Paxifist: 02/01/2006

A Date

Monday, March 20th is the date for number 2. Unless he gets antsy, which doc doesn't anticipate, but is a possibility, nonetheless. Turns out scheduled cesarians only happen on Mondays and Fridays, so if I really wanted to have this baby on the 21st, I'd have to wait and see if they could fit him in then. Since we have grandparents scheduling travel based on the date, though, it seems like a good idea to go ahead and get it scheduled!

- posted by Lenise @ 12:53 PM |

Ditto on This One

Though it's not quite as cute (no 3-over-1 windows, for example, and a very 80's kitchen).

- posted by Lenise @ 11:10 AM |

Second Look

I had dismissed this house because I really want a significantly larger living room than what we have, but it looks like this house has good walking possibilities, and it's really cute. The pantry rocks!

- posted by Lenise @ 10:37 AM |

Peevish

Just because a pronoun is archaic doesn't mean that it goes with whichever verb conjugation one feels like using. If you don't like "thou shouldst", then go with "you should". "Thou should" is wrong.

- posted by Lenise @ 9:38 AM |

The Latest Kid on the Block

Well, the latest house possibility. Looks good to me! Jay loves climbing on raised brick hearths ;)

- posted by Lenise @ 9:36 AM |

I'm It!

I've been tagged for an easy meme by Kristen (maybe I'll get to CEP's this weekend!):

List 5 Little Things That Bring You Satisfaction or Pleasure.
1. Visiting our friends in the stores downtown (so they can fuss over my son!)
2. Having a cat jump onto my lap, start purring loudly, place his paws on my shoulder and nuzzle my face
3. Receiving a phone call from a friend or family member
4. Watching Jay learn and grow
5. Sitting in church with Paul's arm around my shoulders

Ha! I managed to stay away from the whole food thing, even with Kristen's tempting example (mmmm... dark chocolate!)

I tag MarcV*, Mercy, Angie, CEP, and Jordana

* I know MarcV is man enough to tackle something sappy like this. A certain someone I know balked!

- posted by Lenise @ 9:45 PM |

Boys and Cars

I forgot to mention that I saw a fire truck approaching as we were about to cross Third Street on our way home, so I waited until it got up to the intersection. The guys had the windows open and were waving to us and turned the lights on for Jay. I probably appreciated their thoughtfulness more than he did ;)

Then today after his nap, he pointed to something on the short bookshelf. "What do you see? Books?" But no, he was pointing to my die-cast yellow 1957 Thunderbird. Covered with a thick layer of dust, it was just the thing he wanted to carry around while making an "oovvvv" sound. That's my boy!

And Kristen, I totally believe that Kate picked up "yeah" before "no", because Jay has, too (though I can't find that post for some reason- I know Kate wasn't 17 months- maybe a year?)!

- posted by Lenise @ 5:45 PM |

Pregnant Waddle

Though the phrase hadn't occurred to me in reference to myself so far this pregnancy, as I watched my belly moving from one side of my chest to the other walking in to work this morning, it occurred to me that I've got it in spades. Probably not helping (and possibly mutually antagonistic) is the muscle pain in the back and insides of my thighs, presumably a result of my physical activity yesterday.

It was Toddler Time at the library, you know, and the big stroller was wet from having been left out in the rain, so I had to put Jay in the umbrella stroller, which is a bit more strenuous to the pusher, and walk him down there. I was getting tired by the time we were halfway there, but I knew that chairs awaited me at our destination. Jay got to see the eastbound Amtrak up close, and wasn't distressed by the noise (brave boy!). Anyway, we had a good visit to the library, even after Jay was unleashed on the first floor at large (at least we did once I had curtailed his slamming a large fire truck puzzle piece on some metal shelving with tremendous report). I did have to request a chair for the program, but I was not the only one hoping there were more available, and what with my large belly, I don't think anyone blamed me for asking.

We had a few more adventures before returning home, including a visit to Miss India and some chicken and rice soup at Strong's (with an apple muffin for dessert =) ). The highlight of Jay's day, possibly, was shepherding group, since he got to eat a slew of grapes and play chase/peek-a-boo around an unfamiliar kitchen island with Mama. The other fathers there commented favorably on Jay's progress as he toddled around in his doggy shoes. He fell about once for every island circuit, but didn't injure himself and didn't do any wailing. Usually when he falls, he either ignores it or looks at one of us and says, "Aaaa" in kind of a complaint. Low on theatrics: I'll take it.

