I have a confession. I am annoyed I don't know the sex of our baby. THERE! I said it. I went from being sure I didn't want to know when we first got pregnant, to not so sure at 6 months, to downright pissed off about a month ago. Now, I'm just frustrated. To clarify, my frustration has nothing to do with the fact that I am a planner, as I have already mentioned. Rather, it's more to do with the difference between your first and second pregnancy.
With your first pregnancy, you are (perhaps after a brief period of initial disdain and then gradual acceptance like this girl experienced) excited and eager to learn about this new, unchartered territory. You revel in buying maternity clothes that are cute, and by cute, I mean hideous. You register for all kinds of crap you will never use and are showered with toys, clothes, bottles, and 18, 987 baby bath items that you did not register for. You are going to be the best, most attentive mom ever. And then you actually have the child.
Enter second pregnancy. You know the terrain. You don't feel the need to read 8, 876 books on pregnancy, labor, and taking care of an infant (or was that just me?). You have all the equipment and gear, along with about 15, 387 unused washcloths that Target would not take back because you'd already met your refund limit. (DO NOT REGISTER AT TARGET). You have Hideous Maternity Clothes and are just determined to stay out of them as long as possible this time. What you don't have is the excitement of entering an exclusive club/unknown realm or whatever. You do not have showers. People actually forget you are pregnant until they see you. You don't have as much help from others because, hey, you are a pro at this, right?
I guess, for me, I think that if I had found out Moose's gender, I would have at least that going for me. I didn't have that the first go round, and it would make this pregnancy different. I know I'm probably going to change my mind after I give birth, but for now, I'm a little salty. I want to buy some monogrammed stuff now, dammit!
I don't think I'd feel this way if we had found out Henry's gender while I was pregnant with him. Then, NOT knowing the sex would be the exciting part, but this pregnancy is just like the last one, minus the washcloths. (Am I the only person who received an obscene amount of freaking washcloths?)
Again, I will probably say once Moose is born, that it was TOTALLY WORTH IT! I'll probably have a post entitled "I Take It All Back", after say...Saturday night when I go into labor, (right little lady/fella?). But right now, I'm okay with admitting that I maybe should've found out the sex of our baby. Sigh.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Updates on The Children
PREGNANCY:
Weeks: 38 today... Henry was born at 38 weeks and five days. Let's hope this child is an early bird as well... but not too early. Keep reading.
Dilated: 2 cm. 8 to go. Boo-yeah!
Effaced: Still 75%
Weight: Why does every pregnant girl with a blog feel the need to brag about her weight? I weigh less than I did with Henry. Triumph.
Contractions: All the time. If we hooked my uterus up to a generator, I could probably create enough electricity for the entire District.
Nicknames: We've switched from Bug to Moose since this child is going to be enormous. I'm trying not to be annoying with the name, though, because it can get that way when you don't know the gender. My apologies to everyone who got sick of hearing me call Henry Bean during pregnancy.
Swollen: Nope. Crazy, since I couldn't wear my wedding rings the last trimester with Henry.
Sleep: Suffering from a little bit of insomnia, which is understandable seeing as though I need a forklift to turn and reposition myself, and I have to pee so much, I'm wishing I had a catheter.
Brain Power: My IQ has probably dropped 10 points with this baby. S/he is going to be a GD genius.
Agility: I can barely move, this child is so big. I now watch those 300lb. Woman shows on TLC and I'm like, "Obviously, you are going to drive your car 20 ft. to your mailbox. That would be so painful to walk!"
Gender Predictions: Despite 9 out of 10 people's predictions that this will be a girl, I've spent the last two months thinking it's a boy, and I've kind of attached myself to the idea of having two little blond haired, blue-eyed boys wrestling with each other in the living room. More on this later.
Anxieties: Ummm... nothing really. Oh, maybe that I'm going to have this baby while Ryan is out of town this week. Oh, you know. He's in Orlando for business. Really busy...
I don't want to talk about it.
SIR WILLIAM HENRY, I ESQ.
Bottle: Gave that up right after his second birthday in July. WIN
Big Boy Bed: Took to it like a fish to water. WIN
Potty Training: Made great progress the first day, then he got sick and was over it. FAIL
Pacifier: Two weeks without it, bia! WIN
Preschool: Not going to lie, thought this was going to be a fail, but he's turned a leaf and started to love it. Fire Safety Week is going to seal the deal. They're bringing in a fireman and a fire truck. So, WIN
Eating: FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. Chicken nuggets and Goldfish. Add this to the list of "Things That Must Not Be Mentioned"
Growth: Henry has shot up at least an inch this past month. I know this because his pants are starting to look a little bit short. I went to Old Navy to get him some new ones today, and did you know that all their normal looking plain pants are $20. Yes, the toddler pants. Yes, the adult pants are the same price. WTF?!? And good luck trying to find a 2T. Get it together, ON. The pants aren't lined in gold. Hell, they're not even lined at all. Rant over. Henry= WIN, Old Navy= FAIL
Ok, it's almost 10 and I should be watching the debates... but I'm exhausted. I'd rather toss and turn in bed like one of those giant sea lions on the beach. Here's a visual if you need one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OoBJ86oqmc
Weeks: 38 today... Henry was born at 38 weeks and five days. Let's hope this child is an early bird as well... but not too early. Keep reading.
Dilated: 2 cm. 8 to go. Boo-yeah!
Effaced: Still 75%
Weight: Why does every pregnant girl with a blog feel the need to brag about her weight? I weigh less than I did with Henry. Triumph.
Contractions: All the time. If we hooked my uterus up to a generator, I could probably create enough electricity for the entire District.
Nicknames: We've switched from Bug to Moose since this child is going to be enormous. I'm trying not to be annoying with the name, though, because it can get that way when you don't know the gender. My apologies to everyone who got sick of hearing me call Henry Bean during pregnancy.
Swollen: Nope. Crazy, since I couldn't wear my wedding rings the last trimester with Henry.
Sleep: Suffering from a little bit of insomnia, which is understandable seeing as though I need a forklift to turn and reposition myself, and I have to pee so much, I'm wishing I had a catheter.
Brain Power: My IQ has probably dropped 10 points with this baby. S/he is going to be a GD genius.
Agility: I can barely move, this child is so big. I now watch those 300lb. Woman shows on TLC and I'm like, "Obviously, you are going to drive your car 20 ft. to your mailbox. That would be so painful to walk!"
Gender Predictions: Despite 9 out of 10 people's predictions that this will be a girl, I've spent the last two months thinking it's a boy, and I've kind of attached myself to the idea of having two little blond haired, blue-eyed boys wrestling with each other in the living room. More on this later.
Anxieties: Ummm... nothing really. Oh, maybe that I'm going to have this baby while Ryan is out of town this week. Oh, you know. He's in Orlando for business. Really busy...
 |
| "Working" on the golf course |
 |
| "Working" at Medieval Times... with a tiara. |
SIR WILLIAM HENRY, I ESQ.
Bottle: Gave that up right after his second birthday in July. WIN
Big Boy Bed: Took to it like a fish to water. WIN
Potty Training: Made great progress the first day, then he got sick and was over it. FAIL
Pacifier: Two weeks without it, bia! WIN
Preschool: Not going to lie, thought this was going to be a fail, but he's turned a leaf and started to love it. Fire Safety Week is going to seal the deal. They're bringing in a fireman and a fire truck. So, WIN
Eating: FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. Chicken nuggets and Goldfish. Add this to the list of "Things That Must Not Be Mentioned"
Growth: Henry has shot up at least an inch this past month. I know this because his pants are starting to look a little bit short. I went to Old Navy to get him some new ones today, and did you know that all their normal looking plain pants are $20. Yes, the toddler pants. Yes, the adult pants are the same price. WTF?!? And good luck trying to find a 2T. Get it together, ON. The pants aren't lined in gold. Hell, they're not even lined at all. Rant over. Henry= WIN, Old Navy= FAIL
Ok, it's almost 10 and I should be watching the debates... but I'm exhausted. I'd rather toss and turn in bed like one of those giant sea lions on the beach. Here's a visual if you need one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OoBJ86oqmc
Monday, September 24, 2012
This Is Going to Get Ugly
I am almost 37 weeks pregnant. I am 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced. I am so exhausted that I have to talk myself into getting into the shower every day and brushing my hair. No make-up, thanks. I would rather set my hair on fire than to blow it dry. This baby is coming any day now, and there is a good chance I'm going to the hospital in my tank tops and pajama bottoms with dirty hair because I took a short cut in the shower.
