Snapshot 02.18.15

–We have spent most of the last week (going on week three) fighting trench warfare with bronchitis. Isobel is mostly over it but sickness clings stubbornly to the baby, just as stubbornly as the crusts of snot and dried splotches of baby medicine cover me. I have been worn down by this illness, the length, the intensity, and the difficulty of finding a medicine he can tolerate while actually getting it into his mouth. He learned how to spit it out last week, a milestone I promptly recorded in his baby book. “Baby can eject medicine from mouth with rapid speed. Has learned to raspberry at the same time to ensure droplets of sticky pink antibiotics land over as wide a surface area as possible.”. Aw! I have never been barfed on as much as I have these previous weeks, and I feel like our laundry load has tripled as I’m constantly changing both of our outfits. The high point came on Valentine’s Day. He’d already thrown up twice, the poor lamb, when he barfed again… right down the neck of my v-neck shirt. I generally don’t have high expectations for holidays, but I generally hope not to get puke in my bra. To be honest the hardest part has been I’ve had some very serious Crohn’s issues during this time and it is just so difficult to care for another when you need to take care of yourself. But we got through it, or I should say, we’re getting through it, sticky clothes and all.

–Elias has a new nickname–Danger Baby. Within a week he found he can climb just about anything he wants to: the dishwasher, the green chest, the play table, the bed. He’s almost figured out he can fit all the way through the cat door, like his sister before him.

–Isobel had her class Valentine’s Day party on Wednesday, the last day before a long five-day weekend. When I picked her up from school she was practically floating and as soon as she saw me she shouted, “This is the vest Valentine’s Day ever!” She had worked very hard on the My Little Pony valentines she had chosen for her classmates, and when she got home she carefully looked through all the treats and cards from her classmates. It was the sweetest thing. I always have a special place in my heart for Valentine’s Day because of our traditions, because it’s my bestie Angela’s birthday, and now because of the joy it creates in my daughter.

–Isobel asked to borrow my phone and returned it with dozens of selfies saved on the camera roll. I didn’t find them until the next day and I laughed so hard. I love them. Most of them look like a variation of this.

–Fortunately the family did some of our traditions earlier in the week so it didn’t matter that the actual day was crap. We even managed, with the help again of my sainted mother, to have a date night (!!!!) alone (!!!!) just the two of us (!!!!) without kids (!!!!). I’m being redundant but I’m still so shocked it happened I can’t help it. My mom really took one for the team, because Anthony ended up having to unexpectedly work two hours late, and I think I mentioned, the baby was sick. Of course that didn’t stop him from emptying several large handfuls of cereal on the floor while I was trying to get ready, just to be sure I wouldn’t miss out any of his adorable hi-jinks while I was out for the evening. I chowed down on some delicious chicken and waffles and greatly enjoyed Anthony’s company. We basked in our ability to give each other our full attention. That was really the best gift of all.

–Anthony bought Isobel a pink Batman costume because he is a sucker. This video of her dancing along to the 1950s Batman show opening theme is one of my all-time favorites.