These Days

These days, we're trying to keep things as normal as possible even though J is home recovering from his surgery. C has adjusted fairly well to the fact that he can't pick her up and doesn't come upstairs for bedtime.

While we're relatively housebound these days, we decided to give underwear a try... 

She has been doing #2 on the potty since March but has no interest in doing #1 there. I thought underwear might help since she has no problem doing it in a diaper. So far we haven't made it to the potty in time, but she realizes right away that she's making a mess. Baby steps. We're taking lots of baby steps these days.

Our outside time these days is spent on the front steps with chalk and bubbles instead of running around the playground with other kids...

Fortunately, C is quite the artist and doesn't complain about this at all. Yesterday she told me she wanted to make a sun. And she did. It's the first time she has drawn an actual thing. Since you can't save sidewalk chalk and post it on the refrigerator, I snapped a phone picture. She's growing so fast these days.

These days spent at home, all of us often in one room together for most of the day, I've seen such a sweet and loving side of our baby...

Not that she isn't always sweet and loving, because she really is. But watching her take care of daddy has been just heart-melting. She snuggles with him, she helps me bring him his "mice" (ice packs), and frequently checks on his boo-boos. 

Today she felt that she needed some "mice" on her belly too, just like daddy. Her "mice" is actually a harp seal, but who's counting?

And who can resist a cute picture of a baby and her dog? Our poor dog. If he didn't drop in the rankings enough once C was born, he is certainly taking the back burner now that I have both a toddler and a recovering husband to take care of. His basic needs are met, don't worry. I'm just saying it doesn't go far beyond that these days. He is lucky to have C, though. She loves to sit down with him and pet and talk to him. If we didn't watch so closely she would totally share her snacks too, but we can't let that happen. They are buddies for sure.

Yep. These days not a lot is getting done beyond survival. I'm thoroughly exhausted for a variety of reasons, and as a result we're functioning on the bare necessities. Toys remain strewn around from day to day. Laundry sits on the couch, some folded some unfolded. I'll get to it. There's dust. There are crumbs on the floor. I've accidentally kicked a handful of things that went under the couch and they remain there. I didn't clean my bathroom this week. The truth is, these days, if I have time to do that stuff I really just need to rest up for whatever is coming at me next. It is tiring, but we truly are enjoying some extra time together as a family without stressing out about work and house chores. I think in the long run we will look back on these days and be glad for them.

Still here

Yes. I am still here on this end. And miraculously you are still here on your end. Wow. And thank you :)

I am still here, though at times barely. As you've noticed there's not much time for blogging. There is a lot going on in our house. When I posted last I was preparing for 3 back-to-back weekends of baby & wedding showers. I made it through the first two, but got sick the Friday before the third one. That was of course the wedding shower for my sister-in-law which I was helping to throw, and definitely the one I was most looking forward to. We had even rescheduled J's surgery (more on that in a second) so that he would be able to stay home with C while I went to the bachelorette party over night. Instead I spent the weekend in bed/the bathroom. No fun at all.

The Monday immediately following that weekend, as in I was barely back on my feet, J had surgery to repair not 1, not 2, but 3 hernias. Ouch. We spent all day Monday, from 6 am - 6pm at the hospital between surgery and recovery. It was a long day. It has been just over a week since then and I have been doing my best to take care of him ever since. He is very limited in what he can do, though he is always one to push himself. He basically has a c-section incision across his lower abdomen, and another that runs from above his belly button, around his belly button and almost down to the other incision. Basically his whole abdomen was cut open.

Between an almost helpless husband and a busy toddler you see how there's just not much time to sit down and compose blog posts. Besides, would you really want updates on post-surgical care? Probably not. He had his follow up appointment with the dr. yesterday and will be home from work for 2 more weeks (this week and next). C and I love having him here, even if he mostly has to rest on the couch.

So that's most of what has been going on. There is more that I will talk about another day. Meanwhile, J should be feeling better and better every day so hopefully we'll be able to get him out of the house for a little fun before he has to go back to work. I'll try to do some more smaller posts focused on C and what's she's doing because she's always doing something cute :)

Just remember, I might not be posting every day, but I'm still here.

Crazytown

So it's been a little while. I'll catch you up quickly... C recovered from her cold in about 2 days, when I promptly came down with it. I suffered for 4 days with it, spent a few days in feeling-better-recovery, and then my sister had a baby! Crazytown.

I've also been doing a bunch of photo shoots recently, and have several more scheduled over the next couple of weeks and months (yay!). Additionally I am working with a handful of other girls to plan/throw a bridal shower and bachelorette party for J's sister who is getting married in October. My next three Saturdays consist of 2 baby showers and a wedding shower (the one I'm helping to throw). Things have just been hectic. I need a hair cut like whoa, I just have a hard time justifying spending money on myself with so much other stuff going on. There are no adverse effects to my hair growing out other than the fact that I can once again fit it up in a small knot(!!). I'll do a before & after when it finally gets cut... one day.

In the mean time, how about some recent [if random] photos?