Oh, to be two again!

Thor processes things differently from most children. This is the first year that trick-or-treating was fun for him. He wasn't excited about it beforehand, as dressing up in a costume isn't out of place for him. There are days where I will let thor where whatever he wants, as long as I can put the damn clothes on, so if he decided that he needs to wear his Blue's Clues costume every other day for two weeks leading up to Halloween, who am I to stop him? When Hermes went trick-or-treating at two, he was ready to go, he knew what to do, and what to expect, but there are some key differences between Hermes at two on candy day, and Thor. Hermes' birthday is a few months before halloween, Thor's is two weeks, and in toddler time, devolopmentaly, a few months is HUGE. Hermes was doing everything early, sometimes we forgot he was only two-Thor, though huge, isn't like other kids, so it is sometimes hard to tell if he 'gets' something. Wll, let me tell you, all it took was the first person to open their door, comment on how cute he was, and drop candy in his bag for everything to click. We only went around the block that my in-laws live on, because Thor burned himself out! He was sooo excited that all he had to do was knock on a door, and they gave him candy! We never got a "Trick-or-Treat" out of him, nor a "Thank you!", but most adults figured out he was happy when A)his brother said thank you twice, once just for Thor, and B) When Thor would jump up and down afterwards grinning and saying(well, shouting) "CANDY!!!!"

Candy Day!

It's trick-or-treat day, and here in MN it's friggen cold! Kids might be getting post-halloween-clearance-sale candy this year...brrrr

Fun,fun,fun!

Hermes threw up at school yesterday morning. He was feeling fine, if not tired, when he woke up, but at around tennish, he horked. School called me, I picked him up, he was feeling fine again about an hour later. This morning, we wake up nice and earlyu, got all dressed, grabbed the backpack, and drove to school. After I droped him off and got about three blocks away, my cell phone rang. Aparently, I did not retain as much information from the handbook as I thought. Hermes' school policy is that you must be vomit and diarreah free for a full twentyfour hour period before returning to school. Turned around, picked him up, explained to him that he did nothing wrong, and it wasn't his foult, it was mommy's fault, and came home. I feel silly, but the school assured my I am not the first parent this has happened to, and they will send home a reminder to all the parents about the sick-time policy. It was MEA weekend last weekend, so he was home thurs and fri. He was gone over the weekend, home for the bulk of yesterday, and home today. I think we will work on handwriting, and our english reading. That should help keep me sane.

"Uh-Ohhh! Teef!"

Thor likes to try and help out. His favorite way to help is to take Buddha's pacifier away from him, then give it back after Buddha starts fussing. Thor also likes to put his fingers in Buddha's mouth...or at least he used to.
This morning, after we get home from dropping Hubby off at work, Thor and Buddha are playing together, and I hear a squeek from Thor. Not a scream, shriek, or squeal, but a squeek. I go into the livingroom(I was in the kitchen), to see what had happened, and Thor holds up two fingers and goes "Uh-Ohhh! Teef! (brother's name in only the way thor says it) Teef! Teef! Nooooooo teef, uh-uh, teef!" After examining Thor's fingers, it appears Buddha might have bit him, not very hard, and he only has one tooth on the bottom(upon closer inspection, he has one tooth, and the corners of a second tooth!)so it barely left a mark. After ascertaining that Thor was, indeed, okay, I asked if he was going to stick his fingers in his brothers mouth anymore, he shook his head vigorously 'no', looked at meed, sighed dramaticly, and once again, said "Teef!"

things you anly say as a parent # 157.3

"No honey, don't put the turkey on your head!"

He's starting to talk more

Thor is starting to talk more. He is really reliable with 'Hi!' and getting there with saying brother, poppa and Buddha's name. Chocalate, cake, and icecream have all been in full effect since friday, generally uppercase, generally with exclamation points. He doesn't say momma when I am around, but others have heard him. He still won't say 'no' to me, which is nice but frustrating, he won't say mine either. He says bed now, which helps with sleep time, but still not potty.
I try not to worry, to tell myself everything is fine, but it's hard. He's just doing things at his own rate, and is still easily over stimulated.
Hubby andI got him Bongos for his birthday. Thor seems very pleased with them, which is nice. He is also very pleased with his new bed set. So pleased that he kept trying to sleep in his brothers bed so as not to mess up his own. Hermes was less than thrilled.
Just shy of two weeks and we see the behaviourist for the first time, hopefully the second to the last (he has to do two appointments a week apart). I am pleased to tell them that he is talking more, but it hurts to have to admit that it's hardly anything, compared to the average...who knows, maybe the dam that's been holding his words back will break before then. I see the frustration in his eyes when he wants to tell me something, but either doesn't have the words or cannot ge them out in a way that I understand...I also see the unadulterated pleasure when he gets it right. Here's hopingfor more right with his littleself.

two years ago

Two years ago today, Thor was born. Out of my three baby birthing experiences, his was by far the most painful, which is funny, cause he was also the smallest at birth, which is funny cause he is HUGE now. I remember being very afraid that something might be wrong, he was missing one vessel in the umbilical cord, and it was not a text-book pregnancy. He was fine, thank god, and within a few minutes of being born had everyone in the room giggling. If he was covered and swaddled, no crying, but as soon as he had exposed skin, he screamed and cryed, and stopped! just as soon as he was covered again. Over the course of his life to this point, we have dealed with multiple ear infections, baby asthma, colic, I don't know how many bumps on the heads, falling downs, pinched fingers, and tantrums. Thor has never been a quiet child, ever. When he is not happy, you know, when he is happy, you know. He was eating solids early, and able to suck down an eight ounce bottle in record time by the time he was five months. He was late to crawl, and walk, but jumps like a pro. Now, he goes up and down the stairs, walks backwards, and is trying o stand on one foot and summersault. Every now and then, like last night, he will force himself to stay up so late that he finally has a melt down and passes out, only to wake up two hours later and do it all again. He bullies his big brother and want's to help take care of his baby brother to the point of being an hindrance. Every now and then he will speak a full sentance, or clearly say a word like spaghetti, only to not say anything for hours, sometimes days, after.
After the extreme pain of childbirth, the frustration of colic, the inner turmoil over his not talking and being like other kids, he brings me such joy. He loves music, hugs and kisses, sitting in my lap and being read to, and playing peek-a-boo. He tries sooo hard to be like his big brother, while still being my littleman.

Happy Birthday, Boo,
Momma loves you.

Weight watch '06

Since I have previously posted about my weight here, I figure I will keep posting about it periodically, if for no other reason than to give myself a record. As of this morning, I am at 225, fully clothed in sweatshirt, jeans and tennis shoes. Figure it at about 220 naked. This now has me only 35 pounds away from my prepregnancy weight, and 55 away from my 'ultimate weight loss goal', although honestly, I will be thrilled with pre-baby weight, and, well...even more thrilled with ten pounds under pre-baby. If I actually hit 165 I think I might faint dead away from surprise. Now, though, I am even more aware of the need to exersice and drink plenty of water. When you gain alot of weight, it does weird things to your skin...unnatractive things...almost horror movie things..."AAggh! She's melting...stay away, stay away...DON"T GO UP THE STAIRS! YOUR IN THE HOUSE ALONE! HE'S CALLING FROM IN THE HOUSE!!!!!" Okay, not that bad, but you get the idea. Oddly, now that the weight is coming off, I'm more motivated to make it go away than I was before. Something about realizing you've lost another ten pounds gets ya going. You'd think that the heavier you are the more motivated, but it seems to be the oppisite. Maybe the threat of failure is less now. Either way, I've got a spare kid here now, so am running more, and Thor seems to want to nap early, and who am I to stop him. Bye all. More later from Housewifeland-The Crankiest Place On Earth!

and By The POWER of Greyskull, he is HE-MAN!!!

Thor is HUGE. I don't mean fat, or big, or husky, no, he is proportionate for his size, and at a few days shy of two, his size happens to be that of an average three year-old. HUGE. Over THREE FEET TALL and thirty-two lean muscled pounds. According to the CDCs hight predictor, he could be 6'5" at aged 18, they did give the disclaimer that all estimates are not perfect, there are circumstances that can affect ones hight that cannot be predicted, but they feel that there is a %58 chance of 6'5" a %78 chance that it will be within (over or under) an inch and a half, and a %96 chance of his hight being with 2.5 inches, all things being equal, and barring any major illnesses that stunt his growth. Jeebus. Kids not gonna hafta worry about being the tallest in kindergarten (when that day comes) kid's gonna hafta worry about being the tallest in the school!
What really cracks me up about all of this, Hermes, who is more than three years older than Thor, is very petite. I wonder when Thor's gonna be taller. Once again referencing the CDC's info, Hermes will e lucky to hit 5'9
What has my curiousity really going, Buddha is very tall for his age(as Thor is) and very lean(as Hermes, not quite as lean, but deffinately lean). He is too young to try to guestimate, but time will tell.

trying to use an unbiased eye

On friday, I had to take Thor and Buddha in for their respective check-ups. My Dr, who is just a cutie!, stated after hearing all of Buddha's many accomplishments(he's six months and crawling already!) "How Exciting this must be, but please, don't get me wrong, but you know that's just not normal, right?" And then there's Thor...
When You have a child, that child is born perfect, you have every aspiration for their life, and you know they are going to grow up and change the world. Heaven help the person who tells you that there is something not right, or norma, with that child. Thor has an AMAZING musical talent, one that we will nurture, support, and encourage. One that I tell him, at not-quite-two, is amazing. However, Thor is a little...well..I cannot think of a way to put it. He's stubborn? a perfectionist? manipulative? maybe the smartest of the three, maybe not? Thor has been delayed in his devolopment from a fairly early age. He didn't crawl when he was supposed to, but we were living with the in-laws at the time, including their two dogs and a cat, so we had an excuse. He didn't get as much floor time as we would've liked, and you cannot really crawl in a playpen now, can you? He was kinda late to walk. He would walk when he thought he wasn't being watched, and then only a little. We used his mortal fear of the vacuum against him, and by 18 months, he was walking like a pro, but still, much later than most kids. His speech is an entirely different matter. Sometimes he will speak in full sentances, or damn near, perfectly coherent and intelligable al day long, and then he will go for three days barely utterring a word. There are days where he will talk to innanimate objects, but he'll pointedly not utter a syllable for me. He is very affactionate, plays well, maintains eye contact, etc...so the Dr does not think it is autism, but she wants him to be evaluated to rule out any "issues". I am fine with his hearing test, honestly, but am scared shitless of seeing the "develpmental behaviorist" Two hour and a half long appointments, hopefully they will tell me his is fine, and just does things in his own way, and why the hell did my Dr send me, but when I look with as unbiased an eye as a parent can muster...I don't know. The uncertainty frightens me.

sometimes a flash of brilliant insight makes you feel dumb as a rock

Earlier today I was discussing various housing set-uos with my mother-in-law. Namely, the process of oneday giving Hermes his own room. The subject of Thor, and his bed came up. I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, Thor could last six more months in a crib(yeah right!) until Hermes is in his own room, and then we could transfer Thor into a twin bed with toddler rails on it. Being the boys room would be a little snug, this seemed like a better Idea than trying to fit two twin beds in there. Plus we have a full size futon, and a spare twin bed, downstairs in the basement, so Hermes could have a bigger bed, if he wanted...About this time my mind stutterred. The treason I was debating keeping Thor in a crib longer was because there wasn't enough room for two twins, the reason we would need two twins is because the only toddler bed we have found that we like, and that isn't a plastic or cheap metal base, is over $100, and that's kinda pricey for a bed he will grow out of quickly, granted Buddha could use it...Then I had that mental stutter again. What was it about beds and cribs and the basement that was making my mind twitch???

