Lizzieblizz

My Second Saturday Steal!

2010-09-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to post today because..... I have a Saturday Steal! Finally! Camille will be so proud!

Today Boise got an Apple store. The first one in the state of Idaho. Prior to today, Idahoans had to travel to Portland or Salt Lake City to go to a genuine, corporate Apple store. (The horror.)

This morning I got up bright and early at 7 and went down to the mall. I picked up some coffee and headed over to the Apple store's location, which was set to open at 10am. I took up my spot in line and quickly started socializing with all the Apple Fans in line. (Speaking of the line, I was tenth!)

At 10am, all the Apple store employees came running through the crowd to much cheering, clapping and high fives. Then they opened the store and let the customers come in. They had blaring music, and all the employees high five'd and shook hands with all the customers who entered. It was awesome. And intense.

Then in the store, Apple employees started handing out little white boxes.

And inside....

A special Apple Boise Towne Square t-shirt!

Apple shirts are like gold. They don't sell official Apple merchandise, so the only way for regular people to get one is an event like this! I actually have one other Apple t-shirt from when I worked doing tech support for iPod and iPhone. So TWO Apple shirts for me! Score!

I'm very happy with my steal. It was totally worth getting up early on a Saturday morning!

Saturday Steal!

2010-07-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Today, friends, I'm posting my very first Saturday Steal! I've never had a steal that was worthy of a blog post, but today! Today!! I do. Finally. Camille will be so proud.

Last Sunday, I was flipping through the ads in the newspaper (I briefly took up couponing.) I found a small sheet that had a very interesting offer. New patients to a newly opened dental clinic would receive a free iPod with a paid exam, cleaning and x-rays. I'm not a big fan of going to the dentist. (I know, I know) I'd only been to my previous dentist one time, and I wasn't terribly impressed. They were okay, but I felt no guilt in deciding to try out a new clinic.

First thing Monday morning, I called and made my appointment. It was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. I tried not to let myself get too excited. The ad showed a new iPod Nano, but there was no fine print clarifying how, when or what kind of iPod Nano would be awarded. I prepared myself that it could be a shuffle, or they could be out of stock, or I might not make the dollar amount required to get it at all!

I went to my cleaning, and I loved the new dentist! I loved the clinic, I loved the hygienists, I loved it all! I was really really happy with my experience there. But the icing on the cake was after I checked out the receptionist said, "And you qualify for the iPod... which color would you like? Black or pink?"

So.... I chose pink.

I love it. It's amazing. And best of all? It was free. Totally free, because my insurance paid for the exam. Not a bad perk if you ask me!

Why, hello!

2010-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Long time, no see! Well, I won't be staying for long. Just wanted to note that I will be posting on Saturday. I finally have a steal of a deal to post in connection with Camille's Saturday Steals! So I pulled out the old blog, dusted it off, updated the layout and theme and it's ready to go for Saturday!

See you then!

24

2010-01-23T07:38:00.001-08:00

Today is my 24th birthday! The past year has been so great, and I wanted to just take a minute to recap all the great stuff that happed while I was 23.

•I quit my job in preparation for being a stay at home mom.

•We bought a house, and not only that but we got a great house and an even better interest rate on our mortgage.

•I spent a lot of time bonding and connecting with my mother in law. We've always been really close, but I'm thankful that we've had the chance to become even closer.

•I had my second (and final) child. A beautiful girl with a feisty personality. She has rounded out the dynamic in our family perfectly.

•We paid off all our credit card debt

•I evaluated challenging relationships in my life and weeded out people who were negative impacts.

•I made a lot of great new friends who I enjoy having in my life.

And I can't forget the material things that made my life a little better this year. My new iPhone, flat screen tv, TiVo HD, front loading washer and dryer, and a new comfy bed! :D

Here's hoping this year will be every bit as good as the last!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Surgery

2009-10-22T11:45:00.001-07:00

I had my first ever surgery yesterday. It was to fix an episiotomy that wasn't stitched up when my son was born 4 years ago. Here are some photo highlights:

My wristband. Dave and I joked that I was just a number, now that I've been barcoded. The thing is, every time a new nurse comes to you, they hold your wristband and make you recite your birthday and spell out your first and last name. So really I wasn't just a number after all!

I got my iv... Didn't realize it would be in my hand, as opposed to further up my arm like it was when I had Rory. The lidocaine shot they gave me prior to putting the iv in made my hand red and itchy. Not cool.

They made me wear my glasses, and my mother in law braided my hair. Ain't I cute?

Hair-netted, and I've got my finger pulse reader thing. Just about to be wheeled back to the operating room.

When I got to the operating room, it was FREEZING! They covered me with warm blankets. There was music playing over the stereo, I had seen that on Nip/Tuck, but had no idea they actually did that! Next thing I know they're telling me they're putting the medicine in my iv and that it will sting-- and oh boy it did!!-- and then I was out. I remember looking up at the ceiling and the nurses said, "Think of something good to dream about..." and before I could pin down one thought, I was out.

Then I woke up in a different room and there were nurses around me. They moved me to my out patient recovery room and brought Dave in. I had him snap this lovely pic:

Not a bad experience all-in-all. I'm pretty sore now, but I can already tell it will be worth it.

