Why, why, why?

Andy asks why about 100 times a day. I know it's normal for this age, but what gets me is when he asks a question he already knows the answer to, and doesn't agree to my answer.

"Mommy, is it afternoon?"
"Yes, Andy, it's 3 o'clock, it's afternoon."
"No it's not. It's morning."
...

I have taken to asking him the question back instead.

"Mommy, where's Daddy?"
"Where do you think he is?"
"At work."

That seems much better than him arguing with me over a question I frankly don't care the answer to. I have also tried this technique"

"Mommy, do cats have tails?"
"Yes, cats have tails."
"No they don't."
...
"Andy, if you knew the answer, why did you ask me in the first place?"
...

He's probably going to be a lawyer, isn't?

Bribery parenting

Andy has been waking up in the middle of the night again. Some nights, he just cries from his bed. Other nights, he gets up and comes to our room. Both are annoying. In fairness, he was sick yesterday with a fever and stayed home with Bjorn.

"I've been a good boy today, right?"
"Yes, yes, you have."
"Since I was a good boy at the pharmacy, can I have a Popsicle?"
Can't argue with the kid's logic.
"Actually Andy, I'll make a deal with you. If you go all night without waking Mommy or Daddy up and staying in your bed, you can have two Popsicles with breakfast."

It actually worked. And was worth every drop. I've been having trouble sleeping lately so it was so nice not to be fighting with him at 5 a.m. this morning.

Soccer day

Today was soccer day. Andy has been practically counting the hours until his first "game" (well, he would if he really understood the concept of hours. As it is, he just asked every day when his first game was and the all day today he was ready to go. I am not sure it lived up to the hype as about half an hour in to a one hour practice/game, he was ready to sit and have a third water break. The bad part about being an assistant coach was I was right there for him to whine to during the practice.

We had an hour long coaching clinic last night. The main message was keep the kids busy with lots of games and don't focus too much on the fundamentals of soccer. Just have fun, keep things moving and you'll be fine. Easier said than done. I have a whole new appreciation for preschool teachers. The 10 kids did great for about the first 30 minutes. Then we had the obligatory water break and they never quite recovered. In their defense, it was 75 and sunny -- by far the nicest day since last fall. I'd give my first effort a C+. We'll do better next week.

In an unrelated note, Meg cannot be without a diaper for a minute without peeing. Sometimes twice. It's a struggle getting Andy undressed at bath time and I sometimes get her dressed to motivate him that she's going to "beat" him into the tub. Sadly, that means she's sometimes naked for all of five minutes. Tonight I got her undressed and she promptly climbed on Andy's bed and peed. I then took the sheets off and as I walked them the FIVE FEET to the hamper, she climbed on the bed and peed again. Thankfully, I have a plastic sheet on his bed.

We went to the doctor yesterday and Andy had an allergy test. It was an interesting thing for them to have a six pronged comb type thing that they scratched onto his back to test for allergens. The good news is he's not allergic to cats or any foods, but he does have reactions to dust mites, pollen and tree molds. He recommends Claritin daily through spring, a vent cleaning and getting rid of the down pillows in favor of polyfill. Fortunately, he doesn't seem too bothered, but it's something we'll have to watch.

She walks!

Well, not walk exactly, but she took two or three steps in a row! Over and over again! She was so excited for the cheering and it was great because Bjorn was here as was his mom to witness it. A nice cap to a nice, but chilly, Easter.

In preparation for the holiday, Meg came down with her XVXI cold of the season last week. She had the typical runny nose and cough, but this time she had a strange new symptom -- red cheeks that she wanted to scratch along with watery eyes. No fever, which pointed to allergies, but with a holiday weekend, it made sense to get into the ped just in case.

I was surprised to hear she had a beginning right ear infection. I was also surprised to hear that the mucus under her cheeks can occasionally cause her face to burn/itch, which is why she was scratching. I know, strange. She's on antibiotics for the ear infections and antihistamine for the itching.

I saw Dr. Murphy, the other doctor in the practice, instead this time and was asking about ear tubes as if it was a fait accompli. He said not to rush into it, as the season is just about over and hopefully by the fall her immune system is that much better. I explained that Andy didn't get tubes until he was nearly three.

"Does he have allergies?"
"Um, I don't know."
Looking at him. "Actually, it looks like he might. Look at his nose. And the bags under his eyes. Does he always look like that?"
"Well, the black eye is from falling off a chair."

He explained that the "shiner" is a classic look among kids with allergies, who often have ear problems because their ears are "sticky." He recommended an allergy work-up, which we're doing next Friday. Supposedly it doesn't involve needles, just a skin reaction test that takes about 20 minutes. I already have to take Meg back to get her ear follow-up. The nice thing about my Fridays off is I almost always get to spend them at a pediatrician.

Soccer part 3

This soccer thing is getting to be a theme. Good thing I like it so much.

Andy is wearing his soccer socks, shin guards and cleats to school today. I am positive I did the same thing at his age (and older, likely). I think my mother even let me wear them to church. And by let, I'm sure I mean she couldn't pry them off my feet for any amount of candy and/or television in the world. Bjorn did have the foresight to take some classic pictures of Andy wearing his soccer gear on his feet...and nothing else. Prime picture for that high school yearbook seniors' picture or his rehearsal dinner slide show.

He's starting to get dressed a little by himself, which is an exciting thing as I know ultimately it will mean he is more self sufficient. In the meantime, it takes him at least twice as long to get dressed by himself with all the associated drama. I do find half the time his clothes are on backwards. I usually just shrug that off, although that's the time that I run into someone I might actually want to impress at the grocery store. The other day he insisted on wearing his underwear on backwards. It was obvious, what with the big "pocket" as we call it on his butt and all the extra fabric in the front, but it's not like he was ever going to unzip his pants, reach through the flap and pee that way.

Bjorn has been traveling a lot for work the last two weeks. I'm excited for him as in theory, all those presentations could turn into sales for him, you know, important opportunities for a sales guy. But we've missed him. Fortunately, both kids have been angels more or less. And by angels, I mean healthy for a week or so. Both seem to be coming down with colds again, and I'm trying t be all zen about it and not a big baby, I mean. They're colds, right? But it's hard to see them unhappy and, truthfully, mama needs her sleep. I know, how lame.

Soccer part 2

Bjorn took Andy to get cleats for soccer today. He ended up spending $40 at Dick's on a package that consisted of Umbro cleats, shin guards, socks and a ball. Andy was so excited that he's sleeping tonight with his socks and shin guards on. "In case anyone tries to kick me in my sleep." Adorable and ironic since if anyone does any kicking at night, it's him.

Sports

Soccer starts in two weeks. And, no, I don't mean me. For the first time in probably 15 years, I'm not currently on a soccer team. I just got burned out playing outdoor, mostly due to my age and out-of-shapeness that I wasn't willing to overcoming for two hours in the sun on a Sunday morning. That part feels weird. As does Andy being signed for soccer. It's a mini-me league that has "games" on Saturday afternoons. And by games, I mean organized playtime. I'm not even sure if there are jerseys, but I'm sure there are trophies.

I even volunteered to be an assistant coach, which both thrills and terrifies me. I always wanted to like coaching. I even went so far as to be help when my dad was my sister Mary's coach back circa 1982. But like my stint as a camp counselor, I was never one with the children and never really acheived that awesome status as a fun coach that also teaches the kids stuff that they really like and listen to. Bjorn did a lot of coaching for Mark and Jennifer in basketball and I loved being a helper to do the quiet tasks like keep the score books and mark off how may fouls every had. I never really aspired to be the one teaching drills. That part filled me with terror.

But Andy needed an assistant coach and I volunteered. Assistant I can probably handle. I think that means making sure parents show up with drinks and snacks after the games. I might even suggest a few drills so long as they don't make me actually run them.

