Slightly better!

Well - BabyT is on the road to recovering from his cold!  And he's eating again! YAY!  So now, that's two out of two children that don't eat when they're sick.  At least it's a good warning sign of impending doom!

 

BabyT has also learned to pull up VERY WELL and does it all the time.  He's really bad at the balancing though, so I think walking is still a ways off, sadly (I can't wait for him to walk as he is SO HEAVY!)...

 

Son is excited about going to Disney World next week for our vacation EXTRAVAGANZA!  It will be a blast, or at least it'd better be!

 

Today is day 3 of pool building! I will post pictures shortly, but it's going to be fabulous in about 4 weeks!  We cannot WAIT!!!!!!

 

Also, the big news is still underwraps, but I should be all finished w/the details in about 2 more weeks - stay tuned!  We've already had 1 lucky guesser!!  *wink wink!

dang it...

babyT just gagged AGAIN and threw up all over me and the chair. Lovely. To the relative that said they got their colds from the cooler nights, rather than the kids that had a cold that played w/my kids, I say "i don't think so".

So, as anal as I was about letting my kids play with other kids who simply have colds (because their parents think it's no big deal to share those germs) I am going to be MORE ANAL now - because I've been cleaning up vomit at least once a day since tuesday ( a couple of days TWICE ) - BabyT gets up now TWICE at night - once for meds and once to eat AND he's barely eating during the day because the cold makes him not hungry. I will throw a fit if someone brings kids w/a cold over to my house now. Or lets us come over w/out proper warning. Or they will be getting a phone call every damn time I have to get up in the middle of the night w/the baby because of them.

(yes, the lack of sleep is making me cranky, why do you ask?)

Traffic Mess...

So - there is a hidden exit from the airport that exits on to the main road by my house. The speed limit on this main road is 55 mph, but people regularly go much faster than this on that road. It seems that everyone cutting thru the airport wants to head west on the main road, which is a left turn out of the aiport.

This means they must make a left turn across 2 lanes of traffic headed east bound, plus the lane turning into the airport, plus the lane for east bound people to turn left also at that intersection. Also, there are usually a ton of cars already on the main road, headed west bound. AND a good number of THEM turning left INTO the airport as well. So at this intersection, the people exiting the airport to head west bound must yield to both the people headed east and west on the big road (2 lanes EACH) but the west-bound people wishing to turn left into the airport.

Well, this traffic setup, especially at rush hour, causes a great backup of people coming out of the airport, waiting to turn left. And they get really impatient. Many times, as we are headed east or west bound on that road, we've almost T-boned people darting recklessly across as they feel they've already waited long enough - not realizing I'm sure the exact impact a large SUV like mine will have on their car if I can't stop in time.

This airport exit is so dangerous, even when we are exiting the aiport to come home, we take a longer route to avoid it - we've seen NUMEROUS accidents there. And they are always VERY SERIOUS.

So yesterday I have to pick up Sarah from the airport to return to my house to get her car. We exit the airport via the long route to avoid that intersection. As we are west bound on the main road, traffic comes to a standstill. Hmmm.

Eventually, traffic brings us to a County Sheriff directing traffic into an office park. Everyone seems to be blindly following her direction.

I stop and roll down my window "excuse me! We can't detour into there - there's NO OUTLET! IT IS NOT A DTEOUR, JUST AN OFFICE PARK WITH NO OTHER EXIT! Also - i live on this main road! I cannot turn around, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO MY HOUSE"

She just tells me to go into the office park, seeming irritated that I question her authority. I reiterate that THERE IS NO OTHER WAY HOME, AND HAVING EVERYONE PULL INTO THE LOT IS DUMB. I just wanted to wait in line for the road to re-open, but apparently that was not allowed either. (NOTE that in December, the police routed us into an office park for an accident as well. Then they reopened the road w/out letting the office park people out first - well, the people that had to sit west bound (which got there after the office park filled up) wouldn't let us out, because they were so impatient. That evening, it took me 2 and 1/2 hours to go the 1/2 mile to my house from that office park. I hate the sheriff's department assinine traffic rules - why couldn't WE wait on the main road? Why fill up the office park first? There are WAY more cars than would ever fit into that office park, so it's not like they had a hope of clearing the road)...

So I turn around and head back to the airport, thinking maybe if I take that bad exit, it'll bring me back out onto the main road at a point after the accident. Nope - that is where the accident is. ( the road ends up being shut down for an hour and a 1/2! They had to bring in a helicopter) Not that I want anyone to be hurt, but I can only hope the people that are seriously hurt are the ones that caused the accident, not the people that were just driving along when they darted out. It seems to me, the ones darting out would be more hurt, as they usually get Tboned.

