Thankfully it's Thursday

[jwinct]

Almost the weekend. 

[jwinct]

The tree guys came on Tuesday and took down all but 2 trees in my backyard and came back yesterday to grind all the stumps. I couldn't believe they were able to take them all down in one day. I'm kind of in shock at how bare it looks and how exposed we are to the house behind us. It's not that the trees were clustered together enough to actually create any sort of real privacy at all, but it just looks so different and bare. It's so much brighter, though, which I love! We were already planning to put 6' vinyl fencing all around our backyard this spring, so I told DH that now I want to put a 10 foot fence up along the back, and do the rest 6' panels. But, the fence panels we're planning to get don't come that tall, and DH said there's not enough room in our budget to do that anyway. So, now I'm planning to plant some arborvitae along the back fence for privacy. Just trying to figure out which variety would be the most ideal for our needs. I cannot wait until the weather warms up enough for the house to get painted, and then put up the new fence. It's going to look so much better than it currently does!

[hikingmama222]

jwinct I can't wait to get going on some house projects this spring. The outside of our house needs some TLC. First up is a new roof. I'd like to repaint the trim and replace our front and side doors. Windows need a good clean as well.

DH and I got out for a quick ride on our motorcycles last night. Felt so good to get out! Even thought it had been almost 18 months since I'd been out, I felt really comfortable.

Only plan for today is stopping by our rental. The gas company is coming to change the meter and I've got to let them in to relight the pilot light on the furnace. DD needs a spring/rain jacket and Carter's has 25% off their outdoor stuff, so we'll pop in there. I'm sure we'll end up outside to go for a walk and play at the park. My mom took the kids last night and put DS in the swing and he loved it.

[Deleted]

After yesterday's shenanigans, today I plan on doing as little as possible.

So many projects are being considered here. We want to add a 2nd storey (story?) on the house. Got a quote for a 115k. So we need to take out a loan for about 150k (contingency and all). Our mortgage is up for renewal, but I doubt any lender in their right mind would allow us to essentially double our mortgage. Anyone have any tips?

[hikingmama222]

@snuff9861 No advice but good luck! We finally just got done with the process to get a 30k secured line of credit against our rental to build a garage and do some other work.

[sanibel21]

@jwinct we got a bunch of trees taken down last year and I felt totally exposed to the neighbors!! I had major buyers remorse. I've gotten used to it now. But I wish there had been some trees on the perimeter that would have lessened that exposed feeling.
hikingmama222 that is so great you got to go for a ride yesterday!
@snuff9861 hope DD2 behaves better today.
We had another rough night, but have committed to sleep training so hopefully relief in is the future. Dd1 is at preschool and I've gotten some stuff done for her friend birthday party.
I can't wait for the nicer weather. Both for getting the girls and myself outside, but also the outdoor chores. Just feels good to work outside. Since we got the trees down last year, I have a better spot for my vegetable garden that I'm excited to get going. I think I'm gonna set up a little garden/mud pie kitchen area for DD1 too. I've seen some cute stuff on pinterest.
We may run out after naps for last.minute parry stuff or do that tomorrow. I'd like to get some house cleaning done too.

[becole]

I am around. We had a tree taken down last year and grew grass seed over it. It still looks a bit like a hill and not flat.

[fem]

House projects just stress me out right now. DH can do almost anything himself, but finding the time is the stressful part these days. We do need to paint the outside of our house this summer though.

This morning was super stressful. It took 2.5 hours just to get all of us dressed and fed. Not much break in this spring break.

[Deleted]

DD is being quite reasonable today. She went down around 9, fussed until 930ish but no hollering and carrying on. She's still asleep.

[jwinct]

Here are before and after pics. Please excuse our ghetto shed. DH threw some temporary plywood on for doors because the doors were all rotted. We badly need a new shed, but that's not happening anytime soon. And the crappy fencing belongs to our neighbors. I can't wait to put up the white, vinyl privacy fencing... it'll look so much nicer and my dog won't be able to climb over it!

[Deleted]

jwinct
LOVE IT. It makes the yard look so much bigger.

[jwinct]

@snuff9861, Thanks! We think so, too. We are planning to get a pool sometime in the next coupe of years, so it'll be nice to be rid of those extra leaves and have the extra room. Though, we're thinking of planting some arborvitae along the back fence as a privacy hedge. I think they're slender enough that it shouldn't take up too much room.

[erien22846]

jwinct, You'll get used to the change. It sounds like you did it for all the right reasons. Now you just have to pretty it up with a new fence and landscaping.

@snuff9861, Glad to hear your DD is cooperating today.

[smallpotato]

Hi everyone!

G woke himself up by coughing at 3:30 this morning, and would not settle down until I nursed him at 4:30. He went back in at 5, my alarm went off at 6, and I went back to sleep until N woke up at 6:30. I was in a bit of a rush after that. G did not wake up until after 9. He also has not pooped since Monday, so MH is trying the thermometer trick and some other stuff so he won't blow out at day care tomorrow.