Pictures of Rory

2009-09-19T14:32:00.001-07:00

Here's a little photo update of Rory:

When Life Gives You Honeycombs, Make Beeswax!

2009-09-10T15:47:00.001-07:00

I made this yesterday.

What is it, you ask? Why, it's a bar of beeswax! I melted it down from this:

Dave brought home a bag of honeycomb that his colleague had given him. The bees ate all of the honey that was left after the comb was harvested, so it was just a bunch of wax. I melted it down, sorted it out, and rigged up a mold. I've never done anything like this before so I decided to just jump right in and figure it out. I messed up several times, but finally got to my desired end result!

I needed to put the honeycomb in something i could boil it in. It wasn't going to fit, so I grabbed some tongs.

Filled the jar.

By this time, my water was ready!

In went the jar!

Progress check:

After about 15 minutes, all that was left was a jar of sweet-smelling goop.

Here was my first mess up. I let the wax harden in the jar and realized I couldn't get it out! I put the jar back in the boiling water just long enough for the outside to melt. Then I tipped the jar up so the wax came to the front and stuck a butter knife in and cut it in half. I sliced off the bottom where solid particles had settled in the wax.

I wanted to create some sort of mold so that I would end up with a solid block of wax. I thought that putting some Saran wrap in a little container and re-melting the wax would work well. I shoved my solid pieces in here and popped it in the microwave.

After I took it out of the microwave, there was this weird brown stuff in there! I grabbed a fork and scooped it out. No big deal, right?

Wrong. The wax had gotten so hot in the microwave that it melted the Saran wrap. That's what that weird brown stuff was in the cup!

Whoops. I had to think fast, because the wax was cooling. My next great idea was to make a bar-shaped mold out of tin foil. I had wanted to make a foil mold in the first place, but knew I couldn't put it in the microwave. It should have occurred to me to make a tin foil mold and melt the wax in a different container. Oh well. I'll remember next time!

I was able to pour the wax into the foil with only a couple of drips on the counter!

Then to let it set...

After it cooled, I peeled back the foil to expose my solid bar of beeswax!

Then I attempted to smooth the edges by running the bar under hot water until it was pliable. It was still a little bumpy and fingerprint-y but it was good enough for me.

So that was my first experiment with melting down honeycomb for beeswax. I wasn't looking forward to cleanup, but I found that if I ran the dish or utensil under really hot water and then scrubbed it with LOC kitchen cleaner, it came off quite easily! (But you have to use the LOC. I tried it without and it didn't work, hence the reason I used it!)

Dave said he will probably be bringing more honeycomb home, so I'm looking forward to perfecting my technique! I don't know what I'll do with all this wax... Maybe I'll make a candle when I get enough, beeswax smells heavenly!

Car Seat Jumble

2009-09-07T11:08:00.001-07:00

When we first put Rory's car seat in our car, we put it behind the passenger seat and put Bruce's behind the driver's seat. This made everyone happy except for the person sitting in the passenger seat who was forced to sit with knees pressed up against the air bag compartment, silently praying that the car NOT get in a wreck.

Dave and I fought over who got to drive for the better part of two months. Normally I drive, but his long legs were harder to cram in such a small place. (Mine weren't that much easier, especially considering that I'm bigger around!)

A few weeks ago, all the men in our extended family went on a camping trip. Our car was needed to haul Dave's brother and nephew, so we had to take Rory's car seat out of the back to make room. When I put her car seat back in, I decided to try putting it in the middle of the back seat. This way the car seat fit between the two front seats, allowing us to scoot back and stretch out. (And I got to start driving again!)

The only person who didn't neccessarily benefit from this new arrangement was Bruce, as he was squished between Rory's large seat and the door. I asked Bruce how he felt about the new arrangement before I actually hooked the seats in, and to my relief, he said he liked it! He adores his little sister and was thrilled to be able to sit closer to her.

There are additional benefits, as well. Since she has someone to look at back there, she usually stays awake and engaged which is great for keeping her nap schedule on track! When she cries, Bruce is right there to talk or sing to her, or just to provide her with the momentary relief a pacifier can bring. She loves watching her older brother and I am really happy that they can have a special time together. The bite-sized responsibility is good for Bruce, too. I can tell he likes being able to be the one to care for her and attend to her while we aren't physically able to do so.

So for now, this works. And soon enough, she'll be a year old and we can turn her seat around!

Test!

2009-09-04T16:40:00.001-07:00

I've not been updating lately. The reason? Because literally 95% of my time online is done on my iPhone. I hadn't found an acceptable way to post from said iPhone, so I was doing what I could do... Twitter!

But I've found an application that should make it easy to update from my iPhone. So we'll see how this goes!

2009-07-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

I often times wonder how Rory's personality will develop and what the similarities and differences will be compared to Bruce. Everything has been completely different with Rory than it was with Bruce. When Bruce was a baby, we didn't leave the house much. We went shopping at Walmart (he was usually asleep in his car seat) and stayed at home. Sometimes we would venture to the mall or to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Rory has been on the go as long as I've been on the go!

