Well, well

Dean had his one-year well-baby appointment today. You want the stats? You got it!
Weight: 22 lbs. 1 oz. (50th percentile)
Height; 29 1/2 inches (50th percentile)
Head: 18 1/8 inches (75th percentile--way to go, Dean!)
Vaccinations: 3
Band-aids: 3
Books as birthday gifts from doctor: 1 (cool, huh?)
Prescriptions for nasty, horrible eczema: 2

He had his first taste of whole milk today. He spit the first sip out, but that's usually what happens with his first sip of anything. He should be walking any minute now and is finally able to eat table food for most of his meals.

The eczema is awful and I only write about it because a)I want to have a record of it and b)it might help another parent. He had a huge, nasty patch behind his knee, which is where I used to get it when I was a child. There are little patches scattered all over his body, but that one was the worst. It had gotten infected, so the dr. gave us a very mild steroid cream to help speed up his healing and an oral antibiotic. She told us to stop using the creams we'd been using and lube him up with Lubriderm. We also stopped using Johnson's baby wash in favor of (get ready) a plain white Dove beauty bar! The doctor said that is what dermatologists recommend for eczema. It was weird to have him emerge from the tub smelling like he'd just taken off his make-up instead of like a baby. Just another step in our growing process, I suppose.

The oral antibiotic has already been an adventure. When I brought it home from the pharmacy, I realized that the bottle was sealed and contained powder instead of liquid. There were instructions telling how to mix it, but I didn't really trust myself with that task. (Plus, for what it cost, the least they could do was mix it up!) I called the pharmacy and the lady said "Oooooooooooooooh, yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah." People in Alabama sometimes talk slow, you see. "We shoulda mixed that up. Come on back." So, back to the pharmacy went Marcus. When I opened the now-correctly-mixed bottle, the aroma of orange Sweet Tarts (or in Marcus's opinion, a ground-up orange Safety Pop) hit me. We tried our usual "give it to him in the bathtub" trick, which didn't work. He spit it all over Marcus's sleeve. We tried again before bed. He gargled it. GARGLED. How does a one-year old even know how to gargle? Anyway, tomorrow morning it's going in the cereal. And I may wear a Haz-Mat suit.

Still tickin', but we did take a lickin'

Well hi there! Remember me? We have been in DC this week (we're here til early Mon. morning) and computer access has been very limited. I haven't gotten brave enough (or dexterous enough!) to blog on my phone yet, but I'm sure that day will come soon. Anyway, we're having a lovely visit with the family. Dean loves hanging out with his big cousin, Adam. I would post pictures of them, but they seem to have hidden my camera somewhere. I plan to rummage through the couch cushions in a minute in an effort to find it.

Marcus and I went out the other day to do some shopping. It was fun to browse without a stroller, though I missed my little constant companion. The phone rang while we were in Borders. It was my mother in law calling to tell me that Dean had tried to impress her with his stunt-man abilities and had fallen off the bed and hit his head. The next 2 minutes are a blur of me dropping everything in my hands, searching for Marcus and trying to remember the name of our medical insurance. We got to the ER about an hour after they'd called and found Dean sitting happily in Grandmama's lap, HUGE goose-egg on his forehead, reading Pinnochio. He looks like he got into a fight and lost. Poor guy. We stayed for three hours of observation and were declared "Just fine" and sent home. In the meantime, Dean decided to impress the nurses with an amazingly stinky poop. And, naturally, we didn't have a single diaper. Fortunately, they had a loaner. It's always an adventure, isn't it?
Those of you who know me will notice that I am writing about this incident three days after it happened and am, therefore, able to have a good sense of humor about it. Because the day it happened? BASKETCASE!

We had a little birthday party for Adam and Dean the other night since they won't get to celebrate their actual birthdays together, and it was lots of fun. Dean tasted cake for the first time, and by tasted, I mean smeared icing in my hair and all over his dad's sweater. Adam eats like a champ and used a big boy fork for his cake. When I saw Adam for the first time this visit, (we haven't seen them since August) I teared up. I cannot believe Dean will be that big this time next year. Adam is a sweetheart and has taken quite a liking to his Auntie Jen. (Which doesn't thrill her AT ALL, let me tell you.;) )

We'll be doing family Christmas tomorrow, which should be a fun time full of babies in boxes wearing bows on their heads. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some couch cushions to rifle through so that I may take photos of said family Christmas!!

