Two Years

From this:


to, very shortly thereafter, this:


Then it's just two years. . . two short years, and we have this rascal:


We love you, sweet Babyman!

Announcement!

Friday, November 16, 2007

Announcement! Current mood: tired Yes my friends- HE'S HERE!! Our eagerly anticipated third baby boy was born at 10:24 Thursday morning, November 15. I will let you know his name as soon as we decide one last detail. * * * I went in for my prenatal appointment Wednesday morning, and everything was looking great- so great in fact, that I was already 5 cm! I was pleased with this, until the midwife said she couldn't send me home if I was that dilated. I argued, because I wasn't having any contractions at all! They insisted however, and I trusted them. . . in hindsight, I should have asked for a second opinion. . . or just ignored their advice and gone on home. But instead Simon and I went for a bite to eat, and then we went on to the hospital and checked in. To make a long story short, it DID take forever to get labor going. It was a very irritating situation- without a doubt, I shouldn't have been there at all. I had to fight to avoid uneccessary intervention, and I did eventually cave and allow them to start contractions using pitocin. They would not allow me to go home, and if I signed out "against medical advice" then our insurance wouldn't pay. So, I didn't have a lot of choice, really. Babyman was coming whether he was ready or not. Labor was hard and fast once it got going- I think the pitocin caused contractions to be faster and more painful than they would have been otherwise. He came so quickly, he had not had time to expel all the fluid from his lungs. Consequently, he was breathing too rapidly and was having difficulty coughing out all the fluid. He had to go to "transitional nursery" where they observed him and tried to help him cough up the gunk. Luckily, he improved rapidly and it was only a few hours before our little family was reunited, without further intervention. We were all exhausted. We are all doing great! Despite me being unable to breastfeed immediately (and he having gotten a pacifier in the nursery), babyman latches on like a pro, and nursing is going well so far. We are going home tomorrow. So, announcement made! :)

grown ups, pregnancy (still), veterans and toy shopping

Sunday, November 11, 2007

grown ups, pregnancy (still), veterans and toy shopping Current mood: accomplished Well, the boys are still hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's with their Auntie, and still having a blast. Billy and I slept SOO late this morning (for us, anyway) and that was amazing! We've been out to eat a couple times, and were actually able to eat our food uninterrupted, while it was still hot. We have been able to converse with each other freely, like adults, without interruption. We got a little shopping done that was easier without the kids, and were able to leisurely browse in a bookstore. (WOW). It's been nice just spending time with each other. I'm still hoping to meet babyman soon. :) These "fake" contractions are a nuisance- they can be so strong and frequent, but I'm not yet in labor. Signs do continue to improve, though- and I actally had a cleaning bug tonight- could it be the "nesting instinct" kicking in?? I did a bunch of dishes, threw out old food in the fridge, took out a bunch of trash and did a lot of tidying/organizing. I'm about to throw a load of laundry in, too. It's been awhile since I had the energy for a cleaning run like this one, so I hope it is a good sign. :) If these contractions don't peter out in awhile, I'll take a nice bath and try timing them. I just hope I can tell when I should go in- on the one hand I definitely don't want a repeat performance of last time, but on the other hand I don't want to cut it too close! So, we'll see. One thing I have been doing is to try and find toys on the boys' Christmas gift lists that were NOT made in China. With all these recalls continuing (did you hear about Aquadots?? SCARY!) Billy and I are loathe to take chances. Besides, as we have realized how difficult it is to find stuff made anywhere other than China, we are beginning to understand that the issue goes beyond safety. It simply cannot be good for our country to be manufacturing SO MUCH of the stuff we buy overseas. I will be paying much more attention to the things I buy, and looking for stuff made in America when I can find it. Happy Veteran's Day, by the way. If you know a veteran, be sure to thank them for their service. It means so much, and yet how often do we remember to recognize that? I guess I will sign off for now. I do want to get a bit more cleaning done, and have a nice bath. (are these contractions 5 minnutes apart again?? sheesh. . .)

