March 6, 2012

We woke up to almost seven inches of fluffy snow this morning! So pretty, but as tricky as usual. I don't believe that DENTAC is going to be assisting me any longer, (I'm so grateful for the volunteers that helped for all those months!), and while Olivia has cooperated in the past when I pick away at the shoveling there are no guarantees she will today! The other challenge when there is fresh snow is how to distinguish white from white. Everything is white, the roads, the sidewalks, the curbs, low barriers, it becomes difficult to know where the road is. Oh well, it's a challenge and thank goodness we don't have to go anywhere unfamiliar.

This morning we talked to Mimi & got an update on my grandfather. He has made no progress since his surgery two weeks ago. The infection that is causing his high white cell count and high fever is still of unknown etiology. The new antibiotic they tried did not work and, in fact, made things worse. So it's back to the drawing board - more CAT scans and tests. We all hope that if this infection can be routed that his body will have an opportunity to heal. As it is, he remains weak and only lucid from time to time. I wish that I could be there to help my family in some way.

Olivia was patient as I shoveled the deck for the dogs in the morning and we had a nice time playing together on the couch and poking around on the internet. We talked to Pop for a few minutes and we talked to Nana on the phone also. She was in the middle of baking muffins for her coworkers. What lucky coworkers! Today seems to be a day to spend on the telephone.

We met Jessica Abel for lunch at the PX. She was still full from a big breakfast, so she kindly played with Olivia while I ate. That's always a bonus for me! Olivia was practically walking on the table! Okay, maybe not but she was using her leg muscles and standing with only a little balancing from Jessica. It was super cute. She attracted an admirer from the Popeye's Chicken counter. I have the feeling he won't be the last! Olivia inspected my meal and seemed very interested in a biscuit. Not yet baby! She also helped Jessica by drooling all over her political economics homework. Silly baby.

Olivia was very cooperative at the PX. She let Jessica & I discuss political economics and some of her other classes for a while. I'm not sure that she was as interested in the Senate resolutions/bills as we were. She seemed more focused on blowing spit bubbles. But then again, sometimes that's how I feel about Senate resolutions, too.

We did a little bit of shopping at the PX and Jessica treated me to a chai latte but we didn't stay too long. The snow was still coming down steadily and we didn't feel like being out in it, plus Olivia was hungry. When we got home  nursed Olivia and then I tried to do a little shoveling outside as she played in her pack 'n play, but when I poked my head inside after shoveling only the front walk, she was crying. I decided the shoveling could wait. Lucky me, the two little neighbor boys who asked to borrow my shovels for their driveway decided to shovel my driveway, too! How thoughtful!

Olivia & I caught up on some of our dvr'd programs and then had a lengthy but hilarious (as usual) conversation with her godfather, Uncle Grant. After that it was time to head upstairs and Olivia & I were both in bed by 10.