A good dinner.

Finally!

Last night Beanie ate yakisoba noodles, chicken and broccoli for dinner. Woohoo! Sure, she left all the other veggies on the plate, but she ate all the broccoli and even kept asking for "more trees." Hope this is the start of a new trend!

An update of sorts.

Things are moving ahead on closing of our new house. The sellers agreed to repair & reseal the roof and to do all the other items listed in the inspection report as well. While at first we were pretty disappointed with the offer about the roof (we had asked for a credit to get a new -- and newer technology -- roof) we are now quite excited. I mean, we can't really ask them for a roof that we get to enjoy for the next who-knows-how-many years and if they are going to bring it up to snuff then that is great. I am a little worried about all the repairs getting done by closing (2 weeks from yesterday), but we can always delay a bit if we need to. I don't want to, but we could.

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Beanie was on a rampage earlier this week. On Monday she refused to nap and instead decided to scream and throw tantrums all afternoon. Tuesday night she screamed bloody murder for about 3 hours in the middle of the night. I swear I thought the neighbors were going to call CPS or something. It was ridiculous! I don't know if it was bugging her to have her fangs coming through the rest of the way or what, but I am glad she is in better spirits the last few days. I was really about to pull all my hair out, and I think Glenn was too.

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We have been going for walks almost every day and I am loving it! I am going to be sort of sad to move away from our current location (gotta love being a few blocks away from everything) but I think the sadness will be overcome by the excitement of being in our own home. I am excited to have backyard playdates with Beanie's friends and am planning (or at least starting to plan) her birthday party and a housewarming BBQ as well.

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Beanie is a fish. We started giving her baths again when we moved into the rental and she LOVES them. She doesn't want to get out of the tub and all day long she says "more quack-quack" " more bubble" "more bath." I think we need to sign her up for some swimming lessons or something. I don't want her to be scared of the water like her mama. While I can swim (barely) I am pretty darn afraid of the water. So much so that I missed out on snorkeling in Maui. Maybe I need swim lessons too?

Well, that's it for now. Just wanted to pop on here for a sec and let you know all is well!

/ oh and if you follow Beanie's blog I have finally put some new pics up. I think we're almost all the way caught up. Almost.

Mommy confession #1

I'm a homebody. The thought of having plans, playdates and etc every single day overwhelms me. I know its good for Beanie to get out and socialize, but, for the most part, I'm happier just sitting at home.

Okay, not really. I enjoy our playdates. I have met a lot of good people through them and recently some who I think will become/are good friends for us. But, looking at the calendar and seeing something written down for almost every day is a little much for me sometimes. Granted, when we actually get out and about I'm having a good time, but there are the days when I just long to curl up on the couch and do nothing.

Ten things I've learned not having cable.

10. I don't miss all that background noise. At all.

9. It is hard (really hard) to get the dishes done quickly without being able to pop Beanie down watching Spongebob for a few moments.

8. I miss some of my shows.

7. Sometimes you just have to resort to watching cartoons on nick.com. Especially if mom is feeling quite ill and its the only way you can get a toddler to sit still.

6. Its a lot easier to talk to your husband when the TV isn't on.

5. I don't ever know what the weather is going to be like. (yes, I know I can go online for that)

4. Grey's Anatomy is a really good show. Our landlord had season one on DVD here and Glenn started watching it and got sucked in. Then I got sucked in. Then we had to go and rent season two from Blockbuster.

3. Not having access to TV doesn't mean that I automatically turned into "crafty mom." I'm still working on that.

2. I have dirty dishes in the sink, laundry to be folded, dusting & vacuuming to do. Somehow I think if Beanie had just a little TV time I might be able to get all of it done. See my habits? In reality if we had a baby gate or video monitor cord that worked (need to call on that one) I would probably feel more comfortable being downstairs getting all that done while she was sleeping. In reality, if we hadn't all been sick this last week it probably would've gotten a little more done.

1. No TV + Sunshine = getting out of the house a lot more!!

Can you hear me now?

Ah, another late night can't sleep post....

Apparently the network doesn't include our short term rental. We have the crappiest cell service here ever and tonight my frustration with it came to a head.

