Happy 10 Month Birthday, My Dear Sydney

I can't believe how fast the time goes. It seems like just yesterday you were in my belly.

And then you were out of my belly - my little peanut.

Over the weekend we spent time with the extended family to celebrate Jeff and Jamie's marriage.  Just about this time last year, we were celebrating Breakfast on the Farm and I was about 7 months pregnant with you.  I can't believe the difference a year makes. 
I am so proud to have you as my baby girl.  You are always so happy and you make me forget about all troubles.  I mean, really, who can resist someone so cute!

I can't believe you'll be walking soon and then you'll be talking using real words.  Don't grow up too fast Baby Girl!  I love you!

p.s. I also can't believe I'm still nursing you!

Friday's are Cool

I love Friday's.  They are my day off for the week and my time to hang with Sydney - just the two of us.  I am amazed each Friday when I get to spend the day with her how much she has changed since Sunday.  Today when she woke up, she was a bear.  Just not a happy girl and I'm not sure why.  We did our usual Friday routine - played a bit, then had breakfast.  She was sassy during her cereal and apples so we finished up fast and put her down for a nap.  She screamed a solid 10 minutes and then was silent, like flipping a switch, and slept far more than an hour.  Then we went to the library so I could pick up the book I had on hold - yes it's about running (Thanks Diane).  This is the first time Sydney has been to our local library and she had a blast.  She watched the other kids very intently and we read several books, including one about her favorite Wonder Pets.  Once we were done at the library, we watched a teenager driving a Yukon back right into the parked Camry behind her.  You can only image what that crunch sounded like and boy am I glad I was parked on the other side of the street.  I watched her for a bit to make sure she wouldn't just drive off, which she didn't, then we walked across the street to visit the park and see the flowers and fountain.  Sydney sure does love the water and begged for me to let her go in.  I did not - silly girl.  Our next place to visit was the mall - specifically Barnes and Noble and Lady Foot Locker.  Sydney got a new musical book and I got coffee - not the shoes I was hoping for.  Not one of the three athletic shoe stores carry the brand of running shoes I was looking for, so the hunt continues.  By the time we were done walking all over the mall, Sydney was hungry and tired.  She ate, then napped for a long time.  Instead of doing anything productive, I stared at Twitter, Facebook, email and my Google Reader.  When she finally woke up, she had a snack and we played and sang along to her new book.  Pretty soon it was time for Daddy to come home, then supper.  She tried noodles for the first time tonight.  She wasn't too sure about them, but we'll keep trying.  She was out like a light by 7:30 - gotta love it.  I decided that I was going to mop the kitchen with the new mop Frank bought last week.  Unfortunately mopping the kitchen took about two hours - our kitchen is very small - it should take 20 minutes, tops.  The mop he brought totally fell apart when I tried to use it.  We use the kind of mop with the sponge on the end that you have to squeeze the water from.  Well, when I tried to press the handle down to squeeze out the water, the sponge kept popping off.  After this happening several times, I threw the mop out the back door and walked to CVS for a new one.  A bag of Doritos, Women's Health, a new mop and $28 later, the floor is finally clean.  Dishes are done, floors are vacuumed/mopped and now I'm going to bed. 
Friday's are cool, even if I only get some of my to do list done.  Hanging with my baby is better than any to do list anyway.

Run

I've decided to start running. For those of you who know me, when asked if I run, I usually say "Only from the Cops". Frank laughs at this because he calls me a "Gooder" - he knows I've never had to run from the cops, but still, I think I'm funny.

Why run? Why not?  It's become one of those things on my bucket list.  And seriously, the runner's I know are some of the healthiest people I've ever met.  Some people I know recently ran the Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon. They totally inspired me and I've decided to do it. I'm giving myself a year to train, which I'm sure is more than enough. Since I made my decision, my friend Becky also decided to do it with me. She's running a half in the fall and I'm very excited to join her next spring.

