Today started in the low 40s. I bundled the girls off to daycare and took the day alone to pack and organize the house. When I lifted my head up, the day had flown by and it was in the 60s. I’m seeing neighbors I haven’t seen for months. Seattle is much more social in the sun. I’ve been enjoying all the new flowers in the haze of rain. It’s the first time I went for a walk because my knee is finally free of fluid for the first time in 6 weeks!
This evening, Wayne came home tired. I threw dinner on the table and bustled us out for a walk in the ebbing light. We walked down to the Scoop and had ice cream. The walk worked out the kinks from my legs.
This week has been much better.
1. Wayne is well (no sinus infection, no allergies) for the first time in a month.
2. My arthritis flare is going away despite my tapering of prednisone and only just starting enbrel.
-This has bulstered my mood more than anything. It’s so freeing being able to walk up and down stairs and go out for a walk without having to think about how much pain it will cause.
3. Laura is taking a bottle at daycare! I took advantage of that fact this week and got some much needed chores done. It’s very humanizing to spend time alone. I haven’t been away from Laura for more than 1.5 hrs since my Mom left.
4. Because of #3, I went on a date with my husband. I drove downtown and met Wayne at the Wild Ginger and enjoyed 25 for 25. We munched on lamb satay, fresh rolls, beef rendang (Thai beef stew), shrimp crepe, and coconut ice cream for desert. We actually talked and laughed without interruption.
I also had a girl’s breakfast out this morning. I brought Cafe Besalu to my friend Claire. We split pain au chocolate, an apple danish, and a ham and swiss pastry. Claire served me tea and an organic grapefruit on beautiful dishes with spring flowers. The tea was served with British flare. We talked and meandered through her blooming garden. I got to notice little things around their house. We rarely get to visit these day. I got to play with two beagles. What a nice treat!
5. Our cooking group has produced. We had our second meeting and were rewarded with 6 different fresh meals that are frozen and can be pulled out for eating. Our first offering is veggie chowder, tamale pie, meatloaf, peanut tofu soup, pasta sausage casserole, and marinated flank steak. I’ve got dinners taken care of for the next month as I transition to work. With only 2 more weeks of maternity leave, I’m feeling a little more organized than I was a week ago.
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We’re recovering from last week. I have rheumatology appointment. I’ve been asking everyone and their uncle about nursing and enbrel. Wayne’s feeling better from his sinus infection on antibiotics. Laura seems to be a little less fussy in the evenings. I got to grill a bunch of pork chops and make a huge beef stew so we’ve had instant food on the table in the evenings. It makes everything so much smoother. I’m trying to start a cooking group among friends so we can have freezer meals to help with the transition to work. Sara seems consistent about pottying (still pooping in diapers, but at least lets us know). Life is finding a rhythm. I’ve been trying to swim and stretch to make my joints feel better.
This is my week of letting go. Laura spent Sunday in the nursery at church. I got to worship the entire service without interruption. That hasn’t happened since her birth! It was so blessed to worship God and focus on the service. Yesterday, I started taking Laura to daycare for a trial run. She did fine for the short time she was there. She finds all the activity very interesting. I’ll try again today and next week. Thursday, Laura is officially 4 months and I can drop her off in the fitness center nursery with Sara.
I took Laura for her first swim. She has enough head control to lay back on a large green float and not have her mouth in the water. I gently pushed her about for 30min while I swam and did water aerobics. She loved it. She just stared at the ceiling. I even gave her a shower. It was a nice shake down for trying to swim with her and Sara. I have now practiced with one or the other child in the pool. We might try them both at once sometime this week.
Alice and James came to visit on Saturday. They brought take out from Rialto’s Pasta Bar. The food was really good. I hadn’t thought of Italian for take out, but the baked ziti w/sausage and pancetta was d’lish. They also brought humongous ice cream sandwiches for desert. It was fun. It was a nice way to eat restaurant food and not eat in a restaurant.
Friday, Wayne and I tried to go on a date. It was pouring rain. We dropped Sara off at her daycare. We took Laura and tried to drive around to get her to sleep. She wouldn’t oblige. Wayne was exhausted from his sinus infection, but game for my need to go out. We ended up trying Barking Dog. It was packed. We got a seat in 10 minutes. The menu has changed. No waffle fries…less food variety. What we got was good. Laura fussed the whole time. Luckily, it was so loud, no one noticed or cared other than us. Not much talking was done, but we enjoyed some good food and tried to go out.
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Just so it doesn’t seem like I complain all the time, I uploaded some new photos to flickr (right hand upper corner link). These are just snapshots from my camera phone, but they are nice slices of our life. I wrote a summary under each photo as explanation. It’s easier then adding photos directly to the blog.
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Jon came over last night. Claire had a surprise work meeting and God decided to provide for us. Most of the day, nothing got accomplished other than caring for and playing with my girls (which is wonderful). Wayne felt really bad and went to the doctor to get antibiotics. I decided against any outing. Wayne did my grocery shopping for me since he had to get antibiotics from the pharmacy anyway. So that was one thing off my list. I napped with the girls. After nap, we all piled into the cold and walked up to Sunset Park. Sara pretended that her stroller was a horse. I played along by making the stroller “neigh” and rear up. She would hold on the the strap which became the “reins”. She enjoyed running around at the park while I walked or rested. We returned to hot chocolate and lemonade and marshmellows and blueberries. Sara and I played with my new hobby of making cards. She helped me make Skylar’s 5th b-day card. Stamps, glue, and scissors are fun with a 3 yo. Wayne had enough energy to get a load of dishes done. Then he was exhausted.
Around 5pm he finished work and sat down to play with Sara. I was able to whirlwind around the house and clear out the kitchen and declutter with the girls occupied. Jon came over. He was able to do some carrying for me. We decluttered the upstairs frig. Took a bunch of things downstairs. Brought up the 8 pork chops and hamburger meat. I grilled hamburgers. I put a dry rub on the chops and grilled them for future meals. I still have 3 flank steaks, beef stew meat, and sausage to do something with. In general, I’m trying to cook meals in advance since our evenings have been so crazy and stressed. I even ordered a book, Once a Month Cooking. I’m trying to convince some friends to do a cooking group to exchange meals.
Laura was a champ last night. She wasn’t as fussy. She was able to be among the living till 9pm and then nursed to sleep. Whatever sickness or phase she is in seemed to be better last night. I also got to talk to Mom. That always makes me feel better.
It all sounds mundane, but I got some help to make life a little more reasonable. God provided.
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We all enjoyed lunch at Culver’s, a custard place that makes “buttered burgers”. It’s like Dick’s in Seattle or the Varsity in Atlanta.
The kids enjoyed it.
