Merry Christmas!

And all that jazz.

My new favorite thing? The reason I've been chilling with my siblings instead of blogging anything in a week?

BEHOLD THE BEST GAME I'VE PLAYED IN AGES:

BUSY!

Having all of my siblings around, and trying to babyproof this house, and chasing Guy around is keeping me too busy to even check my e-mail! I've done it only twice since Tuesday, believe it or not, and it's rather liberating.

So just a fair warning, things are likely going to be rather slow for the next few weeks or so.

Love y'all!

We made it!

We're in California, and life is good. Everybody but Katie is home, and there are babies everywhere!

Connor and Guy played really well together this afternoon, and the kids are all behaving very well, and Josh and I have only argued once. Pretty good, all things considered.

Merry Christmas, friends!

CUE HEAD EXPLODING

Actually, that's probably a bit too dramatic--really things are going fine. But it is nearly midnight and I still haven't touched the dishes or the fridge. And that simply MUST be done. So I'll do it.

Just pray for me--that the kids will let me get at least a little bit of sleep in the car tomorrow. I'm going to need it.

Other than the kitchen we're done--I just need to pack some toiletries. Unfortunately my box of craft stuff will not fit, so I'll just have to do without while I'm in California. Oh, well. Not the end of the world by any means.

Oh, yeah, and we need to cram all this stuff into the car tomorrow morning. When it will be approximately 16 degrees. *shivers* That's just too cold, if you ask me. Just too cold. Especially when getting to the car involves walking 1/4 mile roundabout on sidewalk or trudging up a hill of snow-covered grass. Fun.

We're leaving tomorrow

Thus begins the freaking out!

Okay, not really--but only because if I freak out I'll get much less done. So let's just hit the to-do lists, huh?

PACKING:
Load up car partway
Get Josh to pack his clothes
Get Josh to clean up the rest of his clothes
Choose piano music to take with us
Transfer important files to laptop

CLEANING:
Vacuum
Sweep
Mop
Dishes
Clean bathroom
Wipe out fridge

MISCELLANEOUS:
Make myself scarce from 10 a.m. to noon so Josh can study
Feed everybody three times (pancakes, pasta, and swiss chicken)
Go and get copies of Leo's birth certificate
Return library books

Totally doable. It's just going to be a long two days. Wish me luck! And good weather! Please!

There are moments . . .

every so often when I cannot handle what my brain does to me.

I can't take any outside stimulation (like babies crying, ahem), and I don't want to look at anything, because the thoughts in my head just won't stop.

Bad news: the sublease fell through. Great for them! They get to keep their apartment! Bad for us, in that I've had this hope for the last week that we wouldn't have to pay rent for four months and could save that money.

Good news: we don't have to clean out the apartment to make room for their stuff. This will be nice, since I'd just barely started and we want to leave in a little over 36 hours.

It's snowing again. It's beautiful to look at, but it's NOT nice to walk in when the construction crews have so kindly DESTROYED the only walkway to get to the parking lot. This means trudging up a slick, snow-covered grassy hill to get to the car. So not nice. I'm only glad we're not trying to move. Oh, wait, we are! Ha! Maybe I should just get the community aide to open the gate for us on Wednesday morning. Not a bad idea, actually. Hmmm . . . .

I'd like to introduce you . . .

to the fine art of playing the saw.

When I looked in front of me at church today, there was a man a few pews ahead with a saw leaning against his leg. "How odd," thought I. Then the first counselor introduced him as an old friend who was going to play the saw for us.

Here's some more information about the musical saw. Enjoy learning something new today.

Okay, now THIS is cool

I learned about this website a few weeks ago, and I'm excited to share it!

It's called Swagbucks, and the basic idea is you can run Google searches through them to "win" points, which you can redeem for prizes. My favorite? 45 points gets you $5 Amazon credit, which is e-mailed to you AS SOON AS YOU REDEEM IT. No waiting four to eight weeks, wondering if you'll really get what they say you will.

Even if I only earn $5 a month, in three months I'll have enough to buy a book I've been wanting forever. All for doing something I'd be doing anyway.

So if you want to try it out, go to Swagbucks and take a look around. And if you want to encourage your friends to use it, their referral program is pretty decent, too.

This is just one more little thing I do to try to make my life a bit more fun. If I can pay for a few little luxuries without dipping into student loan funds or the money Josh works so hard for to support our family, it makes me feel better.

P.S. Since I wrote about InboxDollars, and Opinion Outpost (e-mail me for a link), I've earned $40 through the two websites together in not a lot of time. I'm just waiting to redeem until I get to California, so that I don't miss a check in the mail. Cool, huh?

Meet Joe Black

Josh and I watched Meet Joe Black together this past weekend.

It is definitely on my list of top ten favorite films. I love the music, the pace, the INCREDIBLY expressive acting. Seriously, how can a man deliver a one-word line but communicate such an incredible range of feelings at the same time? It's as though the actors in this film are telling the entire story without many words at all. As I see the expressions on their faces, and the body language, I feel I can see exactly what their characters are thinking and feeling--as well as the progression of thoughts as they discover things about each other.

This film is the one that proved to me that Brad Pitt deserves to make a lot of money---he's an incredible actor.

Ugh, and with that, I need to go change an especially "fragrant" diaper.

Anxiety

This two kid thing?

It's dang hard some moments.

Like when I get Leo to take a nap, and then try to put Guy down, who screams and wakes Leo up. Or like when I finally take a moment to sit down and realize that my house somehow exploded and there is shrapnel on every surface and littering the floor.

And the laundry? Oh, the laundry.

I just have these moments when I feel so overwhelmed. And I'm trying to just take life one step at a time, but the list in my head keeps getting longer. It's hard to focus on this one thing I'm doing right now when the rest of my house is a visual reminder of the next six things that have to be done.

The best part? Josh won't be home until late tonight. One last group project.

But maybe that's a good thing. It'll mean I won't have to worry so much about getting the house looking decent just yet. I have a few hours to try and get the place looking decent again.

HA HA HA!

The dishes are ALL DONE! And it's only 10 a.m.

Of course, it helps that we've been using paper plates exclusively the last few weeks. But still! I'm excited to have a clean kitchen!

That just leaves laundry today. I can not BELIEVE how much more laundry there is with a new baby. I'd completely forgotten. I think we're making about two loads of laundry every three days, not including whites or towels. Sheesh!

So it shouldn't be too awful of a day at this point. I need to get started on packing lists, and do a dry run with the car and boxes, suitcases, etc. to make sure I know how much space we have. I also need to call around and price chains for the tires for our venture through the Sierra Nevadas in a week and a half.

I can't believe we're leaving so soon! I'm going to miss Wymount so bad while I'm gone. This community is really so amazing, and I'm going to miss my friends!

Too many thoughts

There are simply too many thoughts flying through my head tonight. I feel as if my head were stuffed a bit too full of ideas, and some keep slipping away. So here are some pictures of my lovely family, instead. Enjoy.

 
 

He just doesn't get it

Josh is a wonderful husband. I love him to death, and he makes me a better person.

But seriously, there are days when I look at him and want to scream, "What are you, nuts?!? DON'T YOU GET IT?"

Yesterday was one of those days. And today, too, believe it or not. I won't go into details because it's really not that important, but there are days that prove to me that men won't ever "get" motherhood. Especially newborn postpartum I look and feel gross motherhood.

Seriously.

Plans, plans, and more plans

I just finished a menu plan for the next two weeks, so that I can hit the grocery store once and be done with it. Josh and I are headed to WalMart this afternoon to check prices on tire chains and buy diapers. Thrilling, I know! I want to get all my grocery shopping done while we're there, too, which shouldn't be difficult. Except for the, "I hate WalMart" part.

I still haven't cooked a dinner since the baby was born, and we have lots of food in the freezer and pantry. I think our grocery budget this month while we're here in Utah will be something like $50. Good times.

I'm also starting to think more sincerely about what's going to come with us to California. The less we take, the better gas mileage we'll get. I just wish I fit into my clothes right now! I don't know what to take and what not to, because nothing fits.

. . . . . . .

I just ran out of steam and stuff to talk about. Guess I have to go do dishes now.

Life With Two

 

Take note of the dirty diaper on the floor.

Seriously, I changed at least six poopy diapers before breakfast this morning.

And the rest of my morning? Spent feeding children or searching for missing house keys. Which I found, thankfully. After digging through the trash twice, just in case Guy threw them in there. He didn't, he threw them in the laundry basket of clean baby clothes. Ironic, isn't it? I spend plenty of time getting dirty, and he has the decency to hide my keys in the clean clothes.

So now more laundry is in the wash (only after thinking I lost my Signature Card, only to go back to the laundry room with quarters to see it sitting on the washer. Duh.) and I'm going to watch Biggest Loser online and take a minute to relax.

