I was watching "Best of the decade" stuff on just about every news show this morning. Nothing makes me feel older than thinking that a decade has passed in the blink of an eye. Although, now I'm wondering whether this is the end of the decade or if that comes at the end of 2010. Either way, I'm writing about it. So there.
Highlights and Low lights:
2000:
My second semester of college started at the beginning of the year. I got engaged on Christmas Day, 2000 - almost a year later.
? Thinking back, it's hard to remember anything bad about the college years.
2001:
Wedding planning!
D and I had one of the hardest years of our relationship. Stress!!
2002:
June 1st - we got married! D graduated college. December - I graduated. Then, we moved alllll the way across the country, to the east coast. Big changes!
Wedding stress. Moving stress.
2003:
January brought my first day of my first real job! D is in graduate school. Our marriage was off to a good start, we had to depend on each other. The job went well and I was hired back (teacher) for the next year.
Loneliness. It was a big change moving away from almost everyone we knew. Job stress.
2004:
D finished graduate school in May. We had job offers in 3 different states and, best of all, got pregnant with our first baby.
Moving AGAIN. Moving to a state I was sure was full of red necks. (I was wrong.)
2005:
d was born. Parenthood brought so many more joys than I expected. We bought our first house.
d never slept. Parenthood brought so many more frustrations than I ever expected.
2006:
I had a miscarriage in January. Fertility struggles and treatments ensued but we did get pregnant again, right before what would have been my due date with the baby I lost.
2007:
O was born!!! I had a surprise pregnancy a few months later, which brought on a freak out, but turned into a blessing.
It was a hard pregnancy. I enjoyed having 2 little boys, but felt badly about O's babyhood being cut a bit short. We built and moved into our new house. We didn't sell our old house.
2008:
C was born!!! We spent a few months in Seattle and I spent several months in a depression. The transition from 2 to 3 was ROUGH. I finally started to feel better though, near the very end of the year. We still didn't sell our old house, but we were able to rent it.
2009:
We decided to complete our family with one last baby. We finally sold our second house and reduced our debt. I had a sick, rather difficult pregnancy but the childbirth I wanted. L was born and we are totally in love.
I've realized that this was my child bearing decade. We're done having kids, we're not planning on moving anytime soon and we're both bearing down on 30.It's the end of an era in our lives!
It was an exciting time - for sure.
Bring it on 2010, this decade is going to be hard to beat!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
It's that time again.
Yep, it's that time again. Time for New Year's resolutions!
I have a pretty short list this year. I'm pretty happy with the way my life is going and so I just have a few goals I'd like to accomplish right now.
1) Find my faith legs. I'm definitely feeling a bit lost in the general faith/religion area. This continues to show up on my to-do list and I'm hoping that I'll finally be able to stop struggling with it so much.
2) Lose weight. I know - how cliche! It's true though. I don't feel good at this weight and I want to lose a substantial amount. I'm also vain and want to look better. That might be shallow, but it's true. I feel pretty good about my self-worth, but I want to have a good body image for a change. I'll probably be writing about that journey in more detail at my other blog: Losing 50
3) Have one in diapers instead of 2. C turns 2 in May, and he's already shown interest in learning to use the potty. I'm hoping that by the end of the year, only Miss L will be in diapers. We'll see where this journey leads us!
4) Finish the back yard.
5) Teach C colors, shapes, numbers and letters. Help O learn to write and learn numbers past 20. Try not to freak out when d goes to Kindergarten.
Well, that's about it. Not very lofty goals this year I suppose, but I think I can make them all happen.
I have a pretty short list this year. I'm pretty happy with the way my life is going and so I just have a few goals I'd like to accomplish right now.
1) Find my faith legs. I'm definitely feeling a bit lost in the general faith/religion area. This continues to show up on my to-do list and I'm hoping that I'll finally be able to stop struggling with it so much.
2) Lose weight. I know - how cliche! It's true though. I don't feel good at this weight and I want to lose a substantial amount. I'm also vain and want to look better. That might be shallow, but it's true. I feel pretty good about my self-worth, but I want to have a good body image for a change. I'll probably be writing about that journey in more detail at my other blog: Losing 50
3) Have one in diapers instead of 2. C turns 2 in May, and he's already shown interest in learning to use the potty. I'm hoping that by the end of the year, only Miss L will be in diapers. We'll see where this journey leads us!
4) Finish the back yard.
5) Teach C colors, shapes, numbers and letters. Help O learn to write and learn numbers past 20. Try not to freak out when d goes to Kindergarten.
Well, that's about it. Not very lofty goals this year I suppose, but I think I can make them all happen.
Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry, Merry
Christmas Eve festivities...
Daddy's favorite present.
The birthday cake we made for Baby Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TFrO8c_kVQ
Making reindeer food.
Daddy's favorite present.
The birthday cake we made for Baby Jesus.
Reading "The Night Before Christmas." 
Merry Christmas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TFrO8c_kVQ
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Make your own crayons
I've seen those fancy crayon makers at the store and, if I recall correctly, they were around $30. Well, there's no need to spend that kind of money to make your own crayons. You can just follow these simple steps:
1 - Find all your broken crayons and take the paper off. This is the hardest part of the project.
2- Put the crayons into either muffin tins or candy molds. You can do them all the same color, similar colors or mixed up colors. We did some of each.
I had helpers for this part...
3 - Put the crayons into the preheated 350 degree oven for a few minutes. It doesn't take long for them to melt. (Put the molds/muffin tins on a cookie sheet so you don't spill wax on your oven. Not that I learned that by experience or anything...)
4 - Let cool. I put mine in the freezer for a little bit to speed the process. Take them out of the molds and you have brand new crayons! A great present for your kids friends or your nieces, nephews or any little kids you need gifts for. Paired with a new coloring book this makes a great gift!
1 - Find all your broken crayons and take the paper off. This is the hardest part of the project.
2- Put the crayons into either muffin tins or candy molds. You can do them all the same color, similar colors or mixed up colors. We did some of each.
I had helpers for this part...
3 - Put the crayons into the preheated 350 degree oven for a few minutes. It doesn't take long for them to melt. (Put the molds/muffin tins on a cookie sheet so you don't spill wax on your oven. Not that I learned that by experience or anything...)
4 - Let cool. I put mine in the freezer for a little bit to speed the process. Take them out of the molds and you have brand new crayons! A great present for your kids friends or your nieces, nephews or any little kids you need gifts for. Paired with a new coloring book this makes a great gift!
Mental State & Baby Update
I realized today that despite the fact that I have way too many irons in the fire, not enough hands and ... I am happy. I'm still on edge, waiting for the depression to rush in and take me by surprise but it's not.
