I want my baby back, baby back, baby back.........

HA! Now that you're totally singing the Chili's commercial - I really do want my baby back! See last week is a big blur. Ada and I started sick on Monday (the 17th) the whole fever, headache, no energy, stuffiness, cough that lasts an eternity. Emilie then started with it on Thursday a week ago. Sarah decided to join in the fun on Saturday. Jeff is truly the last man standing at our house. Gratefully Sarah's fever only lasted two days, but she definitely was not the same baby I've been experiencing the last 7 months. She wasn't sleeping well, wanted to be held all the time, you could just see it in her eyes that she was not feeling remotely well. By Tuesday her cough was so yucky I decided that I would take her in just to have her checked out. Turns out that her lungs were clear, but that she had a double ear infection! It explains so much over the last 5 days!

Today I saw glimpses of my baby starting to come back. The sparkle in her eye, her effortless smile and the sound of her laughter. It's good to have my baby back - almost!

MARCH MADNESS!

For us, as it is for many, this is one of our favorite times of the year. For the next 3 weekends it's all college basketball at our house. We have a long standing group, with newcomers always welcome, that we enter the ESPN Tournament Challenge with our brackets and it's all about the bragging rights! If we're not cheering for anyone specific, it's all about the underdog. It's good stuff.

I haven't enjoyed as much of it as I would like or gotten much else done around here since I've again been sick for the last 5 days (2 months ago I had strep incase you missed that post) and whatever this is I have has wiped me out as well. Ada has been sick and now Emilie is starting with it. This winter has seemed to last forever! Last week we had 3 days of beautiful weather, near 60 degree temps and sunshine. Today - snow. Seriously! Somebody in the weather department has a warped sense of humor!

The highlight of our day, besides March Madness, is the Blairs stopped by to hang out for a while. They spent the last 2 days downtown and then came out to see us today. It was just Tom, Heather, Becca and James, but fun to have them none the less. Becca helped the girls make these cute basketball standards out of mini cupcakes and sugar cookies.

It was nice to have a little excitement around our house since we really have had any for the last few days. I think we're all going a little stir crazy since we really haven't gone anywhere. Oh I hate being sick. I 'm so tired of winter. Thank goodness for a few hours with family and endless basketball to lift my spirits!

One down, more to go!

It finally happened, Ada lost her first tooth!

Yesterday as she was eating her breakfast, it came out. It has been quite the emotional roller coster over such a small thing. When it first started coming loose, she cried and was really upset. She was not happy what so ever at the prospect of loosing one of her teeth, let alone more than one.

Then yesterday when she showed me her tooth, I tried to play it up and tell her how great it was and that the Tooth Fairy would come. She seemed okay at first, but then mood swing hit and she stormed off into her room and burst into tears. I went to her room to talk to her and she was crying and said "I didn't want to lose a tooth. I don't want to lose any teeth, you know that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Gratefully after talking it out for a few minutes, she was okay.

Of course, yesterday and today when everyone saw it and was so excited for her, she is now playing it up and is all about it! I think it has finally sunk in that with loosing a tooth, comes cha ching, money baby! She is waiting to put it under her pillow for a couple days though, because my mom bought her and Emilie little bags that are made to put your lost teeth in and then put under your pillow. She is way excited about it and should get it in a few days!

Hope your not grossed out by it, but there it is!

What a smile!

Ulterior Movtives

Oh this made me laugh - and don't think I haven't given Jeff a hard time about this! Below is a news story that was on here in Chicago. Now I know the real reason why Jeff bought me a Wii for my birthday! Doesn't seem like the men always benefit somehow from the gifts they give? This story gives new meaning to the phrase "It's the thought that counts"!

http://video.nbc5.com/player/?id=225656

Me and my Time Out!

6 months ago I went to Indianapolis, IN to Time Out for Women to see my mother-in-law and her husband speak. While I was there, Ada told one of my friends that "my mom is in Time Out". I'm thinking I need to put myself in time out more often! It was at that event that I became a Hilary Weeks fan. I had heard of her, but never had listened to her music or really knew about her. She was fabulous and hilarious. She told a story about her daughter that had a loose tooth and that it was her job to pull it. After describing the job in FULL detail (which I will spare) her daughter then informed her that she had pulled the wrong tooth. I think about that story often and it still makes me laugh. It reiterated to me the fact that no matter how much someone can look so put together and their life seems so perfect, things aren't always what they seem. We all have our challenges and we all make mistakes. (I seem to have more than my fair share!)

TOFW came to Chicago last weekend. I got to have another Time Out (much needed I might add)! I helped put together the volunteer team for the event as well as a few other aspects. It was a lot of work, and I'm glad that part is over, but really enjoyed the two day event. Jeff's sisters, Heather and Angela, help produce the events and both came out to Chicago, as well as Angela's daughter Megan. It was an absolutely wonderful weekend and fun to spend time with them.

Hilary was one of the presenters here in Chicago and was again fabulous and hilarious. She sang a song called "Who You Are". It's one of my new favorite songs because it sums up how I feel some days, but reminds me that it's all worth it and there is someone who believes in me and what I am doing. I love when someone can put into words how I am feeling, because I have a hard time doing it.

I have learned to appreciate my Time Outs. Hopefully one day my kids will too.