A Whirlwind of a Week

I just checked and I guess it's been a week since we've posted. We've had a chance to see lots of friends and family while in the Chicago area and also in Des Moines, where we still are staying until tomorrow afternoon.

Stephen did absolutely wonderfully with my parents when we left him there in order to go to see Wicked in the city. The show was enjoyable, as was our dinner at Reza's. We stayed at a nice hotel in Burr Ridge - about halfway between the city and my parents' place. Stephen has only recently been sleeping through the night, and it was a relief that he slept all night - 11.5 hours - while we were gone. It made for a much happier little boy and some well-rested grandparents.

We went back to Champaign for Monday and Tuesday because Ryan needed to get a few hours of recording done. He also had a limo meeting on Tuesday evening that necessitated us staying in town until 9 p.m. We also had a friend who we wanted to see and he was only available for breakfast in Des Moines on Wednesday morning. We got into grandma and grandpa Leatherman's at 2:45 a.m. and were up again at 6 for breakfast. Thankfully, the grandparents were eager and able to take care of Stephen a little more so we could snooze some more.

We had a great Thanksgiving meal at Dan and Sheila's in Knoxville. Stephen got along just fine with our cousins Claire and Anna. He didn't like not being able to eat the pumpkin pie, but with his fussy eating habits of late, we really didn't have a choice.

Yesterday we left him with the grandparents and aunt Care for much of the day. Though he still doesn't appreciate me leaving, he did very well for all of them. Ryan and I got to enjoy a nice lunch with John and then saw some friends at Rock Bottom in the evening.

Today we've run around town to see more friends - even Stephen sure enjoyed Max, Ian, Joshua, Luke, Porter, Foster, Rede, and Laurie. :)

I really hope our return trip goes well. It's risky since Stephen will be awake for about 80% of it. I'm sure we can all tough it out but I sure appreciate it when he isn't crying a lot!

For the Non-Iowa Fans

I am taking a break, eating chips and my leftover Qdoba salsa, and decided to "fix" the photo of Stephen that I thought turned out really well. Some of our friends and family aren't University of Iowa fans (like my dad)!

Here are the two side by side.

Oops! I'm 30!

The day was originally going to be pretty low-key. Then we decided to meet mom, dad, grandma, Evelyn, and Bridget for lunch in Bloomington. I'd been wanting to take Stephen to the Children's Museum there because I had heard good things about it, so we went to that in the morning. WOW! He loved it! He could have spent the entire time in 1/4 of the first floor. Ten minutes before we had to leave I picked him up and took him through the other floors so I could see what was there.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at Avanti's and walked around the mall for a little while. Then we went to a Thai restaurant to get takeout to eat with Ryan at his office at the music building. Stephen and Ryan's gift was tickets to see Wicked this weekend in Chicago. Stephen doesn't know it yet, but his part of the bargain is to give his mommy a break for a night by staying at grandma and grandpa's house. They'll all do just fine ...

A Post of Photos, not in chronological order

Having a great time with grandma and grandpa. They were in town along with Aunt Carolyn and my parents to hear the C-U Symphony perform with Ryan's jazz band.
Self-explanatory.
With daddy ("da") and Aunt Care.
Family photo. Should have combed my hair :).
My friend Linda posts photos of food. So I figured I could, too. Here is my first and not-entirely-disastrous attempt at making Thai Spring Rolls.
When Stephen wasn't 100% better yet, I took advantage of his lack of cheesy camera grins to get some nice fall photos.

Take-out Chinese dinner before the concert on Saturday.
A friend of mine made this chocolate cake for my birthday and we celebrated with family this weekend. And, yes, it does taste as good as it looks!

Thanks, Stephen!

When Stephen knocked our alarm clock radio to the floor today, he managed to break the clock mechanism. The radio still works, though.

The funny part is that I am not upset about this in the least. I have had this alarm clock since I was in jr. high and have kept hoping it would stop working.

And we have Ryan's that we can use now. So no need to run out tomorrow for another.

Man does not live by bread alone ...

... but a toddler can survive on cheerios, applesauce, and breastmilk. (Warning: this post is not for the weak stomach.)

This last week has been rather eventful (or uneventful, depending on how you look at it) for the Leathermans. It started out on Monday night when I lost my dinner. Chalking it up to a nasty chicken salad sandwich, I thought that was the end of it and was glad to have it out of my system.