Mark your calendar

I watch Meg take two steps tonight. She can totally walk now if she wants, but right now she's still a little too tentative. It's funny, she'll take steps on her own, but if I reach out to have her walk to me, she smiles big and drops to crawl. I suppose she's not a baby anymore.

Andy, on the other hand, clearly wants to be a baby again. He keeps talking about getting back into Mommy's tummy (sorry, not going to happen). He also insisted I put the pack and play in his room so he can sleep there. So far, he has only slept there for two hours before crying that his neck hurt. He is also spending a lot of time saying, "Ga ga, goo goo, I'm a baby." I had no idea the Freudian stuff started this early.

Pictures, finally

The weather is slowly improving and there have been a few really nice days mixed in with some days of cold, clouds and rain. Today Bjorn even loaded us up to go check out the cherry blossoms down by the tidal basin in downtown Washington, D.C. The traffic, no surprise on such a gorgeous day hours before the peak of the blooms, was hideous. We planned to drive near Bjorn's office and take the metro, but instead, we just walked over near the White House. It was spontaneous and beautiful as we spent time at a park we have never really visited before. Quite cool.

Here are pictures from the last several weeks.

New and disgusting tricks (caution TMI alert)

So what's the polite thing to do when you find your child eating her own poop during a dinner party?

We were having friends over for tonight and the adults were finishing dinner and drinking wine while the kids, aged 5, 4, 3, and 1 played when I noticed Meg had something in her mouth. That alone isn't so unusual, after all rocks, bits of mulch and boxes must be tasted. But what was unusual was the fact that something green and brown was smeared on her face. We swooped in and swept her mouth and examined what was on the floor. At first I assumed it was cat vomit, but further inspection proved it was her own poop. Her diaper had exploded up her back, and I mean really exploded, and she obviously had to taste it.

I was freaking out. I was relieved somewhat to realize it was her own poop (I'll admit that's a phrase I never thought I'd say) vs. cat vomit, I mean, no telling what the cat/human interaction thing could be. I couldn't decide whether to make her throw up or what. My friend graciously was appropriately alarmed, but not too alarmed. In the end, we just cleaned her up and brushed her teeth. Good.

This parenting thing is really beyond disgusting much of the time, isn't it?

Thoughts on Lost

No, I don't mean Lost the television show, although I do watch it. I mean tips for when kids get lost. My mom sent me this and I need to work with Andy on it. Right now, when I bring it up, he closes his eyes and pretends to be sleeping. I know, he's not even a teenager yet.

* Stand still the minute he realizes I'm not there.
* Shout my first name, not mommy since everyone is named mommy.
* That I will call for him loudly once I realize he's gone.
* That he's not to go with anyone, even if they say that person will help me find me.

That's pretty basic. What else?

My little climber, part 2

Seriously, this kid is a climber. I took the kids to the library yesterday to look for some books on stranger danger/what to do if you get lost in the store kind of stuff. I had been having a hard time finding anything good and was talking to the librarian about it. I put Meg on the floor and she proceeded to then find every bench, chair and stool, climb on it and then STAND on it. I had to eventually hold her and when that didn't work, let Andy practically sit on her for the 10 minutes I talked to the library staff. And after all that, I never did find anything really age appropriate. Any suggestions?

Meg was up three times last night, at 10, 2 and 5 before waking up screaming at 7:15. It was a long night. I first thought this morning that it was constipation, easily helped by some prune juice. But after a trip to the park and the swing, I got a good look in her mouth and realized her upper right molar is only half way through. Well, no wonder she's cranky. She's got two pieces of tooth pressing through some flesh. I plan to give her a good dose of Motrin before bed tonight and hope that was it.

She's still not walking, but standing on her own more confidently ever hour it seems. It's been amazing to watch.

Oh, and I'm almost done with Breaking Dawn. I am somewhat ashamed I have read all four books because the characters irritate me so. Then again, I'm not a 12 year old girl so what do I know.

My little climber

Meg isn't walking yet, but that doesn't stop her from throwing her leg over everything and standing on it. I was getting dressed the other morning while she played in Mark/Jennifer's room. I came in a few minutes later to find her standing on one of the kid chairs with a big grin on her face. If she can get her leg over it, she'll climb on it and likely stand. It's thrilling and scares me all the same.

She continues to make baby steps toward walking. It's so amazing to see her standing alone and scootching a step or so. Even Andy gets in on the cheering which just warms my heart. He has also taken to calling her Meggie. I have reservations about the nickname based on my own personal biases, but coming from him, how can I not love it?

Her language is picking up, too. It's clear she understands a lot of what we say now and can follow basic commands, like "Let's climb the stairs," or "Do you want a bath?" She also can say a few things now, like ball and car. I even heard her say "bye bye" to Andy this morning.

3 1/2 minutes of terror

I lost Andy at the store yesterday. It was a seriously terrifying 3 1/2 minutes.

Let me explain. I took the kids to Bed, Bath and Beyond yesterday afternoon to return a tablecloth I had bought earlier. Despite measuring my table first, I still walked away with the wrong one and I wanted one of those awesome new microfiber ones that seriously repel moisture, including milk, juice and probably vomit. Because Bjorn was home "working" and it was rainy, I decided to head next door to DSW Shoe Warehouse to try to fnd a new pair of black loafers that I have been on the hunt for for months.

I was carrying Meg and Andy was walking along with me. The set-up in the shoe store is probably 20 aisles of waist high display tables, just high enough to conceal a four year old. I didn't think it would be so hard to go in there -- Meg isn't walking so I figured I could just plop her down and have Andy entertain her while I tried a few pairs of shoes. Wrong, on so many levels.

First off, the set-up in the store was like a huge obstacle course to Andy. He wanted to climb on all the benches in between the aisles and generally be four. Meg -- while not walking -- wanted to stand and pull the shoes out. She also wanted to crawl everywhere and pull down the floor mirrors. All that combined with not being able to find anything (seriously, black loafers with real heels, how hard is that?) was frustrating.

We'd been there about 10 minutes, slowly going row to row when I realized Andy wasn't behind me talking all of a sudden. I waited about 30 seconds, figuring he was right there, then when I called his name and he was gone. I started to retrace my steps, even with the Squirmy One. I started calling his name, nothing....Panic.

I went to the back of the store, the clearance section where I nice lady said she'd seen a little boy. "Little boy? Blue hat? He was right here...Wait, he was just right here..." I looked in the bathrooms (right there) and didn't see him. Then came back and another lady and clerk dragged him to me. Finally. I think the whole scene took about 3 1/2 minutes, but damn was I scared. I was already going to John Walsh and seeing how all that could happen.

As I sit him down to catch my breath and calm him down, I thank the ladies and start to talk to about what to do if that even happens again. Then as if my own terror and panic and guilt wasn't enough, a lady comes over and tells me I need a stroller. "I'm not getting in your business, but..." Ugh.

I thought about it later and 1) I usually don't go to these kinds of stores without a stroller, 2) most stores without a stroller I have a shopping cart where I can corral both of them, 3) I need to work on our lost management/how to not talk to strangers strategy. Ideas?

Classic

Andy was playing with one of his old toys, a dog that when you touch it, talks back and sings song.

"Ding-a-ling. I see you," says the bear."
"No you don't," says Andy.

Where did this kid get his sarcasm?

Both kids are (fingers crossed) doing better on the new antibiotic. Meg's sinus infection (i.e. goopy eyes) appears better as does her super thick and chunky runny nose. What's left now is a dry cough. It's unclear if that's part of the sinus infection working its way through or something else new and fun.

Andy was a total pill yesterday morning. We met the famous Lizzie G. at the Gap Outlet in Old Town where he proceeded to whine and complain for the entire 1 1/2 hours we were together, even with mint chocolate chip ice cream. He then came home and took a four hour nap so I suppose the kid wasn't quite right after all.

