Tooth Number 2

It's here - Murrays second bottom tooth, that is. Actually I was a bit surprised to find it yesterday. This time around went smoothly and we had virtually no sign that it would be coming through. I may be kidding myself, but I'm going to take this as a good omen for the next 18.

Yesterday afternoon we had a couple of hours to spare while our realtor held an open house. We visited Buffalo State Park. What a neat little day trip! Only a 15 minute drive, and there is a great swimming area and lots of trails to explore. And if you have the State Park sticker, it's free!

I'm looking forward to a short week of very hot weather. We're leaving for the lake on Thursday morning, if all goes as planned. It's hard to believe that the Fourth of July is already upon us. It always feels like summer is waning after Independence Day passes. Cliche, I know, but time just goes so fast.

Happy Times

It's raining and we've had a beautiful day. We slept in, we had breakfast, we went to Menards, and now we are going to spend time with family. I can't complain. Life is good.

Star Sightings (if you can call him a star)

Last night, Michelle and I met at Speak for happy hour (it's been a busy week). When we chose the location of our "date", it slipped my mind that OJ Simpson was going to be hob-knobbing at the Speak Easy. Lisa had mentioned it when we were at her house on Wednesday, but swore me to secrecy, so I kind of just put it out of my mind (either that or my dementia is kicking in again). Sure enough, he showed, security and all. We were on the patio when he arrived, and we settled in to watch the drama unfold. It was more fun to watch the reaction of the people around us than it was to actually see him. Word traveled pretty quickly, because everyone else on the patio suddenly had to go to the bathroom. Two by two, they trickeled into the bar, cell phones at the ready. He eventually did come out to the patio and was very friendly - shaking hands, posing for pictures, visiting with people. We did not talk to him. There was one point that I did consider saying hello, but what the heck do you say to a guy like that? Hey, did you do it? How's your latest trial going? You're my hero? I don't think so. Anyway, it was quite the experience to be in the presence of a football star/acquitted murderer/wife beater/thief.

Tonight we have wedding, tomorrow a burial, and Sunday an open house. It looks to be a busy weekend.

Addendum to my post from yesterday: Michelle, who is all knowing about all things germs, because she is a health inspector, assured my that the absolute best product for keeping surfaces sanitized is still bleach. She convinced me that I can use all natural products for some things, but I must continue to use bleach or ammonia in the bathrooms and kitchen. I feel better about this, because I just didn't think I could sacrifice sanitation, and I am such a germaphobic. There is definately a happy medium here.

Splish Splash






Yesterday afternoon we went to our friend Lisa's house for some sunshine and a swim. The weather was perfect and we had a great visit (the ice cold beer was a treat too). Murray enjoyed splashing around and we even got a smile out of him once or twice. He wasn't quite sure about the sensation of not having a solid bottom, but he didn't hate it either. We'll make a water baby out of him yet!

A friend of our family has taken an interest in my condition. She said that she experienced something like what I am going through when she was thirty. She said she felt like she was 100 years old when performing every day tasks, like getting out of bed or standing up from a sitting or kneeling position (FINALLY, someone who understands). She finally figured out that it was a food allergy that was causing her pain - corn, of all things. Corn chips, corn syrup, corn on the cob; anything corn related would cause a flare up. So, in addition to essentail oils, which have helped tremendously, I am going to start a food diary to see if I can pinpoint a cause. I would be so relieved if something as simple as say, tomatoes, were causing my pain (as long as it's not coffee).
We got on the good nutrition wagon when we found out that I was pregnant. Turned out that Craig needed to work on a couple of minor medical issues too, so we started by (trying) to avoid anything food that is boxed or processed. This was not hard for me at all. I think the only food we ever ate from a box growing up was macaroni and cheese. We always had fresh, whole, foods at our fingertips, and my mom was an excellent cook. I grew up never having tasted rice -a-roni or chef boyardee. Now don't get me wrong, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a box of hamburger helper in the back of the cupboard (it's delicious and easy), but we try to eat those things only when an emergency or serious craving strikes.
We have also been working on eliminating the chemicals that we use in our home. I am such a cleaner, but the products I use are incredibly toxic and very hard on our systems. I have discovered several completely natural products that I am happy with, but am still experimenting. Seventh Generation is one that I like, but we plan to try Maleluca and Norwex as well. This is a rather difficult transition for me, because I worry so much about sanitation. However, the more research I do, the more I realize that I have to stop using harsh chemicals, especially petroleum based.
I realize that we are never going to be perfect, nor will we accomplish all of these changes overnight. But we have to start somewhere, and each time we eliminate a toxin from our home we are making a positive change for our bodies and our earth.

