Day 87

What a day! It started with getting up at 3am with Gus crying. He was fighting us last night before bed and ended up taking about an hour to calm down and finally give in. He had a bit of a fever and we gave him some Tylenol and it helped. So he got us up around 3 and then went back to bed about thirty or forth minutes later. 

I got up at 8:30 (on my own) and expected to hear him, but he was snoring. I decided to take a quick shower and hurried through it, only to finish ten minutes later and hear him still snoring. He slept until 9:15! We came downstairs and played for a bit.

I made myself a bowl of cereal and then took some pictures of Gus in his skeleton pjs. I got them a while ago from Wal-Mart for $0.75! It was too good a deal to pass up, and they're cute! So I took pictures and then Purry decided that my cereal smelled like poo, and he decided to try and cover it, and ended up knocking over my entire bowl. It was Honey Bunches of Oats with raisins... no smell at all, and yet he was trying to cover it. LOL

Here are some of the pictures that I took of Gus this morning:

I gave him a nap and he only slept for like 30 minutes. We headed out to Wendy's to meet Wendy (hahaha) for lunch. While there, I noticed that Gus's left ear was really red and hot to the touch. He felt hot too, definitely a fever. Wendy suggested that I call my pediatrician's office's nurse advice line. I didn't even know that they had this! I called and left a message about Gus's symptoms. Wendy said that she used it all the time when K was a baby. We got back to my house and Wendy took Gus's temp (in his butt) and it was 101.1. I guess normal is like 99.4 or something like that... he was definitely having a fever. 

Wendy left to go to her parent's house for the night, and I finished reading my book for Scholastic (yay I finished it before the deadline!!). The pediatrician's office called and they said that with his fever and red, hot ear, they wanted to see him. They asked if I could bring him in at 5:00. I said yes then called Steve and left him a VM about it. He texted back and said he'd be there.

I'm so lucky to have a husband that cares about his family. I was prepared to take Gus myself, but it was so nice that Steve came too.  While there, they weighed Gus and he's now 21.5 pounds!!! Only another 1/2 pound and we've reached the max limit on the car seat. We'll have to put him in the one that Wendy gave us! My little baby is getting big!! However, he's still in the 44th precentile... so it's not a bad thing at all (he's not overweight).

Here are some pictures from the appointment:

They didn't take his temperature (weird right?) but the doctor said that it could be teething (he is due to start sportin' some teeth), but he didn't really feel anything coming in when he checked. He said that it's more than likely just a head cold, and his ears and lungs were completely clear. He said just give him a warm bath before bed and some saline drops and he'll be okay.

Well, I was so happy to hear that it wasn't an ear infection. We went to Carrabba's after and then Rita's for dessert. Yummmm... they had the Swedish Fish again (yahoo) and then we came home and gave Gus a bath. He's now been in his room sleeping for about an hour and I hear him, so I need to go!!

Until tomorrow!!

>^..^<

Photo Challenge: A Slice of Life

This is a picture of my very best friend, Wendy, with my ten-month-old son Gus. We were at the park and I captured this beautiful moment of her gazing at him with such adoring eyes. 

This picture captures the theme of, "A Slice of Life" because I spend almost every day with Wendy and she loves my son as if he were her own child. Who wouldn't want their best friend to look at their child like this? I think it's absolutely beautiful.

Week 13: Maylone

When I was in college, I was involved in Phi Sigma Phi Co-Ed Honors Fraternity. I loved being with like-minded individuals and being coed, there were both males and females in the group. I loved everything that PSP stood for, and felt so honored to be a member. I became the president of the fraternity and held the position for two years. While I LOVED being a member and took my role as president very seriously, I longed for more from my collegiate experience. I decided that while I'd stay as involved in PSP as I was, I also wanted to join a sorority.

Now, most people who think of sorority girls probably don't think of anything positive. It's sad, and most people probably think of drunk girls at fraternity parties (fraternity parties allow non-Greeks to attend BTW and not all drunk girls in college are in a sorority). I have friends (non-Greek) who have told me that they will NEVER allow their daughter(s) to join a sorority in college. Again... this is sad.

I bet most people who feel this way weren't in a sorority. Maybe some, but I bet the majority of negativity comes from miseducation and the use of stereo-types. When I told my now ex-husband that I wanted to join a sorority, he said, "You're just paying for your friends." That's the most common statement that non-Greeks make about paying to join an organization. "Buying friends" is a joke. It's used so much that it's actually funny to me now.

So what I will say is that I am a proud member of Alpha Gamma Delta. My friend Kate was in Phi Sigma Pi with me. She started school at EMU and joined PSP and then transferred to CMU (Central Michigan University) and stated the PSP chapter there. While there, she also joined Alpha Gamma Delta. She then transferred back to EMU. She didn't want to go alumnae at CMU for AGD to join the chapter at EMU, so she just did things with PSP at EMU. She and I were talking about sororities one day and she told me that she'd go with me to an AGD open recruitment event.

I never went through "Open Rush" at EMU. I'd like to think that if I did, I'd still be an AGD. When I went to the open recruitment event, there were a ton of girls (AGDs) and a few potential new members (PNMs). I met so many people that names and faces blurred, but I do remember meeting Shauna Brown (one of my good friends to this day). I liked what I saw, and felt at home with the group. In a nutshell, I joined.