About that podiatrist appointment...

It very much did not happen. I spent most of this morning freaking myself out to the point of nausea over the idea of some doctor I'd never met cutting my toe. Yes, I had a human removed from my body (AND AN EPIDURAL!) 11 months ago and was hardly nervous about THAT, but my toe? OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH! Anywho, I picked Marcus up at work, came home and had lunch, fed Dean and got ready to go. I called my mom on the way to the doctor so she could distract me and explain one more time exactly what they were going to do. I got into the office, saw that it was clean and settled in a bit. I even read a little flyer about ingrown toenails. I had just finished filling out my mountain of paperwork and was sitting down to play with my new phone when the receptionist called me to her window and said "You knwo this is going to cost you $286, right?" I said "HUUUUUUUUUH????????????" Appparently all outpatient procedures are subject to our deductible, which we haven't met because we JUST GOT OUR INSURANCE CARDS THIS WEEK and have not been to the doctor since going on this insurance. (We have been taking a tacky print-out as proof of benefits when we take Dean to the pediatrician.) Anyway, I called Marcus, we shared a laugh, and I told the lady thanks, but I'd be keeping my ingrown toenail. It really doesn't hurt that much. I'll let my dad work on it tomorrow.

Who else thinks this woman should have told me about the cost of this on the phone when I made the appointment? Or maybe I'm dense and should have realized this ahead of time. Either way, they did not get my money today. (see previous entries regarding the money tree and its current emptiness)

We head out tomorrow for our holiday travel extravagganza! Forgive me if my blogging is spottier than usual. Hope everyone's days are merry and bright!

Things that do not sound like fun

Going to the podiatrist. Yet at 2:15 tomorrow afternoon, that is precisely where I shall be. I have a painful ingrown toenail on my left foot that I MUST get taken care of before we head off to holiday bliss. Am I scared? You bet! I'm willing myself not to think about the pain, but rather to focus on the fact that I am bringing my bedroom slippers for the drive home.
I realize that this paragraph is going to get a comment from my mom who has had this procedure done and assures me it's not so bad. I also feel guilty about whining about my toe hurting since my mom had someone else's organ put into her body last December. But what can I say? She's a tough old bird. Perhaps in comparison to my c-section it won't seem so bad...I wonder if they'll give me an epidural? Can't hurt to ask!

I spent the majority of this week struggling with a stomach virus. BLEH. The only good thing about said virus is that my weight loss has now hit the 20 pound mark. That's a heck of a way to lose three pounds, though. If I return from our holiday food fest (aka: Visiting our families) at the 15 pound mark, I'll still be happy. I fear my mother in law will serve fried pork chops and my grandmother will make divinity, so the odds are not in my favor.

It is supposed to snow here tonight. I moved back to the south to avoid such things and currently have no clue where my scarves, gloves or winter hats are. My child also refuses to wear socks and, often, pants, so we will not likely be going out tomorrow. Except me, to the podiatrist. In bedroom slippers.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The alternate title of this post should be "If you can follow this, you deserve a cookie." Because, my friends, I have had a cortisone shot. And I'm gooooooooffffffffyyyyyyyyyy! I have been battling my allergies since moving back to Alabama. (Amazing what 4 years in a city with very little grass will do to your sinuses!) Things are blooming and pollen is swarming and my poor throat has been scratchy for a week. Dean woke up hungry at 4am and I realized then that my throat and right ear HURT. Fearing tonsilitis or strep, I high-tailed it to the walk-in doctor's office this morning and was second in line when they opened. After blood work and a strep test, it was determined that I have a viral infection. The doctor asked if I'd like a cortisone shot to help me feel better and I immediately said "YES!" You see, the cortisone shot and I have a long, swell history. Growing up in Louisiana, my allergies were AWFUL. My ENT doctor once told me I had the worst sinus problems he'd ever seen. I took allergy shots for 12 years, 11 of those years giving them to myself. (That sounds grammatically wrong, but I don't care! I"m goooooooofffffffyyyyyy!) When I would go in with a really bad infection, he'd pop me with a cortisone shot and by the time I got home, I was already starting to feel better. I am happy to report that my throat is already feeling much better and I haven't coughed in 2 hours. My right buttock, however, is another story. ;0

