<$BlogRSDUrl$>
Just Jen
Careful with the pretty things

Sunday, January 30, 2005
It's been a really good weekend. First, we found Ellie a home. A really nice family met with us yesterday, and they loved her. They promised that if for any reason it doesn't work out they'll return her to us so that we can try to place her with a new family. I'm very hopeful that it will work out for my sweet kitty and for them as well. They're supposed to give me a call tomorrow and let me know how she's doing.

Thanks to those of you who passed the email. I need to send an update to everyone.

The house seems bigger with her gone; the people outnumber the animals for the first time. I miss her, but at the same time, my anxiety level has decreased as a result of not having to keep her out of the bassinet, from eating Dexter's food, from playing in the dogs' water bowl, etc. I loved that cat, no matter how crazy she drove me at times. I had her nearly 10 years, but I believe she's going to be much happier being queen of her new home (she'll be the only indoor pet there).

Ryder turned three months old Saturday, and we had his picture taken to document the milestone. The photos turned out really good; he smiled for every shot.

Last night we went to Sarah's birthday bowl and had a good time. My mom kept Ryder, and it was the first time we left him OVER NIGHT. This was a very big deal for me. I think I called her only three times. But we left him OVER NIGHT and he SURVIVED without us. Unbelievable, I know.

So yeah, it was quite the weekend. I can't believe it's over already. Next week's going to be nuts.


Thursday, January 27, 2005
EMAIL:

I need your help in finding a home for my nine-year-old cat Ellie. Her life has changed dramatically over the past year with the addition of a dog and a baby to our household. Unfortunately, she's not adjusting well; she's unhappy and isn't getting the attention she needs and deserves.

After looking into local no-kill shelters and finding them full, we felt we had no option other than to surrender her to the SPCA. The following day, I was back to check on her and learned they had determined her to be "un-adoptable." I arrived just before she was scheduled to be euthanized.

Here's how you can help. Please forward this email to everyone you know in the hopes that we'll find one person who may need Ellie as much as she needs them. She has been a great companion to me for many years, and I owe it to her to find her a home where she'll once again be the center of attention.

Ellie is an indoor cat and has been spayed and declawed on her front paws. Please email me for more information.

Thanks.


Wednesday, January 26, 2005
If you're wondering about this former DMN columnist check out D Magazine: The Front Burner. Then click on his site to read about my cat Ellie, for whom I'm desperately seeking a home.

Graci.


Sunday, January 23, 2005
With Grandma

Who else could pull off this level of cuteness while sick?


Baby Love


Thursday, January 20, 2005
It's official: I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Well, one of them anyway. The healthy one, not the one that caused such a stir amongst my friends a couple of summers ago.

To celebrate, I purchased a new pair of jeans. Levi's. Size three. And because I'm such a fucking nice person, I'm going to share this with those of you who love a bargain. Run to the nearest Target store and pick up a pair of these very cool stretch Levi's for $19.95, I-shit-you-not. Or go buy the latest $1100 Chanels and see if I care. Yes, I saw them on some a.m. television show while I was home sick Monday.

In other news, BIG news, World news: I am glad it wasn't me.


Tuesday, January 18, 2005
So, do you want the good news or the bad news first? How 'bout I alternate between the two ...

The good news is that Ryder is doing OK, that he didn’t experience the vomiting that Brian and I experienced this weekend, that his fever hasn't gone above 99 degrees, that he's sneezing out most of his congestion.

The bad news is that he does, in fact, have RSV; he also had a bit of the GI bug we had and experienced diarrhea while trying to fight off the respiratory virus.

More good news: my mother-in-law flew here last minute, arriving Sunday, so that she can take care of the baby all week while he's unable to attend daycare. Brian and I are much better now, as it seems the bug has passed through our systems (leaving me six pounds lighter, which I suppose is one way to lose the baby weight).