We had a dinner to celebrate Mark being in town where Bjorn made his local favorite sausage risotto for everyone. It was nice to all be together. What's funny is Jennifer is now hinting that her month stay with us may turn into a longer stay and Mark is saying he might be home for the summer. It would be sort of fun having everyone all together although I might have to invest in bunk beds or something for the big kids to share a room. I don't think I could stand one of them sleeping on the couch in the basement as it would make that room off limits until noon most mornings and a mess if we had guests over. The logistics are easy enough though.

I'm in the middle of the fourth Twilight book. Sure, it's crap, but at this point, it's familiar crap. I just wish Bella wasn't such a victim. I haven't quite figured out why everyone in the book loves her so much as it's not like she's out sewing scarves for the homeless or anything. And Jacob -- dang, he seems a whole lot more fun than Edward. Am I alone here?

Ear infections part MXCII

I took Andy in for his post-ear infection check. Even Meg's sinus infection, i.e. goopy eye problem, was looking better so I mostly had a couple of questions about nose bleeds, adding dairy back in, and teething. I was not expecting to hear that both kids have ear infections. Apparently they're not super red and nasty (meaning really painful) but they are definitely not well and need some more medicine to clear them up. Apparently Andy's ear infection just never really cleared and Meg's sinus infection just worked its way over to the ears. The prescription was Suprax (at the bargain price of $50 per). Poor guys.

I explained that Meg was up somewhat inconsolable for about an hour or so the other night. Dr. Staats predicted that was more likely due to teething than her ears and encouraged good use of Motrin and Tylenol. While all four molars are through the gums, she predicts it will be several more weeks before they are all done moving.

I asked about tubes again for Andy. She predicted we'd get through March, the last month of cold and flu season and likely not have problems again. But if this infection refuses to clear up, then we'll talk about it again. She said it's pretty common to have to do them again, even at this age, and now that he's four, they'd likely take the adenoids out as well. I explained our theory of getting the tubes for Meg in late summer in time for the season. She thought that made a lot of sense, unless of course, the latest infection refuses to die. So now we're on antibiotics for another couple of weeks and seeing where this takes us.

So it as 70 last weekend only to snow this morning. March is turning out to be pretty wacky.

My budding teenager

Andy is just four, but I see glimpses of the living hell that will be his teenage years.

"Andy, how was school today? Was it picture day?"
"No. Nothing. I'm not telling."
"...Did you play with Christopher?"
"Christopher wasn't there today."
"Who did you play with? Eli? Kiki? Evan?"
"Nobody. I don't want to play with anyone."

To be fair, he is sooo tired and cranky this evening. He took a really long, weird nap yesterday after staying up too late with Mark and Jennifer the night before. That combined with the time change meant that he didn't get a really good night's sleep and then didn't nap at school today. Oh, and with the nice weather, he spent a lot of time on the playground at school and then I took the kids to the park on our way home. So he was T-I-R-E-D as I often spell to Bjorn.

Oh, and Meg's sinus infection initially seemed better only for me to pick her up from school and see her all goopy again. I tried to call the doctor's office and got the weird 16 year old high school afternoon receptionist who was useless at either getting me to a nurse or making an appointment for the morning so I called my friend who I'd run into at the doctor's office the week before where her daughter was also getting treated for a sinus infection. After a minute, she said, "You know to stay away from milk, right." Um, well, I was after the initially barfing, but once that had passed, I introduced dairy again on Friday and then milk yesterday. No wonder! I now need to go back to clear liquids for a few more days and see if that doesn't clear things up. I swear, this kids need instruction manuals.

In completely unrelated news, it is my favorite time of the year -- college basketball time! Right now is Championship Week with all the conference tournaments. Local college George Mason is playing VCU tonight on ESPN 2 for the CAA tournament and there are tournament finals on television all week. I am pscyhed! That also means the NCAA tournament is just in a few weeks. I am trying to convince Bjorn (and anyone else interested) to get together at a bar during the day on that first Friday to watch the games. That will be while I'm still in the pool at the office. Usually by Sunday, I'm mathmatically eliminated.

Spring

We got a taste of spring this weekend and it was sure lovely. We spent a lot of time outdoors including putting together a new patio tent for the backyard. The box lied that it only took an hour to put together. After the first two hours, our marriage nearly collapsed. Then he figured out how to finish it and Mark and Jennifer helped us carry it into it's annointed spot. In the meantime, I had some great parenting while I tried to distract the kids to help out.

Here I let Meg play on the patio in her pajamas. She loves this car and eventually managed to climb on it enough that she lost her balance and skinned her forehead.
My first-born proudly urinating in my garden. Sure, I could have stopped him rather than taking a picture.

Bjorn working on the patio tent. This is at about hour three. Andy took the picture as evidenced by the smudge that he personally put on the lens from the macaroni and cheese he refused to eat for lunch.

This wasn't from this weekend, but it was on the camera and so damn cute I had to share it. She's such a smiley, happy girl, especially when her teething problem is properly medicated.

Snow

Here are some pictures from the snowstorm that was, geez, just on Monday. It's hard to remember that now as it's Sunday and was 75 this weekend.

Mom and Andy kicking the snow. I think we had about 8-9 inches.

Mom pulling the sled down the street. We were in the snow for about 15 minutes, which was plenty. It was cold and windy. Andy did like wearing his snowsuit though.

Adorableness.

Oh heavens

From the boy's mouth today:

"Juice comes out my penis. It starts in my mouth and then goes into the machine in my tummy and then that turns it into pee that comes out my penis. Did you know that, Mom?"

Diagnosis: Teething

Meg had a rough night last night. She woke up wailing around 9:45 (naturally as I had just settled into watching 30 Rock with Bjorn). Nothing would soothe her, it was really weird. After a bit, I walked her outside for a few minutes and then fed her some cheerios. She seemed hungry, which would make sense. The chicken hadn't eaten much in the past couple of days. So I fed her a steady supply of carbs. At about 10:45, she was clearly tired, but not showing signs of settling on her own so I finally had to put her in bed and let her scream for about 10-15 minutes. That is always hard, but since it was clear that nothing was working to settle her, it wasn't as bad as it could be (also since it worked and she went to sleep). I finally nodded off about midnight for her to wake up around 5 a.m. and do the same thing to Bjorn for two hours.

I packed her off to the pediatrician's in the morning, convinced that she had an ear infection now. His diagnosis -- teething. Sure enough, I knew that last molar was coming in, but he thinks the combination of cold and sore throat probably combined to make her pretty unhappy. He also thinks it can be kind of scary for them when it hurts. He told me I was likely underdosing the Tylenol and Motrin and suggested going up from a 1/2 teaspoon to a full teaspoon and to give one or the other every two hours, as needed. For good measure, he also checked Andy's ears which are showing signs of improvement. Now the pus in his ear is gone, but the fluid is still there for the moment.

Mark is due home this week for Spring Break and Andy is delighted. He's been asking to make hummus for Markie for about three days.

And check out the adorable pictures of us as kids? That's me and my sisters and a family friend on the left. Aren't we just adorable?

Diagnosis

I stayed home yesterday and got both kids to the doctor yesterday. Meg's vomitus interuptus from the evening before had subsided, but she woke up with a goopy eyes. Andy woke up Wednesday morning with a fever of 103. I forget that Wednesdays only one doctor is working so we couldn't get in until noon. Fortunately, after sleeping from 6:00 p.m. to 5:45 a.m., Meg was tired and took a good morning nap.

