.

big boy

2011-11-01T20:45:00.002-05:00

After many weeks of trying and trying, Dexter finally pulled himself up today. Oh it makes this Momma so proud! He is a hefty boy at 25 lbs so gaining the arm strength to do that was tough stuff! I'll bet even still he'll have a few problems with it but he did finally do it all by himself. I was in the bathroom getting his bath ready and he doesn't enjoy it when he's not in my arms so he was fussing and trying to get at me. I tried to get him up once and he did it with my help so I put him back on the floor and then he pulled himself up all on his own :) Now walking is just a hop, skip and a stride away... my how time flies.

weird dreams

2011-10-18T12:57:00.003-05:00

The other night I had a dream that Justin Bieber was my little brother and he was a very big snot. We were rollerblading at night in the winter up a hill to get home and I really sucked and kept falling while Justin was awesome at it and had his awesome little possy following him on roller blades. He was still as famous as he is in real life and still dating Selena Gomez. Once I finally got home I went right to my older brother (who was apparently Amish as he was wearing the full out Amish wardrobe) to comfort him because his girlfriend had just died of Slavakian cancer. Our parents were home and were running around the house trying to get it ready for the mourning and I had to find our little sister who was about 18 months and get her to sleep. Her room had a half size door and I had to duck to get into it. Her room looked like it was straight out of the 50's. Once I rocked her and got her to sleep I went to go put her in her crib and I looked down and I was holding a bunch of newly folded shorts, still warm from the dryer. Then I woke up.

Last night I dreamed that there was a death in the family and it started out right after the funeral when we were all back in normal clothes and the whole family was still at the house. I was having a very difficult time with the death and was crying non-stop. My family (who wasn't my real life family) couldn't stop staring at me because they didn't know what to do. When it was time for everyone to go (because we had all road tripped to get to the funeral) I went to go hug my brother who happened to be that carrot top guy goodbye and I lost it. He hugged me for a long time and told me he loved me. I then got into my old car Junior (the Grand Prix) with Max and we left. As we were driving away I remembered that I really needed to put diapers in the wash so that Dex wouldn't run out even though the dream had taken place before Dex was born and before Max and I were married. Then I woke up.

Seriously, I have the weirdest dreams.

early morning kisses

2011-10-15T08:54:00.002-05:00

Dex has taken to waking up at 6 am. Not my cup of tea. He was on a beautiful schedule of 8pm bedtime to 7-730am wake up time but now he's starting to transition down to one nap. Now it's bedtime of 7-8pm and I guess wake up time of 6am. That is tough.

So this morning I tried to get him to play with some toys in his crib for a bit but that didn't work so I brought him into bed with us even though I knew he wouldn't let me sleep. Usually he likes to poke you in the face and grab and your cheeks as he is very fascinated with the face and all its features. This morning though he just wanted to get a kiss or give Momma a kiss every 15-30 seconds He'd offer his lips if he wanted to give me a kiss otherwise he'd offer his cheek, or forehead or ear or chin if he wanted a kiss. I guess if I have to stay awake kisses are a nice prize right? My sweet, sweet boy.

Dexter- One year

2011-10-14T21:20:00.002-05:00

My baby boy is a year old now. I had a very sentimental week thus far and I don't want to dwell on it as I am not usually such a tear up type of gal. It seems post baby my tear glands work much better than before. Not a post baby quality I enjoy.

Dex had his 1 year check up today. He was 24 lbs 8 oz which I guess is the 90th percentile. I was surprised he didn't weigh more. Seriously. A lot of you (most of you) have lifted the child and he does not FEEL like he weighs only 24.5 lbs. Especially if you consider how much the child eats which is comparable to a small adult. He was 3o inches long (75 percentile) and his head circumference was also in the 75 percentile. Over all a very healthy baby boy :) He took his shots like a champ, only crying while they were happening. Happy again when I picked him up. Very upset when I set him down again but who's counting.

As we were walking into our appointment and as we were leaving I was remembering that a year ago today we left the hospital and had our first day at home with Dexter. I was really terrified. And now look what I have. The most amazing thing I have ever created. One year ago.

How's that for romance?

2011-09-29T19:46:00.003-05:00

After I got Dexter to bed I came into the office to putz around on Facebook a little teeny bit.

M: (hollering from the living room) I got you a surprise! It's in the fridge!

J: Really?

M: Yep! Even though you are mad at me. I equate it to two dozen roses.

J: opens fridge and finds....

How's that for romance? Haha... oh Max.

Whew, finally an update!

2011-09-13T12:44:00.003-05:00

So I have quite obviously been MIA for a while now. It seems like summertime slows down everyone’s blogs. It’s a busy time! Especially for my little famdam this year. I’ll do what my sister looooves to do and use bullet points.
*My close, close friends Josh and Lynsie (aka Sushi and Loincloth) got married in August. How lucky am I to have two such good friends find love together and get married. The wedding was beautiful and Max and I even got all spiffed up to stand up with them at the front. The reception was a lot of fun. Alcoholic beverages were drunk by all (except Max who does not drink) and I had enough for the both of us, enough to sing in front of 150ish people. Awesome. We all danced the night away (especially Rachel, haha) and had a great time celebrating these two people we love so much!

Here we are all dressed up.

*Their wedding was also my first night away from Dexter. I was quite sad not to come home and look in on him sleeping in his crib.
*I’ve been really trying to get my photography going. I want to be able to stay home with Dexter and baby #2 when s/he comes along someday (no, not pregnant now) and I will need to supplement my income somehow so I plan on doing the photography and having a daycare. So my “spare” time has been trying to get my name out there and working on the business end of things. Who knew there was so much to do and so much social networking to communicate with! It usually takes a couple years to really establish yourself so I’m hoping all this hard work this year will pay off next year with much more business. ***Shout out! I’m on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jess-Arco-Photography/129784967115002 Come “Like” me! ***
*We got a kitty. Max hates cats and is allergic but we live in a farmhouse and with a farmhouse comes mice. Yuck. Previous years kills have come from mouse traps but with Mr. Dexter crawling all over the place, I don’t want mouse traps out. Max only agreed to an outside cat but I was hoping to just squeeze her in as an inside cat but unfortunately it appears that I am also allergic to cats. Who knew?! I have never had one before. Both our allergies should subside once we get her outside. Her name is Ivey. We have had her upstairs for the last week and a half and last night I moved her down the basement to adjust to the cooler weather. She’ll stay down there for another week or so and then we’ll move her outside. Hopefully my hands and feet can survive this rash that she gives me. It’s too bad. She’s such a good kitten and is very loveable. She is so good with Dexter. He really reams on her and pulls her legs/tail but she just puts up with it. I almost feel like we should give her to someone that wants an inside cat and get a kitten that hates people. That would work great for us.
*My other bestie JW is getting married on Friday. I am very excited for her and I’m happy that she loves me so much to make me maid of honor. I hope that my speech is up to her expectations ;) We have been preparing for so long to make her big day special and I know she’s stressed but the wedding will turn out beautiful. All the details she has though of are so very cute. After this wedding all my Monday friends will be married and then baby making time will begin!
*Max got a new job up at the hospital that he started at the beginning of August. You have NO IDEA how nice it is for him to have a job that is sort of in his field and he is NOT ALLERGIC TO! The rash on his hands is just about all gone (he was allergic to the oil in the concrete which is hard to get away from when you work at a concrete factory) and he is feeling much better. He doesn’t have to shower when he gets home from work and I don’t get nasty concrete dust all over everything. We both are so happy that he got this job. Thanks Rachel for telling him about it! He also works the same hours that I do so we are able to carpool every day and that saves a lot of money!
*Max and I carpool to work every day. The positive listed above. The negative being the car rides were my only “me” time for the whole day. It’s been really hard trying to find that time to myself. I always used to switch off between calling my mom or my sister or just sitting in the car in silence. Now rarely get to do any of the above. I’m definitely not complaining because it really saves us a lot of money to be able to drive together and previously we never got to spend together so now we are spending ALL our time together but you know how important that “me” time is. Plus I think my sister and my mom are feeling the effects of it as well since they don’t get to talk to me as much anymore.
*My son is almost ONE! How the devil did one year go by so fast? I’ve been busy trying to make preparations for his party. I know it seems a bit early but if I don’t do it now I will procrastinate and I really want this to be a good party for him. Even though technically he won’t even remember it. Either way, it is a celebration for everyone that we have had sweet, sweet Dexter in our lives for a year. Max’s family is so large that I had to find an alternate place to host the party since everyone wouldn’t fit in our house (and FYI we don’t have a small house). We were able to reserve a building at a park for free and there are enough picnic tables for all! Now we just have to hope for good weather and I’m sure everything else will fall together just fine.
I think that is enough updating for one day. If this blog gets any longer I will lose the few people I have as readers!