Well, good grief.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Well, good grief. Current mood: embarrassed So, yesterday Billy's sister drove into town to visit. She picked up the boys, and took them to Grandma and Grandpa's for the weekend. (Woohoo!) They have been having a blast. Being oddly free that evening, I decided to go to the mall and walk, walk, walk in hope of starting labor. ;) I went and enjoyed getting a little shopping done. Scored some great deals on some needed items for Littleman's winter wardrobe, and enjoyed the freedom of no kids, no diaper bag, not even a purse! Wow. I did get some good contractions going but they didn't seem regular. When I tried to go to bed, I found I was too uncomfortable to sleep. I had a distinct, slightly queasy feeling that I remember from my previous labors. I decided to relax in a nice hot bath and drink some water (if the contractions were "fake", that would most likely make them go away). I timed contractions over the course of an hour and discovered they were coming about 5 minutes apart. I started to get excited. By the time I'd called Billy and the midwife, they were getting to be 4 minutes apart. We went to the hospital, checked in, etc. The monitors revealed I was having regular contractions 2 minutes apart. Woohoo! But I was not further dilated. Hmm. By now it was about 3 am. To make a long story short, babyman apparently changed his mind. Over the course of the night, the contractions all but stopped. I tried walking the halls this morning to get htings going again, but no luck. He's not ready. They sent me home. It's a bit embarrassing to leave that place still pregnant, LOL! The nurses and midwives were very nice about it, but it still felt a little like going home with my tail between my legs. Plus I felt really bad for dragging the midwife out of bed so late for nothing. She'd sounded a bit doubtful over the phone, but I'd really felt sure of myself! Oops. The nurses say this is very, very common with a third pregnancy. Oh, well. So, I'm home again, waiting. Sigh.

the waiting game

Thursday, November 08, 2007

the waiting game Current mood: restless I feel suspended in an odd cycle of waiting. There are quite a few things I could be doing to have the house more ready for baby's arrival, but I feel so unmotivated- I'd really rather be holding my new baby. I am very physically uncomfortable, tired of being pregnant, SO SICK of heartburn, and tired of the uncertainty of when this baby will come and how we'll manage the details once labor begins. I manage to take care of the other two boys, and am keeping up with dishes and laundry (as well as I ever can, anyway), and keeping up with their few school/gym classes and with my prenatal appointments. That's just about all I have any interest in doing. Sometimes I feel like I am sleepwalking, or stuck waiting for someone who is long overdue (which he is not, yet). I am tired and rather irritable. I find myself wasting time when I could be cleaning, organizing or just giving my older boys some focused attention. But I am not focused- I am lamentably spaced out. I could also try being more active, in hopes of jumpstarting labor. While I am definitely more active now than I was when I was "taking it easy", I find that I tire so readily, it's difficult to get a long walk or anything similar in. I can say I've tried a few other natural inducers, including raspberry leaf tea and eggplant parmesagn (yummy). LOL! :) Don't get me wrong- there are definitely positive signs that babyman will be arriving before long. My contractions are increasing, even if they don't stay regular yet. And for those of you who know what I'm talking about, I've gone from 1-2 cm (on Halloween) to 3-4 cm (last Wednesday). I was so excited to hear that! My body is definitely gearing up. I'm just feeling so impatient! (Ha- I almost typed "inpatient"- Freudian slip, I guess). I did install the baby carseat today, which then necessitated a bit of musical carseats in the van. I think I've hit on a configuration that will work. Come on babyman, come on! :) I am in desperate need of some antacids. Off I go.

Made it! And party time.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Made it! And party time. Current mood: cheerful Woohoo! We made it to full term. Of course, my due date isn't for a few weeks, but baby should be just fine from here on out. So, as far as I am concerned, it's time to get moving! LOL. I'm really glad he's waited this long, but now I am ready to meet him (and NOT be pregnant anymore). ;) Littleman had his birthday party, and it was great! We did it up at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and had a really fun time outside. The weather was gorgeous, and we played with bubbles, frisbees, Tball, the dogs, and of course pinecones, sticks and rocks. The boys stripped off their shoes, rolled up pantlegs and dangled their feet in the lake. They found all sorts of natural things to throw into the water. We watched a couple huge herons fly about. Billy and the boys tried flying a kite (the field isn't ideal for that, though). And we grown-ups really had the opportunity to chat, which was great. Pretty much everyone honored my request to NOT bring gifts, which is pleasing. Littleman came home with a small pile of cool stuff. Perfect! :) Incidentally, the biggest hit was a set of Magnatiles. They are a cool toy- at one point all six cousins were grouped in a tight circle, building together. That's kids ranging in age from 2 - 12. It's a set of geometric-shaped tiles that are magnetic on every edge, allowing you to construct 3-D structures. It sure was a nice day, and the boys had a blast.

