All is Well, All is Well

And I'm BACK. Yet I feel as though there is nothing really blog-worthy to write about. I guess I'll dispense with the Sophie update right off the bat, even though many of you have already heard the whole story. Sophie ended up staying in the hospital for a total of 3 nights and when she was discharged, we still had to keep her on oxygen for another week and a half or so. Unfortunately, the day after we got home from the hospital, I got knocked FLAT by a mean bout of Type A Influenza. I've never felt so sick in my life. Ever. However, all's well that ends well, and as of right now we are all healthy, happy, and home.

Here are some pictures from Sophie's belated 1st birthday party:

The kids couldn't wait to give Sophie her birthday present, so they brought it to her in the hospital.

When I let Ethan and Grace pick out Sophie's present, I had a feeling Sophie wouldn't be the one playing with it.

Happy Birthday to Soph!

Blowing out the candles. Kind of.

Sophie had an appointment with an allergist last week and to further complicate our lives we have a few more things to add to the list of what she's allergic to. As of right now the list is as follows:

Peanuts
Peas
Turkey
Chicken
Beef
Wheat
Dairy
Soy
Eggs
Bananas
Kiwi fruit

Just what can she eat you may ask? That is a good question. I'll let you know when we figure that out! But enough about that. I'm boring MYSELF with the topic. Suffice it to say that our little Soph still has a lot of issues, but she sure is cute.

Now on to other things. Recent conversation --

Me: Ethan, what can I do to be a better mother to you?

Ethan (without a moment's hesitation): Be kinder.

Me: Okay, what can I do to be more kind?

Ethan: Let me have some of your gum.

And there you have it folks. Apparently there's a disconnect between my definition of being a good mother and Ethan's. And speaking of motherhood, I can't decide yet if I'm embarrassed or just don't care anymore that I've become one of THOSE moms. You know what I mean. The ones whose kids are always in varying stages of unkemptness -- complete with the unbrushed hair, the mismatched clothes (which were probably slept in and worn the day before as well), eating cereal for breakfast, lunch, dinner and the occasional (or not so occasional as the case may be) snack. I like to think of it as choosing my battles wisely. But, yes. I am THAT mother.

The Other Birthday Girl

In an unrelated tangent, I celebrated my 28th birthday this past week. Scott and I went up to eat at the Cheesecake Factory and it was delish. Scott even humored me and did some window shopping at the mall while we waited for our turn to be seated. And he also got me the best birthday present ever! After months and months of subtle and not-so-subtle hints, he got me this:
Isn't it beautiful? *sigh*

Okay, so I just tried to come up with 28 things you may or may not know about me in honor of my Golden Birthday, but it was making my brain hurt. And I'm really tired.

Last but not least, I am addicted to running. Who would have thought? Last week something finally kicked in, and I found myself LOVING to run. I think what helped was finally charging my iPod and running to the awesomest running mix ever. Here it is for your listening (or running) pleasure.

Jessica's 5K Mix:
The Boxer -- Simon and Garfunkel (my warm-up walk)
Lovefool -- The Cardigans
Get Right -- Jennifer Lopez
Stronger -- Faith Hill
I Will Remember You -- Sarah Mclachlan
Head Over Feet -- Alannis Morrisette
Addicted -- Kelly Clarkson
You and I -- Jason Mraz
My Love -- Justing Timberlake
These Words (I Love You, I Love You, I Love You) -- Natasha Beddingfield
My Love is Your Love -- Whitney Houston

There you have it. Good night and have a great tomorrow.

Oh and p.s., I never announced the winner of my book suggestion contest. I actually had a really hard time deciding which I wanted to get to first, but in the end I decided I've done enough heavy reading for now and wanted to go for a light, fun entertaining read. So, the winner is -- Tami! With her suggestions of "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue." You'll be getting something in the mail shortly.