Cats and Babies and Disney, Oh My!

The pool opened on Saturday!!! We went on Sunday for about an hour and Jack played in the pool with his dad. My mom and I sat on the edge of the pool and dangled our feet in. It wasn't too hot thank goodness.

My sister called me late Sunday night in tears to tell me that her cat was dying. She was 16, and her brother (my Toby) passed away in 2007. They were very sweet, social, and loveable cats. My sister hadn't seen Cuddles in awhile (she had been living with my sister's friends), and was really hoping she'd hold on long enough for one last visit in August. Unfortunately she called me today and told me that she went to sleep last night and passed away. I feel so badly for her because I know she loved Cuddles, and I know how hard it is to lose a pet. I also know that she probably feels somewhat guilty for not having seen her in awhile.

Today we had my mom over for a cookout. It was hot as Hades outside, but we had a nice visit. We watched The Blindside after lunch and it was a great movie. It helped that Michael Oher is on our hometeam-the Baltimore Ravens, and we are huge fans.

Archie and I talked a little more this evening about another kid. It's scary, I realize it's going to be alot more work having two. However, by the time another kid comes, Jack will be almost 5, so he'll be rather independent, and I think he'll be a really helpful big brother. He's so sensitive to other people's feelings, and just a true sweetheart. Granted he's mine, and I may be a bit biased, but I have never ever met a little boy so sweet and caring.

We had planned to take Jack to Disney World next year either in April or later in the fall. This is all up in the air based on what household/car things come up between now and when we book the trip (when we know what our taxes look like early next year). I'm leaning more towards the fall-late September or early October. I just think with April we run into kids on spring break, and to be honest, if we take a vacation in April, I'll be wanting one in summer too. But, if we book Disney for October, we might do a beach weekend in the summer and really look forward to our BIG vacation.

Anyway, enough rambling, back to our conversation. So I was telling Archie that I had originally thought maybe October for actually doing the cycle, but that would put me at delivering (a hopefully full-term baby) around July. And if I'm only going to be able to take 8 weeks, I'd like to be able to go on a vacation while I'm already off so I'm not using any extra time outside of maternity leave. Then we talking about the good part being that I'd be off most of the summer which would be awesome, but I'd also have a baby stuck to me in the heat and humidity which may or may not be well, sticky. Then I was toying with the thought of another cycle November/December, but that puts me hugely pregnant in the middle of summer. I might look cuter in a maternity bathing suit to be honest, LOL. But I imagine it's pretty awful to be huge and pregnant in the heat of summer. But there is always the pool! And, we could do a Disney trip in early October before I go back to work. This sounds like a good idea to me now, but my only other experience with a newborn 24/7 was with Jack and he was a super easy-going baby. He slept well (nap-wise), was a happy baby and just a complete joy. I think there is probably a slim chance I could get that lucky twice right? Most of my friends and at least in my family it rings true, that the second is more challenging than the first.

The Disney trip could be wonderful (good news is that Grandmom is going too probably, so everyone can get a break at some point), or it could be a mess. If it was hard because I made the decision to do our cycle late in the year so that we could do Disney, I would feel soooo bad. I do not want to do the Disney trip pregnant given my history with Jack. Being sick all the time is no fun, and now that we know about my cystinuria and the chance I may need a long term IV for fluids if I am like that again, it's just not worth possibly wasting the money. I think Disney after the baby is here would be a nice treat for the big brother, and if I had a really cranky little one in tow, I would just do maybe half days with the family and then hang out poolside or in the hotel room with the baby so we don't rain on Jack's parade. I just pray if we have another one, it's as easy at least in the infant stage as Jack was.

If you pray, please pray that I heal quickly so I can return to work soon. Please pray for my sister as she grieves the loss of Cuddles. Pray that we can pay down some of our debt before we try another cycle. Thanks!