Taggeriffic

So being the hardcore blogging slacker that I am – I am finally getting around to doing this post that Sara at Life's Recipe tagged me in a week ago. Hey - at least I meet deadlines at work!

1. What toy from your childhood do you secretly wish you could still play with?

My Cricket doll. Remember those? I was super stoked when I got one. Even more so when we realized we could put any tape in her back and have her talk/sing it. We had great fun putting in Polish tapes and The Beatles. Now? I'd love to see her rocking out to some Def Leppard or getting her twang on with some Jason Aldean.

2. What reality show would you love to be on?

Chopped. Not that I'm a 5 star Chef but there are quite a few occasions where dinner at my house resembles an episode of Chopped. I look in the fridge and pantry and try to figure out what in the world I can make out of the 5 mystery ingredients.

Then I order a pizza and call it a night.

3. What’s your favorite book? Why?

Huh, I'm not sure if I have a favorite book per say. I love to read - although I did a lot more of it before the Jellybean. I do have favorite authors though. I love anything by Debbie Macomber. Carly Phillips. Loved the Bloomberg series by Melody Carlon.

4. When is your favorite time of the day and why?

I love evenings at home. We eat dinner as a family. Play with Jellybean in the yard. I get to listen to Jellybean giggle up a storm while Joey gives him a bath. I love family time.

5. Do you prefer cake or pie?

It really depends on my mood. Probably pie though. I eat so much cake due to my work that I'm not a huge fan of it anymore!

6. What’s the best concert you’ve seen?

That's a hard question when I am pretty sure 50% of my student loans went to attending concerts while in college. No - really! I once flew to Ohio just to go to a concert for bands I had already seen numerous times with my best friend. I actually think the first concert I took Joey to was the best though. We saw Montgomery Gentry perform and they are just really great showmen. It was super entertaining!

7. What was your first car?

A metallic Blue 1996 Kia Sephia. She was named Lucy and I loved her. A total piece of crap car that was constantly breaking but I cried when she finally died. Less than a year after I paid her off. Bitch.

8. What’s your superpower?

I'm a mom.

Not good enough for you?

I somehow manage to make sure all the bills get paid, we all eat, the house doesn't get condemned and we all stay relatively happy while working full time.

I am AMAZING.

9. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I wouldn't. I love my name. Its not too unique or too common and it fits me well. If you ask my sister she would say its because I act like a princess half the time!

10. Are you shy?

It depends on the situation. If I don't know anyone at all I can be. I'm trying to break out of that though. I think its more that I feel like I don't fit in rather than being shy.

11. What is your favorite quote?

"Everything that happens is supposed to be. It's all predetermined. Can't change your destiny"

Now I am tagging -

Sara at Mommy Summers

Kisma at Sounds Like Life to Me

Adrienne from Stories from the Shoebox

Rochelle at a Family of Looney's

Krystal from Krystal's Kitsch

Niki from My Accidentally on Purpose

Gen at Out of the Petri Dish...Into the Fire

And I'm too lazy to find more people to tag.

And your questions are -

1) What is your least favorite chore?

2) Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?

3) What's your favorite pick me up on days that you are dragging?

4) How did you meet your other half?

5) Are you a neat freak, messy, or somewhere in between?

6) Are you a risk taker or more of a rule follower?

7) Describe your kitchen.

8) If your life was a TV show what would the title be?

9) What is your favorite way to spend Friday night?

10) Do you have a favorite restaurant? What do you order there?

11) Tell me about your most annoying neighbor...

So now you guys are supposed to answer, tag 11 more people and give them their own questions. Or not. Its up to you!

The Day I Did Nothing at All

It's 1:30 on Saturday afternoon. (Even though I won't post this until Monday..)

My floors are dirty, my house is cluttered, dishes need to be washed and laundry is waiting to be folded.

I'm sitting on the couch blogging and watching Man vs. Food instead. I just ate a huge plate of pierogies with sour cream.

I may have licked the plate to get all the sour cream

I'm drinking Kool-Aid.

Jellybean and Joey are napping on the floor beneath me.

That blanket you see covering Jellybean is only 3/4 finished. Its one of those no-sew fleece deals I got on clearance at Wal-Mart. I've been working on it for a month now.