Rory goes to Walmart (either being carried by me, or in the sling... we don't have a removeable carseat this time around) she goes to the park, she goes to Grandma and Grandpa's, she goes to Starbucks and Saturday Market... she goes where we go. And because we have a 3 year old, it's not really fair to stop going places just because we have a baby.

So far, she handles all the stimulation really well. We've never had an over-stimulated night. You know, where the baby cries and cries and won't settle down. They have entirely too much going on in their brains and they can't process it at all. Those were bad nights with Bruce. I'm wondering if those nights will come with Rory when she's a little older, but I'm really not sure if they will at all!

I'm starting to think that keeping the baby at home all the time might partially cause over-stimulation. It seems like it would be overwhelming to go from the quiet routine of being home to the noise and lights and hustle-bustle of the world.

Either way, only time will tell.

Me and Rory at DeMeyer Park

Nina and Rory at Starbucks

Looking at the playground at Municipal Park

She really takes everything in

So adorable.

I won't ever take her to a movie theater, though. Not until she's old enough to be enjoying the movie (like 3). It's just inappropriate.

Oh No!!!

2009-07-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

Today I was browsing people on Myspace. Not something I'm proud to admit, but I do it on occasion when I'm particularly bored. A dialogue box popped up informing me that my system was at risk, and I needed to download anti-virus software. Naturally, I clicked "Cancel." A few seconds after I clicked, my webpage redirected and this is what I saw:

It's funny because I'm running Linux.

Original Layout!

2009-07-13T19:05:00.001-07:00

I was recently talking to Dave about how I felt kind of lame for having a pre-made blogger layout. It's not something that I really concerned myself with, but I thought it might be nice to have something a little more... original. He offered to draw a masthead for me. We sat together and brainstormed and somehow we got to talking about an anime we used to watch.

It is a wonderful series called Record Of Lodoss War. After every episode, they have a cartoony segment where cutesy anime versions of the characters basically recap the episode. They are everything I love about anime: buggy, sparkling eyes; high-pitched, squealing voices; frenetic, behavior.

Dave suggested (probably jokingly) that he draw our family in that style. I enthusiastically agreed. My husband is a great artist, and I jump at any chance to have him create something for me. It is incredibly flattering that he would spend his time creating an image for me! So here you have it! My family-- in anime form!

The 'Stache Men

2009-07-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

These came from an egg machine at Hastings 50 cents apiece.

Photo Update

2009-07-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

There have been lots of things that have happened recently that I've wanted to post a blog and pictures about. But now I'm too far behind, and I'll never catch up with all the things I want to say, so I'm just going to share my favorite photos.

Bruce has a really silly fake smile. He was thrilled to get to hold his sister, but not so thrilled when I continually pestered him to look at me and smile. Rory's face is equally hilarious.

Dave took this picture. I love it. Me and my babies.

Here's Bruce and Max. Max is a puppy Dave bought for Bruce a while ago. Max is special because sometimes Max is a girl, and sometimes a boy. She started out as a boy, but somewhere about 6 months ago, Bruce decided Max was a girl. He has adamantly demanded that we refer to her has 'she' from now on.

Rory sucks her thumb on occasion and I happen to think it is the most adorable thing ever. I don't care what anyone says. Most of the time when she sucks her thumb, her palm is completely open and covering her face. It's even cuter.

We took the kids to Kathryn Albertson park a couple times in the last couple of weeks. I took the mandatory posed photo in front of the fake fountain.

Me and my wonderful, handsome husband.

Bruce being a superhero. Proudly defending our flag.

Bruce waiting for the Liberty Day Parade to start.

A sea of light blue. We didn't actually plan this. From left: Heather, Valerie, Me, Charisse.

Bruce playing in the fountain. I wasn't actually there when this picture was taken. Nina and Austin took Bruce to the fountain while I fed the baby nearby.

Bruce was a fireman while we were lighting fireworks on the fourth of July.

I was very disappointed with the quality of this sparkler.

My boys playing with fire. And is that... a SMILE on Dave's face?!! Unreal!!!

This is the kind of husband I have:

Bruce covered my eyes when we lit one of the fountains. I think he said that he was going to protect me from the fire.

Slow shutter speed makes for awesome fireworks photos.

Love that dimple. Both kids have it. Only recently discovered they inherited it from me:

The End!!

Labor and Delivery

2009-07-01T13:54:00.001-07:00

Okay. There are a lot of things that I want to post on this blog. (If I could ever find the time to!) So I better start at the beginning... the labor story.

On June 10th (3 weeks ago today!) I went in to the hospital for a 7am induction. I was scared out of my mind because I don't particularly like hospitals. That coupled with the fact that birthing a baby is pretty darn scary, well, you get the idea. Dave and I showed up, signed in, and within a few minutes we were taken back to our room. I changed into a lovely hospital gown and hopped on the delivery bed. Before I knew it I was hooked up to an I.V. and the fluids and Pitocin were started. I was surprised by how little the I.V. hurt.

