WHAT.TODAY.LOOKS.LIKE

Yes, Still Pregnant

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 03:44:00 +0000

I've been to L&D twice now, both false alarms.

I went to my doctor's office to get monitored once. False alarm.

My contractions like to kick up in the evening and go all night and into the morning. They seem to be growing stronger each evening, but not strong enough.

I'm 3 to 4 cm. That sounds like rather significant, but I really can walk around like this till my due date. It doesn't really mean a thing (but that's a few less I have to wait around for the DAY OF).

I'm just particularly cautious because I have this feeling that once my water breaks or I'm having screaming-pain contractions that it's going to go quick. The hospital is close, but it takes time to coordinate with care-givers for the kids. I don't really want to walk into the hospital crowning, you know? (My MIL told me that when she about to deliver her daughter a woman walked in crowning.) So, it does happen! I want to walk in, have some time to get settled in calmly, and be of sound mind (well, as sound as my mind gets). Rushing in there and dropping a baby just seems less than ideal.

Ran around with my SIL today. Hit up lots of stores but didn't do any crazy shopping. Bought only what I intended - pjs and a super-cheap pair of swim trunks for Bean, picture frames for a specific decor arrangement above the loveseat, exchanged an (ugly) outfit at a fancy baby boutique for three little bows (and I still had to pay $2), and then did a bit of stocking up at Target (diapers, wipes, breastmilk bags). Quite uneventful really, but it was nice to have supportive company for a change. The boys are anything but supportive when going into a store.

The boys have been spending a lot of time with their grandparents and aunt. A nice break! A much needed break! They enjoy them ... I am ready to kill them (not REALLY kill them, but you know what I mean).

They brought some baby items, including lots of clothes and a restored rocking cradle, and some items from my husband's grandma's house. We have some cool things that his grandpa made and a picture of his grandpa as a young guy on an Indian motorcycle. It actually looks a lot like my husband (except my husband doesn't have a motorcycle). Also some afghans knitted by a 100-year-old "pretty neat lady" (a great aunt). Add these to the pile of afghans from a couple of my great-grandmothers. We clearly live in the wrong place to own so many afghans! But they do help with fort-building :)

Husband and I are once again involved with our church's largest fundraiser - had out first meeting tonight. Bigger and better this year! I get to design all the paper and promotional items, even a logo! I really enjoy doing this sort of thing - feels good to use my brain in a direction that is completely free of children and household responsibilities.

We had a great Mexican dinner thanks to my in-laws. Maybe the spice will kick me into labor! Fingers crossed.

Also, I love Angry Birds. We might name the baby Angry Bird. That or iPad.

More False Labor

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:23:00 +0000

I didn't sleep Saturday night. Not at all. I had steady contractions ... but not REAL contractions. No dilation. No water breaking. Nothing. Just pains for the fun of it. All night. Actually, most the day every day for nearly a week now.

The boys didn't do this.

The nurses laugh and say, "It's because you're having a girl this time."

The first time I went in, they asked a series of questions regarding my previous pregnancies and this pregnancy. They asked if I was going to have my tubes tied after this delivery. I said no. I'm very seriously thinking about changing my answer to yes.

This baby clearly wants to be the last child I birth.

When she older and whines about not having a sister, I will tell her it is all her fault: "You were a terrible fetus!"

And when she is older and crying because of false labor pains, I will cackle and say, "Sweet revenge, my pretty!"

OK, I probably won't say that last thing, but if the lack of another baby is ever brought up, I will tell her just how awful this pregnancy has been. It could be worse, of course, but it could be so much better!

Our plan (Husband and I) is to make a permanent decision regarding "having more kids" when this one is 2.5 years old (that is typically when "baby fever" starts to stir up - we want to see where we're at then before making a final decision, but we are very, very strongly leaning towards WE ARE DONE). I always wanted to shutdown at 30 anyway. BUT I'd rather wait and decide than decide and regret.

My in-laws arrive Wednesday. They are making their way through Texas now. I don't envy that drive. Texas is a big state. You can go wide stretches without a single change in scenery. It almost makes flying seem appealing (minus the civil rights intrusions and TSA ridiculousness, and the waiting, etc.).

It took three pregnancies ...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:31:00 +0000

But I finally succumbed to the "false alarm."

After a night of - what I felt like - were steady contractions, Husband and I headed to the hospital. In my previous two pregnancies, my water broke. In my first, I didn't feel ANY contractions till they introduced their evil contraction-inducing drug. In my second, it was an hour before I felt them (but, obviously, with my water broke, I didn't need to count them). So, this whole "counting contractions" thing is new to me. And what a "real" one feels like versus a "practice" one is also new (as I never had Braxton Hicks, a.k.a. practice contractions with my other two).

I was also having some other mild symptoms - nausea (but I'm always sort of nauseated, so who knows) and my body, umm, behaving in a way that it was trying to "clear out" everything. I also just felt a bit off.

It wasn't NOTHING - I had most every symptom for pre-term labor. But they weren't strong enough or consistent enough to warrant keeping me in the hospital. She dropped a bit, and I dilated a bit while under observation but another hour of observation found no progress (and she'd actually shifted herself UP again ... thanks).

They sent me home with pre-term labor instructions and told me to relax. That's SO EASY to do at my house, I asked if I could just please stay there! Nope. I asked for tranquilizers for my boys. Nope.

Things felt a bit more normal this morning. I went to my scheduled OB appointment. She confirmed that 2/3cm dilation and that the baby was still "up." The monitor showed a couple contractions at first but then nothing. That's how it felt.

In the last three hours, though, it feels like things have kicked up again, but you better believe I am not going to that hospital till I can't talk through the contractions OR my water breaks. I will not be fooled twice.

I am 36 weeks tomorrow. I'm told that I can have the baby any minute now ... or not for another week or two. Mother Nature has no fixed schedule, clearly.

I'd Rather Be Nesting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:32:00 +0000

Baby
I had a baby shower! It was beautiful and fun and other people took pictures, so I don't have any. A lot of the decorations are still up, so I could go around and take a few shots of them ... but that would require moving.

