Um, just so you know. I use some strong profanity in this post. Just warning you, okay?

August is getting ready to end and I am eternally grateful for that. It hasn't been a BAD month but it's been really, really hyper. Starting on the first: Debbie and Jodi came and stayed a couple days, then we did the filk convention in L.A. and we spent a day doing Disneyland. I had two days and my brother-in-law Bryan came to stay for about a week. I had two days and I left for the desert with my parents. I'm home and we're throwing the baby a birthday party on Saturday. In addition to all of the above which needed time, energy and money, we had unexpected expenses come up. So, every dollar counts this week. Oh, yeah, a feeling I so enjoy. To top it all off Zoë woke up with a fever yesterday morning around 5:30 a.m. Scott took her downstairs and held her so she'd sleep. Her temperature wasn't that high, around a hundred, so I let Scott take the car to work. I called Kathye to tell her we couldn't come over and why. I thought we'd stay home in the air conditioning and I'd keep her on breast milk and let the fever run it's course and burn out whatever bug she had. All she wanted to do was be held and nurse and doze. She ate a little around 11:00 but she wasn't really acting like herself. Around 1:00 I took her temperature again because she felt hot to me. The digital thermometer under her arm read 102.7, add a degree for under the arm and you get almost 104. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. I gave her a double dose of Tylenol and gave her a lukewarm bath. She screamed and cried when I put water on her back. I called Scott and told him I thought I should take her to the doctor. He said that I should call and see if someone could take us before he left work as it would take him an hour to get home. I called my mom's office and left a message before I remembered that her regular assistant is in Europe with her boyfriend and mom probably couldn't leave. I called Kathye, found out that her husband wasn't working from home that day and said "Okay, never mind I'll call 'Nise." Kathye says "What's wrong." I tell her the baby's temp is up and I need to take her to the doctor but Scott has the car, but Kathye has her kids so I'll call 'Nise. Kathye says "I'll be there in 20 minutes." and hangs up on me. I talk to the dead line for 15 seconds before I realize she's gone. While she's on the way I hear from my mother. She's distressed to hear that the baby is sick and calls my dad. My dad calls to see if I need anything. I tell them both that my friend is on the way and it will be fine. Kathye, Alyssa and Derrick come get us and we go off to Urgent Care. I prefer going to Urgent Care in the late afternoons, even though it's $20 more out of my pocket, because trying to get in to see her pediatrician that late in the day (it was 3:00 by the time we left) is close to impossible and involves 90 minutes in the waiting room and 20 minutes in the exam room. Urgent Care can have me out the door in 45-60 minutes. Zoë perks up in the waiting room. I tell the receptionist "She's been crying all day, I swear." Her temperature is down to 102.5. She gets a dose of Motrin. After all the exams no one seems to know what's wrong but they give me some antibiotcs and I tell the last nurse I see that I feel like an overreactive idiot. She assures me that it's better if I bring her in than not bring her in at all or wait too long. I find Kathye and tell her what a dope I feel like and start crying. We pile in the car to go to the pharmacy and then we go home. I call Scott and my parents. My parents both individually put me through the third degree as to why I didn't have the car.
Zoë is acting her usual self today.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 9:48 AM

Six days in the desert and neither of us is sunburned! Amazing. We had a very nice time. We went swimming two or three times a day, took nice long naps and went to dinner. It wasn't as hot as it usually is in August, only around 100 instead of 110 or 120. For some reason the most entertaining spot the entire week was the grocery store.

Things we witnessed at the grocery store:

Five people, each with a cart, all speaking French to each other. Each of their carts was almost full. They would park all of their carts in one ailse and have loud conversations while taking things off shelves and then putting them back.

A girl wearing sunglasses inside because she's crying. She's saying to the people with her "You just don't have any food that I can eat." They were in the checkout line next to me and she was looking at all the stuff coming down the conveyor belt saying "I can't eat that. I can't eat that. I can't eat that."

A man and wife. The wife is probably sixty with a good plastic surgeon. She's got on this J.Lo. outfit, flared spangled jeans and a halter top with high heels (this is at 3 in the afternoon) and lots of diamonds and make up. Her husband keeps walking down to the end of ailses to find someone who works in the store. When he spots one, instead of walking up to them and saying "Excuse me, I'm having trouble finding...." he just shouts in their direction "Where's the salt and pepper!?" They were in front of me in line. Among other things they were buying a case of Amstel Light and six pack of Tab. When the wife swiped her credit card through the reader the man starts to tell her that she shouldn't have done that, she has to wait until the checker's done ringing everything up, why'd she do that if she's just going to have to do it again? They got into a big Lexus and drove away.

I went with my mom to an upscale bedding store as she's looking for a new bedspread for the new house. She found one she liked but they didn't have the shams. My mom really want to see the bedspread and shams together before she buys the set. They had the shams at their Fashion Island store but not the spread and they could have them sent out for my mom to look at but they couldn't guarantee that they'd be there by Friday. Also, my mother would have to pay a ten dollar transfer fee. Or, she could just buy the spread and then go to Newport Beach and buy the shams. (You can't return anything by the way.) Or they can special order the shams, but the soonest they'd see them is in October and that's only if the manufacturer is making that style this year. Then she'd have to come out and pick them up. We left without buying anything.

Still we had a very nice relaxing time and no one even noticed my legs. Once again my fears are completely unfounded.