OOOHHHhhhh! It dawned on me...we DO have a toddler bed that we like in the basement!
Shortly before Buddha was born, Mom-the-hipple brought me out to purchase a 3-peice nursery set-a changing table, a dresser and a fully convertable crib. Convertable cribs are cribs that magically become toddler beds, well magically and through the use of supplied hardware. Thors crib was purchased because it was convertable, but the necessary hardware was sold seperately, we didn't by it at the time, and now is discontinued-but with the exception of a few minor scratches and some grime, it is in fabulous condition. The convertable crib, that came with required hardware, that we bought for Buddha is sturdy, good wood and strong metal. I realized that we can put Thor in the convertable crib, in "Toddler Bed Mode", and put Buddha in Thor's crib, after it is cleaned and inspected. We can pick up a new mattress for Buddha, Thor can keep his lumpy mattress, the New crib will be used, the old crib won't get junked, and I don't have to try to keep Thor in a crib for six more months.

I felt brilliant!! At least until I realized that we have had the convertable crib at the house for about eight months, and I have been on the hunt for a toddler bed for about four months. Well, you can't win all of them, but at least I figured i out before we dropped money on something that we ultimately didn't need!

...he said with absolute love and adoration

Last night, Hermes woke up after about an hour and a half of sleep, so I went into his room to re-tuck him, and to talk for a few minutes. It always helps him get back tosleep to talk about any dreams he doesn't understand, and to know that even if he doesn't see us, we are still here. After our discussion, I go across the hall into the bathroom. Moxie, the cat, wanders in, and instigates the following exchange.
"Mommy, are you in the bathroom?"(Hermes)
"Yeessss"(me)
"Are you going potty?"
"Yeeesss"
"Moxie came in, I bet she has to poop!"
"Well, she can do that in here, it's okay, no go to bed."
"Okay, I love you Momma"
"I love you too!"
"Goodnight Momma."
"Night Hermes, have pleasent dreams."
"I will, Momma,...Cats bury their poop!!"

Ah, how nice to know that he thinks about his love for his momma and cats burying their poop at the same time!

now, 50% more miserable

Tuesday I had a tooth pulled, it sucked, but was needed. I have been on pain killers and antibiotics since then. Buddha is teething, and it doesn't matter how enlightened you are, teething HURTS. Thor is also teething his two year molars, and is having sinus issues because of this. Hermes is home ill from school today, his stuffy nose got the better of him, so he is having a day of rest and fluids. Hubby works outside, so has one hell of a cold due to our shifting weather patterns. On the plus side, my hair is fabulous, and SistahGirl moves in over the weekend. I feel like crap, but at least I have something to look forward to.

It's not the end result, it's the weight...

I am really excited, in the last two and a half weeks I have dropped about ten pounds...YAY ME!!!, however, I have found that I still need to lose about 63 pounds to be at an 'ideal weight' for my size. if you do the math, I need to drop 27.5% of myself off somewhere for a permanent vacation. I realize that the craftier readers out there can reverse the math to figure out roughly what I weigh, but I really do not care. I just hope that I can keep this rate of speed up till Mexico...I know logically that there is no way this will happen, as the more I lose the slower it will pro'ly go, but I am going to be the weight that I need to be.

planning and preparation

Next monday is Hermes' first vacation day from school. The school he goes to has one day everymonth off for a teacher enrichment/planning day, plus all the normal school holidays. This will have him finishing school a little later on june than most kids, but will also keep him and the teachers and other students from burning out. Their is a higher risk of student/teacher burnout at an immersion school than at a standard school, but so far, all is well. I am planning on us cleaning his room on his day off, he is really excited to help clean it, and to help me plan on how to arrange it, since Thor is moving to a toddler bed, and Buddha needs to be transitioned into his crib. Hubby and I think that we might just keep the crib in our room until Buddha is a little older, to make things easier for everyone.
Also, SistahGirl is moving in with us at the end of the month. Everyone here in Housewifeland is very excited about the addition to our population, even though it is going to mean some massive restructuring around here. First, I am getting the ENTIRE house, basement and all, CLEAN. Not clean as in presentable, but *CLEAN* as in floors sparkling, everything washed, mopped, sweapt, etc.. a place for everything, everything in its place...clean! I am doing this with Hubby's help(YAY), and it is being done for a few reasons. A) It just needs to be done, really, we are slobs, and it isn't good for us. B) winter is coming and I need to have places and spaces for the kids to play. C) I will be watching a friends baby when she goes back to work, soon, and it will be easier all around if the house is clen and lastly, and high in the order of importance, with SistahGirl moving on in, we need to rearrange. Her room is going to be where the computers are now, the computers need to get moved, and that will have to be downstairs or in the basement. She doesn't have all that much stuff, from the sounds of it, but more stuff in means more stuff has to go out. Hubby and I have been talking about doing a major cleaning/sorting/tossing/donating for a while now, and this is the impetus to get off our asses and do it!
Since the compy room is being turned back into a bedroom, depending on what happens after SistahGirl moves out, in about six months, is we will either put the comps back in(not to fond of that idea, but at the same time rather okay with it), or Bro-in-law and his woman might move in there, or we might make it Hermes room, and then have Buddha and Thir share the room that is now Thor and Hermes'. I like this last idea the best. It gives the younger two a room together, that will be vary spacious with just the younger two's furniture, and a toddler/baby safe place to play. Espessially since this would be happenning in and abouts Buddha's first birthday, so I will be very comfy with him and Thor playing together in a room. It will give Hermes some privacy, so that he can unwind after school in peace, and we can put a desk in for him to do his homework at. Also he coud then have some space to set up soem of his train toys with out having to put them away every night. Hermes makes some really eleaborate track layouts and builds some gorgeous block houses and garages, I would like for him to be able to keep some set up, if he so desires. It will also enable us to put a baby gate in front of Thor's room without having to worry about Hermes tripping over it in the middle of the night, that way we don't have to worry about Thor waking up and wandering the house...if he needs to potty he is certainly loud enough to wake us.
So, I have a lot of planning, prep, arrangeing and what not to be doing...but I think Housewifeland will deffinately benefit from it.

first day of school

Last night, after a frantic search for last minute school supplies, we came home, ate dinner, and gave Hermes a bath. He felt it was very important to be clean today, and who are we to argue. We got him into bed a little later than we would have liked, but it was much less difficult than in the past. The first time he got out of bed, he wanted hugs, so hug Hermes got. Then he wanted to tell me something, that he was hungry, I told him he wasn't and sent him back to bed, then he came to the top of the stairs. I calmly explained to him that if he wants to do well in school, he needs to sleep, ten minutes later...out cold. This morning we woke up, cuddled a little, ate breakfast, then got dressed for school. He looked so grown up in his uniform. He looked so proud walking into the building, and he made a freind in the first five minutes. In an hour, his day will be half way done, and so for no phone calls asking if we are nuts, how could we possibly think this would work, and telling us to get him, so that is good. To my knowledge, he has kept all his clothes on, not hit anybody, and not sassed his teacher. He is probably to wrapped up in trying to figure out what the hell she is saying to even think about misbehaving. I am starting to realize that he isn't here. It is a little quiet. Thor is pleased, he has the run of the place, but Buddha is being abnomally fussy. That could be the teeth coming in though. Now, I am going to go and do some cleaning.

"...MOM!!!They only speak Chinese! How cool is that!!"

Tomorrow is Hermes' first 'official' day of school. He will be attending a non-traditional school, to say the least, a mandarin chinese immersion school. I don't know what I'll do while he's gone. First, I'll get the house clean, and I'll spend more time getting Thor to speak, I suppose, but it'll be strange at first, and quiet, very,very, quiet.

quick, while no one's looking, a blog post!

I have a few minutes break in my cleaning, eating, cooking, mothering...repeat, schedule, so I thought I would post. Hermes is wondering if they will teach him to eat fire in school. Oddly enough, the answer was no, but his momma and poppa know someone who could teach him, when he is much, much, MUCH older, and carrying his own insurance. Thor has persistantly not spoken to me for three days now. TV, books, other people, and food, but not me...I do not know what I did, but I am damn glad he does not posess Mjollner, or my ass would be hurting. Buddha needs to be transitioned to a crib, soon. He is far more mobile than any child still a week of five months should be-rolling both directions, creeping, trying to crawel already, and almost getting himself to a sitting possition.

In other news...my brain, or what remained of it, oozed out my ears about an hour ago, yet I am still functioning. Hah! Take that scientific community and Biology!

time

Buddha is getting older, therefor napping less and demanding more attention. Thor is getting as much attention as I can spare while still making sure Hermes gets his share. With all this attention being passes around the Pantheon, my blogging is sufferring. I will post when I can, but cannot make promisses as to the regularity.

best laid plans...

I had every intention of taking the Pantheon out today to allow them to blow off extra steam. Thor is revelling in his new found freedoms, and Hermes, true to his name, just wants to run. Also, I think Buddha would like some fresh air and looking at the tree colors. The weather people have been saying that it would rain today, but not untill this evening...I believed them. I am now looking out my window at one hell of a thunderstorm. At least I closed up the van this time.

