Kudzu Jelly

Just one more useless thing that I've learned.

2007-05-31T20:43:00.000-04:00

Did you know that the base units of baby monitors sometimes break for no good reason at all? Did you know that when they do, they do so at a quarter to 4 in the morning, making the receivers placed on opposite ends of the house screech like air raid sirens, loud enough to wake the dead?

Yeah, neither did I. But the important thing is that I do now, and so do our neighbors.

ETA: If you happen to have a First Years baby monitor and need an extra receiver or two, shoot me an email.

Three Things for Thursday

2007-05-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

(Yes, I know posting it Wednesday night is cheating. Ask me if I care.)

Thing 1:

I've been working on this log cabin baby blankie for one of Ben's cousins.

I knew in January that I was going to knit this, that it would take time, and I needed to get started already. So I cast on around the first of May. The baby is due at the end of June, and I can only work on it at night, lest little Libby fingers smear it with peanut butter. I believe I may be stupid.

Thing 2:

Since I can't work on the blankie while Libby's awake, I've been mindlessly knitting dishcloths during the day. I've finished more Chinese Waves and Ballband dishrags than I care to admit, so I decided to branch out. I'm now hooked on the Ninepatch, pattern courtesy of Kay at Mason Dixon Knitting. I don't know how good these will be for dishes, but they're perfect for washing grubby toddler hands and faces.

Thing 3:

A lovely little bowl of Koigu mill ends I bought in Asheville a few weeks ago. The colors are much more vibrant than they appear here, the top one is a mix of purples and earth tones, and the bottom is mainly a bright peacock green. I think that these just might turn out to be socks for Libby.

A little dose of sunshine, courtesy of Sesame Street and YouTube

2007-05-26T23:51:00.000-04:00

Is this a warm, fuzzy memory for you too? *sigh*

Remember this teeny little super guy?

100 Things About Libby

2007-05-25T20:28:00.000-04:00

Her name is Elizabeth Pearl.
Everyone calls her Libby.
Her Daddy started calling her "Stinkbug" before she ever left the hospital, and calls her that to this day.
She was born at 9:06 on a Friday night.
Her eyes are blue.
Her hair is reddish brown.
She has a large red birthmark on the right side of her head.
She wears lots of pink and yellow.
She loves to wear shoes.
Socks are okay sometimes.
She loves jackets, no matter what the weather is like.
She hates doctors, nurses, and phlebotomists.
She hates shots,
and doesn't eat well for at least a week after any vaccination.
She's allergic to surgical tape.
She's had Congenital Torticollis
and Kawasaki's Disease.
She's recovered well from both.
She sucks Tylen*ol and Ibupr*fen from the dropper like a tiny junkie.
She's had a picture taken of her almost every day of her life. She mugs so much for the camera now that it's impossible to get a candid shot.
Her bedroom is decorated in Classic P*oh.
She has a D*ra the Expl*rer pillowcase on her pillow. It came in a set of two, and the other is hung on her wall (cheap decor, woo!).
She sleeps with a lullaby CD turned down low, on repeat. When she was in the hospital with KD (see #18), it would drown out the noise from the hallway and soothe her. She liked it so much, we never stopped.
She has a large book collection, mostly passed down from her Momma and Daddy.
Her favorite books are by Dr. Seuss.
She didn't sleep in her crib till she was six months old.
She slept in her Momma and Daddy's room before that.
She has smiling flowers that watch over her in her crib.
She loves baths
with her 3 rubber duckies
and screams like a banshee when she has to get out of the tub.
She likes spending Saturday afternoons with her Gamma and Grandad.
She's a Momma's Girl.
She likes helping her Daddy feed the outside kitties in the evening.
She loves watching sports with Daddy.
She would rather her Daddy hum than sing to her.
She would rather her Momma sing than hum.
Her best friend is a rabbit named Dutchins.
She doesn't go anwhere without him.
She won't sleep without him either.
She loves to sing along with the radio
and chatters endlessly in the backseat of the car.
She has a great big belly laugh.
She loves the cat.
She loves hugs.
And kisses too.
She likes trying new foods.
She thinks yogurt is yummy,
and so are Rice Krispies.
She begs for bananas and bell peppers.
She thinks Jello is okay to eat, but better to play with.
She likes chicken McNu&&ets.
She's not crazy about peaches.
She loves a taste of a lemon filled doughnut, if you'll let her have it.
She hates D*ritos.
She loves any green vegetable.
She loves banana popsicles.
She'll do anything for chocolate milk.
She likes drinking from a regular cup like a big girl.
She can really put away the Cheeri*s
and the G*ldfish crackers.
She'd rather eat whatever you're having, especially if you aren't inclined to share.
She is fascinated by ceiling fans,
and other people's toes.
She likes playing with yarn.
She hates snow.
She loves clowns.
She's obsessed with cell phones.
And remote controls.
She loves being tickled.
Her favorite decor is by Fisher-Price.
She LOVES The W!ggles.
She likes a bit of B!ue's C!ues too.
She'll chew on anything that doesn't chew on her first.
She hates having her nails trimmed.
She loves to dance.
She likes sitting in baskets of clean laundry.
She loves to play Kneebouncers.
She likes to browse PBS Kids with her Daddy.
She loves puzzles.
She likes to be rocked to sleep at night.
She loves having her hair brushed.
She has lots of stuffed animals.
She loves long walks.
She's terrified of the vacuum
but loves the hair dryer.
She loves grocery stores,
and eating out at restaurants,
because she makes friends everywhere she goes.
She's never met a stranger.
She loves swimming pools,
but hates the ocean
and sand.
She loves rubbing lotion on her hands.
The side of the refrigerator is her favorite place to color with her crayons.
She gets in trouble a lot for #93.
Stacking blocks is okay, but she thinks knocking them down is way better.
Helping her Momma to put wet clothes into the dryer makes her quite proud of herself.
At the playground the likes the swings best,
But the slide is a close second.

