This Lucky Little Life

30 Days of Thanks - Day 11

Today I am thankful veterans - thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our country. We are blessed to call this country home.

Also, I'm thankful for rain - it hasn't stopped for days and there's a small creek at the end of our yard. It's matted all the leaves on the driveway and makes warning lights go off in the car as I drive up.  I hear it's good for the grass.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 10

Today I am thankful for fall.

Because it reminds me of how much more I love spring and summer.

Don't get me wrong - fall IS nice and I'm lucky we live somewhere that has an amazing change of seasons. And we've had a lot of gorgeous fall days - crisp and tingling. The colors are beautiful and the weather is outrageous.

But to me it just serves a reminder that is going to be cold soon. That all those beautiful leaves are going to be gone and naked, ugly trees will take their place for the cold gray of winter. And those pretty leaves have to be raked or blown down our hill - a huge job. And then there are HUGE piles of leaves that eventually take up the streets of our neighborhood until the city comes by and sucks them up. And let me tell you - that is an exciting day. As soon as the equipment is spotted it's a rush to get leaves in the yard down to the street. Never a dull moment around here - see how THRILLING my life is! But the LEAVES - they kind of take over everything and eventually they are just brown and dead in the streets.

Side note - we had someone come out to give us an estimate on blowing the leaves for us - like a professional leaf blowing team and OMG they wanted to charge $75 to do it every two weeks. Just to blow them down to the street, no bagging involved. SAY WHAT. Now, my husband is Mr. Frugal around here and it was all my idea to call this guy cause I'd rather have my husband spending his Saturday afternoon with ME rather than the leaves in the yard, but hell no to $75 for blowing some leaves.

Anyway, fall means winter is on the way and shorter nights and cold beds - and I am so not ashamed to admit to actually crying real tears when the bed is icy cold.

I'm also thankful for heat.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 9

Today I am thankful for Twitter.

I hated it a year ago, thought it was stupid.

Today, it's my lifeline to my friends and my news. Because of Twitter, I know that my best friend's dinner is ruined tonight, a blog friend passed on a great deal on free photo cards, the Dow was up 200 points today and that small town North Carolinians are not happy with their congressman for voting for the health care bill.

I don't have time in front of my computer like I did before kids, before a lay off, before the insanity of everyday around here. But it's so easy to ready the blackberry while feeding a baby or playing baby dolls. And it may not matter at the end of the day that I know any of the stuff that I do because of the tweets I read, but it makes me feel a little more connected, a little more knowledgable, a little less alone in mommyhood and for that I am grateful.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 8

Today I am thankful for his namesake:

 
 
 

 
 

30 Days of Thanks - Day 7

Today I am thankful for Saturday.

Hands down, best day of the week. Saturdays are lazy mornings (mornings start early around here - a 6 a.m. wake up is considered sleeping late for Lila.), big breakfasts and some time together after a crazy week.

Saturday is a nap for me and David when we can get two kids to sleep at the same time. Saturday is a morning trip to the museum, to some event downtown, to the playground or a picnic at Duke Gardens. Saturday is yardwork, cleaning or laundry. (Seriously exciting lives we live!). Saturday is a break from holding a baby all day. Saturday is football.

Saturday is a reminder that I still have another day left of the weekend. Another day with the four of us together.  

Dowtown two Saturdays ago:

 

30 Days of thanks - Day 6

Today I am thankful for the Greenway.

Our little neighborhood is bordered on one side by a creek and includes part of our city's many miles of greenway - wide sidewalks that can take us to lakes, the mall and on some occasions even Biscuitville (because nothing says an 8-mile bike ride like eating a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit at the turnaround point!).

 
Easy access to the greenway is one of a million reasons I never want to leave this old and small, yet perfect for us house.

Me and my boys headed to the greenway this morning to enjoy a very cool, very pretty fall day.

 

So many memories on the greenway. There's a bench right as you enter that David and I sat on with Tucker and drank Heinekens the day we moved into the house, riding bikes with our 85-year-old neighbor, taking Lila on countless strolls. I found out we were pregnant with Andy right after David and Lila had left for a walk on the greenway. After a short freakout, I took off running for them, met up with them and told David I was pregnant. Lila, all 16-months of her turnaround at me and uttered, "uh oh!" I am so not kidding.

 

30 Days of Thanks Day 5

Today I'm thankful for going to bed early.

It's been that kind of week.

Good night.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 4

Today I am thankful for sleeping with my husband.

I'm not talking sex, although that is a pretty awesome perk, I'm talking about sleeping in the same bed. We went four nights sleeping separate to keep germs at bay, prevent the H1N1 spread, protect the baby, blah blah... and last night I was about to lose my mind and we threw in the towel, promised my mother (and former nurse) that we'd sleep with our backs to each other (haha), and I crawled into my very clean sheets and curled up to my warm man. And had the best night's sleep.

I don't know how couples who travel or are stationed apart can sleep without their partner for long stretches. It was a lonely four nights for me and reminded me of when we were dating long distance and we'd fall asleep talking to each other on the phone (seriously, I used to wake up to drool and David's snoring on the other end) and I used to just dream of a time I could fall asleep with him next to me on the pillow and not a cold phone.

