Friday, September 30, 2005

Woo! Hoo!


Woo! Hoo!
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.
I guess all the little buggies in the neighborhood heard the news and came over to celebrate on my car. What news you ask? That my car is now officially mine. The last payment was made earlier this month and I got the title in the mail today. (Obviously, the big party animal is the stick bug at the rear of the car.)

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Running Hot

Well, earlier this week we voluntarily held Parker out of daycare because of his bout with croup. However, with a doctor's note, Parker was back in action. Or so we thought.

This afternoon, though, I got a call from Parker's daycare. He was running a fever of 102.1. Consequently, I had to pick him up immediately and he wouldn't be able to return until 24hour after the fever disappered. DOH!

From the daycare, we went to the doctor's office where they concluded that, on top of the lingering croupy cough, he was suffering from an ear infection, which can cause a fever.

Lil' P's now on antibiotics for the next 10 days. I'm sure his fever will be gone tomorrow; however, since Gram can watch him on Friday, we're going to opt out of daycare for the rest of the week. Hopefully, come Monday, Parker will be in ship-shape. Hell, he needs to be in ship-shape come Saturday because I wanted to take him and Frankie (oh, and Chris) to Lancaster's Bark in the Park.

Monday, September 26, 2005

A-OK

Just heard from Chris -- post-peds visit -- and Parker has been deemed healthy enough to return to daycare. YEA!

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Feelin' Croupy


Feelin' Croupy
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.
Saturday evening started out as a relaxing dinner and movie at Thommy and Geoffrey's house but ended with an anxious trip to the emergency room. Around 9pm, I went to check on Parker, who was sleeping in T&G's guest room and noticed that his normal snores has become more labored. I picked him up and by the time I got him to Chris in the living room, Parker was wheezing. We quickly gathered our things and headed out.

Chris dialed 911 as he tore down the road. Plan A was to stop at the fire station on Sierra Highway to get the paramedics to look at Parker. However, because it was dark, we drove right past it and by the time we realized it we figured we should just head to the hospital, especially since Parker seemed to be breathing easier. 911, instead, had us pull over at the next street (Avenue S) where they had the paramedics and an ambulance intercept us. There, it was determined that Parker was suffering from croup -- a respiratory infection that causes the trachea and larynx to swell and can be is easily diagnosed because your baby's coughs sound like a barking seal. (Weird but true.)

So, after an ambulance ride to the hospital, Parker received some sort of humidifier treatment and a dose of an oral steroid to help reduce the swelling in his throat. We finally made it back home around 2am.

Compared to Saturday, Sunday was pretty uneventful. At times, Parker did get a bit wheezy but his voice had more of a sexy Demi Moore scratchiness rather than the abrasive barking from the night before. He'll still be out of daycare for the next couple of days; however, it seems like the worst part is behind us.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Uh...yeah.

I should really write more frequently so that my entries will sound less bipolar.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

What up?!


What up?!
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.
Nothing much is happening on our end so I figured I'd post another shot from this weekend. Once again, Parker's on his back...actually, he's created an arch using his head and feet to thrust his body in the air. That said, I guess he's not truly on his back.

Chris has been extremely busy at work. He was offered two days of water work on MI3 and immediately jumped at the chance. After the first day (or should I say night as they started work at 5pm), he came home and rattled on and on about gigantic rigs and other stuff that can only be found on big productions. And after day two...well, I didn't get a chance to see him because after "day two" he went to work on his regular show. Yes, after what was at least a 12 hour night shoot, he went to work another 12 to 14 hours! I'm hoping to hear from him before I got to bed just to hear that he's survived the marathon. Plus, Parker and I will go another night without seeing Chris because it seems more prudent for him to sleep "in town" rather than make the trek all the way home.

On another note -- did you see that Jet Blue plane land yesterday? That was amazing! I'm sure everyone will want to personally request that pilot on their next flights.

