The Musings of a Mom

So proud!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:33:00 +0000

My nephew's team won the State Championship on Friday. It was a tough game, but I am so glad we were there for it. Although John didn't score the only touchdown of the game (the score was 7-0), he had a lot of yards. He even got the game ball. BUT, that's is not the only reason why I am proud of him.

I am proud of my freshly turned 18 year old godson for something far more important. I am proud of him for the man he is becoming. I am proud of him for wearing pink gloves on the field in honor of his mother who is a breast cancer survivor. I am proud of him for wearing my father's name on one of his black marks under his eyes. And under the other eye? A.M.D.G.-For the greater glory of God!

Friday was a wonderful day, and I am so proud of him!

Recipe Swap Thursday-Thanksgiving Edition!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:56:00 +0000

It's time to share our favorite Thanksgiving recipes!!!Please grab the code for the button from my sidebar to link back to me. Leave a comment with your link so we can check out your post!

Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.POUR into pie shell.BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

This is the recipe off of the Libby's site, but I have used it for years. It is so good!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!!!

Wordless Wednesday-Smiley Girl!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +0000

Recipe Swap Reminder

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:13:00 +0000

This Thursday, let's share our favorite Thanksgiving recipes! YUM!

Happy Birthday, Mama!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:55:00 +0000

My Mom would have been 70 today. We are celebrating her life here on earth as well as her life now in Heaven. When she became ill, she decided that she would offer up her suffering so that her grandchildren (which number 26 on earth right now with more by her side in Heaven) would never lose their faith. Suffer she did, but what a precious gift to leave her grandchildren!

I am ecstatic that you finally have a granddaughter to carry on your name, Mom! We will make sure she knows what a wonderful, faith-filled woman you were while here on earth, and surely are in Heaven! We love you, Mama!

So proud!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:41:00 +0000

My godson's team is going to State! It was an absolute shut-out! John's team won 35-0, with my nephew scoring 3 touchdowns!

Thank you all so much for the kind words on my trust post! Alex was an angel for her grandparents! In fact, they are going to watch her and Michael when we make the road trip to State this Friday!

Trust

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Why is trust so hard? I am talking about trusting God. He has never let me down, and yet, why in times of stress, turmoil, or indecision do I turn away and decide to do things myself? I am working on finding an answer to this, and yet, it is so hard!

Take, for example, when I was pregnant with Michael. I had lost my Mom only 5 months before I got pregnant, and my Dad, who was in the final stages of cancer had taken a turn for the worse about 4 months before Michael was born. I was constantly asking medical professionals, "How long does he have?" My poor brother, the oncologist, I would ask him this over and over. When we moved Dad to hospice in late June of 2005, Sal told me he would be surprised if Dad was there at Labor Day. I was due in mid-September! This absolutely could not happen! Guess what? It didn't! God, in his infinite wisdom, gave us 9 more months with Dad. Daddy was here to see Michael born and baptized. He was also here to see my nephew, Peter, score the game winning field goal in TCU's bowl game that year. My point? Instead of trusting that God would do what was best, I spent much of that 9 months wanting to know. Like any of us truly know when we will die. I must trust.

Then, there is this past year with a whirlwind of changes for just about everyone due to the economy. I lost my supervisory role at work and had to take the accompanying pay cut. I have been very disheartened at work. Feeling like I have been demoted to "just a teacher." I need to trust and let this go. Teaching is where my passion is, right? So I need to embrace that. Again, it comes down to trust. My hours were cut to just about zero. I was thinking that I needed to figure this out. That I needed to solve this. I began to look for other opportunities. Again, God knew just what I needed. This week, I have seen an increase in hours that is just about where we need me to be. I must trust.

Now, there is this little issue of my nephew's game tomorrow night. My precious Alexandra does not like being separated from her Mama. We had arranged for my in-laws to stay with her and Michael. Last night, she screamed while I taught. I could hear her fussing most of the 3 hours I was teaching. I came out and told Andy that I can't go to the game. Yet, I need to go. John is my godson, and a senior. If they win, they go to State next week. If they don't, this is his last game. He is hoping to play next year, but if it is very far, it is unlikely that I would be able to go see him play. I have been trying to come up with a solution on my own. Could I bundle her up? (too cold and it is supposed to rain tomorrow) I could stay home, Andy could stay home. Then, I said to Andy, what if we take 2 cars. If I settle her down for a nap before we go, she'd sleep half the time. If she gets frantic, your Mom could call and one of us could come home? When I called to propose this to my mother-in-law, she told me we could take one car. She promised Alex would be fine. God knew I needed to hear that. Again, I must trust. I must pray and I must trust. All will be well.