Anyhoo, the diagnosis -- ear infection for him and sinus infection for her. Prescription -- omnicef for both. Dr. Murphy said that the vomiting was due to the congestion dripping into her tummy and irritating her stomach. He recommended staying away from dairy for a few days since it can lead to increased mucus and also irritate the stomach. It's strange to stay away from milk products. I forget how much dairy she eats, from cheese to yogurt to milk.

With the kids being sick and thus turning my world upside down, I haven't had a chance to talk about how great it was having my mom here last week. A running joke with my sister has been that she taught Megan (as a joke) to say:

"Megan, what does grandmother like?"
"Grandmother loves malt liquor!"

It worked so great that we taught Andy to do that as well with phenomenal results. Jennifer loves asking Andy in front of friends what grandmother likes. When Mom was visiting, we braved going out to dinner with two little kids. Andy wanted hummus, which wasn't on the menu so he asked Mom to read him the menu to see if it was on there. She was kindly complying when he turned to her out of nowhere:

"Grandmother, is malt liquor your favorite?"

We nearly fell out of our chairs. Then we called Elizabeth.

In need of a shaman to kill the demon germs in the hosue

So now both kids are sick and with seemingly different things. Both had a fever Sunday. Andy had one yesterday, but Meg didn't. Andy took a nap, which was unusual and unusually long yesterday only to be up and down in the night and bouncing off the walls this morning. I sent him to school this morning and got a somewhat expected call in the afternoon that his fever returned so I went to get him. I took him home, medicated with Tylenol to restore his spirit somewhat (it worked) and gave him a bath.

As I'm giving him a bath, Ayesha calls to say Meg threw up after her nap. No big deal, she was sort of coughing some mucus from sleeping (normal for her). I explained what I was doing and would be there shortly. In that half hour, she called back to say Meg threw up two more times and had two diarrhea diapers. My poor baby.

I got her home and she gave some good dry heaves with bile on me and cried. I got her a bath and into her pajamas. I had every intention of spooning some Pedialyte into her slowly, but she was so thirsty and sad when I refused that I gave in and gave her about five ounces. Bjorn was able to get her to fall asleep on his shoulder about 6 p.m. and now we're working to get Andy off to bed early. I think I might turn in early myself.

If you have any home remedies or suggestions, please post. I can't find some of my baby health books. I seem to be losing books. Or my mind. Hard to say.

Meanwhile, I still don't have my camera hooked up to this computer. BUT I did get the scanner/printer installed and have been amusing myself by scanning in some old pictures and posting on Facebook, including this gem from Galveston circa 1991. Aren't we hot!

Wacky

Is it spring yet? Seriously. It was warmish last week only to get cold on Friday as my mother arrived, rain and then snow a little Saturday. Then Sunday into Monday, it snowed a lot, like seven inches here in Fairfax. Fortunately, Mom leaves tomorrow and not today or travel might have bee a little messy. Plus, she got to see all the snow which we don't have in Dallas. So with the sub-freezing temps, we're expected to be in the sixties this weekend. I already have some buds on my daffodils. It's just been sort of wacky.

It's been great fun having Mom here. We have been doing a lot of shopping, eating, drinking, playing and entertaining. Oh, and more shopping. She even babysat for a bit last night before the storm hit so Bjorn and I could get out alone.

We've been trying to get Meg to take a few steps and she's this close and just don't doing it. She does smile big when you engage her. Andy, meanwhile, is in this weird stage right now where he cries about random things, like how the toilet paper is going to go away forever and how sad he is that the water goes down the drain. It is sort of like he's grappling with the concepts of life and death and just doesn't know how to process it so he fixates (and cries) over seemingly benign stuff.

Both kids had a bit of a fever yesterday. She seems better today (well, although she started some loose stools in the afternoon), but he took a three hour nap and still feels warm. We'll see about tomorrow. I took today off with the intention of getting out with my mother (we did manage for a few hours) so I always hate to call in after a vacation day, but you do what you got to do.

Frenemies

Andy's best friend at school is Christopher. Lately, the two boys have turned into 12 year old girls with the way they fight. While they are BFF, apparently they fight constantly. Andy has been coming home with stories lately about Christopher throwing rocks, mulch, insert toy here. other he tells me that Christopher is not his friend or buddy anymore. I know, how dramatic.

We have talked to his teachers about it a few times and apparently the two go through periods throughout the day of loving each other until one shuns the other for a while. Things have been getting more intense lately for no apparent reason. I talked to Ms. Paris today about it and she agrees it seems to be escalating for no apparent reason. Since Andy is four and academically ready, the decision is to start transitioning him over to the next room.

Several kids in his class just moved up this week so the timing is probably right. I think he's ready and talking to some of the parents with kids in the next class, they like the teacher and the curriculum is a little more advanced, well, he is four so that means there is a little more emphasis on reading and writing. I have met the lead teacher and like her, my only concern is that she works an earlier shift, like 7 to 3, meaning she won't be there when I pick up. That means I've have to try harder to get information on how he's doing. Hrmph.

And in totally unrelated news, my mother is coming to visit for a long weekend tomorrow. YAY!

My little mimic

Meg is really a mimic right now. I have been saying things and I swear I hear her repeat them. The unfortunate thing is apparently I'm the only one that can make it out. Or else I'm imagining things.

"Did you hear that, Jennifer? I think she said yogurt!"
"Ah, um, what?"

Yeah, well, I heard it.

The little girl is also really starting to show her toddler strides. She groans and screeches when I take a toy away or try to redirect. That part is annoying, but then she comes around with this big lovely grin. How can I refuse? If only she were cuddly. She doesn't really want to be held any more (unless Bjorn is working his magic on a nap). I would love it if I could just get her to nestle up to me in bed one morning, but instead she wants to play. Silly girl!

A friend called me yesterday to say she'd been shut in all week with her sick toddler and could we get out for a drink. Bjorn was working late so I offered her to just come over for wine and at least not have to listen to her own kids whine for a bit. She stays home with the kids and I think was somewhat horrified by the life of a working mother, what with me throwing taquitos on the table for dinner and the evening rush of pick-up, dinner, bath, play and bedtime. Bjorn's been working a lot of late nights (i.e. home after bath time) though so it was lovely to have the company.

Speaking of company, Jennifer (or Gemminer as Andy calls her) is threatening to move in with us for a few weeks in the spring until she and her friends can move into their own place. She's so fun to be around these days and helpful with the kids that I've been trying to lure her into staying longer. Wisely, perhaps, she keeps kindly declining.

Clearly gifted

As I was getting lunch ready today, I handed Meg one of Andy's books to keep her busy. She looked at the book for a few minutes, then handed it up to me and said, "read." Seriously. Now, does she know what she said? No, probably not. But I do think she's imitating the other kids at school that are often holding books to Miss Ayesha asking her to read to them. How adorable is that? I love that she's on the path to communication.

She's not walking yet, but she's really wanting to pull up and walk holding on to my hands. I can see why, too, and she actually has worn the skin on her knees down so much that they're rough to the touch. I now see why people buy weird little knee pads for their kids. I can't see buying them myself (at least not today), but I do get it.

Andy continues to amaze me with what he says, too. He'll say random things like, "Actually, Mom, I think I want juice." Actually? And the other day he told me, "I apologize, but I'm not very hungry right now."

Nuggets

Here are some nuggets from the week:

* I could swear Meg said both "ball" and "nigh-nigh" tonight. Clearly the kid is a genius.
* She's discovered how to be ornery. She now gets annoyed if I try to redirect her from something she wants. Uh oh.
* I suspect her bottom two molars are coming in. I fear this means several weeks of disrupted sleep. Sure, its' obviously uncomfortable for her, but it's all about me, right?
* Yesterday I was packing up some baby bottles to give to a mother in Meg's daycare who is due in April with her second. Andy asked if we were going to have another baby. I said no and he burst into tears. I know, what?
* Later, he told me he, too, would have a baby in his tummy when he grew up. When I said only girls have babies in their tummies as boys are daddies, he burst into tears again. I clearly think he was tired, but the whole exchange was rather amusing.
* I randomly got a package from Pampers yesterday along with a size N diaper. I know! Size N! It was like the size of my hand and not the big tortilla size she has now. I get so caught up in the day-to-day work/life balance that I sometimes forget how far we've come. Size N! So tiny! And they come in packs of like 3,000 to a box.

