What a Week!

This has been one of those weeks where just nothing seems to go right - and we're turning it into a joke around here.

We planned out all our meals and have yet to actually have what we planned to on a given night. Yesterday I forgot to give Steve the joint dental insurance card before he went to the dentist (I was finally able to fax it to their office). I found out that the coloboma issue with my eyes (why my pupils aren't found) means that in my right eye I have about half the cornea missing but only a third missing in the left eye. Thanks to the snow and ice storm we had over the last few days Steve's windsheld cracked. On Monday I accidentally scratched Jacob's cheek which bled horribly and he cried. Then when I removed the bandaid hours later it bled again and he cried again. At least the 2nd time he was quickly distracted by the cats so the crying only lasted about 1 minute. Although I did feel the need to explain it to the daycare ladies so they wouldn't think I was abusing the poor child.

At least Jacob is just fine! He slept 11.5 hours the other night and I still had to wake him up for daycare.

He's got his 4th tooth now, as you can see in these photos and I think he's already working on the 2 center front ones.

Also, he still loves to pose...

Surely the rest of the week can only get better. Right?!

Inaugural Week

Yes, We Can! I was so thrilled to watch President Barack Obama get sworn in that I was glued to the video feed my company set up for us...all day long!

I shed a few tears, mostly out of such pride for my country and how far we've come. Not just in the last 60 years, but also since the first few years of our nation when the White House was built by slaves. As a poli-sci major I thought I would be an old woman before I saw an African American elected to the office of President. Such a doubter! Shame on me.

A new era of leadership, fresh ideas, amazing sense of hope, and a willingness by most to chip in and get done what needs to get done (sounds like the start of a Jaycee year!).

In that spirit of Yes, We Can! I read a Washington Post article about a Sudanese woman who recently gave birth to quints nearby in Laurel, MD. Her husband is stuck back in Sudan (she came over here to meet with her mother-in-law early in her pregnancy when complications meant she had to remain here to give birth) and is in desperate need of a good support system. We have one child and plenty of support so I can only imagine the difficulties she's experiencing.

She needs diapers, formula, clothing (4 girls/1boy), money, and at some point a job. I can't give her a job, but I can do what I can to help collect the rest. If you want to contribute anything, please let me know and I'll find a way to get it from you and to the folks that are managing the collections for her.

On The Mend

Jacob is on the mend! That means that Steve and I are looking forward to sleeping through the night again. No, Blair...sleep is NOT over-rated.

Turns out Jacob did not have a stomach bug but has a really, really bad cold that got into his lungs. All the mucus was the cause of the vomitousness. Starting Wednesday he got nebulizing treatments every 4 hours for 24 hrs and then every 6 after that. This morning we got the news that Jacob is better enough to have treatments only 2x's/day for the next week.

Most of the time he tolerates the treatments well by sleeping through them but tonight he pitched a fit.


Also, he got an ear infection - likely the result of cutting his second tooth on Wednesday - so he's on an antibiotic for that for the next 10 days. This upsets his stomach, too.

Grandma and Grandpa Luce got to watch Jacob on Thursday so they took photos while he ate his carrots. They're the first semi-solids he's had since Sunday night and he gobbled them up!

He's also enjoying tummy time sometimes now!

Gotta run - we have Maryland Jaycee Officer Training School early tomorrow morning. Grandparents get to watch Jacob again (they're very thankful for our continued participation in the Jaycees).

Sick Day

Daddy is home with Jacob today as Jacob's been sick since Saturday. The little guy is such an overachiever...not only does he have a bad cold complete with lots of bone-rattling coughing spells but he's also got a stomach bug. He's tackling both at once with aplomb.

Thankfully he's only crying/irritable when he's just thrown up or because he's so tired and needs to go back to bed. Even his fever isn't all that bad - only about 99.7. The doc says this will likely last about a week and has been making the rounds in the area. Grandma and Grandpa Luce have graciously offered to watch him for us for the rest of the week so we can both go to work. I would prefer to stay home with my baby when he's sick but right now I'm basically out of sick leave and don't have a choice. Steve's also in the same boat. *sigh*

Did you know that when you wash your hands it should be in warm water, produce suds, and be long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" to yourself twice? Yep - best germ prevention ever!

