, gallstone formation is very common after pregnancy, and the attacks can be triggered by fatty foods and dairy. So if you've had a baby recently, and get a really bad stomach ach after eating, you may have gallstones!

Had I actually gone to the doctor the first time it happened, I may have been able to control it with dietary changes (avoiding fatty foods and dairy products,) as I tried to do once the diagnosis came in. However, while waiting to meet with the surgeon in his office on Thursday, I had another attack, despite not eating any junk. This attack was not as severe as the prior attacks had been, but since I had it while meeting with the surgeon, I went ahead and scheduled the surgery for the next day (they were kind enough to "squeeze" me in...)

So yes, I feel better now, I guess. There's some lingering pain, but that's to be expected after any surgical procedure. I've got some pain meds, and have been able to do some stuff around the house, so I'm on the mend. The only downside to recovery is that I can't pick up my kids, which SUCKS! Poor Jesslyn... she kept crawling up to me this afternoon (her and Jeremiah had been at Mee-maw & Poppy's house yesterday and today, so she missed me....) and I couldn't pick her up. :( I probably won't be able to do so until I see my dr. again in a week. But the Lord is good, and He has blessed us with amazing family and friends, so hopefully it won't be an issue.

Can't escape it...

Well, the TV is on, as it's a rainy day, and no one, except Jeremy, has been feeling very well.  I will not be happy, though, if Jesslyn's cold robs her of a good morning nap.  Not looking very good...

Anyway, yeah, I'm going to try to do this despite the distractions. 

Yay, the kids have colds again!  I think Jeremiah caught it playing at JW Tumbles.  It's a new "baby gym" that opened up about a mile away, right next to the grocery store we frequent the most!  They had free open play all last week so everyone could try it out, and I'm pretty sure that's where the bug got caught.  Boooo... Well, it saves me some money--I was going to enroll Jeremiah in a class, but if he's just going to catch colds there, then forget it.  It's all good, though, since Jeremy and our favorite "Uncle James" set up the swing set yesterday.  Jeremiah will be on it non-stop, I'm sure!  Too bad we have severe storms to look forward to all day today... And possibly tomorrow.  And the day after.  Sigh...  

This past weekend was crazy, at least for me.  I worked the Dani's Duds consignment sale Friday, and will never.... do.... it.... again.... It was 6 hours of standing at a table, pulling tags off items people were buying.  That wouldn't be so bad if the table weren't so low--I spent most of the night hunched over it, or bending over to get tags off larger items.  Plus, I haven't had to spend 6 hours straight on my feet in a LONG time.  Years ago, when I worked for EB (or even Sony) a shift like this would have been a piece of cake.  But yeah, it's been a while.  Plus, I don't think it was really worth shopping that much earlier than everyone else.  Unless you're willing to stand in line for 2-3 hours beforehand, all the good stuff is gone by the time you get there anyway.  So I'll just consign from here on out.  Or work before/after the sale instead of during... But yeah, no more 6 hours hunched over a table... Crazy.

And I get to do it again Thursday!  Well, kinda.  There's another sale this week, called JBF or Just Between Friends.  But I think I'm working a pre-sale shift, which will be more organizing and working on the floor instead of pulling tags.  Plus, it's only FOUR hours instead of six.   And, they use an electronic tagging system, so I don't think you even have to pull any tags off--just scan the barcodes, and go!  Pretty neat.  Hopefully, I'll find some good deals there!

Then.... it's off to NYC!  There's a small group of us from my Mom's group going for a night, leaving at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.  We're going to have REAL dim sum, ride the Staten Island ferry (to get some shots of the skyline/statue of libery, etc...) see a show (well, I'm not... going to meet up with family instead,) Time Square, etc... It'll be fun!  And weird--this is the first time I'll be going anywhere without the kids OR Jeremy!  How strange it will be to eat a meal with two hands, instead of one on mine, one with a spoon for Jesslyn, or not have to worry about fixing them something before I can sit an enjoy myself.   I'm definitely looking forward to it!

And that will end the craziness.  Hopefully by next week, everyone will be well again, and we can go back to enjoying the beautiful weather that has finally decended upon us--minus today... tomorrow, and the day after.  The weekend looks gorgeous, though, so Jeremiah should have lots of fun!

Update

So here's the latest on Jesslyn.

She's fine.  :)

We took her to the Dr's on Thursday to follow up, and while I was under the impression that she definitely had a UTI, apparently this isn't the case.  While some of her test results suggest that, they could also be interpreted as just a viral infection that needed to run its course.

