conversations with invisible pigs and sheep

We’re working at full steam around here. Nearly all the furniture that needs to be stored has been, along with the contents of closets, attic, etc. Today I got a climate-controlled unit for dvds, vcr tapes, photos and cds. I’ve packed more than a box a day. We’ve got the rest of the weekends mapped out with painting jobs for me, and Dad will fix up the rest of the items on our list.

Tonight I revisited feeding Colin rice cereal. We tried about two weeks ago, and he wasn’t that excited about it. Well tonight was completely different — he was like an animal trying get more and more. I ended up giving him three servings. He did really good keeping it in his mouth, although there was one time where he swatted the spoon and ended up with cereal on his eyelid and lashes — after a bath there’s still some crusted there.

Colin’s been making leaps in changes — grabbing things, switching them between hands, and pulling up to sit up.

Meanwhile, Jim has a crazy virus with a high temperature — much like memorial day weekend two years ago. No other symptoms, but we went to the doctor’s on Tuesday to get checked out. It’s not strep, which is good, so we’re just waiting it out. I feel bad for him when the motrin wears off, because that’s when he really feels it, and the fever creeps back up. Otherwise, the doctor also changed his dosage on the asthma meds, until we can see the pulmonologist. We were supposed to go there on Tuesday, but I couldn’t risk taking him, so we’re going in two weeks.

There are lots of new photos in the gallery — Colin rolling over from back to front, and the model home, specifically.

This weekend Dad and I put a deposit on a lot for a home in a new development. We didn’t plan in doing this so soon, but we found a town closer to his new job that has decent schools. We can’t afford a house the size we want in this town, and a lot of the new construction, while nice and affordable for us, is in towns with questionable schools, and high property crime rates.

It’s not huge, but it will have all the rooms we need for kids and guests, and an office for Dad, which was one of our biggest requirements. And although we couldn’t get a lot that backed to woods, we got a slightly oversized corner lot for no premium, which was kind of our luck of timing.

So yesterday I rented a storage unit so we can declutter this house and get it ready to sell.

Colin just rolled over from back to front! I’ve been cheering him on, telling to to “give in to the roll”, and then he did it!

May 21, 2007 — the first my big brother dumped dirt on my head

It took three doctors to determine that Jim’s rash is an allergic reaction to amoxicillin. The first wasn’t sure, because Jim has cold (allergy) symptoms, and because Jim felt warm (real temp = 98.2), and from what I gather, how it looks. So he had the other two docs take and look, and they both said allergic reaction. Apparently we can go back at some point, and they’ll give him another cillin in small doses (a “challenge” test), but he made it sound like a pain.

So, off to Target we went, for more hydrocortisone cream.

get that baby rolling! Colin rolled over from his belly to his back tonight, on mom and dad’s bed, where he was getting a little wipe down bath.

The last week has been crazy. The sleep training was hard, and seemed to be having a negative effect on Colin. He was still fussy during the day, and really got crazy about having the pacifier all the time. And it wasn’t working for naps either. Saturday night I decided to kind of go back to the “old ways” and feed him before putting him down, but, put him down awake. That seemes to be working — he’s awake for a few moments, but goes right to sleep. We’re keeping with the bed routine that we’ve got going… Jim bath, Colin bath (Jim hangs out with Dad), Jim gets story and songs and then put to bed, Colin gets his story and songs, eats, and then is put to bed. Only Jim doesn’t get a bath every night.

Now it looks like I’m going to have to cut down on Colin’s baths, because he might be having a reaction to the soap we’re using, or just to getting too many baths. I’ve been using the J&J wash and shampoo, and Colin’s has a big scaly patch on one spot, and two more little spots popped up yesterday. So, tonight it was just a wipe-down, until I can get him some gentler soap. We have some shampoo that worked for Jim when his sensitivities flared up — but I was using the regular stuff to fight the cradle cap.

On top of the sleep training, the three of us were all sick… Jim was on four medications until today, when he got up from his nap with a rash. It’s back to the doctor tomorrow to see if it’s an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin. At the end of the month we’re going to see a pulmonologist for his (now officially declared) asthma. I’m sure the pollen triggered it, but this was the worst wheezing I’ve seen him have since he had RSV.

I’m just beat. Dad and I have started looking at new housing developments and local neighborhoods in a search for moving on up to a bigger house that will fit our stuff. I’m leaning towards staying around here, because I like it here, although the allure of a new house is overwhelming. We saw a great development this past Sunday, with one model that really suited what I would want in a house. But the town itself and the schools aren’t that great.

In the meantime, I’m building a list of all the stuff we need to do to this house to fix it up. Today I bought landscape stone for the borders of the front beds, and it just delivered 45 minutes ago. It was annoying that I spent all day waiting (and not showering or napping).

Well, I’m going to get working on all the pictures I took this weekend.

EDIT: Like these!

(From top to bottom: Colin’s Belly Time, Colin and Jim, Colin Sleeping, Colin’s Spring Hat)

More pictures in the January, April and May albums!

Seemed to go better for the sleep training. Colin went down for two naps with less than 5 minutes of fussing each time, but in the afternoon he was trouble and ended up napping on my lap. Later he fell asleep at the dinner table. He was pleasantly fussing when we put him down, and then started full on crying later. But I think he fell asleep within 45 minutes. There was some fussing a little later, where either Dad calmed him or he calmed himself. I don’t know because I was asleep. We’re all sick now, except for Dad, and that’s taking its toll. But I’m better rested today.