I did it again. Even though I am sick, I stay up way past when I should go to bed. I stayed up until midnight losing scrabble to my friend. I did manage to squeak out a win on a 3 minute game. She won the other three. I think losing stinks.

I have a sinking suspicion that my clogged sinuses are not a bacterial infection. Nothing seems to have changed since starting the antibiotic. Viral infections are the pits. You'd think scientists could come with something by now to eradicate them. Some sort of nuclear bomb for viruses. Of course it doesn't help that viruses keep changing strains. My cough has wizened up, since I got the cough syrup with codeine I haven't been coughing as much. I've used it both nights.

Tomorrow will be too weeks, (TWO WEEKS!) since I first got this stupid cold.

Last night, I coughed so much my husband and I were wondering if we'd ever get to sleep. We would dose off, but then I would have a coughing spell, waking us up. I'd reposition, we'd settle in and fall asleep, then another coughing spell. This happened maybe three or four times over a 45 minute period of time. I finally tried my left side and made it through the night.

If you can believe it, I am still very stuffy and feeling poorly today, though my coughing has been better. I went back to the doctor and after waiting half an hour with a rammy 20 month old, I left armed with an antibiotic and codeine. I better be better soon.

I did it again. I came home from choir practice early. But unlike last Wednesday, I am going to bed early tonight. I think not getting enough sleep has been my downfall with this stupid cold. Did I mention my daughter is sick, now? My husband is still germ free. Is it only a matter of time for him?

We got to see our second child for the first time, today. He or she is just a little dot on the screen, with it's little heart beating. It is such a miracle. I am only 6 weeks pregnant, but that little heart is going strong. We even have pictures. I go back next week for another ultrasound.

My daughter and finished our shopping today. She got a new hat, new sandals, and new onesies. She is a growing girl. Guess what color everything is. PINK! All things for little girls come in a rainbow of pinks.

I think this summer my daughter will voluntarily wear her hat. Last year it was a fight. She enjoyed her new hat today and her old hat yesterday. The smallness of her old hat made her ears stick out. I got a picture of her when she put it on sideways. Very cute!

I look forward to more sunshiny days outside with my daughter.

It was a nice day today. My daughter and I played outside. She enjoys trotting around the grass with her ball. She has great fun walking up the small hill near our house. At the top she turns and throws or kicks her ball down the hill, than she runs down after it. I catch her, swing her into the air and put her down. She hurries to do it all over again.

We also took a walk to the playground. She didn't want to slide today. She has enjoyed that before. She did swing with me on the regular swing. Since she liked that, I thought I might try the toddler swings. The last time we put her in one, she objected greatly. Probably because she didn't really fit, the swing was too big. However, this time, she had a fabulous time. So much so, that she didn't want to get out. In fact she got a time out, because she hit me when I took her out to go home for lunch.

Still sick.
Still stuffy and coughing.
Been to the doctor.
No medicine, except Tylenol products.
Still tired and not getting to bed early enough.
Need to get stock in Kleenex.
Got my daughter sick.
Husband is still germ free.

Will it ever end?

We had to vacate our house while the buyer had a house inspector come look the place over. We went to Costco with my mom. We tried really hard to find a reason to eat dinner at Houlihan's, but in the end we knew their wasn't any.
We had leftovers.

Why is something so simple, so hard to see?

I could have just said "We are not telling anyone when we decide to try again." That would have been so simple and true. But no, I chose to answer questions with half truths and lies, leading my friend on a farce. She was not "put out" as I had thought. She was extremely hurt.

We talked. I apologized. I asked for forgiveness. She granted it.

She is happy for my husband and me. She is glad I am pregnant. She is a great friend, always supportive, always praying. She gives of herself, without asking for anything in return (except maybe a scrabble game.) She even nearly got her hands stuck for life in a painting position to help us get our house ready to sell. What would I do without her? I can't imagine.

I went to choir tonight. But alas, I went home after practicing just one piece. That was the plan, for I am sick. I decided to just stay to practice the anthem for Sunday and then go home.

I have been ailing since Saturday. It started with a sore throat. It was on and off for a few days, then the stuffiness and coughing started, and it's been downhill ever since. I am going to the doctor tomorrow, but since I am pregnant, I am not hopeful of getting any medicine.

And here is a secret. I went home from choir early because I am sick. I should have gone to bed. But no, I played hookie. I stayed up and played scrabble with my friend. Not that I didn't want to play, but I should have gone to sleep to try to get better. I have been remiss in getting the sleep required to get better. And here I am writing, too. I will be sick forever.

We did it. We signed an agreement for the sale of our house.

I feel a little sentimental about it. This is our first home. Although we never planned on being here forever, it still feels funny agreeing to let someone else live in my house. We worked hard on this house and changed a lot. Over the six years we have lived here, we've made it ours.

It is sad. I have already started to get a little teary about it. I am sure I will cry when I walk out our front door for the last time.

But we will have the opportunity to make another house our home.

We had the inspection for our new house today. It lasted 3 and a 1/2 hours. The house isn't that big, but the guy was thorough. He started in the basement and made his way to the attic. He'd explain what he was doing as he was going. I lost interest in the basement. My husband kept with him, instead. I chatted with the seller, who is also an acquaintance. We followed him and talked with each other instead of really listening to what he had to say. I drew the line of following when he went outside. I think I lasted maybe five minutes. It was too cold for me out there. My friend and I went inside had cocoa and a brownie and talked. Much more interesting than poking one's head in a chimney.