While we're still waiting on the final test results from the hospital, her fever is pretty much gone and she's her happy self once again.  However, the antibiotics the ER Ped was SOOOO anxious to prescribe for her (to treat the supposed UTI) has given her the runs and has, in turn, caused a painful rash on her tiny little bum.  :(  So until we hear back from our Dr. with the final results, we're not giving her anymore antibiotics.  

I have a feeling the results will be negative--the test only takes 24-48 hours, though it could take up to 72.... why?  Because if nothing's grown within 72 hours, nothing will.  Chances are, if there was a bacterial presence, something would have shown up much sooner.  And since we've crossed the 72 hour mark and have heard nay a thing, I'm assuming nothing was there, and she didn't need the antibiotics that gave her a rash NOR those they shot her up with in the hospital (oh, and they had this *bright* idea to stick her with two shots, one in each leg, at the EXACT SAME TIME, because that would be less traumatic than one after another....)

Needless to say, I'm not taking her to the ER anymore unless there's a definite EMERGENCY.  Yes, her fever was a bit high, but it had just started that day, and didn't cross 104 (which is when MOST pediatricians would tell you to head to the ER....)  Had she had that fever for even a second day, I would have been more eager to bring her in... Or if she had had other symptoms to worry about, like a cough or runny nose... she had neither.  All she had was a fever.  

We're also going to take her to a different dr in the practice.  Dr. Atiyeh is fine for Jeremiah, but I think she needs a gal dr, so that's what we're doing.  Plus, I never feel like he listens to my questions.  Like when she had her two month checkup and they wanted to give her vaccinations--I asked what BRANDS they used (some have higher aluminum counts than others... after all she'd been through at the NICU, I wanted to minimize any chance of complications from vaccines, included too much aluminum in one day.)  His response:  "Oh, all of our vaccines are mercury free."  Umm... that's not what I asked.  Anyways, I'm ready to switch practices altogether, but since they both need a check up right now, I don't have time to research a new one yet.  That will definitely be my priority before her 6 month check up.  I'm just tired of driving to Falls Church for a check up....

[ rant ]

One more thing...

Boy, am I SICK and TIRED of EVERYONE in the medical community trying to tell me that something is wrong with Jesslyn because she was a HOME BIRTH!  Seriously, both doctors we saw used that and the fact that she was in the NICU as a ******RED FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!****** to keep her in the ER for extensive testing.  Oh my gosh, I was so ***FLIPPING*** mad!  Apparently, they only listen to their OBGYN friends who tell them, "Home births are so dangerous!  The only safe place to have a baby is in a hospital."  Never mind the fact that I had, not one, but TWO nurse-midwives (okay, so one was a student, but still a nurse,) whose job is ONLY to deliver babies.  They've delivered more babies vaginally than I'm sure most OBGYN's have delivered.  That's all they do--deliver babies to healthy Mommies.  They're not going to take you on as a client if you're high risk, so the chances of complications are very low.  Yes, Jesslyn had some trouble breathing when she was born.  What our midwife did here was the SAME thing they did in the hospital, with less fancy equipment.  And if Jesslyn hadn't had the breathing issues she had, they would have never bothered checking her heart and finding a [really really tiny] hole there that ended up healing itself for the most part (the fact that it's more common than they'll admit does not escape me... I did the research.)  That would have been the situation whether here at home OR in the hospital.  Only had she been born in the hospital, she would have definitely been a c-section.  How do I know?? Because no doctor (at least that I know of) would let a woman even ATTEMPT to deliver an 11 lb+ baby vaginally.  In their minds, it's "impossible."  Yay, so I get to have major abdominal surgery for NO REASON!  Because my "Dr" is SCARED!!! [i.e. doesn't want to deal with the possibilities of complications...]  Don't get me wrong, there are women out there who need C-Sections, and drs, and OBGYNS, and epidurals, and all that other fun hospital stuff.  But I didn't.  And I did not "endanger" my child by choosing to do so.  Would anyone tell me that Jeremiah is any less healthy, because he was born at home???  Did I "harm" him, somehow, by choosing to use a midwife, and delivering him in the comfort of our home, in our room, the way I wanted to, with just friends and family around us???  Wow, I'm a bad mother, huh?  