The frightening part of shepherding group was where Paul and I were in charge of childcare. Three small children, two grown-ups, no problem, right? I guess they can smell fear. Let's just say there were a lot of Daddy trips upstairs by the older kids' daddies. Paul and I need to come up with a better strategy to enforce sharing, 'cuz we were pretty impotent last night when confronted with a couple of three-year-olds who were set at cross purposes. I don't think we'll be on kid duty again anytime soon!

- posted by Lenise @ 11:11 AM |

Seventeen Months?

I guess I missed it yesterday. I may have had something else on my mind.

Anyway, I'm going to try to come up with 17 fun facts about Jay at 17 months:
1. Jay has started holding his play cell phone up to his ear. When it rings, though, he hands it to me and waits to hear who it is and for me to hand it back.
2. He's mostly got his shape sorter ball down. He seems to have caught on to the color differences (each shape goes in the side of the same color), and can see which shape is like the one in his hand.
3. As I predicted, he's not into significantly more than he was as a crawler. He's getting a little bit better at climbing onto the tall sofa, and tonight he climbed onto our bed by grasping the quilt and pulling himself up.
4. He likes being chased. Sometimes we enjoy it, too.
5. Jay had his first kids meal at a restaurant Sunday after church. Mac & cheese and applesauce. I forked out noodles most of the meal, which he ate by hand, and then tied his thick napkin around his neck, gave him the spoon, and let him at the applesauce. All in all, he did pretty well, and didn't even dump the macaroni bowl when I let him have a second chance at it.
6. He's really very cooperative when it comes to getting dressed/undressed and into his jammies. Shoes and socks are still problematic, though.
7. Jay really likes his books. He will now pay attention to an entire Curious George (known in our household as "George the monkey") book, and sometimes wants to go through it twice. He loves to point out flowers, balls, balloons, and animals in his books, though he is still really only naming the animals ('ggy or ki'y)
8. I may have mentioned this elsewhere, but Jay knows that "key" is a word in itself. We had a spare housekey and a spare car key by the front door, and in one day on separate diaper trips, he picked them each up, happily exclaimed "key!", and took them upstairs.
(Nine more?)
9. He looked at his jammie top tonight, saw a vaguely Saturn-shaped planet and said "Gm", his word for globe, ball, pillow, and some other round things.
10. Jay always listens for cars and trucks passing our house. He'll point in the direction of the sound and usually purses his lips to make an "oooo" sound, though it's usually low-pitched if it's not a siren or a train.
11. Jay is a jealous little boy. I was in the nursery with him this past Sunday, and it was not a good scene.
12. Jay is not a retaliator. The little girl I was holding one of the times Jay got jealous started pushing him away when I lifted him onto my other knee, and even got her thumb in his eye. He just looked puzzled and disturbed.
13. He sometimes can point to his nose and ears when asked. I don't think he's got the cheeks, chin, or eyes down yet.
14. The teeth-clenched, eyebrows-raised, full force two-handed smacks on Mama's lap have become a thing of the past, I think. Phew!
15. Jay's singing is a little more song-like these days, but he's still got quite a ways to go to catch up to Daddy.
16. Speaking of Daddy, Jay and Daddy like to work on Jay's puzzles. He's a lot more interested in them when Daddy mentions them than when Mama does.
17. Jay has started learning about winding things up. Great-Aunt Gail sent him a wind-up musical plush lion & lamb with a big plastic key, which Jay has started winding the right way, and he's even wound up his seaplane with the Mercedes-emblem winder a turn or two.
Bonus: In the midst of all my frustration and stress, Sunday morning I caught a glimpse of what a great blessing I have in this little boy. So fun for us, and fun for others, and fun for us to hear from others how much they enjoy him. =]

- posted by Lenise @ 7:38 PM |

John Derbyshire

Has been reading CEP, perhaps!