My last doctor's appointment revealed that I'm 2cm dilated and 50-percent effaced. Of course, one CAN walk around like this for a full month before giving birth. I suspect, as does my doctor, that I won't make it to 40 weeks, though. August 25 marks 37 weeks (which is "technically" full-term) and September 1 marks 38 weeks (which more and more OB professionals are considering full-term). So, I'm thinking three more weeks at most. I hope.

I am nauseous and throwing up again. I am even on my meds. Nausea can be an early labor symptom for some women. I don't recall having it before, but pregnancies can be different.

I don't feel or look like I've dropped, but this pregnancy never seemed to restrict my breathing the same way the other two did. Her head is in place. I'm pretty sure the only way to drop is to exit.

We are still building a name. I thought Husband and I reached a compromise, but he was disagreeable about it the next day. So I told him that she gets his last name and she's coming out of my body (except I said vagina), so I'll ultimately just name her what I want. What? I'm going to labor and push and then he's going to tell me NO? I don't think so.

Moose
I enrolled Moose in pre-school today! Five days a week and three hours a day. It's a church-run pre-school (Methodist) but works with the local school district to provide speech therapy for kids who need it. This means it's a one-stop-shop. I won't have to have separate dates, times, and locations for his speech. I think the schooling will also help his speech and social skills. Also, Bean and I need some time away from him to be productive with Bean's schooling. It's hard to let go of Baby Moose, but I really think this is best for the whole family. There is a reason the school still had a spot available and reason they're familiar with speech delays. We discussed his delayed potty-training and they're willing to work with us. Worse case, they'll ask us to keep him home for a week or two (but since it's just a three-hour stretch, they suspect it won't be that big of a deal). They offer extended care (another two hours) and suggested not taking advantage of that till he's full potty-trained. Very reasonable, in my opinion. He starts August 31. I can't believe my sweet baby will be in real school.

He also got a haircut. I'm talkin' you can see his ears and neck!

Bean
We've been doing school for about three weeks now. Moose has been home that last week and a half, and that's been a disaster - he is VERY distracting. All that said, the Language Arts and Math stuff is going very well. I think I'll set up a more formal schedule when Moose starts pre-school.

Once his karate commitment wraps up (September, I think), I think we're going to try swimming. There is a swim school that has an indoor pool and year-round lessons and twice-monthly family open swims. It's a bit pricey (slightly more than karate), but I think learning to swim is a pretty essential skill and worth the investment. We might send Moose too, especially if they can go at the same time (different classes due to different ages, obviously).

Bean's hair is super short, and he loves it.

Doctor's Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:32:00 +0000

I went for an unexpected doctor's appointment today. I called the office because I've been feeling very light-headed and dizzy for the last three days - just off. They had me come in and, of course, found nothing "clinically" wrong with me. "You probably just need more rest," the doctor said. I asked for a tranquilizer for my three year old. He didn't offer up anything.

My cervix is still totally closed - so no signs of anything exciting happening anytime too soon. I hit 37 weeks on August 25. Please, for my relief, think August 25!

Moose had his follow-up doctor's appointment today. The doctor ordered a blood draw and it took three lab techs to do the job. That was fun. Seems his speech referral will not be resolved prior to the baby being born. Annoying.

I ordered this today, along with the matching boa blanket.
Way more than I wanted to spend. Oh well.

New Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:21:00 +0000

I am also making some strides on the new blog, since I have to sit in my office till Moose falls asleep (so I can ~~scream~~ holler "LAY DOWN!" every time he opens the door). I am working on Wordpress ... which is so much less user-friendly than Blogger (but I think will be worth it in the long run).

Without a Paddle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:15:00 +0000

When you don't know where to start, start with what's right in front of you.

Naturally, that's the garage ...

It's not, but that's where I started.

I moved things around, so I have a garage sale pile and Husband's tools and bike/stroller and lawn care in more recognizable piles. I also have more room to open car doors (very important).

I took a trunk full of stuff to Goodwill (stuff that wasn't worth making sense of to sell at the garage sale).

My neighbor yelled at me for unloading bags of mulch. The mulch weighs less than my 3 year old, so I don't see what the big deal is. Just wait till they see what I am lifting at 37 weeks ...

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Everything is fine. I hate waiting around for three-minute appointments. Next week is my first cervical check, so it'll take all of five minutes.

It's hot. After 30 minutes in the garage, both boys decided to go inside. You know it's bad when the little one is happy to go inside.

I started "school" on Monday. It's going pretty smoothly. Since we are starting so early, I'm just focusing on Language Arts and Math for now. Bean seems to be enjoying it - he actually bugged me about "doing school" on Tuesday. I will say it is MUCH easier to do when Moose is not running around the house screaming.

Moose is screaming a lot lately.

Virus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:57:00 +0000

I intended not to let Moose watch any TV today.

With Bean, oftentimes when he's acting up, a good detox of screen time and sugared cereal will usually level him back out.

The day started off well, but then he had a 102-degree fever, and I caved.

Last Friday, the allergist said that Moose was coming down with a virus. Boy, was he right! My poor guy won't eat a thing, has had the runs for days, and is now running hot. I gave him some Motrin for the fever.

He also had a bit of a bloody nose this morning. I think it's a combination of the saline drops and Nasonex. Maybe we'll lay off the saline drops for a while. His little nose is probably all raw inside.

On the plus side, his terrible cough was silent last night. SO, I'm hoping that means all the cleaning I did and allergy-proof products I bought are doing the trick in his room :) Of course, it doesn't help the virus issue, but I'll take the cough-free night!

Slowly trying to get the house in order (still). Big baby shower here in the beginning of August. I finally hung SOMETHING on the wall. (I spent a lot of time repairing and painting this walls, it hurts a little to stick nails and screws in them!) I may take some pictures, but the chance of something being decorated AND clean seems so unlikely!

Also, why is it so much easier to GET MORE stuff than it is to GET RID of stuff?

