May 2011

Two Band-aids and one fauxhawk

by Jessica on May 31, 2011

Poor Knox had a rough experience in the church nursery this week. I was sitting in my sunday school class, when the door opened, and a very out-of-breath blonde woman asked to see me in the hallway. Generally, this happens when new people are in the nursery and they go to change Knox’s diaper and realize it’s not a disposable. So, that’s what I was expecting when she hit me with “Knox had a little accident.” We proceeded to book it towards the nursery while she told me what happened. He was playing with a little plastic push-toy when he tripped over it. As he fell, apparently the nice squishy part of his leg got stuck in the wheel of the toy… and wouldn’t come out. Knox was getting progressively more hysterical and they finally had to YANK his sweet little leg out of it. It makes me cringe to think about it.

When I got there, they had Knox in an empty nursery room with one of the volunteers, who was rocking and cuddling him. They were trying to hold an ice pack on it, but he was having none of that. As soon as I picked him up, he was already waving “bye-bye” to the ladies… he was ready to get out of there! Poor thing. Look at this gnarly bruise on his tiny leg!

That red line is actually a blood blister, under his skin where he got pinched. It did break the skin a bit, so we’ve been putting Neosporin and band-aids on it. Knox is not bothered by it in the least, in fact, he rips off of his bandages whenever he notices them.

Yesterday, Trevor ended up only working a half shift, so we were able to go together to take Knox for a hair cut. We were letting it grow out some, but it was starting to really get into his eyes. It’s definitely not in his eyes, now! We got another fauxhawk-style cut, and it’s SO cute! I tried to take a picture of he and I on the computer this morning since I never have any of the two of us, but as usual, he was not cooperating. So here are several pictures from our photo session from this morning:

It’s crazy how light this kid’s hair is! I have no idea where that came from. You’d think with two brown-haired, brown-eyed parents, he’d have darker coloring than he does. I tell you, I think he gets cuter by the day.

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My child, going commando.

by Jessica on May 27, 2011

Oh my gosh. I am sitting here, shocked, at what Knox just did. I was sitting at my computer, working away, when I hear my mom yelling “Knox?!! What are you doing?!!” Then she starts saying “He’s peeing! He’s peeing out of his diaper! It’s everywhere!” I’m like, “what is going on here??” She runs him to the changing area, undoes his one-piece outfit (like a JonJon with buttons between the legs) and… nothing. She starts telling me, shocked, that I forgot to put a diaper on him! I am adamant that, no, I did NOT forget his diaper! I am not that scatterbrained, even on a bad day. No way! We go back and forth about this, while my mom is laughing at me for being insane and not diapering my child. I knew there was no way I forgot that! I walked into the room to his play area and saw this (excuse the blur, I took these on my Blackberry):

See that green diaper? Yep. My child, THROUGH HIS CLOTHES, undid the velcro on one side of his diaper, let it drop to the floor, stepped out of it, and went along playing on his merry little way. Then, he stood up, sans diaper, and peed all over the blanket (see the upper left quadrant of the photo). And his clothes. And his legs. And the floor. Oh, and there was definitely a pungent little turd in that diaper, too, just to make things more interesting. Oh my gosh. I was really hoping this day would never come, where he decides to be diaper-free and make my life more difficult. We may be diapering him backwards because if he can unvelcro through his clothes, we have some issues!

Here he is, the little stinker, half-naked (for now… until he undoes this diaper) and quite pleased with himself.

Oh. Dear. Me.

Updated: five seconds later, this is what I see.

Yep. Fully naked. He did it again, that squirt! I looked back at him, he was holding his diaper, he laughed and threw it out of his pack n play onto the floor. Now, he is sitting in his blanket-less play pen with a backward diaper on. In the words of Joey on “Friends,” Knox likes “going commando.” Oy! I think I’ve got my hands really full right about now.

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Clean Slate

by Jessica on May 26, 2011

After all the issues we’ve had with my dad’s drinking lately, I am thrilled to say that he checked himself into an in-patient rehab while we were on vacation. I felt like it was such an up-hill battle getting him to see things for how they really were. He called me before we left and told me he was planning on going. He sounded really good and told me he’d actually already stopped drinking on his own and realized he needed to do this not only so he didn’t lose his family, but for himself, as well. Once a spot opened up, he checked in. He actually did it.

He was there for just over a week before the doctor released him. He told me they had him in about five meetings a day, gave him some meds to help with the transition and had him go through some very thorough consultations with their doctors. He called me on Tuesday and told me all about his experience, and I have to say, he sounded better than I have heard him sound in years. He sounded hopeful and very optimistic about his future, saying he is signing up for AA meetings and is looking for, and has some leads on, a job. He told me he really wanted to see us, and I agreed to meet with him this weekend. I feel like giving him something to look forward to and strive for will really help him to stay on the right path. I hope it will, anyway.

I talked with my grandmother for a long time the other day, and she confirmed that he, indeed, stopped drinking before he went to the rehab program and that things had been SO much better at their house. She said when he got back, he looked wonderful and refreshed- no more red-face, which is a big sign of his drinking. She said he kept apologizing to her for all the things he had done and said. She said she knew that wasn’t him, it was the alcohol, and it really was. It’s incredible to me how alcohol can change a person and their personality for the worse. Much worse.

