Quick Update

If you think that we've been too busy for blogging, your thinking is correct.

Here's some updates on your favorite Cleveland family...

I've won the last 2 weigh-ins, up until this past Sunday when Nick swiftly kicked my butt.
Don't be excited. Some wins are just about holding steady while the other gains a pound or has a monstrous Saturday night meal and has a bad Sunday morning weigh-in. But, hey, a win's a win.

Nick and I signed up to run a 5k on June 5th. That's right. The day after our wedding anniversary, the day after we find out who wins the first leg of the competition.

Isaiah started solids! This past Thursday he had his first taste of a banana! This morning he had his first taste of rice cereal. He treats the spoon like a pacifier, but he's getting the hang of it. His neck and head stability are improving weekly and his eczema is under control (for the most part).

I am on a no dairy, no egg diet. This means I am a vegan who eats meat. (I love that oxymoron.) This has been established by Isaiah's allergist who found that he is most certainly allergic to eggs and milk and dairy. We'll see how this goes. Doc said it's likely that Isaiah will outgrow it. I hope so.

Have I ever mentioned that milk is my all-time favorite drink? Or how every morning I made myself a delicious veggie omelette?

Somehow it got to be the middle of May and I gasped at the calendar when I saw that on Wednesday, my favorite Gerber head is going to be FIVE MONTHS OLD!

And that concludes this brief update.

Missing Nick and Michael

Photo taken 6/21/09, Filipino Festival in Cleveland

It's amazing all that can happen in 10 days when you don't blog.

In addition to Jan and Rog Borchers coming to visit us in Cleveland, Nick and I attending the Cleveland Filipino Festival, my friend Alexis who I worked with in Boston last year moving to Cleveland last week, having 10th row at a New Kids on the Block concert!, seeing the movie "State of Play" (mildly good, entertaining, nothing great), attending our nephew Zach's 4th birthday party, watching fireworks in Massillon, having another ultrasound (Baby Plum is no longer a plum and is growing quickly!) on Wednesday, hosting Kelly Borchers Norris this weekend on her way to Abby Cordonnier's (cousin of Nick and Kelly) bachelorette party, and seeing Nick off for a week long trip to Kentucky -- even with all of that going on, what I just can't believe is that Michael Jackson is dead.

(I'm listening to "We Are the World," as I write this.)

Trumping MJ's cardiac tragedy, the biggest heartache is being separated from Nick for a week. Now, I know how that sounds -- I was gone for 2 months last summer and globe trotted my heart out -- but I'm pregnant now and that means two things: 1) I get to say whatever I want without feeling bad and 2) I'm uber emotional

(My MJ music marathon continues. Now on my ear "You Are Not Alone.")

Nick will be back Friday afternoon and that seems like eons away.

Sometimes when Nick is gone, I feel like this blog becomes the soggy pillow where I consistently weep into with my sadness that he's not around telling me a corny joke or trying to work some miracle with our shower's water pressure.

*sigh* It's going to be a long week.

(last song for tonight's MJ's dedication is Nick's favorite MJ song: "Man in the Mirror")

Short and Sweet

On Friday night, Nick and I went out with our buds, Christina and Brian Emerson to a lovely outdoor bar to watch the Cavs.

On Saturday, we attended Zoey's first birthday. Zoey is the youngest daughter of our friends' Terry and Stephanie Mcafferty.

Sunday was hectic and busy with work.

Monday Nick began prepping for his trip to El Salvador (leaving tomorrow morning at 4am).

This is short because I am sad Nick is leaving for a five days.

Some days I am a strong as a rock, but other days I'm as weepy as the spring rain.

Today is the latter.

OH THE NEGLECT

So, the past two weeks have been full of blog neglect.

I know that it's been a while since St. Patty's when we last posted, but I am up to my eyeballs in writing deadlines and we had 3 weekends with a killer schedule of flying to Ohio last weekend, hosting 4 friends this weekend, and flying to Florida this coming weekend...I know, isn't it just unbearable to travel, fly, and hang out with loved ones and then party like a rock star in Florida?

If you think Nick and I have a blessed life of fun and freedom, you think correctly. I don't think I could imagine a sweeter life than the one we are building right now. I mean, what more could you ask for other than not living in a residential college building with 450+ 18-22 year olds who over-microwave Tostinos and set off the fire alarm at 3am?

More updates on the way!

Updates

The city after a snow storm.