I have my moments, for sure. Like yesterday, when the baby was screaming, the boys were terrorizing each other, and the dog puked on the floor at the same time the cat broke a Christmas tree ornament. At that moment I threw up my hands and said, "I'm done!" (and I considered leaving dog puke on the floor till husband got home, since it was already nearly 7PM)
BUT, instead, I got up and turned on the TV so no little "helpers" would step in dog puke and/or broken glass and cleaned up the messes quickly, took out the trash and then washed up and fed the baby. You know, like a normal person would do.
And it was hard to balance everything and I didn't want to, but I didn't resent it. I wanted help, but I didn't break down and lose it when no help came. And we were fine.
In a previous post-partum state, I don't think I would have reacted so well.
That's not to say I haven't still lost my temper or felt overwhelmed - I definitely have - but I think it's in the normal range of *I have 4 kids under 5* overwhelmed and not the *I want to throw myself off a cliff or drive my car into a tree* overwhelmed.
So, even though D is going to WORK part of the Christmas holidays, when *edit* I am still feeling OK.
Shocking, isn't it?
-----------
Baby update:
I took Miss L to the doctor today and she was 9 lbs 14 oz. Last Monday she was 8lbs 6oz and that means she has gained nearly 3 oz A DAY since then. Even the doctor was shocked. The nurse asked me several times if I was supplementing with formula (I'm not) and seemed unbelieving that I could do that by myself. ha.
She has grown 2 lbs and 1.25 inches in 3 weeks. It's no wonder I've already had to put her newborn sized outfits away!
I took O with me too, he was well past due for one shot that he was supposed to get at his 2 year appointment. I told him that he would get a shot and that it would hurt a little bit, but not for long and that if he was good (i.e. didn't try to get away, crying is acceptable of course!) I had a candy cane in my purse for him. (no, I'm not above bribing...) He was SO good that you wouldn't have even known he got a shot. He even sat quietly and colored in my little notebook while the Dr examined Miss L. It amazes me how much he's growing up. Also, that child will do just about anything for a mini candy cane.
I have my moments, for sure. Like yesterday, when the baby was screaming, the boys were terrorizing each other, and the dog puked on the floor at the same time the cat broke a Christmas tree ornament. At that moment I threw up my hands and said, "I'm done!" (and I considered leaving dog puke on the floor till husband got home, since it was already nearly 7PM)
BUT, instead, I got up and turned on the TV so no little "helpers" would step in dog puke and/or broken glass and cleaned up the messes quickly, took out the trash and then washed up and fed the baby. You know, like a normal person would do.
And it was hard to balance everything and I didn't want to, but I didn't resent it. I wanted help, but I didn't break down and lose it when no help came. And we were fine.
In a previous post-partum state, I don't think I would have reacted so well.
That's not to say I haven't still lost my temper or felt overwhelmed - I definitely have - but I think it's in the normal range of *I have 4 kids under 5* overwhelmed and not the *I want to throw myself off a cliff or drive my car into a tree* overwhelmed.
So, even though D is going to WORK part of the Christmas holidays, when *edit* I am still feeling OK.
Shocking, isn't it?
-----------
Baby update:
I took Miss L to the doctor today and she was 9 lbs 14 oz. Last Monday she was 8lbs 6oz and that means she has gained nearly 3 oz A DAY since then. Even the doctor was shocked. The nurse asked me several times if I was supplementing with formula (I'm not) and seemed unbelieving that I could do that by myself. ha.
She has grown 2 lbs and 1.25 inches in 3 weeks. It's no wonder I've already had to put her newborn sized outfits away!
I took O with me too, he was well past due for one shot that he was supposed to get at his 2 year appointment. I told him that he would get a shot and that it would hurt a little bit, but not for long and that if he was good (i.e. didn't try to get away, crying is acceptable of course!) I had a candy cane in my purse for him. (no, I'm not above bribing...) He was SO good that you wouldn't have even known he got a shot. He even sat quietly and colored in my little notebook while the Dr examined Miss L. It amazes me how much he's growing up. Also, that child will do just about anything for a mini candy cane.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Resolutions, Revisited
As a lot of people do, I made a long list of New Year's Resolutions at the beginning of 2009. Let's take a look and see how well I did at sticking to those resolutions.
1 - Get to church 3x a month. This is lofty considering the amount of church we've missed this year, but I think it's do-able.
Yeah, that soooo did not happen. In fact, we haven't been in... months. FAIL!
2 - Stick to my diet plan and be 50 lbs lighter by July 4th.
haha! Well, I got pregnant in March so by July I was gaining weight and not losing. I can guarantee this one will show up on this year's resolution list too.
3 - Get involved in a charity that focuses on reducing world hunger.
I did alright with this one. I donated to Heifer International every month up until June, when we found out that our renters moved out and we would have to try to sell the house. Finances became tight for awhile so I didn't donate after that.
4 - Start each day by dressing enough that I wouldn't be embarrassed to answer the door. Including fixing my hair. (I'm embarrassed that THIS has to be my goal...)
Still embarrassed that this is my goal! Except for the first trimester and part of the 3rd trimester, I did OK.
5 - Teach the dog to be WALKED rather to WALK ME. I'd say this was a success, but she only walks well for me, and only if I'm really strict about it. She pulls the arms off everyone else still.
6 - Teach O his letters, d to read more words and Baby C his colors. (later in the year for C...) Also, start baby signs with C.
Success for the most part! O knows all his letters and most of the sounds. d can read some words. C doesn't know his colors, or at least not very many. I have to admit that I haven't worked with him much - he doesn't sit still AT.ALL. Good grief. That child is a tornado! He does know some sign language now though.
7 - Spend less money. Go to store less and start keeping track of finances more effectively.
Success for the most part!
8 - Save enough to fence the remaining 1/3 of the yard.
We plan to do this in the spring, so we're still building up our savings for that.
9 - Paint our boring walls.
Done!! We finished our kitchen this past weekend, and my parents helped paint the bathroom while they were here. All the rooms I had planned on painting have been done so I can check that one off the list!
10 - Move O into a toddler bed and be a one crib household again. (This will probably be later this year. Why mess with a good thing?)
Done. O moved into a toddler bed right around his 2nd birthday and moved into a twin bed shortly thereafter. We're not exactly a one crib household now though...
11 - Consider and attempt potty training for O. Ug. (On the other hand, I can't even remember the last time I only had ONE in diapers!)
Believe it or not, this happened a couple months after O's 2nd birthday as well. He had a little bit of regression after Miss L was born, but today was picture perfect so things are going pretty well in that department. d wasn't pt'd until he was almost 3, and it was a loooong process so this seems early to me.
1 - Get to church 3x a month. This is lofty considering the amount of church we've missed this year, but I think it's do-able.
Yeah, that soooo did not happen. In fact, we haven't been in... months. FAIL!
2 - Stick to my diet plan and be 50 lbs lighter by July 4th.
haha! Well, I got pregnant in March so by July I was gaining weight and not losing. I can guarantee this one will show up on this year's resolution list too.
