Sadie says thank you!

Sadie says "Thank you, Grammy!! You rock!"

1. We're Okay. 2. Wish us Luck

We had some "excitement" of the terrifying kind here this morning. I woke up around 4 am and realized the L had slept for a really long time, too long, and he wasn't that interested in eating (very strange for my Loga-raptor). So after I nursed for a few minutes, I went downstairs to pump and thought that I smelled gas. But it didn't really smell like gas, and the smell seemed everywhere, not localized like a gas leak. So I went back to bed thinking maybe I was getting sick or the leftovers, mixed with some poopy diapers, I don't know - it was 4 am, right? Around 5 am, I went downstairs to turn the heat on b/c Jim had turned it off earlier that night with all the oven heat going from Christmas dinner. Logan then woke us up around 8, again weird, since usually he and Sadie are ready to go around 7 ish. I went downstaris with him to nurse and this time the smell of gas seemed worse. So I called Consumer's energy and didn't even tell Jim b/c he always tells me he doesn't smell it and I'm exaggerating. When I called them, they said that we evacuate the premises and not to use any electronic things. So I set Jim and baby off to drop off Fritz's gifty's and I was going to just gather a few things and wait until the energy peeps got there at our neighbor Meredith's house, a few doors down. The energy guy came just as J & L were leaving. And when I went back inside his meter was going off like crazy and he alerted me that we had a carbon monoxide leak in the house at 100 parts per million (residential locations are only supposed to have between 0 - 7 parts per million). He asked if we had been feeling sick and I said, in fact, that was why I had called, I had a headache, was feeling naseaus, and thought I better call. So I ran back to the car to let Jim know.

Essentially, we're all okay. The body very quickly will displace the carbon monoxide with oxygen as soon as there is no CO to compete with it. So while Logan and I had mild exposure b/c we were upstairs the most (Jim had fallen asleep on the couch), we were both feeling much better by the afternoon But it was a good thing that he had turned the heat off. And it is also a good thing that L is co-sleeping with us; because he might not have roused. And it certainly explains his fussiness last night (he probably had a bad headache). Anyway, we all went to urgent care after the house was aired out and the management company got an earful for not properly maintaining the furnace (the door had fallen off, the vents had not been cleaned in years, and just generally, it is a POS). I plan on writing a letter to all our neighbors letting them know what happened. Mamma bear in action!!

But of course this is all just one day before we leave for MLA for our interviews. Mine is on Friday am for Wilkes University in Wilkes Barre, PA and Jim's is for Salem State in Massachusetts. So we didn't have as much time to prepare as we would have liked, but wish us luck. And please please, make sure you have CO detectors. We made out okay b/c I happened to smell it and Jim happened to have turned the heat off, but it is scary to think what might have occured if those happenings didn't.

Baby go boom...

We had an "adventurous" night (one of many to come as my friend, R, mom to two rambunctious boys tells me who has had the blessing of bringing one into the ER for one hurt only to have him hurt himself a different way while waiting to be seen!). I put L to nap in his swing and jotted out to Target to pick up some wrapping paper, lights, etc. Half way down the seasonal aisle, my phone (miraculously picked up a signal) and rang. J told me that L had fallen out of his swing. He had heard a thud (he was upstairs) and then crying. He ran down the stairs, followed quickly by Sadie, scooped up L and comforted him like a superhero dad. He stopped crying within a few minutes (again superhero dad). I left my stuff in the aisle and the signal dropped by the time I walked just a few aisles from where I was standing. I got home quickly and held the little guy. He seemed a bit fussier than usual, but still curious and easily cajoled into smiles.

We called the after hours care line and Jim talked to the on call nurse, explaining in detail how many feet and inches the swing was off the ground and contemplating whether or not he fell on his side or on his head. They said that we could either watch him for several symptoms or bring him into urgent care to be checked out. But because he's been a bit fussier than normal the past few days b/c he has a little cold (undoubtedly from the airplane trip), we just didn't feel comfortable unless a medical doctor took a look at him, rather than a PhD and an ABD staring at him. And, Sadie has been closer and "lickier" to him and waited by the front door until we came back from urgent care--just her den mother protective instinct kicking in.

The Rx: He has a little bruise, bump, and scratch on the back of his head. He also has a little flat spot (though the flat spot could be from how he lays on his side at night too hard to tell). So we need to watch the bruise and bump and make sure that they don't turn into a huge one and pay attention to any behavioral or sleep differences. They also gave us a sample of baby Tylenol to give him to help with his probably headache. Right now, he is sleeping soundly.

The upshot: Now he'll have the quintessential childhood trauma of having fallen on his head to blame us for and for us to tell him back, "sure does explain a few things"

15.2 and counting!

L last weighed in at 15.2 lbs at a little over 3 months, which is almost nearly double his birth weight! Yikes! Here are some recent pictures, Friends M & S from Iowa City (now living in Ann Arbor) with L; L with grandpa and Cousin A; K with Cousin A, Aunt L and Uncle D and L; and finally L in the bath!

Better than a picture...

Here's a great video of Grammy and Logan talking and giggling during L & K's recent NY trip! We had a wonderful time there catching up with Grammy and Grandpa, and not to mention, L got to meet his cousin A, and his Aunt D & L! Fun was had by all.

Here are a few of the top memories from the trip, though not in any particular order of importance (you may notice a pattern!):

1. L trying to eat the dragon on the loaned exer-saucer
2. L snorting like a little piggy while nursing
3. Cousin A directing L to look at Grammy for the picture
4. L trying to tell everyone who would listen how he was "starving"
5. Grandpa & Grammy carrying L in the Moby Wrap
6. L trying to eat the phone while talking to Dad