- posted by Lenise @ 12:26 PM |

Ambivalence

So our house is being shown tomorrow. I'm not sure whether to hope we get an offer or not. I'm running up against some important deadlines at work, so besides the fact that Jay's brother could decide (in theory, anyway) to pop out any week now, I've got other concerns weighing on my mind and laying claim to my time. On the other hand, if we can be reasonably sure we're moving, maybe we can get some major packing done before number two goes external. *Shrug*

- posted by Lenise @ 10:35 PM |

Cynicism or Realism?

When Paul tells me I wouldn't like to live here, I no longer feel the need to make sure he's right. Looks like a cool old house, though.

- posted by Lenise @ 10:32 PM |

In Response to Angie's Question

It's definitely not the one. One of my requirements is that there be at least two bedrooms on the first floor (maybe a BR and a FR or good-sized office), and this house had 3 rooms on the first floor. Kitchen, LR, master BR. Oh, and two baths. Leaving 0 baths for the second floor. That's kind of an ironic touch, since our house has a second floor consisting of two bedrooms and some closet space. Plus, this other house had a similarly small living room. Let's just say I was not tempted.

On the other hand, Jay really enjoyed himself. We let him do a little bit of walking outdoors, for probably the first time. He's not especially directable, which is why we move him ourselves for the most part. It was a quiet street and a long driveway, so a good walking situation for him. He also enjoyed picking dead bugs up off the carpet and handing them to me. I have long since joined the camp of parents who say "thank you" when being handed disgusting things by their children. It doesn't even seem ironic anymore.

- posted by Lenise @ 10:18 PM |

How Clever!

Well, they managed to hide two of the three bedrooms in a "one story" house on the second floor. Gee, do I feel stupid for not pointing out to my realtor that it looked like a 1.5 story house, and asking him to check on it. Oh, wait- I did.
>=-L

Next thing you know, I'll diagnose myself with a viral illness that needs to be treated quickly and have a medical professional naysay me. Oh, yeah, that already happened.

Funny.

- posted by Lenise @ 1:59 PM |

Here We Go Again

We're scheduled to see the latest favorite tomorrow morning at 11:30. Here's hoping it's the one. If it will fulfil all requirements and still come in under $90k, I don't see why we should pass it up. The walking situation isn't likely to be very exciting, though it is possible that we will be able to access the Eno River Greenway from the neighborhood. Even so, it's a long walk to anything commercial. I guess that would keep me from spending money, though!

- posted by Lenise @ 6:25 PM |

Who needs pants when you can sit on a wooly sheep?
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- posted by Lenise @ 2:52 AM |

Milk and pink walrus pieces: together at last!
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- posted by Lenise @ 2:52 AM |

I really can walk. Really!
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- posted by Lenise @ 2:51 AM |

Oh, I'm not playing with the stereo or the DVD player. Of course not!
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- posted by Lenise @ 2:48 AM |

That was some good milk!
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- posted by Lenise @ 2:48 AM |

Curiouser and Curiouser

CEP just pointed out these HUD foreclosure resources to me last night or so. They have thorough inspection reports, which is very nice! Anyway, when I saw this house as I was looking through before, I dismissed it as I had already dismissed it when it came up on my real estate searches for the reasons I mentioned below. I see it in a whole new light now! I hate to even think it, but MAYBE this is it.

- posted by Lenise @ 10:45 PM |

Well, I'm Impressed

What two adults can do to a house in 45 minutes, provided their nearly 17-month-old is napping most of that time. It's still a mess, but much less egregiously so. Desk clutter consolidated, toys stowed, kitchen and bathroom floors swept, kitchen island cleared and wiped down, dishes washed, recyclables cleared off kitchen floor, tablecloth and various dining room table clutter removed, extra bedclothes on futon removed, living room curtains opened, litter box changed, under-bed box which has been cluttering the nursery for months finally hidden beneath dresser. And the child still hadn't been changed out of his jammy top. I doubt the prospective buyers were bowled over. "Wow! This house doesn't look like a baby tornado hit it while snacking on cat food after bingeing on Diet Coke, root beer and beer!"

