What We're Reading Wednesday

I'm Dirty! By Kate & Jim McMullan is one of latest finds from the library.  And I LOVE IT!  So do both of the kids.  It's a great little story and very fun to read.  My brother and I would have loved this book as kids.  I just might buy him a copy for father's day (he is the Godfather to our oldest daughter).

Photo courtesty of Amazon.com

Quiet time

Hey there little blog o' mine.  It's been awhile.  But not to worry, I haven't completely forgotten you. 

You see I've been busy.  I'm now a mother of three.  THREE! 

All under the age of 4.  Yes, we are crazy. 

But thanks to the awesomeness of my super husband we are making it all work with minimal tears and a few hours of sleep each night.  Oh boy, is he great.  Where I have been slacking off, he's picked up and just did it without conplaints.  All the while, learning another language.  A relatively hard language.  One where there is no Rosetta Stone to fall back on.  I know his brain is just worn out after spending hours upon hours in language training.  But as soon as his feet hit the doorway he keeps on going and becomes Mr. Mom.  What a trooper, I love him so.

I didn't intend for this to become a gush-fest about the dear Hubs but I can't help it.  He took the day off today so that I could rest and have a little quiet time.  So right now he is out with the two "big" kids on an adventure and I'm sitting in my pajamas enjoying a cup of a coffee with the hum of the baby swing in the background.  Wonderful. 

No one is jumping around on the couch beside me.  I am able to actually put my mug down beside me without the fear of a kid getting scalded accidentally.  And I'm not constantly raising a hand to protect my c-section incision line*.  I love my kids but being a human jungle gym does get old sometimes.  Especially, since I've now developed a little infection at the corner of the incision and it is tender to the touch.

So thanks to my husband, I'm enjoying the little things in life this morning and I think that is just what the doctor ordered.

Free Syrup Anyone?

I know that it's been a bit since I last posted but life right now is BUSY!  This Mommy of Three stuff is going to take awhile to adjust to!  When I find my groove, I will be back to posting more regularly.  I promise.

One of my absolute favorite blogs is giving away a jug of REAL maple syrup.  Yes, the good stuff.  The kind of syrup that isn't full of weird additives and high fructose corn syrup.  If all you've ever eaten is Mrs. Butterworths then you are in for a treat if you win this giveaway!

Head on over to a Joyful Chaos and enter before Monday April 11.

A week later and still waiting....

I'm still waiting on Baby Girl to make her arrival.  In the past week I have walked a bunch (thank goodness for nice weather these past few days).  But obviously, it hasn't helped.

On Weds. Doc told me I'm 4cm dialated and 80% effaced.  He seemed confident that the big day would come soon.  I was really hopeful that St. Patricks Day would be this little one's birthday.  Especially since our last name is very noticeably Irish.  But as the day stretched on, it was evident that it just wasn't going to happen. 

Today there has been a mood of defeat in the house.  I am just done, tired of the waiting, and becoming increasingly worried that she won't arrive before the scheduled c-section date of March 24.  Hubby is tired of the waiting as well and ready for life to move ahead.  And his parents, who have been here for nearly 2 weeks, are tired of the day-to-day life of 2 kiddos under the age of 4.  They are missing their other two grandkids, which they are used to seeing nearly everyday.  And they are missing their home, I'm sure. 

It's discouraging to wake up each morning thinking this is the day and then going to bed at night without any change at all.  If she doesn't arrive this weekend I think I am just going to accept the fact that I'll end up having a Cesarean.  If I do that then I might be mentally prepared for the surgery and recooperation that follows. 

I'm trying to remain positive because I know that no matter what, in the end we will have a beautiful baby girl to hold and the only thing that truly matters is that she is healthy.

Walk a mile, or two, or ten

If you've ever walked a mile in the shoes of a pregnant lady, then you know exactly how I feel tonight.  Tired.  A deep down in my bones kind of tired.

Today I walked through two different malls, plus trekked from the fabric store to the grocery store and back again. 

I am really hoping that all the walking gets this baby moving towards the exit.  But I could really use a nap first.

Best of intentions

Yesterday Doc told us there are two things that I can do to help bring on labor...."walking and intercourse".  Lovely.  I feel like I have a basketball straped to my middle, so any type of manuevering is difficult.

Last night we tried one of Doc's suggestions, but it obviously didn't work since I'm still here at home.  Tonight we headed to the mall to try option #2, walking.  We started out at LL Bean and unfortunately, we didn't get any further. 

