After I dropped Goomba off at Daycare this morning, I was driving down I5 when traffic suddenly came to a stop. I could see in the distance that there was a mini van on the shoulder of the Interstate and what appeared to be a family standing off in the grass as far from the freeway traffic as possible. As I got closer, I realized that it was a mother and her 3 small children. I immediately felt anxious for the mother and thought about how helpless and vulnerable she must feel standing on the side of a major highway with her babies. Although a CHP Officer was already there, I couldn't help but pull over and offer assistance. I offered to give them a ride since I had a car seat ready to go in my backseat and although she declined and said that someone was on the way to pick them up, I couldn't help but continue to offer assistance. I offered up my stroller, diapers, wipes, bottles of water and even my daughter's half eaten snack cup full of cereal and dried bananas. She thanked me but refused them all and at that point I drove away. As I drove away, I thought about what I would do if I was in her situation. Would I load my daughter and I into the backseat of a strangers car to get off the side of the freeway? Would I stand there and wait for the approximately 45 minutes it might take for my husband to leave work and pick me up? Would I call a friend? Co-worker? Neighbor? Our parents are at least an hour away in either direction so that didn't seem like the most time effective call to make but what if no one else was available? How long was I willing to stand on the side of the freeway with my baby?
I realized that I didn't really have a plan. Just like I don't have a plan if some type of disaster occurs and we were stranded without resources. Just like I don't have a plan if someone breaks into our house in the middle of the night. Just like I don't have a plan if zombies hijack all of the roads between my house and daycare and I can't get to my daughter! I am a natural planner, I plan EVERYTHING! Why do I not have a plan for these kinds of things!?! Don't get me wrong, I will kick some zombie/burglar ass if it means they are putting Goomba in harms way but what about an actual plan? I understand that I am a planner and not a Psychic and I understand that shit happens and that you can't plan for every little thing just in case it happens but at what point do you at least have SOMETHING planned? I hear about these people that hoard food and water 'just in case' but is that reasonable to do? Do you have to monitor the expiration dates on that shit? That sounds like a lot of work...or a half ass plan.
On a lighter note, Goomba's vocabulary has EXPLODED over the last several weeks. She is starting to piece words together at her attempts of a 'conversation' and I love it! She is also starting to repeat words here and there and I'm pretty sure we'll be hearing some type of cuss word fall from her precious lips soon. Goomba has also turned into a tattle-tale. A few weeks ago, Brett was attempting to brush her teeth as she flailed around trying to get away and he accidentally poked her in the eye with the toothbrush. Now, before you call CPS, we aren't talking about an eyeball shish-kabob here, we are talking about a minor brush of the eye with the side of a soft bristled toothbrush that didn't do any damage at all. However, ever since this apparently life-altering, traumatic event, Goomba has not hesitated to tell everyone she meets that her Daddy stabbed her in the eye. Let me explain.
Person talking to Goomba: "I like your pretty hair bow Goomba. Is that a purple bow?"
Goomba: While poking herself in her right eye, "Daddy. Ohhhwww."
Person talking to Goomba: "What's that Goomba? What did Daddy do?"
Goomba: While poking herself in her right eye (again), "Daddy. Ohhhwww."
Me: "Brett accidentally poked her in the eye with her toothbrush"
Goomba: While nodding her head in agreement and continuing to poke herself in her eye "uh huh, uh huh, Daddy, ohhhwww."
Friday, April 26, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Slap cheek, eh?
I picked Goomba up from daycare on Monday and I noticed that her face seemed a little rosy. I didn't really think much of it and put it off as a little sun/wind exposure from playing outside. On Tuesday, however, I walked into the Toddler room at school only to be greeted by an 18 month old Bozo the Clown. It probably didn't help that I had dressed her in a fuchsia shirt that day but nonetheless, my child had suddenly morphed into a little Pikachu. Large, red, round circles adorned her adorable little face as she happily ripped a small truck from a playmates hand. The first words out of my mouth were "Oh my god, what is wrong with her face?" I didn't really direct the question at anyone in particular since it was more like a gut reaction but one of the teachers immediately responded with "It's not just her!" Either she was trying to make me feel better or she was trying to stop me from going nutso in the middle of the Toddler class. Regardless, this new red-faced trend the toddlers were sporting didn't seem to impede on their socializing or stop them from continuing to slobber all over each other.