- posted by Lenise @ 9:29 PM |

Glutton for Punishment

Because I can't accept defeat gracefully, I keep looking. I had assumed this one had upstairs bedrooms based on the pitch of the roof, and that the low price meant that it was not in a good neighborhood. According to the listing, it's a single story. I'm thinking this means there is great potential for cheap expansion in the attic. Also, the crime mapper shows no activity in the neighborhood. Maybe the what's-up-with-this house was to challenge my thinking that a decent house in a decent neighborhood couldn't be found for less than $110k, and this will be the one. Or maybe I'm stupid.

- posted by Lenise @ 11:44 AM |

Wishful Thinking

Hey, if you can't get a good night's sleep, post about beds. Makes sense, right? I think Jay may be getting in another pair of molars, since he spent about an hour and a half crying/being soothed last night besides a couple of isolated outcries. He's also been fussier than usual ever since about dinnertime yesterday.

He went into hysterics when the midwife turned the Doppler on. She said it's very common for toddlers to be upset because they worry about their moms. I don't see how he could be concerned about a small black microphone being held up to my belly after he's spent a good part of the day throwing his thirty pounds around climbing on me and kicking me, though. *Shrug* Thankfully, they have tootsie pops. Also thankfully, he dropped his on the bathroom floor before the tootsie core became an issue.

Then we walked across the street and found a rubber bone for Doggy Kells at the dollar store, not knowing until we delivered it that it is Kells' 5th birthday. What timing! Well, unfortunately, Jay enjoyed chewing on the bone himself (it had a squeaker), and was very unhappy when I took it away from him and gave it to Kells. We were pressed for time anyway, and once we got outside, the rubber bone was quickly forgotten.

Jay was fascinated by the freight train which came through just as we were leaving the drugstore with yet another antibiotic for me. It was a freight train, so we got to identify some of the cars from his Freight Train book as we were leaving. Thrilling!

By the way, though the poopy diaper post was prompted by two literal poopy diapers in quick succession, most of my poopy diapers have been more figurative lately. Anyway, diapers are Paul's department when he's home, so I don't really see that many of them. There's something which is related to the upstairs/downstairs problem to be thankful for.

- posted by Lenise @ 9:20 PM |

Buy Danish!

Bedroom furniture with built-in outlets! A little modern for my tastes, but cool nonetheless. Not so modern that I wouldn't recommend having the wiring checked, though...

- posted by Lenise @ 9:05 PM |

Ever Feel Like

Life was just a long succession of poopy diapers?

- posted by Lenise @ 2:00 PM |

Unhappiness is

When every house with a family room sells before you can even get a look at it. I think I need a nap, but I'll have to settle for polishing off my box of chocolates.

- posted by Lenise @ 1:49 PM |

Happiness Is...

Seven straight hours of sleep! If only I had refused to watch that movie with Paul, I could have started my work earlier and made it to bed earlier. Maybe tonight I'll manage 8 =]

- posted by Lenise @ 1:31 PM |

Further Investigation

Of the What's-up-With-This? house is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully it's not a biohazard. I expect some light will be shed on the mystery, and most likely we will forego further action, confident that we made the right decision. [Psst- I'm really hoping we will all be pleasantly surprised (shocked even) though!]

- posted by Lenise @ 11:23 PM |

Kostya Update

Thanks to four generous donors, Kostya has $180 to his name. I have not accepted your transactions, fine people, because I intend to wait until Paul gives the go-ahead to schedule the surgery. I don't have it yet =[ To my single friends: this is the downside of being married- that whole submission thing can keep you from doing what you'd like to, when you'd like to. So I'm going to call the vet and see what their advice is for over-the-counter pain control. They mentioned children's aspirin, which of course we do not have, since Jay's too young for aspirin. We may need to take the second stroller trip of the day when Jay wakes up.

- posted by Lenise @ 2:15 PM |

I've Got a Great Little Son

He went right to bed for me. I wonder if the fleece footed jammies just got him in the mood. He often wears his regular clothes to bed, particularly if it's a one-piece suit that looks pretty comfortable (to us, anyway), but it's been kind of cold this week, and the great thing about fleece jammies is there aren't any snaps! Much easier on Mama.