Toe in first, test the water.

2007-05-25T20:14:00.000-04:00

I actually forgot about the blog. Somewhere along the way it turned into "something I'll do tomorrow," and then eventually it just dropped from my mental TO DO list. Whoops. Sorry.

I think some updates may be in order, perhaps in the form of "100 Things" lists. Just a little something to break the ice and make us all familliar again, no?

The Greatest Man I Ever Knew

2007-01-21T21:11:00.000-05:00

May 2, 1918 - January 21, 2007

My papaw passed away this morning. He has suffered from congestive heart failure for over a year. Papaw was father to five, grandfather to nine plus their spouses, and great-grandfather to seven. I know his stories. Sometimes I can even tell them better than he can. He grew up farming along the Missouri - Arkansas border, served as a crew chief on a B-17 during WWII(where he reached the rank of Master Sargent), owned a diner and two different transmission shops. I could tell you stories of cars he built or places he traveled to but I could never tell them with his flair. He had a way of doing things and making things you just knew would never work, work. He was the original McGyver.

When I was around six and my cousin Kris was about nine, he took us on a week long fishing trip to Toledo Bend. He and Mamaw loaded up their camper, hitched up the boat, and off we went. The first time we went out on the lake, I was fishing out of the back of the boat when my line got tight and I started yelling that I had a fish. Papaw looked at my line and saw that it was sitting still and thought I was hung on something underwater. He told me that he was going to start up the boat and idle off. Once the boat started to move the water exploded and the biggest fish I had ever seen leaped clear of the water. I was so excited that I almost threw my pole out of the boat. Papaw heard me yelling and stopped the boat. He stared giving me tips on what to do and telling me that I could reel it in. I thought that fish would pull me out of the boat but I finally got it in and Papaw took it off the hook and weighed it. He said that it weighed 15.5 pounds but looking back and knowing more, I think it was more like 5.5 pounds and he was puffing up a little boy's ego. That was the first and biggest fish of the trip. We ate it for supper that night. The next day my cousin caught one that he said was 13.5 but again, looking back, I think he added ten pounds for our sakes. He went out the third day by himself and caught about 6 fish if I remember right, but they were barely big enough to keep. On the way home, Papaw told me that he wasn't going to take me on another fishing trip, and he never did. Not that we didn't go fishing any after that, we just never went on another trip like that. Truth of the matter, Papaw didn't make the trip to many more times. His fishing buddy couldn't take the trip anymore so Papaw quit going. That was one of the best trips I ever took.

