Letters to Jorie: Week 85

Dear Jorie,

Oh baby girl, I wish i didn't have to start another letter this way. You were sick again this week. A croup-like cough started on saturday night, and a fever started on sunday. You haven't been sleeping well, and the cough is still going strong, although the fever has come down a bit.

Saturday after having brunch with your Aunt Becky, Uncle Michael and Wesley (and doing some shopping at Target,) we decided to try to take you to Kango, an indoor playground, since we weren't going to my parents for dinner until sunday this week. After getting our nifty paper wrist bands, and hanging up our coats, I took you into your first bounce house. You did not like it. At all. I sat in there with you for about 15 minutes before you would even leave my lap, and even then you were not a happy camper. So we let you run around the rest of the place for a while.

We tried the bikes, but you really weren't into them, and really just wanted to run around. After a while we decided to try the bounce house again, this time with your father. Your father thought what you needed was to see how much fun bouncing in the bounce house would be, and proceeded to bounce around with you in his lap until you were terrified. This did seem to work though, as when I went back in with you a little later, you actually crawled around a bit before letting us know you were all done.

Sunday we had brunch with Farley, and then later had dinner at Nannie and Grandpa O's. You had a great time, and weren't acting sick at all, but by the time we got you home and in bed your temp was up over 103.

Monday you stayed with Grandma and Grandpa R for the day, and had a great time by all accounts. You only took a 45 min nap you were having so much fun!

Tuesday it was my turn to be home with you. Because we're down to one car for the most part, we packed up and drove your father into work in the morning (and picked him up in the afternoon.) We spent a lot of time cuddling on the couch, watching Curious George or reading books. You took a solid 2 1/2 hour nap, and then because you still had a temperature we took you to see the doctor just to make sure it wasn't anything serious (it's not.) At the doctors office your usual shyness was no where to be found. You hammed it up for the nurse and the doctor, waving, saying hi and bye bye, asking for books, and sitting very nicely on the scale. You did really well with the exam too, sitting nicely and not even flinching when he looked in your ears (which you normally hate.) You even barely flinched when he did a throat swab to rule out strep! On the way out you waved and said bye bye to everyone too, and then it was time for dinner at your Grandma and Grandpa R's!

Today you're at Nannie and Grandpa O's, after having the morning home with me. I have to admit I got kind of spoiled getting to spend so much time with you the past few days. I miss you so much right now.

Recently you started actually going down the stairs (with our help), and I realized the other day that you are now tall enough to reach the banister. You also talk in short four word sentences sometimes, saying things like "baby has a bottle", or "that is mine". You have "names" for a lot of the books we read, "Paul" for 'pat the bunny' (for the little boy paul in the book), "Kitty" for 'where is the cat', "lalala" for 'Moo baa lalala', "moon" for 'Goodnight moon'. I'm sure there are others, I just can't think of them now.

You are definitely a force to be reckoned with! For a while I was using 'the countdown' to let you know when you were about to get in trouble, then the other day I said "One...." and you looked at me and said "two." It took everything I had not to burst out laughing!

I love you so much baby girl, Don't ever loose that strength!