I could stay awake

Just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming
-Aerosmith, I don't wanna miss a thing

Nice, sweet romantic song, eh?  No, for the last few nights we've been staying awake to hear Jay breathing, but it's not for any romantic notion that we just like watching his angelic little self sleep.  It's because he is so congested that we're scared at any minute he'll stop breathing.

I mentioned a while back that he inherited my huge tonsils and that we'd be looking at surgery to remove them sooner rather than later.  We were hoping said surgery (scheduled for next Tuesday ... ONE WEEK from today!) would help keep him from getting as sick during this winter's cold and flu season.  We apparently missed our window of health for doing that.  He started getting a cold in the middle of last week, and it just got worse as the weekend progressed.  Then yesterday, he went to the doc and was diagnosed with bronchitis & croup.  A steroid hit and some antibiotics - we're on our way back to good health, right?  Apparently not so much.

 He was really doing much worse this afternoon.  I was home by myself with him, and his breathing became really labored.  His fever spiked to 103, he was coughing constantly, and just couldn't catch his breath.  Back to the doc ... then to another for chest x-rays ... and then off to the hospital for overnight observation.  His 02 levels dropped pretty quickly, and given his history of heart problems, we felt it was better safe than sorry.  Of course, just as soon as he hit the doors of the hospital, he seemed to be the picture of good health and was perking right back up.  Why is it that the moment you walk in to a doctor's office or hospital, your kid (who moments before was on death's doorstep!) begins running around like a wild animal?  Poor thing is just pitiful.  I mean really, when I left the hospital, he and Derek were singing "Old MacDonald" while dancing on the bed.  Jay had some potent IV antibiotics rolling in, and was busily using his new "glove" (the IV line is wrapped in major gauze/brace) to practice giving high 5's and knuckles.  Next thing, he'll be banging it on the bars of the crib.

Because hospitals are breeding grounds for all kinds of germs, Derek and I decided it was best for me and  the Cheeze Doodle to spend the night at home.  Babe, I owe you one.  Perhaps I'll make it up to you when we have a newborn who needs to be nursed in the middle of the night... every night.  Maybe then we'll be even. 

 I don't know what to think.  His breathing trouble this afternoon was really scary.  And I would much rather him be there where he's under their care if he needs oxygen during the night or begins to have more serious problems.  But I also wonder why a kid who is capable of dancing on the bed needs to be hospitalized.  Auggghhh!  I'm grateful that we don't have to stay awake, anxious and listening to him wheeze again tonight.  And I pray that both of them get some rest.  But most of all, I pray these stronger drugs kick in quickly and he's headed back home tomorrow. 

Thanks to all our friends for keeping us in your thoughts & prayers!

Posted at 11:24PM Nov 03, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[4]

If the house is rockin, don't bother knockin...

If the house is rockin, don't bother - just come on in. (Cause we could use the help, people.)

Get your mind out of the gutter!  I'm 5 months pregnant.  The only reason our house is rockin' these days is that there has been a never-ending parade of construction activity for the last two weeks.  You may remember that we'd started a remodeling project that will transform my craft room into a half bath, laundry room, and pantry.  We figured while we're at it, might as well follow through with our plans to re-do our kitchen.  And you know, while you're ripping out cabinets, might as well clean up the 1950's wiring while you're at it, right?  Oh and those old cast iron pipes?  Those should probably go too.  And I hear those tankless water heaters are nice.  What?  We we would need new plumbing lines for the entire house in order to accommodate the tankless water heater?  No time like the present! The multiple layers of linoleum representing each decade from the 1950's to the present gotta go.  But I hear those old tiles might have asbestos in them.  Now where to get asbestos testing done?

And so it goes.  We've done a fair amount of remodeling prior to this project.  I can sweat a joint (really!) and Derek has learned some pretty impressive carpentry skills along the way.  And those past experiences taught us one rule ... that a project costs 50% more than you budget for and takes 3 times as long as you think it should.  This project has been no exception.  Plus there's the fun of trying to keep a toddler out of the mess.  I know, I have a very strange sense of "fun."

