This morning started off pretty good. We're enjoying a rainy, but warm winter day; we got out of the house right on time; Elaine was in a fairly cooperative mood. And then...
...I turned the key in the ignition and a rattling, grinding scream errupted from beneath the car. Too unnerved to give it another go, Mark got in and started it up. Again, the horrible sound filled the quiet morning air, but did settle into a slightly less angry rumble after a few seconds. So, at first, Mark thought it was a tear in the muffler (but, it would have had to be a HUGE tear that magically happened while the car was parked on the street overnight.) The noise started getting louder again and the check engine light appeared. This car wasn't going anywhere.
On the very slight bright side, we had a rental car at home, because Mark was supposed to be out in Evanston for an all-day meeting. So, at least we were able to get Lainey to daycare without having to take her on the train. I headed into work and Mark went back home to figure out the situtation.
After a $150 tow, we got the ever exciting news that our catalytic converter had been stolen (evidently a pretty common practice) and that the cost was going to be big...like we're making an insurance claim big. And we get to pay for a rental car for anywhere from 3 - 7 days, depending on when the insurance agent gets to the garage to inspect the car and approve the work. Of course, Mark set-up the car insurance pre-Kylie and pre-pre-Elaine, so our policy doesn't cover that expense. Why would a single guy living in the city need that coverage? And why would we ever think to revisit that post-baby?
Not that there is ever a good time for these things to happen, but this is a particularly hectic week for us. As mentioned, Mark (who has already been working nights and weekends) was supposed to be out in Evanton today, but instead missed the entire morning of work and has to leave early tonight get the rental. Then he has to leave early again tomorrow, because I have my Board of Directors' meeting at work, requiring me to stay until 9pm tomorrow and be in at 6:45am on Thursday. And for the grand finale, Mark is flying to San Francisco Thursday evening and won't be back until late afternoon Saturday, so really hoping the car is fixed before Saturday, so I don't have to drag Lainey to a) return the rental b) pick-up the car. What am I saying? I'll just shell out the $15/hour for a sitter, if it comes to that. Hmmm...wonder if that would be covered by insurance?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Christmas #2
Last weekend, we went to Moline to have Christmas #2 with the Brandi side of the family and celebrate some birthdays--late for Amelia and Oliver, early for Jacob.
Lainey had a cold, but again made it through family festivities without major illness (this is the second cold with no accompanying ear infection--she's been infection-free for TWO MONTHS!).
As always, it was a fun and busy time with 8 adults and 5 kids (soon to be 7 kids) tearing open gifts and huddling around the dinner table to enjoy Frank's delicious brijole. Big thanks again to Frank for making it twice this year. You made two pregnant ladies very happy!!! And thanks to Lonnie for making the oranges. (She hollows out oranges, mixes the fruit with vanilla ice cream and refills the rinds. Very refreshing and the perfect dessert to follow a heavy meal--they're also a lot of work!) That may be my favorite meal of the entire year.
We celebrated the birthdays with giant chocolate chip cookies! Oliver just turned 4, Amelia 6, and Jacob will be 12 in a few weeks. I can't believe how fast these kiddos have grown! Jacob will be a TEENAGER next year! He's already looking so mature. I couldn't stop staring at him over the weekend (which, if he hadn't been distracted by so many other things, I'm sure would have creeped him out).
I want to make a quick shout out to Ben, who didn't have a birthday, but is just an awesome kid! He spent a lot of time trying to show Elaine how to jump and making silly faces to get her laughing. Hanging with a toddler isn't a 9-year-old's idea of a good time, so thanks, Ben!
Of course, Lainey loves getting some QT with Oliver and Amelia--however, Amelia is not allowed to take pony rides on Mark's back. Lainey did not appreciate that (Mark is HER mommy!). But, she did have fun coloring with her, and Amelia was very patient when Lainey would suddenly reach over and scribble on her picture--"That's okay, Lainey. I was going to make the cat purple anyway!" (I highly doubt that, but it was very sweet.) Lainey's been talking about all of her cousins all week. We're a lucky family to have such neat kids! (The grown-ups are pretty cool, too!)
