Posts
I'm looking for a babysitter for tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon for a few hours. A new publication that I'm going to start working with (very small beans) has an event that DH and I have been invited to, but it's a business thing. Care to come by? Or send a trusty teen from your family? Please call. : ) I need the help from 1 to about 5. Everyone always says they want to babysit but that I never ask, so here I ask.
Onto another topic... I went in for my non-stress test on Wednesday and had my vitals checked upon arrival. The scale said I'd gained three pounds from the week before. Whaaaat? Then I remembered, I always take my shoes off when I arrive. And that day, I was wearing tall black leather boots. So I asked to take them off and reweigh. The nurse rolled her eyes and said it wouldn't make much difference, but 2.25 pounds lighter, I felt much better. Not quite a pound of weight gain from one week to the next is much easier to handle than 3.
All is still looking good in the baby department, although it's still hard to imagine that we're less than one month away. This little guy is just bouncing away, fascinating our girls when they see the movements!
On a happy and ironic note, my one and only darling sister informed me yesterday that her big ultrasound (at her halfway point) is scheduled the morning of my due date, February 21. I told her that I'm asking for forgiveness in advance if my doctor gets called away to my delivery and they have to reschedule the exam. At least I know I won't get in the way of her ultrasound. It's all so very exciting!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
What grows within me
Having always been somewhat of a girly girl, it's hard to believe that there's a testosterone-filled baby boy growing within me. I hadn't thought of it that way until just tonight, but by golly, there's a penis inside my uterus.
I'm sure I'm not the first mom to think of this during her pregnancy, but it certainly seems strange to me.
That's all. It's about as newsworthy as my post about a handful of toots from back when the girls were newly home from the hospital, but my oh-so-deep thoughts nonetheless. That's all. Good night.
I'm sure I'm not the first mom to think of this during her pregnancy, but it certainly seems strange to me.
That's all. It's about as newsworthy as my post about a handful of toots from back when the girls were newly home from the hospital, but my oh-so-deep thoughts nonetheless. That's all. Good night.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
And the Old Woman Snores
As the cold I acquired from my generous daughters clings to its last breaths, I still have a bit of stuffiness. Apparently, the result is some pretty horrific snoring.
When I tried to get DH out of bed this morning, he was a bear. Even after turning on the lights and coming back into the bedroom twice, he still just couldn't drag himself out of bed. I finally asked what his problem was and he said grouchily, "You. You snored all night long and I hardly got any sleep."
I suggested that he could have gone out to the living room to snooze. He stated that he tried it, but my snoring was loud enough to bug him out there, too. Aah, the unintentional paybacks for those younger days when he'd go out for drinks and then come home to snore me awake all night. At least I had bedrooms on a different level of the house back then.
Oh well, it's only temporary. This cold is just a half-step from disappearing in its entirety. Thank goodness - there are few things in the world that could make me feel less womanly - between being caught snoring or letting one rip, what else can strip one's femininity quicker? At least I'm not sprouting any back hair or BO. (That I know of anyway.)
When I tried to get DH out of bed this morning, he was a bear. Even after turning on the lights and coming back into the bedroom twice, he still just couldn't drag himself out of bed. I finally asked what his problem was and he said grouchily, "You. You snored all night long and I hardly got any sleep."
I suggested that he could have gone out to the living room to snooze. He stated that he tried it, but my snoring was loud enough to bug him out there, too. Aah, the unintentional paybacks for those younger days when he'd go out for drinks and then come home to snore me awake all night. At least I had bedrooms on a different level of the house back then.
Oh well, it's only temporary. This cold is just a half-step from disappearing in its entirety. Thank goodness - there are few things in the world that could make me feel less womanly - between being caught snoring or letting one rip, what else can strip one's femininity quicker? At least I'm not sprouting any back hair or BO. (That I know of anyway.)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
One Mo'
This weekend, Lillian was quite the little ham. She especially gave my mom a kick when she'd ask for "one mo'?" of whatever she was eating. When Lilli would ask, she'd hold up her pointer finger and raise her eyebrows. Cute as ever.
Breanna still isn't quite herself. DH saw another molar coming into the back of her mouth, and that, along with all the drool, probably explains her need for extra sleep and cuddles.
My folks came for the weekend to help us prepare for the arrival of the new little guy. We pretty much just hung out, eating non-complicated meals, washing up boy clothes, playing with the girls, and just visiting. Wouldn't you know it, the one weekend we plan to do all kinds of laundry, the dryer in our rental stopped drying. It gets plenty warm, but isn't taking out the moisture. We're still waiting on the landlord to get in here to fix us up.
We ran out to the new house to show off progress today, and though it was SO cold (-7), it was still exciting. I'm so proud of DH for all the great, fast work he's done. I'm taking a break from shopping online for vessel sinks to write this little blog, but I'd better get back to it so I can narrow down to my top 5 before meeting with the plumber tomorrow.
Have a good week, friends, and be sure to bundle well. (And splurge on some cocoa!)
Breanna still isn't quite herself. DH saw another molar coming into the back of her mouth, and that, along with all the drool, probably explains her need for extra sleep and cuddles.
My folks came for the weekend to help us prepare for the arrival of the new little guy. We pretty much just hung out, eating non-complicated meals, washing up boy clothes, playing with the girls, and just visiting. Wouldn't you know it, the one weekend we plan to do all kinds of laundry, the dryer in our rental stopped drying. It gets plenty warm, but isn't taking out the moisture. We're still waiting on the landlord to get in here to fix us up.
We ran out to the new house to show off progress today, and though it was SO cold (-7), it was still exciting. I'm so proud of DH for all the great, fast work he's done. I'm taking a break from shopping online for vessel sinks to write this little blog, but I'd better get back to it so I can narrow down to my top 5 before meeting with the plumber tomorrow.
Have a good week, friends, and be sure to bundle well. (And splurge on some cocoa!)
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Big Baby C
I went to the clinic for my 35-week ultrasound today, which revealed a healthy-looking 5-pound, 4-ounce bundle of boy (give or take some size). No wonder I feel so gigantic!
Everything looks just as it should for 35 weeks, with no worries of going into labor tonight or anytime real soon. Good, since we still haven't packed our bags, nor have we lined up someone to hang with the girls from when I go to the hospital until my mom arrives.
But, we do know for sure now that we're having a son, so I'm going to rip tags off the boy clothes and get everything washed this weekend. Still not so sure where we're going to keep the boy clothes for now, but that's ok, I guess. We may end up with a Rubbermaid tote for a dresser until we're in the new house. I still cannot imagine squeezing another person into our little apartment, but I'm sure we'll make it.
The house is coming along beautifully, so we're still on track to move in right after the spring Parade of Homes. Hooray! I'll take my folks out to the building site this weekend and grab a few pictures. It looks a lot bigger now that it's roofed, but that could be affected a bit by the coziness of our current abode. I'm excited about the hugeness of the windows - especially overlooking our stamped concrete patio surrounded by a back yard of woods. I get more enthusiastic each time I see the continuing progress.
A few friends have recently asked how I like driving a mom-mobile. Honestly, I still have my Camry, driving it up until the last minute, I guess. I feel so unmotivated to get a big vehicle. Maybe next week...
Everything looks just as it should for 35 weeks, with no worries of going into labor tonight or anytime real soon. Good, since we still haven't packed our bags, nor have we lined up someone to hang with the girls from when I go to the hospital until my mom arrives.
But, we do know for sure now that we're having a son, so I'm going to rip tags off the boy clothes and get everything washed this weekend. Still not so sure where we're going to keep the boy clothes for now, but that's ok, I guess. We may end up with a Rubbermaid tote for a dresser until we're in the new house. I still cannot imagine squeezing another person into our little apartment, but I'm sure we'll make it.
The house is coming along beautifully, so we're still on track to move in right after the spring Parade of Homes. Hooray! I'll take my folks out to the building site this weekend and grab a few pictures. It looks a lot bigger now that it's roofed, but that could be affected a bit by the coziness of our current abode. I'm excited about the hugeness of the windows - especially overlooking our stamped concrete patio surrounded by a back yard of woods. I get more enthusiastic each time I see the continuing progress.
A few friends have recently asked how I like driving a mom-mobile. Honestly, I still have my Camry, driving it up until the last minute, I guess. I feel so unmotivated to get a big vehicle. Maybe next week...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
A Few New Things Learned Today
- Breanna knows how to climb the dining room furniture and stand on top of the table.
- Lillian's best defense is to lie down on the floor, where you can't finish dressing her.
- I won't die if I don't get a shower in before noon. It makes it easier for me to go down for a morning nap when the girls go if the sleep isn't out of my eyes yet.
- Breanna calls everything that she's not supposed to touch "hot" as she shakes her head back and forth.
- Lillian goes to sleep for naps much better if her head is covered with a light flannel blanket and she actually prefers to cover her own head.
- If I don't send out invoices right after completing projects, I'll keep forgetting for weeks. And weeks. I finally sent three of them tonight.
- When the girls still have colds and are whiny and driving me nuts with their whininess, I can shock them into forgetting they were whining by hollering a super-quick, loud whine back. Their eyebrows shoot right up and they sit there, stunned.
- They also understand that hugging your sister when she's struggling seems to help the situation. What a sweet thing to see.
- Lillian's best defense is to lie down on the floor, where you can't finish dressing her.
- I won't die if I don't get a shower in before noon. It makes it easier for me to go down for a morning nap when the girls go if the sleep isn't out of my eyes yet.
- Breanna calls everything that she's not supposed to touch "hot" as she shakes her head back and forth.
- Lillian goes to sleep for naps much better if her head is covered with a light flannel blanket and she actually prefers to cover her own head.
- If I don't send out invoices right after completing projects, I'll keep forgetting for weeks. And weeks. I finally sent three of them tonight.
- When the girls still have colds and are whiny and driving me nuts with their whininess, I can shock them into forgetting they were whining by hollering a super-quick, loud whine back. Their eyebrows shoot right up and they sit there, stunned.
- They also understand that hugging your sister when she's struggling seems to help the situation. What a sweet thing to see.
Good Eats
This past weekend, we ate well. I tried some new recipes, and one was such a hit that I just had to share it. We had sort-of homemade sweet rolls as a side to our Mediterranean Chicken Packets on the grill and Greek Salad on Saturday night. The recipe is adapted from one in the Jan./Feb. 2008 issue of Cooking Light.
Lime Cardamom Sweet Rolls
Rolls:
1 box mix of Hot Sweet Rolls from the grocery store
Filling:
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 T. grated lime rind
3/4 t. ground cardamom
Dab of butter
Prepare sweet rolls as directed on package, using the crescent roll version. After cutting dough into triangles, mix up the filling and crumble on top of each triangle. Roll each into a crescent, then brush with melted butter. Sprinkle any leftover filling on top, then bake as directed on the box.
We forgot to make the glaze, but I'm going to try it next time. The glaze calls for combining 1 c. powdered sugar and 3 T. lime juice.
Without Dad's mom alive any more to give lessons on her Finnish Cardamom Christmas Bread, experimenting I go. Our local bakeries don't make Christmas bread, so I've had to find other ways to get that cardamom taste without the hassle of making the bread.
Lime Cardamom Sweet Rolls
Rolls:
1 box mix of Hot Sweet Rolls from the grocery store
Filling:
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 T. grated lime rind
3/4 t. ground cardamom
Dab of butter
Prepare sweet rolls as directed on package, using the crescent roll version. After cutting dough into triangles, mix up the filling and crumble on top of each triangle. Roll each into a crescent, then brush with melted butter. Sprinkle any leftover filling on top, then bake as directed on the box.
We forgot to make the glaze, but I'm going to try it next time. The glaze calls for combining 1 c. powdered sugar and 3 T. lime juice.
Without Dad's mom alive any more to give lessons on her Finnish Cardamom Christmas Bread, experimenting I go. Our local bakeries don't make Christmas bread, so I've had to find other ways to get that cardamom taste without the hassle of making the bread.
Monday, January 14, 2008
And now... nothing
After a very busy, somewhat exhausting weekend of company and bridal shower (and not getting home until 11:35 last night), I'm done. From here on out, the only official anything is a weekly doctor appointment. I have a couple writing projects that have no set due dates - as in grace periods of two to three months. But that's it.
Thankfully, by having the shower at my mother-in-law's house yesterday, I was able to dump off lots of stuff that had been in my way around here these past few weeks (gifts, favors, napkins, games, etc.). And I didn't have to bring any leftover food home, so that's a bonus, as well.
Now the great cleanup will begin. When my up-nort' pal Amanda and I left for my in-laws' house yesterday morning, our husbands were feeling rather miserable after their walking tour of our local downtown nightlife. My DH was still in bed, moaning, with the patio door open, snow coming in, and his head lying on his underwear at the foot of the bed. Hers was moaning on the inflatable bed in our living room, trying to forget his sleepwalking woes of the night before.
Once I realized how worthless the guys would be in helping us get out of the house (specifically getting the carseats out of DH's giant man truck and back into my nice little car), I said forget it. We ended up just driving the big diesel with the carseats still in it. When Amanda and I raced out of here, I left all the breakfast messes from us girls right where we'd made them. Upon returning just before midnight last night, I found everything exactly where I'd left it for the guys. French toast batter still on the stove top. Sausages still on the plate. Brummel and Brown still out. A full container of juice on the counter. And clean plates and silverware on the table (the only non-gross part of the whole scene). Oh well.
Today the girls had a good breakfast and are already down for naps - they're still not at 100%, but are getting much better. Now the dishwasher is running and all that's left in the kitchen is a mild wipe-down and the putting-away of clean stuff. Then on to laundry, which was neglected all weekend.
