Paranoid Pregnant Lady

Either I watch too many Law & Orders or there is something seriously up in my neighborhood. Here are the facts:

• Ry and I went out yesterday to grab a video. As I was driving down the street that enters our neighborhood there was a white SUV pulled over to the side. A woman had her window down. Just as I drove past she whipped out a camera (it appeared she was taking pictures up towards some one's home... (PI, photographer who saw an exotic bird while driving???)
• This morning, as I am talking to Lundy, I notice a cop car in our circle. He is parked in front of a driveway/mailbox 3 doors down from my own. I can't see anyone in the car so I assume Mr. Police Officer is inside the house that he is in front of...
• Prior to getting dressed the cop car has now changed positions. He is almost 4 houses (directly across the street of my own) down. Still facing the same direction.
• Ryleigh pile in the car (this is about an hour after I first saw the cop car) and the cop car is now facing the opposite direction as if he is going to leave our circle. I check our mail from the day before and Mr. Police Officer is in the car.
• When I pull out of our driveway and I am parallel with the cop car I notice Mr. Police Officer pulling out a pair of binoculars just as I am moving forward (Possible Sting Operation??)
• When I am on the road that enters my neighborhood I notice a black van, running, man inside... (uhmmm, probably nothing but just something to note).

So here is my thoughts:

• I've completely lost it AGAIN. When I was pregnant with Ryleigh, Glenn had a "meeting" about his new contract. I was so paranoid that I drove to the meeting and drove around the parking lot, couldn't find his car, so I thought he was cheating on me! He wasn't, I was just grossly paranoid.
• Some thing's going down in the neighborhood for real, like a drug bust, white collar crime, porn??? Maybe MSNBC will be here to film, "How to Catch a Criminal"???
• Probably nothing much... just an overactive imagination who is so bored being a stay-at-home mom.

I vote for the 3rd option.... how boring!!!

Seeing Spots

Ryleigh sitting in her newly painted big girl room. We must visit it everyday!

Why oh why can't pink eye be simpler in my household??? Monday afternoon Ry awoke from her nap and I was alarmed because she had these patches of red with bumps (looked like bug bites) in them. I called and spoke to the nurse and was told it was probably viral, just the bug running it's course after the pink eye episode. Okay, I thought. I was told to call back only if they were on her face because then it could be a more serious problem.

Now don't get me wrong, I understand the whole gatekeeper role the nurses play but I don't call them weekly or even monthly. I call when there is a problem or I have the gut feeling something isn't quite right. But hey, it's just a rash and they're telling me no biggie. So we gave her Benadryl like we were told and they disappeared.

They reappeared Tuesday morning but once again, nothing on her face so Glenn and I took her to gymnastics and did our normal routine. Ryleigh didn't seem any worse for the wear. Tuesday after her nap she had a spot on her face so I called the nurse. Well, it's only one spot so there is no need for alarm. Okay, I thought and went on my merry way of being shut out of seeing a doctor.

Wednesday morning, Ryleigh had no rash so I got her ready and took her to Mom's Day Out. My much needed break from Ryleigh and all things Elmo. I ran a couple of errands (mainly paying off Ryleigh's big girl furniture and getting the lead time... should be here around Valentine's Day!!). I go to pick her up at 1.

She broke out in her rash while at 'school'. Her 2 teachers pointed it out to me and I confessed that I knew but I thought she was fine since she didn't have any when she woke up this morning. I then had to confess she had pink eye over the weekend (but the nurse told me she was ALL CLEAR after 24 hours of taking meds) because I needed one of them to hold her down while I gave her drops. I got a very sour look from one of the teachers but I swear I did nothing wrong. If I thought my child was going to contaminate a room I wouldn't bring her in, trust that!

When I strap Ryleigh in (after I ran out of the hostile environment of 'school') to her car seat I notice the rash... ALL OVER HER FACE!!!! So I feverishly call the doctor's office. They are closed till 1 pm for lunch. It is 1:18 pm - what gives?!?! I am now freaked out and I am driving towards home. I keep calling till they turn off their out to lunch message. I get a hold of the receptionist and explained that I needed Ry to see a doctor that I was told if the rash spread to her face to have her come in (I am tired of dealing with the nurses by now). They are able to see her right away so we swing by the doctors.

Once we arrive the rash disappears from her face (figures). I start looking for other places it maybe and find a small patch on her belly. I now pray that some medical professional will see it before it disappears on me again.

Anyway, she gets in, doc see it, examines her nose, ears (had to get an ear cleaned out while we were there due to wax build up) and throat. Holy cow, her tonsils are covered in white dots and swollen. The doc lets me take a look... yucky!!! They do a strep test and it is negative.

Very long story short... my daughter has a viral infection (with a name I don't remember) that has pink eye, hive like spots and sore throat all associated with it. So now Ryleigh is out of activities for a few days. Although I suspect it's too late and won't make a hill beans difference.