But it's going well so far.  We passed our electrical inspection, and plumbing/structural inspections should happen this week.  Cabinets have been delivered and are filling our living room (floor to ceiling!).  My favorite part?  The GIGANTIC drill that the electricians used last weekend to drill through the studs.  It looked something like this:

Then, today the plumber brought out one that was EVEN BIGGER!  He used it to drill through the brick to fix our outdated outdoor spigots.  (I'm still wondering how that's connected to the kitchen/half-bath project, but I quit asking questions.)  These dudes do not play around with their tools.  Tim the Tool Man Taylor would be proud.  Arr, Arr, Arr. 

Check back in at Christmas ... the goal was to be completely and totally done by then.  If we can have Christmas Dinner at our house, I'll be pleased.  If that Christmas dinner is another bowl of soup in the microwave & grilled cheese on the George Foreman grill, I will not be pleased.  Cause Jan 1, we got to get crackin' on another nursery. 

Posted at 08:48PM Oct 24, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[6]

You say it best

when you say nothing at all.
-Allison Krauss

Eight years ago today, I married the love of my life.  Can you believe that?  (The eight years part, not the love of my life part.  It's obvious to anyone who knows us that only for true love would anyone put up with my craziness.)  How does eight years go by so incredibly fast? And how can it be that it's only been eight years when I truly can't remember or imagine life before Derek came along?

Since this is an NC State-hosted blog, I'll tell you our how-we-met story.  Short answer, we met at NC State.  But it's actually a little better than that.  For many years, the 11th floor of Sullivan Hall had been all women.  Other floors were co-ed, but the 11th been girls only.  For some odd reason, in the fall of 1996, Housing had assigned one suite of fellas in the midst of the ladies floor.  You should have seen these guys on move-in day!  We'll just say they were pretty pumped about their odds for meeting girls ... 8 of them, 64 of us.  To show their floor loyalty, they participated in all of the girly hall-sponsored activities, including step aerobics.  Now that is desperation, my friends!  (The mental image of my hubby attempting step aerobics still makes me giggle.) 

In all seriousness, they were very good neighbors to us.  They walked us to the library after dark; they put up with a lot of giggling; they helped us carry heavy things down 11 flights of stairs.  In fact, after hauling my laundry basket down the stairs, Derek sat with me on the front steps while waiting for my mom to come pick up me (and my mountain of laundry).  Seeing such a nice boy who waited with me for my ride, she immediately decided that he was the one for me.  I suspect she also checked out his high school grades, given her easy access to his transcript, but she won't admit to that. 

Me, it took a little more convincing than a good GPA and willingness to sit on the steps of Sullivan with me.  He was a great friend, but was he really the one?  He was so quiet!  But sometimes, you don't need words to get your meaning across.  Sometimes, you say it best when you say nothing at all, and that became our first dance song at our wedding.

Turns out, mom really does know best.  We spent some wonderful time together in college and finally decided to get hitched while he was in vet school.  In fact, he actually proposed at the NC State bell tower since (his words) "This is where we met and fell in love."  Awww.  Our Wolfpack roots run deep.

Happy anniversary, babe.  I love you and can't wait to spend another 58 years together.

Posted at 09:26PM Oct 13, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[4]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful...

Beautiful Boy

Before you cross the street,
Take my hand,
Life is just what happens to you,
While you're busy making other plans,

Beautiful,
Beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful Boy

-John Lennon

So, the secret's out - we're gonna have another bouncing baby boy!  The most wonderful news is that he seems to be healthy from the top of his head to his 10 tiny toes.  Because of Jay's heart defect, this little guy has double the risk of congenital heart disease than he otherwise would have.  The risk is still small, mind you, but enough that we want to test to be sure there are no heart defects or other problems to be concerned about. We'll have a fetal echocardiogram in another few weeks to get a more in-depth look at his heart.  (I have a crush on Jay's cardiologist, Dr. Milazzo, so I'm stoked that he'll be doing it!)

But all looks fantastic.  His aorta has a beautiful "candy cane" arch and his heart seems to have none of the kinds of problems that would send him to our good friends in the PCICU.  (Not that we don't love those surgeons and docs at Duke, mind you, but we'd rather stay out of there if we can.)  The only slight concern they had is that this lil' guy is already off-the-charts big.  And they weren't tremendously worried about that.  Me on the other hand ... I am tremendously concerned.  Having delivered a 10 lb 4 oz baby the "old-fashioned" way (ahem) is absolutely, positively, most definitely something I do not want to repeat.  Did you hear me docs?!  Induce early, or give me a c-section, but I'm not pushing another 10 pounder!

