The last monday in June

I know it has been a dog's age since I have posted...
Sometimes keeping up with this here Gin-Soaked Olive is all I want to do and when it isn't caught up, I get tense and then I think, if I could only get back to writing I would feel better, but then there are so many things that NEED to get done, that it seems selfish and silly to not do the things you should do and so you avoid spending precious time doing the thing that you WANT to do... and then when you can't do the things you need to OR the things you want to, you start to punish yourself further by imagining some large scale strategy for re-creating the stories that you have failed to post in the time you've been away...

Maybe it's just me that does all this.

Anyway, Since I've written last, these are the things I want to catch you up on:
- Josh (Katy's brother) and Linda's wedding
- Our trip to Seattle and Portland (for the wedding)
- Summer fun at the Ta-BAR pool
- Status update on the new day care
- JB's first trip to the ER and stitches
- My birthday

All in good time.

It has been an interesting few weeks (if you can't tell from that list). It has also been a HOT summer so far. We are without central air for the first time in 5 years and trust me when I tell you, we have gotten weak. I swear that JB was sweating himself awake and then hallucinating because of the weather. ML gets really red when he is hot and it looks like he has a sunburn on his face, but when you bring his body temperature down, he color returns to normal.

So just because my eyes are burning too much (fatigue and I think from all the sweat that has run into them in the last few days) I am just going to give you the highlights from today:

2010 - the last monday in june:

8:01 AM - on my way to work, it is already 85 degrees F. Katy and I have agreed that she needs to spend part of her day off bringing the boys to their doctor b/c JB needs his last stitch that hasn't disolved out of his face yet to be removed (it's been 12 days); and ML seems like he has another ear infection: slight temp, tugging at ear, tell-tale cough.

8:03 - i realize I forgot my sunglasses and go home to retrieve them

8:10 - I've made it to the highway; I look at the dash, the temp is up to 87

8:36 - at work, check voicemail: that girl we need to fire if she calls out one more time, she's called out. Check email: very angry and obnoxious email from clinician/employee

9am - text from katy: the boys have an appointment at 10 am

10 am - Meeting

11 am - call from Katy: ML does have an ear infection- his second in 6 weeks

11:30 - another email from disgruntled clinician

1:30 - meeting

2:30 - another meeting

3:30 - 3rd email from (this time) an IRATE clinician who has apparently "nothing to lose." [The bitches I work with have no problem spewing out emotional emails to the very people that sign their checks -it never ceases to amaze me... Oh, and also, being a manager in this economy is fun. Everyone assumes you are stupid and out to get them before imagining there might have been a worse option on the table that you rejected to protect them... and keep the company doors open.]

3:40- insanely awesome 15 minute downpour

4:49 - abandonment of attempted email responses to irate/disgruntled/obnoxious clinicians

5:01 - in car; temp 92 degrees

5:40pm - arrive home. ML hasn't really slept all day. Has had 2 doses of antibiotics and looks like a kid that someone left in the sun all day without sunscreen; JB tells me he "laid on the table and let Dr K take my stiches out with no fuss or moving." excellent job, baby!

6:10 I give ML a bath

6:17 I dress ML in the cutest short-pants PJs

6:20 Katy and I give ML some motrin

6:22 I give ML a bottle

6:26 ML gives me a dubious burp

6:27 ML projectile vomits all over my shirt and the family room; into my purse, splatter on the wall and the TV table

6:30 Katy comes to get ML so that I can clean up a little and get him back in the tub; i strip down to my lady skivies

6:33 I go to get ML in time to see him projectile vomit all over Katy and the upstairs bathroom; I undress him and take him in the shower with me... he falls asleep in the shower. I dress him and hold him in the glider for nearly an hour to calm both him and me. He is coughing, twitchy, and looks so tall to me, but so tiny at the same time. I meditate on all the scary times we've had with him- worrying about his health, even though for the most part he is so healthy. I do some reiki on him. I do this "forgiveness" meditation that I learned in grad school that is mostly about forgiving yourself for not being perfect. I take time taking him in and feeling the heat rise off of his body- it is 86 degrees in the room, and he has cool cheeks and forehead, but a very warm torso and noggin'. He is the sweetest kid and I can't imagine how I would handle it if something were ever seriously wrong with him, this little illness almost seems too much to bare. I like just sitting there with him, alone together while JB gets to watch another episode of Handy Manny with his mama.

7:45 I head to the store to buy air conditioners. Katy and I have toyed with the idea of installing central air, but don't know if we can really afford it this year. We haven't purchased any AC units b/c i hate window units (they block the windows ALL summer, and can ruin the windows); and b/c we think, "summers in New England" are not all that hot... just a few weeks total all summer long... and b/c we are each still holding on to the dream that one of us will produce a compelling enough argument to "bite the bullet" and hire the HVAC guy to fill our house with ducts carrying magic/cool air. June is not over and this is at least our 7th night of >80 temps at night. I speed off to keep my sweet wife and my baby boys protected from the crankiness that comes with narrowly avoiding heat stroke on a daily basis.

10pm I finish installing an AC in the boys room and an AC in our room.

10:30 I toy with my iphone for a while- the new itunes upgrade is cool and allows for me to have a little fun grouping apps into "folders"

10:48 I skip a rational bedtime and ignore the burning in my eyes to write this down for all of you.

Soon: I go to bed.