While in the waiting room at the dr.'s office, I listened to an 8 year old explain to her mom why they should use the walk-in clinic as her primary doctor because the place was much cleaner and quieter than her pediatrician's office. I also heard her (on the other side of the "triage curtain") correct her mother when she told the nurse what dosage of Tylenol she'd been giving the little girl. She was also able to recite her own drug allergies and knew exactly when her last immunizations were. I wish I were that together at 7:45 on a Sunday morning. When they asked me if I'd had any surgeries, I answered "no" then remembered "Oh, yeah, I had a C-SECTION in January!" The nurse was like "Hm, that's a big one!" Yeah. Oops...

Does medicine make you loopy? I was so high when I got my wisdom teeth out that I begged them to give me my teeth (which they did in a little pill bottle...which may still be at my mom's house), then giggled all the way down the hall before passing out cold in my dad's car.

I'm gonna go play with Dean now. His toys seem extra cool to me right now.
Have a good week!

Physical Therapy--not for the weak!

Or "PT" as those on the inside call it. YOWZA! I had my second PT appointment today and my shoulder actually hurts worse than when I went in! Johnny the physical therapist is a lot of fun, though, and he explains everything he's doing and has quite a gentle touch. I'm so grateful to him for working me in. We'll be spending even more time together next week. The whiplash is still around. While my lower back is feeling much better, the left side of my neck and shoulder are KILLING me! (I'm sure lifting my near-20-pound child doesn't help!) Johnny the physical therapist suggested I take a full day off work and lay flat on my back in bed. Yeah, like that's gonna happen. He then added "Since that's not going to happen..." and showed me a few exercises I can do between cues at work and gave me some disposable ice packs. I have a feeling I"ll be partaking in a Skelaxin tonight!

MANY thanks to all who emailed and commented about my last post. It's good to hear that all moms seem to go through this big re-adjustment period. I expected to go through a lot of changes, just not quite this many at once. We've had a heck of a six-month period, what with organ transplants, birth, major abdominal surgery, moving twice (ugh!), new jobs, etc. I'm happy to hear your stories and even happier to realize I'm not losing my mind!

This weekend, we head into tech for High School Musical. Marcus (he's directing) and his stage manager, Sarah, were at the theatre til about 3:30 this morning setting lights with the crew. I covered the morning rehearsal for them so they could sleep in. Oh, y'all. 57 middle and young high schoolers is A LOT. A WHOLE lot. Fortunately, some of our older (college-aged) company members are also in the show, so they provide a nice break from the insanity. The show is looking good, though, and the set is fantastic. (It's our GREASE set from last summer with a new coat of paint and some snazzy new bleachers!) The show is selling like hotcakes and should be a really good time.

Dean had breakfast in his booster seat for the first time this morning. He went nuts over the toy tray that snaps over the eating tray. His little eyes almost crossed from the excitement! I was able to take my time fixing his cereal and my coffee while he played happily. I tried putting the bowl on his eating tray, but soon he learned that he could splat his hand in it, so I had to move it. Then he figured out that, since he's higher up, he can reach the coffee table if he leans over the side of his chair. We had to do several readjustments and repositions, but I think we've found a place for the chair where he's safely out of range of anything that could potentially damage him (or vice versa!). Solid food continue to go down well. And out--he pooped 4 times yesterday.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Be careful what you wish for...