A great big hooray for a clean horizon. I'm really looking forward to these next few weeks of non-busyness. Maybe a little nesting, but nothing major. I might even squeeze in a few manicures. Aah, at last.
Thankfully, by having the shower at my mother-in-law's house yesterday, I was able to dump off lots of stuff that had been in my way around here these past few weeks (gifts, favors, napkins, games, etc.). And I didn't have to bring any leftover food home, so that's a bonus, as well.
Now the great cleanup will begin. When my up-nort' pal Amanda and I left for my in-laws' house yesterday morning, our husbands were feeling rather miserable after their walking tour of our local downtown nightlife. My DH was still in bed, moaning, with the patio door open, snow coming in, and his head lying on his underwear at the foot of the bed. Hers was moaning on the inflatable bed in our living room, trying to forget his sleepwalking woes of the night before.
Once I realized how worthless the guys would be in helping us get out of the house (specifically getting the carseats out of DH's giant man truck and back into my nice little car), I said forget it. We ended up just driving the big diesel with the carseats still in it. When Amanda and I raced out of here, I left all the breakfast messes from us girls right where we'd made them. Upon returning just before midnight last night, I found everything exactly where I'd left it for the guys. French toast batter still on the stove top. Sausages still on the plate. Brummel and Brown still out. A full container of juice on the counter. And clean plates and silverware on the table (the only non-gross part of the whole scene). Oh well.
Today the girls had a good breakfast and are already down for naps - they're still not at 100%, but are getting much better. Now the dishwasher is running and all that's left in the kitchen is a mild wipe-down and the putting-away of clean stuff. Then on to laundry, which was neglected all weekend.
A great big hooray for a clean horizon. I'm really looking forward to these next few weeks of non-busyness. Maybe a little nesting, but nothing major. I might even squeeze in a few manicures. Aah, at last.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Recipe for a Backache
Both our girls came home from their mini-vacation with in-laws with nasty colds this week. Poor Lillian cries each time she coughs and they're both dripping gobs of snot. At least I can hand them a kleenex and tell them to wipe their own noses instead of having to do that for them. They're certifiably miserable, stinking of Vics and sick breath.
We had a very long day today. I had DH meet me at the walk-in clinic this morning, where we learned that Lillian has an ear infection on top of her cold.
I figured they'd sleep all afternoon, being sick and missing morning naps. Ha ha. Each slept about 20 minutes at different times. Both girls wanted to be held and rocked all day, but didn't want to share Mom with one another. That, combined with us not having a rocking chair, made for a very sore back for me. Needless to say, I'm ready for a vacation. Alone. With a masseuse. And lots and lots of pillows and fresh, hot coffee. (Oh how I miss the days when I could drink a whole cup of coffee in one sitting - without it getting cold.)
I think I'll just have to settle for a 10-minute sit-down to blog before getting back to dusting and vacuuming. I'm pretty sure it's been at least three weeks since I last dusted. Oh well. Happy Friday, friends! May you be blessed with a snot-free weekend!
We had a very long day today. I had DH meet me at the walk-in clinic this morning, where we learned that Lillian has an ear infection on top of her cold.
I figured they'd sleep all afternoon, being sick and missing morning naps. Ha ha. Each slept about 20 minutes at different times. Both girls wanted to be held and rocked all day, but didn't want to share Mom with one another. That, combined with us not having a rocking chair, made for a very sore back for me. Needless to say, I'm ready for a vacation. Alone. With a masseuse. And lots and lots of pillows and fresh, hot coffee. (Oh how I miss the days when I could drink a whole cup of coffee in one sitting - without it getting cold.)
I think I'll just have to settle for a 10-minute sit-down to blog before getting back to dusting and vacuuming. I'm pretty sure it's been at least three weeks since I last dusted. Oh well. Happy Friday, friends! May you be blessed with a snot-free weekend!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Magic of Six Weeks
Only six more weeks and we'll have a full-term baby. At this point in my pregnancy with the girls, I was in the hospital, worried sick about our itty bitty preemies who'd just been taken by C-section. What a difference in our lives.
Everything is looking good for us baby-wise, but we're still not totally ready. DH still needs to pick up a bassinet from his buddy . And we have our 35-week ultrasound on Wednesday, during which we'll hopefully confirm with more certainty that we're having a boy. After that ultrasound, I plan to wash up a load of boy clothes and then do a bunch of last-minute boy-clothes shopping. I haven't wanted to go too crazy until I was more sure - just in case.
Other than the sleeping quarters and clothing, we're pretty much ready. I have a list made of what to pack in my hospital bag, DH's hospital bag, and the girls' bag, just in case they end up going to Grandma Becky's or something. My mom plans to come up here as soon as she gets the call to come take care of the girls, but in our climate, I always like to have a backup plan. Thankfully the hospital is literally four blocks away.
I've continued to look for some temporary work to get me by until the baby arrives so that the girls can still go to daycare (and so I don't get quite so exhausted), but no luck so far. I went on one interview and left within 15 minutes, just knowing in my gut that something illegal was happening with the skeezers conducting the interview. Then I had an actual job offer this week, but it ended up being basically a Kirby salesman except with knives. Anyone care to solicit their friends and neighbors and sucker them into giving your their friends' and families' phone numbers so you can peddle cutlery? I don't think so.
I'd rather just live on a budget and be wiped out from busy girls. The whole past two weeks have been humbling to say the least. So, I continue to lower my household cleanliness standards and increase the amount of peace in our home. It's still an adjustment, but really not so bad. The kids are down for naps, so I guess I'd better get back to making my grocery list. Company's coming this weekend. Hooray!
Everything is looking good for us baby-wise, but we're still not totally ready. DH still needs to pick up a bassinet from his buddy . And we have our 35-week ultrasound on Wednesday, during which we'll hopefully confirm with more certainty that we're having a boy. After that ultrasound, I plan to wash up a load of boy clothes and then do a bunch of last-minute boy-clothes shopping. I haven't wanted to go too crazy until I was more sure - just in case.
Other than the sleeping quarters and clothing, we're pretty much ready. I have a list made of what to pack in my hospital bag, DH's hospital bag, and the girls' bag, just in case they end up going to Grandma Becky's or something. My mom plans to come up here as soon as she gets the call to come take care of the girls, but in our climate, I always like to have a backup plan. Thankfully the hospital is literally four blocks away.
I've continued to look for some temporary work to get me by until the baby arrives so that the girls can still go to daycare (and so I don't get quite so exhausted), but no luck so far. I went on one interview and left within 15 minutes, just knowing in my gut that something illegal was happening with the skeezers conducting the interview. Then I had an actual job offer this week, but it ended up being basically a Kirby salesman except with knives. Anyone care to solicit their friends and neighbors and sucker them into giving your their friends' and families' phone numbers so you can peddle cutlery? I don't think so.
I'd rather just live on a budget and be wiped out from busy girls. The whole past two weeks have been humbling to say the least. So, I continue to lower my household cleanliness standards and increase the amount of peace in our home. It's still an adjustment, but really not so bad. The kids are down for naps, so I guess I'd better get back to making my grocery list. Company's coming this weekend. Hooray!
Monday, January 07, 2008
Holiday Highlights
So, yes, we're well into the new year and I'm finally posting a few pics from Christmastime. Oh well, a lot of people I know still have their trees up, so I figure we're ok here.
One of our highlights amidst all the travels included a nice dinner out. On December 22, my parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. My sis and her hubby and our cousin were all home with us, so we went out to Prime Time Charlies in Breezy Point (my dad's pick). Thirty-five years and they still look happy as can be.
The girls also got some wear out of their beautiful red Christmas dresses. I had one and asked my mom to make something to coordinate. No one will ever know which one has a tag. Hopefully they still fit for Valentine's Day.
I think everyone received gifts they liked and very few things needed to go back to the store. As always we ate a lot of great food, and as a special treat, I even had some Finnish Cardamom Bread the weekend before New Year's. Life is good.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Great Job, Lillian!
We just returned from Lilli's marathon Neonatal Growth & Development Clinic. This 4.5-hour exam covers evaluations from all sorts of specialists, such as a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, a dietitian, the head of our NICU, etc. The philosophy for this clinic is that at-risk kids (Lillian is high-risk because of her small birth size) come in every six months for evaluations in every field. The one long appointment means we don't have to trek all over the place for 15,000 different appointments on different days.
In every area, our Lillian scored great! No therapies needed and no return appointment in 6 months. Hooray!
Once we were all done, we stopped at daycare to pick up Breanna. I guess she was not quite herself and kept saying "Lala" as she looked for her sister. As soon as we returned home, Lala went to bed and then Breanna and I had some bonding time. I have to admit, I really enjoyed some one-on-one time with each of them today.
Happy Friday and happy weekend to you all!
In every area, our Lillian scored great! No therapies needed and no return appointment in 6 months. Hooray!
Once we were all done, we stopped at daycare to pick up Breanna. I guess she was not quite herself and kept saying "Lala" as she looked for her sister. As soon as we returned home, Lala went to bed and then Breanna and I had some bonding time. I have to admit, I really enjoyed some one-on-one time with each of them today.
Happy Friday and happy weekend to you all!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
7 weeks and counting
I had a great check-up at my OB today. I can hardly believe how fast delivery day is approaching. We did a non-stress test (NST) and it was so fast and easy with just one baby in there. I'm going to do them once a week until delivery.
And we're almost through with my first week of being a stay-at-home mom. I'm thankful to have only had one big sobbing breakdown - that's a small miracle in itself.
I am completely astonished at how NOT cut out for this I am. Poor DH walked in last night to find the girls covered in supper and me covered in tears, sobbing in the kitchen. They are SO busy and SO curious and SO into everything.
Between keeping them clothed (now they both know how to strip and fling poop like monkeys), and keeping them from killing themselves as they catapult out of their cribs, and keeping them from eating dryer lint and keeping them from escaping through our deck door, it is constant. Add to that that they are weaning down to one nap a day and I'm beside myself. I don't dare to go to the bathroom without taking them in with me for fear of what I'll come out to find.
Today, I managed to brew up a cup of coffee (two hours after we got up) and set it back on the desk while I went to change a diaper. While I was buttoning up Breanna's pants, in walked Lillian with my empty coffee mug. "All done," she chirped in her sweet little voice. Sure enough, you could follow the trail from the entryway through the dining room and all the way to the computer desk. Coffee sure shows up well on cream apartment carpet.
Our Christmas gifts are still not all put away yet, and one of my articles is still not quite done yet. And my eyes still are drooping. but anyway. I've never been so relieved to drop them off at daycare for a few hours. When I reached the OB office, I think I relaxed for the first time all week.
Only one "work" day left. Wish me luck.
And we're almost through with my first week of being a stay-at-home mom. I'm thankful to have only had one big sobbing breakdown - that's a small miracle in itself.
I am completely astonished at how NOT cut out for this I am. Poor DH walked in last night to find the girls covered in supper and me covered in tears, sobbing in the kitchen. They are SO busy and SO curious and SO into everything.
Between keeping them clothed (now they both know how to strip and fling poop like monkeys), and keeping them from killing themselves as they catapult out of their cribs, and keeping them from eating dryer lint and keeping them from escaping through our deck door, it is constant. Add to that that they are weaning down to one nap a day and I'm beside myself. I don't dare to go to the bathroom without taking them in with me for fear of what I'll come out to find.
Today, I managed to brew up a cup of coffee (two hours after we got up) and set it back on the desk while I went to change a diaper. While I was buttoning up Breanna's pants, in walked Lillian with my empty coffee mug. "All done," she chirped in her sweet little voice. Sure enough, you could follow the trail from the entryway through the dining room and all the way to the computer desk. Coffee sure shows up well on cream apartment carpet.
Our Christmas gifts are still not all put away yet, and one of my articles is still not quite done yet. And my eyes still are drooping. but anyway. I've never been so relieved to drop them off at daycare for a few hours. When I reached the OB office, I think I relaxed for the first time all week.
Only one "work" day left. Wish me luck.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Slowly Spinning Down
As the Christmas holiday has passed and my biggest client work has trickled away, we're slowly settling down a bit. Whew! We spent the pre-holiday weekend at my folks' house, along with my sister and brother-in-law and my dear cousin, Bill. We all had a terrific visit and the girls behaved nicely. Sunday night we headed home, dumped out the dirty clothes, piled gifts in the living room, and repacked to head to DH's folks' place the next afternoon. We both worked a half day and then drove south. Again.
The holiday at his family's house is always quite different than at mine, but I can't complain. Though busy and chaotic, all the kids were on excellent behavior and the grown ups minded their p's and q's for the most part. I only had to come up with one chirpy comeback to a snide remark, and it was after midnight, so I'd consider everything to be a success. We returned home late Christmas night, unloaded, dumped more gifts and luggage in the living room, and crashed.
Wednesday through Thursday, we worked through the days, and then began unpacking/repacking luggage in the evenings. Friday after work, we piled into the car and headed south yet again. This time, the girls and I wished DH well as he went to work at a TEC weekend. I'm writing this post from my parents' house right now, where we've been since Friday night. DH finished up this evening, so I'm sure we'll head back home to stay for a while. (I sure hope so - I'm beat.) We had one new development this weekend - Breanna climbed out of the crib. Great.
Work-wise, I'm going to have a huge adjustment in the weeks ahead. My favorite client of all time, who has basically provided me with full-time writing work since April, has lost funding for outsourcing. My last day was Friday, and I'm so sad to have had to wrap up. The people I worked with were terrific - it was the first time in years I'd had a "boss" who I truly respect. And the work was interesting every day.