It's what's for dinner

Our Growing Bean

This shot is from about a month ago... we are behind on belly shots for you Internet lurkers, but KT is growing. The boy bean is kicking and squirming and I can feel him "bump" now. His Mama is getting used to it, but still not quite "comfortable" with all of this internal movement. She is having some rib pain, some round ligament pain, and some GI symptoms (occasional nausea, constipation, and frequent heartburn). Other than that, she feels good and is eating well. JB knows the "baby" or "brother" is in there, but today he pointed to my right tittie and said, "brother," so it might not be all that clear in his mind what-the-cluck we are trying to say to him...

It is starting to get real for the mommies. I realized today that we are four months away, and I was like, "hmmm... okay... yikes!!!" We are trying to start to get serious about moving and lowered the asking price on our estate. Please people, just make us an offer... we're starting to panic over here and the "timeline" just got all up in katy's grill ribcage...

At the womb whisperer's request...

A lot of f%&#ing batshittery has happened in the last 7 days...

We have not posted b/c we have been trying to keep our heads above water. It's nothing earth shattering or devastating- if you sprint back 30 yards and look at it from a slight distance.

I have a lot to say about some of it, but here's the bulleted quick-notes version:

Monday: just another manic monday

Tuesday: IBO has her baby, 2 days shy of 26 weeks

Wednesday: I fly to St. Louis, spend 5 hours in airports and planes and 4+ hours in a minivan on Missouri highways accompanied by a quorum of geeks and rednecks; meanwhile at home, Katy gets a call from day care that JB is projectile vomiting

Thursday: I work a 14 hour day, including a 4 hour drive on MO highways, and lose my cell phone somewhere in St. Louis... JB has stopped puking.

Friday: I take a "nonstop" flight home that has me breathing air in 4 cities, and experiencing 3 take offs and 3 landings in 5 hours... (Feeling naked without my cell and wondering the entire time if I will ever see that totally-unimpressive-to-begin-with cell phone again.) Katy is called by day care in the late morning b/c even though JB spent all of Thursday without any vomiting and seemingly healthy, he is now squirting liquid out the other end. Katy is told that she needs to pick him up before his dysentery-esque symptoms spread to any of the other rug rats and a diarrhea-thon commences. I get home at about 3pm and experience the glorious surprise of having my family home waiting for me. Katy is sweet and JB is asleep. It might have been a kinky lazy afternoon if I didn't have to do a few hours of cell phone recon. Oh well...

Today, I got a new cell phone... oh, it's an iphone... And IBO's baby is hanging tough, impressing his medical team and so far, beating all odds!

Oh, I got her pregnant

K: (In a thrilled, tremulous voice) Oh my god the most amazing thing happened to me today!
T: (eagerly) oh yeah? Do tell...
K: I was eating my peanut butter and banana for breakfast, and there was a chocolate chip in the peanut butter and i didn't even know that it was in there until it was in my mouth.
T: (staring lovingly)
K: it was hidden in the middle of the peanut butter, and then it was just magically in my mouth.
T and K: (laughter)

This is the second trimester for Katy... After months of puking and gagging, she recently said to me, "Food has never tasted this good." To which I replied, "Welcome to my entire life." It was a little magical moment like when Willy Wonka opens the doors to his chocolate factory to poor, underfed Charlie and shows him the chocolate river and the production capacity of an oompa loompa workforce.

Last night she sat on the couch spooning chocolate chips directly into the chunky peanut butter jar and then dipping a tablespoon in to bring both delicacies into her mouth, and today, she found a leftover nugget.

Moving on to bigger news...

We had the ultrasound. If you know us on facebook (or in real life) this is old news, but to all GSO fans, the baby she is growing is looking good. The brains and heart, the bones and bladder and liver and circulation all are awesome. Measuring just a little bit bigger than dates, all looks great. (Including the dangly bit that makes him a BOY!) We are thrilled. Of course we would be thrilled if he had been a she, but since the news came to us last Thursday, we have been reviewing the top 3 reasons this is perfect for us:
1) We love the name we had for a boy and we don't have one for a girl (no, we're not telling)
2) Seriously, siblings born in the same month of the year, it would be heartbreaking not to be able to use all those adorable hand-me-downs.
3) Our sweet little JB is a pensive thinker, surrounded by loving women and only a handful of men... a brother to protect and who will also watch out for him seems to be the perfect set up!

Katy is 20 weeks tomorrow. Half way through the pregnancy. He's kicking and moving and she's got the cutest little bump. (pics to follow.)

I don't know what he ate but...

Worst diaper change to date... ever.
Gross and gross.

I'm afraid I'm going to have nightmares about it.

Constipated

JB has been constipated.

Because (apparently) he takes after me, "constipated" translates to "only going 1 tiny marble-turd every day or so." Unfortunately for him, he can't drink coffee or enjoy a meal of take out Chinese before "perusing" a book-store.

Today at various times, he pushed and pushed to the point of watering, red eyes, and turning purple-ish in the face. It is very cute but a little sad to hear him grunting, and then that one time- a brief onset of tears. I read this on dooce about men in their public domain, and now I giggle every time he makes too much noise. On the one hand, it's not fair: the rest of us get a private space to do our business and not with a team of guardians and grandparents watching, giggling, and clapping in the living room. On the other hand, I'm in the opposite situation of the gent that guest-posted for dooce: when my kid is just behaving (apparently) like the rest of his gender I'm going to be all like, "uuuuuggghhhhha, you are being disgusting, please keep it down..."

Poor little dude. I hope he feels a little better soon.