About a month or two ago, I still thought I would stick to my resolve to have cute pictures of myself taken while in labor. You've seen those pictures on Facebook. Cute mom with make-up on. Curled hair. Calmly sitting in bed. Well, why I thought I would be like that the second time around, I have NO idea. My feeling now is that if you are able to have those pictures taken, you went to the hospital too damn soon and are going to catch the ebola virus and dyslexia. And OH, my GOD. My first labor was 4 hours long, and I am fairly certain that if Ryan had tried to pull a camera on me, my head would have spun around my head and had fire come out of my mouth. There will be no photos during my labor. None. I don't want to know what I look like after I've vomited and a head is about to pop out of me.
I know that The Books say I may experience bursts of energy and start Nesting. False. My only bursts of energy come when I have to get to the bathroom since my unborn child keeps bumping his/her head against my cervix. I occasionally get motivated to wash something or put a swing together because I realize, "Holy crap. This baby could come tomorrow and then I would have to put him/her in a car seat that hasn't had the cover washed... EVER!" or "OMG. The hospital bag! If I went into labor right now, I would have nothing to take to the hospital!".
A word about The Hospital Bag. There are a lot of suggestions of what to bring to the hospital. My suggestion? Bring it all. Realize that I am completely delirious though. Some of the items my husband has raised an eyebrow at but chosen wisely not to say anything about: flameless candles, a head massager, and stereo speakers. I stand by my choices. Ironically, the hair dryer is also packed.
The Books also say that women MAY experience occasional mood swings. Hmmm. Really? The only thing I've been moody about are Ryan's socks being stuffed inside each other, Ryan taking too long to take a shower, Ryan not leaving soon enough in the morning, Ryan doing the laundry wrong, and... Ryan. In moments of clarity, I think I need to get him a push present for the past 9 months. This is not a moment of clarity.
I remember reading that upper class women during the Renaissance were sent into confinement for the last month or so of their pregnancy. At the time I thought it sounded horrible. Boarded up windows? Locked into your room? Now I can't think of a more ideal scenario. It would be like a vacation! Sleep all day! Lounge in your pajamas! Read as much as you want! Oh, to be in confinement. Sigh.
That is all for today. I am going to wander around listlessly and wait for Henry to wake up.
About a month or two ago, I still thought I would stick to my resolve to have cute pictures of myself taken while in labor. You've seen those pictures on Facebook. Cute mom with make-up on. Curled hair. Calmly sitting in bed. Well, why I thought I would be like that the second time around, I have NO idea. My feeling now is that if you are able to have those pictures taken, you went to the hospital too damn soon and are going to catch the ebola virus and dyslexia. And OH, my GOD. My first labor was 4 hours long, and I am fairly certain that if Ryan had tried to pull a camera on me, my head would have spun around my head and had fire come out of my mouth. There will be no photos during my labor. None. I don't want to know what I look like after I've vomited and a head is about to pop out of me.
I know that The Books say I may experience bursts of energy and start Nesting. False. My only bursts of energy come when I have to get to the bathroom since my unborn child keeps bumping his/her head against my cervix. I occasionally get motivated to wash something or put a swing together because I realize, "Holy crap. This baby could come tomorrow and then I would have to put him/her in a car seat that hasn't had the cover washed... EVER!" or "OMG. The hospital bag! If I went into labor right now, I would have nothing to take to the hospital!".
A word about The Hospital Bag. There are a lot of suggestions of what to bring to the hospital. My suggestion? Bring it all. Realize that I am completely delirious though. Some of the items my husband has raised an eyebrow at but chosen wisely not to say anything about: flameless candles, a head massager, and stereo speakers. I stand by my choices. Ironically, the hair dryer is also packed.
The Books also say that women MAY experience occasional mood swings. Hmmm. Really? The only thing I've been moody about are Ryan's socks being stuffed inside each other, Ryan taking too long to take a shower, Ryan not leaving soon enough in the morning, Ryan doing the laundry wrong, and... Ryan. In moments of clarity, I think I need to get him a push present for the past 9 months. This is not a moment of clarity.
I remember reading that upper class women during the Renaissance were sent into confinement for the last month or so of their pregnancy. At the time I thought it sounded horrible. Boarded up windows? Locked into your room? Now I can't think of a more ideal scenario. It would be like a vacation! Sleep all day! Lounge in your pajamas! Read as much as you want! Oh, to be in confinement. Sigh.
That is all for today. I am going to wander around listlessly and wait for Henry to wake up.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Swag Wag
This past Friday we said goodbye to our Infiniti SUV and hello to a brand new... wait for it... MINIVAN! Now I would be lying if I said giving up our SUV was easy. It was a little emotionally difficult because that was "our first child" vehicle. It was a chapter in our life that is almost over.
Buying a van is symbolic, I suppose. We don't go out to clubs and restaurants on the weekend (very often), so we don't need something sleek and slim to drive down M Street without worrying what or whom we will hit. We live far enough away from the city that gas mileage actually does matter since we don't take the metro everywhere. Our lives are different than we were when we first got married, and thank God for that. Cue the Parent Rap. Our car is a reflection of that, but it's not our identity, which is something that people seem to be a little confused about.
Since buying the van, we've gotten a few remarks that make me question, not our decision in buying it, but how others identify what they drive with themselves. Having moved to Europe and back several times as a kid, my family owned a lot of cars. We owned everything from a VW bug (the O.G. as I like to think of it), to a Mercedes. No big deal. We bought cars that made sense for our family. Driving a bug didn't make us hippies (we weren't that cool) nor did driving a Mercedes make us trendy (we weren't that cool). A car is a car, and I guess I've always felt that way; it's not a reflection of who you are, but maybe where you are in your life.
Let me tell you about this van. This Saturday, Ryan and I went tailgating at FedEx field for the JMU vs. WVU game. In our van, we were able to pack up an enormous cooler, two chairs, a card table, a Bose speaker, three bags of food, and a Weber grill. And we listened to Shade on XM radio en route. We had my waters cooling in the built in chill box up front. We talked on the phone via Bluetooth and listened to songs from my iPod, courtesy of the USB cord. When we arrived, I plugged in our Bose speaker (there are two outlets) and could've watched a movie on the DVD player had the mood struck. This car is awesome.
The best part about the van? Henry LOVES it. As in, it's a fight getting him out of it.
Someone asked us, though, "How much room do you really need? Why not just get a big SUV?". Dummy. We will have two children in a matter of weeks. We have a dog that weighs 94 pounds. We go on vacations to Ohio and South Carolina about three times a year, not to mention our beach trips. Have you ever taken a vacation with an infant? Do you know how much stuff they need? Plus, I live in an area where driving 15 miles can mean 20 minutes or it can mean 1 hour. I will be damned if I squeeze my family into another SUV with terrible gas mileage because I'm too proud to be in a minivan. F that noise.
Ryan and I are still the same people. I have not started wearing mom jeans (although the number of college girls wearing cut-off mom jeans is disturbing). Ryan has not started wearing Tevas. We do not cruise yard sales on weekends and... whatever else nerdy middle-aged people do. We don't do that. So this is my chapter. I'm totally owning it. I am a proud owner of a minivan. His name is Lionel.
Cue the Swagger Wagon video.
Since buying the van, we've gotten a few remarks that make me question, not our decision in buying it, but how others identify what they drive with themselves. Having moved to Europe and back several times as a kid, my family owned a lot of cars. We owned everything from a VW bug (the O.G. as I like to think of it), to a Mercedes. No big deal. We bought cars that made sense for our family. Driving a bug didn't make us hippies (we weren't that cool) nor did driving a Mercedes make us trendy (we weren't that cool). A car is a car, and I guess I've always felt that way; it's not a reflection of who you are, but maybe where you are in your life.
