Wow, am I a craptastic blogger, or what? So much has happened in the past two months I'm not even sure where I should begin the update! I guess I will go from oldest to youngest which would start with me!
What have I been up to? I have been working my usual two days a week in the office, helping with getting our house ready for the market (hopefully this weekend, but then again I've said that for several weeks now!), attempting to sleep for more than three hours per night, and baking a baby. Simply put, I am completely and utterly exhausted. All I want for Christmas is a weekend away in a hotel room alone and I can guarantee my butt would not leave the bed for two days. I would order takeout, watch cable tv, and nap at my leisure. Somehow, I don't think Santa will be delivering that. Oh well.
I have also been doing a lot of reading in preparation for my upcoming birth. I am very excited to have this baby, even though I am very nervous about the early days (weeks? months??) adjusting to three kids.
What has Ryan been up to? Working, snoring, procrastinating, creating messes, cultivating his underwear farm. You know, same ol', same ol'. Do I sound hormonal? Sorry 'bout that, can't be helped. On a positive note, he was recognized at work today for having the highest customer satisfaction scores in the local branch! That certainly can't hurt at his annual review next month!
What has Tucker been up to? We have been having quite a hard time with Tucker's behavior lately. He had been throwing tantrums that were downright concerning. They were much like a night terror, a vacant look in his eyes, inability to communicate other than screaming, crying, and jumping around flapping his hands (thoughts of autism surfaced a couple of times), triggered by nothing in particular, and over randomly at the blink of an eye. When the tantrums would end, he was always remorseful and would apologize for throwing a fit but he could never communicate what was wrong or why he was doing it. My heart was breaking. We had tried every method we could think of: ignoring, spanking, being calm and gentle, being firm and strict. Nothing worked, nothing. And sometimes they happened a few times per day, lasting an hour long on average. I was reduced to tears on many occasions...completely exhausted, wondering if something was mentally wrong with him, wishing I could figure it out, wanting to help him deal with his emotions, etc. We had discussed taking him to a play therapist, as we were at a complete loss on what to do next.
I had always been fairly careful with the foods I feed my children. I'm not perfect, certainly not all organic, but I am probably more picky and diligent than your average mom. It suddenly occurred to me that my parents had taken the kids to the Rose Hill Fall Festival in early October and they each got some candy at the parade. I had been allowing them to choose one piece per day (like the equivalent of a DumDum sucker, so we are talking about a minimal amount). At first I thought perhaps the sugar was a factor but when I really thought about that possibility, it didn't seem to fit because the small amount of sugar they were getting should not cause outbursts like he was having. And then the light bulb went off. FOOD DYES!!!
I decided that day, which happened to be Halloween, to take him off any foods that contained any artificial food dyes. That meant no trick-or-treating. He had already lost that privilege earlier in the day from throwing a couple of these "fits". We still let him dress up and go to see his Great Grandmas, but he was not allowed to eat any candy. I honestly felt terrible about the punishment I chose but it was not hard on him at all. He still got to play and dress up and the no candy rule didn't seem to negatively affect him at all.
As the week progressed, I noticed a dramatic improvement but was afraid I was jumping the gun and wanted to make sure it wasn't wishful thinking. By the time Friday rolled around, it was 1,000% clear to me food dyes were causing his behavior issues. My father-in-law, without knowing we made dietary changes, asked if we had medicated him...he was that different! My sweet boy was back! His happy moods are even different now! It makes me so sad that he truly didn't know why he was acting that way and that we had been disciplining him for it. It also makes me sad to think of all of the kiddos out there who are labeled "bad kids" or are even medicated when such a simple dietary change could alleviate their symptoms.
Is Tucker fit-free now? Puh-lease! He is 3, there are still tantrums but he is not going into psycho mode. He is easy to calm now and can be talked through his emotions without drama. I could cry (I am noticing a hormonal theme here with this post) I am so happy that we seem to have found our answer.
What has Chloe been up to? Being a stinker! A cute stinker! Chloe is on the verge of potty training. Actually, I think she's been ready for a while but with all that's been going on, I haven't had the opportunity to commit to being home bound to get-r-done properly. She has started taking her jammies and diaper off at night when she potties in her diaper so I have resorted to backward facing jammies for now and no more water close to bedtime.