Update- all's well.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Update- all’s well. Current mood: sore Well, Billy and I got to bed shortly after 4 am last night. Our friends were fantastic, playing with the boys, putting them to bed and staying until we got home. THANK YOU!! By the time Billy and I were heading for the hospital, I was reasonably sure (after a discussion with my midwife) that my pain was due to wrenching/straining the round ligament on my left side. However they really wanted to have me undergo some tests, just to be sure the baby was OK. So, in we went. I was hooked up to monitors, gave blood for a test, had vitals taken, etc. None of that took too long. The nurse let us know that if the blood test showed everything was OK, we could go on home. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. . . This always seems to happen at the hospital, where there's some point that you really start to wonder if they forgot about you, or if they're not telling you everything you need to know. . . Finally I learned from the other nurse that the blood test takes 4 to 6 hours. WELL. Nice of y'all to tell us that to start with! But anyway, the long and short of it is that babyman seems to be fine, I am in pain but it's not serious and it should resolve itself, and we got to come back home so I could sleep. So, all in all that's very good. Now I'm wincing my way around the house, trying to get a few things done before taking Littleman to his gym class. (I didn't even bother with Sweetcheeks' montessori this morning, being that we were all up so late). As a side note, the monitors last night revealed that I was having regular contractions 3 minutes apart. I knew somehow that it wasn't true labor, despite them being so close and regular. I tend to have loads of contractions for days or even weeks before actually going into labor. I was worried that they'd make me stay, and I'd be stuck there for hours and hours, possibly leading to complications (such as them recommending inducement, or who knows what else). Luckily however, they checked my cervix and since it was not any more dilated or effaced since my morning (routine) appointment, they deemed the contractions "false labor" and decided I was just a bit dehydrated. So I got an IV of fluids, and they didn't worry about it after that. Thank goodness. And, sure enough, I've had very few contractions so far today. He's not QUITE ready. (But obviously, we are getting close). * * * Oh, and the boys had a BLAST trick-or-treating! What on Earth am I going to do with all this CANDY?? Littleman was a ghost- I'd made him a white poncho-like costume, with the word "BOO!" on the front, and I painted his face white with dark circles around his eyes. He was pleased, and looked very cute. Sweetcheeks refused to have anything to do with the dog costume I'd thought he'd wear, and said he was a pirate. We didn't have suitable clothes for that, but we tied a scarf on his head like a pirate and figured that would do. Even the scarf was rejected after a few minutes though, so Sweetcheeks went trick-or-treating as a 2 year old. Which, of course, was fine. Everyone had fun.

ouch

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

ouch Current mood: grumpy Blessed Samhain/ Happy Halloween! I am sitting in my living room, goofing off on the computer and periodically getting up to distribute candy. I have an herbal heat pack on the underside of my belly, because I am in pain. No, I'm not in active labor. I'm not sure what this is, and if it doesn't go away I am supposed to go to the hospital to have it checked out. In the meantime, it's alright when I am still, but as soon as I move about much or walk/climb stairs, it HURTS. I had planned to be doing dishes and laundry right now (and boy does this house need it) but there's just no way. Sigh. At least it's not an immediate emergency, so Billy was able to take the boys out trick-or-treating on the neighborhood hayride. Some friends of ours are along too, so if we need a sitter for awhile that should work out. I really wish this would just calm down, though, so we didn't have to fool with all that. The good thing is that new little babyman has been moving about normally all along, so he's probably just fine. But this is not a good pain- something is wrong. The only question is, is it a minor wrong or an important one? I wouldn't feel so grumpy about it if I were in labor. That's supposed to happen; it's normal pain with a concrete, positive outcome. And I expect it sometime soon. This however, is a worry and an inconvenience. Grr, grump grump. So, I sit here, thinking of a million things that need doing, but not wanting to aggravate the pain further. So I sit. Guess I'll just keep you posted!

