Weekend Run Down (Originally posted February 26, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL 38 weeks today and still no baby. We’ve had two predictions of our new addition making his or her arrival sometime this week or this coming weekend...so we’ll see. At this point, anything is possible. There’s a full moon and a lunar eclipse on Saturday, March 3rd which could prove interesting. I don’t know if we’ll be able to see the eclipse, though, and I wonder if that’s a factor...? Friday saw us over at J&EB’s house for dinner. It was chili of the most delicious kind and then homemade (made while we were there) chocolate chip cookies for dessert! They gave us presents for the new little one – all of which are wonderful, but one of which I am very excited about: a sling carrier. I wanted one back in the pregnant-with-Kiddo-days but never did go get one and EB got two at her shower, so she gave one to me. I’m really quite thrilled! They are such wonderful people and I feel blessed every day to know them. Anyway – mostly good weekend all around. My friend SW came over again on Saturday to spend the day with me so that I wouldn’t be alone should I need assistance with anything. She’s always great company and Kiddo really likes her. We did not do any major cleaning or anything, but she did help me get the baby’s bassinet set up – and getting that one thing done makes me feel better for some reason. I spent most of the day working on laundry – always a daunting task in my house – and was able to make a significant dent. I also washed all the bedding from the bassinet; so now it’s all clean and ready for its new occupant! Sunday rolled around and I was exhausted. I tried getting up and started to do a few things, but my mood was foul and I was of no use to anyone so I went back to bed and didn’t get up until 11:45. I then started going through all my clothes to determine what was maternity and what I could get rid of that I don’t wear anymore. I am going to put the maternity stuff aside now and hopefully that will help me make more room in my dressers. Then when Hubby & Kiddo got back from church we went out to get something to eat and then went to the grocery store. (Yeah...like you really want the breakdown of the entire day.) When we got back home, it was about time for us to go next door to S&CS’s house as we’d been invited over for spaghetti. Dinner at S&CS’s is always lovely as SS is a wonderful cook and they both are just wonderful people. How did we get so lucky as to have such good friends as we do now? I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to get my mother here from Greenville, SC when I go into labor. She doesn’t drive on the highway and therefore cannot drive herself over the mountains. My sister, who lives right next door to her, has offered to drive her as far as Asheville, NC...but then it’s still a bus ride to Knoxville. I’d so love for her to come now, before the baby arrives, but she just recently started working again and it’s really too early for her to take off any significant time. She’ll come when we call her to say, “Baby’s on its way!”, but how long it might take is another story. If she takes the bus, it’s a 10 hour drive – if someone goes to get her, it’s 3.5 hours each way. I guess we’ll just have to play it by ear. Well...I suppose I’ve written enough now to bore anyone to tears. One thing I wanted to mention is that my friend KB had a great idea of something for me to pack in my hospital bag. She is currently expecting her second child as well, and said that when her little one arrives sometime in July (did I get that right?) that she’s going to have a little gift for her oldest one on his first visit to the hospital after the baby is born. The gift will be from the new baby to the older child, to make sure the older child feels included and loved...and I think that’s a wonderful idea. Thanks KB – I hope you don’t mind if I steal your idea! TTFN JMS

Subject Jumping (Originally posted February 23, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL This entry is probably going to be a scattered mess of different thoughts – similar, I believe, to the way I think most of the time. Those of you who are used to my random ramblings will feel right at home at my jumping from subject to subject. We’ve been invited to J&EB’s house this evening for dinner – something I am very much looking forward to. EB, if you’ll recall, is one week ahead of me in her pregnancy so I’m sure we’ll have much to discuss. She is also a fabulous cook. Oh, if I could only be so talented! I hate to cook! Kiddo adores JB and I think JB is rather fond of Kiddo. Not only that, but our dogs could be from the same litter so I think we’ll probably bring her along with us tonight. Tomorrow, my friend SW will be gracing me with her presence again. This time, mainly to make sure that I’m not alone should “something” happen while Hubby is working all day. I’m looking forward to her company and, though Kiddo doesn’t yet know she’s coming, I think he’ll be happy, too. After she left our house last time, he said to me, “Mommy, she’s pretty!” Yes, we already have a little flirt on our hands! Speaking of Kiddo’s being a little flirt; several of us from church have already noted that Kiddo has two girlfriends. One is just a little over a year older than he is and the other is about 2 years younger than he is. It should come clear when he gets a little older as to whether he prefers older or younger women! (Well...we find it funny anyway!) He’s got several sweet old ladies completely wrapped around his little finger as well as most everyone who works in the Nursery. They all LOVE our Kiddo! It’s so nice. My family & Hubby’s family are both going through some very difficult times right now. My father has returned to rehab at the VA to try to gain control over his addiction to alcohol. My sister is smack in the middle of a nasty divorce and a custody battle over her sweet little 2 year old daughter. My Father-in-Law is in the hospital undergoing dialysis for renal failure (and probably other ailments I’m not aware of). My sister-in-law is on medications that are supposed to treat a rare bone disorder she has, but the meds are not doing their job and she spends quite a lot of time in pain. Please, if you will, say a prayer for each one of these people who so desperately need to see a ray of hope and happiness. I know they’ll appreciate it...as do I. If I’m being honest with myself, I have 17 days until my due date. Though, because I’d rather be deluding myself a bit, I’ll be giving birth any day now! It reminds me of when I used to work for a certain company, and those of us there saw the time there as follows: “We have 2 hours and some minutes left...and they we can go home!” Even if the “some minutes” was 59 minutes, effectively bringing our time up to 3 hours, we didn’t use it. For some reason, it was comforting. I’m using the “some minutes” part of that delusion to fuel my current one. Well...I think I’ve jumped around enough for one day. Hope everyone is doing well. I probably won’t write again until Monday so don’t get your hopes up if you haven’t heard anything from the weekend. TTFN JMS

