I have thoughts #3

The last time I wrote an "I have thoughts" post, Imogen had just gotten her 2 month vaccines. As luck would have it, this time around she just had her 4 month vaccines. I was hoping she'd get through them unscathed, but good grief. It was so much worse this time around. Last time she had a low fever for about a day and a half and was really sleepy the day of the shots, and that was it. She was fine. This time, she started feeling feverish that same afternoon, and the entire next day and night. She was tired. She was fussy. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to be awake. She wanted to eat. She didn't want to eat. She has only had two dirty diapers since then (TMI, sorry, but it is Friday and her shots were on Monday and that's not comfortable for anyone) and both were really runny thanks to the Rotavirus vaccine. Yesterday she went on a feeding strike and it was all I could do to get her to eat the bare minimum for most of the day. Today she is refusing to nap longer than 30 minutes at a time. I don't know how much of this is vaccine related and how much of it is age-related, since she just turned four months, but good grief. I'm exhausted from this week.

I attempted to make homemade apple cider today, and it. is. DELICIOUS. I posted the recipe on my Instagram story but if you missed it, let me know and I'll send you the recipe. It's so stinking easy, I don't know why I've never tried it before. I used honeycrisp apples. I can't wait to heat some up later this evening.

I've been on a book-buying streak for the baby lately, which isn't weird or anything but I need your recommendations for board books. We don't have nearly enough (is that possible, though?) There are only two shops in town that sell board books and they're all overpriced; I can get them cheaper on Amazon. Problem is, then I can't look inside them to see if I like them. We like really good illustrations, and a cute story. Examples of books we have and love: The Quiet Book, Red Wagon, A Lullaby for Little One, anything Peter Rabbit-related, and so on and so forth. Send me your suggestions!

Speaking of Peter Rabbit, is it too early to start planning Imogen's first birthday party? Don't answer that.

I bought a chalkboard and chalk pens recently and I've been obsessed with changing it up almost every single day. More often than not, it displays either a Ron Swanson quote or a Michael Scott quote. Today I plan on surprising Isaiah with a hot apple toddy (hence the apple cider experiment) when he gets home from work, so here's today's board:

With my spiced apple toddy candle burning, of course.

Is anyone else already feeling the pressure of Christmas gifts? I think it's because my mom is already asking me for gift ideas, but I feel like it's much later in November than it actually is. Like, is it really only the 10th? Surely December is like, next week. Daylight saving hasn't helped. I know, it's "the thing" for everyone to complain about, but I really hate it. I hate that it gets dark at like 4pm now, I hate that I'm ready for bed by 6:30, and I really couldn't care less that it's light at 8am again. Yay, that'll last all of a few weeks before we're down to about 6 hours of daylight. Take your daylight "saving" and shove it, Benjamin Franklin.

We're going to remodel our bathrooms and laundry room this weekend. Lord, beer us strength. Both bathrooms and the laundry room are getting new flooring; the downstairs half-bath is getting a new vanity, faucet and toilet; the upstairs full bath is getting a new vanity, faucet, medicine cabinet, lighting, and toilet. I'm not too worried about the two bathrooms, but I'm d r e a d i n g moving the washer/dryer and the hot water heater so we can do the floor in the laundry room. We just replaced the hot water heater a couple months ago and it was a complete pain in the you know what, and I'm not excited to move the stupid thing yet again. At least it should be easier to drain this time...the old one hadn't been replaced since it was originally installed in the 1980s, and the bottom was so full of sediment that we had to rig a drainage system to one of the element holes using the hose from our ShopVac. It was an adventure, and not one I'm wanting to repeat any time soon. That said, once the bathrooms and laundry room are finished, our house is DONE in the remodeling department. Five years of projects...anything after this is just bonus points.

Last thing: Thank the Lord it's Friday. Isaiah has been working a crap ton of overtime lately, and I am looking forward to a few days of family time. I may even have a spiked apple cider tonight, myself.