Pregnancy update and Pumpkin Bread!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Pregnancy update and Pumpkin Bread! Current mood: uncomfortable Things keep looking brighter for little babyman! I had a prenatal appointment today, and everything is looking great. Though I am still encouraged to "take it easy" and stay hydrated, I am now past all likelihood of being put on bedrest. Hooray! Should I go into labor, it's pretty unlikely that they would try to stop it. Now, babyman probably still has some development he needs to complete before making his appearance- lung maturity and a good breastfeeding reflex being the main things I think- but every day brings us closer to a safe, uncomplicated delivery of a mature, healthy baby. (Knock on wood, of course!) As I've mentioned before, I am quite ready to NOT be pregnant anymore. However, whether we are actually ready for babyman to come home is really another story! LOL. I still have quite a few things to do, but I'm working my way through them slowly. And besides, we'll make do whenever he is ready to arrive- we've done it before! :) Checked the kids' consignment store today, and scored (amongst other things) a great coat and a pair of shoes for Littleman! Perfect- I'm so happy to find them used (in fantastic shape) rather than paying full price for them new. (And higher-ticket items like coats and shoes can be hard to find in the right size on consignment!) I forgot to mention that we went to the Montessori school's Fall Festival last weekend. The weather was beautiful, and the boys had fun. We contributed pumpkin bread for their bake sale- Littleman helped me make it. It's my Gramy's recipe, and it turned out delicious! I thought I'd share it here (with a couple modifications I made): Gramy's Pumpkin Bread - 2 c sugar - 1 c brown sugar - 4 eggs, beaten - 1 c oil (I used safflower) - 1 1/2 tsp salt - 1 tsp cinnamon - 1 tsp nutmeg - 2/3 c water - 1/4 c cream or plain yogurt (optional) - 2 c canned pumpkin (note that 2c is slightly more than 1 can- I opened 2 cans, used just a bit of the second can and saved the rest of the pumpkin for pancakes one morning) - 3 1/2 c flour - 2 tsp soda Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 loaf pans well, and lightly dust with flour. Set aside. Mix the sugars, eggs, oil, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, water and cream or yogurt in a bowl. Add the pumpkin and mix well. Stir in the flour and soda. Pour batter into the 2 loaf pans, and bake for 1 hour. Easy! Mmmm.

Hanging in there. . .

Monday, October 22, 2007

Hanging in there. . . Current mood: optimistic Yes, still pregnant. Woo! Only about a week and a half to go before we're out of the woods. :D Besides being glad for babyman's sake of course, I am glad because I am SO OVER being pregnant. Absolutely done. I look forward to losing so many of these unpleasant side effects of pregnancy. . . I won't go into the gory details. Suffice it to say I will be happy to deliver this baby! It's fun to see what people have voted for as far as baby names go. . . interesting, if in an abstract sense. So far, the top four names are William Sage, Julian Sage, Julian William and William Orion. It's so nice to have some rain. . . I just wish we'd get a good gully-washer north of here, so it would help replenish Lake Lanier. These water worries are pretty scary actually. Last night Billy, the boys and I were at a restaurant. Littleman was charming the waitresses and others around us. Our waitress was talking to Littleman at one point, and she told him, "You are very cute!" Littleman responded, "I know." (insert my rolling eyes) Then Littleman added, "And generous!" LOL! Does he even know what that means?? I said, "Yes and so modest, as well!" Mr. Sweetcheeks is into saying "I lub you" a lot. Especially if I get impatient or short with him. . . he'll do something he knows is wrong, or deliberately ignore me, or whatever is pushing my buttons- and when I get good and irritated he then hugs me and says, "I lub you, Mommy!" (rolling my eyes again). Right now they are watching Charlotte's Web and I love listening to them crack up! Sweetcheeks is beside himself laughing at the rat.