Mostly Medical Stuff... (Originally posted February 22, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL I have nothing new to report as far as the progress of the pregnancy is concerned. They weighed me, made me pee in a cup, took my blood pressure, measured my stomach, and listened to the baby’s heartbeat. The doctor told me not to go into labor this weekend. Yeah, like I have any control over that? But his reasoning was the “the other group” was on call this weekend and he would hate for me not to have a doctor I knew at the delivery. Makes sense, I suppose. I was also informed that I tested positive for Group B Strep bacteria. It can be nasty, but in very rare cases. For more information, this article is a good one: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/1647.html. I’m not concerned and the doctor isn’t either – so even though it is potentially one more thing to worry about, I’m not going to. I also started “packing my bag” this morning. I just know that if I continue to not have it ready, I won’t have it when I need it. Got any suggestions as to what I should bring with me? The baby’s bag is already packed and the car seats are in the cars. Kiddo’s overnight bag needs to be packed so he can have what he needs wherever he winds up. Where he goes will depend on what time of day (or night) it is when I go into labor. I want to bring the bassinet up and get it prepared, bring up the little dresser/changing table and get it stocked, and make sure all the blankets, towels, burp cloths, and clothes are washed and ready. I’m most definitely nesting – but I can just see this stuff not getting done. In other news, last night, I had a little bit of a scare. I was sitting on Kiddo’s bed and he was in my lap with his head on my shoulder. He asked me very sweetly, “Mommy, can you roll me up like a burrito?” (Something Hubby does with him where he gets rolled up in “Grandpa’s Blanket” so just his head is sticking out – I guess it’s a comfort thing.) I started to laugh at the request (because I’d never heard it verbalized) when I got this very sharp, white-hot pain that started in the middle of my back on the right side and radiated around my chest to my sternum. It was paralyzing and I was scared. I couldn’t move to put Kiddo down and called for Hubby who came running. Hubby got Kiddo out of my arms and asked me what was wrong. I explained, and he immediately started in with his miracle hands on determining the source of the pain and working it out. It went away in about a minute or two, but it felt like an eternity. I still have a residual “feeling” in my back and chest this morning and don’t know if it is in my head or if I’m just being overly-cautious about how I move. Poor Kiddo, though. I think seeing me in pain scared the daylights out of him. He sat on the bed, right in front of me, and kept asking, “Mommy, what’s the matter?”, “Mommy, are you OK?”, “Mommy, can I rub your arm?”, “Mommy, why does your back hurt?” My sweet, sweet little guy. When Hubby was finished with me, Kiddo wanted to take over – so I let him rub my back for a few minutes. The back rub was very sweet because it was interspersed with little kisses and words of “There, I kissed your boo boo.” Anyway – I was OK, but most definitely uncomfortable all night. Kiddo slept well and was difficult to get going this morning. Hubby had a rough night due to some stomach ailment we can’t put a finger on – but he’s OK, too. "I don't know what's around that bend, but when I do, I'll be sure to let you know. And that's all the news from Lake Wobegon, a little town where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." - Garrison Keillor TTFN JMS

I GOT FLOWERS!!! (and other subjects) (Originally posted February 21, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL Yesterday – my sweet Hubby sent flowers to me at work. It was lovely because the girls up front were wondering who they were from and what the occasion was, and it pleased me so much to be able to say, “They’re from my husband, and there is no special occasion!” I’ve never been able to say that before and it really is nice. Such a nice surprise – it totally made my day. Other than that, not much happened. I had an e-mail late yesterday afternoon from my Aunt P (who is actually my cousin, I think – but I’ve always referred to her as my Aunt) who gave me some insight into the whole depression meds thing. She has a PhD in Psychology (did I get that right Aunt P?) so I think she’s worthy of an ear or two. She suggested that part of my problem might not just be the depression – it might also be the ADD; our family is riddled with it. ADD, coupled with the depression, it’s no wonder I’m a disorganized mess all the time! She said with the right dose of ADD meds, it would be like putting on glasses and seeing/thinking clearly for the first time. Boy, what I wouldn’t give to know what that feels like! I did take Ritalin for about a month back many, many years ago in my “past life”, but I didn’t feel any different – I didn’t see the world through “rose colored glasses” as my doctor specifically told me I would – so I stopped taking the meds and have never thought about them again. Aunt P said that it was probably because the dosage was wrong. Anyway – when the baby is born, and I’ve finished breastfeeding, I’m going to look into just that and give it a try. I expressed to her my concerns about medicating myself for so many things, but I think she’s right and at this point I’m willing to try just about anything. On other subjects – Kiddo’s room is still clean (yay!); Hubby spent a good part of last night disinfecting our kitchen which will hopefully combat these ugly little critters we’ve seen lately (yuck), and also cooked steak and potatoes for dinner (yum!). TTFN JMS

Cars, Kids & Confidants (Originally posted February 20, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL So...something significant (in my mind, anyway) happened on the way to work this morning. My 1993 Toyota Corolla’s odometer flipped to 200,000 miles! I’m not sure what I think about this. Now we have 2 vehicles with over 200,000 miles on them; mine, & Hubby’s 1990 Volvo 240 Wagon. Does that mean we’ll HAVE to get newer cars soon? Or, I wonder, will we be able to nurse them along for a bit...? I guess it’s not really that big of a deal. I mean, there are cars going to 300,000 miles (or more) these days; but those are usually owned by people with the financial means to keep them going. My fear is that one day, one of us will be driving along with both kids in the car, and the car will just decide, “Ok...I’ve had enough!” and quit working then and there. I have nightmares of being stranded somewhere because of vehicle failure – and I don’t have a cell phone. I guess that’s kind of a crazy thing to be worried about, huh? It’s not like I need one more thing to make my already weary brain even wearier. Anyway – yesterday was a tough day for me. I was very emotional all day. Frankly, I still am, except I don’t feel a fragile as I did. One thing that helped me, even though I know I overdid it again, was I cleaned Kiddo’s room. It’s now picked up & organized and looks great! Our friend DW gave us her son’s old Scooby-Doo comforter, which I put on Kiddo’s bed last night. I think he’s thrilled with it. (He also slept all night and didn’t get up once!) The only thing I still have to do in his room is Swiffer the floor, vacuum the corners, and dust the surfaces – which shouldn’t be too terribly difficult since Kiddo LOVES to Swiffer and will gladly help out, and the vacuum has a long extension on the hose! I feel much better now that Kiddo’s space is clutter-free and organized. I think part of the reason he’s been so restless at night is because of the mess he's been living in. I fully believe that the more cluttered and disorganized your environment is, the more cluttered and disorganized you feel. So it doesn’t really surprise me that he slept soundly through the entire night. Well...I guess I’m done for now. I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to GM for her e-mail. It’s funny how close people can become even when they haven’t known each other for too long. She’s quickly becoming a large part of my emotional support system – and I needed her words so desperately. I’d also like to thank my one. My sweet, caring friend who, yesterday, spent time listening to me as I sobbed and then took me out for lunch! My friend who knows all – AKP. TTFN JMS

Emotions (Originally posted February 19, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL As of today, this pregnancy is considered full-term!!! That means that if I were to give birth today, the baby would be completely ready for life outside the womb. I think that’s quite exciting, if you ask me. Especially considering the fact that Kiddo came so early and I was terrified of delivering too soon with this one. Even though I complain about being uncomfortable (and boy, am I uncomfortable!) I wouldn’t trade comfort for a pre-term baby. I said to Hubby the other day, “If this baby isn’t over 7lbs when it’s born, I think I might have to commit suicide!!!” I just said it because I’m SO huge at this point that it will be hard to believe I got this big for a baby that was less than 7lbs. Does that make sense? I’m not sure I’m really explaining myself well, either. The other thing that’s really bothering me is my emotional state. I go from being perfectly calm and loving to being absolutely infuriated in like 2 seconds. I screamed at Kiddo on Saturday and it was totally uncalled for. Granted, he was being a butt-head and he wasn’t listening, but he’s 2!!! What good does it do to scream at a 2 year old? All I succeeded in doing was making him cry; then I cried because I’d hurt his feelings and scared him. It was, needless to say, not a good day. I keep trying to tell myself it’s because I’m pregnant and my hormones are all screwy, but honestly I think it’s because I have not been able to take either my anti-depressant or my allergy meds since I became pregnant. I really do feel a difference emotionally when I’m able to take these things – I’m much more at ease with things and, well, even. Even. It’s really the only way I can describe how I feel. Right now, I’m all over the place and I hate it. I hate that I’m yelling at my poor little guy who isn’t doing anything he shouldn’t be doing at 2. It helped going to church on Sunday. The sermon was about marriage, but I kept thinking about my relationship with Kiddo. When church was over and I went to get him from the nursery, I crouched down (not a good thing to do in my advanced state of pregnancy – I couldn’t get up again!), took Kiddo in my arms, and whispered to him, “Buddy, I’m very very sorry that I yelled at you yesterday. I shouldn’t have done that and hope that you’ll forgive me. You’re a good boy and I love you very much.” He kissed me on the cheek, grinned at me, and said, “You shouldn’t have done that, Mommy. I love you so much.” Of course, I cried. (I’m crying again as I write this...) On another subject, I’m still in a panic about getting my house in order. It’s still such a disaster and we’re not ready at all!!! I can’t seem to impress upon Hubby how little energy I really have. He’s been good, and has cleaned the kitchen and picked up around his desk, but Kiddo’s room is still a disaster, Hubby’s room (remember, I’m sleeping on the couch right now) is so bad I don’t know how he even manages go in there, and we have nothing organized for the arrival of the new baby. On top of that, my very good friend GM’s mother came up to me at church on Sunday and reminded me that I was to make sure I called her to let her know when to start bringing the food over after the baby’s born! OMG! You mean I actually have to allow people access to my messy house? I have to organize the freezer? I keep forgetting that I’m a member of the Methodist church and that we seem to live for covered dishes!!! I know it’s supposed to be a time of joy, the birth of a new baby, but honestly all I can say is that I’m totally stressed out by the whole thing and have no energy at all to do anything about it. (GM, don't worry - it wasn't your mom that stressed me out...I promise!) Well, I guess I’ll finish off for now as I’ve written nearly 1000 words. I’m also listening to my new Josh Groban album, which doesn’t help with my emotions any (so beautiful). So I’m sitting at my desk typing all this highly emotional stuff, sobbing my eyes out, and hoping none of my co-workers happen upon the mess that I’ve become in the last 15 minutes. Love to all! TTFN JMS

Valentine’s Day the Kern UMC Way (Originally posted February 15, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL Well, yesterday was Valentine’s Day, folks...as if you didn’t know that. Hubby and I don’t usually do anything for each other so it was no surprise when I didn’t receive flowers or candy or anything like that. It’s just that we’d rather spend that money on something else (like Christmas, or birthdays...) than on such a highly commercialized holiday. We did, however, go to the Wednesday night supper at our church, which was wonderful! It was a Valentine’s Day theme, and the church’s youth groups did the entire thing; from setting and decorating the tables, to taking drink and food orders (normally we all just line up and get the food ourselves), to clearing plates and bringing desserts. There were balloons tied to covered blocks of wood on each table, tea candles in paper luminary bags, and a raffle drawing for chocolates and the like. There were tip jars placed on each table, with the instruction that should we desire, we could leave an appropriate tip for the youth groups. The money from the tip jars would go to the youth missions throughout the year. All the youth did a FANTASTIC job, even though you could tell a few of them were extremely nervous. Oh, and dinner was wonderful; it consisted of roast pork loin with a cranberry glaze, mixed vegetables, and twice-baked potatoes. There was also a salad bar (we have one ever week and everybody says it's the best salad bar in town) and fruit. Dessert was cupcakes for the young (and young at heart) and baked apples with cinnamon and vanilla ice cream. Everything was yummy! To top off a lovely dinner, Hubby and Kiddo made me a gift. It was made of red construction paper, pink construction paper hearts, lots of scotch tape and staples, and outlines of both Hubby’s and Kiddo’s hands. The words “I love you Mommy!” and “Happy Valentine’s Day” were written all over it. Then, to top it all off, stapled inside this sweet homemade wrapping paper, was a new Josh Groban CD!!! Talk about a wonderful Valentine’s Day present! I think I’ll need to keep the construction paper wrap that they both worked so hard on; it’s a treasure that should be kept. Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, too! TTFN JMS

Discipline (Originally posted February 14, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL Last night, Kiddo I had to have a couple conversations about why he wound up in his room twice. Once was because he was putting the microphone piece to his little guitar IN his mouth rather than NEAR his mouth, and then kept getting frustrated because it wouldn't work and his voice sounded garbled. When I tried to explain to him (and he's perfectly capable of understanding what I tell him) that you don't have to eat the thing to get it to work and that if he continued to put it in his mouth, I would take it away for the rest of the night. Well, of course, I wound up having to take it away and he had an absolute meltdown. Off to his room he went, kicking and screaming at me the whole way. After about 20 minutes of screaming, he emerged from his room red-faced, tear streaked, and sniffling saying, "I'm all done now." I brought him out to the living room with me and asked him if he knew why he got in trouble. "Yes," he said through exaggerated sniffles. “Tell me why you got in trouble,” I prompted. “Because I was putting the microphone in my mouth,” he responded. “That’s right, but there was another reason. Can you tell me what else got you in trouble?” “I didn’t use my ears,” he sobbed. “That’s right, buddy – you didn’t listen,” I said. We chatted back and forth like this for a little while and then I said, “Are you hungry?” “Yes!” he answered, very excitedly. “What do you want to eat?” I asked. “Wheaties!” he exclaimed. “How about an egg and some sausage, too?” I asked. “OK!” said he, bouncing up and down. I think dinner went quite well. It was easy to make, and he ate everything on his plate. He was difficult in spurts, but he’s so darn cute I can’t stay angry with him for too long. TTFN JMS

Dinner w/ Friends, Shopping & Competition (Originally posted February 13, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL Last night, we had dinner with J&EB. (EB is pregnant too, and due one week before I am.) We ate at a local Mexican restaurant, which is always very good. After a lovely dinner with our wonderful friends, Hubby, Kiddo & I went to Sears because I was in search of a new bathrobe. I knew exactly what I wanted and for some reason, Sears came to mind (maybe just because it was the closest store to where we were eating?). Anyway – we got to Sears and guess what? They have maternity clothes! Yes, I know, I only have a few short weeks left, but I’m so big at this point that not much of the maternity stuff I have fits around my middle anymore. Needless to say, I got distracted from my bathrobe search. I scoured the clearance racks, tried on several things, and managed to come away with a comfy pair of black pants that I can wear to work and a cute brown shirt with ¾ sleeves. This is helpful and I like the way these two things fit. It’s a shame most people look at you funny if you wear the same outfit every day. Hubby and Kiddo spent the whole time in the shoe department rearranging the shoes on display and keeping the poor sales girl on her toes. She handled it quite well, however; Kiddo came away with a new friend and Hubby came away with a new pair of Land’s End shoes. (The sweet sales girl was from New York, by the way.) I did look at the bathrobes (since that was my main purpose for going shopping in the first place) and managed to find exactly what I was looking for. The only thing I’m not crazy about, though I really don’t care, is the color; light pink. But the bathrobe is soft and long and just what I wanted. (Yes, I’m already in “Post Baby” in my head...) This brings me to the next part of my story... This morning, I wore my new bathrobe for the first time and it was wonderful! I think, however, I may have some competition for its use. I had it on when I went in to get Kiddo changed and dressed for the day and he immediately stood up, asked me to take off his jammies, and proceeded to hug me several times. “Mommy, you’re soft!” he exclaimed happily. “Yes, I am. Do you like my new bathrobe?” I asked. “Yep, it’s soft. Can I wear it?” He hoped. Well, obviously, he can’t wear it because it will completely drown him in fabric so I said no...but he continued to touch it all morning. At one point, as I was getting my shoes on (a difficult task these days), I looked over, and he had the bathrobe’s sash in his hand and was rubbing it on his cheek with a very content look upon his little face. Am I in trouble? I think he’d rather have the bathrobe than me! TTFN JMS

Various (Originally posted February 12, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL Kiddo has decided that getting up at 5AM is a good thing...and something that he should do frequently, regardless of how much sleep he's gotten. Yesterday (Sunday) we kept him up all day and he practically fell asleep in his high-chair at 7:30. Hubby took Kiddo out of his chair, brought him to his chest to cuddle, and he was asleep in less than one minute. Totally out...it was quite comical. At least he waited until 6AM to get up today! On Saturday, my friend SW came over for the day. We spent the first hour and a half catching up because we haven't seen each other in several months. At noon, we trekked next door for a Premier Jewelry Party, which is always fun!!! (If you haven't been to one, I suggest looking for a consultant in your area! Or, you can check out http://www.premierdesigns.com/. If you are a jewelry fan, like me, then you'll probably appreciate this.) After the party, we went to lunch at Big Ed's - a local pizza place to which SW had never been. Then Kiddo took a nap and SW and I spent the next 2 hours cleaning the disaster Hubby & I call home. We managed to go through all of Kiddo's toys and determine what should be kept for the new baby, what should be tossed or put in a yard-sale pile, and what should be kept because Kiddo still uses it. That in itself was a great relief - but then we tackled several boxes that have been sitting in our living room, and also went through the piles of stuff hiding our dining room table. On top of all that, the laundry was a continuous process. Anyway - after stirring up much dust the place looks entirely different and feels much better. There's still quite a lot of work left to do, but I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks SW for all your help, I really couldn't have done it without you! Anyway - after a big, busy day on Saturday, I felt HORRIBLE on Sunday. I totally overdid it and managed to make myself sick inhaling dust and who-knows what else. So I'm now in pain, exhausted, and have a head-cold (or just allergies, who knows). I still am thrilled at how much got done, though...regardless of how terrible I feel. As for the new baby, at the end of this week the pregnancy will be considered full-term!!! YAY! My boss is going to be out of the office all next week, and he said that next week would be a good time for me to have the baby, because he won't be here! LOL! Yeah, like I can plan that!? But you never know. I am just praying that I don't go PAST the due date! Well, I guess that's it for now. TTFN JMS

3 going on 16 (Originally posted February 9, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL The other day, I was driving somewhere with Kiddo and this person went flying around me at what seemed like 100 mph. The following exchange took place immediately thereafter: Kiddo: "Mommy, be careful not to get in an accident!" Me: "Thank you, I will, buddy. We have to pay attention to the other drivers, don't we?" Kiddo: "Yes, the idiots!" Hmmm...I wonder where he got that one? TTFN JMS

My New LiveJournal - Good Idea or Bad Idea? (Originally posted February 8, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM LIVEJOURNAL I thought after trying to manage that online blog for almost a year, that I'd attempt something I might be able to do both from home AND the office...when I'm on my own time, that is. I'm hoping that this will be user-friendly as well as viewer-friendly - so I'm going to need as much feedback as possible from those of you who read this. I'm almost 36 weeks pregnant at this point and am frankly just ready for it to be over. I'm praying, however, that I'll be able to get past the 36th week so that the pregnancy will be considered full-term. I really do not want to go through the "having-a-preemie" thing again...that was SO scary! I do know that this baby is already heavier than Kiddo was when he was born. He was born at 34 weeks (pregnant) and was 4lbs 6.8ozs - this one is at almost 36 weeks and just about 6lbs!!! How's that for comparison? Hubby and I are diligently working on getting the living room cleaned and organized (very slow process) to accommodate our new little one. As our house is only 760 sq. ft. the living room seems to be the best and only place to put Little Bit. We had a lovely baby shower a week ago this past Sunday thrown for us by the Chancel Choir at our church. It was such a wonderful experience and we are so grateful to everyone for their thoughtfulness and generosity. I hadn't really expected a shower at all, because of this being the 2nd baby, but as one of the ladies put it, "Well, we love 2nd babies, too!". Kiddo is sick with a low-grade fever and vomiting so we were up last night cleaning up and comforting him. I think he was more scared than anything because he'd never thrown up before. At least not that he'd ever remember. He was upset that his blankets got dirty and at 3:30 in the morning, we were washing blankets and jammies and stuff so he'd understand that they could get clean again. He's better this morning - fever even lower if not completely normal - but even though he's acting more himself, I can tell he's still not feeling well. I'm going to stop for now. Please let me know what you think of the LiveJournal thing... TTFN JMS

Pet peeves...revisited

Yes, I'm back to the Pet Peeve thing again. Please jump in and stop me if you've heard this one before, but I don't think I've blogged about it yet. You know how there are these wonderful inventions called cars, right? And to drive one of these cars, you need learn how, right? You also need someone willing to teach you all the proper rules of the road; someone with X-years of experience behind the wheel. Once you've learned how the car functions, along with the rules and laws of operating a motor vehicle on a public street...you go take a test and if you're lucky, you are awarded a lovely thing called a "Driver's License", right? The Driver's License gives you FREEDOM!!!! That's a word everyone loves. You have now learned how to properly operate the vehicle AND how to obey the rules of the road AND obtained your Driver's License. So how is it that you now KNOW all these things, but still manage to FORGET this little thing called A TURN SIGNAL!!!? In Tennessee, they use the slow down, swing wide THEN turn approach, which makes me absolutely CRAZY!!! Signaling when changing lanes is completely unheard of unless you got your driver's license somewhere other than Tennessee. People must think that because there isn't anyone close enough to care, it doesn't matter - or whatever. Is this just a Tennessee thing? Or have people everywhere forgotten how to use a turn signal? How come cars aren't equipped with megaphones so we can verbally abuse the idiots who do stupid things? Oh, wouldn't the world be fun then?! Just wondering. TTFN JMS

Auld Lang Sine

Well, it's December 31, 2006 - New Year's Eve. I don't really have very much to say, if you can believe it. We bought Kiddo a new blanket for his bed which he is quite excited about. It's very soft and he likes feeling it and rubbing it against his cheek. I'm wondering if the kid inherited my tactile sense of all things soft; I've had a "softie" or "feelie" my whole life. ("Hello, my name is Jennifer, I'm 33 years old and I still sleep with a softie.") If that makes you think any less of me, I forgive you...I'm comfortable with who I am thank you very much! :) Anyway - Kiddo seems to need something soft too, though not the same material. He prefers fleece and chenille and things of that nature; me, I'm a satin girl through and through. Yeah...go ahead...laugh. Anyway - back to the whole New Year's Eve thing. Anyone got anything really super fun scheduled? We're going to our friend's house this evening; she's 2 weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy and he is the computer genius who fixes all our technical woes (when they happen). They've become very good friends and Hubby and I are both looking forward to "ringing in the New Year" at their humble abode. Hubby is making those sweet & sour meatballs we all adore and there should be a good crowd there this evening, so hopefully we'll have enough. We're going to pack up Kiddo's sleeping bag, softie, pillow & a few other things so that when he starts getting cranky, we can bundle him in for the night. There will be other kids there, too, so it's not like he won't have anything to do. I think we'll bring the movie, "Cars" with us for all the little ones to watch. See, I told you I didn't have very much to talk about! Hope everyone celebrates well & responsibly and that you all have a very Happy New Year! I'll talk to you again in 2007! TTFN JMS

Didja think I was dead?

I'm most definitely still alive, almost 30 weeks pregnant and feeling every bit of it! Life has been...well, let's just say chaotic...for the last few months. I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated this blog! Oh...my poor adoring fans. (Yes, you can feel free to shoot me if you desire.) The baby's due date is March 12th 2007. That's 10 weeks from this coming Monday. I can't believe it. I'm very round, nothing fits, my hips are killing me, and I'm constantly being pummeled from the inside. Heartburn has moved in as a permanent resident, along with sleepless nights. I think the sleeplessness is simply getting me prepared for our new addition and reminding me that it is possible to survive (or, function) on little to no sleep. Kiddo has been very good...except when he hasn't been. He's started the terrible 3's (a bit early) because I think he missed out on the terrible 2's. Screaming temper tantrums are becoming the norm and we're on constant watch for the signs that one is on the horizon. He's absolutely impossible to deal with at those times and the best we can do (though this is still a learning process) is dump him in his bed and let him scream it out. You ever try reasoning with a 2 year old? It's not possible...and I still attempt it every time! What am I thinking? We had a wonderful Christmas and though we vacated my poor Mother's house a day earlier than planned - I think she was secretly glad we were gone. She was fighting bronchitis and feeling miserable. I think we were more of a hassle than a help and she was able to get some rest when we drove out at 2:30 PM on Christmas day in the pouring rain. She would never admit to our being in the way or at all a pain to be around, but I do think she was glad to have some quiet time. I'm done traveling, though. I know it's going to sound crabby and harsh, but I'm so tired of traveling all over creation for the holidays and would really love to wake up in my own bed on Christmas morning for once. I would also really love for Kiddo (and his new baby brother or sister) to be able to wake up in their own beds, too. That's not happened once in the 3 years Kiddo has celebrated Christmas with us. Maybe next year I'll get a real, too. Kiddo likes the little 3 foot table-top tree we have, but I miss the smell of a real tree permeating my house during the holidays. I hope your Christmas was wonderful and that your New Year is a happy one! TTFN, JMS

Vacation Information

OK – I lied. Well, not intentionally, of course, but never-the-less… Actually, it was true when I said it but is no longer true. Let me explain... Since the time I posted last, our crack team of network gurus in the IT Department has, yet again, blocked access to blogs – all of them. I think they have simply denied access to any site containing any form of the word "blog". So, I’m back again to trying to do this posting thing at home. So much for being able to post during lunch breaks, huh? But I’m sure my network access issues aren’t what you’re interested in right now, am I right? You want to know about my vacation, don’t you? Well, by now you all should have received (those of you who receive my e-mail updates) an e-mail with a link to view some of our pictures from said vacation. We’re waiting on some pictures to come back from the "Foto Hut" (nod to one of my favorite TV shows) and as soon as I get them scanned, I’ll add those to the Photo Album on Kodak Gallery. I’m hoping they’re good, because neither Hubby nor I remember what we took pictures of. Anyway – the trip was WONDERFUL and Kiddo was as good as gold through the whole thing. One or two minor screaming fits, but they were short lived when he realized we weren’t just stopping what we were doing, we were preparing to do something else that was possibly even more fun! He had a ball in the sand, dug into crab holes, made sea-shell soup (brewed in a small yellow bucket filled with sea shells, sea water & sand then stirred like crazy with a little purple shovel), and picked up sea shells to decorate the sand "monolith" with (notice I didn’t say castle). He jumped waves in the ocean, paddled around in the pool on a little inflatable "dog boat" with holes cut in the bottom for his legs, went in the hot tub and had fun playing with the "fountains and bubbles", and somehow managed NOT to get sunburned! I guess we did a good job with the 50SPF sun block. Hubby and friends spent some time surf fishing, and while they did catch a few small fish, Hubby managed to hook a shark! No, really – an actual shark. Granted, it was only about 12" or 13" long, but it was a mean looking thing! He reeled it in and as it dragged across the sand, he looked at me, pointed at the shark and said, "Uh…I’m not touching that!" It was great! We celebrated our 6th anniversary out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, which also happens to be the place where our friend (who kindly invited us along on this lovely vacation) works. He is the bar manager there… If you’re ever in the area and want a REALLY GREAT place to eat, we highly recommend it! We went to Myrtle Beach to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Aquarium – another place where Kiddo was thrilled with his surroundings! (Fish are friends, not food!) He ogled saw-fish, sharks, sea turtles, big lumpy-headed fish, small sparkly fish, brightly colored fish, tried to pet a ray (he didn’t manage it with his short arms, but mommy did!), and had an all-around good time. Anyway – I can’t say enough about it. The sun rises were lovely, the sun sets were beautiful. The beach was quiet and all but deserted. The house we stayed in was fantastic (it even had an elevator!) and quite comfortable. And the best part of the whole thing was the company. We miss our friends and we’re sorry we only get to see them once a year. TTFN JMS

Excitement

I knew this would happen – it’s 11:00 AM and I’m trying to find something productive to do. I’m so excited about having an actual vacation that I’m finding it very hard to concentrate. I feel like a little kid anticipating Christmas or a birthday! Actually, Hubby’s and my 6th Anniversary is tomorrow so that, in itself, is exciting! (Come to think of it, the UT Vols were playing UF Gators that day, too! Not that I really care, but I know some people really live and breathe UT football.) It is now 11:23 AM and you can see by how little I’ve written that I’m a bit scattered today. I guess my ADD has chosen today to rear its ugly head. Well, I’m signing off. I’ll write more when we get back. I have about 15 neighbors looking after our house, so don’t get any ideas! ;-P TTFN JMS

Ah Ha!