So, back to the boy thing.  I'm not gonna lie - I was hoping for a girl this time.  Sorry, kiddo.  I know you're gonna read this someday about 10 years from now and say "What?!  You wanted me to be a girl?!"  Yes, son.  I am sorry to confess it to the world, but I was hoping for a daughter.  And it's not just because baby girl shoes are cuter (though they are).  I mean really, have you walked down the baby shoe aisle at Target lately?  Not only are there twice as many girl shoes, but they have sparkles!  Red sparkles and flowers and bows, oh my! 

No, shoes weren't the real reason I wanted a girl.  I want a girl for me.  I know that's selfish, but the most special, the most influential people in my life have been women - my mom and my Appie.  (To those who weren't lucky enough to know her, Appie was my mom's mother - one of the most amazing women I've ever met.  We shared a relationship that is much closer than most girls and their grandmas, and I miss her every day.)  My girlfriends play a hugely important role in my life, and I believe that there is a bond between women that is unique and special, and I selfishly want that for myself and my daughter. 

But you know what?  I never had a sister.  I ended my last post with the phrase "If life doesn't give you sisters, you find them."  And I am pretty sure that the same thing applies to daughters as well.  If life doesn't give you daughters, you just need to look for them.  Every girl needs a "bonus mom" who she can go to when she needs to talk junk about her mother.  (Yes, Mom, I sometimes talk junk about you.)  And I'm pretty sure that my friends would be happy to loan me their daughters to do a little shoe shopping and giggling and dressing up in feather boas for tea parties.

The truth is that there are wonderful things about boys, just like there are wonderful things about girls.  Yes, I wanted one of each so that I could enjoy both.  But I am thrilled that Jay and this little guy will have each other as brothers - because that's a bond that is pretty amazing too. Who knows?  There may even be a third Foster child in store down the road.  But if baby #3 is also a boy, I'm gonna trust that I was just meant to have boys.  (I don't think I could risk being any more outnumbered than that!)

And really - I'm pretty sure I'll never again have to take out the trash or mow the lawn...  Just start calling me "The Queen."

Posted at 09:46PM Oct 06, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[5]

But I know I'm a lucky man...

I have days where I hate my job
This little town and the whole world too
And last Sunday when the Bengals lost
Lord, it put me in a bad mood

I have moments when I curse the rain
Then complain when the sun's too hot
I look around at what everyone has
And I forget about all I've got

But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can

My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man

Got some friends who would be here fast
I could call 'em any time of day
Got a brother who's got my back
Got a mama who I swears a saint

Got a brand new rod and reel
Got a full week off this year
Dad had a close call last spring
It's a miracle he's still here

But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can

My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
One more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man
-Lucky Man, Montgomery Gentry

I don't usually post the lyrics to the entire song, but I heard this on the radio the other day, and it's so true.  We should all remember how truly lucky we are.  Plus, I couldn't pick a favorite line.  Sorry if my last post was a little whiny (some might argue a lot whiny!)  I think I just needed some whine to go with all this cheese I've been consuming lately... 

I spent last weekend with my girls ... a group of women I've gotten to know over the past few years who are truly the best group of friends that a girl could have.  When times are tough, these girls are there, with a meal, a shoulder to cry on, a Chick-fil-A milkshake, a hug, or a crazy mother-in-law story to make each other laugh.  And this weekend, we laughed so much I seriously thought I might hurt myself.  They are some of the funniest people, and I can't remember a time when I had so much fun or laughed so hard.  They helped pull me out of my whiny funk, and I am grateful to each of them.  If life doesn't give you sisters, you find them.

Posted at 04:32PM Sep 28, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[5]

Takin' care of business...

Every day!
Takin' care of business
Every way
Takin' care of business
It's all mine
Takin' care of business
and workin' overtime

Do you ever get that overloaded feeling where you think you just can't do it anymore?