Speaking of how far we've come, my cousin Frances sent me some info on a little boy in Austin named Ike who is having a rough go of it (as is his mommy). Take a look and say a prayer, drink a beer or whatever it is you do. They could use it.

More firsts

Clear as a whistle, Meg said the word "duck" this morning. Referring to an actual duck. Well, a yellow, plastic duck, but it was indeed a duck-like thing. How adorable!

Last night, she was playing with the myriad of ducks in the bathtub. I have been trying to keep her away from the cups and other containers like that since she likes to drink the water and, frankly, I have no idea what's in that water after they get it it. So we were playing a little game where I hold the duck, say it, make a quack noise, watch her smile and then have it kiss her cheek. Then she takes it and puts it in her mouth. It was a good game. After her bath, we played with a plastic duck for a little longer then she became interested in a duck slipper that her Cousin PJ gave her for Christmas. With that, too, she would smile and it and promptly stick it in her mouth.

I let her sleep with the slipper, figuring it was safe enough. Then this morning when I went in (at a record 7:40 a.m. although let's say that quietly to not jinx it), we went through the duck bit again and then she said it. My girl!

It's not her first word, per se. She's been saying Mama for probably 4-5 months and then Dada on command. But this is a real sign that we're headed down the communication path. I can't wait! (Although ask me again in a year, I may look fondly on these days where she can't tell me I'm not her friend and that she only wants red juice and toast).

One small step

Meg took her first step last night. It was more of a lunge as she moved from Andy's bed to Bjorn's waiting hands, but after she did it, we both looked at each other, smiled and agreed we would consider it her first. We practiced for a little while afterwards, but she was only saving her steps for Daddy. Bugger. She continues to put more sounds together and Ayesha swears she is saying a couple of her Urdu words.

Andy has gone from being a terror that deserved to be under psychiatric observation last night to a lovely little guy this evening who was happy after school, wanted to help with dinner, play nicely and dance with his sister and put his head on my shoulder while I type this and he watches Diego.

To get him back for being so ornery last night, I will have to record a particular gem. He was naked before his bath and I called his penis, his privates. He asked what that was and I took that as a chance to work in my ,anti-molestation speech about how he's not to show his penis to anyone except Mommy, Daddy or the doctor. Oh, and his teachers when they're helping him in the bathroom at school. He was horrified even though I have said all this before. "I can't show it to anyone? Waaaahhhh! But I want to show my penis!" Needless to say the speech stopped then.

Lather, rinse, repeat

After a rough couple of days, I am starting to believe that I won't die. By Friday evening, I was starting to feel better. Saturday I was better with the help of Dayquil and Advil and today I haven't needed anything except the tea with honey Bjorn made me earlier. My voice, however, sounds like I smoke four packs of cigarettes and then ate gravel. I would think it would be sexy like Phoebe Buffet ala Friends, but apparently not as I think my voice makes Bjorn think I'm mad about everything.

In the midst of all this, Andy came to our bed at 7 a.m. yesterday morning, before Meg was even awake, naturally, to tell us that his ear hurt. Our pediatrician's office has walk-in hours Saturday morning so at 8:30 we traipsed ourselves over there to find out he was indeed in the early stages of an ear infection. I must say this thing where he can tell me where it hurts so I can fix it is so remarkable, I can't even believe it. This is almost bigger than him not crapping in his pants any longer. Almost. He's now on Augmentin for 10 days. The strep test, fortunately, came back negative.

Everyone was feeling well enough though that we braved the illnesses to hit the George Mason University basketball game Saturday afternoon. I've been meaning to go, well, for years and had finally psyched myself up for it. Lizzie G was even coming in from Alexandria to go with us. I drove by in the morning to buy tickets around 10:45 for a noon game and fans were already lining up. It was their homecoming, but still, it was pretty exciting to see. They also managed to win. The tickets for three adults and one kid were very reasonable -- $52. Four hot dogs and four drinks were a less reasonable $40, but that just speaks to bad planning on our part. We'll do better next time.

Meg was actually much less wiggly than Andy during the game, despite the fact that she was missing her normal nap at that time. But both kids were generally well behaved. The game was close, but Mason pulled out a win at the end. And we even got to watch a proposal on the court (it was Valentine's Day, right?) It was a combination of "aw" and "ew." The worst part was that sitting in front of us was a woman I play indoor against and her totally annoying husband. I recognize them because he comes to our games and sits on their bench and yells out instructions and criticisms during the game. I find it totally annoying and I don't even have to see him every week. I can only imagine what the other women think.

Colds

So now I have a cold. It was bound to happen, what with all the snotty nose wiping I've been doing lately. Today I did the unthinkable -- I sent both kids to school and stayed home in bed all day. It was necessary and yet felt totally decadent in a weird way, even though I was sucking on expired cough drops all day and alternating between being sweaty and cold.

I had already intended to send Andy to school since today was their Valentine's Day party. This year, I understood why they send home a list with all the kid's names on it. Last year, I thought the list was just a nice thing to have and was then totally surprised when he came home with dozens of valentine's cards. Duh. This year, I remembered. Bjorn bought the cards and I addressed them. Then Jennifer and Andy picked out which color lollipops to attach to each card. It was pretty adorable.

Speaking of Jennifer, she picked Andy up early from school yesterday and took him bowling. He loved it and acted like a totally adorable kid. Then he came home and was his typical whiney self. I love it when they save their most awesome behavior for me!

Meg is getting closer to walking every day. She can now walk holding on to one hand and can stand unassisted for probably 20 seconds at a time.

Colds...again

Both my kids have colds. Again. Meg has had something off and on for a week or so now, but just last night she started coughing at nighttime. Andy developed a cough on Sunday morning and spiked a fever that even. During the day, they generally seem to feel okay, but listening to the coughing at night breaks my heart. And totally stresses me out that I can't do anything to fix it really.

I try not to be all dramatic. It's a cold, it's not typhoid. I have the luxury of not having to worry that it will be smallpox (and having just watched John Adams Part I on DVD, that looks pretty brutal). I also need to realize it's not about ME at all. Sure it's inconvenient. Sure, it's stressful, but eventually it will pass and their immune systems will be better for it.

Anyone have tips on being more zen about this? Obviously, more wine is one good suggestion.

Ears

We had appointment for both kids with the pediatriac ear, nose and throat doctor today. It seemed like a good idea to have Andy with the nurse practitioner at 9:40 followed by an appointment with the physician at 10:00, but it was a long-ish morning in their office.

Note to doctors everywhere -- you have good toys in the waiting rooms. Would it kill you to put some of those in the waiting rooms, too? Not a sermon, just a thought.

Andy went first. One tube was out and lodged in some ear wax (doesn't that sound disgusting). The other was also out, but still touching the ear drum. She took long tweezers, laid him out and pulled the left one out. The right one is no longer functional, but she said it would H-U-R-T to take it out so we've got an appointment in May to come take another look unless it falls out between now and then.

Meg then moved on to meet with the doctor. Based on her SIX ear infections in the past six months and her family history, my girl is a candidate for the surgery. We could schedule it today and have it done in March sometime. While I'm sold on tubes, the question now is when. They clearly changed Andy's life for the better, but she is just so young that I hesitate. Plus, we're coming on spring/summer when things are generally pretty clear up until the next fall and winter. So we could wait until the summer to get it done, she'd be 18 months then and since the tubes last a year, that would put her at 2 1/2 after that and hopefully ready to outgrow the problem (although Andy did get his first set at nearly 3).