After consulting Dr. Google, Wikipedia, WebMD and BabyCenter, I came to the conclusion that Goomba had Slap Cheek Disease. What is Slap Cheek Disease you ask? Well let me tell you. It is a common childhood virus that passes without much concern and very mild symptoms, except for the Pikachu cheeks. Let me just say that it should be illegal for someone to categorize a mild virus as a "disease". A name like "Slap Cheek Disease" is just asking for mothers to turn into anxiety crazed lunatics. I confirmed my diagnosis with Goomba's pediatrician whom assured me she would be just fine and she would not have to live out the rest of her life as a Pokemon character. The Slap Cheek has now passed and we (our whole house) have now come down with a new bug. Boogers, sore throats and coughs, oh my.
Statistics say that children in a daycare setting can get on average 8-12 colds per year. I knew this little factoid when we enrolled Goomba in daycare. What I failed to realize is that those 8-12 colds would be concentrated mostly during the fall/winter months during Flu season and that the 8-12 estimate would be on the low side for our little over-achiever. So let's break that down. The Flu season can range from 4-5 months long. 12 colds divided between 5 months of the flu season means that our booger filled children will have just under 2.5 colds each month for 5 straight months. Think about that a littler further. If each cold lasts 7-10 days from onset to finish (some are longer) and they get 2.5 colds per month that means that you can count on them being sick 17-25 days out of each month for the entire flu season. 17-25 days of boogers, coughing, vomit, diarrhea, red faces, non-sleeping, cranky little children running through your house infecting the rest of the family for 5 straight months. Add on top of that the worst flu season that we have seen in years and I promise you that by the time spring hits you will be ready to pawn off your little cesspool to the nearest grandparent so that you and hubby can escape to some tropical paradise as far away as possible.
After consulting Dr. Google, Wikipedia, WebMD and BabyCenter, I came to the conclusion that Goomba had Slap Cheek Disease. What is Slap Cheek Disease you ask? Well let me tell you. It is a common childhood virus that passes without much concern and very mild symptoms, except for the Pikachu cheeks. Let me just say that it should be illegal for someone to categorize a mild virus as a "disease". A name like "Slap Cheek Disease" is just asking for mothers to turn into anxiety crazed lunatics. I confirmed my diagnosis with Goomba's pediatrician whom assured me she would be just fine and she would not have to live out the rest of her life as a Pokemon character. The Slap Cheek has now passed and we (our whole house) have now come down with a new bug. Boogers, sore throats and coughs, oh my.
Statistics say that children in a daycare setting can get on average 8-12 colds per year. I knew this little factoid when we enrolled Goomba in daycare. What I failed to realize is that those 8-12 colds would be concentrated mostly during the fall/winter months during Flu season and that the 8-12 estimate would be on the low side for our little over-achiever. So let's break that down. The Flu season can range from 4-5 months long. 12 colds divided between 5 months of the flu season means that our booger filled children will have just under 2.5 colds each month for 5 straight months. Think about that a littler further. If each cold lasts 7-10 days from onset to finish (some are longer) and they get 2.5 colds per month that means that you can count on them being sick 17-25 days out of each month for the entire flu season. 17-25 days of boogers, coughing, vomit, diarrhea, red faces, non-sleeping, cranky little children running through your house infecting the rest of the family for 5 straight months. Add on top of that the worst flu season that we have seen in years and I promise you that by the time spring hits you will be ready to pawn off your little cesspool to the nearest grandparent so that you and hubby can escape to some tropical paradise as far away as possible.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Back on the saddle...
I find it ironic that the last post on this blog was a rant about my work-life balance (or lack of balance) and then I disappeared for over a year. I guess that proves my point.