I'm Losing My Mind

The funniest thing just happened and I had to write about it. Early last week, my sister-in-law, Randi and I made a lunch date for this week. We agreed to meet at Ruby Tuesdays around 12:10pm. In the original email, I stated that Friday afternoons work best for me because I'm done for the day at noon. So, we made the date for Ruby Tuesdays on 25th. Now, I ask, did we mean the street or the day? She told me to remind her on the 25th so she wouldn't forget. This morning she emailed me and asked if we were still on for lunch and what location were we meeting at? I replied that yes, we still were, and that I was looking forward to it and that we should meet on 25th. I was thinking how on top of her game she is and now I don't have to remind her about lunch on Friday. Well, she just emailed me asking me what day it is. She sat at Ruby Tuesdays on 25th Street waiting for me, while I am here at work. She thought I meant the 25th of June, while I was talking about the location of the restaurant. I feel terrible - I am absolutely losing my mind. She was more clear than I was, I was just not getting it. Good thing she is a wonderful person with a good sense of humor. I owe her lunch!!!

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? Why, Murray, of course! We have an old toy at home that was mine when I was a baby. Murray just loves it. It's basically a flat board with a lot of bells and whistles, including a mirror. Last night, every time he saw his reflection, he gave himself kisses in the mirror. I missed it because I wasn't home, but Craig said it was hilarious. I am hoping to be able to get him to do it again this afternoon and take some pictures to post. He has been giving Craig and I kisses (more like big sloppy wet licks) for quite some time, but what thrills me about this is that he already comprehends the concept of love. Parenting is the most difficult, most rewarding experience, and when you see that your child understands the values that you are working so hard to instill, well, it's nothing short of wonderous.

We have been experimenting with making homemade baby food. We eat a lot of fruits and veggies at our house (not that you could tell by looking at us - wink, wink), so it's much cheaper and easier to puree what we already have and give it to Murray, not to mention healthier. Although commercial baby food is better than ever, and we do feed it to him, it's been kind of fun to try fresh, whole foods. This morning I pureed some blueberries, strawberries and a banana for his breakfast. Craig tasted it and said it was too seedy, so I started all over, this time peeling the strawberries as you would a potato (Craig's suggestion). Worked like a charm and Murray devoured it. I plan to do some more research today on healthy choices and recipies for homemade baby food. I know you can make extra ahead of time and freeze it in ice cube trays, but that seems like more work that just serving him what we are eating at meal times. Who knows? This is all such a learning process, but what a ride.

Check out this link that my father in law sent. It's a little sappy, but I love Jim Reeves, and it reminds me to be thankful for everything I'm blessed with.

http://home.comcast.net/~singingman777/Farmer.htm

I'm off to get started on birthday thank you notes. I'm embarrassed to admit that it's been almost two weeks and I haven't sent them. Good thing it's quiet at work again.

Gossip Scmossip

I am so tired of gossip. For crying out loud, can't we just keep our information to ourselves?????? The reason that I have not posted anything about the potential new house is because nothing is final and we didn't want anyone to know until it was. Lots of things can happen between now and then. We have no idea how so many people suddenly know that we have a particular house in mind when ours sells, but it's out there. So, instead of crazy rumors getting started, here it is:

We were looking for a lot to build on when we found a house pretty much exactly what we wanted to build. It was a complete fluke, and we were very lucky to find it. However, it's owned by a relocation company, and it's company policy that they won't accept an offer based on a contingency. Our offer was based on the sale of our home, which is standard when you are moving from one house to another. Anyway, even if we would have offered more than the asking price, it wouldn't have mattered. So now we wait for our home to sell, and then we can make an offer. If something doesn't work out, then we go back to plan A and build. No big deal, we were just trying to keep things private.

The reason that I'm so upset is that I'm so tired of gossip. It's like when I was pregnant, and everyone knew way before we were even ready to tell anyone. This is just the straw that broke the camel's back. Nothing is sacred anymore.

Anyway, we'll get over it, and it's not that big of a deal, but again, I needed to vent. Maybe I should just look at like people aren't nosy, just excited for us. That's what I'll do. Yes, the cup is half full, and I will try to give the benefit of the doubt. I"ll sleep on it and decide tomorrow.