Then Stephen woke up around 11:30 with some strange-sounding coughing. Upon careful inspection of his bed, we found partially mushed up macaroni and cheese. Poor guy. He had never experienced throwing up before. As Ryan pointed out, now we know the answer to the question: "Does Stephen chew his macaroni before swallowing?"

My parents (lucky them!) happened to be in town that night on their way back from Virginia, and they came over Tuesday morning to take care of both me and Stephen so Ryan could go about his day at school. I was really thankful for the help. Even though my stomach had settled down, I had not the energy to do more than just sit around. Stephen ate some dinner and then lost it an hour later that evening.

Yesterday I was back to normal, but Stephen was still very listless. His temp was a degree or two above normal, and he slept much of the day. After I put him to sleep, I was praying that he would be better today; I really wanted to avoid a trip to the dr. and so far he had seemed to be fighting it fine on his own.

Then at ten till six this morning, Ryan got up. His turn. He's been in bed most of the day, but he did have to drag himself to campus to play a half hour gig over the noon hour. Stephen and I went to watch him perform with his quartet. He played fine, but he sure did look pale.

Good news, though, for Stephen. He woke up relatively happy. He's still not at 100% but he is playing with his toys, walking, eating cheerios and applesauce ... that's the little boy I'm used to hangin' out with!

As of 10:21 this evening, the only other person who has caught it is my mother. As Stephen's grandma, she just couldn't stay away from her sweet little grandson when he wanted to play.

Here are some things I am making a mental note of:
- There is a difference between lethargy and listlessness. Apparently, in medical terminology, listlessness is perfectly normal for a sick child. They want to cuddle all day, sleep more than normal, don't play or talk much. But they do make eye contact. They are physically able to sit up and make simple requests. A lethargic child just lies on the floor, totally unable to let their needs be known - and this is when they likely need more attention. They stare right past you when you try to talk to them. Since I never ended up calling a doctor, I didn't need to know this distinction this time. But for future reference ...
- I am SO SO SO glad that I haven't weaned Stephen yet. Nursing during the first trimester was difficult at times, since I was so tired already. I had cut back significantly on the amount of nursing I let him do, and we had night-weaned him. But with the stomach virus, he really needed hydration. He does drink water, but not very much at a time. We got some pedialyte, and he reacted with hives. Nursing was what kept him hydrated and I am so thankful for that!
- Even though his colds don't take the toll that they do on adults, the stomach virus took him longer to overcome than it took for me. A friend told me that her daughter was the same way! I was starting to worry yesterday when I was feeling better and he was still fighting it.
Tonight Ryan started to feel better and had a bowl of soup for dinner. He's planning to go to school tomorrow, but to take it easy. He also has a performance tomorrow night.

I have been wanting to make spring rolls (the kind you don't cook) for a long time. I also knew that they are pretty tricky to get the hang of. So tonight I took the plunge. Yes, they were messy, but they still tasted great! Maybe after a few more trials I'll be ready to serve them to company.

My husband, the fix-it man

Here is Ryan finishing up the fixing of the dryer. He and a friend took it apart last night and found the offending belt. This morning Ryan tracked one down at a parts shop in town and then began the task of putting the belt on and the dryer back together. We had the drum on and off several times before finally getting it to spin. Apparently you can't just put the belt on the pulley - it has to go on in a very specific way!

Stephen is up now from his nap. What should we have for dinner?

The Great Pumpkin Patch

Stephen and I got to enjoy the Great Pumpkin Patch yesterday morning in Arthur. We met some friends there and explored the exhibits showcasing many types of squash as well as animals. We even got to navigate a maze made of hay bales! It was a little chilly out but we did pretty well all bundled up - him in his Iowa sweatshirt and me in Ryan's Illinois hoodie.

Last night our dryer broke. I don't consider this a huge crisis, because I do like to hang clothes on the line. But many days I would put them in the dryer for a little touch-up. We also wash diapers every other day, so several rainy days in a row could prove to be a problem. Or just less-than-ideal conditions. Take today, for example. There was no rain. Yet the clothes still weren't entirely dry. We are not well-prepared for such a situation, considering we don't have a drying rack and our kitchen chairs can't weather dampness. Here is what our living room looks like right now.

A Quick Bedtime Note

I'm ready to call it a night, but I wanted to put an update about our appointment today. We heard the heartbeat again (160 bpm) and we found out that my thyroid labs came back perfectly normal. That's a relief.