I took a bunch of books to the used book store today and probably left with almost as many ...
Gave away some Stampin' Up stuff I had no use for and acquired a bunch of school supplies (but they were SO cheap) ...
I resisted printing off a Michaels 25-percent off EVERYTHING (including sale items) coupon, but I printed off the 20-percent Big Lots coupon. I ::need:: some window tension rods and sheers. Besides, there are certain other things I need there. Right, NEED?

Wow. What a day ...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:11:00 +0000

This morning, I hauled both boys to the doctor for Moose's 3-year "well baby" appointment. Of course, he's been battling a virus since last Friday (diagnosed by the allergist) so "well baby" is quite subjective.

Moose was a nightmare from the get-go. The doctor thought he was going to hurt me. She didn't even bother with the full exam, because she didn't want to upset him further. "Bring him back in a week or two," she suggested. Thankfully, she was as thorough and understanding as can be. She is putting in for his speech referral but said the 3+ crowd was getting denied UNLESS their were some behavior issues accompanying it. (Judging by his psychotic behavior this appointment, there MIGHT be a bit of that ... but she said she knows he's not usually like this, so she doesn't want to jump to any conclusions). Still, if a mild behavior or occupational problem will give us the magic ticket to paid, private speech therapy, then I'll take it.

Moose has been really off these last two weeks. He was crazy at the dentist, at the allergist, and now at the doctor. He's been so irritable in the mornings and has been getting up more than usual at night (not every night, but once or twice a week).

My guesses as to what the heck is wrong with him:

He's upset about potty-training. He's bladder-trained, but the bowel movement thing is NOT catching on.
The heat makes him cranky. We're under heat advisory most days, so he doesn't get outside as much as he'd like.
He's tired of me being pregnant and sick and miserable. Me too, kiddo, me too.

He's pretty in-tune with me, so perhaps my irritability is rubbing off on him. I'll try and get my attitude turned around and hope that helps him too.

I got all of meds on base today (after an absurd experience at CVS where they wanted like $70 for all of them), so he's started on a regular round of allergy meds. Due to the cough and sneezing, he's taking everything for now - three of the five are just "as needed," so it's not as bad as I thought.

I'm working on allergy-proofing the boys' bedroom. I bought mattress bags and pillow bags and a product called Eradicator. I've taken most things out of their room, sprayed the mattresses and pillows, vacuumed the floor, dusted the bed frames, and am drying the bedding. I want to see how the new mattress and pillow bags hold up before investing for them with our bed (which will cost more as we have a queen and a box spring and SEVERAL pillows that all need bagged).

Ideally, I still need to dust all the other surfaces and get a wet mop for the floor. I want one that you just spray water on and wipe, not one that has a chemical component or disposal wipes. I'm thinking of the AchooAllergy Microfiber Floor Mop, but I think I can find something comparable at Bed Bath & Beyond. I've considered a Shark Steam Mop in the past, but I'm lazy and don't want something I have to plug in or charge - it seems like unnecessary labor and expense. A more old-school mop seems much less complicated.

I met with our doula today ... finally! I think it's a good match and will be a good thing. We were on the same page about so much and she's attended so many births (since the 1970s) that she's seen moms do it every which way and seems very comfortable with drug-free births, choosing to use pain medication, or going through with a c-section (should all other options be exhausted). She seems very much to be focused on the birthing mom having control over how she wants things done - doesn't mean it'll always work out that way, but she wants them to know they did everything they could do and make their own choices instead of a nurse or doctor making them for you. She's also very familiar with the hospital that I plan on delivery at - what the can and cannot do and what they will and will not allow. So, that's good. Also, if Jonathan is up in the air, it'll be good to have SOMEONE there with me ... as none of my local friends are particularly interested in laboring with me (they'll watch the kids, but they don't want to see the show). My only complaint: She used the word "squat" a lot. I hate that word.

Bean is at summer camp at "the fancy school" this week and having lots of fun. They do arts and crafts and music and P.E. and some other stuff here and there. He goes again next week. It's been a nice way to break up the summer. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I'm free of both boys for a few hours - that's a nice break.

How could I forgot? I locked my keys in my car. No crap, I unlocked it, tossed my purse and keys in, shut the door and went to open Moose's door and it was locked. My car will lock automatically if a door isn't opened after unlocking with the FOB. But a door was opened! I think it was just perfect (or, quite IMPERFECT) timing. I must have opened the door just as it locked itself. Moose proceeded to act like a crazy person and crap his pants. Here I was with this reeking psycho, pregnant, in 100-degree heat, with no phone, and way too far away from my house (not that I could get in anyway) or from a friend's. Thankfully, a restaurant employee let me use his phone (since Husband's cell is long distance) and my husband answered and was just 10 minutes away. Oh my goodness, that could have been SO much worse!

Oh, the Husband test drove a Toyota Sienna yesterday. I think he was pleased with how "not his mom's mini van" it was. It was nice, but I still prefer the Odyssey ... now, if they would just stock some so Husband could test drive one of those. Overall, the Odyssey just seems to be of superior quality and design. Since our plan is to hang on to it for 10+ years that is far more important than saving a few bucks up front.

Something tells me my attitude would perk up a lot if an Odyssey suddenly parked itself in my garage!

Allergies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:11:00 +0000

Holding your child during an allergy skin prick test sucks. I know it wasn't "painful," but he was uncomfortable and dying to itch, and I just had to hold him close and keep his hands off his back. It was terrible. I don't recommend doing it unless it's really necessary.

Thankfully, none of his food reactions tested high enough to be considered an allergy. The only things that offered ANY reaction were whole milk and corn (and corn can often come out when crossed with grass allergies).

His worse reaction was to dust mites (a year-round allergy), grass (which usually knocks off in very hot weather which explains why his allergies seem so much worse fall through spring), cats, and cockroaches.

Putting laminate wood floors throughout the entire house was the best choice we could have made. I'm also not to acquire anymore rugs (which will make Husband bummed), but our one low-pile rug is OK (as long as it's not in his bedroom). All the bedding in his room (his brother's too) needs to be cased. All the bedding in our room too, since he spends time in there snuggling in the mornings. I refuse to give up my ONE feather pillow (his allergies certainly aren't that bad - I really love my feather pillow). The bedding precautions will probably be beneficial to Husband too. It's also advised to wash bedding in 130-degree water. Our water heater is at 120 to prevent scalding. We'll need to think about that.

