Another Weekend Update

Sorry we have been out of touch for a few days. We have been busy and I have been a bit under the weather. I have been battling a terrible sore throat for over a week now so I went to the doctor last Friday to make sure it wasn’t strep and that I wasn’t contagious. I have always hated the throat culture test – I was a big baby about it well into my teens – but I submitted to the test voluntarily this time – a sure sign of how bad it hurt. I think mom used to have to hold my arms down when I would get that test as a kid and I am certain there were tears involved. Anyhow, I was also unsure what I could take to fight the cold since I am still feeding Carter so I was fighting it solo without much luck. The good doctor gave me some Carter-safe medicine and I am feeling a little bit better every day.

We had a good Valentine’s Day. Adam surprised me on Friday night with flowers from our local florist. Instead of traditional roses, Adam has always opted for a bright and cheerful array of flowers. This bunch had one very unique stem – a Bird of Paradise. I had seen these before but didn’t know what they were called. Adam filled me in on the name and then the funniest thing happened – that flower kept popping up over the weekend. On Friday night we watched some old episodes of 30 Rock and there was a big bunch of Birds of Paradise in the background of one of the scenes. Then, on Saturday morning, the Birds of Paradise flower was featured on a PBS gardening show we were watching. Has this sort of thing ever happened to you before? Have you ever learned a new word and then heard that same new word multiple times in a short time frame? It has happened to me before and always surprises me.

Since none of Carter's favorite babysitters were visiting this weekend we decided to cook in for our Valentine's dinner. We made a trip to the Fresh Market grocery store and bought ingredients for our dinner: peaches and mozzarella salad, New York strip, rosemary sweet potatoes, with chocolate covered strawberries and raspberries for dessert. It was all very yummy. And the trip to Fresh Market was so much fun. I think plenty of others shared the same idea for a quiet Valentine’s dinner at home because the place was packed. I took a number at the meat counter – number 83. When I took the number they were serving number 55. Quite a line. But there were plenty of other ingredients and free samples to keep us occupied until our turn.

On Sunday we took advantage of several Presidents’ Day sales and made some furniture purchases. Check out our new couch, ottoman, and dining room furniture. Quite a letdown to go spend money on furniture and come home with nothing! But I am anxious for the deliveries. The ottoman was the right size and price but not the right fabric for our new color scheme so I plan to sew a slipcover for the ottoman once I find the right fabric. I am little nervous about the light color of the sofa, but we have a 7 year fabric protection plan that promises to clean or replace any food spills or baby accidents so I am hopeful the fabric is pretty durable and easy to clean.

The dining room table and sideboard are totally different from what we thought we wanted. But it caught our eye on Saturday so we went back to look at it on Sunday and we liked it even more. The wood grain is really beautiful – and kid friendly? – we hope. We haven’t purchased chairs yet – still looking for something a little different but affordable. We think/hope these pieces will all work together in our space. I will be sure to post pictures once the deliveries and decorating are complete – just wanted you to see a sneak peek at the direction we are heading. And thanks to those of you that voted in the carpet showdown poll and for those that e-mailed separately. Going into the poll, the small squares option was my least favorite, but it was the overwhelming winner so I am reconsidering it. Thanks for participating!