Tonight I'm grateful I get to crawl in bed with my man.

30 Days of Thanks - Day 3

Today I am thankful for sanitizer - the kind that kills 99% of all germs. Cause we've sprayed, wiped, washed and disinfected for the better part of the day, all while keeping Andy and Lila separated. Tonight, there are "safe" rooms and rooms for Lila and David to be in. Nuts? Maybe, but I am going to do everything possible to make sure Andy does not get this bug - or me and mom for that matter.

Everything feels cleaner thanks to all that sanitizer - from pillows to sofa cushions - which were WASHED. And that's good timing because the sick have been fever-free for most of the day and we are hoping everyone is on the way to good health.

Lila still recovering this morning and drinking out of the only cup she ever wants:

Mom helping to protect Andy from all the germs:
 
 

Pillows in the sun, after being sprayed with SANITIZER:

 And little monkey chilling in a "safe room!"

30 Days of Thanks Day 1 and Day 2

Because I loved HighHeeledMomma's 30 Day of Thanks last year and since she's going to have her hands full this November, I'm joining others for my own version this year to write a short post EVERY day about something I am grateful for. And maybe it will  help me show a little more attention to this neglected corner of the Internets - a post a day! Not sure I can do it, but sure am going to try.

And because of all the H1N1 fun at our house, I'm already late to the game, but here goes my Day 1 and day 2 entries!

Day 1

Today I'm thankful for Tamiflu.

Because of it, David is feeling better. Has color back in his cheeks. Has strength to walk up and down the stairs. Because of it, Lila danced in her tutu and crown this evening and said to me, "Mommy, I'm a big girl, like Daddy." (didn't stop laughing for a LONG time after that one) Because of it, I skimmed the edge of feeling bad, and feel good tonight. Because of it (hopefully) mom won't get it. Because of it, everyone will feel better and Andy will continue blowing bubbles and laughing at all of us.

Day 2

Today I'm thankful for my mom.

She's one of a kind that woman. One that will hop on plane in heartbeat to be there for me and my family. She never tires (or so it seems) and has more energy than should be allowed. She's been there for all of us the last 24 hours -  a nurse to David and Lila, allowed me some rest and a much needed break from holding Andy - remember, that baby ONLY wants to be held and with David sequestered, it was tiring, and she's cooed and loved on that baby. She's sanitized and organized and fed and diapered.

She's my best friend and I'm thankful that we talk 15 times a day. I'm thankful I can hang up on her when she makes me mad and she'll still want to talk me afterward. I'm thankful she's my example of the kind of mother I want to be to my kids.

H is for H1N1

 
It hasn't been a pretty few days at our house. David got really sick with fever and cough and headache Friday night, Lila followed suit on Saturday afternoon.  I've never really seen David ill, not sure the man has ever taken a sick day, so I was kind of freaked seeing him so beat down and sick. By Saturday afternoon we cancelled all Halloween activities - Nicole's birthday party, neighborhood hot dog roast and costume parade, trick-or-treating -  once Lila's cheeks were flushed and she too had a fever and I was definitely on my way to freaked.

Luckily, David's doc called in Tamiflu Saturday morning and Lila had her first dose by Sunday afternoon after talking with her doc. Juggling everyone in the middle of the night - David's needs for more liquids, Lila wanting me to lay in her bed singing her songs while she wimpered, sanitizing myself before feeding Andy was exhausting and I was afraid I'd be the next with the fever. Sunday was more of the same but worse with Lila throwing up, extreme temps and overall unhappiness, a trip to her ped and lots of Mickey Mouse Club House on the computer (because we don't have cable, remember. Because we are CRAZY). We tried our best to keep Andy away from the ill, but it was harder for me to do the same. I think mom heard panic in my voice Sunday morning - panic and exhaustion and fear that all four of us would be sick and how would I manage that. So she did what all normal mothers would do my mom does and hopped on the first plane she could find that would get her to my house before I completlely lost my shit or starting running a fever.

And I think she got here just in time. Last night was rough - Lila was still really sick, but mom dealt with her during the night so I could be as germ free as possible to nurse Andy. She helped me keep David hydrated, serving him Gatoraid at 3 a.m. and had a sherbert party in Lila's bed. "I like the green kind, Grammie." This morning - Monday - I was so tired, so feeling like I was getting sick but spent the better part of the day resting and taking Tamiflu and OMG if that isn't the best stuff ever, I feel pretty good and think that helped keep whatever I was getting from kicking my ass. Between mom and the Needhams stocking us with healthy food, we're in good shape. I'm feeling optimistic about recovery. Now hoping mom's Tamiflu keeps her from getting sick, cause I don't want to even think about that kind of guilt.

And while I'm so dissappointed we missed Halloween, Lila did have a few opportunities to wear her costume:

At a party with friends on Friday -

After the party -

At church for the fall fest - (look at her checking out the big princesses!)

Andy as a Gator, but we never even had a chance to get him in his full on duck costume. 
 
 
David and I getting in on the fun for a party before all the H1N1 insanity