All that said, if we could do the surgery now (well, March) and go ahead and knock it out, wouldn't that be all the better? Then if she does need another set after that, well, we'll just cross that bridge when we get there?

I think I need to sleep on it.

Bizarre but true

We had a nice day yesterday. After the doctor's visit, we met friends at the Hidden Pond Nature Center in Burke/Springfield and had lunch at Einstein's bagels. I took the kids home for a nap. Andy doesn't really nap regularly anymore, but depending on his mood and what else is going on, I usually try to let him have some quiet time. Meg went to sleep relatively easily (a first for a nap lately, I think) and I went to my room to do important things, like this, John Adams on DVD and Facebook with a work e-mail or two mixed in.

I had told Andy he didn't have to sleep, but he did have to rest. He wanted to rest in his cave which is the space underneath is bed. I heard him talking to himself being quiet-ish. At a break during John Adams, I noticed he was indeed quiet so I peeked in to see if he'd decided to nap after all. And he had. Under his bed. I took a picture (naturally) and left him. I think he would have stayed asleep except he woke up after about an hour crying because he "had an accident." We cleaned up and then I had to move the bed up (it's a loft) to see if I needed to clean the carpet, too. Fortunately, the damage was contained to his underpants and jeans.

The weather here is above 50 for the first time in 200 years (or two months probably) and I'm loving it! Yesterday it was only 45 and we went to the park twice. Today we worked in the front where I washed my car in an attempt to get the salt and grime off. In the process, it somehow looks dirtier than before. Go figure. It is supposed to be nearly 50 every day next week. I even noticed a few daffodils starting to poke through. I know winter isn't over yet, but welcome back, spring. We've missed you!

Well check

I took Meg for her one year check up today. She was deemed perfect and growing perfectly, just what every mother wants to hear. Here are the stats:

Weight: 24 pounds, 12 ounces (95th percentile)
Height: 30 1/2 inches (75-90th percentile)

I guess at this age they don't measure head size any longer. With her height and size, I have a theory that Andy will end up being about 5' 10" and she will be right behind him at 5'9". I'll certainly take it.

She got one shot, the first of the chickenpox series. While we had to wait 15 minutes for it, I was holding her while she tried to go upside down and didn't even notice the stick. Fortunately, Nurse Sylvia does a nice job.

I also got a list of her ear infections and treatments to give to the ENT on Monday. It's a new doctor as the one that did Andy's has somewhat mysteriously retired from practice. (The story from a friend was he'd been forced out, the story from my pediatrician through the NICU nurses whose kids she sees is that he'd developed an eye condition and was stepping back. I agree though that a surgeon with an eye condition probably shouldn't be trying to put little pin sized tubes into kids' ears.)

Meg does have a little bit of a cold and fingers crossed it doesn't turn into another ear infection. Good thing she'll get her ears looked at Monday, just in case.

In other news, I resubscribed to NetFlix. Bjorn has been dying to watch the Dark Knight since before it came out and I have wanted to watch John Adams. Jubilee!

Milestones

Meg keeps checking off the milestones and I'm loving it! Just this week, she's been starting to stand for moments at time, completely unassisted. She seems pretty proud of herself for it, too.

My girl is also getting all four of her molars right now. She was up several times Monday night and only settled down for the night after I gave her some Tylenol and antihistamine so I took her by Dr. Staats on my way to work Tuesday just for a quick look to make sure she didn't have an ear infection (it was worth $10 to know that). Fortunately, no ear infection, that moment anyway. But she does have all four molars coming in right now. The top two have broken through the gums and the other two are close. So now I loading her with a dose of Tylenol before bedtime to try to ease her discomfort.

We go back on Friday for her one year well visit. We also have an appointment on Monday with the pediatric ear-nose-throat doctor. Andy is going for a check-up and to likely have his tubes scooped out if they have fallen out already. Meg is getting an examination to set up for if we need to schedule the surgery eventually.

Classic

Andy has recently come upon some classic phrases of childhood that I am sure to hear for the next, oh, 20 years.

"Aw, that's not FAIR."
"I never get to do ANYTHING."

I have to laugh because the the notion is so ridiculous, but also because I can totally hear myself in 1977 saying the same thing. Sorry, Mom!

Breaking the rules

We worked really hard over the first 3 1/2 years to help Andy sleep on a regular schedule. I preserved nap times at all cost and ensured he was home in time for a good bedtime, even if that meant we didn't stay out as late as we could. So now I've gone and messed it up and started letting Andy sleep with us.

It started innocently enough. When I was pregnant and through last spring and summer, Andy was on the verge of dropping his afternoon nap. He still needed it, both for his mental health and mine. So I took to taking naps with him. I liked it, both the napping with him part and the getting a nap myself.

Then in the fall, Bjorn was reffing a lot of football games. I am generally so tired by the end of the day that I took to letting Andy sleep with me until Bjorn came home. The deal always was that Bjorn would move him when he came to bed. Andy always knew he wouldn't get to sleep there all night (just as well, too, that kid kicks).

I was out of town for work in New York this weekend (shout out to my Japanese karaoke peeps Armando and Jeremy) and Bjorn let Andy sleep with him all night both nights. Now it's Sunday night and Andy just popped in, carrying all three dogs, saying "I can't sleep." Drats.

The problem with all this is that when I'm sleepy, it's so nice once in a while to curl up with my boy and rub his back (he is just four, not fourteen so it's not so creepy, right). The downside, of course, is the he has come to expect it and that makes bedtime more challenging.

Oh, and yes, everyone survived the weekend. I always feel all dramatic that the world will end while I'm gone, and it never does. More evidence I can and should get out more.

Dearth of pictures

With the new laptop, I haven't yet bothered to reattach my camera to it, what with all the checking Perez and Facebook I've been doing. That means I haven't been updating my blog when I've had my pictures handy. Thankfully, Beth sent me a picture of Meg from last Sunday that was too adorable not to post.

Her hair is starting to be a little ridiculous, but it doesn't seem right to get it cut. Any tips from you girl mommies out there about the right time to cut a girl's hair? With boys, it's so easy to just cut it off, but there seems to be more to it with girls.

Plans

In the midst of a long-winter funk where we've all been trapped in the house, sick and sick of being indoors, I'm trying to stay positive by thinking of all the fun stuff I want to do in the relatively near future (sorry, Bjorn, you might even have to come with me on some of these). These are in no particular order except how I was writing them in a staff meeting the other day. Some are obviously longer term than others.

1). Teach Andy to read and Meg to walk.
2). Visit the Newseum.
3). Get move involved in my community, like the pool and soccer for Andy.
5). Write a book. My plan -- to write a book on having a second kids. Thousands are out on the first baby, but I haven't found anything practical on handling two.
6) Start taking master's degree classes at Mason again.
7). Teach the kids to grow a vegetable garden.
8). Go to the beach, possibly even with friends (are you listening Mo and Bill?)
9). Win an award personally (I have no idea what, but it would be fun).
10) Present an award.
11). Climb the stairs of the Washington Monument.
12) Join a church.
13). Take a yoga class.
14). Publish a paper.
15). Teach a class.
16). Take and frame more photographs for around the house.
17). Get Andy involved in swimming lessons.
18). Leave the kids overnight and go somewhere just the two of us!

To be continued...constantly...What else should I want to do?

Edited to add:

19). Get tickets to Mason basketball games.

Yay!

In honor of Meg's birthday, I bought myself a laptop. It's nothing fancy, just a computer I can put on my lap so I can do important thinks, like post updates here and on Facebook, from the living room or bedroom. Bjorn rocks for making it happen and setting up the network. That guy's a sweetheart!

