The Rory Report- 11 months

Rory,

This report marks the last month birthday where you will really be a baby. A month fr0m today you will be a year old and it seems like I can mark the changes in you daily. Just in the past week you have begun to play less like a baby and more like a toddler. You tried to give me and your doll a pacifier, you took Daddy's hat on and off, you were mesmerized by your ability to stack empty yogurt cups. You love to play with us too. If Jilli runs past you, you will crawl after her in the speediest way your little hands and knees can take you. You love to pat heads and you have a painful habit of sticking your fingers in my nose. You are also learning to chase the dogs and torment them. This is totally deserved since Sketch regularly sweeps your food off your tray if someone isn't right there to stop him.

Unfortunately, its not all been fun and games this month. You are still battling the same ear infection you have had since January and in the middle of that you got the flu. Finally, you seem to be feeling better. I can not wait for this long, drawn out, wet winter to be over so we can irradiate all the germs around here with a healthy dose of sunshine. You have also become very fearful of new people and transitions. Its tough because its hard to know exactly how to help you when you are truly scared. It happens most often when you are at school and your favorite teachers will often take you for some alone time into a quieter, calmer area for you to recover a bit. I hope this passes easily; I hate for you to be frightened.

You are cruising more and more; around tables, holding onto chairs under the table, pushing laundry baskets. You can also climb the entire flight of stairs and you love doing it. You giggle the whole way up and are so proud when you reach the top. I am fairly certain that you are saying (and meaning) Dada, Mama and alldone and you make all kinds of other mouthy sounds that certainly mean something to you. We are still working to figure out your language.

You are so fun to be with Rorybear. Let's try to make this month stretch as long as possible.

Love you,
Mommy

Please send chicken soup. And tequila.

Three down with the flu in our house. I am the last one standing. Jilli was diagnosed Thursday and seems about 75% improved. Rory doesn't seem to feel awful but still has the fever, and an ear infection, and the flu. Jeff is holed up in our room with explicit instructions not to come out or TOUCH anything until his fever has broken. I may have to revise my instructions as I have big, huge work things starting Monday and going through next week and I have to go into the office at some point this weekend. For now I have a bottle of clorox everywhere spray attached to my hip and am spraying everything that stays still for more than two seconds.



We are all ingesting Tamiflu (which the CDC has warned may not be effective against this year's flu.) Supposedly this year's flu shot was well matched to the actual strains but I have my doubts since both girls got the shot. I am considering my boss's advice to sacrifice a goat in the backyard.

Tar Heel Bred

Jilli the Tarheel from MLS on Vimeo.

Both girls are tar heel born by virtue of UNC Hospital. I am on a quest to make them tar heel bred over the, at times, vehement objections of a Duke fan that sleeps in bed next to me. Jeff is all about sports at Carolina as long as it isn't men's basketball, so Sunday we went to the women's game against Georgia Tech. We won, but I inched ever closer to the ultimate victory when Jeff conceded that Jilli innately knew to begin swaying at the beginning of the alma mater, and really, she might just be a tar heel at heart.

My Sweet Valentines

Rory is battling horrible stomach nastiness from the antibiotics she is taking and we are all a little bummed that we aren't in Florida enjoying the weekend as originally planned. But there is no better way to spend a day than with my own funny valentines....and heart sprinkle donuts.

And I am not bragging; but Jilli and I's homemade valentines won an award (i.e. her teacher whispered just loud enough so that I could hear, "If I was giving an award for the best valentines, you would totally win.") And I'm not saying that's what motherhood is about, but seriously..that's what I live for.
(Well, that and a partner who makes my heart swoon when I think of how many times over the past few days he cleaned up the aforementioned nastiness.)

Running

As my two loyal readers have noted, there has been a dearth of pictures around here. Simple explanation: we haven't had an operational camera for about six weeks. We've finally remedied that, and thank goodness, because I can't honestly remember what we have been doing in the last month and a half.

Around the turn of aught-nine I made a goal list for myself and it seems like now would be a good time to check in and see how those goals are panning out.

10. Paint (upstairs hallway, bathroom.)
Not even close, though I have thought about it.

9. Organize (pictures into books.)
Nope.

8. Finish ((start) both girls' first year books.)
Not yet.

7. Re-design (office.)
Ooo, finally. We have some new shelves and some ideas.

6. Make ( gifts.)
Do valentines count? Jilli and I have been working on some homemade ones for her friends.

5. Sew (slipcovers, quilt, clothes.)
Ha.

4. Read (one book a month.)
I finished Middlesex in January (I won't record when I started it...) I am about 200 pages into The Pillars of the Earth now, maybe I'll finish it in Febrtuary. (Note to self: start 2nd month goal with SHORTER THAN 900+ pages book).

3. Bake (bread.)
I did it! One loaf!

2. Eat (less french fries.)
Hmmm. We have eaten many more meals at home lately and have avoided fast food, but I've still consumed a few (dozen) french fries here and there.

1. Run (5k, March.)
I don't think I am going to make it in the 5K. However, I have started (yesterday) a very sophisticated running programme (Couch Potato to 5K in Two Months). I have high hopes.

Not bad....