I never before wanted to do any running so the entire idea of it is very new to me. My girl, Diane, over at Anytime Fitness is already helping me out by giving me some tips. It's pretty cool to know people who are willing to help.

I will post my triumphs here and because there won't be any failures, I won't need to post them!

Sick and Tooth

May has been another sick month around our house. Frank had a horrible ear infection, Sydney has been up several times in the night almost every night over the last few weeks and she, Abby and I ended up with the stomach flu. First, Sydney had a runny nose and goopy eyes and after yet another horrible night, I took her in for a checkup and you guessed it - double ear infection. Again. Poor baby. On another round of antibiotics, which resulted in throwing up day 5.  Because it was a similar medication that she got sick on last time, I assumed it was a side effect and immediatly stopped giving her the meds.  That was Saturday.  Then on Monday, I started throwing up.  It was then I realized that it wasn't a medication side effect, it was actually the flu.  It was my day off for the week due to child care issues and it sucked.  BAD.  I was so sick that Frank had to come home from work to take care of us.  Turns out Abby also ended up sick that day.  Sydney was acting wierd and I was worried - not exactly sure if it was because I was sick or because something was wrong with her, so Frank took her in for another checkup.  I was scared that becuase I stopped her meds, her ears weren't healed.  Turns out the doc said about her ears, "I couldn't be happier with how they look".  What a relief!  She was good for about a week, then started to act funny again on Sunday. I took her to daycare on Monday even though I new something was up and she felt a little warm. You guessed it they called me around 2:00 to pick her up becuase she had a fever of 102.4.  I immediately called the clinic and got her in . By the time I got her there about an hour later, her fever was 99.9 and her throat was a little red.  As we were fighting to hold her still on the table so the doc could check her ears, I noticed a white spot on her upper gums.  That's right, my baby girl has her first tooth.  Upper right and not center - totally wierd, right?  Due to the fever, I had to keep her home on Tuesday, even though she was totally fine, the 24 hour rule was in effect.  Have I mentioned how I hate the 24 hour rule?  She went back to daycare on Wednesday and I got a call about 2:30 from her teacher.  Her eye is a little red, swollen and leaking.  Because she had been there all day, they could keep her and I just had to get her drops in a couple times before taking her back.  I'm glad because I really needed to be at work that day.  Last night, she woke up around 10 with a bloody nose.  I'm not sure what that is all about, but I got her fixed up, and back to sleep.  She continued to wake up MANY MANY times through the night and this morning she had a runny nose and cough.  As the day has gone on, she seems ok so I'm not thinking much of it.  Hopefully it's just a little bug that will be in and out of her system fast so we can enjoy our long weekend and get back to sleeping through the night. Momma's tired, yo!

Love The Gulf

I have never visited the Gulf.  It doesn't matter though.  My grandparents used so spend months in Gulf Shores, AL.  I have always wanted to go there and see what they have seen.  It makes me sad to know that things will probably be drastically different by the time I get there. 

What BP is not doing to protect the world is enough to piss a person off.  The anger, sadness and worry that I feel is nothing compared to the people who live on and near the Gulf.  I listen to NPR almost daily and story's like this really break my heart. 

When I first heard about the spill and the oil rig workers that were killed and hurt on the rig, I got teary and sad.  That's what I do these days.  My heard aches for those workers and their families.  Then I got teary and sad when I started to think about the animals in the ocean and everything and everyone else who is going to be affected by this horrific incident.  I immediately told Frank that we needed to go buy a case of Dawn because that is one way we could help the animals.

The impact to the people of the Gulf, the US and the World is unknown. 
The impact to the organisms living in the Gulf is unknown. 
The impact to the local economies is unknown.
The impact to the US and World economies are unknown.
Life is always unknown, but this is the most horrible kind of unknown. 
I can only hope that those responsible for this receive a punishment that fits the crime. 

I hope to someday visit the Gulf.  I also hope that it won't be totally destroyed by this collosal mistake.

It's a Love the Gulf blog carnival.  Write your story, and share it here or here.