Mr. Inspector-man found four major things that really should be fixed: The garage roof needs to be replaced, the furnace chimney needs to be relined and repointed, the galvanized pipes need to be replaced with copper, and the termites need to be taken care of. It's not a cheap list.

We also met neighbors across the street. They have four children. We only actually met the husband and the two younger children, a boy and a girl (she's several months older than our daughter.) They were very nice. That is an important quality in a neighbor.

By the time we got home, it was rather late. We had spaghetti for dinner. That's one of our standbys when dinner is late or unplanned. It was tasty.

We had a surprise phone call from our realtor, concerning an offer on our house. We have to wait until tomorrow to find out about it, though.

Tonight, I called my brother to tell him the good news of our coming bundle and our upcoming new house. I talked with my sister-in-law first. I told her all about the house but hadn't said anything about the baby yet. When I slipped it into the conversation, she got all excited and said that that was way more important than the house stuff, and I shouldn't have held out. She was way happy and so was my brother. Even my niece said "congratulations" with some coaching from her mother.

By the way, my brother had to get off the phone because he had to go plow the roads. Apparently, in Colorado on the day before Spring begins, it was snowing.

Today we told my family the good news that Ellie is going to be a big sister. I had it all planned out. The plan was to watch old family slides and movies. I made four slides to slip in with the pictures. They said "Ellie" "is going" "to be a" "big sister." I thought it quite a clever method to share the good news. But there was a hitch in the plan. No one could find the slide projector. So, I thought and thought and came up with a new plan. My cousin's six year old daughter could read the slides to everyone. That worked out well, and everyone was happy and excited. It was good to be able to surprise everyone.

I was disappointed at the reaction of my friend when I told her the good news. Maybe I caught her at a bad time, for she was sleepy, but she seemed put out that I hadn't told her that we were going through the IVF treatment. She did manage to squeak out a "congratulations." We have talked several times since then, and she hasn't asked me a single question about my pregnancy. I feel like the subject is taboo. I wanted to surprise her.

My husband and I chose to do it this way. We don't regret our decision.

I am doing laundry. Three loads. I have changed the bedspreads on the two beds to hide the boxsprings, and I am moving stuff into position to go into the attic. I have also taped one side of the steps readying the trim for painting. After finishing the one side, I decided that my husband can have the privilege of taping the other side.

I am waiting to vacuum until we are done with the painting supplies, since they are strune about the downstairs.

Tonight, we signed the papers for selling our house. Our realtor went over all the paperwork and what all of it meant. There is a lot of information in that paperwork. Then of course we had to initial and sign an entire forest of papers.

Friday she will be coming back to take pictures for the listing. Hence, we have to finish painting. Ugh!

Not only do we need to finish painting, we have to tidy up the place. And that requires vacuuming, dusting, laundry, and putting things in the attic.

A boat load of stuff to do. And we start tonight.

Yesterday was my sister's birthday. She and my parents came over for dessert. My parents gave her a beach chair, a beach towel, sandals, a drink, some candy, a puzzle book, and a beach bucket. I had it all set up on our deck for her to find. We gave her clues using definitions on where to find her present - Balderdash, which I sat on the beach chair. I thought it a rather clever method of present giving.

We of course then played her game, while eating mixed berry crisp.

We are buying a house on one of my husband's favorite streets. It has most everything we wanted: a fireplace, a basement, a walk up attic, an eat-in kitchen, a yard, a garage.

Now we have to finish getting our house ready to sell.

I sit here very tired and a bit sore. After two days of painting and all that entails, my husband, my friend, and I are very sore and exhausted. And even with all that we did and staying up till after two in the morning for two nights, we still have to paint two ceilings and do some touch up work.

The bane of my husband's existence is almost finished. The bathroom that looks great, but was soooo much hard work just needs some touch up work to be complete. My husband is looking forward to it being done.

My friend and I oiled an old wood bookcase and brought it back to life. It looks fantastic. It's a changed piece of furniture.

And after all our hard work yesterday, we had to take baths instead of showers. As my husband was putting the bathroom back together, the shower curtain rod broke. So, baths it was.

Today, we didn't do any work on the house. We napped and relaxed. And visited family.

I should say mostly relaxed. I did have to clean the bathtub. Our child thought it a good idea to do her diaper business after we took off her diaper and put her in the tub.

Did I mention I am tired and drained of energy?

My very good friend is here. We are at this moment playing scrabble. I am typing in between plays. She is winning right now, but it is still anyone's game.

I WON!!!!!

Maybe I should be more gracious and give my friend a victory, since she is here to help us paint.

We went to look at a house on Saturday. I thought it was the house. Then on Sunday, we went to an open house of acquaintances of ours.

I was wrong. I think this is the house. The main difference is the location. It is a better neighborhood. It is in a residential area, and there is an elementary school just down the block. The first house was in a more business area.

There is some work we would do, but it is in good living condition.

I was a very busy girl yesterday.

I vacuumed upstairs and downstairs, including the stairs. I mopped the kitchen and dining room. I cleaned the bathroom. I did five loads of laundry, folding only two. I watched a movie. I am not really sure how I fit it all in.

I wasn't even that tired at the end of the day.

But as a reward I am relaxing all day today.