Whew! That was a lot! I will try harder to post updates so I don't get so behind!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Blue Gravy and Guilt by Dr. Seuss
Not really by Dr. Seuss, but Tucker has decided that every book is written by Dr. Seuss. I can read the title to any book and Tucker will follow it with, "by Dr. Suess."
Me: Tonight's book is Goodnight, Moon
Tucker: by Dr. Seuss
Big Seuss fans in this house, I tell ya.
Where was I? Oh yeah. Just the wee bitty small announcement that baby Gravy is a BOY! I had my sonogram weeks ago and it has taken me this long to post about it (enter Guilt, stage left). It's true. Your first baby, you document every detail with words and pictures. Every single month on the 21st, I would sit down after Tucker was in bed and write in his baby book the happenings of that particular month.
Um, Chloe's name isn't even written in hers yet and we don't have 1/8 of the pictures of her. I have no idea how old she was when she got her first tooth and can't even recall her first word. Terrible! And, apparently this will only get worse for Gravy. The other two kids had blogs of their own pretty much as soon as the pregnancy test told me they were coming and poor Gravy is just lumped into the family blog. And belly pictures? P'shaw! I have taken ONE belly picture, whereas I documented my expanding waistline every two weeks with the other two, starting at 12 weeks.
Observe: Gravy Belly at 18 weeks (and most of this belly is more due to poor choices, like actual gravy, than Baby Gravy. Ironic.)
The sonogram showdown: Ryan missed it. Typical Ryan, he didn't leave work in time and missed the whole thing. So, I"m laying there, feeling like I'm having a girl and am watching Gravy like a hawk trying to get a glimpse of the nether region. I saw what I thought were the 3 lines indicating girl a few times but the sonographer said nothing. Finally, I said, "I already saw what the baby is, so if you're waiting to tell me until my husband gets here, there's no need." She looked surprised and said she hadn't even looked yet and always waits until the very last to make sure she has gotten all the views of the other organs she needs for the report. She then starts investigating gender and points out the scrotum and penis to me. What?!
I was so surprised! Shows how much I know! It was really fun to be so surprised and proven wrong ( you will NEVER hear me say that again, by the way), I seriously could not stop smiling all day! Here are the pictures and a video we got of Gravy...from the profile picture, I think we are going to have another mini-Ryan!
And here is how I told Tucker and Chloe they are getting a baby brother. Please excuse the sing-song preschool teacher voice and inflections, it cannot be helped. ha
It's a Baby Brother!
*disclaimer #1: yes, this video takes place on a bed, which I realize seems totally weird to those who don't know how my parents' house works. Their bedroom is the size of a living room and is kind of Grand Central Station in their house, it's where we all hang out.
*disclaimer #2: I have never taught Tucker that girls and boys should choose certain colors as their favorite, he has determined this on his own and insists that is how it should be. If he loves pink tomorrow, that's A-Okay with me. Oh, and my mom painted his toenails once and I thought it was cute even though he hated it and wanted it off right away. Gender roles, shmender roles.
Me: Tonight's book is Goodnight, Moon
Tucker: by Dr. Seuss
Big Seuss fans in this house, I tell ya.
Where was I? Oh yeah. Just the wee bitty small announcement that baby Gravy is a BOY! I had my sonogram weeks ago and it has taken me this long to post about it (enter Guilt, stage left). It's true. Your first baby, you document every detail with words and pictures. Every single month on the 21st, I would sit down after Tucker was in bed and write in his baby book the happenings of that particular month.
Um, Chloe's name isn't even written in hers yet and we don't have 1/8 of the pictures of her. I have no idea how old she was when she got her first tooth and can't even recall her first word. Terrible! And, apparently this will only get worse for Gravy. The other two kids had blogs of their own pretty much as soon as the pregnancy test told me they were coming and poor Gravy is just lumped into the family blog. And belly pictures? P'shaw! I have taken ONE belly picture, whereas I documented my expanding waistline every two weeks with the other two, starting at 12 weeks.
Observe: Gravy Belly at 18 weeks (and most of this belly is more due to poor choices, like actual gravy, than Baby Gravy. Ironic.)