3 - Get involved in a charity that focuses on reducing world hunger.
I did alright with this one. I donated to Heifer International every month up until June, when we found out that our renters moved out and we would have to try to sell the house. Finances became tight for awhile so I didn't donate after that.
4 - Start each day by dressing enough that I wouldn't be embarrassed to answer the door. Including fixing my hair. (I'm embarrassed that THIS has to be my goal...)
Still embarrassed that this is my goal! Except for the first trimester and part of the 3rd trimester, I did OK.
5 - Teach the dog to be WALKED rather to WALK ME. I'd say this was a success, but she only walks well for me, and only if I'm really strict about it. She pulls the arms off everyone else still.
6 - Teach O his letters, d to read more words and Baby C his colors. (later in the year for C...) Also, start baby signs with C.
Success for the most part! O knows all his letters and most of the sounds. d can read some words. C doesn't know his colors, or at least not very many. I have to admit that I haven't worked with him much - he doesn't sit still AT.ALL. Good grief. That child is a tornado! He does know some sign language now though.
7 - Spend less money. Go to store less and start keeping track of finances more effectively.
Success for the most part!
8 - Save enough to fence the remaining 1/3 of the yard.
We plan to do this in the spring, so we're still building up our savings for that.
9 - Paint our boring walls.
Done!! We finished our kitchen this past weekend, and my parents helped paint the bathroom while they were here. All the rooms I had planned on painting have been done so I can check that one off the list!
10 - Move O into a toddler bed and be a one crib household again. (This will probably be later this year. Why mess with a good thing?)
Done. O moved into a toddler bed right around his 2nd birthday and moved into a twin bed shortly thereafter. We're not exactly a one crib household now though...
11 - Consider and attempt potty training for O. Ug. (On the other hand, I can't even remember the last time I only had ONE in diapers!)
Believe it or not, this happened a couple months after O's 2nd birthday as well. He had a little bit of regression after Miss L was born, but today was picture perfect so things are going pretty well in that department. d wasn't pt'd until he was almost 3, and it was a loooong process so this seems early to me.
must have coffee
Although I am not experiencing sleep deprivation as badly as I have before, I am still tired. Even though Miss L only gets up to eat 2 or 3 times on an average night, that still makes me tired. Expected, but not loved. Still, last baby. So... enjoy it. Right?
So, coffee has become a staple, yet it doesn't seem to wake me up. I think that it's more of the comfort that I get from drinking it that I love. If I weren't breastfeeding, I might buy something "adult" to put in my coffee to deal with my impending visitors. (or, really, one of them.) The one that has suggested - several times - that we should wait to have Christmas till they get here. (sorry. Christmas is for kids and they are so excited! I cannot/don't want to make them wait.)
D goes a little crazy when they come visit. I've been banned from mentioning his upcoming "V" because he thinks they might not approve (staunch Catholics) and the fact that we haven't been to church since the LAST time they were here (June?) annnnnd, he broke out the carpet cleaner last night at nearly 10PM. (Not helping with the sleep deprivation, P.S.)
Me? I'm not so keen on the baby grabbing and refusal to give her back. And the "she's crying for Grandma" comments. (yeah, right!) And the dirty looks between the mil and fil when I disagree, or take MY OWN baby or one of my other kids and the resonating disapproval over any number of small things. Oooh, fun. I'm trying to decide if I should self-medicate, hide in my bedroom longer than necessary (although I'll already be in there FOREVER as much as Miss L eats!) or just cease to care what they think. (easier said than done.) Plus, BIL and SIL will be here and I actually *want* to see them, so hiding is less appealing than it might be...
Anyway. This was not supposed to be a mil post. Funny how it turned in that direction.
----
Miss L is so sweet and the kids are all about her, especially d. Even O finally warmed up and asked to hold her yesterday. She's growing well and has a dr's appt on Wednesday, so we can see how she's growing. I'm realizing that this post is a bit disjointed...
----
Nursing moms:
Have you heard of Milkies? This is, like, the BEST INVENTION EVER! You have to get one, srsly.
----
The cat is driving me crazy. He keeps knocking everything off the bathroom counters, playing with the ornaments on the tree, drinking out of toilets, bathtubs, sinks, cups, ANYTHING except his clean, fresh water bowl. What is the deal with that?! *pause to spray him for climbing Christmas tree*
----
As I've been writing this, d has been talking incessantly and L has been looking at him with wide-eyed interest and smiling at me. I love those first baby smiles. SO sweet!
/random post
So, coffee has become a staple, yet it doesn't seem to wake me up. I think that it's more of the comfort that I get from drinking it that I love. If I weren't breastfeeding, I might buy something "adult" to put in my coffee to deal with my impending visitors. (or, really, one of them.) The one that has suggested - several times - that we should wait to have Christmas till they get here. (sorry. Christmas is for kids and they are so excited! I cannot/don't want to make them wait.)
D goes a little crazy when they come visit. I've been banned from mentioning his upcoming "V" because he thinks they might not approve (staunch Catholics) and the fact that we haven't been to church since the LAST time they were here (June?) annnnnd, he broke out the carpet cleaner last night at nearly 10PM. (Not helping with the sleep deprivation, P.S.)
Me? I'm not so keen on the baby grabbing and refusal to give her back. And the "she's crying for Grandma" comments. (yeah, right!) And the dirty looks between the mil and fil when I disagree, or take MY OWN baby or one of my other kids and the resonating disapproval over any number of small things. Oooh, fun. I'm trying to decide if I should self-medicate, hide in my bedroom longer than necessary (although I'll already be in there FOREVER as much as Miss L eats!) or just cease to care what they think. (easier said than done.) Plus, BIL and SIL will be here and I actually *want* to see them, so hiding is less appealing than it might be...
Anyway. This was not supposed to be a mil post. Funny how it turned in that direction.
----
Miss L is so sweet and the kids are all about her, especially d. Even O finally warmed up and asked to hold her yesterday. She's growing well and has a dr's appt on Wednesday, so we can see how she's growing. I'm realizing that this post is a bit disjointed...
----
Nursing moms:
Have you heard of Milkies? This is, like, the BEST INVENTION EVER! You have to get one, srsly.
----
The cat is driving me crazy. He keeps knocking everything off the bathroom counters, playing with the ornaments on the tree, drinking out of toilets, bathtubs, sinks, cups, ANYTHING except his clean, fresh water bowl. What is the deal with that?! *pause to spray him for climbing Christmas tree*
----
As I've been writing this, d has been talking incessantly and L has been looking at him with wide-eyed interest and smiling at me. I love those first baby smiles. SO sweet!
/random post
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Christmas meme
Eggnog or hot chocolate? Yes, please.
Does Santa wrap the presents or leave them open under the tree?
