2010_02_25 Thursday

Oh, I had the best intentions in the world today to take Jonathan to the Staten Island Children's Museum. My moms group has raved about it, and I figured today would be a great day to go. But, once we got moving, it just didn't happen. I had to pick up some plumbing equipment for possible work tomorrow (although now it looks like more for Saturday). And, we seem to be in the midst of a cyclone/snowstorm.

Soooo, instead, we popped over to Walmart; I had seen some really cute cubbies online, but apparently that's the only place they are! While there, Jonathan, from the cart, leaned into me and hugged and kissed my belly. He's such a sweet kid. And, we had a lovely lunch at Applebee's.

Now, Jonathan is trying (not) to nap and being a stinker. I hear lots of noise, but it could be the snowballs falling from the sky, the trees hitting our house, or him playing with toys; it's hard to tell. I'll just ignore it. He finally fell asleep around 4, so I let him go until about 6. Dinner at 7:30; bed at 8:45. oh well. we're not perfect. Dave got home a little later than usual, so Jonathan completely freaked -- in a good way -- for him to read two bedtime stories. I love to see that.

2010_02_23 Tuesday

I was finally able to upload a ton of pictures this morning, so our construction efforts are now available for all to see under "house": http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv262/jsdemm/house/?albumview=slideshow (it's the first set that show the hallway, the 'cats' room, and the master bedroom; the rest are of the kitchen reno project). A contractor was here bright and early today to build the shower stall, but the plumber never showed up. Hoping the inspector is not coming tomorrow because that would be a little embarrassing.

Today was a very drab day: it rained all day (the upside is that we have very little snow left now). So, Jonathan and I did very little. We watched an episode of Sesame Street that focused on dinosaurs, we "played toys," and we went to the grocery store where he got an airplane from a veterans' group fundraising.

2010_02_22 Monday

The inspector came by around 9am today, and we passed this time. Hurrah!

I had another ultrasound today because my doctor was concerned that I might have low amniotic fluid levels because my belly was measuring small. As it turns out, everything is completely fine. Fluid ranges from 8-24, and I am 18 (so actually on the higher end but not concerningly so). Baby's heartbeat is 125 (great). Looks like s/he is 4.1 lbs now and is likely to top off at about 8lbs. Big head, though. And, is in the right (head down and facing correctly) position, so I probably have been having Braxton-Hicks, although I didn't know what they were because I didn't with Jonathan at all.

I was also able to get a 3D peek inside; s/he has my nose for sure but raised the arm to cover the face right as we were looking and also did the sign for 'daddy'! :o) have an amazing profile shot now too!

As we were walking out the door, a contractor came by to nail down the flooring and to install insulation. I think they'll be back tomorrow to install the shower pad, which will also need to be inspected. We are moving in the right direction!

2010_02_19 Friday

Today was pretty hectic. We had two inspections; we failed the plumbing one because of some missing valve, but we passed electric. The guys will be back tomorrow to fix the problems so we can be reinspected on Monday. After I ran to a plumbing supply store twice unsuccessfully, our plumber decided he'd find the valve himself. Gesh, woulda been a lot easier if he had just done that from the start!

Jonathan and I went over to the Nature Center to register for March-May. We got into all 9 classes we wanted. I left a good section open around April 23, though. He did great while I stood in line. He even found a bunch of stuffed animal birds that cheep, and he showed me the cardinal...by name!!!

On the way home, we were listening to Five Little Monkeys, and when I don't hear him singing, I sort of bait him. This time, I said "...and the doctor said, 'no more monkeys eating mashed potatoes.'" He thought that was pretty funny and has now changed the song to that rather than the real words.

I also got a 'little hug' from him after I took his shoes off on the stairs. That is a hug from behind and a kiss on my back. very cute.

2010_02_18 Thursday

Although the general contractor was supposed to come by today at 8am, he called me at 9:30am to tell me he wasn't. lovely. But, he would come by tonight to talk with David about the last few items.

Jonathan got up at 10am and we rushed through breakfast so we could walk into town, to the library, for Story Time. It's very interesting that he gets pretty shy there. I think it's because the kids are mostly all older than he is, and they all seem to know the moves to various songs. He sits back near me and observes (even "the itsy, bitsy spider"!). It's mildly frustrating to me since I know he knows them, but I guess it's just a new environment for him. We stayed for about an hour afterward, reading on the computer and picking out books.

Tonight, he wanted me to give him a bath, so I did. He threw a fit and would not sit down, saying it was too hot or too cold. I got very frustrated and upset. Then he yelled that he had to go to the potty, which is typically a diversionary tactic...not this time, he pooped right there in the tub. UGH!!! And, right as he did it and I called for Dave's help, the general contractor rang the front door bell. Could he have timed that any better?!! After flinging him (J2, that is) onto the potty, I made Jonathan sit with me and watch me clean it all up. what a mess. what a night. Wish I could have a bottle of wine about now!

2010_02_16 Tuesday

We had a mild snowfall overnight (maybe an inch) on top of the few inches we already have. And, it seems like it's still coming down lightly (at 9am). We have our Nature Center class today (and we've missed the past two!), but I'm wondering if they'll cancel it. I also have a doctor's appointment later this afternoon.

