Fox News

Okay... I'm totalling stealing this from my friend Amy's blog - but seriously, this made me giggle for 10 minutes.

Really... 193% of voters? See this incredible pie chart -- and you tell me what's wrong with the picture!

Cracks me up.

Sick, Sick and Sick

Well - the weekend didn't quite shape up as planned. Turns out Atticus has an ear infection and a sinus infection. Greg is coming down with Strep? Flu? Who knows what... and I've had a monster headache for the past 15 hours or so.

If you were planning on visiting with us over the weekend... well, perhaps next weekend would be a better bet!

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Squirmy!

I know most folks can't feel the little one moving about this early in the pregnancy - but let me tell you - this little one is a mover and a shaker. I can feel #2 wiggling all around almost anytime I sit still! I wonder what this will mean in another couple of months! My insides may take quite the beating from some very active little legs!

Goodness Gracious!

Where does the time go? Lately, it's been a myriad of trips to/from Dallas, to/from the Pediatrician's office and work, work, work.

Atticus is finally feeling better. The fever has subsided, the swelling has subsided, the hives have gone away and now all we're left with is a generally fussy baby that's working on some new molars. Let's hope he stays healthy.

We have had some major vocabulary break throughs lately. I can now confidently say that Atticus is saying Mama and Dada with conviction, to the proper parent and at the proper times. I said to him that we had to go find Daddy in the other room and he responded with a "Dada?". Yes, buddy -- that's right! There are also some recognizable sounds for certain objects. I couldn't repeat them if I tried - but it's definitely the same sounds for certain things.

In other Atti news - he's climbing on/in/over/under absolutely everything. We have a climber. He hasn't tried to climb out of the crib just yet - but I'm sure it's just a matter of time. He will however climb the highchair, the stove, the kitchen barstool, etc. Time to make sure everything is anchored to the wall... I see a holiday project in the works for Greg!

I'm feeling better too. We're now officially somewhere between 14 and 15 weeks along. I'm not quite as tired as I had been, but still pretty pooped. I don't know how that woman on TLC has 19 kids. Just the thought makes me want to crawl in bed! And, although it's really early - I swear I've felt this little one move around. Not kicks per se -- but definitely the bubbly, floaty, feelings of baby wiggling around. Weight is still in check - but I have a feeling I'll need to be more careful this time around. With Atticus, all I craved was fruit, fruit and more fruit -- and so far this go around, it's all bad for me things: queso, pizza, cookies etc. I did just buy a box of Clementine oranges however -- and they are quite tasty. Let's hope the fruit craving kicks back in soon!

Greg is hanging in there. Prepping for a couple finals and two 30 page seminar papers. YUCK. Not one, but two of those suckers.... Yikes. We're seeing the light at the end of the school tunnel, so with the last semester already booked, we're already looking forward to graduation!

I'm sure there has been lots and lots that I haven't filled you in on lately -- my apologies. I'll try to do better. I really need to get some new pictures of the little man, I've been falling down on the picture taking duty lately!

Rough Week

So... Poor little man started the week with a swollen eye & hives.
Now, end of week... We find ourselves at Pediatrics After Dark in
Plano. I got a phone call today at 2 from the drop in daycare that
Atticus was running ~102 and that another little one from the class
was diagnosed yesterday with strep. Oh joy.

So, now we're waiting for the doc & the strep test... Can we
seriously not catch a break?

~ Jen

Profile Picture

I really need to scan in our new family picture to use as the profile pic for this blog.... I'm feeling a little guilty about that all the sudden. Here sits this blog - a family blog - and the photo is from our engagement shoot. Sigh, I'm a little behind the times.

I had big plans for today, but unfortunately, I woke up with a killer headache. I haven't had one this bad in a looooooong time. I ended up sleeping most of the day away - while willing my head to stop pounding. It's not 10:32 and it's down to a dull roar, but manageable. So, all that means for you readers is that I didn't get much done. No photos freed from the camera, no video uploaded, and the house is still pretty much a mess. Hopefully no one is planning on an dropping by unexpectedly in the next 24 hours! :-)

That really wasn't newsworthy. I'm starting to sound like CNN. Oy - goodness help us all! Maybe it is time for bed after all!

Awake...

It's 11:30. I haven't been up this late in a long time. I'd love to say I've been reading a fascinating novel (there are several on my to-do list) or knitting, or doing something else productive... but nah, I've just been sitting here, sort of staring off into space thinking about utilization. I know, sounds strange, but - I think I was making it more difficult than it needs to be. I re-did the report so many times today, that now I'm afraid I've overthought the whole thing and maybe I should check in again. Oy. Did I miss anyone? Did I leave anyone in that shouldn't be there? I know this is making no sense to 99% of you - sorry - I'm just sort of thinking outloud.

For now, I think I'll go get a glass of water and head to bed. Tomorrow's another day, right?

Looking Up!

