Posts
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!)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
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.
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