The Great Outdoors

Well, camping wasn't as horrible as I thought it was going to be, and I actually enjoyed myself. The best part was watching Craig relax and have a good time. I'm glad we went for his sake - he deserves to do something he really enjoys, even if it's not my cup of tea. We were home, unpacked and showered by 11:00am on Sunday and then raced over to get Murray. We both missed him SO MUCH and decided that it's just too soon to leave him over night. I had a complete melt down on Saturday morning before we left and almost stayed home. But I'm still glad that we went. It was fun to relax and visit and the food was great!

Back to reality today. The next two weeks will be wonderful at work, because the mean woman that I work with is on vacation. It's so hard to go to work (even if you love your job, like I do) when you have to deal with people like her. If she could just be nice it would help, but I will never change her. I always say that working with her on a daily basis teaches me a lot about the type of person I want to be (and don't want to be). Every cloud has a silver lining.

My soap box of the week is this: Please, do not tell me how to raise our pets or our children. Keep your opinions to yourself. Every situation is different, and you may not know the full extent of ours. Belief and moral foundations are different for everyone. I do not criticize the way you do things, so please leave us alone. It's just not nice to tell others that what you are doing is wrong. I work hard every day to be a good person and do what I think is best for my family and our situation. I am doing the best I can.

The zoo was a huge disappointment. Murray loved it, so it was worth going, but I wouldn't ever go there again. He especially loved the goats and the ducks. We forgot our camera, so we didn't get any good shots, but the vision of Murray getting so excited will be burned in my memory forever. It was hilarious. The zoo itself actually made us sad. The animals are so cooped up and have no room to move in their natural habitat like you would see in big zoos. There isn't much room for the zoo to expand, so I don't see the situation improving. I wanted to run around and open all the gates for the animals to be free. Anyway, it was fun for Murray.

Happy Monday!

Zoo, Zoo, Zoo, We're Going to The Zoo

We went to our first parent's night at daycare last night. It was fun to visit the Mobile Infant room, which Murray is in the process of transitioning to. Currently he spends about an hour over there each day, and will be there full time after the Fourth of July. It's kind of sad to think that he won't be in the nursery anymore, but exciting to watch him grow and change.

Murray had his first "biter biscuit" last night. What fun we had. Who knew these silly little cookies could bring so much joy? They don't taste too bad either. I had a nibble and was pleasantly surprised.

Craig and I both love zoos. We are on a quest to find the best zoo ever. We visit zoos whenever we travel, but Craig swears his favorite is the Bismarck zoo. I love Como Park and the MN state zoo, among others. We were disappointed with Chahinkapa when we visited last spring, but it was better than nothing. Today we are taking Murray to the Red River Zoo. I realize it's even smaller than Chahinkapa, but it should still be a fun family outing. Murray is at the age now that he gets a huge kick out of animals, so we're excited to see how he will react to creatures other than our pets. In honor of Murray's first zoo trip, I made the mistake of singing him the Zoo Song by Raffi this morning, and now I can't get it out of my head for the life of me! It's driving me a little crazy. Then again, I'm already a bit crazy so a little more crazy shouldn't hurt.

Vac II

This has been such a strange day. We slept in a bit this morning because Murray kept us (mostly Craig) up all night long. I sure hope this second tooth pops through soon. I'm realizing that this is only the beginning of the teething nightmare, though I'm sure it's much worse for Murray than it is for us. Anyway, I went to work at my usual time while Craig stayed home with him for a bit and then dropped him off at daycare. Ten minutes into my work day, I looked down at the white shirt I was wearing and discovered that I was covered in black ink. Shortly thereafter, I looked down again and realized that my coffee cup was leaking. So now I resemble a slighty dirty Holstein. I did go home to change, but it kind of threw off my whole day. I feel unsettled and out of sorts. I am most definately a creature of routine and habit.

The beauty of the advertising world is that summer is very quiet. We spend most of the winter and spring placing schedules and getting organized for third and fourth quarter, so it's nice to be able to slow down a bit. I'm always happy when fall rolls around though, because it does get awfully boring after a while. It's good to be productive.