I swear, the next person that implies that I endangered my baby, or somehow harmed them by choosing to have a home birth, I will punch them in the face.  No reservations!  I've had to deal with so much CRAP from people, and y'know what--they're OUR kids!  It's OUR right to chose how we want to deliver OUR babies!  You have NO right to push your agenda on us, whether your a doctor or otherwise!  We've done the research.  We've got the best team available in Northern VA, when it comes to delivering healthy babies to healthy mommies.  And we're a 5 minute ambulance ride from the hospital should anything go wrong.  So BACK OFF!   For your own good.  :)

[ /rant ]

Yes, so Jesslyn is fine.  :)  Well, minus that rash on her bum.  Poor thing.  Thanks for your prayers!  She's tough little cookie, that's for sure.  So cute!

Did I mention she was 20 lbs? [!!!]

We're here...

We're just sick.  :(

In a nutshell, Jeremiah's been hit the hardest, with a runny nose, cough/congestion, and a fever.  Other than the fact that he's not interested in eating, he's himself--boundless energy, happy, playful, etc.  And with the help of a humidifier and Vicks Vapors, he's been sleeping pretty well, for the most part.  

Jesslyn seems to be coming down with what Jeremiah has, though it hasn't really hit yet.  Hopefully it doesn't.  

And I seem to have something completely different, but annoying nonetheless.  Hence the lack of posting.

And tomorrow's Christmas Eve!  Not exactly how I had hoped Jesslyn's first Christmas would go.  If there are no improvements, we may have to skip out on some family gatherings, which would SUCK.  But, that's the nature of the beast, I guess.  Gotta love this time of year.  

In other news, Jesslyn seems to have found her voice.   :)  She loves to squeel now, and uses that to let you know when she wants something.  Hey, it beats crying.  She definitely seems to be getting older (I know, no duh, but she's becoming less of a baby and more of a little girl.)  I love that she plays in her crib instead of just crying after her naps (definitely sets a nicer tone for her awake time.)  She's very interactive, and is so happy to just "talk" to you.  My little girl is growing up so fast!

Speaking of, I hear her squeeling now.  Guess she's done napping.  :(  Oh well.  We're just chillin' anyways.  

If I don't post again, Merry Christmas, everyone!  Hopefully we'll have happy, well babies to photograph and post!  :)

Boos and Woos...

It's been a rough week for Jeremiah.

On Thursday, he woke up with a pretty significant fever, which hovered in the 102/103 range thoughout the day, despite giving him Tylenol (he wouldn't take the Motrin.) All I can say is, "Thank God for Tylenol Meltaways!" They're like chewables, but fall apart without much effort. It's probably not a great thing that he thinks they're candy (look like big smarties,) but he willingly will take them, so that's a plus.

By the time we had to pick Daddy up (we were going to dinner to visit a former professor of his from Geneva), and after having the AC blast on him the whole way there, he was back below 100 for the first time that day! Seemed to be feeling better, too, as he was very well behaved, and not the least bit whiney during dinner (unlike the rest of the day.)

Unfortunately, the next morning, it was back. But other than that, he seems fine, and seems to feel okay, so it's been alright. Today, he still has a small fever, but well within an acceptable range (103's and 104's are scary numbers to see on a thermometer...) Thanks a lot, stupid vaccines! And apparently, this is only the beginning, as that fever was likely caused by the chicken pox vaccine, whereas a fever from the MMR will be showing up in a day or two... And then possibly a rash to follow. Yuck.

Other than that, the weekend is going well so far. Uncle James is in town, so hopefully we'll get to see him after naptime. It is absolutely GORGEOUS out today--sunny, 80's, and trending to be similar the next few days (a bit cooler, though, in the mid-high 70's! I love it!) Jeremy's got someone who's seems to be serious about buying his Accord, so he's dealing with that right now (keep your fingers crossed! We really don't need three vehicles...) I went with a friend to Dani's Duds last night, and scored a bunch of really cute sleepsacks for Jess Jr, along with a booster seat, some baby gates, wooden puzzles, and a few other odds and ends. It was a lot of fun, though a few things I really wanted were long gone. Oh well. I'm going back tomorrow to try to score some clothes, since it's half off then, and pick up a few things I don't want donated to charity.

That's all with us. I've got a LOST write up in the works, though there's not much to really say, so if you're waiting for that, it's coming! I've got to go get ready for the day now. :)

What a week so far--and it's only Wednesday!

It's been a busy week, and doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon. It feels like it should be Friday tomorrow, but nope, it's only Thursday. Don't know why my days are mixed up like that--Jeremy was off Monday, but that means I should feel like today is Tuesday, not Thursday. Whatever.

