Moving Mayhem

Well, we moved to Rochester a few days ago. We just got internet service today. We still have the same telephone number by the way.

My mom and uncle came up a few days ago to help us with those last minute details -- touching up the paint, figuring out why the oven doesn't work, fixing my kitchen sink, and scrubbing the wallboard dust and grime off of everything.

There are so many little things when you move -- installing towel bars so your towels don't mildew in a heap on the floor, figuring out where to put the pots and the canned goods and the new paper towel holder (that I put together crooked). It's overwhelming to put so much energy into all of those minor details at once!

The good news is, everyone is making the transition well. Andrew loves his new "commute" 1.6 miles down the road, Arianna loves her new toy room and I am itching to set up my sewing desk in the office so I can make some more curtains! The cats are even yowling less although they are still very confused.

The bad news is we had a leak from some newly installed pipe in the shower. It's amazing how much damage a small leak can do in a few hours time! Luckily, we have an awesome plumber who came right out and fixed everything. (His name is Jim Crowley on Thurston Road for you Rochester folks.) I also haven't found my slippers yet, amongst countless other little niceties, like my spice rack and my frying pan.

The camera is floating around somewhere, but I haven't uploaded the house pictures yet. I promise I will get to it as soon as the chaos dies down. I also have some lovely holiday pictures of Arianna from Sears, but I can't find my greeting cards, let alone the stamps.

Do you notice a theme here? If we're lucky, maybe we'll get our Xmas tree decorated before January!

Joyful wishes,
Rebecca

The Latest

I just published a lot of entries. Today was the first day Blogger would let me! Some of them did not get through to the email, and the one on Folic Acid was backdated to November.

If you want to make sure you didn't miss anything, you can go directly to the blog and take a look: http://ThrivingBabies.com/blog

Cheerio,
Rebecca

House Update

The new house renovations will be finished tomorrow! I can hardly wait to see the final product. Not only will we have a brand new kitchen and bath, but Andrew stained and polyurethaned the beautiful hardwood floors. They may not look 100% new because there were a few scratches he couldn't sand out, but they add a wonderful warmth and charm. This house has a lot of character with the chestnut trim, glass and wood cabinets in the kitchen, and leaded glass windows/doors/and pocket door.

The exterior is still an eyesore -- peeling white paint, and the porch is purple and quite dusty, but I can live with that until the spring. All of the systems are newer and the neighborhood is great. Both of our immediate neighbors introduced themselves right away and were very nice. We also got wind of a multi-million dollar housing development that will be going in along the river just a few blocks away.

I think our good neighborhood is going to get even better! And it seems very safe. One of our handymen left the door to the house wide open, with the key in the lock overnight. The next morning, everything was as it had been the day before. Pretty amazing.

Our phone number will be the same for awhile, but if you need our new address, just email me. (My email will be the same.)

Off to pack,
Rebecca

Anaphylactic Reactions

Apparently, I am allergic to buckwheat. Andrew made buckwheat pancakes yesterday, then he took Arianna grocery shopping. I stoked the fire and tried to put a log into the stove that was too large. It caught fire and when I pulled it out, it started smoking. I threw it outside in the snow so it wouldn't smoke up the house and I brought it back in when it cooled down.

My mom called and when I answered the phone, I was sneezing and coughing. I assumed it was from the smoke, but it didn't subside. I decided to take a Claritin after the phone call because my drippy nose was starting to get annoying. I also decided I should have some lunch and ate the rest of the buckwheat pancakes.

I didn't feel so well. I was wheezing, which I never do because I don't have asthma. I decided to lie down, but that made it even more difficult to breathe. I got up and thought about calling the doctor who is just a few miles down the road. Then I realized that the receptionist would probably send an ambulance if I told her I was having trouble breathing. I didn't want to deal with that drama. I was starting to worry and I knew I had to calm down and think.

I (correctly) assumed I was having an allergic reaction, so I chewed a Benadryl and hoped it would act quickly. I called Andrew, but he never brings his cell phone with him. My left eye started to hurt, so I had to take my contact lenses out. My eye was all bloodshot and there was a rash above my mouth.

Andrew and Arianna arrived a few minutes later. I felt a little better. Andrew said I looked terrible and that my face was all swollen and what the heck happened to me. I explained everything and he made me take another Benadryl and told me that if I EVER have trouble breathing again, I need to PROMISE him that I will call 911. He explained that these kind of allergic reactions make him nervous even in the hospital, where he has every medical tool at his disposal. I promised.

Andrew deduced that it was a buckwheat allergy. He said the smoke wouldn't cause that kind of reaction and buckwheat allergies are common, particularly in Asia where they eat a lot of buckwheat. I'm not from Asia (unless you believe the Native Americans originated from Asia and walked across the Bering Strait) and I don't eat a lot of buckwheat. Guess I'm just lucky.

So, if you ever have trouble breathing, don't make the same mistakes I did. Call 911 and take 2 Benadryl right away! It might just save your life.

All the best,
Rebecca

The Great Santa Debate

Andrew and I agreed that we didn't want to lie to Arianna about Santa Claus. So, we decided to tell her the truth -- that some people like to pretend that Santa is real and it's a lot of fun to pretend. She is totally into pretend play, so she could relate to that explanation.

But then, she saw Santa at the mall, and Santa on the Christmas train, and those little wheels started churning. So I had to explain that some people like to pretend they are Santa because the kids think it's fun. (The first time she saw Santa in the mall, she was petrified -- probably because she wasn't sure if he was real or not.)

Arianna took this line of reasoning one step further and asked, "Do the people who pretend to be Santa, pretend to be Santa on Christmas?" I knew what she was getting at. She wanted to know if one of those pretend Santas would be coming down our chimney on Christmas Eve or not. So, I told her, "No. Mommies and Daddies have to pretend to be Santa on Christmas Eve and they bring the presents. But we can pretend that some of the presents are from Santa and it'll be fun to pretend, if you want to."

I got a kick out of her thinking on the Santa Debate and wanted to share it with you. The young mind is just amazing to watch asa it develops!

Rebecca Wolf

Guide to Less Toxic Products

I just found this website in Canada that lists the toxins found in many household products. But it doesn't stop there, they actually give you alternatives that you can buy and/or make that are gentler on the environment, and more importantly, safer for YOU.

We just refinished the wood floors in our new house and I was researching how to care for them when I came across this wonderful website and wanted to share it with you.

http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/

Cheers!
Rebecca