Aunt Barbara nearly kidnapped Noah.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Snap, snap, snap
It’s been a crazy week. I haven’t had time to blog, post pictures or even read and comment on other blogs. I don't have time to do it now either but that's not stopping me. And tomorrow I’m off and away for another week. It’s a whirlwind.
Here are a few “snapshots” from our Florida trip:
- While my Dad took Barbara’s kids to the NASCAR museum Daytona USA, a very pregnant Elisha, Noah and I hung out at the mall across the street. Noah wanted to run full speed around the mall and grab everything. I spotted two mothers and their toddler daughters who were pushing baby dolls in strollers. It struck me as a genius idea – if I child is pushing a stroller they can't be manhandling all the mall merchandise. I recalled from a few Mommy blogs that boys LOVE doll strollers – it has less to do with the dolls and more to do with the wheels. So off we went to KB Toys where I grabbed a pretty pink stroller and let Noah pick out a baby doll. He selected a black baby doll in a ruffled purple sleeper. I asked him “What's the baby’s name?” Noah thought for a second and said “Hunter.” This of course was the name of his Aunt Elisha’s impending baby so I said “No. Hunter is Aunt Lisey’s baby. What is the name of Noah’s baby?” Noah said something that sounded like “George.” So baby George it was – though I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where the name came from. We don’t even know any Georges. But Baby George was an instant hit. Noah wants to “walk baby” everywhere. He even holds him when he goes to sleep. Earlier this week the naming mystery was solved when I saw Noah pawing at our George Bush refrigerator magnet again and then he asked me where his baby was. So yes – Noah’s black girl baby is named after George Bush. I’m sure the president would be proud.
- I anticipated lots of quiet time on our vacation. Time just sitting in an empty house while Noah napped, with no email and no chores nipping at my heels. So I bought three books of short stories set in exotic locales – since I no longer have the time or attention span for a whole novel. I guess it should be no surprise that I never got the opportunity to open even one of them. We were constantly on the go and naps were either forsaken or Noah slept while I held him while out on the town. I'm taking my books to the beach.
- One night after I put Noah to sleep at an uncommonly early 9:30 pm and was still able to stay awake for a whole hour before wilting, I sat and chatted with Barbara in their Florida room. She put “The Breakfast Club” on the TV but we were too talkative to actually watch it. Soon her husband Ryan came out to join us and while we were in the midst of deep discussion I noticed the movie had ended and the show “Secret Lives of Women” had come on. I didn’t need the sound to realize that the episode was about a woman and her cross dressing husband. So when Ryan noticed what was on the TV and said “WHAT on earth are you watching?” I said “My husband is a cross dresser.” Ryan looked at me with a puzzled look on his face and slowly said “REALLY?” Barbara and I nearly cried laughing as I explained “NO! That’s the name of the show!”
- I’m 32 years old and obviously an adult but I still don’t feel like one. It’s a nice trait in a way because I don’t really feel old. I must have inherited it because at 52 my Mom told me she feels the same way. Every once in awhile I’ll be struck by how grown-up something feels and like I shouldn’t be doing it. The whole time we were in Florida I kept thinking “I’m driving a rental car. How COOL is that?”
- Dad, my stepsister Cathy, her 4 year old daughter Mary, Noah and I went on a sightseeing boat cruise in Saint Augustine. Little Mary is darling and she’s a pistol. She rattles off question after question after question and she’s her own episode of “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” Cathy was grinning ear to ear because I was the one fielding the questions and she got to just sit back and laugh. I kept trying to explain to Mary that we were not in fact going anywhere, just driving the boat around slowly looking at stuff. She wanted to know why we were going so slow, where was the captain, who was talking over the speaker and what were we going to see when we got to our destination. And what is that thing (a buoy), what is it for and how do I know that? At first I thought it was the cutest thing EVER. Half an hour later I wanted to say “Give me a break kid - the information desk is closed.” One afternoon we came over to Cathy’s house and Mary said “Why are you and Noah here AGAIN?” Four – I can’t wait!
- Noah would barely let me play any music other than his Laurie Berkner CD and DVD. By the end of the week every member of our Floridian family knew the words. Elisha was singing them during labor and I couldn’t help but chuckle when I caught my Dad singing “Under a Shady Tree” to himself in the airport security line.
- Barbara’s daughter Summer is ten years old. She’s sweet, smart and a real stunner. It didn’t take long to know Noah was in love. In the beginning he followed her around like a puppy dog but by the end of the week Noah wouldn’t even let the poor girl sit down. He kept demanding she get up to chase or dance with him.
- In Florida Noah slept in a big boy bed. With his Mama. We slept in Barbara’s adorable 8 year old son Sean’s bunk bed – while the top bunk is a standard twin the bottom bunk points forward and is a full. It was ideal because it’s low to the ground and has a rail around it so that I was able to prop up pillows to prevent Noah from rolling out. I was a bit worried the first night that we weren’t going to get any sleep but we slept great in it. If Noah woke up I could just lay in the bed and stroke his back or nurse him and roll him over to his side of the bed when he fell asleep. I guess that is the joy of a family bed. This week sleeping has been erratic. Noah wakes up in the middle of the night and I get him to sleep again but as soon as I lift him up to put him over the crib rail he wakes back up and cries for me. I decided to take the twin bed in his room and put the mattress on the floor so that we could lie down on it together when I just can't get him back to sleep in his crib. We’ve spent quite a bit of time on that mattress this week. We’re going to have some serious sleep training work ahead of us after this beach week.
