I married my best friend

Before we started dating, Derek and I were best friends. We lived in the same apartment building (one floor apart) and we hung out all of the time. And it wasn't like we were ever planning on dating either, it was truly a great, platonic friendship. We went to a dinner at our church once and we were seated next to each other and people kept asking if we were a couple and we replied, "uhm, no..."

Then Christmas break came and while I was sitting at home in Trenton bored to death (hard to imagine, I know) I realized that I missed talking to him. I was so caught off guard. I really did not see that coming. I spent the entire four weeks of break wondering if I missed him because he was such a good friend of if it was something more. Fortunately for me, it was settled the day we got from Christmas break. That was five years ago and he has been my best friend ever since.

Back when we first started dating in 2005

So this Monday I come home from class and I was a mess. School is so much more work this semester than I had anticipated and I feel like I am just spread so thin. I just cried and he listened. He hugged me and was so supportive. I went on and on and on- and he was so completely there for me and I thanked him for being my best friend. Tuesday was the longest day ever. Jackson decided he didn't need to nap and was a never ending bottle of energy. I all but threw him on my MIL's door step. I have never been so excited to be studying in my life.

This afternoon, I see a lady walk up to the door with some flowers. I had seriously thought that she had the wrong address. Then she said my name and was so confused. I mean, it's not my birthday and I'm that sick. I was so surprised to see that Derek had sent me flowers. I love flowers! And they were 'just because' flowers. It really just made my day, my week, and actually probably the rest of the semester. The card read none other than:

I am so thankful for my husband. We are a team. And to think that I never saw this coming...

My 'just because' flowers

A night with croup

Friday night- I was lying in bed, finishing up the episode of Survivor, thinking how nice it was going to be to get to bed before 10:30. Then, Jackson wakes up coughing and then screaming from his crib. His cough was horrible, like nothing I've heard before! He kept gagging, gasping for air, wheezing, and it was frightening. Even if we could have gotten Jackson back to sleep, I was afraid he'd eventually be unable to breathe! Derek so calmly packed a bag and got everything ready so we could head out to Children's Mercy.

Funny kid. He never really acts sick. The other kids in the waiting room were sitting on their mommies laps, clearly not feeling well. Jackson, however, is running around, climbing on furniture, sniffing the reception desk, and having a grand old time because he is never up at this hour.

Midnight: get called into triage, they poke and prod the kid (makes him very mad!) then lead us back to a room. Doctor comes in, more poking and prodding (still making Jackson very mad!). Diagnosis: Croup. Treatment: oral steroid and a breathing treatmet of racemic epinephrine.

Jackson was so annoyed by the thing wrapped 

around his toe to monitor his oxygen

12:30am: Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Jackson passes the time, trying to escape

...and by playing peek-a-boo

Bet you can't find him!

1:00am: The three minute breathing treatment felt like an eternity with an screaming child on my lap. Even when you know it is going to help in the long run, it is always horrible to have to hold him down when it makes the so upset. His coughing clears up almost immediately. Now we were to wait two hours so they could monitor Jackson (most of the time if the croup was to come back, it would be within that time frame).

 

trying to cheer him up with the array of toys that

they have on hand! (yes, they ALL make noise)

1:15am: The oral steroid is next. Jackson signed "more, more" when it was all gone. We got him juice. I went to go find a vending machine. While I was excited to find $1.25 already waiting in the machine for me, Jackson was literally screaming the whole time I was gone. Apparently, he didn't care about the free Coke.

Clearly the steroids were yummy. He wanted more!

1:30am: The nurse comes in to check to see why Jackson was so upset. Then she decides she wants to hook Jackson up to a monitor so she can check on him from the nurse's station. Why does hooking up a overtired, cranky, sick 15 month old (who never holds still!) up to a machine sound a good idea?!? I totally understand the need to do it, but it was very inconvenient. We got him all hooked up and put a little gown on him to cover up the wires. The nurse brought in a Baby Einstein movie to keep him occupied. While Jackson did watch the show (three times) I couldn't help but wonder why on earth anyone would pay money for their kids to watch that crap. No wonder they offered a refund to people who bought their dvds. It did finally put Jackson to sleep.

2:00am: Jackson finally falls asleep. But only in my arms. I sit in the recliner and fall asleep on and off as well. I didn't realize how tired I was!

3:00am: The doctor comes in to check on Jackson and says that he is good to go. We sign a few papers and get Jackson out of the hospital gown and into his PJs. He didn't even wake up.

3:30am: We are home and all in bed!

7:00am: Jackson wakes up! Seriously! Does he not even realize that he was up half the night!?!? Someone needs to teach this kid about sleeping in. Poor daddy heads out to work.

He has a cough for the next day or two, but it is much better than the croup. Glad we caught it quickly and that the treatments worked. I hated seeing him so miserable!!

First Words and Love Sick

Just over the 15 month mark, Jackson began speaking his first words. Last Friday he said circle, octagon, and juice. (I consider his first words as words that I hadn't been prompting him to say. He has long been saying Mama, Dada, and HanNah when you say them over and over to him.) In the past week, he has added a couple of words to his vocabulary including fish and ball, and now Chacey.

I found him this morning pacing in his crib- back and forth, back and forth- saying "Ch-cy, Ch-cy, Ch-cy" over and over again and we practically jumped out of my arms when he saw her playing in the family room. He has followed her all day. When she went down for a nap, he stood outside the door point in saying "Ch-cy, ch-cy." At lunch time, he didn't want to eat before Chacey was seated and eating next to him. I'm not sure what has come over him- it's almost as if Cupid made a visit to our house last night and made our 15 month old boy love sick! And Elizabeth, Chacey's mom, told me that last night Chacey went to find her coat and was ready to head out the door to visit "Yackson". I guess Cupid made a visit to her house, as well.

At the rate these two are going (see previous post) I would not be surprised in anyway if they end up married by kindergarten. Oh well, at least we only have to pay for the rehearsal dinner, which if it were up to him would be Goldfish and whole milk. I think we could handle that.

Young Love

In January, I started watching another little girl, Chacey, full time. Cute as a button. 2 months younger than Jackson. Half his size. She is a funny kid and plays well with Jackson. Expect the past week and a half, Jackson and Chacey annoyed each other to no end. Neither wanted to be around, share a lap, or even looked at by the other. They were both recovering from being sick and I was about ready to pull my hair out.

Until today... and then the affections wouldn't stop coming! It started when Jackson decided to give Chacey a hug (though it came across more of tackle) nnd it was the longest hug ever. Then, I had to explain to Jackson that it isn't polite to go around and looking up Chacey's shirt- even if he is only looking for her belly button. Later in the afternoon, when they were both on my lap, they decided to hold hands. Seriously. I am not making this up. But nothing surprised me more than when Jackson was laying on the floor, Chacey leaned over and gave Jackson a big, very slobbery kiss on the forehead. Not once, but three times. And Jackson loved it! He giggled.

I'm sure glad they overcame the playing-hard-to-get game. Though, I am hoping that this is not a sign of what the next 18 years will be like!  Sure it's cute when he's 15 months, but not so much when girls will start kissing him for real! Poor kid. He's just too cute for his own good.

Jackson and Chacey playing this afternoon