Don't Mess With Mama!

So this a.m. at daycare drop, I had to "put the hammer down", once again. Seems to be a recurring theme with us. For some reason, the director at this dump, I mean daycare, thinks it's okay to fill the entry way with new changing tables, stacked almost to the ceiling (I'm not kidding) and leave them there for weeks. This a.m. I asked when they'd be moved, as they're a fire hazard and a hazard for moms with no balance (me). Have I mentioned that we have to take our shoes off before entering the infant room? So, each time I'm on Bean drop duty, I am lugging her in, her diaper bag and wearing heels, or, tall boots. So can you visualize me trying to get my shoes / boots off without an entryway that's been transitioned into an obstacle course. Yeah, exactly. I was speaking to the equivalent of a deaf mute when asking for an ETA on moving the obstacle course so decided leaving a message for the director would be a better bet. But, before leaving also had this conversation:

Me: "Oh look, there's no one here and ready for us in the infant room again and it's 7:45 a.m. Great!"
Kelly (AKA: Deaf Mute): ... pops around the corner and into the infant room - "Hi" (in a very timid, mousy voice).
I set Layla down, bring out the toys and in crawl the germ monsters from the older infant room (three of them, EACH with snot dripping down their face, one with big giant green boogs).
Me: "Oh, hi Alicia. Looks like you have never had a dry nose since we started, hugh? And Evan, you have a GIANT green snotty booger in your nose."
Deaf Mute proceeds to get up and get a kleenex for them, surly only because of my not so subtle hints.
Me: "Any idea when the changing tables are going to be moved?"
Deaf Mute: "ah, er, ah, mumble, stumble"
Me: "Don't let any of these kids touch Layla. She can't get sick before May 7th, which is when she's getting tubes."
Deaf Mute: Silence.
Young girl from toddler room: "Kelly, are you okay down there?"
Me: "No! She's not! She needs help down here!"

And off I went. Do you think I made a point? Doubt it. We're close... nearing an end to this b.s. poorly run "business"... We think we can, we think we can. We'll make it through the summer... Right? Right? ;)

Dog Days...

A few snaps this a.m. of Layla bean playing with Hudson and Zoe (Zoe is our neighbor's dog, who we're sitting for until Tuesday while they're in Florida). As you can see, Hudson seems to have a few issues with Zoe getting too close to Layla... Although I don't think it's Zoe that will do harm to Layla. Her "big brother" doesn't realize how big he really is in comparison to his baby sister. He kept trying to pull Layla more towards him and away from Zoe. In the shot where Hudson is batting Layla directly in the head he ended up pulling her over, but she was fine with that.

"Good thing" ...continued

Layla bean making the redneck Riviera proud!

She's our "good thing"

As I said at the end of my last post, "I'm not posting until I have good things to say." I got to thinking after that. We have plenty of good things to say. A happy family, healthy, beautiful baby (aside from the colds and such that I've griped about), wonderful home and great friends, family and neighbors. We did not spend years upon years trying unsuccessfully for our baby (in fact, we didn't even spend months trying... our little Layla Bean was pretty much a sure thing) ;). Other families try for years only to find out thry can't have children of their own. Or, some families have babies that are born with chronic illnesses that call for daily shots, inhalers, treatments, you name it. We were blessed with a very happy, healthy (even when he has your typical virus that we all get during cold and flu season) baby girl. And that my friends, is our "good thing".

However, we do have another good thing to announce: Jake gave his final presentation to the chair and co-chair of his master's program department at Stritch on Friday night. He did a fantastic job! So fantastic, in fact, that they asked if they could use his portfolio as an example for others going forward. And, they offered him a job, teaching adults about blogging and land navigation (a class he teaches middle schoolers in the summer). So, looks like we'll have to start calling Jake, "Mr. Master President Professor" -- as he now officially has his master's degree, is still the president of his school union and will likely be teaching at stritch as a "professor" for the summer! Oh how proud we are!!!

As for me, well, I have my voice back for the most part. Coughing up a snot monster every hour or so, but at least I can talk. Getting better, day by day, which is all I can ask for. I'm headed to Sundara spa with Kelly today... for an early "Mother's Day Retreat"... ahhhh... a stay in one of their villas, girl talk, some wine, and spa treatments... That's definitely a good thing!