Seriously, when this stomach bug hit me Friday night/Saturday morning, I was sure I had food poisoning. I was sure of it, until Brian started vomiting while at Children's Referral Center Saturday afternoon where Ryder was being tested for RSV. He was being tested in spite of the fact that everyone seemed to think he was fine and just had a bit of a head cold. I knew better. Turns out I must have some sort of maternal instinct after all.

I later spoke with my father, who had Ryder Thursday, and learned that he and his wife were also sick this weekend with the same stomach virus. (Perhaps we caught it from daycare?) My dear mother, who brought us soup and stayed with us Saturday and Sunday, became ill early yesterday morning. I only hope my mother-in-law stays well. I think she will, as Brian and I were both over our fevers by the time she arrived late Sunday.

So that was our weekend in a nutshell. I feel so much better now that I'm nearly in a state of elation. I made myself eat three meals yesterday (two of them being soup) and rested at home so I could handle a day at the office today. Things are looking up. I just hope our boy is able to fight off this RSV and avoid breathing treatments at the hospital.

My gut says it's going to be OK, but it's difficult to say for sure.


Thursday, January 13, 2005
I'm becoming one of those paranoid mothers. I say this in a joking manner but really, I'm not joking much.

There's nothing as scary as a note posted at daycare informing parents of some sort of illness going around the place. After reading one today, I called my pediatrician to learn more about RSV; I called a co-worker whose daughter caught it last January when she was only two weeks old. I asked all kinds of questions: how can we prevent it? Should I keep him out of daycare for the next few days? Etcetera.

I probably over-reacted, then exhausted myself from it. I am now exhausted. From that, and from worrying over my dad picking up the boy today. He's never picked him up before. What if he forgets the bottles? What if he leaves the dirty nipples, the pacifier, accidentally?

"At least he is away from the srvbnsgrtd bug," my husband wrote in an email. I agree that he has a good point.

He has been in the custody of my father and his wife for three hours, and for three hours I've been fighting the urge to call and check in, make sure he's OK.

I am going to drive myself crazy. I am too meticulous. I worry too much.


Tuesday, January 11, 2005
And today I have for you ... more pictures of my baby boy.

I really need to update the photo link on this site. I'll put that on my list.


Monday, January 10, 2005
My little lumberjack


Thursday, January 06, 2005
I have a lot of thoughts, a lot I could write about but little time to do so. I'm warning that whatever I get out now will be disorganized. And we know how important organization is.

Dropping Ryder off at daycare Tuesday was worse than Monday. I suppose I'd psyched myself up to deal with Monday. It's sad watching all these parents leave their kids in the morning. Many are in a big rush, and you can tell their minds are elsewhere, but some are not -- like the woman who stood outside in the cold this morning, waving to her son repeatedly as he stared at her from the window. He never did wave back.

It's nice seeing people at the office. Many of my colleagues have pre-school children; they had them before, of course, but when I talk to them now it's just different. They have children -- little people counting on them every single day. I'm sorry that Dave missed his daughter's first steps because he was out of the country at a conference, and that Dora's two-year-old just started daycare for the first time Monday and begged her not to leave him. I mean, I'm truly sorry for those things. Conversations about children are no longer simply conversations; it's no longer just me nodding at this colleague or that when they talk about their kid. I empathize.

At the same time, it's also kind of nice to be back -- in some weird, twisted way. I don't do that well at home all day; I need to be busy, and I need some adult conversation and stimulation. I suppose it's a catch-22. As far as stimulation goes, they promised to hit me with a 2x4 upon my return. The blow was received, and Ryder and I both went to bed at 8:45 last night.

But things are good. This is another adjustment period.

I've been adjusting since early last year, and I'm kicking off '05 in the same spirit. And it's OK. I'll never again be in this exact place, going through these specific changes ... so for now, I'll savor the experience.

Happy 2005.


Monday, January 03, 2005
I am an IDIOT.

But I'm a happy idiot.

Holiday Schedule for Full-Time Employees
New Year's Day January 3 Monday