- I’m happy to say there were few stressful moments on our vacation. I can think of only two. The first occurred when the engine light came on in our rental car and I damn near had a panic attack. It turned out that it was just an orange light and merely a warning about the gas quality. The second occurred on our return trip to the Orlando airport. We left Barb’s house at 4 am – and luckily Noah stayed asleep until we stopped for gas. Except for a brief comical moment when Dad and I were quarreling about directions and Noah mumbled “No – THIS WAY” in his sleep. Anyway – back to the stress. I needed to fill the rental car up with gas as close to the airport as humanly possible so there would be no additional charge – but I had no idea where the closest gas station to the airport was and I didn’t want to end up driving past it to get gas. I ended up getting off an exit right before the airport without seeing a gas station but was overjoyed as I saw one immediately after my turn. I pulled up to the pump and ran my card. It said “Pay at Cashier.” I tried it again – same thing. I went up to the store and realized it was locked. The girl inside told me through the glass that she couldn’t let me in because her cash drawer wasn’t working yet and that I had to pay at the pump. I told her the pump wouldn’t allow me. Just as I was starting to panic my tied to vacation constipation gave way and I had to go – REAL BAD. So now I couldn’t get gas, I had gas, I couldn’t use the bathroom and I didn’t know where there was another gas station. The girl disappeared into the back and I waited outside so that I could ask her where else I might go if she ever came back. Finally she reappeared and opened the door – she told me she couldn’t take credit inside and that I had to make a debit transaction. After taking sixty dollars off the card she tried to apply it to the pump and then realized the pumps were off. She had to call the manager – at this time I excused myself to abuse their bathroom. When I returned she said “Well I have to give you sixty dollars cash because I’m not supposed to be open until 6 am.” It was 5:50. So I had to go stand outside for ten minutes and then be let back in so that I could pay for gas. All in all this transaction took about a half an hour – and maybe two years off my Dad’s life since given the option he would be at the airport six hours before a flight. I'm happy to say however that we had plenty of time to do the airport shuffle and then wait around to get on our plane.
- The plane rides were great. We flew on Southwest which has self seating and calls passengers with small children on first. And since noone in their right mind sits next to a toddler on a plane if they can avoid it, the seat between Dad and us was empty both ways. Not only did Noah sleep about an hour and fifteen minutes on the flight there, but on the way home he fell asleep during take off and woke up after we landed. AMAZING.
-I’m sure there are a million more funny moments, but my memory is bad and I’m sure you're tired of reading. More next week after our beach trip.
Tomorrow is my lovely husband Mark’s birthday. I consider myself to be a very fortunate woman and I don’t want for much more than I have – and Mark is the reason. He’s undoubtedly the guy for me and I’m thankful every day that I have him to share my life with. I hope this year Noah and I contribute to making him more satisfied, more happy and more proud than ever.
Have a nice week. I promise to catch up with you all in September.
Here are a few “snapshots” from our Florida trip:
- While my Dad took Barbara’s kids to the NASCAR museum Daytona USA, a very pregnant Elisha, Noah and I hung out at the mall across the street. Noah wanted to run full speed around the mall and grab everything. I spotted two mothers and their toddler daughters who were pushing baby dolls in strollers. It struck me as a genius idea – if I child is pushing a stroller they can't be manhandling all the mall merchandise. I recalled from a few Mommy blogs that boys LOVE doll strollers – it has less to do with the dolls and more to do with the wheels. So off we went to KB Toys where I grabbed a pretty pink stroller and let Noah pick out a baby doll. He selected a black baby doll in a ruffled purple sleeper. I asked him “What's the baby’s name?” Noah thought for a second and said “Hunter.” This of course was the name of his Aunt Elisha’s impending baby so I said “No. Hunter is Aunt Lisey’s baby. What is the name of Noah’s baby?” Noah said something that sounded like “George.” So baby George it was – though I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where the name came from. We don’t even know any Georges. But Baby George was an instant hit. Noah wants to “walk baby” everywhere. He even holds him when he goes to sleep. Earlier this week the naming mystery was solved when I saw Noah pawing at our George Bush refrigerator magnet again and then he asked me where his baby was. So yes – Noah’s black girl baby is named after George Bush. I’m sure the president would be proud.
- I anticipated lots of quiet time on our vacation. Time just sitting in an empty house while Noah napped, with no email and no chores nipping at my heels. So I bought three books of short stories set in exotic locales – since I no longer have the time or attention span for a whole novel. I guess it should be no surprise that I never got the opportunity to open even one of them. We were constantly on the go and naps were either forsaken or Noah slept while I held him while out on the town. I'm taking my books to the beach.
- One night after I put Noah to sleep at an uncommonly early 9:30 pm and was still able to stay awake for a whole hour before wilting, I sat and chatted with Barbara in their Florida room. She put “The Breakfast Club” on the TV but we were too talkative to actually watch it. Soon her husband Ryan came out to join us and while we were in the midst of deep discussion I noticed the movie had ended and the show “Secret Lives of Women” had come on. I didn’t need the sound to realize that the episode was about a woman and her cross dressing husband. So when Ryan noticed what was on the TV and said “WHAT on earth are you watching?” I said “My husband is a cross dresser.” Ryan looked at me with a puzzled look on his face and slowly said “REALLY?” Barbara and I nearly cried laughing as I explained “NO! That’s the name of the show!”
- I’m 32 years old and obviously an adult but I still don’t feel like one. It’s a nice trait in a way because I don’t really feel old. I must have inherited it because at 52 my Mom told me she feels the same way. Every once in awhile I’ll be struck by how grown-up something feels and like I shouldn’t be doing it. The whole time we were in Florida I kept thinking “I’m driving a rental car. How COOL is that?”
- Dad, my stepsister Cathy, her 4 year old daughter Mary, Noah and I went on a sightseeing boat cruise in Saint Augustine. Little Mary is darling and she’s a pistol. She rattles off question after question after question and she’s her own episode of “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” Cathy was grinning ear to ear because I was the one fielding the questions and she got to just sit back and laugh. I kept trying to explain to Mary that we were not in fact going anywhere, just driving the boat around slowly looking at stuff. She wanted to know why we were going so slow, where was the captain, who was talking over the speaker and what were we going to see when we got to our destination. And what is that thing (a buoy), what is it for and how do I know that? At first I thought it was the cutest thing EVER. Half an hour later I wanted to say “Give me a break kid - the information desk is closed.” One afternoon we came over to Cathy’s house and Mary said “Why are you and Noah here AGAIN?” Four – I can’t wait!