Yesterday, I met my new Dental Hygenist. She was sweet, but very chatty. Not that I mind talking about babies all day, but she kept stopping what she was doing so I could respond to her questions. I got there around 2 and didn't leave until 3:30--not just because of her, but the dentist wanted to go over my x-rays from our old dentist. And then she called her husband in, who's also a part of the practice, to give me options for a gap I've got from having a tooth pulled years ago.

Kids, let this be a lesson to you: I don't care what you're parents say, or what you want to do--go to the dentist at least a few times while you're young! Otherwise, you end up in your twenties, maxing out insurance 3-4 years in a row trying to play catch up (and losing some teeth as a result...) I'm looking at YOU, Stephin & James! You talk tough now, but I guarantee you, in a few years, you'll regret having done nothing up 'til then.... Sheesh.

I'm a bit frustrated with the dentists, though... They're looking at my x-rays as if they were just taken (they weren't,) and creating a treatment plan based on old information. Today, I went in to have a couple cavities dealt with, and she tried to schedule me next time for teeth I've already had done (and I told her I've had them done--she even looked at one and couldn't figure out why my old dentist did a root canal on one, based on these x-rays that are almost three years old. Now, I don't doubt that my old dentist was a money-hungry whack job [yeah, I didn't like him much...] but I think he had a more accurate idea of what needed to be done based on the then current condition of my tooth instead of 3 year old x-rays.)

Anyways, I'm taking the next few weeks off from the dentist. At least everyone in the office is really nice.

After all that, and some drama caused by the VA Dept. of Taxation (apparently, if you don't file you're taxes in the state of VA, they assume you paid nothing, and try to take that from you. Luckily, resolution is only a fax number away...) I'm ready for a relaxing rest of the week.

Well, Jeremiah's not on the same page, apparently. He decided today would be a good day to come down with a fever. I knew something was wrong when I put him down for a nap, and he seemed unable to get comfortable, and fall asleep. I kept checking on him, but his eyes were closed, and he was laying down, just constantly tossing and turning. So I whipped out our new fancy schmancy temperal thermometer (only $30 at Costco!) did the forehead swipe, and said he must just be in a mood, since the reading was normal (actually, it was wayyy below normal the first few times, but I knew better than to think he had a temp of 74 or 81. I assumed it was the room, and that's why his head was so warm.)

We went to Harris "Tweeter" (as my Mom likes to call it), got some lunch stuff (<>deli lady was rude... I asked for the Dietz & Watson Turkey, motioning towards the sample they had out, and she said, "That's not D&W, that's HT brand. I should know, I put it out." Well, that's not what the sign said... eventually she came around, and mumbled something about still being on special from last week... Uh huh. Yeah, and thanks for only giving me half a pound of turkey, when I asked for a full pound. Oh well. Next time she asks if I need help, I'll say no and wait for someone else. < /rant>) After we came home, he was pretty whiney and fussy, so I gave him some Tylenol, figuring he had a headache or something (clearly SOMETHING was bothering him, I just couldn't figure out what.)

Jeremy came home, more whining from Jeremiah. We gave him his bath (and let him run around wet and naked afterwards, like he loves to do,) took his temp again, still normal. THEN I realized there's a cover on the temperal probe...... (Seriously, they need to spell things like this out for us preggers.... We don't always notice the obvious.) So we took it again, and bingo! 102.7 Yikes! Checked it again, 103.1. Double yikes! Checked a few more times (not easy to do with a squirmy 14 month old) and it was constantly above 101.3. Called the dr (I'm sure they love being paged at home,) and he told us just to give him Motrin instead of Tylenol, and keep him comfy. So we'll see what happens. Hopefully he'll wake up happy, healthy, and cool, and we can enjoy the FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!

Yay! I'm so happy tomorrow is the first day of Spring! It's about time! Seems like winter lasts FOREVER when you've got a toddler begging to go out everyday. E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y. He doesn't understand that it's too cold, or too wet. If he can see the outside, which is impossible not to do from the family room, he wants to be out there, exploring. ESPECIALLY if the other kids in the neighborhood are out--ESPECIALLY Sean, the 5 year old that lives two doors down. He follows him around like a loyal pal already--he thinks he's just the coolest. We think he's got anger managment issues, and don't really want Jeremiah to grow up being like him, but I think that'll wean as he gets to know Nolan, who lives next door, and is less than a year older than him. Or the 3 year old down the street (can't remember his name at the moment,) who just got a new baby sister (on Jeremiah's birthday!) We'll see!

Finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GOOMBA----errr...., Stephin-bunny! He's 15! Yikes! It's all good, though. Jeremiah adores him, and he's a good kid--just a little bit addicted to video games, but hey, better that than pot or prescription drugs. "At least he's not dead." inside joke. :) Happy Birthday, Uncle Steph! You're Jeremiah's favorite Uncle Stephin--and enjoy your new gun (airsoft rifle.) Don't shoot the cat... unless it's Big Fella (impossible to make him more retarded, that's for sure. I'm kidding.... don't shoot the cat--then he'll just demand even more attention...)

Another beautiful day...

I sure am liking this nicer weather we've been having. It regularly gets up to the high 50's, low 60's now, and I couldn't be happier (neither could Jeremiah! He loves going outside!)

We've had a pretty casual week/weekend. Jeremy was sick most of last week, so that really put a blah on things, but I think he's feeling better now. He was off Friday and also today, so we've been able to get a few things done around the house that we've been "meaning to get to" for a while now. Maybe today we can go to Ikea.....? hint hint... :)

Jeremiah continues to try to talk, making the cutest little babbles that are just adorable to listen to. This morning, he was making some "creepy sounds". He was saying, "Ma ma ma ma..." over and over again, but in a raspy kind of voice. I thought there might have been something wrong at first, but then he switched back to his normal voice, and I went back to sleep.

We're 16 weeks today! Woot woot! Baby's been moving a little bit, though nothing too exciting. I'm sure that'll change in the coming weeks. Jeremiah wasn't a big kicker... He was pretty nice to me most of the time, except for a couple of weeks where I had this weird pain in my right rib. So it'll be interesting to see how much of a kicker "Jess Jr" turns out to be.

I can't believe Sunday is Easter already. Ca-razy. I just found out yesterday that it's up to me to make dinner for the family, if that's what we want to do. Hmmm... How much do I really feel like doing? I guess what it will all boil down to is how much Jeremy can clear off our dining room table, which apparently doubles as a desk for all of our paperwork.... We'll see!

And finally, this week brings us the last week of LOST until the end of April. Booo.... Also, the construction continues outside--at least it did not wake us up this morning. Maybe all the "loud" parts are done. Or something.

That's 'bout it. Oh, one more thing--Happy Birthday, Lilly! Today is her 1st Birthday! Hard to believe, even though Jeremiah is only 10 weeks older than her. Seems like he's been one FOREVER now. So happy birthday, Lilly, and happy St. Patty's day! Your birth was quite an adventurous 24 hours--your Mom and I were just trying to have some girl time, and you decided you wanted in on it, too. I don't blame ya. :) Hope we get some pictures of "face in cake" action. :) Always fun.

The TURDS have RETURNED!

If that was TMI for you, sorry. :) But I think the parents will understand--it makes ya feel good when after what seemed like FOREVER, your baby's poop is normal again. And boy, Jeremiah has been eating/drinking up a storm ever since! Nearly every bit of food you put in front of him gets devoured (or thrown on the floor--floor's never had it so good! If we had a dog, he'd be in heaven.) And he just kept asking for more and more bottles! Oh don't worry, I've been carrying his sippy cup with ICE water in it all day (he will not drink it if it's warm, at least, not if Mommy is drinking ice water... He's a big boy, after all. :) There were times, though, when he just wanted Mommy to pick him up and give him a bottle. So I won't say he's back to 100%, but the sickness part is definitely gone (whatever it was... definitely longer than a "24 hour bug." I had one of those the first week we were pregnant [though we didn't know it then] and it really did last just 24 hours. This was more like the "120-hour bug." It's gone though, so WHO CARES! Guess I need to throw out those bottles of pedilyte now. Nasty stuff. Hope we never need it again.)

Because of his belly issues, we didn't go to church--didn't want a volunteer to have to change "one of those," if you know what I mean... (Heck, not like I ever wanted to change 'one of those.') So the past few weeks, we've been going every other week, since he had that runny nose a while back, and then this. But we did manage to have a decent weekend regardless. Jeremy was able to put up Jeremiah's swing in the backyard (so now it's not 5 feet in the air...) and, of course, now Jeremiah could care less about being in it (I guess it was more fun high in the air...)

Right now, I'm listening to him "sing" in his crib. Jeremy's run off to Lowes to buy something for the dryer (looks like whoever installed it did a shotty job...) so it's just Jeremiah, me and the laptop. Yay.

