Cast-away

The cast is off (he's at daycare, so no pictures yet). He doesn't want to move it very much, and the doctor did say it would be stiff for a couple of days, but that as long as he starts moving and using it normally over the next few days, he should be good to go. We do have a two-week follow up appointment already scheduled, just in case (so they don't book up between now and then, should we decide he does need one), but he said that as long as we think he is recovered after watching him for a week or so, we can just call and cancel it. Yay!

Currently feeling: healed for now?

X-ray vision

Okay, I apologize to anyone who thinks this is gross or morbid. Personally, I think it is *really* cool! I've had a couple of people email me and say "you don't really have his x-rays downloaded on your computer, do you?" Well, as a matter of fact, I do! Wanna see? I have included small versions here. Hopefully, that won't freak anyone out too badly. (The images are slightly altered, just to erase some personal data.) Click each one to see them full size (each is about 250K). Aren't they the cutest little bones you've ever seen? LOL



Just FYI, the whispy white lines you might be able to see at the very top of the first image and on the far right center of the second one are actually his t-shirt.

Oh, I totally forgot to post cast photos! Well, we can't have that, now can we?



Currently feeling: see-through

Impaired tympanic membranes and a cracked humerus

The long version, as promised. I have to back up a few days from the arm incident, though, to provide some information that will become relevant later in the story.

For those who may or may not recall, Luke had an ENT (that would be ear, nose, and throat doctor) follow-up on July 3. I apologize for not giving the following update at the time. You'll see why in a minute. As I predicted, when she learned that he had had two ear infections in the prior three months, she immediately said he needed to be booked for tubes. She also reiterated that he needs to be tested for allergies when he turns three, since his face is showing signs of allergies (whatever that means; she said she could tell just by looking at him). Guess he's just out of luck if he tests positive for cats!

Anyway, the surprise was she said he also has a sinus infection. Huh? We had no idea! I did comment that I had thought on and off during the previous week that he had a fever, but on the rare occasions that it read higher than normal, it was only like 99 or 99.5; nothing really worth bothering about given that he wasn't acting sick at all (good appetite, good energy, etc). He did have a runny nose, but it wasn't bad, and (forgive the TMI) it was clear, not cloudy or yellow like it was infected. According to the ENT, a recurring low-grade fever accompanied by a runny nose is the most common sign of a sinus infection in children. Great, NOW you tell me! It had been barely two weeks since he had finished the previous antibiotics for his ear infection at the very tail-end of May, so she put him on something different and stronger to try and wipe it out. Hopefully, that will hold until his procedure is scheduled. She gave me the scheduler's name and number to call directly to speed up the process and hopefully get him done in the following two weeks. Ha ha, the cosmic joke was on us.

First off, turned out that the scheduler chick was out of the office that entire week (being a holiday week here in the US for Independence Day). Her voice mail says to expect return calls to take up to two business days, and I figure that is when she is actually in the office. I decide to go on and leave a message on the 3rd, but I'd give her a week (that would be July 10) to call me back before I badgered her again. I also decided not to blog about the issue until I had a firm procedure date in hand, since I knew that would be everyone's first question.

Little did we know! (Anyone who has seen the movie Stranger Than Fiction now laughs every single time they see or hear that phrase! Ahem, sorry, moving on....) The week progresses, Luke is taking his antibiotic, and things seem hunky-dory. July 10th dawns, and on my calendar is a little reminder to call back the ENT scheduler girl that afternoon. Also on my schedule was a 9-10 AM Excel workshop that I was teaching at work (I do them every two weeks). We only get about 2/3 of the way through our example by 10 AM, and everyone agrees they want to stay on and finish it, so we continue. At 10:30, we are *almost* finished with the class, and my cell phone rings. I had given scheduler girl my cell number, since I knew the ENT was in something of a hurry to get his ears done, so I excused myself from the class momentarily, apologizing but explaining that I had been waiting for a very important call (I had told my boss that if she called, I would need take it, and she said that was fine). And I answered my cell without looking at the caller ID.