Anyways - we can't get out that way - as all EIGHT LANES (4 travel and 4 turn lanes) are blocked by firetrucks and ambulances. So I turn around AGAIN and go back into the airport to the exit for the Greenway (a $3 per trip) road to get home. To go the FOUR MILES to my house took us over an hour. Because the County won't put a stoplight there. There need to be 3 DEATHS/serious incidents at an intersection before they're required. BUT the accident has to be offically reported, and emergency personnel are not required to report them, so they usually don't get reported. Someone has to take the time to call and report and no one ever does. Peronally, I've seen the remnants of way more than 3 serious accidents there, but no light yet.

Lovely...

BabyT slept better last night!!!  YAY!

 

He went to be at 9 pm.  Up at 10:30, 11:30 and 1a.m.  Slept until 5:15, had a bottle, then promptly gagged on the snot in his throat and threw up all over his crib.  LOVELY.  But, then he did sleep until 7:45 a.m.!

oh...my...god...

i am SO TIRED.  We went to a birthday party Sunday and Tuesday evening (exactly the incubation time) both boys are behaving oddly.  Tuesday night, each boy got up TWICE.  Wednesday morning we realize they've both come down with colds (thanks other birthday party attendees - you owe me about 19 hours of sleep by now).

 

So last night, BabyT slept from 9 - 11:30.  12:30 - 2:30.  3 - 4.  4:20 - 4:35.  He was asleep (FINALLY) when I left the house at 6...so we'll see.

 

Son slept...ALL NIGHT  (remember, he's 4 and 1/2).

 

So all the people that say they should build up their immune systems while they're really young can KISS MY ASS.  Having a sick baby is annoying and painful for all involved.  Yes, they'll get sick less often when in Kindergarten - but if they wait until Kindergarten to get the sickies, THEY DON'T KEEP YOU UP ALL NIGHT.  So who's the dumb one?  The idiots telling me it's GOOD & HEALTHY to expose the baby to germs.  SHUT UP.

Morning Annoyance...

Ok... Often, I have reason to stop and get gas on the way to work.  This gas station is the nearest one to Dulles Airport.  AND there are 2 types of people that MAKE ME CRAZY  often there...

 

Type 1: don't know what side gas tank is on!  HELLO?  How hard is this?  EVEN IF it's a rental, they put a triangle on the gas gauge POINTING at the side of the car the tank is on.  It kills me when I see people trying to fill up w/the tank on the far side the car w/the pump hose stretched way over the trunk.  Often, they have to get back in the car and drive to another pump, which, being a very busy gas station, drives everyone crazy.

 

Type 2: People that leave their car at the pump and go into the store.  I'm not talking about people going in WHILE the car fills.  I'm talking about people that fill the car, then unhook the pump and F-ing go shopping.  MOVE YOUR DAMN CAR.  Like I said, this is a crazy busy airport, and very often, I'm waiting for a pump, when there are 3 or 4 unattended cars NOT BEING FILLED taking up spaces.  And if you have to prepay because you use cash, DON'T.  This is a huge waste of time for everyone - and don't lie to me and tell me you don't have an ATM card or a credit card.

 

Anyways, these people bug me, so if you could please pass the word along so that portion of the world's population will start behaving like intelligent beings, I'd appreciate it!

Nothing new to report right now...

work is HECTIC - getting ready for our first production release of the software. Which is exciting, but exhuasting!

 

BabyT is refusing baby foods.  So we're going to start trying more people foods tonight - we'll see what happens!

 

We are also getting ready for our big yearly DisneyWorld Trip in 2 weeks!  And BOY, doesn't THAT sound like a lot of work!!!! ;-)

 

I'm so glad they caught that crazy guy down at VA Tech yesterday - I can't imagine how I'd feel if my kids were down there (which they will be someday) and this nut was on the loose. 

 

Back to coding for me!

Virginia Tech...

Anyone keeping an eye on the drama going on down there???  I cannot believe my ears!

Recover from the vacation!

Gosh, it has been almost a week and I'm still not recovered from my "vacation" (which was wonderful, but took SO MUCH ENERGY). Laundry is 1/2 done, house is a mess(this is also the month my cleaning lady decides to take off the whole month!). We've eaten out or eaten junk most of the nights this week.

I've been so busy - it seems like BabyT might be on the road to sleeping well again - the vacation and the teething took quite a toll! I think he's cutting his 4 top teeth all at once.