Earlier today, Jay spent some time on the phone. I had a call-in meeting after I got home from the office, which was fine until I got upstairs, having heard Jay talking on the baby monitor and having gotten his milk microwaved. Once I got up there, my co-workers heard his sweet voice and naturally commented on it, making me laugh, and thereby sending him into paroxysms of rage. He really HATES when he does not get the joke. Up until then, he was a happy little camper. Then around 5, Aunt Cathy and Jonah called, which necessitated Jay's speaking to the phone, waving at the phone, and poking his forefinger at the tiny holes at the speaking and hearing ends of the receiver. He doesn't much wave at people he sees in person these days. If you want to be waved at, give us a call ;)

- posted by Lenise @ 9:33 PM |

Reconnaissance

So we ended up eating lunch not far from the "Something's not right" house. Consequently, I had to ask Paul to drive us by (I had been wanting catfish, which would have taken us to a different restaurant, but didn't make my preference known to Paul before he coordinated with some other folks: providence?). It's a pretty modest-looking neighborhood, all told, but it's deceptive. Anyway, we followed the big yellow "Auction" signs, and there it was. I could see the blinds were not down, so I decided I should get a closer look. Here are the highlights:
Nice stone fireplace
Buckled vinyl flooring
Damaged bifold doors on the kitchen laundry closet
Carpeting (probably stained- hard to tell through the dirty windows)
Solid deck (front and back)
Ripped-off light fixture outside the back door
Staining/ possibly peeling on the kitchen ceiling
No windows into basement, but no obvious cracks in the foundation

I saw no great horror, and I urged Paul to check it out. He's a party pooper. I'm planning on coercing my husband and my realtor as much as necessary to get us in there. I know the odds of it working out are slim, but you know, God's in the miracle business. If that belief makes me a naive fool, so be it.

- posted by Lenise @ 4:00 PM |

Houses

OK, so the one by the mall sold yesterday (the big one, of course). The one with the apartment had some issues (and at that price, we can't afford issues). The buff one is nice inside, but has some serious water damage to the siding due to a lack of gutters and is also isolated from any walking opportunities. The budget one wasn't bad, except there was no heating unit in evidence. There were old heating registers around, which would indicate ductwork, but we didn't even find a concrete pad for a heating unit. The crawl space was cavernous, though, so it could have been in there somewhere. There was also a nice window seat in the living room. It's looking like ACB is going to be coming home to Fourth Street.

Update: Realtor says that the budget house does, indeed, have a furnace. I was already thinking it probably wasn't a big deal if it didn't, since we'd be wanting to add central air, may as well just do it all at once. As long as the ductwork is there, you just replace the unit. We've done it before, and it's not CHEAP, but it's manageable.

- posted by Lenise @ 11:09 PM |

PayPal Button for Kostya

He's still tearing around the house once Jay's in bed. I think he'll make it through the surgery, he's just seeming to have more trouble dealing with the lump in his leg when it comes to things like sitting down. Any help we receive would be great. This may be a good cause for hitting up my obstetrics practice, eh? Click on the photo to the far right to help a very sweet good-natured feline.

Kostya-related posts here here here here here here and here. There are a few other mentions, like the time he rotated the display on my work laptop 90 degrees, but I don't see a big cat summary, like I thought I had. I may need to write one.

- posted by Lenise @ 10:42 PM |

The Name Game

In case you missed it a couple posts ago, Paul's pick for Boy #2 is Carlisle (his maternal grandfather's name). Any suggestions for combinations? (My grandfathers' names were Kent Andrew and Dale Fraze [my g-grandmother's maiden name].) Could be first or middle. With my family, though, I imagine a boy named Carlisle may very well end up with the nickname Car, since we value our automobiles. Some have said we regard them very much like pets.

- posted by Lenise @ 9:40 PM |

Something Is Very Wrong Here

One of the best neighborhoods in Durham- like NOTHING on the crime mapper within a half-mile radius. Good sized house, listed for under $90k. My realtor says it's a foreclosure in terrible shape on the inside with an impossible-to-deal-with seller and he recommends that we stay away. Noone bought it at public auction. But good grief! It seems like a tremendous opportunity. Plus, it's got a sunroom and cathedral ceilings. *Whine*

Update: And a pantry!!