I'm having a decidedly lazy, ignore all the chores and do nothing kind of day.

I fed Jellybean breakfast, played with him and took him on a walk.

Other than that - I've been on this couch.

And I'm loving every second of it.

I read some of Eat, Pray, Love. Once I finish it I'll watch the movie.

I tweezed some chin hairs. Annoying little suckers.

I skipped going to the bank because I'd have to drive.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll move off the couch but today...

I'm hoping a spot opens up on that floor for me to nap on too.

*Disclaimer: Right after I hit post Jellybean of course woke up. Then I had to feed him lunch which meant I had to wash some dishes. Then do some laundry. Apparently I suck at being lazy!

Ask The Expert

Apparently by virtue of having been pregnant, birthed a child and breastfed in the past two years I can now be considered an expert on all these subjects. I wasn't aware of this but it started at work.

Someone who use to work here came in - overdue and asked someone a breastfeeding question. She had no idea since she'd never done it. So I hear from down the hall -

"You better ask Diana."

"Is she STILL nursing?"

"I think so!"

Yes, Yes I am. Almost 14 months now. To the child who will never wean. He's a drive by nurser who thinks it's great fun to pull down my shirt and say "Na?". Makes for some awkward moments when we are out.

 A very sick Jellybean nursing while we were at the ER with C-diff.

That being said - I love it. I will always be a huge advocate for breastfeeding and hope everyone at least tries it. I know it's not for everyone and by no means does it "come naturally" or is it "easier" for everyone. We had our struggles too. It took him five weeks to learn to latch on really well, I had a massive oversupply, we had reflux and my child refused bottles and decided to reverse cycle. I also got to spend lots of time cuddling with him, can calm him down in an instant and have a great excuse why he can't go spend the night away from me yet. My greatest piece of advice when it comes to breastfeeding is to approach it with an open mind and tons of support. There are groups everywhere whose only goal is to help you through it from La Leche to birthing centers and hospitals - just look around and you will find the help you need. Anytime someone has a breastfeeding question though I am more than happy to answer it. One of the biggest benefits of breastfeeding though is the fact that it is free! I can't even imagine how much we would have spent on formula. My child ate every two hours for the first 7 months. You do the math!

One of my dearest friends (if long lost and sporadically contacting) Scott and his wife Krystal recently announced they were pregnant. Once the official announcement came out I quickly received a phone call from Scott with the what do I need to know questions. His biggest fear was diaper changes. (Ha! To that I say!)

My words of wisdom -

Our maternity shoot - where we thought we still had 8 weeks to go! Jellybean showed up three weeks later!

Pregnancy is the easy part. It's exciting and wondrous and new. Life is still easy while you are pregnant. I loved being pregnant. I loved having my little buddy kicking away during meetings at work. I liked imagining what he was going to look like. I would talk to him all the time. I didn't mind the exhaustion, swelling or even the C-section.

Jellybean and Daddy on his first night home. All 3lbs 13oz of him at 2 weeks!

Parenting though - that ROCKS your world. You learn as you go. There isn't a "right" way to do it. (Although there are definitely some questionable approaches.) What works for one family may not work for another.

One month in - that's the exhausted look...

You are going to fight - A LOT - more often. You are exhausted, overworked, sleep deprived, touched out, hormonal, emotional, overwhelmed, annoyed, happy, anxious, scared and probably hungry too. Because you tried heating your lunch up at noon and its now still in the microwave at 4pm and you haven't changed out of your PJ's which are probably covered in spit up, leaky breast milk and drool. Your hair looks like Marge's from the Simpsons and you are trying to remember the last time you took a shower.

Milk drunk

Then your baby smiles or falls asleep on your chest with a milk drunk sigh and suddenly you forget all that.

Joey and I use to cheer the Jellybean on as he would do pushups and we almost cried the first time he rolled over!

(I need to remember that since just last night I was contemplating renting an apartment far, far away from him. Gee, thanks for rinsing all the dishes that were in the sink and stacking them on the counter. That would be helpful if we had a dishwasher...which we don't! JUST WASH THE DAMN THINGS!!)