After that, all we could do was wait. The nurse would come in and check on us every 30 minutes, and during that check a few things would happen. She would ask me how my pain level was, increase the amount of Pitocin being fed into my I.V. drip, and she'd assist me in going to the bathroom. That was one of the more frustrating aspects of the induced labor. Since I was on Pitocin, they had to hook monitors up to my belly. One was the fetal heart rate monitor, and the other was to monitor how strong my contractions were. These monitors were hooked up to the computer about 4 feet away. So everytime I went to the bathroom (which was a lot, I drank TONS of water the night before) she had to unhook the cables to the monitors, and we had to slide the machine that metered out the Pitocin drip over to the bathroom with me. After I finished, we had to go back across the room and get everything hooked back up and in place properly. (Not fun!)

At about 1:30pm, my doctor came in to break my water. He used a thing that was basically a latex glove finger, and it had a small hook that looked like a dried out rose thorn. I googled and googled and googled. Couldn't find a picture. It was terrifying looking! He was standing next to me talking as he put the thing on his finger and then out of nowhere he said, "Now see? I'm going to use this thing that has a hook on the end to break your water." At first I didn't know what he was showing me so I looked eagerly. When I saw what it actually was though, I shuddered and looked away. I had expected an actual tool. A crochet hook. Something. Not that. Now, I'll spare you the gory details and just say that my cervix was rather high. And the doctor had a hard time reaching it. And an even worse time breaking my water. And it was the worst part of the whole delivery. As the doctor was attempting to break the water, he told me that I was dilated to 2.5cm. 5 hours into the process. 5 hours of Pitocin. 5 hours of discomfort. All I had to show for it was a .5cm increase.

My doctor told me that there was a slight chance that the baby just wouldn't engage in my pelvis. "She might be too big," he told me. "She might just not come down. You know that I don't say this lightly, but we might have to have a C-section." He said we would continue to wait and see what happened, but he wanted me to be prepared that a C-section was a possibility. At that point, I had to consider my options. I started considering getting an epidural at that point. My thought process went something like this:

I've been here for hours, and I've not progressed. It's not going to be time to push for hours and hours. Do I want to spend the whole day here in increasing pain?

If I have to have a C-section, I'll have to have an epidural. I will have endured incredible pain ALL DAY, just for them to give me an epidural followed by a C-section. What a waste!

If I have to have a C-section, I'll be a nervous wreck (What's scarier than getting cut open while you are still conscious?! I admire Katie for the seeming lack of terror she possessed!) I'll be an even bigger wreck if I have to be wheeled off to have a C-section AND an epidural. Might as well get the epidural now...

I informed the nurse that I had decided to get an epidural, and before I had time to process that I was about to have a giant needle stuck in my spine the anesthesiologist was there! She inserted numbing agent in my back (which really was the most painful part of the process) and then inserted the needle and catheter in my spine. The needle didn't hurt so much as it just. felt. wrong. Like, my nerves felt gross while it was in there. One of those dull aches that just leaves you feeling a little creeped out. But after the epidural... I was in heaven.

From 2009-06 June

The epidural started working almost instantly. I laid down and my legs felt like they were wrapped in clouds. I was so happy. Laying my head on the pillow was the best feeling in the whole world. A later side effect of the epidural was that my skin began to itch. But it wasn't an irritating mosquito bite itch. It was a delicious itch. It felt so good to scratch. Not even scratch, just kind of gently tickle with my fingernails. I found myself inadvertently skritching my chest and my belly. So after I got my epidural, I just laid around for hours and hours. Every 30 minutes the nurse would come in and help me roll over. I tried to nap, but it was rather hard to with the blood pressure cuff testing me every 15 minutes!

Then around 8pm, I started to feel nauseous. I was really hungry because I hadn't been allowed to eat all day. Then the nurse checked me again and called the doctor because I was completely dilated. I pushed for about 15 minutes. I rested for about 15 minutes. I pushed for another 5 or so minutes until the baby's head was visible. Then I waited for the doctor, which took about another 10 minutes. Doctor got there and I pushed 3 times. He told me to stop pushing, and he slowly eased the baby out. It was such an incredible experience.

From 2009-06 June

Rory Anne officially made her entrance into the world on June 10th at 9:01pm. She weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces and she was 21 inches long. She's a delightful baby and I've loved every minute of the last three weeks.

Not yet...

2009-06-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to get around to posting a blog update... I just haven't yet. Tweeting on Twitter is so much easier than sitting down and writing out a full post. Oh well. Usually when I find the time to blog, there are more pressing things to take care of: Bruce, dishes, laundry...

But know that I intend to update... soon! In the meantime, here is my Picasa web album for this month:

2009-06 June

Past Due

2009-06-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Today I am 1 day past my due date, and utterly miserable. I wanted to schedule an induction for today, but my doctor wasn't scheduling for today for some reason. Tomorrow? They already have two medically necessary scheduled inductions, so the hospital probably wouldn't be able to accommodate me also. So I am scheduled for induction at 7am Wednesday morning.

When I was on the phone scheduling the induction last Thursday, this Wednesday seemed too long to wait. Now that it is already Monday, I am kind of glad though. I'm giving myself more time to go into labor naturally, which is what I really want. I really don't want to be induced!!!! My plan was to labor in the jacuzzi tub (which is heavenly!), but if I get induced I will have to be hooked up to the monitors and won't be able to labor pretty much anywhere but laying in a bed.