Speaking of Jeremiah's "singing," he's getting quite good at trying to talk. While he's not repeated our favorite phrase yet ("Hi, da-da!") he likes to say his favorite phrase over and over again---"OH YEAH!" It was so funny when over the weekend, I went in his room to get him up after his nap, and the first thing he said was, "Oh yeah!" lol Sometimes we can get him to say it if we say it over and over, but usually ya just have to be in the right place at the right time.

He also says "Daddy" a lot, which comes out usually as, "Da-dee" rather than, "Dad-ee" but he'll get there. And while he can't say "light" yet (or doesn't want to...) he has named it something in his own language.... It's not "spellable" but he uses the same sounds every time when he's trying to talk about it (we know this because he'll point to a light and say it, to which we reply, "liiiiight?" and he'll reply with his word. lol)

There's been lots of other words that he's been able to mimick us saying, but has never repeated. The funniest thing, though, are his "cell phone conversations." He'll usually use my or Jeremy's phone, and walk around babbling on to someone about something. I haven't yet been able to catch it on film (got a few seconds today, but that's it,) but it's really funny... He'll go on for several minutes, pausing every now and then for a response. :) Some of the things he 'says', though... I dunno, sounds like he's been listening in on too many of Daddy's phone conversations... :) I'm kidding, none of it's bad. If he does pick up any naughty words (besides "ash" and "btch" as those may have slipped out once or twice accidently [usually while gaming, where Jeremiah usually is not,] it would have been from our neighbor, who has no reservations, whatsoever, about using profanity in front of a toddler (he apologizes the first time, and then just keeps on going. But he's a nice guy.)

Yup, that's all I've got. LOST is supposed to be AMAZING this week, so I'll probably have something to say about that Thursday night. Otherwise, have a great week!

It's been a quiet week...

Hence, the lack of new posts.

Really, it's just been kinda boring and sick.

It started off really nicely--70's and sunny on Monday! I've been waiting for that kind of weather! Jeremiah and I played on the deck in the morning (I was still in my PJ's, so that's as far as I was willing to venture,) and then outside with the neighbor's kids in the afternoon. It was really nice. The nice weather has a certain effect on a person--for me, it motivated me to get some stuff done!

We bought Jeremiah a swing to hang off the trees in the backyard. After finding a suitably sturdy branch, we strung it up, only to discover that the rope it came with wasn't long enough. Yeah, the bottom of the swing is as high as my head... But, we didn't want to disappoint Jeremiah, so we put him (not the easiest thing to do when you're lifting him above your head...) and he had such a great time in it! I don't think he wanted to get down. Needless to say, the height issue needs to be rectified. That helped spurn my trip to Lowes on Monday inbetween playing outside with Jeremiah. We got some more rope, some pebbles/rocks for the driveway (it narrows at the mouth, so when someone pulls in along side the van, it creates a muddy ditch that's really unsightly... so I filled it in with rocks. Hopefully, that'll do until we get around to tearing up the flowerbed planted on either sides, and adding some walking stones.)

I can't really remember what happened Tuesday... I think it was also on the nice side, but we just kinda layed low. Sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday, though, Jeremiah started not feeling so well, belly wise. I've never had to deal with "projectile vomit" until this week. This kid rarely spit up, let alone throw up! And he seemed much more content just sitting with Mommy and watching cartoons, than running around playing (when he's feeling well, he will completely ignore the TV... but when he's not, it's all about cuddle time!) By Thursday, whatever it was that he had was in full swing--icky diapers galore to prove it, too.

We were getting really concerned by nighttime when I went to check on him before going to bed, only to discover another nasty diaper. Of course, he wailed through the diaper change (nasty diapers tend to bring nasty diaper rash--ALL OVER! My poor baby...) After he was in new PJ's, and Daddy was trying to calm him in the glider, I asked him if he noticed any tears when he was crying. He hadn't. So even though Mommy had been super diligent about giving him lots to drink, the "Doodie Monster" managed to zap him dry. After that, I decided to wake up every couple of hours to make sure he was dry and planned to call the doctor in the morning.

Well, morning came, and I only had to get up once (on my own--he was fine.) Already, Jeremiah seemed to be doing much better. Jeremy got him some nasty Pedialyte (have you tasted it... it's gross... Jeremiah was a trooper and drank as much as he could, but he'd rather have water,) and that seemed to help, and he himself seemed to be in much better spirits. We were able to keep our plans for the day (having lunch at Sweetwater with Liz and Rachel! Though I will say, I like the Merrifield location better... The service is better. Not that it was bad, but they were semi-absent when we needed them, and overly-helpful [as in 'annoying'] when we didn't.) It was pretty rainy, though. Jeremiah really enjoyed it--I had to practically drag him in the house when we got home. He wanted to splash in the puddles (by falling in them, which he did manage to do a couple of times,) and run around rather than go inside. So cute!