...getting back on track...

Parenting is hard and scary. You think you know what you are doing but you're new at it. You learn as you go along. I was at the pediatricians a lot at the beginning. Pretty sure they were going to offer me a parking spot and a frequent visitor punch card. Then somewhere along the way I could tell the difference from when he needed to go in or not. I can spot an ear infection immediately now. When he caught C-diff I knew at what point it was time for the ER. (Which Scott - diaper changes are nothing compared to being projectile vomited on and explosive diarrhea. Your gag reflux goes away pretty quickly then!)

You also need to figure out what works for you as a family. Jellybean is still in our bedroom even though I swore he’d be in his own room sleeping in a crib quickly while I was pregnant. Then I realized that working full time along with a baby that wakes frequently during the night makes it a battle of survival. So since he still wakes during the night his crib is in our room and there are many nights that he ends up in bed with me. He’s a snuggler.

It may not work for the next family but it does for us.

We delayed solids until 6 months. Then I did modified baby led weaning – a mix of purees and finger foods. That would freak some people out with the whole gag reflux/choking thing. Jellybean was a champ with it. He’s also part Hoover and inhales food most of the day. Someone else may decide to start cereal at four months and stick with purees for awhile. If it works for you do it.

I still haven’t introduced whole milk. The pediatrician doesn’t see a need to push it since he still nurses frequently. My milk is actually higher in fat then whole milk could be. Maybe I’ll do it around 15 months or 18. Most start at 12 months though.

There are many, many things we still struggle with though. I wish the hubby would pitch in more and help me. The sad reality is that the majority of the parenting and home management usually does fall on the woman. We are better multitaskers and we see everything that needs to get done.

Also – Dad’s find babies scary. They are these fragile blobs that can’t tell you what they need. Mom’s always seem to have it together and just know what the baby needs. We have OUR routine and OUR way of doing things so Dad always feels like he’s doing it wrong. Now that Jellybean is a toddler Joey is much more hands on then he was before. I know that if I leave the two of them together Jellybean will have way too many snacks and probably not eat a real meal but he will also have a blast playing out in the yard and giggling with Daddy.

Honestly though – I’m not an expert by any means. I still have my days where I doubt myself and wonder if I have any idea of what I am doing. I get scared, tired and overwhelmed. There are days where I hate my husband and sometimes during that same day I can look at my beautiful little boy and my husband together and I can’t wait to have another. I don’t have all the right answers. My kid may end up totally screwed up years down the road while I was doing what I thought was best. I know that I am trying my hardest though. I know being a Mom is the hardest thing I have ever done. I know that it is also the most gratifying and that I am thrilled that my friends are getting to experience it too. I know that I will always be there with advice when IT IS ASKED FOR!

And the rest of the time?

Don’t worry Mom and Dad – you’re doing a great job!

Fun with Toddlers

I have to say - once Jellybean hit the toddler stage I was a little lost as to what to do with him for awhile. The baby stage is easy peasy for entertainment. You put them under their baby gym or hand them a few toys and they are entertained for awhile. Then you have the exersaucer or feet! Feet were always a huge hit with Jellybean.

Then came toddlerhood. He started walking before he was a year old. He can climb. He talks. He knows what he wants.

He also gets bored.

Quickly.

Thank you Pinterest for coming to the rescue! I turned to Pinterest to research toddler activities and used them as inspiration to create my own.

Toddlers love sensory activities and Jellybean is no exception. They also love to fill containers up and dump them out.

I took Jellybean's love for those things along with a blanket, some bowls and three different kinds of cereal. I used Cheerios, Kix and Cocoa Puffs.

Use different sized bowls and different materials. He liked the different ways the spoons sounded against the metal versus the plastic.

Throw in some spoons and other things you can bury and dig out too. We used some jar lids and the little plastic dohickey for changing out the led light bulbs.

You're going to be tempted to help and show them how to play with it. 

Don't! 

Let them explore. It gets messy. After these pictures he dumped the cereal out everywhere.

Then he had a blast scooping it back up.

The best part to this activity for Jellybean though?

Finally a toy you are ALLOWED to eat while you play with it.