still pregnant, and fall outings

October 15, 2007 - Monday

still pregnant, and fall outings Current mood: pleased Well. By now I've had three instances where I was concerned enough about my contractions to pull out a clock and start timing them. So far, no problems. But, geez. I keep telling babyman just to make it through the rest of this month, as he has a bit more growing to do. . . 34 weeks is definitely still too early for my comfort! Less than 3 weeks now, and I'll be happy to have this baby should he wish to make his appearance. Obviously, I am continuing to try and take it easy. I've had some help several days, and that's been great. It's so good for the boys too, because that way they can get out more and do fun things. I even got to go along for a couple fun little trips- yesterday, I joined Billy and some friends of ours to take the boys out to Burt's Pumpkin Farm near Amicalola. We went last year and it was really nice, so thought we'd go back for our pumpkins thus year. But, holy crowds, batman! The place was astonishingly packed. It was like being at the mall at Christmas time. Unfortunately, it was not the experience we adults had been looking forward to- but we got some nice pumpkins, and the boys definitely enjoyed themselves. We all liked the hayride again this year, too. However, I think we might try a different place next year. This morning's little outing was more successful- a homeschooling group I am involved with organized a little field trip to a small working farm in Loganville. It's called Bay Creek Acres, and the kids had a really good time. (Grandma met us at the house and rode out with us, so I'd have help with the boys. Don't want to overdo it!) We met and petted the dairy goats, saw the chickens, and marvelled at the turkeys. (LOUD!) Then we got to watch a milking demonstration, and several children got to try it out! (Littleman was less than enthusiastic about that idea, LOL. He stayed on the sidelines). Afterwards we all trooped inside for a little taste of fresh goat milk. (Delicious! Much better, I'm afraid, than the stuff I buy for the boys at the grocery store). Back outside, they petted a soft baby chick. Finally, Littleman and Sweetcheeks played on the big mulch pile with some of the other kids. It was really nice of the farmer to give us the tour, and I was impressed with their farm. I'm SO glad one of the moms in our group took it upon herself to organize this outing! I might call about getting a turkey there for Thanksgiving dinner. It's so nice to know where your meat comes from, and to know the animals were treated well and that the meat is fresh. Too bad I can't buy goat's milk there! (Illegal in GA to sell unpasteurized milk for human consumption). Here's the farm: http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M16585 Incidentally, that is an excellent site. I don't know if I've mentioned it in my blog before, but it's a wonderful way to locate nearby farms, farmers' markets, produce co-ops, etc. http://www.localharvest.org/ Maybe you'd like to create your own farm field trip! I think Sweetcheeks enjoyed the farm more than Littleman. Littleman said he didn't have a favorite part of the farm visit, because there was no playground there. (huh?) Though when asked which animal he liked best, he did choose the baby chick. He said it was soft. "I LIKE babies!" he said. Mr. Sweetcheeks said his favorite thing was "play" (I'm assuming on the mulch pile), and he also mimed milking. When I asked if he meant when the lady milked the goat and the milk went into the bucket, he grinned and said, "yeah!" He also told me he liked the "sheep" (must mean the goats), and "chicken runned away" (one turkey hen was out of the enclosure, and Griffin chased it gleefully until I made him stop). He keeps coming up with other things he remembers that he says he liked, so I think it made an impression on him. He REALLY liked drinking the milk! :) Now all is peaceful, and I am glad to be sitting on my bed. The boys really started to get on my nerves this evening, so it was nice to get them to sleep. I can hear cricketts outside, the neighbor's dog, the click of the keyboard and Electra over there kneading "biscuits" in the blanket as she purrs. Every once in awhile a cool whiff of breeze touches me from the open windows. Ahh, nice. I will fold some laundry, refill the humidifier (Sweetcheeks has a cold, which he has passed on to Littleman and, I think, me) and go to sleep. Sweetcheeks has Montessori tomorrow morning. Good night!

still pregnant! and my big Littleman

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

still pregnant! and my big Littleman Current mood: tired Yes, I'm still pregnant! Still trying to take it easy, still counting the days. So far, so good! Just 3 weeks and a couple days, and preterm labor will be a worry of the past. It's a good thing. :) Of course, realizing how close we really might be to having this baby, I am also realizing how rather unprepared I am. I finally got around to clearing off the changing table in our room (in the "mini-nursery" which I use for the first months of baby's life) and pulling the teensy baby clothes out of storage. The itty bitty diapers are ready, and I just have to organize the little shelf of creams, solutions and sundries at hand. I need help to move the rocking chair and ottoman back in here, and set up the co-sleeper bassinet. (We also need to drag the infant car seat out of the attic!) I have to pack my hospital bag with items I'll need for labor and afterwards, a few items for Billy and a couple things for the new baby. Because it's looking like we will have to drag Littleman and Mr Sweetcheeks to the hospital with us, so they can be picked up there by family members who are babysitting, I ALSO have to pack suitcases and supplies for each of them. And I am trying to get a few other things organized around the house, to make it easier on anyone who comes over to help out. Meanwhile, I am trying to be all caught up on work and household responsibilities- paying bills, making sure there's enough dog and cat food on hand, making sure there's enough flea and heartworm medicine on hand (ran out of Heartguard this month), tying up assorted loose ends, making all deposits, returning library books. . . Oh yeah, and Littleman's birthday is coming up! Whew. * * * Today Billy's sister came over to take the boys out to a park and play. They had a blast! After playing in the first park, they decided to drive over to a nearby playground. She didn't know the way there, but Littleman assured her that he knew the way. She knew it was close, so let him give it a shot. . . and from his car seat, he directed her right there! I was impressed and proud when she told me about it later. Who knew he'd been paying such good attention? Often my own mother can't do that sort of thing, and she's definitely past her 4th birthday. ;) Littleman over the past couple days has been a very good helper at tidying up. Funny how these things come in cycles- a period of maddening resistence followed by a desire to be helpful, followed by a waning of interest, followed by maddening resistence. . .

The end is in sight

September 29, 2007 - Saturday

The end is in sight Current mood: hungry Barely more than a month to go, and baby will be fine if I should go into labor. No prescribed bedrest yet, hooray! I'm knocking on wood- next weekend marks the point where I went into preterm labor with Mr. Sweetcheeks. Tomorrow is a date I'm feeling a bit superstitious about: both my boys were born on the 30th of their month, and if this baby were to try to repeat the trend with a new month then tomorrow would be the day. So, I am hoping to really take it easy tomorrow. :) But anyhow, I am glad to have made it this far without going into labor- since I've gone into labor earlier each time, I really expected to be on bedrest by now! So this is great. Just a little over a month. (Watch babyman go past his due date, LOL!) * * * I am ordering pizza for dinner tonight, and feeling guilty. But dammit, it sounds good and I really don't feel like fixing anything. And the boys like it. I swear I'll fix those veggies I bought before they go bad. . . * * * Today's the first day I opened the windows in the bedrooms and left them open all day. The house smells so much more fresh, and I love how cool it is outside. I love fall! I just wish I felt up to being more active. I'm sooo tired- not sleepy mostly, but really really tired. And I truly don't want to go into labor early. Even though everything was fine last time because they stopped my labor and I carried to term, a week's hospital stay in a month of bedrest was no fun at all. It was hard enough finding 24/7 help when there was only one child to look after- now there are two. And besides, it would be nice to avoid the medical interventions that were necessary to stop my labor last time. If I never, ever encounter Breathine (a medication) again, it will be too soon. The point of that being, that I really start to feel it when I try to do too much- I'm already having some noticeable contractions. Trying to keep up with the boys outdoors is really too much by myself. So, we are all a little limited these days. At least Sweetcheeks gets to go to the playground at school, and both boys get to do things occasionally with other family members. Plus I do manage to get them out from time to time. Just a little more than a month. . . * * * Time to end my mindless ramble, as I need to feed the boys (and myself!)

grumpy me

September 22, 2007 - Saturday

grumpy me Current mood: cranky I'm sitting on our back deck, watching the kiddos play in the sand and listening to neighborhood dogs, our air conditioner and someone hammering. Oh, and an airplane overhead. And now a lawn mower. I thought about writing a descriptive entry, noting the way that Fall has begun to gild the sunlight ever so slightly, hinting at glorious October days to come. Writing about the scrape of sand shovels, the citronella scent of our bug repellent and about how lovely it's been to be able to leave the windows open at night. About the first leaves blushing red outside our bedroom window. However, I have a grinding, splitting headache. Though I'm not sleepy, I'm feeling exhausted and I didn't get a nap today because by the time I'd finished some office work Sweetcheeks woke up early. I'm feeling really underappreciated, though in most cases that's just me. I still don't know what I'm going to feed the boys for dinner. The dogs stink so bad it makes your eyes water, but I'm not really supposed to be lifting 40 - 50 lbs of canine and doing any vigorous washing. Increasingly, I am feeling the physical strain of carrying this baby, and I am well aware that I'm supposed to listen to my body and not overdo things. Just doing the dishes and laundry, cooking (what minimal amount I am doing these days) changing diapers and running errands absolutely wears me out. It's all I can do to keep the house (somewhat) livable, keep the kids clean and healthy, feed and water the pets, pay the bills, keep up with family, entertain the kids. . . the more I think about it the more I think of things I'm still doing. . . it's honestly making me more tired just sitting here thinking about it, so I'll quit there. . . Anyway I think I'm just feeling tired and grouchy. So there. ;)

a few random notes

August 27, 2007 - Monday

a few random notes Current mood: groggy Yay for some rain! Boo to power outages that screw up my clock and make me late. Yay for a healthy pregnancy so far! Boo to heartburn. Yay for my first nap in weeks! Boo to dirty dishes and laundry that therefore didn't get done. Yay for a nice meal out with Billy's family! Boo to me forgetting to stop by the grocery store on the way home. I will have to get creative for breakfast again tomorrow, since we are still out of milk and are getting low on eggs. No fresh fruit left, either. Muffins or biscuits? Oatmeal? There might be enough eggs to make breakfast sandwitches again. . . We are normally a cold cereal or bagels kind of a group in the mornings. The animated ad at the top of this page right now is hypnotizing me. I had other things to say, but I really am drawing a total blank right now. I apologize. Maybe tomorrow I can blog during the day when I am more awake. . .? Perhaps? In the meantime, please excuse this loopy, tedious exercise in futility. :P OK. Off to bed.

baby facts, and registries

Saturday, August 04, 2007

baby facts, and registries Current mood: happy Here's some fun facts I found about baby boy on the way: Congratulations! Your Due Date Is Friday, November 23, 2007 Your conception date was most likely Friday, March 02, 2007 You are in Week 25 of your pregnancy and your baby is 23 weeks old. Your Third Trimester will begin 8/24/2007 169 days down, 111 to go! Fun Birthday Facts * Your baby's birthstone will be Yellow Topaz (Fidelity) * Your baby's Astrological Sign will be Sagittarius * Your baby's Flower is Chrysanthemum or Chrysanthemum (Dark Blue, Red and Yellow) * Your baby will be born in the Chinese Year of The Pig * This time next year your baby will be 37 Weeks Old! * Your baby will start kindergarten in 2013, be old enough to drive a car in 2023, finish high school in 2026, and will graduate from college with the class of 2030, give or take a year. Can you imagine? * * * I don't know if we're going to have a baby shower. . . there's so much stuff we don't need, LOL! I'm telling people to bring me a meal if they want to help after the baby is born, or come wash my dishes or play with the older boys, or just donate to babyman's new savings account. However there are a few things we could use, so I put them on a Babies R Us registry. www.babiesrus.com - click on "Baby Registry" and then search for me or Billy. You'll have to know our real name. I love making registries. :P * * * I love shopping for baby shower gifts, too! We're going to Olga's baby shower tomorrow, and picked up a few things today. What fun, even though I usually stick with the less cute essentials. I put SO much time and thought into baby stuff, that it's always fun to apply what I've learned in order to help someone out. I even have a whole list I've put together on baby stuff- hmm, I should post it to this blog! I'll do that later. Right now, I just realized it is now 8pm and Sweetcheeks is still napping. Geez! I'd better get him up or else I'll have a very early wake up call tomorrow morning! He needs to eat dinner. Schedule? Bah!! (at least these days!)

a poem, and a belly video (not mine, yet)

Monday, July 30, 2007

a poem, and a belly video (not mine, yet) Current mood: cheerful A poem I saw today in a chocolate wrapper: (from Song From The Persian) Ah, sad are they who know not love, But, far from passion's tears and smiles, Drift down a moonless sea, beyond The silvery coasts of fairy isles. And sadder they whose longing lips Kiss empty air, and never touch The dear warm mouth of those they love- Waiting, wasting, suffering much. But clear as amber, fine as musk, Is life to those who, pilgrim-wise, Move hand in hand from dawn to dusk, Each morning nearer Paradise. Ah, not for them shall angels pray! They stand in everlasting light, They walk in [love's] smile by day, And slumber in his heart by night. -Thomas Bailey Aldrich * * * Saw this video on the myspace homepage today- my belly isn't there yet, but I remember it from the other 2 pregnancies! (Though my boys never seem to cooperate whenever someone wants to feel the movement or see them bopping around. . . maybe this little guy will be different!) Wierd, isn't it? :) Check out this video: crazy belly movement!

