Hanging Out... And Taking Deep Breaths

We have spent the last few weeks getting ready for the move. There are finances to get in line, insurance to set up, contingencies to resolve, boxes to pack, etc. My mom was gracious enough to come out for a week so she could help me pack. Of course, the day she arrived was the day Jack decided to exhibit the apparent dark side of his personality. I think he's cutting molars; he's been a bit like Jekyll and Hyde: playing happily (crazily!) one minute and hysterically screaming and wanting to be held the next. So my mom's time here was primarily spent cuddling Jack and keeping him happy... the perfect job for a grandparent. However, we did have some fun together, particularly visiting a children's shoe store and buying Jack his first real pair of shoes; of course, we went for ice cream afterwards to celebrate!

Jack woke up this morning with a cough that sounded pretty rough and he was wheezing. I'd been reluctant to take him in to the doctor over the last week or so because I was sure his "symptoms" (runny nose and fussiness) were due to the teething. However, I draw the line at respiratory distress. The doctor lifted Jack's shirt to listen to his chest and said "oh, you can see his chest caving in when he breathes. Yep, he's definitely struggling." So that made me feel like mom-of-the-year.

Because Jack sounded so bad, the doctor required that we get a breathing treatment while in the office and then that we buy a nebulizer machine to give Jack four more breathing treatments at home. I can't really describe how awful it is to give Jack these treatments. Suffice it to say that I've cried after both. Although we're just lightly holding a mask to his face, he acts as if we are torturing him. He pleads with his eyes for me to stop. But I can't explain to him that this will make him feel better. Ugh, it's awful. And it lasts for 10 minutes each time. We are going to see the doctor again tomorrow moring to see if there's improvement with his breathing. I sure hope we get a good report. (As an aside, his general demeanor and activity level are completely normal. He was a wild man tonight - racing around the living room, throwing himself at us for "hugs", laughing like crazy. Of course, this made his breathing even worse as he was working himself up so much, but try telling an energetic 13-month-old to sit down and read a book.)

This past weekend was very special for us. Some friends of mine (moms I met last year in playgroup) spontaneously planned a trip to New York City and invited me along. I've been dying to return to NYC for the last few months; my last visit there was for our friends' wedding in June 2008 when I was eight-months pregnant. I told them "yes!, I'll go!" as I could not wait to experience the city and let Mick have a weekend alone with Jack. But when I woke up on October 1, I sort of had a meltdown. I realized I had so little time left here and didn't want to spend my only free weekend away. So, I changed my mind and said I wanted to stay here. I didn't think I'd be able to relax and have fun while thinking about everything needing to be done here. Further, Mick and I have a long list of places that are special to us that we want to visit before we head back to the midwest.

We had gorgeous weather on both Saturday and Sunday and ended up doing quite a few fun activities. On Saturday, we went to Gravelly Point and watched the planes land and take off from National airport. We also went to Arrowine to buy a few bottles of wine for the evening.

Video of Plane Landing at National Airport

On Way to Arrowine

On Sunday, we spent a big part of the day at the National Arboretum, which is, hands down, one of my absolute favorite places in DC. Although it's off the beaten trail (which is part of why I love it) it will always have a special place in my heart. It's an oasis of beautiful trees, flowers, and plants in the middle of a busy city. And it's the place Mick proposed to me six years ago. We had a picnic there and walked and relaxed. It was another bittersweet experience for me.

The Bench Where Mick Proposed

Columns at the Arboretum

Family Photo - Arboretum

On Monday, Jack and I met up with friends at Arlington National Cemetery. We took our kids for a long walk and stopped at the Kennedy gravesites (JFK, Robert, and Teddy). I was surprised to learn that JFK and Jackie had two babies who died: a daughter was stillborn and then a son only lived two days. I couldn't stop thinking about how Jackie survived the loss of a son in August 1963 and then her husband's assassination three months later. We also went to the tomb of the unknown soldier and both babies were transfixed by the guard's march (though Jack jumped every time the soldier handled his gun).

A few weeks ago, we met up with friends and spent the afternoon at the National Museum of Natural History. Jack was actually much more intrigued than I thought he'd be (he sort of seemed to prefer the museum to the zoo... maybe because museum animals don't move and hide in foilage?). We went to the butterfly exhibit and were transfixed by all of the beautiful colors (I tried not to step on anything that had landed on the floor).

Butterfly Exhibit

Dinosaurs at the Museum (and us)

I'm trying to temper my sadness about leaving DC with an excitement for getting to introduce Jack to all of the great things we'll have access to once we move. We leave next Thursday for Ann Arbor. We close (and become first time homeowners!) on Friday. We'll keep the blog updated.