What's up my peoples?

My Aunt Emily who's not really my Aunt but Mommy and Daddy say that she is so I guess she is... anyway, she took my picture on Friday! She's really nice, I like her. Mostly because she says I'm cute. She's so right!

She took lots of pictures of me and one of me and Mommy:

Aw my mommy loves me!

But I am sad today because Mommy & Daddy took me to my Grandpa and Nana's house. I think I am allergic to something there because I'm all snuffly and sneezy now. Mommy gave me a vapor bath and sucked the boogers out of my nose - well, you did, Mommy! - and now I'm in bed snuffling and snorking. Poor me! But I bet it will be ok and we will figure it out so that I can still go and visit Grandpa and Nana because I sure likes them.

I has a infec- a infarc- a BOOBOO on my heinie and Mommy freaked the heck out and rushed me off to the doc. Jeez, Mommy, it's just a little booboo! But the doc says it is a yeast infect- a whatever - and that they has to put cream on it like four times a day and I don't know how many that is but it's a LOT. Mommy felt better after she went to see the doctor lady but I could have told her it was a booboo.

So I don't feels good and my heinie is itchy from the darn cream. But I am cute and that is what matters!

The Boo Brain

Someone suggested that I should write a story from the perspective of my cats. I think that someone is a glutton for punishment, but here goes...

Today we're discussing the Brain of Boo. This would be she:

Isn't she cute :)

Boo's original "vet name" is Rogue, because of the black-and-white face. But as I always do with my cats, I started calling her Boo, and it stuck like glue. She's also known as BooBear, which I think is rather dignified, don't you?

So the annoying thing about Boo is that she doesn't eat food. She eats treats. If you put food in her bowl, she will sniff it condescendingly and then look at you like, "WE will not be eating this today, take it away slave!" and walk away. Note the use of the royal "we." And yet it never stopped her from checking the bowl just for curiosity's sake, to see what we'd put in there. She knew she wasn't going to eat it; she just had to check it out, though. That's a cat. Dog owners are missing out.

No, Boo likes her treats. Funny story about the treats. She used to eat these Purina brand treats in a purple bottle. They were shaped like little fishies and smelled foul. She loved them, ate them like candy. She'd sit on the coffee table and lean forward, all four pawsful of toes lined up on the edge, staring at Jon until he gave her a treat. I think he held out for 17 minutes once, but that was it. Every now and then she'd blink.

And then one day we ran out of the Boo treats. Oh, the horror! I think she lost 3 pounds in a week. For a 10 pound cat, that's serious. We'd walk through the living room, past her emaciated (not really) frame lying akimbo on the floor, and her soulful hollow eyes would follow us as if to say, how can you do this to me, you horrible, horrible people. It was very stressful.

I hauled my pregnant butt all over town for a new bottle of treats. Apparently, Purina in their infinite wisdom decided to refurbish the treat recipe. It was now in a blue bottle, and it was no longer princess-worthy. She wouldn't touch it.

I took to the interwebs to find my princess some treats. My first stop was Petsmart online. Huzzah, they had the treats in the purple bottle! I ordered a case - I was not going to run out ever again, by all that is holy! The case of treats arrived, but - horrors! - they had sent the blue bottled treats. Apparently, Purina (again, being infinitely wise) had changed the recipe somehow so that Boo wouldn't touch the treats, but they were using the same product code and SKU.

We returned the treats forthwith - for shame, Petsmart!

I then googled the things, and found an entry at another pet food website for the treats in the purple bottle. No more fool I, I called the customer service line and asked them, "Is the picture correct, are these the treats in the purple bottle?" The wise customer service person smartly said, "Yes, I see that there is a picture and the bottle is, indeed, purple." Stellar! I ordered a case.

You see where this is going, don't you?

The case of treats arrived and the bottles were blue. By the gods, people, DO YOU NOT KNOW?!?!? My cat, she starves! The eyes looked up at me: why, mommy, why? I cried.

But then, Jon and I had an epiphany. She doesn't care about the color of the bottle! No, our cat is much more intelligent than she looks! She wants FISH SHAPED TREATS!

Luckily for us, for she was about to perish, or so she said every five minutes or so, Pounce makes a fish-shaped treat. So, after two orders and returns of nasty foul blue-bottled cases of treats, we finally found a treat that Boo will abide. The crisis was finally averted and our little kitty lives.

Then there is the matter of cuddlez. Cuddlez are to occur every evening at 9:27 pm and are to last for exactly 4 minutes and 58 seconds, no more and no less. You think I'm joking. And they will only take place on the fuzzy (fleece blanket) in the bedroom that lays upon the bed. I must - MUST! - get into bed and pull up the fuzzy, and she will then - and only then - deign to sit with me for cuddlez. I shall not grab her or restrain her in any way.

Such is a cat. Dog owners, eat your hearts out!