Below are some photos of the fun! I'm writing this post from my phone en route to Ohio, so I'll have to add captions later.
Lainey had a cold, but again made it through family festivities without major illness (this is the second cold with no accompanying ear infection--she's been infection-free for TWO MONTHS!).
As always, it was a fun and busy time with 8 adults and 5 kids (soon to be 7 kids) tearing open gifts and huddling around the dinner table to enjoy Frank's delicious brijole. Big thanks again to Frank for making it twice this year. You made two pregnant ladies very happy!!! And thanks to Lonnie for making the oranges. (She hollows out oranges, mixes the fruit with vanilla ice cream and refills the rinds. Very refreshing and the perfect dessert to follow a heavy meal--they're also a lot of work!) That may be my favorite meal of the entire year.
We celebrated the birthdays with giant chocolate chip cookies! Oliver just turned 4, Amelia 6, and Jacob will be 12 in a few weeks. I can't believe how fast these kiddos have grown! Jacob will be a TEENAGER next year! He's already looking so mature. I couldn't stop staring at him over the weekend (which, if he hadn't been distracted by so many other things, I'm sure would have creeped him out).
I want to make a quick shout out to Ben, who didn't have a birthday, but is just an awesome kid! He spent a lot of time trying to show Elaine how to jump and making silly faces to get her laughing. Hanging with a toddler isn't a 9-year-old's idea of a good time, so thanks, Ben!
Of course, Lainey loves getting some QT with Oliver and Amelia--however, Amelia is not allowed to take pony rides on Mark's back. Lainey did not appreciate that (Mark is HER mommy!). But, she did have fun coloring with her, and Amelia was very patient when Lainey would suddenly reach over and scribble on her picture--"That's okay, Lainey. I was going to make the cat purple anyway!" (I highly doubt that, but it was very sweet.) Lainey's been talking about all of her cousins all week. We're a lucky family to have such neat kids! (The grown-ups are pretty cool, too!)
Below are some photos of the fun! I'm writing this post from my phone en route to Ohio, so I'll have to add captions later.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Oh Blessed Sleep!
I hesitate to write this post for fear I'll jinx us, but FINALLY, after 8 weeks of broken or nearly non-existent sleep, Elaine slept from 7:45pm last night until 5:45am this morning!!! After a bumpy weekend of sleep in Moline, we had been making steady progress this week on getting sweet girl back to peaceful slumber, but last night was the magic one. Mark and I feel like a million bucks today!!!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
All She Wants to Do is Dance...
Lainey had her 18-month check-up last week. Our little peanut did lots over growing over the past three months, shooting back up into the 90-95% on height (33.5") and maintaining her spot in the 90% on weight (26 lbs. 8 oz.). And her head hasn't slowed in making room for that big, beautiful brain of hers (still over the 98% on head circumference). So, at least the lack of sleep isn't stunting her growth. Silver linings...sometimes you have to reach for them.
Lainey is chatting up a storm. She pretty much talks from the moment she wakes to the moment she drifts off at night. We're surprised every day by the new words she's learning and thankful that she hasn't picked up any of our not-so-toddler friendly slips of the tongue. We've been talking about it for months, but it really is time to put a lockdown on the R-rated language and to pay attention to the lyrics coming from the ipod (which is a shame, because Lainey loves her hip hop, but we don't have the FCC-approved tracks).
Good thing she has other musical inclinations, because our girl LOVES to dance and shake her bon bon! Her skills continue to improve, and I must say, in my own, impartial opinion, the girl's got moves! She's pretty much perfected her little booty shimmy. I've been meaning to post the below video for over a month now and have been trying to get a better one in the meantime. But, every time we try to tape her she spots the camera and goes running for it, so this will have to do for now...
Lainey is chatting up a storm. She pretty much talks from the moment she wakes to the moment she drifts off at night. We're surprised every day by the new words she's learning and thankful that she hasn't picked up any of our not-so-toddler friendly slips of the tongue. We've been talking about it for months, but it really is time to put a lockdown on the R-rated language and to pay attention to the lyrics coming from the ipod (which is a shame, because Lainey loves her hip hop, but we don't have the FCC-approved tracks).