Disposable vs. Cloth

2011-08-08T16:36:00.009-05:00

Max and I decided to make the switch from disposable diapers to cloth. Why do you ask? Well, for one, we are super cheap. We had that diaper poker party before Dexter was born and those diapers (plus maybe a box or two of newborns) lasted us until he was 6 months old. Impressive, I know! But then we started having to buy them and after 3 months, we had it. While Max doesn’t think they are expensive, I sure do!
Our daycare gal, Holly uses cloth diapers and at first I wanted nothing to do with it but then after some research and cost analysis I decided to go for it. She loves them so why wouldn't I? Our preferences for cost efficiency have mirrored each other with the exclusive breastfeeding and the homemade baby food so I'm sure this would be the same. It’s also handy that she does cloth diaper because a lot of day cares don’t accept them.
There really are a lot of different types and a lot of information to go off of but I decided to get a 12 pk of Bum Genius 4.0 pocket diapers and a 6 pk of Charlie Banana pocket diapers. I decided to get the pocket diapers because I wanted to have more control over the absorbency of Dex’s diapers. Also, this way, if he has a little pee, we only have to change an insert as the cover was not affected.
We also purchased a large and medium wet/dry bag to store the dirty ones in and some extra booster inserts. In its entirety cloth diapers are no cheap purchase. I think our bill all together for what we got was around $390 but if you take into consideration how much you spend in disposables, we will more then make it up in the time that Dexter is in diapers and they will last for #2 as well.
I started using them on Saturday so we are still pretty fresh but I think I like them! As well as you can like diapers but I definitely don’t dislike them. The pee diaps are a piece of cake. The poo diaps, well, we still need to figure out a system to get the poo from diaper to toilet but we’ll figure it out. Dex is super cute in them and I love the idea of not having to buy another diaper! We’ll have to get some more inserts it appears but I think 18 diapers “covers” is plenty. You do laundry every other day. All you do is a rinse in cold water to get the junk off and then wash in hot water and another hot rinse and dry in the sun. Easy peasy. A lot come in fun colors and prints now too. I can see how some mom’s get really into buying them. I have noticed that we will have to get some more regular inserts. We have 12 for the Bum Genius and lots of boosters but I'm thinking that's not going to cut it.
And now for photo examples:

You line dry them. The sun bleaches out any stains. You can use the dryer for the inserts but might as well line dry them while it's nice and sunny out!

Some of our stash. The Bum Genius are on the left, Charlie Banana on the right. Bum Genius it the most popular brand it seems. I've heard the Charlie Banana are better for newborns since there is an extra snap for sizing. The Charlie Banana are also very soft on the inside. Feels quite nice :)

The outside of a Bum Genius. I'm not sure why blogger wouldn't let the picture be the correct way but oh well. You still get the picture. All the snaps are so you can size them from newborn to potty training time. The one diaper should fit the entire way.

The inside sans an insert. We bought pocket diapers so you can tuck the insert inside the diaper by the flap on top but we like to just lay the insert along the top so we can use the cover again if possible.

All of the inserts.

The wet/dry bag where the dirty ones go. Holds in the smell just as well as a Diaper Genie. You can just stick them in the wash right with the diapers. This is our medium as our large one was on the line with the diapers!

And here is my happy, chunky monkey modeling his diapers. It doesn't seem like he's noticed a thing. I guess as long as he can get out what needs out he doesn't care! I have noticed though that some brands of clothing won't accommodate the extra padding so you'd have to go up a size. Carter's for example. Dex was just about out of the 12 month clothes and now with the cloth there's no way they'd fit.

best cousins forever :)

2011-07-11T21:13:00.005-05:00

Dexter is blessed to have such a large family and so many cousins to play with. It makes me so happy to see him playing with them and makes my heart swell so much. You know the feeling if you have kids, I know you do. And if you don't have kids, you will know exactly what I'm talking about once you do.

Seeing my sister's son and my son play together all day today was just heartwarming. I hope they realize how lucky they are to have each other and I hope they grow to be best buds :)

Here they are in the dinky fort that I made for them. Someday they will be making awesome forts and no mom's will be allowed.

And bath time. Need I say more about how cute these boys are together!?

plummer alert

2011-07-11T21:09:00.003-05:00

I swear, babies can pull off anything. Even a plummers crack. AND they make it soooo cute!

made in china

2011-07-08T21:06:00.002-05:00

Setting up for a shot for Zaidyn's newborn pics.

J: She is so cute. Wait, lets take this Made in China sticker OFF the back of the basket.
C: Technically it's true.
J: What?
C: Made in China... my VA-china.

haha.

redheads?

2011-07-08T16:07:00.003-05:00

I think we Jewell's have a surprise redhead gene in the family pool... don't ya think?!

early bird special

2011-06-25T08:58:00.002-05:00

I was hoping that since this was the weekend and our alarms wouldn't wake Dexter up that I would be able to sleep in today. 630 maybe even 7!

5 am. Waaahaaaahahahaha.... dadadadadadad....Waaaaahahahahaha.
505am throw some toys in the crib
520am waaahahahahahahaha....dadadadada....mmmmmhmmmmdadaddwahhhhhhhh
530am bring Dexter into bed with us. give him the remote and the fan controller. lay back down.
531am hahahaha...dadadadada, mmmmhmmmmm (as he is yanking my hair)
535am we get out of bed.

I change his diap, give him his vitamins and we head downstairs and I put him on the boob.

602am fast asleep attached to the boob.

He must have wanted the early bird special. I would have preferred brunch.

drying up... literally

2011-06-19T09:45:00.002-05:00

My sweet chunky little stinkbutt won't drink. He'll drink enough to get by, the morning being the best time but seriously, he won't drink. It's as if he is saying that he doesn't have enough time for the boob or for bottles. It's actually making me a little worried but his 9 month appt is just around the corner so I'll ask for some suggestions there.
The thing is, it's making me dry up. Yesterday I fed him in the morning right when he woke up and then pumped at 530. THAT'S IT! And I'm ok with the idea of not breastfeeding anymore. Technically my BF experience has been 20% BF and 80% pumping with working full time so that close bonding business only happens in the morning... AND I have about 2 months worth of milk in the freezer (I'm not kidding either) but (and this is going to sound strange) I just don't know how to be a mother without breastfeeding. I know it sounds ridiculous because Dex needs me for so much more then milk but my whole last 8 months have revolved around my boobs and nursing and pumping and yada yada yada. I'm not sure how to work this motherhood thing without it. I almost feel like I'm not as needed anymore. It makes me kind of sad.
My baby is growing up and I have to grow up with him. Do I wish that he would continue nursing more fully until he was a year? Yes. Did I plan on nursing for a year? Yes. Do I enjoy the fact that my kid doesn't like to drink because it's a waste of his time? No. Will I just have to deal with it? Yes. *Sigh... this mothering thing is an emotional roller coaster.

my brain runs a ridiculous path

2011-06-16T13:48:00.003-05:00

My though patterns are so scattered... This is just went through my head in this order:

Pizza sounds so good. Maybe Max will want Papa Murpheys for dinner. Is Max dead? He's not answering any of my texts. I wonder how much 4 tires will run us. Should we get them in Oct or Nov? Man, I'm still going to be hungry after this. Maybe I should heat up more. Ooo, someone brought Twizzlers. I remember when we ate a bag of Twizzlers at the Monster Truck. Won't it be fun to bring Dexter to the Monster Trucks someday. He'll have to wear those ear protectors. I wonder if they sell them there or where we would buy them. What a fun thing for Max and him to do together. But I'd want to go too. I can totally see myself being one of those mothers who never wants her kids out of their sight. I can't be that mother. I love my boy so much. I wonder what he's doing. Max should make more of those Christmas Wreath cookies. But then again he shouldn't. I have to watch what I'm eating again. I wish Dex would drink more. Holy moses, I'm full.

break up's are never easy

2011-05-31T19:55:00.004-05:00

I called today to make my appointment to chop off my hair. Earlier JW told me our hair place closed down or something and the hair stylists went to a new place. Well apparently they split up and went to different places. So I call the place where my gal, Becki, works and made an appointment. Last minute I asked how much a haircut costs there and it was $34!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me. No way in hells bells am I paying $34 for a haircut. Guess who will be cancelling that appointment. ME. Guess who is out a hairstylist. ME. Guess who is super bummed about losing Becki since she is awesome and gets my hair right every time. ME. Who got broke up with their stylist by some lady who answers the phone and called me hun and sweetie every other word. ME. Guess who has a husband who is incredibly happy that I don't have a stylist now. ME. Guess who just wants their hair chopped off. ME ME ME.

cut throat

2011-05-30T20:56:00.002-05:00

I got to thinking about all the people on my Facebook people that I have as "friends". Just way too many people. They can all get into my account and look at my business and I don't even know who the devil they are. So I just spent a much wasted hour deleting people. 220 people to be exact. I could have been doing something much more productive but this was one of those things on the list... the very bottom of the list. Once I got started, I couldn't finish. So yay! That is done. Check!

And if you can still access my account, you made it :) If not... sorry about that.

makeover

2011-05-27T09:53:00.002-05:00

I think I've given Max enough time with this long hair business. I much prefer it short and therefore am going to chop it off in the next month or so once I get my highlights done(much to Max's dismay). I'm thinking of this haircut. Nice and simple. Easy to maintain with Mr. Dexter dictating my "get ready" time. Do we think I could pull this off?

Syttende Mai

2011-05-16T13:18:00.005-05:00

Syttende Mai is the "big thing" in our little town, or I should say my old little town. Saturday we took Dexter down to see his first parade! Of course it was freaking freezing but we rarely miss it as adults so we wouldn't miss it the first year we have a child.

Here is Max carrying Dex down to Main Street where we had set the chairs up earlier.

Me and my bundle of joy freezing our arses off waiting for the parade to start.

Dexter really liked the parade but he REALLY liked the little Zor cars that the old men drive around in circles. He flapped his arms and was making all sorts of noises when they came around. He here is mesmerized by them :) Lol, SO CUTE!

My little family :)

2011-05-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

Isn’t it funny how songs can transport you somewhere? I’ll hear something and it will totally bring me back somewhere else. The reason I think of this was I had a song in my head this morning.

Coldplay’s early albums bring me back to when I was living in Hudson in the apartments on Aspen. I was always cleaning the apartment with the screen door open with the music turned up so loud.

Ben Lee’s album reminds me completely of Jake and Jummy’s wedding when I was driving around all over the place getting stuff for the girls and waiting for the bridal party to arrive at the reception.

3 Days Grace makes me so mad when I listen to it. It reminds me of when Max was being a douche when we broke up. Same with that Stained song. Can’t remember the name of it now.

Michelle Branch’s “Everywhere to Me” reminds me of driving down to the Eau Galle beach the summer the McDonald’s gang did everything and I mean EVERYTHING together.