I have a few new freelance projects (very little ones) lined up for the next couple of weeks, but nothing major. It's hard to justify paying for daycare if I won't be making money, especially when I don't have maternity pay, so I'm going to keep the girls home with me and say prayers for work to come my way. Thankfully, I've socked away a lot into savings, as always, so it won't be a scary time in that respect. Exhausting, I'm certain, but scary, not so much. Of course, DH is worried as can be. But I have faith that the good Lord will provide, as he always has. The timing of this isn't really in my favor, with this gigantic belly poking out the front. But I'm sure everything will fall into place as it needs to.
My pregnancy has been progressing quite nicely. It's a relief to know that this kiddo is already much bigger than Lillian was when she was born, and we still have almost 2 months to go. On Thursday, I start my weekly dr. appointments already. Have I told you yet that we're expecting a little boy? Where has the time gone?
Anyway, I'm going to go grab a cup of coffee and kick back in a recliner next to dear old dad and hope the girls nap long enough for me to empty my cup. It might be my last moments of downtime for a while. Happy day to you!
The holiday at his family's house is always quite different than at mine, but I can't complain. Though busy and chaotic, all the kids were on excellent behavior and the grown ups minded their p's and q's for the most part. I only had to come up with one chirpy comeback to a snide remark, and it was after midnight, so I'd consider everything to be a success. We returned home late Christmas night, unloaded, dumped more gifts and luggage in the living room, and crashed.
Wednesday through Thursday, we worked through the days, and then began unpacking/repacking luggage in the evenings. Friday after work, we piled into the car and headed south yet again. This time, the girls and I wished DH well as he went to work at a TEC weekend. I'm writing this post from my parents' house right now, where we've been since Friday night. DH finished up this evening, so I'm sure we'll head back home to stay for a while. (I sure hope so - I'm beat.) We had one new development this weekend - Breanna climbed out of the crib. Great.
Work-wise, I'm going to have a huge adjustment in the weeks ahead. My favorite client of all time, who has basically provided me with full-time writing work since April, has lost funding for outsourcing. My last day was Friday, and I'm so sad to have had to wrap up. The people I worked with were terrific - it was the first time in years I'd had a "boss" who I truly respect. And the work was interesting every day.
I have a few new freelance projects (very little ones) lined up for the next couple of weeks, but nothing major. It's hard to justify paying for daycare if I won't be making money, especially when I don't have maternity pay, so I'm going to keep the girls home with me and say prayers for work to come my way. Thankfully, I've socked away a lot into savings, as always, so it won't be a scary time in that respect. Exhausting, I'm certain, but scary, not so much. Of course, DH is worried as can be. But I have faith that the good Lord will provide, as he always has. The timing of this isn't really in my favor, with this gigantic belly poking out the front. But I'm sure everything will fall into place as it needs to.
My pregnancy has been progressing quite nicely. It's a relief to know that this kiddo is already much bigger than Lillian was when she was born, and we still have almost 2 months to go. On Thursday, I start my weekly dr. appointments already. Have I told you yet that we're expecting a little boy? Where has the time gone?
Anyway, I'm going to go grab a cup of coffee and kick back in a recliner next to dear old dad and hope the girls nap long enough for me to empty my cup. It might be my last moments of downtime for a while. Happy day to you!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Bridal Shower Games
What's your favorite bridal shower game?
I'm throwing a shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law on January 13 and want to keep the party moving along quickly. I think it will be the largest shower I've been to, which means lots of gifts to open, which means let's get through everything without delays.
Please leave a comment with your ideas for a fun/unique/not-too-time-consuming game. Thanks!
I'm throwing a shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law on January 13 and want to keep the party moving along quickly. I think it will be the largest shower I've been to, which means lots of gifts to open, which means let's get through everything without delays.
Please leave a comment with your ideas for a fun/unique/not-too-time-consuming game. Thanks!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Pig Tails
As DH and I tried to prepare the girls for another attempt at Christmas photos, I told him I'd like to put the girls in pigtails. He raised an eyebrow. Pig? Tails? I said, "Yeah, their hair is so long and I think it would be really cute with their Christmas dresses."
Pig? Tails? "What on Earth is a pig tail?" he asked. I showed him. He said, "You mean pony tails." I then explained how two on one head makes them pigtails. He thought I was insane and told me so. Oh well. The pig tails went in and the girls looked adorable.
We spent about 45 minutes in front of a large section of plain wall in our apartment. The girls had other intentions. The whole 45 minutes. After at least a dozen escapes each and no both looking at the camera at the same time, we gave up. Even sparkly garland wasn't enough to keep them still. As DH had them on the floor, tickling them and laughing, I happened to walk by just then and capture the shot. Pig tails still in tact. Whew! The only "good" one is the black and white below. Finally!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
One Word Answers
My sister sent this to me and I had to laugh. Here are my responses.
You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your significant other? DH
3. Your hair? Shiny
4. Your mother? Loving
5. Your father? Teaching
6. Your favorite thing? Hubby
7. Your dream last night? Parade
8. Your favorite drink? Coffee
9. Your dream/goal? Kindness
10. The room you're in? Vacuumed
11. Your ex? Pathetic
12. Your fear? Fish
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. What you're not? Skinny
16. Muffins? Raspberry
18. Where you grew up? Minnesota
19. The last thing you did? Sip
20. What are you wearing? Pretties
21. Your TV? Off
22. Your pets? Missed. :(
23. Your computer? Busy
24. Your life? Fast
25. Your mood? Content
26. Missing someone? Yes
27. Your car? Unsold
28. Something you're not wearing? Necklace
29. Favorite Store? Herbergers
30. Your summer? Nonexistent
31. Like someone? Yes
32. Your favorite color? Red
33. When is the last time you laughed? Recently
34. Last time you cried? Unsure
35. Who will/would re-post this? Friends
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Cookie Fest
What a great weekend we had! My folks and cousin Billy came up for the weekend. They stayed at my sister and brother-in-law's house, but spent all day Saturday here with us.
We baked all of our favorite Christmas cookies, listened to carols, and had a grand ole time! The boys went out to see the progress on our house at one point in the afternoon, while us lady elves continued to slave away in the kitchen/dining room. My sister learned the finer points of Finnish tart making, and I learned about a pretty nifty material that works as a super-slippery cookie sheet liner. This picture is of my sister and Lillian making keifels and another one of my mom with the girls. Always a busy household!
My mom made Christmas aprons for my sister and me - adjustable to fit around pregnant bellies. And the girls got to open some Christmas presents early. Grammy and Grandpa brought hats and scarves to match winter jackets, holiday socks, as well as some little rocking chairs. The girls rocked and rocked throughout the weekend.
DH grilled a great big beer-filled turkey and baked potatoes for an early supper, and all was great. We tried to get a real family picture of DH and me and the girls, but eh, not so lucky. We put on our winter coats and boots and lined up by our fence, hoping to get a nice snapshot from our deck above. Lillian was tired and antsy and my camera fogged up once it went outside. Oh well. It was worth a shot. Here's a cut-off shot of DH and Breanna. For those expecting Christmas cards, we're still working on a picture. I'm determined to get one at least of the girls in the next evening or two. Stay tuned and watch your mailbox just in time for Christmas. I'm not good at being this last minute, but what do you do?
The one other highlight was when we placed Breanna on the potty chair before her bath on Saturday night, and lo and behold, when we encouraged her to potty, she did. Hooray!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Not Nesting Tonight
Apparently I go in spurts. Tonight, I'm absolutely beat. It probably has something to do with getting out of the shower this morning, sitting on the couch to rest for just a minute, and then waking up a half hour later to the sound of giggling girls ready to get out of bed. My day has been a bit off ever since.
I'd originally planned to work on a pro bono newsletter project, but eh, it's donated time. I'm putting it off until another night. And I was going to make some more candied nuts - I was going to bring some to my OB appointment tomorrow for the nurses. Eh. Maybe next time.
It's 8:35 and DH is still working, which means I had kid chaos all to myself tonight. Don't get me wrong, my girls are really good, but really hands on right up until they finally give up on staying away and let themselves crash. Tonight, the squaking stopped at 8:12.
From there, I cleaned up high chairs and bibs, washed out sippy cups, tossed a load of laundry into the washer, wiped down the tub and put away bath toys, and poured myself a cup of pear juice. And now here I sit, blathering on in my favorite time-wasting fashion.
To make it not such a boring post, I'll entertain you with a quick story. On Monday, Grandma Becky asked how strong my stomach is. Not a good way to start the afternoon pickup. She then told me of how she put the girls down for an afternoon nap. (They go in a gigantic playpen together.) They did their usually babbling back and forth for a few minutes, and then it was quiet. GB sat down with a cup of tea and put her feet up, ready for an hour of rest. Then the giggles began. She got up to peek in on them and found them painting each other. Breanna, the magical strip artist, had pulled off her pants and poopy diaper and she and her sister were having a grand old time painting each other. Lilli had a stripe that went from her eyebrow all the way down to her collar. In their hair, ears, clothes, everywhere.
So GB did what any person would do. She grabbed both girls and hauled them off to the shower. Unfortunately, the girls gave her big hugs as they went, so all three stripped down and hopped into the shower. Apparently, the girls let GB know that they don't appreciate shower whatsoever. Poor GB. She commented that perhaps the girls were grossed out by her pudgy wrinkled body, but I reassured her they see much worse in our house sometimes. It's gotten so that they walk up to me and pull up my shirt, poke my now-outie bellybutton, and laugh.
Anyway, Monday night, I went to check on the girls before I went to bed and found Breanna stark naked in her crib. Thankfully - VERY THANKFULLY - she was still clean and dry. I dressed her again and put her back in the crib.
Tuesday evening, I got to GB's to find Breanna wearing a pull-up OVER her pants. Oh no.
GB quickly explained that it's a great solution to keeping Breanna clothed. She hasn't figured out how to get the pull-up off. Yet, anyway. So she sent a pull-up home with us to put over jammies, and wouldn't you know, guess who woke up with the top half of her jammies off, but her onesie and bottom half of her jammies still on. Yay for inventive daycare grannies!
And yay for having one daughter who actually likes to zip her clothes up and act modest.
I'd originally planned to work on a pro bono newsletter project, but eh, it's donated time. I'm putting it off until another night. And I was going to make some more candied nuts - I was going to bring some to my OB appointment tomorrow for the nurses. Eh. Maybe next time.
It's 8:35 and DH is still working, which means I had kid chaos all to myself tonight. Don't get me wrong, my girls are really good, but really hands on right up until they finally give up on staying away and let themselves crash. Tonight, the squaking stopped at 8:12.
From there, I cleaned up high chairs and bibs, washed out sippy cups, tossed a load of laundry into the washer, wiped down the tub and put away bath toys, and poured myself a cup of pear juice. And now here I sit, blathering on in my favorite time-wasting fashion.
To make it not such a boring post, I'll entertain you with a quick story. On Monday, Grandma Becky asked how strong my stomach is. Not a good way to start the afternoon pickup. She then told me of how she put the girls down for an afternoon nap. (They go in a gigantic playpen together.) They did their usually babbling back and forth for a few minutes, and then it was quiet. GB sat down with a cup of tea and put her feet up, ready for an hour of rest. Then the giggles began. She got up to peek in on them and found them painting each other. Breanna, the magical strip artist, had pulled off her pants and poopy diaper and she and her sister were having a grand old time painting each other. Lilli had a stripe that went from her eyebrow all the way down to her collar. In their hair, ears, clothes, everywhere.
So GB did what any person would do. She grabbed both girls and hauled them off to the shower. Unfortunately, the girls gave her big hugs as they went, so all three stripped down and hopped into the shower. Apparently, the girls let GB know that they don't appreciate shower whatsoever. Poor GB. She commented that perhaps the girls were grossed out by her pudgy wrinkled body, but I reassured her they see much worse in our house sometimes. It's gotten so that they walk up to me and pull up my shirt, poke my now-outie bellybutton, and laugh.
Anyway, Monday night, I went to check on the girls before I went to bed and found Breanna stark naked in her crib. Thankfully - VERY THANKFULLY - she was still clean and dry. I dressed her again and put her back in the crib.
Tuesday evening, I got to GB's to find Breanna wearing a pull-up OVER her pants. Oh no.
GB quickly explained that it's a great solution to keeping Breanna clothed. She hasn't figured out how to get the pull-up off. Yet, anyway. So she sent a pull-up home with us to put over jammies, and wouldn't you know, guess who woke up with the top half of her jammies off, but her onesie and bottom half of her jammies still on. Yay for inventive daycare grannies!
And yay for having one daughter who actually likes to zip her clothes up and act modest.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Queen of the MultiTasking
In the midst of everything chaos around us, I've managed to cook up three batches of sweet and spicy nuts (stirring every 5 minutes for 30 minutes per batch), wrap up and decorate take-out boxes for the nuts, bake a batch of muffins, label 25 CDs for a Mothers of Multiples project, start putting together a pro bono newsletter, paint my nails (once everything was in the oven), compose two really great business-related emails, burn myself a CD of some cool jazzy stuff, write a Christmas poem instead of a holiday letter, and print off return address labels for our holiday cards.
And I'm still wearing lipstick. Yes, I am the queen.
And I'm still wearing lipstick. Yes, I am the queen.
Friday, December 07, 2007
TGIF
What a week! I just finished putting away the groceries at 11:00 Friday night, and am finally sitting down with a cup of Oh My Chai and a deep breath. I'm absolutely beat. And yet, I need a little sit-down wind-down time before getting ready for bed.
Poor DH ended up with our bug, so he was up all last night and had a tough day today. Hopefully it's as short-lived for him as it was for me. He's planning to work both Saturday and Sunday to make up for cruddy productivity today, and to hopefully squeeze some time in at our new house. It's been a mixed blessing that he's been so flooded with work - the weather has been awfully cold to be working outside on our place. I think it's been about two weeks since he's spent any time out there. Slow progress, but oh well. Better that than frostbite.