I have been using the new and improved version of Vac, and I am so much in love again. She's a beaut - works about 10 times better than the last one. We decided that it was necessary to purchase Vac II because the house is on the market and we just don't have time to be mopping and sweeping twice a day. Anyway, she's great. My floors are back to normal, and I am relieved. One less thing to stress me out, which in turns makes for a more peaceful life for Craig. He really is a saint.
Murray had a new babysitter last night. I was apprehensive about how he would behave with a stranger as he's gotten pretty clingy lately. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. I asked her to come early so that he could play with her while we were still home, and as soon as she walked in the door, his face lit up, his arms went out, and they were fast friends. I am so relieved - We are looking forward to having her spend more time with Murray. She is a natural with babies.

I am very tired today. Craig and I had a meeting last night and it lasted until 9. I hope Murray will be ready for a snooze when we get home.

The roof guys have been to our house, and it sounds like we have a claim from hail damage. This is perfect timing and will help the sale of our home.

Now if I can just stay awake for another 58 minutes I can go get Little One.

GRRRR

Last night was the FINAL night of home repair. I swear, if we do one more thing to that house, I'm taking it off the market and living in it forever. I have been promised that we won't do anymore - which is probably wise, or I will lose my patience. At the rate we're going, we may as well gut it and start over. That's all I will say about that here, or I might say something not very nice.

Between the house and the bleepity bleep bleep camping trip, I am not in a very good mood today. SERIOUSLY. I'm half thinking of taking Murray with us because I don't want to be away from him, but a seven month old going camping is a potential disaster. Let's just say that I will be very glad when Sunday rolls around and this is all over. I will shut up about how much I don't want to go but I don't have to like it. I will try to be a good sport, but it may take a lot of booze.

Golden Days






We spent a marvelous weekend at the lake . The weather was wonderful on Saturday. Craig threw a line in off the end of the dock and caught a bass and a northern, both of which went back in the lake. Both docks were completely messed up from last week's storm, so Craig put them back together (my grandpa is out of town). Mostly, we just relaxed and played with Murray.

At the beginning of the summer, my sister bought a blow up swimming pool for Murray. It was nice enough on Saturday, so we filled it up and plopped him in. He LOVED it. I'm not surprised, considering how much he loves bath time.
This weekend we are going camping. I hate camping. I hate woodticks, I hate sleeping in a tent, and I hate campground bathrooms. It was fun when I was 22, but that was a different time in my life. Not to mention that I have to be away from Murray for a night to go do something I hate. Did I mention I hate camping? I will try to make the best of it, but on Sunday morning, I'm hightailing it back to Murray and civilization.
It's official. Our house really is for sale. Our realtor put the sign in the yard yesterday. It's such a relief to have it on the market. It's been kind of fun getting it ready, but I'm glad to be done. I'm tired of getting babysitters for Murray only to make 32 trips to the hardware store. I feel like now we can truly enjoy the rest of summer. This afternoon I think Murray and I will play outside. It's going to be a beautiful week.




13 June

I have always loved my birthday. My mom used to tease me that if I could have a parade to celebrate my day, I would have. This year is different. I miss her every single day with all my heart, but for some reason, the special occasions just make the knife twist. Being a new mom myself, I can't help but wonder what this day was like for her. What was she doing at this moment, all those years ago? I have much to be thankful for, but there is a cavern in my heart that refuses to fill. I had my cry this morning, and now I'm done. I refuse to make the rest of my family miserable just because I feel sad. I am beyond blessed to have my family, especially my wonderful sister (and obviously Murray and Cragier) to make this day special. It's time to get on with the day and celebrate a most terrific life. We are heading to the lake this afternoon to celebrate Father's day, Murray's seven month birthday, and my 20-something birthday. There is even going to be a party, and Maggie took the whole weekend off to spend with us, so enough of this blubbering. I just needed to get it out. Cartharsis is a beautiful thing.

Yesterday, more family took Murray so that I could finish up around the house before the realtor lists it on Monday morning. I made a HUGE blunder and I am so mad at myself. The interior trim desparately needed to be touched up, so I took a paint chip and had a color match done. I was happily painting away during Murray's nap, not realizing that I should have done a small, hidden patch first to make sure it was an exact match. Duh. Now I have to repaint ALL the trim in the house because the color match wasn't exactly a match. It was far from it. Craig just shook his head. Sigh. Lessons learned. You learn, and you learn, and you learn.

