Our week

Another busy and fun week in the Kirsch household! I worked Monday thru Thursday, and Eric was gone Sunday till Wednesday night. And then the fun could begin! Here are some funny, interesting, and crazy things that have happened this week.

First off, on Tuesday I forgot my locker combination at work. When I got off at 5pm, I could NOT remember it. I thought I knew it, but my brain was failing me. I think the problem started b/c I was getting off 3o minutes late, so I was already pissed and flustered. Well, the locks are built in to the lockers; they aren't the kind that can just be cut off. Maintenance took an HOUR to get to the locker room, only to tell me that they couldn't help. They offered to call in the locksmith, who of course lives 45 minutes away in evening traffic. When all was said and done, the OR manager called an administrator at home to find out where the master key was kept, and security had to come let us in to an office and find that key. So, I was supposed to leave at 4:30. I finally left at 6:45. By that time, it was all just a bad joke. I mean, we can do brain surgery and clip aneurysms faster than that!!! So, I now have my locker combo written in about ten different places.

More fun news- I bought a new car! It's a new to me, 2006 Honda Pilot. I pick it up tomorrow, after spending hours there yesterday making the deal. Originally, I was looking at a 2009 with 8500 miles, but it was much pricier. That was last weekend. Sometime this week, they got in this 2006 with only 33,000 miles. It has leather, a sunroof, and a DVD-- which the 2009 did not. The only thing I liked better about the 2009 was the outside body style. In the end, the 2006 was just as safe, for $4,000 cheaper. I pick it up tomorrow, and can't wait to have butt warmers! I'm proud to say that I am paying more cash for it, than what I'm financing. And my goal is to pay it off by the end of the year! I'll let ya know how I do.....

Drake has done two adorable things this week. First thing, he is using his first sign. I'm thrilled, b/c I'm the only one to sign to him. I didn't think he'd ever pick up on any of them. He signs for "up". I do it everytime I pick him up, or he wants to be picked up. I figure that it's better than a whining child attached to my leg. I will say that it's quite pitiful when he's crying in his carseat, and making the sign to me. It's hard to explain to a 12 month old why he simply can't be "up" right at that moment.

The other cute thing he did this week was one evening before bed. Our basement is now our family room, and it's where my rocker is. We were all down here Friday night, and Drake was playing before bedtime. Well, I guess he decided he was tired of playing, and ready for bed. He walked over and got his sippy of milk, and walked over to me and signed "up". So, we had some milk, and then rocked right to sleep. It was absolutely the sweetest thing!

A lady at work last week sounded horrified when I said something about rocking him to sleep. She could NOT believe that I don't just lay him in his crib and let him fall asleep. Well, I was very proud of myself for not going off on her. I simply said that both Drake and I enjoy our time together at night, when I rock him to sleep. And that crying it out for long periods is simply something that I think is detrimental and wrong. And that I don't enjoy going to bed alone, and I'm not going to force my child to do it. I said all of this quite politely, so I'm proud. It would be one thing if he just laid in his crib and went right to sleep. And who knows, maybe he would. But we've never really tried consistently. I think I may enjoy rocking him to sleep more than he does. So, we'll continue to do what we enjoy, and the people who love to tell me "You'll regret that" can just bite me. There will be a day in ten years when I'd pay large sums of money just to have my sweet boy rocking in my arms.

I rejoined the YMCA this week, and can't wait to start participating in all of their activities again. The Y's in Charlotte are ginormous, with tons of activities. I signed Drake up for parent and child gymnastics, and can't wait. We start next Saturday, from 10:45-11:30. Eric and I can both participate with him, as long as we have on the appropriate clothes. I think it'll be a great time to play and tumble around with other kids. While we've managed to keep him out of day care until this point, and are happy about that, there is the significant disadvantage of not having the opportunity to play with other children. (Not going to sleep on his own is probably another disadvantage.) I'm excited to start! Registration for swimming starts Tuesday, so I'm going to try and get him signed up for that too. It's only a 6 week session. But I think it'll be fun. The point is not to become proficient at gymnastics or swimming, but rather to do fun things with him. Obviously, we participate in the swimming with him as well. I think 12 months is the perfect age to start all of these fun things, and I can't wait!

I've started preparing for Eli's birth, and I'm getting excited. Naturally, I can't wait to meet him, but I think the birthing period is just such an amazing time. Right now, I'm re-reading the Ina May book, plus the Ricki Lake/Abby Epstein book. And I just got all my hypnobabies books back, so I'll be restarting that this week as well. I can only hope and pray that Eli's birth is as picture perfect as Drake's.

Drake has a little cold, and is kinda pitiful. He has a really snotty nose, and a bad cough. But no fevers, and his chest sounds clear. So, I think it's just a cold and doesn't warrant a trip to the pediatrician. In any case, healing thoughts and prayers are appreciated. We skipped church this morning, b/c I didn't want to subject other kids to his cold. Although, I'm sure church last week is where he got the cold!

Have a good week! I didn't take any photos this week, so nothing to add there- Sorry!