February

My, my, my, I have yet to blog about our February adventures--and it's March!!

Let's begin with the week of Valentine's Day. What a great week! First Jacob gets sick with a nasty stomach bug, then me, then Brian. Make no mistake, this was sheer misery. The misery carried us through the week until my Dad and Paula got here on the weekend. As a special Valentine's Day surprise, they got Jacob this ABC Train. Just what we need around here: more stuff to push around (which translates into more stuff that I have to pick up at the end of the day) and more stuff that lights up and makes noise (which translates into more silly kid songs that I learn and find myself singing at random times during the day--"Happily we chug along, learning letters, singing songs. Happily we chug along, on the train."). Sigh. Jacob was still cranky and crabby throughout the weekend. Dad and Paula were good sports to put up with his fussiness!I guess we were do a sick spell. Jacob really hasn't been sick, save for minor ear infections here and there. Really, I don't even know how to take his temperature. So, I guess we were due.February was kinda a landmark month, though. Jacob turned 18 months! Wow! A year-and-a-half! Hard to believe. He's 27lbs and is off the chart for his height. Can't remember the exact measurement, but off the chart, folks!

Then, he and Brian took off in a plane to N.C.--I've already blogged about this event, but it bears repeating how thankful I am to Mike and Nancy for keeping the little guy while I put in some extra time at work and Brian put in some time taking a really hard test (results to be know at the beginning of April).

So, that was our February. I've noticed that beginnings of the year historically haven't been very good to Brian and me. '08 began with significant car repairs. '09 has begun with illness and medical bills. Here's to hoping that the year gets better!

Lawn Boy

Now that it's warming up, you will undoubtedly need someone to mow your yard. I've got the perfect person...Dolly!!

All you gotta do is call him up on his cell,

set up a time and he'll be there.

Give him some time to check his equipment And he'll be mowing your yard in no time!

It's imperative that you allow him to conduct his yard-mowing business as he wishes. He's going to need to look around, check to see if the ground is solid, say hello to the neighbor dog, make sure Jodie has rolled around enough to get just the right amount of grass on her and inspect the spigot to make sure it's in good working order. Just go with it.

His fee? He just wants to be able to brush and lean on your dog (and maybe pull its tail, but we won't talk about that).

His grandmom just got him a book called "Tails are not for pulling." So, we're working on it.

So, give him a call, won't you?

Boy, was I wrong!

For the record

I just want to go on record as having said that I think that I'm having a girl. We'll know for sure tomorrow. Keep in touch!

Leaver vs. Leavee

My husband and child left yesterday on a plane to NC. This marks Dolly's 8th trip via airplane and he might very well just be the most air-traveled tot under 2. Who knows?

I realized that it's much harder to be left than it is to leave. When I went to Brooklyn sans kid, it was a dream. I left with a smile on my face and relished the time I had with my friend in NY.

When I dropped the fellas off yesterday morning at the airport, I was very, very sad. Returning home to an empty (devoid of human occupants--4-legged occupants were present) and quiet house was startling. I'm used to having at least 2 stereos going, for Dolly is very much into listening to music. Ok, he's very much into pushing buttons and turning knobs and somehow the stereos in this house satisfy that need. So, normally, I'm listening to Fleetwood Mac, Mitch Hedburg and OutKast on one stereo and Peter and the Wolf or The Wiggles on another.

But now....silence.

I have to admit that I was the one who arranged for it to be quiet in my home. Over a month ago, when I was in the throes of pregnancy fatigue, I called my mother-in-law and asked (nearly pleaded) that she keep my son for the 3 days that Brian would be in NC taking the NC Bar. She gleefully accepted and I counted down the days. So, my son is currently in NC with his Grammy and Grampy having a wonderful time, or so I'm told, going up and down the stairs in their home.

And here I sit listening to Jodie snore.

I have enjoyed both mornings of being able to get out of bed on my terms. I've enjoyed being able to leave drinks, food, my computer laying anywhere around the house. It's been nice not to have to tidy up, rounding up the thousands of balls that comprise my son's toy collection and placing said balls in their respective machines, pit or box. It's nice not to step on little toy zebras, cows, pigs. I love not having to worry about meal planning. I hate meal planning. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

But, I miss the chatter, the squeals. I miss how Jacob brings me a book and then gets right by my knees and turns around, waiting for me to pick him up and put him on my lap so that we can read the book and oooohhhh and aaaahhhh over the pictures. I miss him holding up his sippy cup and saying to me, "All gone" and I miss him running to the ice maker saying, "iiiiiice, iiiiice."

I miss a lot...a lot more than I thought I would.

So, I will work these next couple of days until they return on Thursday. We certainly need the extra money and I need to keep my sanity.

Oh, and for you bad guys out there that read my blog, don't even think about breaking into my home since my big and strong husband is gone. I have a dog whose breath will bring you to your knees and then my cat will dismember you like the the mole that he left for me on my patio 2 nights ago.

2 weeks

2 weeks from today, at this time, I will know the gender of my next child. What's that you say? Am I pregnant? Why, yes, I am. 17 weeks pregnant, to be exact. Due at the end of July. I haven't announced it until this point for several reasons, with the biggest reason being because I've miscarried 2 times, with the last incident at 8 weeks in September. And, it's just not a lot of fun telling people this happy, fun news and then having to say, "About that pregnancy thing...."

I feel like I've been pregnant forever. I realized the other day that I've been pregnant every year since 2006. So, yeah, I've been pregnant 4 times. Crazy, huh? This will undoubtedly be the last...I'm ready to have my body back and to get on with being a family. I'm not excited about being attached to a breast pump for the next year but 'dems 'da breaks, as my husband would say.

So, am I hoping for a boy or girl? Good question. Here are my thoughts: Certainly, it'd be nice to have a girl. I already have a boy, so a girl would nicely complete a family and I would surely enjoy learning about the mother-daughter bond. The thing is, though, I get nervous at the thought of having a girl. I haven't had a girl and so I think, "What would I do with a girl? She will NOT have bows in her hair nor will she wear frilly dresses; probably won't even wear pink. Her hair will be kept short and she will be required to play in the dirt. So, might as well have another boy."

Also, it'd be reeeeeeal convenient to have another boy. I have all the necessary "boy" things: clothes, toys-things like that. And I can't help but think that same-sex siblings would get along better than their opposite-sex siblings counterparts, but I don't know this for sure (may need to research this).

As far as family goes, I think everyone's hoping for a girl. And it's weird because with Jacob, I was fairly certain that he was a boy. With this one, not sure at all. Sometimes I think in terms of a girl and other times I think it's a boy. So, it will be a surprise, either way.

Sooooooo, I'll be in touch about baby news in 2 weeks!!

Side gig

Apparently my cat noises are hilarious!:

As such, I've decided to turn this laugh-inducing skill into a lucrative business. I am available for birthday parties, corporate events, bar mitzvahs, sporting event half-time shows, rehearsal dinners and opening acts for the likes of Cold Play, Dane Cook and Barenaked Ladies. If you're interested, please contact my attorney.