Well, we made it to Illinois and are enjoying the cooler (although, rainy) weather. Unfortunately, Will is still sick and is NOT himself at all. He's cranky, has no appetite, and is tired (did I mention my normally great sleeper has been getting up every night coughing and then waking up at 5:00am to start the day? I feel like I have a newborn again). This mama is tired.
But I'm also grateful to be able to spend the holiday with Billy's family, and watch Will and Kiley (Billy's brother's daugher who is five months older than Will) play together (they arrive here this weekend). What a joy! We are very blessed indeed.
Hope all of you have a very merry Christmas with your loved ones, and that 2010 brings you great things!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thank God for Small Favors
Will is sick. He's had a nasty cough that has lingered for the past six weeks. I've taken him to see the doctor a few times, but she kept telling me "it's just a cold". Well, over the weekend the cold morphed from a cough into full-blown liquid oozing from every orifice on Will's face (including eyes) and a fever of 102. Back to the doctor this morning we went. Turns out the little guy now has an ear infection (first one since he got tubes 9 months ago), pink eye in both eyes (Have you ever seen a toddler's eyes glued shut upon waking? Me either, until now), and a sinus infection to boot. We are leaving on a jet plane this Wednesday to spend Christmas in Illinois, so I quickly got the prescribed antibiotics and eye drops and immediately started administering them in hopes of health returning in the next two days.
The silver lining in all of this is that Will is a super champ when it comes to taking medicine-- opens his mouth wide, doesn't fight it, swallows it easily. This was the first time I've had to give him eye drops though, so I was worried about what kind of fight would ensue to get those little bits of liquid squirted into his eyes (and I've heard horror stories from fellow parents). Turns out Will is a champ in this area, too. I told him to lie down ("diaper change!", he exclaimed, and I had to tell him, no, that's not what we're doing). Anyway, he got horizontal, I held his eye open and--squirt!--no problems. He literally didn't bat an eye. I got to the second eye and same thing. No fight, no holding down, no crying. After I was done he said "all better!" and ran off to play. I guess if he has to be sick, I'm lucky that at least he's a compliant sick kid.
The silver lining in all of this is that Will is a super champ when it comes to taking medicine-- opens his mouth wide, doesn't fight it, swallows it easily. This was the first time I've had to give him eye drops though, so I was worried about what kind of fight would ensue to get those little bits of liquid squirted into his eyes (and I've heard horror stories from fellow parents). Turns out Will is a champ in this area, too. I told him to lie down ("diaper change!", he exclaimed, and I had to tell him, no, that's not what we're doing). Anyway, he got horizontal, I held his eye open and--squirt!--no problems. He literally didn't bat an eye. I got to the second eye and same thing. No fight, no holding down, no crying. After I was done he said "all better!" and ran off to play. I guess if he has to be sick, I'm lucky that at least he's a compliant sick kid.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
CT Scans: Learn from My Story
This is going to be a really long post, but I’m hoping some of you parents out there can bear with me and learn from my experience—and also what I consider to be my mistake. CT scans can certainly be a useful diagnostic tool to detect illness or injury in your child. But, there are some serious risks and implications that parents need to consider prior to subjecting your child to these tests. I learned this the hard way and still regret it.
A couple of months ago, Will and I were playing in our front yard. He was riding his toy tractor up and down the side walk. Our driveway has a steep incline down to our garage door, and Will was sitting on his tractor at the top of this hill. Before I knew it, he started going down the hill and couldn’t stop himself. Needless to say, he sped down the hill and slammed into our closed garage door (fortunately missing the stone column between our two garage doors). He hit the door hard with his head, flipped off the tractor and landed on the driveway, head down.
Screams ensued and I ran down the hill to pick him up. There was no visible bleeding or injury, but he did have a red welt on the side of his head starting to form. And, because he hit his head so hard, I wanted to have him checked out to make sure everything was okay. We hear so much about head injuries, particularly after actress Natasha Richardson died from a head injury this past spring. We, as parents, are conditioned to be very wary of any hit to the head.
It was after 5:00pm, so I took Will to the local urgent care facility. By this point, Will had stopped crying and was acting normally, but I still wanted him to be checked out. The doctor saw Will and did a few basic tests (looking into his eyes to make sure they weren’t dilated, checking his ears for bleeding, making sure Will could follow the doctor’s finger movements, etc.), and the doctor declared that Will seemed fine, but you could never be sure. “But because of his young age, you really should take him to the emergency room to get a CT scan to rule out an internal injury,” he said. I was shocked. I wasn’t expecting this and I wasn’t crazy about putting Will through that, but then again, how could I say no? If the doctor is telling me this is something I need to do, and as a mother I want to do everything possible to make sure my child is okay, I need to do this test, right?
So, we left the urgent care office, but I was still hesitant about making the trip the emergency room and all that would entail. I called Billy, my husband, to fill him in and he was surprised, too, at the doctor’s suggestion. “Are you sure we need to do this?” he asked. I told him I didn’t know what to do. Billy decided to call his mom who’s a nurse and get her opinion on the matter.
Meanwhile, I was torn between going to the hospital and heading home. Will seemed fine, but I still had that nagging thought in the back of my brain of “what if he’s not fine and really does have a head injury?” Who wants to be the mother that didn’t do what the doctor told her and then ended up with a tragedy on her hands?
So, I headed to the hospital, still not sure what to do. Billy called me back and said his mom suggested waiting—if Will seemed fine, was acting normally and didn’t have a visible injury, why put him through the test and the unnecessary radiation that comes with a CT scan (and let it be noted, she was the first and only one who raised the radiation factor as a concern during the entire process)? I decided to call Will’s pediatrician to get her opinion on the matter. Since it was after hours, I was put through to their nurse hotline. After twenty minutes of waiting (I was sitting in the hospital parking lot at this point with Will wanting to run around and me a ball of stress), I finally talked to a nurse who basically told me I should just do what the doctor told me (and didn’t offer any other insight). I finally said screw it, we’re doing the test. I called Billy back to let him know and he was still unsure if this was the right thing to do, but he supported my decision.
I took Will into the emergency room, signed us in, and after about a 45 minute wait we got called to the back. We sat down with an admissions nurse who asked a bunch of questions about what happened. After that, we were admitted and put into a room to wait for the doctor.
While we were waiting, the nurse on duty came in and took a look at Will. She sort of mumbled something about him being fine, but that the doctor would be there soon. He came in, examined Will, gave him some Tylenol with codeine to relax Will prior to the test, and said someone would be there soon to take us back for the CT scan.
When we got back to the room for the scan, they put a little apron over Will’s torso and laid him on the table. For a CT scan, only the part of your body being scanned is enclosed (it’s not like an MRI where your entire body goes into a tube). Will did really well, and the test took about five minutes max. I was relieved when it was done.
We went back to the room to wait for the doctor to come in with the results. Sure enough, everything turned out fine—we were free to go. As we were packing up our things, the nurse came back in. I happened to ask her about the radiation exposure Will just received and she replied, “Yeah, it’s a problem.” What? What?!? This was the first time anyone during this entire process (other than my mother-in-law) brought up any issues with the CT scan and radiation. She went on to tell me she worked for years at a children’s hospital and that more and more doctors are ordering CT scans for kids—unnecessarily, often because of fear of law suit—and it’s a rising concern about children and cancer rates.
Needless to say, I walked out of there pretty upset. When I got home, I started to do more research about CT scans in general and sure enough, there is a real concern about these types of scans, the high amounts of radiation that they expose people to, and cancer rates. I sort of knew there was a risk associated with these tests, but I didn’t realize how much radiation they delivered. Every time someone receives one of these scans, their chance of getting cancer goes up. This is even more of a concern in pediatric patients because the effect of radiation is a cumulative thing over a lifetime. So, the earlier someone is exposed to these tests, the higher the lifetime cancer rate. And, in young children the radiation has an even more profound effect on the growing cells/brain of a child, so there’s that to worry about, too.
Another thing for parents to be aware of is the amount of radiation their child is receiving from one of these tests. Many hospitals don’t “dial back” the radiation levels on their machines to accommodate for a child’s smaller body, which means that your child could potentially receive an exponentially greater amount of radiation than is necessary. X-rays also expose your child to radiation, which unfortunately, Will has had several of those, too. But, the dose of radiation from an x-ray is minimal in comparison with a CT scan. A CT scan is the mack-daddy of tests and radiation doses—the highest of any test out there.
Needless to say, I have been upset about this since it happened. I basically submitted my child to a test that increased his cancer risk, even more so because he’s so young. It makes me sick to think about—I should have listed to my mother-in-law-- but at the time I made the decision with the information I had. What makes me so mad about this entire situation is that not once during this process did any of the doctors or nurses give me information about the risks associated with CT scans. Not the urgent care doctor, not the nurse on the hotline, not the nurses or doctors at the hospital. So what’s a parent to do?
If your doctor orders a CT scan, make sure it’s absolutely necessary. Are there other diagnostic tests that can be done instead to determine a problem, like an MRI (which is magnetic imaging, not radiation) or an x-ray (which is radiation, but in extremely smaller doses)? If your child hits his or her head and seems fine afterwards (is consolable, has no visible injury, maintains the same appetite, continues to play, etc.), you may want to just watch them. Or, take your child to a children’s hospital instead of a regular hospital in these instances. According to the nurse who told me how dangerous these CT scan can be (after I had already subjected my child to the scan), at a children’s hospital they are more aware of the effects these scans have on small bodies and are not as quick to order them. She said with a case like Will’s, they probably would have just sent him home. And, if you do have to have a CT scan , make sure the hospital’s equipment is set up to give a lower radiation dose to your child, vs. an adult-sized dose. Also, try to avoid unnecessary x-rays—even dental—for your child (and you!).
Obviously, there are instances when CT scans are a critical, necessary and potentially life-saving tool to diagnose illness and injury—I’m not saying to boycott them. The risks and benefits of the tests just need to be weighed. And parents need to be aware of the risks associated. I’m pretty sure if someone along the way had mentioned the risks to me (just like they do when I get Will vaccinated—heck, I get sheets of information about the benefits and risks of vaccinations), I would have declined the test. I just felt in my gut that Will was fine, and I should have listened to that. I’m sure there will come a day when he will need more tests like this (kids don’t go through life without injuries and illness), and I’ll have to weigh the risks and benefits again. I just wish I had made a different decision this time around so that he didn’t already start his young life with a higher cancer risk.
Here are some good articles and resources of information. Please check them out—these tests pose risks to adults, too:
How Dangerous are CT Scans? Time Magazine
CT Scans Linked to Cancer Wall Street Journal
Public Health Notification: Reducing Radiation Risk from Computed Tomography for Pediatric and Small Adult Patients FDA.gov
A couple of months ago, Will and I were playing in our front yard. He was riding his toy tractor up and down the side walk. Our driveway has a steep incline down to our garage door, and Will was sitting on his tractor at the top of this hill. Before I knew it, he started going down the hill and couldn’t stop himself. Needless to say, he sped down the hill and slammed into our closed garage door (fortunately missing the stone column between our two garage doors). He hit the door hard with his head, flipped off the tractor and landed on the driveway, head down.
Screams ensued and I ran down the hill to pick him up. There was no visible bleeding or injury, but he did have a red welt on the side of his head starting to form. And, because he hit his head so hard, I wanted to have him checked out to make sure everything was okay. We hear so much about head injuries, particularly after actress Natasha Richardson died from a head injury this past spring. We, as parents, are conditioned to be very wary of any hit to the head.
It was after 5:00pm, so I took Will to the local urgent care facility. By this point, Will had stopped crying and was acting normally, but I still wanted him to be checked out. The doctor saw Will and did a few basic tests (looking into his eyes to make sure they weren’t dilated, checking his ears for bleeding, making sure Will could follow the doctor’s finger movements, etc.), and the doctor declared that Will seemed fine, but you could never be sure. “But because of his young age, you really should take him to the emergency room to get a CT scan to rule out an internal injury,” he said. I was shocked. I wasn’t expecting this and I wasn’t crazy about putting Will through that, but then again, how could I say no? If the doctor is telling me this is something I need to do, and as a mother I want to do everything possible to make sure my child is okay, I need to do this test, right?
