Christmas 2011

My post Christmas vacation started with a trip to the ER because Steve woke me up at 1:30 am telling me he had chest pains.

Needless to say, it's been a long day.

Christmas itself was lovely. We had both families over for Christmas Eve and it was a wonderfully loud, chaotic, enjoyable night. Thomas was thoroughly spoiled and so over stimulated. Christmas day was low key, just my parents and sister, with a nice roast beef dinner and no nap for Thomas. He collapsed at ten of eight, early for him, and the rest of us didn't make it much longer. His favorite gifts were his fire truck, his trains, and his wheelies ramp. My favorite gift is the laptop I'm using right now to type this. Best. Husband. Ever.

Who woke me up this morning at 1:30 am to tell me his hands and feet were numb and his chest was tight. We tossed the baby monitor at my sister and went to the hospital. They sent me home at 3 am after he'd been pain free for forty five minutes, but he had to stay for more tests. He was released this morning and the doctor assured us he's heart problem free. It was probably indigestion complicated by an anxiety attack. Steve's uncle died last January of a heart attack, very suddenly. It has made him anxious about his health in a way his parents' cancers haven't. The two of us have been exhausted all day, but thankfully Thomas has been low key today, wanting nothing more than to watch Follow That Bird, read books, and play with his trains and ramp and fire trucks.

I could have lived without the drama. We were supposed to take T to the aquarium and then go to a movie tonight, but we're too tired. So we'll do the aquarium tomorrow, but I doubt we'll catch a movie. Which sucks, because we really need a date night.

Where To Start?

Really? Has it been nearly a year since I updated this thing? How odd. Time moves so differently these days since I had my sweet little boy. Who was really not so sweet today as it's been temper tantrum central around here. One massive meltdown this morning because Steve (formally known as Omar) made him wear a coat and one this evening because I had the audacity to ask him to come down the stairs instead of laying down on the landing.

I've decided to drop the pseudonyms. I was trying to protect the guilty, but whatever. I don't have the energy any more to try and be clever. I'm a working mom with three full-time jobs: mom, wife, corporate slave. Actually, I can't complain. My job's going really well right now and I'm doing well at it. I don't feel quite as hopeless about job advancement as I did a year ago and I know I'm doing good work.

Thomas - or Super Toddler as I refer to him on Facebook - is pretty much the awesomest thing ever. Temper tantrums and all he's still totally the best. He has such a sweet, sunny disposition and he plays so well with other kids. He's gotten into some awful habits about food - as in he refuses to eat the dinner put in from of him - but I'm hoping that once my kitchen is put back together I'll be able to get him back on track.

I am currently in kitchen renovation hell. We started over a month ago and it's still not fucking done. I can't even talk about it, I'm so incensed. Our contractor, who came so highly recommended from IKEA, is AWFUL. As soon as he's done, I'm writing a negative review on yelp or whatever I can of him. AWFUL. I've had my appliances for a week, but I can't use them because I still don't have a faucet or a water line to my fridge for my new ice maker. It's been one nightmare delay after another and I can't even talk about how much I hate them. But my new kitchen is fabulous. It is going to be beautiful once I get it all set up again. If that day ever comes.

Thomas is 2 now and he is smart, observant, tall, and the most wonderful thing I have ever done. I don't know how I got so lucky. He's not perfect - his Elmo obsession leaves me with a headache most days - but he's so much fun. I can't get enough of spending time with him. We play trucks and trains and we read books and play outside and he has such a sweet little laugh when I tickle him. He loves lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners and hockey. Except for the Elmo thing, I can't think of one thing I don't love to do with him.

My beloved Red Sox collapsed so spectacularly in September that I can't even stand to talk about it. Terry Francona is gone, Theo Epstein is gone, but John EFFING Lackey is still here (so far). They were so awful this September I couldn't bring myself to sit through a full game. It was just painful. Now with the allegations of drinking and lack of training and the general clubhouse shenanigans I feel sick about them. It makes me angry to see how a team with so much talent fell apart so completely. I will never give up on them, of course, but I think I need a break from them. Steve got me into hockey last year, so we've been watching the Bruins.

Hopefully, I'll be able to update more. I've decided to put myself through the hell that's NaNoWriMo, so we'll see how that goes.

Things That I Am Thankful For

Even though Thanksgiving was yesterday, I have many reasons to be grateful, beginning with:

1. My family.
My son brings me such incredible joy and I didn't know you could love someone so much. My husband is an amazing person, a wonderful partner and a fantastic daddy. I am so blessed to have them. My parents, my sister, my extended family - they always bring me up from my lows and make me feel special.

2. My friends.
I have the greatest and most wonderful network of the most diverse group of people I can call friends. I love that no matter how much time has passed I can pick up the phone or shoot out an email and it's like we're just picking up where we left off the day before.

3. My job.
I don't love my job, but I'm grateful to have one at all.

4. My health.

5. Chocolate and alcohol.
One could not survive any of the above without those. Even the things you're thankful can make you crazy sometimes.