Sippy Cups Are Not For Starbucks

The Name

2012-01-30T18:16:00.005-05:00

Since Blue's name has been a hot topic of conversation, I figured I'd address that now, even before the birth story.
I hate to disappoint, but because we have decided to keep our names off this blog, I won't be posting Blue's name here. BUT, I do think I have another solution for inquiring minds. I'll get to that.
First, I have to say, I never thought that this naming (or lack of naming) business would turn into such a big deal. But, holy crap, people! What a big deal it was... but only to everyone else. We were fine with the fact that we were seriously stuck with the naming. Everyone else seemed to be in a unexplained tizzy. People were annoyed even. Angry. About a name.
The hospital staff was the worst. The techs and birth certificate lady were almost rude about it. They even threatened me with "Well, I'll just put baby boy on there." So. Go ahead. I'll just change it. They also tried to tell me that I had to name him before we left. Not true. We had thirty days. Sure, it would have involved more work once we came home, but it wasn't a big deal. Besides, were the techs and birth certificate lady coming home with me to deal with it? No, I think not.
And everyone else just drove us crazy with the never ending suggestions (that we weren't soliciting for). It wasn't that we couldn't think of a name, that wasn't the problem. Trust me when I tell you that we probably looked at and scoured every possible name option available. I'm sure there are only a few names we haven't heard at this point.
Anyway, we literally filled out the paperwork in the hour before we left the hospital. He was completely nameless for the first forty-eight hours.
The problem with the naming was that we couldn't figure it out. Everyone said, "Just wait until you see him, you'll know." Well, that didn't really help. Unless he was going to verbally tell us what to name him, looking at him wasn't particularly helpful. He looked like a baby. A baby without a name.
Bee and I each had a list. The problem was that we both didn't love the same names. Here was the bottom line. I liked Barrett. Bee liked Reid. I didn't love (or particularly like) Reid. Bee didn't love (or particularly like) Barrett. We weren't arguing about it, but neither of us could envision naming our child Reid (me) or Barrett (Bee). Both of us did like another name though. For both of us, "Blue" was a happy second choice. We could both live with "Blue," but neither of us LOVED "Blue." Hence the problem. In the end, we knew that we would never come to a consensus on a name that both of us just loved. But, since we both really liked "Blue," we decided that that name was the best we were going to get to agreeing. It's not that we settled, it's just that we knew that this was our reality. We weren't going to find a name we both loved. Period. So, "Blue" it is.
Now, on to the sharing.
I thought about posting here, then deleting, but the name will live on in a cached fashion forever. A better option might be Facebook, where I can delete the post without it living on forever (theoretically). I don't know if you have to "like" the Sippy Cups Facebook page to see it, but if you want to like the page, see the name and unlike the page, I won't be offended. But, that's the plan. I'm going to post his name on the Sippy Cups Facebook page, leave it for a few days and then delete it.
Oh, the anticipation!

A Great Man

2012-01-29T18:14:00.000-05:00

This week has brought on a few realities of life. While we have been celebrating the birth of Blue and rejoicing in his life, I learned of my grandfather's imminent death on Wednesday morning, just a day after Blue was born. At eighty-nine, his health has been deteriorating slowly over the past few years and the last year in particular had been especially difficult for him.

Myself, cousin and little brother with our Papaw.

Yesterday, I got the call that I knew was coming. He had passed away. I am so happy that a little less than a year ago, the girls and I got the opportunity to visit with him while he was still able to get around and talk with us.

To say that he was an amazing man would be a gross understatement. Although I won't get into our family's history here, suffice it to say that he was a remarkable husband, father, grandfather and man. He was a shining example of what a man should be and I would be proud to know that Blue grew up aspiring to be the kind of man that he was.

Sadly, I won't be able to make the six/ seven hour trip down to the funeral. With my c-section pain and a newborn, it just isn't possible. It would also not be a great idea to expose Blue to my grandfather's four children, twenty grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and their spouses. That's a lot of germs for a mere week old baby.
My Papaw will also be an example of what a loving, compassionate and selfless man is.

Cute Baby Saturday: From The Phone

2012-01-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

If you're friends with me on Facebook, you've seen all these already. For everyone else, here are a few pictures from my phone over the past few days (in no particular order).

Friday Night Leftovers (We're Home Edition)

2012-01-27T09:01:00.015-05:00

We came home yesterday. I had the option to stay an extra day and I didn't take it. What is wrong with me?
Thank goodness Jen posted for me yesterday.
I am so very tired. Shocker.
I am in pain. Shocker.
Halo swaddler blankets rock.
Bean has the stomach bug Tot had last week. Nice of them to let me sandwich Blue's birth in there.
Last night was an endless cycle of pooping, peeing, feeding, gas and crying. Oh, and Bean's puking.
Pain medication makes me itchy.
I am so in love with this darling, up all night, boy.
Now I must rest.

Guest Post- Valentine's Cards

2012-01-26T13:45:00.004-05:00

Hi, everyone! It's me, Jen from Here We Go Again. Did you know that Danifred had a baby like two days ago? Well, she did. So I am posting for her today so that she can do things like sleep. Sleep is good. I like sleep.

Anyway, in honor of her brand new shiny baby, I decided to talk about...Valentine's Day. That's right! I know, you are excited. Don't worry, I will explain why. This totally makes sense. So Danifred has this tiny (giant) new baby and also a little girl in Kindergarten. And when you are in Kindergarten, you have to bring the Valentine's cards into class. One for each person. (And don't forget anyone, or we got in trouble when I was growing up.) So I am writing this post for Tiny Prints so that Tot can take some fancy Valentine's cards into her class without Danifred having to do much work at all, since she's all busy with that aforementioned baby.

So, now that we've got that explanation and disclaimer (Tot gets free cards because I wrote this) out of the way, let's move on!

Do you remember Valentine's Day parties in elementary school? I always got a stack of those tear out cards, mostly signed (but some kids forgot). They would be in those cheap little white paper envelopes and the best ones would be lumpy, meaning that there was one of those little conversation hearts in there. I was always really excited when the card was lumpy, even though I never did like those hearts. Even as a kid, I thought they were awful. I liked a nice tootsie roll lollipop. (In modern times, I prefer expensive chocolate, if you feel like sending me anything.)

So, why don't you check out Tiny Prints' Valentine Cards and tell me which one you would choose? And which one do you think Danifred ought to choose for Tot to take to school with her?

If you are interested, here is where to find Tiny Prints on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Pinterest.

Questions From Tot and Bean

2012-01-25T07:19:00.007-05:00

*Today's blog entry was set to post days and days ago. Regularly scheduled programming to resume soon*

Over the past nine months I kept track of some of the questions that Tot and Bean had about the baby. Enjoy!

Tot:
Does the baby cry in there?
Does the baby in your belly like spicy (foods)? A little spicy or a lot spicy?
Can we bring the baby to a restaurant?
Does the shower hurt the baby?
Can we name it Jesse if it's a boy?
How'd it get in there?
How does it get out?
If you hit your belly does it hurt the baby?
Does the baby eat what you eat?
Do we have to wait to after Christmas to see it?
How old will the baby be when it's born?
Can the baby hear your voice?
Can the baby hear me?
What can we name the baby?
Does the baby like the waves (at the beach)?
Is the baby growing?
Does the baby like green grapes? Red grapes?
Does the baby like crabs? Mushrooms?
Can the baby hear the thunder?
Is it getting big?
Can you swim if you have a baby in your belly?
(Pointing to my belly button) Is that his penises?
Does he have clothes on?
Is he wearing a diaper?
Does he pee in there?
(While packing for my trip to Arizona) Will the baby go on the airplane with you?
When the baby is first born, will the baby have ears?
Will the baby be tiny?
Will our baby have blond hair?
Will it have little ears?
What will the baby eat?
How does milk get out of your boobies?
Is the baby moving right now?
Will I be six when the baby comes?
Where will the baby sleep?
Will the baby chew our books?

Bean:
Do you have a heart in your belly?
How's your baby today? (while rubbing baby and asked almost daily)
Can I have a baby in my belly?
Can grown ups have babies?
Is the baby being good?
Is it scared?
Is the baby happy in there?
Is he kicking?
I can't see it in there!
Does the baby like me?
Is the baby scared? Are there monsters in there?
Is the baby crying?

Blue

2012-01-24T18:34:00.001-05:00

We are both doing well.
NINE pounds, twelve ounces.
Twenty and a half inches.
Born about 11:30 this morning.
Still no name.
Nursing, sleeping, just being cute.

Randomness

2012-01-23T08:52:00.000-05:00

A few random thoughts are the only way I'm getting through a blog post today.

I managed to get every thing on my list done before going in tomorrow.

I am set to check in at the hospital at 8:45 tomorrow morning. I will try to post whenever I get the chance, probably just enough to say that we are well. I promise nothing. If you follow Sippy Cups on Facebook, that might be your best chance to know what is going on unless you know me IRL.

We don't have a name picked out. We don't even have a choice of two names. Or three. This will be interesting.

I spent some time yesterday alone with Tot. We don't get much one on one time anymore. We enjoyed a trip looking around at the toy store and a little Starbucks, including a Toffee Nut Latte for me and a pink doughnut for her.

We made it through forty-eight hours without another person getting the stomach bug. Tot still isn't a hundred percent, but, thankfully, no one else has gotten sick.

In order to prepare for the fact that my classes start this week, I've already read three weeks ahead. I've had to stop for fear that I'd forget what I read by the time classes rolled around.

Because I am so antsy, I read The Hunger Games in two days. I haven't read a pleasure book since last summer, and before that? I don't know. I plan on reading Catching Fire next. I'm pushing my luck.

I think that's about all I have for today.

Until tomorrow...

My Ceiling Tile

2012-01-22T09:02:00.003-05:00

(First section originally posted on Vera Verita after my twelve week sonogram appointment)
When I went in for my sonogram at week twelve, I cried before it even got started. I couldn't help myself because I was petrified. My doctor went on to tell me the story of the man and his ceiling tile.
A man, a very healthy and wealthy and happy man, was sitting at his desk working, just like he did every day of his entire life. One day, a ceiling tile fell from his ceiling and hit him on the head. He wasn't hurt, but he lost control. The ceiling tile changed everything for him. Suddenly, he became consumed with wondering what else could happen if a ceiling tile could fall on his head while sitting at his desk.
The point? Once a ceiling tile hits you on the head, it's hard not to worry about the "what else?"

I don't know if it's because I feel lucky, or blessed, or fortunate to have all the that we have, but I'm scared about Tuesday.
Maybe it's the miscarriage or the never ending struggles to have these children. Either way, I'm scared.
I'm scared there won't be a safe delivery. I'm scared about not having a healthy baby.
I'm just scared.
I just want to see his face. Hold his hands. Count his toes. Watch his little chest rise and fall as he sleeps.
Tuesday seems like a thousand days away right now.

Cute Baby Saturday: From The Archives

2012-01-21T20:38:00.000-05:00

Friday Night Leftovers (The Pre-Delivery and Stomach Bug Edition)

2012-01-20T10:14:00.002-05:00

Tot started vomiting last night. It's official. She has a stomach bug. This is not good, not good at all for us.
I am now petrified. Petrified, terrified that either Bee or I will catch this. Not to downplay how badly Tot feels, but seriously, I must be well. This baby must be delivered.
Sometimes I wonder what the heck people are thinking when they post their crap to Facebook. I always wonder what life will be like for our girls with social networking taking over the world. I'm sure scary would be accurate.
The quickest way to ensure that the girls get out from under my feet and play with their toys is to order them into the playroom to clean up. It always ends with playing. And no cleaning.
I can't wait to wear normal clothes again. I was in Kohl's the other day and almost salivating over some "normal" shirts.
Do you hear that? I'm pretty sure it was Ann Taylor Loft calling my name. I can hear you ATL, I hear you!
I don't know why our county pretends to have school this month. Christmas break, MLK day, two half days for exams, two days for teacher workdays, throw in a snow day (or more) and why bother? Naturally, one of those off days is next Tuesday, delivery day.
Have I mentioned I'm having a baby next week? Weird.

Thirty Eight and A Half

2012-01-19T23:19:00.000-05:00

We're getting close to the final hurrah. These pictures do not do justice to how big I am. I have gained forty pounds, all wrapped up in that little ball I'm carrying around in the front of my belly. We're just days away now. Thirty-eight and a half weeks with just four more days to go!

Exhaust The Little Moment

2012-01-18T07:24:00.001-05:00

Exhaust the little moment.

Soon it dies.

And be it gash or gold it will not come

Again in this identical guise.

- Gwendolyn Brooks

Life around here is about to change.

I know some days will be good.

I know some days will be bad.

Either way, I'm ready to remember them.

These upcoming infant days?

They will be my last to remember.

And these trying threes?

They won't last forever.

These five year old days?

Six is quickly approaching.

It is these moments I will remember.

Tasks

2012-01-17T06:55:00.000-05:00

On the one hand, I seem to think that I'm going to pop this baby out and go about my days. I figure I'll step right back into the day to day and acclimate to life with three kids without even flinching. In some warped way, I really do think this. I plan on attending class the following week (it IS my last semester, after all, wooo hoooo), I figure I'll be blogging, dealing with the girls and just, well, going about business. This is one side of my insanity.

On the other side of my insanity, I am planning for some major event. I am shopping and organizing and planning to the nth degree. My list has been endless and has included the following in this last week:

Schedule Dinner Done and pick up
~~Get car seat~~
~~Make weekly schedule for the girls~~
~~Haircut~~
Pedicure
Wax (these things are important, people!)
Organize frozen meals
Grocery store (On line Harris Teeter)
Bring cradle upstairs
~~Get pump~~
~~Find and clean pump accessories~~
~~Wrap big sister party gifts~~
~~Keep up with all laundry~~ (so far so good)
Write notes to both girls' teachers about upcoming birth
~~Finish busy bags~~
Charge camera battery
Clean floors
Complete last thank you cards
Decide on Blue's name

In the midst of all of this, I've decided to take some sick leave during my last few days of work. I have the time and I'm just spent. Besides, I have a whole list of things to do.

Busy Bags

2012-01-16T05:57:00.000-05:00

I got this bright idea last week about how I was going to handle Bean and Tot once the baby arrived. I'm more worried about Bean though and how she will adjust to having her mommy nurse and nurse and nurse some more while not attending to Bean's every whim. I figured that she needed activities. Lots of them. But, I wanted activities she could do by herself that could be grabbed quickly and easily. This thinking let to the "busy bags," as I've dubbed them. Since I was doing all this great thinking at work (and not thinking about work), I couldn't use my beloved Pinterest to look for ideas. Instead, I made a list, stopped at Target and promptly came home and began filling bags. Of course, once the bags were filled, I consulted Pinterest and the internet and found that some other genius people are making "quiet bins." Essentially, it's the same concept- a container loaded with crap to keep kids from standing under your feet and demanding your undivided attention. If you follow me on Pinterest, you'll see some of the great stuff I've found. Until my next round of bags, here's what I came up with before the glory of searching the internets:

Each bag has a book in it. I found the books on a bookshelf that the girls don't frequent often. Then I added things like coloring sheets and crayons, fuzzy Valentines the girls can color, polished stones (yes, like rocks), pom poms, pipe cleaners and beads, noise putty, stickers and post-its, alphabet cards, seashells, number cards, letter sound cards, dice, dominoes, alphabet letters and an array of other crafty items.
Some of the bags will need to be replenished and some are non-consumable. My plan is to use them one at a time to keep the girls busy while I deal with a baby who doesn't understand the word "wait."
I'm sure that with time I'll need to adjust the contents and maybe make them more interesting by adding more, but I'm hoping that I'm off to a great start.

That Settles It (Or Not)

2012-01-15T15:55:00.002-05:00

Today is all about Vera Verita, my friends.
Head on over.

Cute Baby Saturday: My Cuddlebug

2012-01-14T18:44:00.000-05:00

Friday Night Leftovers (The No Title Edition)

2012-01-13T11:33:00.001-05:00

I have mentally checked out at work. I'm just done. Physically and mentally, I'm just exhausted.
I'm also very grouchy. Not just at work.
I live for naps.
Both girls have been seriously testing both Bee and I lately. I don't know if it's just life, they have a holiday hangover or if it's a reflection of the upcoming changes.
Normally, I'd be excited about an upcoming three day weekend, but neither girl has really gotten back into a groove with school and their schedule and I wish they had school on Monday.
Bean has started carrying a blanket around with her all the time. It's fleece so the amount of dog hair she collects as she drags it around is disturbing.
I made "busy bags" for the girls in preparation for the baby's arrival. I did it without the glory of Pinterest and I have to say, I think my bags turned out pretty darn good, especially once I did compare mine to those out there on the web. Post to come on Monday(ish).
Tot's reading is getting increasingly better all the time. I just wish she was more cooperative and would read to us more frequently. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn.

Bean On Blue

2012-01-12T05:20:00.002-05:00

We finally got the crib put together and it's ready for the boy. Bean took it upon herself to make sure that he was welcomed properly. I went into the nursery the other day to find that she had taken a blanket, spread it across the mattress (how I don't know) and thrown some of her stuffed animals in. Even though she seems pretty indifferent about this baby business, he's clearly on her mind.

Like I said, Bean doesn't say too much about the baby, but here's a little taste (and hair static) about what she thinks. Be pleased to note my stellar parenting skills, also known as bribery.

Potty Talk

2012-01-11T07:42:00.000-05:00

On Monday, I had to run into my office, despite the fact that it was my day off. Yes, you sense annoyance. Since it was my day off, I had to drag Bean along with me. The entire time we were within earshot of anyone in my office, Bean hid behind me and/ or talked like a baby. She refused to have any conversation with anyone. Whatever.
Before we left, I took her into the restroom for a last trip before getting back in the car (and the forty minute drive home *ahem*). The bathroom was occupied with a number of people, some of which I knew, some of which I didn't.
Bean didn't disappoint.
Since she refused to talk the entire time we were there, she had this conversation with me in the bathroom, loud enough for everyone to hear:

Me: "Are you done going to the bathroom?"
Bean: "Nope."
Me: (as quiet as a mouse): "Do you need to poop?"
Bean: (not quiet, at all): "Mommy.... I LOVE to poop."
Me: "Great."
Bean: "Mommy... look at the sky so I can poop."
*cue an exaggerated amount of grunting and giggling.*

Potty talk at its best. I hope my co-workers were impressed.

By The Numbers

2012-01-10T07:41:00.008-05:00

37: Weeks pregnant
2: Weeks until delivery
0: Centimeters dilated
1: Total centimeters dilated with all three children
2: Times I spelled dilated wrong
1: Time spell check found the error in the misspelled dilated
6: Out of six nights Tot has found her way into our bed in the middle of the night
0: Degree of tolerance I have left for said bed creeping
2: Out of the blue snow showers we've had in the past week
1,242,525: Inches of snow I wish we would get so that I didn't have to go to work until the baby arrives
2: Doctor visits I had yesterday
75: Minutes I had to wait in the waiting room
1: Babies my doctor delivered while I was waiting for OB/GYN appointment
1: Times Bee and I have discussed the baby's name in the past week
0: Names we have ready to give said baby
214: Hours I would need to sleep to feel rested these days
15: Approximate loads of laundry I washed, dried and folded this past weekend

Two Days

2012-01-09T17:06:00.000-05:00

In just two days, we've gone from this:

To this:

From a day that eventually hit sixty degrees

To a ground covering snow

Scooters

To snow angels

Big wheels

To big flakes

Seems like a perfect day, either way.

Game Face

2012-01-08T07:34:00.002-05:00

Today's post is over at Vera Verita.

If you don't know, ask (with an email address attached so I can answer).

Cute Baby Saturday: Warm Winter Days

2012-01-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

Friday Night Leftovers (The Breech Edition)

2012-01-06T09:50:00.003-05:00

I had my 36 week appointment this week. The baby is now breech and not even close to being engaged or interested in coming out. I am not dilated, and nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, is going on. This boy is shaping up to be just like his big sisters... stubborn.
Based on my pregnancy pictures this week, it looks like I was right, the boy has moved right back up to my stomach and lungs.
I'm going to blame the hormones, but my tolerance level for people is extremely low right now. It would not be a good time to cross me. Just sayin'
Being on break and not having to go to class has been great. I know that my dissertation will be an uphill battle of its own, but I can't wait to be done with all my coursework this coming May.
Speaking of that PhD thing, just thinking about finding a university position stresses me out.
Where are Max and Ruby's parents? Why are they never supervised? Why is it that Max can't say more than a word at a time, yet he seems to be completely potty trained and self sufficient?
I am doing this declutter calendar and already loving the results. It's all so manageable and realistic. I love to get rid of things, but I love how this forces me to think and look at aspects of my life that I wouldn't necessarily consider otherwise (cleaning out my spices).