Good thing she has other musical inclinations, because our girl LOVES to dance and shake her bon bon! Her skills continue to improve, and I must say, in my own, impartial opinion, the girl's got moves! She's pretty much perfected her little booty shimmy. I've been meaning to post the below video for over a month now and have been trying to get a better one in the meantime. But, every time we try to tape her she spots the camera and goes running for it, so this will have to do for now...
Monday, December 31, 2012
White Christmas
We had a happy, successful trip to Ohio for Christmas! Lainey traveled well and was spoiled beyond belief! Even though I scolded their overindulgence, Uncle Chris and Uncle Sean get mega points for buying all soundless toys. (And it just so happens that the duplo Legos and animal pop-up are her favorites.) Grandpa didn't hold back either. He was shameless in showering his little granddaughter with gifts. Our apartment currently looks like a ravaged Toys R Us.
Elaine had a blast leading her Uncle Chris all around the house and having him do her bidding. "Sit down. Walk. Up." And I enjoyed sitting on my rear and letting him do the heavy lifting with her (thanks again, Chris!).
Of course Grandpa got his fair share of being bossed around with some cuddling in between. Although I don't think he ever managed to get that kiss. Elaine is a real Scrooge with her kisses lately.
A big snow storm hit Ohio on Wednesday and while it made our travel back to Chicago a little harrowing the first few hours, it also gave us a chance to get Lainey out into the white stuff for some play. I was very happy, because my gift to Mark was a sled for Lainey. It may seem strange to most to give him a gift for her, but he'd been talking non-stop about playing in the snow with her. He loved it! As suspected, we probably spent an equal amount of time dressing Lainey for the outdoors as we spent at play, but it was worth it. She was adorable in her little snow pants.
The real gift Mark and I gave each other was sending Lainey to daycare on Thursday even though we didn't go to work. We love our little peanut to pieces, but it was nice having time to ourselves. It was our first full day alone in exactly 18 months. We didn't have any great adventures--just went back to sleep after dropping Lainey off, had a nice lunch, and then watched a movie on the couch. It was awesome!
So onward and upward to 2013! I just know our luck is going to take a change for the better. Lainey will return to sleeping, we'll find the perfect house, and best of all, we'll welcome Baby Brandi #2!!!
Elaine had a blast leading her Uncle Chris all around the house and having him do her bidding. "Sit down. Walk. Up." And I enjoyed sitting on my rear and letting him do the heavy lifting with her (thanks again, Chris!).
Of course Grandpa got his fair share of being bossed around with some cuddling in between. Although I don't think he ever managed to get that kiss. Elaine is a real Scrooge with her kisses lately.
A big snow storm hit Ohio on Wednesday and while it made our travel back to Chicago a little harrowing the first few hours, it also gave us a chance to get Lainey out into the white stuff for some play. I was very happy, because my gift to Mark was a sled for Lainey. It may seem strange to most to give him a gift for her, but he'd been talking non-stop about playing in the snow with her. He loved it! As suspected, we probably spent an equal amount of time dressing Lainey for the outdoors as we spent at play, but it was worth it. She was adorable in her little snow pants.
The real gift Mark and I gave each other was sending Lainey to daycare on Thursday even though we didn't go to work. We love our little peanut to pieces, but it was nice having time to ourselves. It was our first full day alone in exactly 18 months. We didn't have any great adventures--just went back to sleep after dropping Lainey off, had a nice lunch, and then watched a movie on the couch. It was awesome!
So onward and upward to 2013! I just know our luck is going to take a change for the better. Lainey will return to sleeping, we'll find the perfect house, and best of all, we'll welcome Baby Brandi #2!!!
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| Kisses from Uncle Chris |
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| Lainey loved her rocking horse from Santa! |
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| Sitting pretty |
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| Checking out the tree with Grandpa |
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| So much snow! |
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| Yummy! (We're teaching her to avoid the yellow stuff!) |
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| Happy family! Merry Christmas! |
Lainey won...