We had a good weekend, though. Ate a lot of junk food. (It was my last pregnant weekend, give me a break!!) On Saturday we took Bruce to see Up. On Sunday we were all totally lazy and didn't really do anything. Today Bruce and I had lunch with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece and then we went to the mall for a bit. Tomorrow (assuming I'm still pregnant) I have a massage. Just trying to relax and take it easy.

Picture of me at 39 weeks, 6 days:

From Pregnancy

Will She or Won't She?

2009-06-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my 39 week prenatal appointment. Good news, the baby is no longer facing OP. She is OA, facing my back like she should be. She has descended further into my pelvis, although she is still not engaged. The doctor told me that I was 1cm dilated. This came as quite a surprise for me! I was 2cm last time, how could I possibly be 1cm this time!?!?!? The doctor explained that I hadn't lost any ground, it's just that when the baby's head is just sitting there, the cervix tends to close around it. He said it's totally fine and normal.

So I asked the doctor what I needed to do. I reiterated my fear of having an excessively large baby. I asked if we should schedule an ultrasound, or whether he had an idea of how large she is. He said, "Sometimes I'm more accurate than an ultrasound, but sometimes I'm a pound off. Do I think you're having a 9 pound baby? Yep." And the way that my doctor normally speaks, I fully expected, "Do I think you're having a 9 pound baby? Nope." BUT NOOOOOO. He said yep. Damn. He said I'm in a gray area where she could easily come soon. I'm not overdue... yet. But at some point I might want to consider an induction to get her out before she turns into a ten pound baby!!

So the hospital can't schedule inductions any further out than one week. So anytime between now and next Wednesday. I've decided that Friday seems too soon. I really want to give my body time to go into labor naturally. Next Wednesday is too late. I want her before then. So we're thinking next Monday. That will give us a weekend to spend time with Bruce and to prepare him for his sister's arrival. It's also after payday, so we will be able to pick up any last minute things we still want or need. Plus, Monday is far enough out that I might just go into labor on my own and not have to be induced at all!

The whole thing I'm afraid of is a repeat of Bruce's birth. I was in labor for about 16 hours from beginning to end. I pushed for three hours, but since he was face up my pushes did nothing but ram him into my pelvis. Finally the midwives performed an episiotomy and used the vacuum extractor to get Bruce out. I wish I knew why things happened that way to help me prepare for this birth. Could I not get Bruce out simply because he was face up and hooked on my pubic bone? Was it because he was 9lbs, 10oz? Was it just a nasty combination of both?

I wish I knew, because then I could relax and think to myself, "She's going to be a large baby, but at least she is in the correct position for birth." I can do it. Either way, she is going to come out. I just really don't want to do the vacuum route again. I want to it on my own! Bah!!

Either way, I'm glad to find that my stretches and exercises have helped her turn. I did so many pelvic tilts, and spent so much time on my hands and knees trying to encourage her to flip around! And she did!! Now lets just hope she stays in this correct position!

Almost...

2009-06-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

So there you have it. 39 weeks and one day. And as big as a house. Not just any house, a MANSION. I could pop at any moment. I probably won't though.

At my 37 week appointment, I had dilated to 2cm and was 50% effaced. Since then, my friend Kalie came into town for a visit. She's from Kansas. I had to take her EVERYWHERE in Boise to show her how awesome my hometown is. We went to the MK Nature Center, a park Dave and I have been going to since we first met.

We went to Saturday Market downtown. We went to the mall and shopped for hours.

We went to the Zoo with Bruce and my sister in law, Joanna.

From May 2009

We walked MILES in a few short days. When I went to my 38 week doctor's appointment last Tuesday, I fully expected that my 2cm dilation would have increased. 3cm? Maybe 4cm?! No. Still just 2cm. I told the doctor that I had walked so much I could hardly believe that!

At that 38 week appointment, the doctor informed me that the baby's head was not engaged in my pelvis and that is why I've had so much pain in my pubic bone. Additionally, she was OP, meaning that instead of facing my spine she is facing my tummy (but still in a head down position.) I guess it's good that she hasn't engaged because she can float about and turn around and get into the correct position before she engages.

This all makes me nervous though, because Bruce was born OP. I didn't know it at the time though. I labored for hours pushing and pushing and not making any progress. He was also 10 days late, and 9 pounds, 10 ounces. He was born with midwife assistance, and they never checked me for dilation when I was pregnant. So I don't have actual facts about Bruce's birth to compare to. I don't know if Bruce had dropped by the time I was 39 weeks. I'm thinking that maybe he wasn't though. I mean, if he hadn't dropped yet, it makes a little more since that labor wouldn't start.

My biggest fear with this pregnancy is that the baby will be large. Bruce was only as large as he was because he was given an extra 10 days to cook, but these are details that are easy for my pregnant mind to forget when I'm fretting about labor. I'm afraid that the baby will be large, and now I'm afraid she'll be face up and I won't be able to push her out and they'll have to use the vacuum (like with Bruce) or I'll end up needing a c-section. This whole time I've been hoping that she'll be born early, and thus smaller and I'll go into labor and easily push her right out. Every day that she's not born is a day she is growing larger.

