rashes

last night as i was getting ready to go to bikram with Meggers, Dadz called me to say that Biggie had a rash on his - erm - private area. Dadz took a photo with his iPhone & sent it to me via email, then we discussed it over the phone. we decided it was wise to call it in, so after speaking with the on-call dr Dadz learned it could be a bunch of different things:

• too tight diaper;
• sudden sensitivity to diaper wipes;
• infection; or
• other un-named occurance of which we wouldn't know until Biggie started showing signs of something else (with fever, bleeding pustules [ick] or other)
  

Dadz took Biggie's temperature which was normal, put him to bed & Momz (me) went to yoga. this morning when Dadz got Biggie up for the day the mysterious genital rash was gone.... its all very mysterious.

Dropping Biggie off at daycare I explained the situation to H & she seemed okay with it but looked sheepish when I mentioned about the "too tight diaper" ... Dadz & I have both noticed that H puts Biggie's diapers on SO TIGHT that the flaps are usually overlapping. "Well," I can hear you saying, "and why is that a big deal?" Let me tell you! Its a big deal because his circulation is being CUT OFF in his GENITAL area. Can I hear an "OUCH"?? Yeah! OUCH!

Imagine wearing too-tight-tightie whities all day long & see how you like it. Only you can't talk to tell everyone that your too-tight-tightie whites are hurting you. All you can do is cry or distract yourself by playing with your bestie Trent. And not only that, but you pee & poo in your too-tight-tightie whites & then you sit in it (hopefully not for too long!) & it rubs against your little bits & make them all sore ... and ... ouch. My poor little Biggie.

ch-ch-ch-changes

as you've noticed i'm changing up the blog design... slowly but surely. i am NOT an XML master, so this is new & difficult territory for me. but i'm trying & i will figure it out slowly but absolutely. now that you know you can be better prepared for the ugliness because its going to get worse before it gets better

but, OH, how it will get better! the new blog is gorgeous!!

blog award!

my blog won an award from my sister's blog "Kim Through the Looking Glass"



now i'm supposed to give the award to seven people. in no particular order here are my favorite blogs that i am awarding this prestigious "I Love Your Blog" award - which i have to qualify first by saying that in my spare time, of which there isn't a whole lot these days, i am a blog reading super star. my bookmarks list is beyond long, with about 25+ blogs that i always check at least once a week (not including the blogs i write or edit). so, it was very difficult to narrow-down which of those blogs were the best of the best & finally i had to ask myself this one question "which blogs do you check EVERY day if you can?" and "which blogs are the FIRST you check when you have time?"... here are those seven blogs:

• Kim Through the Looking Glass - my sister blogging about her life, her love, her daughter; she is smart, funny, Christian & whole grain goodness. she literally makes me be a better person just by being such a good role model herself. her lifestyle is so different, so alternative, so mind-blowing fresh that you can't help but read about it & WANT what she has, a warm-loving-supportive community from which to draw strength & power
  
• I'm Just a Blogger - Chica X from somewhere USA i read this blog religiously every single day. she is funny & sassy & smart & wise & has three super adorable little boys. she really gets it. she gets ALL of it (& my ALL i mean that she totally 100% completely gets it)
  
• Bridget Jones Has Nothing On Me - blogger Catherinette blogs about her sex life, she love life (yes, they are two very different things), corporate america, best friends & everything that pisses her off. she is disgusting funny beyond belief & if i was a man i would be mad about trying to track her down & steal her away to be my new wife (no offense Jule you'll always be wife #1 & you know it ;)
  
• Drunken Housewife - with a blog tag of: Overcome Your Fears of the Drunken Housewife, what is not to love? this blogger is a mom & proud of it. she drinks & she's proud of it. she blogs about her children's favorite silly little things & is proud of it. she's a secret BF of mine
• Ask & You Shall Receive - I will Fucking Tear You Apart is a blog designed to rip other blogs a new one. this blogger says everything you wish you could say when you visit other people's blogs but don't. her reviews are mean, scathing & bone crushingly honest. i found her when she reviewed Chica X's blog & have been hooked every since
• The Lemon Spank - blogger Sarah is one of my besties, favorite people in the whole world. this is her artistic outlet medium; blogging. her posts are fresh, sharp & always remind me of rainy soap because they are so different, so unique that you leave her blog feeling like you just had an amazing shower
• A Widow for One Year - probably one of the saddest most touchingly heart felt blogs i've ever read. Found on the top-Blogs page of "Ask & Ye Shall Receive" i have been hooked on this blog from the moment i read her sad story whereby her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer & died after 4.5 months of fighting the disease, leaving her with 2 adorable, but very small children. this blog is her journey, the story of her life after losing the husband she loved above all things in this world

there you have. my favorite 7 blogs. hope you enjoy reading at least one of them today.