I just thought I’d throw this out there. Does anyone else have songs/albums that do this for them as well? My personal time machine music is…

dreams and the subconscious

2011-05-03T12:17:00.001-05:00

I don’t think that you can control what is in your dreams. I really don’t. Some people do but that is not me. That being said, I had one heck of a dream last night. I’m not going to go explaining it because this one hit a close to home but I can’t shake the mood its left me in today. The dream itself was normal in that it was very unrealistic (at one point the car had run out of room for people to sit so another random and I popped the hood and held on for dear life. Don’t worry, the driver said he wouldn’t go over 60) but the emotional part of this dream, that is what has my mood all wacky. It brought up stuff I haven’t thought about in a long time. And I can’t stop thinking about it. All day so far. I was hoping that it would wear off but it hasn’t.

The subconscious is a weird and mysterious thing.

Bringing Sexy Back

2011-05-01T10:43:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, as I was getting myself ready to go to a wedding reception I realized that I hadn't washed my hair in 2 1/2 days, hadn't shaved my legs in a week, I was wearing really unflattering comfy clothes, I was out of underwear so I was wearing my big huge "I'm 9 months pregnant" underwear that sags down to my knees and (Max's personal favorite), I hadn't shaved my armpits in 3 days.

Victoria's Secret called yesterday looking for their new angel. Right here baby, right here. On that front page with Adrina Lima and GISELLE (whom I really just don't like) is me, with my saggy pregnant underwear that all men are obviously attracted to. Bringing sexy back.

drugged out

2011-04-22T19:04:00.003-05:00

I had my wisdom teeth taken out today. All four of them. Not fun. I went under while they did it under the recommendation of my doc (which was awesome because then it was covered by insurance instead of having to pay out of pocket for it). I barely remember the office after that, or going to Walmart and waiting 20 min for my prescriptions, or picking up Dexter from Holly's (his daycare) or the ride home.
All I have to say is it freaking hurts. Dexter's pediatrician said that I shouldn't take Vicadin as it will make my milk bad even longer (no breastfeeding for 48 hours) so I am on Tylenol 3. It's awesome. Makes me really freaking tired though. So I took some an hour ago or so and I am feeling much better now :) Much much better. I probably won't remember writing this very well though, I'm so tired. I should get away from the computer while I'm on this stuff so I don't write anything I shouldn't!
Perhaps I will take a nap and then send my fantastic husband up to McD's for a chocolate shake!

I got to keep the teeth by the way :) My only request out of this whole thing.

*(added next day) apparently while we were at Walmart we bought a Kindle case for me and a new winter coat for Dex for next year for $3! At least even while I'm drugged out I know a good deal :) I remember about 5% of that Walmart trip. I should look at the reciept to see what else we bought...

takeover

2011-04-11T13:29:00.005-05:00

I knew that having a baby meant having a lot of baby stuff around and I was prepared for it. All the toys, the furniture, the laundry, etc. I was not prepared to give up our freezer to the little fella. Max and I have the right 1/4 of the fridge, Dexter has the rest :) Greedy little bugger, good thing he's not a bed hog.

deja blog

2011-04-10T21:32:00.003-05:00

I'm remembering a blog I read a while ago about a married couple and bed times. At the time I thought it was pretty funny and what not but now I completely get it. She was saying how she decides it's time for bed and she gets up, cleans up the kitchen, makes the kids lunches, picks out her clothes for the next day, yada yada yada and her husband decided its time for bed, gets up and goes to bed. I am having that same moment. Max was really tired today after a weekend of only getting about 5 hours of sleep a night and got up and went to bed. I decide to get ready for bed after getting Dex to sleep and I go do the dishes, make up a new batch of rice cereal for Dex, get his food ready for tomorrow, go wash my face, do the checkbook, pump, take the dogs out, put the clothes in the dryer and finally soon will be able to walk up the stairs to go to bed. I definitely didn't think that reading that blog a while ago would reflect my life so closely now. I'm sure that's how it goes for most families though. Mom gets tired and goes to bed an hour later... Dad gets tired and gets up and goes to bed.

Sam's Club outlaws

2011-04-10T21:25:00.003-05:00

Max and I went to Sams Club today to pick up a few things including diapers. We get to the diaper section and get Dex's size when Max notices the pallet above on the next shelf has the bonus sized boxes of diapers with an extra 18... same price. So what did we do? Ripped that plastic wrap right off that sucker and grabbed a couple boxes. A couple of outlaws right here ;) Sams Club outlaws that is!

insatiable

2011-04-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

I am just SO HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. I can’t get over it. I wake up shaking in the morning after not having eaten all night long; I eat 2 breakfasts and a snack before lunch. Lunch always has to be big and I need a snack before dinner and at dinner, I shovel it in my mouth so fast I barely taste it. Max is a very fast eater and I normally take about twice as long to eat my dinner but not now. Oh no not now. I inhale it. Can’t get it in my system fast enough; have to get those calories in my tummy RIGHT NOW. Breastfeeding sure plays tricks with your body. I am going to be screwed once Dex doesn’t require as much milk and I cut back. I’m so used to eating a truckload of food everyday that my body will really pork out once I don’t have those calories going to making milk.

That was just on my brain this morning as I ate 2 breakfasts worth of food for my 1^st breakfast. I have an apple, granola bar and yogurt with dried cranberries for my 2^nd and I can’t wait!

misc thoughts

2011-03-29T21:25:00.003-05:00

1. Yes, it's 930 at night and I have to get up in 3 1/2 hours to pump and get up about 3 times for Dexter but this is the only time I get to myself. 2. I hate sheetrock dust. 3. I just pinesoled my linoleum and I don't care. 4. I love my son with all my heart. 5. My remodel is freaking awesome. 6. I hope I keep up with mom's habit of having the dishes done when you go to bed. What concept! 7. I am really enjoying the show Bones. 8. I have lost 50 pounds since giving birth to Dexter and I only have 8 more to go... although my body is very different then it used to be. 9. I heart breastfeeding. I have lost all that weight while still eating pretty much whatever I want. Breastmilk calories :) 10. I had to move Dexter up to the next size carseat. The one that you don't take out of the car. It was getting a little uncomfortable for my buddie to get squished into his old one... He is my chunky monkey! That is enough for now. Night!

Can't wait

2011-03-24T13:33:00.000-05:00

I’m about 90% sure we get to move back home on Saturday. The construction part of the remodel was finished on Monday and they are mudding and taping as we speak and should be finished by this weekend.

I am so ready to go home. It was been wonderful staying with my mommasita, the best place we could have gone for this transition but 2 weeks is a long time and I miss my things. I miss having all our food and all my clothes and I have so much to do for Dexter. I miss my Clydeypants! He has been staying with our friends Josh and Lynsie this whole time and we are so grateful. That was one thing mom said was absolutely no Clyde. He has been having a good time over there with their dog Sasha who matches him for size, finally a friend that will actually tucker him out rather than all these small dogs.

I my house to be clean and I can’t wait to arrange my furniture in their new spots. I can’t wait to move into our new room which is about twice the size of our old room. I can’t wait to have a shorter drive to work. I can’t wait for Dexter to be comfortable at night again and hopefully improve on his sleeping through the night.

Yes, oh yes, I’m ready to go home.

daycare blues

2011-03-24T13:26:00.001-05:00

I dropped off my beloved son at daycare this morning. I knew it would be hard but man oh man was it really hard. I’m not a crier and I barely made it out to the car before tears came out. For some reason I felt really weird crying in front of the other daycare kids so I had to hold it in. Don’t want those little kiddos thinking I’m a big baby or anything.

I called her at 930 to see how things were going and I just text her now to check on him. Things are going well. That’s all I can ask for. I can’t wait to be done for the day and go pick up my munchkin and see how he did in detail.

Today just solidified my want to stay at home and have a daycare. Ideally I would just stay home with my children but I don’t think financially that will ever fly so I’d be happy to watch other kiddos so I can have the opportunity to spend the day with my babies.

holy moses of a dream

2011-03-11T09:08:00.001-06:00

I had the craziest dream last night and I need to write it down before I forgot because I remember EVERYTHING. Josh and Loin will think this is pretty funny since it revolves around them.

Max and I walk into this hospital. It’s a really weird ghetto hospital that isn’t very updated or at least the entrance way isn’t updated. Old chairs, that ugly green color that old hospitals have. You know what I mean. We walk in and we have to keep going down halls and then take a right. Over and over we have to take a right like it’s some kind of maze. Finally we get to an area where there are some rooms and they doors are wide open. There is one room we pass with all men. There are lots of men in there getting ready to see the doc but they are naked. Not like sexual naked but just standing/sitting waiting for the doctor. We pass that door and after we take a right down the next hall, there is a room filled with women. These women are all pregnant and in labor. There are no family or men with them but a room filled with women in various stages of labor. There are women walking around, women hunched over, women moaning and groaning and one woman in the corner was in the fetal position also naked. (What’s with these naked people in my dream?)

Anyway, we apparently finally get to where we are going and we see Josh and Lynsie in a room. Lynsie has gone into labor as well. She is almost fully dilated and has made it so far without pain meds. Josh is pacing the room back and forth and back and forth nervous. I see Loin have a contraction and Josh springs into action to be by her side.

All the sudden, Max and I are at entrance way of this hospital again. We have to make the long journey of all these halls and all those right turns past the naked men and the labor room of women. We make it back to Josh and Lynsie’s room and Rachel and Brad are outside of the room along with Josh. Rachel tells me that Lynsie has started to push. I ask Josh why he isn’t in the room and he shakes his head and says “I couldn’t handle it; I’m going to be sick”. I was incredulous thinking that no one was in the room with Lynsie.

“She’s doing this all by herself?!” I asked.

Rachel then tells me that JW and Phil are in the room with her. Phil? What the heck. So we wait. Finally, Phil comes out of the room and is chuckling to himself… he couldn’t handle it either. Apparently it was too much for him. So Rachel and I fight to get in the room and Rachel beats me. So I wait.

Somehow, I finally get in the room and it’s just Lynsie, me and some invisible nurse. I don’t see her but I know she’s there. Lynsie is fully dressed in nice clothes and her coat still. She has a contraction and I tell her that she needs to breathe because it will help it not hurt so much (since she still hasn’t had any pain meds). I can still see her face all red with pain and with holding her breath for so long. After the contraction passes, I ask her if she wants her coat off which she does. We take off her coat and suddenly the baby is out. It’s a boy. At this point everyone is in the room and we ask what the baby’s name is. “Tripp” Lynsie says, “Tripp James Cole Oswald”. She called him Tippy though. He was a beautiful chunky baby boy with lots of dark hair.

I tell Lynsie it’s important to have skin to skin time right away and that she needs to get back in bed (why she was out of bed I don’t know). We get her back in bed and get her shirt off and I lay Tripp on her chest and cover them both up with the sheet so people didn’t see Lynsie’s chest. Then Lynsie looks up at me and smiles. It’s that tired smile that you get after you have gone though something hard and painful but received something so amazing you can’t even believe it.

Then I woke up.

Tell me what that bad boy means.

Curious behavior

2011-03-11T06:53:00.002-06:00

As my boy is getting older and still being exclusively breastfed, I'm noting some funny behavior from him. I always have him in the bouncer when I shower so it's a little weird when my son stares at my chest when I get in the shower. Obviously he's staring for different reasons then say, his father does but still. Men and boobs. Starts early.
Also, he gets super impatient waiting for me to attach him so he's starting to pull at my bra before I can even get it down for him to eat. Impatient little bugger.
He's only 5 months old, come 6 months he's going to be lifting up my shirt and asking for more!

blog brain

2011-03-10T13:10:00.003-06:00

My blogs always sound so much better in my head than when I type them out. I've lost many a blog idea this way. I think my brain is more articulate than my fingers... and my mouth. I think my brain is much funnier too.

that's exactly what I meant

2011-02-06T19:02:00.003-06:00

Even though we weren't looking the greatest, I wanted to take some pictures together.

J: Can you try to NOT look like a serial killer Max?
M: Ok, I'm just really tired.

J: Yep, that fixed it.

voila!

2011-02-02T20:13:00.004-06:00

I made dinner! With no recipe! Chicken stew! And it was good! Holy smokes!

egh...MN drivers

2011-01-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

To the red Silverado, MINNESOTA driver in front of me this morning on the freeway-

I would love to understand your logic of:

1. Staying in the left lane the entire time

2. Speeding up between cars on the left

3. Slowing down while passing a car

4. Being a jerk in general

Please get out of the left lane. Thanks.

Daycare blues

2011-01-25T13:38:00.003-06:00

I just had a very hard lunch. I started making calls for daycare availability. If the thought of having my Dexter in daycare made me want to vomit before, I am just crushed by the thought of it now. I so so so wish that I could just stay home and be with him. It is just not a possibility at this point.
I didn't realize that finding a spot for an infant would be more difficult than any other child but I did manage to find one lady with an opening near our house. I really hope we like her and that it works out. I got her number from a gal that used to work with me. She had her kids there for 4 years I think before she had to move them.
Luckily for us, Angel is willing to watch Dexter one day a week and I'm hoping I can figure something out for one more day so that he will only have to be there for 3 days a week. That definitely helps us out financially but also then I'll know Dex is with family.
I love my son so much, I just really want to find a comfortable fit for us all. I knew this would be really hard but I had no idea how hard. Poo.

hair stumped

2011-01-17T13:26:00.003-06:00

I'm really bored with my hair and I'm thinking I enjoy this cut and color... do you think I could pull this off or is it too blonde??

I'm working on Max to agree to the maintenance costs of having blonde hair still but I'm pretty sure I will win this one. Eventually :)

christmas leftovers.

2011-01-17T13:15:00.001-06:00

I swear my floor swallowed up pine needles from Christmas tree because I am STILL sweeping up needles and the tree has been down for a couple weeks now. It must be my Christmas leftovers :)

FYI

2011-01-09T18:31:00.003-06:00

I may look cute as pie and have the most kissable cheeks around but I'm warning you... this is the look I'm going to give you before I have an official meltdown. Consider yourself warned.

Vicious cycles

2011-01-07T13:40:00.000-06:00

Vicious cycles suck.

I have to pump All. THE. TIME. Seriously. 5 times a day. I’m really sick of it. I have to pump so much because I don’t produce enough. I pump more to trick my body into thinking it needs more and I take Fenugreek to try and naturally increase my supply. I sit and pump and stress about the small amount of milk in those little bottles. In turn, the stress makes me produce less making me need to pump more.

See what I mean? Vicious cycles suck.

Alright, waa waa waa to me. Don’t worry, I just told myself to stop being such whiner and complainer. I’m very happy I have been able to feed my son with the best of the best for this long. Hopefully I can continue to do it. My son is worth every pumping minute.

Absent for one day...

2011-01-05T13:24:00.002-06:00

Please excuse my boobs from having to pump or breast feed for one day. They are tired and want a break. They will be back in business after one day. Thanks!

-Jessie

kids say the darndest things

2011-01-02T12:20:00.002-06:00

I went to my uncles house on new years eve day to take a few pics for them and had the following conversation with my 10ish yr old cousin Ayrica.

A: Dexter is so cute!
J: Why thank you, I think so too...
A: I think Dexter has your eyes.
J: Oh really?
A: Yes I do! He has those dark circles around his eyes just like you do!

:)

Poor Grandma

2010-12-30T13:12:00.002-06:00

On Monday my poor poor Grandma (my car, not my actual Grandma) took a pooper. I was up by the post office at the intersection and she made some sort of noise and started super chugging. I had JW come meet me to drive behind me home in case something exploded and I put a little more gas in the car in case there was some water in there but she was still chugging so bad and the engine starting clicking like a stick on bicycle spokes. Obviously not trusting the old gal to get me home, I left her in the Walmart parking lot and JW drove me home. I've been driving Max's loud, smelly, dirty, COLD (no working thermostat) to work. I really am not complaining about it, I am so very thankful we have the car because what the devil would we do without it!?
Anyway, after some tricky business with Triple A, Max's mom towed it out to our mechanic's house today where we await the verdict to see if Grandma is done for or if (please please please) it's something small to fix. There is never a good time to buy a new car but if that is the case, then Grandma has done her share of carting me around. The old gal has 275,000 miles currently so if she wants to be done, she can be done. I hope she misses me though and wants to continue on our adventures to work!

Dear Dexter

2010-12-28T13:26:00.002-06:00

I was thinking about it and I decided that I really wanted to have something specific for Dexter. To record my thoughts and to document his growing all in one spot made for him. Well, for him and for any future babies so I started a blog that will be purely Dexter. So if you don't want to read about me rambling on about my love for my boy, this is not for you. But, if you want to read it, the URL is www.dearmybabya.blogspot.com. They are letters to Dexter. I am not much of a writer so doing it this way is easier for me. Hopefully I will print off the pages and keep them in an album for him. We will see.

Settling in

2010-12-26T11:37:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I've felt the urge to come back to my blog. A lot has happened and my life is 100% different. I wanted to take time to fully enjoy and get used to my new life as a mother. I never knew the kind of changes that come with having a child and it takes time to get used to the overwhelming shift in emotions and your day to day life. I love it. I absolutely love it. I have no idea how well I will do at this but I want my blog to document my life as it is now so that I can look back and remember these days with my new family. I see now how fast time goes by and I want to remember this. I want to remember the begining of my growing family.

38 weeks

2010-11-02T14:23:00.002-05:00

38 weeks. already 5 weeks ago! don't mind my grammar and lack of capitalizing. i currently only have one hand to use since someone is being mr. cranky.
all i remember about 38 weeks is that i had a LOT of braxtons and was really starting to get sick of being pregnant. i would look at the calendar and wonder what day would my child finally arrive (happy to say that my son arrived 2 days later!) i was sick of my lack of clothes, sick of being huge, and i just wanted to see who was in there! everything was ready. max and i had spent the whole weekend getting the house ready and cleaned, finishing up the nursery, making freezer meals so we wouldn't have to cook after birth, etc... we were ready. good thing too since he came so much quicker than we were planning!

10-10-10

2010-10-10T09:59:00.002-05:00

Dear Baby,

It would be very nifty if you wanted to worm your way out of that birth canal today. 10-10-10 just doesn't happen very often and I'm told that you are ready to come out of there. I will happily see you whenever you are ready to rid yourself of the little tiny cramped space you are currently in but I just wanted to let you know your options :)

Love you,
Momma

Secret Garden

2010-10-08T14:17:00.002-05:00

Setting: Max on his computer, I am on mine.
Background: music playing... specifically Secret Garden by Bruce Springstein with Jerry Maguire script included.

J: What do you think Secret Garden means? What Secret Garden is he talking about?
M: Isn't it a book?
J:I'm talking about the hidden meaning of Secret Garden for this song. Does it mean her love is a Secret Garden? Her body is a Secret Garden? What.
M: [typing away]
J: Are you looking it up?
M: (after a few moments searching) It means a patch of hair on the female body particularly armpit hair.
J: [long pause] I don't think that's what Bruce meant.

37 weeks

2010-10-08T10:49:00.003-05:00

I've been getting really bad at keeping up with these! I've been so busy trying to get everything finished up for the baby that I haven't even gone on the computer once I've gotten home from work! Not to mention it's extremely uncomfortable sitting at the computer for 8 hours at work and to just come home and sit on the computer is just not my cup of tea....

Baby is getting very big. S/he is getting limbs stuck in my ribs and is punching my bladder just by adjusting his/her position. It is a very awkward feeling!

Our appointment this week was the same as last week... still 2 cm. I figured that would happen but I was sure hoping for a little improvement! I'm really pushing for a 10-10-10 baby so I guess Max and I better get going on home methods for getting this baby out! Otherwise I think bugger will come on the 18th.

Nesting is in full force. I don't think there is a room in our house that hasn't been messed with, rearranged, etc. So much to think about! Now I just have to clean the whole house and get some last minute things ready (which is why I took today off) and baby can come anytime! I'm so excited. Daily I think about who is in there, who I have been growing for so long. Finally being able to put a face to a name will be incredible :)

I'm so very ready to be done. I have been very lucky and have made it a lot longer than other women but I am getting very uncomfortable and am ready to get this body suit off. I would enjoy not peeing 3 times a night, I would like to see my feet and legs back to a normal size and lot supersized due to water retention... my cute shoes are waiting to be worn again along with some of my clothes! I know it might be a little while for my clothes but still. Ugh. Soon. Very soon.

36 weeks

2010-09-30T19:49:00.003-05:00

I'm exhausted. That sums up this week. I'm also stressed out with everything that I feel like needs to be done still but as of today, I can comfort myself knowing that if the baby were to come tomorrow, we would be ok. The pack and play is set up in the living room ready for baby. The bassinet stuff is all washed and set up in our room. Blankets are washed, baby clothes are being washed now, car seat is not only purchased but installed in the car (and it wasn't as hard as we thought!), etc.

We had our 36 week appt on Monday and pretty much immediately when the doc went to do his business he told us we were 2 cm and 50% effaced. Wow! Susa said that wasn't very common at a 36 week appt so bugger could either be planning an early arrival (which would be a very NON-Max&I trait) or s/he is psyching us out. So now I am excited for our next appt on Tues to see if there was more progress or not. I feel like I can average it out then to get a better idea of when this baby will make his/her appearance.

Braxton hicks contractions have made their grand arrival. I was planning on talking to the doc on Monday about the fact that I didn't think I'd had any when BAM, I got them over and over and over and over. Pretty much every evening the uterus is practicing it's future torture over and over. I really can't tell when they are happening unless I have my hand on my belly and then I can feel everything stiffen up. It is a very weird sensation!

I guess on an end note... Bugger, your father would enjoy it if you came on a Friday around 3 so that he wouldn't miss as many work days (since they are unpaid) and your mother would enjoy it if you gave her another week at least so she can get things done. ;) With this in mind, bugger will probably come on Tues at 3 in the morning...

Grizzly men

2010-09-29T13:03:00.004-05:00

I think that Robert Pattinson's new bushy look is very circa Jude Law in Cold Mountain... what do you think?

Oh, I am a celebrity gossip queen... don't judge. It's my bad habit and it's cheaper than smoking and smells better too :)

35 weeks

2010-09-21T20:26:00.002-05:00

T-5 weeks until due date. Wow. This pregnancy has just flown by. People have told me that things go so slowly at the end but that is just not the case. Seems like I just started telling people I was pregnant or it was just about time for our ultrasound to see the bugger. Now we are down to 5 weeks. Incredible. I grew a human. Now this human is just getting chunky in there. Development is pretty much done. Should I help bugger with getting chunky by eating junk food? ;) I won't but I do eat a lot of cereal!

I think it looks like I dropped a little bit this week in comparison with last week. What do you think? I kind of feel like I'm walking a bit funny these days as well... kind of like there is an apple between my legs that I'm trying to keep from falling. Could just be my head doing that though since I think I'm dropping.

I'm sure having a rough time with hormones lately. Part hormones part life. I'm just so overwhelmed and stressed out (not baby related) that it's making me a bit melancholy and hormones just emphasize those feelings. I'm trying to stay positive and trying to stay calm for the baby but I'm having a very hard time. Life is just throwing curve balls right now and no matter how much Max and I try to figure out solutions, they just don't work out. I need to just keep myself calm for my bugger. It's too early for him/her to be getting stressed out.

On a happier note I had my first family baby shower this past weekend :) It was a lot of fun! We got a lot of cute stuff for bugger. I decided not to organize anything until the next family shower which is this weekend. Then Max and I can put stuff away and really assess what is left that we need. Babies require so much stuff! I tell you what though, I bet there will be more than one time that I "accidentally" steal one of buggers blankets. They make baby blankets so soft! They really need those in adult size!

I heart my crockpot!

2010-09-16T13:56:00.003-05:00

Crock pot lady :) (The link for her blog... I've also added it to my "Facsinating People" list)

This woman made it her personal challenge to use her crockpot every day in 2008 and she included every recipe that she tried... score! Max and I love our crockpot and are quite sick of the things we are cooking so this is a win-win find! Plus I'll bet this will be very nice to have on hand when we make our new transition from coupledom to parents!

Thanks Auntie JW :)

2010-09-15T13:57:00.002-05:00

My child is already getting spoiled by his/her Auntie JW and s/he loves it!

Thanks Auntie JW for the yummy frostie! That was exactly what I wish Momma would give me more of to eat!

Love, Ayda or Dexter :)

34 weeks

2010-09-14T20:13:00.002-05:00

Not too much different than 33 weeks. Just waiting. I have a feeling this waiting game will go on for a while. I'm not in a hurry and yet Oct 24 can't get here soon enough :) I love my little bugger so much and I can't wait to meet him/her.

My only complaint for the week is that the hormones flying through my body has made my eczema come out much earlier then it normally does and it's bad (for me). I wouldn't care about it so much if it wasn't on my face :( That is no fun. Worth it though. I tell myself that about everything. Oh the back pain is worth it; climbing up and down stairs all day to go to the bathroom is worth it; having absolutely no wardrobe to speak of is worth it; etc. It is really worth it. Bugger is worth everything.

Bugger has the hiccups a lot lately and they are strong enough to feel from the outside :) I think the baby has inherited my awful hiccups where they shake the whole body and they hurt. I don't think s/he likes them very much because the baby gets very squirmy when the hiccups appear. Makes me giggle a little bit to think of my irritated baby in the womb. Can't eat peanut butter or drink water real quick in there!

Love you bugger!

Yes dear

2010-09-11T19:45:00.008-05:00

M: Jessie, I just washed a load of whites and there was barely anything in there. Are you putting my socks somewhere?
J: No Max. I never put your socks anywhere. YOU on the other hand put your socks everywhere.
M:I don't think so. I think you have my socks somewhere.
J:Whatever Max. Whatever you think. I'm not the one without socks.

Further proof.

Dear Max,

Your socks are in the bathroom.

and under the plant in the living room

and in the porch
and Clyde also has some as well.

So my sweet cheeks, stop taking your socks off everywhere around the house and you will have socks.

Love, the wife.

State Fair '10

2010-09-11T19:25:00.012-05:00

State Fair 2010 was a fun time :) A little different experience going being 32 weeks pregnant but hey, can't miss the fair! Max and I are always a little low key on the food (always on a budget) but we did feast on a cheeseburger, fries, gyro and sweet martha's cookies. Yum! My sweet tooth has not diminished the further along I have gotten unfortunately. I am hoping it goes far far away after pregnancy. My feet were killing me by the end of the day and it took me the entire next day to recover but it was worth it!

A year ago was the first time we met Cody when we went to the State Fair '09. We like him :)

Bob (aka Justyn) came along with us this year.
Max and Justyn have this Bob Barker joke between them that has been going on forever. I rarely call Justyn by his name, always by Bob so when we saw this sign, Max had to have his pic in front of it.

My sweet cheeks and I :)

I was MORE THAN READY to sit down at this point. Bugger can get a little heavy!

Caitlin and my future brother in law :)

That's right, we know how to pick the spots... got to have those footrests!

Max's sister Harmony was in the Final's at the Grandstand! She sings so amazingly and did a wonderful job! We are SO SO proud of her! She looked so beautiful up there singing in front of 8,000 people! I'm sorry but I would have crapped my pants being in front of all those people and while she was nervous you couldn't tell at all! She hit every note and was on pitch the entire time! Did I mention she sang acapella? This girl is incredible!

ummm...

2010-09-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry but gross.

That's all.

Gross.

33 weeks

2010-09-07T18:41:00.007-05:00

I made the last few bigger for you to see due to some recent comments on not being able to see my fantastic body (jk) very well...

I went to the doc yesterday for my 32 wk check up (at 33 weeks, whoops!) and you know what he said? He says “Jessica, after 34 weeks if you go into labor, we won’t try to stop it. Anytime up until Sunday, we will but after Sunday, we won’t”. …………………………………what?! Reality slap in the face! I doubt our child will come early but still, that would mean I would physically have my child in my arms NEXT WEEK! I don’t even have the car seat yet! That is the type of thing that will put a fire under your arse to get things done. Yeeowzer.

It’s funny these little things that just make having a baby so real. Your mind knows you are having a baby, your body obviously knows you are having a baby but it takes these little things to smack you in the face to really realize that there will be a baby.

I am SO EXCITED to meet my little bugger but at the same time I am getting to that terrified stage. So many mixed emotions right now… probably part hormones as well.

Baby A… lets see. S/he is continuing to grow in size and is a very health bugger. Measured 34 centimeters at our last appt with 130 for a heart rate. S/he has been head down since 30 weeks so hopefully baby stays like that! Baby A. thinks that the most comfortable position is with head down, butt towards my left arm and legs/feet at my right rib cage. S/he’s laying crooked all the time. Rarely do I feel the baby out of this position. We recently discovered that Baby A. enjoys music very much… We were at the talent show at the State Fair on Sunday and every time someone would come on stage and sing/play instruments the baby would go nuts moving around! Max says that this could be an indication of the baby hating music but I don’t think so J Not if s/he comes out of me!

Loving Home Needed

2010-09-03T16:17:00.003-05:00

I am a super cute dog who loves to cuddle when I'm tired and when I'm cold. I'll look at you with my head tilted to the side just a bit to add to my charm and then run to you with love and jump to be held. I love to play and rarely bark. I enjoy sleeping and staring at walls (as long as they have mice in them). Sadly, I do enjoy peeing all over your house in secrets spots that you cannot find. I enjoy a good poop once in a while too and if I happen to be inside, then so be it. You can take me outside and I'll go to the bathroom. I will even pee a few times if you follow me around with treats but once I get inside I will probably pee 5 minutes later. I can't help myself. My scent is just so lovely I don't know why you wouldn't want to smell it as well. Please love me forever and I will continue to leave you presents all over the house :) My name is Luca.

I'm just kidding, I won't get rid of the rotten animal, but I won't like him either.

32 weeks

2010-09-01T21:20:00.002-05:00

Rolly rolly rolly. This baby rolls around all the time. Not too many kicks or punches but lots of rolling around. I love to feel my stinker... it's strange to think there is a 17 inch long human baby in there. Sometimes it feels like there in an alien moving around. We are getting so close to meeting this little one. I'm so excited and terrified at the same time.
Nursery is looking good :) Once I have it all together I will post a picture but I have to finish the mural on the wall still and then we will be covered! Mom and I (with help from Caitlin) made the mobile on Saturday. I found one that I liked on etsy.com but it was $85$ Oh no, I knew I could make that and I did. It turned out way better and Max loves that it was crafted by me (and mom.) We installed the new lighting, hung up some knickknacks and once the mural is done, we will just need the little stuff we get from the showers!
My least favorite time of the day is in the morning when I have to trudge up to my room to find something to wear. Everyday it seems like my wardrobe gets smaller and smaller. I put something on that I just wore LAST WEEK and it not longer fits. My mother in law has a consignment shop in Baldwin called Serendipity and it has been our life saver! Honestly, we get all our clothes there anyway because we live on a tight budget but it is so nice being able to head down there when I've outgrown things to just pick up some new stuff. Max's mom has been amazing to us this whole time and we are so thankful for her.
What else... oh yes, my poor feet. My poor legs. They can't wait for summer to be done... or this whole thing to be done. I bet I've gained a hefty amount just in water retention. Even right now my feet are swelled up to about 2 their size. It's pretty awesome. I LOVE only being able to wear flip flops because my fatty feet won't fit in my shoes. Love it.

Math doesn't lie...

2010-08-23T14:03:00.002-05:00

current weight gained= 1/4 baby, etc + 1/4 ice cream (whoops) + 1/2 water retention in my legs and feet.

i love humidity.

31 weeks

2010-08-22T21:38:00.003-05:00

Not too many changes this week. I feel like I'm back in the 1st trimester with being exhausted all the time. I mean, sheesh... sitting for too long makes me feel like I need a nap. This baby is just sucking out all of my energy which I'm totally fine with, but I really need to slow down. I have a real hard time saying no to people so I'm constantly busy and active and moving around. Rarely do I sit down and prop my feet up and now that I'm starting to get bigger, I need to do that and get my rest so I'm going to have to learn to say NO. That will be very tough for me.
I started going to the chiropractor this week. I've heard that it really helps with labor and delivery along with the general benefits of seeing a chiropractor. I've never been to one before so it was a new experience for me. He just did a mild adjustment the first time (which he says he normally doesn't do but apparently I'm super stressed out... go figure!) but man did it feel amazing to have my back cracked. I've been waiting for that for months. I think I'll enjoy this chiropractor business.
I've been craving orange juice this week which for once is a healthy craving :) Usually this little bugger only wants ice cream and sweets. My appetite is still normal and I'm still sleeping really well. I get up 2-3 times a night depending on when I stop drinking in the evening. I've just been so lucky to have such a great easy pregnancy. I promise that I do not take it for granted.
I had my first baby shower baby shower this week. My work through me a cute little shower and it was so nice to see my co-workers be so nice to me and the baby. We got some nice stuff that will be very helpful with baby. No duplicates. It made it even more real that we are having a little one when I had to put the stuff away in the nursery. We have had the furniture in there for a few weeks but now putting the little stuff in there, wow. Surreal.
T minus 9 weeks until baby!

30 weeks

2010-08-19T19:39:00.004-05:00

We are in the home stretch! Or at least in the last ten weeks... I don't look too much bigger from last week but I sure feel big. Definitely slowing down, baby is starting to move differently. Not as many kicks and elbow jabs but a whole lot of rolling around. You can see his/her little rump move from one side to the other if I sit real still. Or bugger will shove his/her foot right into my rib and I will have to flinch a little at it and move the little teeny foot away from that spot. His/her favorite spot seems like it is with his/her head down to the left and with his/her feet on my upper right side. This is if you are me so if you are looking at me switch those sides around.
Getting up more at night to pee... I think this is God's way of preparing you for waking up several times a night. Granted you are only up for a couple minutes but still.
Max and I have accumulated some good stuff this week. I found a bumbo chair at a garage sale for $10! Hot commodities those things are. Max's friend brought over a exosaucer and a floormat/play gym thing for free so that was so very nice. Everything just needs a good cleaning and will work out just fine for our little bugger :)
I'm just so excited to meet my child. How strange is it going from being the daughter to having a daughter or a son... I already love the little bugger so much, I can only imagine it grows to ginormous amounts once you actually meet them face to face. I can't wait :)

Cousins #3

2010-08-14T18:28:00.005-05:00

Here is how the cousins are shaping up these days... I think we both look pretty evenly matched except she's got ginormous boobs and mine are not so ginormous. Wouldn't it be crazy if both babies came on the same day! And Stella's birthday is Oct 23 so what if both babies came on Oct 23 and then my mother-in-law would have 3 out of 4 grandchildren with the bday of Oct 23. That's just crazy! and expensive...
Here are the comparisons if you are interested... Cousins #1 Cousins #2

28 weeks and 29 weeks

2010-08-08T17:54:00.005-05:00

I have had a very busy couple of weeks… photos up the ying yang to edit and the house to take care of and the nursery to get set up. Man oh man, will it be nice when things calm down.

Highlights over the last couple weeks:

-The third trimester is upon us! That labor business is slowly but surely creeping up on me. Yikes.

-Birthing class started. It’s hilarious to watch my very conservative husband listen to/look at things like dilation charts, vaginal secretion discussions, videos of live births and all sorts of fun things like that. My favorite part though is when we have relaxation time and Max has to massage me J He can practice that all he wants.

-Nursery is much further along than it was. We have an area rug in there now, the crib is set up, my books were taken out of a bookshelf and the empty bookshelf is in the room now, my “new” changing table is in there and the rocking chair that Gma Jenny and Gpa Ray gave us a couple years ago. I just need to make some new cushions for the rocking chair and some other home projects that need to get done as well.

-Hmm, maybe not what you really need to know but last week Max and I were making dinner and I had to sneeze and when I did I peed my pants a little bit. Wasn’t quite expecting that! Baby is pushing down a bit on my bladder. Only sneeze while sitting from now on.

-Baby is getting big enough now that I can feel every little thing s/he does. Kicking is an obvious, but when s/he rolls, adjusts, changes position and when s/he has the hiccups! I do believe this is the start of the baby running out of room.

-Took care of that glucose business. Wasn’t too bad. Tasted like flat, extra sugary Sunkist. So sugary it burned my throat a little bit. Better to just chug that and get it done with. Results were normal so I can continue with this ice cream obsession that I have!

-Swelling of the limbs is so much fun. Last Thursday my feet were so swollen that it cut off circulation to my feet. My feet were asleep ALL. DAY. LONG. That is not comfortable. Even after Max would rub my feet and push that water retention up my leg, as soon as he stopped it just would swell right back up. It was fine the next day though.

-I have started to break into the maternity pants. I HATE maternity pants so I have been wearing my regular pants with a belly band but my ass has gotten too big to comfortably wear my normal pants so I’m stuck with the dumb maternity pants. I miss my normal pants. I miss my normal clothes. I miss having options. Countdown is on though to slowly fitting back into them! Baby Arco will be here in approximately T-minus 11 weeks! Holy Moses!

brb

2010-08-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

I know that my 28 week blog is late.

I'm editing photos every spare minute I have.

When I come up for air I'll be back.

Hopefully real soon.

Don't yell at me!

Oh My!

2010-07-31T11:28:00.001-05:00

Oh what these texts do to my heart!!

27 weeks

2010-07-25T19:51:00.002-05:00

Baby and I have had a pretty good week. S/he was not moving around too much at the beginning of the week due to heat but has definitely made up for it in the past couple of days. I went swimming up at the cabin this past weekend which the baby apparently enjoyed immensely. Not sure if it was the cooling down or maybe s/he can feel me floating around but either way, as soon as I got in the water, s/he was kicking and swirling all over the place. Perhaps I have a future swimmer on my hands!

I go in this week for the glucose test. I have heard many, many bad things about this orange mixture they give you. Not looking forward to it. This appointment also marks the change from one appointment a month to one appointment every two weeks. Another indicator of how fast time is going!

I’ve been thinking about how grateful I am that my baby gets to be born into such a large family that already loves him/her. The baby will have so, so, so many aunts and uncles and is already gaining more and more cousins to play with. There are grandparents and great grandparents that are so excited to meet the little bugger. My baby is very blessed to have so much family.

Dear Baby,

2010-07-22T09:15:00.002-05:00

I know you just want to make momma’s birthday special but with you getting so big in there I just don’t have the room to be eating EVERY SINGLE SNACK that is in the break room. I love you very much but if you could stop making everything look SO DANG GOOD that would be great. I feel like I’m ready to burst and it’s only 9 in the morning.

Love you so, so, so, so, so much!

Momma

26 weeks

2010-07-20T21:00:00.002-05:00

Baby and I had our first experience on a road trip and camping together. I'd say we did pretty good. I can tell that I have a lot more blood pumping through me because man oh man was the heat hard to deal with. Lake Michigan, which in the past has proven impossible to get into, was my refuge. I couldn't get all the way in as it would be a temperature shock for the baby but I went up to my toosh and soaked one of my dresses in the water and put it on. That helped to cool me down. Ayda/Dex was pretty quiet in there which I attribute to the heat. Max and I did everything we could to keep me cool. Otherwise, camping while pregnant is not too bad at all.
Nothing new to report really. I've been able to feel punches and kicks for a while now but I'm really being able to distinct now those dragging movements across my belly. Little bugger is pretty strong. Sometimes s/he kicks some spots that are just plain uncomfortable. I don't care what a miracle it is to feel the baby, some things were just not meant to be kicked. Such as my bladder. The baby has discovered my bladder is such a fun toy when full. Not cool.
Max tells me I'm starting to waddle. I guess I can feel myself doing that. I'm sure that it is very attractive.
On Sunday, the baby was in such a high position that there was no way to get comfortable. S/he was pressing on my stomach so hard, made it hard to breathe deeply and sitting or standing wasn't comfortable. I'm hoping that isn't what it's like when you are further along but I'll bet it is. I'm not looking forward to that!
I just can't wait to meet this baby and know if I have a son or a daughter :)

Remember to....

2010-07-14T20:51:00.002-05:00

When leaving for a camping trip, you always need to remember to:

get a tent, air mattress, chairs.
pack variety of clothes for a variety of weather.
basic toiletries.
sunscreen, beach towels and sunglasses.
food.
bug spray, games, etc.

oh yes, also make sure you pick up the tree that fell into your driveway/road so you can leave the house. this is also a good thing to do to meet your neighbors :)

2010-07-11T21:16:00.000-05:00

a baby arco MUST HAVE! :)

Cousins #2

2010-07-11T18:39:00.001-05:00

Here's how the cousins are matching up for size these days...

Thanks Max

2010-07-11T18:26:00.003-05:00

Conversation between my loving husband and I...

J: I sure hope the baby gets your eyelashes, and your head of hair. Basically anything that has to do with hair since you have such nice hair.

M: Well I hope our son gets your facial hair since I can't grow a Go-T.

Awesome.

25 weeks

2010-07-11T17:43:00.003-05:00

Seems like I just took a picture yesterday and now it's already time for another. Weeks are just flying by so fast. I know I say that every week practically but it never ceases to amaze me.
Not too much different this week. Baby is getting stronger which is expected. Seems like Max is always surprised by how the kicks get stronger. It makes me smile to see his face when he gets whacked in the hand. Today he put his face on my belly and the baby gave him a good kick in the cheek. Max's smile was so cute :) I love it when Max is give the baby some attention and the baby responds back. Our little family.
It's been hitting me a little more that I am having a baby. Seems weird to write down because obviously I knew I was having a baby but to think there will actually be a baby in my house, that is MY child that lives here and will depend on Max and I for everything, is just crazy. I have a house that needs a nursery. I have a house that needs a bassinet and a pack and play and a crib and a changing table. I need to get a pump because I will be feeding this new life. It's very surreal.
You know what else? I have to give birth. Sheesh. This child has to come out somehow. That's been on my mind a little bit more lately as well. I'm not scared per say, but it's on my mind a little bit. I like how I have a little bit more knowledge on how things go with watching Axton come into the world so I won't be completely in the dark.
All in all, I am so excited. I can't wait to see what the sex is! My curiosity has been just gnawing at me. I am so completely fine with either sex but I can't wait to find out, to hear those magic words "it's a _____". What a moment that will be. Seems like the numbers are like 65/35 with odds being its a girl. It was pretty 50/50 for a while but more people think Ayda will be coming out of there. Time will tell!

24 weeks

2010-07-07T19:39:00.002-05:00

I had another dream with the baby the other night. It was a girl and I had to keep changing her diaper over and over and over again. That was the whole dream. Me changing her diaper and I couldn't keep up! I had another dream too where the baby was kicking super hard and I was asking someone "don't you feel it? don't you feel the kicks?" and they did not. Guess the baby must be getting strong enough at night where it's entering my dreams!
I've been getting quite a few charlie horses lately. Always in the same spot. I was limping for a couple days last week after an especially bad night of charlie horses. Not cool. I hear that could be from a lack of potassium so I have been eating a banana every day.
We got the nursery painted :) Well, it needs one more coat but oh is it beautiful. Beautiful in a manly or feminine way... Very good color choice! It's a minty/sagey green. I'll eventually put pics up when the room is all put together. Right now it's just a painted room with an ugly floor. Nothing to show.
Baby feels quite large these days. I'm growing out of the clothes I have and am needing to update my wardrobe. Every morning I have a fun game that I like to call "first shirt that fits, wins". Not a game that I enjoy but apparently the baby likes it and likes to make it more challenging. My baby likes a good time :)

tis the season

2010-06-27T20:23:00.003-05:00

Tis the season to be outside in the buggy, humid heat picking many, many raspberries every day. This is our first day of serious picking and from the looks of it there will be many days that are as productive as this one. Too bad I don't like raspberries.

23 weeks

2010-06-27T20:20:00.002-05:00

Holy humongous I look huge this week! At least in the pictures I think I look pretty big! Bugger must have had a growth spurt or something. S/he's quite the active one still and getting stronger and stronger. I know that is very expected but it is different feeling it then hearing about it. I'm told that bugger can open his/her eyes this week. Wonder what it looks like in there? S/he should also be used to all loud noises now such as the dogs barking and growling at each other. Once bugger comes out, those noises apparently shouldn't be a problem. Let's hope so! What Luca lacks in size he makes up for in noise while playing.
Hopefully I will get the nursery painted next weekend. Max and I are going back and forth between two colors. We will see what ends up in there. I also found a mobile online that I love but refuse to pay the high cost so I am going to attempt to make it myself. Wish me luck on that one!
While I am a die hard Pepsi girl this baby is apparently more about the Coke products as Coke is my craving of the week. Man oh man to crack in to a cold one of those is heaven on my tongue. Almost as good as apple juice which has always ranked number one in my book. Don't worry, I rarely indulge in my craving. I am quite sensitive to caffeine as it is and don't want to have my little 1 lb bugger hyper in there.

22 weeks

2010-06-21T19:18:00.003-05:00

Bugger is getting bigger and stronger. Sometimes, just because I'm not used to it, s/he'll randomly kick harder then normal and I will flinch! I wonder what I'll do when the baby is full size and kicking at my ribs. I think that is when I'll enter the "get this thing out of me!" phase right? So right now, the kicks and swirls and elbow jabs are cute :)
My appetite is still pretty large. I do love my food. Max is doing his best at keeping me healthy. Those chocolate shakes sure call to me though. Anything with chocolate syrup really.
It's getting harder to sleep at night. I know it will get much worse, I do. I really do. You don't have to tell me. I am a hard core stomach sleeper so having to give that up at the beginning was hard but I recently had to give up sleeping on my back as well. I usually flop all over the place when I sleep so being down to 2 options just is not easy. Plus, I'll finally get comfortable and Max will move my leg or something and that throws everything off. Poo.
I guess that is all I can think of right now! I am so very lucky to be having such an easy pregnancy (knock on wood). Hopefully it will stay through the whole thing!

The Fugitive Wife by Peter Brown

2010-06-20T09:29:00.001-05:00

This book started out slow for me but I kept going with it and it paid off in the end. I liked it much more than I thought that I would. Not a LOVE like the last one but definitely a like. Probably wouldn't re-read for a while but maybe someday.

Question.

2010-06-15T15:52:00.001-05:00

What does:

Rooftops in Vegas

Party at my Gma’s house

5 year old boy named Pittbull

Australian Funnel Web Spiders

Maternity homes for dogs and humans

About 800 ticks

have in common?

All included in my ten minute snooze button dream. Pregnant dreams are weird.

21 weeks

2010-06-14T21:22:00.001-05:00

Man oh man is this an active baby. I guess I can’t really say he’s overly active since I have not had anything to compare to but s/he is always kicking and swirling and twitching or whatever goes on in there. All day long yesterday I felt the baby and so far today s/he’s been at it. I’m happy our baby is so active! Must take more after Max since I am a very inactive person ;)

I’ve been feeling really good and growing and growing. And I mean everywhere. I’ve never had boobs like this before. I’m used to my nice small ones. In fact I’m quite fond of my small boobs (sorry if this is TMI) but these things are not small anymore. Sheesh. I don’t know how women can WANT big boobs.

Yesterday I felt quite large in the stomach region but today I feel better. It’s funny how one day you feel huge and another day you feel really small.

We had our ultrasound last week and it was amazing, seeing our baby like that. It was so special. I think that is the cutest baby I’ve seen in 3D. Sorry mothers out there but I’m partial to my little bugger.

omgosh!

2010-06-13T11:46:00.003-05:00

This is the fabric I chose for my future baby bedding that Grandma is making for Max and I. Holy Moses, you don't need to tell me that I am going to have the cutest baby bedding you've ever seen! (Or at least that's how I feel)! I'm so grateful that Grandma is doing this for us! This is her first attempt at baby bumpers and the crib skirt (she's an expert at quilts) and I just know she will do great!

I'm so so so so so so so excited to see it! I'm so so so so so so excited that the nursery is slowly but surely starting to get moving! Time is moving so fast! Dex or Ayda will be here before we know it!

Postmarked California?

2010-06-13T08:58:00.002-05:00

Dear Cesar Millan,

Please work your magic on my idiotic, I mean loveable furry creatures. I have a Yorkie who thinks he rules the roost and enjoys marking my chairs, table legs, fridge and stove even though he goes outside plenty of times and always makes use of that time. He also has recently found that walking on the left side of the road is just not for him and I have to drag him until we cross the road. I don't enjoy this new habit of his. He also likes to stare at the walls where the mice have been. He will spend hours doing this... will this ruin his eyesite? Perhaps then he won't know we are on the left side of the road.

I also have a 75 pound Rottweiler mix who thinks that he is 10 pounds and has a problem with other dogs who are larger than his "10 pounds". He is very protective of his parents and does not enjoy letting other dogs near us or even around us. He has developed a nice little habit of whining when no one will pay attention to him (this includes my actual 10 pound monster).

These habits are starting to get REALLY old and will become an issue once the baby comes as I will no longer want to put up with it. Come on out to the beautiful WI and spend sometime with the cheeseheads. I'm sure that there are lots of other people around here wanting your help. (But make sure you start with my house!)

Thanks Cesar!
Sincerely, me.

My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young

2010-06-13T08:50:00.002-05:00

Instead of insisting that I own every book that I read (which is costly and takes up a lot of space), I've decided to go back to my childhood and go to the library for my books. This way, I won't run out of books and it's saving us a bit of money. Also, once my child is old enough to start really getting into books, it can be something we share together since Max definitely isn't a "library person".
So, these book posts are really just for me, so I can remember what books I have read, which ones I've likes, authors I've found, etc. So you might just have to disregard these posts. Sorry about that.

LOVED IT. Already have been going back and re-reading my favorite parts. Easy read but LOVED IT.

Rain Rain

2010-06-08T06:40:00.002-05:00

Dear Clyde:

I do NOT walk in the rain. You can simmer down now. One day won't kill you.

Love, Momma

Meet our happy, healthy baby :)

2010-06-07T18:59:00.003-05:00

Already sleeps like his/her daddy :) Baby is healthy and normal and right on schedule for his/her due date. Dex/Ayda was very wiggly during the ultrasound, very cute to see! Oooooo I just love my baby already! Can't wait to give him/her kisses!

-Max is very adamant about not wanting ultrasound pictures on the internet so this is the only one I'll be showing and none on facebook.

20 weeks

2010-06-06T18:58:00.002-05:00

I can't believe we are halfway there. Time is going by so quickly that before I know it, I will have a little baby in my arms. I feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we need to get done but I know that we will have everything ready for Dex/Ayda.
Ultrasound is tomorrow (let's hope) after 3 or 4 reschedules. The last being the fault of some lady who stole my doctor away so she could give birth... sheesh, the nerve of some people :) I'm so excited to see how this little bugger looks and to hear how s/he is developing. I'm really hoping there is no slippage of the sex or that the baby doesn't give us the opportunity to see what the sex is. Max and I really want to keep this a surprise!

Oh my college buddies

2010-06-05T23:02:00.002-05:00

I met up with Sarah and Ashley today for a little Olive Garden dinner :) It's so nice that I have found such good friends when I went to college. Even nicer that we have stayed good friends! Plus who else would I talk "photo" with! No one understands the photoshop lingo! Love you ladies!
P.S. Ashley! Don't be such a blog stalker! Start your own blog up so I can return the stalking! jk. kinda ;)

It's sleepy time

2010-06-05T07:54:00.004-05:00

Dear Dexter/Ayda,

The bigger you get my child, the earlier I'm waking up. I'm sorry to tell you but it is not a work day. Weekends you are allowed to sleep later. If you could please let momma store up some sleep, I will be happy to wake up with you at all hours of the night when you come out. Maybe not happy about waking up, but happy to have you with me.

Love you!

Momma

P.S. It's really weird to write momma and mean me, not MY mother.

FYI

2010-06-03T17:27:00.004-05:00

Pregnant people who:
-woke up on the wrong side of the bed,
-have had a very bad/cranky (dang hormones) day

DO NOT DO WELL with:
-waiting for the very exciting ultrasound for 40 min
-then being told it needs to be rescheduled because the doctor had to help a patient give birth
-then having it rescheduled for the next Friday to be re-rescheduled for Monday again.

Pregnant people just want to see their baby.
Without all the reschedules.

19 weeks

2010-05-31T09:30:00.002-05:00

We had a pretty good week this week :) No big problems, not too many headaches. Bugger moves around all the time now! Or at least I can feel him/her moving around all the time now. Just a couple of days ago, s/he was playing kickball with my appendix or something and was moving around HARD and Max could feel the baby from the outside! It has happened a couple more times since then so that is very exciting :) I know how much Max has been looking forward to that. Even last night he slept with his hand on my belly which he hasn't really done. I think he wants to feel the baby more. Seems like the little bugger moves around the most in the evening. I feel him/her in the morning for just a little while but at night s/he goes wild! A good hour or so is spent kicking and swirling around. I love it!
We had our 18 week appointment on Friday. I am having such an ideal pregnancy so far (knock on wood) that we don't even have anything to discuss in our appointments! The baby's heartbeat was at 148 for that appointment. So they go like this so far: 155, 150 and 148. Mom freaked out right away and said "SEE, IT'S A GIRL". I know that I would be mighty surprised if this baby turned out to be a girl but I think mom will be just as surprised if bugger is a boy. So either way, someone is going to be very surprised.
Our ultrasound in on Thursday! I'm so excited to see my little bugger on that screen. I am still going back and forth with Max about the pictures. He is the only person I know who is slightly creeped out by ultrasounds so he doesn't want any pictures going on the internet. I told him that since he wants NONE on the internet and I want THEM ALL on the internet, a good compromise would be for me to put a couple up and just on my blog. I feel like a lot less people read my blog then facebook so that should satisfy him a little bit. He is still being a bear about it but I'll work on it. He has to compromise too! No worries, we are still not finding out the sex. Hopefully no one slips or we will be mighty upset.

Cousins :)

2010-05-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

2 sisters-one due date-happy cousins :)

18 weeks

2010-05-26T19:54:00.003-05:00

I felt the baby move!!!! Oh what an amazing feeling. Physical validation (other then my growing stomach) that there is a little baby in there :) I feel him/her daily now. Sometimes it's little "bubbles", almost like fizz rising to the top of your soda, sometimes its a "swish" where I imagine him/her kicking or stretching. Always I like to stop and pay attention. Even right now as I write this the baby is moving around... bugger knows we are talking about him/her! I LOVE it. Now I can't wait for Max to be able to feel the baby as well. I always stick his hand on my belly even though I know he can't feel it but just so his hand is so close to contact with our baby.
We have our 18 week appointment on Friday so we'll get to hear the heartbeat again as well as the ultrasound next week :):):) super excited for that! I will carry around those photos and show them to everyone! Max is really weird about the ultrasound pics though, he doesn't want me to put any on the internet. We are going to have to compromise on that one.
My sister-in-law had her ultrasound this past week and found out she was having a boy. I was gobsmacked. I was sure, SURE that she was having a girl and now it's a boy. Now my instincts feel all off and I'm not sure what I am having. I don't think I am having the same sex as Kennedy so now I have switched and am calling my belly Ayda more often (I was calling my belly Dexter all the time). Only 21 or so weeks until we see I guess! They will go fast enough, think of how fast the last 20 weeks have gone!

p.s. my 18 week pic was taken at 1030 at night while having one of my frequent vicious headaches... please excuse my extreme pleasure I'm showing here...

Needy much?

2010-05-22T16:03:00.003-05:00

I have heard of dogs getting needy and sensing when a baby is on the way but shouldn't they get needy towards momma? ... They sure love their daddy.

Trick or Treat??

2010-05-21T12:50:00.002-05:00

How are you supposed to find something to eat or something to cook for your poor husband who always has to make dinner when EVERY. SINGLE. THING. in the kitchen looks disgusting and makes you want to vomit? Is there some sort of trick?

Not enjoying this stage little bugger, not enjoying it at all.

17 weeks

2010-05-18T19:56:00.002-05:00

I always think of things to say during the week but when it comes to sitting down and actually typing it out, I can't remember a thing!
I am feeling more pregnant these days. I know I will get much bigger but my body is no longer doing what it usually can. Sitting on the couch has to be done in a special position since my stomach won't go "in" anymore... I doubt that I look like I'm doing the pregnant walk but it almost feels like I am having to move side to side when I walk long distances. I'm fitting into my "bigger" pregnant clothes. You get what I mean :) That little baby is growing in there!
I've been getting these headaches, holy moses, are they vicious. I don't usually get headaches too often so these buggers are coming almost every day. If I can, I have to go and sit in a spot where there is very little light and very little noise. Sheesh. They are NO FUN. Heartburn is becoming more frequent as well. Today I had a very bad episode after Dad took me out to Arby's for lunch. Yikes. I hate Tums too... that chalky texture. Gives me goosebumps every time I chew into one. Better get used to it I think!
Still waiting on the little baby to move... everyone says I will KNOW when I feel him/her. I think I might have today. I felt a little something moving around 2 but it didn't happen again so I don't know if I should count it. I'm probably just reading too much into it. I'm just so excited to feel him/her!
I'm happy to announce that my baby has names picked out :) Since some people know, some people don't, I don't feel like it needs to be a secret. The gender of the baby is secret enough I guess. Drumroll please........
If we have a girl, her name will be Ayda Lynn and if we have a boy, his name will be Dexter Lincoln. :):):):)
While we picked out the names together, I officially picked out Ayda's name and Max officially picked out Dexter's name. Both middle names are family names. We are very happy with our decision and are excited to see who comes out of there!

Things on my mind RIGHT. NOW

2010-05-18T16:25:00.001-05:00

- Get the entire camping trip for my friends and I planned out RIGHT. NOW

- Figure out a way to make all the money I need for maternity leave RIGHT. NOW

- Figure out a way to pay all of our unnecessary debt RIGHT.NOW

- Contrive a way to get a railing put up on the stairs so that I don’t tumble off the stairs in the middle of the night in my current “wobbly” phase RIGHT. NOW

- Get the nursery and all large items finished and put together RIGHT. NOW

- Lastly, figure out how to get the stupid shower curtain liner to not billow out while I’m taking a shower. That is very annoying. There is already limited space in there without having a shower curtain blowing in.

Any ideas on any of these RIGHT. NOW issues I am having?

P.S. I love hormones

Mr. Lawn Mower... current address: our garage

2010-05-16T12:15:00.002-05:00

Dear Mr. Lawn Mower,

I know that we pretty much beat the crap out of you. Max and I are just not yard people and with Max being sick and all this rain, the yard got a bit long. You are such a trooper in getting through that ridiculously high grass that not even Luca can walk through but Mr. Lawn Mower... was it necessary to pitch a hissy fit and have your wheel fall off when I only had ONE strip left to mow? I didn't think so. Next time, lets be adult about the situation and finish the very small section of this very big yard.

Thanks!