Competition

I've been thinking a lot lately about how competition relates to our lives. When we're in school, life is all about who you sit by at lunch and who has the latest pair of Girbau jeans (I know this is way uncool these days, but I wanted a pair SO badly). Competition, right? College is fun because you can break free of the little world you were in and explore a whole new territory. The only competition in college is who's wearing the sweats with the most holes to class, or who smells like stale beer from the night before. Then you enter the "real" world - finding a job, a mate, a place to live, maybe upgrading the old junker you've been driving around because you have a "real" paycheck. You know the rest: marraige, babies, homes, cars; not necessarily in order. What I don't like about this "phase" in our lives is that it feels like everyone is competing. There. I said it. No one ever wants to admit this, but deep down, I think every one of us has a little (for some it's not so little) part that wants to be at the top of the totem pole amongst the group of people they associate with. Don't get me wrong, a little competition can be a healthy thing. We have to have something to work toward, and goals are productive and healthy. What I mean is, why do people get so concerned about what the other guy is doing? Why not enjoy what we ourselves are doing? It drives me crazy when people want to know "too much" i.e. how much do you make? How much did you pay for this or that? How much does your kid weigh? Are you sure you aren't having twins? Honestly, people can be so insensitve (not to mention nosy) sometimes. When I'm faced with these questions, I want to ask, what difference does it make? How will knowing these things affect your life? My point is, wouldn't it be fun if we could all just live our lives, do what's best for our own families and not worry about what everyone else is doing? Our lives aren't a materialistic competition. Friendships and family are too important to let the rest get in the way. It's more fun to be happy for each other and do our own thing.

The thing about all of this is that I was one of those people who used to care about materialism. I admit it. I wanted the fancy degree, the hot car, the big house, the best looking children (well, okay, I do have the prettiest baby I've ever seen, but that's because I married well). It's taken me years of tragedy, miracles and mistakes to realize that the rest doesn't matter. What I know now is that it's okay, in fact even healthy, to want things, but it's also okay to not have them. Posessions don't make us who we are and shouldn't define our lives.

The following has carried me since I was a child, and I feel like it's appropriate here (thanks for reminding me of this today, Mom, God bless you):

After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
You learn that love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents are promises.
You begin to accept your defeats with the your head up and your eyes ahead; with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
You learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans, and futures have a way of falling down mid-flight.
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong, and that you really do have worth.
And with every goodbye, you learn.

Pop

It finally popped. Murray's first tooth, that is. It's so cute. It's this tiny (but sharp) little white thing poking out of his bottom gum. This explains why daycare couldn't comfort him on Monday until they gave him some Tylenol. What a relief that the first one is over - now we know what to watch for. He is back to sleeping through the night again, which thrills us. I think the tooth was waking him. This morning he slept until 6:30, only when we checked on him at five, he had flipped to his tummy. When he woke up, he looked around as if to say, "how the heck did I end up here?"

Craig has to head out of town again today, but at least he'll be back tonight. Tomorrow we are heading to the lake and are looking forward to relaxing, even if the weather is miserable. After all of the work we've done on the house (I have more to finish tonight) we are ready for a break. Craig still has to paint the front eaves on Sunday afternoon, but that shouldn't take too long. We are both afraid of heights, but since his life insurance policy is bigger than mine, he gets the task (I am just kidding).

Let's hope the weather holds out. We all deserve summer!

Hi Ho Hi Ho

Okay, so I got a bit ahead of myself. Our realtor came over last night and gave us just a few more tasks to complete before he lists the house. Not to worry, they are all small and will be done before the week is out. I panicked at first, but Craig, as usual, calmed me down. We should be set by Monday.

Work has finally slowed down a bit, and I expect it to stay that way until after the Fourth of July. Everyone is taking summer vacations, which means I will have plenty of time to get things done that I have been putting off. I'm looking foward to a quiet office for a few weeks.

I'm sure glad we don't have to watch our house and everything in it float away. Those poor people. I can't even imagine. May God be with them.

Whirlwind




Courtesy of Jennifer Peters Photography - thanks Jennifer, for allowing me to show off your beautiful work!



I just found out that a friend of mine is expecting her first child in December. She stopped into the office today and if was so much fun to visit. I am absoultely thrilled for her. Being pregnant with Murray, giving birth to him, and raising him thus far have been the most amazing, fun, and completely wonderful days we could ever have imagined. Talking to her brought back so many fun memories of finding out we were expecting, my pregnancy, and the best day ever: November 14, 2007. Anyway, I'm just so happy for them. Children truly are a miracle.