7 Quick Takes Friday!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:10:00 +0000

1. I'd like to start out with a Happy 18th Birthday to my nephew (and godson), John. I am so proud of the man he is becoming. He is Senior Class President, a great student and a faithful Catholic who was confirmed earlier this year. Last summer, he spent 3 weeks working with the poor in the Dominican Republic. He is also an AWESOME football player. His team will play in the 4th round of playoffs tomorrow, and if they win, they will go to State. This past week, he scored 3 touchdowns, and was chosen Athlete of the week. Can you tell I am proud of him?

2. Speaking of my nephew, we are slated to go to his game tomorrow night. My mother-in-law is supposed to watch Michael and Alex. We may have to rethink this. I have been teasing that Alex cries when Mama isn't there. Well, it has gotten pretty bad. Last night, I taught for 3 hours, and she screamed almost the entire time. I told Andy that I would stay home, but he wants me to go even though she'll cry (he'd stay home). It is supposed to be cold and rainy, otherwise, I'd put her in the carrier and take her with me. I haven't seen John play this season, but I am very conflicted.

3. Hours have increased at work. I am still not being scheduled, but if I tell them I am available, I get added the day before. This really is a great thing, and I am very thankful, but I am kind of wiped out after this week.

4. I've been kind of light on blogging lately. I just don't know what to write about. When I started this blog (before I had made bloggy friends), I wrote. I wrote about education, my faith, politics. Now, I feel like I just don't do that anymore. I'll come up with an idea and then decide not to write about it. Guess it's a blogging funk.

5. Very thankful for all of my wonderful friends, IRL and the blogosphere. So happy that I have a wonderful group of women around me and we can support each other and pray for each other. I just think it's kind of awesome.

6. I am hoping to do some baking this weekend. I just feel like I am coming up on the short end of everything lately. As I write this, I am looking at 3 loads of laundry that I need to fold. Seems like I have to get more scheduled once again. *sigh*

7. Finally, a picture to share. Alexandra turned 2 months this week, and we are so thrilled to have her in our family!

More quick takes at Jen's.

Recipe Swap Thursday

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:08:00 +0000

It's time for another edition of Recipe Swap! I am really enjoying what I am seeing on everyone's blogs! This week, I am sharing an old favorite that I just found the recipe for on sparkpeople.com. If you share a recipe, grab the button on my sidebar for your post and then leave a link to your post in the comment section!

Rustic Lemon-Onion Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 tsp dried thyme plus 1 small bunch of fresh thyme, chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 Tbs of olive oil

1/4 cup of flour

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup of white wine

1 cup chicken broth

3 lemons, juiced

1 to 2 Tbs butter

Season chicken with dried thyme and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and fresh thyme and cook until aromatic.In a measuring cup, measure out wine, if using and broth and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat to high, and de-glaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.Remove pan from heat and finish the sauce by whisking in the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

With Thanksgiving coming, next week, let's share our favorite Thanksgiving side dishes!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:03:00 +0000

Alex turned 2 months old yesterday! I took her for her check-up and she weighed in at 10 pounds, 11 ounces. She is certainly making up for lost time!

This is a hat I loomed for Michael. I wish I had added a few more rows at the top to make it a little bigger. He does love it, though, and asked if he could wear it to bed!

Don't forget Recipe Swap Thursday Tomorrow!!!

God is good!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:55:00 +0000

Here is the update on Stellan! God is so good! Warning: it will make you cry in a good way!!

Prayers!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Can you please keep Stellan in your prayers? I've written about him before, and he is having heart surgery as we speak He was not in good shape before the surgery, and had flat lined earlier this morning. I have never met the family, but my heart aches for anyone having to go through this.

Signs...

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:24:00 +0000

that your child has watched too much TV:

Michael, "Mom! You know they make a snuggie for your dog!"

Me, "Honey, we don't have a dog."

Michael, "Yes, I do! Puppy, Other Puppy and Baby Puppy." (Three of his stuffed animals)

Me, "Well, we're not buying them snuggies,"

Michael, "Then, can I have a Pillow pet?"

Here's hoping he feels better, and we will turn off the TV!

7 Quick Takes Friday!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:20:00 +0000

1. Andy discovered a new tool on Picasa. It has face recognition technology. So, it separates people into their own files. It even could detect baby and adult photos of the same individual and put them together. For the most part, everyone in my family (extended included) ended up in their own files. The exception was Michael, who landed in a lot of files, which proves to me that he is a mix of both sides of out family.

