Early Alzheimer's?

Twice now, I've thought of things to post about and both times, I was away from a computer so I couldn't do it immediately. And yep, both times they have become lost in the never-never of my brain. I hope they come back to me, because I remember being excited to have something to talk about.

New Reading

Holly posted a couple linkies to Oklahoma Mom-bloggers and I especially appreciated the Nighttime Parenting post by this Mom. Read on here if you wanna.

Also, bummer but I haven't heard anything back from the OKC magazine that said they would link to me so I'm guessing they didn't care for my content. Sigh. I'll keep trying though because I really do enjoy blogging. I think I need to do a separate blog though and keep that one more introspective and really think about my posts more. Not that I don't want them to be true just that people probably really don't care to read about every single thing, you know?

Oh well. finding other mom-blogs is a start. Dooce is one of my new daily reads. Check it out.

Birfday Princess

Job

Had another interview this morning. driving to OKC for a job interview during winter weather, what a great time that was.

It went really well. Maybe we'll be moving to Edmond?

A Letter to My Daughter on Her First Birthday

Dear Kaia:

Today is your first birthday. Grandma Jane just rocked you to sleep for about the fourth time tonight. I guess you knew it was a special day and you wanted to stay up late!

We are having a party for you on Saturday and all your family is coming to help you celebrate. Uncle Greg, Aunt Kathie and the boys are coming all the way from Houston, and Uncle Mark and Aunt Candice are driving from Dallas... all just to kiss you and say, "We're glad you arrived!" And of course, the grandmas and grandpa will be here for you too.

When you are old enough, I will let you read the post Daddy wrote about the day you were born. It was a very special day but we were so scared. Daddy was scared for you and scared for me. It seems like it all happened so fast but it also seems like it was just yesterday that we brought you home. After 12 days in the NICU, you got to spend your first night with us in Stillwater. We barely slept a wink. Daddy and I used to fall asleep with one hand over the rail of your bassinet, just so you would know that we were close by.

We all love you so much. We can't wait to watch you grow into a smart, beautiful, strong and independent girl. I'm sure we will make mistakes along the way but rest assured, we are doing our very best and nothing is more important to us than being good parents for you. Having you was the best and most important decision we ever made. You have brought so much joy and laughter into our lives. We wouldn't miss a minute of it for the world.

Happy birthday!

xoxo
Mommy

I'm so tired

I can't believe Kaia is getting ready to turn one. It blows my mind. She stood up by herself for about 20 seconds tonight. Of course, Mommy missed it because she was asleep at the time. :( Both of my eyes are pink and my right ear is also infected. I am one big ball of pus. It is as awesome as it sounds.

but back to Kaia...


She is doing much better now (as demonstrated with tonight's photo above). The shot of antibiotic at the ER really cleared up her ear and brought her fever down. She still isn't wheezing, though her lungs are a little crackly at times. The breathing treatments really seem to help with that. It's the dang cough that kills me. She'll cough so hard, it just breaks my heart. Her eating/appetite is a little better but nowhere near it should be. She weighed 15.15 at the doc office but I bet she lost a little after all these days of not eating.

As for the job front, man nothing is happening at all. The health department hasn't called me, cigna hasn't called me and I got a letter from Baylor today saying a job I'd applied for has been pulled from the list of open positions due to "changes" which means they're broke too.

Inaugurations are a lot like church so it was hard to sit through but I wanted to witness history today. Cory & I talked once about how there has never been a time in our adult lives when we felt "connected" to politics or events like they had with JFK or landing on the moon or the cold war. I think Obama changed that and I hope he delivers. I have faith in him. I've contributed to two presidential campaigns in my life: Clinton's and his. But with Obama, I gave my millions twice.

I've been cherry picking posts to move to my public blog. I will let you guys know when it is up and at 'em, though I don't know really that you will need to bookmark it. It will be watered down versions of here.... they will be more thoughtful and a little more introspective, I plan to think about the posts there as I would a weekly column. Anyway, I'll keep ya posted on the posts.