We spent the weekend completely overhauling our house. We are putting it on the market as of this evening, and our realtor had several suggestions of things we could do to make it a bit more "sellable" before we list it. We actually had a good time getting it ready, though it was a lot of physical labor. Murray was with family most of the weekend, allowing us to really dig in. I thought we threw most everything out at spring clean up this year, but 12 garbage bags later, I am proven wrong. We had to put some in Dennis and Mary's garbage because ours was full (we have the largest can the city of Moorhead allows), and some will have to wait in the garage until next week (I do not, and never have had, the patience for a rummage sale - God Bless those of you who do). Anyway, it was fun to have a project together and the outcome is wonderful. I feel like we can breathe again. Now the hard part is done and we can sit back and wait. More on that as things progress.
I'm finding it so hard to believe that it's almost the middle of June. Time just goes so quickly. Cliche, I know, but it's so true. This morning I was feeling stressed to the max running around like a mad woman, as usual. I finally forced myself to stop for a moment - just to look around. You know what? It worked. I took five minutes to take some deep breaths and think about nothing significant. When my time was up, I felt as though I had a handle on things again. It's amazing what a few minutes can do to a person's perspective. Here's to peaceful moments. . .











Momma's Melt Down

I always drop Murray off at daycare a few minutes early so that I have time to spend with him in his room instead of running out the door. This morning I set him down in a Boppy pillow to play with a mobile. He was sitting up all by himself while I filled out his sheet, until suddenly, he tipped over on his side and bonked his head on the floor (the floor is carpeted, but it's berber, so it's pretty hard). I almost fainted - the sound of his head hitting the floor sounded like an atom bomb to me. I was convinced he had brain damage and I was wondering why no one was rushing to call 911. Murray was screaming and I was sobbing. It was not a pretty sight. His wonderful teachers assured me that this happens to many babies in their room, and though it may have hurt, did not cause permanent damage. It was not nearly as bad as I thought it was, but this is the first time he has ever had an "owie", and it was my fault because I should have put pillows on both sides of him. They calmed us both down, and by the time I left, he was smiling and laughing (though I still had tears rolling down my cheeks). I think the worst feeling in the whole world is when your child is in pain (especially when it could have been avoided). I realize that we can't put them in a bubble, but it sure is tough to see them sad.

I went to visit my friend Michelle last night in her new apartment. She moved into an eclectic building downtown with her beau, and their place is great! I felt like I was in the big city. . .they have great views and super access to downtown shopping and entertainment. I love it!

I have an appointment on Tuesday with a Naturopathic doctor here in Moorhead (thanks for the tip, Katie). I was going to take the natural approach to my pain anyway, so some extra guidance from a pro will be very helpful. I'm really looking forward to hearing what he has to say.

I'm off to pick up Murray and snuggle him to pieces.

P.S. Stay tuned for one of Murray's 6 month pro shots, courtesy of Jennifer Peters Photography.
I finally had my appointment with the Rheumatolgy specialist this morning. I don't know why I bothered; it was a huge waste of time. A good friend of mine who is experiencing the same health concerns as myself warned me about him. This particular doctor said the same thing to her. Dr. quack said, and I quote: "the good news is we can't find anything wrong with you. Some people call it chronic pain, some call it fibromyalgia". HOW IS THIS GOOD NEWS???? I'm just supposed to deal with this pain for the rest of my life? Some days I can barely lift my son. He ordered some x-rays and more blood work (all of which have been done) but I refused them. Nothing is broken, he didn't find swelling, and I have had every blood test known to man done in the last six weeks. I am so done with medical doctors. I am taking matters into my own hands. I am going to lose some weight and work with the essential oils and see if that helps.

I'm too cranky to blog anymore right now. I'm annoyed and scared, but what can I do?

Blessed Sleep

It was so nice to have Craig home last night. It makes a big difference for all of us when we are all together. We took advantage of Murray's 8pm bed time and went to bed shortly after we put little one down. It was wonderful . . .except for Craig's snoring. I crawled in before he did to finish watching a movie that was on TV. He came in about 1/2 hour later and promptly passed out cold. Whenever Craig is very tired he snores like, well, I don't even know how to describe how loud it is. I moved out to the couch where I was quite happy (I like to have the TV on during the night). After Murray's 2am bottle, Craig promised me that if I came back to bed, he wouldn't snore. He did snore, but he toned it down so it was only about as loud as a train whistle versus. a Boeing 757. I used to think his snoring was cute and comforting. Funny how time changes things. Sleep moves up to the top of the priority list, when it's available.