Its been a trying week. Had to go to the docs myself on Monday. Waited FOREVER to get a prescription. From 5:30pm Tuesday until early morning Wednesdaty Beanie threw up ten (yes, TEN) times. Took her to the doc early Wed where they force fed her fluids through a syringe. Force fed like Glenn and I holding her down while she's screaming and the nurse pops 1cc of 7up into her mouth. She doesn't eat or drink hardly anything on Wednesday and today I woke up worrying we'd be taking her to the ER for IV fluids. Luckily she is doing lots better.

Earlier today we went out to return our movies at Blockbuster. I decided to pop into Walgreen's and get some cough syrup as I haven't gotten much of any sleep the last few nights (Tuesday with Beanie & last night with me coughing up a storm).

Take some cough syrup after dinner. Remember later I forgot to take my prescription with dinner. Take another dose of cough syrup before bed. Lie in bed feeling like I'm all sweaty, woozy, dizzy, yuck. Remember that both the doctor and pharmacist told me about 6 times not to drink any alcohol whatsoever while taking prescription. Remember that cough syrup has alcohol in it. Freak out because I feel like shit and took contraindicated meds. Get online. Go to webMD where the first thing it says under interaction for my med is "do not take with cough or cold medications." Feel even more sweaty, hot, dizzy...get really anxious and freak out and wake up Glenn.

*are you wondering yet where the cell phone part comes in???*

Call the on-call doc because I'm so worried now. totally anxious and sweaty and thirsty as all get out. Meanwhile, glenn has gone back to bed. Thanks honey, I'm just sitting here thinking I'm going to die, have a seizure, pass out, etc. No big deal. Wait for doc to call back. And wait. And wait. And wait. Then my phone beeps that I have a voicemail. Oh. My. Fucking. God. Are you kidding me??? Now I'm really about to have a nervous breakdown. I call the after-hours service again and ask them to page the doc again (because all she said in the message was to page again...ergh). I go downstairs where I think/hope/pray we have better service. Same thing happens again. Oh no, talk about a nervous breakdown now. So I run upstairs and put on some shorts (yes I was just in shirt and underwear...I was hot, remember) and go outside to call the answering service again. For the third time. Luckily this time the gal (who was so nice even though I probably sounded like a crazy person) was able to connect me straight through to doc. Sat out on curb and talked about my vaginal problems, prescription meds and etc with the doc. Great, I'm sure the neighbors love me now.

In short, doc wasn't too worried about the drug interaction and was more worried I had a second infection that wasn't being treated. Got inside. Threw up. Calmed down. Took my temp...no fever...so calling docs office in the morning.

Ah, nothing like thinking you'll be heading to the ER first thing in the morning and then again right before bed. Sigh.

Thanks crappy cell phone service for making my stressful night even more so.

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Okay, I promise no more midnight postings because I am sure this was total mumbo jumbo. But, as I was lying in bed next to Beanie writing this blog in my head I figured I might as well get up and type it out. I knew sleep would come in shorter order is this blog was written and done with.

And, lesson learned, stay away from google or other online resources for med information. Especially when you're already freaking out as is.

The house.

So here's the house...


...and the lovely lovely yard where I envision spending lots of summer afternoons.


Really it doesn't have the wow on curb appeal that I usually like, but once we went inside (and outside...did you see that backyard???) we were more than won over. Its a 4 bedroom 2 bath rambler. In a cul de sac. In a fantastic school district. Close to parks. Close to everything. The original garage has been converted and is a playroom...we'll probably keep it that way. What the current owners are using as a master we will likely change to an office or an exercise room. The current master is just off the dining room. Odd, but they obviously have a few more kids than we do (probably why they're moving) and were making due with the space. The dining room is full of light with lots of windows. There is a huge deck in the backyard and a little spot for gardening too (I really want to try to plant some things with Beanie -- I say try because I am known to kill just about anything & everything).

I would post more pics but, really, do you want to see how the current people have it set up? No. Or if you do, tough! You're just going to have to wait and see what we do with it :)

Can't sleep. Why not blog?

Since my mind seems to be racing with thoughts while I lie in bed next to a sleeping Beanie I decided I might as well get up and get some of these thoughts out of my head. Not for good of course, but at least out so I might get some sleep tonight.