today we try

rice milk! big it up for the rice milk! pray with me that it goes well because Biggie needs some kind of milk for his massively growing bones & teeth

did i mention Biggie has not 1, but 2 molars? i can't remember. if i did, i'm sorry for repeating myself. if i didn't - then guess what? Biggie has molars!! both on the bottom. the right side has broken through completely & the left is just starting (a tiny bit of white is showing through).

i took Biggie grocery shopping this morning & he was getting into EVERYTHING. its pretty amazing how much they can grab out of the sides of the shopping cart. he was also very vocal, squealing & yelling & D-D-d-d-d'ing up a storm. he got lots of smiles & "isn't he so cute!!"'s from the sales ladies & staff.

now i am fully aware that everyone thinks their own children are the best, most special, cutest, more adorable kids in the universe. but not everyone else agrees. i see bratty, annoying, ugly kids every single day whose parents look at them with nothing but adoration. even knowing this... understanding it... i think its safe to say that Biggie is just not one of those kids. call me mother-blind, but my son is pretty damn perfect in every way.

little things

what a difference a few days make.

biggie smalls is developing such a cute little personality. he's talking so much now, so fast. its thrilling to witness. today i put his Tonka Truck on the coffee table & we had lots of fun pushing it off the side & watching it fall & land on the ground. that got belly laughs from biggie. he loves all things car & truck, anything with wheels. he pushes them around & makes "vrooom vrooom" noises. he also really loves the wooden stackable puzzle that his aunt & uncle bought for him for his birthday. as he puzzles the pieces out, he smiles & holds the round hoops up to his eyes to see the world from a different angle.

he's eating as much or more than me including 3 meals and 2 snacks. we're going to try Rice Milk tomorrow and see if that goes over better than milk. Soy we know, from experience, hasn't been a good solution because he gets the same rash on his body. i'm pretty sure he isn't getting the nutrition he needs from juice & meals alone. part of me is happy to keep him on 2 formula bottles a day until we figure this out; at least i know he's getting everything he needs to be healthy

today he got a bowl of dried apple pieces for toddlers that taste sort of like freeze dried fruit. he had a blast knocking the bowl over, then picking up the tiny pieces one-by-one & trying to put them back into the bowl (which didn't work so well because of sticky fingers). his dad showed him how to do that, put them back in the bowl... as i'm noticing with kids his age, he quickly & easily does whatever his dad does. never in my whole life have i seen a child love his father like biggie loves his dad. its amazing to watch the two of them together. his dad is a truly wonderful, involved & supportive father to him & it shows in the way biggie idolizes him.

if there is one thing i need to document for biggie when he is older it is this: biggie, you worship your dad. you watch him whenever he goes, you follow him around begging to be picked up, you pay very close attention when your dad is showing you something new or reading a story or singing a song. you love it when your dad flips you upside down & you lurch yourself backward, secure in the knowledge that his arms will never drop you. today i saw you pat your dad on the cheek & smile. today i saw your dad cover your face & the back of your neck with kisses. today i saw how much the two of you really, really love each other. today i saw many things that made me know you will always be loved.

biggie's naps are starting to go wonky. he's begun to make the 2-1 nap transition switch. in the past he would take 2 really good naps a day - in the morning & in the afternoon usually lasting 1-2 hours each. now, his morning nap is around 45 minutes & his afternoon nap is around 1/2 hour. working with H (his daycare lady) we're slowly trying to merge the 2 naps into 1 long after lunch nap. its slow going ... some days it doesn't seem like we're making any progress ... but we are, as any september mommy can attest, these things take time

as for me, its simple. i love being a mom. its the very best part of my life. every moment with biggie is a blessing & i cherish every smile, every tear, every little tooth & hair on his head. at night, before bed, i love to sneak into his room & check in on him, adjust his blanket, tuck his lovie-bear into his arms, put my hand on his chest & feel his warm breath move his chest up & down, up & down. when he is sleeping like this i feel that everything is right with the world. when he is sleeping so softly, so peacefully i feel that we are doing something right. that even if everything didn't turn out the way any of us thought it would, that we are at least doing a good job as parents. i feel nothing but love for my son.

talking mc'talkers

ok so i lied. i'm a great big liar pants. i can't stop blogging. i can't!! when you're as addicted to blogging as i am, even missing a week or so is TORTURE

so, biggie smalls is talking mc'talkers lately. he now says (a lot!):

- mama
- dada
- dog
- door
- shoooo for shoe (i think)
- no, no, no while shaking his head frantically back & forth like:

us: do you want more cereal?

biggie: no! no! *shakes head back & forth*

us: okay here is more cereal...

