One last post of sick

Okay so big thanks to Chris for updating the blog. It was the laughter I really needed. As fate would have it I too have an ear infection. Here was the conversation between me and my mom after Penny's appt on Wednesday:

Me: Penny has really bad ear infections. I feel so bad for her. I can remember how those throbbed. I hope she isn't like me and has them on a monthly basis all through elementary school!

Mom: Oh no! Poor thing! Well, at least she has antibiotics now. Do you ever get ear infections any more?

Me: No, I grew out of them...haven't had one since middle school. Remember once I got to high school and college I got sinus infections all the time. I'm pretty sure that's what I have now.



Then of course Thursday morning I woke up to that throbbing pain in my right ear. Chris went to work in the morning and came back at noon so I could go get checked out. I went to one of those urgent care places where you don't need an appt and it is all nurse practitioners. On my drive over I felt this horrible pop and next thing I know there is orange goo running out of my ear.Warning:there will be bodily fluids in this post as that is our current life. So the NP looked in my ear and sure enough my ear drum popped and I have a moderate size hole. I asked her how common this was and she said she doesn't see it too often because most people can't stand the pain. I swear I didn't feel anything in my ear until that morning. Plus, she said my left ear was "bulging" and I was correct on the sinus infection.She told me as I left that with everything she saw and no sleep I must feel like I'm dying. Well, that must have been what my brain needed to hear to allow myself to be miserable. Thankfully Chris stayed home another day and all I did was sleep and leak goo out of my ear. It is continuing to ring and feel stuffed. I have to see a dr in 3 weeks to make sure it healed properly.
Phyllis, Chris's mom, checked up on me via email every day. (Let me tell you, the blackberry is the best invention. I was able to keep up on facebook, some of my work, and email all from the couch and bed) When I emailed her about my ear drum she said that the same thing happened to her when Laura was a baby. What?! I quickly emailed back "How in the world did you deal with this when you had 3 kids?!" This was her response:

Mother nature makes you forget the tough times and helps you remember the truly precious ones, like when you are holding a sleeping baby in your arms in the middle of the night and its all quiet and you look down and realize your baby is gazing at you with such love and amazement. That's what keeps you going and then when they are teenagers, you turn to booze!

In my opinion she has missed her calling as a Hallmark card writer!

Well, if you've sat through this whole woe is me then you deserve some pictures. Penny discovered toys this week. Well, actually it is a blankie with all sorts of textures and shapes coming off of it. (Does this look like a sick baby?! This was Monday when I thought she was getting better and then everything went downhill again that night)

And here's the new thing. She doesn't like to sit up very long so she face plants herself onto the couch...
And turns onto her stomach. All of that tummy time has paid off! Even though she'd get cranky we tried to do 10 minutes total each day like the pediatrician told us to and now she loves being on her tummy.

Okay, quick break to rest my neck

Back up again!

Here's Cece keeping Chris warm. Maybe you think she is a little big for a lap dog, but when you have been outside in sub-zero weather you want your whole lap covered.

Me with Penny. She slept like this for 4 hours on Tuesday night. My bum and legs were numb but I was happy that she got some sleep without coughing. As you can see I'm at my best! This is the outfit that happens when Daddy is in charge!

Mommy, you couldn't wake up and dress me?!Tummy time in her crib. No rolling over yet but I think it will happen soon

Penny breaking out of the swaddle. When she is older she is going to think that we kept her in a straitjacket for the whole first year of her life. We really don't...it is just the cutest thing.

Okay, daddy, this outfit matches. Love the garanimals

So I started this blog at 7:30 am when everyone else was asleep. By 8 am I had a grumbling Chris standing next to me holding a smiley Penny. I innocently said "Oh she's awake!" Chris said "You didn't hear her crying. I got up and changed her diaper" I blamed it on my stuffed up ear, but really, those of you who have been to our house and met Penny know that you'd pretty much have to be deaf in both ears and not feel vibrations in the floor to not hear her cry...yet Chris believed me and I got out of that first cranky diaper change. Since he doesn't check the blog unless I make him we'll just keep this as our little secret for a while, kay?