;( This Is How I Feel Right Now

What a few days it has been. Home sick with a fever/headache/sore throat while outside it is finally SUMMER! in all its beautiful glory. Caleb has been clingy and I don't want to get too close for fear of spreading germs but just HOW do you NOT get close to an almost toddler who lifts his arms to you and coos/whimpers every time you pass him?

And of course today is again a day where the cat gets sick in a major way, baby's outfit has had to be changed at least 5 times due to diaper soak-throughs or major spit-ups, and I think he's developing not only diaper rash but a rash on his face from, possibly, peas??? Are peas a known allergen? Really?

Did I mention Caleb has mastered how to rip open the Velcro closures to his diaper covers? Yup, he can whip them right off now whenever he feels like it. Lovely.

Oatmeal Part 1

Caleb has now tried oatmeal three times, still with mixed reviews. I have to say the feeding process was entertaining (for me, at least). Caleb seems unsure of how he feels about this new food. I am still wondering how a mere tablespoon of cereal mixed with a tablespoon of formula could possibly end up all over Caleb's face and up his nose, in his ears, on his hands and arms and onesie, on the highchair seat, all over the table, floor and, of course, me. And I do believe he actually ate a fair amount. Can't wait to see what sweet potatoes and peas will look like!

I don't sleep I read

I am hanging on to life before motherhood by reading all I can whenever I can. Little escapes to other worlds that take me away from the monotony of laundry, diapers, bottles and spit-up. Not that I don't love my life or being Caleb's Mumma, but there are days when I feel like I'll never sleep through the night again, or sleep in, or eat a meal without simultaneously doing something else, or thinking about something else, or listening to the baby monitor for the inevitable squeaks or moans. Not that I'm complaining, mind you (OK, maybe just a little). But even on the rare occasions when I find myself alone, I am never not thinking about Caleb. Which is wonderful, but also hard. Hello, Motherhood!

However, books do provide some respite and, believe me, I cling to that. Sometimes a paperback bestseller does the job - something I can read on the surface and put down every 5 pages then pick up again with little thought. Other times I return to old favorites - series or characters I have read and re-read until they are as familiar as old friends. Then there are the ones like Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange by Amanda Smyth. Books you can't put down and stay up 'til midnight reading. Characters and places you can hear and envision. Scenes you can practically taste and touch. Books you curse yourself for reading because now you've only gotten 6 hours sleep and this is the day the cat vomits everywhere, the baby just wants to be held, the dust bunnies are waging a war and the lawn desparately needs mowing.

So what do I do? I go to the library, again.

At the Water Park

In just a few years it will be Caleb (rather than John - or, rather, them both together) who will be riding down the slides and splashing in the pools at our local water park. For his first visit Caleb was happy to sit in my lap in the shade by the kiddie pool and watch all the activity as I enjoyed the hot sun and cool breeze of a perfect summer day in Maine. He got his toes dipped in the water and his head sprinkled by the lollipop fountains and napped in his stroller while Daddy ate fried dough.