Okay, not really. I'm going to clean my house, try to do dishes, probably feed the baby again and change two or three more diapers, and then if I have time plan a menu for the next two weeks we'll be in Utah so that I can spend as little as possible on groceries.

My life right now? I feel like I'm SO. BUSY. but I get very little done. I forgot how much time newborns needs from Mama.

Go, Leo!

We had his two-week check up today. As well as Guy's two-year check up. Yes, I got two kids ready and out the door and to the doctor's office at 9:30 a.m., only an hour and a half after waking up.

But my awesomeness aside, Leo has gained a full pound on his birth weight! He's now 8 lbs 8 oz, has gained 1/2 an inch in length, and has a head circumference that's well within the growth charts. He's even off of the light therapy for jaundice, and done being poked in the foot for it. Hooray!

Guy, for the record, is 31 1/2 lbs, and hates the doctor's office. Or rather, hates the exam room and the nurses and the pediatrician. Oh, well. We survived, despite the howling and the tears and the four shots. Poor kiddo.

You will be missed

Thanks for all the great advice, and for sharing your strong testimony so faithfully, Elder Wirthlin.

Rest in peace.

More info here.

Sure, I like church

But I'd be lying if I told you I was disappointed to have three hours to do nothing but care for this cute baby who's sleeping on my chest.

Thank heavens Guy's doing better in nursery now.

Stupid Things Stupid People Do

I just read Dr. Laura's book Stupid Things Parents Do To Mess Up Their Kids Lives.

It was an interesting read, albeit you could tell it was really just a book length rant. Oh, and rant she does! It's Dr. Laura's signature style, although I far prefer her other books which are less angry.

She essentially takes 250 pagrs to say the following things, which you can infer from the table of contents itself.

1) Don't have kids if all you want to do is have other people (read: day care workers, after school programs, etc.) raise them. Kids need parents who care about their lives and are engaged and paying attention to them.

2) Moms who choose to have babies without the husband part are selfish.

3) Don't even dare think about not disciplining. Instead of a self-confident kid, you'll end up with a nightmare that you've unleashed on society.

4) Don't give your kids what they want. Even teenagers are rarely mature enough to make the best decisions for themselves. Which is why God gave children parents to raise them.

So, spare yourself a depressing read, and remember that your kids need you to care about them.

Pretty straightforward.

And now? I'm reading How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too. I'm only 30 pages into it, but I've already learned a ton of strategies for teaching a toddler how to listen and respond when appropriate. Book review forthcoming, once I've finished it, of course.

Black Friday

Well, it started out foggy and cold, but the sun has come out and both of the boys are napping AT THE SAME TIME.

Woot.

So I need to call the lab, bake a loaf of bread, call Mom's bishop, and eat some more food. Eventually I'll make dinner and do some dishes, and I'll probably read some more. But all things considered, it should be a pretty low key day.

I hope anybody who went shopping found some awesome deals!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm grateful for lots of things today. Most of all I'm grateful for my beautiful sons, one of whom is sleeping peacefully in my arms right now.

I'm grateful for Josh, who occupied Guy so that I could get a two hour nap snuggled up to Leo who was fussing until we cuddled up together.

I'm really grateful for leftover chicken stuffing casserole (thanks, Mom!) which ended up being our Thanksgiving dinner. I had had plans for roast chicken, stuffing, potatoes, and a salad, but after doing homemade burgers and fries for lunch that sounded like too much work.

Then we were going to pick up a pizza, but it turns out anywhere to get a pizza in Provo on Thanksgiving Day was closed. Who knew?

Good thing those leftovers were tasty :-)

Tired

So, I've stayed up way too late chatting with Mom the last two nights. I need more sleep.

And apparently taking a nap in the afternoon, instead of leaving me feeling refreshed and cheerful, finds me waking up angry and frustrated and ready to cry at the drop of a hat.

Great.

Leo's bilirubin is back up, so he's back on the lights. We're off to the lab again Friday. At least they're not making me take him to the ER to get it checked tomorrow. Ugh.

And Guy didn't nap today, either. That makes two days of yelling at me from his crib. Nothing like an angry two-year-old yelling your name to make you feel loved.

Are you kidding me?

With Thanksgiving this week, perhaps I should be more grateful and less whiny.

Thanks, Mom, for doing my dishes and mopping my floor!

*whine alert* Okay, seriously, what's the deal with sucking once, releasing the milk's fury, and then pulling off and squirming so that I end up with sopping wet clothes? NOT COOL, kiddo.

And Guy went down late for a nap due to various reasons, and now is yelling at us from his crib. I managed a 40-minute nap, but just woke up with a headache and feeling angry.

This doesn't bode well. I think I need a deep breath.

12.4!!!

Baby Leo is off the lights and being cuddled by his doting momma. :-)

One last heel prick on Wednesday and then we *should* be home free.

Monday, Monday

Still waiting on the call from the pediatrician's office regarding Leo's bilirubin levels. Hopefully he'll be off the lights soon so we can cuddle him more! In the meantime, I'm grateful he's being so well behaved for us.

We made it to the lab again this morning, and I've done most of the stuff on my to-do list for today. Mom is helping with laundry (there's so much of it! spit-up is not my friend) and Guy and Leo are currently sleeping peacefully.

Which means I really should take a nap, but I'm having such a good time being awake with no kids hanging off me! Decisions, decisions.

Welcome Baby Leo!

 
 
 

Jaundice

Yep, that pretty much sums up my day yesterday.

Two trips to the lab, a light bed that the baby is FINALLY sleeping in (little sucker hates that thing).

BUT! I managed six and a half hours of sleep last night. Mostly because for 3 hours in the middle of the night I took Leo out of the light bed and wrapped him up warm and cozy and let him sleep.

Heaven.

Sleep

We got more than expected last night. Guy got a full 12 hours, Josh got close to 7 or 8, and I ended up getting about 4 1/2. I feel pretty good all things considered, but I'm going to go take a nap while Mom and Guy are at the playground and Leo is sleeping.

But we're home safe and sound, and Guy is starting to warm up to our newest family member.

Did I mention?

I finished the New Testament Monday morning. Which was great to accomplish that goal, it really helped me during labor believe it or not.

So goals for today:

A nice bath
Clean clothes
Take a nap
Finish the birth certificate application
Go home and eat pizza!!! (And see my Mom, I hope)

Should be a good day.

New Arrival

I'd upload photos of my adorable baby, but unfortunately I cannot as I forgot the cord at home. Oh, well. At least I remembered the camera!

Birth went like a dream. I'm not the biggest fan of Pitocin, but I am a big fan of anesthesiologists. I had an epidural for the last hour or so and it made the experience a lot more relaxed and happy at the end instead of crazy. The coolest part was still being able to feel the baby's head crowning, without it being painful.

His name is Leo August Coyne, he was born after about 7 hours of labor at 11:19 p.m. on Monday the 17th, and weighed 7 lbs 8 ounces, 21 inches long. He's got dark hair and is fuzzy all over like his big brother, and for anyone wondering does not have hypospadias.

It was love at first push, I tell you :-) He's cute as a button, but the little turkey doesn't want to eat anything. He hasn't nursed since 1 a.m. or so, but his blood sugar is at a good level.

I'm going back to sleep (I've slept a total of about 4 hours--just haven't been able to doze much) until our little one wakes up.

If anyone wants to come visit, I'm in room 113 at Orem Community, or you can call me at 714-3113.

Yup. Still pregnant.

Still waiting.

I had a complete mental breakdown in Relief Society yesterday. It was a little embarrassing, but I got several answered prayers out of it. I've had sisters offer to make dinner for me (which honestly yesterday I'd been praying I wouldn't have to cook dinner after church), and lots of sisters are signed up to take Guy for a couple hours each morning this week.

Non-stress test this morning, I'll let y'all know how it goes.

And here's a question for you: how is it that I slept for 11 hours last night, and I'M STILL TOO TIRED TO DO ANYTHING?

Still pregnant.

I kinda hoped the baby would be born today. I thought it'd be cool, since it's Josh's dad's birthday. Not looking likely, unless I go into labor right quick and it goes super fast.

I'm absolutely exhausted. I'm wondering how well I'm going to handle labor this time, because my body feels so darn tired from hauling around an extra 45 pounds. And caring for a two-year-old. Guy must be teething with how whiny he's been lately.

This morning I would've been more than happy to let him veg in front of the TV for a few hours watching Sesame Street from the 70's. But it's Sunday, and we've committed to not watching Sesame Street on Sundays.

Josh tried taking Guy home teaching with him, bless his heart, after making me breakfast. Guy didn't do so well, so now he's here, crying.

Two-year-olds are fun. Fun, but hard.