- Noah would barely let me play any music other than his Laurie Berkner CD and DVD. By the end of the week every member of our Floridian family knew the words. Elisha was singing them during labor and I couldn’t help but chuckle when I caught my Dad singing “Under a Shady Tree” to himself in the airport security line.
- Barbara’s daughter Summer is ten years old. She’s sweet, smart and a real stunner. It didn’t take long to know Noah was in love. In the beginning he followed her around like a puppy dog but by the end of the week Noah wouldn’t even let the poor girl sit down. He kept demanding she get up to chase or dance with him.
- In Florida Noah slept in a big boy bed. With his Mama. We slept in Barbara’s adorable 8 year old son Sean’s bunk bed – while the top bunk is a standard twin the bottom bunk points forward and is a full. It was ideal because it’s low to the ground and has a rail around it so that I was able to prop up pillows to prevent Noah from rolling out. I was a bit worried the first night that we weren’t going to get any sleep but we slept great in it. If Noah woke up I could just lay in the bed and stroke his back or nurse him and roll him over to his side of the bed when he fell asleep. I guess that is the joy of a family bed. This week sleeping has been erratic. Noah wakes up in the middle of the night and I get him to sleep again but as soon as I lift him up to put him over the crib rail he wakes back up and cries for me. I decided to take the twin bed in his room and put the mattress on the floor so that we could lie down on it together when I just can't get him back to sleep in his crib. We’ve spent quite a bit of time on that mattress this week. We’re going to have some serious sleep training work ahead of us after this beach week.
- I’m happy to say there were few stressful moments on our vacation. I can think of only two. The first occurred when the engine light came on in our rental car and I damn near had a panic attack. It turned out that it was just an orange light and merely a warning about the gas quality. The second occurred on our return trip to the Orlando airport. We left Barb’s house at 4 am – and luckily Noah stayed asleep until we stopped for gas. Except for a brief comical moment when Dad and I were quarreling about directions and Noah mumbled “No – THIS WAY” in his sleep. Anyway – back to the stress. I needed to fill the rental car up with gas as close to the airport as humanly possible so there would be no additional charge – but I had no idea where the closest gas station to the airport was and I didn’t want to end up driving past it to get gas. I ended up getting off an exit right before the airport without seeing a gas station but was overjoyed as I saw one immediately after my turn. I pulled up to the pump and ran my card. It said “Pay at Cashier.” I tried it again – same thing. I went up to the store and realized it was locked. The girl inside told me through the glass that she couldn’t let me in because her cash drawer wasn’t working yet and that I had to pay at the pump. I told her the pump wouldn’t allow me. Just as I was starting to panic my tied to vacation constipation gave way and I had to go – REAL BAD. So now I couldn’t get gas, I had gas, I couldn’t use the bathroom and I didn’t know where there was another gas station. The girl disappeared into the back and I waited outside so that I could ask her where else I might go if she ever came back. Finally she reappeared and opened the door – she told me she couldn’t take credit inside and that I had to make a debit transaction. After taking sixty dollars off the card she tried to apply it to the pump and then realized the pumps were off. She had to call the manager – at this time I excused myself to abuse their bathroom. When I returned she said “Well I have to give you sixty dollars cash because I’m not supposed to be open until 6 am.” It was 5:50. So I had to go stand outside for ten minutes and then be let back in so that I could pay for gas. All in all this transaction took about a half an hour – and maybe two years off my Dad’s life since given the option he would be at the airport six hours before a flight. I'm happy to say however that we had plenty of time to do the airport shuffle and then wait around to get on our plane.
- The plane rides were great. We flew on Southwest which has self seating and calls passengers with small children on first. And since noone in their right mind sits next to a toddler on a plane if they can avoid it, the seat between Dad and us was empty both ways. Not only did Noah sleep about an hour and fifteen minutes on the flight there, but on the way home he fell asleep during take off and woke up after we landed. AMAZING.
-I’m sure there are a million more funny moments, but my memory is bad and I’m sure you're tired of reading. More next week after our beach trip.
Tomorrow is my lovely husband Mark’s birthday. I consider myself to be a very fortunate woman and I don’t want for much more than I have – and Mark is the reason. He’s undoubtedly the guy for me and I’m thankful every day that I have him to share my life with. I hope this year Noah and I contribute to making him more satisfied, more happy and more proud than ever.
Have a nice week. I promise to catch up with you all in September.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Such sweet sorrow
We’re BACK. But not for long. We have this week to ready for a week in Ocean City with more friends and family.
But let’s talk about Florida. I will try to spare you a daily rundown and give you the highlights. When we arrived on Sunday morning we were a bit panicked that my sister Elisha was STILL pregnant and nearly a week overdue. And we were really alarmed when she went in for her doc appointment on Monday and they told her that she still wasn’t dilating and they wouldn’t induce her until the following Monday – the day after we left. It was really looking like we were going to go home without seeing this baby. But on Thursday Elisha, her mother Mary, Noah and I went to her next OB appt. Upon doing the ultrasound they told us that Elisha was very low on amniotic fluid and as a result they told us to go right to the hospital for induction. Fourteen hours later Hunter Lee Crego was born shortly after 3 AM. It was a hard birth – they had to break her membrane and pump fluid into the birth canal so that the baby would no longer be resting on the cord- but Elisha was a trooper and able to go twelve whole hours before requesting the epidural. And the end result was a beautiful bouncing baby boy – at 6 pounds 8 ounces. We were all very excited to meet him. After all the worry about Elisha being late, it ended up being a very good thing. Dad, Noah and I were able to spend some quality time with her before she was overtired and overwhelmed.