Me and Kristie

Nick and I out with my co-workers/support system
(left to right, Dan, Nick, me, Leanne, Alexis)

Random Update:
I got my nose pierced with my friend, Kristie, while we were in Cincinnati over Christmas break. That's a picture of us above that was taken right after we had them done. If you look closely, you can see a small red swollen spot on our noses. Yep, that's because a gargantuan sized needle went through our nostrils about 3 minutes previously. Shh - don't tell my parents.

City Updates:

• The city is crazy for the Superbowl which starts in 6 hours.
• The city is crazy for SuperTuesday which starts in 48 hours.
• The city is crazy because if the Patriots win the Superbowl, they'll have a parade on SuperTuesday.

Other Updates:

• I finally got my Massachusetts drivers license.
• Last night we found a Filipino restaurant! SCORE!
• We saw the movie Juno this weekend and give it two very big thumbs up for its one liners.
• We potentially have found a parish that we'd like to belong to: St. Cecilia which is an energetic and booming community in downtown Boston.
• Nick's 2nd semester classes are going well is schedule is a little less stressful with one less class.
• My job is consuming my life and have made a decision to at least begin job hunting for next fall.
• My brother and sister-in-law just found out they're having another boy! That's four kids total! 1 girl and 3 boys. God love 'em.
• Nick and Kelly Hartings just had their baby girl, Emma Jeane, on Friday morn - CONGRATS!
• I'm playing with the idea of applying to a masters program at Simmons College. It's a masters in Gender and Cultural Studies. I figure while I'm surrounded with academics why not jump in, too, you know? Not to mention, this is my area of specialization.

And there you have it - a small glimpse into our lives for the week. Don't forget that February is when I celebrate my birthday month. * Along with the start of Lent, Mardi Gras, Presiden's Day, and Valentine's Day, February holds one of the most treasured days of all time: my bday.





*Ask Nick, I am not exaggerating this statement.

Catching Up

Oh, I'm so behind.

It's been awhile since the last post and everytime I remember that I need to write something, I chide myself, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow I will."

Of course tomorrow becomes tomorrow becomes tomorrow.

Today is tomorrow.

So, where did we leave off?

Oh yes, three weekends ago, my parents came in from Pennsylvania to visit and it was wonderful, of course. They loved our apartment. They loved Boston. They loved that my commute is 3 flights of stairs. They loved that Nick takes the train to school everyday. They loved that there is a park across the street. They loved everything.

Rog and Jan Borchers followed suit the weekend after my parents. Unfortunately, for Rob and Jan, Boston decided to show its nasty side. It was cold, rainy, and grey all day and that didn't afford much alternatives for entertainment. Buckeye fans don't lose heart that easily though. We poofed out the umbrellas and slugged it up to GAME ON, a bar that exclusively shows OSU games on Saturdays. We cheered the Bucks to beat the pants off Wisconsin and gleefully watched Wisconsin fans become more solemn in the bar.

I was on duty the weekend Rob and Jan were in town and unfortunately was called into work that night so I was unable to make it to dinner with them. Leaky windows from the rain, maintenance issues, and a student mugging incident will do that. Ugh.

And that concludes 5 consecutive wonderful weeks of family visitors.

This past weekend, Nick curled up to his beloved texts and powered through a 25 pg. paper while I hopped onto a bus and spent Veteran's weekend in New York City with some of my closest friends from childhood. It was refreshing to get away from my job and to visit with some old buds who know me well. Nick was couch-slapping and texting his sorrow over the Bucks loss to Illinois. My cell phone was in orange alert danger of being thrown against a wall when I received that text. BOOO. I hate losing.

One of my RAs who loves Michigan (poor infected soul), loves to razz on Nick about Saturday's game. Nick just shakes his head and tries to be friendly to my RAs but inside I know he wants to throw some Tressel vs. Carr statistic. I admire his benevolence. Me? I tell my pro-Michigan RAs to shove it and talk to me after Saturday.

We're leaving for Ohio on Tuesday evening. We'll be in Russia all day Wednesday and for Thanksgiving morning/early afternoon. After that, we'll head to Massillon to be with my family for Thursday evening and all day Friday. Departing out of Columbus at the crack of dawn on Saturday, we'll fly back to Boston for a wedding (one of my co-workers) Saturday night. The busy-ness never ends.

Nick and I decided that likely this will be the last Thanksgiving that we try to split between families because it's way too hectic and we don't get time with either family. Beginning next year, we'll switch off Thanksgiving and Easter between families, but continue to split Christmas holidays.

So, Factoras and Borchers families beware: come 2008 you'll either have us for the turkey or the resurrection.

See some of you next week!