Ryan was supposed to have 2 jazz tests today, but one of the classes was cancelled, so that test is postponed until Wednesday.

Next time you see Stephen, ask him what a horse says ...

Worthless Outlet Covers

This morning I went to see what Stephen was so excited about in the hallway; he had managed to get one of the plastic outlet covers off. Thinking it was a fluke, or that it had been loose, I put it back on and watched what he did. Sure enough, he felt around the cover until he got to the part that has a little bit of room for a fingernail and stuck his tiny little finger in there and yanked the whole piece out. I wonder if the covers are more of a hazard than safety feature at this point because it's enticing to pull them out. I think we'll take a trip to the hardware store tonight and get the (much more expensive and complicated) full outlet covers. I'll let you know when he figures those out ...

He took his first steps last Sunday!!! It was so exciting to watch as he took off from Ryan to me without holding on to anything. He took 5 steps and did very well. Yesterday I think was a turning point for him; I saw him walking several times without me there coaching and coaxing him. I'll try to get some video on YouTube soon.

Cookies, Potstickers, and Chicken Nuggets

Ryan thinks this pregnancy is characterized by food. According to him, last time I was much more emotional and this time I have lots of cravings. He would know. He lives with me. Last week I had to talk myself out of ordering pizza; after I saw a pizza hut commercial on TV it was hard not to pick up the phone and order ... Stephen was in bed so going to the store to get a frozen one was out of the question and Ryan was gone. Then the next day I saw a Home Improvement rerun and Tim Allen said "fajita chimichunga" and I had the most wonderful memories of going to Chi-Chi's for lunch on a Sunday afternoon with my family and ordering a chimichunga. Wow, were they good and did I know how to eat them! I thought that this post that is titled with some of the things we ate today could include a photo of Stephen after eating part of his sunbutter and jelly sandwich. He loved it! (And we got to slip in the Iowa bib, hereby congratulating them on their win over Illinois today. Yes, I know where we live. But I also know who Stephen's grandpa is.)

I had a C-U Symphony concert tonight, and my friend Sumin was able to come and see it. It was the very first time she left her 3-month-old baby with her husband for the evening! The two of them hung out with Ryan and Stephen. And when we got back from the concert, both babies were sleeping and neither husband was! Looks like success to me!

Ryan is currently out finishing a limo job. We've had this gigantic stretch hummer limousine in our driveway much of the day since he had it earlier to pick the party up from the wedding. I'm eating some Korean cookies that Sumin brought and putting off the dishes I created when baking a banana bread earlier.

We're going to attempt a much-needed haircut on the little man tomorrow morning. It's not gonna be pretty. We'll probably spare our neighbors from doing it too early in the day.

Pregnancy update: I've begun to feel the slightest little movements. I remember feeling them when I was pregnant with Stephen, even really early on, but this time I know what it is - that it's not just indigestion. It's pretty cool to know that a 3-inch-long person is performing in a solo gymnastics show in there.

To the Cubs fans: We tried. We really did.

My mom got this t-shirt for Stephen, and even though Ryan is a Tigers fan, I put this shirt on Stephen. I guess it didn't do much, but he has another shirt that will probably still fit next summer!

Yesterday Stephen and I took our friends Sumin and Jeongwoo to the apple orchard/pumpkin patch. We had a great time looking at the animals in the petting zoo, sipping cider, and walking out to the pumpkin patch.

Today we got together with Eric and Bethany for a Bible discussion at their place, which is something we will hopefully make a regular part of our week. Stephen can be a little distracting, but we managed to discuss a few things today. Later in the day, they took Stephen to the park while Ryan was working at school and I was practicing for symphony rehearsals, which start tomorrow.

Right now I am excited because all of the dishes are done. This has not happened since Heather was here last week. Who is to blame for fewer dishes? None other than Papa George. Thanks, Heidi, for the gift certificate.

I Miss Dana

I had my first real appointment today with the midwife that we're using. She is very nice, and has been highly recommended by several friends. So I truly don't regret that we are going this route. It seems to be the best option, given our location and financial situation.

But I do really miss Dana. The appointments with her were so relaxed and non-clinical. I'm pregnant - not sick! Oh well. At least we were able to use her for our first pregnancy while we were living in Des Moines.

We did get to hear the baby's heartbeat today, which was pretty exciting. 170 beats per minute. Right on target. Praise God!