The week was a flurry of activity – many meals out, hours spent chatting with the adults and playing with the kids, sightseeing and a boat ride in Saint Augustine, an afternoon at the Daytona dog track, a visit to Flagler Beach, and swimming in backyard pools every day. We really had an action-packed week brimming with fun. And it was SO nice to spend a lot of time with family we rarely get to see. Everyone was all teary eyed when it was time to leave. With adults time between visits is sad but doesn’t seem as tragic, when kids are involved the time between visits seems so much more dramatic. Leaving Summer, Sean, Emily, Mary, Madeline and baby Hunter – I just kept thinking how big they might be next time I see them. How much their world will have changed. And how old Noah will be when they see him next. It makes me weepy just thinking about it.
And now we are home and we are BEAT! Maybe I will have enough energy later to recount some vignettes from our trip – more for my memory than for you. And Noah is already asking for all his cousins, his Aunt Lisey, Aunt Barbara and Aunt Cathy. And WHERE Mama is our POOL! It’s going to be a tough week.
But let’s talk about Florida. I will try to spare you a daily rundown and give you the highlights. When we arrived on Sunday morning we were a bit panicked that my sister Elisha was STILL pregnant and nearly a week overdue. And we were really alarmed when she went in for her doc appointment on Monday and they told her that she still wasn’t dilating and they wouldn’t induce her until the following Monday – the day after we left. It was really looking like we were going to go home without seeing this baby. But on Thursday Elisha, her mother Mary, Noah and I went to her next OB appt. Upon doing the ultrasound they told us that Elisha was very low on amniotic fluid and as a result they told us to go right to the hospital for induction. Fourteen hours later Hunter Lee Crego was born shortly after 3 AM. It was a hard birth – they had to break her membrane and pump fluid into the birth canal so that the baby would no longer be resting on the cord- but Elisha was a trooper and able to go twelve whole hours before requesting the epidural. And the end result was a beautiful bouncing baby boy – at 6 pounds 8 ounces. We were all very excited to meet him. After all the worry about Elisha being late, it ended up being a very good thing. Dad, Noah and I were able to spend some quality time with her before she was overtired and overwhelmed.
The week was a flurry of activity – many meals out, hours spent chatting with the adults and playing with the kids, sightseeing and a boat ride in Saint Augustine, an afternoon at the Daytona dog track, a visit to Flagler Beach, and swimming in backyard pools every day. We really had an action-packed week brimming with fun. And it was SO nice to spend a lot of time with family we rarely get to see. Everyone was all teary eyed when it was time to leave. With adults time between visits is sad but doesn’t seem as tragic, when kids are involved the time between visits seems so much more dramatic. Leaving Summer, Sean, Emily, Mary, Madeline and baby Hunter – I just kept thinking how big they might be next time I see them. How much their world will have changed. And how old Noah will be when they see him next. It makes me weepy just thinking about it.
And now we are home and we are BEAT! Maybe I will have enough energy later to recount some vignettes from our trip – more for my memory than for you. And Noah is already asking for all his cousins, his Aunt Lisey, Aunt Barbara and Aunt Cathy. And WHERE Mama is our POOL! It’s going to be a tough week.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Leavin' on a jet plane
And we’re off. Our flight leaves for Orlando at 8:50 this evening and arrives just before midnight. We’ll collect our rental car and drive two hours north to Palm Coast where we’ll be staying with my ex-stepsister Barbara, her husband Ryan and their two kids Summer and Sean. My Dad will most likely be staying fifteen minutes away with Barbara’s twin sister Cathy, her husband Bo and their daughters Emily, Mary and Madeline. My sister Elisha still has not brought for her first-born so I’m hoping she goes into labor right about NOW. I’m a bit worried we’ll come and go without seeing the little bugger.
So as you’ve gathered my family is more than a bit confusing – what with the halfs, ex-steps and whatnot. But what’s refreshing about it is that we’re all just considered family. Everyone couldn’t be more welcoming and excited for our visit. It’s always tough to stay with people – you have to work around their routine and be more flexible with your own (and I SUCK at that) – but I know that we’re all going to be bending over backward to be accommodating to each other. And I’m certain we’ll have fun. Elisha’s family is CLOSE – I mean constantly together and tripping over each other close. And while that might bring forth a bit of quarreling now and again, it also always feels like a party. At first I think Noah may be a bit overwhelmed with all the people and hubbub, but in no time I’m sure he’ll be running with the pack.
I’m fairly certain no one has internet access in their home (MY GOD! How? Why?), so I’ll be out of the loop until we return next Sunday night. I look forward to hearing about everyone’s blog adventures once we’ve settled in. Keep us in your thoughts as you will certainly be in ours. Aufwiedersehen.
PS - We love you Mark and miss you already. I hope the solitude you'll no doubt enjoy the first few days doesn't become too overwhelming by the end of the week.
So as you’ve gathered my family is more than a bit confusing – what with the halfs, ex-steps and whatnot. But what’s refreshing about it is that we’re all just considered family. Everyone couldn’t be more welcoming and excited for our visit. It’s always tough to stay with people – you have to work around their routine and be more flexible with your own (and I SUCK at that) – but I know that we’re all going to be bending over backward to be accommodating to each other. And I’m certain we’ll have fun. Elisha’s family is CLOSE – I mean constantly together and tripping over each other close. And while that might bring forth a bit of quarreling now and again, it also always feels like a party. At first I think Noah may be a bit overwhelmed with all the people and hubbub, but in no time I’m sure he’ll be running with the pack.
I’m fairly certain no one has internet access in their home (MY GOD! How? Why?), so I’ll be out of the loop until we return next Sunday night. I look forward to hearing about everyone’s blog adventures once we’ve settled in. Keep us in your thoughts as you will certainly be in ours. Aufwiedersehen.