So, we left the urgent care office, but I was still hesitant about making the trip the emergency room and all that would entail. I called Billy, my husband, to fill him in and he was surprised, too, at the doctor’s suggestion. “Are you sure we need to do this?” he asked. I told him I didn’t know what to do. Billy decided to call his mom who’s a nurse and get her opinion on the matter.
Meanwhile, I was torn between going to the hospital and heading home. Will seemed fine, but I still had that nagging thought in the back of my brain of “what if he’s not fine and really does have a head injury?” Who wants to be the mother that didn’t do what the doctor told her and then ended up with a tragedy on her hands?
So, I headed to the hospital, still not sure what to do. Billy called me back and said his mom suggested waiting—if Will seemed fine, was acting normally and didn’t have a visible injury, why put him through the test and the unnecessary radiation that comes with a CT scan (and let it be noted, she was the first and only one who raised the radiation factor as a concern during the entire process)? I decided to call Will’s pediatrician to get her opinion on the matter. Since it was after hours, I was put through to their nurse hotline. After twenty minutes of waiting (I was sitting in the hospital parking lot at this point with Will wanting to run around and me a ball of stress), I finally talked to a nurse who basically told me I should just do what the doctor told me (and didn’t offer any other insight). I finally said screw it, we’re doing the test. I called Billy back to let him know and he was still unsure if this was the right thing to do, but he supported my decision.
I took Will into the emergency room, signed us in, and after about a 45 minute wait we got called to the back. We sat down with an admissions nurse who asked a bunch of questions about what happened. After that, we were admitted and put into a room to wait for the doctor.
While we were waiting, the nurse on duty came in and took a look at Will. She sort of mumbled something about him being fine, but that the doctor would be there soon. He came in, examined Will, gave him some Tylenol with codeine to relax Will prior to the test, and said someone would be there soon to take us back for the CT scan.
When we got back to the room for the scan, they put a little apron over Will’s torso and laid him on the table. For a CT scan, only the part of your body being scanned is enclosed (it’s not like an MRI where your entire body goes into a tube). Will did really well, and the test took about five minutes max. I was relieved when it was done.
We went back to the room to wait for the doctor to come in with the results. Sure enough, everything turned out fine—we were free to go. As we were packing up our things, the nurse came back in. I happened to ask her about the radiation exposure Will just received and she replied, “Yeah, it’s a problem.” What? What?!? This was the first time anyone during this entire process (other than my mother-in-law) brought up any issues with the CT scan and radiation. She went on to tell me she worked for years at a children’s hospital and that more and more doctors are ordering CT scans for kids—unnecessarily, often because of fear of law suit—and it’s a rising concern about children and cancer rates.
Needless to say, I walked out of there pretty upset. When I got home, I started to do more research about CT scans in general and sure enough, there is a real concern about these types of scans, the high amounts of radiation that they expose people to, and cancer rates. I sort of knew there was a risk associated with these tests, but I didn’t realize how much radiation they delivered. Every time someone receives one of these scans, their chance of getting cancer goes up. This is even more of a concern in pediatric patients because the effect of radiation is a cumulative thing over a lifetime. So, the earlier someone is exposed to these tests, the higher the lifetime cancer rate. And, in young children the radiation has an even more profound effect on the growing cells/brain of a child, so there’s that to worry about, too.
Another thing for parents to be aware of is the amount of radiation their child is receiving from one of these tests. Many hospitals don’t “dial back” the radiation levels on their machines to accommodate for a child’s smaller body, which means that your child could potentially receive an exponentially greater amount of radiation than is necessary. X-rays also expose your child to radiation, which unfortunately, Will has had several of those, too. But, the dose of radiation from an x-ray is minimal in comparison with a CT scan. A CT scan is the mack-daddy of tests and radiation doses—the highest of any test out there.
Needless to say, I have been upset about this since it happened. I basically submitted my child to a test that increased his cancer risk, even more so because he’s so young. It makes me sick to think about—I should have listed to my mother-in-law-- but at the time I made the decision with the information I had. What makes me so mad about this entire situation is that not once during this process did any of the doctors or nurses give me information about the risks associated with CT scans. Not the urgent care doctor, not the nurse on the hotline, not the nurses or doctors at the hospital. So what’s a parent to do?
If your doctor orders a CT scan, make sure it’s absolutely necessary. Are there other diagnostic tests that can be done instead to determine a problem, like an MRI (which is magnetic imaging, not radiation) or an x-ray (which is radiation, but in extremely smaller doses)? If your child hits his or her head and seems fine afterwards (is consolable, has no visible injury, maintains the same appetite, continues to play, etc.), you may want to just watch them. Or, take your child to a children’s hospital instead of a regular hospital in these instances. According to the nurse who told me how dangerous these CT scan can be (after I had already subjected my child to the scan), at a children’s hospital they are more aware of the effects these scans have on small bodies and are not as quick to order them. She said with a case like Will’s, they probably would have just sent him home. And, if you do have to have a CT scan , make sure the hospital’s equipment is set up to give a lower radiation dose to your child, vs. an adult-sized dose. Also, try to avoid unnecessary x-rays—even dental—for your child (and you!).
Obviously, there are instances when CT scans are a critical, necessary and potentially life-saving tool to diagnose illness and injury—I’m not saying to boycott them. The risks and benefits of the tests just need to be weighed. And parents need to be aware of the risks associated. I’m pretty sure if someone along the way had mentioned the risks to me (just like they do when I get Will vaccinated—heck, I get sheets of information about the benefits and risks of vaccinations), I would have declined the test. I just felt in my gut that Will was fine, and I should have listened to that. I’m sure there will come a day when he will need more tests like this (kids don’t go through life without injuries and illness), and I’ll have to weigh the risks and benefits again. I just wish I had made a different decision this time around so that he didn’t already start his young life with a higher cancer risk.
Here are some good articles and resources of information. Please check them out—these tests pose risks to adults, too:
How Dangerous are CT Scans? Time Magazine
CT Scans Linked to Cancer Wall Street Journal
Public Health Notification: Reducing Radiation Risk from Computed Tomography for Pediatric and Small Adult Patients FDA.gov
Thursday, December 10, 2009
What's Been Goin' On?
Good Lord, how do I let so much time go by without a blog post? Well, I could use the excuse that life has been busy, because it has, but who doesn’t have a busy life? Here’s a rundown of the latest Fanning haps:
1) Will’s birthday: We celebrated Will’s birthday the weekend before Thanksgiving. The little guy turned two and we had a party at our house with forty—yes, forty—of our closest friends. A good time was had by all, and my in-laws and Billy’s granny came into town for the occasion, so Will did not want for any attention.
2) Thanksgiving: The weekend after Will’s party was Thanksgiving. We went to my parent’s house in Georgetown and my sister Pam and her family came down from Dallas. Copious amounts of food, beverages and fun were had by all. Will loved playing with his cousins Hayley (13) and Kara (11), and again, did not want for any attention.
3) Surprise!: The weekend after Thanksgiving, Will and I headed up to Dallas for my sister Pam’s surprise 40th birthday party (happy birthday, sis!). She said she was completely surprised and by the look on her face, I would have to agree. My other sister, Paula, flew into town from Portland, OR for the occasion, so it was really nice to spend a few days with my sisters and my parents, particularly since my family is not getting together for Christmas this year. And yes, Will did not want for any attention. (side note: This was my first car trip alone with Will. He's not he greatest car traveler, but he did pretty well. Timing the drive to coincide with his nap helped as did many snacks, and my laptop for him to watch a DVD--at least until he dropped the laptop and then cried to have it back. Sort of hard to accommodate as you are driving 70mph down I-35).
4) Holiday parties: I had my company holiday party last week and this week is Billy's. Twice in one month I get to wear a fancy dress and shoes--something that doesn't normally occur in the life of a mom with a toddler.
Next on the agenda includes a girl’s night out to see New Moon (yes, my friends and I are Twi-hards. I suppose this also makes me a Twi-mom. Team Edward!), a trip next weekend to Houston to visit some friends that will be in town from Australia, and then leaving the week after for Illinois to spend Christmas with Billy’s family. No rest for the weary! It’s a whirlwind, but it’s fun. Still have to figure out when I’m going to do my Christmas cards. Perhaps it will turn into a “Happy New Year” greeting instead…
1) Will’s birthday: We celebrated Will’s birthday the weekend before Thanksgiving. The little guy turned two and we had a party at our house with forty—yes, forty—of our closest friends. A good time was had by all, and my in-laws and Billy’s granny came into town for the occasion, so Will did not want for any attention.
2) Thanksgiving: The weekend after Will’s party was Thanksgiving. We went to my parent’s house in Georgetown and my sister Pam and her family came down from Dallas. Copious amounts of food, beverages and fun were had by all. Will loved playing with his cousins Hayley (13) and Kara (11), and again, did not want for any attention.
3) Surprise!: The weekend after Thanksgiving, Will and I headed up to Dallas for my sister Pam’s surprise 40th birthday party (happy birthday, sis!). She said she was completely surprised and by the look on her face, I would have to agree. My other sister, Paula, flew into town from Portland, OR for the occasion, so it was really nice to spend a few days with my sisters and my parents, particularly since my family is not getting together for Christmas this year. And yes, Will did not want for any attention. (side note: This was my first car trip alone with Will. He's not he greatest car traveler, but he did pretty well. Timing the drive to coincide with his nap helped as did many snacks, and my laptop for him to watch a DVD--at least until he dropped the laptop and then cried to have it back. Sort of hard to accommodate as you are driving 70mph down I-35).
4) Holiday parties: I had my company holiday party last week and this week is Billy's. Twice in one month I get to wear a fancy dress and shoes--something that doesn't normally occur in the life of a mom with a toddler.
Next on the agenda includes a girl’s night out to see New Moon (yes, my friends and I are Twi-hards. I suppose this also makes me a Twi-mom. Team Edward!), a trip next weekend to Houston to visit some friends that will be in town from Australia, and then leaving the week after for Illinois to spend Christmas with Billy’s family. No rest for the weary! It’s a whirlwind, but it’s fun. Still have to figure out when I’m going to do my Christmas cards. Perhaps it will turn into a “Happy New Year” greeting instead…
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Big 0-2
Today Will turns two. Time has flown so quickly and my sweet little baby is now an incredibly funny, kind, and definitely opinioned little boy. It's so much fun seeing bits of his personality being revealed each day as he turns into the person he will eventually become. I am immensely proud of him, and my heart has grown bigger than I ever thought it would or could.
We have a little party planned for him tomorrow and my in-laws are in town, so it should be a fun celebration (re-cap to come next week). For now, here's a quick run-down of some of the fun things Will is up to these days as a full-fledged toddler:
-He is starting to speak in sentences. "Mommy, sit down!" is one of his favorites, as he always wants me to come play with him. He also likes "watch your hands/head/toes!" (which we are constantly saying to him), "one more time and 'nough" (meaning "we'll do it one more time and then it's enough"), and "mommy/daddy read book."
-He can count to ten, although he sometimes mixes up six and nine, but hey, who doesn't get confused every now and then?
-He knows/sings his ABCs, but I'm pretty sure he thinks elemenopee is a word.
-He enjoys singing songs in general. "Wheels on the Bus", "Itsy, Bitsy Spider", "Kookaburra" and this song by Guy Clark, "Austin" (definitely not a kids song, but a good one nonetheless), are some of his favorites. He and Billy "play" Billy's guitar together and sing a song they made up called "Mushroom Man", which is comprised entirely of the words "Mushroom Man".
-He is obsessed with carrying around this miniature book I bought him at Barnes and Noble. It's a small-sized "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", and now he must have it wherever we go. Fortunately, I bought two copies lest we can't find one.
-He's into telling people to share (including other kids at his daycare), although he doesn't necessarily follow his own advice all the time.
-He loves the shows Blue's Clues (to my chagrin), Yo Gabba Gabba, and Thomas the Train. He's recently become enamored with Cars the movie, and shouts "OH NO!" during the entire crash scene at the beginning.
-He's not potty trained yet, but likes to sit on the toilet making a "psssssss" sound with his mouth and then declaring, "all done!"