So. Tired.

I took two naps today, that's how tired I am.

My only goals were to do a load of laundry and wash some dishes, and even that's not going to happen.

My body? Pretty exhausted at this point. And I hit that point where I can't eat very much but I'm always hungry and always have heartburn.

Woo hoo for being almost done.

Message ends. So that I can go have another lie down.

Happy Due Date!

I'm convinced it will be Thursday that I'll have the baby. Don't ask why, it's just what I'm thinking.

I've completely relaxed about all the things on my to-do list. Most everything is done that I wanted finished before the baby came, and I'm enjoying taking my time doing not much of anything.

Dishes, laundry, playing with Guy and visiting with friends. I'm truly blessed, and live a great life.

Josh is a little stressed with school and the coming baby, and then going off to training in January, but the wonderful man has let me sleep in several mornings this week which was a boon to my pregnant (read: aching) body.

Still pregnant

Really, really pregnant. I'm up to 45 lbs total weight gain. And I feel awful today.

UGH.

At least I know this baby is coming sooner rather than later, right?

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Lots of rain. Which means lots of mud. The access road that runs in front of our apartment building? Completely torn out. Nothing but mud. And six-foot deep trenches. That move every day.

I'm glad they're working quickly, but with this rain it is awful trying to get anywhere with a two-year-old. It makes me want to stay inside and cuddle up with a good book all day long. Which would be great if I could read more than two sentences before being interrupted.

Ah, well. No news about the baby. Although a gal in the ward who was due more than a week after I'm due had her baby a few days ago. Guess I'm bucking the trend to have my baby before his due date.

Oh, and if you could pray for my sister-in-law in Japan, she just lost her baby at 17 weeks. It's a trial that I'm sure is extremely difficult.

Progress Report

I'm getting crazy. I've cried twice today, and three times felt really super frustrated and angry.

I decided to just let things go today and relax. I'm not going to stress about my to-do list, I'm just watching America's Next Top Model while Guy naps. And eating chocolate. Of course.

I saw the midwife this morning. 39 1/2 weeks, and nothing new to report. I'm only a teeny bit more dilated and a teeny bit more effaced. Monday will be a non-stress test if the baby hasn't come, and then Tuesday I'll probably have my membranes stripped to see if that will jump start labor.

Hooray. Getting closer.

I am acting so . . . PREGNANT

I just tried to re-make the appointment for Guy that I had to cancel last week because Medicaid was being slow in sending out insurance cards.

The pediatrician's office won't let me, because he's not close enough to being 2 for a well baby check.

Excuse me? I already had an appointment last week. Why was this not a problem before?

So what do I do? Eat chocolate and cry my eyes out. Because that's the logical reaction.

Gordon Ramsay

I love watching this guy on TV. Gordon Ramsay is seriously fun to watch. His accent is awesome, he's a straight shooter, and the food he cooks always looks so good.

Hell's Kitchen only runs in the summer, but now that he's on the second season of Kitchen Nightmares there's somewhere else I can get my Gordon Ramsay fix.

Some day, when Josh and I actually have some money, we're going to go to one of his restaurants. Some day.

Post number 150

Yesterday for the first time, I felt like I was ready to be done being pregnant. This evening? Even more so. Swelling, aching, fatigue, and general discomfort. Woo hoo.

With church at 2 p.m., Sundays feel like a marathon to me. Up at 7:43 this morning (thanks to Guy, who let me sleep in a bit!) I made breakfast for Guy and myself. We played and listened to Music and the Spoken Word. I made a second breakfast (for Josh and me this time). I did dishes. I made lunch. I showered and styled my hair. I packed bags for everybody for church.

Then we went to church, came home, ate dinner, put Guy to bed, and went back to the church for a fireside. 8:30 and we're home and can finally relax. So I'm in PJ's, and am going to read more in the New Testament and then go to bed.

Our RS lesson today was about the Second Coming and the Millennium. We talked about the prophecies, and the signs of the times, and a lot of the stuff is scary. But someone shared an insight that I really appreciated.

"Whether we live or die, if we're righteous then we know we'll be all right in the end."

With a husband who's signed up for military service, this is an enormous comfort. It's not just about this life. It's about eternity.

There are my profound thoughts for the day. Thank you, and good night.

BIRTHDAY!

And what an awesome birthday it was.

I turned 23 today. I'm 23 now. And I have a husband, and a degree, and a toddler, and a baby on the way. I'm very satisfied with my life. Not everyone is so lucky as to be able to say that truthfully.

This morning I went to Enrichment, then we went and had pancakes (that I didn't have to cook!), I went to Costco, took a two-hour nap, went to my favorite Italian restaurant, heard Stairway to Heaven played on the accordion, and spent four hours with some of my favorite people (thanks for the gift card, Amy!).

It was a really great birthday. Despite the fact that my blender broke halfway through a green smoothie :-(

I guess I know what I'm using my birthday money for, Mom!

And tomorrow is Sunday! So Guy, the lucky fellow, gets to go to nursery again. He's been asking about nursery all week. Every time we drive by the church he gets so excited, hoping he'll get to go to nursery. Love that kid.

HAIRCUT!

I decided I wanted to get my hair cut before I have a baby. I'm hoping it helps with the postpartum blahs. You know, where you feel dumpy for weeks on end. We'll see how well it works.



This is also a good time to showcase the baby belly. Guy wanted to be in the picture, too.



There's an awesome gal in my ward who does $10 haircuts, and she's really good. I'm most definitely pleased, and I think it's cute. BONUS: It's just long enough to pull back.

I seriously love being this little boy's mom. If you look in the picture that we're both in, he's got his arms around my neck. He loves to pull my head in close to his and snuggle, and it's one of the best feelings in the world.

Being a mom is hard, especially when wooden blocks are getting thrown at your head and you're crunching cornflakes into the carpet. But I LOVE it.

Snow!

I was going to take a picture, but it melted by the time naptime came around. And of course I can't pull the camera out without a fit from Guy while he's awake.

It was quite a bit of snow this morning, but surprisingly the construction workers outside have been going strong all day. At least they're diligent.

I don't have much to say about the election. I'll pray for Obama, that he'll make good decisions for our country.

That's about all I have to say. Now? To laundry. And I'm going to make some soup, I think. It's a good day for soup.

Oh! And I have 5 of 8 Christmas gifts completed. Just one more store, and a few more hours of work (mostly on Josh's) and I'll be done. We'll see if I can swing it before this kid arrives!

Curiosity got the better of me

Less than 1 cm dilated, 60% effaced, baby's at least -2 station. According to good ol' Mr. Bishop, I would be unlikely to deliver even if induced at this point.

So we're still just hanging out waiting for a baby sometime in the next two weeks.

Like I've been saying all along--who knows when we'll have this kiddo, but we'll meet him before Thanksgiving.

VOTE

Please.

It'd mean a lot to me.

Really, it would.

Heck, I'll even watch your kids for you if it means you'll get out there and vote.

So do it.

For me.

Playgroup

So we went to playgroup this morning. It was . . . interesting.

When you've got 12 little kids running around it's bound to be a bit chaotic, but this morning was just plain hard. Guy was clingy, then running around, then crying, then running away, then whining, then wanting to go outside. What happened? He's usually so good.

We split into two groups, younger kids and older kids, last week. It went really well, and I taught the younger group. This week? Guy wouldn't have anything to do with the younger kids (probably because I promised Addi would be there and she wasn't).

So after 10 minutes of chasing, crying, consoling, and bedlam I convinced Guy to join the older kids' group. He was good for about ten minutes, then was off again. *hangs head* I'm tired. It was frustrating.

Hopefully next week will go better. I want him to be comfortable enough and well-behaved that I could leave him there without me when the baby comes, but today was a struggle.

Oh, and did I mention that Sienna threw up, meaning Tyrus went a little crazy? So then I was trying to keep Tyrus from pulling the fire alarm, and then consoling him that his mother was indeed coming back, and trying not to gag from the smell of vomit in the hallway.

So now? I'm going to watch America's Next Top Model online and finish Jackie and Shauna's Christmas presents.

Lists, Lists, and more Lists

I'm a big fan of lists lately. I have a list of things to pack for the hospital, my list of tasks for the week, my daily to-do list, and lists of all kinds of things.

They tend to help me think through my life in a more prepared and purposeful manner. Heaven knows I can always stand to be more purposeful in what I say and do.

So I'm getting closer to getting everyone's Christmas gifts done before the baby comes. Katie is done, Guy is done, Mom is done, and Jackie needs about 5 minutes. Shauna needs about an hour still. I'm not sure about Dad's. I haven't started on Josh's yet, but that's because he's home a lot, and during naptime I tend to relax or watch TV online. One more errand and I'll have Dennis and Connor taken care of, too.