Well, I woke up with it on Friday morning (at 5:30!) and haven't been able to shake it.  I have a million things running around in my mind, and I just can't seem to focus on anything or be productive toward any of those things that are overloading me.  I've got too many choices of new kitchen cabinets, too many plumbers in the Raleigh area to pick from, and too many gas range options to even consider.  There's just too many options! And all those options lead to worries.  I am officially a worry wart.  I worry about my friends, about money, about making an A in my class, about falling behind at work, the health of my babies, my own health.  You name it, I will dwell on it until I've worked myself into a stew.

This should have been a nice, restful weekend.  But even a weekend with nothing planned is NEVER long enough to do all the laundry, dishes, pick up all the toys, do the grocery shopping, and do my reading for class.  I'm not trying to do anything crazy ... I just want to take my kid to the park.  Watch a movie with my hubby.  Flip through a magazine.  Heck, I even went to Target on Saturday evening for a little retail therapy.  Even that just made me more overwhelmed by all that I ought to be doing.  Walking down the aisle with brooms just made me wonder how long it has been since I've swept the kitchen.  (Hint, it's been weeks.  Possibly even months.  Sorry, gross I know.)

Most of my closest friends work either part time, have summers off, work from home, or are stay-at-home moms.  I am so insanely jealous of you women.  When you are doing your laundry in the middle of the day on a random Wednesday, appreciate how lucky you are.  When you walk from your home office down the stairs to eat lunch in your own kitchen and then toss the dishes in the dishwasher, be grateful that you don't have to spend your whole Saturday doing a week's worth of dishes.  If you have EVER taken you child to the pool, the museum, the park, or the airport to watch the planes fly over on a weekday, thank your lucky stars.

Posted at 09:41PM Sep 20, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[6]

What's the buzz, tell me what's-a happening...

What's the buzz, tell me what's-a happening
Why should you want to know
Don't you mind about the future
Don't you try to think ahead
Save tomorrow for tomorrow
Think about today instead
-Jesus Christ Superstar

Good song, from a great musical.  And good lyrics to remember - live in this moment and enjoy exactly where you are today.  So, here's the buzz from the Foster clan.

First, a big thanks to LaLa for serving as guest blogger last week.  As you've no doubt noticed, it's getting harder and harder to fit in time to blog these days.  What's keeping me so busy?  Oh yeah -- kitchen remodel, a high-energy toddler, full-time work, grad school, Mount Laundry (which is growing by the day!), and growing a person.  Any one of those could wear a girl out.

No big news in the pregnancy world.  I've definitely stared to "pop" and have given up almost all of my pre-preggo clothes.  Unfortunately, I'm not quite big enough for most maternity clothes, but too big for my own stuff.  I'd like to thank my friends in the College of Textiles (or whoever it was!) that thought to put spandex in ALL maternity clothes.  I mean, even the jeans are stretchy, and not just in the belly.  Ahh, comfort.  Room to put more cheeseburgers.

I'm at 15 weeks, which makes ColbyJack/CheeseDoodle/Baby#2 about the size of an apple.  S/he has fingerprints already!  Isn't that just incredibly amazing?  I'm finally starting to turn the corner on the constant nausea, and it's about time.  I go back to the doc on Thursday and I'll report back if there's any news. But so far, all is well. 

Jay is as cute as ever and learning more words every day.  We started counting last weekend, and finally quit counting when we hit 100.  That's a pretty huge vocabulary for an 18 month old - mostly nouns, but a few adjectives (hot, cold) and a few verbs (go, help).  I really ought to pull out my old Language Development textbook.  (I used to know this stuff!)  My favorite new word - "Guggle" which means "snuggle."  He likes to guggle before he goes to bed, which he NEVER used to do as a baby. 

He's got a bit of a cold which makes it tough for him to sleep, but he's surviving.  He went to the ENT this week because he has unfortunately inherited the McLean tonsils, which means that they are freakin' enormous.  He's going to have a sleep study to confirm, but we're probably facing surgery sooner rather than later.  I'm not going to worry yet.  "Save tomorrow for tomorrow.  Think about today instead."

Have a great week - hug someone you love!