You are deeply loved and missed Papaw.

How We Spent Our Summer Vacation

2006-10-09T11:05:00.000-04:00

The Aftermath.

Long time, no post.

2006-07-30T23:30:00.000-04:00

No, we didn't fall off the face of the earth. We haven't slept much, but we are still here. Libby has turned into a whirlwind of activity. She doesn't even stay still in her sleep. Her crawling speed has picked up and she is pulling herself up on things. While this is cute as can be, it's also nerve-wracking. I catch my breath every time she tries to pull up or when she crawls over something, scared that she is going to hurt herself somehow. I know that it's all part of growing up and she will fall, but I can't help it.

She says "cah"(cat) and "Da-da" now. Da-da may be her third word but I don't care. We both teared up the first time she said it. If she could have asked for it, I would have given her anything in the world at that moment.

I turned 31 last week. For my birthday, I got a new bike and a little rickshaw type thing to pull Libby in. I haven't had a chance to use it yet but I can't wait to take her for a ride. Tarah cooked fried chicken, mashed taters, and green beans, followed by a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I ate myself sick that night. Do I have an incredible wife or what?

Saturday, Tarah and I went to the Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon, VA. They had an antique sale and a quilt and fiber show. A lot of the antiques looked like they were picked up at a bad garage sale that morning. One vendor had a quilt identical to the one my mother-in-law got at JC Penney's. At the fiber show, Tarah learned how to spin roving into yarn using a drop spindle. The woman that showed her how to spin, said she did a really good job at it. I was really proud of her. All in all, we had a really good day. I don't think I've ever enjoyed spending time with anyone like I do with Tarah.

On the banks of the beautiful river Wah-Hoo...

2006-07-13T16:11:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke to the sound of "Mama. Mama? MAAAMAAA!" over the baby monitor.

----------------

After Kawasaki's, the tests and hospitalization, Libby was different. When they finally diagnosed her and started treatment, the last question I asked her cardiologist was when she would be herself again. The cardiologist stammered something about IVIG working, blah blah, Reyes Syndrome, blah blah bluh nice cafeteria, wait.

I asked the cardiology resident. "I don't know. We'll see."

Libby improved steadily. The fever and pain subsided, the tests became less frequent, and she began to eat and drink again. We were jubilant.

When we brought her home she relaxed, obviously more comfortable at home. But she still wasn't herself. Not quite.

---------------------------

June was a quiet month, full of quiet conversations. We had been ordered to keep Libby calm, so we modified her physical therapy, and gave her anything and everything she wanted to keep her from crying.

She was afraid of everyone. She had no problems with Ben or I, and welcomed attention from my parents, but would scream if anyone else came near her. Checks with Dr. Turtle were nightmarish. Church was almost an impossibility.

She began to play again, smiling and laughing, but still timid. Her naps were short and often, and almost always snuggled with one of us.

Toward the end of the month, her physical therapist and I discussed how she was doing developmentally. We both felt that she had stopped. Not regressed per se, but had just paused during her illness, and was perhaps just taking a bit to recover.

-------------------

The answer to my question was a month and a half.

In the last couple weeks she has picked up speed, changing visibly almost daily. She sings to herself, chattering and babbling endlessly, squealing happily anytime she sees Billie. She's crawling (help!) and standing occasionally, as long as I am right behind her.

Her desire for independence is fierce. She prefers foods she can pick up and eat herself, she pulls her own shirt off when changing, and crawls around the living room most of the day chasing Billie. She naps alone in her crib without protest.

She's busy. Too busy sometimes to even notice or care if I'm here. She works her way around the room, navigating around furniture, looking for something to chew on or that sad, pathetic cat.