Another pre-baby goal was to finish the New Testament. I'm already through Romans, only 150 pages or so to go! Definitely doable as long as the baby doesn't come too early.

This week there's plenty to keep me busy. We need to register the car, vote, I have a midwife appointment, and Guy has his two-year checkup. Yeah, I know, he's not two yet, but I don't want to have one more thing to do AFTER the baby comes. So I figure 23 months is close enough. :-)

Message ends. Time to go get ready for church.

NaBloPoMo

That's it, right? I can't remember for sure.

Anyway, I can't very well miss the first day, Shauna, now can I? So, here is my post for the day.



It'd be nice if I said something interesting, huh? Well, we went and saw a movie tonight in anticipation of celebrating my birthday next weekend (just in case the baby makes a surprise early appearance). We saw Mamma Mia! at the dollar theatre and laughed our tails off. It was funny, upbeat, and had lots of great music and dancing. A little too much cleavage for my taste, but other than that a ton of fun.

Nothing like Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan crooning away at each other to make you feel romantic. :-D

I wouldn't buy it, but I might borrow it and watch it while sewing or something like that. Very enjoyable. Makes me want to go and buy ABBA's greatest hits album.

Discovery

I feel like today I have entered the ranks of women who are mothers of BOYS. And boy, is it a lot of laughs and a lot of fun!

 

The Poisonwood Bible

Last week I read Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.

I absolutely love her writing, and this book was no exception. I generally dislike novels that are told from multiple perspectives, switching point of view from chapter to chapter. This book, however, consumed me. I read all 543 pages in just a few days' time.

In summary, the book is about a minister who takes his wife and four daughters to Africa on a yearlong mission that changes the course of all their lives. Difficult decisions are made and there are many moments of extreme tension and stress. Emotionally, the book chewed me up and spit me out.

I'd like to say that I have something profound to offer you from my reading, but all I can say is that it gave me a lot to think about. Relationships, religion, spirituality, history and politics of all things. Kingsolver does a miraculous job weaving this fictional family into the Congo in the middle of social upheaval.

I highly recommend this book.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

The Democrats are making me angry.

I respect your right to vote for Obama if you've done your research and agree with him.

I do not, however, respect the Democrats' suddenly changing their opinion about campaign financing. For a party who has fought hard for "taking the big money out of campaigns", it's more than a little bit of hypocrisy to see Obama's team opt out of public finance funds to go ahead and raise the largest amount to support his campaign this country has ever seen.

And on top of that, they opt out of all the default fraud checks on credit card payments that would require the name and address entered to match that on the credit card. And that the card was registered to someone with an address in the US. To prevent illegal campaign donations.

AND THEN THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO SLING INSULTS AND THREATS TO A NEWS REPORTER WHO DARED ASK A QUESTION TO WHICH AMERICA WANTS THE ANSWER. Bad idea, guys. Makes you look like a bunch of nasty socialists. For more info, go here.

T-minus three weeks

Give or take. I can hardly believe how close we're getting!

I had another midwife appointment this morning, and everything looks great. I'm gaining about a pound a week, my blood pressure looks great, no swelling, and for being so close to my due date I'm feeling great.

I pre-registered at the hospital and installed the baby seat, so we're getting closer to introducing this kid to the world.

I finished one of Guy's presents last night! I made him ten bean bags and a floor mat tic tac toe board. I'm really excited about it, and I bet he'll love it. If I get around to it, I might embroider the words TIC TAC TOE across the nine squares, but I have other fish to fry first.

So on the docket for the rest of the day:

Fold laundry
Make dinner
Make bread
Pick up Josh, and run a few errands
Make up a Christmas gift that I'm really excited about! In theory, it'll be start to finish in just an hour or so.

Could it be?

Indeed? Are we really done nursing? 

This is just too weird! Exciting, but strange. Now I'm just wishing that my due date was a few weeks further away so that I can keep working on all these craft and organization projects. 

Today should be a good day. My goals are simple--clean the house, and go out with Mom. We're going to hit the Provo Craft outlet, and try to track down a few supplies for a Christmas gift. I think it'd be fun to go to this bakery, too, but we'll see if I can resist temptation.

And now? On to the dishes. Delightful. :-P

Two quick things

It's been 36 hours since we last nursed. Holy cow, I can't believe he's weaning. He's a good kid, and I'm glad that he's mine. But this means I just might get a few weeks of being a non-nursing mom. Crazy!

Second--there's this awesome website called InboxDollars  that I'm really excited about. I don't spend lots of time on it, but it gives me the chance to pick up a couple dollars here and there. I'm using whatever I'm earning towards  Christmas gifts, and it's not tons (I've earned about $10 in two weeks) but it's something I can do while I watch TV on the internet and while Guy naps. 

You get something like 2 or 3 cents for every e-mail ad you read. $0.50 for every survey you complete. And various amounts for checking out other offers, some of which are completely free (like signing up for Snapfish.com and getting 25 free prints) while others require you actually pay for the advertised service for a specified amount of time. 

If you're interested in checking it out, let me send you an e-mail referral! It'll get me a few extra cents, and I'd be glad to know whether or not my talking about this kind of thing puts anyone off.

*note--doing something like this, or any other paid survey website, merits setting up a new e-mail account to prevent the possibility of spam in your primary account

**second note--I've done some research and this particular site is reputable. Many others are not. Always read the privacy policy so you know what you're getting into!

And now? It's time to sew some bean bags, people. With any luck, I'll finish them all tonight!

Off I go!

EDITED TO ADD: I finished the bean bags and am halfway through the floor quilt! Getting closer every day

Coming up next, in Emily's Life

This week's going to be a good one, I hope. I have lots of goals, and several fun things to do, so it should be enjoyable.

As for weekly activities, Monday is play group. Tuesday morning I have a midwife appointment. Wednesday night there's an Enrichment where I'll be able to work on a certain someone's Christmas present. Friday Josh takes the SAS certification exam (it has something to do with computers and statistics, that's all I know) so I'll have the day to myself. Then Saturday is the ward halloween party. I, of course, volunteered to be part of the trunk or treat and to bring lemon bars. I'm planning on making those Friday while Josh is taking his test.

Sometimes I think I'm a little crazy :-)

Tomorrow's plans aren't too grandiose. I'm going to do all the regular things, like cooking and dishes, and go to playgroup. I'm going to get the whites folded, finish Guy's birthday bean bags, and keep trucking through the New Testament. Oh, and find a baby-sitter for Tuesday. That's never hard, though, as many of my friends are very gracious and willing to watch Guy along with their own kids. Hopefully I'll get some more crochet in there somewhere. I love to crochet!

Dinner is going to be chicken teriyaki noodle bowls, I think, but I haven't decided for sure. And Guy and I are going to be drinking green smoothies this week to try and beat the last lingering vestiges of his first cold of the season. 

It's going to be a busy week, but a good one.

How could you not love this face?

Big Plans

I finished reading the Gospel of Mark this morning. I finally made it through the Old Testament (18 months after starting, sheesh), and decided to power through the New Testament before the baby comes. I have 320 pages to go, and 31 days. It helps that this is an activity I can do lying down.

I have plenty of other goals for the next month as well. I want to get Christmas gifts done and wrapped for everyone. I want Guy's birthday to be planned. I want to freeze several meals for post-baby time. I wanted to finish reading Jesus the Christ, but that's a bit of a stretch I think. I just need to resume my one chapter every Sunday habit.

That's the big stuff, really. It's not totally out of the realm of possibility, either. Especially if I don't expect much more out of myself than those things.

Wish me luck!

And Now It's Time For Guy!

Here are some of my latest favorite pics of my favorite Guy!

Josh and Guy playing some of his favorite game--known in our house as "Wheeeees!"

Guy breaking in the car seat for the new baby

My new hobby!

I promised Shauna a new blog post on my latest greatest hobby. Amigurumi!

I've been really enjoying crochet lately, and these are my latest creations. What you see are a flat gecko (intended for use as a bookmark), a stuffed carrot, and a stuffed oreo cookie. Aren't they cute? I'm hoping to make more play food for Guy to use as toys.

If you're interested in Amigurumi, there are a lot of really cute patterns on the Lion Brand Yarn website. You need to register, and then you can search for patterns.

DIY Definitions: Amigurumi

Ami List

http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/foods.php

Note to my Californian friends and family

I wish I could still vote as a California resident, because I feel so strongly about Proposition 8. It is not about "tolerance" and "equal rights". It WILL have a profound effect on California, and the rest of the country.

If you want your children indoctrinated that same-sex marriage is great! The best thing ever! So normal! So natural! then you are welcome to vote accordingly. Me? I'd rather not have to worry that my child being sent to a state school is going to learn all about homosexual behavior in first grade.