Happy Easter!

We hope everyone had a lovely holiday, should you celebrate it. If you don't, we hope everyone had a lovely Sunday :)

We spent the weekend in the Newton/Des Moines area. Ian spent Saturday night at Grandma and Grandpa's house, while Trusty Sidekick Known As Daddy and I went to Des Moines and stayed overnight at a hotel for some mommy-and-daddy-time. We stayed at the Suites at 800 Locust hotel. Here's some pics of the hotel room (sorry, it's a little messy. I ran around and took pics right before we checked out, and we weren't about to make the bed just for pics).

Yes, that's seriously a sprinkler head IN the shower. WTF??

Double whirlpool tub. Ahh, heaven!

Floor-to-ceiling curtains.

Gas fireplace with leather seating area.

It really was a wonderful stay, except for some very minor cleaning issues (the gunk in the whirlpool jets that came into the water because no one had flushed the pipes, a very small amount of mold in the shower). The room service was way overpriced ~ we spent about $70 for 2 dinners. But the lounge was great, and the bartender was awesome; I just wish there'd been some live jazz like they advertised. Unfortunately, it being Easter weekend, it was pretty dead. But that was sort of nice - it was like we lived in the hotel and were the only ones there.

So Ian loved being with Grandma and Grandpa. I had a little trouble leaving him, it was my first night away from him. I thought I'd be ok, since he's been going to day care after all. And I *was* OK... until we were on our way from Des Moines back to Newton. Trusty Sidekick Known As Daddy drove WAY too slow! If you ask him, he'll say he was following the speed limit, but I needed my baba! I told him to step on it, but he wouldn't, and then everyone made fun of me! I can't help it that I was crying a little when I finally got to him. He's my baby and I make no apology for loving him and missing him when I was away!

Anyway, here's some pictures from this weekend:

http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj257/Spainey/?action=view&current=4e87de61.pbw

I'm 3 months old!

What's up my peoples?

I'm taking a quick break from drooling and growing new teeth to show y'all my Easter pictures and my 3 month old shots. Am I cute or what?
Don't make fun of my boogers or I'll pee on you!


http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj257/Spainey/?action=view&current=1efb3cf6.pbw

A stressful week

Last week was pretty stressful for the Spain family.

I was working from home on Monday through Wednesday, however I also had to run around town getting our office up and running. On Thursday, I started back in the office.

Wednesday was Ian's first day in day care. He did much better than his mommy did! I admit some tears were shed. He likes his day care lady (Abby) and is all smiley when I pick him up, so I think she's taking good care of him.

Last week we think he was having a growth spurt. He was very fussy and was asking to be fed a lot. I tried a couple of days of adding a bit of rice cereal to his bottle (as his pediatrician said he'd have me start doing at 4 months - I figured, if he was ready at 3 months, to give it a try), and he liked it. But the lactation consultant made me feel guilty about it, so I stopped.

She also said that Ian isn't gaining enough weight. He's 14 pounds this week, which according to my pediatrician, is average. According to the doc, breastfed babies should be gaining 1/2 to 1 oz per day; he gained 16 oz in 28 days, so that's about right. However, the lactation lady says that it should be 1 oz per day, and anything less means he's not being fed well. I have been feeling badly about my mommy skills ever since she gave me a hard time about it. I know that he's healthy and happy and developing normally, but I hate it when people try to make me feel guilty.

I had to go out and buy some 3-6 month sleepers today. I thought we were well-prepared for this size, but I haven't been able to find any clothes in that range. We had maybe 4 sleepers that fit him. So I bought a bunch of 3-6 sleepers and some 6-9 month sleepers, so we should be well-stocked now. He will be 3 months old on Monday, so according to the size charts he's right on track.

Pumping is still going well although it's a challenge to get it done at work. I share an office with one other person, but she won't start coming into the office until Monday the 17th. So last week I was able to pump in my office; starting Monday, I will have to go into the bathroom. Supposedly, we'll have a conference room that I can use, starting on April 1st. I'll believe it when I see it! It will be a relief to not have to pump in the bathroom. Still, I am determined to keep on truckin'

We don't have any new pictures to show this week, but I do have a video of Ian rolling over that I will post as soon as we buy a cable to connect the video camera to the computer.

Another first...

Ian picked his first booger today.

We are so proud.

Knock, knock my peoples!

Did you miss me?

I had to take a quick break from my crying and slobbering to show y'all my new pictures.

http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj257/Spainey/?action=view&current=495d5a79.pbw

They're fantabulous! I suppose there's some pictures of Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Jeff and Aunt Pam and stuff, too. But it's all about ME! Yay!

A Modern Freeverse Poem, by Victoria

Sometimes,

I think my son is a genius.

Then,

he plops his foot in a diaper full of poo.

And I am forced to reconsider.