And it's raining again today. I like rainy days, though--if I don't have to go out lots in them. I find them very relaxing. At least it's RAINING-RAINING, as opposed to MISTING-RAINING. The in-between rains are the worst--you don't get the full benefit of the "rainyness," but it's still rainy enough you don't want to go out. But today is not that day. Today is, as my Dad would say, "A good day for ducks." :) Yeah, he's kooky.

Pregnancy wise, everything is good. We're officially in the 2nd Trimester, which is exciting! I thought I would be less excited about being preggers with #2 when ya already have a #1, but nope, #2 is still exciting. I think Jeremiah's going to be a great big brother! Of course, lots could change between now and September, but so far, he's really good to the baby doll, and wants to give her a bottle every morning (it makes a 'sucking' sound... at least, I'm assuming it's a 'sucking' sound.) And he just loves other babies! They just make him grin ear to ear. I'm sure it'll be a little different with one that never leaves, and takes Mommy & Daddy away from you, but I think he'll be fine.

I think I've "popped", though it's tougher to tell on me since there was a bit of belly to begin with, but hey, if Jeremy can tell a difference, than I believe him. Plus, none of my pre-preggers pants are comfortable anymore, despite the fact that I weigh less now than when I bought them, so ya know something's going on. It'll probably be a few more weeks before the general public can tell (and for the really stupid, a few more months--one chic that I saw on a bi-weekly basis when I worked for Sony didn't know I was pregnant with Jeremiah until right before Christmas. I WAS 8 MONTHS! Sheesh.)

We'll probably get an ultrasound sometime in April (it's optional, but Jeremy wants "to see" his "child.") It's hard to believe that that's next month! And then we've got our trip to Vegas in May, June-August will be spent in various pools, I'm sure, and then, here comes baby! :) Yay! And now, Jeremiah is napping, so I'm gonna go get ready for the day. That was this week in a nutshell--see? Not very exciting. Maybe next week will be more fun.

How's this for exciting?

I'm still sick. BOOOO! But Jeremiah's not! YAY!!

I really don't know what's going on. I think, in the end, it's only a cold that won't take a hint and leave. All it is is symptoms, after all--sore throat, congestion, cough. No fatigue (surprisingly, though I do try to take it easy and nap when I can), no fever, no headache (at least not since Sunday), no other aches and pains (again, since Sunday.) I feel fine, or at least I would, if I didn't have a head. :) Is a head really that important? Can't I just whack it off and be done with it?? No? Maybe not a good idea? Okay....
I guess that wouldn't be helpful for "Jess Jr", huh?
I've been trying all sorts of homeopathic remedies--cayenne pepper, lemon/honey, etc... The cayenne pepper... that was interesting. Yeah, gargling water and cayenne is a bit yucky and hot, but that wasn't the worst part. Have you ever smelled cayenne pepper??? It has this weird, almost "b.o."-ish odor to it. That was the worst part. Plugging your nose helps with that, but after doing that about 6 times with no improvement, I gave up. I guess I should have stuck with it longer, but I really got sick of the smell....
Thankfully, no nausea whatsoever yet, despite the harsh smells!
ACV, or apple cider vinegar, is supposed to be another good one--drink it like you would a cup of tea.... I'm all out, but I may pick some up later, as I have seen little improvement with everything else. I have noticed that eating a couple of oranges provides mild temporary relief (probably the same way ACV does--the acid in the juice "kills" everything back there... or something...)
Have I mentioned how much it sucks being sick when you're pregnant???
I'm not sure if I want to subject Jeremy to the last home brew alternative--garlic cloves. I guess you cut it up, and chew on each piece individually. Now, I love garlic, but even I have never had it that 'straight up'. Maybe I'll make a salad dressing, heavy on the garlic and ACV, very light on the "E.V.O.O." as Rachel Ray likes to say, and see if that does anything... We'll see...

Yeah, I told ya, very exciting stuff, huh? I wish I had more to talk about, but really, nothing's been going on this week except that... And my parents made it back to the States okay. They're flying from Boston to Dulles this afternoon, so I'm sure they'll have lots to say about their stay in the Azores with my Avo. We're going to try to go in the Summer, probably July. That should be nice. :)
We're planning on going then because I'll be around 7 months preggers then, so my Avo can't say anything about my weight... Believe me, she would otherwise....
And that's all folks! Time to get Jemiah down for his morning nap.