Check out this story. FIRST GRADERS taken on a field trip to see the same-sex wedding of their teacher. Do you think any first graders ever went on a field trip to a traditional wedding on state money and school time? I'm extremely doubtful.

Already in Massachusetts parents have lost their rights to opt-out of same-sex indoctrination in the name of "tolerance". One of the most awful words in the English language to me now. In the name of "tolerance" we have to accept as equally viable lifestyles that are morally unacceptable.

So, don't fall for the trap that homosexuals deserve to be married. Because you know what? They do not have that right. And if you give them an inch, their lobbying groups will take you to the moon.

Seriously?

I was doing so well today. I made pancakes, did the dishes, showered, found a baby-sitter so Josh and I can go catch a movie tonight, and did three loads of laundry. I brought the laundry back up from the laundromat, fed Guy lunch, and put him down for a nap.

Five minutes later I hear crying and "Yuckies!" in a very sad voice. I go in to see Guy standing against the wall in his crib, having thrown up down the side of the crib and the wall. Of course it made its way down to the carpet.

And I just did laundry. Oh, well. What's one more load to fold when I already have three? I just don't feel particularly inclined to hit the laundromat again today. But I don't relish the smell of vomit clinging to my house, either.

Ugh.

It's always better in the morning

Or at least less emotional, right?

Guy NAPPED TODAY! And had to be woken up in time for church, the poor kid. Where he didn't have to be taken out of sacrament meeting for fussing! But did have to leave after he slammed his head into the pew in front of us and bit through his lip, which started bleeding on his white shirt.

He's a good boy, and we love him, and he was very chipper even with the wound he kept sucking on. And the nursery teachers? Totally rock my socks.

Lemon bars also rock my socks. I love that our ward has a break-the-fast, but just asks people to bring desserts. No worries about not enough food (because it's dessert) and you get lots of variety. Delightful!

At any rate, the nap gives me hope. Thanks for the advice, Mom. I just need to remember to stick it out for the good of the family :-D

Saturday Night Musings

I'm really tired today. I feel over-needed.

The weaning plan? Not going so well. Apparently Guy won't take naps without the nursings. I'm going to read a sleep book or two, and maybe call a pediatrician. Or just pray for the best and keep going.

I really enjoyed what I caught of the RS Broadcast. Because I was home to put Guy to bed, I only caught the first and last talks. But what President Uchtdorf said really struck me.

Two of God's loves are creation and compassion. We should therefore also create and be compassionate. Lots to think about.

Did I mention I'm feeling tired today? I'm also tired of worrying about money. And I've had a few moments today when I've simply felt inadequate. Not smart enough, not fast enough, not good enough, not nice enough.

I also had a few great moments connecting with friends. And then I'd come back home and just feel like I wanted to cry. The emotions? Seriously getting to me.

Swedish Fish!

And some good news.

Thanks, Jared, for giving us your Swedish Fish. We promise we'll share with the Gardners :-)

And while at the Wymount office today, I learned that they can't legally kick us out of our apartment while Josh is at Basic Training. HOORAY! This means we can keep our place, and I can come back and live here whenever I feel like it. I'm so glad to hear this, knowing that we don't have to move unless we want to. Sure, we wouldn't save as much money this way, but it'd sure be nice to have a place that's still home for us when we get back. And where we'll still know some people, and the bishop.

It's been a good day, all told. Got some dishes done, played with Guy, and had Sonic for dinner. FRIED FOOD! AND NO DIRTY DISHES!

And we sold the coffee table :-)

Guy is now sleeping, and I'm going to have a fabulously relaxing Friday evening.

Quote of the day

"The really idle man gets nowhere. The perpetually busy man does not get much further."

-Sir Heneage Ogilvie

I had big plans yesterday . . .

And lots of things that I thought needed to be done.

Turns out that when you're cleaning up vomit and cuddling an unhappy baby you can put off a lot of other tasks.

So everything got pushed to today. So we've got to make bread, do laundry, go pick up the car, finish cleaning the bathroom, do some dishes, and there are three organizing projects I was hoping to get done this week. But it's already Wednesday. So we'll see.

Hopefully today will be better.

Notes from my day

I love having fun things to do. But three fun events on one day was a bit much.

At the Wymount Opening Social, I had fun participating in the tug of war. I didn't even mind getting dragged on my back across the grass. The white paint and the mud stains on my shirt? That I mind.

At home, our floor is covered with toys and rice krispies and the dishes need some help. Yes, I've fallen behind and lost my energy.

I changed into a different shirt to go to a birthday party for Bella, and Josh pointed out that it's stained. Drat. Initiate clothing change number three. And it was only 3 p.m.

Fast forward to the Chinese Festival put on by our stake, where I dropped sweet & sour sauce on the two shirts I was wearing (my only really *cute* pregnancy outfit).

Four shirts. One day. A little bit annoying. I know I didn't pay more than $10 for any of those shirts, but I like them all a lot. Especially while I'm pregnant. Oh, well.

I'm going to go watch Kitchen Nightmares on the internet and crochet in bed. That sounds relaxing. G'night, internets.

It's been a week . . .

I should update.

I'm still feeling sick. I slept twelve hours last night (thanks for the great idea, Shauna!) and have had a fairly productive week, but I'm sick of the sinus ickiness.

Guy is napping peacefully after an hour of talking to himself. I just posted four Craigslist ads to get rid of stuff I no longer need. (And to fund my Moby carrier)
Beatles memorabilia
Games and puzzles
Mini-fridge (aka the "Beverage Fridge" if you know Josh)
Blender

I'm tired of too much stuff. I will also be making a used bookstore run (friends, want to browse? More than welcome!) to drop off some books, and we will be selling a used Sega Genesis and Playstation with games to a store in the mall.

In other news, I'm happy today. Yesterday I was feeling rather depressed most of the afternoon. Heaven only knows. Pregnancy messes with my brain. I did bake oatmeal raisin cookies, and we had sausage gravy with biscuits for dinner last night. Talk about comfort food, right?

Josh likes his classes, for anyone that wanted to know, and I'm thinking not having a job might end up being a good idea, because last night he was up until 11 and still had several hours of reading left for this morning. He needs to learn to skim. How do you teach someone to skim who claims he can't? Ideas welcome.

Tonight's dinner will be lemon parmesan pasta with fresh bread and frozen veggies. I'm hoping to end the night with no dirty dishes. Doable? Remains to be seen.

Love y'all.

First Day of School, Tra La La!

I love the first day of school, even when it's not me taking classes. I live vicariously through Josh at this point. I memorize his class schedule, read over his syllabi, leaf through his brand new textbooks, and enjoy the idea of a fresh start. No A is out of reach at the beginning of a new semester!

Guy is napping *woo hoo* and we have a Jeep Patriot that's a really dorky blue while our car is in the shop. About a week is what we're told.

My dishes are piled high from a weekend of feeling sick, but probably won't take too long to finish once I do them. I have a load of whites (think handkerchiefs) to pick up from the laundry and some more laundry to fold that never got done yesterday.

But above all? I feel positive about life. I worry sometimes about the world and Satan's attempts to defile marriage and all that I hold sacred. I worry about raising children strong enough to stand up for what's right at whatever cost. I worry about trying to keep our bodies as free of toxins as possible. But today the Lord has given me peace to know that there are many things I can do. The most important of which is to trust in Him.

Happy Labor Day

Well, yesterday Josh and I were sick enough that we all stayed home from church. Stuffy noses, sinus headache on my part, etc. Not the worst sickness ever, but a little frustrating nonetheless.

Guy is currently vocalizing from his crib where he *should* be napping. The three of us are all showered and wearing clean clothes. The kitchen isn't too much of a disaster.

And I cleaned my bathroom this morning! I wiped down the walls and baseboards and everything. Three years of dust is a lot of dust on a baseboard. Yuck.

Goals for the rest of the day include cleaning out the car (which goes to the shop tomorrow! woo hoo!), finishing the dishes, and folding the laundry that we washed on Saturday.

I'm mulling over figuring out a basic daily routine for Guy and myself to follow to incorporate more reading, less TV (which is associated with higher rates of autism! yikes!), and a happier family. I'll make it work, I just need to make a basic plan.

Oh, and it's rainy. And cold. Really cold. Sweatshirts and pants cold. And really rainy. It rained almost all night and probably half the morning, off and on. Crazy! I feel bad for anybody who wanted a last barbecue!

'Allo, Governor!

So, McCain? Sarah Palin?

There's a woman I think I can get behind, once I learn a little bit more about her. What I already know impresses me immensely.

And after being depressed over a Pat Buchanan article this morning regarding the media making race a bigger issue than it should be and the possible ramifications, having a woman on the Republican ticket is going to help counterbalance the ridiculous "You didn't vote for Obama? YOU'RE A FILTHY RACIST, AREN'T YOU!" arguments.

