Rays of Sunshine and Gusts of Hurricane Force

To my many faithful followers (insert sarcasm), I apologize for the weeklong hiatus. Hey, I know at least four of you check Jill’s blog on a daily basis. What else are you supposed to do before your morning work meetings begin? Have a cup of coffee, check your personal email, facebook, twitter, linked in and the 2-4 blogs you follow on a fairly regular basis. That’s an enjoyable and less painful way to start the workday in my opinion anyway.

Potty training update: Although we’re not approaching potty training in a high pressure way, we are putting Jill on her potty first thing in the morning and before bath time. I sit to demonstrate; Tony helps Jill with her pajama bottoms; and Rachael strolls in for moral support. Tony says “sit” and Jill sits on her potty and Rachael sits on the bathroom floor. It’s cute, really cute. Twice this week Jill’s diaper has been bone dry and she’s successfully used the potty for a full night’s worth. It stinks but it’s exciting!

A trip to the pediatrician: I wasn’t expecting our next visit to be Jill’s 2 year check-up in early December. I knew we’d be back before then. I just wasn’t expecting it to be Wednesday morning after Jill woke up for the second day in a row with her left eye swollen shut because of a mosquito bite. Bugs love Jill. They attack her and nibble everywhere, including her face. My Mom called me at work Monday to apologize. She said they went in the backyard for a few minutes with Rachael and Jill had been bitten. “It’s ok, Mom,” I told her. “Jill gets bitten all the time.” What I seemed to forget was her intense reaction. Jill is super sensitive to any kind of bite. She’s been to the doctor for this before. We gave her Benadryl Monday and Tuesday night before bed. Wednesday came and we made an appointment for as early as possible – 9:30. Jill and I were the only ones in the waiting room. She seemed thrilled to sit at the magnet table with the sand and car and boat magnets.

The wait wasn’t long. And then she stepped on the scale … 26 lbs.! Dr. Oh, Jill’s regular pediatrician, was out so we saw a different doctor. He’s not my favorite. He told Jill to “use her words” when she got upset during the visit and wanted me to pick her up. I don’t know why, but that saying annoys the crap out of me. Anyways, he didn’t prescribe anything new. He said to give her Benadryl before bed for the next two nights. It’s looking much better now.

From there we drove straight to day care. Jill’s class was out on the playground. We walked around back to the entrance – Jill’s hand firmly in mine – until the gate opened and she was quickly encircled by three friends. “HI JILL!” They came running to hand out hugs. Jill dropped by hand, ran toward the mini monkey bars and didn’t turn back. When did she get so big??

First pimple: Is that another mosquito bite on Jill’s belly? No, that doesn’t look like a bite. It looks like a pimple, honestly. So I asked about said blemish during Wednesday’s appointment. Apply warm, soapy water, he said. OK, doc. You got it. (I’m a pimple popper to the extreme but I knew this could cause infection so I vowed to keep the obsessive picking for yours truly). Then a second pimple popped up on her cheek. It bruised. Great, now she looks like she’s been in the ring. Boxing her way through life with a swollen eye and bruised cheek.

Busy work week: Tony’s company has been working 4 days a week this summer. 10 hour days are tough and long but I think it’s worth it come Friday when he gets to enjoy a 3-day weekend. We’ll come back to that. This Thursday was a big day at work for both of us. Tony gave a tour to House Speaker Robert DeLeo and other state reps. I interviewed for a job in patient advocacy from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Both of our days went well and we celebrated with a few cocktails Thursday night. Friday’s forecast looked amazing – especially ahead of a forecasted hurricane – so I played the vacation day card and stayed home with Tony. (This is the tough part about your spouse working 4 day weeks. You don’t want to go to work.)

Friday: The week ended with a top 5 summer weather day. We went sailing. We soaked up the sunshine. We sat outside by the water and marina for lunch at the Inn at Bay Pointe.

lunch at the Inn at Bay Pointe

We cleaned the house and prepped the yard for the nasty weekend weather. The meteorologists seem to have varying reports of expected rainfall totals and wind speeds. Watch Channel 5 in Boston and you’d be boarding up the front of your house. Channel 7 – usually the more sensational – reported much lower wind gusts. It gave us the confidence to hit the road early Saturday morning for a last minute to Vermont. Here we come, Nana and Auntie Kathleen!

Lately Jill likes: Life cereal, Special K with berries without the berries (not regular Special K, the flakes are different you know), apple sauce, French vanilla yogurt, bananas, red grapes, cottage cheese on wheat toast and pasta. She can’t eat enough pasta!  Also new: using the word NO.  All the time.

Lately she dislikes: strawberries (never a fan), green beans and brushing her teeth.