On a totally different note -- at work the lobby TV's have been on CNN, instead of the usual Cartoon Network. I find it heartbreaking to see the scroll at the side of the screen listing all the missing Gulf Coast children. What's even more devastating, though, was that there were no pictures available for most of those kids. Each of the dark silhouettes they used instead seemed to represent the utter hopelessness a family must be feeling. It really pushes me to get all my family photos scanned and backed up on a remote server...just in case.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Soup's On


Soup's On
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.
So, when it's time for Parker's dinner, I try to also have mine ready so we can eat together. I guess I figure that he'll get a sense that dinner is more than just me feeding him but rather a time for us to enjoy each others company. Of course, that means I've got to throw something quick together as Parker's not likely to sit around and wait for me to cook a five course meal. (Hello, did someone say it was getting a bit chilly in Hades?) Tonight, dinner consisted of soup for me and peas for Parker. Hey, but my soup was Wolfgang Puck's. And Parker's peas? Gerber's. Organic Gerber's.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Make That Two!


Make That Two!
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.
Look very closely. Yup, that's not just one tooth coming in but TWO!

Friday, September 16, 2005

Daycare Anectode


Daycare Anectode
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.
So Parker's daycare has started this practice of writing down anecdotes for the parents so we can keep up on all the interesting things our little ones are doing. For his first one, this is what I got, "Parker rolled over to the small mattress and scratched his nails across the edging of the mattress causing a sound." Hmmmm...sounds like it's time for me to trim Parker's nails.

BTW, here's another one of Parker's now famous head stand, back bends.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Holy Roller!



I can't help but feel like one of those people who videotapes a friend doing something...like parasailing...but doesn't realize until they actually view the tape weeks later that they have evidence of something extraordinary...say, Bigfoot. I took this video a couple of days ago mainly because I wanted to capture all the great moves that Parker's now doing -- rolls, backbends, headstands, etc. But about a third of the way though, I swear I hear him say "mama" as he reaches for the camera. Am I crazy? You make the call.

That said, my little man will be six months tomorrow. We visited the doctor today so here are his new stats:
- WEIGHT: 16.5 pounds (that's about average)
- HEIGHT: 27 inches (that's a little above average)
- HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE: 46 centimeters, I think (WAY ABOVE average)

Parker's head is still HUGE. But because the results of the ultrasound (taken a couple of months ago) were normal, the doctor's not worried.

For those of you interested in what Parker's eating, we've tackled rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Next up...I can't decide between yogurt or bananas. I think I might continue to steer clear of fruit just to make sure he embraces less sweet foods; but I did get a couple of jars of bananas, just in case.

Monday, September 05, 2005

Amah comes and goes


Amah comes and goes
Originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.
My mom came to visit with Parker. Even though he was under-the-weather, Parker enjoyed the visit. Actually, he spent most of Friday with Chris' mom so, when my mom arrived later that day, he got an extra special double dose of grandma action.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Running Hot

Earlier this week, Parker had a slight fever that his pediatrician attributed to teething. (Yes, those choppers are coming in!) However, tonight, after an initial bout of fussy sleep, he felt really hot. Taking his temperature (BTW, don't use the thermometer with the letter "R" on it...Trust me. You don't want that anywhere near your mouth.), I discovered that he was running a fever of 102.9. Soon afterwards, I'm on the phone with the pediatrician and it appears lil' P is a bit under the weather; however, nothing that should be considered an emergency. So, after a dose of Tylenol and a bottle, he's back in bed. Hopefully, he isn't too uncomfortable tonight.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

New Orleans

French Quarter
I've only been to New Orleans once, for my brother's wedding in '92. (Luckily, his wife's family, who lives a couple of hours out of New Orleans, are fine.) After the wedding, I accompanied my mom, her brother, three of her sisters, and my grandma on a sight-seeing tour of New Orleans, specifically, the French Quarter. What stuck me was how rich the town was in history and character. (Oh, and the drive-thru daqueri stands. Yeah. That's a bad idea.)

Now, watching the news, I'm absolutely floored. It kills me to think of the thousands of people who placed their trust in "the system" only to find themselves with nothing. Men, women, and children are dying not from the actual hurricane but from a failure of their government and public services.

I guess, coming from earthquake country, it's hard for me to understand how we can be so unprepared when you know the disaster is coming. Granted, I don't think anyone thought it would have been this devistating; however, they knew it was going to be bad. Shouldn't all emergency services have been on alert, ready to go into action at least as soon as the storm passed? Or doesn't this come down to the have's and have not's. With the have's evacuated, the have not's are left to fend for themselves.