2. A photo of me as a a baby did land in Alex's folder. I guess she looks like her Mama:

3. Work continues to frustrate me. I was scheduled only an hour this week. I mean, seriously, do they really think that we can call that income? I am very blessed to be able to teach from home, and have a job, but hours need to go up.

4. In light of the fact that I have no hours, I found a new site called oDesk. It links you with companies looking for people to complete tasks for them like data entry. The issue I am having is that my resume makes me look like I have no experience. All of my work experience on there is teaching related. The data entry work I did dates back to the early 90's.

5. Michael got sick at dinner last night. He threw up just that one time, but still doesn't seem quite right. It led Andy and I to decide that I needed to cancel my plans for tomorrow night (my niece's play) because he will be gone too, and I couldn't let my sister babysit Michael and Alex if we have something going through the house.

6. My nephew's football team plays in the semi-finals tomorrow. If they win, they go to State. This is a big deal because their high school has not gone in a long time. My nephew is a senior, so I am hoping for him that they win. This game is where Andy, Peter and Drew will be tomorrow night. Go Hilltoppers!

7. I host a Recipe Swap on Thursdays. I am ecstatic for the readers who continue to participate, but would love to have more! I just love hearing new recipes, and look for new ideas!

For more Quick Takes, pop over to Jen's.

Recipe Swap Thursday

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:04:00 +0000

It's time to share recipes! Have one you want to share? Go ahead and grab the button on my sidebar, then go ahead and leave a link to your post in the comments.

Potato Coquettes

4-6 C cold mashed potatoes
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 C dry bread crumbs
¾ C Romano or Asiago cheese
½ C finely chopped onions
¼ C chopped parsley

Mix all ingredients together. If too soft, add more breadcrumbs. Shape into oblong fingers or round patties. Dip into more beaten egg, and then into more breadcrumbs. Fry in oil. Drain on paper towels.

Wordless Wednesday

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:54:00 +0000

Halloween 2009

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:15:00 +0000

Alex tired out long before the festivities were over! She loves to snuggle next to me like this!

Here are my trick-or-treaters: Indiana Jones, Anakin Skywalker and Super Mario!

Finally, here is Alex's 7 week old picture

From today's homily:

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:24:00 +0000

Trying to clean while the children are home is like trying to shovel snow while it's still snowing.

I can so relate. *sigh*

7 Quick Takes Friday!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:39:00 +0000

1. Andy got a decent picture of Alex in her ComfyJoey. She was in it with Daddy! I never thought my hubby would wear a sling, but if it makes baby girl happy, I guess he'll do it!

2. I splurged on another carrier. I got this one at Target for $15. Alex loved being at school today for the Halloween parade and seeing all of the kids!

Isn't she the cutest pink leopard?

3. My little Mario, I mean Michael, is doing so well on his potty training! He literally only had a couple of accidents this week, and woke up dry 3 out of 5 mornings this week!

Yeah!!!

4. This is our Meyer lemon tree. After spending the summer outside, it has come in for the next 9 months, I mean winter. We have a ton of lemons this year (15-20), and it is already budding. Going to have to pull out my lemon recipes!

5. We began working on our annual Christmas ornament this week. All I can say is that it is a tree, and it is VERY cute!

6. Tomorrow is the last day of the soccer season. Our games were cancelled last week because of the mud. I am waiting to hear about tomorrow. I haven't gone to the last few because it has been too cold for the baby. I may try to bundle her tomorrow so I can see the boys play.

7. I feel like the end of the year is coming too quickly. I can't believe that we are almost at November. Once Halloween is over, we are entering my favorite time of year with the holidays. I am hoping to finish Christmas shopping in the next couple of weeks so I can enjoy Advent and all of the holidays.

Check out more over at Jen's.

Recipe Swap Thursday!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Looking for a new recipe? It is that time again! Let's swap recipes-just grab the code from my sidebar and add it to your post. Then come back and leave the link to your post in the comments section here.

My friend, Lisa, has been sending me some great recipes lately. After the baby was born, she surprised me with my favorite soup so, I thought I would share the recipe. By the way, it is a healthier version of the original and super yummy! Enjoy!

