Keeping Busy

For not having any plans originally, this weekend has been pretty busy.

I have a long list of errands to run mostly involving preparing for Noah's birthday. When I headed out on Friday, it was overcast, but not terrible. I made it to two stores and after realizing that the down pour wasn't likely to be letting up any time soon, I ended up heading home. That was of course after spending about 30 minutes in the car in the Hobby Lobby parking lot waiting for the rain to let up so I could feel safer driving. Noah was very patient and decided to take a nap. Friday night was game night with my sister-in-law Kim and her sister made for a late but enjoyable evening.

Saturday, I set out again in the morning. No sign of rain so that was good. I didn't make it far. A stop for gas and one store later, I got a text from Kim about going swimming. We had talked about it the night before so I wrapped it up with what I was doing and headed back home. Sadly, right as I was getting to the pool the lifeguards were kicking everyone out because they heard thunder. We tried back about 45 minutes later and everything looked promising, so we got Noah all lathered up and got in the pool. The sun even came out. About five minutes after we got in the pool though, thunder was heard again. They ended up closing the pool completely. Sigh. We went back to Kim's house and played a little Wii before Noah decided he was ready for a nap.

I still have errands to run and an empty pantry. We are going to try to go swimming again today. I'm pretty sure the forecast shows the rain going away.

Noah has been standing quite a bit today. He's still unsteady, but he's trying. I've discovered that if I don't try to make him walk or help him practice, he's much more likely to do it on his own. I guess he feels that my assistance is rushing him. Oh well. I'm cool with that. He took a few steps yesterday, the first time he's repeated it since Taran and I got him to take a couple steps a few weeks ago. We'll see if he takes another time out or decides he wants to learn more. In the mean time, his climbing habits are keeping him busy.

Another lonely boring day...

Yep, that's right, it was another lonely boring day. I am kinda stuck between being bored out of my mind and keeping racing around after the baby. Despite the ear infection, he's not feeling too bad and continues to get into everything he shouldn't. Although, in all likelihood, he's feeling much better.

We managed to get in with the ENT a day early and he informed me that Noah is going to have to get tubes in his ears to help with the chronic issue. He explained that the tubes will basically allow the fluid that collects in his ears to drain out so is doesn't continue causing problems. The thing is, we have to get his infection cleared up. When we went to the ENT, Noah had been on the antibiotics for a week and his ear was still draining. The doc prescribed a new antibiotic and some ear drops and now, about three days later, he seems immensely better. The has been no discharge today and even yesterday, the small amount that was there was dry and flaky. So, with any luck, it'll continue on like this and we'll get a good report at his next visit in about a week.

I'm feeling crazy pressed for time lately. I don't really have a reason to be, but July seems like it's going to be hectic for me. Taran headed out on Tuesday to go to work on a rig in shallow water since all the deep water ones are shut down. He'll be gone for up to two weeks. It could be less. Though that would only be the case if everything continues on perfectly and drilling continues at an optimum rate. That hardly ever happens. If there is one thing I've learned since Taran has been doing this, it is that there is almost always something that is going to shut down drilling, so I'm not keeping my hopes up.

I don't really have plans for this weekend, even though it's a holiday weekend. There is a parade in town this Saturday, but I don't know that I'd enjoy going on my own.  Next weekend, a friend of ours is coming into town. One of the moms in my Smart Mommy group is having a birthday party for her baby that weekend too, so depending on what is going on with our friend being in town, I may or may not be able to make it to that.

At the end of two weeks when Taran returns, we have a baby shower and another birthday party to attend that weekend. One week after that, we are having Noah's first birthday party. And then all of a sudden, we are at the end of the month!

I guess I feel pressed for time because of Noah's party coming up. There is so much to do and plan. I'm determined to keep it low key, but I still want it to be nice. I haven't a clue how many people are going to be able to make it and I want to plan food and favors and a theme. I have ideas floating around my head and it is a matter of making it all come together. I'm probably going to head out shopping this weekend to start collecting things. A lot of my decorations and what-not will depend on what I can find at the stores. Perhaps I'll see if I can recruit someone to keep my company while I shop. I'm feeling lonely since Taran is gone, but it seems that people are only available in the evening... Oh well.