PS - We love you Mark and miss you already. I hope the solitude you'll no doubt enjoy the first few days doesn't become too overwhelming by the end of the week.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Teaching my boy some important girly stuff
Two nights of craptasticly little sleep, two days of sinus migraines, a grandfather in the hospital, an airplane security alert, and a cranky toddler makes for a slightly stressed Mama. This morning bites actually. But enough about that…
Tuesday night Mark, Noah and I went to see the new home of our friends Jen and Mark. They obviously bought it from one of the most fabulous gay men in the city of brotherly love – he had a penchant for giant chandeliers, tapestries and very dramatic décor. In an effort to make it their own they are on their way to toning down the level of fabulous-ity to superbaliciousness, though I’m happy to report they have decided to keep the leopard print washroom. It’s just too good to paint over. After the tour we walked over to Marra’s for chianti, antipasto and pizza and then back to their mosaic’d backyard for ice cream and cannolis. That’s how they do it in South Philly. It was a lovely evening and Noah has spent the last two days asking about the whereabouts of Jen and Mark. He’ll probably have to wait to see them until their wedding day in mid-September. I hope he's not so excited to see them that he trots up to see them during the ceremony.
Last night we went to the righteously Christian Chikfila for obviously Jesus inspired milkshakes, to the Ikea to buy my soon-to-be nephew (3 days overdue so far) his very own stuffed rat, and then to Super Fresh to buy Mark some easily heat-able food to get him through our long absence. We can’t have him locked in the basement for a week recording music on an empty stomach. Though I’m sure he’ll manage to take himself to get a case of beer after we leave.
And now a few fun bits for your enjoyment:
It’s bad enough I can never go to the bathroom alone. Now when I tell Noah I have to go potty he asks me “Pon?” Yup – he wants to know if I need a tampon. This past month he became obsessed with them and began taking them all out of the box and unwrapping them all. He even sits on his potty fully clothed and says “pee pee this” while holding a tampon between his legs. I think he’s confusing the tampons and the ovulation tests I’ve been using every month for the last year. Oh, and on that – I have my OBGYN checkup tomorrow and will finally request a referral to a fertility specialist. Let the games begin.
When Noah was just a thought Patrice bought me a play porcelain tea set so I could share my love of tea parties with my offspring. I finally took it out of the closet last week and we’ve been having tea several times a day. Sure half of the set is broken as he’s been dropping piece by piece on our tile kitchen floor, but the fun we’ve had with every cup and plate until they meet their end is priceless.
If I’m feeling insane I’ll let Noah go through my purse and take everything out of my wallet. Last week Noah began taking my credit cards and running them through the keys of the computer keyboard while saying “zip.” It’s just how Mama pays for things at the grocery store.
Two more days until our departure and while I have a thorough list, I still have to do some laundry and pack. Good grief.
Tuesday night Mark, Noah and I went to see the new home of our friends Jen and Mark. They obviously bought it from one of the most fabulous gay men in the city of brotherly love – he had a penchant for giant chandeliers, tapestries and very dramatic décor. In an effort to make it their own they are on their way to toning down the level of fabulous-ity to superbaliciousness, though I’m happy to report they have decided to keep the leopard print washroom. It’s just too good to paint over. After the tour we walked over to Marra’s for chianti, antipasto and pizza and then back to their mosaic’d backyard for ice cream and cannolis. That’s how they do it in South Philly. It was a lovely evening and Noah has spent the last two days asking about the whereabouts of Jen and Mark. He’ll probably have to wait to see them until their wedding day in mid-September. I hope he's not so excited to see them that he trots up to see them during the ceremony.
Last night we went to the righteously Christian Chikfila for obviously Jesus inspired milkshakes, to the Ikea to buy my soon-to-be nephew (3 days overdue so far) his very own stuffed rat, and then to Super Fresh to buy Mark some easily heat-able food to get him through our long absence. We can’t have him locked in the basement for a week recording music on an empty stomach. Though I’m sure he’ll manage to take himself to get a case of beer after we leave.
And now a few fun bits for your enjoyment:
It’s bad enough I can never go to the bathroom alone. Now when I tell Noah I have to go potty he asks me “Pon?” Yup – he wants to know if I need a tampon. This past month he became obsessed with them and began taking them all out of the box and unwrapping them all. He even sits on his potty fully clothed and says “pee pee this” while holding a tampon between his legs. I think he’s confusing the tampons and the ovulation tests I’ve been using every month for the last year. Oh, and on that – I have my OBGYN checkup tomorrow and will finally request a referral to a fertility specialist. Let the games begin.
When Noah was just a thought Patrice bought me a play porcelain tea set so I could share my love of tea parties with my offspring. I finally took it out of the closet last week and we’ve been having tea several times a day. Sure half of the set is broken as he’s been dropping piece by piece on our tile kitchen floor, but the fun we’ve had with every cup and plate until they meet their end is priceless.
If I’m feeling insane I’ll let Noah go through my purse and take everything out of my wallet. Last week Noah began taking my credit cards and running them through the keys of the computer keyboard while saying “zip.” It’s just how Mama pays for things at the grocery store.
Two more days until our departure and while I have a thorough list, I still have to do some laundry and pack. Good grief.
Monday, August 07, 2006
I KNOW - it's too long.
Where did last week go? Wednesday morning we visited Tripp, Holly and Finn. Wednesday night we went to the library and for a walk with Roger, Elaine, Ezra and Manzanita. Thursday Tracey came to dinner for Cobb salad and margaritas. Friday was playgroup in the morning and then the rest of the day was jam-packed with excitement.
My birthday was three weeks ago. I was feeling like having a quiet birthday – so I didn’t really remind anyone, and I didn’t blog about it. On the morning of my birthday Mark put a post on the blog telling people to wish me a happy birthday, and as soon as I saw it I removed it. I had a lovely birthday remembered by and celebrated with my family and that was plenty for me this year. It’s not that I was feeling old or even like I’d like to skip the birthday, I just didn’t feel like going into full-on public recognition yahoo mode.
This past Friday Patrice remembered my birthday. I hadn’t been surprised when she forgot because 1) it normally comes up into conversation as a reminder beforehand and it never did and 2) we all know she’s got a lot on her mind. It wasn’t really a big deal. But I guess she felt bad – and as a result she sent out emails strong-arming people to either send me an email or surprise me by showing up to our already planned dinner date for that night. But what she forgot is that I hate surprises – in particular ones that everyone knows about but me and involve making me the center of attention. So when I started getting a million emails, some from people I don’t know I called Mark freaking out. He suggested maybe Patrice put them up to it – and I sent her an email asking her to please make it stop. Not that I didn’t appreciate all the lovely wishes from my blog buddies and those in their circles, it’s just for some reason it made me panic. And when Patrice broke the news that some other people were going to “surprise” me by showing up to dinner that night, I panicked some more. I’m certain it wasn’t the response she was hoping for when she decided to something nice for me and for that I owe her an apology. I just SUCK at surprises.