bigge: *big smile, grabs cereal, shoves it into his mouth*

(which leads me to believe he doesn't really understand what no means - which also explains why he won't stop trying to eat the dog's food)

this morning i was trying to get his socks & shoes on to get him out the door for daycare. he squirmed out of my arms (like he's doing a lot lately) & started crawling for the dog's dish.

me: biggie, come here buddy, we have to put your socks on (i'm paraphrasing, it was 6:50am, give me a break)

biggie: NO! *smiles over his shoulder & goes for the dogs food

me: Ooooo mister you are in trouble!

biggie: *laughs & crawls away really fast*

obviously i caught him. he's fast, but he's not that fast.

biggie has also started clapping & waving. but his waving looks more like a full arm flop/wave. at first i had no idea what he was doing & thought he hurt himself. then i figured out he was "waving" goodbye to people. Ahhhh!!! the lightbulb went off - he's waving! not arm-spazzing!

more biggie news: he has a bestie boyfriend at daycare named Trent. whenever biggie sees Trent he completely loses his marbles. biggie squeals, laughs & lunges out of my arms to get down to Trent level. Trent is about 6-8 months older than biggie, but biggie is a bit bigger (weighs more & is taller too!). biggie follows Trent around everywhere. he adores him. its great to see biggie with buddy.... ahh besties. its adorable.

biggie is also down to only 2 bottles a day - morning & before bed. the rest of the time he drinks juice or water. not the sugary juice either - i'm talking the "2 servings of veggies OR fruit" type juice that is super expensive but tastes like eating (er drinking) groceries. we are still waiting on the food specialist referal & have been waitlisted (ouch! when's the last time we had to wait on any kind of list? its an ouchie to the ego) ... we tried homo milk with biggie again last weekend & like before he got a face rash. i'm at a loss what to do... what do you think??

suspending

sorry loyal readers i'm being forced to stop blogging for the time being. posting will resume at the beginning of october. i'll be sending out a twitter to that effect as well.

take care & thanks for reading. check back in October.

until then...

Jenny

holy crap!

you bitches rock!!

i had 466 page hits yesterday

and

8 clicks!!!

for a grand total of: $5.06 USD for this month

specifically yesterday you earned me: $.78 cents!!!

hey can you click already?

help a sister out

click on an ad

i'll get like .02 cents

come on just do it. do it. do it.

biggie smalls isn't so small anymore

diet

i've lost 10 pounds. hello?!! 10 pounds since i started my diet & exercise regime. i've been going to bikram yoga at least 3 times a week; more like 4 & have cut out all fats/junk from my diet. i am only allowing myself bread (pasta or a bagel or a sandwich) 1 time a day (usually at lunch or dinner) & i have 3 solid meals with 2 snacks (the snacks are things like 1/2 a cucumber or a piece of fruit); meals all have lots of protein (yogurt + banana for breakfast, salad with salmon or chicken or ham for lunch) which help me to keep feeling full. also i don't eat after dinner. period. its hard, but i've also cut out my nightly glass of wine - instead enjoying 1 low-carb beer.
******
liam is now taking 4-5 steps on his own. he's saying mama, dada & dog to diesel. he's also saying a lot of garbles mumbo-jumbo which makes no sense; but he is trying very hard to hear & be heard. he is a sweet, funny, silly boy that loves to laugh & smile. he is the light of my life & i have some amazing pictures to share with you guys as soon as i can get around to uploading them :)

good wishes

to my september mommy friends who are going through hurricanes, gas shortages, family members with cancer, dogs that have died recently, babies that are still sick, grandparents's that are ill, snakes in their houses, personal physical problems related to birthing their children over a year ago and ...

to my aunt connie who is still struggling through chemo & radiation as she battles her cancer, yet is lucid enough to put on a brave face & send a family email thanking everyone who has helped her through this (so sweet) and ...

to sarah who is very pregnant & worried about childbirth & to kelly who is due any time now ...

you ladies are rock solid, tough as nail bitches who inspire me to quit my moaning & start my doing. something, anything, to change my life for the better; just like you have, will, want to.

not so proud

recipient of "worst mother of the year award"

remember this?



at his first birthday party mr. liam was sick. remember?

you know liam can't speak right? how was i supposed to know how horrible it was? realistically i know i can't be blamed, but i still feel horrible

wednesday SO started to feel really ill. complained of a headache, sore muscles, unable to sleep, couldn't eat... lasted a few days. my mom called me tuesday night & left a message saying she had a 102 fever, aches, headache, etc. all the same symptoms

friday i wake up with a headache. i thought it was just exhaustion from not sleeping well all week. friday night - all night - i toss & turn as my head throbs. then i start throwing up. every couple of hours or so. after i am sick my head feels better, but then gets worse again until i am sick again. all day yesterday i lay in bed moaning, sweating, body hurting, head throbbing, not eating, hardly drinking - thank god for SO who watched liam all day. i could NOT function.

