Moving day

We've been working on loading everything up since about 8 am. We were packed and ready to go at 4 pm. We're currently en route to San Antonio. It's been a really long day.

Moving Updates

Closing was moved from Wednesday to Friday (tomorrow) due to J not being able to be here Wednesday night. So we're closing bright and early tomorrow morning. I'm resting my hand tonight because I'm sure I'll have to sign my name at least 50 times tomorrow.

The past few days I've been having issues with the fridge. It wasn't cooling or staying cold. I called J about it and he didn't really believe me. I really wouldn't care so much since we are moving, but the fridge is staying and I don't want the new homeowners getting pissed cause it's broken. So I convince J to call someone to come out and look. It turns out our fancy-schmancy refrigerator is run by a computer. And the computer board went out and needed to be replaced. $250 later, it's fixed.

Tonight the new owners are coming to inspect the house to make sure we have everything fixed up. Hopefully everything will be to their satisfaction.

We've got a UHaul for tomorrow and we should start our journey sometime around mid-afternoon. Then I've got a long day of unpacking to do.

I'm ready.

Wordless Wednesday

Closing in 7 days

We should be closing on our house next Wednesday and moving out next Friday/Saturday. It's crunch time and I'm getting really nervous. I'm just so scared that I'm going to get a phone call saying they are backing out.

On the other hand, I'm so excited. In about a week, we'll no longer have a mortgage to worry about and electricity bill, water bill, etc. This is gonna save us about $1,400 a month since we'll be staying with J's parents. We'll be paying off some credit cards and saving for a down payment for a new house in San Antonio.

We've been packing for about 2 weeks already and there is still much to do. Wish us luck!

First Haircut

Look at those curls! They're gone now. Sniff, sniff.




Well, not totally gone. But Christian did get a much needed haircut last Saturday before his birthday party. He was really good during the haircut until a teenage girl walked in and then he started "flirting" and trying to get to her. So I only have pictures from before she walked in. After I was too busy holding him still to get any pictures. He just got a very minor trim. I love his curls too much to do anything drastic.

Broken Windows: Rowdy neighbors or a botched break-in?

So I was out of my house all last week from May 1st through May 8th. We came home last Friday. I got to the house first since we were in separate cars.

As I walked in from the garage, the first thing I felt was a spider web in my face. Yuck! I wondered how on earth that got there, but quickly dismissed it and went on with unpacking and waiting for my boys. Then I noticed that the AC was running which was odd because when I left it set for 95 degrees. But I didn't think about that too much.

About 20 minutes later, the boys walk in and start unloading J's car. It's already late about 9:30 and we hear the neighbors having a party outside. Christian is wired from sitting in a car for 4 hours so we let him wander around the house while we finish unloading. Once everything is settled down, J notices that part of our crown molding in the kitchen is falling (just barely). We figure that it's just the house settling. So we decide to turn on our soaker hoses for the night to moisten the ground.

As J's walking outside and I'm at the dining room tables inside, I noticed there's a piece of glass on the floor near the table. I scooped up Christian and yelled for J. We both noticed it at the same time. There was a hole in our double paned windows.

J called the cops and kept inspecting the gash. And then used a flashlight to check out the rest of the backyard. There were fast food wrappers all over and our patio chairs were strewn out the yard. We immediately suspected our neighbors kids.

We've always had issues with our neighbors. They are constantly throwing crap into our back yard. (I remember when I was a million months pregnant and I was outside picking up chicken wing bones and beer cans so the dogs wouldn't get them.) They've wrapped our house, etc, etc, etc. They are awful.

The cops arrives. We tell him what we know and he's off next door to ask them some questions. The cop come back and agrees with us. The neighbors are admitting to their kids being in our backyard with some of their friends a couple evenings, but not to breaking the windows. We have no proof but the cops really thinks it's probably them. We get a police report for our insurance and off he goes. We taped it up and have plans to get it fixed this week.


But the story gets more complicated.... That all happened Friday night. Well, on Saturday my dad and J are working on the house and yard while my mom and I and baby are getting ready for a Mother's Day bbq. While J is outside, our neighbor on the other side comes by and to let us know that she was broken into the previous Saturday. Someone threw a piece of concrete into her sliding glass door and took her TVs, lap tops, stereo, and jewelry.

Did someone break into her house and then try to come for ours? We know that nothing was stolen from our home. Our computer, TVs, video game systems, etc are all accounted for. I have no jewelry of value other than my engagement ring and wedding rings which I always have on. So we don't think anyone was in our home. There was glass on the ledge of the window which wouldn't have been there is someone had crawled through. The blinds weren't messed up which they wouldn't been if someone crawled in, etc.

We don't know what happened.

Swine flu vacation

We're still in San Antonio. Hopefully, we'll be here until Friday and then head back to the Valley.

I'm getting a glimpse of what my life will be like in about a month when we are here permanently. Christian is adjusting well. He's sleeping awesome and taking good naps. My only concern is his eating, but it seems like he's coming around.

I've decided that I need to get some sort of schedule for the summer. Not like a rigid, official schedule. but some sort of balance.