Ear infection strikes again...

Poor baby Noah. As it turns out, he has an ear infection again. It all started last week when he was rubbing at his ears. Since we'd been checking pressures in his ears every three weeks since his last flare up, I figured it was another opportunity to give him his allergy meds. The pediatrician had told me that it could help with inflammation in the eustation tubes. So, allergy meds it was and he seemed to be doing ok. He got them everyday, even when his eyes started watering and nose started draining... uh oh. When the weekend came around, the discharge was green and his temperature started fluctuating up and down. Had to be on the weekend...

Monday I scheduled an appointment to have him seen and we left with a prescription for some antibiotics and instructions to go see an ENT. We got the appointment scheduled with the ENT for this coming Wednesday and not a moment too soon, because he ear started draining like it had the first time around.

Through all of this he's been a champ. A few cranky days and more naps than usual, but otherwise, he's active and playing and actually loves getting his medications. I helps that they flavor them for kiddos.

As for me, I've just been going along with it, not doing much but taking care of the little one. Yoga was skipped all week because he wasn't feeling that great and I didn't want to risk getting pulled out of class because of the draining from his ear. You can pre-emp some things with them, but they still don't believe me that he's a monster spit-up baby and ended up pulling me out of class one day for that, so I'm not even risking this.

Taran's parents came to visit this weekend which is pretty cool. They are staying with his brother which is weird. They had always stayed with us when they visited, but since his brother now lives down here, they feel they have to be fair. It kinda makes me sad. I guess that is how you know you have good in-laws... when you feel kinda jealous they are staying somewhere else. =)

Anyhoo... Just keepin' on keepin' on. Until the next moment strikes me...

More time disappearing

The summer seems to be flying by. Noah has officially reached 11 months. One more and he'll be a year old! I can't believe it. I've been working on several projects lately that have been taking up my time. That combined with the baby and I'm a busy person!

One of my projects is advertising my baby items for sale. I of course have the diaper cakes that I make.

I've also started a few other items that I feel will ad more variety to people wanting baby gifts. The idea is that these offer other options but they run a little cheaper than the diaper cakes.

So, presenting the Baby Buggy (formed with rolled diapers and wrapped in a blanket and wash cloths), the Baby Bouquet (presented in a basket or vase with rolled diapers, wash cloths, and other baby items), and the Candy Dish (made of rolled diapers, wash cloths, and other baby items wrapped to look like candies).

I'm really proud of these and I think they add a bit of variety for gifts or shower decorations. I've compiled a brochure which I'm hoping I can put in a local shop where my mom group meets, but I also figure that I can bring the pamphlets to craft shows with one or two display items so people have the information to order some if they like.

I've also remade my Pet Nutrition Solutions business cards. I'm having difficulty finding someone w/ marketing/advertising/art skill to help me make my logo. I have the concept but no artistic skills so I need help. I really wanted the logo before making the business cards and other promotional items, but I felt I needed updated cards regardless. There is a pet boutique near the shop where my mom group meets. Their sign reads "Pet Nutrition Center." I'm not sure what that means so I want to go in and talk to them about it and if warranted, I can leave my info and gain some business and if nothing else, some exposure. The updated cards list my website so hopefully that will generate traffic as well as people getting an idea of what my philosophy is as well as learn ways I can help them out. I also listed services on the back of the card. I'm unsure about how that will work. Taran tells me that info listed on the back may be missed, but with the nature of the card, it wouldn't have worked.

Noah has been stuffed lately which is no fun. I'm thinking it is just allergies, but it may be related to his ear issues which have been off and on for a while. Thanks to Zyrtec and an aspirator, I think he's feeling a little more comfortable.

With any luck, we'll get to visit my brother today, it's been forever. I just have to get laundry going!

Until next time!

Bah...