Life is good.

3 Minutes of Silence... and that's it.

Uuuuuuuggghhh... (that's supposed to sound like a sigh).

This a.m. I woke up, for the 3rd day in a row, with the most intense sore throat ever. I could hardly speak, and was almost in tears. But things like this don't matter when you're a parent. Jake is closing in on the finish line, and has his final grad school presentation on Friday. So, this a.m. was just like all other a.m.'s for the past month or so. Jake helps mama get Bean ready as best he can, and had to go make the doughnuts early this a.m. I took Layla to daycare, as I am working from home AGAIN today.

Layla has an appointment at 11:00 w/the EN&T to talk about getting tubes. We'll see. I have a call in with my own dr to see if she'll see me this afternoon as I'm concerned I may have strep (really, whatever this is, I just don't want to pass it on to Layla or Jake). After dropping Layla off, I stopped at Hartford's very own, "Perc Place", a sweet little coffee shop / cafe "downtown". While there, and waiting for my latte, I realized that that very moment of my day, was my only moment of silence. My only "step away from the grind". So I took my sweet old time walking out of the cafe, into the hallway, and down the stairs. ... 3 minutes of silence... and that's it.

I would have some lovable pictures of our little Layla standing up with only a very small amount of help from daddy last night, and, of her clapping all on her own (in response to us saying, "Yeeeahhh! Layla is a big girl!"), but, of course, when I picked up the camera, the batteries were dead. Why wouldn't they be? At the very moment Layla decides to show us she can clap on her own, and on command, for the very first time, and, while she is almost standing w/no support for the very first time... I've said it before, and I'll say it again, "Calgon, take me away!" -- Do they even make Calgon anymore? Remember those commercials?

With that said, I've finished w/ my "Whoah is me" post... had to get it out there. I am a little wiped (as I'm sure you're all aware after reading this post, as well as the post from recent weeks) and stressed, but, am still forever grateful for my wonderful fam and healthy (for the most part) baby girl. Thank God for all of that, the roof over our heads, our wonderful neighbors and friends... If we didn't have that, well, I'd be in the loony bin.

Signing off... and not posting until I have nothing but good things to say.

She wears it well...

You'd never know by looking at these happy face smiley pictures that Layla Bean is still not 100%. This weekend was rough... it was like a roller coaster. One minute we were up, the next, we were down. Layla now has pink eye (yipi di doo) and is still battling some sort of virus that she just cannot seem to shake. We've yet to make it through a night where she doesn't throw up at least once before bedtime... and we're not talking about a little puke here... We're talking strip down the sheets, do three loads of laundry, mom shower, dad shower, Layla bath, and start all over. No fun. Stressful, worrisome and just no fun.

In between the "downs" mentioned above, the "ups" of the weekend pretty much included just hanging out w/old friends (Layla and I, while daddy went to drill). The weather SUCKED... so we were trapped indoors all weekend... Spring couldn't get here soon enough.

I feel very similar to the way I felt when Layla was still a newborn... beat down, exhausted, at the end of my rope. I managed to get a one hour nap in today, which was good... especially since we didn't get to bed until midnight last night, were then woken up at 2:30 a.m. by a bunch of drunks yelling "Sherman! Sherm! Sherm!" into our bedroom window (yes, crazy mama ended up getting up and yelling, "Shhhh! Shut up! Shut up!" as they were standing on the deck pleading w/Jake to let them in)... Good job papa, for telling them to shut up and stay out... and then up for the day at 5:00 a.m. w/ Layla. I can't be a hater, been there, done that... but we were EXHAUSTED and with having so much trouble getting Layla to sleep for the night these days, the last thing we wanted was a bunch of idiots hanging out on our deck waking up the neighborhood at 2:30 a.m. (seriously, they woke up the neighborhood... we're still hearing about it tonight).

Needless to say... these pics still give us a light at the end of the tunnel... Layla still manages to whip out her big chubby smile in between her fussy times and sicky times. Bless her heart.