Is anyone else's baby drooling so much it's causing them to cough? We seem to think that, combined with some post nasal drip, is causing the coughing. It only seems to be bad when he wakes up. MH was able to suck a bunch of snot out of his nose once he woke up this morning. I wish whatever teeth he's working on would just come through. So. Much. Drool.

[ksyknelvr73]

YES smallpotato. DD coughs and coughs and she is soaked in drool. It's awful. I don't even see a tooth at all and she isn't sick so I know it's teething and wish something would just pop through. She sleeps really well but she has a solid coughing fit every morning right before she gets up.

[erien22846]

Influenza A. We noticed wheezing and retractions last night so my husband took him back to the doctor this morning. As best we can tell, this is day 5. I never would have guessed the flu. He's been such a trooper with sleeping and eating. Sleep seems to be the best medicine for him right now so hopefully a good day of rest at home will do him good before heading back to daycare tomorrow.

[fem]

Oh no erien22846 I hope he feels better soon. Anything they can do or do you have to just watch him?

[jwinct]

erien22846 - Oh no, poor baby. I hope he's feeling better soon. The flu is raging everywhere this year; it sucks.

[becole]

Mar 23, 2017 12:02:13 GMT -5 erien22846 said:

Influenza A. We noticed wheezing and retractions last night so my husband took him back to the doctor this morning. As best we can tell, this is day 5. I never would have guessed the flu. He's been such a trooper with sleeping and eating. Sleep seems to be the best medicine for him right now so hopefully a good day of rest at home will do him good before heading back to daycare tomorrow.

So he had an EI and flu?

[smallpotato]

erien22846, I'm so sorry. I hope he gets over it soon. This has been such a horrible winter for illnesses.

[erien22846]

Mar 23, 2017 12:32:15 GMT -5 becole said:

Mar 23, 2017 12:02:13 GMT -5 erien22846 said:

Influenza A. We noticed wheezing and retractions last night so my husband took him back to the doctor this morning. As best we can tell, this is day 5. I never would have guessed the flu. He's been such a trooper with sleeping and eating. Sleep seems to be the best medicine for him right now so hopefully a good day of rest at home will do him good before heading back to daycare tomorrow.

So he had an EI and flu?

Yep.  His breathing wasn't bad on Monday when I took him to urgent care so the doctor didn't even consider the flu or RSV even though I told him both my older kids had been exposed to them in their classrooms. 

fem, We have albuterol we can use if we think it'll help his breathing, otherwise we just wait it out.  They gave him a treatment at the doctor's this morning but I wasn't there so I don't know if it helped him or not.  DH said it made him very angry because he was tired and just wanted to suck his thumb and sleep. 

[Deleted]

I officially go back to work on April 19th. Hold me.

[becole]

Mar 23, 2017 12:47:09 GMT -5 @snuff9861 said:

I officially go back to work on April 19th. Hold me.

I would say you can see how the Americans do it but sadly you'd still have twice as long as us.

[Deleted]

Mar 23, 2017 14:12:02 GMT -5 becole said:

Mar 23, 2017 12:47:09 GMT -5 @snuff9861 said:

I officially go back to work on April 19th. Hold me.

I would say you can see how the Americans do it but sadly you'd still have twice as long as us.

I know. I'm just all woe is me today lol.
But it's only for 6months and then off again sooooo....I might actually get a full mat leave one of these days (3 months with my son due to school, and 6 months with DD due to the ute fruit)

[jwinct]

@snuff9861 - LOL @ "ute fruit"

[sanibel21]

@erien22846 so sorry about that all. Those were our diagnosis' last week! It wasn't as awful as I've seen it can be. Hope it resolves quickly for you guys!

[sanibel21]

I'm so frustrated with DD1s cough. It's like every 3 seconds 2 quiet junky coughs. She is not clearing anything. I would have put money on her having pneumonia but as of Monday she didnt. I'm going to have to bring her in tomorrow ahead of her party Saturday. I feel bad still having her party but she hasn't had a fever in like 12 days.
Argh.

[erien22846]

Mar 23, 2017 15:48:33 GMT -5 sanibel21 said:

@erien22846 so sorry about that all. Those were our diagnosis' last week! It wasn't as awful as I've seen it can be. Hope it resolves quickly for you guys!

The doctor suspects nursing has helped him fight it off with relative ease.  That pesky fever just needs to stay away! 

[jwinct]

When I picked DS up from daycare yesterday, they said he was unusually cranky all day. He was fine at home, though. Well, I'm pretty sure I know why he was cranky - a tooth finally broke through! DH noticed it tonight when he was feeling his gums. He's not chewing his hands as much today, but I'm sure that will rev back up soon enough.

[becole]

I think we have a tooth coming too. It feels hard and it has a little dot of blood. Either he scratched it or it's coming.