This is just the first in a series of posts I am going to do as I find new and inexpensive ways to keep the Jellybean entertained. I'll be placing them here along with on this board. My board will also have ideas I have come across in other places.

As I grow as a mom I'm learning that sometimes the simplest things are the most entertaining. We pretty much bought out the toy stores for Christmas and his birthday. He plays with a quarter of those toys. So to keep you from breaking the bank and from going insane as your toddler runs around like a maniac I want to share the things we do. Let me know what fun activities you've done with your little ones too. 

Next week I'll share one of his favorite toys. We always have plenty of them to spare and they come on so many different sizes that he never gets bored!

PYHO - What have you done for me lately?

Have you read this article? Mad at Dad

I was reading it and just kept thinking - "Yes, yes, and oh yes!"

I like the mom's in the article feel like I do the lion's share of the work with really nothing reciprocated back to me. It's not just due to Jellybean though. I did it before him but now my work load has increased in direct proportion to the hubby's laziness increasing.

It got me to thinking - "What have I done for myself lately?"

The answer was - nothing.

My life has revolved around the Jellybean, the hubby and everything that needs to get done.

The hubby has the luxury of being able to take his time on the way home. Stop off here or there if he wants to visit a friend or go fishing.

I can't do that. I have pick up duty from day care. Jellybean has to eat by 6:30 at the latest or he turns into an evil ankle biting monster! I walk in the door around 5:30 or so which doesn't leave much time to get a meal on the table.

Last night - I was determined to do something for me. Dinner was in the crock pot ready to go. The moment hubby walked in the door I let him know he was watching Jellybean and feeding him dinner. I was going for a run. My first time working out in over a year.

I only took 11 minutes to myself. That's what it took me run a mile. I am hurting today. But yesterday - it felt great. I was energized afterwards. (Good thing too, since hubby passed out around 7pm and I still had to fix lunches, wash dishes, fold laundry AND get today's dinner prepped!)

It's not going to end with just that one thing though. I AM going to carve out time for myself from now on. I'd love to switch roles for just a week so he can see how much I really do. From meal planning, baby wrangling robbing Peter to pay Paul and tending to the house. I do it all. While he feels like Dad of the year if he takes Jellybean outside to play for an hour and gives him a bath.

Luckily that article also had a Part 2 - Getting Past the Anger. So I'll be trying to implement some of those changes. the hard part though is getting my hubby to stick to the changes. He is about impossible to change on any level. Like most men he's pretty one dimensional and doesn't see everything else that needs to get done. He sees the remote and the TV and the couch.

But since I'm mad at him right now he is pretty close to seeing the end of having clean clothing (I didn't wash any of his this week) and if he keeps it up the end of meals he likes. I personally am a fan of tofu and seaweed so if I need to switch to cooking with those for awhile to institute the change - I will.

That is what I'm doing for  myself lately.

How about you?

This post is linked up with Shell as part of Pour Your Heart Out Wednesdays.

 

A Week of Mondays

Remember last week where I was a rock star and posted three days in a row?

Well I hope you weren't hoping that was the start of a habit or something. You didn't expect me to become predictable and reliable did you?

Ain't happening.

I'm a working mom of a toddler and a 33 year old man child in the hubby.

Also my dear friends. This week is shaping up to be a week of Mondays.

Today is my second Monday in a row.

And it sucks. Donkey balls.

I hate when work interferes with my blogging.

Then there is life at home too.

Like take this morning for instance. I was ready to walk out the door (early!) with Jellybean I had our bags ready and was about to walk over and scoop him off when I hear him let out a cry.

Then I watched the water cascade through the dining room.

My beloved Jellybean had managed to drag the dog's water bowl over..through the baby gate... and dump it out all over himself and the floor.

Early no more. It was time for an outfit change and then breaking the speed limit on the way to day care.

His old day care..which may stay his day care despite my breaking up post last week. After his trial day at a different place yesterday I'm just not sure. I think its a case of the grass is always greener. So I'm putting off that decision for now.

Back to my week of Mondays - today at work - has been shitastic. One mess after another to sort through and try to clean up. Which always, always, always falls on my department. I'm so over it. All I hear is how procedures need to change but heaven forbid we ever actually implement and follow those changes. 