Posted at 09:03PM Sep 12, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[2]

Who let the dogs out? Fuf fuf fuf fuf fuf fuf

This week I requested to be the guest writer on the Torquil blog, because I think that Jay is the cutest, funniest, smartest baby on the face of the earth, and I am completely and unequivocally unprejudiced in every way.  I am just his completely unbiased grandmother, aka, Lala.   I realize that the Dog Song used as the title this week was used in the past, when Jay’s croupy cough won the title.  But I could not resist repeating it, for reasons to be explained below.

So just to keep you up on what Jay is doing these days, I wanted to share the fact that his verbal skills are increasing exponentially.   He can repeat virtually anything you say, so it is very important to use only polite language in his presence.  He can repeat anything, and does so happily, unless you try to get him to talk on the phone.  He loves a phone almost better than anything, and talks to a blank phone with quite a chatty little charm.  “Hallo?  Butta, butta yaba, dadee, dubba dubba.  Byebye.”  But put a phone up to his ear with a real person talking to him, and those little lips purse all the way to his throat!   As you desperately cue him to say “Hello, Mama”, he just grins and gives you the silent treatment.  Then as soon as you hang up, he reaches for the phone and is back with “Mommee, Hallo!” 

He is putting together small phrases and using terms at the right moment, too.  When he sits down in his high chair, he holds out his hand and says “Ameen” to indicate that it is time to hold hands and say the blessing.  And he has learned that to demand “MINE!” (sounds more like my-een!) does not work nearly as well as a sweet little “peas” to indicate “Please hand me that”.  In fact, he has learned that “Help me” is a pretty useful phrase when he cannot  do something alone.   Even the way he says his name, Jiy, is awfully cute.

But my very favorite is the animal sounds he makes.  Of course, he learned that a cow says MOO as soon as he began to move his lips.  And I think he actually calls a sheep a BAAAA.   But puppy is his favorite animal, and when asked what a puppy says, he replies Fuf, fuf, fuf, with no sound at all.  (Thus, the title of this post.)  I guess his WOOF sound has only partially come in, so the Woo part of Woof is left off.  But it is so fun to get him to do it, I cannot resist asking him all the time.  He probably is thinking, why can’t she remember what a dog says?  I tell her all the time!!  He does not seem to distinguish between a little yap yap yappy dog and a big BOWWOW dog.  They are all fuf fuf fuf to him.  Soooo cute!!

Untitled from Jen F on Vimeo.

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Posted at 07:51PM Sep 05, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]

And the winner is...

Colby Jack Foster.

I'm loving it, Katrine and Ginger!   If Colby ends up being a girl, we can call her CJ until we come up with a real name.  Which, given our history, isn't likely to happen until s/he's about 3 days old.

Posted at 10:29AM Aug 25, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[3]

One is the loneliest number...

  that you'll ever do.
-Three Dog Night

Yes, you guessed it.  Perhaps you noticed that I've given up my nightly glass of wine.  (So sad.)  Perhaps I've been so tired that I actually fell asleep while talking to you.  (Even sadder.)  More likely, you noticed that my butt has grown to the size of a small continent.  (Really, really sad.)  But since one is the loneliest number, we've decided to make it two.  The latest addition to the Foster family will be arriving by March 5, 2010 - and not a day later, I might add!

Needless to say, we're super excited and more than a little scared.  Why is it so much scarier the second time around?  Is it because I know what to expect this time?  (Those months of sleepless nights were definitely tougher than I planned for!)  Or is it because I don't have a clue how I'm going to handle two little ankle-biters when one more than fills my time and my heart?  We've just gotten to the point where I feel like we're getting the hang of this parenting thing.  Now, I wonder if I will have to figure out how to do it all over again, but times two?

Contributing to my uneasiness is the fact that I feel HORRIBLE this time.  With Jay, I was never sick.  Not once.  Sure, I was tired.  But now, I have this constant feeling of "I'm gonna puke, and yet I'm hungry."  No food really appeals to me, with the exception of cheese.  I have wanted to eat nothing but cheese for the last six weeks.  Seriously.  I have always been a big fan of cheese.  But now, it's all I want.  Cheese toast.  Cheesy scrambled eggs.  Pimiento cheese.  Bean & cheese burrito (extra cheese, please).  Pizza with double cheese.  Grilled cheese sandwich.  Am I starting to sound like Bubba in Forrest Gump yet?  Wait, now that I think about it, maybe the ginormous growth of my backside isn't entirely due to pregnancy...