At 5:40 a.m., I caved and brought Lainey into the guest bed with me. After two more battles at 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. (mercifully much shorter than the big round), I just didn't have it in me any more when she started screaming again. I got 30 minutes of restful sleep before we had to rise and shine. Maybe tonight will be better...
Sunday, December 30, 2012
WARNING: Carbon Monoxide
I had planned to post a happy retelling of Christmas in Ohio tonight, but a run in with a gas issue with our stove and then a computer that didn't want to connect to the Internet derailed my plans.
Around 7:00 p.m.the carbon monoxide monitor went off in Lainey's room. There's no gas source in there, so we assumed it was just an issue with the detector. Mark took it down and stuck the one from the guest room in her room. About 10 minutes later, it went off. And kept going off. Long story short, after a visit from the fire department and gas company, it was determined there's a blockage on our broiler, which I'd used to make dinner. We were never in real danger. Per the fire department team the carbon monoxide levels weren't high enough to make us sick. Our landlord is supposedly getting it fixed tomorrow (we'll see about that). He was actually a pretty big jerk about it and got mad that we called 311 to talk to the fire department. He said we should have called him first to let him investigate. Ummm...no. I'm not messing around with something like this. And unless he has a CO reader and expertise, I'm not trusting his opinion.
At the moment, it's 2:07 a.m. and I'm about an hour and 55 minutes into trying the extinction method to get Lainey sleeping at night again. This is not fun, but we're out of options. It's been over 5 weeks since she slept through the night. She had a three week bought with various illnesses that just completely destroyed her sleep routine. After getting used to us cuddling and rocking to comfort her during all the sickies, she didn't want to go back to the old ways. We had her to the point where she would sleep in her crib (as opposed to our bed) as long as Mark or I slept on the floor next to her. Not really a sustainable situation. So, with music playing in my ears and blogging on my phone, I'm desperately trying to distract myself from the shrill screams of "Mommy" coming from my sweet girl. Sorry, honey, this is for your own good, too.
Anyway, I promise to get around to posting Christmas pictures and details from our Ohio trip (which, glory of glory, did not involve a trip to urgent care for a sick Lainey). But, maybe not tomorrow...I think I'll be kind of tired...
Around 7:00 p.m.the carbon monoxide monitor went off in Lainey's room. There's no gas source in there, so we assumed it was just an issue with the detector. Mark took it down and stuck the one from the guest room in her room. About 10 minutes later, it went off. And kept going off. Long story short, after a visit from the fire department and gas company, it was determined there's a blockage on our broiler, which I'd used to make dinner. We were never in real danger. Per the fire department team the carbon monoxide levels weren't high enough to make us sick. Our landlord is supposedly getting it fixed tomorrow (we'll see about that). He was actually a pretty big jerk about it and got mad that we called 311 to talk to the fire department. He said we should have called him first to let him investigate. Ummm...no. I'm not messing around with something like this. And unless he has a CO reader and expertise, I'm not trusting his opinion.
At the moment, it's 2:07 a.m. and I'm about an hour and 55 minutes into trying the extinction method to get Lainey sleeping at night again. This is not fun, but we're out of options. It's been over 5 weeks since she slept through the night. She had a three week bought with various illnesses that just completely destroyed her sleep routine. After getting used to us cuddling and rocking to comfort her during all the sickies, she didn't want to go back to the old ways. We had her to the point where she would sleep in her crib (as opposed to our bed) as long as Mark or I slept on the floor next to her. Not really a sustainable situation. So, with music playing in my ears and blogging on my phone, I'm desperately trying to distract myself from the shrill screams of "Mommy" coming from my sweet girl. Sorry, honey, this is for your own good, too.
Anyway, I promise to get around to posting Christmas pictures and details from our Ohio trip (which, glory of glory, did not involve a trip to urgent care for a sick Lainey). But, maybe not tomorrow...I think I'll be kind of tired...
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