Remember how in my last post I said I could use a little rest and an extra day off? Well, both of those have been granted, due to a nasty case of whiplash. I was leaving Chili's last night, after dining with Marcus, Dean and four friends of ours. I was the first one to leave, as I needed to get to work to figure out how to cover two cast members who were sick and missing last night's show. I pulled to a red light behind a green Ford van. Suddenly, the car behind me slammed into the back of me, forcing me into the green van. Then the guy who hit me sped by us both in the margain and took off down the road. A lady in the turn lane got his plate number and we gave it to the dispatcher when we called 911, along with a description of the car, a maroon Dodge Stratus. The police officer who came to do the accident report had called in the license plate and it came up as registered to a white Ford Taurus from Charelston. (Guess that explains the hit and run, huh?) The folks in the green van had their three young kids with them, including an 8 month old. (Cue tears from Jen, thinking Oh, My God, what if Dean had been with me?) Marcus was not far from the scene and showed up quickly. (Dean was asleep in his carset by this time and completely uninterested in the events.) As we filled out the report, my neck and shoulders started getting tight. Marcus recommended I go to the ER and get checked out. I really wanted to go to work. We had two people out and it was a sold-out show of Cinderella. But he convinced me to go to the hospital (but not before I convinced HIM to take me by the theatre to talk Katy, my assistant, through calling the show. Haha!). It ended up being the right call--I've got a wicked case of whiplash. I hurt from my ears to my hips. The doctor prescribed Skelaxin, which I've taken twice. It makes me goofy and very sleepy. I can't believe how badly this hurts. Needless to say, I'm not going to work tonight. I can't even pick Dean up. I'm feeling pretty worthless right now, especially since I was just reminded that I have 2 understudies going on tonight and my director is back in town to watch the show for the first time since opening. But if I did go in, I'd probably hurt myself worse, so to bed with my Skelaxin I go. Wah, wah.

My dad calls it "getting your neffers checked"

I had my first appointment with the nephrologist yesterday. (That's the kidney doctor) I liked him a lot. He put me on some blood pressure medication, which already seems to be working, and let me ask all my questions about polycystic kidney disease. I am in the very, very early stages of the disease and am overall very healthy. We talked about ways I can adjust my diet to help slow the progression of the disease and I got to ask my million-dollar question--will I be able to have another baby? I was expecting a hearty "NO!" but was told that it wasn't out of the question! :) Obviously, I would be a high-risk pregnancy, especially since I've had pre-eclampsia before, and my blood pressure would have to be very stable because you can't take BP medicine while you're pregnant. There are a lot of other factors Marcus and I will have to consider before we make the decision whether or not to expand our family in a few years, like can I handle having pre-eclampsia again, what will I do if I have to go on bed rest (especially since Dean would be 2 or 3 at the time we had another one), is it worth the strain it may put on my body to go through another pregnancy and is it worth potentially spreading this disease to a child. These are all huge things to think about, things that may very well lead us to the decision that Dean will be our only child, but hearing that having more kids is not totally out of the question made me feel really good. See, it's Dean's fault--if he wasn't so sweet and cute, I wouldn't want another one! haha

I've been thinking about taking this blog in a different direction and I'd like to hear your thoughts. Originally, we started it to keep a lot of people updated while we were out of town for the summer. While I was pregnant, though, I started reading some blogs on parents.com, which led me to a couple of other blogs, and now they are some of my favorite things to read. My absolute favorite blogger is taking some much-needed and deserved time away from her blog to devote to her darling daughter, who was born a couple of weeks before Dean. Her blog is so much fun and is like having a conversation, and it inspired me to start learning more about blogging. It's something I really enjoy doing, so I'm thinking of making this one more my own than just an "adventures of Marcus and Jen" kind of thing. I'd like to talk about some issues that are important to me and my family (which I already do to an extent) and get you, the readers, more involved in the way of comments and links. That said, I'm thinking of changing the name of the blog. Suggestions?

Productivity

Yes, it can still happen. Even with an 11 week old, I can have a productive day! Dean slept in this morning, so I got the overnight bottles washed (Lord, will all the bottles ever be clean at the same time?) before 10am, hand-washed some delicates in the sink, cleaned the kitchen and even ate breakfast all before the little guy woke up. We rolled down to the "good" grocery store to enjoy the nice weather on our way and get some stuff for dinner. Then we stopped at the drugstore to hit the day-after-Easter candy sale for Marcus. (Who can resist Cadbury creme eggs at half price, I say?) Dean even napped long enough this afternoon that I got to open the enormous stack of mail that piled up while I was out of town. It included a jury duty questionairre by the way, which made me MAAAAAD! I did my time 2 years ago and I'll be danged if I'm going back! Marcus and I have a ton of things to catch up on tonight over dinner. For a while, especially during the colic days, I wasn't sure I'd be able to hold it together, meaning housework, baby, remembering to pay the bills, etc. Let's not even talk about when I go back to work in May. But days like this remind me that I can still get things done once in a while. We'll see how tomorrow turns out!