Our couches are gross. Which I already knew. They are beat up and stained and showing signs of wear. I didn't want to replace them till the boys were done beating the hell out of them, but it might be time for them to go anyway. Indoor cats have lounged upon them and there are 7 to 8 years of dust mite fun in them. Replacing them with leather is the obvious choice. I don't really like leather furniture, but it makes the most sense allergy-wise, hygiene-wise, and durability-wise.

Grass is unavoidable. Hopefully that is something the gazillion medicines he was prescribed can resolve (OK, it's not really a gazillion, but it is like five or six).

That cat is obviously outside for good. One of the cat's disappeared last week. It wasn't my cat this time, so I don't care. Husband said, "But White Chin misses her sister." I said, "No she doesn't. She's my cat. She doesn't give a crap. She's fine." And she is. She's the lower maintenance of the two, so it worked out. I'm guessing White Chin weasled her way into someone's home. Since moving, she was desperate to get back inside. I haven't seen any cat carcasses on the road. I guess it's possible that a neighboring dog ate her, but adopting new humans seems most likely.

As for cockroaches, the allergist was clear that this was the small cockroaches and mainly the dust leftover from their dead bodies and feces. I've only ever seen the HUGE ones outside the house since we moved in and did clean up a few HUGE ones before we moved in. He does think it's worth having the outside perimeter of the house sprayed once a year, if possible.

By far, though, his reaction to dust mites was much worse than anything else. Cats were second.

So, there you have it.

The allergist said an Ear/Nose/Throat doctor would gladly remove Moose's tonsils and adenoids (as that's how they make their living), but he personally doesn't see that being necessary. He wants to see how the drugs and preventative measures do clearing up his symptoms before resorting to surgery.

I'm not sure I entirely agree. I know surgery is a more invasive fix in the short-term, but being on allergy meds long-term seems to carry its own set of risks and general annoyances. Of course, surgery doesn't necessarily mean any of the allergy issues would be resolved either.

Looking at leather couches and wondering why they don't come in fun colors. Can only find brown, black, and white (which looks like it belongs in a retirement community). They can dye leather, right? Where's the turquoise?

My two top contenders (after looking at Sam's Club, Costco, Ethan Allen, Ivan Smith, La-Z-Boy, and Havertys):

La-Z-Boy Pembroke
La-Z-Boy Barron

Pembroke is more affordable (though, I think after you customize it to leather the price is probably equal - hard to make sense of online) but a little on the fussy side. On the other hand, Barron is all classic lines (almost boring) but could easily stand the test of time and be jazzed up with some fun pillows.

Aren't we supposed to be saving for a minivan down payment? Children are forever coming up with new ways to spend your money!

Naming Baby Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:45:00 +0000

We are 60 days from the National Labor Day. As my children like to come on holidays, I'm betting she arrives on September 5. I'm hoping a little before. I hit 37 weeks on August 25. She is welcome to exit any time after that. All that said, my oldest child has named her Flower Pumpkin. I've thrown my hands up in the air and tell people her name is Juno (which it's not - I might consider it for a middle name, but not a first name).

We have looked at every "C" name on many websites and in books. The only contenders we see (or have seen):

Cara
Carraway
Calista
Cali/Callie
California

We liked Cara when I was pregnant last time. Today, though, it seems a little too simple. We are finally having a girl and all we have to offer is four letters? Carraway might solve this problem, BUT if were to call her Cara, I'd prefer to spell it Caraway, but The Great Gatsby character is Carraway - the two Rs are important! So, out of those two, it's just Cara that remains up for consideration.

We like Cali but feel it is too informal. The husband liked Calista a lot, but he's over it. We toyed with California (his home state), but decided she'd likely turn Ann Coulter on us if we plagued her with such a hippie name. Also, I kind of like Cali spelled Callie. So, yes, Calista/California/Callie/Cali are out too.

So, for C names. We are looking at:

Cara

For non-C names, we've discussed Emerine. It's a surname from my husband's side of the family. I worry no one will spell it correctly. Ever. Also, it sounds a little old-fashioned, so it needs to be paired with a very classic or contemporary middle name. I liked Emerine Grace, but it leaves her with the initials EGG. That will not work. Since Emerine is pulled from his side of the family, I'd like to add something from my side of the family. Unfortunately, all my hill people's names sound very old-fashioned when paired with Emerine. Emerine Lillian, Emerine Ola, Emerine Frances ... all old.

Cara Emerine is nice, but then her initials don't match The Boys. That might be fine, but if we're going to bother with a C, it seems like we should bother with a J too (and I have a J middle name that I like quite well with Cara).

I really like the name Piper (my husband does not), and I don't think I could use it. We joked about Piper Irene, so her initials would be PIG or Piper Ursula, so her initials would be PUG. While that is all hilarious, we're not using Piper.

Her 4D ultrasound pictures look just Moose. So, I feel a little connection of, "Well, if Moose was a girl, his name would be Cara, so her name IS Cara."

My husband's only other suggestion: Carissa. Which I hate. As a general rule, I hate all names that rhyme with my name - with the possible exception of Alissa (spelled with an I). I also disapprove all creative spellings (or, as I call them, misspellings) of my name. One L, an I, and two flippin' Ss. Got it?

ANYWAY.

