this is news

I am thoroughly addicted to our public docket. There were some doozies yesterday, but I just wasn't able to post them (I know you are all so disappointed).

From today's docket:
Items were missing Sunday from 909 Broad Ave. - Really? Items??? As opposed to any other time something is missing?

A North Main Street woman was jailed for domestic violence Monday after scratching her husband, stemming from a dispute after she packed away their Christmas tree. The male maintained that putting away a Christmas tree prior to New Year's is bad luck.

total disaster

I have really been craving no-bakes.I figured I could make them and feed G his dinner at the same time. I overestimated my capabilities.

I lovingly stirred the pot in between spoonfuls of pumpkin puree and sweet potato puffs, and then I decided to call my mom (because I am such an awesome multitask-er). When it was time to add the oatmeal I figured everything was cool, these would be the best-damn-no-bakes-ever, and my craving would be squashed. But, I grabbed the wrong container of oatmeal. Crap!

I spooned out a few cookies - they tasted like little raw fiber bombs. I decided I could just cook the oatmeal by adding water and putting the pot back on the stove (by this time G is going crazy with the pumpkin, everything is orange). I cooked the oatmeal, but I also wrecked the cookies.

Would anyone like a spoonful of chocolate oatmeal?

should have seen it coming

In my bedroom I had a cute little glass container filled with sand and a seashell from our honeymoon. Notice I used past tense in that sentence?

This morning G dumped it into a basket of clean clothes.

Why didn't I see this coming? I guess he at least dumped it into the clothes instead of it breaking into a million dangerous pieces on the ground.

Here's to more laundry today *cheers*

mary x-mas

So...I'm beginning to think Christmas cards are just not going to happen this year. I guess I'll just have a jump start on my cards for next year :)

Consider this your very own card, print it out if you'd like.

Mary X-mas from our White Trash-ified Family!

Love,
Alanna Rose, J and G

PS - I know how "merry" is spelled ;)

holy crap!

The other day G was a bit of a monster, and he needed his binkie. I should have put two and two together, but I didn't.

We now have 5 teeth, two on the bottom and three on the top.

just plain dumb

Everyone loves to comment on the baby, and since he is usually bright-eyed and clean - I don't get much "helpful advice." What I get are dumb questions.

Just one example:
Cashier: "How old is he?"
Best Mom Ever: "Nine months. And he's a genius."
C: (ignores genius remark)"Will this be his first Christmas?"
BME: "Something like that... (voice trails off)"

noooooo

G hit the nine month mark last week, and he immidiately got busy getting into trouble.

The most commonly heard word in our house is "no." I know, I've read the same books you have. I am sorry, but that is the word that comes out of my mouth when he:

* breaks my brand-new not-cheap fireplace screen.
* tries to chew on the cord for the computer, tv, Christmas tree...
* climbs into the bathtub by himself.
* climbs out of his high chair and sits on the tray. (totally thought that would be a safe place to trap him for the 63 sec I need to get the mail)
* sits in the warming drawer on the oven.
* eats through the bite guard on his crib.
* gnaws on the water turn-off under the toilet.

Sounds like he hangs out by himself all day, huh? Nope, I'm on him 24-7 and he still manages to get into everything. I think he needs a kennel. Don't worry I would totally pad it and give him some toys ;)

no more wisdom

The wisdom teeth are gone.

I was in and out in 45 min, and it didn't hurt at all. I did gag on my blood, which was not fun. But I'm still feeling good - probably because I am completely, drooling on myself, numb.

Before I left they asked if I wanted my teeth. I found that both hilarious and horrifying. I assured them (through my gauze-filled mouth) that I did not require my teeth. The tooth fairy doesn't know where I live.

Now I have to figure out how to take the horse pill painkillers with a numb mouth...hmmm.....

on friday

My wisdom teeth are coming out on Fri.

Guess how excited I am? Go ahead, guess.

Unfortunately I will not be sedated. G is still a boob-boy so that means no good drugs for me :( Even though they will prescribe percose1t to women who've just given birth, I'm afraid to take it. I will take 800mg motrin though, hopefully that will be enough.

The best part is my mom is coming down tomorrow to help with G on Fri and Sat. I love my mom <3 (FYI - that's not a heart...it's a carrot and a butt)

zippy

Just to clear up any confusion about our pet - this is Zippy.

We love her <3

*not the best picture of Zippy or G, but it was handy :)

monday give-aways!

I love free stuff! I know you do, too :)

AJ also posted this one - I think the necklace they are giving away is so super cute - I really hope I win (or AJ - that would also be excellent)!



I also follow Amanda's blog. I found her when she had a cute shop on Etsy - which she has turned into a really fabulous baking/candy/kitsch supply shop - Bake it Pretty. I love her stuff - it's all so fun! She is giving away some gift certificates for her shop - and I hope I win because I have a laundry list of fun items I *really* want.

Happy Monday!

i knew it would happen

Remember Zippy the wonder pig? She's still hanging around, still flinging poo's out of her house and onto the floor.

Remember Gerald the amazing boy-baby? He's gotten really good at picking up puffs and feeding them to himself.

I am hyper-vigilant about pig poo's on the floor. I can hear them hit the floor from across the house and I am on them like white on rice. But this morning I missed one. I was making toast, the poo must have hit the floor at the exact instant the toaster popped. I turned around and saw Gerald chewing something. I knew what I would find.

Yes, my perfectwonderfulamazing child was eating a pig poo.

Grossest moment of my life.

yesterday

4 AM


Wide awake and ready to play but with a rash from the amoxycillin. FAIL!

Guess he did get some of my genes.

how can i help?

I hardly ever get these emails - but they totally crack me up!

From my email:
*********
With warm heart, I offer my friendship and regards.

My Name is Mrs. Lawrencia Tete, wife of Late Hon. Frances Tete, C.E.O, GOLD and DIAMOND merchant from Republic of Congo, who died in the result of rebel attack in my country. And left me with two children behind (Julian and Jenifer) May his soul rest in perfect peace, Amen...

After my husband's death, this was declared/made known to me by our family advocate with the agreement /deposit documents of (Eight Million Dollars), which was deposited by my late husband in Finance Security Company in Accra Ghana for foreign Business investment, for safe keeping before his sudden death, now I have to move with my two children out of my country to Accra Ghana for the sake of our l ife's.

I am contacting you to help me claim the fund in your country account ,issue me invitation to come over to your country and invest this fund in your country for the sake of (Julian and Jenifer) future to further there education, before the death of my late husband he left a standing order with the Finance management and our family advocate that they should not release the fund to anyone accept a foreign trustee because of the political instability and the result of war in my country Congo, I decided to reach you directly to solicit your assistance and help as my foreign beneficiary for the Security Company to release the fund to us for the sake of my children,

Please keep this transaction confidential, for the safety of my life and children/security of the fund.

Thanks and remain bless as I wait your response soon. do include your direct contact so I can reach you.

Yours truly

Mrs. Lawrencia Tete
***********

Poor (Julian and Jenifer).

The spambot in the webcafe couldn't even be bothered to remove the parenthesis, what an amateur.

blaahhhhh

We're still sick. Thanks for the cold medicine suggestions:) I ended up eating almost an entire bag of Ricola drops last night. And when I woke up there were Ricola stains on my pillow case and cough drops in my hair. Lovely.
I also have two new zits. Double lovely. One is directly under my left nostril, it looks like I have a booger hanging out of my nose. The other is randomly located on my cheek.

I am a mess. We see the Dr. at 4:15. Is it 4:15 yet?

ha!