I'm getting more excited about the summer, too. I have officially hired my two assistants for the summer (Great gals who I can't wait to work with!) and we're plugging away at the rest of our hiring and casting. Having two assistants is not only going to be great for me, but so wonderful for the company. I won't have to call every single show, so I can sit out and do notes when I need to. We will also have an extra floater for the backstage track if we need it. And the best part is that, since both of my assistants are college students, I get to do a lot of teaching while we work. Yay.

I go to the nephrologist tomorrow. I"ve been apprehensive about it all week and I finally figured out exactly why. Yes, my blood pressure is still high and I desperately need this guy to put me on some medication before, as my mother so plainly put it, I have a stroke. But I also need to get answers to my list of questions, the most burning of which is can I have more kids. I have a feeling I already know the answer. But, as Marcus reminds me, we are both teachers at heart and there are always kids in our lives, so maybe I"m meant to be a kind of surrogate mom to them. Time will tell, I guess. I"ll let you know how the doctor visit goes.

I get it now

When you're growing up, or at least when I was, and my parents would do something I though was weird or over-protective, they would always tell me "Someday you'll understand." That someday came this week. Dean and I have been in Oxford visiting my family for almost 2 weeks now. Last Tuesday, he started coughing. I called the doctor in NY. They told me it was a cold, to steam him and watch his temperature. On Wednesday it was a little worse. I called again. They told me to steam him and watch his temperature and that it might get worse before it got better. By Wednesday night, after steaming, he was wheezing and my mom and I had decided he was going to walk-in hours at the local pediatrician's office. We got there at 7:15 Thursday morning. The next two hours flew by in a blur as they listened to his chest, took a nasal swab, poked his little finger for a blood test and passed us from the nurse practitioner to the doctor. At 9:30, I walked out of there with orders to have Dean admitted to the hospital. He was diagnosed with RSV or Repiratory Syncytial Virus. This is apparently a very common illness in young babies, especially those born in the winter months. If it's not caught and treated early, it can turn into pneumonia. The doctor told us the easiest way to treat it was to put him in the hospital for 24 hour observation and breathing treatments. So off we went to Baptist Memorial, me crying all the way. Remember my mom had a kidney transplant 3 months ago, so she can't even go near a hospital or doctor's office unless she's wearing a mask. Her transplant coordinator wouldn't even let her pass through admissions. So Dean and I went up and got settled in the room (I'm still crying at this point) and I called Marcus to tell him our 9 week old was being hospitalized. The word terrifying does not even begin to describe how I felt. Long story short, they took more blood, out of his little foot this time. If you've never had to hold your baby while someone squeezed blood out of his little heel, you are a lucky parent. They set up a croup tent over the big hospital bed and Dean had to sit under it to receive straight oxygen. He also received breathing treatments from a tiny nebulizer. I was able to get into the tent with him and also to sleep with him in the bed. (not that we really slept much...) My dad and my grandma arrived about an hour after we checked in and it was great to have company. After a few hours in the tent and a couple of breathing treatments, Dean started to bounce back. By the next afternoon, he was his usual, charming self, batting those long eyelashes at all the nurses and causing them to melt. We were released Friday night with our own tiny nebulizer so we could continue breathing treatments at home and orders to sleep with a cold-mist humidifier. We will go back to the doctor Monday afternoon to see how things are progressing. He is feeling MUCH better now and his cough is almost gone. He is such a brave boy when he does his little breathing treatments. He never cries or fusses, he just takes it like a man. The doctor told us we wouldn't be ready to travel on Tuesday, so I changed our flight to get us home on Friday evening. We miss Marcus terribly and I know he's dying to set eyes on his little boy just to see that he's ok. (we web-camed for a bit last night)

I knew I adored my little boy even before he was born. You've all seen the picture of me holding him for the first time, and if you can't see the absolute, unconditional love in my eyes, then you must not be looking at the right picture. I love Dean so much. But I had no idea how much until something was wrong with him. I know this isn't the last time he'll ever be sick, which is a scary thought in and of itself. I am so thankful that he has pulled through this so well. (babies bounce back fast!) Somehow, I feel closer to him after this ordeal. (16 hours in a croup tent together will do that...) There is no better feeling in the world than going to pick him up when he wakes up and seeing that big, beautiful smile just for me. I get it now. And if anyone tries to take blood out of his little heel again anytime soon, I may slug them.