Imagine my surprise when it is not the scheduler girl, but the director of Luke's daycare center. Great, now what? This is not the first time they have called (as regular readers of this blog know). Most often, it is for a fever, but that seems unlikely given that he is *still* on antibiotics for his sinus infection. Occasionally, it is to tell me that they have had to use his spare outfit and to bring a replacement with me when I come to get him (which I appreciate). And once it was to tell me that they thought he needed stitches. So I had no idea what she was about to say, but it was not the following: "Luke jumped off the top of the slide and landed on his side on top of his elbow. He is holding it like it hurts, he won't move it at all, and he won't let us touch it." They thought he might have pinched the nerve or jammed his elbow. They said they would apply an ice pack and see how he was doing, and they would call me back with status. They just wanted to give me a heads-up that I might need to come get him if he didn't get back to his usual self. Lovely. I go back to my class, took about 15 minutes to finish up, and then called my boss to fill her in on what daycare had said. She is totally family-first, so she told me to just do what I needed to do.

Approximately 45 minutes had elapsed since the first call, and I had just hung up with my boss, when my cell phone rang again. Caller ID indicated daycare. This can't be good. Sure enough, he was not doing any better. She said that the real key was that he didn't want to play; he just wanted to sit at the table with his head down. That is just NOT like him at all. She said his arm was also just hanging limp by his side, and that he was holding his forearm constantly. I call the pediatrician, who says that if I even think it *might* be broken, I should take him to the ER. I call my husband to fill him in on the plan, I IM my boss saying I was leaving, I filled a cup with juice for Luke, and I ran out the door.

On my way to daycare, I realize that he probably won't get to eat lunch, and the last thing anyone wants to do is to put up with my injured soon-to-be napless child who has not eaten! I also figure lunch for me would be a good idea as well, since ER visits are never short, so I swing through Wendy's to pick up something for us. I even check with DH to see if I need to get him something, but he has arranged lunch for himself on the way to the hospital. When I arrived at daycare, everyone was rather shocked that I was not only calm, but that I had had the forethought to pick up lunch! (They offered to pack a sandwich or something for the two of us to take in the car, which I sincerely appreciated.) Hey, I'm the daughter of a nurse and a man who worked emergency management for decades. I generally know how to handle a medical crisis without losing my head. As long as no one seems to be in desperate pain or anything, I'm good. And Luke, other than holding and not wanting to move or touch his arm, seemed fine. He wasn't crying or acting distressed, just unusually calm and reserved, similar to when he needed stitches in his finger. Got him loaded in the car (that was a trial, since he didn't want to move his arm enough to put on the harness in the car seat), handed him some chicken nuggets, and off we went.

DH actually beat us to the hospital (which is no where near daycare, and added with the painfully slow Wendy's trip, allowed him plenty of time to arrive in Decatur from downtown Atlanta before I arrived from Tucker). We checked in with the ER desk right at 1 PM. They were blissfully empty! Only three people besides us in the waiting area, and they were clicking through them pretty quickly. We only waited 10-15 minutes. Then we had to wade through one of my pet peeves about the system. I understand why it is this way, but I hate reiterating the *same* story about what happened and what we think the problem is four different times to four different people! The check-in desk, the triage nurse, the doctor, and the radiologist. Just read the bloomin' chart, folks! Anyway, triage ordered us to the rapid treatment center, which is actually much more rapid this time than it was during our last visit back in 2003.

Doc comes in and examines him. She is as gentle as she can be, but she has to manipulate the elbow to try and figure out what is wrong. Much screaming and crying ensued, and DH was not handling things well. I can't say that I was either, internally at least, but I had more of a grip on the outside than he did, plus I knew there was absolutely no other way to diagnose the problem (something DH also knows in his head, if not his heart, while my heart told me it was the right thing to do, even if it hurt). And Luke, of course, simply cannot understand why this woman is insisting on hurting him.

She actually thinks that it is not broken, but is instead something referred to as "nursemaid's elbow," which (in layman's terms) is when a ligament gets caught in the elbow joint. The "cure" is to fully extend the elbow, almost to the point of hyper-extension, which will allow the ligament to slide out again. It would be fairly quick, but extremely painful. The upside is that once it slides back out, the pain immediately goes away and all is well. The downside is, obviously, LOTS of screaming from Luke. DH and I have one of those "quick and silent conversations composed of a single look" that married couples often have, in which we both agree that DH will have to leave the room if that is what they are going to do.