-He loves watching us cook. He insists upon either being held while we are cooking (hard to do) or standing on this little step stool we have so he can watch us chop, stir, and bake. He has a little toy grill that he loves to pretend he's grilling peppers on, just like daddy.
-He is VERY into "helping". He wants to help do pretty much all chores (carrying in groceries, taking out the trash, sweeping the floor, etc.). I'm pretty sure this won't last through teenage-hood.
-He and his daddy wrestle every night. Will does the pile driver on dad, and they love to chase each other around the house (Will also shouts "climby, climby!" and then proceeds to climb up Billy's chest onto his shoulders and then yells "flippers!", until Billy flips Will upside down off the shoulders. It's all very acrobatic).
-He is obsessed with forts. Pillow forts, box forts, trees that have a lot of overhanging branches that sort of look like forts when you stand under them. Our neighbor gave us a hand-me-down log cabin child-sized play house which resides on our back porch. Will could spend hours in that "fort".
-He likes pretending he's on the phone. He'll hold up his toy phone to his ear, tell me "shhh" (because that's what I tell him when we are on the phone), and then proceeds to have an entire conversation: "Hi! Um.....chicken nuggets!"
-He's a really good eater. We generally feed him what we eat, so he loves things like tomatoes, avocados, carrots, beans, mushrooms and olives, hummus, shrimp, fish, chicken, cottage cheese, most fruits, salsa, etc. He also loves soup, especially veggie, for whatever reason ("soupie!"). And, yes, just like all kids he loves his ice cream, French fries and chips, too. And chicken nuggets (see point above).
I could go on and on (just like any parent could). Let's just end with the fact that I adore this kid, and I'm so glad that two years ago today I was blessed to become his mama. Happy birthday, Bud!
We have a little party planned for him tomorrow and my in-laws are in town, so it should be a fun celebration (re-cap to come next week). For now, here's a quick run-down of some of the fun things Will is up to these days as a full-fledged toddler:
-He is starting to speak in sentences. "Mommy, sit down!" is one of his favorites, as he always wants me to come play with him. He also likes "watch your hands/head/toes!" (which we are constantly saying to him), "one more time and 'nough" (meaning "we'll do it one more time and then it's enough"), and "mommy/daddy read book."
-He can count to ten, although he sometimes mixes up six and nine, but hey, who doesn't get confused every now and then?
-He knows/sings his ABCs, but I'm pretty sure he thinks elemenopee is a word.
-He enjoys singing songs in general. "Wheels on the Bus", "Itsy, Bitsy Spider", "Kookaburra" and this song by Guy Clark, "Austin" (definitely not a kids song, but a good one nonetheless), are some of his favorites. He and Billy "play" Billy's guitar together and sing a song they made up called "Mushroom Man", which is comprised entirely of the words "Mushroom Man".
-He is obsessed with carrying around this miniature book I bought him at Barnes and Noble. It's a small-sized "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", and now he must have it wherever we go. Fortunately, I bought two copies lest we can't find one.
-He's into telling people to share (including other kids at his daycare), although he doesn't necessarily follow his own advice all the time.
-He loves the shows Blue's Clues (to my chagrin), Yo Gabba Gabba, and Thomas the Train. He's recently become enamored with Cars the movie, and shouts "OH NO!" during the entire crash scene at the beginning.
-He's not potty trained yet, but likes to sit on the toilet making a "psssssss" sound with his mouth and then declaring, "all done!"
-He loves watching us cook. He insists upon either being held while we are cooking (hard to do) or standing on this little step stool we have so he can watch us chop, stir, and bake. He has a little toy grill that he loves to pretend he's grilling peppers on, just like daddy.
-He is VERY into "helping". He wants to help do pretty much all chores (carrying in groceries, taking out the trash, sweeping the floor, etc.). I'm pretty sure this won't last through teenage-hood.
-He and his daddy wrestle every night. Will does the pile driver on dad, and they love to chase each other around the house (Will also shouts "climby, climby!" and then proceeds to climb up Billy's chest onto his shoulders and then yells "flippers!", until Billy flips Will upside down off the shoulders. It's all very acrobatic).
-He is obsessed with forts. Pillow forts, box forts, trees that have a lot of overhanging branches that sort of look like forts when you stand under them. Our neighbor gave us a hand-me-down log cabin child-sized play house which resides on our back porch. Will could spend hours in that "fort".
-He likes pretending he's on the phone. He'll hold up his toy phone to his ear, tell me "shhh" (because that's what I tell him when we are on the phone), and then proceeds to have an entire conversation: "Hi! Um.....chicken nuggets!"
-He's a really good eater. We generally feed him what we eat, so he loves things like tomatoes, avocados, carrots, beans, mushrooms and olives, hummus, shrimp, fish, chicken, cottage cheese, most fruits, salsa, etc. He also loves soup, especially veggie, for whatever reason ("soupie!"). And, yes, just like all kids he loves his ice cream, French fries and chips, too. And chicken nuggets (see point above).
I could go on and on (just like any parent could). Let's just end with the fact that I adore this kid, and I'm so glad that two years ago today I was blessed to become his mama. Happy birthday, Bud!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Not too good to be true: Getting in shape while watching TV.
Since I've had Will, I've had to be creative about fitting in my workouts. I used to be an avid morning exerciser (got up at 5:00am and was worked out, showered and ready to go before work), but after Will, every ounce of sleep I get is too precious to wake up that early. So, I've taken to jogging with him in the stroller (not an easy feat to push 32lbs of kid and 25lbs of stroller up and down hills) and more often than not, doing an exercise DVD on my days off while Will naps.
I wrote in a previous post about my new love affair with Exercise On-Demand TV and it continues. For those of you who think you can't get as good of a workout at home as you do at the gym, think again. There are some REALLY hard workouts on this channel, and some of them are harder than most workouts I've done at the gym. As someone who has run triathlons and marathons, I'm not, as they say, just blowing smoke here.
Over the weekend I tried this workout. It's a forty-minute circuit training workout that gets your heart rate super elevated. At the beginning of the workout, the trainer mentions that there will be 15 seconds of rest between each exercise, and I thought that sounded like a lot of rest. Ha! I was so naive. By the middle of this workout, my muscles were shaking with the effort (Really? Five circuits of different kinds of push-ups?), I was dripping sweat and I felt slightly nauseated. All good signs of a tough workout.
So don't be fooled into thinking you need a gym membership to get in shape. All you need are a few dumbbells and a TV and you are set (just make sure you draw the blinds unless you want your neighbors to see you flailing around in your living room).
I wrote in a previous post about my new love affair with Exercise On-Demand TV and it continues. For those of you who think you can't get as good of a workout at home as you do at the gym, think again. There are some REALLY hard workouts on this channel, and some of them are harder than most workouts I've done at the gym. As someone who has run triathlons and marathons, I'm not, as they say, just blowing smoke here.
Over the weekend I tried this workout. It's a forty-minute circuit training workout that gets your heart rate super elevated. At the beginning of the workout, the trainer mentions that there will be 15 seconds of rest between each exercise, and I thought that sounded like a lot of rest. Ha! I was so naive. By the middle of this workout, my muscles were shaking with the effort (Really? Five circuits of different kinds of push-ups?), I was dripping sweat and I felt slightly nauseated. All good signs of a tough workout.
So don't be fooled into thinking you need a gym membership to get in shape. All you need are a few dumbbells and a TV and you are set (just make sure you draw the blinds unless you want your neighbors to see you flailing around in your living room).
Monday, November 2, 2009
It's a bird, it's a plane...
I'm realizing the greatest thing about being a parent is reliving all the best parts of your childhood--things like Halloween and trick-or-treating. This year, Will was old enough to partake in the holiday festivities and man, was it fun. We dressed up the little guy as Superman (he's not really "into" anything these days, other than Blue's Clues, but I think my husband would rather not celebrate the holiday than to have Will dress up like a blue girl dog, or worse, geeky Steve. So, by default, it was Superman). We had dinner with the neighbors prior to trick-or-treating (their five-year-old son is Will's hero), and then we proceeded to meet up with other neighbor friends for full-on candy gathering. Will got it right away--he knew to say trick-or-treat when the door opened, to say thank you after he got the candy, and then to run like a mad man to the next house. We made it to about ten houses before he pooped out and the older kids went on ahead, but we had fun returning home and handing out candy to the other trick-or-treaters. Here are some pics from our evening, including a video of Superman flying:
Monday, October 19, 2009
A Work of Art
Billy and I have been living with a college-student television "get-up" for the last ten years. Seeing as how we are both in our mid-thirties and have a child, we figured it was time to upgrade from the old black TV stand and 783lb tube television to a nice armoire and flat screen. Easier said than done.
The flat screen part was easy--we bought one for what was a good price back in January. Unfortunately, we sort of jumped the gun and that television sat in our guest bedroom for the next several months. Why? Because we couldn't find an armoire that would work. You see, we have an unusual nook in our living room--the only space where we could put an armoire. We couldn't find a piece that would fit the size of that nook AND fit the size flat screen we wanted. Of course, we are sort of picky when it comes to design, so we didn't want to sacrifice on taste or quality.
Flash forward to April. Our dear friends David and Ruthe Ball were over for dinner. We've known them for twelve years--Billy and I both worked with David back in the late 90s. David is a graphic designer and artist--and probably one of the most talented and visionary people I've ever met. We were explaining our television dilemma to them when David got up to take a closer look at the nook where the elusive armoire would have to fit. "I can build one for you," he responded.
Billy and I had discussed hiring someone to do a custom piece, but all the people we talked to were VERY expensive, and even at those high prices couldn't deliver the intricate detail we wanted. David's offer, particularly since we are familiar with his talent and trust him explicitly--he's one of the good guys--was as good as gold.
After months of blood, sweat and tears (primarily on David's part), we brought home a gorgeous work of art. I call it that because it's truly one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture I've ever seen. He designed it to complement a buffet piece we have in our dining room, complete with carved sun bursts in the doors of the armoire. And not only is it beautiful, it's functional, built precisely to our specifications and components. Best of all? We have a piece of furniture in our living room, prominently displayed, that reminds us of our wonderful friend David and the love he put into that piece.
David is honest, kind, hard working and fair. If you need a custom piece of furniture or shelving or whatever, he can build it for you and you can be sure you're getting the highest quality and attention to detail around. You can reach him at david@davidballdesign.com or at 512-293-4668.
Here are some pics of our beauty (they don't do the armoire justice--really, you have to see it in person to understand it's magnitude). And ignore the beer steins sitting on the top shelf of the armoire--those will be, ahem, replaced soon. (No offense, honey! They are lovely beer steins...)
Up-close detail shot--see the carvings and brown mesh covers over our speakers? So nice.
The flat screen part was easy--we bought one for what was a good price back in January. Unfortunately, we sort of jumped the gun and that television sat in our guest bedroom for the next several months. Why? Because we couldn't find an armoire that would work. You see, we have an unusual nook in our living room--the only space where we could put an armoire. We couldn't find a piece that would fit the size of that nook AND fit the size flat screen we wanted. Of course, we are sort of picky when it comes to design, so we didn't want to sacrifice on taste or quality.
Flash forward to April. Our dear friends David and Ruthe Ball were over for dinner. We've known them for twelve years--Billy and I both worked with David back in the late 90s. David is a graphic designer and artist--and probably one of the most talented and visionary people I've ever met. We were explaining our television dilemma to them when David got up to take a closer look at the nook where the elusive armoire would have to fit. "I can build one for you," he responded.
Billy and I had discussed hiring someone to do a custom piece, but all the people we talked to were VERY expensive, and even at those high prices couldn't deliver the intricate detail we wanted. David's offer, particularly since we are familiar with his talent and trust him explicitly--he's one of the good guys--was as good as gold.
After months of blood, sweat and tears (primarily on David's part), we brought home a gorgeous work of art. I call it that because it's truly one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture I've ever seen. He designed it to complement a buffet piece we have in our dining room, complete with carved sun bursts in the doors of the armoire. And not only is it beautiful, it's functional, built precisely to our specifications and components. Best of all? We have a piece of furniture in our living room, prominently displayed, that reminds us of our wonderful friend David and the love he put into that piece.