So far baby #2 seems to be doing just fine.  We've had a hard time coming up with a pet name for him/her.  I mean, really, how are you gonna top "Torquil?"  We tried "Annie" for a little while - Torquil & Annie were my great-great-great-grandparents who immigrated to NC from Scotland.  But if "Annie" turns out to be a boy, that could have long-lasting repercussions on his mental health.  Don't wanna start this kid out needing therapy before s/he's even born.  So I'm leaving it to you, dear readers.  What shall we call this little peanut?

Posted at 08:44PM Aug 22, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[11]

I want to fly like an eagle...

...to the sea
Fly like an eagle
let my spirit carry me
     -Steve Miller Band

Ahh, airplane time.  Airplane stories always make for the best blog posts, don't you think?  (Side note: Avid blog readers or music junkies may remember that my last airplane post, linked above, was Jet Airliner, also by Steve Miller Band.  If you haven't read it before, do it.  I had nearly forgotten how hard parenting was back then.  Almost.)

So, this time, the flight was both easier and harder.  When I was nursing, the boob would put him to sleep EVERY TIME.  Without fail.  Want him to take a nap?  Start the milk flowin'.  Now, he's much more interested in everything around him and wants to explore new stuff.  Interesting things > sleep.  More importantly, he's now mobile.  If he wants to see what's across the aisle from him, he's going to crawl out of your lap and onto the floor to see it, unless you have him in a straitjacket-style grip.  Casual bystanders on a plane tend to frown on you holding your kid in said straitjacket-grasp while he's screaming at the top of his lungs. They also tend to frown on your kid climbing under their feet to explore their shoes.  It's definitely a balancing act between letting him explore the new world of your airplane row and becoming a nuisance to those around you.

But there was one really good airplane event that I'm not sure I can accurately describe for you.  My brother and my husband still laugh hilariously at the mere thought of it, so it must have been funnier from their vantage points.  We bought Jay one of these Foogo Thermos cups with a straw for the trip.  It's unbreakable stainless steel, it keeps milk cold for 12 hours, and (most importantly) it has a flip-top cover to keep the straw from leaking and to keep it clean.  Perfect for travel!  This flip top cover soon becomes significant to the story. 

Jay drinks some milk at the airport, we load up onto the plane, takeoff, and the flight attendant begins to come around with snacks & drinks.  As we're sipping our Ginger Ale, we think "I bet Jay would like some milk."  Out comes the Foogo straw cup.  Derek pushes the button to open the cap, and without warning, the straw shoots a geyser of milk across my face, up the side wall of the plane, and across the back of the seat onto the hair of the poor little girl seated in the row behind us.  Yes, all the wonderful advertising in the world neglected to mention that the flip top cap is actually air tight.  The pressure difference at sea level and at our cruising altitude of 20,000 feet caused this thing to act like a pressurized super-soaker, shooting soymilk across the plane.  As the milk begins running down the wall of the airplane and across the window, I start to hear a snicker, which quickly becomes hilarious laughter.  No help in wiping the milk out of my hair or off of everything around me.  Oh no.  My husband and brother are too busy laughing to worry about us or the puddle of milk that's now forming in the plane's window.  They are dying laughing. The best part?  They actually begin making plans do it again on the ride home!  They want to recreate this scene so they can take pictures of it!  Boys scare me sometimes.

I still really like the cup.  Seriously, it IS great for travel.  But a word to the wise: unscrew the lid before opening the cap on an airplane.  You'll be glad you did.  So will the people on the row behind you.

Posted at 07:43PM Aug 08, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]

With this ring I promise I'll always love you, always love you...

Wedding season is here again!  Perhaps you'll remember about one year ago when Jay went to two weddings two weekends in a row.  As a big boy, Jay now gets to be IN a wedding!  My cousin Jamie got hitched this weekend at the amazingly beautiful Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado, and Jay was the non-ring-bearing ring bearer.  Actually carrying a ring was a job a little too important for a kid who can't keep up with his shoes, much less small family heirlooms.  He instead got to ride in the wagon as the flower girls pulled him down the aisle.

