Jennifer's Diary Entries Diary Navigation: Choose A Diary Entry -------------------- Latest Entry: 7/6/03 -------------------- 6/23/03 6/13/03 6/8/03 5/12/03 5/1/03 4/26/03 4/20/03 4/10/03 3/25/03 3/18/03 3/3/03 2/25/03 2/13/03 2/8/03 1/31/03 1/21/03 1/12/03 1/5/03 12/30/02 12/23/02 12/16/02 12/9/02 11/21/02 11/5/02 10/27/02 10/13/02 10/6/02 9/30/02 9/23/02 9/18/02 9/1/02 8/26/02 8/23/02 -------------------- Jennifer's Introduction

January 5, 2003

January 5th, 2003
Collin is 18 months old.


**Flu bug - GO AWAY!"

Collin is sick again. He seems to have the same stomach/intestinal virus he had over Christmas. He was sick on Dec. 23, 24, & part of the 25. This time he started throwing up at 4am on January 3rd (Friday), continued to throw up and dry heave all morning, finally stopping and crashing out for a three hour nap around noon. He's still sick today (Sunday) but at least he's not throwing up, he's just having those wonderful blowout diapers. Poor babe! He's playing and acting normal and drinking just fine, so I'm not too worried. I've tried getting him to drink Pedialyte but he'll take two or three tiny sips, give me a gross look and throw his cup on the floor. I've tried grape and the orange/fruit and he doesn't like either one. I figure as long as he's drinking any liquid and he's having wet diapers, he's okay. Like any parent though, I just hate the fact that his body isn't feeling well. I must admit that I would rather deal with the yucky diapers than I would all the projectile vomiting. I can't even remember the number of times I changed and washed his bedding Friday. It was a cycle of changing sheets, clothes, diapers, bathing and cleaning up the floor all day. It's okay though, I don't mind. I just want Collin to get better and get back to him being able to keep his food down and in! I've heard that this nasty virus hangs around for a while. My MIL said that one of her friends at church has a granddaughter and the virus hung around her for 3 weeks. My MIL loves to embellish and exaggerate stories so I'm not sure if it's true or not but it seems possible.


**Now where DID I put that list?**

I know it's only January and I still have a good 5 months ahead of me, but being the freakish planner that I am, I've already started planning Collin's 2nd birthday party. On New Year's Day I was just sitting around and a few idea's popped into my head. Well, before they could leave, I ran to my trusty pad of paper and started jotting down thoughts. Mark and I talked over a few things and thought that a Construction party would be really fun. Since Collin was born in June it will be nice to have the party out in our back yard. Hopefully it won't be too hot, but if it is, we'll have it inside and have just as much fun. I haven't planned it out in great details, just started making some notes and lists. I've come up with some adorable idea's for the food, invites, decorations and games. We aren't having a big party, just something smallish and fun for the adults and kiddo's that come by. I'll write about this more as it gets later into the year. I know it's so early now but I at least feel better knowing we have a "plan."

Speaking of plans, if you know me, you know I'm a person who doesn't feel right unless I have a plan of some sort. I love making lists (and lists and lists) and I'm always trying to stay one step ahead. It doesn't always work, but I feel so much better when I know I have something mapped out. I'm not so obsessive that I break down when I don't have a plan or a list, I just feel more organized I guess. Well, this brings us to baby #2. My plan is to wait and start trying at the end of this year, beginning of next. Imagine my surprise when Mark suggested on New Year's Eve that we stop "being careful" and try now. What? and blow all my plans out of the water? No way! (grin) I've thought about this a lot and I have many good reasons to wait. I want to spend more time with Collin, have one more summer, birthday, Halloween, Christmas with him. I want to work in the yard this spring and summer, I want to ATTEMPT getting this body back in shape (or at least somewhat) and I'd like to have a fall baby. I'd also like to drop the caffeine out of my diet (which isn't much) and start taking my folic acid. Does all that make me selfish? Yes, maybe but I just think it would be better for all of us if we waited just a bit more. Mark thinks we should start trying now since it took us almost a year to conceive Collin. I'm just not sure. For now, I'll continue to count my days and hide from Mark near and on "O" day. Who knows, maybe we'll start earlier but I just don't feel comfortable starting right now. Of course I also know that God is in charge and he will bless us with another angel when it's time. I love the proverb that Kim B. (SKT writer) used in her newest entry. "A mans mind plans his way but God directs his path." Oh so true! I would love to have another baby and have the opportunity to raise another child along with Collin so I'll just pray that God blesses us when the time is right for us. As far as I'm concerned, any time is the right time, but left up to me, I'd like to wait a few more months. I'll keep you posted!