David is honest, kind, hard working and fair. If you need a custom piece of furniture or shelving or whatever, he can build it for you and you can be sure you're getting the highest quality and attention to detail around. You can reach him at david@davidballdesign.com or at 512-293-4668.
Here are some pics of our beauty (they don't do the armoire justice--really, you have to see it in person to understand it's magnitude). And ignore the beer steins sitting on the top shelf of the armoire--those will be, ahem, replaced soon. (No offense, honey! They are lovely beer steins...)
Up-close detail shot--see the carvings and brown mesh covers over our speakers? So nice.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
October fun, complete with pictures
We've had a fun and busy last couple of weeks. The first weekend in October we went to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Will stayed with my parents for the weekend (thanks mom and dad!) while we went and enjoyed great live music for three days. We have some dear friends, Jen and Shawn, that live near Zilker Park where the festival takes place so we ended up crashing at their pad for the weekend. Some of my favorites from the weekend included (to name just a few) Kings of Leon, Them Crooked Vultures (featuring Dave Grohl on drums and John Paul Jones on bass), Flogging Molly, Ghostland Observatory, Dead Weather, and Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam rocked the house, by the way. They played all their old hits along with some new, and Eddie Vedder couldn't have been more "cool" and endearing to the audience. I guess his early 90's angst has faded and has been replaced with a more hippy vibe (and I'm sure the bottle of red wine he consumed on stage had something to do with that, too). We survived the insane rain and mud that ensued the last two days of the festival (seriously, I'm talking mud-up-to-the-knees, reminiscent of Woodstock (or so I hear) kind of mud. Ick.) The only downside to the weekend was that on the last night when we returned to the spot where we parked our bikes (we rode them down from Jen and Shawn's house each day), we discovered our bikes had been stolen. Six of us locked our bikes together and four were gone. I'm pretty sure I saw my bike a week later being hawked for 50 bucks on Craig's List, but how can I prove that? Irritating to say the least...
Last weekend we flew to Albuquerque to visit my college roommate, Stephanie, and her husband and two kids. They've lived there for almost six years now, so I figured it was time to make the trip. And, the world famous hot air balloon festival, known as Balloon Fiesta, was happening that weekend so we got to take the kids and watch the early morning ascension of hundreds of balloons. It was pretty amazing, especially since they allow spectators to stand in the middle of the field amongst the balloons so you get an up close view of the balloons inflating and taking off. We also got to take the world's longest tram (no joke--I thought my friends made that up, but it's true) up to the top of one of the Sandia Mountains that surround Albuquerque. It was a chilly 26 degrees at the top, but the views were great. We also got to visit the Albuquerque Zoo which was one of the nicest zoos I've been to aside from San Diego and Fort Worth. Stephanie and her husband Chris have two kids, ages 7 and 4, and they were so sweet, well-behaved, and kind to Will. I can only hope my child ends up as nice as theirs! But the best part of the weekend? The fact that Albuquerque, being the arid climate it is, had no humidity whatsoever. As someone with semi-frizzy hair, this was a glorious state of affairs. I actually had good hair for once. A girl could get used to that...
Good times with great friends. So very lucky, indeed. Here are a few pics from our New Mexico trip:
Mass ascension of the standard balloons
Special shapes ascension
Balloons galore! Unfortunately, the space ship never made it off the ground...
Family pic at the Balloon Fiesta...it was cold that morning, if you couldn't tell
Waiting to get on the "World's Longest Tram"
View from the top of the mountain
See the teeny, tiny shadow of our tram way down below? This is when I was trying not to think about the cable snapping
Kids at the zoo....Will could not stop hugging sweet little Claire
Family pic at the zoo
Last weekend we flew to Albuquerque to visit my college roommate, Stephanie, and her husband and two kids. They've lived there for almost six years now, so I figured it was time to make the trip. And, the world famous hot air balloon festival, known as Balloon Fiesta, was happening that weekend so we got to take the kids and watch the early morning ascension of hundreds of balloons. It was pretty amazing, especially since they allow spectators to stand in the middle of the field amongst the balloons so you get an up close view of the balloons inflating and taking off. We also got to take the world's longest tram (no joke--I thought my friends made that up, but it's true) up to the top of one of the Sandia Mountains that surround Albuquerque. It was a chilly 26 degrees at the top, but the views were great. We also got to visit the Albuquerque Zoo which was one of the nicest zoos I've been to aside from San Diego and Fort Worth. Stephanie and her husband Chris have two kids, ages 7 and 4, and they were so sweet, well-behaved, and kind to Will. I can only hope my child ends up as nice as theirs! But the best part of the weekend? The fact that Albuquerque, being the arid climate it is, had no humidity whatsoever. As someone with semi-frizzy hair, this was a glorious state of affairs. I actually had good hair for once. A girl could get used to that...
Good times with great friends. So very lucky, indeed. Here are a few pics from our New Mexico trip:
Mass ascension of the standard balloons
Special shapes ascension
Balloons galore! Unfortunately, the space ship never made it off the ground...
Family pic at the Balloon Fiesta...it was cold that morning, if you couldn't tell
Waiting to get on the "World's Longest Tram"
View from the top of the mountain
See the teeny, tiny shadow of our tram way down below? This is when I was trying not to think about the cable snapping
Kids at the zoo....Will could not stop hugging sweet little Claire
Family pic at the zoo
Monday, September 28, 2009
Can I get a Witness?
Taking Will to church these days is, um, let's just say "challenging". Trying to get an almost-two-year old to sit quietly in one spot for an hour is pretty much impossible. But, there is one thing that makes this hour-long juggle of snacks, books, toys, stern whispers and walks around the back of the church much more bearable. Every time the choir finishes a song and there's that moment of silence, Will let's out a gleeful and very loud "YAAAAY!!!" complete with clapping hands. Despite the looks we get, who am I to put a damper on such a joyful heart?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Here's spit in your eye.
Yesterday I had my first dentist appointment in two years (Gross, I know. I'm usually really good about regular appointments, but after having Will I sort of forgot about going to the dentist. I promise I'm back on track for regular six month check-ups). The good news is that my teeth and gums are 100% healthy (never had a cavity in my life--thanks mom and dad for the good teeth you handed down! But you really could have passed me some better genes in the vision department....I suppose a girl can't be too greedy.)
Anyway, I realized at the appointment how very intimate and sort of embarrassing it is to have your teeth cleaned. Maybe even more so than a gyno appointment (since giving birth, there's pretty much no shame in that department anymore). Think about it: at the dentist, you have a complete stranger poking around your mouth, scraping goo off your teeth, your spit and breath bouncing up into his or her face, etc. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. The mouth is a very private area.
And not only is it the privacy of the mouth that makes a dentist appointment cringe-worthy, it's also the unfortunate faces you make during the process. As I was getting x-rays taken, it dawned on me how ridiculous I looked. My dentist uses new digital technology for x-rays, which means instead of the usual films that get put in your mouth, there is a device you have to bite on which sticks out about six inches from your mouth. As I was biting down on this newfangled piece, I realized my eyes were popped wide open, eyebrows arched, nostrils flared. Combine that with the drool dripping out of my mouth and I'm sure I was a beauty to behold.
The only thought that comforted me was the fact that most dental hygienists have seen it all--surely my mouth was only one of thousands that she had encountered over the course of her career, and most definitely mine was not one of the "gross" ones. As I casually asked the hygienist how long she had been doing this, she replied, "since July". All of two months. Which means she probably hasn't gotten over the "ick" factor yet. Maybe I need to find a new dentist--one with really old, experienced hygienists.
Anyway, I realized at the appointment how very intimate and sort of embarrassing it is to have your teeth cleaned. Maybe even more so than a gyno appointment (since giving birth, there's pretty much no shame in that department anymore). Think about it: at the dentist, you have a complete stranger poking around your mouth, scraping goo off your teeth, your spit and breath bouncing up into his or her face, etc. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. The mouth is a very private area.
And not only is it the privacy of the mouth that makes a dentist appointment cringe-worthy, it's also the unfortunate faces you make during the process. As I was getting x-rays taken, it dawned on me how ridiculous I looked. My dentist uses new digital technology for x-rays, which means instead of the usual films that get put in your mouth, there is a device you have to bite on which sticks out about six inches from your mouth. As I was biting down on this newfangled piece, I realized my eyes were popped wide open, eyebrows arched, nostrils flared. Combine that with the drool dripping out of my mouth and I'm sure I was a beauty to behold.
The only thought that comforted me was the fact that most dental hygienists have seen it all--surely my mouth was only one of thousands that she had encountered over the course of her career, and most definitely mine was not one of the "gross" ones. As I casually asked the hygienist how long she had been doing this, she replied, "since July". All of two months. Which means she probably hasn't gotten over the "ick" factor yet. Maybe I need to find a new dentist--one with really old, experienced hygienists.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Recap
Well, I have been negligent in my posts again, so it's time for a quick recap of the last few weeks:
1) Work: The company I have been working for part-time, NetQoS, announced today that they are being acquired by multi-billion dollar CA (Computer Associates). This is the second company I have been a part of in the last year that has been purchased by a much larger company (I used to work for a company called Wayport that was bought by AT&T last fall). Looks like I'm now the employee of a huge company--something I've never been before (I've always worked for small-to-mid size companies). It remains to be seen how the transition is going to go, but I'm along for the ride in the meantime.
2) Fun: We recently purchased a trailer for Will to ride in behind our bikes. We've been going on family bike rides every weekend now that the weather is below 90 (a miracle unto itself). It's been a lot of fun for all of us (especially for me, since Billy's the one who generally pulls 30-lb Will behind him).
3) Speaking of Will: He moved into the older toddler classroom at his daycare. The kids in his class are all between 2 and 2 1/2 years old. They have a larger classroom with more advanced toys, a real-live toilet (which my son does not use yet--maybe the power of peer pressure?), and they get to do things like go to the on-site computer lab and library. He loves it--when we drop him off now, it's pretty much "bye-bye, I O U (I love you)" without even a glance back at us.
Oh, and he loves to talk about all the kids in his class, especially little Addy, who he has a special affinity towards (me thinks my son has a little crush). They've been in the same class since he started at the daycare last year, and there are lots of funny stories his teacher shares with us about the two of them. Like the time they both sat in a corner baby babbling at each other and then laughing hysterically for about 20 minutes straight. Or the time the teacher was giving all the kids a ride on the "baby buggy" that holds four kids. Will being the largest kid in his class generally walked beside the buggy since there wasn't room for five kids, and apparently Will didn't seem to mind walking. One day his teacher decided to give Will a turn to ride, and she chose Addy to walk beside the buggy. Addy proceeded to throw a fit about it, demanding to ride on the buggy. The teacher asked Will if he would mind walking and giving up his spot for Addy and apparently Will replied "Addy? Ride? Okay." and then he climbed down. What a chivalrous little dude.
4) Lots of neighbor time: I love our neighborhood. It's very family friendly, has lots of parks, a great school right in the neighborhood, etc. But what's made it even better over the last year is the addition of new neighbors who are right around our age, have similar interests, and have young children. Generally, at least once a week we get together with the Glynns from Boston (they have a five-year-old boy and 4-month-old girl) and the Devines with a four-year-old girl. The kids have fun playing and the parents have fun sharing adult conversation and a few adult beverages. It's a beautiful thing to walk all of ten feet to get home at the end of the night.
Here are a couple recent pics of Will with the neighborhood gang:
1) Work: The company I have been working for part-time, NetQoS, announced today that they are being acquired by multi-billion dollar CA (Computer Associates). This is the second company I have been a part of in the last year that has been purchased by a much larger company (I used to work for a company called Wayport that was bought by AT&T last fall). Looks like I'm now the employee of a huge company--something I've never been before (I've always worked for small-to-mid size companies). It remains to be seen how the transition is going to go, but I'm along for the ride in the meantime.
2) Fun: We recently purchased a trailer for Will to ride in behind our bikes. We've been going on family bike rides every weekend now that the weather is below 90 (a miracle unto itself). It's been a lot of fun for all of us (especially for me, since Billy's the one who generally pulls 30-lb Will behind him).