It was pretty funny to hear Jay's running commentary during the ceremony.  "Bird!" he shouted as a bird flew overhead.  "Uh Oh!" he exclaimed (over and over again) as the Cheerios fell on the ground.  "Fell" probably isn't the right word to describe how the Cheerios ended up on the ground.   "Were forcefully thrown" might be more accurate.  His new favorite words are "Oh Noooooo!" (which is about a 3 syllable No) and "Uh Oh!" (only one syllable, but repeated with great frequency).  It's hilarious. He uses these two phrases not to mean, "Oh dear, there's been an accident."  He uses the phrases interchangeably to mean "Could ya pick that up for me?"

The trip was too long and has far too many good stories for just one blog post - I gotta save up my material, ya know.  So I'll just leave you with this picture of our happy little family before the happy couple gets hitched.

 Congrats, Jamie & Jeff!  We love you guys dearly and can't wait for Jay to have some little second cousins of his own (hint, hint!).

Posted at 09:22PM Aug 05, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[0]

On the Beach

That's where I wanna be

On the Beach

Baby, baby come go with me

-Chairmen of the Board

I am a beach bum, for sure.  And from the looks of things, we're turning Jay into a little beach bum too.  We went to the beach last Friday night, and on Saturday a big crew of friends came down for the week.  (By the way, it's only appropriate that I use a Chairmen song for this entry ... this crew of friends are serious Chairmen junkies!  We used to go to every show, stand in the front row, sing along and dance to every line of every song.  Good times.) 

It was a great beach trip for everyone.  Jay got to spend lots of time hanging out with his buddy P, and while he wasn't especially fond of sharing his toys, he did get really good at saying "MINE!"  No, they did really well together.  Jay enjoyed the sand and the ocean more than on any previous beach trips.  Derek and Wayne dug the boys their own private lagoon on Saturday morning, which gave me & Bethany plenty of time to sit on the beach and catch up on our busy lives.

Here are a couple of pics from our adventures.  If only we could have stayed the whole week!

Posted at 09:03PM Jul 19, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[2]

I'm a yankee doodle dandy...

We have had the most wonderful July 4th weekend that a little family could have.  While I can't say we did anything all that exciting, we just had fun hanging out together, working on our remodel, going to the mall, and enjoying family time.  On Saturday night, our plans to watch the Mudcats game were thwarted by the lack of tickets to said game (perhaps we should have called ahead before driving to Zebulon!).  But instead we drove back to Raleigh to watch the fireworks at the fairgrounds.  We had a fantastic view from the parking lot of Carter Finley, and there were lots of kids running around and playing with sparklers as we waited for it to get dark enough for the real show.  

Jay was completely mesmerized by the sparklers ... he called them "karklers."  And then, when the real fireworks started, he was even more excited to see the big karklers in the sky.   He didn't get cranky a bit, even though it was WAY past bedtime when we finally got him back home. 

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend together with my 2 favorite guys. 

Posted at 10:15PM Jul 06, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[2]

That it's all just a little bit of history repeating

... and I've seen it before
... and I'll see it again
... yes I've seen it before
... just little bits of history repeating

Shirley Bassey - History Repeating

Nevertheless, we occasionally want to take a bulldozer to it.  Every project is 10 times more complicated on a house that's 50+ years old and has had numerous layers of renovations already. On this latest remodel, we've found holes in the floor where shower drains used to be, and created our own holes in the floor where the wood has rotted out.  We didn't exactly budget for replacing the subfloor. 

So to minimize the work (and $$) involved, my dad keeps encouraging us to save what materials we can.  "Don't rip down sheetrock if you don't have to," he says.  "Just patch it where the mirror used to be, and you'll never know the difference."  Sometimes we ignore his advice.  Derek priced sheetrock at ~$6/sheet this morning, so we decided we'd replace the whole wall rather than try to patch those major holes. 

And in this case, I'm glad we didn't listen, because we found a really cool piece of history behind the wall...

That's "Michael J. McLean, Builder; Laura McLean, architect; Jenny age 3, helper; Matthew age 1, nuisance"  We told Jay that he can get on the wall, too.  Still determining whether he gets the job title of "Helper" or "Nuisance."

Posted at 09:50PM Jul 03, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[4]