lordy lordy look who's 40

I decided to do a "non-kid" post. My sister Joan hosted a surprise 4oth birthday party for her husband Eric at a local bar. She had about 40 people. It was a lot of fun...wish I could have enjoyed the open bar more but Dave drank my share...(I 'm sure that goes without saying!) Here are some photos...its rare that my sisters and I are photographed together! You've gotta love the one with Dave and my dad and pork sandwich sauce in the corners of their mouths. They're two of a kind.

PS... Yup, my sister is pregnant too...due 5 weeks before me. Megan and her new baby brother or sister will only be 13 months apart!

update on charlie

Well, on Tuesday the pediatrician sent us to Grand View Hospital ER because Charlie's neck was still severely swollen. They did a cat scan and the CHOP pediatricians who are on staff there sent Charlie to CHOP downtown via ambulance...(just protocol but something Charlie will always remember, I'm sure!) They thought they might have to operate to drain the lymph nodes but thankfully, IV antibiotics did the trick. Turned out he had/has mono as well. He spent 2 nights at CHOP...got home Thursday afternoon. He was quite a trooper. His neck looks great now and he is very happy to be home! (And so is Dave who spent the nights with him) Another chapter closed in the Charles Kriebel medical saga...

October

Its been a while since I posted. We are sooooooooo busy with soccer, cub scouts, colorguard, back to school events, etc. Poor Thea's life is completely consumed with colorguard practices, competetions and football games. There is no WAY I would have put up with those kind of demands when I was seventeen...for that I give her a tremendous amount of credit. I know she is sick of it but she is hanging in there. This past weekend they competed (and won) at Giant's Stadium. In the next few weeks she will be in 5 competetions and traveling to Allentown, Towson, Annapolis and Atlanta! We are planning on taking the family to Atlanta for a few days to see Thea perform and to visit Dave's brother and family and my friend Sue and family. Should be an interesting car ride! Thank God for DVD players.

Last weekend Dave took the kids camping near Crystal Cave, PA. (photo above) They had been asking him to go for some time. Thankfully, he took the fishing poles but didn't have time to fish. (WHEW!) It was an accident free trip. They did a lot of "rock climbing" and hiking.

Although Charlie survived the camping trip w/0 incident, he has been a sick little guy. He is now on his third antibiotic this month. He has been on a nebulizer for severe wheezing, had an ear infection and now has a baseball size lump on the side of his neck due to swollen glands. He can't even turn his head or smile. We asked the dr. to do a blood count just to rule out leukemia...(we're paranoid, but the swollen lymph nodes are a sign) His red and white blood cells counts are fine but his differential (?) is slightly off which could indicate mono. We will find that result out tomorrow. Great! Its heartbreaking that little guy is ALWAYS going through something. UGH! He's a trooper though...he hardly complains.

I am doing well w/ this pregnancy except suddenly becoming extremely moody and way more bitchy than usual, if you can imagine that. The secret is well out now as I have completed the "walks of shame" to the bus stop, church and back to school nights. I think Dave is still in denial. Whenever I mention something about the baby, I swear he looks at me as if he is hearing about it for the very first time. Now that baby is kicking and I am starting to become more of a bitch, I think reality will soon set in.

Anyhow, Dave is having a great month. He got a well-deserved promotion at work and he is basking in the aftermath of having attended the Eagles/Cowboy game last night. "The best game ever!" I'm expecting his mood to last AT LEAST a month from the game alone.

Later!