And I wonder, is there something wrong with my body that babies prefer to present OP? Is there something strange about the shape or tilt of my uterus that prevents the baby from engaging normally and at a normal time? Is this a coincidence, or something that is inevitable for any pregnancy that I might have?! (Although, there is NO plan for a #3)

These are the things that are swimming in my head. And stressing about them is likely part of what is preventing me from going into labor. I know this. I know I must be relaxed. But these thoughts aren't just going to go away. They're just going to be tucked away, still causing stress but from behind the scenes. So I'm going to embrace what I'm nervous about knowing that there is nothing I can do to change any of it. I'm just going to reassure myself that I have a doctor who respects me and who is very knowledgeable and experienced. Whatever happens, happens.

In the meantime, I am filling myself full of little superstitions and wives tales to try to get labor to start. I've done almost all the things I can find for naturally inducing labor. Now I'm just having fun with the superstitions. Today my shirt matches my toenails... maybe the baby will come! I bought an Us Weekly but packed it in my hospital bag, not allowing myself to read it until I am in the hospital either in labor or recovery. So many silly things that I do, thinking to myself after, "Now maybe she'll come!"

I guess only she knows when she's ready... but boy am I ready now.

Gross Out

2009-05-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

So anyone who knows my husband, Dave, knows that he is a pretty tall, thin guy. He has the most incredible metabolism. This is part of how I've gained so much weight in the 6 years we've been married. We were newlyweds playing house in California. We did whatever we wanted, and a lot of the time that included watching movies and snacking. I didn't realize it at the time (or really, until I was a good 20 pounds heavier) but he eats A LOT. And I would match him almost calorie for calorie. He'd sit down with a bowl of crackers and offer some to me and my response? Yes, please! This has not changed at all over the course of our marriage, and I am only recently learning to decline his food advances.

Dave eats a LOT of cheese. He just finished a block of mild cheddar in a week and a half, plus who knows how many crackers. A form of cheese that I really hate to indulge him with (because it's so disgusting) is that canned easy cheese stuff. But he loves it, and he works hard to provide for our family, so I guess I can let the man have his easy cheese. He prefers the bacon flavored variety though. (Gag!) So the other night we were eating Velveeta Shells and Cheese for dinner (Embarrassing, but at least Bruce will eat it.) and I dared Dave to take a bite of the macaroni with a big pile of Easy Cheese on top. And I recorded it:

I've gotta love him. But I don't have to kiss him after that mouth full of processed cheese!

My Slice of Nesting

2009-05-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

I, like every other pregnant woman who is nearing the end, have pretty intense nesting urges these days. However, I have almost nothing for our baby who could be born at any moment. Of course, I am a second time mom. I'm not freaked out because I have my experiences with Bruce to draw on and calm my nerves. This is a picture of our nursery, literally:

From Nesting

Not a lot going on there. There is a dresser in the closet, but I don’t have a crib yet or anything. I plan to order the crib in mid-June. The baby will definitely get here before I order it, but I didn’t use a crib with Bruce until he was about 4 months old. I don’t anticipate having a need for one yet, although it would be nice to have so I could start pulling the room together. Another reason for that room’s emptiness, though, is that my baby shower isn’t until Saturday! I don’t have any of my bedding set yet, either!! But you don’t need a bedding set to have a baby. I have more than enough clothes that are already washed and folded. I have newborn diapers. I have arms, and I have boobs. I’m ready for the baby!

But a girl still has nesting urges. Fortunately, we moved into a new house just under a month ago. There has been plenty of unpacking and organizing for me to do! The largest effort so far has been in our office/guest room/fourth bedroom. When we first moved in, the office was where all the boxes went that just didn’t have a place yet. Our apartment was about 800 square feet smaller than our house is, so there are a lot of things that go in different rooms than they did before!

Even though the office was full of boxes and plastic storage bins, I kept it pretty organized. That is, until I went out of town for the weekend and my husband ransacked all the boxes looking for his office supplies. After that weekend, the floor was hardly visible. (I was bummed to find that I hadn’t taken a picture of the mess.) I really need this room to NOT be a mess, because I have a friend coming into town on the 21^st. She’ll be staying in the office which provided me a sense of urgency. I took an afternoon and put everything back in its respective box or bin and stacked them in the closet out of sight. Then I took our new filing cabinet and set up our computer on it. We had a desk being delivered the next day, but I honestly couldn’t wait any longer.

From Nesting

It was empty, but clean! Just like it should be! Our furniture arrived the next day, packed up in tiny little boxes. My loving husband assembled it that evening. (I think he knew better than to try to wait a day… he would probably come home and I would’ve done it myself… I’m that kind of pregnant woman.) Several days later, I’d unpacked the office stuff that will be used in this room. I’m really pleased with the result. It’s nice to have a room designated for an office, and when needed, a guest room.

From Nesting

In the months leading up to our move, I began organizing our things into these gray storage bins. They were super cheap, and much easier to manage than various cardboard boxes. For now they will live in the closet in the office, but when we move on to organizing the garage, we’ll likely make a place for them out there. It’s not like anyone is using this closet anyway!

From Nesting

We still need a piece of furniture for the office. We were planning on getting a futon (don’t worry, it’d be a good one) but there’s just no versatility with a futon. We wouldn’t be able to move it or angle it or anything. Today I found a futon chair on Target’s website. It’s a chair and an ottoman and the chair lays flat so you can sleep on it. I think this might be the solution we’re looking for.