Last night was pretty shitastic too. I got home at 5:30 and FINALLY sat down on the couch to relax at 9:30. Dinner, dishes, bath, playtime, bed time, today's lunches and dinners all took precedence over my relaxation. I did take the time to hide the rest of the ice cream under the frozen veggies though. Someone ate way more than his share already.

(End rant)

The fact that good old Aunt Flo came back on Friday after 22 months without her probably is not helping my mood at all.

So positive notes in all this -

Dinner is in the crock pot at home so I can feed the ravenous Jellybean as soon as we walk through the door.

There are minimal chores I need to do tonight.

We can start trying for Jujube when we feel the time is right.

I got us caught up on our mortgage.

I played hide and seek with Jellybean before work this morning and got to start the day off with his sweet giggles.

I'm one day closer to winning the lottery and never having to face a Monday again!

Breaking Up is Hard to Do - PYHO

At first it seemed like the ideal situation.

She brought me presents. Checked to see how I was doing.

Sent text messages. Made sure I was okay and happy with how things were going.

Then slowly things started to deteriorate. The communication was becoming less and less. She kept wanting more time apart. Making ridiculous demands.

I just wasn't happy with the way things were going. Especially with how much I was paying for her services.

So I started calling around. Making a few visits. Lining up other prospects.

I didn't want to go through with it but I was afraid the time had come.

I'm going to have to break up with Jellybean's daycare.

I interviewed and visited the place I am leaning towards. Joey still needs to go pay a visit. I really, really like their program and approach though.

The current day care isn't working for me for a multitude of reasons. Their open door policy really isn't one. You can't go in and actually be with your child. When I go at lunch I have to go outside with him. I end up nursing him in my car pretty often. I don't mind on nice days when we can go to the park but it's not the ideal situation. Meals are not included in what I pay so every night I have to scramble to pack his meals for the next day after finishing dinner, baths and bedtime. Her rate doesn't decrease until he is 2. I don't see lesson plans or know what types of activities he was working on that week or what I can reinforce at home. I've never gotten an incident report even when he's visibly bonked himself. There is always a new holiday they are closed for and no leniency in paying late if let's say he was sick for an entire week and I wasn't going to drive 25 miles to make a payment rather than wait for Monday. Also no option to use that week he was gone as a  vacation week despite the fact that I never used ours last year.

So the new place. I felt like I was having an affair. I snuck over at lunchtime with Jellybean to check it out. It was fate from the first moment. The owners name - also Diana. How could I not like it. 6 students to a teacher for ones and twos. No infants. They stress vocabulary, bilingual education and plenty of sensory activities - like what I do with him at home. Meals are provided. They have a uniform. The rate is $25 less a week through August. All of the closings match up with my days off of work. As soon as I mentioned I was still nursing Jellybean she immediately said "Oh well you can send milk or come in and feed him. Whatever works for you. I don't have a rocking chair anymore though." So I can come nurse him before nap time there and get him to settle down. Anytime I want. The more she talked and I visited the more I loved it. They go all the way through Pre-K with certified teachers. Lots of outdoor time.

It's hard to make a change. I know he gets attention and love where he is now but educationally I don't think they are doing enough. I feel like I'm always trying to make up for things he doesn't get there. I also hate that their open door policy really isn't. I need a place that will let me come in and get down on the floor and play with him a minute if he isn't ready to leave. Not rush me out the door with a see you tomorrow.

So on Monday - when his current day care is closed AGAIN for President's Day, Jellybean is doing a trial day at the new place. To see how we both like it. If all goes well - we will give our two weeks notice the next day at his current facility and make the break.

Because my job is to make sure he is getting everything he needs and sometimes that means drastic changes. Even if they are hard for both of us at first.

This post is linked up with Shell as part of Pour Your Heart Out Wednesdays.

 

You might be the Mom of a Toddler if -

Signs you are the Mom of a Toddler -

You have no idea where your keys are because someone stole them and they have yet to be located.

You do know that the remote to the TV is in the back seat of your car because prying it from Jellybean's grubby little hands would have resulted in a meltdown I am not equipped to handle at 6:30am.