Now I just have to get through the baby's birthday party.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 7:27 AM

Well, we are off to the desert tomorrow. I was talking to Scott on the phone today and he asked if I was ready. I replied, "No, I haven't shaved my legs yet." I had this long list of stuff I had to do to prep my bod for a weekend with lots of pool time. Shave, pluck eyebrows, paint finger and toenails, condition hair, cream elbows and knees, exfoliate entire body. I haven't done one of those things and now I'm feeling like I'm about to walk into a formal ball in a dirty t-shirt. I long to be one of those women who never shaves, wears a thong bikini and says "Who cares if I'm a size 24? Deal with it!" Alas, I have not reached that level of confidence, or at least brazeness, yet. I have a bathing suit with a skirt on it. I'll watch my mom obsess about what she eats. I'll listen to her talk about what size she wants to be by the time her friend Jean gets married. (My mother has already bought her dress for the wedding. It doesn't fit her now. It will fit after she loses 10-15 pounds. This is what my mum is like.). Meanwhile, I'll take the baby swimming and order dessert after dinner and wonder if people are thinking mean things about me.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 11:10 PM

It's been really hot here again. In the high 90's by ten in the morning. Around this time of year is when I start to tire of the California weather. Clear and hot? I've had plenty thanks. Today I was trying to think of excuses to go to Pavilion's grocery store by myself as they have a walk in beer refrigerator and I wanted to go stand in it. I find reasons to drive around with the air conditioner in the car on full blast. I'm all ready to start shouting "I've had ENOUGH of this HEAT!" So what am I doing this weekend? Going to Palm Springs with my parents. Projected highs? 120 degrees farenheit. But it's a free trip and we can just stay inside.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 9:43 PM

Zoë is feeling better but I've picked up her bug. Post nasal drip with a big dose of tireds. I'm taking advantage of Scott being home and napping. Oh! To nap in a bed with no one else in it. To sprawl over the mattress, arms and legs akimbo, taking up as much space as possible, is such bliss. To be able to snore with no one to poke you in the ribs whipering "Shut up!" To wad up pillows in any fashion you chose and stir up the sheets into one luxurious nest of cotton. How I miss it!
posted by Amanda Snyder at 2:05 PM

Okay, life is MUCH better around here. Zoë's cold is clearing up. We're enjoying spending time with Bryan. Dan and Dawnise came over last night and we all had a good time. We're going to get some more fish for the fish tank today. I've been able to keep up with the dishes. The air conditioner works. My parents have agreed to sponsor the baby's Gymboree classes for the next three months. Scott loves me. Life is good.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 3:31 PM

Zoë has a cold. Her nose is running and she's sneezing. She waited until Scott's brother Bryan got here to really get down into this whole sinus congestion thing. About 8:30 she started to fuss. At 9:00 she started to cry, and cry, and cry. At 10:00 she started screaming. I tried suctioning out her nose but she was so blocked up I couldn't actually pull anything out. We dosed her up with baby Tylenol and some baby cold medicine and battened down for a long night. The only way she could go to sleep was propped up on Scott's shoulder in the recliner. He sat with her for four hours like that starting at midnight. She woke up at four, the time she usually wants to nurse, and I took over. I pulled out the futon and we were able to lay down and sleep. I hate this part of parenting. I hate hate hate it. I hate knowing that she's uncomfortable and I can't really do anything. And I especially hate the fact that I get angry and selfish after she's been crying for a long time. I try so hard to be patient and I end up whispering "Shut up! Jesus!" after hours of rocking instead of continuing to sing. Her nose is running this morning but she's in better spirits and has been able to nap lying down. We'll see how this goes.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 11:06 AM

For the last week Scott and I have been "vacationing". Debbie and Jodi stayed with us for a couple of days. Zoë and Debbie became fast friends. Zoë has started doing this new thing where she points and shouts when she recognizes someone. She'd do this to Debbie the entire time she was here. After hanging out with them we headed out for ConChord, a filk music convention being held in Van Nuys. It was a surprisingly relaxing weekend. We have to take a ton of gear with us when we travel with the babe. I have to buy jars of baby food and a package of diapers just to take with us. And plenty of changes of clothes for her as she won't wear bibs anymore. Then we have to have toys and books. Don't forget the bath supplies! I take the minimum amount of stuff for myself and Scott always travels light. Now, I thought we had a great deal of equipment until I got a gander at our friends' Paul and Beckett's room. They have twin boys about a year and a half old. They had: 2 travel cribs, a play yard to corrall them into, 2 travel high chairs, diapers, diapers, diapers, baby food, toys, toys, toys, a laptop set up to play dvds for the boys to watch and lots of changes of clothes for each of the twins, plus their double stroller. I got tired just looking at all the gear. Casey and Riley kept them so busy all weekend we hardly saw either of them. Scott and I drug Zoë with us to all the concerts and a couple of open circles. She won over so many people by Saturday afternoon that when Scott and I went up to perform our one song some of the audience was chanting "Zoë! Zoë! Zoë!" She's big into clapping her hands and would clap whenever anyone was done performing, just like everyone else. Debbie and Jodi are part of a trio called Urban Tapestry. When they were doing their concert we had to take Zoë out of the room as she would recognize Debbie and point and shout. We traded off walking her up and down the hallway outside the room or letting her crawl around on the floor. I was very surprised at how much more energy I was expending in trying to keep her playing quietly. When I can let her entertain herself here at home she can make all the noise she wants. But, when you're at a convention dedicated to making music I thought I should keep her as muted as I could. I brought lots of plush toys for her and carried her around a bunch. The more we take her out the more I am amazed at what a good baby she is. She's social, happy and interested in everything around her. We had no trouble with her sleeping in the hotel room. She'd nap in the afternoon and be up for the concerts in the evening. She'd take a bath and go down for the night with hardly a fuss. I kept waiting for it to all come crashing down around me but it never did.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 10:14 PM