Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit

I'm still tired. I am on my 6th week or so of the thyroid meds. I'm not dying of thirst anymore though, though I seem to still be peeing more. Aah, the life I lead: so exciting.

My friend Joe from Baltimore visited twice in the last 6 weeks or so. His wife Christine came along this last time which was great because I hadn't seen her since last January. I really enjoy spending time with them and hope they move out here soon. Plus I hope they have kids soon so I can spoil them and teach them bad habits (cough cough). I think it may be one or the other though.

Speaking of having kids soon; this month I haven't been on the pill, I started charting my temperature, I use the saliva microscope, and I'm pretty sure I've not ovulated on this, day 19 of my cycle. The temping is pretty hard to get a handle on. I wasn't aware that you need to take your temp at pretty much the same time every day or it can vary tremendously, until my friend Sarah let me in on that secret. It's also hard to get an accurate reading when your toddler is teething and wakes up in the middle of the night. the ovulation spit-scope, as I call it, is much easier... idiot-proof one might say. I just wish I would see the tell-tale ferning pattern but it's a small little slide to look at. I get so depressed when I see no ferns. I haven't been paying attention to cervical mucous, which will be added to my repertoire next month. Libido is still negligible.

The Manling never ceases to amaze me. He is now 17 months of pure joy. He's got a great sense of humour. I don't think I did a 16mo recap. The signing class has been great to learn not only signs but ways to incorporate them into our lives, and more importantly, how to recognize his versions of them. He signs: cat, light, fan, milk, more, all done, cracker, cookie, cheese, drink/cup, giraffe, ball, shoes, cold, and perhaps a few others. He puts together 2 word sentences involving more + whatever it is he wants, which he did last month at 16 months. The sign class instructor says that non-signing kids don't usually say sentences of 2 or more words until about 20-24 months. I really like using signs to figure out what it is he wants before he breaks down into frustration because I don't understand.

Verbally, he has added woof woof, grr (bear sound), roar(dinosaur sound), meow (or his version of it), digger (the water department is replacing pipes in front of our house - sheer heaven for this little boy), and perhaps a few others as well. I wasn't planning to blog tonight but Mark is at the Sick of It All//Dropkick Murphys concert tonight unexpectedly.

He still loves to throw balls, and has started to kick one occasionally. He likes to look at animals at the zoo, and loves loves loves to look through books. I hope he continues to be amused by reading. He will walk along beside the stroller but doesn't like to hold mommy or daddy's hands. Mark had been adamant about not using a leash but he is starting to agree with me that a backpack type leash may be a good thing.

We haven't gotten his haircut yet. It is very short in the front but in the back it is getting long, much like a mullet. I think it is cute, and I don't want to cut his hair until he is much older. He'll be bald soon enough.

Mark specifically said he wants another child and soon recently. I was so surprised that he told me that out of the blue one day; I thought it was mostly me that was ready for another child. It defies any attempt to put into words how much I love the Manling and to describe how happy he has made me. I only hope we can provide him with a sibling soon. 2007 looks to be a wash.