The sonogram showdown: Ryan missed it. Typical Ryan, he didn't leave work in time and missed the whole thing. So, I"m laying there, feeling like I'm having a girl and am watching Gravy like a hawk trying to get a glimpse of the nether region. I saw what I thought were the 3 lines indicating girl a few times but the sonographer said nothing. Finally, I said, "I already saw what the baby is, so if you're waiting to tell me until my husband gets here, there's no need." She looked surprised and said she hadn't even looked yet and always waits until the very last to make sure she has gotten all the views of the other organs she needs for the report. She then starts investigating gender and points out the scrotum and penis to me. What?!
I was so surprised! Shows how much I know! It was really fun to be so surprised and proven wrong ( you will NEVER hear me say that again, by the way), I seriously could not stop smiling all day! Here are the pictures and a video we got of Gravy...from the profile picture, I think we are going to have another mini-Ryan!
It's a Baby Brother!
*disclaimer #1: yes, this video takes place on a bed, which I realize seems totally weird to those who don't know how my parents' house works. Their bedroom is the size of a living room and is kind of Grand Central Station in their house, it's where we all hang out.
*disclaimer #2: I have never taught Tucker that girls and boys should choose certain colors as their favorite, he has determined this on his own and insists that is how it should be. If he loves pink tomorrow, that's A-Okay with me. Oh, and my mom painted his toenails once and I thought it was cute even though he hated it and wanted it off right away. Gender roles, shmender roles.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Dear Chloe,
Today you turned two years old! I can't believe how the time has flown by and you suddenly look like a little girl. You have red hair, brown eyes with a touch of hazel, a little bow mouth and teeny button nose. You weigh a whopping 22 pounds fully clothed, such a tiny peanut! You are full of personality and spunk and you have a really great vocabulary as well. You speak in full sentences and have a little elf voice that is like Alvin and the Chipmunks on helium. So cute!
You have started to ask to sit on the potty and the past several times you have been successful! Go Chloe! You insist on climbing up on our hugely tall old person toilet by yourself and even though we have a potty seat that sits on top, I am still scared to death you are going to fall in. You are probably little enough to even be flushed!
Your favorite foods are bananas, Goldfish crackers, chicken, beef, applesauce and broccoli. Your favorite colors are pink and purple. You love to act like a doggy and crawl around the floor panting and even licked me this week! You love your big brother soooo much and imitate him at every opportunity. We ask you if you are a copycat and you either reply with a "meow" or "no, I not copycat."
I can't even describe what joy you bring to our family. When I was pregnant with you, and I've heard this time and again from other women, I secretly wondered how I could love another child as much as I love Tucker. Well, it was easy. You make it easy. You give the best snuggles and make me smile and laugh every single day.
I am so excited to see who you become. I am so proud of who you already are and I know you are destined for greatness! Always, always, always remember you are loved!!! Love you so much it hurts, sweet baby!
Love,
Mommy
You can read your birth story here.....the day that changed my life (in many ways!) forever.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tucker Update
Tucker is really starting to develop his imagination. The other day we were driving in the car and for the first time he saw shapes in the clouds. "Mama! A dinosaur in the clouds!" He was so excited and then just a minute or so later he saw an airplane shape. It totally reminded me of my childhood, I remember laying in the yard looking at the clouds for what seemed like hours finding different shapes.
He is also big into pretending to be a dinosaur, and let me tell you, he can be pretty scary when he does it! He curls his toes under, makes his hands into claws, stomps loudly and gets a very convincing grimace on his face. And lest I forget, a growl that often petrifies his sister! I will try to get it on video (and be better overall about posting pics and videos!).
He channels that dinosaur attitude on occasion when he is unhappy with me. Yesterday he dared to point his finger in my face while scowling and talking very sternly to me. Mama don't play that game. I told him to sit in time out, that I would not be talked to that way. When he refused, I calmly picked him up and started carrying him to his room for time out. That is when he decided it would be a (not so) wise decision to hit/slap me three times in the face. Um, no sir. He earned himself a few well-deserved spankings and came out the other end much more pleasant and agreeable. Nothing wrong with a little attitude adjustment delivered via hand to the bottom.
He is starting preschool at the end of the month and I don't know who is more excited, me or him! I am so excited for him to interact with other littles and make some friends in our new town. I know he is going to flourish in school, as was evidenced today by his interaction with a few other kids at a store. This store has a play area for kids and he was so friendly and polite to the others, he introduced himself and asked their names and then played cooperatively. I was so proud of him for being outgoing and friendly. I am so pleased that he doesn't seemed to be plagued with the shyness that Ryan and I have/had.