I've just discovered something that I couldn't do before! My network access must have changed at the office because whereas I never used to be able to even VIEW my blog (or anyone else's) I can now not only view, but CREATE! This gives me a great advantage over my exhaustion and lack of motivation to do anything other than eat, bathe Kiddo, put him to bed, and go there myself after I get home at night! Now - I can start blogging again with some regularity because I can do it in 15 minutes during my lunch break! What a concept! (And I'm sure you're all SO thrilled that I will be updating this "thing" that has been so sorely neglected lately.) Anyway - there's SO much that's been going on and I'm going to try not to make this one post as long as the last installment of the HP series (800-something pages I think, but am so looking forward to the final installment! And it had better be over 1000 pages because there's simply NO WAY JKR will be able to wrap things up satisfactorily if it's not that long.) Side notes complete...moving on. Finally starting to feel human again, though this ugly headache has been plaguing me for about 5 days now, and though kind Hubby has spent an hour sweetly/viciously digging at the pressure points in my head, neck and shoulders (which has helped tremendously) I still have this nagging "thing" that won't go away. (Notice that "thing" seems to be my word of the day?) Maybe it's sinuses? Morning sickness (which for me was all day and mostly evening sickness) is quite a bit better, though I'm still tired a lot. I'm at 14+ weeks right now and into the 2nd trimester! How cool is that? We're going on an actual vacation to Holden Beach, NC... We'll be staying at what looks to be a wonderful house on the beach (link shows actual house) and with some good friends. This is very exciting because it's the first actual vacation we've taken in a very long time. Our trip to CT over Christmas in '05 doesn't count because though it was relaxing and fun, it was still a family thing, and we had to fly to get there. I'll be sure to e-mail you all some pictures when we get back. Job is still great, Hubby and Kiddo are both doing fine. Kiddo got up from a nap yesterday and came out of his room saying, "Daddy, I awake now!" and not only was he awake, but he had put his own pants on - all by himself! Getting to be such a big boy! So...hope everyone is doing well. I think that maybe my being able to post at work will be a good thing, but we'll see. TTFN JMS

Senses

Do you ever hear a song and suddenly you’re transported back in time to another, younger, part of your life? Or catch a scent, odor, smell (whatever) and it reminds you of a particular vacation, highpoint (or not-so-highpoint) of your childhood, or a relative that is no longer around? I wonder if pregnancy enhances those senses…? I know it does; my sense of smell is heightened right now because smells that normally don’t bother me are making me insane (or sick), but does it enhance your ability to recall certain things, certain times? Does it help or hinder your aural recollection, too? I feel almost like a disjointed, abstract, offbeat "superhero" (for want of a better word) with all these heightened senses and no possible way of making any use of them. My sense of, and reaction to, smell is probably the biggest and most noticeable difference right now; it makes me crave things I wouldn’t normally want or avoid like the plague things that I would typically enjoy. It also is a huge factor in how my stomach feels and if I’m going to be paying a visit (or several) to the “porcelain goddess”. My “sense” of exhaustion is heightened, too. I’m tired. All the time. If you asked me what I would most like to do right this minute (any time of day or night) I’d answer, “Take a nap”. I could sleep all day – and I have done just that. Thank goodness for my understanding husband. I’m sure there are other things that are heightened, but also is my lessening ability to put up with BS. My tolerance level is nil. It packed a suitcase and hitched a ride out of town. The dog annoys me by her very presence and that I cannot explain because I usually adore my dog. Kiddo and his noisy toys are getting on my last nerve; I’d like to take the Weeble Tree House that he loves so much and toss it in the trash! But – even though I’m tired, my nerves are shot, and my stomach is in a constant state of turmoil, I really do feel aright and am very much looking forward to our new addition. Can I just say that 9 months is a LONG time!?

Been a long time, eh?

Ok - after about the 50th e-mail from one of my loyal blog enthusiasts asking why I was leaving everyone hanging so long, I've managed to find time where I'm not only awake (a rarity these days), but alone. Hubby & Kiddo went to church tonight for choir practice and play-time respectively. But, however long it's been since I last posted (what, about 2 weeks or more?) this post will be short. I just wanted to share the first pictures of New Baby Shell who's due date is 3/12/07. Pretty exciting, huh? TTFN JMS