PS: RSV doesn't affect adults as seriously, it just manifests as a bad cold. A cold which my mom, dad and I all have. Niiiiiiiiice.

PS2: As horrible as the hospital ordeal was, I just have to tell you that my little boy looked SO adorable in his tiny peach hospital gown. ADORABLE. And no, I didn't take a picture. :(

We're pooped!

Heh, heh, that title takes on a whole new meaning when you have an 8 week old. Especially when he wakes you up at 2am with a "special prize" for you in his diapee...

Here's Dean on his changing table with is best stuffed pal, Cow. Cow showed up in my Christmas stocking this year. If you pull her tail, she shakes. When I pulled her out of my stocking on Christmas morning, I never dreamed she'd become a staple in our household, keeping our baby company at every diaper change. She likes to sit on top of the wipes. He stares at her intently while we change him. We also sing little songs about Cow. Yay, Cow.

For the record, I saw Dr. Shepard today, who does NOT look like McDreamy, by the way, and I don't have chronic hypertension. :):):) My blood pressure's been weird since I gave birth, but now seems to be leveling out. This could be due to the fact that :
a. I finally feel like a real human being again and I actually started going back out in public this week
AND
b. Marcus and I have stopped adding salt to our food. Do you know how hard that is for a southerner? Yeah, you do.

Dean went to work with Daddy today while I went to the doctor. He was babysat by the lovely and talented Julia, one of Marcus's students. He is becoming quite the social butterfly. Speaking of which, he nad I will leave Tuesday morning to visit my mom and dad for 2 weeks! (I'll be at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Chattanooga the first weekend, where Marcus and I will be helping with the hiring for TWV...did I tell you this already?) Please pray for us on the airplane. I tried to pick the worst seat on the plane so that no one would sit next to me. We'll see how that goes. I'm bringing him a pacifier and a bottle for takeoff and landing. If anyone has any other suggestions about how to make travelling with a tiny one more comfortable, please share. Every time I get nervous or freaked about it, I think about my poor, dear mother-in-law traveling from Japan to America with a 4 year old Marcus and a 1 year old Michael BY HERSELF. I think I can handle 3 hours.

Whaaaaaaaa?

Dean Nelson Lane slept through a feeding last night. It's true. We fed him (after a HUGE screaming fit) at 12:30 and finally got him settled into the vibra-chair (he has rejected his bassinet this week...who knows why) about 1:15, knowing we'd be up for another feeding by 3. The whimper cry woke us up at 5. I picked him up and started changing his diaper when it hit me--we should have done this already! I went back to the bedroom and asked Marcus "Did you feed him at 3? Because I didn't." Marcus, still half-asleep, thought about it for a while and replied "No, I don't believe I did." We are hoping this means he's going to start sleeping for longer stretches. That would rock. Needless to say, the poor little guy was ravenous when we did feed him at 5. Poor baby.

I had my six-week checkup at the baby doctor yesterday, even though it's been 7 weeks since I had the baby. I'm good.

This week will mark me kind of "going back to work" as I am knee-deep in resumes for Theatre West Virginia. We're looking for a scenic designer for our musical and I'm starting to interview possible candidates for assistant stage manager positions. It's nice to get that ball rolling. I feel like I haven't really been a part of the real world for the past couple of months, so it's nice to re-connect with some adults again! And it makes us look even more forward to the summer. Marcus and I will go to the Southeastern Theatre Conference in a couple of weeks to help hire TWV's summer staff and cast. Dean will be living it up in Oxford with my mom and dad. (translation: Getting spoiled beyond belief by Grammy and Papa!)