**Time to take the trash out!**

Okay, I must mention this because even a day later I'm still just as shocked and mortified as I was when I encountered the situation. Saturday afternoon Mark, Collin and I went to Wal-mart to pick up a few groceries and household items. Mark HATES Wal-mart with a passion because it's a super Wal-mart and it's jammed packed on the weekends. Jammed full kids screaming and running all over, babies crying, slobs, freaks and weirdo's everywhere. You all know what I'm talking about right? Well, I don't mind it because I know it's the cheapest place to get household items, they have a good selection and it's big so I don't feel cramped when shopping. Anyway, the place was crawling with all walks of life that day and we ended up waiting in line for over 20 minutes. Finally we check out and got ready to go. We head on over to the mini-arcade, which is right by the doors, so that Collin can ride Barney, which is always a must when we go to Wal-mart. As we are patiently waiting our turn we see the definition of WHITE TRASH. A woman, probably in her early to mid 20's with two kids, a daughter in the cart (maybe about a year old) and her son running ragged in the arcade (probably about 7 or 8). The woman LEFT HER baby daughter totally unattended in the cart while she and her scaggley friend went off to shove money in the claw machine. Meanwhile her son is yelling and screaming and running all over. The woman actually gets something from the claw machine but starts yelling to her friend about how it "wasn't the damn frogs I was trying to get! I bet'cha I could go and get my frogs now. DAMN IT!" As if that wasn't enough, she plowed on over to her cart and was yelling for her son to "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE. WE GOTTA GO!" Of course the son starts whining and screaming for more money to play more of the gun game (oh dear God!) and the mother lets loose. She runs over, grabs her son by the arm, throws him to the floor and starts walking back to her cart while YELLING "Get your F*%#*ing ass over here before I kick your ass all over!" I was so shocked that I didn't know what to do or say. Collin was watching the whole thing and he looked at me and started mock yelling (because he's really into Monkey see, Monkey do right now). My heart was palpitating because I was seconds away from saying something to the woman about how she shouldn't be talking to her children that way, especially in the company of other children. I was so angry! I really just wanted to grab something from our cart (loaf of bread maybe or a nice heavy 12 pack of soda) and bash her over the greasy head! Before I even got the chance to politely mention something to her, she was off and tagging her screaming son with her. How Wal-mart is that? I just couldn't believe that ANYONE, much less a "mother" would talk to her children that way and especially out in public. I was trying my hardest to shoot her daggers while glaring at her but this woman just went on with her business and didn't even glance around her. Obviously this is "normal" behavior to her and her children so what good would it have done if I would have mentioned anything. Probably just caused a big stir as I'm sure she would have mouthed off something to me about minding your own business and then I would have had to come back with something about talking like trash in front of other children and it could have gotten ugly. No way I wanted to be apart of that. All the way home I just kept talking about how sad it was to know that people out there actually talk to kids that way. So sad. And we wonder why kids these days disrespect adults, teachers, baby-sitters, etc., the way they do. Gee, I wonder!

I just finished reading the Nanny Diaries. Excellent and fun book to read. Anyone else read this? I'm now starting the third Harry Potter.


That's about all this time. Have a great week.
Until next time...
Hugs, Jennifer & Collin


**Website - http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/n/nebraskacollin