3) Speaking of Will: He moved into the older toddler classroom at his daycare. The kids in his class are all between 2 and 2 1/2 years old. They have a larger classroom with more advanced toys, a real-live toilet (which my son does not use yet--maybe the power of peer pressure?), and they get to do things like go to the on-site computer lab and library. He loves it--when we drop him off now, it's pretty much "bye-bye, I O U (I love you)" without even a glance back at us.
Oh, and he loves to talk about all the kids in his class, especially little Addy, who he has a special affinity towards (me thinks my son has a little crush). They've been in the same class since he started at the daycare last year, and there are lots of funny stories his teacher shares with us about the two of them. Like the time they both sat in a corner baby babbling at each other and then laughing hysterically for about 20 minutes straight. Or the time the teacher was giving all the kids a ride on the "baby buggy" that holds four kids. Will being the largest kid in his class generally walked beside the buggy since there wasn't room for five kids, and apparently Will didn't seem to mind walking. One day his teacher decided to give Will a turn to ride, and she chose Addy to walk beside the buggy. Addy proceeded to throw a fit about it, demanding to ride on the buggy. The teacher asked Will if he would mind walking and giving up his spot for Addy and apparently Will replied "Addy? Ride? Okay." and then he climbed down. What a chivalrous little dude.
4) Lots of neighbor time: I love our neighborhood. It's very family friendly, has lots of parks, a great school right in the neighborhood, etc. But what's made it even better over the last year is the addition of new neighbors who are right around our age, have similar interests, and have young children. Generally, at least once a week we get together with the Glynns from Boston (they have a five-year-old boy and 4-month-old girl) and the Devines with a four-year-old girl. The kids have fun playing and the parents have fun sharing adult conversation and a few adult beverages. It's a beautiful thing to walk all of ten feet to get home at the end of the night.
Here are a couple recent pics of Will with the neighborhood gang:
Friday, September 11, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
A Matter of Perspective
We've had more than 70 days of over 100 degree temperatures here in Austin this summer. It has been b.r.u.t.a.l. It's sort of akin to living up north and not being able to go outside for months on end because it's too cold--only here we can't go outside because we just might spontaneously combust upon exiting our nicely air conditioned homes.
If you are a parent, this makes the summer especially challenging. Being cooped up inside with children because it's too hot is no good for anyone. On my days home, I try and get Will to the park before 9:00am to run around a bit before we both start to melt. The rest of the day is spent indoors, and I have more than one friend who has declared she has SAD. Normally this affects people living in cold climates where they go for months without seeing the sun. Here, we also go months without seeing the sun, only it's because we are trapped indoors trying to avoid the blistering heat.
Apparently, my body has acclimated to this ridiculous heat and is starting to think 105 degrees is "normal". As I stepped out of my house this morning as I was leaving for work, I felt a slight chill. I even entertained the thought of going back inside and getting a light sweater. "Brr!”, I thought.
When I got into my car, I looked at the thermometer on my car dashboard. Turns out it was a "wintry" 78 degrees. And, it's only going to hit the high 90s today, which feels extremely pleasant and comfortable. When you are used to 108 degree days, the 90s are downright fall-like.
If you are a parent, this makes the summer especially challenging. Being cooped up inside with children because it's too hot is no good for anyone. On my days home, I try and get Will to the park before 9:00am to run around a bit before we both start to melt. The rest of the day is spent indoors, and I have more than one friend who has declared she has SAD. Normally this affects people living in cold climates where they go for months without seeing the sun. Here, we also go months without seeing the sun, only it's because we are trapped indoors trying to avoid the blistering heat.
Apparently, my body has acclimated to this ridiculous heat and is starting to think 105 degrees is "normal". As I stepped out of my house this morning as I was leaving for work, I felt a slight chill. I even entertained the thought of going back inside and getting a light sweater. "Brr!”, I thought.
When I got into my car, I looked at the thermometer on my car dashboard. Turns out it was a "wintry" 78 degrees. And, it's only going to hit the high 90s today, which feels extremely pleasant and comfortable. When you are used to 108 degree days, the 90s are downright fall-like.
Friday, August 21, 2009
One Thing Learned from Experience, One from Observation
1) Don't wear a tight nude cami that hangs out below the shirt you are wearing it under. It looks suspiciously like Spanx. No need to have everyone you come in contact with think you are wearing a support undergarment, and wearing it badly.
2) Don't be like that guy in the meeting who likes to hear himself talk, and when he does talk, he sits back with his hands folded behind his head as if they were holding his head up. Especially don't do this for five minutes straight--it makes everyone feel awkward. And sort of makes you look like a db.
2) Don't be like that guy in the meeting who likes to hear himself talk, and when he does talk, he sits back with his hands folded behind his head as if they were holding his head up. Especially don't do this for five minutes straight--it makes everyone feel awkward. And sort of makes you look like a db.
Monday, August 17, 2009
You Can Bet I Won't Do That Again
We had quite a whirlwind experience the last week. It all began with what I like to call the Great Chik-fil-A Wallet Heist.
We were supposed to set off for northern Minnesota on a Thursday. I spent that day packing for myself and for Will (somehow my slow packing skills have grown even slower since having a child, and yes, it takes me a full day to pack). That morning, Will and I ran to Target to pick up a few things, and on the way back I stopped at the Chick-fil-A drive thru to pick up lunch. I went about my business the rest of the day until it was time to leave for the airport. We left our house around 4:00 pm for a 5:45 pm flight--plenty of time, since we live about 30 minutes away.
About ten minutes away from the airport, I felt compelled to check my purse to make sure my wallet was in there "just in case". As I peered into the depths of my gigantic bag, I realized my wallet was no where to be found. Which meant my ID was no where to be found. Which meant there was no way in hell we were going to get on that 5:45 pm flight.
I realized that during the Chick-fil-A drive thru run , I must have taken my wallet out and set it on my car passenger seat instead of putting it back in my purse. With a sinking stomach and panic rising in my chest, I told Billy the bad news. I have to give the guy A LOT of credit because while clearly unhappy with the situation, he did not let any snide remarks fly as I'm afraid I would have if the situation had been reversed. We decided to try and run home and return to the airport as a last ditch effort to make the flight (in the midst of rush hour, mind you).
We gave it our best shot, even driving on the shoulder of the road as many Texans do, but alas, no luck. We arrived back at the airport with twenty minutes to go until our flight, but no dice. Since we had all the baby gear and would need to check bags, there was simply no time. Unfortunately, there were no other flights to Minneapolis that evening and all the flights the next day appeared booked, but the airline employees told us to come back the next day and try to make it on a flight as standby passengers.
So, we woke up the next morning at 4:30 am in hopes of making an early morning flight to Minneapolis. We got to the airport in plenty of time (with ID in hand this go round), and things looked promising. "There are eight spots open on this flight; you guys should have no problem," the agent at the gate told us.
Things did look good--there were about ten minutes to go until that flight left and there were still spots available. That was when we saw another airline employee come running down the hall with a family of seven--yes, seven--trailing behind. Seems they had missed their flight and this employee booked them on the flight we were trying to get on. Eight seats minus a family of seven equals no dice again for the Fanning family.
We were able to get confirmed on a flight for the next day (we're up to Saturday at this point), and we debated canceling the trip altogether since we had to return Tuesday (Billy had to travel to Dallas for work on Wednesday). But, we ultimately decided to go and I'm so glad we did. I have several aunts and uncles that own lake houses in Northern Minnesota in a small town called Bemidji. It's about an hour from the Canadian border and it's absolutely beautiful. The lake they live on is small, doesn't allow motor boats (other than fishing boats), and is not super populated. It is the ultimate picture of peace and relaxation. I'm talking totally wooded, bald eagles flying around, loons swimming on the quiet lake, Northern Lights at night kind of relaxation. And did I mention I had to wear a sweater at night? A sweater! I won't get to do that again here in Texas for another, oh, six months or something ridiculous like that.
My parents are renting a house on that lake for the summer, so we stayed with them. Many of my cousins and their families were there, too, so it was so nice to catch up with them, even if it was just for a few brief days. And, Will had so much fun playing on the sandy beach, splashing in the water (although he was more interested in the sand than the water, including putting some of it in his mouth).
Pictures to come soon, after my parents email them to us. We failed to charge our digital camera, but that's a whole other story. As for Chick-fil-A, I considered boyotting them since they caused me so much heartache (even though it was totally my own fault), but really, who can stay away from those waffle fries?
We were supposed to set off for northern Minnesota on a Thursday. I spent that day packing for myself and for Will (somehow my slow packing skills have grown even slower since having a child, and yes, it takes me a full day to pack). That morning, Will and I ran to Target to pick up a few things, and on the way back I stopped at the Chick-fil-A drive thru to pick up lunch. I went about my business the rest of the day until it was time to leave for the airport. We left our house around 4:00 pm for a 5:45 pm flight--plenty of time, since we live about 30 minutes away.
About ten minutes away from the airport, I felt compelled to check my purse to make sure my wallet was in there "just in case". As I peered into the depths of my gigantic bag, I realized my wallet was no where to be found. Which meant my ID was no where to be found. Which meant there was no way in hell we were going to get on that 5:45 pm flight.
I realized that during the Chick-fil-A drive thru run , I must have taken my wallet out and set it on my car passenger seat instead of putting it back in my purse. With a sinking stomach and panic rising in my chest, I told Billy the bad news. I have to give the guy A LOT of credit because while clearly unhappy with the situation, he did not let any snide remarks fly as I'm afraid I would have if the situation had been reversed. We decided to try and run home and return to the airport as a last ditch effort to make the flight (in the midst of rush hour, mind you).
We gave it our best shot, even driving on the shoulder of the road as many Texans do, but alas, no luck. We arrived back at the airport with twenty minutes to go until our flight, but no dice. Since we had all the baby gear and would need to check bags, there was simply no time. Unfortunately, there were no other flights to Minneapolis that evening and all the flights the next day appeared booked, but the airline employees told us to come back the next day and try to make it on a flight as standby passengers.
So, we woke up the next morning at 4:30 am in hopes of making an early morning flight to Minneapolis. We got to the airport in plenty of time (with ID in hand this go round), and things looked promising. "There are eight spots open on this flight; you guys should have no problem," the agent at the gate told us.
Things did look good--there were about ten minutes to go until that flight left and there were still spots available. That was when we saw another airline employee come running down the hall with a family of seven--yes, seven--trailing behind. Seems they had missed their flight and this employee booked them on the flight we were trying to get on. Eight seats minus a family of seven equals no dice again for the Fanning family.
We were able to get confirmed on a flight for the next day (we're up to Saturday at this point), and we debated canceling the trip altogether since we had to return Tuesday (Billy had to travel to Dallas for work on Wednesday). But, we ultimately decided to go and I'm so glad we did. I have several aunts and uncles that own lake houses in Northern Minnesota in a small town called Bemidji. It's about an hour from the Canadian border and it's absolutely beautiful. The lake they live on is small, doesn't allow motor boats (other than fishing boats), and is not super populated. It is the ultimate picture of peace and relaxation. I'm talking totally wooded, bald eagles flying around, loons swimming on the quiet lake, Northern Lights at night kind of relaxation. And did I mention I had to wear a sweater at night? A sweater! I won't get to do that again here in Texas for another, oh, six months or something ridiculous like that.
My parents are renting a house on that lake for the summer, so we stayed with them. Many of my cousins and their families were there, too, so it was so nice to catch up with them, even if it was just for a few brief days. And, Will had so much fun playing on the sandy beach, splashing in the water (although he was more interested in the sand than the water, including putting some of it in his mouth).
Pictures to come soon, after my parents email them to us. We failed to charge our digital camera, but that's a whole other story. As for Chick-fil-A, I considered boyotting them since they caused me so much heartache (even though it was totally my own fault), but really, who can stay away from those waffle fries?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Welcome to Monday
As I was getting ready for work this morning, Billy went into Will's room to get him up and dressed for the day. I shouted out to Billy that he would find clean clothes for Will in the dryer; I had done a large load of Will's clothes and blankets last night before I went to bed.