I'm trapped in the box!

i got a sticker

Voted after aerobics this morning. I was hot and sweaty, with a baby attached to me via sling.

I didn't vote for a free coffee/bagel/donut/ice cream cone. I voted because I want to be heard, I voted because then I feel I have the right to complain about/champion our government. And I voted because it wasn't that long ago that women couldn't vote.

this is the best

I'm browsing through stuff on etsy, bouncing G on my knee and he is "singing" - just the cutest little high pitched cooing ever - and then he becomes really quiet. I realize he has fallen asleep sitting upright on my knee, he was just that cozy hanging out with mom.

*melt*

I need to open an etsy shop, I need a creative outlet - I have a few ideas... What would you sell?

happy halloweener

Here's Baby Frankie :)

Like the squint? That's his new 'cheese' face, and that's his poor little rug-burned nose.
Trick-or-treat was last night and we went to five houses; I already ate all of the good candy (left the dum dum's for J). Best of all my mom was here!

authentic scars, red-eye courtesy of my awesome camera skills

while at yoga

"Place your face on the mat and thread the needle." And *poof* I am stuck - face firmly planted on the mat. Panic set in, but I managed to wiggle my way free without causing an embarrassing scene. I also fell asleep while in 'relaxation pose.'

Happy Friday!

PS - Tena at My Therapy "booed" me for Halloween - so Boo! right back at you :)

teeth and stuff

Gerald now has four teeth.

Yesterday I was sure it was only three, but there are most definitely two teeth on top. This explains why he hasn't been sleeping very well (he ends up in our bed EVERY night), or napping very well, general crabbiness, and his new binky-addiction.

Swimming class is going well, he's having a lot of fun in the water, and so am I! I signed up for some aerobics classes at the Y this session - yesterday we tried the day care out again. He did great, played in the baby section and then watched the big kids. I think being away from him for an hour was good for me. Mon and Wed are tough - J bowls those nights and it's really hard not to resent him (just a little) for being able to come home, change his clothes and leave right away, and then not return until after Gerald has gone to bed. Don't get me wrong, I love staying home and being with Gerald, but when the day has been challenging....

Tomorrow is trick-or-treat for us. I made Gerald a Frankenstein's Monster costume - it turned out pretty cute!

anxiety

I'll confess, I'm anxious for this election to hurry up and get over with. I really don't care about the 5 daily phone calls I receive from both parties - caller id and silenced ringers help with that (sorry if I've missed your calls!); nor the political adds, I just FF through them anyway. No I just want to know who will win. I need to know how my life is going to change.

Let's face it, there will be sweeping changes no matter who is elected, I'm just predicting that my family will end up on the low side of the teeter-totter if one candidate is elected, and if the other is elected we should (hopefully) remain on the some-what high side. Waiting is just no fun :(

At least I have Cake Wrecks!

not his fault

Yesterday Gerald figured out how to climb out of the bumbo; he also mastered opening the bi-fold closet doors.

This morning he's been practicing lowering my desk chair while I am sitting in it.

Our little engineer can't be blamed, his gene-pool is skewed. :)

oh no you didn't

Yesterday was baby swim class (no pictures - the camera is dead, arrgh). There is one little girl that we always talk to, but I didn't know what her name was (her mom is sort of out there).

Her name is Hermione.

*oh you have got to be kidding me*

what?

Freshly picked from today's public record:

Deputies responded to a domestic call at a Strong Avenue residence at 3:14 a.m. Thursday, after a man got upset that his girlfriend had given the last pickle to her son. No arrests were made.

A pig was reported running loose near the intersection of Ohio 186 and Hancock County 131 at about 3 p.m. Wednesday, but had disappeared by the time officers arrived.

the haps

We've been busy...

*trip to Muskegon to visit with J's family and go to a baby shower, Gerald is not a very good rider after 2 hours... sort of turns the car ride into hell.
*swimming classes! Next week J is coming with to take pictures - it will be the only time a picture of me in my bathing suit will appear on the blog...EVER.
*we were supposed to go to the pumpkin patch on Wed, but it rained :( so we just went to play group instead.
*last night I drove up to Ann Arbor to attend a baking class at Zingermann's. It was awesome! I would highly recommend a class there. I took the class with my mom, we learned how to make German pretzels, and we used lye! I made a dozen pretzels and brought them home; we had some for breakfast and some for dinner and I took a few over to the neighbor's because she watched Gerald this morning while I had a dentist appointment. I learned a few interesting things - we used leaf lard, which was new to me. It's the lard that surrounds the pig's liver (or maybe it was kidney?), and it is a liquid at room temperature. It is also the purest lard in the pig. And we also had a great discussion on the different flours available, and another about yeast. So fun, so informative, so yummy!

help

how do i put my twitter on here? i'm dealing with a snotty little nose, my brain is not functioning.

first taste (?) of chocolate

I cleaned the floor yesterday - I swear I did. But I also made brownies, which of course create crumbs, because using a plate would delay brownie-eating by four milliseconds. I'm not sure if he actually got the crumbs into his mouth - but this is what he did to his pajamas:

It's not all bad - at least the chocolate was Ghiradelli :)

go to sleep

seriously dude, you need to sleep.

JJ NOT sleeping

public docket

Two shopping carts have been stolen from Great Scot, 301 W. Main Cross St., since Monday.

*Seriously, the person who reports the public docket in this town must have the world's most interesting job :)

just for mel

Jazz Hands

party time!

We're having a party!!!!

Tech plays Findlay in Findlay this year, so we figure it's the perfect excuse to invite everyone out for a night of fun!

The game is Oct. 11 at noon. I'm thinking we'll have Bloody Marys and pickled eggs (B and B style) at 11, head to the game and then come back for Library Soup, chili, cornbread and beer :) I think our garage would really like to host some tippy cup, too :)

Bring the kids - Gerald is ready to make some new friends! We've got plenty of room, so feel free to stay the night, just bring a sleeping bag and pillow (or reserve a spot on the hide-a-bed, or one of our couches).

I'll be making an event page on facebook, so keep your eyes peeled for that - and be sure to invite all of your Tech friends to come down, too :)

public docket

In the news today:

Someone glued a garage door shut at 208 Baldwin Ave. on Tuesday or Wednesday.

lately

I've been really drawn to Swedish modern interiors like this (disregard the bedroom - it's atrocious). I think it's the clean lines, and the Marrimekko prints, and the use of color. There are two problems, though:
1. I don't want knock-offs from the big I; I want a real Tulip table, bring on the Saarinen chairs, maybe mix in some expensive wool rugs.
2. After spending more than my mortgage to furnish all of two rooms in the house I would realize I can't live that way - I need stuff, a few frills, some flounces - a few items with warmth.

It's a vicious cycle.

five years

Today is our fifth anniversary :)

I got flowers, I also requested something sparkly - so we'll see how that goes...

We got a babysitter. We're going to dinner, at a real restaurant with cloth napkins and a wine list and no illuminated beer signs. And then we are going to come home and put the baby to bed and then go to a movie. It makes me happy :)

fruits

Freshly picked from the Tree of Randomness:

* Last week we had a new HVAC system installed - furnace, a/c, all new ducting and a few new registers and returns. The dampers still need to be adjusted, but so far the new system seems a lot better than the old one :)

* We've settled on a nickname for the wee man. He shall be JJ - my dad likes to call him this, and he's sort of already become "Grandpa's Boy" so what the heck? I've decided to call him Gerald, just so he knows it is his real name, plus I figure when he grows up and gets a professional-type job he'll be comfortable with his grown up name. Now - if I could only convince the Taco to use his real name at the office...