Dr Strangetalk, or How I learned to stop worrying and love the Telletubbies

It is no small secret that I loathe the Telletubbies. They are annoying, kind of frightenning, and I thought they didn't teach children anything.
Enter this morning. Thor is watching TV, Telletubbies come on, and before I get a chance to run over and change the channell, he is TALKING TO THE TV!!!! He sat in rapt attention for 25 minutes. When the Telletubbies would say "Hello!" and wave, he would say "Hello" and wave, when they would cover their mouths and go "Oh oh!" he would, when they said "Goodbye" he said "Goodbye", if they did a littledance and sang, he would do a little dance, and the words he didn't sing, he would humm. I still don't know how I feel about the Telletubbies, but they are able to get through to Thor and have him talking for the better part of half an hoyr, and then, continue using the words for the rest of the day. Also, the screaming and shrieking is less frequent, he also can say "Love you" now. How can I disagree with that.

Blog posting...on a stick!

It's almost time for the MN State Fair. I haven't been in years, largely because I was working during the week and working Ren Fest on the weekends. I remember loving the state fair when I would go with friends in my teens, largely because it gave us a really large area in which to missbehave. I also love the food. No where can you get so much deep fried food on a stick! I have lived in a few other states, and have friends from all over the country, and from what I can tell, we in MN are pretty unique with how big our state fair is for us. I haven't quite decided yet if I'm going this year, but if I do, I will keep a record of everything on a stick that I encounter, and a log of how much I eat...promise.

Swell, plus, new blog-names for the boys!

Littleman, as I have stated many times before, is most certainly not little. At two months shy of two years, he dwarfs many a three year old. He is also extremely strong for his age. He is very good at communicating with people, but not so much at talking, more facial expressions, various noises, and the dreaded shriek. Myself and others have realized he is actually very bright, he understands a goodly portion of what is said to him, and follows directions well, at least when it suits him to do so. In order to coax him into using words more, or at least to move his lips when he speaks, I have begun ignoring the shrieks and screams, and speaking like a very clearly enunciating, broken record. This is paying off! Last night I got 'Cookie', 'HELLoooooo', 'Cup!', 'Yellow', 'Green' and 'Frog!GEEE' added to his repertoire of words that already include - baby; howdee, yeehaw, hiYA!, and Buddha's name, plus momma, poppa, dada, dadapoppadada, EIEIO, brother, and bottle. Not as many words as our pediatrician would like, but still good. Since littleman isn't little, and seems to be a man of action as opposed to a man of words, and because I could see him hurling a large double headed hammer named Mjollner rather nicely, his new blog name will now be Thor!

Bigguy, though older than Thor by a good three years, is oddly enough, not big! He is a little monkey boy who is always climbing and running and jumping and exploring and learning. He is very fine of features, and as I know I have stated here before, has eyelashes to kill for. Everyday, he continues to amaze me by speaking more and more like a little adult, as opposed to a five year old boy. He is devestatingly intelligent and knows it, he also knows enough to have figured out that playing dumb sometimes might be the way to go. He is bery good at getting his point across, and, especially for his age, surpisingly good at relaying messages from one person to another. His favorite passtimes are speaking for his brothers, running wild, playing jokes on people, playing on the computer, learning foriegn languages, and quote him "just being me". I think for these and many more reasons, he will now be called Hermes

Buddha is still Buddha, when one has attained enlightenment, that is that. He stopped crying long enough immediately after his immunizations to smile at the nurse who administered them. He was upset about his teething, until lo and behold! He can chew on his fist or toys, and no more pain! He is generally the happiest, most peaceful baby I have ever seen, and there is something very calming and soothing about his eyes. Eyes which fluctuate between light grey, light blue, bright blue, deep blue, dark blue, and a very dark grey-sometimes in a ten minute period! Hubby says they are Titanium, the Dr says they are gunmetal. My spiritual friends say they are old and wise and serene. So Buddha he stays.

Hubby and I, well, we keep our names.

Beware the Rabid Mommies

I, like all mothers, have moments where I doudbt I know what the hell I am doing, while at the same time being confident that what I am doing is the best thing. I know that I am raising my children the best way I know how, and with the exception of keeping the house as clean as it should be, am doing the right things for them. The key here is that it is right for ME AND MY CHILDREN! Rarely will I tell someone else they are raising their kids wrong. I fully understand that my way isn't the right way for everybody, and is down right the wrong way for a few, I deal with this. If someone asks me for parrenting advice, I let them know that this is what worked for me, but there is no guarentee that it will work for them. Example-out of my three kids, I can count on the fingers on one, maybe both hands, the things that have worked for two, let alone all three of them. Children are suppossed to thrive off of a routine, Littleman does, Bigguy fights it at all cost, so obviously I could not tell another mommie that the routine I use with Littleman is the best there is and if she doesn't use it she is WRONG!!!!! Also, kids devoelop differently, something that is very obvious in Littleman. At 22 months of age, he is very bright, but doesn't talk often. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong, he just doesn't talk. But...but...but...if he's not taaaaalking, how am I ever gonna get him into a goooood pree schooool. I don't plan on him going to preschool till right before kindergarten, and I am most certainly not gonna go on a quest for a preschool that will guarentee him access into Harvard. (Some mommies think this is the worst thing you can do to your child, you know, not have them in the right preschool, fer chrissakes!)
Rabbid mommies are the mommies who their way is the only right way. The tend to be wealthy, or extremely religious, or extremely 'cause"bent somehow (ei-only organic everything), or a combination of the three. I would love to feed my kids only organics, hire a private tutor to teach them everything they will learn in kindergarten and first grade by the time they are four so that their first two years of school are constant tedium, and limit their group of friends based solely on what their parents beliefs are, really, but here in the land of lower middle class suburbia, I do what I think is right from minute to minute- All you want to eat is peanut butter (jif-not organic) and honey on toast, but if I give it to you, you'll drink milk? Okay! Protien and dairy wins! You want to stay up till 9:30 at night, wake up when I do at 6 in the morning, and than nap before dinner? Are you alert during the day and getting the requisite number of hours of sleep? Awesome, you go for it! You want to play under the kitchen sink...no, not gonna happen (make note to get new baby locks.) Wanna help Momma give Buddha a bottle, because he is only four months old and momma is weaning him, Fabulous, see how he smiles at his big brothers when they do this! I don't care if in some countries they nurse till the kid is four, I don't care if you and all your friends are nursing your kids till they are one, I am doing what is best for me and my family. So you can have your kids in bed by eight, never give them soda, never let them play in the mud, jump on a bed, run around like idiots, and wear clothes that do not match. These are my kids, and we're doing what works for us. Oh, and the youngest two...they wear DISPOSABLE DAIPERS..BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

inhale, exhale, smile, repeat

I am currently sitting at my computer desk, basking in breeze coming through the window. The weather outside this morning is perfect. The house is opened up, all the fresh air is coming in, all the stale air is going out. Screw spring cleaning, spring cleaning has nothing on a late-summer airing-out.

new nipples

After trying to give Buddha a bottle last night using pretty much every type of nipple in the house, and watching how he took the bottle (or didn't), I decided that maybe the problem wasn't that he wouldn't take a bottle of formula, but that, after being breast fed for four months, he wouldn't take the style of bottle we had. Since I had to go out for milk, I figured I would look into some different bottle make and moddles. After browsing the aisle for what seemed a rediculously long time, I found the evenflo Elan. I never thought I would buy a bottle that had a car-like name, but it's the only one I picked up, and I am glad I did. It is a wide bottle, which makes mixing formula easier, it vents air in at the nipple, to keep the fluid flowing, and vents air OUT the bottom, which really keeps babe's from getting gassy tummy aches. The nipple is silicone, the prefferred artificial nipple choice of most nursing mom's, it is a slightly firmer silicone at the tip, which is a little longer than what you would find on other bottles, and the base of the nipple is very soft, flexible, and has a few little bumpies on it. Basically, it is the most breast-like bottle nipple I have ever seen.

When I got home from dropping Hubby off at work this morning, I made Buddha a four ounce bottle, figuring that once again, three or so would go to waste. I would have made two ounces, but I purchased the nine ouncer instead of the six ouncer, I think maybe it was a choice based on color options. Anywho, after a very small initial fuss, Buddha latched right on to the bottle, sucked most of it right down, got angry when I took it away to burp him, then happilly finished. He had very little gas or spit-up, and is now peacefully napping.
I am so pleased I finally found something that works for me. I can now start gently weaning, like I want to, knowing it won't be a constant up-hill battle, knowing that I will not be getting the angry, pouty face every time I attempt to give him a bottle, and knowing, feeling, again, that I am not a bad mommy for doing this. Everything will be all right.

Who knew that one bottle, of the right variety, would do so much.

it's hot, plus formula

It's damn hot out. Has been pretty hot for a while, looking like it might start to cool down a little come the middle of the week, but who knows. The heat index is well over 100 degrees, and everyone is going crazy. We in Housewifeland have central air, which is a good thing. Because of the heat, however, we are prisoners in our home, only leaving if we must. It is way to warm for Buddha to be out, Litttleman can only be out for a few minutes, and Bigguy just a little longer than that. Children need fresh-air, they need to run and frolick and be kids, but the heat is so oppresive that they cannot, and they are going nuts, and in turn, driving me up a wall. All I ask is for a cool day that is not rainny and muddy (because even though we are in draught conditions, if it is cool out, it is generally the rare days with rain) so I can take my boys to the park.
Hubby works primarily outdoors. If it is as hot out tomorrow as they say, we might lose a days pay. They are talking actual temps of over 100, with an index of nearly 115-120.

In a non-heat related note...we are trying to gently wean Buddha. This is not going well. The first type of formula we tried he flat out refuse, and gave anyone who tried to give hime a bottle the most pitiful of pouty faces. Now that we have the type of furmula we will actually be feeding him in the house, we gave it another go. It didn't go over well, but better than the first time. He drank an entire ounce and a half before pitching a fit. I want to gently wean him, but if he keeps being this resistant, we might have to do it all at once, where his only choice is the formula. I'd prefer to keep nursing him, but we live in an imperfect world, a world where Momma needs a new glasses prescription, a world where she cannot get said prescription until she has finished nursing the baby, and her hormones and water levels have regulated.

Hopefully it will cool down, hopefully Buddha will wean without too much fight. We'll see

My roots are showing

Littleman seems to have acquired some of the recessed genes in our family-the blond curly hair in a land or brown haired individuals should be one clue, his gigantic proportions another. Apparently, there is a latent gene that not only controls when and how often you speak, but also what dialect of the language your great-grandparents might have used as well. All day today I have had a 21month old dervish running around my in-laws yelling "YeeHaw!!!!" and "HowdEEEEE!"

I blame the biscuts and gravy, fried chicken, and cornbread.

granted, I am the one feeding him, and the in-laws are soooo not southern...

I'm baaaaack

I got my cable back, and my intraweb, and my home phone!!!!

disconnected

Currenly we are without cable and internet at home. MIL was nice enough to offer me the use of her house for the day today, so that I could be online, and so Bigguy could be on-line and get in some tv time. This is greatly helping me keep my last three threads of sanity intact.

Blink Blink Smile.

I cannot remember what he asked for, even though it was only half an hour ago, I only remember HOW he asked. "Mom, can I please have some ______, pretty please?" head tilted slightly down, looking up, blinking just a little faster than normal, with a very sweet smile. Bigguy has ENORMOUS brown eyes, and lashes that should be illegal for anyone off a fashion runway, let alone a five year old boy. I, as a fully grown adult, who had perfected the power of the eyes at a fairly young age, am overcome at times by him, and can only imagine what it will be like as he gets older. If he retains his looks as he hits his teen years and adulthood he will be devestating. I pitty the crushes who do not have their affections returned. We already have little girls get mad if he ignores them, which he rarely does, and we have almost had fights break out at the park if he switches his attentions from one young lady to the other. High school is going to be hell for his father and I. Of course, if I am to listen to the drag queen contingent of my friends, he could have a lucrative career when he grows up. Apparently, underneath the pudgy cheeks he inheritied from yours truely, he has amazing cheek bones, and since he has my eyes, it is only fitting that he has my brow and ridgeline.

Blink, Blink, Smile...never underestimate the power.

He Speaks!

Littleman is what one would call a 'late bloomer'. He was walking and standing late, and talking late. In fact, he did pretty much everything behind the curve with the exception of eating! I tried not to worry too much about this, every kid being different and all, but was secretly very relieved when he started using intelligable words. It started recently with 'button!', and of course, mama, and papa. From there we got hungry, go home, good puppy, nice puppy, up, go nap, go up, go down, pretty much any word that can have go before it, baby, brother, baby "buddha", kiss, and so on. We are getting more words a day now than I ahd hoped. One issue, however, is assigning words that are confusing or un-clear. If we cannot figure out what he is trying to say, he either melts down, or reverts to 'button!'. This leads to conversations along the lines of "Hungry" -well, what do you want?- "ungamillahrmmmmmmm", -milk?- "noooooooooooo", -cereal- "nooooooooo" -a banana?- "nooooooo, hungry button!", or "good puppy, go button!", or "go nap, button!" you get the idea. We also get randomly placed words, like "nap now, doggy woof."

surrogate

Shortly before the Bigguy's fifth birthday, the in-laws had to put the family dog to sleep. They have another dog, but Buddy was Bigguy's best-friend on four legs. It was very hard on Bigguy, and very hard on us. First, we loved buddy, he was family, second, no one should EVER have to explain mortality to a small child. We have been fielding some dificult questions since then, and doing our best to answer honestly and truthfully, even if that means answering the dreaded "I don't know." In an attempt to lessen Bigguy's pain, and make things easier on os, one of his birthday gifts from us was a stuffed black-lab puppy he named 'Buddy Poe'. Bigguy has a collection of stuffed Rotts and Dobermans, which are his Poe dogs, and they all have assigned names and tittles in the Poe family, Buddy is the only Lab. Having the stuffed dog has done wonders, but has also led to some interesting conversations along the lines of:"Momma, I don't ever want you to die, and I don't want to die, but you said everyone dies eventually, I want you to die before me so I can have a new mommy." "Do you want a new Mommy?" "Only if you die first, then I will need a new mommy, just like I got a new buddy!"
Kids, what ya gonna do?

the daily grind

I wish there was an honest, informative, and truthfull, Housewife Handbook, but there isn't. Why? Because, quite frankly, there are too many variables: How many kids you have, what your income level is, the amount of support you get from family and friends, your kids' ages and the spacing between them, you get the idea. Some things I knew in advance about being a housewife/stay at home mom- I would be the Primary Care Giver-thet being I would be the one to first respond to me kids daily needs, generally even if Hubby is home, as they are used to coming to me for things. I would be responsible for the majority of the cooking and cleaning- In all the jobs hubby has had while we have been together, he averages 50 hours a week, so the cooking is pretty obvious, I do the daily pick-up, and he does his share on the weekends. When he wasn't working, and when I was pregnant, this didn't work so well, but now we are getting back into the swing of things. I love to cook, I do not like to clean, but oh well. I was failry certain that I would crave adult interaction the way some woman crave salt and chocolate when they PMS-I was dead on with that one.

I never thought that I would feel as good about my decicion to stay home as I do. I know I am doing the best by my kids, and I have few regrets. Would it be nice to have a second income? Yes, but it would suck knowing that I came across it by paying for daycare or sacrificing time with my Hubby. Would I have gotten a job if it took any longer for Hubby to find one? Hell yeah, I'm an optimist, but I am not stupid, and I will do my best to make sure my kids never go without.

I never realized that I would be doing the budgeting and bill-paying, but for the most part I am pretty decent at it. I set the amount we must live within, and we do it. I never dreamed that I would be so thrilled about my youngest having a bowel movement, my middle child saying button, or my oldest being quiet for five freaking minutes. I didn't think that it was possible for a woman to stay sane with three kids at home, two of whom are in daipers, but I seem to be holding up pretty well. I didn't realize how much it would fundamentally change me as a person. As much as I miss late night outs drinking overly-priced coffee and chillin' with friends, that time seems trivial to me now. I enjoy my child fre time, but I miss them every second of it. I enjoy doing things without my Hubby, but I wonder how he' doing every minute. I am heavily reliant on my family, but they would fall apart with out me.

I am also keenly aware that my family is my Hubby and boys first. That is another feeling I never expected. That family would be more than Mom, SisterGirl, and Auntie. They are all part of my family, as is Jazz-dad and uncle Rice, and Auntie Step, and the in-laws, but I have a family that is mine, seperate rom all the rest. I also couldn't have told you before I became HW@K that I would voluntarilly sever all ties with my dad and his family. It hurst, but it hurts less than if I stayed involved, and it saves my boys dealing with what I did.

If I were to write a simple Housewife Training Manual, it actually would be very simple-set all preconcieved notions behind you, try to enjoy every minute, and never be afraid to ask for help. No one would buy it, but there it is.

If cleanliness is Godliness...

...Than I am most certainly a minor demon!

To Do List

Things to do today:
Clean out van
Pull trash from in house
Dishes
Laundry, especially the boy's
Plan dinner menu for a few days
Remember to eat lunch
Be on the lookout for giant invading space aliens
Check black market value for reasonably well behaved, precocious, smart-ass, 5 year old children
Excersise
Clean out coat closet

Daiper Chronicles, part...who knows

Littleman is 20 months old, and, quite frankly, doesn't have the speaking skils that he should. I am aware of this, and I am frustrated by this. Frustrated not so much because I think there is a developmental problem, as by the fact that I think he is doing it on purpose, to make me frustrated. How does this tie in to daipers? Simple. He doesn't like to wear them, and has figured out how to remove them under almost any sort of clothing. Pants get taken off, onesies are stretchy and hav leg holes, overalls have an opening you can fit a hand down, and we have yet to figure out how he does it through a sleeper. He doesn't do this daily, mind you, we went about a week with him keeping the daiper on, he just did it FIVE TIMES in FIVE HOURS today. I asked a friend for suggestions and she pointed out that the removal of ones daiper is often considered a sign for potti-training readiness. Well DUH, I knew that, but since he won't speak intelligsbly, how the hell does she propose we go about training him? We cannot leave the bathroom door open, he splashes in the toilet, and he still sleeps in a crib, so would have to wear a daiper at night-hid favorite time to remove them!!!
AAAARRRGGHHHHH!!!!

questions and answers

bigguy is still at that age where he questions everything...I don't think there will ever be a time in his life where he isn't that age! Here is a sampling on the questions I have gotten so far today:
Mommy, can you get (instert web name here) into my computer?

Mom, can I have a jelly sandwich? no peanut butter, just jelly? seriously...just jelly?

Mommy, are you ever going to have another baby?

Why? Why? why? Whyyyy? (these asked mostly to annoy, not out of any innate desire to learn)

How come all the other cars are prettier than ours?

and the one that blew my mind, and made me realize that it's never too soon to teach them tact
Mommy, when are you going to lose more weight? Your tummy is big!

Too cute by half!

WARNING:this post opens with a discussion about my breasts-it is not all about the boobs though.

I have an injury to one of my nipples. It is a casualty of breastfeeding. I let it get a little too severe, so until it fully heals, Buddha is being nursed off of one side only. So as not to cut down on milk production, and to make sure Buddha has enough to eat, AND to make sure that when I wean him he won't starve himself by refusing a bottle, I have been pumping on the injured side, and storing the milk. I was sitting on the couch and feeding Buddha a bottle after nursing, and Littleman is sitting next to us. OK, Littleman is bouncing and climbing next to us, but he sat occasionally. Littleman pats Buddha's head, then leans down and kisses Buddha's head. It was too, too cute. We had to call Littleman's affections off, though, because he was getting a little too carried away, and came very close to hurting the babe. Littleman was upset, but he decided it was OK when he got a sippy of milk.

It's good to know he cares.

Birthday Part E

Today is my Bigguys 5th birthday. Had he taken three more minutes to be born, it would have been tomorrow, but today, the first chold I ever had turns 5. Makes me feel kinda old, also reminds me that hubby and I have been together roughly six years now.

As Bigguy likes to say, today is his birthday, tomorrow is his birthday part E

you take the good, you take the bad

Today was Hubby's first day of work at his new job. Dropping him off this morning was similar to a childs first day of school - making sure he had his linch and phone, scanning the lot to see if the coworkers look like they'll get along with him, waiting a few extra minutes before pulling out...just in case. I was actually surprised at how smoothly everything went this morning. The kids were all up about three hours earlier than normal, Littleman his having his entire daily routine revamped, Buddha seems unfazed by it all, and Bigguy, well....
Last night we got the call from the in-laws that Buddy-the older of their two dogs, and Bigguy's favorite furry companion, was going to be taken to the vets and put to sleep. No parent should have to explain mortality to their small children. God it was heartwrenching. If given the choice, we all would have waited, as Bro-in-law turns 21 today, and Bigguy turns 5 on friday, but it was the dogs time to go. Bigguy seems to be okay for a little while, then not so okay for a little while. We have a picture of him and Buddy taken last night before Buddy had to ge, and that is helping a little. We are being very honest with Bigguy, and making sure he knows that it is OK to hurt, be sad, cry, and miss Buddy. It's okay to be angry, and it is also OK to never want to die. Like I said...so hard.
Right now, he is requesting a peanutbutter jelly sandwich...duty calls....
HOUSEWIFE AWAYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WooHoo!!!

We heard today that pending the results of tomorrows drug test, Hubby has a job. We are very happy.
My sister came over for dinner today. It's always fun when she's around Bigguy, being they are each others favorite people...EVER. Bigguy flat out denied asking me if my boob got cold, bossed her around while they played ship, and generally hammed it up. My sister enjoyed her meal of steak, steakfries, and asparagus(sic?), and understood my joke about the "Renegade Cow", something Hubby never quite found funny, because he never quite understood.

Mooo

How many days?

Bigguy is turning 5 in ten days. I know this because a) I am his mom and distinctly remember giving nirth to him, and b) because every day for the last 3 weeks I have been getting "Momma, how many days 'til my birthday?" at least 5 times a day. I also get asked how many days until he starts school, and how many days until we go to Mexico.

Just in case you're wondering...I don't know about school-they haven't set a specific kindergarten start date yet...and it's 143 days till Mexico

Mammaries

I breastfeed. At just over two months of age, baby Buddha has only had a bottle in his mouth once, at four days old, at the behest of a doctor, and then it was pumped hind-milk. (Hind-milk is the fatty milk that comes at the end of the feeding be"hind" the other milk-it helped him with some infant constipation...I know...TMI) My flagrant breast-feeding exposes Bigguy to alot of boob. He generally ignores it, unless Hubby is trying to take a business related cal and then prospective interviewer hears "Hey Mom! Does your boob ever get cold doing that?" I can only imagine what this is doing for Hubby's job hunting prospects.

fit vs fat...today the fat might win

I am working on getting in shape, and that is more than just phisically, btw. I have been working on keeping my house cleaner-the secret-have a routine and don't waiver, one missed day can through everything off, then your back at ground zero, frustrated, and the couch starts to look too good. I have also been exersicing regularly for the last week(just shy of), but honestly, I didn't last night. Bigguy and Buddha had immunizations, I overslept, and just diddn't feel up to it. Today, I know i need to work out, but I am cramping something fierce, and, in the immortal words of small children everywhere- "I don't wannnnaaaa". I will. Then I will shower. Then I will eat ibuprofin like candy. If I don't, the couch will trap me with it's siren song, and I will be helplessly ensnared by it's soft cushions and pillows of comfiness. Must get up....fat trying to win....need to....move

OMG!!!!

Quite possibly one of the funniest things...ever.

sleep

Currently,the only people awake in Housewifeland are myself and Littleman. Buddha baby and Hubby are napping in our room, and Bigguy is still sleeping. Littleman has been up and at full steam since 7ish this morning, and that's after waking up at 4am, right after I startednursing, needing to be changed. (hubby changed the daiper, btw, and had problems getting back to sleep, hence why he's napping, and not me) Part of me, a very large part of me, knows that I should be waking Bigguy up right now, that to let him sleep past 9 is to mess up his entire schedule and routine, and that he won't be able to sleep in this late once he starts school. Then, the part of me that was dealing with the 4 year old who never sleeps realized that it doesn't seem to matter what I try to do, if he's gonna be up half the night, he's gonna, and moreover, he stays in his room and plays quietly orlooks at books, so Hey..maybe a little extra sleep might actually be a good thing.


In reality, I am letting them all sleep so I can have a few moments of relative peace and quiet.

Still here

I've been busy lately, I am still here. Littleman is walking like a pro, Bigguy is the king of junior subversives, and buddha baby is fussing.

beef stupor

Mmmmmm...Steak. We visited Sam's Club this weekend, and, as always, left with a ton of food for a reasonable price. We always stock up on red meat at Sam's, good quality, fabulous price. After living a steak free existance for a while, Hubby grilled tonight. Dinner was heaven. Bigguy, in his insistance to refer to all meat products as the animal they came from, cracked us up when he asked for "Cow sauce" to go with his steak. Steak, Brocolli Normandy(broc, cauliflower, and "bias cut" carrots, for those who don't know) and my awesome oven-baked and broiled steak fries. MmmmmMmmmm, and since it's basement-dwelling-roommies birthday tomorrow, we will even have desert...Life is good

If ya ask, I might even give you my awesome steak fry recipe!

kids are cute

When Bigguy was a wee little babe, we thought he strongly resembled E.T. Littleman, hands down, Alfred Hitchcock. He so resembled Hitchcock that Bro-in-law often joked about buying him some stuffed birds. Today it struck me that Babe#3, yeah...he looks like Yoda. Don't get me wrong, he's not green, but he always has a wrinkly little forehead, his years droop just a little at the top, and are slightly uneven,he often has his fingers interlaced in a thoughtful, knowing manner, and he makes...well..Yodalike mouth movements. Two puppets and a horror/mystery writer...not bad.

Littleman had a peice of parsly from dinner sticking to his forehead, right in the location of the Third Eye. I commented that he had parsley for a third eye, he has found inner peace, and it is tasty. His toddler response - thoughtful pause, followed by "Uh-huh!!" Hubby said I deffinately needed to write that one down for posterity.

less stress, and a cleaner dining room/living room

I just got off the phone with my mom, and that helped to alleviate some of the stress we were under here in Housewife land. Now I am going to go and feed Littleman lunch and work on the rest of the common areas downstairs. I need to keep the cleaning going, it will make life much easier.

stress and a clean kitchen

I realized that there is a sort of nervous energy that surrounds major amounts of stress and worry. In the past, I would think that this nervous energy was my bodies way of telling me I needed to eat, since it closely mimicked the jitterry feeling one can get with low bloodsugar, but Irealized today that I just needed to do something, and since I couldn't do anything at the moment to take care of the problem at hand that i cousing stress, I cleaned. My kitchen isn't spotless, because I really do need to eat now, and there are some things I really should wait till morning to do, but it is greatly improved. I figure if this keeps up, I should have a pretty spotless house by the weekend!

Starting to settle in, at least for now

I am starting to get settled in, getting a schedule down, and all that good stuff. Of course, it'll all get blown to hell soon anyhow. Hubby is currently not working, but looking for a job, he is contacting the agency that got him his old job and letting them know he can start as early as monday. Bro-in-law starts a job on monday, and moves out over the following weekend, which will have little impact on Babe#3, but will greatly impact Bigguy and Littleman. Then, Babe#3 turns two weeks old on friday, and anyone with kids knows that wierd eating and sleeping patterns change about every two weeks for the first two months, then roughly monthly to every other month after than for about a year, then at 18 months(littleman's age) and two years, etc... On top of all of this, I have to try to get Bigguy onto his "school" sleeping schedule, and in reality, trying to get anyone on a schedule until we know what hours Hubby will be working is kinda rediculous, but not having a schedule is insane.
It will all be OK, and it will all work itself out in the end. As long as I tell myself this, we're all good.

posting will become sporadic...

Untill the new baby and myself get some sort of sleep schedule hammerred out, posting will be a little sporadic. Babe#3 was born on friday in what was a rather easy labor and delivery, all said and done. I will give all the stats later. He had a slight issue with not wanting to poop the way he should after leaving the hosp., but came thriugh that with flying colors. I am tired, not wearing my glasses, and typing this one handed so as to keep the surprisingly alert babe from fussing, so Hubby can sleep a little longer before getting up with the older two boys, and then it will be my turn to sleep again!

I've got a golden ticket!

Okey dokey folks, heres the deal. I just recently got back from the Doc's. I get to go in and get induced on friday, if I make it that long. After doing the internal, Dr B said that if I were any other woman, he would guarentee a baby withen the next 24 hours with how for dialated, effaced etc I am, but being it's me, we'll see. Either way, friday at the latest...well, maybe really really early saturday, I'll have Babe # 3 !!!!!
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

it's tuesday

I'm still pregnant. I will be calling the Dr's tomorrow to get that magical mystical same-day appointment so that we can get the paperwork rolling. Of course, we have some friends who assure me that as soon as we get all pre-registered to induce on friday that I will go into spontanious labor. Oh! If only it were true. Either way, it's tuesday night, and friday isn't too far away.

I'm in hell

The earliest they can get me in for a non-emergency induction is friday. If I go into labor before then...great. Dr B stripped the membranes...again, and I am supposed to go in on wednesday if there is still no kid, but ..yeah.. once again in baby limbo.

fixed a typo, more info

First, thanks to the anonymous commenter who, in their own snarky way, pointed out an error in my bio/profile/ Babe #3 is due in april 06 not '05, so
I have not been pregnant for the last three years, although sometimes it feels like it.

Now, for a little medical info, for people in the know. On friday I was at 2 cm, 50 percent effaced, and at a +1 station. This translates into me being really, really physically uncomfortable, and one of the few woman who can somehow manage being at a +1 while still not being in "active" labor. Will wonders never cease. If this kid doesn't come out on his own by 10:15 am tomorrow morning, I get to brive to the clinic attached to the hospital, get induction paperwork filled out, figure out which of two hosp's it'll be done at, and check in to have this kid! I would prefer to go naturally, but at this point, my body is not cooporating, and things are becoming increasingly more complicated. Things like standing, sitting, changing possition, getting dressed, and doing these things without falling over.

Of course, there is a very real possibilaty that I will go into labor tonight, not need the induction, and all will be well, but I am not placing any bets at this point.

How big will baby#3 be?

Last night, Bigguy asked me how big I think the babe is going to be. I told him I didn't know, and asked how big he thought the babe was? Bigguy's response- "Well..not as big as Littleman is now, but maybe only a little smaller?"
Granted, Bigguy has a limited frame of reference for how big a brand new baby is. The smallest babe he has recently seen was Baby Bear, and that's a bigger kid, almost 9 months old now...

Anywho... What all this boils down to is how big do y'all think that Baby#3 will be upon it's birth. The information I can give you beforehand is thus- we are fairlycertain from ultrasound that it is a boy. Littleman was 6lbs, 14 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. Bigguy was 7lbs 3.8 ounces and 21 inches long. Littleman had a 13.75 inch noggin, Bigguy was 14 even. Littleman had HUGE feet when he was born. According to the doctors and nurses, everything is measuring where it should, sizewise.

self-doubt, self-assurance

I was filled with self-doubt, angst, hurt, confusion, and I don't know what all else this morning. I was so certain when I went to bed last night that I would be in full blown labor when the sun rose...instead, I was stumbling, half asleep, into the bathroom, to pee. Yesterday morning, I went to the hospital with regular, strong, contractions. When they checked me, they saw no change from my friday appointment. After an hour or so of walking the floor, there was still no change in my cervix, and ultimately I was sent home. I am in this wierd limbo-land where my body is trying to do something, but it isn't working. My Dr is still of the oppinion that my body knows what it is up to, and that everything is fine. The lack of sleep and rapidly deteriorating mental state are not reasons enough to induce, since everything else is beautiful. My having a medical history of getting stuck in early stage labor means nothing if I am able to withstand the contractions. Basically, unless I am in unbearable pain, they won't do anything for me yet.
Friday morning I have another appointment with Dr B, and we will talk much more then. I will be at 39 weeks on monday, and I know that elective inductions can be done at that point. I am still unsure if that is the route that I want to go, but I am possitive I do not want to be pregnant anymore...this has surpassed the point of normal pregnancy discomfort by quite a bit.

On the plus side, as the day progresses, I am feeling more sure of myself and my body again. It is frustrating, yes, but it is serving some sort of purpose, otherwise there would have to be issues present. It is funny, though, that two weeks ago we were worried about having to induce early, and now we are wondering how much longer this kid is gonna stick around for.

My father-in-law has been a huge help through all of this, oddly enough. He has been very good with the boys, very patient with me and Hubby, and very understanding that just because I go to the hospital doesn't mean I will be leaving with a baby.

For the people who were not called and notified that I went to the hospital yesterday-- I decided that, with the exception of the FIL(who picked up the boys for the day), that until I was checked into a room, and had some sort of certainty (water break, IV, etc...) that I was going to be having the kid, that wer won't make calls, I don't need people getting all excited just because I am in triage. However, if my water does spontaniously break, or things elevate to the point of no return, everyone will be notified in a timely manor before the babe comes, and after the babe is born.

very, very frustrated

my body is doing half of what it should be. It is working, but not hard enough, or not in the right way. Tomorrow, I plan on toeing the line with my doctor, and hoping I come out victorious. I am hoping that I don't need to do that, however, that my body will come around on it's own and get this kid born. More later.

still no baby yet...

Hubby thinks that the kid will hold out untill saturday, April Fools Day, just because that's the sort of sense of humor innate in both our families. I'm placing my money on sometime in the next forty-eight hours. Granted, I could be drastically wrong, and might very well be so, only time will tell, but
I have insider information the rest of the world just cannot have access to. I'll keep everyone posted.

I know I will not be pregnant forever...

it just feels that way, right now

in praise, and criticism, of sleep

Sleep. Ahh, sweet, sweet, elusive, sleep. I have been lacking sleep until very recently. The last two nights, I have been sleeping fairly well. Normally, I would be all "WOOHOO I got to sleep after weeks of getting barely enough to stay alive!!!!"
The last two days, however, I have woken rested, and pissed off. I need the rest, that is indesputable, however, if I am able to get good sleep, the contractions are slacking off at night. This means that each day starts great, ends in discomfort, and instead of having a kid, I go to sleep, my body rests, and we do it all again.
At this point, I have determined that there is nothing I can do to bring on strong labor, and if nothing else, I have a Dr's appointment on friday. Then, if I still am not far enough into labor to go to the hospital and have this child the "natural" way, I can beg, plead, and demand an induction, so that I can finally be done with this pregnancy.

still laboring away

Still stuck at home, waiting for things to pick up to the point where I can either go in and have the baby, or go in and have the Dr assist me in having the baby. I'd like to avoid pitocin this time, but if things don't change soon, my body is going to be so worn out by the time it's "go time" that I might not have much choice. Oddly, I got a lot of sleep last night, but was still exhausted this morning. will give updates as needed

the beauty of the female form, and, well, not so much...

The female body is a miraculous thing, when you think about it. It has the ability to grow and nourish new life. It is round, curvy, soft, comforting, appealing, all at the same time. Being pregnant is a beautiful thing, as is preparing to have a baby...BUT... some of the things the female body does while pregnant and preparing to have a baby, not so much. There's discharge, nausea, diarreah(sic?), profuse sweating, leaking breasts, hemmorhoids, you name it. None of that makes you feel attractive, pretty, or comfy. After the baby there is extreme bleeding, more leaking breasts, even more profuse sweating, hot flashes, cold sweats, and engorgement. Oh, and an increase in flatulence during all of this.

Soon, I will be a mom for the third time, and soon, everything will level back out, but at this precise moment...I feel disgusting!

increasingly uncomfortable

I am becoming increasingly more uncomfortable, and having more problems with concentration, but still nothing significant enough to call the Dr or go in to the hospital. The longer I can hold out at home, and the more progress I can make pre-hospital, the less likely my chances of an induction. Since the contractions are still spaced, I am good, but sore. Soon enough, it will be over, and I will have another babe to show for all my hard work.
I am also at a wierd crossroad of tired, but wanting to do stuff around the house...Damn nesting instinct.

probobilaty

the chances of me having this kid in the next week...pretty good, the chances of me having this kid in the next day?..yeah...not so good. The chances of me having this kid? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT

Dr's appointment today

I have an appointment in 3 hours, 30 minutes. I have no idea why I am awake right now, but I am, and I have this feeling that even though I haven't been bothered by most of my contractions, and even though are are slightly irregular in spacing, and deffinately not closer together than every thirteen minutes, we are going to find out that I am significantly farther along. Maybe not, but I have a pretty good idea of how my body normally feels, and how it is feeling now. Plus, there is that whole joking factor...
I have been joking around with friends and family that I will either go into spontanious labor, water breakage and all, need to go in, in the middle of really bad weather and rush hour traffic, or the kid will come on St patricks day, when a lot of folks'll be out, drinking, so I can be all paranoid about the on-call physicians sobriety. Really, I think I can wait a little bit longer.....
I'll update everyone after I get home from the Dr

progression

things are slowly but deffinately progressing. I am able to feel things more, but still not at a frequency or intensity to worry about. I am hoping that things move faster, rather than slower, largely because I am ready to not be pregnant anymore, and even though nothing is currently painful, it is not comfy-cozy either. More updates as needed

it's tuesday, do you know where your bay update is?

Everything is really, really, good. The babe has dropped, which means labor is impending. When he dropped, something happened that made everything better. We cannot explain it, but everything is...good. No more twice a week non-stress-tests, just my standard, run-of-the-mill weekly check-ups, and we really don't think that I'll need more than my friday appt. before the babe is here. Dr B thinks that maybe, the cord and the Babe had gotten tangled around each other,affecting the heartrate that the monitors were picking up. The nurse thinks the kid just wanted me to be able to get my epidural, if I want it. Either way-I am very happy. I'll keep everyone posted as things develop, and develop quickly, they should.

30 Helens agree

My doctor, myself, my Hubby and most of my family and friends are all of th opinion that the kiddo wants out just about as bad as I want him out at this point. It's looking like if he's not born by the 21(the vernal, or spring, equinox -btw) that we will take stops to get him born. Both of my other sons were born by induction, Bigguy, because my body was not cooperating mith the whole labor process, and Littleman, by scheduled appointment. Babe might go either way, depending, and might not need any chemical help in being born at all. I will keep everyone updated as I know what is going on, and Iwill try and stay coherent, to boot.

I loooove my crockpot!!

Within half an hour of waking up this morning I had everything but the gravy prepared for dinner, and had called maintenece about the clogged tub. Dinner will be done later this evening, and all I have to do is NOT open the lid of my crock-pot. MmmmmMmmm, pork roast and veggies. I love that thing. I put in raw food, turn it on, forget about it, and come dinner time-I have a meal!
According to maintenance I will not have a fully functional bathtub drain until monday, but that's a whole other post.
Oh- and tha Babe is still hanging in there, I will know more on tuesday, but it is looking more and more like I will have a spring equinox baby than an almost easter baby.

everywhere I go...

Everywhere I went today, with one exception, someone wanted to make sure I wasn't going to deliver the baby right then. Because, well, of course, we all know that any ready-to-give-birth-mom will opt for the gas station, grocery store, or a different gas station to deliver in as opposed to say...i don't know... the hospital

my pregnancies and boy scout camping trips don't mix

When I was pregnant with Bigguy, roughly five years ago, I went with the scout troop on a themed weekend camping trip. I was miserable, hugely pregnant, at about seven months along, and surrounded by adolescent and pubescent boys...what was I thinking.

When Bigguy was born, the same scout troop, including the in-laws, were "enjoying" there first day of a weeklong camp-and due to the horrid weather knocking down and taking out cell-phone repeater towers, we were unable to notify them. Luckily, the MIL sensed that something was amiss(given I was in early labor when they left) and turned around to meet Bigguy the next morning.

Many a scout trip was missed by hubby when I was pregnant with Littleman, due to my near constant complications of one sort or another.

This pregnancy, though, well, this is the anti-camping pregnancy all the way. Shortly after we find out about the immpending baby, we did not have enough boys active in the troop to really merit the trips. This weekend, for the first time in about six months, there is a trip scheduled, a trip that is going to have more boys present than adults, a trip Hubby very, very, badly wanted to go on. A trip that he was only going to go on if my doctor cleared it for him to go. I had my first of two scheduled appointment this week, earlier today. My next is on friday. I let Dr B know that I would like his oppinion on if it would be smart to let Hubby go and have fun, something he sorely needs. After assuring me that as long as nothing has changed from the last few weeks it should be no problem, Dr B checks me out, and lets me know that he would be much more comfy if Hubby were to stay, not go.

The changes-well, my contractions are picking up slightly, and I am minorly dilated. This could play out like it did with Littleman, where I spent weeks in limbo, and finally, when we induced, he didn't want to leave his warm womb, or it could be that I will have a new infant in a matter of days. I will keep everyone posted.

So you all know, I am in very minimal discomfort, and I figure I will have to deal with this for at least a full week, if not two. All amniotic fluid is still firmly in place, and being a little dilated (1.5 cm out of ten) with very little effacement, and the kid still hanging out pretty high in the pelvis really is nothing to worry about. I repeat-it could still be weeks. Stay calm, don't all rush out at once to lavish me with baby gifts.

it's friday, that means more baby stuff!!!