---------------

Sometimes she falls, or bangs her head against something, or Billie fights back, and the tears and timidity appear, but after a few minutes of hugs, kisses, and cuddles she's off, all the old hurts forgotten.

She's herself again.

So I'm a bad blogger. But look! Cute pictures!

2006-07-02T22:17:00.000-04:00

Too many days have passed for any sort of narrative, and I'm tired, so bullets:

Libby's appointment with the cardiologist on the 20th went well. Some dilation of the coronary arteries, but nothing truly worrisome. She's off the aspirin, and her next echo will be in November.
That same afternoon, we took her to see Dr. Jerk (another member of the Pediatric Dream Team) because she had been refusing to drink. He spent 3 minutes with her, then shrugged and said "She'll drink when she drinks." Now thats a copay well spent, I tell ya.
Saturday before last, Libby, my mother, and I went to the local lavender farm with a group from our church. Love, love, love the lavender farm. Libby had fun barking at their dog.

Libby now says "moma" but I'm not entirely certain she's applying it to me. So yay and um, eh.
Teething. Upper incisiors. Meh. Tylenol, Baby Oragel, Whoo-hoo!
I've been sick this past week, so the stuff I do all day? Ben did it. Sorta.
Ben's been having a bit of a rough time lately. Work's been better, but he's taken some hits personally. Keep him in your prayers, beam him happy thoughts, give him a call, if you're so inclined.

I don't know how she does it.

2006-06-30T05:10:00.000-04:00

I didn't get a thing done around the house. I hardly ate a thing all day. But at the end of the day, Libby was fed, reasonably clean, and happy.

Now let me explain. Tarah is sick. Not just a little sick. I'm talking the kind of sick where you lose everything you've ate in the last 10 years, SICK. It hit her Wednesday afternoon and showed no mercy. So Thursday morning, I got up and went to the office at 5:30 to receive in our truck, then I came home. That was the easy part of my day, I just didn't know it. Libby didn't wake up until some time around 8, in a good mood and ready for breakfast. It's one of her three favorite meals. I naively thought that I would be able to do some laundry or dishes when she went back down for her nap. HA! First, she didn't want to nap. Then when she did go down, I had to lay in the bed with her and she nearly pushed me off the edge of the mattress. How can someone so small take up an entire bed? Eat, play, maybe nap(but only with Daddy right there). Lather, rinse, repeat. This was the whole day. Libby has turned into a Daddy's girl(insert GINORMOUS grin here) and didn't want me to put her down and leave the room. Libby does this to Tarah everyday, and yet Tarah still gets things done around here. HOW!?

Tarah is doing a little better. She managed to keep some food down but she is still a little weak and dehydrated. Granddad will be here today because I must go back to that evil place called work. I still don't have a clue as to how Tarah manages to do all she does, and I probable won't ever know. But I do know this, she is incredible at her job and I'm a VERY poor substitute. To all you moms out there, I don't know how you do all that you do but keep up the good work. The world would fall apart if you didn't. I know my little part of it suffers whenever Daddy tries to do Moma's job. I love you Tarah.

May 19, 1960 - June 17, 2006

2006-06-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

Saturday night I lost my Uncle B. I would like to say I was close to him and that we spent lots of time with each other, but I can't. He lived with us when I was little, but since then we've lived 800 miles apart. I can't remember if it was my second or third birthday that Uncle B bought me EVERY Tonka truck on the market. Although none of those trucks are still around today, I have the memories of playing with them for years.

I look back and I realize that time slips by you faster then you think. It's been almost 11 years since I last saw Uncle B. I know we have talked on the phone in that time but I know I haven't talked to him since moving away from my hometown, two and a half years ago. I can only blame myself for not keeping in touch. I've moved twice since then and he hasn't moved at all.

I love and miss you Uncle B.

Perhaps I should try Origami.

2006-06-17T22:36:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I had an idea for an afghan pattern for Libby, a take on a craft we used to make at bible school called God's Eye. They're weird, intense looking little things made of popsicle sticks and yarn, but I thought I could borrow from the look, use some light variegated yarn and make it cute.