* We went to the county fair on Sat. Last year we saw the Chicken King, this year I had a close encounter with the Goat Princess - she was even wearing a tiara. I have to admit, the tiara made me jealous, so jealous that I needed a silver fox (read - sugar flavored) sno-cone and a basket of fried vegetables. So good going down... the next day, ouch. We also looked at all of the animals. Note - steer clear of the poultry barn next year. Something spooked one of the chickens and it tried to fly away, we were showered with sawdust and chicken-shit. I almost cried. People stopped and stared as I tried to clean off G and his stroller with wipes.

* I'm ordering a new toy from W-S this week :) The Beaba baby food maker - and it's from France. We all know about my love for Euro-trash, so, in my book, this is just about the greatest thing ever.

* Remember long ago I wrote about new bedding for my room? Of course you do! The new bedding has been here for quite a while and looks loverly on my bed, but I needed a few more pillow cases, so I ordered them the other week while shipping was free. I ordered two, I paid for two, they sent me three - score! Guess who's going to have a cute matching pillow for her reading chair? This girl.

* There's a plastic Jimminy Cricket sitting on my desk - he makes me smile :)

big day

I declare today "Solid Food Day"

Mashed bananas for all!

Gerald did well, no screaming, and I'm pretty sure he swallowed at least some of the banana. We taped the whole process, of course, but I'll spare you - no one really needs to see 5 minutes of me shoveling banana into his mouth.


Gerald also rode the train today. Next to our neighborhood is a cute little train that the local historical soceity runs, J thought it would be fun to take G for a ride.

this week

Quick and dirty:

This week "we" were teething. It was a family experience. Gerald's bottom left-center (does that make sense?) tooth finally poked through today :)

J ran to Meijer to get me some ready-made margaritas because Momma needed a drink (and I happen to have a bag of limes in the fridge). When all you buy is margaritas and rimming salt guess what added bonus you get? A $2.00 off coupon for Pampers.

Because children and booze go hand in hand. Amen.

blarg, blarg, blarg

I've been neglecting you. Sorry. Life's been happening and I've been bad about documenting it - oh well, I think we'll all survive. Please accept this epic length, rambling, disjointed entry as some kind of peace offering.

My MIL came down Tuesday to visit. As with all MIL related events my emotions are mixed, but I am really happy that she came down to see Gerald - he's growing and changing everyday and I am sad that she isn't able to see him every week. I really do love her, but it's complicated, and I feel like I am sometimes hyper-critical of her. Being a daughter-in-law is just hard, and now that I have my own little man I'm realizing that one day I will be the MIL. Blahhh.

After lunch yesterday there was a knock on the door - guess who it was?
a) the mailman with a package
b) Patrick from next door looking for popsicles
c) Jehovah's Witness wanting to share the Scripture with me
d) political campaigner

If you guessed C you are correct! I was polite, I promise. I politely declined the literature he wanted me to take. I politely bit my tongue when he asked my religious views. And I politely kept my internal dialogue, internal (go me!) when I saw what he was wearing. I swear his outfit came right out of the 1974 Sears catalog. The pea green and orange paisley was almost too much. The comb-over was fabulous. I really wanted to take his picture, but I really wanted him to go away more. I'm sure you understand.

Gerald is now 5 months old. I can't believe it. I held my friend's two-week old yesterday, and I couldn't believe how big G is compared to him. G was 15 pounds at his last checkup - I'm guessing he's around 16 pounds now. Two weeks ago we moved him out of the pack-n-play in our room into his real crib in his cool jungle room. Apart from a few fussy nap times (I think he was just incredibly tired), he was completely unfazed by the whole thing. I had some issues, and cried the first night, the second night I moved him back into our room for a few hours - I really liked being able to hear him breath when I woke up during the night. But after a few nights of being able to get into bed without walking on eggshells I'm now really into him being in his own room. I also think he sleeps better, because he hasn't been waking up for a 3 AM feeding. It's like my mom says, "Motherhood is letting go." My baby is growing up so fast.

He's still a talker, constantly making noise and having conversations with us - he's very entertaining. I recently started putting him in the exersaucer - he loves it. Our exersaucer came to us as a hand-me-down from our neighbors, and I like it that way. It's basic, no toys attached. I think the new ones look like ADD machines; actually, that's how I feel about a lot of the baby toys I see. G has toys that "require" batteries, but we don't put them in. I just figure that if he gets bored and we do put the batteries in - he'll think he has all new toys :) He's still breastfed 100%, I don't think he's quite ready to try solids yet, and I'm not sold on rice cereal as the first thing he tries (I'm thinking banana, but still researching). He does sit in his high chair with us while we eat dinner, just so he can start to learn about what we do at the table - he's happy because we talk to him and he can see us and play with his toys.

Now on to me. I'm happy, I really enjoy being a mom, and I love staying home with G; I feel really lucky that I am able to stay at home instead of going to work. Which brings me to the subject of my degree, or lack of degree. At first it seemed so easy, take a few classes and transfer the credits up to Tech and that's it. It suddenly got more complicated, Tech has a residency clause, and at first my adviser made it sound like it wouldn't be that big of a deal, and then it suddenly became a huge obstacle. Honestly, I knew I wouldn't be starting classes this fall because I'm not ready to leave Gerald with anyone, so I'm just sending that idea to the back burner - again. I could transfer to another school, but I'm so close to being done that I will need to take extra credits to have enough credits to receive a degree from a different school; and transferring gets messy because of Tech's transition from quarters to semesters while I was there.

Then there's the money, mom and dad won't be paying (I wouldn't even ask them) and my educational trust fund is empty. I could totally justify a loan if having my degree meant my family's situation would change, but it won't - I'm not going to work, and I like the situation my family is in. It would be nice for Gerald to have two parents with degrees, that's what I had growing up even though my mom was at home with us, but it's not like I didn't go to college, or just went to a semester of community college - but it's hard to explain to people that you are 12 credits shy of a degree, and I feel like a liar every time I pretend I finished. Maybe I should just transfer all of my credits to BG and get a degree in interior design, if I'm going to spend the money I should get the degree in something I enjoy, right?

That's all I've got...for now.

Happy Thursday!

quiet

I have been avoiding my desk because when I type, something wobbles.

I just identified the mysterious wobble-er.

The silence is fantastic :)

free!

After taking my morning stroll with baby-man I came home and realized I had worn a nursing bra and not my sports bra - no biggie, right?

Wrong!

ALL of my nursing bras were in the wash, not waiting to be washed, but in.the.wash. Actually, they had been sitting, wet, in the washer for three days. Yick. And the bra I'd walked in? Soaked in sweat (it's hot and humid - and I am one mean walker).

So I went bra-less. I'll give you a minute for that visual to sink in.

*

*

I promise I did not go out in public that way, not even to the mailbox. And now that I have a drawer full of clean bras I'll be properly secured tomorrow.

I can hear you all sighing in relief.

diabetes

Scotch-a-roos
1 c. sugar
1 c. light karo syrup

heat to a boil over med-high heat. stir in 1 c. peanut butter.
add 6 c. rice krispies. press into buttered 9x13 pan.

melt together 6 oz. chocolate chips and 6 oz. butterscotch chips.
spread on top of rice krispies. refrigerate to set chocolate, cut at room temp.