Let me tell you about this van. This Saturday, Ryan and I went tailgating at FedEx field for the JMU vs. WVU game. In our van, we were able to pack up an enormous cooler, two chairs, a card table, a Bose speaker, three bags of food, and a Weber grill. And we listened to Shade on XM radio en route. We had my waters cooling in the built in chill box up front. We talked on the phone via Bluetooth and listened to songs from my iPod, courtesy of the USB cord. When we arrived, I plugged in our Bose speaker (there are two outlets) and could've watched a movie on the DVD player had the mood struck. This car is awesome.
Someone asked us, though, "How much room do you really need? Why not just get a big SUV?". Dummy. We will have two children in a matter of weeks. We have a dog that weighs 94 pounds. We go on vacations to Ohio and South Carolina about three times a year, not to mention our beach trips. Have you ever taken a vacation with an infant? Do you know how much stuff they need? Plus, I live in an area where driving 15 miles can mean 20 minutes or it can mean 1 hour. I will be damned if I squeeze my family into another SUV with terrible gas mileage because I'm too proud to be in a minivan. F that noise.
Ryan and I are still the same people. I have not started wearing mom jeans (although the number of college girls wearing cut-off mom jeans is disturbing). Ryan has not started wearing Tevas. We do not cruise yard sales on weekends and... whatever else nerdy middle-aged people do. We don't do that. So this is my chapter. I'm totally owning it. I am a proud owner of a minivan. His name is Lionel.
Cue the Swagger Wagon video.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Henry's First Day of School
I'm going to go ahead and write this post as if I haven't been MIA for the past month. I've been busy, and any free time I have available has been spent sleeping/cleaning/or pinning things I'll never do/buy/make on Pinterest.
Today was Henry's first day of preschool. For some reason, everyone's asked how I have dealt with it. Blank stare. I suppose they are expecting me to confess that I broke down in the parking lot and ran in to watch him from the window. But that would be a lie. Instead, I did this. I flew to Austria and danced around and got back just in time for the school to call me and pick Henry up...early.
Yes, Henry has separation anxiety and after an hour and a half of off and on crying, the school called me to pick him up. Apparently he would be fine, but then another little boy would start crying and it would set him off again and vice versa. His mom was smart enough to bring flowers to the teachers. Damn.
Of course, by the time I arrived to pick Henry up it was recess and if there's one thing Henry knows how to do, it's wreck shop on the playground. So I just waited around until the early release at 11. When I walked in, he started crying again and leaped out of his teacher's arms. The kid was in shambles.
Needless to say, I'm hoping Thursday goes better.
Today was Henry's first day of preschool. For some reason, everyone's asked how I have dealt with it. Blank stare. I suppose they are expecting me to confess that I broke down in the parking lot and ran in to watch him from the window. But that would be a lie. Instead, I did this. I flew to Austria and danced around and got back just in time for the school to call me and pick Henry up...early.
Yes, Henry has separation anxiety and after an hour and a half of off and on crying, the school called me to pick him up. Apparently he would be fine, but then another little boy would start crying and it would set him off again and vice versa. His mom was smart enough to bring flowers to the teachers. Damn.
Of course, by the time I arrived to pick Henry up it was recess and if there's one thing Henry knows how to do, it's wreck shop on the playground. So I just waited around until the early release at 11. When I walked in, he started crying again and leaped out of his teacher's arms. The kid was in shambles.
Needless to say, I'm hoping Thursday goes better.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Getting Ready for Baby
Guest Post: Katie Moore
Getting
Ready for a New Baby
Preparing
for a new baby can be a very fun and exciting process while an expectant mother
prepares her mind, body and home for a new addition to her family. Here are a
few tips for helping a woman get ready for the great journey leading to motherhood.
Fostering
a Healthy Baby
Baby
Gear
Regarding
having a safe place to sleep, it is of the utmost importance to reduce Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome, or SIDS. Baby needs to a
firm mattress in either a crib or bassinet. A fitted sheet should be the only bedding. Blankets and pillows are not safe. Crib bumpers are controversial as some
believe they are suffocation hazards, while others feel they are good
protection against the hard crib rails.
This is a personal choice.
A car seat
is also required for when it’s time to take baby home. They can be intimidating
to install, so stopping by the local fire or police station will ensure this
life-saving device is being utilized properly. The hospital won't let mom leave
with the baby if she doesn’t have an approved car seat!
Being
Prepared for Delivery Day
Moms will
need an overnight bag to take with them to the hospital. Packing in advance will help make sure
that nothing is forgotten. Items
to include can be clothes for mom to travel home in, clothes for baby to travel
home in, chapstick, music and other items to keep focused during labor, like
movies or pictures.
Some
moms prepare a 'birth' plan that outlines what they want to happen during the
birthing process. Including what
birthing techniques and medicines that they are comfortable with is what the
birth plan is great for. What's
most important is to relax and take someone you trust to go through the process
with you.
With
these steps considered or followed, a mother can feel better prepared and more
relaxed about the changes that delivery day will bring; the most important one
being a new baby!
Katie Moore wrote this
article. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses
maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this
niche. If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie
please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her
twitter @moorekm26.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I'm fabulous apparently
In case you couldn't tell, I've been busy. Here's one of the blog posts I planned on posting this week. Thanks to Ms. Mess for granting me with this accolade.
Here's the drill:
1. Post the rules.
2. Name five of your most fabulous moments, either in real life or in the blogosphere.
3. Name five things you love.
4. Name five things you hate.
5. Pass the ribbon on to five other bloggers. (Leave them a comment to notify them of their win.)
Fabulous Moments:
1. Henry's birth. By far the happiest day of my life. I had no idea if he was a boy or a girl, when he was coming, what he would look like, nothing. It was the biggest surprise I've ever had. I'll never forget asking, "What is it? What is it?" after he came out and Ryan shouted, "It's a penis! I mean, it's a boy!" Priceless.
2. When Ryan first said he loved me. Cue the awwwwws. Sorry to be sappy, but I had been crushing on him since I was fifteen. When the guy of your dreams tells you he loves you, it's surreal. I still pinch myself sometimes.
3. Losing weight. I'd always been athletic, but my last year of college I was under an unreal amount of stress. I had a lot of life changes and a crazy class schedule and really difficult student teaching assignment (five preps!). I turned to running and working out just to let it all go, and I ended up losing about 20 pounds. Running wasn't a chore; it was an outlet. I really want to tap into that energy again after I have this baby.
4. Students telling me they learned something from me. I love it when a student tells me s/he knows something because I taught it to him/her. It is so fulfilling. I'm lucky to have taught high school too, so some students even tell me they are majoring in English or journalism because of me. I'm humbled by this.
5. Getting a retweet from Ricki Lake. I was so excited about the arrival of More Business of Being Born, I tweeted something about it and she retweeted me. I know. I'm a nerd, but I feel like you knew this already.
Hates: (I'm putting this in the middle to end on a good note)
1. Status updates about going to the gym/working out. Your motives are transparent. Cut it out. Go buy a medal already.
2. Improper use of grammar, mechanics, and language. My biggest pet peeve is every day vs. everyday usage*. It's used wrong everywhere from Wendy's to Walgreen's. One thing I hate about the holidays is the cards that come in addressed to The Smith's** from The Miller's. Why the apostrophe? It's plural, not possessive. I'm really not trying to come off as a snob. If you see a grammar/mechanical/usage error frequently on my blog, PLEASE let me know. I love learning new stuff about grammar. This is not the case with everyone I have found.
3. Chosen ignorance on matters that affect you or your loved ones. It's your duty to be informed when your family's at stake, which is why, even though I hate politics, I am paying close attention to this election. Starting today, I swear. I try to make informed decisions on matters that will impact my family, which is why I don't use certain products, buy certain brands, or participate in some standards of living. It's why I consider myself a researcher, but it can feel overwhelming. I just aim for progress, not perfection.
4. Politics. It's so contentious! It's hard to have a 'friendly' conversation about politics.
5. Comic Sans. Please stop using this font. Nails on a chalkboard.
Loves:
1. Sam Adams Seasonal Beers. I judge the changing of the seasons, not by the leaves or the weather, but by beer. I am so blessed to be having my baby at the start of football season when Sam Adams's Octoberfest beer will be sold. There is a God and he is merciful.
2. Reading late into the night. I love when you are so sucked into a book you can't put it down and to hell with the time. I'm currently reading the Game of Thrones series (judge me. go ahead) and am losing a lot of sleep. Don't care.
3. Naps with Henry. One of the blessings I have being at home with Henry is our ability to nap together. I don't do it often because I don't want him to expect it, but it's so great to wake up next to your little man who is drooling all over your sheets and snoring contentedly.
4. Field hockey. Oh, I miss it. I played on a fall league after college and loved it. There's nothing like the sound of a ball hitting the back of the goal after you've gotten it around a defender.
5. Turquoise. I'm not talking that tacky 80's shade, but more Tiffany's shade. I've loved this color since I was little and pink was supposed to be the cool color. It looks great alone or paired with other colors like red (my fav) brown, coral, pink, you name it. I'm so mad that Pottery Barn Kids now has a white and turquoise sheet option for nurseries. I would've totally bought those sheets and added green accents when Henry was born. If this one's a girl, I would've added pink. Booooo. Spending $300 on bedding is not in the budget either.
Other Fabulous Blogs: (in no particular order)
1. JoJo at Design in Bloom
2. Casey and Leslie at Our Tale of Two Cities
3. Sarah at growing, laughing, and loving life
4. Joanna at Holistic Mothering Group
5. Katie at Moore from Katie
*Hint: every day is the same as using each day. If it doesn't make sense to say something like, "each day low savings", then you should be using everyday. If you can replace what you're saying with each day like, "each day I brush my teeth" you should be using every day.
**Not my real last name, creeper.
Here's the drill:1. Post the rules.
2. Name five of your most fabulous moments, either in real life or in the blogosphere.
3. Name five things you love.
4. Name five things you hate.
5. Pass the ribbon on to five other bloggers. (Leave them a comment to notify them of their win.)
Fabulous Moments:
1. Henry's birth. By far the happiest day of my life. I had no idea if he was a boy or a girl, when he was coming, what he would look like, nothing. It was the biggest surprise I've ever had. I'll never forget asking, "What is it? What is it?" after he came out and Ryan shouted, "It's a penis! I mean, it's a boy!" Priceless.
2. When Ryan first said he loved me. Cue the awwwwws. Sorry to be sappy, but I had been crushing on him since I was fifteen. When the guy of your dreams tells you he loves you, it's surreal. I still pinch myself sometimes.
3. Losing weight. I'd always been athletic, but my last year of college I was under an unreal amount of stress. I had a lot of life changes and a crazy class schedule and really difficult student teaching assignment (five preps!). I turned to running and working out just to let it all go, and I ended up losing about 20 pounds. Running wasn't a chore; it was an outlet. I really want to tap into that energy again after I have this baby.
4. Students telling me they learned something from me. I love it when a student tells me s/he knows something because I taught it to him/her. It is so fulfilling. I'm lucky to have taught high school too, so some students even tell me they are majoring in English or journalism because of me. I'm humbled by this.
5. Getting a retweet from Ricki Lake. I was so excited about the arrival of More Business of Being Born, I tweeted something about it and she retweeted me. I know. I'm a nerd, but I feel like you knew this already.
Hates: (I'm putting this in the middle to end on a good note)
1. Status updates about going to the gym/working out. Your motives are transparent. Cut it out. Go buy a medal already.
2. Improper use of grammar, mechanics, and language. My biggest pet peeve is every day vs. everyday usage*. It's used wrong everywhere from Wendy's to Walgreen's. One thing I hate about the holidays is the cards that come in addressed to The Smith's** from The Miller's. Why the apostrophe? It's plural, not possessive. I'm really not trying to come off as a snob. If you see a grammar/mechanical/usage error frequently on my blog, PLEASE let me know. I love learning new stuff about grammar. This is not the case with everyone I have found.
3. Chosen ignorance on matters that affect you or your loved ones. It's your duty to be informed when your family's at stake, which is why, even though I hate politics, I am paying close attention to this election. Starting today, I swear. I try to make informed decisions on matters that will impact my family, which is why I don't use certain products, buy certain brands, or participate in some standards of living. It's why I consider myself a researcher, but it can feel overwhelming. I just aim for progress, not perfection.
4. Politics. It's so contentious! It's hard to have a 'friendly' conversation about politics.
5. Comic Sans. Please stop using this font. Nails on a chalkboard.
Loves:
1. Sam Adams Seasonal Beers. I judge the changing of the seasons, not by the leaves or the weather, but by beer. I am so blessed to be having my baby at the start of football season when Sam Adams's Octoberfest beer will be sold. There is a God and he is merciful.
2. Reading late into the night. I love when you are so sucked into a book you can't put it down and to hell with the time. I'm currently reading the Game of Thrones series (judge me. go ahead) and am losing a lot of sleep. Don't care.
3. Naps with Henry. One of the blessings I have being at home with Henry is our ability to nap together. I don't do it often because I don't want him to expect it, but it's so great to wake up next to your little man who is drooling all over your sheets and snoring contentedly.
4. Field hockey. Oh, I miss it. I played on a fall league after college and loved it. There's nothing like the sound of a ball hitting the back of the goal after you've gotten it around a defender.
5. Turquoise. I'm not talking that tacky 80's shade, but more Tiffany's shade. I've loved this color since I was little and pink was supposed to be the cool color. It looks great alone or paired with other colors like red (my fav) brown, coral, pink, you name it. I'm so mad that Pottery Barn Kids now has a white and turquoise sheet option for nurseries. I would've totally bought those sheets and added green accents when Henry was born. If this one's a girl, I would've added pink. Booooo. Spending $300 on bedding is not in the budget either.
Other Fabulous Blogs: (in no particular order)
1. JoJo at Design in Bloom
2. Casey and Leslie at Our Tale of Two Cities
3. Sarah at growing, laughing, and loving life
4. Joanna at Holistic Mothering Group
5. Katie at Moore from Katie
*Hint: every day is the same as using each day. If it doesn't make sense to say something like, "each day low savings", then you should be using everyday. If you can replace what you're saying with each day like, "each day I brush my teeth" you should be using every day.
**Not my real last name, creeper.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Catch up
What a week! Henry's birthday, working on the big boy room, preparing for friends and relatives to visit, and trips to the gym have completely sucked up my time. The one activity that I have spent three days working on, though, is our family budget.
I'm giving myself 15 minutes to write, so if this entry leaves much to be desired, sorry. I just need to mop my floors because my feet are starting to stick to the floor. True story.
Anyways, since our air conditioning crisis, I've realized how mindless I've been with money. I feel like in a home, you can pick a clean house, happy/clean/healthy kids, an in-shape mom, a stocked fridge and pantry, or a balanced budget, but you are never going to have it all. (There's a pin for that floating on pinterest, but I just wasted five minutes looking for it to no avail). I've been so focused on the rest, that I've totally let the budget slide because I'm not Wonder Mom, and I really shouldn't be drinking that much caffeine.
Ryan and I took Dave Ramsey's 13 week money course and made such great headway, but we drifted away from our budget once Ryan switched jobs because it was so confusing to budget during that in between time. We never really got back on. It took me THREE DAYS-- no naps, all my free time-- to get back on track. Thankfully, we'll be ready to go once Ryan gets paid again and the mama bear in me can calm down.
The bad news is, during those three days, I did no laundry. No vacuuming. No sweeping/mopping-- nada. My house is embarrassing at the moment. I love Gretchen Rubin's saying that "outer order contributes to inner calm", but right now, my house is a shit show. No wonder I'm so stressed out; everywhere I turn I have something that needs to be swept/wiped down/put away/thrown out. On top of everything else, I am really starting to feel this baby's weight, and I feel downright unwieldy. I am constantly exhausted, and I still have three months to go! WEEE!
My time is almost up, so I'm going to give you a little preview of what's to come in this next week's posts, which is a lot of catch-up posts: Henry's Yo Gabba Gabba birthday, Henry's list of favorite things for June, Big Boy room progress, Summer Docket update, Fabulous Blogger Ribbon, and a pinterest challenge.
Now to tackle my floors. WOOF.
I'm giving myself 15 minutes to write, so if this entry leaves much to be desired, sorry. I just need to mop my floors because my feet are starting to stick to the floor. True story.
Anyways, since our air conditioning crisis, I've realized how mindless I've been with money. I feel like in a home, you can pick a clean house, happy/clean/healthy kids, an in-shape mom, a stocked fridge and pantry, or a balanced budget, but you are never going to have it all. (There's a pin for that floating on pinterest, but I just wasted five minutes looking for it to no avail). I've been so focused on the rest, that I've totally let the budget slide because I'm not Wonder Mom, and I really shouldn't be drinking that much caffeine.