I am praying so, so hard that my dad stays sober because he really does have so much to live for. I want to know, for the first time, what it’s like to have a relationship with my father that is POSITIVE. I hope it can happen. I want him to know Knox and for Knox to know him- the real him without any hint of alcoholism.

It was different to hear my dad refer to himself as an alcoholic, having always denied any semblance of a problem. I think being accountable is really the first step to recovery.

What’s crazy is that all of this started to come about after I started really praying for my dad. I put him on our prayer list in Sunday school and even my pastor prayed for him during our meeting. I tell you, prayer works!! Here’s to hoping a solid, new relationship can come out of this situation!

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Firemen are hot.

by Jessica on May 24, 2011

And I can say that without feeling any sort of guilt because my husband is about to be one!! Trevor GOT THE JOB with the fire department! We are absolutely thrilled. They randomly called him at 10 o’clock one night while we were on vacation. Trevor came inside from playing bocce ball on the beach to excitedly tell me all about it. He had to go find a Kinkos so he could print out his paperwork and fax it in to make things official. His training starts on June 13. The training program is 12 weeks long and runs Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5pm. Once he’s finished with that, he’ll get a raise and get assigned to a fire station. His schedule will be 24 hours on and 48 hours off. This will work out wonderfully because Knox will be able to spend a few days a week with his Daddy so his mother can get some work accomplished!

I am so incredibly proud of my husband. This job journey has been a long one for him (like five years, long), and I am so, so thrilled to see him finally get where he wants to be long-term. It really felt like things were dragging along horribly slowly for him, and we just couldn’t figure out why. He’s such a hard working, dedicated person, but nothing ever seemed to pan out like it was supposed to into a long-term career. God obviously had bigger plans for Trevor than we understood, hence the waiting until this job came along.

I know he is looking so forward to starting this new chapter, and even though I will be, without a doubt, worrying about him a LOT more, now, I am looking forward to it, too.

Thank you for all the prayers you sent our way, we truly appreciate it!

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Glorious Break

by Jessica on May 23, 2011

Well, folks, I am back! This is both good and bad. It’s good that I am back where I have internet access and can sleep in my own bed again (oh, and did I mention that I am SO thankful for a baby-proofed home?? Cuz I am.). Bad that I have to go back to work and can’t spend my days lounging by the pool getting my tan on. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. Our week-long vacation was marvelous! It was so nice not having anything to worry about or having someplace to be- I loved just relaxing.

We went on a few outings, but mainly we hung around the condo, lay by the pool and watched TV… with CABLE. Yes, watching “Real Housewives of New Jersey/ Orange County/ New York” was a big part of vacation for me and the two other girls considering NONE of us have cable anymore. Two other couples came with us: my cousin, Sean, his wife, Sara, and their baby girl, Addison & Trevor’s childhood friend, Zack, and his fiancee, Sarah. Yep, two Sara/hs, but it wasn’t all that confusing.

Each day went something like this: wake up, eat breakfast, change into swimsuits, lay out by the pool until lunch (Knox napped by the pool each day underneath the big umbrella… it rocked), eat lunch, relax, eat dinner, put Knox to bed, have a cocktail and watch “Real Housewives.” It was so nice. Oh yes, and see how I had cocktails? Yes, that’s because I’m not pregnant. I got my period the second day we were there, which was very sad for two reasons 1) I’m not pregnant and 2) no sex while on vacation. Double dose of crap. Oh well. Better luck next time.

I already mentioned Knox napping by the pool, and I have to tell you, he adored the swimming pool. He played in his turtle float, splashed the heck out of his poor parents and wore his little self out. It was around 75 degrees each day, so it was perfect weather for a little snooze under the umbrella (back home today, it’s 95 degrees… I’m sweating just thinking about it). As much as he loved the pool, he HATED the beach and the ocean. He was scared of the sand and terrified of the ocean, so we stuck to hanging out poolside. I tried to do a bit of tanning while he napped. I have a very light tan, now, but I was so freaking pale when we got there I’m surprised I didn’t glow in the dark. I slathered myself with SPF 45 because I was not about to repeat the Great Sunburn of 2010 from Florida. Yowza. I also got to read a book for pleasure- “Water for Elephants,” which I loved and highly recommend.

We took Knox to Ripley’s Aquarium, which is such a neat place, because he is obsessed with fish tanks. He really liked it a lot- but he didn’t like being on the conveyor belt that takes you through the tunnel of fish tanks because he couldn’t touch the glass. He really dug touching the glass.

We also visited Broadway at the Beach, which is a huge shopping area with a boardwalk, movie theater, rides, games, etc. AND I got to go shopping at the outlet twice. That glorious, glorious place. I saved my scrawny amount of personal money for months so I could drop a load of cash at my favorite Banana Republic Outlet. We have a love-love relationship. It’s kind of sickening… I am surprised I don’t start drooling when I walk in the door.

Anyway, that’s enough chatter, time for an extreme picture overload! Seriously, this is going to be a LOT of pictures!