I can almost taste the leftovers now!

I am really looking forward to this Thanksgiving, for some reason. Not that I didn't look forward to them before, because I've always enjoyed Thanksgiving, but I think, after having such a roller coaster holiday season last year, my attitude is kind of better towards this year. Last year was all that damn snow, plus, without realizing it, I was barely pregnant. My body sure knew it, I was so weepy! Plus all that snow!

So far, we've had just a small amount of the white stuff. I'm good with that. When MB is older, some snow might be fun, for him. I'll stand at the window with my hot chocolate and watch him play in it :)

Anyhow. Thanksgiving!

Coming soon!

We are going to my parents house this year, along with a large amount of the family. I am bringing dessert items. I think that I am also going to make us a small Turkey here, for our own after T day celebration. MG is with her Mom this week, so she won't get a home cooked meal. (Her Mom likes Boston Market Thanksgiving Dinners.... to each their own..... I have no comment on that....).

Plus, by doing our own Turkey here, I'll have plenty of sandwich fodder, ha ha haaaaa......

The RA thing is improving-ish.. the meds seem to be helping me some, though I just got bold enough to try and squat down to grab something from a cabinet and OH LORDY. Knee popping tearful pain! Obviously, my knees aren't ready for that kind of action yet... but I stood back up, cursed a bit, and walked it off. Thats MUCH better than it was...

Happy Thanksgiving from our crazy house to all of yours :)

Bitter disapointment

Yesterday, I think that I got to witness MB's first real disappointment in life.

We've been introducing him to foods, usually a new one every 3-4 days. One of the latest has been peas.... and also peaches.

He is a HUGE fan of the peaches. His eyes light up, and I cannot spoon them in fast enough. He recognizes the packages of baby food, and I got one out yesterday, it was peas... He didn't realize what they were, until I spooned the first bite of foul brew into his mouth.

OH, the drama...

the eyes got wide, tears started to fall, and the lower lip came out further than i'd ever seen it. Then, the head went back and a full blown wail of sadness, accented by peas running down the chin emerged.

I felt so bad for him.

But yet, I kept feeding him the peas....

RA, RA, RA?

So, its been "officially" confirmed, I do indeed, have Rheumatoid Arthritis.

What does this mean?

It means at least I know what's going on with my silly body, and it also means that I have treatment that will significantly put me in a better place.

I met my rheumatologist yesterday for the first time. I really liked him. He's this really kind of quirky MD who studied mostly in the south (Mississippi) and he was very positive about what I could expect over the next few months. He was also realistic and too the point, which I like.

I've started taking the medications, and, he says in a few weeks I'll feel like a new woman. My symptoms will resolve, over some time, and I have to not get complacent because I feel better and stop taking the medications. I will be on meds for the rest of my life, if I want to not have the pain issues and swelling issues I have now.

He also took me off work until January 1st, so that we can get all the meds and symptoms and labwork sorted out. Apparently I am very prone to infection at this time, because my body is too busy fighting itself to recognize that another outside thing needs to be fought. Makes sense. Working in an ICU full of winter infected people could cause me issues, so, I'm off. Can't say I'm heartbroken, since it gives me the holidays free and clear to spend with my family, BUT, I do like my job too, and was kind of just getting back into the groove after maternity leave.

Ah, well, whats a girl to do

So thats the skinny on me. MB is of course, awesome. He's eating some solid foods now, Applesauce, Carrots, and Peaches. Next on the list of things to subject him to is peas. Yech. But he needs a green veggie...

MG is doing fantastic in her senior year, senior pictures to be taken soon!

And of course MM is still fantastic and has really been supportive over all the recent junk I'm experiencing...

so, onward, upward, ect. ect.

I'm all set to kick some RA ass, and get on with it....

Halloween!

Or, almost....

my favorite part about this holiday is really, all the small kids in cute costumes. Always has been. The funny thing is, I almost went crazy with ideas of all the cute things we could put MB in this year, but then my rational brain kind of took over, and realized that he wouldn't really enjoy being dressed up from head to toe, he'd probably be fussy and pull the annoying bits off, or he'd spit up on the whole thing. So, instead, he has a cute onesie for the day with a ghost on it and it says BOO! on the butt. As the weather is now getting colder, though, he wears pants now too, so more than likely, no one will even see the BOO, but I know its there :). Next year, maybe, will be good for costumes for him.

He, and MG are my treats of this Halloween. My 'trick', unfortunately, is my joints.

We all know I had a rough pregnancy. That back strain alone still makes me weep. Well, after I had the boy I felt fantastic.

For about 2 weeks. Then, all my joints really started in on me. I figured that it would take time for all the relaxin to leave my system, but its been four months, now. Some things are better. Some are worse. My hands are horrible. So I went to my MD, and my chiropractor. They both think the same thing. I seem to be having a Rheumatoid Arthritis flare. Reading up on it, I find out its common when there are big hormonal changes. And, what have I been having over the last year really? Yep. Changes.

So, I'm having the lab work done, and I'll be going to see a specialist so that I can start to hopefully, function closer to normal again. Work has been interesting, to say the very least. It will get better.... it will get better.

Buddy

Since becoming the mother of a son, I've noticed something...

every little boy seems to be "Buddy".

Not partner, pal, or dude

but buddy.

I work pretty hard at home at referring to MB with his real name. I really don't hate the name Buddy, but I didn't name him that, either. I want him to respond to what we named him, I kind of like the name :). None the less, Buddy is heard fairly frequently in our house, and I hear it in public, too, with other parents with boys, or people who come talk to us when we are out and about with MB in his stroller. (He LOVES his stroller. It moves and everything.)

I wonder, when they all start kindergarten, if a teacher were simply to call out the name Buddy how many of the kids would answer?....

Oh, and before I forget, special Thank you to Pam for the sweet card and adorable pillow she sent to MB. We love it :)

the raving post of an insomniac

I can't sleep!!! AAAAAARGH! I think that MB has got me so trained to getting broken up sleep that even now, while he is blissfully sleeping the night away, I am awake with an active mind!

Of course, there are other things going on that are helping to activate my mind, but still. Its 0253 AM. I would love to be sacked out about now

But since I'm not...

Halloween is almost here! I have blogged many times how much I like Halloween. To me, its a pretty much no pressure holiday. There is some work to it, costumes, candy. But thats FUN work. Don't get me wrong, I like the other holidays, but sometimes, too much brain work has to go into them. Thanksgiving isn't bad, but Christmas, though I love it, is a brain buster. We made it easier on ourselves this year, and the adults drew names again, which I like very much. We'll spoil the kids, play steal a gift, and make merry.

But I'm not ready for that yet! I am ready to bring on Halloween! We decided not to put MB into a full on costume this year, I think he wouldn't like it much. He does have a cute Halloween onesie to wear, though. If I were going to dress him up, I think he looks a little like Caspar, the friendly Ghost, so I'd do that.

Sigh. 3 am. And here I sit. I'd bet money that the minute I get tired and fall asleep, MB will wake up hungry...

3 months old :)

And we couldn't love him more if we tried....