But, just to be on the safe side, she decides to send him to radiology to make sure nothing is broken. She leaves to write up the orders, and my cell phone rings. Yes, I had forgotten to turn it off when I came in the ER. Bad me! I figured it was either my father or my brother (I had intentionally NOT told my mother yet, since I wanted to have an answer for her (broken or not?) when I did), so I just answered, knowing I could just say "don't know yet, I'll call you back" and hang up. Nope! It was the ENT lady, wanting to schedule his tubes procedure. You have got to be kidding me! I very briefly explain that I am currently standing in the ER waiting to find out if he has a broken arm and that I will have to call her back (knowing all the while that it will be two more days before she can return my call once I finally am able to get back to her, ARGH!!).

Radiology was not fun, at all. Once Luke saw DH in the parking deck, he didn't want to be put down for any reason (he is definitely daddy's little boy). All exams to this point had taken place in DH's lap. Obviously, we couldn't do it that way in radiology; he had to lay on the table. And he screamed and he cried the entire time, bordering on hysterical. In order to try and keep him still for the x-rays, DH was up by his head, talking to him and holding the non-injured arm, while I was laying across his legs and holding the hand of his injured arm both for stillness and positioning (had to take off my wedding ring, but I did manage to keep my fingers out of the x-rays). And this x-ray tech (not the actual radiologist, who we actually never saw) was obviously not used to young children, so that didn't help any. He seemed to think that since it wasn't hurting him, Luke should be fine and not scared. Um, yeah, not-quite-3-year-olds don't think like that!

So anyway, x-rays were an ordeal, and the radiologist decided he wanted an ultra close-up of the elbow itself, so we had to go through it all twice. By now, Luke is just a zombie. They give him some children's ibuprofen (finally! why did that take so long?) and some juice while we wait, and I supply marshmallows from the diaper bag. The x-ray tech said everything looked fine to him, our doctor said everything looked fine to her, but she was waiting on official word from radiology. And to everyone's great surprise, the radiologist said he thought that the radius (that would be the larger of the two bones in your lower arm, for those who have forgotten your biology) might be cracked right at the knob of the bone where it meets the elbow joint. He wasn't positive, but he still advised that we see an orthopedist. Great.

They rig him up in a soft cast, which is basically a glorified splint. A hard bent core to support the elbow, wrapped in ace bandages. Add in a prescription for Tylenol with Codeine for pain, follow-up orders for the Ortho, and a CD of his x-rays (which I did download before giving to the Ortho, geek that I am), and we're all set to leave at 3:15 PM. Knowing that Luke would pitch a fit if we tried to get in separate cars (and knowing that we had already hit the daily max charge for the parking deck after two hours), we decide to leave DH's car and all leave in mine. I'd just get my brother to come get me and drop me off at the car later in the evening (have I mentioned how much I LOVE my brother now living locally?).

I don't even think we had left the parking deck before Luke was asleep. Poor baby! We decide to just have me go on and take the other car, since Luke now won't miss me. I actually had to call my husband after I got to the car to meet me at the back door to the deck since I had no cash for parking, but other than that, it was a good plan. I drove to the pediatrician's office, since it is right by the hospital, to see what we need to do about an ortho referral. We then went to Target to fill the prescription; I ran in and DH stayed in the other car with Luke. He did wake up while I was waiting, so they came in and wandered around, and I called the ortho's office for an appointment, which was scheduled for two days later. As we were leaving Target, Luke requested pancakes (IHOP is just up the road), and who were we to refuse at this point. It had been a long and trying Tuesday!

I did go on and send him to daycare on Wednesday. No point in missing a day of work for him to just sit around the house bored. I knew if he was acting like he was in real pain, they would call me. Otherwise, being distracted at school was probably the best thing for him. He did just great.

8:10 AM on Thursday was our appointment with the Orthopedic arm and wrist specialist at Emory. First off, this is the hugest doctor's office I have ever been in. They have *five* windows to help patients: three for check-in, one for x-ray only patients, and one for all other inquiries. The waiting room is half again the size of the bottom floor of my 1800 square foot house! And it has a fish tank bigger than my television (a 53" widescreen HD projection), which Luke adored. I actually didn't even have time to finish filling out the H&P (history and physical) before we were called back. The girl who saw us first (no idea of her "rank" (nurse, PA, NP, doctor, etc; her name badge didn't specify) was very nice, and she checked his arm very gently, merely making him whimper.

I gave her the x-ray disc, and she went to show them to the doctor. He came in and said that he couldn't actually see anything on the x-rays, but that hairline fractures on the knobs of the bones in children are virtually impossible to see on x-ray if they are not displaced (Luke's was not), so he would have to use what he termed "the caveman method" to check, which basically amounts to squeezing the bones at the joint to see what hurts. Joy. He squeezed all up and down Luke's arm, except the elbow, with no reaction from Luke. (He is very good with children, BTW. Not his first time, I expect! LOL) But when he got to the elbow, Luke whimpered and cried. He even pushed the doctor's hand away and said "NO!"