Sneak Peek...

Here is the bed we ordered for Ryleigh's room (twin size in white):

Autism

If you notice there is a new link on the right... I am begging/asking you to click on the link. I found this link through my friend Alisa's blog and she asked that I put it on mine.

"Please visit the link below to watch a heartwarming video of a girl named Claudia who is affected by autism. The band Five for Fighting is donating .49 cents to Autism Speaks each time it is viewed and the lyrics by them throughout the video are inspiring. Please pass along to your friends and family!http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214"

So click on the link, add to your blog, let your friends know. It's a great cause!

How do I know my links...

Okay folks, we all wonder how someone knows their blog crawl. And we check out other blogs that our friends look at so I thought I would explain how I know my "LINKS".

Hayes Family: This is one of my friends that I've know for a long time. She's one of my hometown girls. Although we've known each other since we were young we probably hooked up as friends in high school and became closer there after. She is one of those friends who even if we don't chat all the time, we can just pick up and chat as if we just saw each other last week. She has a great husband and 3 wonderful children whom I got to visit this past summer in Washington.

The Pearsons: Another one of those hometown friends... I've known Courtney FOREVER. She literally is my oldest friend in the world. We met in kindergarten and spent the night at each other's houses and had play dates as kids. We were lucky to get pregnant close together with our first and now our second children will be just the same distant apart in age as our first. We try to get together once a month or so to chat and let the kids play. She is a lifetime friend and I am really blessed to have her in my life.

The Lundy's: This would be a work friend. Meredith and her husband were new to the area (and the state) when I met her. We chatted at work and it developed into a friendship outside of work (which is good since we're both stay-at-home moms). She is my go-to for chic flicks. Before kids we use to go to the movies our husbands had no desire to take us to but we must see. I think the last time we went to a movie was a couple of days before her son Brendan was born... he is now 18 months old so that goes to show how much our lives have changed. We chat quite a bit on the phone and she is my lifesaver when my husband is out of town. I am so glad to be able to have her with my through my parenthood woes!

Fully Charged Double A's: Another friend I met through work. Alisa is Wonder Woman. I have so much respect and admiration for her because this girl has had some curve balls thrown at her in her adult life. She handles everything with grace and she is so upbeat. When I first met Alisa at work (we were on a team together) I thought there was no way I would be friends with her outside of the work place but here we are several years later... Alisa is so busy with her life and children that we don't get together too often but someone I always hope to maintain some sort of contact with... she is what you call good people. She has 2 beautiful children and she tells their tales in her blog. A must read!

Counting It All Joy: Tam-e is a girl from my hometown... yup, love the hometown girls. She is actually good friends with my friend Amanda (Hayes Family). They have kept in touch over the years and when Amanda started blogging I got hooked up to Tam-e's family blog. Tam-e was also a big help in our hs reunion. She helped connect me to a lot of folks from our class. Tam-e is fantastic and she too is a stay-at-home mom to 4. She has given me some advice through my blog which I am so grateful to have. Her experience as a mom is fantastic to have in your back pocket!

Bits & Pieces: Oh Jessey...how do I explain. Actually this one is easy. She went to college with Meredith (The Lundy's) at UC Davis (I hope I have that right girls). When Meredith started her blog I also started reading Jessey's blog. She is hysterical and I can get a good chuckle out of some of her misfortune's (sorry Jess but some of the things that happen to you... almost unbelievable that they are just too funny). Also she LOVES celeb gossip which is always so fun to read after some crazy incident happens. Her writing just tickles my fancy and I love to check on what is going on with her. She is what I term the blog friend! So glad I met ya!

Then there are the other two... Post Secret and Dooce. I don't have any connection to them. I actually have stopped reading them (well I still read Dooce... I use to be big into it but not so much now). Dooce is like the blog mama. She is huge. Her blog supports her entire family! Pretty fantastic if you ask me. She does write some funny stuff and I love her monthly letters to her daughter. She is just a great writer and so she is nice to read.

Alright kids, there you have it. How I know the folks I list on the right side column. Now don't get me wrong, I read others... I just don't have them listed. How about you... do you read your friend's friends blogs???

Gymnastics

I enrolled Ryleigh in a gymnastics class at our local rec center. My original thought was to send her to Buckeye Gymnastics but then I changed my mind. I want to see if she has an interest before putting her in at Buckeye. I am glad I did, because another mom pal of mine said that Buckeye was pretty intense and her son cried!

Ryleigh hasn't shed any tears but she is scared of Coach Mike. He's a boy and we just don't like boys we don't know. She is very good at listening though and runs to the yellow crayon to sit when he asks. She just tries to avoid being near him the rest of class.

This last week I was lucky to have Glenn home so he tagged along so we could get some photos...

Ryleigh sitting on the yellow crayon

Trying to do her first somersault

Hanging from the bar with daddy helping her

Pink Eye

Enough said!