As someone with a Top 5 name from her birth year, I will not use a name in the Top 5. As a matter of fact, I'm unlikely to use a name from the Top 25 or, honestly, even the Top 100. My first child's name was 114 when I used it and it is now in the Top 100 and it IRKS me. It is really an irrational fear (as none of the current Most Popular Names are nearly as popular as Jennifer/Melissa/Jessica, etc. when I was born). STILL. I am left not wanting to go there AT ALL. So, the following names are pretty much out:

Isabella
		Sophia
		Emma
		Olivia
		Ava
		Emily
		Abigail
		Madison
		Chloe
		Mia
		Addison
		Elizabeth
		Ella
		Natalie
		Samantha
		Alexis
		Lily
		Grace
		Hailey
		Alyssa
		Lillian
		Hannah
		Avery
		Leah
		Nevaeh
		Sofia
		Ashley
		Anna
		Brianna
		Sarah
		Zoe
		Victoria
		Gabriella
		Brooklyn
		Kaylee
		Taylor
		Layla
		Allison
		Evelyn
		Riley
		Amelia
		Khloe
		Makayla
		Aubrey
		Charlotte
		Savannah
		Zoey
		Bella
		Kayla
		Alexa
		Peyton
		Audrey
		Claire
		Arianna
		Julia
		Aaliyah
		Kylie
		Lauren
		Sophie
		Sydney
		Camila
		Jasmine
		Morgan
		Alexandra
		Jocelyn
		Gianna
		Maya
		Kimberly
		Mackenzie
		Katherine
		Destiny
		Brooke
		Trinity
		Faith
		Lucy
		Madelyn
		Madeline
		Bailey
		Payton
		Andrea
		Autumn
		Melanie
		Ariana
		Serenity
		Stella
		Maria
		Molly
		Caroline
		Genesis
		Kaitlyn
		Eva
		Jessica
		Angelina
		Valeria
		Gabrielle
		Naomi
		Mariah
		Natalia
		Paige
		Rachel

I am not saying there is anything wrong with these names. Many of them are perfectly lovely! I will not use them, though.

Let's look at names out the Top 100 (101 to 500) that I like well enough but aren't particularly speaking to me:

Harper (not quite feminine enough)
Rebecca (a friend named Rebecca advised AGAINST it)
Summer (rhymes with hummer - just not sure I can do that)
Delilah (the song reference is super, the Biblical reference is not)
Chelsea (Husband doesn't like it - probably because of Chelsea on Teen Mom)
Fiona (love the idea of it, but she might not like being named after an ogre - and I don't blame her)
Genevieve (it's a lot of name)
Malia (Husband doesn't like it, I'm not sure I do either)

Since our last name is quite vanilla (which I am thankful for), we tend not to like plain-and-simple names. Megan, Sarah, Mary, Sally, etc. are all fine names but when paired with our last name, the whole name is pretty darn boring.

All this makes Flower Pumpkin seem quite reasonable.

Moose Turns THREE

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Dear Moose,

Here we are at three. Three years ago, we were still sitting in the hospital. We spied some fireworks out the hospital window the night before. Yesterday, however, there was a fireworks ban in place. We still had a few smaller ones and some very hazardous sparklers. You stepped on some ash and got a blister - at least it was the end of the day :)

You loved tearing open the gifts from your grandparents. Your dad and I bought you an aquarium and fish, so there wasn't anything to tear open (as I figured you'd rather have a ready-to-go aquarium than one in a box and wait for days to actually put fish in). We killed three guppies and a snail overnight, but the new betta is hanging in there. We've actually hit the 24-hour mark with him. He's blue and black and you suggested the name Brown for him. I'll ask you again in a few days.

You are hilarious. You're a bit of a bully at times and are sweet as can be in other moments. You love playing outside barefoot and digging in the dirt. You and your brother have a good time together and, lucky for you, he just adores you and rarely hits you back. You still like to hit. Everything. And Everyone. But you're getting a handle on it. Now you will "dance yourself down" as you think about whacking someone. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

You know all your big letters and are quickly learning the little ones. You are writing many of them. And counting too. You're getting your colors (albeit, not all the time, see what you wanted to name the fish?) down. You recently started potty-training. You're pretty darn flawless with your #1s. Your #2s need some work, though. Please resolve this issue quickly.

You are speaking more and more and adore babies (similar to me, you prefer them immobile - you're less impressed with the variety that moves and protests). You're still a kid of few words, but you're getting there. I appreciate you not running your mouth all the time. Most kids talk too damn much anyway.

You're particular about some things - which shoes, jumping off the curb instead of stepping off of it, what goes in your sippy cup - but very laid back about other things.

Everyone always compliments your "perfectly highlighted" hair. Some people think it should be shorter, though. I think they should jump in a lake. I love your long hair.

You're a great eater and an early riser. If we make it to 7 a.m., it's pretty darn successful.

You still have some baby left in you but your little personality seeps out more and more everyday. As I say every year, stop growing.

Love always,
Mama

Hardware

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:35:00 +0000

These suckers are about $4 each at Lowe's:I got them from Overstock.com for just $1.83 each (plus $2.95 shipping for the entire order). It's just as good of quality and fits the existing holes in the cabinets. Yeah! I needed 50 of them to do the guest bath, kitchen, and laundry room ...

We are going to do brushed nickel hardware in the master bathroom ... one day ... many days from now.

Now I need to find just as good of a deal on hinges. If I have 50 pulls, then that means I have at least 100 hinges (most cabinets have two, some have three, but the drawers have none). Debating painting the existing ones, but the hassle PLUS the likelihood of the finish holding up seems not worth it.

Still celebrating my good deal on the pulls, though!

Surrendering to the Mini-Van

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:58:00 +0000

It took three kids, but I admit defeat.

I want a mini-van.

What sold me?

Power-slide doors.

And my narrow-ass garage.

I get three rows of seating and slightly better gas mileage.

I'm not "hanging on" to being cool. I'm a stay-at-home mom with three small children. The ship has sailed. An Expedition isn't going to reclaim me any street cred.

My must-haves:

Seats 8
Fuel efficiency
Flat-folding third row
Power-sliding doors

Thankfully, there aren't too many mini-vans on the market. Unlike the SUV saga, there's not so much to look at! Only the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna offer 8 seats, so that whittles it down even farther. Both have flat-folding third rows.

The Odyssey gets slightly better gas mileage.

The Sienna is supposed to be "more fun to drive" and has better color options (and, yes, I am won over by color on most all things - cameras, phones, etc.)

The "eighth" seat is "not practical for an adult" in the Sienna, it is in the Odyssey.

It's easier to get into the Sienna's third row compared to the Odyssey.

The Sienna's price is slightly lower (by about $2,000) and Toyota offers some incentives ($500 military discount and low financing - but our bank is still offering a bit better, so that doesn't really matter), where as Honda is offering nothing. But a $500 military discount doesn't seem to make a lot of difference on a $32,000+ purchase, no?

Our local dealerships do not have a single van on their lot I want (see: WHITE, 7-passenger vans). I suppose I can still take both models for a test drive, though, and they can acquire the specific one I want.

Right now, I am stuck between the two.

I like the idea of a fully-functional 8th seat and best gas mileage on the Honda, but I also like the color options and easier-access 3rd row on the Sienna. Seems like a draw. Seems like the gas mileage is the most important of these issues and the functional 8th seat and access to 3rd row seem equally important.

I like the body-style of the Odyssey better, but I like the color options of the Sienna MUCH better.

Fret, fret, fret.

Cutting Paper

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:02:00 +0000

For the first time in a while, I sat around and cut paper. My friend and I prepared a craft for this Wednesday's writing group. It's been a while since we've done something aside from writing. That's been going well, but I think it's a good time to try something different to inspire a writing topic.

So, that was fun - 5"x5" squares, 3.25"x3.25" squares, 3.75"x3.75" squares. There's something about the monotony that is very relaxing. Gardening is kind of like that, but thanks to the whole pregnancy thing ... gardening is not very fun right now (a lot of bending over that my body and acid reflux disagree with).

Husband hung my shelves that house my stamp sets. I'm eager to sort them on there. I made myself sit down and do a unit of social studies planning for next year. I am adapting the Louisiana Board of Education curriculum for home use. It ::seemed:: easier than buying a whole new curriculum. I was wrong. But I think it'll be good for him to have one subject that is going the same course as his peers. I also like the variety of topics covered, and it seems to use a variety of mediums to teach - all good things.

Oh, a neighbor brought over some native grasses for me to plant in my big bed out front. I should probably do that before the great stamp organization begins.

Cake for Moose's Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Moose's birthday is on the 4th of July. I might try my hand at this cake:

Smart Phones and More

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:05:00 +0000

I am really on the fence about getting a smart phone. The idea of taking a picture and INSTANTLY posting here or on Facebook is very appealing. HOWEVER, it's not necessary. It's not. I have a digital camera that I like. Yes, it's an extra step to get it uploaded, but that might be a good thing (looking at you, Anthony Wiener).

My friend mentioned that having a newborn, a smart phone would be nice. I can nurse and peruse the internet. I had a laptop with the other two babies ... so I don't have that flexibility anymore. But I did the math, and I'd spend more in a year on having a phone with internet access than I would if I just bought an iPad. Honestly, I'd probably rather have the larger screen and the lower monthly cell phone bill.

All this said, I am still operating with a phone that only works on speaker phone. I'm not making a lot (or ANY) calls.

Last night, I hosted the writing group. It was the perfect motivation to straighten up some things. In the course of three days, the boys and I managed to complete disrupt all the cleaning Husband did while we were gone. I have no idea how. Seriously, it was BAD. So, knowing people were coming over, I slowly but surely cleaned the kitchen (minus the dirty dishes), cleaned the pretty new bathroom (still need to trade out some of the BRIGHT GREEN accessories for brown or light aqua ones - but still a success), and straightened up the piano/book/dining room (where we were writing). My reflux attacked in full-force (probably aided by an overindulgence in BBQ chicken cheese ball and Triscuits).

The success, however, motivated me to make the office usable. I wanted to paint BEFORE making it functional, but I've accepted that it's just not in the cards. We need this space to be functional NOW. We don't need to paint NOW.

I am typing away in the office as we speak (previously, my computer was in the piano/book/dining room). The husband's salvaged recliner is also in here. The plan is to set Husband up on my craft table, since he has a laptop and can easily be moved around (if needed). I haven't been crafting lately, so he's probably safe working there for a while. We'll see. It is taking me forever, though, and I am so tired right now.

Oh, I also started potty training Moose today! He had a few accidents. He'd go and stop himself and run to the bathroom and finish up. He had one incident (while I was in the shower) where he full-out peed himself and was VERY upset. Then he self-initiated three other trips before nap time. At nap time, I tried to talk him into a pull-up. He threw the thing and said, "No diaper!" I waited till he fell asleep and switched out his underwear. Thankfully, he hadn't peed or pooped himself in the meantime. So, so far, so good.

Let me tell you, I love having laminate wood flooring through my entire house. I may roll up our one rug for a few days while we wrap up this potty-training business.

The Return

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:35:00 +0000

The kids and I went to Indiana for two weeks to visit family and friends. It was a great trip. I was exhausted by the end. I needed to return to my house just to rest!

The trip up went very smoothly. The trip back was not as great, but it's over.

Thank goodness.

We arrived home Sunday around 5:30 p.m. The very next morning, I had an 8:30 doctor's appointment. It was time for the gestational diabetes test. They didn't call me with results yesterday, so let's just assume I passed. They also did a 4D ultrasound. Oh my goodness. She is adorable. She looks a lot like Moose - HUGE, saggy cheeks and a small chin. Her face absolutely looks like that of a fully-term baby. Her legs are skinny for now, though. I was 26w4d and she was measuring a full 28w and weighing in at 2 lbs. 9 oz.

I couldn't eat or drink after midnight, so I had to skip my meds yesterday morning ... so I puked.

Still.

At 26w4d.

Not fair.

And I am huge. The heaviest I have ever been. My legs and feet and knees and ankles are not pleased with this. People look at me saying, "You poor thing? How long do you have?" I tell them September. They are astounded. I again asked the ultrasound tech, "Are you SURE there isn't another one in there somewhere?" She assures me there is no way another baby is in there.

I am just huge.

Husband has been working hard around the house. While I was gone, he retiled the guest bathroom, installed a few more new lights, built part of a fence around the garden, and resolved some electric issues (via an electrician). He wallpapered the guest bathroom last night - the walls in there were so torn up that we decided the entire walls needed textured paper to cover up imperfections. I think it was a good choice. It looks like a million bucks in there now.

Obviously, there are pictures to upload. I know!

A speaker on my phone went out, so I can only use the speaker phone option. I am fretting over which new phone to get and if I should jump on board with a data plan (leaning towards no). There is also the "new car" fun that is way more intimidating and a huge list of house stuff to wrap up before our July 4th guests arrive and certainly before Baby Girl arrives.

I am also in the midst of planning out Bean's school year next year (we are homeschooling, unless the magnet school calls VERY SOON to say, "Oh, we have a spot!" which is totally unlikely).

And I am huge (did I mention that?).

Big, Like a Whale

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 May 2011 00:54:00 +0000

I'm 23 weeks and as big as I was with both boys at 38 and 40 weeks, respectively. My body is at its maximum weight and girth and every part of me (aside from the actual laboring parts) is telling me that I am DONE.

But I'm a long way from done.

Possibly 17 weeks from done.

Hopefully no more than 15 weeks from done.

I have a few clothing items I kept from when I was pregnant with Moose. This is the last week I'll be wearing them. The few M shirts I picked up at the beginning of my pregnancy are also done for now. I have three bottoms that fit me, and probably six or so tops. And two bras. And I don't want to buy any new stuff, because I will only need it for three months. Surely I can get through a summer in the South with just ten clothing items ...

What a disaster.

I am down to one anti-nausea drug. I'm left feeling a little queasy, but not to the point that I puke or heave. I have terrible acid reflux (which is kept in check if I remember to take my Zantac morning AND night).

My hope is this baby will develop quickly and make her exit the moment she is able to breath on her own and will be able to go home with me. I do not want a premature baby, but I do want this over with as soon as possible.

Wall of Books

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:33:00 +0000

Click this link and view the most adorable room ever.

OK, I don't really care about the entire room.

I just love that wall of books.

I want one in every room of our house.

It's decor and storage all in one.

Time for the husband to get to work on ANOTHER project.

Train Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:34:00 +0000

Driving cross-country roughing 24 weeks pregnant with two small children didn't hold a lot of appeal. The small one is a nightmare in hotels, so even the option of stopping for the night once or twice was actually even less appealing than driving the whole thing straight-through.

Flying was like $1,000. And flying with two small children sucks too. Flying pretty much just sucks. I hate the security ridiculousness. I don't think it makes us safer. I think it makes sane people crazy. Also, once you drive to the airport, wait, fly, wait, claim baggage, drive to the final location ... it's not that much faster. You've paid up the wazoo and you don't even have the luxury on having your own vehicle. No thank you.

So, there's Amtrak. I've never considered this option before. The price for our three tickets is about the same as one airline ticket. The time is comparable to driving (because of station stops to pick up/drop off passengers), but I'm not stuck behind the wheel and trying desperately to stay awake. The seats are bigger. We can get up and walk to the train cars. Legend has it that there is a lounge car and a dining car. I've read pretty good reviews of parents traveling with small children on Amtrak - bring your own food and entertainment. It doesn't seem that intimidating. The station is about 30 minutes from our home and the final station is about an hour from my mom's home - more convenient than the airports. So, we'll see how this goes.

Of course, the DS is missing (has been since we moved). I'm sure it's just misplaced, but we sure as heck cannot find it! I'll need to get another one of those if it doesn't turn up - that'll buy me several hours of entertainment for the kids.

Oh, I didn't announce that here ...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:35:00 +0000

It's official, we are having a BABY GIRL!

I'm not sure there is anyone who reads this that isn't on my Facebook, but I'll announce it just in case :)

SHE is measuring four days ahead of schedule (down from the six days ahead of schedule she was measuring at the last ultrasound). SHE is 11 oz. I think the heartbeat was 145 or so - still averaging lower than both the boys'.

We were so mentally prepared for a boy that we're still digesting the news. A GIRL! I'm just not convinced. The ultrasound tech was very thorough, though, and my doctor checked it out and was like, "Yes, it's absolutely a girl."

I took the boys to a local store in town that sells smocked dresses (all the rage in the South). We walked in and Bean said, "Eww. Girl stuff!" then we walked out. It wasn't worth battling them. So, I haven't really had a chance to look at anything - a car seat cover on Etsy, but that's it. No idea if we'll do a new bedding theme (the boys used the same jungle-themed stuff, and it's gender-neutral), but I will paint the walls pink :)

I do think she needs some pink cloth diapers and cute ruffled diaper covers and baby legs. Swoon. I have a feeling both grandmas and the aunt will supply more clothing than necessary, so I'm not even thinking of that stuff yet :)

House, Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:17:00 +0000

I am totally done painting the living room (Winter's Day - a gray) and entry way (Somber Sky or something like that - it's a warm medium blue)! Wahoo! I guess I'm also done with the boys' room and the master bedroom too.

I am repainting the kitchen and laundry room. I found a beautiful color combination - very resellable (when the time comes) and the Apple honestly just looks garish when paired with the others. So, Apple will be replaced with Pale Oak Grove (a very light green). Not to worry, I think Apple will make its way into my office or the baby's room.

The family room and hallways are going to be Husband's choice of Almond Paste. Ugh. You know how I feel about beige/off-white, but it is a good connecting color ... and I won't need to repaint come sales time.

Like I said, a very resellable color scheme and also very soothing. I think it's the right choice on all accounts.

I ordered a new washer and dryer. We were originally going to buy used, but I just had this uneasy feeling that we'd give someone $400, get the appliances home and they wouldn't work and/or would leak out onto the new flooring. I got a phenomenal deal on them. They were already 10-percent off at Lowes (with free delivery and installation) and my military discount gave me another 10-percent off! The guy working in the appliance department was awesome. I did a lot of review and price research - saved about $200 going through Lowe's instead of Sears or Best Buy. So, hopefully those bad boys (or are appliances girls) will be in on Friday :)

Husband has the backsplash tile in. We are waiting on an electrician to come resolve some wiring issues, and then he can finish up the kitchen completely. Oh, we still need new hardware (as much as love polished brass) ...

All of the smaller not-needed-every-day items are moved over there. We have a moving truck for Saturday and some help, so all the big stuff should be moved over Saturday ... along with the everyday-everyday stuff. Then we'll give the rental a good cleaning and change out the locks (we changed them when we moved in) and be done here :) We should also do another pass with the mower, but then we're really done :)

Poor Moose is down for the count with viral croup AGAIN. He started coughing Friday and by Sunday coughed so badly that he puked, so Husband took him the ER. They did a chest x-ray and gave him a shot of steroids. He had Husband up at 3:30 this morning. A friend suggested I get him referred out to an allergist - her son had similar ongoing croup issues. We're supposed to treat his fever (which comes and goes) and have him rest. Let me tell you, getting a hacking 2-year-old boy to rest is SO easy! Nope, not at all. He has an appointment with the base doctor or Thursday.

I need to note that for this 5th birthday, Bean was 50 pounds and 4'1.5". He did well on his magnet school testing (97th percentile) but not good enough for one of there 31 spots. Why his current school is allowed to burst at the seams but this tax-funded public school can limit its spots is beyond me. He's wait-listed, but I'm not holding my breath.

I am still nauseous. Twice I've tried to stop taking my medicine (to "see" if I'm finally over it), and twice I've puked and dry-heaved 24 hours into it. So, the 18th week was not magical this time around. On the plus side, I seem to function like a normal pregnant lady even under the influence of medicine that would knock out a horse. About 39 hours till THE BIG REVEAL ultrasound ... not that I'm counting.

2011 Books

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:25:00 +0000

I've neglected my 2011 Reading Log, so I'm going to jot it down really fast till I find a more permanent place for it:

Better Off
by Eric Brende

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Steig Larson

Keesha's House
by Helen Frost

A Northern Light
by Jennifer Donnelly

J.D. Salinger: A Life
by Kenneth Slawenski

Bird by Bird
by Anne Lamott

The Life of Pi
by Yann Martel

The Homeschool Option
by Lisa Rivero

The Color Purple
by Alice Walker

There might be a couple others, but they're not coming to mind - so maybe not. I've read about half as many books as I had at this point last year. That's OK - I've been sick (and tiny words on a page made my head spin for a while) and I haven't found a series (like Sookie Stackhouse) that are quick and relatively easy reads to up my numbers. All in due time.

Decluttering

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:06:00 +0000

When we moved into this house (our rental), a year ago, I thought we'd done a nice job cleaning out. Not PERFECT, but I really thought the "junk" was limited.

I was wrong.

The evidence is in the car loads of stuff we've already transferred to the new house ...

And haven't missed.

I'm talking LOTS of stuff.

Granted, a good chunk of it is baby stuff. As we're expecting a baby, it doesn't make sense to get rid of this stuff NOW. Though, this will be the last baby (you hear that?) ... so once this baby is done with "baby stuff," then it's time for the baby stuff to go.

I took all my clothes over there that fall into winter/doesn't fit/didn't fit/likelihood of wearing this again is close to zero ... I took 3/4 of my clothes. Aside from a few sweaters and long-sleeve shirts (which is probably less than 10 items total) THIS IS STUFF I DO NOT WEAR AND WILL NOT WEAR. Seriously? And I think I have a lot less clothes than most women to begin with. I'm disgusted.

I also have lots of serving dishes THAT I KEEP IN THE BOXES SO THEY DON'T BREAK. This are items that are no longer made. I've justified this by, they are irreplaceable. So, of course, this means store them in their original packaging and NEVER USE THEM. This is silly. There's a decent chance I could find the item on eBay if something happens and I HAD to replace it. There's also a total chance that I can find something else I love to replace it with. Really, physical things are - ultimately - temporary.

I have things I keep because they were gifts and/or were expensive. This is not a long list of things, but they exist. I tell myself the purpose of a gift is for the recipient to enjoy it - if he or she is no longer enjoying it, then it's not a gift anymore. I wouldn't want someone keeping a gift from me that was burdening them ... but it's hard to make sense of this when you know the giver may not interpret your giving away/selling of the "gift" that way. It doesn't mean I never enjoyed it, it just means it's time to move on. The space and/or money is a more valuable gift at this time.

The toys. Good grief. I genuinely think the boys get to a point where they've dumped out and mixed up so much stuff that they don't even see ANY of it - let alone play with it. We've decided NOT to give them a play room in this next house. Nine times out of 10, they drag their preferred toys into the adult areas of the house anyway! So, to pull this off, I think half the toys are going to have to go. Honestly, they don't even play with half of them ... so it should matter. I told Bean we were selling the train table.

"But I love the train table."
"You don't even play with the trains."
"Because you put them away." (True.)
"OK, but you did have the twisty track out and where did you play with that?"
"On the floor, because the train table had a bunch of junk on it."

Exactly. You can play with your train sets on the floor JUST FINE. The train table is large and has been used as a junk holder for a full year. It's going.

The book situation is also a little grotesque, but it's an area I'm not fretting about. My only goal is to avoiding buying books (for myself). I have plenty of unread books and access to a library. Now, I have YEARS of back issues of writing magazines. I consider them to be a contribution to my writing life. I've never looked at a back issue. Ever. Ever. Not a single time. And there's gotta be five years of back issues. I'm seriously considering putting them in the garage sale or up on Freecycle. There are people who could really enjoying pouring over this magazines (once upon a time, I certainly would have), but that's a passed moment for me. Now, they only take up valuable shelf space.

Also, papers from high school and college and my jobs ... I think I hang on to them because they remind me that I did something before pouring sippy cups and wiping noses and butts. LOOK, I DID SOMETHING! Not that mothering is nothing, but it's certainly not something you get credit for or a paycheck for and it does nothing to build your resume. It's not something American culture values (which, I think, explains away a lot of our poverty and crime rates). I don't think it all needs thrown in the recycling bin, but it needs to be brought down to a single box ... not FIVE OR SIX boxes that are so heavy I can't even lift them.