Kaia Update

We took her to the ER tonight. Nervous first timers. RSV sucks. She pants like a dog. It's awful.

Her fever was over 103 when they checked it there. Poor baby. Her ear infection isn't clearing up, so the ER doc thinks that's why her fever is so high. And the higher the fever, the higher her heart rate and breathing. Her oxygen stats were pretty good though so no oxygen or anything. All in all, she's doing what any baby with RSV and an ear infection would do so no cause for undue worry. They told us we could seriously up the dose of ibuprofen too so that should help get her fever down.

We're still glad we went. Cory said it best: Sometimes peace of mind is worth the cost of a trip to the ER.

Happier Times

Over the break, we girls went for a little hike. And got a little turned around, so Kaia decided "screw it, I'm taking a nap."

aaaaaaaand...

I have a cold and/or pink eye. Good freaking christ. I give up already!

sigh

Kaia has rsv and an ear infection. :(

Thoughts? Going Public

I've been thinking for awhile about trying to get someone to run my blog entries...er, selected blog entries, as a column. What do you guys think about me making a public blog? I have a parenting magazine in OKC who would link to it but of course, I would not be paid as a blogger. I think it might be fun, and it would encourage me to keep up my writing no matter where my next job takes me.

What do you think? Pros v cons?

I would start it back with first finding out I was pregnant to current. In essence, it would be an edited version of what you guys read here all the time.

Lemme know...

Hanging by a thread?

I know you all are dying to know how the interview went...or at least to get a new picture so here you go. :)



The interview was ... weird. I got the impression that the woman interviewing me was thinking about a different position for me which could be good, or it could mean that I don't end up getting either of them. Long story, but basically one is physical activity coordinator and one is health educator. I would be more excited about the health educator one but have not received a call for that one yet. She gave me a number to call to see if I was "on the list" and apparently I am... but still no "Can you come interview" kind of thing. Anyway, we will see. I definitely did not come out of there pumped about the job OR the interview itself, and I even knew one of the interviewers. The health educator one I would be pumped about.

So that's where I am. Playing the wait and see game. After the interview, I called my friend Susan and she met me at Target. I can't stop buying clothes for Kaia. It's a sickness. Anyway, we shopped a little and had coffee, then I came home. My mom was not feeling well and ended up puking a couple times... I think her pain medication for her TMJ is making her sick. :(

I went and picked Kaia up from school so Cory could interview Doug Gottleib. He's still at work and Kaia and Mom are both asleep. It's like I have the house to myself. Even Fletcher is asleep. It's rare these days that he isn't whining or otherwise driving me nutso. Poor fella.

J-o-b Update

For those of you we haven't told yet, I have a job interview!! Woohoo! No, it's not Texas or Colorado, bummer, but it's a job, and a big job. It's with the state health department in okc. My title would be something ridiculous like State Nutrition and Physical Activity Coordinator. How do you fit that on a business card. Anyway, I am excited about it. The pay would be pretty good, too. The interview is Tuesday at 10 a.m.

So anyway, be thinking of me because I need out of my current mental state.

And just for fun, here's another favorite Phil Shockley picture. :)

because i like to brag about my daughter's beauty. :)

Resolutions

1. Drink more water.
2. Drink less sodie.
3. Drink more water.

not starting with a bang

Some of you out there hate your jobs. Or at the minimum are bored silly at your jobs. It's painful, isn't it?

Now imagine having a job you love... a job in fact you created just for you...only to know that no one else loves it. In fact, no one else thinks your job even matters enough to exist. So you go to work to draw the paychecks for as long as you can stand it. Doing nothing. Because why bother? You can't start any projects without finishing them. So you sit. To get paid.

Meanwhile, your daughter goes to daycare while you sit. To get paid.

This month better fly by or I am going to lose my shit.

More Christmas Pictures

Also, my Part III is below the last picture post. I started it earlier but just posted it tonight...

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrargh