Monday, April 30, 2007

Help and family, a wondrous bakery, ambient music and impatience

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Help and family, a wondrous bakery, ambient music and impatience
Current mood: calm

My sis came over yesterday to help me out, and hang out for my Dad's birthday dinner last night. Whew, what a relief! It was great- nice to be with her, and nice to get so much done around the house: she tackled dishes, tidying and vacuuming, while I worked on laundry, tidying and dusting. We both helped the kiddos and she sat in the car with the sleeping boys while I was able to grocery shop alone. Of course, we only scratched the surface of what needs doing here, but it was a very necessary and visible surface. :) Thanks again, G!

The birthday dinner was fun- I like hanging out with my Dad and stepmom. Littleman was very excited to have everyone over! We grilled out, and the weather was gorgeous. Steaks, chicken, fresh asparagus (yum!) and skewers with shrimp, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers. Billy even made it home early to join us! The cake was particularly yummy I thought- I've never bought a cake at Whole Foods before, and though it was a bit pricey it was sooooo good. It was a "cookies and cream" cake, which was perfect for my Dad. The icing was just right- not too sweet at all. I always avoid the bakery area when I'm at Whole Foods (the Duluth store on State Bridge), because I have the boys with me. So when I wandered over there yesterday to get the cake, I was amazed to see not only the gorgeous selection of baked goods and other desserts, but a chocolate counter with truffles, and a gelato counter!! Oh, mmmmmm. . . I barely managed to get my pregnant self out of there in time. ;) (Though G and I did enjoy our little fruit tartlets and some fresh-squeezed tangerine juice).

I am listening to the public radio show "Hearts of Space", which in Atlanta airs late Sunday nights. I like this show, and find it's a really nice way to end the weekend (or begin the new Monday, depending on how you look at it). Tonight is the 800th show! I had no idea it had been on the air that long. It's an hour or so of ambient music, and each show has a general theme. Tune in some week if you're interested. I've heard everything from spacy electronica, to Tibetan folk music, to ambient soundtracks, to (tonight) ambient rock tracks. Interesting and often nicely meditative.

I'm already itching to know whether it's a boy or a girl I am carrying. I feel like it's a girl, but it's very possible that my own desire for a girl is clouding my intuition. I'll have to wait until sometime the first week of July before I'll get to find out!

I think I need to check on the laundry again, and go to bed. I'm finding myself sitting here, just staring into space. Man, am I ever tired. . .

Sunday, April 22, 2007

First dentist visit, Chick Fil'A and lsot brain cells

Saturday, April 21, 2007

First dentist visit, Chick Fil'A and lsot brain cells
Current mood: pleased

Well well well, Littleman had his first visit to the dentist today, and he did great! Of course, it's very helpful that the person poking around in his mouth just happens to be his "Grandmuvver". (Actually his great grandmother, who still keeps her job as a dental hygenist part time). Helpful because it's much less intimidating for him, and helpful because it doesn't cost me a cent! (Hooray for relatives with useful professions!) My grandmother has put her degree to very good use, both as her profession and to make sure that all her grandkids and great-grandkids get exemplary dental care. It will be a sad day for me when she finally retires. ;) But in the meantime she is able to start Littleman off on the right foot when it comes to visiting the dentist.

I am still very, very tired, but the past couple days have shown improvement (knock on wood) with the nausea. I hope this is a trend.

Yesterday I took the boys to Chick Fil'A for lunch and fun on the little playground there. LOL, what a treat! It's very, very seldom I get them fast food of any kind, and usually when we do we are on the move and don't have time for the playground. They were so excited. I have to say that at least the choices in fast food restaurants have improved drastically since I was a kid. The fruit cup is great, and sometimes they'd rather eat the chicken soup or the chicken salad sandwitch rather than nuggets. I never buy them fries, and the lemonade is real. (Not some kool-aid sort of concoction like that Minute Maid stuff every place sells). So, even if it's still fast food it's certainly not as bad as it could be, and I don't mind letting the kids have it once in awhile. And now that I am pregnant, well I just need a milkshake for myself! Yum. :) (Hey, my nurse said it's a good source of calcium and vitamin D, and that a bit of fat here and there is good for my developing baby. So bring on the ice cream! LOL.)

You know, as I go through my day I'll often think of something I'd like to write about. I file it in my brain to pull out later when I have time at the computer. Then I either don't find time, or else I can't find my mental file when I need it. I think I will have to start using notebooks again. Here we go- from the time a woman's body starts building the placenta, brain cells start to rapidly disappear. Once she births the placenta the brain cells are gone forever. With luck, time and good neurons the brain can forge new electric pathways to make up for the lost mental capacity, and some semblance of mental acuity can be regained. However some types of memory loss seem to be unfortunately permanent. Anyhow that's my theory. What do you think- is it plausible?

Time for bed. I'm at my Grandmother's, and depending on how early the boys wake we may try to do Church tomorrow morning. Grandmother would love to show us off. :)

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Mommy Amnesia, and minivans

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Mommy Amnesia, and minivans
Current mood: tired

OK. Kids in bed, and we ended up with a compromise: washcloth to the important bits, and straight on to brush teeth, story and sleepytime. I think it was the best route for tonight. Not that y'all probably care, come to think of it! LOL, I'm just functioning on a lesser level these days. Pregnancy is Nature's way to prepare mamas for newborns.

Usually the second trimester is pretty good for me. I'm hoping the same will be true this time- if so, only about a month to go before I cross that threshold! I'm not sure, since Mommy Amnesia works just as well on me as anyone, but I don't think my other first trimesters were as bad as this one has been. It seems my nausea and fatigue are lasting a lot longer this time. . . but hell if I know, because Nature also makes sure mommies forget how bad pregnancy, childbirth and the first few months of newborn care can be. It's all a rose-colored blur and the details go all fuzzy- Mommy Amnesia. Has happened to every Mom I know. Makes sense, as far as Nature is concerned. If we remembered all the details, would we really put ourselves through it all over again??

(Oh and yes. . . I am thinking pink, though of course we'll be pleased either way- blah blah- LOL, yes a girl sure would be nice. Last chance! Geeez, if it's a boy Billy and I will have to come up with ANOTHER boy name we can agree on. . .)

We may have all the baby stuff we could possibly need by now, but the third kid brings a new necessity: bigger car! It is a physical impossibility to have three carseats in the back seat of our Subaru. Sigh. I think carseats are great, but it has occured to me that they have something to do with this American love affair with large vehicles. I would prefer to keep our smaller, good-gas-mileage Forester, but we simply can't fit more than two carseats in. We are forced to go bigger. Granted the extra space will be welcome, and I will still be looking for something reliable and efficient. But If it were not for carseats, I bet many families would be driving something a bit smaller (thus more environmentally-friendly). I'm probably oversimplifying to a ridiculous degree. . . but I bet the carseats are a factor. However I am grateful for good carseats.

Well I'm afraid I really must go. . . I'm rambling now, and I need to check on the diapers in the laundry, and get ready for bed. I am exhausted. I'll probably sleep soundly all night, and wake up exhausted. So it goes.

It's a damn good thing all this trouble ends up being worth it in the end!! :)

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

bedtime calculations

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

bedtime calculations
Current mood: annoyed

It is bedtime, and yet the boys are just finishing dinner. They have not had a bath, nor did they get one last night (nor the night before, since we were at Grandma's). They need a bath, but they (and I) are tired and we are all getting up early tomorrow to have a fun trip to the Childrens' Museum. I am trying to decide whether it will be better to bathe them and get to bed late(r), or skip bath and get them to bed at a more reasonable time. I'll just have to see how they are behaving once dinner is done- whether it's evident they need sleep more than clean. After all, they don't stink (yet).

I. Am. Tired.

OK, they're done. They seem a bit wired all of a sudden- maybe a bath is the thing.
Whew.
Here goes!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Ah, glorious nausea

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Ah, glorious nausea
Current mood: nauseated

Yes, I've disappeared for awhile- sorry about that! Frankly I've been having trouble keeping up with minor household tasks, let alone find the extra time to blog. You see, (and apparently several of you guessed this based on my final comment in my last blog) I am PREGNANT! Again. Yes, I am completely insane. But happily so- this is a bit of a surprise, but we do want a third child, and I'd always said I wanted them all close in age. Unfortunately however, I have been pretty miserable the past couple weeks with fatigue and nausea. It comes and goes in intensity, but in general has been playing havoc with my ability to function.

I did manage to enjoy our second annual big family campout, which was down on Jekyll Island last week. I was the primary coordinator, so it was really cool to see everyone enjoy themselves and really get involved. We had fantastic weather all week, and man did the boys have a blast. Of course Billy and I arrived home more tired than we'd left, but it was worth it! ;)

I am sitting in my mother-in-law's van (she and I traded cars for the camping trip, and haven't traded back yet) because Mr. Cheeks is sleeping in his carseat. Littleman is participating in his tumbling class, having a great time. I'm so glad we signed him up for it- especially since I've not been feeling so active!

Oh, Sweetcheeks just woke. I think we'll go in now so I can watch the boys.

* * * * *

Home again, with internet. Now able to post! Trying to have a peaceful bowl of rice while boys play upstairs. Then on to MORE laundry. If the gods are with me, I'll get a nice hot shower tonight. Damn, I'd like that. Now I think I will risk taking my prenatal vitamins- my stomach seems to have settled enough that they won't make me feel too ill.
Whew.