From Nesting

The reason I want to get a futon is just in case someone needs to sleep over. But we don’t really need to accommodate two sleepers… If someone will be spending the night, it will likely just be one person. So we’re going to think about it, and order it on Friday if we so decide.

It’s been really fun pulling our house together. We’re pretty much unpacked now. We are just waiting on our tax credit so we can update some items in our home, but for now it is cozy and I love it.

Hargigh in the Box

2009-05-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

Nearing the end

2009-05-11T15:28:00.001-07:00

As of yesterday, I am 36 weeks pregnant. I feel so done, like I want it to be all over with now. I'm really hoping that I go into labor early. Ideally, it would be either this week, or after the 24th. (Busy week next week! :D)

Having the baby is on my mind almost ALL the time. Every time I go to the bathroom, I'm on the lookout for my mucus plug. Of course, it's never there and chances are it won't be. I keep imagining that I'll be walking around in the store and my water will break. But if this labor will be anything my last, that won't happen either. I started having contractions and wasn't into active labor until my water broke, which caused me to pass my mucus plug. My mom was also in active labor before her water broke with me. The amniotic sac had actually slipped through her cervix creating a little sagging bubble that prevented my head from engaging, so her midwives had to break the sac before I could be born.

Another bit of TMI for you... I crave prunes and crushed ice. Well, I don't really crave the prunes, but I love how regular they keep me. (They taste pretty good, too. Why is it that prune juice is gag-worthy, but pitted prunes are like little candies?) It's nice to be regular, because I already have a near unbearable amount of pressure in my pelvis. Going to the bathroom is uncomfortable and I like to get in and out as fast as possible. One thing I remember about having Bruce was how baby-pushes are an awfully lot similar to BM pushes. So the last thing I want to do in the last month of pregnancy is exert any sort of unnecessary pushing in that area. It's uncomfortable and it just creeps me out. I know that having a BM won't push the baby out, but it's just uncomfortable. Ick.

But about that crushed ice... I love it. I will get myself a glass of crushed ice and water just so that I can chew the ice after the water is gone. I feel so ridiculous, so I try to only do it when I'm at home, but MAN. That ice feels so good in my mouth. It's the texture, and how cold it is... It's just AWESOME. I feel relieved to know that I'm not anemic though, because I have at least two servings of Quaker Oatmeal Squares a day, and just one serving has 90% daily value of iron. I love how I feel when I'm getting enough iron. I can think and talk! Yessss!

Time to run to the bank.

Mad Pancake

2009-05-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took a trip to Moscow and Lewiston. Bruce did probably the funniest thing while we were there.

Bruce is normally a pretty shy little guy, but lately when he has his mind set on something he'll let everyone know about it. It was Sunday morning and we were having breakfast at the Shari's in Lewiston. Saturday afternoon, we ate at the Shari's in Moscow and Bruce ordered the Happy Face Pancake. So this time, we sit down in our booth and he looks at the kid's menu and points to the Happy Face Pancake and says, "I want that pancake again. Only this time I want it with a MAD FACE." Dotty and I laughed and looked at each other. I mouthed the words, "We'll just order him a happy face one" thinking that he would have probably forgotten by the time the food got there.

So a few minutes later the waitress comes by and Dotty tells her that we'll get the face pancake, and Bruce pipes up and announces, "But I want it with a MAD FACE!" The waitress looks at me and Dotty, a little suprised. She said, "Is he mad?" To which I responded, "No, he's just three." And I gave her a look like I-really-don't-know-what-he's-on-about. So she chuckled and said, "Okay, we can do that. We'll make a mad face pancake!" and Bruce looked so thrilled.

From Moscow Trip

He looks mad in this picture because he was making a mad face to go with the pancake.

From Moscow Trip

A little blurry, but you can tell he loves his mad pancake.

From Moscow Trip

Close up of the mad little guy.

The more I thought about him ordering a mad pancake, the more it made me laugh. Not only because the waitress put the order in, but that the cook back there got an order for a mad face pancake and drew a little frowny face on it. So ridiculous. This is one of the stories (and pictures) I will remember in anticipation of the day that Bruce brings home his first girlfriend. Priceless.

Back Again

2009-04-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

I realize that it's been almost 2 months since I've posted an update, and to the maybe 2 people who view my blog, I apologize. :D A lot had been happening and I just couldn't take the time out to post! Since my last post, we bought a house and moved in to it. I am 34 weeks pregnant this week, and everything is going well.

Here is a picture of our new house:

From New house pictures

And here is a picture of my overly-large belly, taken today.

From Blogger Pictures

And a picture of my super adorable little man, Bruce. He was holding his stuffed dog, Max like a baby.

From Blogger Pictures

Foooooood Frustration

2009-03-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

I have a serious love hate relationship with food right now, mostly with buying it. I will go a whole day knowing that we're going to go grocery shopping when Dave gets off of work, but when we actually get to the store, I just don't. feel. like. doing. it.

I usually get good (or possibly too good) grocery shopping done when I'm hungry. But I'm pregnant, so when I'm hungry I don't feel right. So I do my best to make sure I'm not hungry! Ever! So we're going to the grocery store tonight for the third time this week, and we'll have to see how it goes.