quick update

Saturday, July 14, 2007

quick update Current mood: tired Oh me oh my oh. . . I am tired. I read somewhere that a pregnant woman is expending as much energy when she is at "rest" (building a baby) as a normal person expends when climbing a steep hill. I believe it. Add to that the energy expended taking care of two toddlers, two dogs and a cat, and keeping up with the house and my computer work, and you can probably imagine why I am tired. Add to THAT the fact that sleeping is becoming increasingly difficult (too uncomfortable and I have to pee) and you can see how all this is a great way to prepare Mom for weeks of thankless, sleepless nights with a newborn. Sigh. On the bright side, Littleman is nicer to me these days. That is very helpful. Unfortunately, he also whines, moans and complains A LOT. And he has taken to whining about almost ANYTHING I put in front of him to eat. That's disappointing, because both boys have generally been very good eaters, willing to try all sorts of things and liking good stuff. I hope this will be a brief phase. I have been slowly catching up with laundry and dishes, and soon I'll start organizing the "mini" nursery in Billy's and my bedroom. That is where the babies spend the first several months of their lives, until they outgrow the co-sleeper bassinet. I'll be able to go over the baby clothes and diapers to see what needs replenishing. There is little we need, of course- mostly stuff like baby wash and diaper creme. Today we are trying to take the boys outside to run off some energy and let Littleman practice riding his brand-new bike with training wheels. He's doing pretty well, and Sweetcheeks loves having the trike to himself now! Must get ready. Hopefully I can get a shower later! :)

The news is in-

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

The news is in- Current mood: sad Ladies and gentlemen, the news is in- and, Yes my friends, ANOTHER boy! I am officially and irrevocably outnumbered. I won't lie- I am SOOO sad that I won't be having a girl. We are definitely not planning on having any more kids, so I'm afraid little Lily is just not to be. (Now we have to decide on another boy name!! Uh oh!) Now, before you start telling me all about how wonderful this little guy is going to be, believe me I KNOW! He is going to be fantastic, just like my other gorgeous sweet boys. And everything else at the ultrasound visit today looks perfect- you couldn't ask for better. I already feel selfish and silly for being disappointed, so there's no need to remind me that things could be worse- I am SO grateful for healthy babies. (Unelievably so- I think of it often). I feel ridiculous for being so sad. Luckily I know I'll get over it! I'm glad we found out the sex early, so I have time to work through this now and our new babyman's arrival won't be marred by any silly regrets. In the meantime, I guess this is good for our wallet because I was so looking forward to buying a few girly things. . . and now I don't need to. :) So I guess that's it for now. . . I'm feeling a bit better about it all than I was this morning. Maybe I can find a couple super adorable adventurous little boy things to buy, for some minor retail therapy. ;) LOL!

random rambles

Friday, June 29, 2007

random rambles Current mood: calm I'm on a blogging spree. . . compared to usual, anyway! I think I'm restless and since I don't have adults to complain/blab endlessly to, I feel the need to blab endlessly at my loyal readers instead! LOL. Part of my restlessness is my desire to know if I am carrying a girl or not. . . I feel silly, but there it is. Not long now!! I find out Tuesday (as long as baby cooperates). The other evening when the boys were at my friend's house, my friend wondered if we had found out the baby's sex yet. So she asked Littleman if we knew whether the new baby was a boy or a girl. Littleman responded confidently, "It's a girl!". Well, hmmm. She told me when I arrived, and I told her it was news to me! There's any number of reasons why he might say that. . . but still, won't it be interesting if he's right? Today, I finally left the stone age of internet service- I ditched the dial-up for DSL! I am enjoying the faster connection. There is a deal right now from AT&T for new customers- their basic DSL service for $10 per month. You have to have a Bellsouth/AT&T landline, and you have to sign on for a two year contract. But my internet connection is faster AND less expensive now! Hard to beat that. (If you have not had Bellsouth DSL yet, and you are interested in this deal, you can message me to find out how to get it- AT&T tries to hide it.) I ache. My hips are SOO sore. I don't know if it's sciatica, or a too-firm (for me) mattress, or just not being used to sleeping on my side all the time. Or if it's just from the added strain as my belly grows? Anyhow it's very, very unpleasant. But I love feeling the baby move! I am sitting in the kitchen, listening to the "calm" playlist from my ipod. (Monks chanting, Enya, the soundtrack from Whale Rider, you get the idea). I like this playlist and it sets a good bedtime vibe on nights when the kids are wired. They are sleeping now, but they were bouncing off the walls a couple hours ago! It's finally stopped thundering and raining- we had a wonderful storm! It poured buckets. I can almost hear my veggie garden drinking it up happily now. I think I will brew some tea, and do more laundry. Maybe tomorrow I can do some organizing- there is plenty needed around this house. :) I. . . like. . . just. . . sitting. . . here. . .