Based on said squeezing, the doctor said that it is actually the humerus (that is the bone in your upper arm) that is almost definitely cracked right at the knob of the elbow, but that the radius is also probably cracked (at the mirrored knob on the other side of the elbow). The injury itself didn't require a cast to heal properly, but given that Luke is only 2 and unlikely to "take it easy," he wanted to cast it to prevent any further injury and/or displacement should he take another tumble (and, being already cracked, it would take significantly less force to displace it than it did to break it in the first place). Displaced "knobs" like that require pinning (that would be surgically inserting rods to stabilize the pieces until they heal), which no one wants, so casting it is definitely the way to go. The rule of thumb used for children is that it takes one week per year of age for a break to heal, so we would be seen back in about three weeks for cast removal (that is this coming Monday, July 30). We picked blue for our cast color, got that applied, dosed him with some ibuprofen, and he went off to daycare (it wasn't even 9:30 AM yet).

ENT chick called back the next day, Friday, July 13. I decided that I had had enough medical trauma in my life for the month of July, so I booked his procedure for August 10. That is almost two weeks after he gets his cast off. Hopefully, we will all be recovered from the arm ordeal by then. The good news is that they do the tubes at an outpatient facility dedicated to children. They are done in order of age (the idea being that older kids can understand the idea of waiting and that they can't eat better than younger ones, which I definitely appreciate!), so until closer to time, we won't know exactly what time. They'll call the week before to let us know. Also, being run by people who understand children, they let parents go back with their child until the child is asleep with the anesthesia. Hospitals generally WILL NOT allow this (I've heard multitudes of mothers complain about this), so that made me feel significantly better.

The procedure and the tubes don't scare me. I had two sets myself, at ages 2 and 6. I actually distinctly remember breathing the general anesthesia before (what I assume is) the second time. I know it is routine, I know it is what he needs. But for some reason, being that this is MY child, that doesn't help a lot. I'm sure, as usual, I will be doing heaps better than most parents. I am familiar with the procedure, and medicine, doctors, hospitals, surgery, etc do not scare me in general. But that doesn't mean I have to like it when it is happening to MY son! LOL

And can we PLEASE go more than three months before the next medical emergency? I would greatly appreciate it.

Currently feeling: doctored out!

More Harry to Come

Woo-hoo!!! This is like the best birthday present ever! J.K. Rowling has said there will probably be a Harry Potter encyclopedia!!! Here is a non-spoiler quote from the article:

In her first tell-all interview since the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," J.K. Rowling told TODAY's Meredith Vieira she "probably will" publish a Potter encyclopedia, promising many more details about her beloved characters and the fate of the wizarding world beyond the few clues provided in the seventh book's epilogue.

I will give you a link to the article (compliments of my father), but please note that there ARE spoilers for HP7 in the article. Got that. Let me make it clear:

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS!!! Got it? Okay, here's the link: Click me.

Currently feeling: extremely happy!

The Gray Lady

I suppose, in light of today being my 31st birthday, that it is appropriate that I have found a clump of silver gray hairs just above my left temple. I noticed it a few weeks ago, I just forgot to mention it until today. DH, who has had noticable gray since I met him at age 18 (and has gathered more than a few new ones in the 12 years since), has no sympathy! LOL

Just to clarify, I'm not upset about this. They're actually quite a pretty silver color. It was just one of those things, like stretch marks when I was pregnant. I spotted them in the mirror, I give a big sigh, I shrugged, and then said "oh well!" Not a big deal. (As my friend Violet says, it beats the alternative.) I have an almost 3-year-old. I figure I've earned them! LOL

Currently feeling: yikes!

It is finished

The series has ended. I've finished the book.

Currently feeling: completed

Take Two

I have many more interesting things I should be writing right now, but I am completely brain dead. So I'll borrow from Kirsten and Patti.

Two names you go by:
1. Erin
2. Mommy

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Embroidered navy shirt
2. Denim shorts

Two things you want (or have) in a relationship:
1. Trust
2. Friendship

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Watch movies
2. Read

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. Energy
2. Harry Potter Book 7

Two people who will fill this out:
1. Really no idea! Um, maybe Krista (since she is always tagging me)
2. and I'll go out on a limb and say Ann

Two things you did last night:
1. I barely even remember last night! Um, watched The Closer on TNT
2. Decided not to try and watch the World Series of Poker final table on pay-per-view tonight.