So after joining (spring semester), the semester ended, summer came, and then when the fall came, it was time to plan for "rush." The sororities at EMU (there are seven I believe) all participate in Open Recruitment and the goal is to get as many PNMs as possible. Girls learn about all seven sororities on campus and visit and narrow down their choices and eventually pick the one that they feel most connected to. The OR always gets at least five, upwards to 25 new girls. The goal is to get as many girls in the fall so that you don't have to keep having COR (continuous open recruitment) events (like the one I attended). You have to have so many girls in your chapter in order to keep your standing on campus.

Anyway... the group that came in after me was full of incredible women, and I am still friends with almost all of them. My very good friend Aimee was in this group, as was my friend Melissa Brown, and Amy Maylone. 

When I went through my divorce... Aimee was there to go shopping with me. Melissa Brown was there to make me smile, and Maylone was there to take me out and get my mind off my ex. All three were very good friends of mine, and at one point, they all three lived together.

Anyway, I became really close with Amy Maylone (now married and Brauer) post-divorce. I went out with her every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, sometimes Sunday, and Monday night. I lived with her (and Beckie) for a year and it was incredible. She is one of the funniest people that I know and I have too many funny stories to even begin... I should write a separate blog with some of my favorite Maylone stories!!

This girl always knew how to make me laugh, she always made me smile, and she was always open and honest with me. The best qualities that you'd want in a friend were contained within her. All the money I spent to join AGD was nothing compared to the worth and value of the friendships that I got from joining.

If I ever have a daughter, I HOPE she'll join a sorority and have the same collegiate experience that I had because of it. It gave me the chance to form relationships with women, it provided leadership opportunities, as well as unique social events (Greek Week anyone?). I made friendships that have lasted for many years after graduation and that can't be said about a lot of people. My college years were so rich because of my involvement in both PSP and AGD.

So I chose to send this week's letter to Amy. She's in MI and lives on the other side of the state with her husband Danny and son Charlie. I haven't seen her since we moved to NC... she got married in June of 2007 just a few weeks after we moved down here. I miss her and cannot wait to see her again!!! I'm hoping that we can see her when we head north this next trip in May/June.

Amy and Aimee are best friends. They joined AGD together and bonded through their pledge period and then beyond. I love them both separately, but together, they're insane. I can't be around them without my face and stomach hurting from laughing. I am so very blessed...

 

"ABC" picture Me, Beckie, & Amy (roommates) at formal

 

While driving home from our evening out... LOL

 

With my other good friend Krissy at Red Lobster

 

<3  at a formal

 

Another formal

 

"SSR"- Our sorority within a sorority... we all have SSR tattooed somewhere on our bodies... these five girls... mean the world to me!!

 

Spring Break Cruise in 2003 (Everglades National Park)

 

Me with Maylone and Krissy in Key West, FL

 

Me and Maylone on our cruise in Miami, FL

 

Heading to dinner... (not the most flattering angle)

 

Maylone making fun of some guy's hair... at Pub 13

 

Woot woot... 

 

Me and Maylone

 

Aimee and Amy buying matching dresses...

 

Formal

 

Camping...

 

Maylone looked pregnant after she ate a lot for dinner while camping...

  

Another formal

 

SSR at my grad school graduation

 

My starter wedding

 

All the AGDs together for something...

Here are some pictures of Maylone's wedding and her baby boy:

 

When she was pregnant

 

Her wedding day

 

Baby Charlie

 

Maylone milking a cow... LOL

 

Older picture of Aimee and Lucas and Maylone and Charlie

>^..^<

Day 86

This is my sweet baby-man with a fever and not feeling well at all. Notice the smile? I'm telling you... he is the most precious little person that I've even known. Even when he's not feeling well, he manages a smile. :D

Today Steve moved the furniture around... I like it a lot better. I'm so torn about Ned. Friday he snipped at Gus and it freaked me out. He's so very nervous around Gus and ends up shaking/trembling and will do whatever he can to avoid being around Gus. It's annoying and heartbreaking. I told Steve about Ned snipping at Gus (granted, Gus was pulling on Ned's ears) and he said he'd talk to a guy that he works with about some techniques that we can try with Ned to get him to calm down. For now, he's been chillin' in his crate (on his own accord) and doing whatever he can to be away from Gus. It makes me so very sad.... I love Ned like he's my other child and to see him reacting like this to Gus is sad. I think once Gus started walking, Ned started freaking out. I hope we can find a happy solution to this potential problem.

Anyway... we spent the day doing more of what we did yesterday. NOTHING! I read more of the book that I have to review for Scholastic for April. It's not that it's a hard book to read, but it's hard to read and watch Gus at the same time. LOL. By the time it's time for me to go to bed... I just want to sleep and not read. I have until Tuesday to send my review... so tomorrow is the day I MUST finish!

Here are some pictures from today:

 

Snuggles with papa... and still checking to see what I'm doing.  ;)

 

Gus loves to look out the window!!

 

My sick baby

 

Loving on the blanket

 

Carrying it around the livingroom

 

Playing with his bear before getting a diaper change!

I'm not sure what we'll do tomorrow. This whole week is supposed to be cold and rainy... so no park visits. We have a breakfast playdate on Thursday morning that we're going to and then on Saturday we're going to Jen's bowling birthday party (should be fun). Other than that, our week is pretty empty. Wendy is going to be going to her parent's tomorrow to spend the night, so I won't see her and then Wednesday her husband comes back from the beach (he's been away working for four weeks) so I won't see her until next Monday I guess. I assume she'll be spending as much time with him as she can (he'll be off for the rest of the week and weekend).

It should make for a quite week. I hope I don't lose my mind!!!

See you tomorrow... 

>^..^<