Becoming 3reillys

Jack and Daddy

susannah — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:45:28 +0000

This is Jack and Jay after apple picking in Sturbridge two weeks ago. Jack had a great time this year, finding the apples and picking (pulling really hard) them off the trees. He filled a small bag quickly, and even though we haven’t finished all those apples, we may need to go one more time before the season is over.

Commissioned artwork

susannah — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:32:01 +0000

Jack really likes drawing on the chalk board. He likes the whole idea of drawing and then wiping it off to start with a clean slate. Today he asked me to draw a train. I got a bit carried away. I think his favorite part was counting how many “T”s I drew.

Best news of the week: Sammy went home today. He’s doing really well and looks just fantastic — rosy cheeks and pink lips. I’m so happy he’s ok and at home with his folks. Check out this awesome photo Erika took of him today. Makes me smile. :)

I do not have a bullseye on my forehead

susannah — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:59:23 +0000

So I really wish he would stop throwing things at me. Like forks. And food. And trains. But especially forks.

I’m tired of ducking. And even more tired of not ducking quick enough.

Playing with a stick

susannah — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:17:36 +0000

Trying out embeded video from flickr. Lemme know if you cannot see it. (And if you cannot, whether or not you have permission to view photos from my flickr stream.) Thanx!

Random thoughts from the day

susannah — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:15:19 +0000

Went to CHB and saw Sammy and his folks this afternoon. Sammy was sleeping, and he looked really good. Nice and pink and like himself. E seemed to be doing pretty well today, which made me happy. :)
Jack hung out in the lounge on the CICU floor for a bit this afternoon while Jay and I were visiting with Erika and Jay at different times. He had a blast entertaining Sammy’s paternal grandparents. Jack played a “three bears” kind of game, going from chair to chair, climbing up on them, announcing this one was too hard, or too soft, or just right.
Jack was reading a “No Cell Phones” sign in the lounge — he spelled cellular, “C-E-eleven-U-L-A-R.”
I’m having WAY too much fun playing fantasy football. I’m listening to FF podcasts during the week, reading all the research online, watching pre-game shows carefully — and my team (Team Orange Train) is all of 1-2. Ah well.
This blog is now optimized for the iphone. :) If you visit 3reillys.com/blog on your iphone (or ipod touch, or android phone), you will find a nicely iphone formatted version. Try it!

Even more hugs and kisses than normal…

susannah — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:50:56 +0000

…is what Jack is being subjected to this evening. Jay and I just got home from spending the day with Erika and Jay at Children’s Hospital Boston. Sammy had a scheduled cath yesterday and an anatomical anomaly came up. The doctors dealt with it just fine and all was well, until early this morning when a piece of hardware dislodged itself. Sammy had UNscheduled open heart surgery today to fix the problems. He did great, the surgeon seemed pleased, and he’s now recovering in the CICU.

Jay and Erika are doing okay, considering they expected to be home right now, and instead are looking at several more days at CHB and a longer recovery. Please keep Sammy and E & J in your thoughts. Support from friends and family really means a lot to them.

I’m sighing deeply this evening. Feeling a bit guilty to be comfy at home while my friends are at the hospital. But I’m also feeling thankful — so thankful Sammy is ok. Thankful for CHB’s amazing doctors. Thankful for my friends.

And thankful for my own little boy, who is getting lots of extra hugs tonight, even though he threw his fork at me during dinner tonight.

Rock climbing

susannah — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 03:55:49 +0000

Jack has become quite the climber. He happily climbs up, on and over just about everything these days, and really likes annoucing, “Jack did it!” when he conquers his latest Everest.

Big kid on the playground

susannah — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:40:59 +0000

Jack was extremely independent on the playground today — climbing and sliding and running. It was really nice to sit on a bench and just enjoy watching him play.

Anatomy of a bicycle

susannah — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:33:11 +0000

So there is a particular bike that is often parked/locked up right outside our house on the sidewalk. It’s a pink Bianchi, at least ten years old, with animal print on the saddle.

A couple of days ago, Jack and I met the owner of the bike on the sidewalk, during one of Jack’s many walks around our house. She smiled at Jack and offered him a flower that she had just picked in her garden. She told Jack the flower was called a "cosmo." Jack announced, "Jack has purple cosmo," and smiled.

Later Jack walked by the bike and started looking closely at the different parts of the bicycle. He would point at a part and I would tell him the name of it. But as the game wore on, I felt like he was being a little too touchy-feely with someone else’s mode of transportation, and I told Jack that we were going to leave the lady’s bicycle alone now.

Fast forward to today. Jack walked up to the bike on the sidewalk, and started telling me all about the different parts of the bicycle. At least I think he was talking about the bike…

Jack, verbatim, on the parts of the bike: "This is the lady’s break. This is the lady’s wheel. This is the lady’s seat. This is the lady’s rack."

Doctor Jack

susannah — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:59:43 +0000

Jack has been a fan of Maisy books for quite a while now. A couple of Maisy books have been on heavy rotation for a few days, including "Doctor Maisy." In the book, Maisy’s teddy bear, Panda, has a fever and is sick. It seems the story struck a chord with Jack.

(Scene: 8am, shortly after mom walks into Jack’s room.)

Jack: Doggie is sick. Doggie have a fever.
Mom: I’m sorry to hear that. Should we take Doggie’s temperature?
Jack: Take Doggie’s temperature with temperature gauge?
Mom: We can take Doggie’s temperature with a thermometer.

(We get the digital thermometer and put it under Doggie’s ear. Jack intently watches the numbers climb all the way from 91.3 to 92.5.)

Mom: Look Jack, 92.5 degrees. Doggies temperature is perfect! Doggie is well and he doesn’t have a fever anymore.
Jack: (smiles) Doggie is not sick.

Jack and a healthy Doggie on the drive to Hyland Orchard this past weekend.

Doggie has been a great friend to Jack. I’m glad Jack is looking out for him. :)