But of course Friday night ended up being nice. Before dinner I got a shiny new nose ring and used a gift certificate I’ve had since Christmas to buy a new pair of shoes. Then I saw some folks I never get to see, chatted, had a nice meal, and a few drinks. It was an action packed night out on the town – and I need them occasionally.
Saturday Mark dropped off the recycling, I renewed my drivers license, we did some cleaning, had turkey taco salad for dinner and then took the boy to the Hancock Rec playground to run off some steam. As per usual for a Friday/Saturday night (sometimes even a Tuesday) after we put Noah to bed we split a bottle of red wine and watched DVR. We went to bed at midnight and then Noah woke me up at 4 am and I could do nothing to get him back to sleep. I sent Mark back to bed and somehow managed to keep the boy occupied until I put him down for a nap at 9:30 am. Shortly after which Patrice came to our place so that Mark could take her to the airport - she’s now in California for business until Thursday night. After they left I tried to get a quick snooze on the couch but just ended up watching House Hunters until Mark got back and my Mom showed up. Noah woke up from his two hour nap, we fed him lunch at then took him to Liberty Lands Park where we left him with his Grandma so that we could go to the Standard Tap for brunch. As always the food was the best EVER. If you get less than a handful of brunch opportunities a year why would you chance wasting any of them on food at someplace that couldn’t possibly match up? You just can’t. I had an omelet with goat cheese, tomatoes, artichokes and mushrooms served with a cheesy potato casserole and brioche. Obviously accompanied by two very large and spicy Bloody Marys. After we gorged ourselves we collected my Mom and Noah and then headed downtown on the El to Foster’s Urban Homeware so my Mom could use the gift certificate I gave her for Mother’s Day. And then because Mark and I hadn’t yet been complete and total gluttons for the day we went to Franklin Fountain for ice cream sundaes. After Mom left the night was a bit crazy because Noah was EXHAUSTED (as was I) but it was too late to put him down for a nap and not yet late enough for bed. By the time he went to bed he was in full-on meltdown mode, but Mark and I nearly rejoiced to have him in bed by 7:30 pm. An hour later something REALLY weird happened. Noah woke up crying and calling Mama but when I went in and picked him up he started shrieking and squirming out of my hands. For the next fifteen minutes he writhed around on the floor, with his eyes closed, crying as if he was either really frightened or in pain. Mark and I tried to reason with him, tried to find out what was wrong but he didn’t really respond. It was like he was possessed. When he finally snapped out of it he asked to nurse, fell right back to sleep and slept til the morning. Mark and I guess that it was like some sort of weird sleepwalking nightmare sort of reaction – but we don’t really know. I just hope it never happens again. It was seriously frightening.
Today however all is well. It’s going to be a busy week of preparing physically and mentally to leave for Florida this Saturday. Noah, Pa Joe and I are going to be visiting with my still pregnant sister Elisha and her extended family. Elisha’s due date is tomorrow but it seems her son may be waiting until we show up before he makes his stunning debut. We’ll be gone for eight days – without Mark. The thought of being away from Mark for so long makes me sad, but unfortunately he didn’t have the vacation time to make the trip with us. Not only am I a bit nervous because Mark and I are rarely apart, but I’m also worrying about how Noah will feel to be away from his Daddy for so long. I’m planning to have Mark give Noah a little toy to take with him to Florida right before we leave and then use that toy to remind him of Daddy and help him cope with missing him. Any other ideas as to how I can make this separation less hard for all of us?
My birthday was three weeks ago. I was feeling like having a quiet birthday – so I didn’t really remind anyone, and I didn’t blog about it. On the morning of my birthday Mark put a post on the blog telling people to wish me a happy birthday, and as soon as I saw it I removed it. I had a lovely birthday remembered by and celebrated with my family and that was plenty for me this year. It’s not that I was feeling old or even like I’d like to skip the birthday, I just didn’t feel like going into full-on public recognition yahoo mode.
This past Friday Patrice remembered my birthday. I hadn’t been surprised when she forgot because 1) it normally comes up into conversation as a reminder beforehand and it never did and 2) we all know she’s got a lot on her mind. It wasn’t really a big deal. But I guess she felt bad – and as a result she sent out emails strong-arming people to either send me an email or surprise me by showing up to our already planned dinner date for that night. But what she forgot is that I hate surprises – in particular ones that everyone knows about but me and involve making me the center of attention. So when I started getting a million emails, some from people I don’t know I called Mark freaking out. He suggested maybe Patrice put them up to it – and I sent her an email asking her to please make it stop. Not that I didn’t appreciate all the lovely wishes from my blog buddies and those in their circles, it’s just for some reason it made me panic. And when Patrice broke the news that some other people were going to “surprise” me by showing up to dinner that night, I panicked some more. I’m certain it wasn’t the response she was hoping for when she decided to something nice for me and for that I owe her an apology. I just SUCK at surprises.
But of course Friday night ended up being nice. Before dinner I got a shiny new nose ring and used a gift certificate I’ve had since Christmas to buy a new pair of shoes. Then I saw some folks I never get to see, chatted, had a nice meal, and a few drinks. It was an action packed night out on the town – and I need them occasionally.