Like today he got up around 8 and ate breakfast. Then by 9, we were out and about. We ended up shopping and looking around until 11:30. Once we were back, Christian ate a good lunch and went right to sleep. He's been sleeping since about 12:30 and it's already 1:30. I'm hoping he'll stay down until 2:30 and then we'll just play here until J gets home at 4:15.

By the time I move here for good, J will be on an extended schedule which will mean he works until 6, but he'll only work 3 days a week and on Saturdays.

I'm starting to really look forward to this summer. Now if only I could find a job for the fall then I'd really be able to have a relaxing summer.

Swine flu sucks...

This blows. My school district just closed down starting tomorrow and will supposedly be closed until Tuesday, May 11th. That means 6 days out.

I'm sure we are going to have to extend our school year an extra week or so to cover the time lost.

This whole situation sucks because we're closing on our house May 20 and moving out the 23rd and I was going to have to stay with my grandma until school got out the 5th of June. Now I'll probably have to be with her for 3 weeks.

The upside of this mess is that I'm going to San Antonio and spend the week with my husband. And also I don't have to take my darling child back home on a plane. Ahhh, the small things...

I must be crazy

Christian and I are flying to Houston tonight. We have scheduled Christian's party for tomorrow afternoon and I volunteered to fly instead of drive so I could help out my parent's with the preparations tonight. The last time I flew was in December and Christian was a terror. Now I know that tonight is going to be much worse. I just know. He's going to be antsy and wanted to be put down the whole time. Not fun. Thankfully, it's only an hour flight. Wish us luck!

Stats: Then and Now

April 29th, 2008:
Height: 20 3/4 inches
Weight: 8 lbs, 6oz

April 29th, 2009:
Height: 28 1/2 inches
Weight 20 lbs, 14 oz

What a difference a year makes!

I hate my ped

Yesterday was Christian's 12 month appointment. The appointment was scheduled for 5 pm.

I decided to arrive early at 4:30 because I had new insurance and wanted to give them time to process. Christian and I went to sit in the waiting area.

As soon as we sit down and Christian starts exploring, another woman in the waiting area lets me know that a kid JUST threw up on the floor where we were sitting. I immediately swoop baby up. And guess what happens when you pick up and newly walking toddler and want to carry him? Yep, the hysterics begin. He's crying and kicking and scratching.

That lasted for 30 minutes when they finally called me back at 5:00. We head back to the weighing room (stats later). After being weighed and measured, we go to another little sitting room and wait for an exam room.

Five minutes later another mother and toddler come in. He's a sick toddler. His mother just puts him down and he wanders to the play area and starts playing with all the toys where Christian was!!! WTF? I swoop him up again and hysterics start again! But I wasn't having Christian play in the same area where the other kid was playing. Seriously, that mother should have been carrying her son or containing him in some way. Don't just let him wonder over to my healthy child.

So I'm holding him...and holding him...and holding him....and holding him....until 6:05. By this point, I'm exhausted (I've already had a horrible day.) and my back is hurt and I'm just pissed. On a normal night, Christian would be eating dinner and settling down to some quiet playtime before bath. Not screaming in the doctor's office.

Finally, I just reached my breaking point. I walked out. At the front, the office manager (who happens to be the ped's wife), she asks me if everything's okay. I tell her no. I've been waiting for over an hour. I want another appointment where I won't have to go through this again. She offers no apologizes and no explanations. So we're scheduled for sometime next week. I'm not even sure what day. I already lost the appointment card. I'll just have to call them next week.

Seriously. Is this the way other peds operate? Thank goodness I'm moving and will be finding another ped. Next week's appt will be Christian's last with him.

Happy 1st Birthday!

A year ago today, I became a Mommy and my life changed dramatically.


Happy Birthday, Goobie!! You are the light of my life.


(Pictures to come this weekend. We're partying it up on Saturday.)

ENT Results...

...are perfectly normal. It must have been a bad test or bad behavior from my darling son. Whatever the case is, I'm beyond thankful. This is a huge load off my shoulders.

No news yet

We're still waiting for Christian's test results. I talked to a nurse today and she said that he hasn't had a chance to look over them yet.

I hate playing the waiting game.

Today's the day

Christian's second hearing test is in an hour. We kept him up last night until 11:30 and woke him up at 4:30. So hopefully he'll fall asleep during the test.

I'm going to have my phone glued to my hand until J calls me with the news. I've already got butterflies in my stomach.


Update: The test went well. Christian slept the whole time (thankfully). J and him here out in 2 hours. The ENT was going to call us late this afternoon or early tomorrow morning for the results. He didn't call today. So hopefully, we'll hear something tomorrow (pun not intended).

2 week ENT follow up

Today was Goobs's tube follow up with the ENT. After we checked in, he had a hearing test. He didn't like it. He kept squirming around and trying to pull the things from his ears and crying. The audiologist (is that what's she called?) said that she thought she got enough from him.

About 20 minutes later, our ENT and the audiologist come in and tell me that he passed his left ear hearing test and failed the right ear hearing test! Doc thinks he just didn't sit still long enough. He also told me that I would definitely know if he was deaf in one ear. (Would I?)