Had a rather comical, if not partly frustrating, appointment this morning. C, Dr B's normal nurse, is on vacation for the next week and a half, and R seems to have been assigned to a different Dr, so I had the loverly Nurse Fill-in-for-C, whom will be referred to as That Nurse, for the rest of this post. I get into my examining room, after being weighed. That Nurse immediately asks me why I am having a Non-Stress-Test so early in the pregnancy, I let her know that I am having them twice weekly, why I am having them, and how they have been going so far. while in the precess of taking my once-again-almost-comatose blood pressure, she comments, and I quote-"Oh, Look at that, it's all right here in your chart!"
Where else would the information about my twice-a-week tests be? Hmmmm???
Then, That Nurse gets me up on the table, and starts to hook me up to the machine. "Where does C normally find the baby's heart beat?" - an honest question, and one meant to save us time. I infrom That Nurse that it is normally directly under my belly button. "Well, that can't be right, unless the kids transverse."
"He is"
"Oh, I'm sure he's not, it just feels like he is"
Well, thank you for that amazing bit of insight, That Nurse, like I have not had two other children, and have not discussed the baby's possition, at length, with Dr B and C while weighing the pros and cons of his shifting on his own as opposed to Dr B shifting him.

After 15 minutes of having me lie on my right side, then my left side, then my back, every other variant she can think of, and finally, needing to change out the velcro strap that holds the tranciever onto my belly, because the strap had gotten all gunky with the gel for the tranciever, That Nurse does the unimagineable- she set the damn pick-up right below my belly button, just for a minute, too change out straps. as soon as That Nurse set it down, guess what happened. WE FOUND THE HEART BEAT!!! and did not lose it for the mere thirty minutes that I needed to be hooked up for. Once we had him in the radar, so to speak, Baby#3 was very cooperative. When Dr B came in to let me know all was good, I let him know I never want to have That Nurse again please, and was shocked to find out she had already filled him in on what went down. Dr B understands, and had a chat with her consisting of him infroming her that most of his patients know what's what, and maybe she should remember that, Hmmmmm?

Also, My appointments are now going to be on tuesdays and friday, so as to have a more even spacing to them, so update days will be changing accordingly.

Oh, and everythings cleared till Tuesday, barring any changes.

my first baby is growing up *sniff*

In just over two hours, Bigguy and I will be going to V.V. Elementary School, so that he may meet the kindergarten teachers, see the school, and so that I may get the information and paperwork required to start him in kindergarten in the fall, and a pre-kindergarten summer program. He is so excited! He took a bath, washed his hair, helped me pick out his clothes, and sat nicely while I combed the tangles out.

"Momma," he asked,"Is my hair long enough for a ponytailer yet?"
"Nope, not yet, but as long as we take good care of it, it will get long enough soon, and as long as we take care of it, we'll let you keep growing it. if you stop brushing it, or stop letting me and Poppa brush it, we'll have to get a haircut."
"I know, I know, sheesh, I just wanted to know if I could ponytailer it so I would look good for my teacher and all my new girlfriends!!"

He cracks me up. Of course, he is the child who announced, fresh from the tub, "Mommaaaaa, I need you to help me with this green towel, I am very naked you know!"

Unfortunately, due to a coworkers injury, Hubby has to close up shop at work tonight and will be unable to attend the open house/registration event. I asked him if there was anything he felt the teachers should know right of the bat? His reply was a simple
"May god go with them, and protect them from our evil mastermind overlord"

baby info and update

aside from my bloodpressure being all over the charts, my weight doing it's own thing, having rather stable, yet still fairly spaced, contractions, and that whole heart-rate thing-everything is fine. There is nothing to seee here folks, move along, carry on, etc.
Seriously, I am still being cleared only for a few days at a shot, but everything that is not abnormal is just the way it should be.

see-saw, rollercoaster, merry-go-round, or whatever else you want to call it

I just want to roller coaster to stop, someone to help me off, and find a nice bench to sit on and eat icecream at while the world passes me by.

zen

Myself, Hubby, and some of our closer friends joke about Baby#3 being very Zen, chill and over all relaxed. Since we cannot pin point why his resting heart-rate is so low, and why he can go from being very active to very, well, calm, in a short time frame, we just convinve ourselves that he is at peace with the world around him, and relaxed.
Honestly, I am scared half to death that something is very wrong, but each day that passes makes me a little more calm, a little less worried. Each day that passes will make him that much less premature, and if we can just hold out for three more weeks, just twenty-one days we will be all good.
I have a feeling that no matter what this one looks like, how big or small he is, or even how much he fusses, that there is a very good chance that he will end up having Buddha for a nickname, being he is so zen and chill now.

Bad record keeping can affect others

So I had yet another in a long stream of FNST's this morning. Baby#3 was being persnickity and not wanting to cooperate, which I kept teliing Dr B and Nurse C proved he was just fine. Near the end of my appointment, I reminded Dr B of my "standard" pre-natal next wednesdy, as well as another FNST, when Dr B hits me with the shocking question o the day
"What's your due date again?"
I informed him that the technical due date is April tenth, and he replies "Hunh, that's a ways out yet, in't it?"
"Well, yeah, that's why all the concern and stuff, why?"
"The way Dr A has it written in your records, it looks like the due date is March 30th."
"No. March 30th is wat we were thinking before the ultrasound. All the ultra sounds up till this point have said the exact same thing-April 10."
"Well then, expect your wed. appt. to last a little longer than expected, so we can go over all the information a little better, and weigh all your options then."

Apparently, what happened is this. Instead of useing the lines on my chart provided for writing down estimated due date as factored by last menstrual cycle, and due date as determined by ultrasound(the more effective method), Dr A just kind of randomly jotted all this in the corner, and did it at a crooked diagonal, so it looked like we first thought the kid would be due in April, but it was actually due in March. A week and a half doesn't sound like a long time, but in the land of gestation, it is sometimes critical.
Dr B feels bad, but it isn't his fault, really. By wednseday noonish I will have a much better idea of what is going on, and when to expect the baby.

just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water....Duh duhn Duhduhn

So I woke up this morning, went to the doctors for my non stress test, and ten minutes after being strapped in, find out that Dr B was called away on an emergency. His nurse, C (I kid you not, I went from Dr A to Dr B and Dr B's nurse has the first initial C, his other nurse is R, btw), is a very senior, very experienced, very sweet woman. She finished out the test, hmmed and hawed, looked at my other information, hmmed and hawed some more, and let me know that Dr B was probably going to want to see me back in the clinic...today, waiting until ass early friday morning might just not be good enough. I drive home, fill Hubby in on the news and try not to panic.

See, here's the deal, with apologies to Mom for not calling her to fill her in, but I don't have her work number, and I didn't want to make her worry without reason. Yesterday, my Braxton-Hicks contractions (damn them!!!!) started to intensify, and Baby#3 started to move AGAINST them, which is very uncomfortable. Imagine shrinkwrapping a dry sponge, poking a small hole in the wrap, and then dunking it in water. The resulting sponge fighting to expand against something unwilling to give scenario is what it felt like was being played out inside my uterus. None to happy.
This morning, they weigh me, and all said and done, that was relatively harmless. Then they took my blood pressure, a task which is normally rather pleasent, especially when you get to watch the nurses try to figure out if you can actually be alive with a blood pressure that low.
"Hmm" said C...she said the same thing last friday, then noticed she needed a alrger cuff, and it was then followed by "Huh, you got low pressure, don'tya!" So naturally I was expecting the same thing today. instead, I got
"Hmm, this is looking high, and I double checked it."
I filled her in on the cramping and contracting, but assured her that I thought it was nothing to worry about, or I would have called last night. Pro'lly just the old B-H again. Well, after looking at the read-out of the FNST, it turns out that I am having "real" contractions.

Dr B got back to the office, and C gave me a call a little bit ago. Since he has to see me Friday AM, unless there is any number of a long list of changes, we will not worry. I am to rest, drink plenty of fluids, and eliminate as much stress and worry as I can. But! But, if any single thing on the long list of things to watch for should happen or change-I must call immediately to get in A.S.A.P to be seen...but don't worry...and try to rest...

left home a baby, came back a boy

Bigguy and Littleman spent the weekend with the in-laws. When they left, Litleman was still my baby. Yeah, he's 16 months old now, but he still looked like a baby. Pudgy cheeks, teeeth open-tongue-sticky-out-smile, kinda shakey with movements outside of the "comfort zone", any parent gets the idea. When he came home on sunday, not even a full forty-eight hours later, he wasn't my baby any more. Now, he is my little boy. The cheeks aren't as pudgy, the smile is that of a boy, not a baby, his movements are sure, and controlled.
My sister, when I called her this morning to tell her, remeberred immediately when it happened to Bigguy. Hubby also remembers clearly when it happened with Bigguy. I know it happened before, but the memory of it is hazy, it doesn't seem like it struck me all at once like it did now. I am stuck wondering if I have enough pictures of his 'babyface', and looking for the endearing mannerisms that were present just a few days ago.
Soon, I will have another, and once more will have to remember every baby thing, because the grow so fast.

posting may become sporadic

I do not know how regularly or often I will be posting for the up and coming future. I am going to have to go in twice a week to have a fetal non-stress-test done until one of two things happen-they figure out why Baby#3's resting heart rate is so low, while the rest of the time(like when he is almost constantly moving) it is where it should be, or until the doctors or mother nature decide it's time for #3 to be born. I have been instructed to eliminate unneccesary stress and worry from my life until this happens, and so the blog is not my top priority, but if I have the time, or the need, I'll give an update, and whatever else comes to mind.

Oh, and speaking of what comes to mind...

If anyone is in the mood to spend lots of money on cloth daipering products for me, here are links to two different, complete packages that I wouldn't mind having- a cheaper, but more labor intensive one and a more expensive, but less labor intensive one. Theoretically, either package would get me from birth to potty training, but we all know in reality, I will need to purchase more of either at some point or another, for any number of reasons. Just thought I'd put the info out there if anyone wants to help out. If you didn't want to buy an entire package, I would be happy with any parts thereof.

uhh...oops....

Yeah, any instance, including the title, in the last post where you see the word daiper-yeah...that should be spelled d-i-a-p-e-r. I've always had issues spelling that. That and beige-beige lost me a spelling be first place once...lousy beige...shouldn't be allowed to give you that one after weird...lousy weird, not following the rules of the english language... i before e my ass....

daiper debates, and spoken word frustrastion

It is now time to open the debate, once again, on cloth vs. disposable whne it concerns daipers. Bigguy wore disposables, Littleman also wears disposables. We thought about cloth with Littleman, but due to the fact that we were living with the in-laws, the issues that bogarting the washer could've caused, and the price of a daiper service-disposables won out. There are definate advanteges to being able to toss an icky daiper, and some drawbacks as well. One of the big draw backs is the dreaded Daiper Rash. Littleman has a very sensitive bumm, is prone to nasty rashes, and apparently, partly due to the sensitivity, partly due to the exczema, and partly due to who knows what, is prone to baby bum yeast infections. Now, for those of you going EEEWWWWW, its just another type of rash, easily treatable, not like a "womanly" yeast infection at all. Bigguy got some nasty rashes, but not nearly to the extant that Littleman has. Allegedly, cloth daipers help prevent daiper rash, yeast infections and the like.
Financially-cloth is a larger initial output, but over the long run, it's cheaper. especially while we are in the townhomes and don't pay for water, but if it is soiled while we are out and about-well, tough cookies. Maybe we will settle on a combination of the two?? I don't know.

