I was getting so much crap from Mike about the old blog address being http://www.lilydelbueno.blogspot.com that I finally let the guilt force me to check into moving it to delbueno.net. I tried to do it myself, thinking that I am always preaching the gospel of “Thou Shalt Learn By Doing”. However, it was really complicated and I totally messed up my blog to the point that I couldn’t post to it. Phil heard my cussing and sighing and helped me out. So enjoy. New blog template and set up to come. It’s time.

It’s been over two weeks since I last blogged. Both kids had ear infections and Lily ended up with a stomach virus. She projectile vomited all over my mother’s legs and shoes while at the pediatrician’s office. It was lovely. Both girls seem to be doing better now.

Lily had her first official haircut today. We were affectionately referring to her as “Wal-Mart Baby” because she always looked like she should be living there. Hair everywhere, in the eyes, standing on end . . . you get the picture. She still looks slightly weird because it’s not the same length, but at least it’s neat now and she can see. So much for me trying to grow out her bangs. Even the teachers at school laughed about her hair. It was time. I took some pictures so I will post them as soon as I develop the film. I still refuse to get a digital camera.

A couple of weeks ago I had to go to lunch with a friend and a potential client. It was on a Friday, a day when I don’t normally work, so Lily stayed with mom and dad while I ran up and head lunch with them. I told her I was having lunch with a man and a woman. While I was gone, she told my mother that I was having lunch with a man and that I was “cuddling him”. Apparently that’s what we do with men!!! Thankfully she didn’t tell that to her daddy, and I can tell you most definitely that I was NOT cuddling with “the man”.

Arden is getting big - she’s almost 12 pounds and her most recent nickname is “Piglet”. The child never stops eating. I’m over the “every three hours” thing - and might stop nursing sooner this time than I did with Lily. I’m trying to get to 6 months. After that, we’ll see what happens. She’s very sweet natured, however, and easy to please, so aside from the fact that she still doesn’t sleep through the night and eats constantly, she’s a joy to have around. She’ll be an international traveler soon when we go to Mexico for Dan and Ana’s wedding. Good lord, I still don’t have a dress . . .

Going on three weeks of being sick . . . no blogging during that time. I feel like ever since I was blessed with Mr. Kidney Stone I’ve been going downhill. I got some nasty bacteria called campylobacter from raw chicken, probably some some random restaurant, and it has taken a toll on my body. Combine that with trying to figure out what the heck this “mass” on my liver is, and I’m over the entire medical profession. We were back at the doctor today demanding some other diagnosis. He gave me a Z-pack and sent me home. We leave for Smith Mountain Lake tomorrow and both Mike and I, as well as the rest of the family, hope I will be able to enjoy it and be healthy. I don’t know who’s more sick of me being sick - my family or me.

Poor Lily - she hasn’t seen much fun from me lately. We bought her a training potty and she loves playing with it (not sitting on it - mostly she just drags it around or tries to put it on her head). She’s seen me with my head in the toilet so much over the past month that as soon as we put it together, she kneeled in front of it and put her head into it, just like mommy! Awww, my little puker . . . so sweet. I guess she really does watch what’s going on, even if she has no idea what it means. Let’s hope she’ll get the idea that she’s supposed to sit on it, not throw up into it, sooner rather than later.

Thanks for all the supportive phone calls and emails and sorry if I haven’t returned them. I’ve really appreciated it, and hope that by the time we return from where “Dirty Dancing” was filmed, I’ll be all healed up.

I am a slack blogger. However, I did spend the majority of the week learning a cool and wonderful new software package - Macromedia’s Contribute. I love it! It makes HTML-paranoid people, such as myself, look like we know HTML. I had to learn it fast because I’m teaching a class on it tomorrow as a subcontractor for a web designer here in Richmond. I started out teaching direct e-mail database management classes for her and now suddenly I’m teaching Contribute. Hey, it’s good money, and I love this kind of techy stuff. I really should have followed my heart and become a database nerd or something. Oh wait, I already am.

I just read a hilarious article about a 30-something guy in Minneapolis who thought he had done a good job of hiding his identity - just to find out that his mother, browsing the internet, came across his blog, which details his casual sex life and drug usage, along with what he eats for dinner every night. At least all my family members know my blog address and I know immediately what I can and cannot post.

Between issues with friends, too much work, a child that has diaper rash from hell, and our normal time commitments, I’m alittle frazzled this week. I met Rebecca today and her son Ty - we were both pregnant and in the same Bradley class last year. The two of them together are so cute - 3 weeks apart. We met at Regency and let them roam around the play area. Lily was dogged by three 4 year olds who thought she was adorable, and showed their adoration for her by jumping around her, shoving their faces in her face, and generally blocking her way when she would try to crawl out of the gaggle of girls. Finally I had to rescue her when she started screaming and poking at one of the girl’s cheek. I wouldn’t want to be surrounded by that clique, either.

Being with Rebecca makes me feel like I’ve got it good. They are surviving on one income, and not only that, but her husband decided to get his MBA since he works at VCU and it’s cheap for him to do it. So, he’s going to school full time, working full time, and teaching a class on Sundays. She basically gets minimal help with Ty during the week. And I’m sure, knowing her husband, that it kills him to spend so little time with his son. So no more griping about how late Mike does or doesn’t work!

Blogging remotely - what a change. Today I made a pitstop at a friend’s home office, caught up on e-mail, and thanked god for the invention of air conditioning. The heat index in Richmond today is through the roof. Have I mentioned that I’m not really a summer person? I can’t wait for the chilly air of fall to get here.

Lily is home with my mom, probably going to sleep right about now. It’s weird knowing she is home when I’m not - something about leaving her at someone else’s house made me feel less strange about it. I think it’s just that when she is home, I want to be with her. I have to adjust to this as well.

I am less irritable about my work situation right now. Maybe because I see there is an end in sight to some of my current problems, or I am just getting used to it. I’m not sure why, but things seem to be falling into place. I feel like I might possibly get organized before 2004 begins.

We thought about going to Pinehurst for the 2005 US Open - and guess what - the house we were just renting? For $75 a night? Yeah, that same house is $20,000 A WEEK. And no, that is not a typo. Talk about ridiculous. Needless to say, we are not going now. Who spends $20,000 on a house for one week? It wasn’t that fabulous of a house, either! I’d rather go to Colorado 5 times for that money and ski my butt off. Sure, seeing all the golfers up close and personal would be cool, but it just further reminds me of what a wild place Pinehurst is - or any golf community. Or any resort, for that matter. I’m surprised I can afford to breathe when I am down there.

Enough griping - I’m off to work.