We were a bit busy, and I spent most of the evening doing housework and working on some photoshopping and html for blog features to come. It was midnight before I was finally able to put pen to paper and work out theoretical stitches and gauge for the project. I ran my finished idea by Ben, and satisfied with the start, I went to bed.

This morning after breakfasts were finished, I sat down to do a swatch. I spent the next two hours just trying to figure out what the heck I had been thinking.

Everything I had patterned the night before was completely backwards. I revised, revised, and revised again, each time knitting a new swatch. By early afternoon I figured out exactly what I had intended, but was so thoroughly disgusted with it I quit. When I can look at it without wanting to vomit I suppose I'll try again.

Tomorrow, I'm taking a mental health day.

2006-06-15T22:37:00.000-04:00

Today started with a bowl of cereal and green beans being flung across the kitchen. Whilst I tried not to cry in frustration, Libby squawked "Daaaaa...... OPA!", when what she should have said was "Mommie Dearest, I'm terribly sorry. Please don't give me to the next traveling carnival to pass through."

Less than an hour later she vomited in the middle of our bed, and giggled.

A bit later, she climbed over a pillow fort and bonked her head on the floor.

On the way out the front door, I stepped on a bird that our outdoor kitties had caught. Crunchy. Yuck.

We met Ben for lunch, and Libby quietly destroyed a pile of napkins while we ate. When I tried to feed her she howled, too busy people-watching to bother with food. I took her outside and we sat in the front seat of the car, me begging and pleading with her to eat now that there were fewer distractions. No luck. But patrons of the restaurant pointed and stared, like I was taking a page from the book of Britney and preparing to drive off, sans properly secured infant ("Ohmigawd, I've just gotta protect my bayyybeee from the papparazzi! It's like, my maternal instinct and stuff, y'all.").

Once said infant was properly secured, it was off to run a few errands. I did everything I possibly could through the magic of drive-thru, and when I looked back, Libby was sleeping peacefully. I know gas is expensive, and I know it was a waste, but I drove around aimlessly for nearly an hour. I needed the peace and quiet, and she needed the nap.

She woke up in the driveway once we were home, well past her dinnertime and completely starved. After she had eaten, she and Ben played on our now quiltless bed while I did laundry. When I checked on them later, I found them napping between mounds of pillows.

I flopped down on the sofa for a short nap, expecting my mom to call by 5 since we had planned to attend a meeting at church together tonight.

At 6, Ben woke me to ask when I would be leaving for my 6:30 meeting, to which I replied "Uh, about 20 minutes ago." I still had to pick up mom, who hadn't called right after work, but had instead indulged in a bit of retail therapy.

I met her in her driveway at 6:29, where we decided that perhaps our presence wouldn't be missed, we'd both had less than a stellar day, and Dairy Queen was a'callin.

I realize that I still haven't posted any pictures of my knitting projects (like you care!), but then again, I've also not posted any pictures of Libby. Blame Blogger! It will let me upload neither directly from my computer, nor from hosting at photobucket. I guess you get what you pay for, and since Blogger is free...well... you get the idea. Typepad is looking better and better.

Knitting and Libby combined: Libby with a scarf I knitted for Ben wrapped around her.

AWOL

2006-06-11T23:47:00.000-04:00

Yeah, um, hi.

You might have noticed that I've ~~dropped off the face of the earth~~ not posted for a bit. I have no good reasons for this really.

Libby is doing well. She had her six month checkup last week (a bit late, but hey), she appears to be fine and has regained the weight that she lost while sick. Dr. Turtle pronounced her healthy enough for the vaccinations she was due for, and added a rotavirus vaccine for good measure. She still had her appointment with the cardiologist on the 20th, and we're optimistic.

Ben has been ~~put through the wringer~~ ~~used and abused~~ ~~brutally violated~~ challenged at work as of late, and has more than briefly considered a less frustrating and more lucrative career, such as cat herding. The stories run from hilarious to horrible, and I don't dare give details, lest he get dooced. But I will say that there is something in the works that will drastically improve the situation, so keep your fingers crossed.