Broccoli Soup

4c chicken or vegetable broth

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c chopped carrots

1 tbsp dried onion (or 1/4 c fresh onion)

3 c frozen or fresh broccoli, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 can evaporated skim milk

2 tbsp corn starch

1/2 c low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Drizzle olive oil into pan over medium burner. Saute garlic, carrot and onion until soft. Add broth and broccoli. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until broccoli is soft. Puree soup in blender (or use immersion blender in pot) to desired smoothness. Mix can of evap. milk and corn starch, then slowly stir into the soup while stirring. Bring mixture up toward a boil until thickened, then turn back down to med-low. Stir while sprinkling cheese into soup.

Now, it's your turn! Share a recipe-I am really looking for some new ideas, aren't you?

Almost Wordless Wednesday

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Michael has turned into a big boy overnight! He has totally embraced potty training. He had only 2 accidents on Monday and none on Tuesday. That includes through a nap and overnight! I am so excited I can barely stand it!

On this Monday...

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Although I am very tired, I am starting to see a very dim light in the potty training tunnel. On Saturday, I had to attend a Forensics meeting. During the 6 hours I was gone (longest I'd been apart from the baby and I missed her!), my dear sweet husband decided that he was going to kick potty training into high gear (so much for ignoring the situation for now). I came home to Michael in underwear and pants, his having had several accidents, and Andy being frustrated.

I spent much of the rest of the afternoon listening to Andy's frustration and trying to figure out how to handle this. The rest of the afternoon went pretty much as the morning had with Michael having an accident shortly after going to the bathroom. The pull-up went on at bedtime, and we left it on the burner for the next day.

Add to this that everyone is in various stages of illness. I think Andy may have flu and several of us have sniffles (not Alex, though, thank God!). On Sunday, I woke up to Andy being really sick and my being on my own to care for the 4 kids and Michael's potty training. I put a pull-up on him for Mass because I was not going to deal with it. After that I took all of the boys to swimming lessons. When we got home, I decided to give something a try the my sister-in-law used to do. I let him go bare bottomed. We did this once before with great success until Michael found the pull-ups and that was the end of that.

Soon after he was au naturale, I realized that he could not go like this because he was literally rolling all over the furniture! Gross! So, I tweaked the situation. I put him in just underwear. I did not expect success seeing as he did this the day before with pants over them and had at least a dozen accidents.

Well, my dear sweet boy is just in underwear, and he has not had an accident! He is dry and clean, and going to the potty (with reminders, but he is going none-the-less). I have tied rewards to his being dry and clean. If he is dry when he goes to the potty, he gets a candy and a sticker. If he is dry and goes #2 on the potty he gets 2 candies.

I know we have a long way to go, but on this Monday, I have hope!

Random Dozen

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Frizzy over at Heaven's gift posted this meme, and I thought I'd play along. Let me know if you answer these, so i can see your answers too!

1. Candy corn: Your thoughts ?

Not so much. I can eat one or two, but it is way too sweet!

2. Briefly, what was the first conversation you ever had with your spouse? (or best friend, if you're not married.) (Or someone significant, like your librarian.)

On the day Andy and I met, I spent a lot of the day telling him how I loved my single life, and how I wasn't really looking for a relationship. We were engaged 3 months later!

3. Could you ever become a vegetarian?

I do love vegetables, so I probably could, but at some point I would miss meat!

4. Have you ever dressed up your pet in a costume?

We have fish, so that's a no.

5. Name something about childhood that you miss (like Clark Bars, Teaberry Gum, Malibu Barbie, cracking fake eggs on people's heads with your fist and "It's the Great Pumpkin" airing only once a year).

I miss the singing/dance contests I used to have with my siblings and cousins.

I do believe it is why I loved to perform in plays in high school.

6. Have you ever won a trophy? If not, what do you deserve a trophy for?

I won trophies with my team in volleyball and softball in grade school, as well as

medals in Forensics in high school.

Can't think of anything I deserve a trophy for currently-maybe most sleep deprived (Jamie may fight me for that one though!).

7. When do you think is the appropriate time to begin playing Christmas music each year?

I would say the day after Thanksgiving.

8. What's your favorite board game?

I have a few. I have great memories of playing Scrabble as a family growing up.

I can't wait to do that when my kids are older.

Right now, my favorite board games to play as a family are Monopoly and Blokus.

9. How do you feel about surprises (receiving, not giving)?

I love them! It was really hard for me when I married into Andy's family

because there were no surprises. Often I knew ahead of time

what they were giving me for Christmas. Now, they know that I like to

be surprised. Andy is great at surprising me. On the flip side, he hates

surprises (no 40th surprise party for him this year!).