Wish us luck this week... really hoping things turn around for us soon... No more daycare! I hate daycare!!! Boooo daycare!!!!

Dominos

Well, that's it... this family can officially be known as, "The Dominos". First it was me, then Layla bean, now Jake. We've all officially been hit w/ the flu monster. Jake is down for the count. I'm working at home taking care of Layla as she's not 100% yet and I can't stomach the thought of taking her back to the "germ incubator" at this point.

I have nothing clever to say about this... I don't dare say anything like, "What's next" or "Can't get any worse". I suppose I can say, "This isn't the worse thing that's ever happened..." no wait, scratch that. I'm not saying anything. As soon as I put anything out there, our roof will come crashing in on us or something.

Has anyone seen Mary Poppins trotting around anywhere??? I've been looking for her and can't track her down! Her assistance is needed at 1580 Foxtail.

Last Night...

Our night in review...

I got home from work a little after 6:00 after pickin' up Hudson and Marley from daycare. Walk into the house to see Layla's carseat from Jake's truck laying on the floor, stripped down, turn to look at Jake holding Layla and see sheer exhaustion on his face.
Me: What happened?
Jake: Projectile vomit, all over my truck.
Me: Sick. That sucks.
Jake: Can you take her...she's had a bath, gotta clean up the truck.
Me: Sure! I bet she's hungry...

I proceed to try and feed her some squash and peas... projectile vomiting ensues.

Me: Oops. Guess you didn't puke from too much snots in your belly from that cold you had. You've got the flu, just like mama had.
Layla: Cry, cry, cry, gag, puke, gag, puke, dry heave, puke (lather, rinse and repeat for about 6 hours).

Kept Layla home from daycare today as she was so sick last night. Today started the major runs for her. Yumm. So stinky even Hudson had to back his way out of her room while I was changing her.

I was on 1st shift at home w/Layla, Dad's on 2nd shift. My eyes are burning out of my head, still have an assload of work to do at the office, have to stop at U.S. Cellular on the way home to replace the phone I dropped in the washer on Sunday... I attribute that little mis-do to none other than lack of sleep.

So babe... you ready for the 2nd kid yet?

New Sister For Us!!!

Jeremy proposed to Meg at opening day.... CONGRATS you guys!!!!

She loves to eat, eat, eat!

A few of Layla bean eatin' her favorites this weekend... peas, sweet potatoes and corn, and a little turkey and rice!!! Her new thing is saying "ummmmmm" with every bite you give her. Also, notice the picture with my cell phone up in the left corner of the picture. Daddy had called and was on speaker phone. She LOVES talking to daddy on the phone and was telling him how yummy her lunch was that day.

You'll see, she has become quite the ham when it comes to pictures. Pull the camera out and she's a posing fool! BIG smiles, arms above her head, dancing, singing. It's hilarious.

I've made a full recovery from my sickness last week and am back at it. Just about died, but I'm good now. Made it to polliwog class w/Layla on Sat, nice little trip to the Johnny Crick outlet mall w/the fam that afternoon (Nike outlet rocks the house), some cleanin', catch up stuff, lunch w/ Rachel (great to see you Rach) and that's about it!

Another week... Mondays... booo!!!

OH, AND CONGRATS TO JEREMY AND MEGAN WHO GOT ENGAGED AT OPENING DAY ON FRIDAY!!!!! WHOOOOO HOOOO!!!! SEND SOME PICS!!!!!

Cathin' Up...

Some "pre-polliwog" pics from Saturday... new swimsuit courtesy of Nonnie! :) Also, a pic of Layla after a nice walk w/ neighbor Lori on Saturday. She was sleeepy! :)

Flu Monster

Well... as you can see by the lack of posts... someone in this house has been zapped by the flu monster. Not Layla (thank God), not Jake, not Hudson. Oh yes... it's mama. I am down and out. Haven't been to work since Wednesday and my tummy sounds exactly like Harry's in "Dumb and Dumber" in that scene where he danks up Mary's bathroom right before their date. Ughhhhhhhh.

More pics of Bean to come. Wish me well... and hope the flu bug just leaves this house w/out taking anyone else out.