In what little free time I have had, I've been focusing on my knitting. I had been working on a couple different scarves for a while now, and I finished the one for Ben on Friday evening. Of course I celebrated the finishing of one project by starting two more (Doh!). I may post pictures tomorrow if I have time.

See, no good reason for not posting, huh?

Underpaid and Overappreciated.

2006-06-03T22:53:00.000-04:00

This site takes all the individual jobs that moms have to do everyday and makes an estimate of what their salaries would be, were they paid in cash rather than hugs and kisses.

I would be making $166,333.00 per year, how about you?

(But of course, I do like hugs and kisses. Chocolate is good too, hint hint.)

Pigeon Forge Pictures

2006-06-01T17:59:00.000-04:00

I know these are a bit late in coming, but Libby fell ill shortly after we came home.

Libby and Grandad Cozmo at the Shrine Parade:

Libby and Grandad Cozmo with Uncle Dude

(Clowning is our family business, and blue hair is genetic):

Libby's first motorcycle:

Libbykins first swimming pool:

Poor tired little pretty baby

The Best Wife EVER!

2006-06-01T17:50:00.000-04:00

I have the best wife ever, and would you like to know how I can say that? Because we went here on Mother's Day.

That's right. Bass Pro Shop. It's on the way home from Pigeon Forge and Tarah knew how I've been waiting for the chance to get down there since it opened.

I wish we had taken the camera in with us. Libby loved the big fish tank they had. Watching her try to follow the fish as they were swimming around was too cute.

We don't know how to thank you all enough, so we're asking God to.

2006-05-30T18:35:00.000-04:00

Libby came home last Thursday afternoon, and since then we've been focusing on getting her to eat normally (it seems we may have overshot that goal, as of the last 24 hours, she's eating us out of house and home), tending to a rash left over on her head from where her IV was taped, and calling friends and family with updates. We're sorry, dear Internets, that we have not updated you sooner.

Libby is doing very well. The IV Immunoglobulin treatment went well, and her Aspirin therapy will be continuing for at least another five weeks. Her fever has been under control since early last Tuesday morning, and her rash was gone not long after. The echocardiogram she had when she was admitted showed some pericardial effusion (fluid in the sac around her heart) and she'll be having another echo on the 20th of June to see how that's improved. They saw no coronary artery aneurysms, and hopefully because her treatment began so soon, there won't be any at the followup scan.

To our extended family, our church, our real-life friends, and our friends in the computer: Thank you. We had no idea how much you all cared about our little girl.

In the last week we have heard from so many of you, telling us how worried you were, asking what you could do, letting us know you were praying for and thinking about Libby, gushing about how wonderful she is, how precious.

You visited her in the hospital and tried to make her smile. You've called us and told us how you Googled "Kawaski's Disease," and how serious it is, what 8 different sites said caused it, what they said the best treatments were, and made sure we were doing the same. You've consulted with friends whose child has had the disease, you've talked to nurses who've treated children with it, you've offered support at every turn.

You've sent cards, stuffed animals, a bendy flower for her crib in the hospital, well wishes, and offers of whatever help we might need.

We have been overwhelmed by your love and support, your prayers and your kind thoughts. We are without the words or means to express our gratitude, for what you all have done and given, a simple "Thank You" feels so inadequate.

We thank you, and we will be forever thankful that you are in our lives, and we pray that you will be blessed as you have blessed us.

Ben & Tarah

Libby Update

2006-05-22T22:56:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update since last time. Libby is in the hospital. Her fever never went away and Saturday night she developed a rash. We took her back to Dr. Turtle this morning and he put her in the hospital. They believe that Libby has Kawasaki disease. That's right, she's don't want a pickle, she just wants to ride on a motorcickle.(brownie points for those of you who get the song reference) I'm not the computer whiz that Tarah is so I won't be giving you any link to a page about the disease. I can tell you that they have started her on treatment and we will know something in 24 hours and Libby now has her own cardiologist. I know this post is choppy but I haven't slept much since Thursday and I was sent home to get some sleep so I can go to work tomorrow. Tarah's mom is with her at the hospital. Any prayers, well wishes, and general good thoughts are welcome and appreciated.