Two things you ate today:
1. Waffles
2. Pot roast (at Golden Corral)

Two people you last talked to:
1. My husband ("What's the score?")
2. My son ("Night night, Luke. Love you!")

Things you're doing this week/weekend:
1. Besides the obvious? (That would be reading HP7.) Visiting with my parents.
2. Hopefully getting Luke a hair cut (it is SOOO long!).

Two longest car rides:
1. Brunswick, GA to New Orleans, LA
2. Hampton, VA to Orlando, FL

Two favorite holidays:
1. Christmas
2. July 4th (my anniversary)

Currently feeling: out of it

Media Blackout

I am officially setting myself to media blackout. I don't want to read, I don't want to see, I don't want to know. I haven't waited this long, with only five days to go, for some idiot to ruin the whole thing. And you know it will be released early. Has been for every previous time, and this time, they don't have the recourse of "we won't send you the next one" since there is no next one.

Yes, I am talking about Harry Potter. I really wanted to do a midnight release party, but I couldn't last time because I had an 8 month old at the time. Since my birthday is coming up, I thought it would be a great way to celebrate my birthday! Then I realized that someone there is going to flip to the back page as soon as they are handed their book, and inevidably, someone is going to shout "Harry dies!" or "Harry lives!" or some other huge spoiler, which would tick me off to no end. So I'm having it shipped to my house, guaranteed to arrive Saturday (in theory). Just not worth the risk. My brother is so worried about A) release party spoilers and B) not receiving his book at his apartment that he had *his* copy shipped to my house. I wonder what time Saturday morning he will be camped on my doorstep? LOL

Currently feeling: I'm not listening!!

Luke with a cast, the short version

The short version: Even though they could not see a fracture on the xray, examination of the elbow said that at least one bone, and probably two, are cracked at his elbow. They are non-displaced, which is great, but they still put a cast on it (blue, if you're curious) so that he would not end up displacing it should he fall again. We go back in three weeks for removal.

Long version to come, just not right now.

BTW, DH is fine. We think it might have been something he ate. We all three had the same thing, except for one item that only DH had. He only ate one bite at the time and said it tasted bad, so he didn't eat anymore, but it may have been enough. Thank goodness. One patient at a time is more than plenty.
Currently feeling: trying to hang in there

Movie Muse Shorts: Ratatouille, Transformers, and Harry Potter 5

I'll get the full musings out eventually, but with everything else going on this week with Luke's arm (thank you all for the well-wishes), this is the best I can do for now.

Ratatouille
Very good; I enjoyed it quite a lot. Didn't quite reach the heights of The Incredibles for me, but very funny and worth seeing nonetheless. No coda.

Transformers
Transformers was about what I was expecting, which is a good thing! Some people were saying it would be the next "Independence Day." I wouldn't go that far. ID is one of my favorite films of that genre, and this didn't quite measure up. I am also a self-admitted Armageddon fan (another Michael Bay film), and it wasn't quite that good either. But still, quite good, definitely the best "turn your brain off and enjoy it action movie" I've seen in a while. And the effects are just jaw-dropping, as you knew they would be. Again, definitely worth seeing, and on the big screen if you can! There is not a coda per se, but there are three short clips in the first couple of minutes of credits, so don't leave the theater immediately. The first two are just funny, but the third one (ironically the shortest) has some meaning.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I was unexpectedly able to catch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix this afternoon. Really quite good, though it stuck more to the spirit of the book than the letter. Captured most things pretty effectively, even if not exactly the way everything happened. I think they missed two *hugely* important points from the book, one at the beginning and one at the end; guess we'll find out in 10 days (with the release of the final book) if it is ultimately important or not. DH, a non-book reader, enjoyed it as well, though he did have a few questions that I needed to answer when we left. No coda at the end, so no reason to sit through all the credits.

Currently feeling: full of films!

I can see it is going to be one of *those* weeks

::sigh:: Luke broke his arm yesterday. I'll give the full details later, I just wanted to put it here for now so you would know. Very minor; the radiologist isn't even positive it is broken (head of the radius where it meets the elbow, and non-displaced), but better safe than sorry. He's in a soft cast right now. We'll see the Orthopedic arm and wrist specialist on Thursday.