AND Heather was here to keep Stephen occupied at home, which was great since I was at the office for over 2 hours.

There and Back in Twelve Hours

And this is what Stephen looked like after we got back from a busy day in Chicago . . .

We had a blast with Katie while my parents were sailing with Ryan, Margaret, Nathan, and Jen. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and there was so much to do in a small area of town. We went to Millenium Park (see the fountains and the giant jelly bean mirror); we took a break at Jamba Juice; we let Stephen play in the sand at a beach (he was sure sad to leave!). We also got to enjoy dinner with my parents on Michigan Avenue.

I've included some photos from the day below. There are more on our snapfish page.

Dinner at the Farm

Our friends Eric and Bethany invited us to go to a dinner with them at Triple S Farms, which is about an hour south of here. So we piled in their car (grandma, too) and headed for farm country. We had a blast looking at the animals. Here you can see chickens, which weren't really afraid of the people visiting them. There were also cows, turkeys, dogs, kittens, and ducks. The food was awesome - and Susan even got to eat the chicken since it hadn't aged like most meat we get at the grocery store.

It was so nice to have Susan here. She and Stephen played and played and played ... at the park, so I could go to an open house (gasp!) by myself ... at the mall this morning, so I could get some work done ... and also just here at the house with Stephen's toys. He cried when she left!

I'm wrapping up work for the night, planning a menu for the week, and waiting for Ryan to get home with the jalepeno poppers I want from Arby's.

On the schedule for the week: testing at the Language Aquisition Lab on campus (if they have food, he'll say "more more more more"); another fun-filled day with grandparents on Tuesday; a birthday part for a slightly younger friend ... and a possible trip to Chicago on Sunday for Ryan to go sailing with my parents.

Updates

I am waiting for Grandma Leatherman to get here. She is driving in from Des Moines.

Ryan is in Mt. Vernon playing a gig and will stay there overnight.

Stephen has woken up 3 times in the last half hour. I think he has gas.

My baby is the size of a grape.

I'm anticipating hearing about my friend's baby who should have been born today!

Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa Lorimor!

My parents went to Detroit a couple of weeks ago, and since Ryan is a Tigers fan they wanted to get some clothes for us. We even got a couple onesies for the baby!

Here we are at a friends' house tonight.

Big Announcement: We're Expecting!

Yes, it looks like we'll be bringing Leatherman baby #2 into the world sometime next April. So far I've been doing alright - feeling some nausea and fatigue, but nothing that severe.

This past weekend we drove to Kansas City for a reunion with some college friends. Thanks to Nate and Dana for hosting so many people all at once - including 4 children! Ryan and the guys went camping and the girls and kids stayed in Shawnee, KS.

I also got to spend an evening with Brian and Niki Kihm and met their daughter, Anneke, who is a little younger than Stephen.

We stopped near Kirksville yesterday on our way back to have lunch with Michelle Maki. It was a very social time; it was just too bad we couldn't be there and at Lake Geneva at the same time (for the family reunion).

This photo is of Ryan, Stephen, and Nathan, taken in Ryan and Nathan's office at the music building.

What We're Talking About Around Here

I know it's been a long time since I posted. I was working on a math book, and that took any time I had to sit at the computer - and I am typically pretty tired by the end of the day! But now my book is back in the hands of Perfection Learning, and once again I can update you all on what we are doing.

Stephen has been chatty. Very chatty. And sometime he actually seems to be telling you a story. Other times he just repeats the same syllables over and over. He can say "quack quack" (tho it sounds more like kak kak) so we've been asking him what a duck says.

He also started saying "wee wee wee wee wee" yesterday. I wondered if it was the end of "This Little Piggy" but I doubted it because I've only done that with him about 10 times ever.

Then this morning I was singing "Old McDonald" and I sang "with a quack quack here ..." He looked at me and said "kak kak eer wee wee wee wee wee!"
_______

We're heading to Kansas City tomorrow and will see some college friends. It will be fun to get away now that we're back into the school schedule again!

2 years down; Many to go!

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary today. It started out with a limo job from 5 - 10 a.m. Then we celebrated with Heidi that she completed her thesis and now holds the title of PhD! Congrats, Heidi.

We enjoyed a nice dinner while Stephen played over at our friends' house. He did great and hardly missed us! They have a cat that he likes to chase around.