Yes, we made it to February!

Pic from here, Cran Beach! Where we'll be this May!

If this wasn't going to be my last winter here, I'd definitely purchase a happy light.



I believe the weather is taking a toll on me. Winter isn't over and we've already had over 60 inches of snow, and the average is 41 inches for the year!!!



I'm not a fan of having to walk 3 blocks to my car in the freezing cold, hoping I don't slip on the ice while holding Mirabel, because we don't have an official parking spot since they cost around $1500/year. I'm a little exhausted from worrying about the new damages done to my car, because I may have accidentally parked in someone's spot (though these supposed spots are unmarked and are really available on a first-come-first-served basis). The fear isn't unfounded, someone keyed the entire right side of my car, and someone else hit the back right bumper of my car without leaving any sort of note.



I'm a little tired of outrageous medical procedures, ranging from root canals that are twice as much as they are everywhere else, to incompetent doctors who go on Paris vacations during Thanksgiving with the money they collect from these ridiculous dental procedures--even though they can't fill a cavity so that the filling doesn't fall out, or even fit a temporary crown properly so that it stays put. (Yep, over the past 2 months, ONE SINGLE TOOTH has been filled twice, and that's just half of it.)



Then the pain IN THAT SAME TOOTH became unbearable and I discovered (or an entirely different endodontist discovered) that I actually need a root canal and crown on that tooth. (Even though the first incompetent dentist said I needed an antibiotic for the pain, for an infection that wasn't there. Remember, I need a root canal not an antibiotic.) The endodontist was disturbed by this too. This new endodontist did the root canal, and the old incompetent doc gave me a temporary crown (with a 15% discount, since she messed up earlier), which falls out 2 DAYS after she put it in, much like the filling that was never actually needed on that same tooth earlier on!!!!!!!!!! The irony of it all? The dental hygienist put on the second temporary crown and it fits better AND STAYS ON longer than the one the dentist initially put on. WOW. All that cost us $2500, and we found out it wouldn't have been much less if we had dental insurance (which is also too expensive).



Sigh. This blog is becoming a place for complaints, and I don't like that. But I feel like I'm about to pop because I haven't seen the sun in months. My poor husband is so consumed with school and work (school projects) this semester that I only talk to him about 30 minutes a day, with the exception of Sundays, so I need a place to vent.



BUT it's February, thank God!!!! We only have about 3.5 months left before we leave this place FOREVER. I also have a smilie baby, when she isn't sleepy or cranky because I need a nursing break (because those pesky new teeth are breaking my skin :|). Right now she's sleeping peacefully in my right arm while I type with my left hand (gonna go put her down now :). Phew, free hands now!



She is growing up so fast. Thankfully she's starting to like the sipper cup, since she never cared much for bottles, and she's used it a few times now! We're still trying to introduce solids, she doesn't like those much either, but she ate a few spoonfuls of turkey dinner and loves solid fruits and roasted veggies served in strips!



We are also planning a few mini-vacations, which we'll take in May when our family comes up for Jose's graduation. One of the places we'll be visiting is the beach. Check out the beautiful photo at the top of the entry; I found it on flickr, it's the beach we'll be visiting! Can't wait! :) I hope you all are staying warm! I hope spring comes quickly for us all!



The good thing about the weather? With all the staying indoors, nap times become craft times when I plan ahead and don't have other obligations, this means blog make-overs and Valentine-card making! They are a little cheesy, but I wanted to send some cards out to the grandparents that included her handprint. So I traced her hand and incorporated it into the card, so they can see how much she's grown since they haven't seen her since August!