Santa brings each child one big (or big-ish) gift and leaves it unwrapped, near the tree. He also fills stockings, and also doesn't wrap stuff in there. Santa is very, very busy so he thinks wrapping is overrated.
Colored lights on a tree or white? Colored! Even better if they twinkle. White's good too. In fact, let's have some of each!
Do you hang mistletoe? No. But we used to, before we had kids.
When do you put your decorations up? Usually within a week after Thanksgiving.
What is your favorite holiday dish? hmmm. I'm not sure. Turkey?
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes. The kids will open new pajamas this year. That way, Christmas morning has nice new pj's for pictures.
How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Our "real" tree, the one we have in our living room and put presents under, has a mish mash of ornaments that we've collected over the years. It has colored lights and a tacky, neon, flashing star. The "show" tree is taller and very thin and has all red ornaments and white lights. It's in the front window and can be seen from the street.
Snow: love it or hate it? I like it for about 3 hours or so. Maybe longer if I don't have to go anywhere.
Can you ice skate? I haven't tried in years, but I doubt I've suddenly got a lot better at it.
What is your favorite holiday dessert? chocolate covered... anything.
What is your favorite holiday tradition?Opening stockings on Christmas morning. I'm so excited already! I'm worse than the kids.
Candy canes: yum or yuck? They're alright. I prefer chocolate, as mentioned above...
Favorite Christmas show? The Grinch. (cartoon version)
I stole this from Swistle. Play along if you want!
Does Santa wrap the presents or leave them open under the tree?
Santa brings each child one big (or big-ish) gift and leaves it unwrapped, near the tree. He also fills stockings, and also doesn't wrap stuff in there. Santa is very, very busy so he thinks wrapping is overrated.
Colored lights on a tree or white? Colored! Even better if they twinkle. White's good too. In fact, let's have some of each!
Do you hang mistletoe? No. But we used to, before we had kids.
When do you put your decorations up? Usually within a week after Thanksgiving.
What is your favorite holiday dish? hmmm. I'm not sure. Turkey?
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes. The kids will open new pajamas this year. That way, Christmas morning has nice new pj's for pictures.
How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Our "real" tree, the one we have in our living room and put presents under, has a mish mash of ornaments that we've collected over the years. It has colored lights and a tacky, neon, flashing star. The "show" tree is taller and very thin and has all red ornaments and white lights. It's in the front window and can be seen from the street.
Snow: love it or hate it? I like it for about 3 hours or so. Maybe longer if I don't have to go anywhere.
Can you ice skate? I haven't tried in years, but I doubt I've suddenly got a lot better at it.
What is your favorite holiday dessert? chocolate covered... anything.
What is your favorite holiday tradition?Opening stockings on Christmas morning. I'm so excited already! I'm worse than the kids.
Candy canes: yum or yuck? They're alright. I prefer chocolate, as mentioned above...
Favorite Christmas show? The Grinch. (cartoon version)
I stole this from Swistle. Play along if you want!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Year in Review - 2009
Where did the year go?! Its been a very good year for us so let's have a quick recap!
January: There were some lofty resolutions, which I will evaluate in depth in a later post. Needless to say, I didn't *quite* meet all those. There was also some (a lot) of baby talk and some griping about rugby. I'm not even going to link to those, it's in so many posts you may as well just read the whole month of January. Fun stuff. I also started shredding, and I seem to remember wishing I would just die instead of having to work out with Jillian again.
February: Was pretty uneventful and, with the amount of b*tching I did, apparently it was also pretty annoying. There was some talk of gender guiding that I ultimately dismissed. On Valentine's Day there was a sentimental post on the state of my marriage. Oh, and just for fun, one of my favorite pictures of d & O.
March: Whew! March was a busy month! I went away with friends for a weekend, and there was so much baby talk, along with a negative hpt which I would later find out was just from being too early... My very first baby had his 4th birthday as well. I once again complained too much about rugby and lamented on the short years and long days.
April: Well, April was pretty eventful! First there was a big announcement! O Baby had his birthday, and suddenly he wasn't a baby anymore. I vented about my church and felt a bit lost in my faith, which, by the way, hasn't improved as much as I would have hoped. I also said "screw it!" to at least 10 things.
May: May brought a heartbeat! My littlest man, C had his first birthday. Then, somewhere along the way, I decided that I should never leave the house again. I also thought, again, about schooling. Public, Private or Annoy the MIL? hehe
June: June was full of food, or it seemed to be that way when I was looking back. I talked a lot about the butt load of lettuce we grew, and craved vinegar like it was going out of style! D had his 29th birthday and we had our 7th wedding anniversary. I talked about a mole (that I still have not gotten looked at. *sigh*) and missing family. I got a little hormonal and TCP sent me a sign of things to come!
July: July kind of sucked. It wasn't all bad, but the rental house did give us more headaches then I care to remember. I worried about money a lot that month. We had to say good-bye to our old friend, Tiger, as well. That was rough. We also traveled way too freakin' far, to Texas, and survived. Then, we got some interesting hope from the Intelligender and a big lesson from the 2 year old on the importance of potty training readiness.
August: August had a lot of mostly random posts. There were a couple big things though. We met L for the first time. We welcomed Peso into our home and he captured a few hearts, but not before d nearly made me cry over tuna and I fell in love with fondue. I also talked about my anxiety over school and the kids growing up so fast.
September: We sold our house! Then, I started thinking about The End of Pregnancy a lot more during this month. I talked about wanting to have a natural birth, and I started Christmas shopping. I talked about being DUN with being pregnant for-ever and then I showed you some adorable baby clothes. (PS - L has already outgrown one of those adorable little outfits and that makes me sad.) I also complained about my husband. A lot. But, then I realized how lucky I really am.
October: October was fairly uneventful. I was getting sick of being pregnant, and of course, there was Halloween. I had a couple of "those kind of days" and thought about my marriage some. D traveled for work and there were so many posts about color choices and painting that I couldn't link them all if I tried! October flew by in a flash!
November: November brought NaBloPoMo, so there's a lot to wade through! To sum it up, I mostly got irritated at my husband, then irritated at everyone/everything else. I also thought back to when D proposed and showed you a view of my belly from my view. You guys guessed when L would arrive, and I believe Sarah from Semi-Desperate Housewife was closest!
December: Well, it's not quite over yet, but I think I can safely say that the best thing to happen this December has already happened. Little L arrived safely and, to top it off, Christmas is almost here! What's more, my friend T had her little man too! What a great way to end the year.
January: There were some lofty resolutions, which I will evaluate in depth in a later post. Needless to say, I didn't *quite* meet all those. There was also some (a lot) of baby talk and some griping about rugby. I'm not even going to link to those, it's in so many posts you may as well just read the whole month of January. Fun stuff.