Someone is one!

This and that

It's been an interesting week with the holiday, inaugural and all, so I'll just share a few gems of the week.

Meg
1) Meg is pointing. AT EVERYTHING. It's adorable. Except when she insists on pointing her finger into my mouth or eye.
2) She loves climbing the stairs and getting around my gates. She always pulls the one down off the stairs in the living room so I have an eagle eye out for that. Then this morning, she tore down my makeshift gate in the basement while I was doing something important, like Facebook. I turned around and she was half way up the stairs. Yikes!
3) We are working on some sleep readjustment, with modest success (fingers crossed, knock wood, knock wood again). I have been tinkering with her bedtime, pushing it to 7:30 in the hopes that it gets us to at least 6:00 a.m. I took her to the doctor on Tuesday to confirm no ear infection before I started work. Fingers crossed things continue to improve. Mama is tired!
4) She can stand. On her own! Not for a long period of time, but I watched her do it twice today. Walking, here she comes!
5) Oh, and to totally bury the lead, Meg turns one, on Monday. I can hardly believe it. I had to be at the hospital where I delivered last week for work and it was sort of surreal thinking I was just there a year ago in that very parking lot. I have pictures of the entrance and everything.

Andy
1) He is infatuated with Diego and loves to sing the theme song. I like Diego better than Dora, but the show is still pretty stupid. There was an episode featuring chinchilla mountain and it had some small mountain with all these little rat looking things all over the top like sprinkles. Odd.
2) I have been trying to work on positive stuff about our days. Here is a classic:
"Andy, my favorite part of the day was tonight when you and Meg were playing tit-ut (peek-a-boo) together. I loved listening to you two laughing. What was your favorite part of the day?"
"...Juice. I liked getting juice."
"...Sigh."
3) Today we went over to the creek, which was still partially frozen despite it being almost 55 today. We threw rocks at the ice. We loved it!
4) He is suddenly into bagels and insists on having them for practically every meal.

Me
1) I went to my OB's office today. It was so odd being there. Having gone practically once a week for nearly a year, it felt like going back to high school after you graduate. The facilities were more or less the same, but it all felt different. I was also very glad to not be pregnant in that waiting room.
2) With all the sleep problems, I have inexplicably misplaced my Health Sleep Habits book that I have practically dog-eared and memorized. I have been looking for it everywhere (and even cleaning some in the process. Grrr.)
3) I have to go out of town next weekend for work. It's always hard for me to leave, but I know Bjorn is exceptionally capable and always handles everything great. I will also get a chance to look up Armando. Although seeing him twice in one month after not seeing him in more than four years may be too much.

Yes we can

Here's to an exciting four years. I hope it lives up to all our expectations.

Four year check up

Andy had his four year check up on Friday. What was notable was that at four, he moves up to the "preliminary room" for his check-ups where he was given a vision test, a depth perception test, a red/green color blind test and a hearing test. His vision wasn't perfect. Apparently kids this age don't normally see 20/20 anyway, but he had trouble with some of the pictures on the exam. Dr. Staats thought that could just be to not understanding the test, which happens all the time, but that I should keep an eye out to see if I see him squinting in the future and that we'll look at it again at his next check up. He also didn't do so great on high pitched sounds on his left ear. That is the ear where he had an ear infection just last week so that is likely the culprit. She also reported that his tube has fallen out of that ear and is just sitting in the ear canal. If it doesn't fall out between now and the visit to the ENT in a few weeks, she thinks they will reach in to scoop it out.

I didn't get the piece of paper with all the measurements like in other visits, but I can report that he was 39 1/2 inches tall (not quite 40, which would make him happy since he's four and naturally, his height should match). He also weighed in at 35 pounds. I know, 35 pounds. I was looking back at my posts around his first year and he weight 24 pounds at a year. It's hard to believe he's only gained 10 pounds in three years.

They also drew blood from his finger to check for cholesterol, which he doesn't have. He also peed in a cup and they checked for diabetes, which he also doesn't have. He also was a good sport and got the chicken pox booster vaccine. It's not required at age four, but it will be required for kindergarten and apparently at age five, there are three other boosters so it just made sense to knock one of those out now. The whole appointment took about 1 1/2 hours, and we were being seen for that whole time.

In other news, I got out to see some friends this weekend. Friday night the C-spot girls got together and during the day I got to see Armando. I even left him at the Kings Park West library checking out porn on public computers while I took Andy to his appointment. I even managed to get in a beginning yoga class with Lizzie G on Sunday. It was good. I think I could get into that.

Saturday

Ugh, so now I have a stomach bug. What's up with that? Meanwhile, someone told me about a rotovirus vaccine. We didn't get offered that. Did you guys?

In better news, cousin Will is in town playing the inauguration and blogging here - http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/396066_band15.html. Check it out. He's so cool.

A bit of relief

So everyone had a better day yesterday. Meg went all day without throwing up and even had a few normal diapers in the middle of the day. She seems to have a bit of a runny nose, but I'm trying to ignore that for now. She even slept last night. Whoo-hoo!

Andy had a great day yesterday as Jennifer picked him up from school and took him to Build a Bear for his birthday. He returned home after a trip to the mall where he got a workman bunny named Bob (this kid doesn't win any awards for naming stuffed animals), a trip to Burger King followed by some ice cream.

I even got out for indoor soccer. I don't think I've made it to a game since before Christmas so I will be sore. The only person who didn't have a better day was Bjorn who had a rough day a work.

I'm hopeful this better patch lasts (although trying hard not to jinx it!) I have Andy's four year check up tomorrow and I'm meeting my friend Armando from New York for a late breakfast. Meg is going to Ayesha's so I can do all that and have some bonding time with the boy(s). It is sadly supposed to be frigid tomorrow, with highs in the 20s so I doubt we're going to be doing much tooling around Old Town, but it will be great see Armando. At least for that first five minutes before we realize we detest each other.

Please keep your fingers crossed this good spell lasts. I am ready for some normalcy! Well, until the inaugural next week which is throwing everything out of whack.

Pukey baby

It's been a long three weeks/month and Casa Bennett. Apparently my home has turned into a germ factory and young Margaret Anne has been its main target. Poor chicken has had three stomach bugs and two ear infections since we before we left for Dallas on the 19th. Her poor mother (i.e. me) is very, VERY sick of this and I am willing to beg, borrow and steal whatever it takes to make her well again.

The latest bout started on Saturday night when she threw up her dinner just after I put her to bed. Since then, she's been alternating between throwing up about once a day and having diarrhea. After numerous phone consultations with the pediatrician, I went ahead and took her in yesterday afternoon. We went through several possibilities and checked that she didn't have an ear infection (thank heavens, since more antibiotics might mess her tummy up more). They do want to test for a urinary tract infection on the off chance that could be causing her trouble. But generally, they think her stomach is raw from all the upset and just needs time to heal. The game plan we came up with is to temporarily stop dairy to give her a break. That means going ahead and stopping formula, which I was going to start doing in a few weeks anyway. Then once she recovers, we can add back in cheese and start whole milk. Fingers crossed.

This whole thing has been messing with her sleep, too. And now without being able to feed her at night, she's up and not ready to go down again. Once she's healthy again, we'll have to do some tough love to get back to normal.

The whole thing has been totally stressing me out. I finally even went to my doctor yesterday because I was getting so worked up that even when I was able to sleep, I couldn't and was feeling really anxious. I expected a prescription for Prozac or something, but instead got some Valium with the instructions to let Bjorn handle more. When we were in Dallas, Meg only wanted me so since then, I've just been jumping on even though Bjorn has offered to help. So last night, I took some medicine, went to bed at 8:30 and Bjorn got up with her from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. He is quite a great guy, that Bjorn.

