So sick....

I've been sooo sick this past week, which explains my lack of posting (if you were wondering). David and I both have acute bronchitis, but I've also come down with a nasty stomach bug that's either a severe reaction to the codeine cough syrup I took on Tuesday night (although I only took it once so don't know why I'd still feel a reaction now), or the nausea and vomiting is just another symptom of this nasty virus that I have. Ugh. I honestly don't think I've ever been this sick in my adult life. I haven't been able to keep down much besides Gatorade and saltine crackers the past 4 days, I've been struggling with a pounding headache (probably from dehydration), and I've been kept up at night with coughing fits and stomach pains. It's been rough, I'm not gonna lie. Thankfully David is a ROCK STAR husband and father, and he's totally stepped up to take care of Zoey and I and all the necessary household chores and errands. I am a very lucky woman to have such a great man in my life. Today I am feeling much better than I have since Tuesday, so hopefully that's a sign that I'm on the upward swing.

Even though being sick really sucks, I'm trying to remain as positive as possible and find some humor in the situation. For instance, I was thinking of all the "perks" of being so sick....such as 1) that I'm forced to simply STOP, rest, and take care of myself first, something that's hard to find time for as a working mother, 2) Hey, this virus is a great diet to help me get back to my pre-baby weight!, and 3) at least we're saving money on our grocery bill since I haven't eating anything in the last 4 days!

Of course though, I can't wait to be back to my healthy self. This experience has reminded be that I can NEVER take my health for granted, and that I must listen to my body and not try to be super-mom all the time. And also not to sweat the small stuff, because being this sick really puts things into perspective, and reminds me what really matters. So at the very least I've learned some lessons from this horrible illness.

Suspicious feline behavior

I've been home sick the past couple of days with a bad case of bronchitis, and an unfortunate reaction to my cough syrup with codeine - ick. And since I'm at home when I'd normally be at work, I have the fortunate opportunity to regulate on my crazy cats and their spastic behavior. I always wonder what they do all day when we're gone....sleep in the sun? fight with each other? invite over their alley cat friends for a crazy party? sneak into our closets and play dress up? Who knows really....

But this morning I heard a bit of a raucous coming from our master bathroom, and although I didn't catch any bad behavior in the act, these two looked quite suspicious. I've got my eye on you kitties!

My little side sleeper...

....just like her mama : ). Normally Zoey goes to sleep around 7pm, and wakes up between 6:30-7am babbling and cooing to herself in her crib (yes I know we're super lucky to have such a great sleeper - knock on wood!) But on Monday I literally had to go in and wake her up at 7:15am out of a deep sleep, so I'd have time to feed her and get her ready for daycare. And this is exactly how I found her. : )

Windy Walk to Bay Farm Island

We braved the crazy wind on Saturday afternoon and went for a lovely walk across the Alameda Bike Bridge to Bay Farm Island. It is so gorgeous out there.....so much openness, nice bike/foot trails, lots of fresh air, beautiful plants, tons of birds, and amazing views of the City and the Bay. Even though it's right under the flight path for many planes taking off and landing at OAK, Bay Farm is a pretty cool "island". Oh how we just love Alameda! : )

Fall Semester Maddness @ Cal

Yet another Fall semester is beginning at UC Berkeley tomorrow. The energy both on campus and throughout Berkeley's city streets has definitely shifted dramatically this past week - once calm, lazy summer days are replaced by the rushed, crowded, frantic energy of the new school year beginning. While on one hand I do love the intensity and energetic optimism characterized by the start of a new term, it also drains me and leave me longing for those kick-back, slower-paced days of summer. But at least I know that winter break isn't too far off! Ahh, the crazy life of a student services professional in higher education. : )

And today I jumped feet first into the new semester by leading a Pre-Law workshop during Cal's Welcome Week activities. 120 eager Berkeley students attended to soak up all the knowledge and advice they could get to help them prepare for their law school futures. Funny how it seems that the majority of Cal students come in as intended pre-law or pre-med.... : ) But in all sincerity, I am honored and humbled by the amazing students I have the pleasure of working with, and it is quite exciting to help counsel and advise the future leaders of our world. They truly are an impressive bunch.

GO BEARS!

How twins are made....haha

Bagles, babies, and Peekaboo