February: Was pretty uneventful and, with the amount of b*tching I did, apparently it was also pretty annoying. There was some talk of gender guiding that I ultimately dismissed. On Valentine's Day there was a sentimental post on the state of my marriage. Oh, and just for fun, one of my favorite pictures of d & O.
March: Whew! March was a busy month! I went away with friends for a weekend, and there was so much baby talk, along with a negative hpt which I would later find out was just from being too early... My very first baby had his 4th birthday as well. I once again complained too much about rugby and lamented on the short years and long days.
April: Well, April was pretty eventful! First there was a big announcement! O Baby had his birthday, and suddenly he wasn't a baby anymore. I vented about my church and felt a bit lost in my faith, which, by the way, hasn't improved as much as I would have hoped. I also said "screw it!" to at least 10 things.
May: May brought a heartbeat! My littlest man, C had his first birthday. Then, somewhere along the way, I decided that I should never leave the house again. I also thought, again, about schooling. Public, Private or Annoy the MIL? hehe
June: June was full of food, or it seemed to be that way when I was looking back. I talked a lot about the butt load of lettuce we grew, and craved vinegar like it was going out of style! D had his 29th birthday and we had our 7th wedding anniversary. I talked about a mole (that I still have not gotten looked at. *sigh*) and missing family. I got a little hormonal and TCP sent me a sign of things to come!
July: July kind of sucked. It wasn't all bad, but the rental house did give us more headaches then I care to remember. I worried about money a lot that month. We had to say good-bye to our old friend, Tiger, as well. That was rough. We also traveled way too freakin' far, to Texas, and survived. Then, we got some interesting hope from the Intelligender and a big lesson from the 2 year old on the importance of potty training readiness.
August: August had a lot of mostly random posts. There were a couple big things though. We met L for the first time. We welcomed Peso into our home and he captured a few hearts, but not before d nearly made me cry over tuna and I fell in love with fondue. I also talked about my anxiety over school and the kids growing up so fast.
September: We sold our house! Then, I started thinking about The End of Pregnancy a lot more during this month. I talked about wanting to have a natural birth, and I started Christmas shopping. I talked about being DUN with being pregnant for-ever and then I showed you some adorable baby clothes. (PS - L has already outgrown one of those adorable little outfits and that makes me sad.) I also complained about my husband. A lot. But, then I realized how lucky I really am.
October: October was fairly uneventful. I was getting sick of being pregnant, and of course, there was Halloween. I had a couple of "those kind of days" and thought about my marriage some. D traveled for work and there were so many posts about color choices and painting that I couldn't link them all if I tried! October flew by in a flash!
November: November brought NaBloPoMo, so there's a lot to wade through! To sum it up, I mostly got irritated at my husband, then irritated at everyone/everything else. I also thought back to when D proposed and showed you a view of my belly from my view. You guys guessed when L would arrive, and I believe Sarah from Semi-Desperate Housewife was closest!
December: Well, it's not quite over yet, but I think I can safely say that the best thing to happen this December has already happened. Little L arrived safely and, to top it off, Christmas is almost here! What's more, my friend T had her little man too! What a great way to end the year.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
L's first kiss
My good friend and fellow blogger, Tracy, had her sweet baby boy yesterday! L and I went to visit them at the hospital and they seemed to like each other. Congrats T and family!! Enjoy your sweet little man. <3
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Birth Story
It's really long, sorry...
L's official birth story:
Let's start on Monday, November 30th. I had a dr's appointment that morning, at 9:30. I had had hours upon hours of contractions that weekend and I was so sure that I would be at least 4 cm dilated and ready to go.
Unfortunately, that was not the case. I was still 2-2.5 cm and soft. The doctor then informed me that she was going out of town Friday for a few days and offered to induce me on Wednesday. Although I spent my WHOLE pregnancy saying I wouldn't be induced, the temptation was just too great and I was too tired to resist anymore. I agreed.
(it's easy to say you don't want to be induced when you're not pregnant, or not full term, or whatever. It's different when you're in pain and full term and so.done.)
The doctor stripped my membranes to see if she could "stir things up." I was to be induced on Wednesday morning at 5 AM, if baby didn't appear before then.
The rest of Monday was fairly uneventful, I had lots of contractions, but at this point it was par for the course. My parents came down from Missouri and arrived around 9 PM. I finally relaxed, knowing the boys would be taken care of while I was in the hospital. Tuesday, I really thought I was in labor. I had several hours of very painful contractions about 2 minutes apart. But, instead of progressing; they waned. I was bitterly disappointed. I had really hoped to avoid an induction.
I got over it though. I knew I wouldn't have to wait much longer either way. We told the boys we would be gone in the morning and O took it hard. He couldn't even look at me without crying. It was awful. The other boys were OK, and O ended up being OK too. Grandma and Grandpa did a good job of spoiling them rotten.
Wednesday:
We got up at 4:30AM (not that I could sleep anyway, I even made D set 2 alarms so we wouldn't miss it.) We tip-toed out of the house and made our way to the hospital. I was extremely nervous, I was still unsure about being induced and the possible interventions. I still wanted to birth naturally, but I knew pitocin would make it a lot harder.
We waited for what seemed like forever at the hospital before finally getting back to a delivery room. The nurse started the I.V. (one of my least favorite things ever!) and then the pitocin. I was still only 2-2.5 cm and about 50% effaced, and so disappointed that all those contractions hadn't shown any new dilation. The pit was started around 6:30 AM. The nurse told me the doctor would be in around 8 or so and would break my water. I wasn't looking forward to that at all, especially since I wasn't very dilated. However, the doctor didn't show up until about 9:15 and I was 4cm and 70% effaced at that point. She (painlessly) broke my water. We'd been watching TV. TLC and HGTV - just to pass the time. I would later realize that we never turned it off, even while I was giving birth, and I didn't even notice. I never even realized it till I saw L's first pictures and noticed the TV was still on in the background. Anyway, after she broke my water? At that point it was ON.
The very next contraction was a lot more painful and they just kept getting worse from there on out. My friend T came to visit around 9:45 or 10 I think. At this point the contractions were painful enough that I couldn't talk through them. T helped me out a lot, coaching me on how to breathe. I think I nearly broke D's hand. heh
T had to leave for her own dr's appointment around 10:20 (?) or so. I was sorry to see her go; the contractions were so painful then that I knew I'd probably have the baby by 11. The nurse had been scarce, they were SO busy that day. This actually helped me a lot though, because if she had been constantly offering me pain meds I may have taken them. Since she wasn't around, and I'm not one to ask for help very often, I didn't call her until the pain was threatening to kill me. At 10:3o something I told D I couldn't do it anymore - I think I might have scared him a little. I asked him to call the nurse, I needed to know how dilated I was to see if I could wait it out or not. At 10:38 she checked me and I was 8 cm dilated. I knew then that even if I had wanted the epidural (and let me tell you, at that point I REALLY wanted it) it was too late. I knew that the baby would be here before the anesthesiologist could get to my room. Deep down (deep, deep, deep down) I was happy that I had made it to the point of no return, I was finally going to go natural.
