Brooks and I bought a new car today, and introduced Morgan to it this evening. She pronounced "Suzi car nice!" Other reactions:
"Suzi car beep!" (Pushing buttons on the key.) "Peek a boo wheel!" (Pulling the cord to reveal the spare tire.) "Papa in Suzi car!" (Andres climbing into trunk)
However the peace didn't last. I asked Brooks to remove the dealership license frames, and Morgan quite happily watched. "Brooks tool! Brooks fix!" But when the frame came off, Morgan became hysterical!
"Oops! Back, put it back! Suzi car broken! Broken! Books fix!" Cries of "Suzi car broken" continued while she clutched the frame and we tried to calm her down. Finally ending with "Suzi car broken... Morgy mama milk."
She snuggled into Theresa utterly baffled that we had broken Suzi's nice new car and weren't upset about it.
Thank you for introducing me to a new potential career while I attempted to "watch" the Virginia Tech Bowl Game (Yay Hokies!), tonight. I'm glad you think I'm highly qualified for the position of playground equipment! I'm still a little unclear which piece you were interviewing me for, though I think it must have been either jungle gym or slide.
While I enjoyed exploring the opportunity and various facets of the job, I'm discovering that there are unexpected drawbacks. Specifically I have new sympathy for the aches and muscle sprains I may have unknowingly inflicted on my own beloved playground equipment. I should go offer a late bottle of tylenol at 6th street park.
So while a career change may not be forthcoming, I do think I earned the title of "world's most patient auntie"---at least for today, and again I did enjoy the opportunity. I do think that I'll need to decline further interviews along these lines.
With much love, Aunt Suzi
*Alexis and Brady are my 4 year-old niece and 20 month-old nephew, respectively.
Hi. *waves* Yes, I'm posting in LJ again. Reading too, though I probably won't try to catch up on everything at once. I needed the break from things, but now that the move is over and life at work seems to be settling down, I find myself missing you guys. So here I am, metaphorically at least.
Literally I'm sitting in my mother-in-law's "town" house (as opposed to the farmhouse) in front of a fire, watching the snow melt on the trees through the window. I got to meet my nephew for the first time last night, and fell in love all over again with my niece. Life is better.
Brady has improved enough to be taken off the respirator. He's still intubated just in case (they don't want to remove it then have to put it back in -- and Brady would probably agree with them.) But things are improving.
My mother also noted that she was going up to see him even though she knew she wouldn't be allowed to actually /see/ him because she was going through grandmother-withdrawal.
And I think that my brother finally got some sleep too.
My new nephew Brady started having problems breathing this morning - as I noted in my last entry he was 5 weeks early and his lungs are a bit underdeveloped. He was struggling for breath and was wearing himself out, so a decision was made to intubate him to ease the burden on his lungs.
He was moved to Roanoke Community Hospital - which is the nearest NICU - with my brother and my family's pastor close behind him. Jessica, who hadn't slept since she went into labor, had to stay in Pulaski until she had slept some, but she and Alexis followed later this afternoon.
Ray, who at this point hadn't slept for almost 3 days (and they weren't easy days either), finally crashed at some point.
Right now only Jessica and Ray are allowed to see Brady, he's still intubated and will probably remain that way for the next couple of days, and is on IV nutrition. My Mom reports that he's "helping" the nurses with his IV line, and his blood results are good. We're all hopeful and confident he'll be ok.
Abba, please watch over him. Set Raygee and Jessica's minds and bodies at rest and let them begin to heal.
GoodThoughts and prayers from any faith (as well as hugs for an anxious (and distant) aunt) are very appreciated.
Brady Adair Kirby didn't want to share my birthday, alas. He waited until 19 minutes past midnight eastern time to be born. He's a month early, and his lungs are a little bit wet so he's under an oxygen hood, but he's fine and cooing. Mother and Father are tired, but doing fine.
His big sister has pronounced him "Coot" and decided that "He can stay." She is up past her bedtime and is running between her mommy and her new baby, pulling whatever adult she can coerce one way then the other. Apparently she'll stay curled up with Jessica for a few minutes then gasp "Baby!" and take off running for the nursery. Where she'll stay for a few minutes then gasp "Mommy!" and run back.
Brady weighs in at 6 lbs and 1.7 oz - which is about a pound less than Alexis. He has a head of dark hair. My mom pronounces that he "has the Kirby toe" (meaning his second toe is longer than his big toe) and the "biggest feet she's ever seen on a newborn (and given that she was an OB nurse for many years, that's saying something.)
It seems that my brother and my sister-in-law are preparing to give me the best birthday present ever.... a nephew.
Jessica is in labor, bringing some much needed joy into what has been a hellish week for my brother. Further updates as things progress.
(Yes, it is my birthday. I'm not big on parties or gifts or such, prefering to have small quiet dinners with family and phone calls with loved ones. However, if I get requests, I can try to figure out how to record a copy of my mother singing to me off my phone...)
One of my co-workers has asked me, as a known SF reader, to recommend a book for her son's next reading project. He's 9 (third-grade), and looking for a science fiction book, and is only finding fantasy. Most of the stuff /I/ know in that age range is fantasy as well, so I thought I'd send out some feelers and see what comes back. He wants something about space exploration, aliens, or the far future.
His mom tells me that he's a good reader, has read all the Harry Potter books, so we can probably recommend a little above average grade level. (Also, since it /is/ for school, he's requesting that it not be terribly long.)
The visit home is going fairly well. It could certainly have gone better, but the worse would have been /much/ worse. The problem is, as always, that we are much loved and everyone wants to be with us /all the time/.
I've visited all the grandparents now too, and that was very . . . hard. Anyway, more later hopefully. For now I'm being summoned into Christmas Eve Dinner. The soup is done.
*hugs and good wishes* to everyone who would like them, and especially anyone who needs them. I love you.
happy
achy
sleepy
giddy
calm
indescribable