He loves the baby soooo much! Every day, he tells me he loves the baby (well, he also tells me he loves his peepee every day, already penis obsessed at the ripe age of 3!) and gives my belly a hug and a kiss. He insists the baby is a girl, he won't even entertain the thought that it may be a boy. He also tells me how much he loves me every day and gives me multiple kisses, hugs and tickles throughout the day, which I soak up as I know this stage won't last forever! He is such pure joy, I am so very lucky to be his Mommy.
He is also big into pretending to be a dinosaur, and let me tell you, he can be pretty scary when he does it! He curls his toes under, makes his hands into claws, stomps loudly and gets a very convincing grimace on his face. And lest I forget, a growl that often petrifies his sister! I will try to get it on video (and be better overall about posting pics and videos!).
He channels that dinosaur attitude on occasion when he is unhappy with me. Yesterday he dared to point his finger in my face while scowling and talking very sternly to me. Mama don't play that game. I told him to sit in time out, that I would not be talked to that way. When he refused, I calmly picked him up and started carrying him to his room for time out. That is when he decided it would be a (not so) wise decision to hit/slap me three times in the face. Um, no sir. He earned himself a few well-deserved spankings and came out the other end much more pleasant and agreeable. Nothing wrong with a little attitude adjustment delivered via hand to the bottom.
He is starting preschool at the end of the month and I don't know who is more excited, me or him! I am so excited for him to interact with other littles and make some friends in our new town. I know he is going to flourish in school, as was evidenced today by his interaction with a few other kids at a store. This store has a play area for kids and he was so friendly and polite to the others, he introduced himself and asked their names and then played cooperatively. I was so proud of him for being outgoing and friendly. I am so pleased that he doesn't seemed to be plagued with the shyness that Ryan and I have/had.
He loves the baby soooo much! Every day, he tells me he loves the baby (well, he also tells me he loves his peepee every day, already penis obsessed at the ripe age of 3!) and gives my belly a hug and a kiss. He insists the baby is a girl, he won't even entertain the thought that it may be a boy. He also tells me how much he loves me every day and gives me multiple kisses, hugs and tickles throughout the day, which I soak up as I know this stage won't last forever! He is such pure joy, I am so very lucky to be his Mommy.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Saturday.
I met a friend for an impromptu lunch on Saturday at Panera. I had both kids with me and my little Coco did not eat her turkey sandwich. Knowing she would surely want to eat it later, I wrapped it up neatly in a napkin and placed it in my purse.
On Saturday.
I also have a habit of leaving my purse in my vehicle at all times (thieves, please ignore this last sentence and please don't bash my windows in...I don't have any money).
Did I mention this happened on Saturday? Oh, I did.
And that is has been well over 100 degrees outside? Which would translate to Hotter Than Hell inside of a car?
Since Saturday.
A turkey sandwich has been sitting inside of my purse, which has been inside my car, in over 100 degree weather since Saturday.
The smell that wafted from my purse today was enough to make me pass out. Best described as a cross between swamp ass and stinky feet, I do believe my beloved purse is headed for the dumpster.
And one more time for emphasis: Since Saturday.
On Saturday.
I also have a habit of leaving my purse in my vehicle at all times (thieves, please ignore this last sentence and please don't bash my windows in...I don't have any money).
Did I mention this happened on Saturday? Oh, I did.
And that is has been well over 100 degrees outside? Which would translate to Hotter Than Hell inside of a car?
Since Saturday.
A turkey sandwich has been sitting inside of my purse, which has been inside my car, in over 100 degree weather since Saturday.
The smell that wafted from my purse today was enough to make me pass out. Best described as a cross between swamp ass and stinky feet, I do believe my beloved purse is headed for the dumpster.
And one more time for emphasis: Since Saturday.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Skidmarked Swimsuit
Funny title to a not-so-funny moment. And, yes, I am surprised and grateful there was no actual crapping of the swimsuit.
I took the kids to the Haysville swimming pool today with my sister-in-law, Casey, and her two children. We were all playing in the baby pool when I looked over and Chloe is under the water in a squat position with her arms flailing above. I quickly rushed over to where she was (about three feet from me) and pulled her up. Luckily, she had been holding her breath and she wasn't under very long, but it was enough to startle me. She immediately told me she needed a towel (love that girl sooo much!). Let's call that the Skidmark Incident.
About an hour later, I decided I was going to leave Chloe with Casey and take Tucker on the slide in the deeper kiddie pool. As I was hoisting my pregnant self out of the pool and getting Tucker out, Casey calls for me in a panicked voice. I turned around to find Chloe on her back as if she was doing the backfloat, but she was about a foot under the water and had a look of fear and panic on her face. She had her eyes and mouth open and I could tell she was taking water in. I jumped in as fast as I could and pulled her up. She started coughing up water immediately and was very upset. She was glued to me for a good ten minutes after that. It was so scary, I can't imagine if we hadn't noticed for a few more seconds. Let's call that the I Almost Baked Brownies In My Swimsuit Incident.
Just shy of an hour of closing time, they made everyone evacuate the pool in search for a rumored Pool Poop (no, it wasn't me). We decided it was time to leave at that time and got the kids changed and made our way out. BOTH of my children, despite knowing better, took off in the parking lot. Oh.no.they.didn't. Trouble. BIG TROUBLE. As if I wasn't already stressed enough over Chloe's near-drownings, having two children run in opposite directions in a parking lot was enough to send me to the grave. I did my usual "STOP!". Tucker listened, Chloe did not. She kept going, making her way to the nearby sand volleyball pit. I ran after her and grabbed her firmly by the arm, scolded her and gave her a swat on her bottom. I hurt her feelings and she cried but running in a parking lot simply will not be tolerated. Too much can happen and all of the scenarios make me ill to even think about. And let's call that the I Will NEVER Take the Kids to a Public Pool by Myself Ever Again Incident. From now on, the adult/child ratio must be 1:1 before I will ever consider doing that again. Too much can be lost in such a short amount of time. Not worth it.
Tonight is a night I really wish I could have a glass of wine.
I took the kids to the Haysville swimming pool today with my sister-in-law, Casey, and her two children. We were all playing in the baby pool when I looked over and Chloe is under the water in a squat position with her arms flailing above. I quickly rushed over to where she was (about three feet from me) and pulled her up. Luckily, she had been holding her breath and she wasn't under very long, but it was enough to startle me. She immediately told me she needed a towel (love that girl sooo much!). Let's call that the Skidmark Incident.
About an hour later, I decided I was going to leave Chloe with Casey and take Tucker on the slide in the deeper kiddie pool. As I was hoisting my pregnant self out of the pool and getting Tucker out, Casey calls for me in a panicked voice. I turned around to find Chloe on her back as if she was doing the backfloat, but she was about a foot under the water and had a look of fear and panic on her face. She had her eyes and mouth open and I could tell she was taking water in. I jumped in as fast as I could and pulled her up. She started coughing up water immediately and was very upset. She was glued to me for a good ten minutes after that. It was so scary, I can't imagine if we hadn't noticed for a few more seconds. Let's call that the I Almost Baked Brownies In My Swimsuit Incident.
Just shy of an hour of closing time, they made everyone evacuate the pool in search for a rumored Pool Poop (no, it wasn't me). We decided it was time to leave at that time and got the kids changed and made our way out. BOTH of my children, despite knowing better, took off in the parking lot. Oh.no.they.didn't. Trouble. BIG TROUBLE. As if I wasn't already stressed enough over Chloe's near-drownings, having two children run in opposite directions in a parking lot was enough to send me to the grave. I did my usual "STOP!". Tucker listened, Chloe did not. She kept going, making her way to the nearby sand volleyball pit. I ran after her and grabbed her firmly by the arm, scolded her and gave her a swat on her bottom. I hurt her feelings and she cried but running in a parking lot simply will not be tolerated. Too much can happen and all of the scenarios make me ill to even think about. And let's call that the I Will NEVER Take the Kids to a Public Pool by Myself Ever Again Incident. From now on, the adult/child ratio must be 1:1 before I will ever consider doing that again. Too much can be lost in such a short amount of time. Not worth it.
Tonight is a night I really wish I could have a glass of wine.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Snail's Pace
Getting our house ready to sell is moving so slow, I can't stand it! Here is a list of things we still have to get done:
My current mantra: This will all be worth it, this will all be worth it, this will all be worth it.
- Paint hall bathroom, hallway, Chloe's room, Tucker's room and the kitchen. I do have the paint colors chosen though, just waiting for the sheetrock patches to be sanded and primed. I should be able to get all of these rooms done this week if I can find enough help with the kids.
- Replace some cedar on the exterior, prep and paint the entire exterior. Luckily, the style of our house is intended to be off white with just a tad darker off white for the trim so it won't be too hard to nail down colors. We were hoping for a break in the 100 degree days but that doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon so we will just have to get up really early on the day(s) we do this.
- Build deck stairs and window well cover for the back of the house.
- Clean up the backyard. Now that the dogs are comfy in their new space, we can take down their dog run, fill in their holes, scoop their massive poop, etc. We also need to just make it look a little nicer in general back there, trim some bushes, get rid of the grass clippings pile, etc.
- Master Bathroom sheetrock work and paint.
- Finish downstairs bathroom area. We still need to tile the built in shower, tile the floor and set the toilet and vanity. We also need to lay carpet in the hall and install doors into the laundry room and the space under the stairs.
- Deep clean each room and shampoo carpets.
- Move out/sell the rest of our CRAP. The moving sale is slated to take place as soon as the house is show-ready. Our intention is to do FSBO for 2 weeks-1 month. We want to have an open house during the Moving Sale so people can walk through without us hovering over them and also get us more exposure since moving sales generally have quite a bit of traffic. If we don't get any bites doing the FSBO thing, we will call our friend Cina to list it for us.
My current mantra: This will all be worth it, this will all be worth it, this will all be worth it.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Gravy Update
I am 15 weeks pregnant now and had an appointment today. As referenced in my previous post, I've been feeling less than stellar the past few days. My blood pressue was much higher than normal, I am a 110/60 girl usually, but today I was 126/86...not terrible but certainly out of the ordinary for me.
The doctor didn't have much insight for me other than suggesting it was heat related and that our move, and all of the work involved, is just now catching up with me. Quite possible. My hemoglobin was fine at my last blood draw so he's not suspecting anemia right now.
I also read online last night that sometimes women feel this way when baby is having a growth spurt, so that's also a good possibility. Whatever the cause, I hope it goes away soon! I hate feeling so crappy!
Aaaaaaanyways...Gravy's heartbeat was 155. For me and my babes, heartrate has never been an indicator of gender. All of my kids (Gravy included)hung out in the 155 range. Speaking of gender, mark your calendars! We will be finding out on August 18th if we are having a BOY or a GIRL!
And I'm kind of thinking we will announce it to family in a fun way. This is likely our last baby so I want to make it exciting...perhaps having a dinner where the gender will be revealed by the menu (i.e. hot dogs for boy, tacos or cheeseburgers for girl), or for simplicity's sake, maybe doing just a dessert with a cake colored blue or pink inside only and the gender will be revealed when it's served. I am open to other ideas if anyone has any!
Update: Just after posting this, I was listening to some music on YouTube and Gravy was going nuts! I had wondered if I was feeling movements but now there's no question! I love feeling life in my belly!
The doctor didn't have much insight for me other than suggesting it was heat related and that our move, and all of the work involved, is just now catching up with me. Quite possible. My hemoglobin was fine at my last blood draw so he's not suspecting anemia right now.
I also read online last night that sometimes women feel this way when baby is having a growth spurt, so that's also a good possibility. Whatever the cause, I hope it goes away soon! I hate feeling so crappy!
Aaaaaaanyways...Gravy's heartbeat was 155. For me and my babes, heartrate has never been an indicator of gender. All of my kids (Gravy included)hung out in the 155 range. Speaking of gender, mark your calendars! We will be finding out on August 18th if we are having a BOY or a GIRL!
And I'm kind of thinking we will announce it to family in a fun way. This is likely our last baby so I want to make it exciting...perhaps having a dinner where the gender will be revealed by the menu (i.e. hot dogs for boy, tacos or cheeseburgers for girl), or for simplicity's sake, maybe doing just a dessert with a cake colored blue or pink inside only and the gender will be revealed when it's served. I am open to other ideas if anyone has any!
Update: Just after posting this, I was listening to some music on YouTube and Gravy was going nuts! I had wondered if I was feeling movements but now there's no question! I love feeling life in my belly!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
A Case of the Blahs
I have been feeling really terrible the past couple of days. I feel so tired and exhausted, plus I have that annoying muscle fatique you get after a really hard workout, except there has been no workout. Not trying to complain, I try very hard to not complain during my pregnancies because being pregnant is a gift and a blessing, not the curse many women think it is. I was slightly anemic with my other two, so I'm wondering if I need to add some iron....will ask the doc tomorrow at my appointment.
I think I have been feeling Gravy move now, which is weird because tomorrow I will be 15 weeks and with my other two, I felt their movements way before 15 weeks! You would think my prior weight loss would make movements more noticeable, not less.
I think I have been feeling Gravy move now, which is weird because tomorrow I will be 15 weeks and with my other two, I felt their movements way before 15 weeks! You would think my prior weight loss would make movements more noticeable, not less.
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Ross Boots
We have moved our dogs out to the in-laws house. Our two dogs, who were our first babies, are 100+ pound yellow labs named Jake and Riley. Riley is Jake's mommy and he is very, very attached to her. We have had such guilt about our dogs being cooped up in a small-ish yard and are so excited that they are now residing pond-side on 25 acres. They will live there until our house is built, so for at least the next year and a half.
We (and when I say "we," I mean Ryan) installed an electric fence this weekend that encompasses the entire pond, plus some for running room. In order to train the dogs to learn the fence boundaries, I have to go out there three times a day and do a 10-20 minute session with each dog for approximately two weeks. Egads, especially in this heat! But they are worth it and their happiness is certainly worth it! Until they are trained, I am going out four times a day to let them out of their dog run area to swim in the pond, go potty and play a bit of fetch.
So, today I decided I would wear my rainboots because
A)after the dogs take a dip in the pond, they seem to insist on stepping all over me
and
B)my father-in-law sprayed for poison ivy earlier today and I didn't want any of the toxins on my skin.
I purchased rainboots from Zulily a few months back and this was my first time to wear them. They are super cute, wouldn't you agree?
And according to their website, they are lined with with a "whisper-soft fleece lining." Let's do a little Kansas in July math, shall we??
Size 8 snug fitting rubber boots - socks + 104 degrees for 45 minutes = The Ross Boots
What am I talking about???
I could.not.get.the.damn.boots.off! And then the panic set in. I'm a mildly claustrophobic person anyways so the fact that my sweaty feet/calves were stuuuuuuck in these boots was enough to send me into a tizzy. Serious panic that almost resulted in calling 911. Not really, but I did consider it. I finally was able to pull the boots off, causing the "whisper-soft fleece" to turn inside out and flop over the top of the boot. In case you were wondering, that's not supposed to happen. It is eight hours after the fact and the boot liners are still sweat soaked.
The End.
We (and when I say "we," I mean Ryan) installed an electric fence this weekend that encompasses the entire pond, plus some for running room. In order to train the dogs to learn the fence boundaries, I have to go out there three times a day and do a 10-20 minute session with each dog for approximately two weeks. Egads, especially in this heat! But they are worth it and their happiness is certainly worth it! Until they are trained, I am going out four times a day to let them out of their dog run area to swim in the pond, go potty and play a bit of fetch.
So, today I decided I would wear my rainboots because
A)after the dogs take a dip in the pond, they seem to insist on stepping all over me
and
B)my father-in-law sprayed for poison ivy earlier today and I didn't want any of the toxins on my skin.
I purchased rainboots from Zulily a few months back and this was my first time to wear them. They are super cute, wouldn't you agree?
And according to their website, they are lined with with a "whisper-soft fleece lining." Let's do a little Kansas in July math, shall we??
Size 8 snug fitting rubber boots - socks + 104 degrees for 45 minutes = The Ross Boots
What am I talking about???
I could.not.get.the.damn.boots.off! And then the panic set in. I'm a mildly claustrophobic person anyways so the fact that my sweaty feet/calves were stuuuuuuck in these boots was enough to send me into a tizzy. Serious panic that almost resulted in calling 911. Not really, but I did consider it. I finally was able to pull the boots off, causing the "whisper-soft fleece" to turn inside out and flop over the top of the boot. In case you were wondering, that's not supposed to happen. It is eight hours after the fact and the boot liners are still sweat soaked.
The End.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Aliens of the Uterine Kind
I know I am in the minority here, but 3D sonogram images completely fa-reak me out. I have ZERO desire to have one done. How is this (3D image of 13 week old baby, the same age as Gravy) supposed to make me feel good about my baby?
Creepy. Totally creepy. And have you seen the ones done of term babies? They appear to have huge holes missing from their heads and look more like fetal demise pictures.
Granted, I am not one to get super attached and obsessed with my babies until they are here (some kind of weird detachment on my part, I guess), but I can't help but wonder if I am the only woman out there who finds these disturbing? Pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket to get images that make me totally neurotic about the appearance and health of my baby? Um, no thank you.
Creepy. Totally creepy. And have you seen the ones done of term babies? They appear to have huge holes missing from their heads and look more like fetal demise pictures.
Granted, I am not one to get super attached and obsessed with my babies until they are here (some kind of weird detachment on my part, I guess), but I can't help but wonder if I am the only woman out there who finds these disturbing? Pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket to get images that make me totally neurotic about the appearance and health of my baby? Um, no thank you.
Settling In
Our big transition to the new place is complete. Even though we downsized considerably, the kids are absolutely loving it here! They love sharing a room and for the first time since birth, Tucker is sleeping all night long by himself in his room! No more climbing in bed with Mommy in the middle of the night, no more waking up screaming, no more bedtime struggles! Can I get a Woo Hoo?!
What has apartment living been like for the adults? We hope and pray that only one person needs to use the potty at any given moment, I wash all dishes by hand, and I am channeling my long lost overly anal persona and have gone toy/clutter-nazi on the fam. It's good though, it's nice to be part of a small, friendly community with the confidence that moving here is the right decision for our family. I am very excited for our future!
Next up on our plate is to bust our butts to get our house ready to sell. We have made a lot of progress in the last week, but next week will slow us down as both of our parents are taking much needed vacations so we won't have "built in" childcare. We'll do what we can, which more than likely means the kids and one parent (me, more than likely) will hang back while the other one works on the house. Our goal is listing by August 1st. We will also be having a big moving sale right before listing so I am still going through all of our stuff and deciding what goes to storage and what goes bye-bye.
What has apartment living been like for the adults? We hope and pray that only one person needs to use the potty at any given moment, I wash all dishes by hand, and I am channeling my long lost overly anal persona and have gone toy/clutter-nazi on the fam. It's good though, it's nice to be part of a small, friendly community with the confidence that moving here is the right decision for our family. I am very excited for our future!
Next up on our plate is to bust our butts to get our house ready to sell. We have made a lot of progress in the last week, but next week will slow us down as both of our parents are taking much needed vacations so we won't have "built in" childcare. We'll do what we can, which more than likely means the kids and one parent (me, more than likely) will hang back while the other one works on the house. Our goal is listing by August 1st. We will also be having a big moving sale right before listing so I am still going through all of our stuff and deciding what goes to storage and what goes bye-bye.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Our New Additions
Welcome to our new blog! This is taking the place of our other blogs so this is now where you will come to find out about all things McMillen so update your bookmarks!
How did I come up with our new name? When Tucker was a baby, my Aunt Kelly told me he looked just like a Precious Moments figurine. In fact, when my Aunt Kyla mailed me this ornament, I burst into tears because it was *so* Tucker!
Teardrop-shaped eyes, cute button nose, angelic look. It dawned on me that he really did look like a Precious Moment! When Chloe arrived and looked just like Big Brother, the same comparisons were made. I can only assume Baby #3 (nicknamed Gravy) will follow suit!
How did I come up with our new name? When Tucker was a baby, my Aunt Kelly told me he looked just like a Precious Moments figurine. In fact, when my Aunt Kyla mailed me this ornament, I burst into tears because it was *so* Tucker!
Teardrop-shaped eyes, cute button nose, angelic look. It dawned on me that he really did look like a Precious Moment! When Chloe arrived and looked just like Big Brother, the same comparisons were made. I can only assume Baby #3 (nicknamed Gravy) will follow suit!
Gravy is due in January of 2012 and we couldn't be more excited! I had my second appointment today. The doctor couldn't find Gravy's heartbeat with the doppler (I am 11 weeks so that is not uncommon) so he did a quick sonogram. Gravy looks great and his/her heartbeat was 155.
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