On a positive note, our little family recently upgraded the little Jetta to a Vibe.It's so fun to drive, but the best part is that Jacob's car seat fits into it better. With the Vibe I have regained my front passenger seat!

On Saturday (before we knew Jacob had anything more than just a little cough), we attended the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees' Awards and Installation Banquet (www.ggjaycees.org).

It was terrific to see the room full of young folks excited for the new year and new projects. Steve and I weren't around much in 2008, go figure, but we plan to help out more in '09. G&Gers - consider yourselves warned!

Determination

OK so yesterday was going just like most Fridays. I left work to pick up Jacob from daycare and we went home to do our evening routine. However, from there things took a slight left turn.

Metro was having a bad evening and shut down some trains, had trains running late, etc. So, Daddy was going to be home almost an hour late. No big deal, right? Then, Daddy called to say that he reached Shady Grove but had just missed the bus so he would now be another half hour late. Again, no biggie, right?

Wrong. Apparently Jacob really loves it when Daddy gets home. Since Daddy was late getting home, Jacob was waiting, and waiting. He started rubbing his eyes around 6:45 but refused to do anything but play at that point. Not a big problem. Then around 7:20 he really began to rub his eyes and got fussy. I changed him into pj's and tried to feed him but to no avail.

So we went to the front window in his room and watched the lights of the cars going by the house for a good 10-15 minutes. Jacob got really sleepy, but again refused to eat. He continuously looked towards the door of his room as if expecting Daddy to walk in at any moment. He was absolutely determined to wait up for Daddy.

Daddy finally came home at almost 8 and Jacob perked right up! Daddy fed Jacob who passed out rather quickly - all was right with his world again.

Picture Post!

That's right...today's a picture post. Enjoy!!!

Photographic proof that: a) Hedwig does exist, and b) other people are sometimes allowed the privilege of holding her.

Jacob and Weasley do get along when Weasley isn't ignoring him.

Jacob and Mommy & Daddy on Christmas Eve.

Opening Presents!!!

See - Steve still has just enough hair for Jacob to grab onto.


Little Jacob sure is growing fast! He's now 29 inches (100th percentile!!!) and he weighs in at 20 lbs (90th percentile).

Thanks for some of the photos, Aunt Sandy!

Mighty Fine 2009!

Happy New Year and may 2009 be a healthy and happy one for you.

New Year's Eve was pretty unexciting in my house. Which was kind of exciting in it's own way. Steve made my favorite - cranberry stuffed porkchops - for dinner. Then I fed Jacob his last bottle of 2008 and we both headed to bed while Steve went to the Jaycees' New Years Eve Party. He had great fun and was able to catch up with folks while Jacob and I caught up on some much-needed sleep.

On the first day of 2009 we all slept in, enjoyed leisurely meals, took down all the X-mas decorations and enjoyed some port wine cheese (a tradition in Steve's family). Steve made me a pan of Forgotten Dessert (a holiday tradition in my family) so we could indulge our sweet tooths.

Jacob spent the day rolling over and napping. He loves his new high chair for semi-solid feedings and got to spend some quality time with the cats. They're letting him pet them a little now and he gets soooooo excited. His whole body goes rigid, his right arm flaps up and down (which usually sends the cats running away) and he emits a rather odd grunt/squeal thing that I have yet to get on tape.

Jacob is also babbling...a lot. I got it on video and will post that this weekend. He even woke me up this morning by babbling quietly and sweetly in his sleep. It's a wonderful way to wake up - knowing a) he's happy and dreaming of something and b) that I don't have to go running into his room to soothe him.

I hope you all have something as wonderful as that to wake up to at least one day in your life. It's a great way to start the new year - a year in which Jacob will start walking, possibly talking, eating solid foods and chasing after the cats.

*sigh*

I only hope there are more days of happy chaos than unhappy insanity!