The contractors woke me up today. I thought they were coming in the afternoon, so I had hoped to sleep in a tad, and I told David not to lock up the cats. oops. They have to get the electric work done now because the inspection is coming this afternoon. That's good news for us.

2010_02_13 Saturday

Mom and Dad got some grown-up time today: we went to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and a nice kid-free dinner. Nanie came up to play with Jonathan for the day. Amazingly, he walked us to the door, nearly pushing us out. The show was amazing; dinner was relaxed. And, Jonathan couldn't stop chattering about playing with toys with Nanie. So, a very successful day/evening all around.

2010_02_15 Monday

We spent the majority of the day today at the Liberty Science Center. They have been focusing on a new dinosaur exhibit, so I thought we'd try it out. We were also able to get into a live animal show as well. Jonathan was amazing; he was the epitome of a perfect kid (not even the threat of a sit-and-think). He was a little afraid of the giant T-Rex at first, but warmed up to "Sue" and wanted to revisit it later in the day. In the show, he touched a tortoise, which confused him because we've called them all turtles, and a boa constrictor; we also saw a tarantula and a Frilled Lizard.

Without specific examples, we can hold full conversations now. Jonathan is so verbal and cognizant of likes/dislikes and his environment. It's just amazing. He tries new words like "stupendous" and "tarantula" without getting frustrated if it doesn't come out quite right. It's so neat.

He's doing so much better now with his bronchitis. I suspect it's nearly gone. I, on the other hand, have a hacking cough and a runny nose now. ugh. Dave's not doing much better either.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Vicki!!

2010_02_10 Wednesday

At 2am, when Jonathan woke up snotty, we had no snow fall. By 8am, when I got up, we had a few inches already. J2 woke up around 11 (bless him), and the snow hasn't stopped, although it's hard to tell if there's more falling or if it's just getting blown around. Forecasters anticipate significantly more snow by night.

Jonathan seems to be doing a lot better. He's still got a runny nose, but the coughing is far less. He's doing really well with taking the meds too.

We are doing some water coloring right now. He really enjoys mixing the colors in the water, less the actually painting part. The painting smock from Aunt Shannon has really come in handy!

2010_02_09 Tuesday

The last 24 hours have been a bit of a mess. I took Jonathan to the peds yesterday to find out he's got bronchitis and a mild ear infection. Then I ran around to get his meds filled and battled a couple of miscommunications that just slowed it all down. I was pretty stressed out by it all. By the time I got home, I was able to give him his meds and lay him down for a bit. He seems to be reacting well to them so far and is willing to take them, so that's really good. He's not a huge fan of soup, but it's making me feel better. His nose is still very clogged and his cough is still there, but I guess it's getting better. We'll see if his fever has gone down, or I'll take him back in on Thursday.

I'm dying here...J2's been in three sit-and-thinks already this morning...and he's only been up for 1.5 hrs. It's going to be a long day!!! Well, he seemed to have gotten all his sassiness out of him first thing; no more s-a-t's for the rest of the day.

He's also doing two very strange things now during mealtimes. 1) he seems to have regressed, wanting me to spoon-feed him everything. I'm hoping this is just b/c he's not feeling great. 2) he likes to hold things in his mouth like a chipmunk for a -- sometimes a very long -- while. That's a very strange habit, and I'm not sure where it came from.

Construction is moving along, although we keep hitting snags that slow the process down. (Ie pocket door in the wrong place, etc) So much for the 1-week timeframe...I think it'll be more like 3+. Did I say "moving along"? the demo guys were back today to put down flooring, but the electrician never showed up...which meant the inspection couldn't have happened today (again). We are anticipating lots of snow overnight, so we may not have any workers tomorrow, depending...did I say 3+ weeks?

When Dave got home, he and J2 measured lots of the new construction. J2 turned to me and said, "Mommy, it's two inches and a half," referring to the hole in the door where the lock goes. How cute. The three of us talked about how important knowing your numbers is if you like to measure things. A nice family moment.

2010_02_03 Wednesday

Day Three of construction...we missed our Whole Foods class so I could handle the contractors...lots of men in and out of the house today...electrician/plumber were here but left...getting messy and dusty.

I said "Hey!" to one of the contractors, and Jonathan looked at me and said: "Hay is for horses and cows, mommy!" And, when I asked him who told him that, he said, "Mommy, I told you that!" ha! what a character. And, then, when I bonked my elbow, he says sweetly, "I'll kiss it, mommy."

2010_02_02 Tuesday

Today is Day Two of our master bath conversion! How exciting!! Please follow the folder in Photobucket for near-daily updates.

I also had a doctor's appointment today. I gained two pounds, making for a grand total of 20 pounds total. Blood pressure was fine; no swelling; no contractions. During the heartbeat monitoring, she could actually tell me that the baby's head was on my right side, bottom on my left, and arms flailing about! wow -- all that by just feeling!

Then, we went home for lunch. I gave Jonathan a bite of cottage cheese, which he now calls "almost cheese." This is the first time that he's actually eaten it and asked for more. He also managed to give himself a blood blister on his lip by messing around while climbing up to his chair for lunch.