A few minutes later, Billy walks into our bedroom and proceeds to tell me he has bad news. Turns out somehow a purple crayon made it's way into the load of laundry and all of the items were stained with bright purple marks all over them, including my baby blanket my aunt knitted for me when I was born and the blanket Will's great aunt Betty made for him when he was born.
Since most of Will's shorts, pajamas and a good portion of his shirts were in that load of stained laundry, I guess I need to go out and buy him a new wardrobe (can't replace those blankets, though). Lesson learned: now that Will is capable of "hiding" things in his pockets, must do a thorough check before each wash, unless I want to go broke buying toddler outfits.
A few minutes later, Billy walks into our bedroom and proceeds to tell me he has bad news. Turns out somehow a purple crayon made it's way into the load of laundry and all of the items were stained with bright purple marks all over them, including my baby blanket my aunt knitted for me when I was born and the blanket Will's great aunt Betty made for him when he was born.
Since most of Will's shorts, pajamas and a good portion of his shirts were in that load of stained laundry, I guess I need to go out and buy him a new wardrobe (can't replace those blankets, though). Lesson learned: now that Will is capable of "hiding" things in his pockets, must do a thorough check before each wash, unless I want to go broke buying toddler outfits.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
My Reward
Standing in Will's bedroom tonight at bedtime, I gave him a big hug before I put him in the crib and he held on tight. We stood like that for a while--me hugging him, rocking him back and forth, while his head rested on my shoulder. Then, he looked up at me and said "I ouuu" (I love you).
These are the moments that make this all so very worthwhile, indeed.
These are the moments that make this all so very worthwhile, indeed.
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Few Things I'm Digging Right Now
1) Baked Kettle chips, in particular the Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper flavor. In my opinion, these are better than Lay's or Ruffles baked chips. Tasty and (somewhat) less fattening!
2) Exercise-on-demand television. I just discovered this little gem last week, and now I can get unlimited new workouts all for free (well, if you subtract the $75 I pay monthly for digital cable, but that's beside the point). This is especially great for you pressed-for-time moms out there that need to sneak in a workout whenever you can; the workouts range in duration from as little as 20 minutes on up to full-blown hour-long sessions. There are so many options--Pilates, strength training, cardio, circuit training, etc.--that I never have to repeat a workout. And some of them are REALLY hard (i.e., this 60-minute Jillian Michaels workout that nearly had me passing out and barely walking for days. No joke--this is NOT your mother's Jane Fonda video).
3) This catchy little ditty by Gomez.
2) Exercise-on-demand television. I just discovered this little gem last week, and now I can get unlimited new workouts all for free (well, if you subtract the $75 I pay monthly for digital cable, but that's beside the point). This is especially great for you pressed-for-time moms out there that need to sneak in a workout whenever you can; the workouts range in duration from as little as 20 minutes on up to full-blown hour-long sessions. There are so many options--Pilates, strength training, cardio, circuit training, etc.--that I never have to repeat a workout. And some of them are REALLY hard (i.e., this 60-minute Jillian Michaels workout that nearly had me passing out and barely walking for days. No joke--this is NOT your mother's Jane Fonda video).
3) This catchy little ditty by Gomez.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Second Year
It's amazing how much Will has changed since he turned one. Don't get me wrong; the first year brings an amazing amount of change unto itself: newborn, sitting up, crawling, walking. The physical changes from zero to one are pretty fantastic--but they don't compare to the changes that happen in the second year.
When Will turned one, he was still very much a baby. Yes, he had learned how to walk, but he stumbled around, still took a bottle, couldn't speak (other than mama, dada, and Doug--our cat). He still had that squishy, adorable baby look to him, and he definitely hadn't developed the toddler-esque defiance that came along in full force around 16 months.
Now, he is a fully-functioning little person. He can pretty much say any word (and repeats words we don't necessarily want him to repeat--nothing like a 20-month-old in the house to make you censor yourself), carry on conversations with us, fully understands commands and does them (well, when he feels like it), says "please" and "thank you" and understands when to use them, has an amazing sense of humor, can say his numbers and is starting to recognize colors, knows when we are nearing our neighborhood ("home!"). He understands the concept of peeing and pooing in the toilet (although we are no where near trained yet), and just generally looks like a little boy. Even today at his doctor appointment his pediatrician commented on how much taller and leaner he has become. But it's not the physical things that are the marked changes this second year, especially in the last two months--it's the emotional. He's not only become leaner and taller, he's become funnier, smarter and, well, more human.
I sometimes wish I could bottle up these precious days--times when he seems to change literally by the minute. But it flies by too fast to bottle up, so all I can do is sit with him, play, and try and will my brain to remember these moments forever.
When Will turned one, he was still very much a baby. Yes, he had learned how to walk, but he stumbled around, still took a bottle, couldn't speak (other than mama, dada, and Doug--our cat). He still had that squishy, adorable baby look to him, and he definitely hadn't developed the toddler-esque defiance that came along in full force around 16 months.
Now, he is a fully-functioning little person. He can pretty much say any word (and repeats words we don't necessarily want him to repeat--nothing like a 20-month-old in the house to make you censor yourself), carry on conversations with us, fully understands commands and does them (well, when he feels like it), says "please" and "thank you" and understands when to use them, has an amazing sense of humor, can say his numbers and is starting to recognize colors, knows when we are nearing our neighborhood ("home!"). He understands the concept of peeing and pooing in the toilet (although we are no where near trained yet), and just generally looks like a little boy. Even today at his doctor appointment his pediatrician commented on how much taller and leaner he has become. But it's not the physical things that are the marked changes this second year, especially in the last two months--it's the emotional. He's not only become leaner and taller, he's become funnier, smarter and, well, more human.
I sometimes wish I could bottle up these precious days--times when he seems to change literally by the minute. But it flies by too fast to bottle up, so all I can do is sit with him, play, and try and will my brain to remember these moments forever.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
June: The Cliffs Notes Version
Wow. How did an entire month go by without any blog posts? June was an incredibly hectic, albeit fun, month. Here's a summary of what ensued:
First week of June: Drove to Fort Worth for my friend Kendra's daughter's second birthday; went to party; spent night at Billy's cousin's house in Dallas; drove home. Went straight to high school graduation party for another friend's daughter. Got home. Went to work.
Second week of June: Worked; packed for Belize; Billy's mom got delayed getting into town; my mom watched Will the first night we were gone until Billy's mom came in. We left on Thursday; had glorious times in Belize (and for those of you wondering, we did fine leaving Will. We called home a couple of times and he was fine--having a few Belikin beers while lounging on the beach also helped alleviate nerves); came home Tuesday. Went to work.
Third week of June: My sister from Portland, Paula, and her family came into town for a week; my sister from Dallas, Pam, and her family also came into town; they stayed at my folk's place in Georgetown; went back and forth to visit. Went to work; went to Six Flags; went to Sea World, went to work; went to Main Event; went to work. Sisters left. Went to friend's 40th birthday party at Salt lick; had new and old neighbors over for dinner. Went to work.
Fourth Week of June/First week of July: Dear friend Jen's wedding (for which I was a bridesmaid). Rehearsal dinner Thursday night at Lambert's; spa day Friday with the other bridesmaids and bride; Threadgill's and Broken Spoke Friday night with wedding party; wedding, reception and general debauchery until 4:30am Saturday (Sunday?). Picked up Will at my folk's place Sunday; got home; took three Advil. Crashed.
Overall it was a really fun month with great friends and family, but it's nice to be back to a semblance of normal. Here's a summary of the month in pictures:
Our sweet pad in Belize:
First week of June: Drove to Fort Worth for my friend Kendra's daughter's second birthday; went to party; spent night at Billy's cousin's house in Dallas; drove home. Went straight to high school graduation party for another friend's daughter. Got home. Went to work.
Second week of June: Worked; packed for Belize; Billy's mom got delayed getting into town; my mom watched Will the first night we were gone until Billy's mom came in. We left on Thursday; had glorious times in Belize (and for those of you wondering, we did fine leaving Will. We called home a couple of times and he was fine--having a few Belikin beers while lounging on the beach also helped alleviate nerves); came home Tuesday. Went to work.
Third week of June: My sister from Portland, Paula, and her family came into town for a week; my sister from Dallas, Pam, and her family also came into town; they stayed at my folk's place in Georgetown; went back and forth to visit. Went to work; went to Six Flags; went to Sea World, went to work; went to Main Event; went to work. Sisters left. Went to friend's 40th birthday party at Salt lick; had new and old neighbors over for dinner. Went to work.
Fourth Week of June/First week of July: Dear friend Jen's wedding (for which I was a bridesmaid). Rehearsal dinner Thursday night at Lambert's; spa day Friday with the other bridesmaids and bride; Threadgill's and Broken Spoke Friday night with wedding party; wedding, reception and general debauchery until 4:30am Saturday (Sunday?). Picked up Will at my folk's place Sunday; got home; took three Advil. Crashed.
Overall it was a really fun month with great friends and family, but it's nice to be back to a semblance of normal. Here's a summary of the month in pictures:
Our sweet pad in Belize:
Mayan ruins on the Belizean mainland:
Snorkel trip to Hol Chan and Shark/Sting Ray Alley:
Will and Grandma Fanning mugging for the camera:
My almost-sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, with Will:
My brother-in-law Bruce and Will doing their special "trick" (which sort of gave me a heart attack):
Sea World with all the nieces, my parents, and Will:
Main Event:
The happy couple, Shawn and Jen, at the rehearsal dinner: 
Day two of wedding festivities at the Broken Spoke:
People complimented us on our dancing. People have no idea how much we fake it (or maybe they were just being nice):
Wedding day! The beautiful bride with her bridesmaids at Shoreline Grill:
This is basically how the rest of the evening went, hence the need for three Advil later:
Monday, June 8, 2009
If You Like Piña Coladas....
This is where Billy and I will be in three days:
Yes, folks. We are taking our first trip away together since Will was born (the last trip together sans child was London and Paris in May 2007). We are headed to Belize. We leave this Friday and return on Tuesday, so we'll only be gone five days total, but it sort of seems like an eternity. Don't get me wrong--I am looking forward to a "break" from real life for a little while and getting the chance to actually share a meal with my husband without being interrupted by a needy toddler every five minutes. But, I am also nervous to leave Will. We have both taken separate weekend trips away, but we've never left together. My very sweet mother-in-law is coming down from Illinois to watch Will and I'm glad the two of them will get to spend some time together. I just hope she knows what she's getting into! Five days alone with an active, non-stop toddler is enough to drive anyone to the brink...
Yes, folks. We are taking our first trip away together since Will was born (the last trip together sans child was London and Paris in May 2007). We are headed to Belize. We leave this Friday and return on Tuesday, so we'll only be gone five days total, but it sort of seems like an eternity. Don't get me wrong--I am looking forward to a "break" from real life for a little while and getting the chance to actually share a meal with my husband without being interrupted by a needy toddler every five minutes. But, I am also nervous to leave Will. We have both taken separate weekend trips away, but we've never left together. My very sweet mother-in-law is coming down from Illinois to watch Will and I'm glad the two of them will get to spend some time together. I just hope she knows what she's getting into! Five days alone with an active, non-stop toddler is enough to drive anyone to the brink... I have been having ridiculous thoughts like "what if our plane crashes?" or "what if I get stabbed in the chest with a sting ray like Steve Irwin?" (I'm not kidding...I really have had that thought). Turns out when you have a kid, your trips take on an entirely new dimension of worry that never existed before. All I used to worry about was making sure I was packed and had some cute new outfits before I took a trip. Now I'm making sure I have things in place like a will, beneficiary forms, etc. I know the trip away will be good for us and will be an incredible amount of fun, but I'm already looking forward to getting home to my sweet baby boy.
Until then, we'll have a drink for you as we gaze out on the Carribean waters...
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Observations and Ruminations
A couple of random thoughts:
1) I'm fascinated by mall walkers. I actually saw a man and a woman at the mall doing "laps" in full work-out gear INCLUDING a full blown hydration system around their waists--the kind with multiple water bottles in a belt contraption that you see very long-distance runners wear. I'm pretty sure the woman had a sweat band around her head, too. Greatness.