Ryan and I took Dave Ramsey's 13 week money course and made such great headway, but we drifted away from our budget once Ryan switched jobs because it was so confusing to budget during that in between time. We never really got back on. It took me THREE DAYS-- no naps, all my free time-- to get back on track. Thankfully, we'll be ready to go once Ryan gets paid again and the mama bear in me can calm down.
The bad news is, during those three days, I did no laundry. No vacuuming. No sweeping/mopping-- nada. My house is embarrassing at the moment. I love Gretchen Rubin's saying that "outer order contributes to inner calm", but right now, my house is a shit show. No wonder I'm so stressed out; everywhere I turn I have something that needs to be swept/wiped down/put away/thrown out. On top of everything else, I am really starting to feel this baby's weight, and I feel downright unwieldy. I am constantly exhausted, and I still have three months to go! WEEE!
My time is almost up, so I'm going to give you a little preview of what's to come in this next week's posts, which is a lot of catch-up posts: Henry's Yo Gabba Gabba birthday, Henry's list of favorite things for June, Big Boy room progress, Summer Docket update, Fabulous Blogger Ribbon, and a pinterest challenge.
Now to tackle my floors. WOOF.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Summertime Pregnancy
In case you haven't noticed, we're having a heat wave. It's hotter here than it is in Hawaii; my parents just informed me of that. For pregnant women, whose body temperatures are already higher, this is plain cruel because we are sweating like whores in church AND because we are not in Hawaii. Unless of course you are.
In an effort to see the silver lining, I've compiled a list of reasons it's actually nice to be pregnant in the summer. Yes. There are reasons. Plural. Not many, so don't get too excited.
1.) The clothes are cuter- I'm a firm believer that spring and summer clothes are cuter in general anyway, but especially on a pregnant woman. It's easier to look pulled together with a pod growing out of your abdomen while wearing a summer dress than wearing a chunky sweater, cords, and boots (I actually cringed at the thought of wearing that because it's 7:30 and 101 degrees out). My summer pregnancy uniform is shorts (tangerine ones are my fav), sleeveless tank, and Toms/flops. No stuffing swollen feet into socks and boots!
2.) You can be tan!- Granted, I do not let the sun touch my face-- I get ugly splotches when I'm pregnant-- but, the rest of my body is tan, which makes me feel healthy rather than fat and pasty--very easy to feel when you're pregnant in January. I loathe burning, so I'm a Nazi about sunscreen, and am proud of the glow I've attained despite wearing SPF 30 religiously.
3.) The food is better- for you, I suppose. There are so many delicious fruits and vegetables in season like: cherries, watermelon, strawberries, summer squash, corn on the cob, etc. I know you can still gorge yourself on hamburgers on the 4th of July and ice cream at the pool, but I don't tend to feel hungry when I'm sweating buckets.
4.) Fewer gluttonous holidays- If you are due after the terrible triumvirate (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas), expect a few extra pounds than normal. It's really hard to deprive yourself when that cute little bump seems to hide everything. Over the summer, you catch a break. The food at get togethers is less carby and more fruit and vegetabley.
5.) Time flies- Vacations, reunions, cookouts, and weddings seem to come charging at you like an unstoppable rebel force. Once you hit September and the kids are back to school, time seems to slow down a bit as does your social calendar. (Keep in mind this is relative--if you just got pregnant, I can imagine nothing worse than being a nauseous, sweaty, vomity mess in 101 degree heat. I'm sure you feel every milisecond of summer and would gladly cut me for making light of summer. In which case, I'll gladly hand you my nail file should we meet at Target).
6.) There's always air conditioning- unless there's not, like this past weekend. I'm thankful that every where I really need to go, has air conditioning. My house, my car, where I shop. Unless it's the pool, I do not need to associate with places that don't have air conditioning, thankyouverymuch. Ms. Mess enlightened me when we were both pregnant with our first children. I was due in July, she was due in September. I said, "I'm so sorry you have to endure the rest of the summer". She said, "Why? Everywhere I need to be has air conditioning". Duh!
7.) The weather will be nicer when the baby gets here- Unless you give birth tomorrow (like I did two years ago), the weather will be nicer when the baby arrives and you are ready to get out of the house. When I had Henry two years ago almost to the day, I was so annoyed that it was too hot to take him out for a walk. Even if I stripped him down to a diaper, it was to damn hot out. I had horrible cabin fever and didn't feel like I could handle taking him to the mall by myself. If you're due anywhere from September-May in this area, I feel like you can always bundle yourselves up and get some fresh air. Right now, the air is neither fresh nor air. It is odious steam.
8.) You'll get to drink when it REALLY counts- This one is a little debatable, and I'm not afraid to admit I'm grasping for straws here, but football season and the holidays are when I want to drink. I LOVE drinking a Corona with a lime on the beach, but I adore drinking Sam Adams Octoberfest during a Redskins game or having a glass of red wine by the fire at Christmas. I also love drinking a glass of champagne (or ten) on New Year's Eve, but that's neither here nor there. The jury's out on this one since drinking Coronas on the beach is exquisite, but I'd like to think that drinking during football season trumps all. My apologies to the ladies who are due after the season ends. If it's any consolation I think we're in for a doozy with the mess the Saints left us in the NFL and the BCS play-offs in college football.
In an effort to see the silver lining, I've compiled a list of reasons it's actually nice to be pregnant in the summer. Yes. There are reasons. Plural. Not many, so don't get too excited.
1.) The clothes are cuter- I'm a firm believer that spring and summer clothes are cuter in general anyway, but especially on a pregnant woman. It's easier to look pulled together with a pod growing out of your abdomen while wearing a summer dress than wearing a chunky sweater, cords, and boots (I actually cringed at the thought of wearing that because it's 7:30 and 101 degrees out). My summer pregnancy uniform is shorts (tangerine ones are my fav), sleeveless tank, and Toms/flops. No stuffing swollen feet into socks and boots!
2.) You can be tan!- Granted, I do not let the sun touch my face-- I get ugly splotches when I'm pregnant-- but, the rest of my body is tan, which makes me feel healthy rather than fat and pasty--very easy to feel when you're pregnant in January. I loathe burning, so I'm a Nazi about sunscreen, and am proud of the glow I've attained despite wearing SPF 30 religiously.
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| That's me. Pfff! |
4.) Fewer gluttonous holidays- If you are due after the terrible triumvirate (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas), expect a few extra pounds than normal. It's really hard to deprive yourself when that cute little bump seems to hide everything. Over the summer, you catch a break. The food at get togethers is less carby and more fruit and vegetabley.
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| Would you like some butter with that Christmas ham? |
6.) There's always air conditioning- unless there's not, like this past weekend. I'm thankful that every where I really need to go, has air conditioning. My house, my car, where I shop. Unless it's the pool, I do not need to associate with places that don't have air conditioning, thankyouverymuch. Ms. Mess enlightened me when we were both pregnant with our first children. I was due in July, she was due in September. I said, "I'm so sorry you have to endure the rest of the summer". She said, "Why? Everywhere I need to be has air conditioning". Duh!
7.) The weather will be nicer when the baby gets here- Unless you give birth tomorrow (like I did two years ago), the weather will be nicer when the baby arrives and you are ready to get out of the house. When I had Henry two years ago almost to the day, I was so annoyed that it was too hot to take him out for a walk. Even if I stripped him down to a diaper, it was to damn hot out. I had horrible cabin fever and didn't feel like I could handle taking him to the mall by myself. If you're due anywhere from September-May in this area, I feel like you can always bundle yourselves up and get some fresh air. Right now, the air is neither fresh nor air. It is odious steam.
8.) You'll get to drink when it REALLY counts- This one is a little debatable, and I'm not afraid to admit I'm grasping for straws here, but football season and the holidays are when I want to drink. I LOVE drinking a Corona with a lime on the beach, but I adore drinking Sam Adams Octoberfest during a Redskins game or having a glass of red wine by the fire at Christmas. I also love drinking a glass of champagne (or ten) on New Year's Eve, but that's neither here nor there. The jury's out on this one since drinking Coronas on the beach is exquisite, but I'd like to think that drinking during football season trumps all. My apologies to the ladies who are due after the season ends. If it's any consolation I think we're in for a doozy with the mess the Saints left us in the NFL and the BCS play-offs in college football.
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| I'm waiting my friend. See you soon. |
Friday, July 6, 2012
Boy or Girl? Update!
I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to consult the woman who does my nails about the sex of this baby since she was right with Henry. When I'd gone by a few weeks ago, she wasn't working (of course), so I stopped by on my way to the store today.
After lifting up my shirt and examining my belly, she predicted a baby girl. On the way out, a woman getting her toes done confirmed the prediction, claiming she's never been wrong.
So here's the rundown:
After lifting up my shirt and examining my belly, she predicted a baby girl. On the way out, a woman getting her toes done confirmed the prediction, claiming she's never been wrong.
So here's the rundown:
Mother's Intuition: GIRL
Chinese Gender Predictor: GIRL
Parents Quiz: BOY
BabyZone Quiz: GIRL
Beverly at Costco (who was right with Henry): GIRL
Aesthetician at Sara Nail* (who was right with Henry): GIRL
Random Woman at Sara Nail: GIRL
I'm not going to lie, lately I've been getting boy vibes and getting super nervous since Ryan and I have had the hardest time finding a boy name, but I did the same thing with Henry. I was convinced I was having a boy until the last trimester came around. I started second guessing myself. Maybe I'm doing it again?
I've decided not to splurge on the boy or girl detectors you can buy at CVS because with our recent air conditioning debacle, I can't justify spending $40 on a test that, according to reviews on Amazon, isn't even accurate. I'll just wait three months and see.
*Just to be clear, that is not a typo. It is Sara Nail. Just one.
Getting it Together
I mentioned in my last post that we needed all the energy we could muster for what faced us when we came home from the beach. Here's why:
We were all smug for getting on the road by 6 a.m. and making it home in 4 hours. What we didn't realize, though, was that there was a MAJOR storm in the DC metro area. 80 mph winds major. 1.5 million people out of power major. 5 deaths major. When we walked in the door, it took me five minutes to decide we needed to get back in the car and find a hotel. Our power was out and the thermostat read 89 degrees, and it was only 10 a.m.; it was only going to get hotter. Unfortunately, everyone had the same idea as us and the hotels were either full or out of power. After three hours of driving around, we finally found a friend who had power and was willing to let us stay.
When our power finally came back on late Sunday, we realized that our air conditioning was broken. Again. I was ready to cry. We had all our stuff from the beach still packed up. Our belongings were scattered between our hot house and my parents' house, which had gained power Saturday evening. I couldn't unpack anything, I couldn't clean out my fridge. I was just frustrated because I was desperate to get settled.
Just as I was about to have a meltdown, I saw on the news a woman crying. Turns out her husband was coming home from class late Friday night when a tree hit an electrical transformer/transmitter box, which then fell on his car, killing him instantly. She is now a single mother of two kids. Suddenly life didn't seem so bad.
Yes, we weren't able to move back into our house until Tuesday. Yes, we had to throw out pretty much the entire contents of our fridge. Yes, it was really stressful living in someone else's house. Yes, I am freaking out because we are going to have to buy a new heating/cooling unit at a cool cost of $5000. But, I know that woman-- who lives less than 2 miles from me-- would trade with me if it meant her husband could be with her. Gulp.
I'm done unpacking and focusing on making and following a budget so that we don't have to finance this unexpected expense. My dreams of having a pimped out swagger wagon with flames on the side are going to have to be put on hold for the time being, but I'm really lucky that that's the only thing I lost from this storm.
We were all smug for getting on the road by 6 a.m. and making it home in 4 hours. What we didn't realize, though, was that there was a MAJOR storm in the DC metro area. 80 mph winds major. 1.5 million people out of power major. 5 deaths major. When we walked in the door, it took me five minutes to decide we needed to get back in the car and find a hotel. Our power was out and the thermostat read 89 degrees, and it was only 10 a.m.; it was only going to get hotter. Unfortunately, everyone had the same idea as us and the hotels were either full or out of power. After three hours of driving around, we finally found a friend who had power and was willing to let us stay.
When our power finally came back on late Sunday, we realized that our air conditioning was broken. Again. I was ready to cry. We had all our stuff from the beach still packed up. Our belongings were scattered between our hot house and my parents' house, which had gained power Saturday evening. I couldn't unpack anything, I couldn't clean out my fridge. I was just frustrated because I was desperate to get settled.
Just as I was about to have a meltdown, I saw on the news a woman crying. Turns out her husband was coming home from class late Friday night when a tree hit an electrical transformer/transmitter box, which then fell on his car, killing him instantly. She is now a single mother of two kids. Suddenly life didn't seem so bad.
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| I had no idea when I took these pictures that this is where the tree fell on the father of two. |
Monday, July 2, 2012
Beach Highlights
We've been back from the beach for three days now, and I'm already wanting to go back. Ryan, Henry, and I had a blast when the house was at its peak occupancy of 15, but also liked the quiet when there were just 6 of us. I did wish everyone could have stayed the whole week, though. Without further ado, here are some pictures from the trip:
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| This tray was definitely worth the $15. Henry seemed to like it too! |
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| Finger painting in the car? Heck, yes. Even with the slipping tray. |
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| Splashing with Mommy and Aunt Ree Ree |
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| Pool Party complete with floating beer pong. |
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| Henry is going to be an awesome big brother. Look how he helped Lyla put her pacifier back in her mouth. |
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| Ducky lounging in Lyla's bouncy seat. |
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| Mason helping us get ready for our Taboo game that night. |
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| Perfect size. Too bad we had no room for that in our car. |
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| Henry eating a Duck Donut. |
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| Dancing at the outdoor concert |
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| My favorite picture. Henry and Daddy chilling on the beach. |
Friday, June 22, 2012
The Threshold of Hell
Holy Blogger, bless me for I have sinned. It has been eight days since my last confession.
As the title of my post may indicate, I have, indeed, reached the threshold of hell and lived to speak of it. Like Dante and his nine circles of hell, I too have ventured to special nooks and crannies of hell this week that Mr. Dante forgot to mention.
Circle 2.25- Sick Children: Henry is usually (somewhat) well-tempered. However, being under the weather, he has the nasty disposition of a... well... me. Impatient. Hot-tempered. Grouchy. Sooo who wants to be my friend?
Circle 2.50- Sick & Pregnant with a Sick Toddler: Henry is an awesome viral cesspool and managed to contaminate me OR my doctor is right and this tropical weather we are having really is having a field day with my immune system. Either way, I haven't felt great. I'm feeling better now, as is he THANKS BE, but the lingering mucous is really annoying. Gone are the days when you could call in from work and watch Lifetime movies while popping DayQuil. No, you must silently suffer when you are pregnant.
Circle 2.75- Sick & Pregnant with a Sick Toddler & running errands: I love planning for trips. I hate the constant trips to the store because you realized that it's not practical to lug a 3 lb. Costco size of laundry detergent all the way to the beach and you need a smaller tub of detergent. Henry screams a lot of the time in the store.
Circle 10- PACKING: This act deserves its own circle. Packing is the worst. WORST. You have to fit everything in a suitcase and then pray that every thing fits in the car. I have a pile of "if it fits" items like beach chairs and Ryan's suitcase. Priorities.
I feel I can be a little negative nancy today because tomorrow I'LL BE AT THE BEACH! (sober) BUT AT THE BEACH!
As the title of my post may indicate, I have, indeed, reached the threshold of hell and lived to speak of it. Like Dante and his nine circles of hell, I too have ventured to special nooks and crannies of hell this week that Mr. Dante forgot to mention.
Circle 2.25- Sick Children: Henry is usually (somewhat) well-tempered. However, being under the weather, he has the nasty disposition of a... well... me. Impatient. Hot-tempered. Grouchy. Sooo who wants to be my friend?
Circle 2.50- Sick & Pregnant with a Sick Toddler: Henry is an awesome viral cesspool and managed to contaminate me OR my doctor is right and this tropical weather we are having really is having a field day with my immune system. Either way, I haven't felt great. I'm feeling better now, as is he THANKS BE, but the lingering mucous is really annoying. Gone are the days when you could call in from work and watch Lifetime movies while popping DayQuil. No, you must silently suffer when you are pregnant.
Circle 2.75- Sick & Pregnant with a Sick Toddler & running errands: I love planning for trips. I hate the constant trips to the store because you realized that it's not practical to lug a 3 lb. Costco size of laundry detergent all the way to the beach and you need a smaller tub of detergent. Henry screams a lot of the time in the store.
Circle 10- PACKING: This act deserves its own circle. Packing is the worst. WORST. You have to fit everything in a suitcase and then pray that every thing fits in the car. I have a pile of "if it fits" items like beach chairs and Ryan's suitcase. Priorities.
I feel I can be a little negative nancy today because tomorrow I'LL BE AT THE BEACH! (sober) BUT AT THE BEACH!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
First Shiner
Busy day. In 24 hours, Henry earned his first shiner and spiked a temperature of 100.6. The two are unrelated, according to our pediatrician, who was, incidentally, also Ryan's pediatrician. "If he's anything like his father, there's a lot more of those shiners where that came from." Oh, but he's so much like his father.
Despite my stamping down on the new mat I put down in the tub, it gave out and Henry smacked the side of the tub. I will be speaking to the people at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and encouraging them not to continue to buy these mats as they are not "non-slip". Allegations.
As for the temperature, Henry apparently has a cold. In the summer. And why not? We're just leaving for a family reunion Friday. No big. Those are going to be sooooome pictures...
Despite my stamping down on the new mat I put down in the tub, it gave out and Henry smacked the side of the tub. I will be speaking to the people at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and encouraging them not to continue to buy these mats as they are not "non-slip". Allegations.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Henry's Big Boy Room- BEFORE
I've mentioned in previous posts that I've been tinkering away at Henry's big boy room in order to have the nursery ready for baby #2 this October. Ideally, I'd like to have everything done by the end of September so that October can be spent doing last minute crazy nesting projects. This means I have about three months to get the two rooms ready. Totally doable, but still daunting.
Before you look at the pictures, let me preface that I have already started. No judgey Judies allowed. It never looked like this before, but I didn't take any before pictures before I actually started the whole process.
I've gone through the guest room closet and given away seven bags of clothes and sheets. I've gone through some storage under the bed, and I've started removing pictures from the wall and bringing in items I plan on putting up in Henry's finished room. So without further ado:
The closet is a little sad at the moment. I'm taking those clothes you see on the left and moving them to the upper right-hand part of the closet to make room for... I have no idea. After filling up the dresser, I don't anticipate a need for a lot of hang-up space. I think it's always good to have extra room, just in case. Three cheers for getting rid of so many clothes!
The bins I found at Costco and will be used for Henry's toys. I think the upper left-hand part of the closet will be used to put the clear storage bins with hand-me-down clothes. They won't fit in the nursery closet as of now. I'd like to also have an empty bin there with a ready-to-fill space bag for those clothes that don't fit Henry. No more piling in a stack for later-- just straight to the source!
The top shelf will serve as a home for seasonal clothing for Henry, I think.
As you can see, I have my work cut out for me. As I've been working, I've kept a list of things I need for the room or to store items that are finding new homes. Mostly, I just need someone to watch Henry so that I can get some work done. Right now, I feel like I'm taking two steps forward and one step back. For each task I get done, Henry has created a new one for me while I've been busy. When school lets out, my teenage neighbor will have a lot of babysitting opportunities!
Wish me luck in the process!
Before you look at the pictures, let me preface that I have already started. No judgey Judies allowed. It never looked like this before, but I didn't take any before pictures before I actually started the whole process.
I've gone through the guest room closet and given away seven bags of clothes and sheets. I've gone through some storage under the bed, and I've started removing pictures from the wall and bringing in items I plan on putting up in Henry's finished room. So without further ado:
You can see from the picture that Henry will be going straight from a crib to a queen-sized bed. This has me a little nervous.
Henry's clothes will be going into this antique dresser, which will need to be cleaned out. Right now it's filled mostly with gift wrap and gift boxes. Check out the cute lamp that my sister-in-law is letting me borrow! Neat! Also check out the space bag that's waiting to be filled. Boo! Notice the fan. It was 92 degrees yesterday, and I'm wearing an incubator on my abdomen. No further explanation necessary, I hope.
The bins I found at Costco and will be used for Henry's toys. I think the upper left-hand part of the closet will be used to put the clear storage bins with hand-me-down clothes. They won't fit in the nursery closet as of now. I'd like to also have an empty bin there with a ready-to-fill space bag for those clothes that don't fit Henry. No more piling in a stack for later-- just straight to the source!
The top shelf will serve as a home for seasonal clothing for Henry, I think.
The middle color is the one we're painting Henry's room. It's Behr's Sparkling Spring, but reminds me a lot of Charleston Blue. It looks a little blue in some lighting, a little gray in others. I know most kids get brighter colored rooms, but that's just not my style. I like soft colors mostly. I think this is a nice, soothing blue that will serve as a nice backdrop to the artwork we have. Also-- just thought of this one-- when we buy a new place sometime this decade, I won't feel like we'd need to paint this room to make it palatable for potential buyers.
Ahh... yes. This is Henry's future reading nook, I think. Those pictures on the floor and on the wall will go in that top empty storage bin once I buy some bubble wrap. The railing is all set to go for Henry's bed, as you can see. I'll probably end up painting that chair, but since I'm not entirely sure how we're going to rearrange the room, I'll wait.
This is at the bottom of my list, but once the room is all set up, if there's wall space, I would like to mod podge the back of this shelf to cover up the stars and put picture frames and other cutesy stuff up. In case you are wondering, yes that is an old cassette tape case for Vanilla Ice, tape missing. Who's the coolest blogger NOW?
In this corner, I have a few of Henry's pictures for his wall. The one on the antique table I picked up recently from Target. The one on the floor is my sister-in-law's that I will probably use as a valance. Sad plant will have to find a new home, as will the lamp, table, and coasters.
As you can see, I have my work cut out for me. As I've been working, I've kept a list of things I need for the room or to store items that are finding new homes. Mostly, I just need someone to watch Henry so that I can get some work done. Right now, I feel like I'm taking two steps forward and one step back. For each task I get done, Henry has created a new one for me while I've been busy. When school lets out, my teenage neighbor will have a lot of babysitting opportunities!
Wish me luck in the process!
Monday, June 11, 2012
What I Am Looking Forward to...
I have been in a funk for the past few hours. I finally made it to Body Pump and now I have this pain in my neck. (I will spare you from any 'pain in the neck' jokes).
One of my favorite books of all time-- and I'm a tough critic, having been a high school English teacher-- is Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. (Big shout out to my friend, Casey, who knows my taste in books and sent it to me). I don't remember which chapter or what resolution made me start doing this, but ever since I read the book two years ago, I've kept a mental "Things to Look Forward to" list in my head. Sometimes I think of things by the week, and sometimes I think of things I'm looking forward to in the months ahead. Whenever I'm in a mood like I'm in now, I always think of the things I have to look forward to in order to spring myself out of my little emo cave.
I thought I'd share and maybe inspire you to keep a 'look forward to' list as well:
June:
One of my favorite books of all time-- and I'm a tough critic, having been a high school English teacher-- is Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. (Big shout out to my friend, Casey, who knows my taste in books and sent it to me). I don't remember which chapter or what resolution made me start doing this, but ever since I read the book two years ago, I've kept a mental "Things to Look Forward to" list in my head. Sometimes I think of things by the week, and sometimes I think of things I'm looking forward to in the months ahead. Whenever I'm in a mood like I'm in now, I always think of the things I have to look forward to in order to spring myself out of my little emo cave.
I thought I'd share and maybe inspire you to keep a 'look forward to' list as well:
June:
- Beach Planning Trip tomorrow night (*like Rubin says, sometimes it's the preparation and anticipation of an event that brings you joy as well as the actual event itself).
- Family Reunion this weekend (some people put 'fun' in dysfunctional, but my family puts the 'it's on' in dysfunctional. We out fun people).
- Sigma Kappa Beach Trip 2012... hahahaha :)
July:
- 4th... nothing beats 4th of July in the DMV (DC, Metro, and VA)
- Henry's 2nd Birthday*
- SD and SC family coming to visit
- Nashville Bachelorette Party!!!