Delightful! And my favorite? A press release from the Democrats skewering Palin for her lack of foreign policy experience.

Um, can we say the pot is calling the kettle black? Just a teensy bit? At least she's a governor. That's no small beans, after defeating two former governors in Alaska for the position. Heaven forbid the Republicans "put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency". I suppose we should just vote for a presidential candidate with no experience instead. Good grief. Talk about grasping at straws.

They're just ticked he picked a woman. Tee hee!

IT MOVED!

The placenta is nowhere near the cervix anymore. Woohoo!

And if anybody wants to see more pictures, check out Josh's picasa page, it has all the photos from forever ago. The latest album is titled Summer 2008. Pretty complicated, I know.

I'm going to go take a nap to celebrate. :-D

Our Summer

We have some fun summer photos for you. Including our trip to Dorney Park with Aunt Mary Kay and cousin Louis. Enjoy!


Josh got to ride all the fun rides with Guy!




I just love how grown-up he looks right after we cut his hair (this was last week)

New post forthcoming

With fun info and pics and stuff.

In the meantime, I'm just being pregnant. And running errands. And getting my house back in order after the trip. Oh, and trying to wean the little one who has just started a nap strike. He's also learning new words at a super fast rate (two this morning already!)

Love y'all!

Wednesday!

Assuming no tragic delays occur, we will be in Provo Wednesday evening.

WOOHOO!!!

I'm so ready for a normal bedtime again, and my own kitchen, and my raw milk, and my FRIENDS, and a playground outside my front door. So, so, so very ready.

He's home!

Seth got home from the hospital last night. It was a bit of a comedy of errors trying to get him home--Mutti had to fit two chairs and maneuver Seth into the car with the help of a skinny twenty-something female nurse. Which they did successfully.

Then I tried to move our car out of the driveway to give more room to maneuver Seth. The car wouldn't start!

We had to wait half an hour for Vati, Josh, and Liesl to get back from a youth temple baptisms trip so they could help unload Seth.

And it was pouring rain! But he's home now and feeling much better, and so far as I can tell recovering rather successfully.

I don't have much more to say, except that I found a great website for those who are looking for an authoritative nutritional guide during pregnancy to prevent toxemia, preeclampsia, placental abruption, and premature birth. Yes, diet DOES have an effect on the health of a pregnancy, despite what your doctor might tell you.

Just talk to a farmer who breeds animals. Any animal he wishes to breed will be fed the optimal diet in order to prevent complications--and it works in most cases.

If you're interested, it's a diet developed by an OB/GYN and used in his practice very successfully. Check out www.blueribbonbaby.org for more information. I'm planning on implementing it ASAP to prevent gestational diabetes and preeclampsia--two conditions that based on my last pregnancy I have cause to worry about.

Not much going on . . .

Seth is still in the hospital post-op, and today and tomorrow they're testing his kidney function.

So Josh and I are keeping Guy busy and happy, and staying on top of dishes, laundry, ironing, and various household tasks to keep the stress level down for his parents.

We're still waiting for the backpack, which has not yet been shipped (can I just say, "UGH! Stupid backpack!")

Tomorrow we're planning on going to Frankenmuth, a little town near here that was settled by Germans and taking a short river cruise on a paddleboat. Should be fun.

Pictures have been requested by many, and will be forthcoming once we get back to Utah. My camera hook-up works best with my desktop at home.

Love y'all!

It's raining, it's pouring

So while we've been in Michigan the weather has been positively spring-like. Moderate temperatures, reasonable humidity, and quite a few rainstorms. In other words? FANTASTIC.

Ooh! We watched Harry Potter 5 on Friday night. I was nervous to watch it because I'm a big fat chicken who gets nightmares, but I really loved it. The Death Eater mask effects were especially awesome. Good film, good film.

I taught the CTR 7 class today for Mutti, while she was at the hospital with Seth. And Josh taught Elder's Quorum (Seth's calling). Guy was great in nursery, thankfully, and is now napping peacefully. That kid is so cute and so full of it, I can't help but love him to pieces.

I read another chapter in Jesus the Christ, Josh is napping, and the house is quiet while the rain is falling softly outside. I miss feeling like I'm at home, but here is definitely a close second. Except for my worrying about Guy and the stairs.

Maybe I'll have some ice cream. That will make me feel better :-)

One More Day

One more day in Michigan with the in-laws, and it was really a lovely one. Guy slept twelve hours (so I slept 9!) and we had fun playing together this morning while Mutti was gone and Josh & Vati were helping clean the temple. I also read more in Chaim Potok's My Name is Asher Lev. I've read 170 pages in the past two days. Ahh, vacation. But it's a seriously good book so far. I like it a lot, even if it's a bit dark.

Then this afternoon, Guy took a three hour nap and Mutti and I went just the two of us to a brand-new Whole Foods store. Wow. That place is AWESOME. You could easily spend a fortune in there, but a lot of the food they have is reasonably priced and fantastic. We spent nearly two hours wandering up and down each aisle together. I really enjoyed the time we had to chat, too. It was nice getting to know her a bit better.

Unfortunately, Seth is in the hospital. He has been since Monday with a bladder infection and kidney and bladder stones. Poor guy is on morphine because he's so miserable. This means he's on deck for surgery tomorrow to have them removed, and then hopefully he'll be home two or three days after that. But we're not sure they'll be able to do it tomorrow, so it might not be until Monday. At any rate, if you have an extra moment in your prayers and don't mind praying for a stranger, we'd be grateful.

Ugh

Josh left his backpack in Scranton. With his laptop, external hard drive, scriptures, and journal.

We discovered this four hours into our road trip. Josh was MAD for the next hour and a half. Because it's not fair that we remembered MY backpack but not HIS.

But we're safe now. And I slept in a SUPER comfy bed last night. Until 8 a.m. Heaven.

And the food here? FANTASTIC. I love my in-laws.

Politics

I have got to let go. I need to relax. I need to stop stressing. I need to remember that there are great things about this country.

I am terrified of the people who are supposed to be "leading" us. Just where are you taking me?

*deep breath*

I hate election year.

Oh, and I just found out that Josh left his pendant in the apartment in Philly. And it got thrown away by the landlord and today was trash day. *grrr*

There will be a post forthcoming about our fabulous trip to an amusement park. Tonight my feet are swollen and I still have to clean the car out and pack for us to leave for Michigan tomorrow.

Well, hello, there!

No posts since Tuesday. Wanna know why?

It's because as of Wednesday night we were officially on VACATION! Wednesday we packed up the apartment, cleaned, checked out, and drove to Scranton where we picked up Jeremy & Amy and ate cheesesteaks (HOLY AMAZINGLY TASTY, PEOPLE!!!) at midnight. So much fun.

We had an awesome extended weekend visiting lots of family members. I met more people, and had so much fun relaxing while Jeremy & Amy played with Guy. And the best part was Guy had such a good time with them, too. I can tell he really loves being with them.

So Jeremy & Amy are gone back to Indiana now, and we're on our way to Dorney Park tomorrow. Unfortunately I can't go on anything that will jerk me around (translation: anything fun). But there is a water park! So I'll likely enjoy that quite a bit.

Wednesday we drive to Michigan where we'll stay for a week or ten days and enjoy being with Vati, Mutti, Seth & Liesl. I'm excited about that. And Guy will have his own room there, so maybe he'll start sleeping through the night again.

Yeah, I haven't had a good night's sleep in WEEKS. I haven't seen a comfortable bed since June, and Guy doesn't sleep well if we're in the room with him.

In fantastic news, Guy is doing great in nursery every Sunday, and was fabulous during church today. Oh, and Josh taught Sunday School in the Scranton ward. :-D They asked for volunteers a few weeks back, and nobody offered. So Josh decided to. He did a good job, I was very pleased.

And now? It's 11:00 and I'm sleepy. Mom--I promise I'll call you soon. I know you're probably dying to chat, because I am, too.

Note to Self:

Written to-do lists, on a notepad, where I can cross things off as I do them, are MUCH more effective than blogging my to-do list.

That is one habit I've developed while here that I'm DEFINITELY keeping up when I get back home. It's deceptively simple and extremely effective.

At the playground

When I first got to the playground this morning, there were three women and eight men. The ratio usually ends up being closer to 1:1, but there are lots of male nannies and young dads who care for their kids here.

Guy walked over to the basketball court (it appeared to be a pretty standard size) and found a basketball with no bounce. He picked up the ball, walked over to the basket, and hurled it as high as he could. I wish I'd had a camera to capture the image of my small son attempting such a feat in the large and empty court. And where'd he pick up on what to do, anyway?

My favorite playground incident of the summer happened this morning. Two four-year-olds, a boy and a girl, were eating snacks together while their dads talked a few feet away.
Girl: What kind of underwear do you have on? I'm wearing flower sparkly! What kind do you have?
Boy: I have Spiderman underwear.
Girl: Cool. I wanna see. I wanna see your Spiderman underwear!
Boy lifts his shirt, drops his drawers, and says, "See, Spiderman!"

AND I ONLY HAVE 28 MORE HOURS IN PHILADELPHIA. Sorry, Becca, not trying to rub it in. But you are going to Argentina soon!

Kids really do the funniest things.

Sunday, Sunday

It's been a really relaxing weekend.

We did hardly anything. We watched Lars and the Real Girl (Shauna--you need to see this film if you haven't already). We watched some episodes of Monk. We ate breakfast at this awesome little bakery. We walked down to the botany pond and saw a family of ducks, some enormous fish, and four turtles. Guy liked the fish the best, I think.

We ate at an awesome Indian buffet. We went to church where Guy did great in nursery and I did terribly in Relief Society. Not my favorite RS lesson ever.

We all napped during a thunderstorm this afternoon. We threw socks at each other, and sang songs.

It's been a lovely weekend.

And next week? I get to pack! And clean! And go to Scranton where I can see Amy and go swimming! Hooray!!!

Sleep

Wednesday night, I was pooped. Several days of staying up until 10:30 and getting up with Guy somewhere around 6 was getting to be too much. Oh, and one night of him going to bed late, waking up super sweaty, and then sleeping in bed with us from 1 until 6 when he woke up (meaning little sleep for me).

So I went to bed around 9:30. Guy woke up three times in the middle of the night, but went back to sleep all three times (twice we nursed). Then the good child slept until nearly 8. Last night Josh and I went to bed at 11:30 and the kid woke up at 5:47. Ugh.

I'm going back to bed while he naps.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Things that make me smile (translation: a non-complaining post):

Guy asking me to sing Popcorn Popping 70 times a day. I kid you not--I've gone as long as 12 minutes straight before ignoring his request and singing something else. The gestures he makes? To die for. I love this kid.

Chocolate pudding cups. Need I say more?

French bread pizza for dinner tonight! It's a bit more work than usual, but SO tasty. And it's cool enough in the apartment tonight to handle it.

Watching Guy mesmerized by the thunderstorms last night. We let him stay up nearly an extra half hour because he was so intrigued, standing against the back of the couch looking out the window.

Fantastic burritos! We have a Qdoba restaurant down the street, and last night I had an awesome steak burrito with guacamole, cilantro lime rice, black beans, and pico de gallo. Seriously tasty.

Lovely neighbors who keep an eye on things for us. Michelle--you guys rock and you know it.


Hmm, seems like my primary pleasures this week are food and Guy. Works for me, I suppose.

Sticky

Sunday I told Josh that I never knew that the weather could be "sweaty". It's not hot here, it's not partly cloudy, it's sweaty.

Tuesday I walked the six blocks and back to Barnes & Noble for the second Fablehaven book for Josh. I also read the first Fablehaven book myself while Guy played--I rather enjoyed it, I must admit. Two blocks into my journey, all of my underwear was sticking to me and I had pit stains. On my over-sized Ron Jon t-shirt. Right now it's about 94 degrees at 40% humidity. Yuck is about all I can say. I can't keep this apartment cool to save my life.

Then on my way back I must have bruised something important in my foot, because walking after that was ridiculously painful. This resulted in me not accompanying Josh on "diversity day" yesterday (don't ask me what that means). Where he got to go tour the Constitution Center and Independence Hall. Something I really wanted to do while we're out here. I was majorly bummed. I'm fairly certain he's not interested in going back with me, so it's either go by myself or don't go.

So I watched 27 Dresses instead. Which I admit, I thoroughly enjoyed. I might even watch it again today, I liked it so much. It made me feel a bit better. And I had an appointment with a midwife. I drove about 30 blocks west and saw a total of 3 white people. One of whom was the midwife.

The appointment went well, everything looks great, and I am reassured that I'm doing just fine with this baby. I have not yet gained excessive amounts of weight, so we'll see if we can prevent that this time around. I really don't need any more stretchmarks. Oh! And she only charged me $30 for an hour of talking, reassuring, etc. Awesome.

There were many very cool thunderstorms last night. From about 4:00 onward I saw at least seven separate thunderstorms, a few of which passed by really closely with so much rain that the street next to our apartment flooded.

I'm trying really hard to be positive, but I feel more tired of it every day. Like I'm in some bizarre holding pattern. I should find more joy in what I'm doing now, instead of waiting for the next better thing.

Honestly? That's really hard to do. Yesterday I cried. A lot.

On the list for today is grocery shopping. Hopefully I can make it there and back without getting rained on--but the sky looks dubious. Which means I won't chance the park, either. So it's day four of being inside most of the day for Guy and me. Let's hope he doesn't go stir-crazy.

10 days

10 days left. *deep breath*

Only 10 more days living in the city. Hey, and two of those are a weekend, so Josh will be around! I can do anything for 10 days, right?

And then we'll know if Josh will be sticking around for two weeks after that or if we'll head up to Michigan early.

While in the car last night driving back from Scranton (what a blessed place that is--respite is the perfect word to describe it) I realized that we'd only add 90 miles to our return trip to check out two or Josh's top PhD choices. We're planning on taking the trip slowly anyway, so that will be great to have first-hand experience of those schools. If we check out the two universities in Michigan that will make four schools. Add UPenn (no, we're not going to UPenn for graduate school) and we'll have five schools' experience under our belt. Pretty useful, I'd say.

In other news, I miss Wymount. A whole heck of a lot. Because it's no fun going to the playground when you don't know anybody, you're afraid your kid's going to walk head first into the swings, and it's a 25-minute walk in 95 degree heat (with 50% humidity!). *whine*

At least I had a nice weekend.

Simply Smiling

I've been thinking about a lot lately. It happens when I have a lot of time on my hands but the boy won't let me read, etc. I've realized just how simple my life is this week. My primary responsibilities are simply to care for my family. Feed them well and keep the apartment tidy. Take it easy so there's nothing to worry about with the baby.

I like the idea of having less to do. It's a wonderful time for me to sit quietly and ponder. 'Tis a gift to be simple.

Living more simply in this apartment has also given me a great opportunity to re-think what I really need to care for my family. Example: five frying pans? Nope, I can make do with two--one big and one small. Fewer dishes will pile up that way.

I watched a great film last night. "A Good Year" with Russell Crowe. I was afraid I wouldn't like it, but it was incredible. Thoughtful, but not preachy. Funny, without trying too hard. And the best part?

It made me feel like I was in the French countryside for two hours. I completely forgot I was in West Philly.

Hooray! Someone who cares!

I found a midwife who will see me here in Philly!

This brings great relief, as I've had every other office tell me that they won't see me (including all those within walking distance).

In my mind this is completely ridiculous. I need 10 minutes worth of care just to make sure there's nothing worrisome going on that would be easy to spot. The policies some of these places have drive me crazy.

Luckily the midwife isn't that far away, either. Too far to walk comfortably, but only a 15 minute drive or so. And I only have to make two turns. I could manage that, even without Josh.

I'm feeling pretty tired today. Maybe I didn't get enough sleep this weekend? I'm not sure. It was pouring rain most of the morning, so Guy and I just made a quick grocery run and came back home instead of hitting the park as planned. I picked up a redbox DVD of WordWorld to keep him occupied this afternoon while stuck inside.

I'm feeling pretty chipper this morning. I'm going to make french bread pizza under the broiler for dinner, and have a to-do list that will leave me feeling satisfied and not overwhelmed. Only two weeks and two days left in this apartment, until we make another transition.

(pssst . . . we might ditch out of the internship two weeks early--maybe that's why I'm feeling happy today!)

Tired

I was up until 1 a.m. last night watching TV and surfing the internet. Guy woke up at 5:30 and didn't go back to bed.

It's been a good day, despite feeling a bit fatigued. I got all the laundry washed--but need to fold two of the three loads still. We all took showers (Guy got a bath). We went to Aunt Mary Kay's and Uncle Lou's 25th Anniversary party. We played Mario Party 8 on the Wii. I really did enjoy the day.

Josh and I decided this weekend that we're really not cut out for living in the middle of downtown in a huge city.

Josh is feeling stressed but can't figure out why and it's affecting his health. This is simultaneously a difficulty and a blessing. It makes me snap out of my "poor me" mentality and in serving him and Guy helps me feel happier. But it's hard to be the one that's primarily responsible for everything on the weekends because Josh needs to relax in order to survive the next week. Especially as the fear sometimes gets the best of me when I'm thinking about the pregnancy.

I don't want to go back to Philly, but I'm reconciling myself to the fact that it really is better than staying here. As Becca commented on my last post--I'm extremely grateful to have an out that's sooner rather than later.

And we might get to see Jeremy and Amy! That would rock it to the awesome. I have no idea where I picked up that phrase, but I like it. Anyway, they're thinking of coming out to visit.

Thus ends my long, boring, and pictureless post. I still haven't found the batteries, so maybe I should just buy some, eh? Maybe.

I know, I know

You're all dying for an update, right?

Well, the weather the last two days has been bearable. I got to see Becca today. We're going to Scranton this afternoon (swimming pool! hell's kitchen! food network!backyard!). We've successfully survived three weeks in Pennsylvania, and have five to go.

In other news, I'm feeling vulnerable and lonely. I have a really hard time not crying when I think about missing my friends. I want to be able to step outside my door and not have to put my armor on because I don't know who will approach me or what they'll want.

At the grocery store this morning, a lady with a speech impediment told me she wanted to buy my groceries for me with her food stamps in exchange for cash. I lied and told her I didn't have any cash. I'm assuming her proposal was illegal, and it made me wonder what she wanted the cash for. I sighed, realized I didn't want to know, and wandered around trying to find napkins (it's a really counterintuitive grocery setup).

Keeping busy with Guy underfoot is hard. I run out of ideas by noon most days, and out of energy even before that.

The thought that keeps running through my head?

This is the hardest thing I've ever done.

Oh, yeah. And I can't find an OB/GYN who will see me for just one apointment here in Philadelphia, so I'll probably have to spend a week in Scranton without Josh and go see my aunt's doctor. Who has graciously agreed to see me if I need anything. Everywhere I turn there are road blocks and blessings. But it's still hard.

Ambivalence

Happy 4th, everybody.

We had a nice relaxing day in Scranton, with barbecue, a pool, not too many people, good laughs, and some fireworks. A nice day.

And I don't want to go back to Philadelphia. I know I've only been there for four days. But I don't want to go back.

I know that I should. Josh needs the support, and I need to not be a burden to his relatives for a month.

But I'm having a hard time being positive about our situation. Especially when I compare it to what it was intended to be--our nice suburban Victorian home with a washer/dryer, partially furnished, with internet and cable, near a duck pond, park, pool, and Trader Joe's.

Instead I have anxiety, strange people, a flight of stairs and three locked doors through which to maneuver, pregnancy restrictions, and an apartment that's like an inferno much of the day. I'm pretty sure it's the reason Guy's naps are suddenly 45 minutes long. He wakes up in a sweat.

Today, in a room with an a/c, he napped for more than 2 hours.

I'm struggling. I know it's only 22 more days that we'll actually be in Philly. I also know that if the situation were different in any one of a number of different ways it would be much easier.

But it's not easier. It's hard. It's hot. It's tiring. I feel that I shouldn't complain to Josh--I don't want him to be upset for me. I know I can do this. I can even do my best to be cheerful about it.

This leaves me thinking: what about the times that I don't want to?

It's an Education, all right!

Things I have learned from my three days in Philadelphia:

Lightning bugs are really cool!

Smokers? Very not cool.

I will never take a nearby and safe playground for granted again.

I hate having to lock three doors behind me when I leave the house.

It's very hard to convince Guy to go down our apartment's stairs without being carried.

I love being two blocks from a grocery store.

I hate carrying a purse, stroller, groceries, and dragging Guy behind me up a flight of stairs.

I like the city. But I miss my friends.

I love, love, love familiar places.

We're all in Philly, now!

We got here Sunday after a fun week for Guy and myself in Scranton. And a fun weekend for Josh :-)

Our apartment is nice. Old, but nice. It was really dusty and kind of dirty. But it's got two huge bedrooms, and is nicely furnished, and will be a very comfortable place to live for a month. I'm pleased.

I had a bit of a mental breakdown last when we first got here and it hit me that I'd be alone without TV, internet, or anyone but Guy during the day. I also wanted to make sure I could get everything done during the day (shopping, laundry, cleaning, etc.) so that Josh could enjoy coming home and relaxing with our little family every night after work. I didn't think I'd be able to do it, watch Guy, and keep the little one in utero safe. I was tired, hungry, and really hot and sweaty.

I'm better now! Turns out, if we're in the right spot we can get a wireless connection. And Guy's summer birthday present was some awesome Beatrix Potter DVD's. I like them probably more than he does :-)

And UPenn's campus is close by and gorgeous. There's a nice grocery store just three blocks down the street. We had a good dinner tonight and Guy is already in bed. His windowblinds don't block the light very well, and he has huge windows so he'll likely get up early every morning.

I tried posting all of this last night, but my spotty internet connection disappeared at just the wrong time. So know that we are all doing well, but don't expect too much contact except maybe on the off weekend when we're in Scranton while we're here.

I love you all!

Tra-loo, Tra-lay

Oh happy day. (Quote from a children's book)

It's been a great day. Despite the fact that Guy woke up at 6:15 and stayed awake until naptime more than six hours later, we had a great day. Lots of playing, plenty of good food, a trip to Target for some essentials to get us through tomorrow, and fabulous conversation.

I love having my Josh around. :-D

In other news? I am definitely pregnant and look it. Once we get settled in Philadelphia I'll find the extra batteries and take some pictures of my belly. Even Josh was surprised to see how much had changed in a week. Unfortunately, I am also feeling quite pregnant as my feet and legs by the end of the day feel pretty uncomfortable. I think I'll go ask for a foot rub before bed!

It's late . . .

Well, it's only 10:15 here, but it feels late to me. The swollen feet and sore hips are telling me that it's bedtime.

Josh got in from Philly a little after 7, giving him plenty of time to fill petit Guy with joy and giggles at seeing his Papa after five long days of separation. I admit, I was pretty happy to see him, too :-)

Josh and his cousins are playing Desert Storm on the Xbox, so I've been surfing the net for the last two hours.

I read a lot. I went through my archives and edited a few things from when no one actually read this blog. And I reminded myself of a few goals I had for this blog that I had forgotten.

Originally I wanted to make it more than just a personal blog--the point was to share the things I was learning and doing and reading. I haven't done so much of that lately, and I would like my blog to be more than just, "This is what happened today." So I promise to talk about more than just my life, my pregnancy, my cute baby, and my cuter husband. Pinky swear. :-D

Tidbit for the day: Did you know that the movie Just Like Heaven is based on a book? A book written by a Frenchman, no less. My French friend lent me a copy of her favorite work by him, but I have yet to read more than the first page. That's my reading goal for the summer, along with finishing Jesus the Christ. I bet I can do it. I may even get around to posting book reviews! You'll just have to wait and see, friends.

I could spit

Update: I did manage to get the money orders back--after them giving me trouble for not living at the address I had the money orders sent to. Now I just need to take them into the bank and get the money put back into our account. Seriously? Next time I'm sending a certified check instead.

Really. I'm feeling extremely frustrated.

I know there are lots of silver linings to these clouds, but nearly everything surrounding this internship is DRIVING ME CRAZY!

The gal who had our $1650 in money orders finally got them FedExed. Four days after she said she would. And guess what? The FedEx driver couldn't find the house.

Excuse me?!? Supposedly he came by. Twice. The second time I was told he'd be in the area about 3:15. I sat on the front porch from 3 until 4. Guess what I never saw? A FedEx truck. Now I have to find a way to get to the holding facility that is 30 minutes away. So I either suck an hour out of someone's day, or I borrow a car to drive in an area that is completely unfamiliar to me.

I AM LIVID. I would like some serious sucking up from FedEx right about now, because they put me in a really uncomfortable position. It's bad enough crashing in someone's house and eating their food and letting your kid play with all of their things for a week.

I hope against hope that after tonight we'll have a lease on a place so I can get back to my life.

Enjoy the Days

I often hear that children grow up so fast, we should cherish every moment. I agree that they grow quickly and change nearly every day, so I've tried to become more aware of the time I spend with Guy and the quality of our interactions. This relaxing week in Scranton is the perfect time--no laundry, no cleaning, no dishes, hardly any cooking, etc.

I try to make sure he knows I'm always happy to see him again--after his wandering around the house or just waking up from a nap.

We chased balls outside on the lawn this afternoon, and blew bubbles together. We walked down the street and stopped to feel the bark on all of the trees. We chased each other, tickled each other, and enjoyed talking over lunch. He actually wanted me to sit next to him at the table while he ate instead of walking around the kitchen tidying up. It made me smile.

It's so easy to ignore the children while we try desperately to get things done. A tidy home, clean clothes, and healthy food are all important, but they'll never trump our relationships.

I'm trying to remember these things more often.

P.S. I miss my Josh. Next winter semester is going to be tough on us.