Last night the plan was to go to Albertson's for produce and meat. We left with 2 oranges, 4 golden delicious apples, a bunch of bananas, pork chops, a frozen pizza and a dozen donuts. Not exactly what I had in mind going into it.

I think part of it is that I sit down to try to think of dinner meals, so I can buy the needed meats accordingly. But I can't think of any dinners to make. Besides the fact that nothing sounds good. Very frustrating.

Photo Update!

2009-02-21T19:42:00.000-08:00

This picture of Bruce is from Valentine's Day. It's a "before" picture, as we went to get his hair professionally cut afterwards.

He was mid-sentence when this picture was taken... Some people (ahem, Dave) just don't have the photog skills. ;) Either way, Bruce was scared to get his hair cut, and didn't want to sit in the booster chair they have for small children so he ended up sitting on my lap. He calmed down immediately when he was on my lap, and was a very good boy for the rest of his haircut. (The hair dresser got a very large tip that day.)

Me and Bruce this afternoon.

I don't have any pictures of me when I was pregnant with Bruce. (Didn't want to even look at it.) So far this time, I only have a few pictures that you can actually see my midsection in. (Still don't really like to look at it.)

I gained about 50 pounds with Bruce. (Don't ask. I don't know how it happened.) Here I am at 25 weeks, and I've gained 13 pounds. The doctor says that is right on track and everything's fine. But look at me, I'm as big as a house! Waaah!

Someone needs to teach Dave a thing or two about sympathy bellies.

The end.

2009-02-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

My 20 week ultrasound is finally complete! It took three visits, but they were finally able to view her heart clearly. Bruce went with me to this visit, and the ultrasound tech printed out these three photos of the little baby's face. Caught a yawn in the second shot, even!

I am 24 weeks now, and am starting to actually feel pregnant. I registered for my baby shower on Tuesday with my mother in law, and we had a great time. That really helped the excitement sink in that we're going to have a little girl! We picked out bedding and a car seat and a bouncer, and it was so strange to be looking at the girl stuff instead of the boy stuff! I am really excited!

I had my prenatal appointment today, doctor says everything is fine. I've gained 13 pounds so far, which they say is right on track. I gained waaay too much when I was pregnant with Bruce, and I've been trying to keep it in check this time.

I've been feeling the baby kick a lot more frequently. I didn't feel much in the beginning because my placenta is on the front wall of my uterus rather than the back, and it served as a giant cushion. All I could feel was little flutterings. Now I'm getting firm kicks and jabs to my sides and upper abdomen. It's nice, because Dave and Bruce have both been able to feel the baby kicking.

I've got a lot more I mean to say, but it never seems I have the time to update my blog. I have the time, so I suppose it's just an issue of whether I actually sit down to do it. I'll try to be good. :)

2009-02-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

Bruce and I are home today. He has a bit of a cough, although he feels fine. He's sitting on the couch watching Wall-E with our kitten Jack.

The other night, I asked Dave to get me a pony tail holder. Then, just to see what he would do, I asked him to put my hair into a (ONE!) pony tail for me. This is what I ended up with:

2009-02-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is an ultrasound from my first prenatal appointment at around 15 weeks.

Ultrasound collage from 20 weeks. We have (clockwise from top) the face, profile, lower arms, hand, gender, and legs. They suspected it was a girl, but weren't 100% sure. I had to schedule a follow-up appointment because her position prohibited a good view of the feet and a close up to check the chambers of her heart.

These are the pictures from my follow up visit that was today, at 22 weeks. We double-checked the gender and confirmed that she's a girl and were still unable to get a close view of the heart and feet. (The bottom picture is the closest foot shot we could get) My placenta is in the front, and she's been in a breech position, lying face down. The ultrasound tech explained that with her in that position, it was really difficult to get a close up view of the heart. So once again, I had to schedule a follow-up visit.

I was just relieved to have confirmation that it was a girl. I can't imagine thinking that it's a girl and having it be born and be a boy!!

2009-02-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

My dear best friend, Jyllie made this dress for me. I absolutely love it. No one has ever made a dress for me, so it was very touching. It is one that is sure to grow with me through my pregnancy, which I anticipate will make for a very comfortable spring. I am a little bit self conscious about my size at this point, but this is my second pregnancy and everything seems to be happening faster this time. This picture was taken at 22 weeks.

This picture is a little bit over exposed, but I figured that if I re-touched it, it would look weird. So here it is. Me, my boy, and my kitten. (The little jerk face who likes to pee in my laundry... the cat, not Bruce.)

Moustache

2009-01-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Sometime after Christmas, I dared my husband Dave to not shave his facial hair until the new year. I wanted to see what he looked like with a 'stache. (Insert silly giggle.)

So he obliged, and we both had a few good laughs. He went in the bathroom that night and shaved the beard off (that was the deal, that I could see him with just the 'stache, but he didn't have to grow it out that way)

Wii Music

2008-12-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

This is a video of Bruce playing Wii Music. He totally roxor soxor'd.

Zoo Slideshow!

2008-12-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

Bruce

2008-11-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my adorable Bruce.