104.6 FM, The Fever

2006-05-19T12:40:00.000-04:00

All Wednesday afternoon Libby ran a low-grade fever. I attributed this to teething, dosed her appropriately with ibuprofen, and went about business as usual.

(If I had been posting as promised, you would know that Libby got a pair of lower incisors for Mother's Day, but I haven't, so, ha, first you've heard.)

Around 9 that night, the low-grade fever inched just out of the low grade range, around 100.8 or so, too high to attribute to teething, so we called a member of Libby's Pediatric Dream Team, Dr. Emmaus.

(Dr. Emmaus was the reason we chose the practice we use. He was the first doctor that Libby saw in the hospital, and he fussed over her like a mother hen, and told everyone how perfect she was. I adore him. At our first office visit, he said never hesitate to call for ANY question, better to do so than to sit and worry, and by golly, he means it. No matter what time you call, be it 6 in the evening or 4 in the morning, he's the same cheerful, helpful guy.)

Dr. Emmaus said that it was most likely a virus, and that if it was, her fever would likely reach 102 during the night. Tylenol, cool liquids, and a morning office visit were suggested, and we were admonished to call back if we had any questions.

I banished Ben to the sofa, and put Libby in our bed so that I could keep an eye on her during the night, knowing that she would have to have another dose of Tylenol at 2.

I am a light sleeper, so I didn't set the alarm. Libby was restless, and I didn't think either of us would sleep deeply enough to miss her next dose.

At 3, I woke up and flipped on the light.

Libby looked like a lobster. She was bright red, and when I touched her she immediately began screaming her head off.

Her temp: 104.6

While Ben dialed the doc, I gave her as much Tylenol as I dared, and tried to keep her calm.

Dr. Emmaus advised us to give the Tylenol 45 minutes to work, if she got hotter, or couldn't calm down, head for the ER, but if we could bring it down at home we'd be better off because of the time constraints (drive to University City ER + wait = roughly 5 hours, OR Tylenol + cool washcloth bath + baby nakedness = slow but steady cooling). The main thing, he stressed, was calming her down, suggesting popsicles, or letting her drive the car(???), anything she wanted. Whatever it took was fine by him, period.

We waited, half expecting febrile seizures, but within an hour, her temperature had dropped a little over 2 degrees, and another half hour after that she was almost normal. Still feverish, of course, but at least not screaming her head off. Cuddled up with her daddy, she was content to watch Adult Swim, and eventually drift off to sleep.

(Yes, we let her watch tv in this instance, see above comments regarding "anything she wanted.")

(What's that? Your objection was to Adult Swim? Get over it, she's six months old, all she knows is bright colors and flashes. And besides, InuYasha rocks.)

Thursday morning we were at the pediatrician's office first thing for an appointment with Dr. Turtle (who is less chipper and cuddly than Dr. Emmaus, but is the best doc at the practice by far. I love him, Libby hates him.). Libby has not been eating well since she started teething, and has either lost weight recently, or hasn't gained at her usual rate. This is of little concern, since she's a tubby baby, and she'll most likely make it up as soon as she's feeling well again. This was the only substantial finding. No throat inflammation, no otitis, lung xrays clear, urinalysis negative, heart and lung sounds normal, bloodwork okay, nothin.

The diagnosis: Probably just a virus.

My response: Well duh.

So home again, home again, jiggety-jig, to watch and wait it out.

Libby's temperature stayed stable until dark, at which point it shot right back up to 104.6 again.

Meme It Like You Stole It

2006-05-17T19:43:00.000-04:00

I AM: way too mentally taxed to write an actual blog post.

I SAID: that I would update Sunday when we got home. It appears that I lied.

I WANT: a real vacation, that involves a sandy beach and a fellow named Miguel bringing me Margaritas and exotic tropical fruits.

I WISH: I could figure it all out. Or at least think that I have.

I HATE: reality television.

I MISS: Italian Beef sandwiches from Marge's (a restaurant I used to frequent when I lived in the Chicagoland area).