Boo for flu....

Well, it was bound to happen eventually, but I sure wish it hadn't.

Jeremy's been fighting a cough/sore throat for over a week now. We finally convinced him to go to the doctor's, and found out he's got an awesome sinus infection. Two days and many pills later, he's well on the road to recovery.

Saturday, I woke up with a scratchy throat, but thought nothing of it and went shopping. As the day went on, the scratchiness got worse. By evening, I wanted nothing more than to curl up in a blanket with some hot tea, and go to bed. Went to the doctor's today, and apparently, it's viral, so all we can do is wait it out. Booooo...
What really sucked was not being able to take anything to relieve those pesky symptoms!
At least I have real acetaminophen now--Saturday night, the only kind we had was children's liquid tylenol. Have you tasted that stuff recently??? It's like liquid candy! Yuck! Thankfully, Jeremy went to the store and got some real tylenol, so I can rest a little bit more easy (though the cough and congestion still keep me from having a good nights sleep, but I digress....)
It sucks being sick when you're pregnant....
The only thing that sucks more than being sick is...... being dead. :) Thankfully, we're very much alive, just a bit miserable! So we'll take our drugs, drink our teas, get some sleep, and hope tomorrow is a fresher, healthier day (no late night partying tonight for us!)
Yet again, I cannot drink a glass of champagne on New Years....
Happy New Year! Goodbye 2007 (weird...) hello, 2008! A nice round number.

Oh, and apparently I've lost 10 lbs since going to the dr's last (I think in June? July? Something like that? Maybe August? I dunno.) So that made me feel better, even if the number was still higher than I would have liked. Baby steps!
Too bad that number will likely just continue to climb back up, but hopefully it will be all baby this time, as most of it was last time.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly....

The Good:

We had a very nice weekend, for the first time in a long time. Usually our weekends consist of long to-do lists with not much getting done, which leaves one frustrated and annoyed. Well, after last weekend (our party), there wasn't much we needed to do around here, so we got to chill.

Jeremy needed to get his glasses fixed, so we packed up the family and headed out to Clarendon (where we used to live). Jeremy got his glasses fixed, and as we walked back to the van, we passed by Cheesecake Factory. After much arm twisting, we stopped for lunch. And what a nice time we had! They were really great--brought Jeremiah a plate of bread and banana slices just for him (which he loved!) He spent the rest of his time flirting with all the waitresses, and was a good boy, for the most part.

After lunch, Jeremiah fell asleep in the van, so we ran a couple of errands and then drove out to Bull Run Park to look at the Christmas lights. Well, turns out the "Festival of Lights" can be yours for the low low price of $20.... No. That's alright. We found a shortcut, where you can drive through the last part of it for free, and that was more than enough for Jeremiah.

Then it was bedtime! And that was it! What a nice day.

The Bad:
So the Steelers played the Patriots Sunday... and lost.... badly... 34-13??? I mean, c'mon, there was NO reason for Brady to still be in the game when they were up by 3 touchdowns with two minutes left! Sheesh. Whatever. This is going to make Christmas Eve at my Uncles (my family's from New England, after all) very annoying.... He's gonna be blah-blah-blahing all night about it! Booo.... Oh, look at the time, we gotta get Jeremiah to bed, g'night! :-)

The Ugly:
I woke up yesterday with a nasty stomach bug. It was nooooo fun! Thankfully, I was able to convince Jeremy to come home and take care of Jeremiah so I could rest. I'm feeling much better today, as a result. And now Jeremy knows what I do all day, but not because he did it! Jeremiah didn't get out of his pajamas once, there were piles of dishes all over the kitchen, there's laundry in the washing machine from Sunday that will probably need to be re-washed, there were crumbs all over the floor from Jeremiah, etc, etc, etc.... I guess I do a lot more than I thought I did. :-)

Sunday we got pictures done of us as a family (haven't seen them yet, but hopefully I look alright--Jeremy and Jeremiah, of course, looked very handsome, so they may have to carry the picture.) I'm hoping to get them soon, so we can figure out what we want to order. We're not doing gifts or Christmas cards outside of our family this year (no extra money--figured the party was gift enough, right?? :-) But if we've got a good pose, then we may print a couple of those out for everyone. We'll see. At the very least, we'll have something here on the blog.

And that's all. Time to go get ready for some more Christmas shopping! Missed a day because of yesterday, after all.