Parlez-vous Francais?

Abby loves to play with our answering machine. She likes to push the buttons and listen to the messages. Sometimes Chip will call me on my cell phone and ask why I'm not answering the house phone. I'll go check the answering machine only to find that Abby has pushed the "do not disturb" button, which turns the phones' ringers off.

One of Abby's favorite buttons to push is the language button. There are three language options - English, Spanish, and French. As a result of Abby's most recent meddling, the language is set to French.

Two days ago the phone rang and Chip couldn't get to it in time to answer. He heard the answering machine pick up and give its message in French. The unsuspecting caller immediately hung up. Chip said the phone rang less than a minute later, and he answered it. It was a lady from church. Poor thing probably thought she dialed incorrectly the first time and wound up calling someplace around the world.

Last night my cell phone rang. It was another lady from church. She apologized for calling my cell phone, but she explained that when she called my home number she got a really strange message. She couldn't decide if the number was wrong or if we were just playing a joke on people. I told her what happened, and she said she should have pressed '1' for English.

We Made It!

There is a little diner around the corner from us that closes for the winter. Their last day is October 31 and they re-open April 1. I am always EXCITED when they re-open. Of course, I do enjoy their hot dogs and ice cream, but my happiness is based on more than just the food. Their re-opening signifies that we made it through another winter!

This is the second Buffalo winter that we've "survived." You wouldn't believe it (well, maybe a few of you would), but after a long, frigid winter, 40 degrees really feels quite warm! The sun is shining, and I'm hopeful that the temps will rise into the 50s.

Ah, only 8 more days 'til April 1. Woo hoo! We've really almost made it!

This and That

We celebrated Abby's second birthday on March 15! No, I didn't cry, but I certainly did my fair share of reminiscing. I kept thinking about our two-day stay at the hospital. We were so stressed! Who knew a newborn wouldn't sleep at night? Not us! Poor Abby.

Abby's "party" was held on Saturday the 14th because Chip was on call on her birthday. We bought her a rocking horse, a shopping cart, two puzzles, and a Mickey book.

We've all been sick lately. Abby caught the stomach bug, then I got it. Thank God Chip didn't get it, yet at least. He's dealing with his own problems - coughing!

I've been experiencing nausea for about five months. I went to the doctor and he ordered some lab work and an ultrasound (he suspected it could be my gallbladder), and he referred me to a GI doctor. Well, my lab work and ultrasound revealed nothing. So, I will be seeing a GI doc at the end of April. I'm no stranger to GI issues or doctors. Sigh. They'll probably want to do another EGD. It's possible my H. pylori (bacteria) has returned. Ugh.

I took Abby to her 2-year well-check today. She was wonderful! She is 34 inches long and weighs 25 lbs. She is in about the 50th percentile for height, but only the 25th percentile for weight. They also did some bloodwork - hemoglobin and lead. We were asked to hang around for a few minutes to find out the result of the hemoglobin. Abby's level was 19 - the normal level is 11 to 16. Hmm. They want to re-check it in three months. Me, being me, came home and looked up "high hemoglobin levels." I didn't like what I found. I pray that things return to normal next time. It could be because she is dehydrated; she did vomit for five or six days... In the meantime, I'm trying not to let my mind run wild.

Chip and I want another little one. No luck on that front yet. I'll keep you posted.

'Til next time.

'Bout Time

Boy, I've really got to keep up with my blog...

Rather than recount ALL the things that have happened since November 1, I figured I would just start fresh, and tell you a little bit about what is going on now.

Abby is pacifier-free thanks to her Uncle Jay! All it took was him saying, "Abby, you don't need a pacifier. Those are for babies." She took it out and never put it back in. What?! Not fair. I call Jay every now and then for baby advice. He'll have a great career as a "Baby Whisperer."

My little girl will be two on March 15th! Wow. Where has time gone? She is so loving. She's REALLY good at giving kisses, blowing kisses, giving hugs, dancing, and singing. She can sing Amazing Grace, Jesus Loves the Little Children, The Wheels on the Bus, and other nursery rhymes. One thing we have to work on is her "sugars." When I tell her to give me sugar, she procedes to wipe her nose all over my cheek. It's cute, but it's NOT sugar!

Chip is in the midst of interviewing for a pediatric surgery fellowship. He has three interviews left: Gainsville, FL; Philadelphia; and Oklahoma City. We'll find out May 6th where (and if) he matched!

I'm steadily making my way through my final semester of graduate school! [I shouldn't say final. It's kind of like the old saying, "You should never say 'never.'" I can totally see myself pursuing a Ph.D., but, shhh, don't tell Chip!]

Well, I really should be doing schoolwork, but like most nights, I find myself doing nothing productive. Sigh. It's so hard to use my "me time" to do "work."

Until next time, which hopefully won't be several months from now!