On another note, Marcus and I are absolutely addicted to HGTV. We watch it ALL THE TIME! When we finally have a home of our own, it's going to have awesome curb appeal, a sassy kitchen and a very "zen" bathroom.

Thank God for the Fisher Price Rainforest swing

Mr. Dean had his second well-baby visit today and all is good! He weighed in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and measured 20 inches. He's a growing boy! He also peed all over the scale and pooped while the doctor was examining him. Guess he was showing off so they'd know all systems were "GO." I was a nervous wreck about taking him to the doctor by myself (Marcus had a meeting at work at the same time as his appt.), but he did great. We took a car service over there (he slept) and a taxi home (he slept). I think he would have slept through the appointment if they hadn't undressed him. He's been super fussy tonight, wanting to be held a lot and crying for no reason. Or maybe he's gassy. That's a pretty safe bet with him. He is a delightful little dude and we are loving having him here with us! I cannot believe that I'm still supposed to be pregnant for 5 more days. I think I would have popped some time last week. Today the swelling in my feet was down enough that I could wear normal socks and I was even able to put my wedding ring back on my hand! I still wore maternity pants because of my scar itchiness. And they're just so dang comfy.

Tomorrow I head to my new family doctor, Dr. Shepard, who will monitor my blood pressure. It was still a bit high at my 2 week OB appointment last week. It could be a lot of things, not the least of which is leftover symptoms from pre-eclampsia. We're hoping it's just that and maybe the fact that it's been a bit of a stressful month! We shall see. Fellow Grey's Anatomy fans, I have it in my head that I'm going to see Dr. McDreamy. In reality, he's probably an old Jewish man. Maybe he will let me take a picture of him to post.

Who else is sick of the tv writer's strike? Last night we actually watched a few minutes of Dance War: Bruno vs Carrie Ann before settling on American Gladiators. Hosted by Hulk Hogan. There was a time in my life where that would've been the coolest thing ever. Now is not that time. I want new episodes of Dirty Sexy Money and Pushing Daisies!! And let's not even think what will happen to the Academy Awards if this thing isn't resolved. The Golden Globes were just sad. Fortunately, American Idol started up again and has proven to be entertaining. Marcus and I have also taken a liking to Don't Forget The Lyrics. And, praise Jesus, LOST starts again in a week. :):):)

Dean-o is screaming now. Gotta go.

Gotta find a new movie candy now

To answer the question posed by the t-shirt, no, you don't. :)

The bassinet has been assembled. Extra sheets have been special ordered. (Because the people at Disney make it so you can't just buy them at Target--you have to CALL and order them!) The baby clothes are washed, folded and hung and put in their place. Baby's shelves are full of books, bibs, burp towels and tiny little washcloths. There's food in the freezer. If I prop my feet up any higher, I'll be hanging from the ceiling. Can I have my baby now?

Warning: this part contains some kind of personal information, which leads to a really funny story. Hope it doesn't make anyone uncomfortable. I have no modesty, so here we go. I woke up New Year's Eve feeling kinda funky with a sore spot on my left side kind of below my arm pit. (where underwire would hit you) It was worse yesterday when I woke up, so I got online to do some research about just what the heck it could be. I figured it out pretty quickly: I had a clogged milk duct. That can actually happen from your 6th month of pregnancy! So, it's New Year's Day. My doctor is on vacation until Jan. 2, but their answering service should be picking up. I call. The lady answers and sounds professional enough, asking my date of birth and what week of pregnancy I'm in. I then explain that I think I have a clogged milk duct and need some advice on how to treat it so it doesn't turn into an infection. She says "Okaaaaaaay, so you have a clogged milk dud?" (enter glare from Jen here) No, moron. DUCT. DUUUUUUUCT. I spell it for her. She says "ooooooh. okaaaaay. I'll get someone to call you." No one ever did, probably because she told the doctor on-call that I had a clogged milk dud and they didn't want to deal with someone that stupid on a holiday. Fortunately, my sister in law is also a nurse and mother of a one-year-old, so I called her and got some advice last night. And my milk dud is good as new today. I can't wait to tell the doctor this story when we see him on Friday.