Didn't have time to really post this yesterday because, well, I was just too darn tired! Put Luke to bed at 6:45; he had no nap yesterday (other than about 30 minutes in the car after we left the ER), so he was flat out exhausted, and I was in bed myself by about 7. I'm only up and awake now because DH is upstairs throwing up. Luke will probably be awake in the next 30-60 minutes, so no real point in going back to sleep.

Yeah, great week so far.

Currently feeling: sheesh

Happy 9th!

Anniversary, that is, to DH and me!

Currently feeling: lovey

Something I've never seen before

My husband's chin! Apparently, this was his twisted idea of an early anniversary gift. (I'm kidding!) Here's what happened:

Sunday night, DH accidentally shaved off half of his goatee. No, I'm not making that up; it was an accident. See, he uses a beard trimmer to keep it, well, trimmed. It has a guard that he has to put on to adjust the length that it is trimmed to. Recently, he has begun doing his trimming and shaving while Luke takes a bath. Soap him down, then shave/trim while Luke plays in the water. Apparently, Luke was being rather distracting by splashing a lot (and making a mess on the bathroom floor) when DH began trimming his goatee. Only being distracted, he forgot to put the guard on it and didn't realize it until half his chin was cold!

He called me upstairs, saying he needed my assistance and opinion on a matter. I was within 100 pages of finishing my re-read of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (and he knew that!), so I knew he would not have interrupted me if it were not important. I could not even imagine what it was, though, and I was even more concerned when he said it didn't involve the still-splashing child. Frankly, I didn't even notice. I was too busy looking around the bedroom and the bathroom, trying to figure out what was wrong. I even looked at him and didn't notice. (Hey, it was only half-gone, and the other half was still scruffy, not cleanly shaved, and I was looking him in the eye!) Then he pointed at his chin, and I just burst out laughing.

And I laughed, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed. I laughed until my stomach literally ached, tears were rolling down my face, and it was all I could do to stay standing. (I'm still snickering about it, actually.) He kept asking me what was so funny, and the only answer I had for him was "I don't know." I have no idea why it was (is) so funny. Shock, maybe? Both that he could do such a thing, especially by accident, and shock at seeing his chin after all these years.

He grew his moustache and goatee as an upper classman in high school because he was tired of looking so young, well over a year before he and I ever met. And (until Sunday night) he had never shaved it off since then. So, in the almost 13 years that we have known each other, I've had no idea what his chin looked like. (Hey Mom, it has a small dimple! (My mom has a thing for chin dimples.)) Can't really say if it looks like Luke's or not yet. I think we'll have to wait for Luke to get older, since that is really when a man's face starts taking on such characteristics. At least if a dimple appears, I'll now know where it came from.

DH didn't (and doesn't) think this is very funny. He's not super-mad about it or anything, but I can't say he's overly happy either, especially since I still have to fight a smile when I look at him (which he *certainly* doesn't think is funny, though he does usually end up laughing as well; whether with me or at me, I cannot say). It will probably take at least 3-4 weeks (if not longer) for it to grow back. He actually went back in and not only shaved his chin clean, but shaved off his moustache as well. He said he figured this was the closest he will ever get to doing it, so it was now or never (and that I should take a picture, because I would never see it again!). Now that *really* shocked me and, for some reason, isn't nearly as funny. I really thought he would just leave it scruffy (it will get scruffy at some point, why not now?), and I never would have dreamed he'd shave off the moustache along with it, since it was completely unscathed. Given that it has been nearly 15 years since he actually took a razor to his chin or his upper lip, I'm surprised he didn't slice them off! And we wouldn't want that. Now that I've actually seen it, I can say for sure that it is a very cute chin.... (snicker)

We were afraid Luke would react badly when we picked him up from daycare on Monday, but he did fine. (DH didn't shave cleanly or remove his moustache until after Luke was in bed Sunday night, and I take Luke to daycare in the morning, so he hadn't seen the end result yet.) I remember hearing stories of my cousin seeing her father without his beard for the first time around age three. She burst into tears and started screaming "that's not my daddy!" Thankfully, nothing so dramatic for Luke. He hardly seems to have noticed.

But as fun(ny) as this has all been, I'll be glad when it has grown back. He just doesn't look like my husband of practically 9 years (as of tomorrow) without them.