I would really appreciate any input others would be able to give on this subject-however-if your arguement is going to boil down to nothing other than the environmental ramifications, I've already heard it.

Now, the "spoken word frustration" portion of this entry. I have been having alot of dificulties with the spoken word the last few days, lots of stuttering, spoonerisms, and "verbal dyslexia". I don't know what is causing it, just that it's really annoying. I've been chalking it up to the pregnancy, Hubby suggested brain tumor, and another friend suggested that I was just going dumb, along with being really irrational-so if anyone wants to chime in with possible causes or helpful hints-that too would be appreciated.

"nesting" instincts

The housewife, in the wild, will experience what is referred to as the "nesting instinct" towards the end of her pregnancy. This instinct is rather productive in nature, as it compells the HW2K to have everything clean and ready for the baby. Bags need to be packed for the hospital, bassinet bedding needs to be cleaned, the layette needs to be found or purchased, basic necessities for post-partum life need to be readily available, and most importantly to the wild housewife, everything needs to be SPOTLESS. Cleaning becomes an obsession, however, in the early stages of "nesting" it is an on-again-off-again obsession. One that only really hits at inopportune times, like the desire to clean her sons room, when her sons are asleep, and will undoubtedly be awoken by the clanging. Or the urge to do all the laundry in the house, when the basement dwelling roommates are asleep, or the urge to do anything, when, quite frankly, she should be asleep.
Woe for the Hubby of the housewife, for he is certain that she is going crazy, and there is nothing he can do but tell her to go back to sleep, it is not wise to bake oatmeal cookies, mop the kitchen, and make a quilt at four thirty in the morning.

tired and cranky

I slept rather poorly last night, but still better than the night before. I have entered the "Discomfort Zone".
Yes, folks, enter the "Discomfort Zone" and marvel at how the only comfortable possitions to lie down in are the two possitions that cause severe leg cramping, or make you need to pee!
"Discomfort Zone" Stand in awe when you realize that in the next six to nine weeks, the baby inside of you will DOUBLE it's current weight and add up to six more inches! You thought the movements were painfull now?
"Discomfort Zone" Thrilled with the knowledge that your back is finally starting to correct itself, mourn the loss of properly functioning hips! Who needs to stand, walk, and sit comfortably, or at all?
"Discomfort Zone" Remember folks, that even though they can be painful, Braxton Hicks contractions don't do anything productive, they are just annoying.
Yes, you too can visit the discomfort zone, just get pregnant, and wait thirty or so weeks!

feeling pregnant, purple-monkey

Last night was not a great night. I was having some painful Braxton-Hicks contraction, Littleman didn't want to sleep because he's teething a molar, and Bigguyy didn't want to sleep because, well...all we can figure is he's afraid he's gonna miss something. I fell asleep fairly easily once I lay down, but I was unable to stay asleep, and since I am on a new and comfy bed, it was something on my end waking me up. It looks and feels like Baby#3 has moved himself down a little in utero, and that is probably why everything is less than copacetic right now.
in other news-Bigguy will be registered for Kindergarten in a month, and having a session of preschool over the summer. I no longer question whether or not Bigguy is ready for school, I do, however, question school's readiness for Bigguy.
Apparently, I am a purple-monkey head, because I will not let Bigguy have marichino cherries for breakfast. Man I love the insults of childhood!
Littleman has been very frustrated as of late because he is figuring out the whole walking and talking thing that has been eluding him, but he is getting it all at once, and therefor still unable to succesfully do either.
Theres an update for now,
purple-monkey head signing off

one week

It's been a week since my last post-"the smell of sunday". Since then I have started, stopped, and deleted many attempted postings, because I just like the last one so much, and I don't know how my normal writings would look when sandwiched around it.
I have been exceedingly busy as of late, but will resume a half-assed regular posting schedule sometime soon=pro'lly during the week.

The smell of sunday

I recently realized that one of the things missing in my life was the smell of sunday. This was an odd realization, because I didn't realize that days of the week has a scent in the first place, and that, given this information, sunday didn't smell like what I thought.
Until about three weeks ago, I would wager that sunday smelled like food. Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, gravy, pancakes, and sweet rolls in the mornings, long cooked meal in the evening. Orange juice, coffee, tea, and cold milk at anypoint in between. Now, all these are part of the smell, but only part. What had been missing was the scents of cleaning. Not a clean smell, that is different, but the smells of the vacuum, fresh mop water, glass cleaner, kitchen cleaner, dish soap and dishwasher detergent, laundry soap, an dryer sheets, all rolled into an amalgam.
Clean is a smell relatively pleasant, but devoid of anything in particular. cleaning is a combination of scents, astringent, sweet, warm and mechanical, cool water down the disposal, wiped off counters....

Sundays are chore day in my house. Monday mornings, the house smells clean, before it smells like coffee, but sunday nights, it smells like home should...lived in, improving, changing, growing, accomedating, welcoming, comforting.

never enough time-hectic! hectic! vs all's good, plenty of time, calm

All last week I was able to stay nicely on top of things, my house stayed clean, my dishes stayed done, my meals were planned, and my kids were happy. I was even waking up earlier to take care of BabyBear. This week, I have had a much more hectic and rushed, not enough time, sort of feeling. We were all sick over the weekend, and most of us are still in recovery. The house is still clean, and way cleaner than what I used to call clean, but not as tidy as I'd like, just some general clutter type things. I haven't let my dishes pile up, but I haven't been steying completely on top of them either. I couldn't figure out why I had plenty of time and energy last week, but was feeling so bogged down thus far this week. At first, I thought it must be the change in hours I was keeping, but no, I was getting less sleep at night, so napping off and on during the day, when able, so that wasn't it. Then I thought that it must be that we ahve all been sick. Yeah! That must be it, but, no...that's not it either. Hubby was home both monday and tuesday, anything that I felt really needed to be worked on, I could've done. Wait a minute, let's back up a sentence, "...anything I felt really needed to be worked on...: Ahhh, we've found the difference. Last week I just did. I decided what needed to be done, and I did it, immediately, or as close to immediately as I could. It never took long, and it was over, and thus plenty of time and calm. This week, I have been a procrastinator. I have put off doing things until they HAD to be done. When this happens, almost everything HAS to be done, AT ONCE!!! Okay, I think I found it. To quote trite and cliche'd commercials from my youth- "Just Do It".

Oddly enough, the key to my having enough time seems to be doing more, more often. Not doing everything, not doing too much, but doing just over enough, on a regular basis, and you start to get ahead. Somehow, I think my finances are working in the same way, as is almost everything else. If I keep up with being calm and getting it done, I will have the time to take care of me, even after baby#3 arrives, and I like that, I need that.

Calm
Breathe
Do

The incredible growing toddler, plus the w-2 that ate Eagan

Littleman might need a new blog-name. He is fifteen months old today, now firmly entrenched in being a toddler. He had himself a well child check-up today that included two shots( MMR and DTp-I immunize my children, I have no moral or ethical qualms with doing such, and even allow product that might be animal based-GASP!!, plus I know what all the acronyms and abbreviations mean!) He is cranky because of this, but get's some wee one tylenol-so that's OK. We also weighed, measured length, and measured head circumference. He is 26pounds 12.75 ounces (%80 for kids his age-meaning only %20 of 15 month olds are heavier) 33and a half inches (%97), and his head? 19.75, that equals out to %99. Big damn head!

Hubby got his W-2 form today. That means that I get to file our taxes!!! Well, I get to e-file our fed. If I want to e-file state, I have to wait...that sucks..but YAY Tax Return time!!!!

not enough sleep, too much weight, there really is a connection!!

I was baffled when my doctors suggested sleeping more as a way to cope with my excess weight gain. This baffled me, but went well with their suggestions of getting more rest, more excersize, and less stress-if I could do all of those things-I would be thrilled. I figured that more sleep would equal more energy, so I could excersize more, excersize decreases stress levels-supposedly, I'd be getting better rest afterwards, and so on, and so on, and so on....
It turns out that not getting enough sleep causes your body to produce deficient amounts of a protien/chemical/hormone/something called Liptin. Liptin is produced when you are full, it tells your body to stop craving carbohydrates. If you are not producing enough, you will have fierce carb cravings, no matter how full you are, and we all know a craving will not go away unless it's fed. Well, these cravings won't! It's Evil!!
Iffin I were not preggers, there is a medication that could be given untill I am able to get enough sleep again, but untill I either have the kid and quit breastfeeding, or until I get enough sleep and rest and excersize for my body to self correct the problem, I'm SOL.
Oh, and lets not forget that excess carbs can affect insulin levels, and WHEEE, more things to toss on the pile.
What the game plan is for now, is to take things easy, and get my nose to the excersize grindstone after the babe is born.

feeling "housewifey"

This weekend was the inaugeral weekend for the "Chore Wheel". Marvel at it's organization glory! For those of you who are not in the know, a chore wheel is a way to evenly and fairly devide the household chores amongst the populace of a home. In our case, we have four people of weekly chore doing age, and made four groups of chores. Everyweek the wheel rotates, so throughout the course of a month, everyone will have cleaned every common area once. On top of this is the general care and maintenance, but with the rest of the house clean, I can focus on the maintenance. I have had a clean house, with everyone fed, and the dishes done, by no later than eight p.m. for the last few days. I have been able to make and drink coffee, in the mornings, with no problems or guilt-my kitchen and living room are clean! (I did not make coffee this morning, as my Crock-Pot was taking up the outlet normally made available for the coffeepot, and I didn't feel like moving the pot.)
I still need to do the boys room-but it is a little overwhelming. small children have a lot of stuff, and the stuff gets all over, and we are working with Bigguy on taking care of his stuff, a concept he is much better at since we began enforcing a one-toy-or-set-at-a-time policy, but the stuff that was already out needs a home! I can work on their room now, and know that the rest of the house has been taken care of, so that if someone is in the area, and just happens in-I do not need to appologize for the mess! I feel like a good housewife right now-and it's nice.