Well I'm back. At least for now. No promises.
We have transitioned from our cute little cuddly baby into Toddlerhood. Goomba is walking, running, talking, yelling, throwing food, throwing toys, throwing herself on the ground and having complete Toddler sized meltdowns. We try to minimize these meltdowns as much as possible but I'm thoroughly convinced that I'm raising an alien from another planet. No amount of logic or reasoning calms a toddler. Sometimes you just have to hand over the entire box of Cheerios and walk away, knowing that the mess will be much easier to clean up than the hysterical meltdown of your lunatic child. I know this is not a long term solution but as I frantically search for the "right" solution, this method is keeping me somewhat sane. On the flipside, Goomba is sweet, cuddly, gives kisses and hugs often without being asked and she amazes me everyday. She is not speaking in sentences yet but the things she says and does crack me up. I know we will survive these toddler years and in the end they will seem like they flew by in a flash.
At this point Goomba is showing interest in the toilet. I realize that potty training at 18 months is not entirely out of the question but it is a little early for most kids. Since she is in fact interested in the toilet I decided that I would test it out and put her on the toi toi whenever she asks. Which is all the time. And usually at the most inconvenient times, like when you are trying to get out of the house for work in the morning and she has already sat on the pot 3 times in the hour that she's been awake and she is now fully dressed, shoes on, coat on, the whole nine, and she wants to sit on the toilet. Again. Do I tell my little eager beaver no? Of course not. So we strip down, grab her Elmo potty seat, climb on the toilet and sit. And sit. And sit some more. 10 seconds later she gives me her cutest "all-done" hands and climbs down and continues with the routine of closing the lid, flushing and getting redressed. At what point do you decide to forego the games and just commit to potty training?
In desperate need of some "How the hell do you raise a toddler" advice, I have downloaded any and all self-help books I can find on iBooks or Kindle. The problem is, with a toddler there is absolutely NO TIME to read the damn books!
** Baby G will now be referred to as Goomba. I find this appropriate for a few reasons. "Goomba" has been a nickname that my mom has used to refer to the children in our family for years, even before Baby G was born. Goomba is also the little mushroom creature with bushy eyebrows and fangs from Super Mario Bro. that wander aimlessly around and upon seeing Mario, attempt to crash into him. Very strong resemblance to Baby G here. Goomba is also known as an Italian friend of the Mafia. Again, very strong resemblance in the sneaky little stinker department.
Well I'm back. At least for now. No promises.
We have transitioned from our cute little cuddly baby into Toddlerhood. Goomba is walking, running, talking, yelling, throwing food, throwing toys, throwing herself on the ground and having complete Toddler sized meltdowns. We try to minimize these meltdowns as much as possible but I'm thoroughly convinced that I'm raising an alien from another planet. No amount of logic or reasoning calms a toddler. Sometimes you just have to hand over the entire box of Cheerios and walk away, knowing that the mess will be much easier to clean up than the hysterical meltdown of your lunatic child. I know this is not a long term solution but as I frantically search for the "right" solution, this method is keeping me somewhat sane. On the flipside, Goomba is sweet, cuddly, gives kisses and hugs often without being asked and she amazes me everyday. She is not speaking in sentences yet but the things she says and does crack me up. I know we will survive these toddler years and in the end they will seem like they flew by in a flash.
At this point Goomba is showing interest in the toilet. I realize that potty training at 18 months is not entirely out of the question but it is a little early for most kids. Since she is in fact interested in the toilet I decided that I would test it out and put her on the toi toi whenever she asks. Which is all the time. And usually at the most inconvenient times, like when you are trying to get out of the house for work in the morning and she has already sat on the pot 3 times in the hour that she's been awake and she is now fully dressed, shoes on, coat on, the whole nine, and she wants to sit on the toilet. Again. Do I tell my little eager beaver no? Of course not. So we strip down, grab her Elmo potty seat, climb on the toilet and sit. And sit. And sit some more. 10 seconds later she gives me her cutest "all-done" hands and climbs down and continues with the routine of closing the lid, flushing and getting redressed. At what point do you decide to forego the games and just commit to potty training?