Before:


And after:


Currently feeling: still trying to repress the giggles

June 2007 Round Up

Monthly Round Up idea borrowed from Katie the Scrapbook Lady.

Much easier to get this out in a timely fashion when you make notes all month and even (shock, gasp) pre-type some of it as you go along.


Credit: Pinky Blinkies

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
Finally started Half-Blood Prince. Thought I would finish it this month as well, but that didn't happen. Should still finish in plenty of time for the release of Deathly Hallows. I think that's it.

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
The DaVinci Code (better than I expected), Premonition (not quite what I was expecting, but still good), Ratatouille (very good and highly enjoyable), and Sky High (surprisingly good, highly enjoyable).

Also finally started watching Cities of the Underworld and The Universe off the DVR. Both quite good, though I think I prefer Cities of the Underworld. And The Closer *finally* started its new season. Yaaayyyy!! I didn't realize how much I had missed that show until we started watching it again. There is just nothing on network television right now (well, during the regular season) that is that good, not even CSI.

What special days did I celebrate and how?
My mom's birthday is in June, but we were unable to celebrate with her. I sent cards and called, of course. She was supposed to be here the weekend after her birthday, but she got dreadfully sick and could not make it. Father's Day was also a quiet affair, as usual. Some cards, some candy, and we went out to eat, and I called my Dad (but he wasn't home). That's it.

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
I threw a baby shower for my best friend Connie. Two, in fact, since she missed the first one due to her plane having mechanical difficulty. I threw together a second shower in about an hour, and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun. And my friend Mandi gave Luke a homemade "taggie" blanket, which was very sweet of her.

I eventually gave my mom her belated birthday gifts (chocolate and bubbles; don't ask). Also made her favorite cake (brown sugar bundt cake, but I made muffins out of it) for her visit. Picked up some essentials for my newly-relocated brother the weekend he arrived.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
My nagging minor health problem hung on for the first half of the month, but seems to have resolved. (Basically, Aunt Flo came to visit for about six weeks straight, not fun.) I also got some kind of viral respiratory thing just before the baby shower. I was terrified it was going to turn into bronchitis, but it never did. It actually went away quite quickly, all things considered. Thank goodness!

We also discovered that Luke gets these huge welts when he is bitten by something (we think mosquitoes, but we're not sure). We're talking dime to quarter size (1-2 cm in diameter). They don't seem to hurt or bother him, it is just disturbing. He has about 15 bites right now, and we have no idea where or when he got them. They just appeared overnight one night, and they'll be gone in a couple of days (if they follow the progression of the other ones). Apparently, he decided to take after my mother rather than me (or my father) in this particular regard. I virtually never get bitten; if there is a mosquito or gnat within 10 miles of my mother, it will bypass everyone else so that it can bite her. LOL I know it is a really minor thing, it is just slightly upsetting to me as a mom.

Other than that, we were all good this month, yaaayyy!!!

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
The baby shower(s) was the main thing. Also helped my brother move in to his *Atlanta* apartment. Woo-hoo!! Not sure that was exactly fun, but it was exciting, and we could not possibly be happier about him being here. We're currently taking bets on how long my mom can last with now *both* of her children and her only grandchild living up here before she can't stand it anymore and moves up here (with Dad, of course, LOL).

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
My friend Talley introduced me to a new restaurant called Mimi's Cafe (over near Perimeter Mall, for all you locals). I'd never even heard of it, but apparently, they have locations all over the country. And wow, was it yummy! We actually met there for breakfast (didn't even know restaurants like that served breakfast!), and I later took my mom there for lunch when she was here (Dad was here, too, but he was at a conference, so it was mainly Mom that I got to see). It is our type of casual yet elegant restaurant. You don't feel out of place in jeans, but you also would not feel out of place in a nice outfit either. Maybe a touch swankier than Ruby Tuesday's and the like, but still casual and comfortable. I look forward to eating there again! Lots of wonderful things on the menu I look forward to trying.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Well, I had to get four new tires and the alignment done on my car, which suddenly began vibrating quite badly and pulling rather dramatically to the right. We bought a new washing machine hose, since the one we had split and sprayed water into our kitchen, enough to cause a lake about an inch deep and soak the carpet within a 3-foot perimeter. We also bought four Vortex fans and rented a carpet cleaner to help dry our carpet following said flood.