The nurse could tell that I was in transition and in a helluva lot of pain. She offered the birthing ball and it didn't occur to me to tell her that I'd be ready to push in mere minutes. I was in so much pain that the offer of anything to alleviate it was welcome. She got the ball and I got on it, the contractions were so bad that I could barely move at all. I was almost paralyzed during them and they were almost on top of each other. As soon as I sat on the ball, I felt it. The pressure. OH THE PRESSURE. I gasped that the baby was coming RIGHTNOW and the nurse, Dina, and D got me back into bed. She checked me and I was, indeed, complete. Baby was coming.
She originally asked me not to push, but I seriously did not have any control over it. It was like my body took over and it was completely different than pushing with an epidural. My body did a lot of the work for me, but I remember gripping the hand rails and there may have been some thrashing about. My arms and ab muscles (and I use that term loosely) would be sore for days.
It was painful, I'm not going to lie. I tried to focus, but the pain was so overpowering. D and Dina were so wonderful, telling me I was doing great and I was so brave and wonderful. Dina helped me breath and grunt instead of screaming. (I did NOT think I would be a screamer, but I was oh-so-wrong.) Dina obviously wanted me to wait for the doctor to get there, but I didn't really give a crap what anyone else wanted at that moment. I couldn't have waited if I wanted to, and as long as there was a set of hands to catch the baby I didn't care if it was my dr, the nurse or D. I just had to get that baby out. Plus, I knew that my doctor sees patients on Wednesdays and her office was nearly 20 minutes away. She ended up getting there about 10 minutes after L was born.
The birth itself is hard to explain. It was so painful, but pushing was not only an absolute necessity, but it actually felt like a relief from the godawful contractions of only minutes before. I actually pushed longer than any of my other births, but it was easier on my body because I stopped briefly each time it hurt too much to bear. I only ended up with one stitch, which is far better than my other births. (One stitch still hurts like a b*tch though, sorry to say.)
I had always heard about "the ring of fire" from others but never felt it myself. When I did feel it though, I knew exactly what it was! I knew then that I was almost done. I knew she was crowning and D told me she had hair, which was the exact right thing to say at that moment because it made me want to get her OUT so I could see too. I thought the head was bad, but the shoulders were worse, for sure. Ouch.
But then? When she was out? It was heaven. I went from feeling like I'd like to just die to feeling absolutely fine, good even. So odd. It was over. All I could say was, "I did it." I was pretty proud of myself. (because I'm the first person to ever have a baby. ha!) L was perfect, she was born at 10:51 AM, only 12 minutes after I begged the nurse to check me and she found me at 8cm, and she weighed in at 7lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. And she did indeed have hair.
I later learned that my pitocin level was very low, only a 6, so my body must have been pretty ready to labor. The labor was only 4 hours and 21 minutes from the time the pitocin was started. I have had a very easy recovery, in fact I'm saving my percocet for my il's visit. (I KID!! Mostly)
The blues seem to have passed me by and I couldn't have asked for a better experience with my last sweet baby.
L's official birth story:
Let's start on Monday, November 30th. I had a dr's appointment that morning, at 9:30. I had had hours upon hours of contractions that weekend and I was so sure that I would be at least 4 cm dilated and ready to go.
Unfortunately, that was not the case. I was still 2-2.5 cm and soft. The doctor then informed me that she was going out of town Friday for a few days and offered to induce me on Wednesday. Although I spent my WHOLE pregnancy saying I wouldn't be induced, the temptation was just too great and I was too tired to resist anymore. I agreed.
(it's easy to say you don't want to be induced when you're not pregnant, or not full term, or whatever. It's different when you're in pain and full term and so.done.)
The doctor stripped my membranes to see if she could "stir things up." I was to be induced on Wednesday morning at 5 AM, if baby didn't appear before then.
The rest of Monday was fairly uneventful, I had lots of contractions, but at this point it was par for the course. My parents came down from Missouri and arrived around 9 PM. I finally relaxed, knowing the boys would be taken care of while I was in the hospital. Tuesday, I really thought I was in labor. I had several hours of very painful contractions about 2 minutes apart. But, instead of progressing; they waned. I was bitterly disappointed. I had really hoped to avoid an induction.
I got over it though. I knew I wouldn't have to wait much longer either way. We told the boys we would be gone in the morning and O took it hard. He couldn't even look at me without crying. It was awful. The other boys were OK, and O ended up being OK too. Grandma and Grandpa did a good job of spoiling them rotten.
Wednesday:
We got up at 4:30AM (not that I could sleep anyway, I even made D set 2 alarms so we wouldn't miss it.) We tip-toed out of the house and made our way to the hospital. I was extremely nervous, I was still unsure about being induced and the possible interventions. I still wanted to birth naturally, but I knew pitocin would make it a lot harder.
We waited for what seemed like forever at the hospital before finally getting back to a delivery room. The nurse started the I.V. (one of my least favorite things ever!) and then the pitocin. I was still only 2-2.5 cm and about 50% effaced, and so disappointed that all those contractions hadn't shown any new dilation. The pit was started around 6:30 AM. The nurse told me the doctor would be in around 8 or so and would break my water. I wasn't looking forward to that at all, especially since I wasn't very dilated. However, the doctor didn't show up until about 9:15 and I was 4cm and 70% effaced at that point. She (painlessly) broke my water. We'd been watching TV. TLC and HGTV - just to pass the time. I would later realize that we never turned it off, even while I was giving birth, and I didn't even notice. I never even realized it till I saw L's first pictures and noticed the TV was still on in the background. Anyway, after she broke my water? At that point it was ON.
The very next contraction was a lot more painful and they just kept getting worse from there on out. My friend T came to visit around 9:45 or 10 I think. At this point the contractions were painful enough that I couldn't talk through them. T helped me out a lot, coaching me on how to breathe. I think I nearly broke D's hand. heh
T had to leave for her own dr's appointment around 10:20 (?) or so. I was sorry to see her go; the contractions were so painful then that I knew I'd probably have the baby by 11. The nurse had been scarce, they were SO busy that day. This actually helped me a lot though, because if she had been constantly offering me pain meds I may have taken them. Since she wasn't around, and I'm not one to ask for help very often, I didn't call her until the pain was threatening to kill me. At 10:3o something I told D I couldn't do it anymore - I think I might have scared him a little. I asked him to call the nurse, I needed to know how dilated I was to see if I could wait it out or not. At 10:38 she checked me and I was 8 cm dilated. I knew then that even if I had wanted the epidural (and let me tell you, at that point I REALLY wanted it) it was too late. I knew that the baby would be here before the anesthesiologist could get to my room. Deep down (deep, deep, deep down) I was happy that I had made it to the point of no return, I was finally going to go natural.
The nurse could tell that I was in transition and in a helluva lot of pain. She offered the birthing ball and it didn't occur to me to tell her that I'd be ready to push in mere minutes. I was in so much pain that the offer of anything to alleviate it was welcome. She got the ball and I got on it, the contractions were so bad that I could barely move at all. I was almost paralyzed during them and they were almost on top of each other. As soon as I sat on the ball, I felt it. The pressure. OH THE PRESSURE. I gasped that the baby was coming RIGHTNOW and the nurse, Dina, and D got me back into bed. She checked me and I was, indeed, complete. Baby was coming.
She originally asked me not to push, but I seriously did not have any control over it. It was like my body took over and it was completely different than pushing with an epidural. My body did a lot of the work for me, but I remember gripping the hand rails and there may have been some thrashing about. My arms and ab muscles (and I use that term loosely) would be sore for days.
It was painful, I'm not going to lie. I tried to focus, but the pain was so overpowering. D and Dina were so wonderful, telling me I was doing great and I was so brave and wonderful. Dina helped me breath and grunt instead of screaming. (I did NOT think I would be a screamer, but I was oh-so-wrong.) Dina obviously wanted me to wait for the doctor to get there, but I didn't really give a crap what anyone else wanted at that moment. I couldn't have waited if I wanted to, and as long as there was a set of hands to catch the baby I didn't care if it was my dr, the nurse or D. I just had to get that baby out. Plus, I knew that my doctor sees patients on Wednesdays and her office was nearly 20 minutes away. She ended up getting there about 10 minutes after L was born.
The birth itself is hard to explain. It was so painful, but pushing was not only an absolute necessity, but it actually felt like a relief from the godawful contractions of only minutes before. I actually pushed longer than any of my other births, but it was easier on my body because I stopped briefly each time it hurt too much to bear. I only ended up with one stitch, which is far better than my other births. (One stitch still hurts like a b*tch though, sorry to say.)
I had always heard about "the ring of fire" from others but never felt it myself. When I did feel it though, I knew exactly what it was! I knew then that I was almost done. I knew she was crowning and D told me she had hair, which was the exact right thing to say at that moment because it made me want to get her OUT so I could see too. I thought the head was bad, but the shoulders were worse, for sure. Ouch.
But then? When she was out? It was heaven. I went from feeling like I'd like to just die to feeling absolutely fine, good even. So odd. It was over. All I could say was, "I did it." I was pretty proud of myself. (because I'm the first person to ever have a baby. ha!) L was perfect, she was born at 10:51 AM, only 12 minutes after I begged the nurse to check me and she found me at 8cm, and she weighed in at 7lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. And she did indeed have hair.
I later learned that my pitocin level was very low, only a 6, so my body must have been pretty ready to labor. The labor was only 4 hours and 21 minutes from the time the pitocin was started. I have had a very easy recovery, in fact I'm saving my percocet for my il's visit. (I KID!! Mostly)
The blues seem to have passed me by and I couldn't have asked for a better experience with my last sweet baby.
updates
* C had a well check up last week and he weighed in at a whopping 31 lbs and 34 inches tall. That's between the 85th - 90th percentile. He's only one pound away from O at this point. It's no wonder people ask if they're twins...
* Little L weighed in at 8lbs 6 oz this morning, so she's well past her birth weight now. No more weight checks! Yay!
* I still feel great. I almost can't even believe it. I didn't even seem to get the baby blues this time. It makes me a little sad that I felt SO poorly for SO long after C and didn't do anything about it. I wish I had fonder memories of his infancy. He was a sweetheart as a baby too, but I was so miserable I probably didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. Live and learn...
I just feel so content and happy this time around. I can't decide if it was the birth experience, luck, biology, or the knowledge that I'm done and trying to enjoy this last baby. I don't know. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it hasn't and L will be 2 weeks old on Wednesday.
I'm going to enjoy feeling great and thank my lucky stars.
* My sister in law and brother in law will be here next week! I'm so excited!!
* My mother in law and father in law will be here next week, on Christmas Day. For a week.
* Christmas is coming! The kids are counting down the days using the Advent calendar and they are so excited. I LOVE Christmas so much more than I used to, now that I have kids. I can't think of anything better than giving someone the perfect gift.
* I weighed myself the other day and I was down 24 lbs since L's birth. I only gained about 34 pounds, so that is exciting! This morning, I tried on my (biggest pair) of pre-pregnancy jeans and they fit. I didn't have to lay down to zip them up or anything! They didn't look great (hello? Muffin top!) BUT I could put.them.on. and that is something!
* Little L weighed in at 8lbs 6 oz this morning, so she's well past her birth weight now. No more weight checks! Yay!
* I still feel great. I almost can't even believe it. I didn't even seem to get the baby blues this time. It makes me a little sad that I felt SO poorly for SO long after C and didn't do anything about it. I wish I had fonder memories of his infancy. He was a sweetheart as a baby too, but I was so miserable I probably didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. Live and learn...
I just feel so content and happy this time around. I can't decide if it was the birth experience, luck, biology, or the knowledge that I'm done and trying to enjoy this last baby. I don't know. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it hasn't and L will be 2 weeks old on Wednesday.
I'm going to enjoy feeling great and thank my lucky stars.
* My sister in law and brother in law will be here next week! I'm so excited!!
* My mother in law and father in law will be here next week, on Christmas Day. For a week.
* Christmas is coming! The kids are counting down the days using the Advent calendar and they are so excited. I LOVE Christmas so much more than I used to, now that I have kids. I can't think of anything better than giving someone the perfect gift.
* I weighed myself the other day and I was down 24 lbs since L's birth. I only gained about 34 pounds, so that is exciting! This morning, I tried on my (biggest pair) of pre-pregnancy jeans and they fit. I didn't have to lay down to zip them up or anything! They didn't look great (hello? Muffin top!) BUT I could put.them.on. and that is something!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
It's a sickness
Every time there is a sale, I can't help but pick up a bunch few things for L. It's a sickness really...
Too cute!
Last, but not least, a fleece pull over.
I can't seem to help myself. The only thing keeping me from going broke is that there are some REALLY good sales and I won't let myself pay full price for anything. This child already has a full wardrobe for her first year and she's only been in this world a week!!
I couldn't pass this one up, it's perfect for the holidays.
This one is my absolute favorite. I said I wasn't going to buy ANY. MORE. 0-3 month clothes, but, but... I did.
Of course, it's cuter with a little model in it.
These are all for next year. I thought this would be perfect for her first birthday.
These are all for next year. I thought this would be perfect for her first birthday.
Too cute!
A few pairs of fleece pants and a too-cute-to-pass-up shirt.
Last, but not least, a fleece pull over.
