Thursday, December 31, 2009

Tic Tac Toe Bite

Over the past two weeks Russell has digressed to his former role as the fussy super villain whose sole goal is to bring down the powers of righteous peace and quiet and kill any already limited spare time that I have. Plus, he's decided that a scheduled nap time just isn't his cup of tea anymore and could I please just hold him while he plays with his toys because the ground is all of a sudden too hard for his delicate baby backside! I didn't know what his problem was - all I knew is that something was rotten in the state of Conrad.

Then we were over at my sister-in-law's place for Christmas Eve where we played a marathon of Rook and Hearts and Russell army-crawled around the distance to the moon and back. He decided that it might be a good idea to crawl underneath the table and bite his Grandmother on the toe. As it turns out, it was a good idea because that is how we found out that dear, dear little Russ had just cut his very first tooth and he left a mark on Granny's toe to prove it. So that was what all the torturing Mommy and Daddy was about? Getting a tooth? Try getting your braces tightened or, better yet, your gall bladder removed!! It's a good thing that Mommy doesn't over-react like you do or Daddy would have moved out right after you were born!

Anyways, he has teeth which means he is more a toddler and less a baby which means he's growing up and he's doing it too fast!!

Happy New Year everyone! Enjoy those little "spots of time" where the clock pauses and you are able to appreciate just how blessed your own life really is.

J

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

And Then There Were 77...Organs That is

My gall bladder is gone and I have four holes in my stomach to prove it! Unfortunately, they did not let me keep it or even take a picture of the pesky appendage. Everything went well though - at least as well as can been expected - and for the last few days I have felt like absolute crap! Nevertheless, I am alive and semi-well.

The only time I got scared was when they wheeled me into the O.R. and I had to let go of Ken's hand as he wasn't allowed to accompany me in. I saw those big lights overhead - people in scrubs busied themselves preparing this and that for the surgery and I thought to myself "what if I fall asleep and just never wake up?" I wasn't able to freak myself out for too long though because soon after and, without warning, the anesthetist sent me whirling into oblivion. Afterwards, Ken told me that when they started to wheel me away, the same worry invaded his thoughts and he felt the sudden urge to run after me. But...I woke up...so phew!

And soon I shall return to a normal but gall-bladderless existence a little wiser, a little lighter perhaps, and a little more grateful.

J

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

One Organ Short of a Full Set

Tomorrow I am finally going into surgery to get my gall bladder removed. So far, I haven't really been nervous about it but that's because I try not to think about it too often. It's a fairly simple surgery and, apparantly, the surgeon I have has done it many, many times. That all sounds great and I was feeling fine about everything until this morning when I made the mistake of watching a video of the surgery on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycvwAfx3yF0&feature=related) - don't you just love the music? It's pretty cool how they can just go in with two little tube-like tools and remove it without opening me up but it's also disgusting and nauseating to watch so beware. Wish me luck!

-J

Friday, December 4, 2009

Move over Men

Lately, as I've been out and about with Russell on walks or in shopping malls, I've made a very frustrating observation: the men are not moving. Let me explain.

In one instance I was walking on the right side of the sidewalk and a couple of men were walking towards me going in the opposite direction. Neither of them made any attempt to move over for the mother and her baby but kept walking straight as if I wasn't there. Out of curiosity for what might happen, I stayed the course as well and the man closest to me ended up bumping into the stroller with a grunt. He gave me a look like "how dare you take up my space." In that instant I secretly had the desire to mow him over completely. Is stepping down off the curb such a sacrifice??!!

On another occasion, I was shopping in the mall and Russ was just having an "I'm hungry so feed me right now or I'll keep screaming in your face!" type of fit. So I looked around for a seating area so I could make him a bottle. I'm not joking, in every single area a single man sat in the middle of the bench with arms and legs outstretched as though claiming the area entirely. Finally, unable to find any free space, I just sat down beside one of them; I was sitting so close, because the punk wouldn't move, that it looked as though he had his arm around me. Yet still he held his ground and looked as though he was about to get up at any moment to pee all over the bench to mark his territory!!

I sure hope this isn't a trend among male strangers out there who have formed some sort of "say no to motion" unspoken agreement signaled by hormones or pheromones or secret hand shakes or who knows what. Tis the season to move over, okay? Like Nike says, "Just do it."

J

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Tis the Season

It took a lot of self control for me to wait until December to start decorating for the holiday season. Finally, December arrived and, voila, it's Christmas with the Conrads. Now all I have to do is finish making Russell's stocking.

J

P.S. I love the holiday fireplace channel!