I'm such a slacker, but I have an excuse

I haven't written much this month and I know my hundreds of readers have been wondering what I've been doing. I spent last week preparing to host Chirstmas. My mother arrived on the 22nd followed by my brother and his girlfriend on the 23rd, and my in-laws on the 24th. My brother, his girlfriend and my in-laws left Christmas day after dinner and my mother left yesterday (the 27th). I made a pumpkin and apple pie, shopped at Costco, Shop Rite and Trader Joe's to stock the kitchen with everything I would need for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and appetizers for the days leading up to the 25th and Christmas dinner itself.

I got sick with a stomach bug promptly on Christmas Eve morning. I took two Immodium and tried to rally. I prepped some vegetables for the next day, made pesto and plain pizzas for dinner that night and made salads, but was too nauseous to do anything else. After deciding not to go to church with Mr. Doodlebug and baby Doodle (where they were meeting my in-laws) I changed my mind and summoned some strength to head outside. After church I felt worse. I ate a quarter of a bagel while everyone else ate the pizzas I had prepared and tomato pie. All of the appetizers I had planned to serve with the pizza got forgotten and I was in no mood to give orders to my mom and Mr. D.

Christmas morning I didn't feel any better. My mother cooked nearly the entire Christmas meal (turkey, creamed white onions, green beans with tomato and garlic, root vegetables roasted with olive oil and rosemary, stuffing and cranberry sauce). I had another quarter bagel. The 26th was a little better. By yesterday (the 27th) I was ready -- thought I was ready -- to eat normally again. I had leftovers from Christmas for lunch without incident.

Last night, I went to the wake of a friend's daughter who was four years old. She died of a malignant brain tumor. It was sad and depressing. I can't imagine surviving the loss of a child. I hope I never have to. After the viewing a friend and I went out for a drink and some food. I had one glass of wine and food that was too heavy for my still recovering stomach. Needless to say, I'm sick again today worse than the first time. I feel like I am always sick over the Christmas-New Years week.

I know it is perverse to write and entire post about how ill I am when I know how fortunate I am to have a healthy child. I am grateful for that.

too cute

Last night we were watching the Eagles game, well, I was making dinner and Mr. Doodlebug, baby Doodle and Mix were watching the game, and Mix was quizzing baby Doodle on his animal sounds, which he has down pat. Then he asked him, "what does daddy say?" He hesitated a moment then said, "I love you." Then Mix asked him what mommy says and he repeated, "I love you."

Though we are always telling him how much we love him, I think his accurate response was due to the Wheels on the Bus song when we sing, the mommies on the bus say I love you, I love you, I love you.

Needless to say BD was back to normal yesterday.

sick -- not me, not yet . . .

Yesterday began well. My friends and their kids came over to play and socialize. Baby Doodle went down for his nap at 1:30. At 4:00 he was still asleep. Mr. Doodlebug was home early because the office's party was last night and everyone needs time to get ready for the extravagant gala. We went last year and it was great. We ate fine food and drank quite a bit. Mr. Doodlebug woke up baby Doodle around 4:15 as I left the house to get my nails done for the big night. When I got home Mr. D reported that BD was lethargic and not himself. Around 5:30 it was clear that baby Doodle was sick and we weren't going to be able to go to the party. Mr. D called his parents who were on their way to our house to babysit (they live an hour and a half away and were planning to spend the night). Neither of them answered their cell phone so they arrived and were disappointed that our boy wasn't feeling well. '



His temperature was 100.3 at its height; baby Doodle only wanted to lie on me. I didn't put him down until I put him in his crib around 9:00 p.m. He woke up three times last night -- Mr. D went to him and rocked him back to sleep first, then I went down, the third time we put him in bed with us. We said goodbye to my in-laws and had some sweet potato pancakes that Mr. Doodlebug made -- I know what you're thinking, I thought Mr. D couldn't cook anything! He rose to the occasion and made some delicious pancakes, which I ate with BD on my lap refusing every bite I offered. He did have some cinnamon bun and water.



I was unable to put him down all day today too. I even got in the bathtub with him (he hadn't been bathed since Wed. and seemed to be feeling better). He repeated "out tub, out tub" the whole time. Mr. D took BD into his room to get his second pair of pajamas for the day on. I haphazardly washed my hair while listening to BD in the adjoining room scream "mommy carry you" repeatedly. I helped Mr. D get on BD's second pair of pajamas of the day. He cried and whined the entire time I got myself dressed (you realize that I'm dressing myself for the first time today at 4:00 p.m.). I'm looking forward to having my energetic sweet boy back.