August:
- Our 6th wedding anniversary (!)
- a vast openness of nothing planned
September:
- Henry starts preschool (!!!!!)
- Final preparations for baby #2
- Buying a van- yes. I can't wait. more on that in a future post.
October
- Baby #2-Hoooooly moly!
- My friends, Hollis and Ricky, are due with their baby!
- My friend Jen's wedding
- Halloween- it's the start to the holidays AND I get to dress up two little monkeys this year!
That's as far as I am thinking. Baby #2 coming is pretty much all I need to think about to really cheer me up-- and it's worked! I'm already out of my funk. Now off to see what I can do about this pain in the neck.
Friday, June 8, 2012
How to Travel with Kids and Not Lose Your Mind
Amongst everything else I have going on, I also have a beach trip in about two weeks that I have to prepare for.
In the past, I just packed a bunch of clothes, flip-flops, and bikinis (ha!) along with piles of magazines and books. BOOM. Ready. For those of you who still get to do this, STAY HERE AS LONG AS YOU CAN.
For the the rest of us suckers, here are some tips I've garnered from my trips to Ohio and South Carolina to visit the relatives:
PLAN:
This is the most important step. You can't just throw your kid(s) in the car and drive with reckless abandon. Actually, I guess you could, but you would just have to have the patience of a saint. And the ears of Helen Keller.
Seriously, you need to plan. What are you going to do when you get where you are going? What will you and the family need to wear and bring to be ready for that? Do you need to make reservations anywhere? Does your car need to be serviced (snicker)?
Do not plan on driving at night to beat traffic and the kids can sleep. I mean, think about it. When the kids wake up all refreshed from sleeping you will be... ready to start taking shots of 5 Hour Energy? Don't do that to yourself, crazy. I speak from experience.
For things to do and where to stay go to http://www.wejustgotback.com/. It's not the easiest website to navigate, but they were mentioned in Forbes, so they must be doing something right.
I also recommend searching for and following travel sites on twitter. For example, if you are going to Hilton Head, (no that's not where I'm going in two weeks, creeper), look for people with the name of Hilton Head in the title. Lots of (smart) companies have twitter accounts and post deals, discounts and events for people who follow them. Ryan got to play a cheap (for Hilton Head) game of golf, thanks to me. What's that? You don't have a twitter account? You know... I can only help you so much. Get it together. And follow me @jacstormy, for the love.
After you've figured all that out, go to http://www.travelmamas.com/pages/packing_lists.html and get her packing lists. From there, figure out what you need to buy and launder. While you are there, you should look around because she's the boss.
PREP:
Speaking of buying, I happened upon the website https://www.travelkiddy.com/. It actually makes me angry that I did not know about this website sooner. I mean, do you know how hard it is to entertain an immobile toddler for 8 hours? There was a point in time when I would've gladly set my hair of fire to avoid traveling with children. Well, put the matches down because this website has travel toys and activities categorized by age group. When it comes to actually buying the toys, I recommend going to amazon.com if you have amazon prime. If you do not, you need to look at your life and look at the choices you are making because frankly I am starting to question them.
If your kids are older, you can always try what my sister-in-law does. She goes to the Dollar Store in advance and buys one toy for every hour of the trip, per child. So when she drives up to see us from South Carolina, she buys 14 toys and gives both boys a toy every hour of the trip. Baby Corbin gets a snuggle.
PLAY:
If you find that by some miracle you are running ahead of schedule and have some time to kill before your hotel or rental house opens up, go to http://www.onthewayapp.com/. Type in your location and destination and a bunch of attractions pop up. Lots of restaurants, movie theaters, and historical sites for you to keep the children occupied while you beg the concierge to let you in early.
Once you are in and settled, consider going off the beat and path for meals. Melissa Kronenthal from http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/ recommends googling your destination and "food blog". With a little bit of searching, you can find some great places to eat and not fall into the tourist trap restaurant with expensive crap food. I recommend checking to see if they offer carry-out or, better yet, delivery.
Speaking of delivery, if you are doing anything outdoorsy, consider renting the equipment you need to save yourself room while traveling. I know from watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills that you can actually have your skis and boots delivered to you. And score a date, apparently. I know that I'm seriously considering having our beach chairs and umbrella delivered. But not because I want to score a date from a beach bum.
While you are doing all this cool stuff, be sure to keep some of the tickets and brochures you get while you're there. Pinterest has a metric cajillion of projects to make with all your memorabilia.
If you have any other suggestions, by all means, please help a sister out. Hope your children are good and you are bad. Happy travels.
In the past, I just packed a bunch of clothes, flip-flops, and bikinis (ha!) along with piles of magazines and books. BOOM. Ready. For those of you who still get to do this, STAY HERE AS LONG AS YOU CAN.
PLAN:
This is the most important step. You can't just throw your kid(s) in the car and drive with reckless abandon. Actually, I guess you could, but you would just have to have the patience of a saint. And the ears of Helen Keller.
Seriously, you need to plan. What are you going to do when you get where you are going? What will you and the family need to wear and bring to be ready for that? Do you need to make reservations anywhere? Does your car need to be serviced (snicker)?
Do not plan on driving at night to beat traffic and the kids can sleep. I mean, think about it. When the kids wake up all refreshed from sleeping you will be... ready to start taking shots of 5 Hour Energy? Don't do that to yourself, crazy. I speak from experience.
For things to do and where to stay go to http://www.wejustgotback.com/. It's not the easiest website to navigate, but they were mentioned in Forbes, so they must be doing something right.
I also recommend searching for and following travel sites on twitter. For example, if you are going to Hilton Head, (no that's not where I'm going in two weeks, creeper), look for people with the name of Hilton Head in the title. Lots of (smart) companies have twitter accounts and post deals, discounts and events for people who follow them. Ryan got to play a cheap (for Hilton Head) game of golf, thanks to me. What's that? You don't have a twitter account? You know... I can only help you so much. Get it together. And follow me @jacstormy, for the love.
After you've figured all that out, go to http://www.travelmamas.com/pages/packing_lists.html and get her packing lists. From there, figure out what you need to buy and launder. While you are there, you should look around because she's the boss.
 |
| It's cool, Mom. I got this leg. Just get me more coffee. |
Speaking of buying, I happened upon the website https://www.travelkiddy.com/. It actually makes me angry that I did not know about this website sooner. I mean, do you know how hard it is to entertain an immobile toddler for 8 hours? There was a point in time when I would've gladly set my hair of fire to avoid traveling with children. Well, put the matches down because this website has travel toys and activities categorized by age group. When it comes to actually buying the toys, I recommend going to amazon.com if you have amazon prime. If you do not, you need to look at your life and look at the choices you are making because frankly I am starting to question them.
If your kids are older, you can always try what my sister-in-law does. She goes to the Dollar Store in advance and buys one toy for every hour of the trip, per child. So when she drives up to see us from South Carolina, she buys 14 toys and gives both boys a toy every hour of the trip. Baby Corbin gets a snuggle.
 |
| Heck, yes I still have a pacifier. |
PLAY:
If you find that by some miracle you are running ahead of schedule and have some time to kill before your hotel or rental house opens up, go to http://www.onthewayapp.com/. Type in your location and destination and a bunch of attractions pop up. Lots of restaurants, movie theaters, and historical sites for you to keep the children occupied while you beg the concierge to let you in early.
Once you are in and settled, consider going off the beat and path for meals. Melissa Kronenthal from http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/ recommends googling your destination and "food blog". With a little bit of searching, you can find some great places to eat and not fall into the tourist trap restaurant with expensive crap food. I recommend checking to see if they offer carry-out or, better yet, delivery.
Speaking of delivery, if you are doing anything outdoorsy, consider renting the equipment you need to save yourself room while traveling. I know from watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills that you can actually have your skis and boots delivered to you. And score a date, apparently. I know that I'm seriously considering having our beach chairs and umbrella delivered. But not because I want to score a date from a beach bum.
While you are doing all this cool stuff, be sure to keep some of the tickets and brochures you get while you're there. Pinterest has a metric cajillion of projects to make with all your memorabilia.
If you have any other suggestions, by all means, please help a sister out. Hope your children are good and you are bad. Happy travels.
 |
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