Ok, so now all my worrying about getting other kids exposed to chicken pox is complicated by the fact that the other baby that potentially had it actually has Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease which can look like chicken pox. And that disease can still be spread even after symptoms subside! Oy vey! So here I am thinking we'll be ok since Noah's spots are mostly healed up and now I find out that if he has this other thing, maybe not! I'm mildly annoyed because I don't know what is going on. Yes, Noah is doing better and obviously is ok as far as this is concerned, but I was unable to get a hold of a nurse at the pediatrician's office and I'd like to just talk to someone and figure stuff out. In the mean time, I really shouldn't expose him to other kids until I know what is potentially going on and what the risks of infection to others are.

Today is Taran and my second anniversary. We didn't do anything special to celebrate. We did go to Best Buy and pick up some new movies and the first two seasons of The Big Bang Theory. I love that show. So close to home with all the geeks I used to hang out with in college! It just cracks me up.

Aside from running to the bank and doing some chores around the house, it's been a pretty uneventful day. Uneventful is not bad though. I still feel like I could use some more relaxation... Maybe I just need sleep...

So, yeah...

I can't say I have anything in particular to write about, I just didn't want my blog to go for another month without writing and the best way to do that is to write something even if it isn't particularly noteworthy.

The biggest thing that I have to report is that there is the potential that Noah had chicken pox. On Saturday I discovered that one of the other babies in my Smart Mommy Group had chicken pox and it threw me into a panic. I started looking up symptoms and what do you know, they described exactly what has been going on with Noah.

Now, I don't want to be one of those people that reads something on the internet and attributes a disease to it and panics, but I am worried that he potentially spread it to other kids because chicken pox was so far off of my radar I didn't bother to keep him away from anyone after his fever cleared. I have no clue if he caught it from that other baby or if he gave it to her. He has multiple opportunities for exposure so there is really no telling. I'm going to call the pediatrician's office tomorrow and see what they say. Since he's recovered for the most part I'm not expecting them to really do much, but I'd like to know if that is what he had and would like to know if there is a way to tell that it is for sure that.

Other than that, not a whole lot is going on. We went over to Taran's brother's new house and Taran helped them to move in some more of their stuff. I couldn't really do much because I was watching the baby. I felt bad that I was just standing around, but I didn't really have another option.

That's all for now... maybe I'll have more to report tomorrow.

Uh... I am terrible at this blogging thing...

So it's almost been a month since my last blog post and since the baby is up and moving around and getting into things he shouldn't, this is going to be quick.

Here is a rough, read very rough, summary of what has been going on with me:

Taran has been home for a while, though that doesn't mean that he's actually been at home. Right now, life has been like a typical stay-at-home mom/working dad life. Taran has spent some time training then gone in to work at the lab for a couple weeks and then spent more time in training. So, he is gone for the day and Noah and I are home to go about our business.

For the most part that means that I go to yoga in the mornings at the YMCA, with the exception of Wednesday mornings when I meet with my mommy group. We've had a few rough mornings as Noah has continued his tendency to awaken early and not want to go back down.

Developmentally, Noah is continuing on. he is an amazingly fast crawler and manages to get into things before I realize that he's done it. I've caught him putting about everything he can into his mouth such as shoes, books (which he can very effectively and quickly destroy/eat), and even leaves off of my plants. He pulls himself up onto the furniture and will walk along the length of the couch or grab his push toy and walk with that. He is fascinated with anything on a hinge from book pages to doors to the dryer.  He has discovered the cabinets in the kitchen but has not spent much time exploring in there, thank goodness. He also has become quite a climber as seen here:

He also received his first haircut on May 11. We did it at home with the clippers and it went great. He tolerated it so well:

He's continuing to grow, though his fast growth is over and now he's letting the other babies catch up to him so he doesn't appear to be such a mammoth.

I'm attempting to keep my sanity as I chase him around and am barely able to keep up with any of my other interests because how how occupied I am with him. Such is the life of a mom.

I hope my next blog comes sooner from a month from now, but we'll see. 'Til then...