20 months

Baby Doodle turned 20 months old on Saturday (the 1st) while we were in DC. He becomes more of a joy to spend time with the older he gets. His communication skills are unbelievable and the delivery -- his sweet baby voice -- is irresistable. He is especially adorable when he says, "I love you" to Mr. Doodlebug and me without our having said it first. He also says, "bless you" whenever anyone sneezes and "thanks" whenever you hand him something or do something for him. These three phrases are pretty cute, but it's when he says three syllable words and three to four word sentences that make him sound so adorable (delicious, brocolli, elephant, hippopotomus (that one is five)).

He often puts his sentences together long after we've seen something new and exciting. For example, many nights after Thanksgiving I was rocking him in his room right before bed time and he said, "clowns wave bye. guys hit drums, trumpets, hats." At the Thanksgiving parade he was quite taken with the clowns and waved to them as they waved to the crowds. He also loved all the marching bands, especially the drummers and trumpeters. Some of the band members wore funny hats with feathers on top. His memory is great and he articulates his memories so well it's easy to understand what is going on in his mind.

He answers questions, and not just with a yes (which he doesn't ever say) or a no (which he says a lot). Last night he was saying, "more more more." "More what?" I asked him. He replied, "more cheese." I love that it's not a guessing game any more. He tells me what it is that he wants which makes both of our lives more smooth. Yesterday when it was snowing I asked him what he wanted to do when he woke up from his nap. He replied, "go outside snow."

He knows many shapes: circle, oval, triangle (very cute when he says it), square, rectangle (also cute), kite (for diamond), octagon, star, heart. He knows all the colors that come in an eight pack of crayons, plus white and pink.

He's taken to saying "time" after various things. On the way to his swimming class yesterday he said, "pool time." After we eat dinner he says, "bath time." After his bath he says, "story time" and after that he says "toothbrush time." I don't use these phrases, I think Mr. Doodlebug who gives him his baths does say bath time. He has generalized "bath time" for anything we do with any regularity. Remarkably, he says, "nap time" after we eat lunch, and then goes down easily in his crib for a good 2-3 hours. I'm very grateful for his good sleeping habits.

Mr. Doodlebug would be upset if I didn't mention that he throws a ball pretty acurately. He has "a good arm." He's into taking turns. He says, baby Doodle's turn, mommy's turn, daddy's turn etc. . . He tells me when the light has turned green when we're in the car. The other day he blew us away when he started counting the stairs as we walked down them: "one, two, three" then I chimed in when he hesitated on the next step and said, "four, five." Then he joined me in counting the sixth step, then on his own without a sound from me he said, "seven, eight." I had to finish with the ninth stair. He hadn't said any number past three for a few months.

He likes to tickle my belly, ask for hugs and to touch noses. He asks for his friends every day. When we get to spend time with his friends he loves it. He's growing up. I can't believe how mature and big he is already -- I can picture my mother saying, "he'll always be your baby." I love spending time with him. I love to see him smile and laugh and run around with excitement. I also love to look at him sound asleep resting peacefully in his bed. I look forward to getting him out of his crib in the mornings. He's such a good boy.

an extravagant party

On Saturday we headed down to DC to attend the 40th birthday party of a friend of ours. His wife arranged the whole thing and she really went all out. The party was held at their house in upper northwest DC. There was valet parking, a tuxedo-clad doorman who took coats and greeted guests, vodka based drinks offered as soon as guests arrived, a professional photographer to capture the entire event (he was still there when we left at 1:30 a.m.), many many servers walking around with some amazing light fare including "lobster ice cream cones," a catered buffet dinner, full bar stocked with high-end liquor (my Grey Goose and tonic was superb), and of course a fabulous birthday cake. It was quite the evening. There were about 150 guests including a few people from Mr. Doodlebug's past life (before me). The sub-theme of the party was how Mr. D looked exactly as he did when whoever was talking used to hang out with him, whether that was 10 or 15 years ago. I have to admit he is aging nicely.

Mr. Doodlebug and I were quite tired when we left another friend's house for the party, but with all the good company and food at the party our energy was replinished and we ended up staying pretty late. Our friends with whom we stayed babysat baby Doodle while we went out childless. Arriving back at their house around 2:00 a.m. I was exhausted. Baby Doodle chose this night to wake up at 4:00 a.m. without much of a mind to go back to sleep. I did finally get him to sleep at 5 only to be woken up again at 6:00. Luckily, Mr. Doodlebug took baby Doodle downstairs and I got to sleep until about 8. I was able to take a nap with BD when Mr. D and his friend were at a bar watching the Eagles lose their game.

It was a great weekend and I have finally recovered from it.