Hola!

This weekend is slipping away too quickly. I awoke at 4 a.m. yesterday and staggered upstairs to work. Not very many patients know their medical records are generated by transcriptionists wearing a bathrobe, fuzzy socks, and hair in a giant bed head swirlie. Heck, I reckon some of them are probably stark naked (the climate here makes that option available for only a brief time). I previously set my own rules for working at home, and one of them is to appear put together during the week with casual but presentable clothing, hair, and makeup, even though there are days I don't see anyone but my family. However, during the weekend, anything goes. It's my little way of rebelling these days. Before I was married and lived alone with Gracie kitty, I refused to work at home for fear I would never get dressed and slowly go insane, wearing a tin foil hat, disinfecting the house a la Howard Hughes, and talking to myself. I learned that the talking to myself part was unavoidable but I still blend nicely into social situations when it is necessary, even with germs present.

Once I got things done yesterday, the three of us hung around the house, and I found myself getting a sickening headache. Erik and I both decided it was naptime, and I had almost met the sandman when the Jehovah's Witnesses knocked and then rang the doorbell three seconds later. Brian informed them through slightly clenched teeth that we were sleeping. At that point, I reluctantly gave up on sleep, took a hot shower, and headed for the couch, napping off and on under the influence of a rather strong pain pill in front of various football games until late afternoon, when I felt much better. Kathy, Alan, and Dominick then called to invite us to a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner. In 20 minutes, I slapped on a layer of makeup, packed the diaper bag, and joined the family in the car. Erik had been fussy off and on all day and had tried our patience a bit but settled into his high chair at the restaurant to enthusiastically greet every patron that passed by as if someone was paying him to do it. He smiled pleasantly at us all, and every time I would look toward him, he would smile at me like it was for the first time and he was genuinely surprised to see me there. It was almost a bit much, but it made me laugh. The boy has learned how to work it. He definitely doesn't smile that way at home, and nobody would have guessed that just an hour before he was soggy and screaming because we wouldn't let him put his upper body in the toilet. When another group of people sat down at the table beside us, Erik waved and waved and waved, even though they were approximately three feet away. One man smiled and waved back, and Brian warned him that Erik would wave at him for hours. In fact, I don't think Erik stopped for the rest of the visit, but the man and his friends didn't mind at all. Dominick and Erik polished off the bag of Cheerios I brought with me, and Erik even tried some beans and cheese without any ill effects. I didn't have to open one freaking jar of nasty, pasty Gerber dinner. It was a very pleasant evening, and Erik seemed to enjoy a hug from Dominick at the end of an evening.

Blogger seems to be giving me permission to upload photos this morning, so I am posting a couple more of Erik's birthday weekend. I wanted to share photos of Erik discovering his cousins all over again with a brand new appreciation for how fun they can be. It was honestly an amazing weekend, and I am still in complete shock at how much he has changed in a matter of days.