2) Have you ever noticed when you're in a meeting and someone is presenting that everyone else in the room listening to the presentation will periodically nod their heads in agreement (whether they agree or not?). I was sitting through a presentation today and every time the presenter looked my way, I felt compelled to nod so as to show my rapt attention and full comprehension of the topic at hand. I noticed everyone else around me was doing the same thing. We were often nodding in unison. I almost laughed out loud.
1) I'm fascinated by mall walkers. I actually saw a man and a woman at the mall doing "laps" in full work-out gear INCLUDING a full blown hydration system around their waists--the kind with multiple water bottles in a belt contraption that you see very long-distance runners wear. I'm pretty sure the woman had a sweat band around her head, too. Greatness.
2) Have you ever noticed when you're in a meeting and someone is presenting that everyone else in the room listening to the presentation will periodically nod their heads in agreement (whether they agree or not?). I was sitting through a presentation today and every time the presenter looked my way, I felt compelled to nod so as to show my rapt attention and full comprehension of the topic at hand. I noticed everyone else around me was doing the same thing. We were often nodding in unison. I almost laughed out loud.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
It's Off to Work I Go: An Update
After having Will, I knew I didn't want to go back to work full-time, but I also knew I wanted to do something. I enjoy work and enjoy having co-workers, being in an office, keeping current with new developments in my field, etc. After working in marketing for more than ten years and being home full-time with Will for ten months, I decided to give my hand a try at contract work--the perfect balance of working with a more flexible schedule.
I was fortunate enough to find a part-time contract gig with a local high-tech company here in town. Since September, I've worked twenty hours a week which means I spend two and half days in the office and two and a half days being home with Will--literally the perfect balance (if such a thing exists). Sure, working and having a child is not always easy--trying to fit in doctor visits, chores, and home projects in between work and juggling child care is a fine balancing act that I think is ultimately pretty elusive. You just do the best you can. But, because I only work part time, attempting to acheive that elusive goal seems a little more attainable.
Will goes to day care two days a week and enjoys it. He likes playing with the other kids and I enjoy the fact that there is structure to his days (art projects, playground time, singing, reading, naptime, etc.). Other than the parade of illnesses that has invaded our home since he started school, I think in our case, it's ultimately been beneficial to me and Will to have some time apart and, even better, more cherished time together on my days off.
After eight months of working for the same company, they made me an offer to become a full-fledged employee--still working part time, but no longer a contract worker. It took me a while to decide if this was the move I wanted to make. I'd be making less money than I would as a contactor, but I also wouldn't be paying the ridiculous amount of taxes I was paying being self-employed. And let's be honest--it's hard to find meaningful part-time work. The company needed to either make me an employee or get rid of me--like many companies in this economy, they were cutting costs, and that included contractors.
After some deep thought and a little negotation, I accepted the position. I really enjoy the team, it's nice to know I have a more "permanent" gig (about as permanent as any gig these days, I suppose), and I still get to keep my part-time schedule (the best part, in my opinion). I'm always working my "network", so I've been in touch with other companies about potential project work down the line--always keeping my options open, so to speak, but for now, I'm pretty content with the option I have.
I was fortunate enough to find a part-time contract gig with a local high-tech company here in town. Since September, I've worked twenty hours a week which means I spend two and half days in the office and two and a half days being home with Will--literally the perfect balance (if such a thing exists). Sure, working and having a child is not always easy--trying to fit in doctor visits, chores, and home projects in between work and juggling child care is a fine balancing act that I think is ultimately pretty elusive. You just do the best you can. But, because I only work part time, attempting to acheive that elusive goal seems a little more attainable.
Will goes to day care two days a week and enjoys it. He likes playing with the other kids and I enjoy the fact that there is structure to his days (art projects, playground time, singing, reading, naptime, etc.). Other than the parade of illnesses that has invaded our home since he started school, I think in our case, it's ultimately been beneficial to me and Will to have some time apart and, even better, more cherished time together on my days off.
After eight months of working for the same company, they made me an offer to become a full-fledged employee--still working part time, but no longer a contract worker. It took me a while to decide if this was the move I wanted to make. I'd be making less money than I would as a contactor, but I also wouldn't be paying the ridiculous amount of taxes I was paying being self-employed. And let's be honest--it's hard to find meaningful part-time work. The company needed to either make me an employee or get rid of me--like many companies in this economy, they were cutting costs, and that included contractors.
After some deep thought and a little negotation, I accepted the position. I really enjoy the team, it's nice to know I have a more "permanent" gig (about as permanent as any gig these days, I suppose), and I still get to keep my part-time schedule (the best part, in my opinion). I'm always working my "network", so I've been in touch with other companies about potential project work down the line--always keeping my options open, so to speak, but for now, I'm pretty content with the option I have.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
It's a Zoo Out There
Last weekend we went to visit my sister, her husband Eric, and their two kids (Hayley, 13 and Kara, 10) in Dallas, and then we all went to the Fort Worth Zoo (which may be one of the best zoos around--defintely check it out if you haven't yet). This was perfect timing because Will is very interested in animals these days, making all the sounds upon command (arf! meow! roar!)
The weather was perfect: overcast and cool, which was a nice respite after the 95 degree weather plus 100% humidity we've been having. Will loved feeding birds and fish, and especially loved the train.
One of the best parts of Will getting older is getting do to these types of things with him and watching how much fun he has--pure joy.
Other than Will terrorizing my sister's cats and getting into everything at her house (including digging his hands in the cat box, attempting to eat pee-laden liter), we had a great time.
Here are some pics from the zoo:
Feeding the fish...
Feeding the birds...(although some of the birdseed made its way into Will's mouth, too)
Brushing the cow...
Riding the train...
Eating his first ice cream cone (well, it started out as mine, but he took over)
First ice cream headache?
The weather was perfect: overcast and cool, which was a nice respite after the 95 degree weather plus 100% humidity we've been having. Will loved feeding birds and fish, and especially loved the train.
One of the best parts of Will getting older is getting do to these types of things with him and watching how much fun he has--pure joy.
Other than Will terrorizing my sister's cats and getting into everything at her house (including digging his hands in the cat box, attempting to eat pee-laden liter), we had a great time.
Here are some pics from the zoo:
Feeding the fish...
Feeding the birds...(although some of the birdseed made its way into Will's mouth, too)
Brushing the cow...
Riding the train...
Eating his first ice cream cone (well, it started out as mine, but he took over)
First ice cream headache?
It's the Little Things...
You want to know how your life changes when you have a kid? You get excited when they tell you they pooped and they actually did. They are learning! The first steps to potty training. Excitement all around...big time evening at the Fanning household...
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?
Will and I were playing outside today in our front yard. It had rained earlier in the morning, so there was a little puddle of water that had collected on our driveway. Of course, I wanted Will to push his little John Deere car up and down the neat and tidy sidewalk, but he would have none of it. He wanted to run up and down our (muddy) yard and splash in the puddle 0n the driveway.
The moment he bent down to splash in the puddle is when it hit me: almost everything in my life has become a question of is this good for my child or not? Should I allow him to do this? Is it safe? What's the best course of action? Am I being over-protective or not protective enough?
The puddle was a little dirty and of course he wanted to rub his hands in it-- and I knew those little hands would eventually end up in his mouth. My first reaction was to tell him "no". How unhygenic was that water? Is it possible the swine flu was swimming around in that murkey puddle?
I finally concluded that 1) he's a kid, 2) he's a boy, 3) it was okay for him to splash around a bit. But it was more than just a decision about playing in the puddle. It was the fact that since having a child, everything has become more difficult, more thought provoking, more challenging. I never would have noticed that puddle before I had Will, but now it became a decision for me to have to make this morning. The way everything I do now becomes an important decision that can have a positive or adverse affect on my son.
So the battle was waged in my head and ultimately, Will came out ahead: he had a hell of a time in the water. But you better believe I washed his hands--twice--when we went back inside.
The moment he bent down to splash in the puddle is when it hit me: almost everything in my life has become a question of is this good for my child or not? Should I allow him to do this? Is it safe? What's the best course of action? Am I being over-protective or not protective enough?
The puddle was a little dirty and of course he wanted to rub his hands in it-- and I knew those little hands would eventually end up in his mouth. My first reaction was to tell him "no". How unhygenic was that water? Is it possible the swine flu was swimming around in that murkey puddle?
I finally concluded that 1) he's a kid, 2) he's a boy, 3) it was okay for him to splash around a bit. But it was more than just a decision about playing in the puddle. It was the fact that since having a child, everything has become more difficult, more thought provoking, more challenging. I never would have noticed that puddle before I had Will, but now it became a decision for me to have to make this morning. The way everything I do now becomes an important decision that can have a positive or adverse affect on my son.
So the battle was waged in my head and ultimately, Will came out ahead: he had a hell of a time in the water. But you better believe I washed his hands--twice--when we went back inside.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Isn't it Ironic...
...when you are at the grocery store and see someone using the "green" bags instead of plastic bags upon check-out, yet they have purchased a family-size carton of bottled water.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Update
Well, it's been a while since I last posted. Things have been busy, and unfortunately, keeping up with my blog has fallen to the bottom of my "to do" list. Here's a quick recap to catch you up on the last couple of weeks:
Travel: We have been going non-stop. Billy went out of town on a fishing trip; I went to Vegas, we went to Houston to say goodbye to our dear friends, The Carls, before they move to Australia (lucky dogs!); we went to Atlanta to visit family for Easter; Billy's out of town again this weekend for another fishing trip; then we go to Fort Worth to take Will to the zoo and visit family. Whew! Then, later in May Billy and I are planning on taking our first trip alone together since Will was born (we took a babymoon to London and Paris when I was five months pregnant--that was in May 2007). We're not sure yet where we are going to go, but regardless, it will be fun.
Work: I have been in the middle of a major deadline at work. I'm working part-time for a local high-tech company. I was hired to create new messaging, branding and content for their Website, and the project is drawing to a close. We are "soft launching" next week, which means I have been working more hours than I normally do the last couple of weeks. I'm excited to see the end result, and I have been so happy to have this job, but working these extra hours the last few weeks have made me realize how much I DON'T want a full-time job. Part-time is perfect.
Will: When I started my job in September, he started going to daycare two days a week (which he loves). But, he's also been sick non-stop since then. Before he started daycare, he had one ear infection. Since daycare, he's had eight. That's more than enough to win him a trip to the ENT and have tubes put in his ears. He's having the surgery next Thursday. It's literally a ten-minute procedure, and hopefully this will prevent him from getting more ear infections and more importantly, prevent long-term hearing damage.
There's plenty more I could go into, but that's a high-level update on the Fanning household. More to come soon...
Travel: We have been going non-stop. Billy went out of town on a fishing trip; I went to Vegas, we went to Houston to say goodbye to our dear friends, The Carls, before they move to Australia (lucky dogs!); we went to Atlanta to visit family for Easter; Billy's out of town again this weekend for another fishing trip; then we go to Fort Worth to take Will to the zoo and visit family. Whew! Then, later in May Billy and I are planning on taking our first trip alone together since Will was born (we took a babymoon to London and Paris when I was five months pregnant--that was in May 2007). We're not sure yet where we are going to go, but regardless, it will be fun.
Work: I have been in the middle of a major deadline at work. I'm working part-time for a local high-tech company. I was hired to create new messaging, branding and content for their Website, and the project is drawing to a close. We are "soft launching" next week, which means I have been working more hours than I normally do the last couple of weeks. I'm excited to see the end result, and I have been so happy to have this job, but working these extra hours the last few weeks have made me realize how much I DON'T want a full-time job. Part-time is perfect.
Will: When I started my job in September, he started going to daycare two days a week (which he loves). But, he's also been sick non-stop since then. Before he started daycare, he had one ear infection. Since daycare, he's had eight. That's more than enough to win him a trip to the ENT and have tubes put in his ears. He's having the surgery next Thursday. It's literally a ten-minute procedure, and hopefully this will prevent him from getting more ear infections and more importantly, prevent long-term hearing damage.
There's plenty more I could go into, but that's a high-level update on the Fanning household. More to come soon...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Vegas Baby
Turns out Will was well enough for me to go on my girl's weekend to Vegas after all. It was touch and go for a while, but after a doctor visit Friday morning (where we found out his lungs were free of pnuemonia) and postponing my flight until that evening, it was clear Will was on the mend. Off to Vegas I went....
