I'll get my coat and bumbershoot

Updates in brief

Health: still nauseated, though not as often, though I have exchanged the frequency for more violent vomiting sessions that come upon me unawares, not a very equitable trade. I also picked up some virus the husband must have brought home from the hospital, a flu-like illness (but no fever so no swine flu) that has wiped me out to the point that the husband had to take a day off from work to take care of Toddler J while I slept. I met with the surgeon to decide about gall bladder surgery, which, for various reasons, we have now decided to delay until after the baby comes. Umm, yay?

Toddler J: he has a new tricycle, a Radio Flyer model that comes with a detachable handle for parents to steer until he can learn to pedal, which he can't do yet. If we are not outside, he rolls around the house all day, pushing with his feet and learning to steer until someone hears his pleas and takes him out for a walk. He is learning signs more and more rapidly and learning spoken words much more slowly, painstakingly so. But the increase in signs mean our communication becomes more nuanced every day. On a recent Sunday, for instance, halfway through the first hour of a two hour meeting, he turned to the husband, made the sign for "all done," and then marched for the door. Clearly, the child knows what he wants! He has also discovered a picture song book popular in both my house and the husband's when we were children, and all Toddler J wants us to do is sing certain songs over and over again. He particularly likes one about rain that mentions a "bumbershoot" because really, who doesn't think that word is funny?

Church: seminary continues early and apace. Our students this year have discovered new ways to aggravate us, and we've shared those with their parents, resulting in some harsh words all around, but I think things have finally calmed down a little. It still seems awfully early to be getting up at 5:30am, especially now that J can sleep until 6:30 if given his druthers, but what can we do? Relief Society is moving into the busy season, as I call the time between the start of school and Christmas. I sent out an email listing all the activities/meetings between now and the end of October, and there were eight, almost all of which I will be attending, not to mention presidency meetings every week. Sigh! Luckily, November is less busy, because December is full, full, full!

Busy little bees we are!