Saturday Mark dropped off the recycling, I renewed my drivers license, we did some cleaning, had turkey taco salad for dinner and then took the boy to the Hancock Rec playground to run off some steam. As per usual for a Friday/Saturday night (sometimes even a Tuesday) after we put Noah to bed we split a bottle of red wine and watched DVR. We went to bed at midnight and then Noah woke me up at 4 am and I could do nothing to get him back to sleep. I sent Mark back to bed and somehow managed to keep the boy occupied until I put him down for a nap at 9:30 am. Shortly after which Patrice came to our place so that Mark could take her to the airport - she’s now in California for business until Thursday night. After they left I tried to get a quick snooze on the couch but just ended up watching House Hunters until Mark got back and my Mom showed up. Noah woke up from his two hour nap, we fed him lunch at then took him to Liberty Lands Park where we left him with his Grandma so that we could go to the Standard Tap for brunch. As always the food was the best EVER. If you get less than a handful of brunch opportunities a year why would you chance wasting any of them on food at someplace that couldn’t possibly match up? You just can’t. I had an omelet with goat cheese, tomatoes, artichokes and mushrooms served with a cheesy potato casserole and brioche. Obviously accompanied by two very large and spicy Bloody Marys. After we gorged ourselves we collected my Mom and Noah and then headed downtown on the El to Foster’s Urban Homeware so my Mom could use the gift certificate I gave her for Mother’s Day. And then because Mark and I hadn’t yet been complete and total gluttons for the day we went to Franklin Fountain for ice cream sundaes. After Mom left the night was a bit crazy because Noah was EXHAUSTED (as was I) but it was too late to put him down for a nap and not yet late enough for bed. By the time he went to bed he was in full-on meltdown mode, but Mark and I nearly rejoiced to have him in bed by 7:30 pm. An hour later something REALLY weird happened. Noah woke up crying and calling Mama but when I went in and picked him up he started shrieking and squirming out of my hands. For the next fifteen minutes he writhed around on the floor, with his eyes closed, crying as if he was either really frightened or in pain. Mark and I tried to reason with him, tried to find out what was wrong but he didn’t really respond. It was like he was possessed. When he finally snapped out of it he asked to nurse, fell right back to sleep and slept til the morning. Mark and I guess that it was like some sort of weird sleepwalking nightmare sort of reaction – but we don’t really know. I just hope it never happens again. It was seriously frightening.
Today however all is well. It’s going to be a busy week of preparing physically and mentally to leave for Florida this Saturday. Noah, Pa Joe and I are going to be visiting with my still pregnant sister Elisha and her extended family. Elisha’s due date is tomorrow but it seems her son may be waiting until we show up before he makes his stunning debut. We’ll be gone for eight days – without Mark. The thought of being away from Mark for so long makes me sad, but unfortunately he didn’t have the vacation time to make the trip with us. Not only am I a bit nervous because Mark and I are rarely apart, but I’m also worrying about how Noah will feel to be away from his Daddy for so long. I’m planning to have Mark give Noah a little toy to take with him to Florida right before we leave and then use that toy to remind him of Daddy and help him cope with missing him. Any other ideas as to how I can make this separation less hard for all of us?
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Waterworld
While I was growing up my Grammy lived just down the street from the Holiday House public pool in Sellersville. On special summer days I’d be dropped off at her house in the morning and able to hang out at the pool in the afternoon. It’s been a million years since I've been there but I remember the pool and the grass as sprawling, the snack bar as well stocked (my fave were the frozen Charleston Chews), the fountains as refreshing and the social scene as both exhilarating and alienating. Taking Noah for a dip in the Northern Liberties Rec Center pool isn’t even in the same ballpark. The pool is tiny, surrounded by a concrete path and setback from the street by only a set of changing bleachers, a chain link fence, and a brick wall. There is no kiddie pool, no grass, and no snack bar. It isn’t even big enough to do laps. And it’s less a social scene and more a dunk tank designed to alleviate city dwellers from the stresses of high temperatures. However it’s free and it’s a lot better than nothing.
However, on Tuesday I took Noah to the Quakertown public pool – and glimpsed a watery nirvana. Not only do they have a huge shallow section for the small children, the floor of it is completely padded and you wade into it like the sea. It’s lined with knee high fountains that the kids can play in as well as a large mushroom fountain in the center. There are like 8 different sectioned off areas to the pool, two diving boards, a water slide, a million swanky beach chairs, lots of grass and a huge shady gazebo. It’s nearly Wild Water Kingdom! And Noah was in LOVE. For a second I worried he’d be too daunted by how crowded it was, but in a heartbeat he was running in and out of the fountains, giggling fiendishly. I doubt he’s ever been that excited by anything in his entire life. And it was so beautiful to watch that I actually teared up. After which I recuperated with a lemonade and a soft pretzel. Mmmm, snackbar.
I’m not saying I’m planning a move to the ‘burbs – there are far too many things that we have easy access to here that I love and look forward to raising Noah in arms reach of – but sometimes I’m flabbergasted by the things that we’re missing. Now I have a little less than a year to find out where the closest equivalent swanky suburban pool is to our home. I’m guessing Jersey.
However, on Tuesday I took Noah to the Quakertown public pool – and glimpsed a watery nirvana. Not only do they have a huge shallow section for the small children, the floor of it is completely padded and you wade into it like the sea. It’s lined with knee high fountains that the kids can play in as well as a large mushroom fountain in the center. There are like 8 different sectioned off areas to the pool, two diving boards, a water slide, a million swanky beach chairs, lots of grass and a huge shady gazebo. It’s nearly Wild Water Kingdom! And Noah was in LOVE. For a second I worried he’d be too daunted by how crowded it was, but in a heartbeat he was running in and out of the fountains, giggling fiendishly. I doubt he’s ever been that excited by anything in his entire life. And it was so beautiful to watch that I actually teared up. After which I recuperated with a lemonade and a soft pretzel. Mmmm, snackbar.
I’m not saying I’m planning a move to the ‘burbs – there are far too many things that we have easy access to here that I love and look forward to raising Noah in arms reach of – but sometimes I’m flabbergasted by the things that we’re missing. Now I have a little less than a year to find out where the closest equivalent swanky suburban pool is to our home. I’m guessing Jersey.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Time blinks away
We’ve been busy bees. Sleepy, little time for ourselves, busy bees. The hot, hot days pass so quickly.