In desperate need of some "How the hell do you raise a toddler" advice, I have downloaded any and all self-help books I can find on iBooks or Kindle. The problem is, with a toddler there is absolutely NO TIME to read the damn books!
** Baby G will now be referred to as Goomba. I find this appropriate for a few reasons. "Goomba" has been a nickname that my mom has used to refer to the children in our family for years, even before Baby G was born. Goomba is also the little mushroom creature with bushy eyebrows and fangs from Super Mario Bro. that wander aimlessly around and upon seeing Mario, attempt to crash into him. Very strong resemblance to Baby G here. Goomba is also known as an Italian friend of the Mafia. Again, very strong resemblance in the sneaky little stinker department.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Work-life balance?
Work-life balance. What does that even mean? It surely can't mean that there would be an equal distribution of time spent on work activities and personal activities because unless you are Super Mom, Super Employee and Super Annoying, I just can't fathom that achieving this is anything beyond a miracle. Plus, let's face it, who wants to spend the same amount of time on both. If I had it my way I would spend my days lying on a beach, sipping cocktails while I listened to the giggles of my husband and daughter while they built sandcastles next to me. Work wouldn't be a factor in my ideal work-life balance equation. BUT the reality is that I wouldn't be able to do any of the things that I love (including vacation with my family to this tropical paradise I wish I was in today) without actually working and bringing home some bacon. Plus, I kind of like my job. Don't get me wrong, if I won the lottery tomorrow it would be hasta la vista (in my best Arnold voice) and I'd hit the ground running, but since I've been told that my chances of being struck by lightning are greater than winning the lotto (plus I'd have to actually play to win) I won't hold my breath that I will become a multimillionaire anytime soon. So while I wait for my winning lottery numbers to be picked I need to figure out how to do this whole work-life balance thing. I thought I had a pretty good balance before Baby G was born but looking back on it I really don't think it was balanced fairly at all. I produce my best work when under pressure and have tight timelines and since my job can be done from almost anywhere I tended to put in my 'normal' daytime hours and then go home and work more. At times I was working every night and on the weekends and I still never felt like I was caught up. My husband rarely complained but at one point he did ask if we could have a night that we could watch TV together that I didn't have my computer on my lap. Looking back on it, I don't think that was a fair balance at all. Not fair to him anyway.
Then I went on maternity leave. I took off 3 weeks before G was born. I thought I would get bored at home but by that point in my pregnancy I was tiring pretty quickly and still trying to wrap up last minute things in the house and nursery before I went into labor. I would run a few errands, take a nap, put away any new items I had purchased that day and then start dinner before my husband would get home from work. I got into a pretty good routine and never got bored once. Baby G arrived on 8/2/11 and I was fortunate to be able to stay home with her for 3 months. My husband was home for the first 7 weeks after she was born and just as we started to get into a good balance he went back to work. I spent the last the last 5 weeks of leave at home with G by myself and just as I thought I was getting into another decent routine (aka being able to take a daily shower) I had to prepare to go by to work. I have been back at work since the beginning of November and even though I have managed to keep up my daily showering (thank god!) I now have to figure out how to juggle many, many more activities. My daily schedule roughly looks like this; get up at 6a, nurse G, do hair & make-up, load the car and head to the sitter, one hour after I leave my house I arrive at work (roughly 8:30a), work until 5ish and pick up G, arrive at home one hour after I left the office (6p), nurse G, start dinner, bathe G at 7:15p, eat dinner, nurse again, put G to bed by 8:30p, make bottles, pack the diaper bag, shower, blow dry hair, in bed around 10:30p. Lather, rinse, repeat. At almost 5 months old my daughter still nurses for 45-60 minutes every time so if you were actually paying attention to the timeline above you will notice that there isn't much time for anything else. My husband is usually stuck doing anything that doesn't fit into this timeline (grocery shopping, dinner dishes, trash, bottle washing, etc.) I barely have time to eat my own dinner.
SO, how in the hell are you supposed to have a balanced home life let alone a work-life balance? Since I've been back to work I have spent 6 days away on 3 different business trips. Coordination of these was nothing short of a miracle. Thank god for my husband and my mom for helping out tremendously. My workload is insane but nothing I haven't been capable of handling in the past. The difference now is that I am unable to do any work at home, AT ALL. I've tried. Most would think that's a good thing but when you can't possibly get into the office any earlier or stay any later, when do you catch up? Do you know how many times I have tried to write this single blog post over the last 4 days?!? My co-worker says "You will never be able to get everything done. Something always has to give and you just have to rotate what it is so you don't go insane".
Pandora just cued my exit with Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Brain". It must be a sign. My husband will be checking me into the nearest Looney Bin before the end of FY12.
Then I went on maternity leave. I took off 3 weeks before G was born. I thought I would get bored at home but by that point in my pregnancy I was tiring pretty quickly and still trying to wrap up last minute things in the house and nursery before I went into labor. I would run a few errands, take a nap, put away any new items I had purchased that day and then start dinner before my husband would get home from work. I got into a pretty good routine and never got bored once. Baby G arrived on 8/2/11 and I was fortunate to be able to stay home with her for 3 months. My husband was home for the first 7 weeks after she was born and just as we started to get into a good balance he went back to work. I spent the last the last 5 weeks of leave at home with G by myself and just as I thought I was getting into another decent routine (aka being able to take a daily shower) I had to prepare to go by to work. I have been back at work since the beginning of November and even though I have managed to keep up my daily showering (thank god!) I now have to figure out how to juggle many, many more activities. My daily schedule roughly looks like this; get up at 6a, nurse G, do hair & make-up, load the car and head to the sitter, one hour after I leave my house I arrive at work (roughly 8:30a), work until 5ish and pick up G, arrive at home one hour after I left the office (6p), nurse G, start dinner, bathe G at 7:15p, eat dinner, nurse again, put G to bed by 8:30p, make bottles, pack the diaper bag, shower, blow dry hair, in bed around 10:30p. Lather, rinse, repeat. At almost 5 months old my daughter still nurses for 45-60 minutes every time so if you were actually paying attention to the timeline above you will notice that there isn't much time for anything else. My husband is usually stuck doing anything that doesn't fit into this timeline (grocery shopping, dinner dishes, trash, bottle washing, etc.) I barely have time to eat my own dinner.
SO, how in the hell are you supposed to have a balanced home life let alone a work-life balance? Since I've been back to work I have spent 6 days away on 3 different business trips. Coordination of these was nothing short of a miracle. Thank god for my husband and my mom for helping out tremendously. My workload is insane but nothing I haven't been capable of handling in the past. The difference now is that I am unable to do any work at home, AT ALL. I've tried. Most would think that's a good thing but when you can't possibly get into the office any earlier or stay any later, when do you catch up? Do you know how many times I have tried to write this single blog post over the last 4 days?!? My co-worker says "You will never be able to get everything done. Something always has to give and you just have to rotate what it is so you don't go insane".
Pandora just cued my exit with Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Brain". It must be a sign. My husband will be checking me into the nearest Looney Bin before the end of FY12.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
17 days?!?!
Our estimated due date is in just 17 days?!? That's it?!? Where did the last 9 months go?!?!? Holy....
In preparation for the baby we have narrowed down our list of names to three, packed our hospital bag, washed and put away any clothing, blankets and bedding we think we might need for the first few weeks, organized the nursery, attended baby classes, stocked the freezer with food and we have loaded up on toilet paper and basic household necessities that we won't want to run out to grab once Baby has arrived. This weekend Brett installed the car seat in both cars, assembled the Pack N' Play, the Swing and the Bouncer and I trimmed our out of control rose bushes and plants in the front yard while Brett mowed the lawns. Did I mention that the house has been remodeled? The nursery, the master bedroom and the family room officially have new paint, door and window trims, floors and baseboards!
So what's left?? Clean the house, bathe the dogs, wash the dog beds, clean the house, load the DVR with shows for midnight feedings, get a pedicure, did I mention clean the house? Oh, and we kind of need a baby at some point to make sense of all of this madness! Just not today, I still have a lot to do!!!
In preparation for the baby we have narrowed down our list of names to three, packed our hospital bag, washed and put away any clothing, blankets and bedding we think we might need for the first few weeks, organized the nursery, attended baby classes, stocked the freezer with food and we have loaded up on toilet paper and basic household necessities that we won't want to run out to grab once Baby has arrived. This weekend Brett installed the car seat in both cars, assembled the Pack N' Play, the Swing and the Bouncer and I trimmed our out of control rose bushes and plants in the front yard while Brett mowed the lawns. Did I mention that the house has been remodeled? The nursery, the master bedroom and the family room officially have new paint, door and window trims, floors and baseboards!
So what's left?? Clean the house, bathe the dogs, wash the dog beds, clean the house, load the DVR with shows for midnight feedings, get a pedicure, did I mention clean the house? Oh, and we kind of need a baby at some point to make sense of all of this madness! Just not today, I still have a lot to do!!!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Life Happens
A lot has happened since my last blog post. I have been wanting to write something creative but I just haven't been able to focus on one specific thing. Who needs focus? Why write about just one thing? Screw it. Here's a quick recap of what's been happening around here.
Family:
My mom is engaged! Congratulations! Her and Ken are getting married on Oct. 1st which means that our family is continuing to grow! I am really excited for them and I am excited for the path this will take all of us down and especially for what this means to my mom. Fingers crossed I can lose some baby weight by the time I need to squeeze into a dress! The Army has relocated my brother Steven and his family from Ft. Rucker, Alabama to Ft. Campbell, Tennessee. Although Ft. Campbell is almost exactly the same distance from California as Ft. Rucker, for travel purposes it is much easier to get to which is going to be very nice for all of us. Especially since they are expecting their 3rd baby this August! She (yes, I will have another niece!YAY!) is due on Aug. 7th, only 4 days after my estimated due date.
Vacation:
Brett and I went to Cancun in March and spent 6 days relaxing on the beach. The trip was dual purpose and was a combination vacation/babymoon and a wedding celebration for Nicole and Lou. We were looking forward to this trip and we were not at all disappointed. The weather was perfect and the wedding was beautiful. The wedding was a little bittersweet for me since I was watching my once sister-in-law get remarried but I am extremely happy for them. The uniqueness of our situation and the fact that I was there to witness this union, never one time crossed my mind as being strange or odd or abnormal. Bittersweet, yes. Strange, no. I realize that this was the union of two families that are not technically mine and I'm not sure if other people find it as 'normal' as I do that Brett and I were there to celebrate it with them. BUT to me (and to my family) they are our family, regardless of the details on how it all came about. My brother has been dead for 6 years, Nicole and Lou are in love and Lou is an amazing father to my niece. What more do you need? I couldn't be happier for them and I am thrilled that we were able to be there to celebrate such a happy moment with them.
Work:
Blah! KIDDING. Sort of. Work is crazy. I'm exhausted. I know how lucky I am to have a great job and as crazy and hairy as it is on most days, I enjoy it. I also enjoy my co-workers which makes it so much easier to deal with the ambiguity that so often surrounds me everyday. We are in the middle of our busy time so let's just say that the vacation I mentioned above couldn't have come at a better time. The next 'vacation' I will get from work is when this baby is born!
House Remodel:
Somehow we thought it was a good idea to start remodeling parts of the house in the midst of the pregnancy. Naturally it all started with the need to convert our office into the nursery but instead of cleaning the carpets and slapping some fresh paint on the walls, we decided that we would gut the entire room (floors, baseboards, door trim, window trim, etc) and start fresh. Go big or go home right? Apparently that wasn't quite big enough so we also decided that if we were going to replace the floors and baseboards in the babies room then we should do the same thing in our bedroom and the family room so they all match. Now if you are going to rip out the floors then it would be stupid not to paint while you're at it and if you're going to replace baseboards in 3 of the main areas of the downstairs then you also have to replace the baseboards in the connecting hallway, adjoining bathroom and laundry room. AND if you're going to all that trouble and already have barren rooms, then you might as well do a little upgrading and do all new window and door casings and add a touch of wainscoting right? RIGHT?!? This IS the natural progression of a home remodel right?? Well apparently it is in my house. I just thank goodness that the layout of my house allows for a logical stopping point in the floorplan so the madness ends somewhere and I'm not living in construction dust for the next 2 years! We (just Brett) have started on the babies room and are kicking ass so far. I feel like we (him again) just started and he's almost done! I can't wait to see the finished room and to start on the other rooms! Let's just hope that he can keep up this momentum through the rest of the project! My goal is to have everything 100% complete by June 1st. I do not want to deal with a construction disaster in the middle of a hot summer while 9 months pregnant! No thank you!
Baby:
She is doing great! We had our 20 week ultrasound before we left for Cancun and our 45 minute appointment turned into 2 hours. The tech wasn't able to get all of the necessary measurements because the baby was bouncing off the walls! By the end of the appointment, I had peed at least twice and my back was killing me from lying on the table for so long but we walked away with a ton of new pictures and it felt good to spend so much time watching her move around in there. I had started feeling her move about a week before the appointment and to see her kick and wave so much was awesome. Since then, I can feel her moving almost constantly and I am starting to know when she is most active. I officially look pregnant instead of like I need to cut back on the beer and ice cream, although I should definitely cut back on the ice cream I'm eating, and I've noticed that my once cavernous belly button is filling in and and it might be an outie before I know it. Overall I've only gained about 5lbs which is great but my sudden need to have dessert every night might increase that significantly if I'm not careful. As much as I should tell Brett to stop surprising me with It's It ice cream sandwiches, I just don't think I can do it yet. They're just so damn good!
Family:
My mom is engaged! Congratulations! Her and Ken are getting married on Oct. 1st which means that our family is continuing to grow! I am really excited for them and I am excited for the path this will take all of us down and especially for what this means to my mom. Fingers crossed I can lose some baby weight by the time I need to squeeze into a dress! The Army has relocated my brother Steven and his family from Ft. Rucker, Alabama to Ft. Campbell, Tennessee. Although Ft. Campbell is almost exactly the same distance from California as Ft. Rucker, for travel purposes it is much easier to get to which is going to be very nice for all of us. Especially since they are expecting their 3rd baby this August! She (yes, I will have another niece!YAY!) is due on Aug. 7th, only 4 days after my estimated due date.
Vacation:
Brett and I went to Cancun in March and spent 6 days relaxing on the beach. The trip was dual purpose and was a combination vacation/babymoon and a wedding celebration for Nicole and Lou. We were looking forward to this trip and we were not at all disappointed. The weather was perfect and the wedding was beautiful. The wedding was a little bittersweet for me since I was watching my once sister-in-law get remarried but I am extremely happy for them. The uniqueness of our situation and the fact that I was there to witness this union, never one time crossed my mind as being strange or odd or abnormal. Bittersweet, yes. Strange, no. I realize that this was the union of two families that are not technically mine and I'm not sure if other people find it as 'normal' as I do that Brett and I were there to celebrate it with them. BUT to me (and to my family) they are our family, regardless of the details on how it all came about. My brother has been dead for 6 years, Nicole and Lou are in love and Lou is an amazing father to my niece. What more do you need? I couldn't be happier for them and I am thrilled that we were able to be there to celebrate such a happy moment with them.
Work:
Blah! KIDDING. Sort of. Work is crazy. I'm exhausted. I know how lucky I am to have a great job and as crazy and hairy as it is on most days, I enjoy it. I also enjoy my co-workers which makes it so much easier to deal with the ambiguity that so often surrounds me everyday. We are in the middle of our busy time so let's just say that the vacation I mentioned above couldn't have come at a better time. The next 'vacation' I will get from work is when this baby is born!
House Remodel:
Somehow we thought it was a good idea to start remodeling parts of the house in the midst of the pregnancy. Naturally it all started with the need to convert our office into the nursery but instead of cleaning the carpets and slapping some fresh paint on the walls, we decided that we would gut the entire room (floors, baseboards, door trim, window trim, etc) and start fresh. Go big or go home right? Apparently that wasn't quite big enough so we also decided that if we were going to replace the floors and baseboards in the babies room then we should do the same thing in our bedroom and the family room so they all match. Now if you are going to rip out the floors then it would be stupid not to paint while you're at it and if you're going to replace baseboards in 3 of the main areas of the downstairs then you also have to replace the baseboards in the connecting hallway, adjoining bathroom and laundry room. AND if you're going to all that trouble and already have barren rooms, then you might as well do a little upgrading and do all new window and door casings and add a touch of wainscoting right? RIGHT?!? This IS the natural progression of a home remodel right?? Well apparently it is in my house. I just thank goodness that the layout of my house allows for a logical stopping point in the floorplan so the madness ends somewhere and I'm not living in construction dust for the next 2 years! We (just Brett) have started on the babies room and are kicking ass so far. I feel like we (him again) just started and he's almost done! I can't wait to see the finished room and to start on the other rooms! Let's just hope that he can keep up this momentum through the rest of the project! My goal is to have everything 100% complete by June 1st. I do not want to deal with a construction disaster in the middle of a hot summer while 9 months pregnant! No thank you!
Baby:
She is doing great! We had our 20 week ultrasound before we left for Cancun and our 45 minute appointment turned into 2 hours. The tech wasn't able to get all of the necessary measurements because the baby was bouncing off the walls! By the end of the appointment, I had peed at least twice and my back was killing me from lying on the table for so long but we walked away with a ton of new pictures and it felt good to spend so much time watching her move around in there. I had started feeling her move about a week before the appointment and to see her kick and wave so much was awesome. Since then, I can feel her moving almost constantly and I am starting to know when she is most active. I officially look pregnant instead of like I need to cut back on the beer and ice cream, although I should definitely cut back on the ice cream I'm eating, and I've noticed that my once cavernous belly button is filling in and and it might be an outie before I know it. Overall I've only gained about 5lbs which is great but my sudden need to have dessert every night might increase that significantly if I'm not careful. As much as I should tell Brett to stop surprising me with It's It ice cream sandwiches, I just don't think I can do it yet. They're just so damn good!
Monday, February 21, 2011
We're having a...
...GIRL! We had our appointment at Tate Diagnostic on Saturday and they were able to tell us that a little girl is baking in my belly! We are so excited! Most places won't tell you the gender of your baby until closer to 20 weeks along but if you know me, you know that I can be extremely impatient! I figure that if there are places out there that will let you know at 16 weeks, why should we wait until 20 weeks? Plus, I hadn't had a picture of our little munchkin since I was 11 weeks pregnant and at that point she still looked like a little blob. A LOT has happened in the last 5 weeks! I couldn't imagine waiting until 20 weeks (even though that's only 3 weeks away)! She has turned from a blob with little nubs for arms and legs into a little baby. She is still very small at less than 6 inches and less than one pound but the pictures we saw yesterday actually look like a little baby! Here is a picture of our little girl :)
It looks like she is trying to suck her thumb but she is actually moving her hands up near her head. At one point she had both arms up and it looked like she was holding her head. My guess is that she is already fed up with us and is covering her ears saying "What have I gotten myself in to?!?"
It looks like she is trying to suck her thumb but she is actually moving her hands up near her head. At one point she had both arms up and it looked like she was holding her head. My guess is that she is already fed up with us and is covering her ears saying "What have I gotten myself in to?!?"
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