You find your panties and other items of laundry in interesting places because you ALWAYS have a helper when it comes to unfolding folding laundry.

Your cat has taken to hiding in the bedroom closet because he has been chased one too many times.

Your child wakes up, points his finger at you and shakes it while saying "No, No, No"

The most common phrase out of your mouth is Don't eat that.

Your legs are getting incredibly fit because your house now resembles an equestrian jumping course due to the sheer number of gates you have blocking off the No, no, no areas.

Your washer is constantly going.

Your sink is always full of dishes.

You have to think about the last time you showered.

You have a toothbrush and toothpaste in your desk at work since you rarely get to brush your teeth before getting there.

You can smell a poopy diaper as soon as you enter the room.

You still think its funny when your child rolls over in his sleep, farts and goes back to sleep.

Random people are always getting called/hung up on since your phone is routinely stolen.

Nursing Mom's will recognize this one- its fun to play peek a boo with his milk source.

You have seriously considered putting a helmet on your child.

The dog stakes a spot right next to the high chair at every meal since he knows he will be well fed.

Exhaustion is your new normal. When you have a chance to get some sleep your body no longer knows how to.

You've cleaned poop out of the tub.

You've been vomited on.

You wouldn't change a darn thing even if you could.

But please someone tell me where my damn keys are!

When Push Comes to Shove

Marriage is one of those things that is in a constant state of change. Just as you think things are working - something shifts and the dynamic changes.

One of the constants in my marriage is I am the fixer. I have to come up with the sloutions to make things work. Its really not a role I enjoy.

Mainly because it makes me seem like a massive Grade A bitch.

In order for things to remain in some sort of balance I have to make sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to.

I plan the meals, get myself and Jellybean ready and off to day care and work, cook the meals, pay the bills, manage all the paperwork and do the majority of the housework.

I am also the one that has to figure out how to fix things when the finances go to pot.

Like after your husband is unemployed for over two months and you are behind on the mortgage. And your credit cards are maxed out. Then your son gets C-diff and you miss work unpaid.

To top it off someone strays off the path they were on that you had invested so much of yourself in AND becomes a lazy ASS not moving off the couch all week or doing anything to help you.

You can imagine what a great mood that put me in.

I was so pissed off and bitching so much this weekend that I was tired of hearing myself speak. I can only imagine how Joey felt. Wait scratch that. I know how he felt. Pretty sure he told me to just shut up quite a few times.

I couldn't though. When I'm mad - I need to get it out. Then some more and I might think of something else which I also need to say.

After three days - I finally ran out.

Then I set out to fix things. Because its what I do. Its how I stay sane.

I requested a 401K loan so I can get us current on the mortgage. I found two possibilities for Jellybean's daycare that are less expensove then his current place. One I also prefer because I feel he may get more out of then he is now. I've been dissatisfied with his day care for a bit now and its time to make a change.

I gathered all the tax return stuff and have it in a pile for Joey to take care of. That is his responsibility this year because he would like to get someone else to do them for us. I'm fine with that but its something he need sto spearhead.

I have a plan in place but I also have options if this doesn't work.

I also realized that my way of fighting might make me feel better but it doesn't resolve anything. The more I bitch, moan, whine and poke at Joey the more he retreats. By the end he has tuned me out and we both are miserable.

Tonight though we've hit a truce. He's on the couch eating banana pudding and channel surfing while I blog away.

We made it through any other day and that's an achievement when it comes to marriage.

The Week from Hell

So I posted over the weekend about our house getting taken down by C diff.

Sunday night – Jellybean would not sleep. He’d doze off for a second and then be back up screaming.

We went on walks. We nursed. We rocked. Finally at 4 am I got the bright idea to give him a bath. So he pooped a little bit in the tub. Bingo – baby boy was constipated! All the meds had backed him up. I massaged his tummy and gave him a suppository.

He finished off his dirty work and fell asleep fast and hard.