On Thursday I was able to go out for drinks with Theresa and Todd. When Theresa invited me out I was so pleased that I nearly combusted. It was a LONG time coming and I had a really lovely time catching up. I’m sure I talked too much about Noah, but that’s an occupational hazard that I hope can be easily forgiven. They also gave Noah two really great train books, Trains by Patricia Hubbell became an instant favorite.
We had Friday morning playgroup and lunch – and then while Noah was napping my friend Valentine came by to do a training with a Public Adjuster. They looked at our home insurance policy and made assessments as to whether we should make any claims for recent damage. They came to the conclusion that we might be able to get a nice bit of money to repair the dry wall and floor damage caused by our roof leak. We may file after we make sure that after the deductible, claim surcharge, and loss of the claim-free discount that we’ll come away with anything. I’ll let you know.
On Saturday Noah and I made a short visit with Grandma before heading to a baby shower. See if you can follow this – the shower was for my 11 year old (half) sister’s mother who is pregnant with her fourth child. Though we didn’t really know many people, it was really sweet of them to invite us. I think it probably made my little sister feel good to have members of both of her families together. Noah was a bit discombobulated at the shower however because he didn’t understand why Jessica couldn’t just stop and play with him. He mostly followed her around calling “An-Jess? An-Jess?” about 500 times. While Jess was writing the gift list Noah would run up and hand her a stack of cups. Everyone thought it was cute, but I felt kind of sad for him. When we got home Mark, Noah and I headed to Taco Riendo for a lovely dinner of sopes, tacos, and rice and beans.
On Sunday Mark went to Jersey for his Aunt and Uncle’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. He had a really lovely time and I was mighty jealous. They had a good turnout, a tear jerking slide show, excellent food and a swing band. It had all the trappings of a lovely wedding reception – PLUS waffles and ice cream. I was sad to have missed it. Noah and I went to have dinner at Susan’s house. Now that she has returned to work and Frannie is in daycare we don’t get to see much of them. So it was really nice to be invited over for Sunday dinner. The kids had a great time playing and Noah even gave Frannie hugs before we left. We all oohed and ahhed at the sickening cuteness of it.
Sunday night was the not sleeping night from hell. Noah has been having bouts of sleep difficulty lately and we gather it has to do with separation anxiety nightmares that are really common for 19 to 24 months. Apparently at this age they realize that not only is mom separate from them, but there is the chance that she could go away and not come back. Monday morning the only concrete thing we could learn about Noah’s dream was “Mama, Noah, Uh-Oh.” But his dream was bad enough that he was afraid to go back to sleep. I'm not quite sure how to handle the nightmare sleeplessness. Luckily last night was event free, so I guess I hope it just stops.
Yesterday we tried to recuperate from our crappy night. Nothing too spectacular about the day. Except the sheer longness of it. Today we head to Quakertown to see Oma and Pa Joe. I’m considering spending an hour at the Quakertown pool before we head to their place. It’s like 99 degrees today and we could use some refreshing watery time. Hope you all are well.
On Thursday I was able to go out for drinks with Theresa and Todd. When Theresa invited me out I was so pleased that I nearly combusted. It was a LONG time coming and I had a really lovely time catching up. I’m sure I talked too much about Noah, but that’s an occupational hazard that I hope can be easily forgiven. They also gave Noah two really great train books, Trains by Patricia Hubbell became an instant favorite.
We had Friday morning playgroup and lunch – and then while Noah was napping my friend Valentine came by to do a training with a Public Adjuster. They looked at our home insurance policy and made assessments as to whether we should make any claims for recent damage. They came to the conclusion that we might be able to get a nice bit of money to repair the dry wall and floor damage caused by our roof leak. We may file after we make sure that after the deductible, claim surcharge, and loss of the claim-free discount that we’ll come away with anything. I’ll let you know.
On Saturday Noah and I made a short visit with Grandma before heading to a baby shower. See if you can follow this – the shower was for my 11 year old (half) sister’s mother who is pregnant with her fourth child. Though we didn’t really know many people, it was really sweet of them to invite us. I think it probably made my little sister feel good to have members of both of her families together. Noah was a bit discombobulated at the shower however because he didn’t understand why Jessica couldn’t just stop and play with him. He mostly followed her around calling “An-Jess? An-Jess?” about 500 times. While Jess was writing the gift list Noah would run up and hand her a stack of cups. Everyone thought it was cute, but I felt kind of sad for him. When we got home Mark, Noah and I headed to Taco Riendo for a lovely dinner of sopes, tacos, and rice and beans.
On Sunday Mark went to Jersey for his Aunt and Uncle’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. He had a really lovely time and I was mighty jealous. They had a good turnout, a tear jerking slide show, excellent food and a swing band. It had all the trappings of a lovely wedding reception – PLUS waffles and ice cream. I was sad to have missed it. Noah and I went to have dinner at Susan’s house. Now that she has returned to work and Frannie is in daycare we don’t get to see much of them. So it was really nice to be invited over for Sunday dinner. The kids had a great time playing and Noah even gave Frannie hugs before we left. We all oohed and ahhed at the sickening cuteness of it.
Sunday night was the not sleeping night from hell. Noah has been having bouts of sleep difficulty lately and we gather it has to do with separation anxiety nightmares that are really common for 19 to 24 months. Apparently at this age they realize that not only is mom separate from them, but there is the chance that she could go away and not come back. Monday morning the only concrete thing we could learn about Noah’s dream was “Mama, Noah, Uh-Oh.” But his dream was bad enough that he was afraid to go back to sleep. I'm not quite sure how to handle the nightmare sleeplessness. Luckily last night was event free, so I guess I hope it just stops.
Yesterday we tried to recuperate from our crappy night. Nothing too spectacular about the day. Except the sheer longness of it. Today we head to Quakertown to see Oma and Pa Joe. I’m considering spending an hour at the Quakertown pool before we head to their place. It’s like 99 degrees today and we could use some refreshing watery time. Hope you all are well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)