i sleep almost 24 hours straight. i wake up this morning feeling weak, but a lot better. i have lost 2 pounds per the scale.

this is what liam went through on the day of his birthday party. he went through all of that - yet i pulled him out of the house, into a pool, into the heat of a backyard, sang the birthday song at him, shoved a cake in his face & then wondered why he kept melting down

see what i mean? WORST MOTHER OF THE YEAR

thanks chica

I can't get to sleep without:
Washing my face, putting on anti-wrinkle cream, having a cup of sleep time tea or a glass of wine; reading a book & cuddling Mr. Mouse until i literally pass out - otherwise i don't sleep & spend hours thinking about stupid random crap

If I were a doll, the accessories packaged with me would be:
IPhone, Timmy's 3x3, Liam, Diaper Bag, a Big Leather Bag, High Heels, Big Earrings, Bangle Bracelets, MAC LipGloss, Yoga Mat

I have an irrational fear of:
ghosts & murderers

At my grandparents house I usually eat:
corn on the cob with butter & some kind of over cooked meat; but truthfully i'm pulling that from my childhood memories since i can't remember the last time i had a meal with my one surviving grandma

When I was born I weighed:
6 pounds i think - mom, what did i weigh?

I am most opposed to:
war, fighting, bush & all he stands for; bad drivers; crooked teeth & vomit

On myspace I like to stalk:
what's myspace?

I am too old to be:
starting over again

I find the thought of childbirth:
intriguing because if it ever happens again i'm 100% sure it will be entirely different & can only be better than my first time

Next door to my house is:
a bunch of trees & the single later mid-life teacher sisters who we dubbed 'Patty & Selma'

My feet are:
in pretty rough shape but currently strapped into gold wedges

My preferred style of jeans are:
dark blue or black, slight flair at the bottom to cover my heels, low rise with nice detail on the pockets

I know how to cook:
bacon and most meats, some pasta and sandwiches; everything else is a total crap shoot

I am annoyed at:
not being able to get enough actual sleep no matter how early i go to bed; constantly fighting with my SO because we keep misunderstanding each other every 5 minutes; the girl at my work who wears a sticky sweet cloying perfume that gives me a raging headache

Men should always:
treat their women like gold or they will lose them; stop being defensive & just listen; take themselves less seriously & learn to laugh when they are wrong; teach their sons to clean & cook & respect women; buy flowers for no reason

Women should never:
expect happiness from anyone but themselves; stop changing themselves for men; stop hating other women; realize their hidden potential; be less quick to lay blame & even quicker to forgive; stop giving blow jobs

The scariest sea creature is:
any creature in the sea scares the crap out of me

The world is over populated with:
cars, trucks, planes, etc.

I recently broke:
too many things to remember, i break things all the time by accident

I last cried because:
we got into a fight again & i am sick of fighting

My favorite shoes are:
heels, all heels

As a parent my greatest fear is:
that my son will blame me for leaving his dad when he is older, act out & end up in prison or get a girl pregnant when he is still a teenage; be diagnosed with an incurable disease; that i will never get out of debt & we will end up homeless

When I think of Full House:
i think of jodie sweetin as stephanie tanner & how she used to be so sweet & adorable before she became a meth addict

four for friday

Q1 - Breakfast: If you could have had anything other than what you ate for breakfast this morning, what would you have ordered up?

Bagel Benedict on a whole wheat bagel from DUNNs with extra hollaindaise sauce. only allow myself to eat this maybe 4 times a year because it has the same amount of calories as eating a whole pizza by myself. but it is SO GOOD. great, now its all i can think about.

Q2 - Opinions: A friend of mine recently decided to try online dating, and one site asked the following question: "Imagine that your friends had to choose the best four descriptions of you from the items listed below. Click next to the four items that they would be most likely to pick." My guess is that hardly anyone ever asks his or her friends to supply the answer. If you are/were single, would you [ask a friend to supply the answer]?

no, i would pick what i think they would say.

Q3 - Trading In: According to a recent CNN.com poll, approximately 50% of Americans say they are seriously thinking of trading in one or more of their cars for a vehicle offering better fuel economy. How about you?

no, i only have one car & am about to go down to half a car so there is no point.

Q4 - Possessions: If you could own one item that a friend of yours currently owns, what possession of his or hers would you make yours?

happiness. my bff meg is so happy right now, just having gotten married to astar who is amazing beyond words, nesting in their new little house & wanting a family very soon. i would take her happiness in a heartbeat because, currently, i am very jeleous of it. wow that sounds so bad. don't get me wrong - i am so happy for her & don't begrudge her this happiness, she has more than earned it; but the question was asked so i there is my answer. i hope to one day be in possession of that kind of happiness.