Birdie Has a Tummy Bug | Update

Birdie woke up a little after three (unheard of!), but then was just sort of resting in her crib. She finally squawked just before four, and Julie went to get her. It was a lovely day here again, so they went outside and watched the late afternoon comings and goings from a blanket, banged around on the musical table a bit, and read some books. Mostly though, Birdie just wanted to snuggle. So snuggled she was, before a little spin around the neighborhood. She had a little water (a very little--indignant wailing ensued when it was taken away because Julie didn't want her gulping it on an empty tank) which she threw up within the hour. But she rallied to iChat with her Aunt Kate for Kate's birthday (though truth be told, Joe did most of the talking for the two of them). She has so far, kept down the tiny bit of water and breast milk she had before bed. She was sleeping soundly (albeit wheezily--still has her "smoker's congestion"!) before Wails McGee went in and wailed it up for nearly 45 minutes, and before I-Like-To-Shove-The-Door-Open-and-Mosey-On-In Berenice shoved their door open and moseyed on in. Obviously Birdie will be home again tomorrow. She's meant to have her annual visit with the birthmark specialist, but we'll see how she is in the morning.

Birdie Has a Tummy Bug

Well, as wrote yesterday, the fun never does stop around here! Ms. Shelby called Julie around eleven this morning to report that Birdie had vomited twice. She had managed to get it in her ear, so she was, apparently, stripped down and bathed in one of the little sinks in the room with--from the smell of it--the soap in the institutional dispenser. Poor Birdie. The indignity of it all! So Julie dashed out to collect her. Upon arrival, she found Birdie sitting like a big little girl at the little table having a cracker and some water. Ms. Shelby, wisely and mercifully, had not given Clara the tacos that were on the menu for lunch. The Birds stopped at the little Target quickly to pick up some more bananas, some applesauce, and some Saltines and then headed home. They were SO CLOSE to home when Birdie threw up again. She was bathed again and rocked down to sleep, which came on quick.

Clara's Pants

After we came inside, Julie wanted to get the laundry from yesterday put away, and some ironing done (the fun never stops around here!), so she trooped upstairs and Ted nicely agreed to come, too, so there were extra hands to keep the wee hands away from the ironing board and the iron's cord. Julie set up a little barricade cordoning off the side of the floor where she was ironing, and Ted started to edit some home videos. He had just finished viewing some footage of Joe wearing Clara's pants when Joe announced he needed to go downstairs. This is how he was found.* Fans, can't you just hear the little gears clicking? "Clara's pants! Wearing those was super fun! I forgot how super fun that was. . .I need to go find me some of Clara's pants. Maybe a shirt, too. . ."

*Eagle-eyed readers will note the presence of his (Little Gym) medal on the floor in the background. It had been put in the drawer of the desk upstairs during a tidying up sweep and was rediscovered during the obligatory opening up of the desk drawer when upstairs.

Front Yard Clean-Up

As we've reported, spring has been slow to come to Minnesota, and we've had quite a bit of snow. We had thought we'd give the yard another week to dry out, but it was a warm day with the sun going in and out, so we got after the front yard (easier than the back; plus, the grass is "resting" in the back after a fall and winter of dog wear) while the bambini were napping, and kept at it after they woke up. Clara rode around in the Ergo carrier for the first time, and Joe was everywhere: helping rake, picking up sticks, poking the ground with the weeding fork, moving rocks, lining up the broken trellises. The place would go to pot without him.

Saturday Mornings

Of late, the Birds have fallen into a routine on Saturday mornings, in which Julie begins cleaning the kitchen usually, before putting Clara down for her nap at 9am. The, Julie races about to finish the rest of the cleaning before Clara wakes up at 11am, including keeping the laundry going. If everything goes smoothly, the cleaning is wrapping up just as Clara is popping up, and then, the Birds can fold laundry together before starting lunch so its nearly ready by the time the boys come home from Little Gym and doing the week's shopping. Last Saturday, the Birds were able to fold laundry on the porch. This Saturday, it was overcast so the porch didn't warm up enough to really enjoy being out there, so the Birds folded the laundry inside in the living room. Berenice supervised from the couch. Baby Bird supervised Berenice.