*I like to make a half batch (in a 9x9 pan), otherwise there are too many for two people (not that we couldn't eat them all)

Oat 'n Chip Cookies
2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
5 c. oatmeal (4 lightly ground)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 lb. chocolate chips
3 c. chopped walnuts

cream butter and sugars until fluffy. mix in eggs and vanilla.

grind 4 c. oatmeal in a food processor.

in a separate bowl stir together flour, ground oatmeal (4 c.), whole oatmeal (1 c.), salt, baking powder and baking soda. gradually mix into sugar mixture. fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

drop by tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets, bake 12 - 14 min at 350. let cool slightly on pan before moving to cooling rack.

*all time favorite cookie - this makes a huge amount of cookies, in fact my kitchen aid can't hold all of the dough if I make a full recipe. i suggest just making half a recipe, you will still have a ton of delicious cookies.

New Favorite Banana Bread
3 mashed bananas
1/3 c. melted butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg - beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1 1/2 c. flour

mix melted butter into bananas. mix in sugar, egg and vanilla.
sprinkle salt and baking soda over mixture, mix in flour.
pour into buttered loaf pan.
cook for one hour at 350

*I always freeze my bananas when they start to get too brown, then I just slip them out of their frozen jackets and they are perfect for baking.

ummmm

I had so many ideas for blog topics, but now that it is nap time I can't seem to think of any.

Quick (super boring) update: G is good, I am good, J is good. J got a Wii for his birthday, well, actually he got a shirt with a note pinned to it that said "This is a Wii. Really." The next day he called me to let me know they we in stock at BB. I find it funny that when he was going to buy it for me for my birthday (still not sure what I want - maybe tickets to Wicked?) he could never get around to calling to see if it was available; when it became his gift he got serious. So there's been a lot of bowling at our house after G goes to bed.

hahaha

psa

Working out and watching what you eat will help you lose weight and feel good about yourself. Two weeks of vacation may add a few pounds back on.

Eating a pan of scotch-a-roos will completely annihilate your weight loss.

I'm cutting up carrot sticks.

quickie

* diaper rash is almost completely gone. Original Desitin and Maalox - who knew? (it is almost impossible to mix up though, I suggest mixing it in a plastic cup with a plastic spoon and then applying it with the spoon, less to clean up)

* someone likes to shriek for fun.

* I got peed on three times this morning, I decided that qualified me for a delicious iced latte.

* I have about 3.2 million things to do before Gerald has his shots at 2:15 this afternoon. Time to get cracking!

oh, crap

Gerald came home from the UP with a raging case of diarrhea. I have changed his diaper 4 times in one "change." The Pampers people should be ecstatic.

He's been really happy throughout the EAS experience, so the nurse said to just let it run its' course. But now he has diaper rash - a first I was hoping to avoid completely. Kathy suggested mixing Maalox and Desitin and using that - I think I'm going to try it, any other suggestions?

I can hear him in his bed right now - he's pooping.

rolling over

G rolled from his back to his tummy on July 4th, and then on the 5th, again on the 6th, and now he is a rolling machine. He rolls onto his stomach and then onto his back again, but always only to the left. So as long as he wants to go to the left - he can get there!

He also likes to lay on his tummy and push with is legs and inch around like an inch worm. He can't get very far at our house because his play mats slide around on the hard floor - but if you put him on carpet he can really move.

I think I'm going to have my hands full for a few years :)

random weekend

* We drove to Toledo yesterday to do some shopping. Sam's Club and BRU - super exciting. Now we have lots of diapers and an umbrella stroller.

* I got Starbucks on the way there! But I burnt my tongue on it :*(

* We took Gerald swimming at the Y today, he was generally unimpressed. We bought him Spider Man swim diapers, they are huge on him.

* You can buy a paternity test kit at Meijer, they are conveniently located next to the condoms.

* My sister-in-law and brother-in-law are coming tomorrow!

* We leave for the UP on Wed!

drool

Pretty much consumed my day.

G went through 3 outfits, 4 bibs, and 6 burp cloths.

i did it!

I accomplished my scary task o' the day - mostly because I knew you were all cheering me on (and waiting for an update). Thanks!

Some of you may know that I never finished my degree - I spent 4.5 years at Tech and then I just left, in fact I don't even know what my final grades were. This has been weighing pretty heavily on me, and last night (in the middle of the night) I decided TODAY was the day to get the ball rolling; after all, we'll be in Houghton next week and I can maybe set up an appt with an advisor then. So I called admissions, and they transferred me to records - I'm now active for the fall term, and can switch to track B if needed - and then onto the humanities dept, and finally to the current HU advisor. She sounded really nice and I have an appt with her next Thurs at 9AM - she even has the old "transition" audit I filled out with good ole Bill Sewell (I'm bringing my copy, too).

This was really hard for me to do - in my head I kept envisioning profs yelling at me for being an awful student (I was), but so far everyone has been so very nice.

happy thoughts

If you could send out some happy vibes for me today I'd really appreciate it. I'm going to do something today that I'm a little (ok, a lot) chicken sh*t about.

It's something totally positive and happy, so do not worry. I just don't want to go into too much detail and jinx myself - I'll write more when I know more :)

finally

Finally found a decent stylist:)

educating jack

Two weeks ago we went to Kalamazoo and spent the night at my cousins' - they have a nine year old (Emma) and a five year old (Jack). Emma is my mini-me. Jack is adorable, and precocious. This is the conversation we had about feeding babies.

me - "Gerald is hungry - time to eat!" I get him "hooked up" and he's happy, happy.
Jack - "What are you doing?" Gives me suspicious eyes.
me - "Feeding the baby."
Jack - "I don't believe you."
me - "It's true! This is how your momma fed you. That's how G gets milk."
Jack - Sits next to me on the couch, places one finger on my chest and says with a slightly sinister smile "I'm helping push the milk out."

Emma, Gerald and Jack

o.m.g.

pilates class

ouch.

3 months

J was hoping for an engineer

*favorite song = American Pie, he especially likes it when I sing the LP version :)

*prefers gnawing on right hand

*loves to grab for the toys on his toy bar

*likes to face out in the Bjorn

i got served

Just had cardio -fusion class at the Y.
OK, half of class because we had a tornado warning and were ushered into the locker rooms.

It kicked my ass.

melting

It is hotter than hell outside.

We were going to meet up with another couple and their baby girl for dinner at Boogie! tonight (Main St. is closed, there are bands, and sno-cones), but not when it is this hot.

I'm sad about the sno-cones.

so much to blog, so little time

We've been busy!
The highpoint of my week so far - new glasses!

You can't see it in the picture - but on each side there is a rhinestone "G" - I love sparkles!

More later - we're off to register for summer classes at the Y.
:)

edit: please excuse my huge eyebrows - guess I'll be making an appt at the salon, too!

to wii or not to wii

Last Tuesday was my birthday, J did great - he left a present (a picture frame) and card on the chair I nurse Gerald in (so I wouldn't miss it). Then he took me out to dinner and asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I really had no clue. So we brainstormed all week and we've kind of decided on a Wii; but I'm really torn.

I've played a few times, and it is really fun, but I really didn't want to have a game system in the house while our kids are young. I really want "outside" kids. We're lucky because most of the kids on our street would rather play outside than do most anything else. I just figure it will be easier to encourage them to play outside if there isn't anything more enticing inside. But I can also see where it would be really fun to play the Wii as a family, especially during the terribly cold and yucky winter months.

The other item I would really like is a Le Cruset dutch oven from Williams-Sonoma. But I'm not exactly cooing up a storm these days, and I could probably save my pennies and buy one for myself without too much effort. Blahhh!!!! I just hate making decisions.

the verdict

Thanks for all of the input! I decided to return the bedding, it worked, but it just wasn't what I was looking for. I think I found it though, and I've already ordered it, it's back ordered until June, but I can wait :) Here it is. I wish you were all here to witness me stuffing the comforter back into the packaging - matching up fold lines, wedging it carefully into the cheap plastic bag, and then the zipper popped - HA!

Other reasons my day is awesome:
*I couldn't just buy the duvet cover, I did a little extra shopping :)
*Grocery store has started carrying some of my favorite little German cookies, although this could prove problematic, I'm happy for the moment.
*I woke up to Gerald absolutely cracking himself up. Very cute.

yay or nay?

We found this last night at TJ's, I'm not sure if I'm sold. I'm thinking - maybe too plain and washed out (I was hoping for more color). I'd obviously add more pillows and possibly a coverlet. I do like the sheets that I bought, they are the same blue as the pillowcases and I think they will look good in the room, so that's at least a step in the right direction.

little storyteller

dear cheekbones

...please come back. I have been working hard to find you, but I think you need to help. The calves and ankles have been found and are now part of the rescue team.

Don't make us call in the authorities.

I miss you,
Alanna

melanna party

Mel came to visit us last week. We miss her and the boys - we will come and visit soon!
BYOB (bring your own baby)

Mel showing off her mad-mothering skillz (like Kobe's microphone?)

time out

we've still got it

new level of gross

It's Spring and we have an ant problem in the kitchen. Last year I was vigilant about taking out the kitchen garbage, not leaving dirty dishes out and keeping all unwrapped foods in the fridge. And J sprayed outside when I asked him.

I saw the first ants a few weeks ago and told him, he said he'd spray.

He didn't.

Today I noticed a bunch of ants on the electrical outlet near the sink. I wiped them off a few times throughout the day, and they kept coming back. So I decided to investigate. The ants were trying to colonize the outlet; ants and larvae everywhere. It was officially the grossest thing I have ever seen.

Ever.

more randomness

* On Sat I heard "Forever Your Girl" by Paula Abdul twice on the radio. It is now embedded in my brain.

* I take my own bags grocery shopping - on Sat I just couldn't squish everything into my bags and had to use one plastic bag. I got home and realized I had the plastic bag full of groceries, and eight additional plastic bags attached to the bag. pooh.

* My baby is into self mutilation. See evidence below.

Scarface
(it's hard to see in the photo, but he has a gash across his right cheek, and a chunk missing under his nose - I just trimmed his nails!)

* I need new bedding. The set we have is old and gross, I'm a bit sick of it, and it doesn't match our room. I thought I had the perfect bedding picked out, PB thought otherwise. We painted the room this color, and I want to somehow be able to tie the bedding to the chair in the corner. Any suggestions?

random thoughts

* Went to a wedding on Fri, very nice. At the reception the DJ announced that he would be playing a song by Florida, as in Orlando, FL. Only in Findlay.

* J got us Tim Horton's for breakfast - he wanted to take me out to breakfast, but I just couldn't imagine waiting for a table in a crowded restaurant with an infant as being my ideal Mother's Day. Donuts and yogurt were great, but unfortunately I think that's the extent of my Mother's Day celebration. He's currently watching poker.

* CNBC has a virtual portfolio game - sort of like fantasy football for investing. I think I'm going to sign up.

* I also think that's where our stimulus check is going; I'd like to see it make more than .75%, or whatever ridiculously low amount it makes in our savings account. I'm thinking of opening an account at Schwab - anyone have any insight?

* I need a haircut.

* Gerald helped me sweep off the deck yesterday - well, he sat in his bouncy seat and talked to me while I swept the deck. And then we put out the patio furniture - now, if it would only stop raining.

* I was going to order our new bedding today - but stupid PB doesn't have any left. Dorks.

* I'm making a Key Lime Pie today :)

* We're going to have visitors next week!

forgetful

I used to be able to remember things - people's names, what I was talking about, why I walked into X room. Not anymore.

Someone, anyone, please tell me that my short term memory will improve, soon!

note- This is also the reason I haven't been commenting as much as I usually do. Please don't think I have nothing to say; but if I read your blog while I am holding the bebe, I can't remember to come back and comment later.

binky

Earlier Today Gerald was fussy, but I couldn't find his binky. It wasn't in the folds of his blanket, on the floor, on the couch - it was just gone.

I found it a few hours later - wedged between my boobs.

It made me think of Head :)

milestones

Yesterday Gerald turned 2 months old. I'm having a hard time remembering what life was like before he arrived :)

This morning we went to the Dr. and Gerald was immunized. He cried for about 30 seconds, as soon as I could pick him up and love on him he settled right down. He's such a good boy! He now weighs 10.5 pounds, and is 23 inches long. His legs are finally pudgy enough to wear socks! And because I bought him a bouncer, he is taking naps during the day :) which makes me happy because he isn't as cranky in the evening and I can get a few things done. He's also graduated out of the "football hold" for nursing (holding him next to me) and I can easily nurse him while holding him in front. This makes nursing a lot easier, especially without the boppy.

"I love my bouncer!"

The Dr. did say something about Gerald's tongue. I had noticed that he is a little tongue-tied, his frenulum (little bit of skin under your tongue that connects to the bottom of your mouth) is long and so his tongue doesn't stick out very far and looks a bit forked. Since he has no problems nursing it isn't really a big concern, it might just fix itself. But once he starts talking if it proves to be a speech impediment the Dr. will just snip it (in the office) and we should be just fine. So I'm trying not to worry, we'll see how well that goes.

happy friday

My smiley little boy says "Have a great weekend!"

baby q's

1. How long do you let them cry during (the dreaded) tummy-time before picking them up? I hate this, I put my happy little boy on his tummy to play, he gets so worked up, and then it takes forever to calm him down. Aarrghh.

2. Has anyone had a problem with dry baby scalp? I don't think it's quite cradle cap, but it looks gross, and he leaves flakes everywhere.

3. Any good books on baby massage? I went to the library to look for some and there were none in our collection. Poo. I guess I'll have to spend money on one.

blechhh

Today Gerald is eight weeks old!

And I am fat.

I lost all of the weight I had gained while pregnant within a week of his delivery, everything is not back in place, but the number on the scale was good (at the time). A week after that I stopped wearing my maternity clothes and had dropped down to the weight I was after my first trimester (I had lost some weight because of morning sickness). I was feeling good, and couldn't wait to see how fast I could get back to being my "skinny" weight.

That was six weeks ago. In six weeks I have gained and lost the same 4 pounds over and over again.

I blame the Easter Bunny and cadburry creme eggs. Good thing there aren't any left.

Now, I'm off to walk my baby, and eat some veggies :) I really don't want to be the fat mom.

sleep?

I have a good little boy - he sleeps well at night, just waking up once or twice to eat and generally going right back to sleep.

During the day it is a completely different story.

It's noon, he's exhausted. For the past hour I have held him until he has fallen asleep (5 min. tops), placed him in his crib (or pack-n-play or bassinet), turned around and heard him scream. I turn around and he's all "What? That wasn't me, I'm just laying here and being cute."

If he doesn't sleep soon, he won't sleep for the rest of the day and he'll be really fun (insert sarcasm here). So I just stuck him in the swing, without lowering the mobile, and tucked a blanket around him.

Please God, let him fall asleep.

"See how not sleepy I am?"

back to troy

Apparently this month was just J's travel month for the year - he's been out of town for at least one day each week. Next week is no different, so Gerald ad I are headed back up to Troy. While we both miss J while we are gone, I love hanging out with my parents and I know they are excited to be able to see Gerald a lot while he is still so fresh, plus this week John and Susie will be at home :)

Our schedule so far:
Mon AM - drive to Troy
Tues daytime - hang out with Susie and Auntie Dee
Thurs - drive back home

So, who's up for a visit?

off to Indy

We're headed to Indy!

Tagging along with J, and visitng friends. I think I'll cruise by the old house, too - just to see if the new owners are taking good care of it.

:)

good luck!

Auntie Susie and Uncle John have finals this week. Gerald wants to wish them "Good Luck!"

gross

I am swiffering this morning and keep seeing these little dried spots on the floor. Where did they come from?

And then I realize - they are from me. I have dripped breast milk all over my house.

Yick.

*to clarify - I can't stand to wear a bra at night, so that means no pads. As soon as I pick Gerald up, I am ready for him to eat, but we have to walk into the living room first. So there is a distinct trail from my room down the hall to the living room.

bjorn again

Last night I decided to try out the Baby Bjorn - guess who loves it!!!

He was fussy when I stuck him in and he immediately calmed down and fell asleep, such a little angel (he did drool all over me, but oh well). The best part is when he's in it I can type, with two hands!

Hey there blog, guess who's back :)

I'm also pumped to wear him in it while I grocery shop. His car seat doesn't fit properly in the shopping cart, so I have been going after J comes home. But I hate going to the store at night - the daytime crowds are way better.

I think the major caveat is that I look a bit stuffed-sausagie while I'm wearing it. I'll post pictures later - need new batteries in the camera.

hanging out

Watching "This Old House" with Grandpa.

Playing with Grammy.

Chillaxing.

Grandpa knows my favorite game - Mr. Frog.

where am i?

I'm in Troy. Why? Because J decided to go on a bowling tournament this weekend - no big deal, except he was also out of town all week for annual meetings. Great timing honey.

Gerald had his one month Dr. appt on Tues, he's now 9 lbs 7 oz and 22 inches long - he's exactly 50th percentile for length, weight and head circ. He's my happy, milky, average little boy :) Then on Wed I had a dentist appt - no cavities ;), after that I decided to head up to my mom and dad's - I needed an extra pair of arms.

Today we shopped, Gerald got a new pair of Robeez (blue with frogs) at Neiman's and we took his little silver spoon to Tiffany's to be engraved. And I got some yummy shampoo from Keils (love, love, love small indulgences!) and a truffle from Godiva. And then my mom made a wonderful dinner; yep, a lot better day than I would have had alone in OH. Tomorrow we're planning on heading to Sam's to stock up on diapers and wipes!

We'll be here until Sun, if you would like to see us just shoot me an email, and we can figure something out :)

the haps

Sorry I've been MIA. Last week J was out of town, and so was my mom, so I decided to head up to Troy for a few days and hang out with my dad :) He started a new job on Tues - more on that later - and we had lots of family to visit. I promise I will bring Baby G out to visit everyone else next time we are in the Detroit area. Then this past weekend I was in a wedding. Remember the wedding I sort of didn't want to be in? Well, I couldn't tell the bride no, I just felt too guilty, so I ordered a huge dress, had it taken in 4 full inches and made it work. Guess what? I had a ton of fun! The wedding was really sweet, and while the reception was the most laid back wedding reception I've ever been to (and I was sober) it was a blast. The only part that sort of sucked was that the hall was smoking-friendly, so now I have a little boy with a runny nose (OK, so that sucks big time, and I promise to never expose my baby to second-hand smoke again).

I'm sure there's more going on, but I can't think.

PS - J fished the pencil out of the lint trap. He used duct tape, and paint stir sticks. Go J!

oh crap

I just dropped a pencil down the dryer lint trap.

Don't ask, it's been a rough day.

bird brain

A kamikaze robin lives in my front yard.

All day long he tries to fly into my living room and den windows. Repeatedly. At Mach 3. I should take a picture of the bird poop that is all over the windows.

I tried making big "x's" out of masking tape - he still flies into the windows. Perhaps he is suicidal, or this could be natural selection in action. I'm just not looking forward to the day he kills himself, dead birds are no fun.

top ten

Top Ten Reasons Why Easter Was Awesome:

10. The Easter Bunny came!
9. Cadburry Creme Eggs.
8. Used the good china.
7. Champagne (the good stuff!), and I got to drink it!
6. Wine - yep, got to drink that, too!
5. Easter call from my Auntie Dee.
4. Mom, Dad and John came down to celebrate.
3. They brought dinner with them :)
2. Gerald sat in his swing the whole time we were eating.
1. J had Friday off of work and put Gerald to sleep after I fed him, so I got a five hour chunk of sleep.

trauma

Sometime mom makes you have tummy time.

Then she flips you over, and life is good again :)

In other news - tomorrow is Easter! And my family is coming with Easter dinner (oh, ham, how I love you!) - we're really excited :)

getting out

In the past few days we have managed to get out of the house, and it has made a world of difference in my mood. I was feeling really cooped up, and had a serious case of cabin fever. So on Tues and Wed we hung out at the hospital with my friend Holly, whose father is recovering from a heart attack (he's got a long way to go, prayers are welcome). Although circumstances weren't the best (who really wants to hang in the ICU lobby?), I had fun. I got to see people, show off my baby, and practice nursing in public. Gerald was happy because he was constantly rocked and snuggled.

And last night we went out to dinner! Gerald slept the whole time, we timed it just right, so we were able to enjoy dinner and even get some work done around the house before he woke up. It was so nice.

I feel like a human again :)

Here's the boy wonder in his super-huge sweatsuit. He's really trying to emulate Flavor Flav here, but it's hard when your clothes come from The Children's Place, and you have no teeth, and therefore no grill.

stinky

At first I though he was just a farty little boy. Then I realized it wasn't him - it was his cord (blechhh...). But last night it fell off!

So now my little boy is relatively odor-free (he is still his father's son), and he can wear pants :)

Question: Do I still wash his little belly button with alcohol? It's still healing, and I just don't know what to do and feel silly calling the doctor (especially on the weekend) just for this.

sometimes...

I like to dress my child up as a Glow-Worm.

he eats!

Little Gerald has finally become addicted to breast milk - wheww! I was getting worried, because he would either cry uncontrollably or just fall asleep every time I tried to feed him. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that we were trying in a chair that wasn't really right for us, but my in-laws were here and I didn't feel super comfortable breast feeding in front of them (at least not right now, I figure as we get better I'll also become more discreet). Plus my mom was here on Sat and she gave me a lot of much needed encouragement and help.

So life is good, different, wonderful and slightly exhausting.

Here is Gerald's hopsital page and pictures. I'm planning on finally uploading my pictures sometime today, just as long as someone enters a milk-induced coma :)

it's a boy!

Gerald Eugene IV arrived this morning at 12:40 AM.
He weighs 8lbs 5 oz and is 20.5 inches long.
He has blonde eyebrows and eyelashes and his head is 13.5 inches around.

The doctor said I was a champion pusher.

Everyone loves him, especially me and J :)

I'll write more after we get home, and post lots of pictures!

going to the ob's

I am going in at 12:45 to have my membranes stripped (possibly TMI).

Maybe this is the push Peanut needs to get moving!

busy cleaning

I have been cleaning and cleaning - hoping to bring on labor. But so far, it hasn't worked. I've also been playing phone tag with my OB's office, trying to set an induction date - I'm hoping for March 12 - I figure that'll give Peanut an extra week to get here. I don't really want to be induced because synthetic hormones sort of scare me, but I also don't want to go too far, the placenta ages quickly after 40 weeks.

a note from peanut

I am one stubborn baby.

My mom and dad keep telling me that it's so great out in the world, but I'm just not sure. So I'm staying put.

fingers crossed

I had my appt this morning at 7:30, that was kind of early so I decided that McD's breakfast was in order after that :)

Peanut weighs approx. 8 lbs. 9 oz. and I had no change from last week :( so I've decided it's time to at least schedule an induction. The nurse will call me this afternoon and we'll get it all set up. I would still like to go into labor by myself, but it'll be nice to have a definite end date.

My head is not working properly - I can't focus long enough to create whole thoughts. It's probably a good thing I have nothing more to do than make the bed (if that) and watch Dr. Phil. And hope that I don't have a leap freak - although my mom has convinced me that if I go into labor on my own and have the baby today that it would be sort of cool, but planning a baby for today is a little sketchy.

nope, still no baby

blahhhhhh.

exciting news

The nursing bras I ordered are ready for pick up at Penny's.

That was the news you were waiting to hear, right?

I have an OB appt on Fri - and I'm praying that she'll check me and say "Whoa - 6cm! Let's get you to the hospital!"

peanut, get out!

I am issuing 8 day notice for EVICTION. Tenant will have 8 days in which s/he can either gather his/her belongings and promptly vacate the premises, or wait until the final day. After which, s/he will be physically removed from the property.

Tennant is being evicted due to breech of contract and destruction of property. Expansions only to the FRONT of the house, within reasonable limits, were discussed. Not only have these limits been exceeded, but additions to the back of the house were also made!

Remodeling and gutting of the home was never approved, nor was changing the initial layout and base structure. And due to property damage, there are now leaks in both the upper AND lower levels of the home. On top of which, the landlord has received numerous complaints about nightly disturbances.

After 8 days from this day that s/he doesn’t comply with the notice will result in immediate and forceful removal at my discretion.

update

Peanut is still baking.

But somewhere between the taco chips and rice and beans at lunch, it dropped a bit. I waddled out of the restaurant :)

sunday fun

Today I slept in, guilted J into getting me donuts and hot chocolate for lunch and went to the mall. Our mall is pretty disappointing, but they have a bookstore, and I needed a baby book. I bought a Babar baby book, because I love that French elephant so much :) I've been busily filling out pages and scanning photos/ ordering reprints. I also finally put some pictures in a frame that my SIL gave me for Christmas. Yes, the picture I took is somewhat lacking, but I'm not feeling really motivated right now.



Today is also my little sister's 21st birthday :)She partied it up last night, along with my brothers (so sad all four of us weren't together), and my mom and dad went out to Kalamazoo to take her out for a birthday meal. I'm sure my parents are just wiping their brows, and heaving huge sighs of relief that another one of their kids has made it to 21 without an MIP ;)

baby pool, etc.

Here's the pool:

Feb 26: Allison, girl; Cat, girl
Feb 27: Stephie, boy
Feb 28:
Feb 29: Becky, girl; Skrubby, boy
Mar 1: Diana, girl; Heather S, girl; Sonya, boy
Mar 2: AJ, girl; Lambrina, boy
Mar 3: Kara, girl
Mar 4: Kathy, girl
Mar 5: Jericho, girl
Mar 6: Erika, girl; Yeimy, girl
Mar 7: Head, boy; Melissa, boy
Mar 8: Laura Lynn, girl

And Danielle gave no date, but thinks Peanut is a girl.
My own guess is Feb 28 (because no one else picked it) and girl. We'll see how it all plays out :)

I really want to clean the house, from top to bottom, but I have suddenly become exhausted and uncomfortable. I made the bed and felt like I'd run a marathon. So I made my list and it's one-thing-at-a-time, and then a little rest (and some raspberry tea!). The only thing I can't clean is the baseboards, and they are haunting me!

J is currently in the crawl space putting in the last bit of insulation. And I am off to dust every room and then do all of the floors.

still baking

OB appt - 3cm and 70%

The Dr. seemed pretty confident that we will have a baby by the end of next week :) Although, I'm not going to hold my breath becuase I know a lot of people who have been at 3 cm for weeks.

But progress is good- right?

yum!

I made the best roast chicken for dinner tonight. Martha had a chef on a while ago (I was watching an episode from the DVR) and he said to soak the chicken in warm water for twenty minutes to (a) help the chicken to cook more evenly and (b) "purge" the meat of some of the old juices. So I did, and then just rubbed the bird with olive oil and salt and pepper and then roasted him (I didn't even truss the legs) at 450, basting every ten minutes, until he reached 170. It was sooooo good.

And I made some yummy mashed potatoes, and we had strawberries.

I am so full :)

Peanut Room

The room is all done! Well, almost, you'll notice a few things on the changing table that need to be hung, and I don't quite have the window treatment figured out. I'm thinking roller shade, with sheers for privacy during the day (the room is at the front of our house, and we have a ranch) and then the super cute valance that came with the bedding. And we need a rug, I found a frise that would be perfect, except I'm thinking the combination of baby spit-up and frise isn's so appetizing.

All in all I'm pretty happy with the room, there are lots of monkeys :)



My mom made this for my room when I was little (I had a Big Bird obsession), and I just found it this week, so I hung it up in the doorway :)

guess who's in labor?

Jennifer Lopez.

I'm a bit envious.

Time for a baby pool to distract me, my due date is March 5th. When do you think Peanut will arrive? And, will Peanut be pink or blue?

still waiting

OK, so it's really two weeks (and one day, but who's counting?) until Peanut is due, but I have it in my head that tomorrow will be THE day - we'll see. On Sat I started to feel huge, up until that point I'd been relatively comfortable in my pregnancy. I'm not sure what made me super uncomfortable, but now I am crabby.

I need a caution sign around my neck.

I also need to call the insurance company because they are acting silly, I'm not really looking forward to that. But, I had a message yesterday from the accountant and I think our taxes are all done!! This is the first time we'll be filing on time (even early) in a few years :)

I will post pictures of Peanuts green room later!

know what?

I think I'd like to not be pregnant.
I think I'd like Peanut to be born today.

Ha, fat chance.

still in there

Peanut is still in the cozy Peanut accomodations that I am providing.

I had my BPP this morning, and my mom was in town so she got to see the Peanut! I think she was really excited about that :) Peanut put on a good baby show, so no NST - yay! And we got a few really good 3D images of the baby's face, even though it's little nose was squished right up against the placenta.

I have my OB appt this afternoon, and this is the first week they'll be checking for any progress ( I was scheduled for last week, but with the flooding the office was closed, and it seemed a bit ridiculous to reschedule and then have another appt in 3 days). So I will let you know how that all works out. Plus, the nursery is basically done, I just need to take a few pictures and post them.

*Update* I am at 1.5 cm and 20%
woohoo.

gloating

Was anyone else (especially those married to other Techies) feeling a bit superior to their spouses/boyfriends because of the Carnival results?

It took all I had not to perform the happy dance as I told J about how we totally OWNED Carnival :)

super-productive

J and I had a good weekend; tied up a lot of loose ends and are feeling a lot more baby-ready.

On Sat BRU called to let us know the crib was in! So we drove up to Toldeo to pick it up. They must have been having some sort of event because the store was beyond packed; I'm glad all we needed to do was pick up the bed and leave, I had no tolerance level for that many people. O!d Navy is right next door (another store we don't have nearby) and we stopped in because I am so sick of all of my maternity clothes. Really, I wear the same 4 shirts over and over again. I love my dresses, but I'm no good at housekeeping in them, plus my legs get cold. So I broke out the big bucks and bought two whole t-shirts! I figure they'll tide me over for the next few weeks. I took a nap on the way home (more than 20 min in the car and I am out), and J woke me up to see if I wanted Starbicks (why yes! I did!). Sometimes he's right on it :)

In 9 days Peanut will technically be fully cooked - I think Feb. 20 is an excellent day to have a baby - don't you? I'm trying really hard to be patient, but I just want to meet Peanut and cuddle. I might be bribing the baby with promises of private school and college tuition.

PS - J spray painted the bassinet in the garage, now I just need to paint a few of the spindles green and it'll be all perfect :)

dilemna

A mattress arrived today for the family bassinet. Hooray!

The problem is we haven't yet painted the bassinet. Well, last night we tried to, but the bed is just so spindle-y - it is super annoying to paint. I'd like to spray paint it. But this is Feb in Ohio, not exactly ideal spray painting conditions.

What to do?

nesting?

I woke up at 4:30 with a burning desire to organize, clean and do laundry. If I felt this way everyday we would live in the cleanest house in America and I would have my own show on TLC.

The baby clothes are washed, I have sorted and organized everything, and the nursery is (finally) starting to come together. I found a recipe that I am now dying to try (tomorrow, it would be cruel to make this on Ash Wed), and I'm now planning meals for the rest of the month.

I am so productive.

*is anyone else having issues with spellcheck in blogger? I can't get it to run and it's bothering me (maybe it's a vista issue?).

foolish

Happy Super Tuesday!

All day long I was planning on voting. Holly (my one-and-only friend in OH) organized a very small (and very nice!) shower for me tonight, and my plan was to vote and then head over to the restaurant. I arrived at my appointed polling place, and the building was locked! I was ticked off, called Jocko and read him the voting notice we had recieved in the mail.

We were both stumped.

And then I read the notice one more time, our voting date is March 4. D'oh! As that is one day before Peanut's due date (and the actual date of birth according to Kathy), I'm going to register for absentee ballots for both of us tomorrow.

sleepy

Peanut did not pass the BPP today, it was just too sleepy. So that meant I got a non stress test, gee was that fun. Mostly it was boring, but Peanut had a major case of the hiccups, and therefore it's little heartbeat was all over the place. The nurse let me know that the Dr. might send me in for 23 hour observation (seriously, I have things to do!). Thankfully my Dr. looked at the NST tape and said the baby was fine :)

Next week Peanut and I are going to have little talk before we go in for our test.

as requested

It's belly time.
(although, Miller Time would be more fun)

34 weeks, 5 days

Please, refrain from licking your computer screen. I am fully aware of my mega-hotness; the chubbiness, skilled camera angle (thanks J), lack of makeup and slippers make me the prettiest I've ever been.

showers and such

I had a wonderful shower in Troy :) Lots of friends, lots of family, yummy food and a ton of much need baby loot. Thanks to all!!

Just a few highlights:
* seeing Stephie for the second time in five years :)
* finally meeting Ava, she was very good (and so cute!) and helped me with the presents
* cake from Holiday Market, so good
* my mom knit an outfit for Peanut to come home in, it's so adorable - but it's white and I'm having a hard time taking pictures of it
* the A Team was all there, in one place, and no one had to sleep in a sleeping bag:)

Onto the next shower.

J has started a new crusade - I actually think he is nesting - he is on a home-repair and maintenance rampage.

In Nov we realized our shower was leaking (just a bit) into the crawl space. No big deal, we just use the other shower (even though it's sort of a pain). All of a sudden on Sun night, right after we get home from Troy, he climbs back into the hole and starts working on the shower. This is comical, to say the least. I "help" him, he yells at me from under the house, and I yell back, trying really hard to make sure the message hasn't been garbled too horribly by the 19" of insulation, flooring, supports etc. (You want me turn the shower on? Off? What?!). I have suggested he take his cell phone down and just call me, this makes too much sense.

We make some headway on the shower. He figures out what the real issue is and buys a new drain assembly ($8 at the hardware store), then decides he can finish the job tonight. All is going well until he asks me to stand in the shower, he wants to make sure the weight of a person doesn't mess up the work he's done (or something along those lines).

I no longer fit through the shower door.

Well, I can squeeze through, but the thought running through my head is - "If the baby grows one iota while I am in here, I will not fit back through the door." Which gets my mind off of home repair, and I start creating horrific Gilbert Grape-inspired scenes of cranes removing me from the confines of the shower stall.

If the shower is finally fixed it'll be great, but it'll be J's personal shower for the time being.

much better

Whatever was bothering me yesterday is now gone.

I have about 3.5 million things to do, because I'm heading up to Troy tonight :)

Happy, happy!

i feel yucky

My tummy hurts, and so does my back and I have a headache.

At least dinner is in the crock pot already :)

baby classes

We had our second baby class tonight. One of the other couples had their baby on Sat - she was due two days AFTER me! That scared J a little, I'll admit that it scared me too. But, from all reports the baby is healthy, but small, and they went home on Mon - so I guess that's reassuring.

In other baby-relatedness (like that word? I just made it up.), the nursery is not ready. It is painted, and J installed an overhead light and that is where everything came to a screeching halt. There is still a random dresser in the room. I have been completely unmotivated to empty the dresser out (it has craft supplies in it, most of which are trashable) and get it out of the room. J set up the changing table that his parents bought for us, and I threw all of the other wonderful baby things into the closet. I literally chucked all of the outfits, blankets, diapers, etc. that we received at our Muskegon shower into the closet, it is a mess. I thought I had plenty of time, now I'm rethinking that scenario.

Pictures to follow, and perhaps J will finally take a belly picture for all of you :)

zippity doo dah

Remember zip disks? I just found three of them, and have no idea how to retrieve the information off of them (do I even really need my old college projects?).

Wait. Let me start over.

We bought a camcorder, because it's like mandatory; if you don't have a camcorder your children will grow up thinking they were unimportant to you and unloved, right? So after we bought it we decided it is probably time to upgrade the memory on our computer - the computer J bought in 2001. We had installed XP a few years ago, and added a bit of memory then, but we needed to add more USB ports, and a DVD burner, etc. So we decided just how much money we were willing to invest before we just bought a new computer. Yeah, had we been able to purchase all of the upgrades we wanted we would have ended up spending about $75 less than the cost of a new computer. So we bought the new computer, it cost exactly half of what it cost in Jan of 2001.

Last night was apparently THE night to transfer everything over, hours of burning pictures to CD's (remember, we had a slow, old computer), going through old files and cleaning out the random drawer of floppy disks. Among the gems - my final project from ME 105 (anyone have a copy of Pro-E at home?), a bunch of really basic html web pages, and a copy of my resume from freshman and sophomore years - complete with copies in German. They are all now in the trash, sitting in my driveway - except for my German resumes, I just couldn't part with those, they are sort of fun. Now I'm staring at my small stack of flash disks. I have no idea what is on them (I was apparently not as anal about labeling everything back then), but don't want to trash them until I know. J thinks he might be able to track down a random flash drive at work, if he does I'll let you know what I find.

PS - anyone want a giant monitor?