Big news coming, I promise!

stay tuned...

some very big developments abound...

Tuesday Morning!

BabyT is about to get at least 2 top teeth (maybe 4)...which I HOPE explains the complete and utter lack of sleeping going on around our house.  PLEASE let it be the explaination, not that he forgot how.  ALSO he is now REFUSING baby foods.  Lips locked tight.  Only real people foods will get an open mouth, but there are like 3 things he can eat with NO TEETH.  Suggestions? Between being tired and him not eating, I'm going a little stir-crazy!

We're back!

Phew! After yesterday's 7 hour drive, we're back! THEN BabyT threw up his dinner. THEN BabyT exploded a diaper all over the walker (which he also did on vacation, btw).

There are 2 ways to slant the vacation --> how much fun we had (and we DID!) and how much god-awful-lot of work it was...

Fun:
- swimming out in the deeper ocean with Son. I would carry him out to 5 1/2 feet or so and we'd swim around together.
- watching the kids enjoy their extended family
- going to the Pavillion and watching Son ride the water ride (a big person ride) AND LOVE it
- taking Son to play Mini-golf
- watching BabyT in the sand! SAND!
- getting a few relaxing rays of sun (like 2 seconds worth)

Hard Work:
- carrying 42 pd son out into the wavy ocean trying not to get dunked!
- BabyT not sleeping well at all
- keeping BabyT off the gross floor at the beachhouse
- occupying babyT w/out the usual array of "baby stations" (ie. exersaucer, living room basket, activity center, etc)
- trying to feed both kids at once while everyone else is also trying to get breakfast
- BabyT throwing up a couple of times (reflux)

BUT it was a blast and I wouldn't change a thing (ok, maybe I'd trade the throwing up for some chocolate or something!)

Still alive...

Just because someone sleeps thru the night at home is no guarantee that they'll do so on vacation!

 

For instance, last night we had a 1 a.m. bottle wakeup call, a 3 am nightmare, a 5 am wet diaper leak and a 6:15 am wake up for the day!

 

BUT even without sleeping for a whole week, we're loving the beach - Son and BabyT!  You should see BabyT CRAWL AROUND IN THE SAND...it's so cute (as long as he's not eating it, ew gross!)

Prepare yourselves...

Our yearly trip is here - Myrtle Beach here we come. Thinking we might have too much to fit in our car (a Yukon XL) hubby bought a tailgate rack.

Thinking we STILL have too much to fit in the car, I've cut out a whole large suitcase and box of stuff. We'll see. My mom is bringing herself (which takes up a seat) and a very large suitcase (funny, the clothes for ALL FOUR OF US, plus some towels fit into a large suitcase also, but whatever).

Wish us luck packing!

So far we have:
2 large suitcases (ours + mom's)
1 box towels/sheets
1 pack&play
1 backpack carrier
2 sunshades for on the beach
1 baby portable highchair
5 people!
1 golf clubs & bag
1 small clothes basket of shoes
1 toiletries bag
1 box misc (sunscreen, TIDE, baby oatmeal)

We'll see!

ALSO! Congrats to JENN on having her twins! YAY JENN and I can't wait for pics of those cuties!

Happy Birthday TO ME!

Today is my birthday! I'm 33! So far, it's great!

Hubby & Sons got me an IPOD!
Mother-in-law got me Cheryl&Co birthday cookies!
Hubby's Dad and L got me earrings!
Work group got me an ice-cream brownie!
My Mom gave me spending money for OUR VACATION NEXT WEEK! YAHOO! MYRTLE BEACH, HERE WE COME!

And BabyT gave me the best present ever - 2 full nights of sleep!YAY for small miracles!

Check out FLICKR!

This weekend, in PA, a bat decided to sleep on one of the entrance gargoyle's at Aunt L's house!  It's very cool!  I will upload a bigger version of the pic later or send me an email and I'll send u a link to a bigger one!

Did I commit a faux pas?

I was at a specialty shop yesterday acquiring hubby's birthday present. 

 

As the cashier was ringing me up (SLOWLY!) I notice a newspaper on the counter.  It was set so the guy in the line to my right could read it, so I cocked my head a bit so I could just take a peek at the headlines.  A few seconds later, the guy notices I'm (GASP!) reading his newspaper (remember, just with my eyes, I wasn't going to touch someone else's paper!) and jerks it away so I can't see it.

Seriously? What is his problem?  It's not like the paper can only be read once then the words go away or something...who cares if I was *looking* at it.  What an ass.