(Sean's Post)
Today started really early - about 2:30AM. Maureen came to bed after posting late last night. Remember the wind that she mentioned we were walking through last night after dinner? Well, it was about 30 mph with gusts even higher. She came to bed freezing and said that the living room was very cold. We were tired so we just closed the bedroom door and went to sleep. After daylight, I went to investigate and found that the wind was blowing the outer balcony door open. The inner door isn't very airtight so it was letting all of the heat out of the room. The outer door's latch wouldn't go in because the door wouldn't close all the way. This was never a problem before because it would hold the door closed, just not very strongly. Well, the wind was stronger. I noticed that there used to be a latch on the top of the outer door to help keep it closed but it was no longer there. So I began the scavenger hunt in the apartment for something to use as a latch. Good thing that one of the previous tenants liked Chinese food. As it turns out, a chopstick is just slightly smaller than a latch. Add a little duct tape and voila - MacGyver would be proud. That held it long enough for me to use the "broom" (really just a bunch of straw strapped together - some of you filipinos might recognize it) to hammer the bottom of the door until the bottom latch could be closed. Problem solved. I do love me some duct tape right about now.
Today started really early - about 2:30AM. Maureen came to bed after posting late last night. Remember the wind that she mentioned we were walking through last night after dinner? Well, it was about 30 mph with gusts even higher. She came to bed freezing and said that the living room was very cold. We were tired so we just closed the bedroom door and went to sleep. After daylight, I went to investigate and found that the wind was blowing the outer balcony door open. The inner door isn't very airtight so it was letting all of the heat out of the room. The outer door's latch wouldn't go in because the door wouldn't close all the way. This was never a problem before because it would hold the door closed, just not very strongly. Well, the wind was stronger. I noticed that there used to be a latch on the top of the outer door to help keep it closed but it was no longer there. So I began the scavenger hunt in the apartment for something to use as a latch. Good thing that one of the previous tenants liked Chinese food. As it turns out, a chopstick is just slightly smaller than a latch. Add a little duct tape and voila - MacGyver would be proud. That held it long enough for me to use the "broom" (really just a bunch of straw strapped together - some of you filipinos might recognize it) to hammer the bottom of the door until the bottom latch could be closed. Problem solved. I do love me some duct tape right about now.
James was excited to see us as always. We had music and baby exercises and all sorts of fun activities. His milestone for today was he passed his bell rattle from his right hand to his left. Way to go! Mama was really pleased when he spit-up right down the front of her blouse (or maybe not) - it made her smell really good. Daddy was thrilled too. : ) James does spit up every day multiple times. We're sure that something isn't right, so, if any of you experienced parents out there could send an email and lend us some help on what we're doing wrong, we'd be very grateful. We do burp him after his bottle usually until we get a couple of good burps but, without fail, about 30-45 minutes later and without warning - BLECH....all over himself, us, and the blanket.
There was hardly a nap today. We tried to get him to sleep at the usual time, but James was stronger. He fought it and fought it until we finally gave up. Mama took him to look outside through the window, then rocked him and softly sang some lullabies. Finally, he went to sleep right at the end of the visit. Mama tried to put him in the crib but he would fuss and start to wake up every time. Daddy caught it on the camcorder to embarrass James when he's a teenager and his dates come over. When it was time for us to go, he cried his little eyes out again. He really knows how to get to us. We are so going to be pushovers for a while after we get custody.
We went back to the Skif Trade pick-up store after the visit. Jenny recommended a ramen noodle soup. It's called "Big Bon." It's in a bowl that's yellow and has a chicken head on the top of the package. She says that they are good. We also picked up apple juice and more cherry juice, spaghetti and sauce, and lots more snacks. Inna told Maureen that she blends in very well here because the worker standing outside the store thought Maureen was the interpreter and that Inna was the foreign visitor! Anyway, while we were there I started to feel achy and started coughing. I hope I'm not getting sick with something else. There has been some sort of bronchitis going around the families, plus we are visiting James in a hospital (infectious disease), after all. For all I know, I may have even picked it up from James! It may be that cough and congestion that he had when we first arrived last week. I'm in the middle of a Z-pak for a sinus infection that started three days ago. Maureen said that the antibiotic should still be effective if the bronchitis is bacterial, but that the cough may still linger for a while.
We're taking it easy tonight and staying in. Maureen's doing laundry so we'll keep our fingers crossed that the circuit breaker will stay. So far we've lost power in half the apartment every time we do laundry. The pic above shows what you'll see at our apartment on laundry day - clothesline strung all over the place with wet clothes on it. By the way, we love the stretchy clothesline from Magellans.com that don't require clothespins.
That's all for today, folks! And a happy "Groundhog Day" to you from those of us in Kaz who feel like we're actually living it!
Love to all!
