Fridays Off!

This week I started working 10 hour days, Monday through Thursday. The days have been long but I'm looking forward to Fridays. I also spoke with my KCA (dog playgroup) boss (Layla) and this coming Saturday is my last day. I took Jillian in to meet Layla last week and talked to her about taking some time off and possibly returning if I can ever start working part time. She was very nice and understanding and said she would gladly welcome me back if/when the time comes. It is tearing at my heart to be away from Jillian so much. Hopefully the scheduling actions I've taken will help.

After getting her shots last Thursday Jillian ran a fever that night. It was up to 101.6 before I decided to give her a dose of Tylenol. She was really fussy and obviously uncomfortable. At 102 we call the doctor. Within 20 minutes her fever was done and she was comfortable enough to fall asleep. Friday morning she was fine, no fever. Then the daycare called at 11am saying it was back up to 101.5. The rule is if a fever reaches 102, the child must leave so I went over and gave her another dose of Tylenol. Again, it helped. Friday night she began running a fever again around 5:30. She was very fussy but the fever was only to 99.6 so I didn't give her any medicine. She fell asleep for the night and was fine on Saturday. She has been very fussy ever since Saturday. I went to visit her over my lunch today and the caregivers said she had not been fussy. She's also been very upset when we put her in her crib. Before this, we would lay her down and she'd fall asleep within 10-15 minutes. Perhaps she's starting to figure out that fussing/crying gets attention. I'm not sure how to handle this but I suppose we'll get it figured out just in time for her to start changing more.

We've been cycling through a number of children's CDs that Mary and David gave us on our car rides into town and home. She seems to really like Raffi. She stops pouting when I turn it on and likes it even more when I sing along. Therefore, I have memorized almost every song on the CD. My coworkers have had a chance to hear my awesome talent of singing children's songs. They really stick in your head!! The songs are so cheerful and upbeat that I can't help but get energized when they pop in my head!

I have started couponing. Not crazy (yet) but trying to print coupons off from online sites to help with our grocery costs. I found one yesterday for up to a 4lb bag of IAMS cat food for free after mail-in rebate. That's almost $7.50! I'm hoping that on my Fridays off I can have coupons printed and do grocery shopping with Jillian. Have to start her early on the bargains/sales! Speaking of groceries, I work directly across the road from Walmart, which I truly dislike to venture into, but I do. So, every week or two, I do our shopping over my lunch hour. I take an insulated bag to work with me that has ice packs and put the cold items I buy into the bag so I can leave them in the car rather than hauling them up to my break rooms' fridge. Ugh, not fun. While on maternity leave, I would get up with Garrett on a weekday morning and go to the store at 7am. That is a great time to go and not deal with cranky customers and/or employees.

The photo above is after we tried everything to help Jillian be happy. We put her in the Bob and strolled around the house until she fell asleep, about 45 minutes, but it was a quiet 45 minutes. She slept here for almost an hour.

I need to get back to work. but thought I'd chat here for a while. I hope you're having a great week. We miss you all.

~Chris