Oh, and Luke got another completely new summer wardrobe. He was rapidly outgrowing the one I bought him back in February in preparation for our Disney trip. I guess that *was* almost 5 months ago, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I feel like summer just started, so how can he already need all new summer clothes?! Thank goodness I realized it at the end of June! When I started actively looking for new shorts and shirts for him, I noticed that most stores had everything on clearance. Why? Because they are already putting out long pants and long sleeves! Sheesh, people, it is JUNE! That would be the middle of summer. You know, hitting around 100 degrees for the next several weeks with *lows* in the 80s. We will be wearing shorts and t-shirts for the next 3-4 months minimum, with long pants and certainly long sleeves still a long way away. I realize school starts in about a month (which is also insane, IMO), but who needs fall clothes to start school in August? No one in Hot-lanta, I can assure you. If I'd waited a couple of weeks to go shopping, there would have been nothing left. I guess long sleeves and long pants make as much sense in July as bikinis make in February (which is when they hit the stores this year; it's so messed up).

What were this month's disappointments?
Connie missing the shower was a huge one, though perfectly understandable given the circumstances. It was a perfectly lovely shower at an elegant little tea room, but without the guest of honor, it just wasn't the same.

What were my accomplishments this month?
Throwing that second shower and putting it together in about an hour was pretty amazing, especially knowing how I like to plan things. (I'm already planning Luke's birthday party. In October!) Oh, and my new contract position that will start around September 1! Not sure that counts, though, since the position once again just fell in my lap.

What were Luke's accomplishments this month?
He is officially counting now! Previously, if you tried to count things with him (like count the crayons), he would just count by rote and keep counting (usually to 10), even after you ran out of objects (only 3 crayons, but he would still count to 10). Obviously wasn't quite grasping the concept. But we were watching Blue's Clues a couple of weeks ago, and Blue and Steve were trying to decide which door to take. Luke looked at the screen and said, "one, two, three, four!" And there were indeed four doors. Blue and Steve were not even counting the doors, just trying to choose the smallest one, so there was no prompting from the show to count them. He did that himself. He now counts all sorts of things.

He is doing very well at going pee-pee in the potty, at least during the day. I think going at night will be a long time coming (he sleeps like the dead, like his mommy), and he still has no interest in pooping on the potty. But given that he had virtually no interest until about six weeks ago, I think we have made great strides!

There is another new lovey in his life. Two, in fact. Orange kitty has been supplanted by bear. Or Booster Bear. (He was trying to put the pop-off back panel of his Buzz Lightyear on bear in the car the other day, so DH came up with Booster Bear, Buzz's new sidekick.) Bear is now the companion of choice in the car, while orange kitty now has to wait at home. He is also taking his light up (fiber optic) white doggie to bed as well. All three go up and down to and from bed daily, while puppy and Eeyore must stay in the crib.

He's had a bit of an imagination explosion as well. Toys now talk to and interact with each other. He has several new Star Wars Galactic Heroes sets that he loves. He was even giving pink kitty (who now lives in the car) her choice of juice or water the other day. We take him a cup of juice to have in the car after daycare, since it takes a while to get to dinner after we pick him up and he gets cranky. So I'm driving, and I suddenly hear, "Juice? Water? Juice? Water? Juice? Okay." Followed by a loud slurping noise. I glance in the rear view mirror, and he is holding the straw up to pink kitty's mouth and making a slurping noise. Apparently, pink kitty chose juice. LOL

He also finally learned to pedal the tricycle. You know, the one we got him for his second birthday? Yeah, well, 8 months later, and he finally figures it out. I think part of the problem was that they had little scooter things at daycare that you sit on and push with your feet. No pedals. So he would come home and only want to use his feet on the ground. We tried showing him what to do with the pedals, and we even watched the segment on Sesame Street where Elmo talks about and demonstrates (and sings a song about) pedalling a tricycle. Still no go. He loved being on the tricycle, so that wasn't the problem. But early this month (he did it for the first time when Connie was here, actually), he finally got it going, pedals and all! Then he had to learn to steer, which didn't take long. He now happily pedals all over the downstairs (which is mainly one large room with just a small divider wall in the center, which he loves to circle). We might actually let him take it outside on the pavement soon. We'll see.

Anything else noteworthy to record?
Let's see. We covered the shower and the flood, the counting and the tricycle, Jacob's move and a new contract. Those are certainly the biggies. Nothing else really comes to mind.

Wait! I forgot! DH got his first ever speeding ticket. Okay, that is all.

Currently feeling: quite pleased