10. Is it easy for you to say "I'm sorry?"

I have been told before that I say it too much, including times when it isn't my fault!

11. What is your favorite candle scent?

Cinnamon, pumpkin spice and ginger are all my favorites. I love to have them burning this time of year.

12. October is traditionally "open house" time in public schools. If you had a literal open house in your home (like a reception) what light snacks would you serve visitors and what would you show them (as in art projects, graded papers) that would uniquely represent you?

I would serve things like taco dip and cold veggie pizza because they are favorites of mine.

More likely, I would not have an open house, but have a dinner party where I cooked a full meal which would definitely be something Italian like pasta with sauce made with meatballs sausage and beef (YUM!).

I would show them pictures of the kids because they are my shining stars!

7 Quick Takes Friday!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000

1. Fall is in full swing around here. My boys love raking and jumping in the leaves!

2. Our favorite frozen custard stand carried my new favorite this week-RED VELVET CAKE Custard. The custard is chocolate, and it has ribbons of cream cheese frosting in it. Here, Michael is ~~wearing~~ eating it!

3. Michael is becoming quite the big brother, don't you think?

4. I am so thankful for my blogging friends who left such great comments since last night's post. I have to remember to pray through this time. As an addendum, I was unable to nurse Alex, so I am extra worried about her getting the H1N1. As of this morning, Andy has a sore throat and Drew is stuffy. No fevers or anything else thus far. Just going to pray, tie a knot and hang on!

5. To Corinne-thanks for quoting part of Hail, Holy Queen. That really is my favorite prayer. Maybe I need to just keep saying it?

6. I will be done scoring SATs on Sunday. Then I am going to get some projects going. I have my Pay-it-Forwards to finish, and I want to make hats for the boys for winter. Also, Allison posted a pattern for making mittens out of old sweaters. I am thinking of trying this!

7. Baby Alex turned 6 weeks old yesterday. Here is her weekly photo:

Check out more quick takes at Jen's!

What a week!

theresem916@gmail.com (Therese) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:13:00 +0000

I am so glad this week is almost over. I have been trying to keep what I call my post-partum meltdown at bay, and it happened tonight. I feel so much better!

What's been on my mind? What hasn't been! This week was a crazy one in particular as I was juggling my evening teaching job and my every once in a while essay scoring for SAT. I had decided to take Monday off of teaching so I could score as I make twice as much on SAT than I do teaching. The next day I found out that our attendance policy has changed at work. I'm not in trouble or anything, but they have tightened it down a lot. I also had to attend my first team meeting with my new lead teacher. I am just so bitter about not getting the position. Work has just been very overwhelming this week.

I am also in sleep deprived mode. Alex is doing great, but I haven't found the groove with her at night yet. I need to feed her right before bed because when I do, it means feeding her only once in the middle of the night. I haven't been doing that, and it has been twice during the night. After I am done writing this, I am going to feed her and go to sleep myself.

Michael has been a struggle lately. He is so good with Alex, but I think that he is feeling insecure. We have really great days the 3 of us. I love nothing better than sitting down to feed Alex, and Michael climbing into my lap as well. He can be such a sweetheart, and he can also be such a stinker! He is very smart which now has me questioning the decision not to send him to school. Actually, we wouldn't have sent him because of his behavior and, ahem, potty training issues. I am just frustrated right now. When he goes to his gymnastics class, he is good as gold for the teacher. Then we go out somewhere like the grocery store, and I am constantly correcting him. And the potty training? If I weren't so tired, oh, who am I kidding? I am at a complete loss!

Finally, I am really stressing out about H1N1. I tend to be a little OCD. I used to really freak out about the kids getting sick-until they had rotovirus a few years ago. Since then, I have had a pretty laid-back attitude. Until this whole H1N1 thing. I know the media is really going all out about this. It's just the fact that I have a newborn, and I am so scared that she is going to get it. We had thought for sure that we would get the vaccine. Now, we think we won't. We were supposed to go next week, but we are hearing there are not enough shots. In the end, I don't think the shot would help as H1N1 seems to be running rampant in the city already. Several schools are closed because they have 30-40% of their population out (our school is at about 10% right now). Even if we could get the shot, I think it is too late.

So, the meltdown I mentioned? I came out of my room where I had scored 3 hours straight (except for when Alex was fussing-not that she EVER does that!), and I cried, and got all of this off my chest to my wonderful husband. If you have an extra prayer, please just pray that I can have some inner peace.