Girls' Weekend

I haven't been really great with the picture taking lately. This is a picture from the arboretum last weekend. Poor Ellie (and poor me too). I feel like we'll never be well again. She's been fighting a cold and when she got home on Wednesday night, she was not in a great mood so I took her temperature and it was 100.2. I called the pediatrician and the nurse told met that they don't consider a child as having a fever until the temperature reaches 100.4. After a sleepless night, I took her temp on Thursday morning and it was 101.5. I knew she felt really bad because she usually eats and then wants to play, but all she wanted to do was eat and then go back to bed. So I packed her up and headed to the doctor's office. Luckily, I was able to get in with her regular pediatrician. He checked her out and did an x-ray of her chest to confirm she wasn't getting anything really nasty. And let me tell you how excited she was to be stripped down for that. I had to told her arms over her head so she couldn't move while they took the x-ray. She just looked at me and screamed - not even crying - just screaming. She was so mad.

She pretty much slept the rest of the morning and when she finally woke up in the afternoon, she was ready to play. I stayed home with her and we had fun visiting my stylist in the afternoon for a cut and color and then we took a walk because it's finally starting to feel like fall. They weighed her during the check up, and with all of her clothes and diaper on, she's 15 pounds 4 ounces. I'm guessing she'll be about 16.5 when she goes for her 6 month checkup. I also spoke with the doctor yesterday about the possibility of adding rice cereal to her diet. After talking to him (one other doctor, a nurse, a lactation consultant, 10 other mothers, and researching what the American Academy of Pediatrics says), I decided to hold off on letting Ellie try her first bite of cereal until 6 months. She's happy and she's not starving, so why rush it?

By Friday, she was a lot better. Lee went out of town to the dove hunt with his father and a large group at the Herradura Ranch. It's owned by Josh Beckett, Red Sox pitcher, and run by his father. This place sounds pretty posh - it came complete with a swimming pool and fine dining - so I don't think either of them were roughing it. My dad was out of town at a singing competition so it was a girls' weekend all the way around. On Saturday morning, Ellie and I went for a long walk and then visited my friend, Jill, the Kappa house mom at SMU. When I think of house moms, I usually think of our Zeta house mom, Poopsie, who was 101 years old. But Jill is not your typical house mom. She's an aerobics instructor and she keeps the Kappa kitchen stocked with candy and homemade bread. The Kappas just built a new house and - wow - I'm willing to bet that this is the nicest sorority house in the nation. From the art room overlooking downtown to the conference room with high speed internet hookups to the sun deck with lounge chairs... I may go back to school so I can be in a sorority again!

That night, Ellie stayed with my mom while I headed out with Bonnie, Kristine, and Chelsea for Meg's bachlorette party. We started off with wine and opening some gifties for Meg at Bonnie's beautiful new house and then dinner at Cantina Laredo. I know times have definitely changed when I'm the designated driver and we're headed out for a big night in my station wagon while Kristine holds my car seat base in her lap. Ohmygod. Did I really just write that sentence? We had a really great time and I can't wait for the big wedding shower this weekend!

On Sunday, Ellie, mom and I went to church and then I went to get a flu shot. This is where it all went wrong for me. I felt like I had been coming down with a cold and you're not supposed to get a flu shot when you're sick. When they asked me if I thought I was sick, I said no because I really don't have a lot of free time to be running back and forth to the grocery store pharmacy to get a shot. Word to the wise - do not get a flu shot if you're sick because it does make you sicker. Then Ellie decided that sleep was not something necessary on Sunday night so on Monday, I was a total disaster. All I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep, but life goes on.

Ellie has a new trick she's going to show everyone next blog... she can sit up now!! And it's not the halfway sit up where she has to use her arms for support. She's all the way up and she's so excited she can do it. I don't think she's close to crawling though. I feel like she's closer to walking than she is crawling, but we'll see. She can also put her paci back in her mouth now. Praise Jesus. Sometimes it takes her five minutes, but she works on it until she succeeds. That's my girl!