- posted by Lenise @ 10:32 AM |

Return to Toddler Mountain

I've recovered some of my get-up-and-go, which has enabled us to go out again when Paul isn't home to help with transporting Jay up and down the porch stairs. Tuesday we went to visit Doggy Kells, get a nice decaf grasshopper, buy some prenatal vitamins, restock the cat food, and check in at our favorite antique store on Clay Street. We shared an apple muffin, which Jay really enjoyed. He even ate the chunks of apple (he won't eat large pieces of fruit in his yogurt).

Today we went to Toddler Time at the library. The attendance was at least twice that of our previous visit, maybe three times as many. Also different was the complete absence of men. Last time, maybe half of the parents were daddies. Jay didn't seem nearly as out of place this time, since there were some kids closer to his age who also couldn't be trusted to sit quietly with their parents. He was the only one who tried to escape, though. Jay enjoyed watching the other kids and "ooo"ing when the train came by. He also got to see the Amtrak from the other side of the road beforehand.

Doggy Kells was receiving visitors again, though he was in trouble for having eaten his mistress' burrito and leaving her without lunch. He was also somewhat disappointed that Jay's toes were inaccessible thanks to his socks and Scooby-Doo sneakers. It was pretty cold out today, though, and Jay had some walking to do at the library, so I didn't really have a choice. Sorry, Kells.

Tuesday we sat out front of the house when we got home, enjoying our $.25 bottle of bubbles before I took Jay up the stairs. Today it was just too cold, but we did okay anyway. My climbing leg didn't feel iffy (like too exhausted to lift 150 lbs of me & Carlisle [Mom B, am I spelling that right?] plus 30 lbs of Jay). So I guess I'm doing better for now. I am really tired, though, so the Kostya's leg amputation donation button will have to wait another day. Thanks for all the support, beloved!

- posted by Lenise @ 10:11 PM |

OK, So I Lied

We are still going to look at houses, even though we don't yet have any prospects for selling ours. These are the four we're planning on seeing Saturday:
the budget house
the buff (as in light beige) house
the big house
the boarding house

Gosh, I ought to write sermons. Four points with alliterative adjectives!

The house on 2 acres with the nice fireplace got scratched off the list since it's listed at $120k and doesn't have an associated rental unit. Also, I don't want to have to carry my laundry to the garage. I'm lazy. The house I liked in Hillsborough just came down by $5k, but you still can't walk anywhere from there. It's also only 1 BA, which isn't a deal breaker by itself, but doesn't help its case. No dishwasher, either. I'm sure they'll find somebody who doesn't much care for walking. There are plenty of non-walkers around.

- posted by Lenise @ 1:42 PM |

Sick Kitty Update

Kostya had an x-ray today. The vet is recommending amputation because the tumor seems to have grown around a major nerve and a couple of major arteries. The good news is that it isn't in the bone, and isn't likely to have spread anywhere else (though we'd have to shell out some money to be sure). The bad news is that the surgery will cost between $600 and $900. I'm thinking about setting up a Paypal donation button, since Paul doesn't seem willing to go for it if we have to pay for the whole thing. The alternative is to keep Kostya on pain medication, which we may try for a while. He's started licking his leg raw, so we've got to do SOMETHING.

- posted by Lenise @ 3:24 PM |

Family Fun

I hear this is open to all comers- sounds like a nice outing!

- posted by Lenise @ 12:58 PM |

OK, So I Like This One Too

Short walk to the mall, complete with sidewalks, my scout ADR tells me, and a niceish neighborhood. Next to a construction zone currently, which should be a temporary damper on the price (which I think just came down). From its dimensions, I'm guessing the master BR is on the second floor. Again I say, could be a good homeschool room and guest suite in the meantime- I'm not sleeping up there while my little ones are downstairs!

- posted by Lenise @ 8:44 PM |

An Intriguing Possibility

Though we still wouldn't want to take on that kind of a mortgage, the location is very conducive to renting out that basement unit. We could be pretty confident of having tenants, and as one of our friends is on staff with International Students Incorporated, this presents the distinct possibility of ministry to an international student. It sounds like the sellers are willing to come down a bit on the selling price, too.

- posted by Lenise @ 1:53 PM |