So, fingers crossed that this game plan works. And fingers crossed that she remembers how to sleep again! I could use some predictability back in my life. Well, until learns to walk and totally throws me for a loop again!

Birthday!

Today is Andy's birthday. He is four! That all seems somewhat impossible to believe somehow. Sure, I have lived every one of those 1,200 plus days, but dang, 1,200 plus days? Really?

I am so proud of where he is. He loves to talk and listen to good stories (our new favorites, anything about the Pigeon Driving the Bus, Professor Poopypants or Knuffle Bunny). He loves to notice things, like the full moon or the color of the leaves. He loves playing with his sister (most days) and he totally adores his older brother and sister. He is learning math at a rapid pace, more so than reading actually although he knows all his letters and can even recognize a few words (like Andy, Target, Exit and Home Depot.) He loves to kick balls, do puzzles, play Ninja Warrior and watch television. He's a great kid and I'm lucky he's mine.

We threw a birthday party for him at the bowling alley. We had eight kids, aging from 16 months to 5 1/2, all the kids of my soccer friends plus family. Next year, I'm sure I have to invite his friends, but this year? I just invited our inner circle instead. We had two lanes for eight bowlers, complete with ramp and bumpers. The first game took about 45 minutes for each lane, then we had a hot dog and french fry lunch followed by ice cream and cake. Then I let him open presents, which all the kids helped with (which Andy actually loved). Then one final game and it was over. Andy had a great time, as did most of the kids. And at the end of it? The mess stayed there. Pretty good deal, I thought.

Rather than goody bags of choking hazards, I picked up mylar balloons for each of the kids. I think it went over pretty well with the kids and their parents. I did make a conscious decision to let him open presents. Most parties we go to these days they don't open the presents with the kids there and I know Andy often really wants his friends to see what he gave them (although most kids tell what the present is during opening, "Andy! It's a motorcycle inside!" Cracks me up.)

The only real damper is Meg is sick. Again. Poor thing threw up last night and now has diarrhea and generally wasn't herself all morning. Can someone please tell the well-kid Gods I will pay them whatever they need to please, please give my kids a healthy stretch for a while? Please? I hate to be such a whiner, but it's really killing me.

Inauguration

By the way, my cousin Will is going to be playing the trumpet during the inauguration. Check out his post about it. Go Team Dean! Moving stuff.

Whiner

Bjorn's been out of town since Wednesday and I am so glad he's coming back today. It's stressful being home by myself, you know, with my own children. All two of them. I know. That's not that hard, right? For the most part, they were well-behaved and slept decently. Bjorn's mom was nice enough to bring us dinner Thursday and last night a friend invited us over for dinner at their house so it's not like I've been trapped on an island or anything. Still, I'm glad he's coming home today.

The kids continue to change, it's pretty amazing to watch them start to interact more with each other. Yesterday we had a moment that made me well up with price. Meg woke up early from her nap (frown) and Andy was taking a rare nap at the same time. After doing a bunch of stuff, I had her in my room while I folded laundry. She must have gotten bored with me because she crawled out of my room, went to Andy's door and pushed it open. Then she proceeded to climb up to the side of his bed and start jabbering with her. Andy woke up and started talking back. It was beyond adorable (and it was okay because it was already 3:40 p.m. and we had to be somewhere at 4 p.m.) I think they did that for about 15 minutes, just long enough for me to watch the end of Brothers and Sisters from Sunday.

Oh, and to totally bury the lead, Andy turns four tomorrow. WOW. I'm hosting Andy's first real birthday party tomorrow as well. It's only with six or seven friends and they're all kids of my soccer team friends. I figure this is the last year I can get away with mostly inviting my friends. Next year he'll want to invite his school buddies or other buddies, whereas this year he was just happy to have a party. I'm doing it at the local bowling alley, which should be interesting. I'll post pictures -- if we survive.

If it's not one thing, it's another

So now Andy has an ear infection. He woke up in the night Tuesday to complain that his teeth hurt. Then in the morning, he said his ear hurt. It's hard to tell if he's telling the truth or what so we sent him to school after giving him a little Tylenol, which is either necessary or just medicinal for the brain. I didn't get a call in the morning, but I went ahead and made a visit at the pediatrician's (my BFF) just in case. Sure enough, around nap time when things got quiet, they called to say he was complaining of an ear ache. I took him to the doctor's where it was revealed that he was indeed just getting an ear infection and had a sore throat. He's now on Omnicef with a good prognosis for catching the infection early. The good part is this is only his second infection since he got tubes a year ago. That's much better than all the infections he had the year before.

Do you know what's great about all this? He said his ear hurt, I listened and now he's getting treated. How novel a concept to have a kid actually tell me something was wrong and me be able to fix it. This sure beats him being cranky and me trying to figure out if he was just being a jerk or really had something wrong.

Bjorn is out of town until Saturday. He's just in Baltimore, only an hour away, and I am really contemplating going up there tomorrow night and coming back Saturday in time for gymnastics. What's holding me back is we are *just* now settling back into a sleep routine after being away so I'm hesitant to mess with what's not broken. Plus, it's not like Bjorn will be able to play with us when we're there. It's going to have to be a game-time decision.

Balancing act

I am an idiot, it turns out. I knew for a long time that I was having a baby. A whole nine 1/2 months. And during my pregnancy, I kept imagining having a baby and how that was going to be tough with a newborn and juggling sleep and feeding and all that stuff. Somehow in my head, though, I kind of imagined that after a while, she and Andy would just be the same age and be able to do the same stuff. I somehow didn't factor in, strangely, that she would always be three years and two weeks younger. Does that seem weird somehow?

With Andy, by the time he was one year old I was just in awe of the whole thing. I had MADE it. I had survived the long nights and we were finally getting to where it was good. He could smile and play and I was just enraptured with the whole thing. With Meg, she has come so, so far. Every day she does something new and interesting, like her recently figuring out how to open cabinets and climb stairs. But while I cheer that success, he who is louder and more dexterous demands my attention to complete a puzzle, wipe his bottom, get something else out of the refrigerator or pour more milk -- something. So I find myself sometimes looking at her thinking, "What, you're not three already?"

On the one hand, I have really had a chance to savor some of the baby moments because I'm more confident than I was with Andy (or at least I knew what to look for). But on the other hand, I worry I'm short-changing her. And to complete the cycle of neuroses, I wonder if I'm missing some of his cool moments because I've got her to attend to. And this is before I get to the other people in my life I care about, like Bjorn and my family, not to mention obligations like work.

Those of you with older kids, how do you balance it all? And is this what creates all that sibling rivalry?

Figures

I took (dragged) Andy to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum today. His favorite part? Was it the big whale? The dinosaurs (which were the reason we went)? The volcanoes? Heck, the cafeteria? "The stairs. I liked the stairs." Just like our trip to Dallas, he proclaimed his favorite part was riding on the airplane. Figures.

The trip was interesting. I took Meg to her sitter's today (she had offered) and it was going to be an Andy/Mommy day. As I dropped her off, my sitter's two kids who are 7 and 13 were there so I offered to take them. They were thrilled to get out of the house so the came with us. It was nice. The 7-year-old is a boy and he and Andy played nicely together and the girl and I talked music and iPods. It was clearly a sign of what's to come and was pretty cool. And after two solid weeks with an off and on sick baby, it was nice to get out to do something with people who could tell me what they wanted.

Afterwards, I dropped the big kids off and Meg was sleeping so Andy and I spent the next few hours together running errands. It was very nice to get some one on one time with him and my shoulders appreciated not lugging a baby around, but I think we both missed Meg.

I go back to work on Monday after a two-week holiday. I'm looking forward to getting a little more routine back, talking to adults and thinking about something other than which kid puked last, but it has been nice not to really think about work for a while.