During the past few weeks, I've been enjoying little bits of holiday shopping here and there. For the first time, I'm wrapping as I go instead of saving it as my last (and favorite) part of preparing for Christmas. So far, so good. While I packed away all of our decor (including Christmas stuff) deep into storage, I was smart in keeping out my wrapping goodies.
We've talked about doing a family picture and sending it with Christmas cards, but I can't imagine when we'd possibly squeeze it in. The girls are over a year and a half and we still haven't had a real family picture taken yet. How ridiculous. So when DH asks me again tomorrow - as he has been daily for a week - what I want for Christmas, that's what I'll tell him. I've been drawing a blank 'til now (except for the Moby wraps, of course).
Well, my tea is gone and I think I'm ready to retire for the night - or better yet - for the week. Unfortunately, 7 a.m. will come bright and early tomorrow, so I'd better hit the sack. Good night!
Poor DH ended up with our bug, so he was up all last night and had a tough day today. Hopefully it's as short-lived for him as it was for me. He's planning to work both Saturday and Sunday to make up for cruddy productivity today, and to hopefully squeeze some time in at our new house. It's been a mixed blessing that he's been so flooded with work - the weather has been awfully cold to be working outside on our place. I think it's been about two weeks since he's spent any time out there. Slow progress, but oh well. Better that than frostbite.
During the past few weeks, I've been enjoying little bits of holiday shopping here and there. For the first time, I'm wrapping as I go instead of saving it as my last (and favorite) part of preparing for Christmas. So far, so good. While I packed away all of our decor (including Christmas stuff) deep into storage, I was smart in keeping out my wrapping goodies.
We've talked about doing a family picture and sending it with Christmas cards, but I can't imagine when we'd possibly squeeze it in. The girls are over a year and a half and we still haven't had a real family picture taken yet. How ridiculous. So when DH asks me again tomorrow - as he has been daily for a week - what I want for Christmas, that's what I'll tell him. I've been drawing a blank 'til now (except for the Moby wraps, of course).
Well, my tea is gone and I think I'm ready to retire for the night - or better yet - for the week. Unfortunately, 7 a.m. will come bright and early tomorrow, so I'd better hit the sack. Good night!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
New Day - Hooray!
I feel like a whole new woman today. Seriously, except for the aching back, ribs, and tummy muscles, I can barely tell how violently ill I was just a few short nights ago. And the girls are totally back to normal, too. Yay!
They giggled in the tub tonight more than I've ever heard. It was like they got the giggles in church and just couldn't stop, and the harder they tried, the worse it became. We had a great time!
After the gigglers were freshly jammied and teeth were brushed, DH came home and relieved me so I could run to the mall in search of a maternity blazer or suit. I have a big day tomorrow and really wanted to wear more than a nice blouse and slacks. Hooray - I found a decent black suitcoat at Motherhood Maternity. I picked up some nice buttons at JoAnn Fabrics on my way out, and headed home, where I am now putting off replacing the buttons and shortening the sleeves. I also need to apply the topcoat to my nails. And then off to bed I go, hopefully to enjoy a fulfilling night of sleep.
If you read this before my 8 am-to-noon meeting tomorrow, please say a prayer for a fruitful morning for me. I'll explain details sometime after the meeting, so as not to jinx myself. : )
They giggled in the tub tonight more than I've ever heard. It was like they got the giggles in church and just couldn't stop, and the harder they tried, the worse it became. We had a great time!
After the gigglers were freshly jammied and teeth were brushed, DH came home and relieved me so I could run to the mall in search of a maternity blazer or suit. I have a big day tomorrow and really wanted to wear more than a nice blouse and slacks. Hooray - I found a decent black suitcoat at Motherhood Maternity. I picked up some nice buttons at JoAnn Fabrics on my way out, and headed home, where I am now putting off replacing the buttons and shortening the sleeves. I also need to apply the topcoat to my nails. And then off to bed I go, hopefully to enjoy a fulfilling night of sleep.
If you read this before my 8 am-to-noon meeting tomorrow, please say a prayer for a fruitful morning for me. I'll explain details sometime after the meeting, so as not to jinx myself. : )
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
So Not Invincible
The flu hit me last night after many sick-free years. And it made up for lost time. It's 1:00 p.m. and the first time I've left the couch for more than a bathroom run or a pedialyte run. I can't believe how good it feels to sit upright.
Our girls had a great weekend - their bug from the Thursday all-nighter seemed to have been short-lived. Monday at daycare, though, Lillian tossed her breakfast and both girls had icky pants all day. For the first time, I thought luck was with us. They had a scheduled doctor appointment for checkups and flu shots. No double co-pays due to timing being off a day or two. Ha - fate was playing a big mean trick on me. The girls are fine, by the way. And Lillian finally topped 20 pounds - 21 pounds even! Breanna came in at 24 - woo hoo!
Anyway, last night I ate an apple and then got ready for bed. When I laid down, I thought I possibly recognized a glimmer of queasiness. At 12:30, my wretched night began.
As I once explained to my friend, Lettuce, I can't think of anything more gross than puking in a toilet. Buckets are great - they're clean, they're portable, and they're easy to wash out. Plus, no butts have been in them (at least I hope!). So last night, I had three buckets handy - one next to the bed, one next to the tub, and one next to the couch. And like clockwork, every hour and a half I needed one.
Up until now, I've always been pretty ok with ralphing. It's quick and awful and then you move on. However, puking with a big pregnant tummy is a completely different story. The baby kicked and kicked, often stirring more nausea. And when I was yakking, the contractions were crazy. I have the goosebumps just thinking about it.
It will be quite a while before I eat another apple. Or anything with substance, for that matter. In the meantime, weak decaf tea and oyster crackers are my new best friends. Happy stinkin' Tuesday.
Our girls had a great weekend - their bug from the Thursday all-nighter seemed to have been short-lived. Monday at daycare, though, Lillian tossed her breakfast and both girls had icky pants all day. For the first time, I thought luck was with us. They had a scheduled doctor appointment for checkups and flu shots. No double co-pays due to timing being off a day or two. Ha - fate was playing a big mean trick on me. The girls are fine, by the way. And Lillian finally topped 20 pounds - 21 pounds even! Breanna came in at 24 - woo hoo!
Anyway, last night I ate an apple and then got ready for bed. When I laid down, I thought I possibly recognized a glimmer of queasiness. At 12:30, my wretched night began.
As I once explained to my friend, Lettuce, I can't think of anything more gross than puking in a toilet. Buckets are great - they're clean, they're portable, and they're easy to wash out. Plus, no butts have been in them (at least I hope!). So last night, I had three buckets handy - one next to the bed, one next to the tub, and one next to the couch. And like clockwork, every hour and a half I needed one.
Up until now, I've always been pretty ok with ralphing. It's quick and awful and then you move on. However, puking with a big pregnant tummy is a completely different story. The baby kicked and kicked, often stirring more nausea. And when I was yakking, the contractions were crazy. I have the goosebumps just thinking about it.
It will be quite a while before I eat another apple. Or anything with substance, for that matter. In the meantime, weak decaf tea and oyster crackers are my new best friends. Happy stinkin' Tuesday.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Another Late Night
I awoke at 1:04 this morning to the sound of retching. Poor Miss Lillian was hurling in her crib. Approximately two minutes later, Breanna started in. They are so in sync with each other it often scares me.
Two buckets, four showers, six bedding changes, eight footie pajama changes, and many hours later, we all made it back to bed for close to two hours. Until we started all over again at a little after 5 o'clock. By that time, DH had decided to go to the job site and get his project set up for his workers so that he could stay home with the girls during the day. He returned at a little after 7, when Breanna was just falling back to sleep. I got ready and headed off to work.
Needless to say, the day improved for DH and the girls as the day progressed. Lillian even graduated to jelly toast for supper. And now for some downtime and hopefully a long, sleepful night. Sweet dreams, all.
Two buckets, four showers, six bedding changes, eight footie pajama changes, and many hours later, we all made it back to bed for close to two hours. Until we started all over again at a little after 5 o'clock. By that time, DH had decided to go to the job site and get his project set up for his workers so that he could stay home with the girls during the day. He returned at a little after 7, when Breanna was just falling back to sleep. I got ready and headed off to work.
Needless to say, the day improved for DH and the girls as the day progressed. Lillian even graduated to jelly toast for supper. And now for some downtime and hopefully a long, sleepful night. Sweet dreams, all.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Crap of Cancer
Our 6-year-old nephew, Connor, has been battling leukemia for a couple years now. And after numerous hospital stays in the last month alone, he went into emergency surgery this morning. I haven't heard an update since. His Caring Bridge site is www.caringbridge.org/mn/connorterfehr
And my TEC friend, Nathan, is battling cancer as well. He's only been married a year. His site is http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/nathanmeeks
My friend through osmosis, Amy (I've never actually met her, but I know her sister, Jean from What's for Dinner), is also battling leukemia. I don't know of any website, but I get updates from time to time from Jean. She's been struggling with cataracts that have developed as a side effect to some of her cancer treatments.
These three cancer cases have touched me. Please keep the patients in your prayers. And pray that a cure is found soon. The battle is one that young people should not have to even think about, much less suffer through.
And my TEC friend, Nathan, is battling cancer as well. He's only been married a year. His site is http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/nathanmeeks
My friend through osmosis, Amy (I've never actually met her, but I know her sister, Jean from What's for Dinner), is also battling leukemia. I don't know of any website, but I get updates from time to time from Jean. She's been struggling with cataracts that have developed as a side effect to some of her cancer treatments.
These three cancer cases have touched me. Please keep the patients in your prayers. And pray that a cure is found soon. The battle is one that young people should not have to even think about, much less suffer through.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Sling - a - Ling -Ding
Have you ever heard of Moby wraps? My friend Crystal introduced me to them at a little pre-holiday open house a couple weeks ago. They're baby slings that appear to be quite awesome. I'm putting one on my Christmas list.
Crystal has two little boys who were born a week or so after my girls - even earlier than the girls. And she and I both come from the ad agency world. And both love high heels. And both have beautiful hair. And are both master goddesses when it comes to juggling family and career.
She showed me how to use the Moby on Breanna, and I was shocked that Breanna just hung out, cool with being confined. The bonuses of versatility: you can wrap twins and carry them up to 40 pounds. And - drum roll please - you can nurse a baby while you walk around and no one knows. I can't wait to try one with the new baby! I'm going to see if we can even get away with not having to buy a triple stroller - instead just keeping the girls in our double and using the Moby for Baby C.
Check these babies out - www.twopeaspod.com. This is my new favorite find since BabyLegs. Yay for cool products!
Crystal has two little boys who were born a week or so after my girls - even earlier than the girls. And she and I both come from the ad agency world. And both love high heels. And both have beautiful hair. And are both master goddesses when it comes to juggling family and career.
She showed me how to use the Moby on Breanna, and I was shocked that Breanna just hung out, cool with being confined. The bonuses of versatility: you can wrap twins and carry them up to 40 pounds. And - drum roll please - you can nurse a baby while you walk around and no one knows. I can't wait to try one with the new baby! I'm going to see if we can even get away with not having to buy a triple stroller - instead just keeping the girls in our double and using the Moby for Baby C.
Check these babies out - www.twopeaspod.com. This is my new favorite find since BabyLegs. Yay for cool products!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Winter Welcome
I just arrived home from my shift at the Giving Tree at the mall and slid all over the place. Our first snow of the season and it's beautiful outside! I donned the pimp coat and big red mittens and felt so festive, I even decided to stop at the grocery store for muffins.
Our Thanksgiving was lovely, very mellow and relaxed. The rest of the weekend followed suit. I even wore velvety lounge pants one day and got to visit Newzgirl a bit.
We officially welcomed winter at the festival on Friday. It was pretty brisk out, and there was even some wind. The girls were well bundled in BabyLegs (legwarmers), denim overalls, snowpants, winter coats, hats, mittens, scarves and boots. We plunked them into the stroller and a wassailing we went. The fest was just as romantic as I'd remembered from past years. People caroled, cocoa and cider were sipped, bonfires crackled, lights twinkled, sleigh rides glided by, and kids laughed all over the place.
Lillian was the social butterfly of the evening, blowing kisses to pretty much anyone she made eye contact with. Breanna just took it all in, singing along from time to time. After a healthy supper of corndogs, cookies, cider, juicebox, and donut holes, the girls were pretty tuckered out. We decided to go back to the car just a little bit before the fireworks began. As we walked, the snow began to flutter down softly.
At the car, when I pulled Lillian out of the stroller, her boots got stuck in the leg holes. Being bulky in a pimp coat (plus being pregnant), I was less than graceful in jostling her out of her seat. Once I finally buckled her into her car seat and pushed up her hat so she could see, I realized she was sound asleep. Out cold. I had to check to make sure she hadn't frozen to death, but she softly snored away. Miss Breanna fell asleep on the way back to Grandma's and Grandpa's house.
Now that the girls have had a good dollop of outdoor freedom, I think we may be in trouble. They sure enjoyed the fresh air throughout the rest of the weekend. Winter, here we come!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Heading Home
To all of my Lake Country friends, I really hope to see you at the Nisswa City of Lights festival on Friday night.
DH and I are heading to my folks' house in Lake Shore tonight for the long weekend. He's coming back to town tomorrow with my sister and brother-in-law, but the girls and I are staying through Sunday.
And Friday night, we're going to introduce the girls to a wonderful small-town tradition. The little Normal Rockwell town just a few miles up the road from my folks' house is overflowing with festivals. The one on the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving is my favorite. All the little shops (that's the only kind of shopping there is - boutique-land) light up their storefronts at dusk and put out little luminaries.