Now we have to go back on Monday for another procedure where they will sedate him and do a more extensive hearing test.

(At first they scheduled me for the second test on May 7th, but I cried and told them I couldn't wait that long. I would be too stressed out about it. So the audiologist took pity on me and squeezed us in on Monday.)

I'm so scared. I have so many questions running through my head. Could he really be deaf in one ear? What will we do? Can it be fixed? Did the tubes cause this? Would I have noticed deafness?

I'm going to go to pieces.

*******************************

That was posted yesterday at JM. I just did a quick copy and paste so that I could keep my blog updated.

I'm feeling a lot better, especially after hearing from Kel. (Thank you, Kel!) I'm pretty much sure that the test they did wasn't worth a dime and that he can hear. Last night, I spent about an hour testing him. I'd whisper on his right side or bang something on his right side, and he always turned his head or acknowledged me. He wouldn't do that if he was deaf, right? And if he is, we'll get through it. But I'm not going to worry myself sick until I know for sure what's going on. I just can't take it.

And I'm so thankfully that I have such a great husband. Next week is our state-wide testing and I just can't take any time off. So he's taking time off his job to stay here in Harlingen and take Christian in for his procedure next Monday. Then that afternoon, he'll drive back up to San Antonio for work on Tuesday.

April 23rd, 2009

... was the day that Goobie officially started walking.

Before that day, he'd take one step here and there, but not more than 2 or 3 steps. Well, yesterday, I picked him up at daycare and he was walking the halls in the center with his teacher. She was holding his hand. When he saw me, he let go of her hand and walked about 5 steps to me and then laughed because he was so excited.

My baby is growing up. Sniff, sniff.

Goob's Surgery

So we've been fighting ear infections and fluid in ear FOREVER! It started last August and has been continuing until now.

Our ped originally prescribed Claritin Allergy meds last October. It didn't help with the fluid. The infections would clear with antibiotics. The fluid won't budge. So in December, ped prescribed Claritin AND Nasonex spray. Still didn't work. Finally in January, he referred us to see an ENT.

The whole time during this process I was freaking out because I was worried that his hearing and speech development would be behind. The doc even mentioned Goob going deaf. Hello, don't say stuff like that to me. I'm a hypochondriac and I always overanalyze.

We finally got an appointment with the ENT for mid February. We confirmed that he did have fluid in the ears and beginnings of an infection. Doc prescribed heavy duty antibiotics. And we had a follow up in March. Fluid was still there during follow up. So it was time for tubes.

Tube surgery was scheduled for April 9th. We had to jump through so many hoops to get our insurance straighten out, but thankfully we got it all in line. (It's all out of network so we ended up paying a pretty penny.)

So last Wednesday night, my parents came in to be with me during the surgery and afterwards. They arrived late and we all went right to be. Goob had been asleep since 8. And I was instructed not to give him any thing to eat/drink after 12. And wouldn't you know that he woke up at 1 am?

He was very stubborn and wouldn't go back to sleep. And of course once he was awake, he saw his grandparents and thought it was time to play. Finally, finally, finally, my dad got him to sleep around 4 am. Enough time for me to barely get back into REM sleep before I had to be up by 5:45 to get to the Ambulatory CEnter at 6:30.

We arrived at 6:30. Goobs came in his pjs. He was happy as a clam with his grandpa.



And a water bottle.




Around 7, they called us back. My mom and I went to the pre-op and changed him into his hospital gown and talked to the docs.



He looked so cute in that little hospital gown. But hopefully, it'll be the only time he'll ever been in one.



Then one of the docs came and picked up Christian and started cuddling and tickling him and took him back. I loved that they didn't make this long drawn out goodbye. Just really quick. I got a little teary-eyed.

I walked back to the waiting room and sat down and called J and told him what happened. While I was still on the phone, the recovery nurse came and got me and told me they were done. It took less than 10 minutes.

It was a snap. But coming out of the gas was not. He cried and cried and cried for about 20 minutes. Finally, he was able to eat and cuddle with me and quieted down. About 30 minutes after surgery, I got him dressed and we were out of there.

He wasn't too happy about getting dressed. He really liked that hospital gown.


We left the facility at about 8 am. It only took 90 minutes from entrance to exit.

At home, he ate some pancakes and got his ear drops and Tylenol and went to sleep for several hours. By that afternoon, he was as good as new.

And I'm already noticing that he's a lot more vocal. We went to my Aunt's house on Saturday and it echoes and he was yelling and screaming just to hear himself. I think he liked the echoing.

The only set back was some minor bleeding on Saturday. I put his ear drops in and blood came out. Called ENT and he said it was probably infected and just to keep putting in drops. And the bleeding stopped!

We have a follow up appt on April 23rd. I'm so glad this is all behind us.

Long Overdue Weekly Pics: Weeks 39-49

Week 49: April 7th

I'm a bad mommy. I have no pictures between February 19th through April 7th. I'll blame the fact that I didn't have any batteries in my camera and that J just started his new job and I was adjustin to being a single mommy Monday through Thursday.

Week 42: February 17th


Week 41: February 10


Week 40: February 3rd


Week 39: January 27th

Please.