I left San Francisco with a heavy heart. I felt bad leaving Jackie! as she’d contracted a nasty cold when I was there and I wanted to take care of her. I knew the cold would prevent her from starting her next round of chemo on time and that was a bummer. But Jackie! is awesome, as we all know, and she pushed me out the door promising she’d be fine.

The other thing that was weighing on me was some horrible news we’d heard on Saturday – that in the firestorm that overwhelmed Southern California this last weekend, one of our best friends had lost her house. Danielle and her fiance were in San Francisco for Jackie!’s party, so she wasn’t home at the time. Her parents WERE home, and the fire came so fast that they barely were able to save themselves and their dogs before their house was completely engulfed.

I can’t imagine how they feel. The house and all their irreplaceable items…gone. They have their memories, and they’ve gone back to the wreckage a few times and managed to pull some things out of the wet soot. She’s getting married in two months, and her grandmother is very ill. There’s a lot on her plate. My heart aches.

Flying back from San Fran, my seat on the plane was by a window. I had my iPod on with my eyes closed, and I tried to relax and not think about things. Then the pilot came on the loudspeaker to announce we were making our descent into Los Angeles, and that we shouldn’t be alarmed by the low visibility or the smell of smoke in the cabin. I looked out the window, and I was shocked by how dark and thick the smoke below me was. Those were homes lost. I cried.

I felt a lot better when I got home and saw Mike, Rigby, and Maddie. They all greeted me with BIG smiles, hugs, and kisses, but I could tell something was a bit off with Maddie. She was warm and very cuddly. She’s at the point now where she wants to be DOWN so she can crawl over things – she doesn’t like being held for too long. So I knew something was up.

Unfortunately, my bug bites were at an all-time high on the pain and itchiness scale. They were so swollen that my skin and joints ached, and the bites on my face were causing me a major migraine. So when Maddie wanted to sleep (something she NEEEEEEVER wants to do), I was more than happy to sleep as well.

We woke up the next day complete disasters. Like, call your parents and beg them to take care of you and their grandchild because your husband is INSANELY busy with a project disasters. So my parents swooped in and saved us. Their timing was impeccable because Maddie developed a high fever and the pukes. And let me tell you, the puke of a baby on solids was NOT something any of us were prepared for. I will spare you the foods she ate that that, but GAG they were gross. After that, my parents played nurse to both of us. Thank goodness they saved us! Thanks mom and dad!!! Without them, Maddie and I both would have ended up checked into the hospital. NO JOKE.

Luckily, Mike has completed his project and Maddie and I are both feeling MUCH better. And the best news is that Maddie doesn’t have any UGLY marks all over her face and arms. I am not so lucky. But that’s why there’s makeup, right? Maddie still has a bit of a cough – and she meets with her pulmonologist today. Great timing! Everyone keep your fingers crossed that Maddie has a good appointment. If she does, she might get taken off the oxygen!

Danielle, you can’t keep Maddie and me away! This little face can’t wait to see you again and make you smile!

ice cream is goooood