I can't seem to help myself. The only thing keeping me from going broke is that there are some REALLY good sales and I won't let myself pay full price for anything. This child already has a full wardrobe for her first year and she's only been in this world a week!!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Christmas goodies
I've been busy today! I made some yummy Christmas goodies!!
Ingredients:
Peanut butter and crackers
pretzels
mini candy canes
mint chocolate
regular chocolate
white chocolate
Dip and dry!
Ingredients:Peanut butter and crackers
pretzels
mini candy canes
mint chocolate
regular chocolate
white chocolate
Dip and dry!
Package and give!
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
drink up
* Things are going pretty well here. L is a very messy baby, which suits me fine since she has lots of cute clothes to get some use out of! She is a snuggle bug, and sleeps best next to me at night or ON me during the day. I'm going to get lots of use out of my slings as well! She is already almost back up to birth weight at not even a week old, so nursing is obviously going well.
* The birth announcements are ordered and I'm just waiting for them to come in the mail so that I can mail them and my Christmas cards.
* My parents are leaving either tomorrow or Thursday. I will be fine, but am once again sad that they don't live closer.
* The boys are adjusting pretty well to being big brothers again. d is used to this by now and C (who we call both Bruiser and "our little destroyer") is actually being very gentle with her, though mostly keeping his distance. O is moody and temperamental (more than normal) and I can't decide if it's the extra attention from the grandparents, the baby, or a combo OR just the fact that he's 2, almost 3.
* I may have to revise this statement later, but I'm feeling pretty good, emotionally. I am completely in love with this little baby, and physically I feel MUCH better than I ever have at 1 week post partum. I don't know if it's because I *finally* had the birth I wanted, or because I'm content knowing my family is complete or if it's just because my parents are still here helping and D just went back to work today. I may have just not had the chance to get overwhelmed yet, but I can say that, for now, I am not feeling very post-partum-ish. Hopefully I will NOT have to revise this statement.
* My brother is going to be a father for the first time! He and his wife are expecting their first in July. They're very excited. My sister is done having kids, and so am I, so my brother is the last child to give my parents any grandchildren. I find it remarkable that they are 48 & 50 and already have 7 grand kids! (with one on the way!) The only sad thing is that my kids barely know their cousins since everyone lives so far away.
* If I don't comment on your blogs lately, I am sorry. You can rest assured that I am reading but may not have a free hand to type a comment...
* I am very content knowing that my family is complete. I have absolutely no desire to have more children, even as I look at my tiny, squishy, newnewnew, new born and KNOW that I will miss this. Oh, I will miss it. I'm going to drink it all in as much as I can, for this is the last time I will ever have this experience with my own babies.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Friday, December 04, 2009
How to make an ugly Christmas sweater
Tonight our meetup group is having an Ugly Sweater Christmas party!
(Please note that I'm writing this post on November 23 and setting it to publish on December 4th so IF I've already had the baby and am missing the party - well... hopefully my preggo friend, Tracy, is wearing it instead of me!)
Step 1 - Start with a sweater. I chose a maternity sweater (for obvious reasons) that had a stain on it and had already been through a couple pregnancies.
Step 2 - Buy some really ugly crap, hopefully on sale, to glue, sew or stitch witch on your sweater. Good choices include: doilies, gaudy rhinestones, felt, pom poms, ugly bows, googly eyes, etc. Don't forget to check out the craft aisle at WalMart, and especially check out their sales. This "project" cost me less than $10.
Step 3 - Glue, sew, iron, or somehow adhere the ugly crap to your sweater.
Don't sew, you say? SEW WHAT!!
I did not use one stitch, or even get out my needle and thread for this sweater project. I used Elmer's Glue, Stitch Witchery and an iron and felt with a self-adhesive back. Easy peasy.
You now have an ugly sweater that will win you prizes at Christmas parties. Plus, that was fun. It's a craft that you just CAN'T mess up. Let the kids help if you like - they can't screw it up either.
(Please note that I'm writing this post on November 23 and setting it to publish on December 4th so IF I've already had the baby and am missing the party - well... hopefully my preggo friend, Tracy, is wearing it instead of me!)
Step 1 - Start with a sweater. I chose a maternity sweater (for obvious reasons) that had a stain on it and had already been through a couple pregnancies.
Step 2 - Buy some really ugly crap, hopefully on sale, to glue, sew or stitch witch on your sweater. Good choices include: doilies, gaudy rhinestones, felt, pom poms, ugly bows, googly eyes, etc. Don't forget to check out the craft aisle at WalMart, and especially check out their sales. This "project" cost me less than $10.
Step 3 - Glue, sew, iron, or somehow adhere the ugly crap to your sweater.
Don't forget - plastic bead things make everything uglier!
TA - DA! 
Don't sew, you say? SEW WHAT!!
I did not use one stitch, or even get out my needle and thread for this sweater project. I used Elmer's Glue, Stitch Witchery and an iron and felt with a self-adhesive back. Easy peasy.
You now have an ugly sweater that will win you prizes at Christmas parties. Plus, that was fun. It's a craft that you just CAN'T mess up. Let the kids help if you like - they can't screw it up either.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
L i l a
is here! Short version of the birth story:
6:30AM, 2 cm
9:15 AM, 4 cm, Dr broke water
10:38 AM, me...losing control, made D call nurse to check me, 8 cm
10:39 AM, I realized it was too late for an epidural (which was my plan all along, but at that point I wasn't *exactly* rational)
10:40 AM, nurse brings me birthing ball and I sit on it for approximately 10 seconds
10:40 AM, I swear baby is coming RIGHT NOW and get back in bed (I was right)
10:51 AM, L i l a is born! (there was some grunting and screaming and a definite ring of fire)
D was an absolutely wonderful coach but he also took his cues from my friend, Tracy, who was there for awhile earlier and he later told me that he thought she was a great coach. Thanks for being there, T!! I'm sorry you missed the birth, but just the time you were there was a really big help! Now I'm enjoying the relative quiet of the hospital, free wi-fi on my lap top and the cable and the room service. Pictures below!
6:30AM, 2 cm
9:15 AM, 4 cm, Dr broke water
10:38 AM, me...losing control, made D call nurse to check me, 8 cm
10:39 AM, I realized it was too late for an epidural (which was my plan all along, but at that point I wasn't *exactly* rational)
10:40 AM, nurse brings me birthing ball and I sit on it for approximately 10 seconds
10:40 AM, I swear baby is coming RIGHT NOW and get back in bed (I was right)
10:51 AM, L i l a is born! (there was some grunting and screaming and a definite ring of fire)
D was an absolutely wonderful coach but he also took his cues from my friend, Tracy, who was there for awhile earlier and he later told me that he thought she was a great coach. Thanks for being there, T!! I'm sorry you missed the birth, but just the time you were there was a really big help! Now I'm enjoying the relative quiet of the hospital, free wi-fi on my lap top and the cable and the room service. Pictures below!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)