An oom paa band plays just a short distance from the huge bonfire at town square. And of course, carolers sing, hot cocoa flows, everybody's cheeks turn pink, fireworks paint the sky, and Christmas season begins. This year, the girls are big enough to come with. I have the snowpants packed and all the warm goodies, so we're almost ready to go.
In my last free hour before I pick them up from daycare today, I'm going to post my wish to you all for a lovely Thanksgiving. Then I'm going to pack clothes for DH and me, and load the car. When he walks in, we're hittin' the road.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And if you're out and about in Lake Country this weekend, give me a call. I'm feeling particularly social this week!
DH and I are heading to my folks' house in Lake Shore tonight for the long weekend. He's coming back to town tomorrow with my sister and brother-in-law, but the girls and I are staying through Sunday.
And Friday night, we're going to introduce the girls to a wonderful small-town tradition. The little Normal Rockwell town just a few miles up the road from my folks' house is overflowing with festivals. The one on the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving is my favorite. All the little shops (that's the only kind of shopping there is - boutique-land) light up their storefronts at dusk and put out little luminaries.
An oom paa band plays just a short distance from the huge bonfire at town square. And of course, carolers sing, hot cocoa flows, everybody's cheeks turn pink, fireworks paint the sky, and Christmas season begins. This year, the girls are big enough to come with. I have the snowpants packed and all the warm goodies, so we're almost ready to go.
In my last free hour before I pick them up from daycare today, I'm going to post my wish to you all for a lovely Thanksgiving. Then I'm going to pack clothes for DH and me, and load the car. When he walks in, we're hittin' the road.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And if you're out and about in Lake Country this weekend, give me a call. I'm feeling particularly social this week!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Midnight Parade of Firemen
To satisfy Mrs. RadWag's curiosity, here's the promised story about how we wound up with three firemen in our apartment at midnight on a Sunday.
At about 11 o'clock, I took the final step in my bedtime routine. After teeth were flossed and brushed, hair combed, face washed, contacts out, jammies on, chapstick applied, I went to check on the girls.
I opened the door to their room only to be assaulted by the pungent odor of eggs. I literally took a step backwards and shook my head. DH had just climbed into bed and I made him get up to come smell. As he rolled his eyes at his pregnant, smell-sensitive wife, he appeased me by getting up.
As he neared the door, he agreed. There's definitely something rotten. So, naturally, we checked diapers. Nothing. And then we remembered that natural gas is supposed to smell like eggs. We whisked our sleeping babies out of the room, investigated a little more, still found nothing, and then called the local PD.
We were baffled, as DH explained to the dispatcher. We don't have any gas appliances. Nor do we have food in the bedrooms. Nor are the girls gassy. She reassured him that he made the right call and urged him to get us out to the car ASAP.
Quickly, we bundled the girls and as we opened our front door, the parade of firemen were coming our way. At 12:05, three firemen came in with fancy little handheld detectors. They checked all over the place and came up with nothing. In the meantime, since the door to the bedroom had been open for about an hour by then, the smell had somewhat dissipated. Not completely, but enough so that the firemen said they didn't smell anything. We still smelled it.
After they reassured us that there was nothing to worry about and that we should call any time we smell anything funny and that they're glad we called that night, we put the girls back in our bed and decided to investigate ourselves.
I smelled all the outlets - maybe some neighbor's cooking was leaching into our space. Nothing. I checked the patio door. Nothing eggy outside. DH checked the toy box - no melting toys or rotting snacks. Nothing whatsoever.
So we went to bed, and when I poked my head back into the room about an hour later I got up to potty the first time, I still smelled it with certainty. When I got up the second time, about 4, for yet another potty break, the smell was completely gone.
Strange all the way around. Someone suggested one of the girls most likely ripped a gigantic fart. But we're still not convinced. So, we 're on the lookout for the real story, both doubtful we'll ever know it.
At about 11 o'clock, I took the final step in my bedtime routine. After teeth were flossed and brushed, hair combed, face washed, contacts out, jammies on, chapstick applied, I went to check on the girls.
I opened the door to their room only to be assaulted by the pungent odor of eggs. I literally took a step backwards and shook my head. DH had just climbed into bed and I made him get up to come smell. As he rolled his eyes at his pregnant, smell-sensitive wife, he appeased me by getting up.
As he neared the door, he agreed. There's definitely something rotten. So, naturally, we checked diapers. Nothing. And then we remembered that natural gas is supposed to smell like eggs. We whisked our sleeping babies out of the room, investigated a little more, still found nothing, and then called the local PD.
We were baffled, as DH explained to the dispatcher. We don't have any gas appliances. Nor do we have food in the bedrooms. Nor are the girls gassy. She reassured him that he made the right call and urged him to get us out to the car ASAP.
Quickly, we bundled the girls and as we opened our front door, the parade of firemen were coming our way. At 12:05, three firemen came in with fancy little handheld detectors. They checked all over the place and came up with nothing. In the meantime, since the door to the bedroom had been open for about an hour by then, the smell had somewhat dissipated. Not completely, but enough so that the firemen said they didn't smell anything. We still smelled it.
After they reassured us that there was nothing to worry about and that we should call any time we smell anything funny and that they're glad we called that night, we put the girls back in our bed and decided to investigate ourselves.
I smelled all the outlets - maybe some neighbor's cooking was leaching into our space. Nothing. I checked the patio door. Nothing eggy outside. DH checked the toy box - no melting toys or rotting snacks. Nothing whatsoever.
So we went to bed, and when I poked my head back into the room about an hour later I got up to potty the first time, I still smelled it with certainty. When I got up the second time, about 4, for yet another potty break, the smell was completely gone.
Strange all the way around. Someone suggested one of the girls most likely ripped a gigantic fart. But we're still not convinced. So, we 're on the lookout for the real story, both doubtful we'll ever know it.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Men!
Thankfully we women know how to communicate. Otherwise I'm certain we'd all be dead - from killing one another out of sheer frustration. My daughters just laid down for a little nap after a super-quick outing this afternoon. We'd just arrived at WalMart and taken our coats off and were heading to the back of the store, when DH called, stating he had an emergency.
Of course, I immediately thought Emergency Room. He quickly went on to say that he needed me to go into his work email account and find an email from a vendor and look up the specs on the top of the PDF. He wanted me to verify the dimensions of a window.
I calmly explained that we'd just arrived at WalMart and were planning to pick up a few groceries and some laundry detergent. And that it had taken me 45 minutes to get out of the house. He asked if we'd filled the cart yet. Not yet. OK, great, then would I mind loading the girls back into the car, rushing home, going up down up down up down the stairs until we made it inside, and then calling him once I found the email.
Grrrrr. Being a nice wife, that's just what I did.
Of course, I immediately thought Emergency Room. He quickly went on to say that he needed me to go into his work email account and find an email from a vendor and look up the specs on the top of the PDF. He wanted me to verify the dimensions of a window.
I calmly explained that we'd just arrived at WalMart and were planning to pick up a few groceries and some laundry detergent. And that it had taken me 45 minutes to get out of the house. He asked if we'd filled the cart yet. Not yet. OK, great, then would I mind loading the girls back into the car, rushing home, going up down up down up down the stairs until we made it inside, and then calling him once I found the email.
Grrrrr. Being a nice wife, that's just what I did.
Another Saturday with the Kiddos
The weeks seem to get longer and more tiring. My DH and I were wild and crazy last night. After the girls went to bed, we brushed and flossed and climbed into bed and the ripe old time of 8:30.
He left to go out to the house at about 7 this morning, and I got up with the girls at 7:10, and thankfully I feel refreshed. The girls don't seem quite so refreshed.
So far, we've changed pants, gotten dressed, brushed teeth, made and eaten waffles and monterrey jack slices and a fresh pear and bacon (and a cup of decaf coffee for mom), sorted the laundry, found mom's knitting needles and proceeded to poke one another with them, unsorted half the laundry, stripped the bed and cribs and put on clean sheets, played ring around the rosie, sung the ABCs (three times), loaded the dishwasher, cleaned up from breakfast, changed messy pants, and snapped and unsnapped overalls about a dozen times.
I hope Breanna isn't showing a preview to the career path she seems destined to. She sings, dances, and strips off her clothes every chance she gets. Tonight I'm going to start pinning the zipper on her jammies before bed so she doesn't wake up cold and wearing only a diaper.
Anyway, it's almost 9. The first snow of the season is peacefully floating through the air. The girls are yawning and I'm ready for a shower. This all adds up to only one thing: it's nap time. Happy Saturday!
He left to go out to the house at about 7 this morning, and I got up with the girls at 7:10, and thankfully I feel refreshed. The girls don't seem quite so refreshed.
So far, we've changed pants, gotten dressed, brushed teeth, made and eaten waffles and monterrey jack slices and a fresh pear and bacon (and a cup of decaf coffee for mom), sorted the laundry, found mom's knitting needles and proceeded to poke one another with them, unsorted half the laundry, stripped the bed and cribs and put on clean sheets, played ring around the rosie, sung the ABCs (three times), loaded the dishwasher, cleaned up from breakfast, changed messy pants, and snapped and unsnapped overalls about a dozen times.
I hope Breanna isn't showing a preview to the career path she seems destined to. She sings, dances, and strips off her clothes every chance she gets. Tonight I'm going to start pinning the zipper on her jammies before bed so she doesn't wake up cold and wearing only a diaper.
Anyway, it's almost 9. The first snow of the season is peacefully floating through the air. The girls are yawning and I'm ready for a shower. This all adds up to only one thing: it's nap time. Happy Saturday!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
And now... part 3
Today is the first day of my third trimester of pregnancy. Where the heck did the first two go?
On Tuesday, I had another great OB appointment. DH was working out at the new house, so I went alone for the first time. The first thing the doctor said, "Did you leave your chatterbox at home?" I told her I thought I'd save both her and me some time. And, boy, was it ever quick without him there.
Everything is still looking terrific. I've gained three more pounds in the past month, which is a little low overall, but nothing to worry about. The doc and I both are convinced it's because of all the fruits and veggies I eat. Do you realize how good pears are this time of year? I eat one every day and they're just wonderful! And our girls love them too.
She asked me when was the last time I ate chips, and again, I had no idea. Apparently, the fact that I don't munch on chips and salty snacks just baffles her. She even teases a little bit. I did enjoy a grilled cheese with tomato slices and a side of french fries (with salt) at lunchtime today, so I felt a little more mainstream.
Now when it comes to sugar, that's a whole different story. I won't even get started down that road.
To celebrate feeling great in my third trimester, I'm going to get ready for bed early and maybe even read in bed a little bit. Cheers!
On Tuesday, I had another great OB appointment. DH was working out at the new house, so I went alone for the first time. The first thing the doctor said, "Did you leave your chatterbox at home?" I told her I thought I'd save both her and me some time. And, boy, was it ever quick without him there.
Everything is still looking terrific. I've gained three more pounds in the past month, which is a little low overall, but nothing to worry about. The doc and I both are convinced it's because of all the fruits and veggies I eat. Do you realize how good pears are this time of year? I eat one every day and they're just wonderful! And our girls love them too.
She asked me when was the last time I ate chips, and again, I had no idea. Apparently, the fact that I don't munch on chips and salty snacks just baffles her. She even teases a little bit. I did enjoy a grilled cheese with tomato slices and a side of french fries (with salt) at lunchtime today, so I felt a little more mainstream.
Now when it comes to sugar, that's a whole different story. I won't even get started down that road.
To celebrate feeling great in my third trimester, I'm going to get ready for bed early and maybe even read in bed a little bit. Cheers!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Free Day Ahead
The girls are finally napping (whew!) and I'm finally taking a break. OK, technically they're not sleeping yet - I still hear them. But they ARE going to take a nap, darn it, because I need a break today. What a long Saturday - starting from 7:15, they've gone strong til just now.
I am continually in awe of stay-at-home moms (and Dads - cheers Josh and Looky Daddy). Talk about exhausting! And I can't imagine how they get anything done whatsoever. I hope it's a little different for them, with opportunities to monkey-proof a bit.
In our little rental, the kitchen is smaller than even the one in my very first apartment, an efficiency, no ess. This means that we don't have the luxury of keeping the junk drawer out of reach. Or the coffee pot or magic bullet or kitchen garbage can. Or any of the other stuff that I don't want them getting into. Oh, what I wouldn't give for handles on our cupboards or a wide-enough baby gate to keep them out of the kitchen.
Even cooking the smallest things is such a chore because I'm constantly pushing the girls back out of the kitchen. As soon as one is out, her sister comes in and goes to a different drawer or cupboard. If it were just the hassle of cleaning up a strewn-about tupperware cupboard, I'd have no problem. But I don't want them to cut themselves on a can lid from the garbage. Or break the coffee pot. Or taste test the dish soap. The battle is constant, but at least it's only when I'm in there. I suppose I should be flattered that they want to be with me.
Anyway, the real purpose of this post has run away from me. What I really wanted to say was "Yippee - I'm taking a free day on Monday!" I'm not going to work in honor of Veteran's Day. But shhh, I'm not telling daycare. After I drop off the girls, I'm going to go back to bed for an hour or two. Then I'm going to load my trunk with stuff for Goodwill and am going to drop it off. Then I'm going to Don's Car Wash for the works. Inside and out.
And then, I'm going to start the first step in my adventure of finding a bigger vehicle. Since I don't think I've even driven an SUV in the last 5 years, I foresee a lot of test driving ahead. Wish me luck. I already have a line in mind to keep the sales vultures from preying. My mother from down south is moving up here later in the winter and needs a small SUV that will fit three car seats. So, I'm just sampling a few way in advance to help her narrow down the market. Let's see if it works.
If I still have time left over after all that, I'll begin the chore of tarping our furniture in the second stall of the garage to protect it from whatever might come our way this winter.
To the veterans in the audience, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your sacrifices. I appreciate the freedom to have the wonderful life that I have, all thanks to the heroic efforts of our soldiers who ensure that freedom.
I am continually in awe of stay-at-home moms (and Dads - cheers Josh and Looky Daddy). Talk about exhausting! And I can't imagine how they get anything done whatsoever. I hope it's a little different for them, with opportunities to monkey-proof a bit.
In our little rental, the kitchen is smaller than even the one in my very first apartment, an efficiency, no ess. This means that we don't have the luxury of keeping the junk drawer out of reach. Or the coffee pot or magic bullet or kitchen garbage can. Or any of the other stuff that I don't want them getting into. Oh, what I wouldn't give for handles on our cupboards or a wide-enough baby gate to keep them out of the kitchen.
Even cooking the smallest things is such a chore because I'm constantly pushing the girls back out of the kitchen. As soon as one is out, her sister comes in and goes to a different drawer or cupboard. If it were just the hassle of cleaning up a strewn-about tupperware cupboard, I'd have no problem. But I don't want them to cut themselves on a can lid from the garbage. Or break the coffee pot. Or taste test the dish soap. The battle is constant, but at least it's only when I'm in there. I suppose I should be flattered that they want to be with me.
Anyway, the real purpose of this post has run away from me. What I really wanted to say was "Yippee - I'm taking a free day on Monday!" I'm not going to work in honor of Veteran's Day. But shhh, I'm not telling daycare. After I drop off the girls, I'm going to go back to bed for an hour or two. Then I'm going to load my trunk with stuff for Goodwill and am going to drop it off. Then I'm going to Don's Car Wash for the works. Inside and out.
And then, I'm going to start the first step in my adventure of finding a bigger vehicle. Since I don't think I've even driven an SUV in the last 5 years, I foresee a lot of test driving ahead. Wish me luck. I already have a line in mind to keep the sales vultures from preying. My mother from down south is moving up here later in the winter and needs a small SUV that will fit three car seats. So, I'm just sampling a few way in advance to help her narrow down the market. Let's see if it works.
If I still have time left over after all that, I'll begin the chore of tarping our furniture in the second stall of the garage to protect it from whatever might come our way this winter.
To the veterans in the audience, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your sacrifices. I appreciate the freedom to have the wonderful life that I have, all thanks to the heroic efforts of our soldiers who ensure that freedom.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Very Brave Night
Being a renter sucks. Even though it's short-term, I can't say enough how much I miss living in my own home.
I'll fill you in on the bizarre adventure that ended with three firemen in our place at midnight on Monday at a later time.
Tonight after work, we had a different experience. I pulled into the driveway, hit the garage door opener, and nothing happened. So, I parked, turned off the car, locked the girls inside, and went inside to unlock the man door and hit the opener from the inside. Total darkness. No power.
Dumb me, I didn't think to run upstairs and see if we had power in the apartment before taking the girls out and getting them all the way to the top of the steps. Everything's a game, you see, so it's up three steps, down four, up a couple, down one. Poke your sister, grab your hood, try to touch the railing, and up and down a few more steps. After about 10 minutes of dancing and holding my pee, we finally get to the top, just in time for me to race into the bathroom and hope the girls are inside the door before the heavy door slams shut. Dang pregnancy bladder. This is our routine every evening.
Anyway, we got to the top tonight, with me doing a full-blown potty dance, and then realized there's no power. Great. So I peed fast and back down the steps we went. And up a few steps then down a few more... we finally made it out the car, got everyone buckled in, and called the landlord. While she was worrying about trying to figure out the problem, I was worried about the logistics of feeding the girls.
DH was working late (a given these days), so I racked my brain about double-stroller-friendly restaurants. To the mall food court we went. Once inside the mall, I realized that nothing whatsoever sounded good. No matter what we'd order, I'd still have to balance it on top of the stroller and then find a table near highchairs. So we decided to go to Grizzly's - a real restaurant across the mall. I just wanted to be served.
Until tonight, I've never been brave enough to take both girls to a real restaurant without another adult to help. But today, we did it. Though I barely squeezed in a few bites for myself, the girls ate fabulously! They had mac and cheese, fresh pineapple, watermelon, and strawberries, and a lot of samples of my food. I had a side salad (they ate my raw onions, cukes, tomatoes, most of the croutons, and some of my lettuce), a cup of chicken tortilla soup, and a bread stick. Breanna absolutely loved the spicy soup, while Lillian took one gulp and made the funniest sour face! I walked very tall and proud, pushing the double stroller out the mall to the car. Yay for me!
By the time we returned home, it was well past bedtime, but the power was back. We brushed teeth, changed diapers, put on jammies, and then they crashed. Now it's my turn.
I'll fill you in on the bizarre adventure that ended with three firemen in our place at midnight on Monday at a later time.
Tonight after work, we had a different experience. I pulled into the driveway, hit the garage door opener, and nothing happened. So, I parked, turned off the car, locked the girls inside, and went inside to unlock the man door and hit the opener from the inside. Total darkness. No power.
Dumb me, I didn't think to run upstairs and see if we had power in the apartment before taking the girls out and getting them all the way to the top of the steps. Everything's a game, you see, so it's up three steps, down four, up a couple, down one. Poke your sister, grab your hood, try to touch the railing, and up and down a few more steps. After about 10 minutes of dancing and holding my pee, we finally get to the top, just in time for me to race into the bathroom and hope the girls are inside the door before the heavy door slams shut. Dang pregnancy bladder. This is our routine every evening.
Anyway, we got to the top tonight, with me doing a full-blown potty dance, and then realized there's no power. Great. So I peed fast and back down the steps we went. And up a few steps then down a few more... we finally made it out the car, got everyone buckled in, and called the landlord. While she was worrying about trying to figure out the problem, I was worried about the logistics of feeding the girls.
DH was working late (a given these days), so I racked my brain about double-stroller-friendly restaurants. To the mall food court we went. Once inside the mall, I realized that nothing whatsoever sounded good. No matter what we'd order, I'd still have to balance it on top of the stroller and then find a table near highchairs. So we decided to go to Grizzly's - a real restaurant across the mall. I just wanted to be served.
Until tonight, I've never been brave enough to take both girls to a real restaurant without another adult to help. But today, we did it. Though I barely squeezed in a few bites for myself, the girls ate fabulously! They had mac and cheese, fresh pineapple, watermelon, and strawberries, and a lot of samples of my food. I had a side salad (they ate my raw onions, cukes, tomatoes, most of the croutons, and some of my lettuce), a cup of chicken tortilla soup, and a bread stick. Breanna absolutely loved the spicy soup, while Lillian took one gulp and made the funniest sour face! I walked very tall and proud, pushing the double stroller out the mall to the car. Yay for me!
By the time we returned home, it was well past bedtime, but the power was back. We brushed teeth, changed diapers, put on jammies, and then they crashed. Now it's my turn.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Update on the Medders Family
From posting about kisses moments ago to weeping over my keyboard, what a fast transition. After I left Blogger, I checked a website that I visit daily. It's the blog of the Medders family, who lives right here in Fargo.
With an absolutely broken heart, I write to ask again for prayers for the Medders. This week, the babies were born. Baby D died very soon after birth. Baby B died today. There is one surviving quadruplet, Baby C (Callie) who is still very little and facing a long NICU stay.
Here's their blog. http://meddersfamily.googlepages.com/blog
This is the biggest cry I've had in a long, long time, and the tears continue to fall as I type. To celebrate life and grieve so massively all at once, I'm completely overwhelmed with empathy.
Please pray for this family.
With an absolutely broken heart, I write to ask again for prayers for the Medders. This week, the babies were born. Baby D died very soon after birth. Baby B died today. There is one surviving quadruplet, Baby C (Callie) who is still very little and facing a long NICU stay.
Here's their blog. http://meddersfamily.googlepages.com/blog
This is the biggest cry I've had in a long, long time, and the tears continue to fall as I type. To celebrate life and grieve so massively all at once, I'm completely overwhelmed with empathy.
Please pray for this family.
Kiss Kiss
Kisses abound in our household these days. Lillian is kissing her dollies, her bunny, her mittens, her toothbrush, her hairbrush, her sister, and of course, her parents. Breanna is kissing her food before she eats it (every bite), her socks, her dad's socks, her bath toys, her sister, and of course, her parents.
DH and I have been encouraging it, so I guess since we've brought it on, kisses now rain down. We encourage pecks between people. But to clarify, we don't kiss things that can't kiss back. Just one another - on the lips. No tongues. No teeth. No slop. Just pecks. (In front of the kiddos, anyway.)
On Sunday, the girls and I drove out to our new house where DH was working to see if he needed some lunch. Our new small town is so teeny that the only place to eat are a bar/grill and the gas station (which has a miniature selection of Snickers, Combos, and Little Debbie cakes).
As we drove out there, DH called to let me know his folks just "popped in." So we all visited a bit at the job site and then headed to the bar/grill, which was closed. Oh well. My in-laws decided to go along their merry way. As DH hugged them goodbye, he accidentally surprised his mom with a kiss on the lips. They both jumped back and I secretly cracked up! He quickly stuttered something about only kissing his wife lately and was just in automatic mode. I smile even as I write about it.
Might not sound funny if you don't know my in-laws. But they're not exactly huggy, kissy people. "I love you" is not a common phrase in their house. They're not cold or mean or anything, just not openly affectionate. In fact, after DH's first visit to my parents' house, he told me how strange and wonderful it was that both my parents hugged both of us hello and goodbye and goodnight before bed.
The next time we saw his parents, he got on their cases a little about never giving hugs or talking about loving out loud. When they left our house that day, they each gave us a very awkward hug, and have started giving more hugs ever since. They're still quite different from my family's, but I do appreciate their efforts. As long as we don't have to extend the kissing lessons further than our girls, all will be good.
DH and I have been encouraging it, so I guess since we've brought it on, kisses now rain down. We encourage pecks between people. But to clarify, we don't kiss things that can't kiss back. Just one another - on the lips. No tongues. No teeth. No slop. Just pecks. (In front of the kiddos, anyway.)
On Sunday, the girls and I drove out to our new house where DH was working to see if he needed some lunch. Our new small town is so teeny that the only place to eat are a bar/grill and the gas station (which has a miniature selection of Snickers, Combos, and Little Debbie cakes).
As we drove out there, DH called to let me know his folks just "popped in." So we all visited a bit at the job site and then headed to the bar/grill, which was closed. Oh well. My in-laws decided to go along their merry way. As DH hugged them goodbye, he accidentally surprised his mom with a kiss on the lips. They both jumped back and I secretly cracked up! He quickly stuttered something about only kissing his wife lately and was just in automatic mode. I smile even as I write about it.
Might not sound funny if you don't know my in-laws. But they're not exactly huggy, kissy people. "I love you" is not a common phrase in their house. They're not cold or mean or anything, just not openly affectionate. In fact, after DH's first visit to my parents' house, he told me how strange and wonderful it was that both my parents hugged both of us hello and goodbye and goodnight before bed.
The next time we saw his parents, he got on their cases a little about never giving hugs or talking about loving out loud. When they left our house that day, they each gave us a very awkward hug, and have started giving more hugs ever since. They're still quite different from my family's, but I do appreciate their efforts. As long as we don't have to extend the kissing lessons further than our girls, all will be good.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Burned
I burned dinner tonight. Distracted by very tired twins, I can't believe I burned the noodles. Not a huge deal, since it was just noodles, and they are only one ingredient - everything else was ready and ok. But boy, it was strange. I felt almost like I was watching someone else rush the pot out to the deck. I never burn food.
More noodles are now on the stove. The rest of the dish is still ready and waiting. What an off night.
I blame daylight savings time. It screws me up every single time, whether it's going backwards or forwards. For the next 3, maybe 4 weeks, I'll be out of whack. So when you see me yawning or stumbling around aimlessly, please be kind.
More noodles are now on the stove. The rest of the dish is still ready and waiting. What an off night.
I blame daylight savings time. It screws me up every single time, whether it's going backwards or forwards. For the next 3, maybe 4 weeks, I'll be out of whack. So when you see me yawning or stumbling around aimlessly, please be kind.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Beautiful Boots
After years of searching for comfortable, yet heeled ,tall, black leather boots, I finally found a pair. They arrived via USPS today!
Wide enough to allow my bastardly bunion to live happily ever after, they're wonderful! And the heels are spiked - only 2.5 inches, but spiked so they still look sexy. Hooray for boots!
DH says they are "sloh -ay" boots in his terrible fake accent. But I don't care. Now I can wear dresses in the winter again. Not that I have any maternity dresses yet.
Now that I have the boots, though, I'm stocking up on Venus blades and starting my quest for cute dresses. Thankfully, my bump sticks out far enough to obviously indicate pregnancy, so I don't have to worry about just looking lumpy in the middle any more. Yippee for the little things!
Wide enough to allow my bastardly bunion to live happily ever after, they're wonderful! And the heels are spiked - only 2.5 inches, but spiked so they still look sexy. Hooray for boots!
DH says they are "sloh -ay" boots in his terrible fake accent. But I don't care. Now I can wear dresses in the winter again. Not that I have any maternity dresses yet.
Now that I have the boots, though, I'm stocking up on Venus blades and starting my quest for cute dresses. Thankfully, my bump sticks out far enough to obviously indicate pregnancy, so I don't have to worry about just looking lumpy in the middle any more. Yippee for the little things!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Happy Halloween!
Here are our girls in costume - hamming it up and loving their "bugginess." Lillian is the bee and Breanna the ladybug.
And here are a couple links to more information about the Halloween party we attended on Saturday: DandeLion Soup: Halloween Party: The People and DandeLion Soup: Halloween Party: Babies in costumes. The girls swapped costumes that night. What a wonderful night out!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Dotting Eyes
We've been dotting eyes with anbesol - eye teeth, that is. Poor Breanna and Lillian are both struggling to cut these teeth, which means whining, crankies, chewing, sore bottoms, poor sleep, and just plain no fun. After a tough weekend, the girls finally had a good evening tonight.
Breanna sang the whole tune of the ABC's tonight - no letters of course - but the tune was solid. DH and I looked at each other across the dining room table, and were stunned to hear her start over again and get it right on. I hope we have another musician in the family. I'd love to teach piano lessons down the road, once we're settled into the new house. Whenever that actually is...
In the background, I've been working on a small magazine article for a regional pub. And my main interviewee has had to postpone our interview twice now. The article was due today, but we had to reschedule again! for Wednesday at 2:00. I've written the rest of the piece, and just have a 300-word hole to fill with some quotes from this gal. I know it would be easiest to just find someone else, but she really seems like the perfect subject, so I'm going to hold out. But after she postponed again tonight, I did let her know that after Wednesday, I'd just have to submit the article with or without her due to deadlines. I still need to send a note to the editor, begging forgiveness and a two-day extension. What do you do?
Anyway, after being home with crabby kids and a high-strung hubby and trying to tie down a flighty B&B owner, I'm glad I'm pregnant or I might be tempted to really tie one on. Well, that or play hooky for an afternoon at the spa. Even with the glitches, I'm still feeling very blessed these days. The baby had the hiccups again today, which was fun to experience. And I had a nice lunch with a group of writers at a new restaurant today, which I enjoyed thoroughly. Life is still pretty darned good, if I may say so myself.
Breanna sang the whole tune of the ABC's tonight - no letters of course - but the tune was solid. DH and I looked at each other across the dining room table, and were stunned to hear her start over again and get it right on. I hope we have another musician in the family. I'd love to teach piano lessons down the road, once we're settled into the new house. Whenever that actually is...
In the background, I've been working on a small magazine article for a regional pub. And my main interviewee has had to postpone our interview twice now. The article was due today, but we had to reschedule again! for Wednesday at 2:00. I've written the rest of the piece, and just have a 300-word hole to fill with some quotes from this gal. I know it would be easiest to just find someone else, but she really seems like the perfect subject, so I'm going to hold out. But after she postponed again tonight, I did let her know that after Wednesday, I'd just have to submit the article with or without her due to deadlines. I still need to send a note to the editor, begging forgiveness and a two-day extension. What do you do?
Anyway, after being home with crabby kids and a high-strung hubby and trying to tie down a flighty B&B owner, I'm glad I'm pregnant or I might be tempted to really tie one on. Well, that or play hooky for an afternoon at the spa. Even with the glitches, I'm still feeling very blessed these days. The baby had the hiccups again today, which was fun to experience. And I had a nice lunch with a group of writers at a new restaurant today, which I enjoyed thoroughly. Life is still pretty darned good, if I may say so myself.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Pictures!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Exhausting Relaxation
What a trip! The girls and I thoroughly enjoyed our road trip to see our girlfriends. While we relaxed at the pool and mostly just hung out, I'm beat. And so are the girls. We moms determined that it's been about 5 years since we last visited in person - what a shame! It felt like just a couple of weeks.
I love non-glamorous experiences like this. Talk about rewarding. We had jammies on before 10 last night - two beautiful pregnant bellies, feet up, cozy as can be. My dear friend brought along her wonderful 6 1/2 year old daughter, who was so well behaved she actually gave me hope. It's nice to see there are still some good parents out there. I often forget that when I'm out and about - the terror kids (and parents) somehow are more memorable. But oh what a great helper we had - she's going to be a great big sister in just a few short months. If I could only borrow her once our new little one arrives...
From the girls' perspective, there were a few highlights. The cabinet in the entertainment center under the TV was a huge it. In. Out. In. Out. Repeat a thousand times.
They also loved the inflatable cars we borrowed for the pool. They had such a great time climbing in and out of them in the hotel room. At the pool itself, commotion surrounded us, so I don't think our little ones relaxed. Kids everywhere - pirate ship - water spraying and splashing - and brisk water temperature. They were troopers though. As you can see by the end shots, B & L were exhausted after all the fun. And now it's my turn to zonk out. Good night and have a great week!
Gaah! Blogger pictures can't upload right now. Sorry to tease you, mom. I'll try to get the pictures up tomorrow.
I love non-glamorous experiences like this. Talk about rewarding. We had jammies on before 10 last night - two beautiful pregnant bellies, feet up, cozy as can be. My dear friend brought along her wonderful 6 1/2 year old daughter, who was so well behaved she actually gave me hope. It's nice to see there are still some good parents out there. I often forget that when I'm out and about - the terror kids (and parents) somehow are more memorable. But oh what a great helper we had - she's going to be a great big sister in just a few short months. If I could only borrow her once our new little one arrives...
From the girls' perspective, there were a few highlights. The cabinet in the entertainment center under the TV was a huge it. In. Out. In. Out. Repeat a thousand times.
They also loved the inflatable cars we borrowed for the pool. They had such a great time climbing in and out of them in the hotel room. At the pool itself, commotion surrounded us, so I don't think our little ones relaxed. Kids everywhere - pirate ship - water spraying and splashing - and brisk water temperature. They were troopers though. As you can see by the end shots, B & L were exhausted after all the fun. And now it's my turn to zonk out. Good night and have a great week!
Gaah! Blogger pictures can't upload right now. Sorry to tease you, mom. I'll try to get the pictures up tomorrow.
Friday, October 19, 2007
New Due Date
Our OB confirmed it today - our due date is right around when I thought we'd be due in the first place. The official date is now February 21. That means we're more than half way through, and all is looking great! The baby is measuring just over a pound at 22.5 weeks, weighing in at about 1 pound. And I've gained 8 pounds so far (but I look like I've gained much more, in my opinion). And my blood pressure is right where it should be. All is just the way it should be!
I'm super super super super excited to get up in the morning and road trip to Sioux Falls. The car is packed. An overflowing bag of snacks. An overflowing bag of toys. A bag of spare clothes. Disposable bibs. Diapers. Wipes. Disposable changing pads. Swimsuits. Life jackets. Floaty cars. Hooded towels. Camera. Warm coats and mittens (just in case). Two pack and plays. Double stroller. And some comfy shoes for mom - although I plan to wear cute heals - you never know. The car is even more full than when we head to the lake for just a weekend.
Happy weekend!
I'm super super super super excited to get up in the morning and road trip to Sioux Falls. The car is packed. An overflowing bag of snacks. An overflowing bag of toys. A bag of spare clothes. Disposable bibs. Diapers. Wipes. Disposable changing pads. Swimsuits. Life jackets. Floaty cars. Hooded towels. Camera. Warm coats and mittens (just in case). Two pack and plays. Double stroller. And some comfy shoes for mom - although I plan to wear cute heals - you never know. The car is even more full than when we head to the lake for just a weekend.
Happy weekend!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Baby Update - We're having a ...
We're having a modest baby. DH and I went in for an ultrasound yesterday and our sweet baby was being shy when it was time to speculate on gender. I wonder where s/he gets that from...
Beyond that, the baby looks good. Everything is where it's supposed to be and appears to be functioning perfectly. I can't believe how much bigger everything seems with just one, as well.
The U/S tech said it looks like our due date is about 1.5 weeks off - just as I'd suspected from the get go. That would put the revised due date at somewhere around the 22nd of February. But, we'll wait for confirmation from our doctor before planning a different delivery month. As we all know too well from Breanna and Lillian, ultrasounds can be waaaaaay off many times in a row.
It was so quick to breeze through vs. a twin ultrasound. We were in and out like a flash. Our appt. with the OB was set up for right afterward, so we walked over just in time to hear the nurses let the ladies in front of us know that our doctor had been called in to deliver a baby.
So, we rescheduled for tomorrow at 11:20. I can hardly wait to get the good report.
As a side note, my ring is finally done from the jeweler. I lost it just a few months after the girls came home from the hospital, but I didn't want to file a claim until we moved. I just hoped and hoped it would turn up. No such luck, so we had it recreated. The engagement band is wider than the original, so I'm going to take it to the jeweler on Monday to get it shaved down a bit. Other than that, I'm delighted to have a pretty ring on my hand again. I can hardly wait to take the girls out this weekend and not have people rudely judge me for having twins and a bun in the oven - with no ring on.
I'll post the update from the doc tomorrow.
Beyond that, the baby looks good. Everything is where it's supposed to be and appears to be functioning perfectly. I can't believe how much bigger everything seems with just one, as well.
The U/S tech said it looks like our due date is about 1.5 weeks off - just as I'd suspected from the get go. That would put the revised due date at somewhere around the 22nd of February. But, we'll wait for confirmation from our doctor before planning a different delivery month. As we all know too well from Breanna and Lillian, ultrasounds can be waaaaaay off many times in a row.
It was so quick to breeze through vs. a twin ultrasound. We were in and out like a flash. Our appt. with the OB was set up for right afterward, so we walked over just in time to hear the nurses let the ladies in front of us know that our doctor had been called in to deliver a baby.
So, we rescheduled for tomorrow at 11:20. I can hardly wait to get the good report.
As a side note, my ring is finally done from the jeweler. I lost it just a few months after the girls came home from the hospital, but I didn't want to file a claim until we moved. I just hoped and hoped it would turn up. No such luck, so we had it recreated. The engagement band is wider than the original, so I'm going to take it to the jeweler on Monday to get it shaved down a bit. Other than that, I'm delighted to have a pretty ring on my hand again. I can hardly wait to take the girls out this weekend and not have people rudely judge me for having twins and a bun in the oven - with no ring on.
I'll post the update from the doc tomorrow.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
My Favorite Routine
When we had our marriage blessed by the church last February, our priest gave a very short, but very personal sermon. It was really just a simple piece of advice, but a good one that's been easy to follow, and nice to follow. He told us that each night in bed, we ought to hold hands and each state one thing that we're grateful for that day. The only rules are that you can't repeat within the year and it has to be just one a night - no laundry lists.
Since then, we've followed through. And even when we've been away from each other, we've talked on the phone before bed that night to share our piece of thankfulness. We've often stated things that have nothing to do with one another, but it's what comes to mind at the time. It's ranged from healthy babies or a pleasant visit with in-laws to a productive workday or a yummy meal. Sometimes we've stated gratefulness for help with laundry or a surprise love note, or feeling better after a cold or no longer having to work in a toxic environment.
No matter how tired we are (and we're often just beat by the time we crash out) we still follow the routine - often the last words of the night.
Feel free to borrow our priest's sermon. It's the best one I've ever heard, and while occasionally I've struggled to come up with the right thing to mention at the time, it really is a great way to end the day and to prepare for tomorrow's unknowns.
Tonight, I tucked my DH into bed early since he has a very early tomorrow. He told me he's grateful for our good marriage. Talk about a great way to end the day. I kissed him goodnight, then came out to the kitchen to peel apples and bake a cinnamon apple cake. While the cake filled the room with wonderful smells, I peeled/sliced a bunch more apples to freeze, and feel like I'm now ready to call it a day. I wish you all a pleasant Monday and a fulfilling week ahead.
Since then, we've followed through. And even when we've been away from each other, we've talked on the phone before bed that night to share our piece of thankfulness. We've often stated things that have nothing to do with one another, but it's what comes to mind at the time. It's ranged from healthy babies or a pleasant visit with in-laws to a productive workday or a yummy meal. Sometimes we've stated gratefulness for help with laundry or a surprise love note, or feeling better after a cold or no longer having to work in a toxic environment.
No matter how tired we are (and we're often just beat by the time we crash out) we still follow the routine - often the last words of the night.
Feel free to borrow our priest's sermon. It's the best one I've ever heard, and while occasionally I've struggled to come up with the right thing to mention at the time, it really is a great way to end the day and to prepare for tomorrow's unknowns.
Tonight, I tucked my DH into bed early since he has a very early tomorrow. He told me he's grateful for our good marriage. Talk about a great way to end the day. I kissed him goodnight, then came out to the kitchen to peel apples and bake a cinnamon apple cake. While the cake filled the room with wonderful smells, I peeled/sliced a bunch more apples to freeze, and feel like I'm now ready to call it a day. I wish you all a pleasant Monday and a fulfilling week ahead.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Trying to Stay "Up"
For the first time in many years, I'm struggling just a tiny bit to keep my happy demeanor. While in my immediate family, life is terrific, we're surrounded by more and more sadness. Today I learned that a former colleague's husband just passed away - from flu complications. And he was young. As in under 40. With itty bitty kiddos at home. Awful!
And more and more families are dealing with sick or dying babies, and I am so sad for the parents to be struggling so much. In our local MOMs group, there are a lot of moms in need right now and I don't know how to help to them. So I just pray - that I can make time for. That I can do with kids at home. That I can do when I stretch in bed - sleepless for hours.
And knowing that my friends from TEC, Sarah and Nathan, are dealing with major cancer ickiness (he's back in the hospital), my heart just aches. Why do so many good people have to have such crap happen?
When I look at how far our girls have come and what miracles God has displayed over and over again, I am so very grateful. And yet in the back of my mind, I feel so guilty. I don't think it's just pregnancy hormones.
You know, I'm pretty tough. I can handle anything you throw at me. So why can't I just trade spots with some of those who are suffering right now? Just to give them some respite. Even a couple hours. I'd gladly swap - I could take it. Unfortunately, that darn reality thing bites sometimes.
I'm treating myself to a "vacation" in a week and a half, and thankfully, it's something to really look forward to. My old college pal, Danyellow, and I are meeting in a city about halfway between us. We're only 5 hours apart, yet we act like it's 25 hours apart. She reserved a Ramada suite, where we can bring our daughters, compare our preggo bellies, and most likely, laugh and cry a lot. I haven't physically seen her in years, yet the closeness is always there. I can hardly wait! Having that out there in the near horizon has been big for helping keep my spirits up.
That, and having a DH who tickles me and snuggles and hugs and calls me out of the blue also helps significantly. And of course, seeing our girls tickle each other - or better yet, tickle themselves. Now who couldn't smile at that? The trick seems to be finding the balance of empathy and living for today. Wish me luck.
And more and more families are dealing with sick or dying babies, and I am so sad for the parents to be struggling so much. In our local MOMs group, there are a lot of moms in need right now and I don't know how to help to them. So I just pray - that I can make time for. That I can do with kids at home. That I can do when I stretch in bed - sleepless for hours.
And knowing that my friends from TEC, Sarah and Nathan, are dealing with major cancer ickiness (he's back in the hospital), my heart just aches. Why do so many good people have to have such crap happen?
When I look at how far our girls have come and what miracles God has displayed over and over again, I am so very grateful. And yet in the back of my mind, I feel so guilty. I don't think it's just pregnancy hormones.
You know, I'm pretty tough. I can handle anything you throw at me. So why can't I just trade spots with some of those who are suffering right now? Just to give them some respite. Even a couple hours. I'd gladly swap - I could take it. Unfortunately, that darn reality thing bites sometimes.
I'm treating myself to a "vacation" in a week and a half, and thankfully, it's something to really look forward to. My old college pal, Danyellow, and I are meeting in a city about halfway between us. We're only 5 hours apart, yet we act like it's 25 hours apart. She reserved a Ramada suite, where we can bring our daughters, compare our preggo bellies, and most likely, laugh and cry a lot. I haven't physically seen her in years, yet the closeness is always there. I can hardly wait! Having that out there in the near horizon has been big for helping keep my spirits up.
That, and having a DH who tickles me and snuggles and hugs and calls me out of the blue also helps significantly. And of course, seeing our girls tickle each other - or better yet, tickle themselves. Now who couldn't smile at that? The trick seems to be finding the balance of empathy and living for today. Wish me luck.
Monday, October 08, 2007
All Things Jiggly (Well, some things, anyway)
After last weekend's reminiscing with Joe Cool's parents about his first reaction to Jell-o, I decided to try it on our girls. Sure enough, Lillian was pretty darned apprehensive for about 3 minutes. She poked, wiggled, curled her lip, the works. Breanna grabbed her pieces and gobbled them like they were green beans. Lillian soon followed suit and we deemed Jell-o to be a new household favorite.
We also tried out the snack-sized banana pudding my mom sent home with us last weekend. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - the girls or me. But guess what? Our local grocers don't carry the Snack Packs in banana. Of course, I didn't think to buy a box and make my own until hours after we returned from the store. Go figure. I still can't believe that my folks, living in small town USA, still have a better grocery selection than all of our chains put together.
And then we had to end the weekend with another turd in the tub. I'm not sure why this is the new trend, but if anyone has any advice on how to stop it immediately, I welcome all suggestions. Once again, the culprit is unknown because of the bubble bath. Thankfully, Dad was home, so (with his shorts on) he took each girl into the shower to re-soap. Neither girl liked the shower at first, until Dad showed them how much fun it is to collect the water in your mouth, then spit it out like a fountain. Great. I expect the next thing will be playing fountain with milk or juice. Oh well. As long as the pooping in the tub stops, I'll take the fountain messes to come.
We also tried out the snack-sized banana pudding my mom sent home with us last weekend. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - the girls or me. But guess what? Our local grocers don't carry the Snack Packs in banana. Of course, I didn't think to buy a box and make my own until hours after we returned from the store. Go figure. I still can't believe that my folks, living in small town USA, still have a better grocery selection than all of our chains put together.
And then we had to end the weekend with another turd in the tub. I'm not sure why this is the new trend, but if anyone has any advice on how to stop it immediately, I welcome all suggestions. Once again, the culprit is unknown because of the bubble bath. Thankfully, Dad was home, so (with his shorts on) he took each girl into the shower to re-soap. Neither girl liked the shower at first, until Dad showed them how much fun it is to collect the water in your mouth, then spit it out like a fountain. Great. I expect the next thing will be playing fountain with milk or juice. Oh well. As long as the pooping in the tub stops, I'll take the fountain messes to come.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Consumed
There is so much grief in the world right now, and a lot affecting me secondhand today. Two family friends lost their mothers in the past two days. I just learned of another friend who's gracefully handling chemotherapy after the removal of a brain tumor this summer. And the Medders family (the quads with TTTS that I wrote about in my last post) lost Baby A and the mother is in pain after the surgery.
I've cried off and on all day, praying and praying. And remembering to thank the Lord for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. Talk about a mix of emotion. I guess it's a good sign I'm still human.
The blog address for the Medders family is http://meddersfamily.googlepages.com/home
Have a safe and blessed weekend, everyone.
I've cried off and on all day, praying and praying. And remembering to thank the Lord for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. Talk about a mix of emotion. I guess it's a good sign I'm still human.
The blog address for the Medders family is http://meddersfamily.googlepages.com/home
Have a safe and blessed weekend, everyone.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Mega Prayers Needed for Local Family - Updated Link
I've recently learned of a couple living in our community that is expecting identical quadruplets (naturally!). Her 32-week due date (8 weeks early - but realistic for quads) is late December and they have a 2-year old at home.
Two of the babies (Baby A and Baby D) have Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, the disease that nearly killed our girls. She and her husband went to Rhode Island for the laser surgery in hopes of saving these little ones. This will be the first time ever that the laser surgery for TTTS will be performed on quads. In the case of twins, the odds of both twins surviving are less than 5%. Now consider there are two additional babies in there.
Here's a link to the family's blog if you want to stay updated. If anyone needs prayers right now, it's this family. Please pass the request for prayers on to your family and friends right away. I can only imagine the fear this poor couple must be facing. If any of the babies survive, we'll have a first-hand miracle.
Two of the babies (Baby A and Baby D) have Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, the disease that nearly killed our girls. She and her husband went to Rhode Island for the laser surgery in hopes of saving these little ones. This will be the first time ever that the laser surgery for TTTS will be performed on quads. In the case of twins, the odds of both twins surviving are less than 5%. Now consider there are two additional babies in there.
Here's a link to the family's blog if you want to stay updated. If anyone needs prayers right now, it's this family. Please pass the request for prayers on to your family and friends right away. I can only imagine the fear this poor couple must be facing. If any of the babies survive, we'll have a first-hand miracle.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Long-time friends
Have you ever had someone in your life who just seems to fit? Someone around whom you can be comfy in your jammies and share a cup of tea and visit about anything under the sun?
I had the luxury of spending some time with a couple of very long, long-time friends over the weekend. Technically, they were my folks' friends first. And their sons are about the same age as my sister and me - so some might think there's a generation gap. And 20 years ago, I would have noticed it, but not so much today.
Wayne-o once spanked me for a childhood antic that resulted in several bags of grass seed being soaked in the garage - long before he'd planned to use it. (I wasn't the only one spanked that day.) And Viv once held me on her lap and tried to convince me that spilled grapejuice would not kill my beanbag dog. She gently washed the stain out and everything turned out fine. But today we can chat about religion and raising kids and how funny mine are. We can discuss business and news and life more as peers.
These folks are the kind of people you'd want to leave your kids to if you die. Kind and generous, down to Earth, a little corny in a cute way, and just true, good people. No wonder my folks have kept this friendship so long over all the miles. I've only spent one vacation with them, but like this past weekend, it was too comfortable to describe.
We stayed up late on Saturday night and visited into Sunday afternoon. All in comfy clothes and without fanfare. What a lovely time. Why aren't there more old friendships in the world like this?
I had the luxury of spending some time with a couple of very long, long-time friends over the weekend. Technically, they were my folks' friends first. And their sons are about the same age as my sister and me - so some might think there's a generation gap. And 20 years ago, I would have noticed it, but not so much today.
Wayne-o once spanked me for a childhood antic that resulted in several bags of grass seed being soaked in the garage - long before he'd planned to use it. (I wasn't the only one spanked that day.) And Viv once held me on her lap and tried to convince me that spilled grapejuice would not kill my beanbag dog. She gently washed the stain out and everything turned out fine. But today we can chat about religion and raising kids and how funny mine are. We can discuss business and news and life more as peers.
These folks are the kind of people you'd want to leave your kids to if you die. Kind and generous, down to Earth, a little corny in a cute way, and just true, good people. No wonder my folks have kept this friendship so long over all the miles. I've only spent one vacation with them, but like this past weekend, it was too comfortable to describe.
We stayed up late on Saturday night and visited into Sunday afternoon. All in comfy clothes and without fanfare. What a lovely time. Why aren't there more old friendships in the world like this?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Birds and Lounge Music
Anyone into birds? Enough so that you'd design your backyard for the sake of attracting and making a more comfortable existence for the creatures?
I've taken on a magazine article about just that, but I really don't know much about birds at all. Except that I'd rather listen to them than city noises. Even at 6 a.m. on a Saturday. So, let the research begin.
On another note, I'm tasked with finding Vegas-esque music to compile on a CD. Our M.O.M.s group is hosting the Midwestern conference in the spring and the theme is all about Vegas - showgirls and the likes - not so much a gambling focus. As part of the teaser mailer going out in December, we plan to toss in a checklist of roadtrip necessities (e.g. movie-star shades, foo foo slippers, etc.), including a CD to get in the mood.
Any ideas you have to share are VERY welcome. I'm afraid that my pregnancy brain is making my creativity a little low these days.
Happy weekend! Enjoy the fall colors while you still can - this might be your last chance for the season!
I've taken on a magazine article about just that, but I really don't know much about birds at all. Except that I'd rather listen to them than city noises. Even at 6 a.m. on a Saturday. So, let the research begin.
On another note, I'm tasked with finding Vegas-esque music to compile on a CD. Our M.O.M.s group is hosting the Midwestern conference in the spring and the theme is all about Vegas - showgirls and the likes - not so much a gambling focus. As part of the teaser mailer going out in December, we plan to toss in a checklist of roadtrip necessities (e.g. movie-star shades, foo foo slippers, etc.), including a CD to get in the mood.
Any ideas you have to share are VERY welcome. I'm afraid that my pregnancy brain is making my creativity a little low these days.
Happy weekend! Enjoy the fall colors while you still can - this might be your last chance for the season!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Little Piggies
We went to a very special party today - Great Uncle Harry turned 87. And in celebration of the big occasion, our girls donned sundresses and for the first time ever - drumroll please - pigtails! Yay!
On the way home, we stopped at our new house and checked out the construction progress. The concrete forms are being put up, and there's mud everywhere. Just as we pulled in, Breanna woke up, so she came out with me to inspect. The sunset was gorgeous behind our woods. What a great end to a great (though windy!) weekend!
Breanna and Lillian stole the show at the party, visiting with each person there. It was the perfect size party - all family - at the Assisted Living home in Lisbon. We enjoyed the drive there - the leaves were beautiful. And the girls were good sports about so much carseat time.
On the way home, we stopped at our new house and checked out the construction progress. The concrete forms are being put up, and there's mud everywhere. Just as we pulled in, Breanna woke up, so she came out with me to inspect. The sunset was gorgeous behind our woods. What a great end to a great (though windy!) weekend!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Girls' Nights Out
I got a pretty special treat this week - two evenings of girls-only evening entertainment. Both started around baby bedtime, so I didn't have to miss out on twin time. One night I had a very relaxing visit with a very comfortable friend at a local coffee shop. We talked about our toddlers, careers, home plans, dear hubbies, extended families, the whole gamut. She's one of those gals who completely refreshes the spirit in just a couple hours. As the coffee shop closed up, we said our TTFNs, then both drove away. Only to drive into the same grocery store parking lot a few minutes later. Great minds...
Last night I went to a Tastefully Simple open house fundraiser. All the profits went to our local Mothers of Multiples group, so of course I stocked up on the goodies. It was an intimate group in size, but the conversations were fun and laid back. The hostess lives in a beautiful house that a I spent a few evenings in during it's construction a couple years ago. DH created the stairway railing, so it was fun to see the home finished. I'd puttied all the nail holes on that project, and I must say, everything in the home really looked great!
I sometimes miss helping out at the job sites. I never had to do anything hard, but I was pretty swift with the putty and accomplished with final varnish applications. DH and I work very well together - visiting while we go. Some of the conversations we used to have were quite deep, others simply strange, and others all in rhymes. Although our life is lovely as it is, I occasionally miss "back in the day" visits. Once we reach the finishing part of our new home, I may have to hire a sitter one evening and head to the job site for a revisit. It's been quite a while since I've had putty caked under all my nails.
Last night I went to a Tastefully Simple open house fundraiser. All the profits went to our local Mothers of Multiples group, so of course I stocked up on the goodies. It was an intimate group in size, but the conversations were fun and laid back. The hostess lives in a beautiful house that a I spent a few evenings in during it's construction a couple years ago. DH created the stairway railing, so it was fun to see the home finished. I'd puttied all the nail holes on that project, and I must say, everything in the home really looked great!
I sometimes miss helping out at the job sites. I never had to do anything hard, but I was pretty swift with the putty and accomplished with final varnish applications. DH and I work very well together - visiting while we go. Some of the conversations we used to have were quite deep, others simply strange, and others all in rhymes. Although our life is lovely as it is, I occasionally miss "back in the day" visits. Once we reach the finishing part of our new home, I may have to hire a sitter one evening and head to the job site for a revisit. It's been quite a while since I've had putty caked under all my nails.
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