Mostly my worries are financial. I made the "mistake" of opening the email from our mortgage people tonight right before laying down for bed. We had received a good faith estimate based on a supposed sale price with the sellers paying our closing costs. We ended up agreeing on a lower sale price (yay) but without the closing costs covered. Apparently, according to our realtor if I understand correctly, we could go back and ask for a higher sale price with some concessions for closing costs as long as the net to the seller is the same. I don't know, seems weird to me but whatever. So.....obviously a lower sale price is a good thing, but closing costs are right out of your pocket. Like, if we had them paid by the seller we would have that much more money in the bank. And the difference between the higher price (with closing costs covered) and the lower price where we pay closing costs is only about 50 bucks a month. Its going to take a lot of 50-bucks-a-month to put that money back in the bank. Doable? Yes. But ideal? No.

Our new mortgage will be just a little over what we were paying for mortgage, homeowner's dues and car payments before. But add on water, sewer, garbage, cable (maybe) and a lawn mower and we are increasing our monthly expenditures.

I know there are many, many ways we can save more money. We go out to eat far too much. We head to Starbucks for espresso when we have a fancy-pants Italian espresso machine at home (and I might add Glenn's espresso's taste much better than Starbucks anyways!). We let food go to waste. I don't do coupons (although, to my credit, I have tried to get the Sunday paper a few times and once there were no coupons at all in it and the second time not even enough to make up for the $1.50 I spent on the paper). I want to try to do coupons and know there are all sorts of saavy ways to do so...someone share some tips!! So i know we can save money doing little things and planning a little better.

But still, its scary. And keeping me awake. And it also makes me wonder if I'll ever be able to quit slinging milk at the grocery store again. Not that I don't like getting out and all (I pretty much consider it my day off...lol) but I would like to have that time to spend as a family, not one less day for that, you know?

Thanks for reading; you may have helped me get a better night's sleep :)

My apologies.

My apologies for seemingly neglecting this blog lately. Hopefully there's still a few people popping on to see how I'm doing. Between moving and getting settled in, Beanie adjusting to her new surroundings (and by adjusting I mean screaming and crying the-world-is-crashing-down-around-me for at least 45 minutes a night the first week we were here), family in town and all of us now being sick (like sick like we haven't been sick in over a year) there hasn't been much time for blogging. I'll get you up to date soon, I promise, but for now I'll leave you with this tidbit of information...

Over the weekend we made an offer (and had it accepted) on a very awesome house. Details to come!

New AAP recommendation for carseats

I haven't had the time (or energy) to blog much lately, but I did want to post this link.

The AAP now recommends keeping your toddler rear-facing in their carseat until at least age 2. We have had Beanie rear-facing this whole time. She's a little peanut anyway, just about 24lbs at 21 months old. Good to know we were up to date with the cutting edge of research, as Glenn said. Actually, as far as I am aware the research has been out for quite awhile and the AAP is just now "catching up."

Here's the link...

http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a

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And, in other news, I am a bit peeved as the "j" key on our new laptop seems to have popped halfway off. Somehow I think Beanie and her thermometer have something to do with it, but I'm glad we bought it at Costco because I know they will either fix/replace our laptop. I love Costco.

Toddler-proofing.

Ah, one thing I didn't consider getting this furnished rental was how un-toddler-friendly it was. As Glenn said, if he were a bachelor or we were a young childless couple (ok, we are young still right so just childless) then it would be awesome. But we're not and there are a lot of things I'm going to have to move around. The first was the wine rack with a tray on top. The tray had a vase and a decorative plate on it. Yea, its in the closet now.

Beanie already took a tumble down the stairs. She is a master at going up, down not so much. I was out bringing things in from the car and she tumbled down while Glenn was watching her. She almost bit it again this morning. I've been trying to show her how to slide down on her bum (tried as in every time we go down the stairs I slide down on my bum too) and I'm hoping it sticks. I tried to put the baby gate up this morning but I think that the trim is in the way and it isn't going to work right.

I love the location here and wish it would stop pouring buckets of rain so we could head out and walk. Well, that probably won't happen until we're all done moving things out of the condo so lets hope for sunshine by the weekend. We are within walking distance of the lake, the park, the library, the grocery store, post office, ummm...just about everywhere! Love it.

Okay, that's it for now. More to come when things settle, I promise!