I FEAR: spiders. I was bitten by a brown recluse as a child, 'twas not pretty, and it left me a serious arachnophobe.

I HEAR: Billie crunching her food and Ben watching Food Network while Libby sleeps.

I WONDER: how we were ever happy before we had Libby.

I REGRET: not keeping in touch with more people that I have known in other places.

I AM NOT: satisfied with the status quo.

I DANCE: with Libby in the living room, to Otis Redding, Bobby Darin, and Mama Cass.

I SING: to Libby when she's fussy.

I AM NOT ALWAYS: able to be objective.

I MADE: brownies for dessert tonight.

I WRITE: senseless drivel.

I CONFUSE: Howard Dean and John McCain by sight. Please don't ask me why. For some reason they look alike to me.

I NEED: to do some laundry so I don't have to wrap Libby in a dishtowel tomorrow.

I SHOULD: get off my butt and do some housework.

I START: craft projects that I never have time to finish.

I FINISH: my taxes by the middle of February every year.

I BELIEVE: that there are some problems that can never be solved, never be talked through, conflicts that can never be resolved, and that knowledge makes it hard for me to breathe sometimes when I think of the issues in our own family.

I KNOW: the secrets of making good yeast breads (and no, I do NOT use a bread machine).

I CAN: learn anything if I can find an internet tutorial on the subject. If I could find a "how to" for neurosurgery, I'd be the best darn brain doctor this side of the Mississippi.

I CAN'T: find a medical school that will give me an M.D. based on an online course (fascists).

I SEE: trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom, for me and you, and I think to myself, what a wonderful world...

I BLOG: about my family, and our lives, when we're not busy living them.

I READ: not nearly as much as I'd like to.

I AM EXCITED BY: Deal or No Deal. Oh, how I scream at the TV with ill regard to others in the house. It's a disease, I swear.

IT PISSES ME OFF: when I am limited by the folks here in Podunk.

I FIND: that the older I get, the more tragically unhip I become.

I LIKE: pina coladas, and gettin' caught in the rain.

I LOVE: my husband and my daughter, more than they will ever know.

Gone Crazy, Back Later

2006-05-11T05:50:00.000-04:00

'Sup homie?

We here at Casa Kudzu and Chez Cozmo are preparing for a weekend getaway to Gatlinburg, TN. We (me, Libby, my mom) will be heading down this morning for quality shopping time, with the guys (Ben and Dad) to follow Friday afternoon.

I bought Libby's first swimsuit for the occasion, and we're staying at a hotel with an indoor pool so that bad weather won't spoil our little swimmer's time.

Wish us good weather, good shopping, and good swimming, and we'll see you on Sunday.

WHY?!?!?

2006-05-11T05:29:00.000-04:00

Britney Spears is pregnant. Again.

Presumably by Kevin Federline, since she was nice enough to confirm that it wasn't David Letterman's.

I generally try not to make judgments about people, but this time I can't stop myself.

It's like she woke up one morning and said, "I think I'll find the most physically and morally repugnant man alive, marry him and have his children."

Howard Stern was busy that day, but lucky for her, K-Fed was handy.

Mother's Day Muddle

2006-05-10T06:15:00.000-04:00

I'd like to post about the wonderful present Libby and I picked out for Mother's Day, but we haven't been shopping yet. I've done the typical man thing and let it slip up on me, and the next four days are going to be so busy that if we don't go tonight, I don't know when we'll have time to shop.

I'm looking forward to taking Libby for our first outing, just the two of us. It may be a bit rough as Libby is teething, but I still think it'll be fun. Now if we can just figure out what to get for Tarah. Libby still doesn't grasp this whole money concept. She wants to get things like a new car, a maid, or a week long trip to the beach (which I secretly think is for Libby, she is quite fond of playing in the water). I was thinking of a nice card and some flowers.

I'd like to get Tarah something she can have as a keepsake of her first Mother's Day but money is limited and I don't really know what to get. Hopefully we will come up with something but any suggestions or memories of first Mother's Day are welcome.