For two days in a row now when we've gone to pick up Atticus, he's actually been happy! Yay! I let a couple of the teachers in on a secret... when he's whining, just feed him. :-) He's a nosher... he's my child. When he's whining, he's hungry! I don't know - we told the teachers that yesterday morning and he's been much happier both yesterday and today. Hallelujah.

Little man even came home with art projects today. A pumpkin painting, a drawing with pasta glued to it (???) and a finger painting pumpkin patch picture (which apparently he didn't like doing because he wasn't a fan of the paint on his hands). Not bad for his first week!

Of course as I type right now, I can hear him making some half crying/whines from his room. Uh oh. Poor guy does have at least 3 molars breaking through the gums right now. That has to hurt like no other! Go back to sleep little man....

JCC

Yesterday was Atti's first day at the JCC. I might have been a bit more excited if he was actually at the new facility - in the new classroom, with his teachers, and his classmates, etc. Instead, the J is waiting on some building permits (yada yada) and the new kids are stuck in the multi-purpose on the main campus. Granted, they're doing the best they can - but holy moly, it was a disorganized mess yesterday. The consultant lurking in me kept thinking - seriously people, there is a WAY better way to do this! I don't think I even would have known to go to the "old" location if I hadn't stopped by the main campus last week to drop off Atti's paperwork and vaccination records after his doctor's visit! But I digress... Greg and I do like most of the teachers that we've met, and the curriculum is fabulous, once they get a chance to execute, but for now - it's a mess. They lost Atti's nap mat and his lunch yesterday. Of course, it apparently wasn't a big deal because Monday is Pizza Monday and the kids get lunch included. No one told us this.... There were more frightening signs of disarray, but I don't feel like reliving them right now.

Atticus did great yesterday at drop off. He was so excited to see all the new toys, especially the play kitchen. I really think this kid's going to be a chef... He waved goodbye to me, no tears at all. Greg picked him up and said he was a little more subdued. Today, Greg did the drop off and I was in charge of pick up. There were a few more tears today at drop off - I think he figured out what was coming! But, his report card for the day said he had a rough morning, but did better in the afternoon after a nap. I think that the poor kid isn't used to staying awake all morning and his food schedule has been thrown all out of whack. He only ate half his lunch today, so by the time I picked him up at 515, the poor kiddo was STARVING! We got home, and he wolfed down some kiwi, raspberries, grapes, some yogurt bites, cheerios, etc all before we even thought about dinner. In that respect, he's definitely my kid -- when he's whining... feed him!

Overall, I think it will be a good experience for him. We just got to get the new routine in place...

I do have a few new pictures to upload. Hopefully I'll get to those tomorrow night. No more energy to do it tonight!

Halloween Weekend

Trick-Or-Treat. I returned home from my cousin Daryl’s wedding to find Atticus sitting calmly on Greg’s lap in the living room. Crud, I thought – he’s still sick. Atticus never sits still unless he doesn’t feel well. He was still running a fever, so we gave him one more dose of Motrin. Within the hour, he was feeling better and running around. I pulled out the Yoda costume to get him ready for the plethora of kids that were about to bombard our house. The Yoda “hat” had been attached to the robes, so I hadn’t actually tried it on Atticus. Apparently that was a mistake. Just because it said 2T and Little Man is only 15 months, I thought the hat would fit, but it wouldn’t snap under his chin! Ugh. So, instead of being Yoda, Atticus was just a little Jedi. He still looked awfully cute. He had a great time going up to the door to look outside and see all the trick-or-treaters. I think next year, we’ll have to go door to door with him – at least for 45 minutes or so…

The wedding was fun too. Stephanie looked beautiful, and Daryl was decked out in a full kilt! Seriously. That was a surprise to me! And – to make it all a bit more authentic, the preacher/minister/clergyman was actually Irish! (Sorry I don’t know the proper terminology for the clergy!!) The ceremony was a small affair, but very nice. After the ceremony, most of the friends and family hung out outside the church – they had beautiful grounds, while pictures took place. Funny thing, I actually got sunburned on my shoulders! We then packed up and headed a few miles down the road to the B&B where my cousins were staying. There was a full blown Halloween themed reception. It was a lot of fun, especially for the kiddos! There were punch balloons, grab bags of Halloween candy, ghosts hanging from the trees, cobwebs strewn about, etc. Even the silverware was rolled and held together with little black spider rings. The catering was done by my other cousin Raymond and his wife Angela. Yummmmm… Gotta love homemade BBQ. Slow smoked brisket, sausage, beans, potato salad, etc. I’m going to miss BBQ when we got to Ohio…

Sunday was thankfully low-key. Atticus woke up fever free - and the weather was fab.u.lous so we headed to the park for the majority of the day. We ran, we went down the slide, we played in the rocks, we swang on the swings, we climbed the playscape... and then we did it all over and over and over again! Atticus was in bed about 730 and I was asleep about 8pm!! It wears a girl out chasing a toddler all over the park!