I woke up two hours later and packed him off to day care letting them know he may sleep all day. They had me come pick him back up and take him home around 1:30. Apparently, my Jellybean has the same side effects from insomnia as I do – diarrhea. (TMI? Sorry!) But because he has just had C diff he got the boot. And couldn’t return until he was given the all clear from his doctor. Who couldn’t see him until 10am the next day.

 

So we went home. Where he was fine.

And I was missing work - unpaid.

We played and went to bed early since we were all exhausted.

Not good news at the doctor’s at all. Even though he was obviously the picture of health - (The doctor and I agreed on this as Jellybean ran around the room shrieking) They couldn’t send him back until we did another stool sample that came back negative.

So we went back home.

Where I was missing work – unpaid.

I waited on a poopy diaper to take to the lab. I showed up with said diaper and was told they needed two vials worth. And that results could take a week because they DON’T do Stat orders on stool cultures. I grabbed those lab orders right back out of the lady’s hand and marched over to the hospital lab. Where they handed me my containers and pointed me towards the bathroom so I could transfer the Jellybean’s goods into it. In and out in 20 minutes with results promised the next day.

Then we went back home. Where I was missing work – unpaid.

Jellybean was trying to be helpful though.

He makes a pretty good laundry assistant.

Not bad at snuggling for movies either.

So we slept in yesterday – since you know, I was missing work – unpaid.

Then we went to the park for a little bit. I cleaned the house. Jellybean made a mess of it.

We played peek a boo with the curtains in the living room.

I put all the laundry away. (Except the three bags of puky laundry on the back porch that I still haven’t taken to the laundrymat) I ran out of laundry detergent.

I took Jellybean on a 3 mile walk where he finally passed out for a nap.

And I kept calling the pediatrician and the lab on those darn results.

When Joey walked in the door at 5:30 I handed him the Jellybean and bolted out the door. I needed a mental break for a minute. 8 full days- non stop with a 13 month old do something funny to your brain.

While I was out I finally got the call- we were C diff negative! Woo Hoo – back to work and back to day care for us!

Where I will be getting paid!

During the past week I’ve learned that I love my child but he is EXHAUSTING. That there is such a thing as too much time together. I also figured out that I need to find a new daycare arrangement that doesn’t lead me to miss so much time at work. I may have found one – that is even more affordable then the current. I need to go interview tomorrow and we will see from there.

I think I have also found a way to make some extra money to get us back on our feet. It means working for a few hours in the evenings once Jellybean is in bed but if it lets us get ahead again financially then its well worth a little less sleep. Hopefully life is now settling down again and I can get back to hanging with all of you!

I think I earned my merit badge!

I should have known something wasn't right when Jellybean didn't want to eat his dinner Tuesday night. I mean the child lives to eat.

Thought nothing of it and we managed to get a little mac and cheese in him later.

Then it was time for bed.

I'm nursing him and Joey is laying with us too.

He's restless. Keeps popping off.

Then he sits up.

And projectile vomits ALL over me. (Hence the title - pretty sure that equals a mommy merit badge!)

Hubby turns into a deer in headlights as he keep puking on me.

Finally I get both of us in the shower to get cleaned up.

He seems okay.

Until he pukes all over me and the bed again a half hour later.

And keeps puking.

It was off to the emergency room.

We got there at 10:30pm.

Didn't see a doctor until 1am.

IV fluids and zofran.

Just as we're about to get discharged at 4:22am - he has an episode of diarrhea and spikes a fever of 103.

Motrin and a stoll sample culture check.

They decide to discharge him anyway and send us home.

After filling his prescription I finally crawl into bed around 6am and get 4 precious hours of sleep.

Then the ER calls to tell me his stool tested positive for C. diff.

Its off to the other pharmacy to get his antibiotic filled and we start compulsive handwashing.

Too late.

It hit me and the hubby yesterday.

I vomited like I was on the Exorcist - TMI? Sorry!

A call to my parents so they could come watch Jellybean and hubby and I were off to the ER ourselves.

It makes for a really quick ER visit when you already know whats wrong with you!

I think we're all starting to feel a little better. I've held down some soup, crackers and ginger ale. Jellybean is pretty much back to himself except for a nasty diaper rash thanks to all the poopy diapers he's had.

We will all be back to work and day care on Monday.

So how was your week?