I am not much of a movie buff, but 2 of my all time favorite movies are Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men. Grumpier Old Men was on last night as I was heading to bed, and I just had to stay awake to finish it. It's hilarious. Walter Mathau and Jack Lemmon were probably two of the best actors to grace Hollywood. not to mention Ann-Margret and Sophia Loren. They just don't make movies like that anymore.

Almost 2pm - I'm off to get Murray. Counting the days until Friday.

Goodbye, Vac

After much discussion and mind-changing, our Hawaiian vacation is finally booked. It took forever - mostly because we were trying to figure out the fastest and easiest flight. At the very last minute, we found free, yes, FREE tickets. We were prepared to pay full price, so this was an incredible bonus. The only problem is that we have to fly out of the cities instead of Fargo, which I am not at all happy about. Whenver we travel, we always pay extra (if necessary) to fly out of Fargo because it's worth the convenience. It will be a packing nightmare to fly out of the cities, but I realize I shouldn't complain, because you can't beat free airline tickets to paradise. I'm so thankful to Mary and Craig for making the arrangements. Pete, here we come!

I am in a much better mood today than yesterday. Our house was getting out of control again yesterday due to all the yard work over the weekend, but I reined in the chaos this morning. It makes me so crabby when I can't get my housework done. Speaking of housework, I sure miss Vac. I had to throw him away on Friday. I took him to the repair shop with high hopes of an easy fix, but he was too far gone. Apparently, wet vacs don't usually last as long as mine did, so I should consider myself lucky for the last four years. It's the end of an era. Sniffle.

A level 3 sex offender is moving into our neighborhood next week, and I completely missed the notification meeting last night. It was all over the media outlets yesterday, but I must have been in a complete fog to have missed the information, especially since I listen to news/talk radio all day. Only a handful of people showed up, so I wasn't the only one, but I wish I would have been paying attention yesterday. We need to be responsible members of our community, and I am the first to admit that I missed the boat yesterday. To those of you who are saying that you weren't notified of the meeting - get your head of the sand. I checked my sources, and it was in the newspaper, on at least 2 of our local TV stations, and all over KFGO all day yesterday. We all need to do a better job of paying attention to our surroundings.

FIND JOEY KAISER!!!
Murray was doing so well sleeping through the night and suddenly we're back to square one. He is waking up every three hours for a bottle, or just to play. Last night Craig fed him at 10:00, then again at 2:30, and at 4:00 he decided that he just wanted to be awake. Out of desperation, I finally brought him in with us (which we never do) and he went right to sleep until 7:30 this morning. I cannot and will not bring him into bed with us again, but at least now we know that he's tired enough to keep sleeping. The trick is to get him to go back to sleep. We have tried everything we can think of. He puts himself to sleep at nap time and bed time. We don't rock him to sleep because we thought it wise to let him teach himself how to fall asleep on his own. This has worked beautifully, except in the middle of the night. I hope this is just another growth spurt.

We tilled the yard on Saturday and Craig was able to put up the fence to keep the animals out. Now we just need to seed it and lay straw over the top, which will hopefully be finished tomorrow evening.

Saturday morning began bright and early with a hilarious episode. Murray's mobile is attached to the side of his crib and plays songs and projects stars on the ceiling with the touch of a button. He LOVES it. As usual, Murray was squawking at 5:00 am, but we decided to see if he would put himself back to sleep. Craig and I stayed in bed and were dozing despite the chatter coming from Murray's room. Suddenly I hear a rousing rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle". We both sat up and looked at around, each thinking that the other had gotten up and turned on the mobile. We were startled to see each other still in bed. We discovered that Murray had figured out how to push the buttons. We were giggling about this when the song changed. Murray apparently decided that he was tired of Twinkle, Twinkle and hit the button again. He switched songs about four times - I guess he really likes this new trick. What a funny guy!

I completely ignored the housework over the weekend. We concentrated on the yard, and I resigned myself to the fact that grass took precedence over clean floors this time. I cannot wait to get home and scrub them. They are full of dirt from digging up the yard, and no doubt will be a muddy mess again by evening, what with all the rain. Oh well, such is life.

I have a rumbly tummy - time for lunch.