There were seven of us that met there for my friend Jen's bachelorette party. We had a fun weekend that included great meals, cocktails, dancing, relaxing by the pool, a tiny bit of gambling, and watching Twilight (yes, watching Twilight, the teenage vampire movie. Yes, we are all in our thirties. And actually, we watched it twice. Don't ask...).
Anyway, it was a nice mini-vacation and most importantly, Jen had a good time and Will was back to 100 percent by the time I got home Monday night. Billy did a great job taking care of Will--he is a good daddy indeed!
Here are a couple of pics from the weekend. Enjoy!
There were seven of us that met there for my friend Jen's bachelorette party. We had a fun weekend that included great meals, cocktails, dancing, relaxing by the pool, a tiny bit of gambling, and watching Twilight (yes, watching Twilight, the teenage vampire movie. Yes, we are all in our thirties. And actually, we watched it twice. Don't ask...).
Anyway, it was a nice mini-vacation and most importantly, Jen had a good time and Will was back to 100 percent by the time I got home Monday night. Billy did a great job taking care of Will--he is a good daddy indeed!
Here are a couple of pics from the weekend. Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Really Sick Baby
I came home last night to a baby boy with a 103-degree temperature. He's had a cold for the last couple of weeks, but has been fine other than a runny nose. But yesterday, he took a turn for the worse: high fever, coughing, and lethargy.
When we got up this morning he still felt hot, and when I took his temperature, it was still 103 degrees. I knew it was time for a trip the pediatrician (which I swear feels like we do about every other week or so). I honestly don't know how I'd manage all of that if I was working full time--I'm very thankful for my days off.
Three hours, several tests and a chest x-ray later, Will was diagnosed with pneumonia. PNEUMONIA. Poor baby is very sick. They gave him a shot of antibiotics to kick-start the healing process, and then I have to take him back to the doctor tomorrow to see if he's improving (and he'll start a course of standard antibiotics tomorrow, along with a rotation of Infant Motrin and Tylenol). If he doesn't get better and his fever doesn't go down, he may be the big winner of a trip to the Dell Children's Hospital.
I am in the middle of a MAJOR deadline at work (and obviously, I need to stay home with Will), and I'm supposed to go out of town to Vegas this weekend for my dear friend Jen's bachelorette party. I'm still planning on going, as long as Will is on the upswing over the next couple of days. But that's the thing about parenthood: you can make plans, but you can't count on them. Things change and your number one priority is your child, not your personal desires.
Here are a couple (very sad) pictures of me holding sick Will while we waited for the pediatrician (so not my boy--he's usually running laps around that doctor's office).
When we got up this morning he still felt hot, and when I took his temperature, it was still 103 degrees. I knew it was time for a trip the pediatrician (which I swear feels like we do about every other week or so). I honestly don't know how I'd manage all of that if I was working full time--I'm very thankful for my days off.
Three hours, several tests and a chest x-ray later, Will was diagnosed with pneumonia. PNEUMONIA. Poor baby is very sick. They gave him a shot of antibiotics to kick-start the healing process, and then I have to take him back to the doctor tomorrow to see if he's improving (and he'll start a course of standard antibiotics tomorrow, along with a rotation of Infant Motrin and Tylenol). If he doesn't get better and his fever doesn't go down, he may be the big winner of a trip to the Dell Children's Hospital.
I am in the middle of a MAJOR deadline at work (and obviously, I need to stay home with Will), and I'm supposed to go out of town to Vegas this weekend for my dear friend Jen's bachelorette party. I'm still planning on going, as long as Will is on the upswing over the next couple of days. But that's the thing about parenthood: you can make plans, but you can't count on them. Things change and your number one priority is your child, not your personal desires.
Here are a couple (very sad) pictures of me holding sick Will while we waited for the pediatrician (so not my boy--he's usually running laps around that doctor's office).
Monday, March 16, 2009
A Continuation of Graces
Many of you know about the car accident I had on January 1st, and how lucky I am with the way everything turned out. More importantly, I was shown a series of God's good graces throughout the whole ordeal. This past Sunday, I probably received the biggest one yet.
Billy was out of town on a fishing trip, so I braved mass by myself with Will (not an easy task these days...sitting still is not his idea of a good time). After ten minutes, Will had decided he'd had enough, so I made my way to the back of the church.
I was located at the main entrance of the church, but Will decided he wanted to run around to the other side of the church--and I was glad he did. When we made our way there, I found an enclave for parents with small children. There was a row of seats for the parents, and there were several kids toddling around--a much better place for us to be.
Will and I sat down and as I looked up, I saw Paul, the nephew of the man I hit with our truck, come out the door directly in front of me with his six-month old son (I was in the vestibule, he had been in the main area of the church). I hadn't seen him since the day I ran into him at church a couple of months ago. He immediately saw me and smiled. We both said hello but it was the middle of mass, so it was a quick exchange.
Paul went back into the church with his son. As mass was ending, I saw him lean over and talk to someone next to him. They both turned to come out the same door Paul had walked through earlier. As they came through the door, I immediately recognized the person with Paul: his uncle, Tim Luna. The man on a motorcycle I hit while driving our truck.
I hadn't seen Tim since he was whisked away in an ambulance the day of the accident and he had been covered in blood and full body motorcycle gear. But I still recognized him. I was nervous, but immediately drawn to talk to him. They walked right over to me.
"Here she is," said Paul.
I wasn't sure what was going to come next, but the first thing out of Tim's mouth was "I am so glad to meet you" with a sincere smile on his face. What? This coming from a man who I could have killed. A man whose wrist I broke, causing him to have two surgeries and ultimately, lose income (I found out later that he remodels homes for a living.) He proceeded to tell me how sorry he was that my year had to start that way, and that he was grateful that I had such wonderful insurance coverage--he thanked me for that. And he also told me how much God has blessed him; he has a friend who's been staying with him, helping Tim with some of his jobs, so he still has some means for making income.
I was stunned. I am the one who should apologize and thank him for being so gracious. I stumbled over my words as I tried to tell him how sorry I am, how thankful I am that he's ultimately fine. But more importantly, how grateful I am for the opportunity to meet him, be forgiven by him.
Again, I walked away humbled by God's grace. If Billy hadn't been out of town, if I hadn't gone to mass alone with Will, if Will hadn't run to the other side of the church, if, if, if....all I know is I'm thankful. And reminded again of how good life is.
Billy was out of town on a fishing trip, so I braved mass by myself with Will (not an easy task these days...sitting still is not his idea of a good time). After ten minutes, Will had decided he'd had enough, so I made my way to the back of the church.
I was located at the main entrance of the church, but Will decided he wanted to run around to the other side of the church--and I was glad he did. When we made our way there, I found an enclave for parents with small children. There was a row of seats for the parents, and there were several kids toddling around--a much better place for us to be.
Will and I sat down and as I looked up, I saw Paul, the nephew of the man I hit with our truck, come out the door directly in front of me with his six-month old son (I was in the vestibule, he had been in the main area of the church). I hadn't seen him since the day I ran into him at church a couple of months ago. He immediately saw me and smiled. We both said hello but it was the middle of mass, so it was a quick exchange.
Paul went back into the church with his son. As mass was ending, I saw him lean over and talk to someone next to him. They both turned to come out the same door Paul had walked through earlier. As they came through the door, I immediately recognized the person with Paul: his uncle, Tim Luna. The man on a motorcycle I hit while driving our truck.
I hadn't seen Tim since he was whisked away in an ambulance the day of the accident and he had been covered in blood and full body motorcycle gear. But I still recognized him. I was nervous, but immediately drawn to talk to him. They walked right over to me.
"Here she is," said Paul.
I wasn't sure what was going to come next, but the first thing out of Tim's mouth was "I am so glad to meet you" with a sincere smile on his face. What? This coming from a man who I could have killed. A man whose wrist I broke, causing him to have two surgeries and ultimately, lose income (I found out later that he remodels homes for a living.) He proceeded to tell me how sorry he was that my year had to start that way, and that he was grateful that I had such wonderful insurance coverage--he thanked me for that. And he also told me how much God has blessed him; he has a friend who's been staying with him, helping Tim with some of his jobs, so he still has some means for making income.
I was stunned. I am the one who should apologize and thank him for being so gracious. I stumbled over my words as I tried to tell him how sorry I am, how thankful I am that he's ultimately fine. But more importantly, how grateful I am for the opportunity to meet him, be forgiven by him.
Again, I walked away humbled by God's grace. If Billy hadn't been out of town, if I hadn't gone to mass alone with Will, if Will hadn't run to the other side of the church, if, if, if....all I know is I'm thankful. And reminded again of how good life is.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Guilty by Association?
Billy's out of town this weekend, so I took Will to the mall to buy a friend's birthday present. Running an errand with a toddler (particularly shopping) requires nerves of steel, eyes on the back of your head, and an arsenal of tricks (snacks, toys, etc.) to distract when said toddler starts to get fussy.
Will was in his stroller as I made my way through Bath and Body Works. He was getting antsy (these days, he'd rather be running in full-out sprint mode than sitting in a stroller), so I was trying to hurry and make my purchase---needless to say, I was a little distracted.
After my purchase was complete and we made our way back to the parking lot, I pulled Will out of the stroller to transfer him to the car. When I picked him up, I noticed a tube of lip gloss in the seat---he'd been sitting on it, and I hadn't seen it. Obviously, it was a little something he "swiped" while I was trying to pay and leave the store.
Will was pretty much done with our outing at this point and so was I, so I guiltily put the lip gloss in my car, promising to return it the next time I visit the mall.
Does this make me an accomplice?
Will was in his stroller as I made my way through Bath and Body Works. He was getting antsy (these days, he'd rather be running in full-out sprint mode than sitting in a stroller), so I was trying to hurry and make my purchase---needless to say, I was a little distracted.
After my purchase was complete and we made our way back to the parking lot, I pulled Will out of the stroller to transfer him to the car. When I picked him up, I noticed a tube of lip gloss in the seat---he'd been sitting on it, and I hadn't seen it. Obviously, it was a little something he "swiped" while I was trying to pay and leave the store.
Will was pretty much done with our outing at this point and so was I, so I guiltily put the lip gloss in my car, promising to return it the next time I visit the mall.
Does this make me an accomplice?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sorry if this makes you groan, but I can't help it...
Since Will started saying a few words, he's called me "mama". Lately, he's advanced that to a sweet sounding "mah-mee". Seriously cute--makes my heart melt every time he says it (even when he was throwing a fit yesterday at the Walgreen's checkout line: mah-mee! mah-mee! mah-mee!). Who knew one little word could mean so much?
Sunday, March 8, 2009
A Quick Observation...
I am supposed to be working on an article that's due this week, but I needed a quick break and wanted to comment on something I've noticed lately. My son has just learned in the last month or so what a rooster is. He points them out in the books we read, and laughs when I imitate the "cock-a-doodle-do" noise they make. He also points them out any time we see an image of one in public. And this happens in more places than you'd think. Roosters are everywhere. They abound as a decorative item in people's homes, are used aplenty in restaurant wall decor, and I've even seen an image of one in a church bulletin. Will's little finger points them all out, so I've become aware of the plethora of roosters in every day life. Take a look around--you'll be amazed at how many red-headed fowl you'll see.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Not Again
Well, it happened again--Will injured himself. Fortunately, this time it was minor, but it's visible, nonetheless. This morning we went to eat breakfast at a restaurant around the corner from our house. The restaurant was playing jazz music, and Will was be-bopping to the tune while sitting in the highchair. Many of you fellow parents know how low some of those restaurant highchairs are, and how high the tables are that the highchair has to be pulled up to. As a result, Will's head wasn't far from the table-top, so he be-bopped his head (mouth, really) right into the side of the table. One minute he's jamming to the tune, the next minute he's smacking his face (and I mean SMACK) into the table. Turns out the little guy chipped his front tooth. Seriously? How is it possible that my sweet, pure baby boy already has so many marked signs of injury and scars (hands, eye and now, snaggle-tooth). The good news is that the tooth will eventually fall out (in about six years…sigh), but it's still upsetting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)