For over an hour we scoured the sales racks and found some great buys.  Hubby got a few sweaters, running shirts, and a pair of waterproof hiking boots.  Our daughter ended up with a parka, matching hat and leather clogs.  The Little Man got boots, a hat, mittens, and an adorable Norwegian-style sweater.  And for Baby Girl; pajamas, a hat and mittens.

And for me?  Nothing.  Not even the much-desired walk I was hoping for.  Looks like we're back to option #1 tonight. 

Waiting....

Waiting, waiting and waiting some more.  My due date is 8 days away but I thought for sure this baby was going to be early.  Now I'm beginning to wonder when this Little Gal is going to make her appearance. 

Doc informed me yesterday that I'm 3cm dialated.  Last week I was at 2cm.  At this rate I just might go overdue, which is the last thing I want.  If I don't deliver before the 24th, then a C-section it will be.  Induction is too risky for a VBAC so surgery is the only option.  That is my biggest worry at this point.  I don't want another cesarean if I can avoid it.
This baby just has to come soon because I don't think I can take the waiting much longer.  We've had family here for almost 3 weeks, and although it's nice to have an extra set of hands around the house, I am ready to have the house back to ourselves again.  I don't mind the extra cooking (aside from dealing with pickiness) and the extra laundry but feeling like I need to keep them from getting bored, gets old real quick.

I think what I need is a few quiet days in the hospital.  If only this baby would feel the same way!

Makes Me Smile Monday

These little kitties are bringing a smile to my face today.  My brother picked them up in Chinatown while he was here visiting. 

They are perched on my kitchen windowsill where there is a steady stream of sunlight, which causes them to rock back and forth.  I think they are just adorable and that of course, makes me smile!

What We're Reading Wednesday

My daughter loves this book.  And I think it's pretty good too but after reading it 100 times I am getting a little tired of it ;-)

Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen

This book is the story of Violet and her love of building flying machines.

She endures ridicule from her fellow classmates because of her different interests and her greasy coveralls.

Because her family runs a junkyard, Violet has a never-ending supply of building materials. 

 This results in some pretty creative inventions.

The picture above is a plane that Violet created to enter into a flying contest.  In the end, she never makes it to the contest but saves a troop of boy scouts and becomes a town hero.  I really like how this story shows that it is okay to be a little different, to be a girl and have an interest in things that are typically thought of as "boy stuff", and that helping others is more important than serving your own interests.

Makes Me Smile Monday

This is naptime here at my house.  The little guy will no longer nap in his crib (ugh) but will peacefully fall asleep next to me on the couch as we watch DVR'd episodes of Wild Russia, Undersea Edens or other various nature shows.  Sometimes the path of least resistance is the most quiet and calm for both kiddo and mommy ;-)

While the little guy is snoozing and motionless, our little in utero gal is busy kicking and wiggling all over the place.  A contrast that brings a smile to my face. 

Makes Me Smile Monday

Starting the day out with "Colossal" cinnamon rolls.  Hubby and my brother, who did come to visit afterall (yay!), made a quick trip to the grocery to grab some of these rolls.  They are HUGE, maybe 6-7 inches in diameter!  And oh, so good.

And then this afternoon the fellas took a trip downtown to the fish market and picked up some live crabs.  To some this might not seem like such a big deal but growing up in the midwest we just didn't get fresh seafood.   The guys cooked them up with some crab boil spices we found at Penzey's Spices.  They were impressed with the taste of their culinary endeavor, but said that it was a lot of work to get the meat out of the crabs.  Also on the downside, our whole house has a boiled fishy smell.  Ew, that doesn't make me smile much.  But it was fun to see them experiment in the kitchen and to watch the kids reaction to live crabs clamoring around in the sink.

Friday Good Find

Yeah, I know this looks excessive but when I tell you the deal I got you'll understand.  Each of these bottles of Tide were on sale for $4.99, regular price $7.99.  AND I had a $1.00 of coupon for each one.  So that brought the price for each bottle down to $3.99. 
Reg. price                  $55.93
sale price & coupons  -27.93
Total savings              $28.00

Gotta love a good deal like that.  I really feel like I'm sticking it to Safeway and Proctor & Gamble when I can team up a sale and coupons.  It almost takes the sting away from all the diapers I've bought over the years.  Almost.

I love you even when you're stinky

I would've posted this little idea before Valentine's Day and linked to a few parties ahead of time but this hit me last minute.  Yep, it was one of those lying in bed, trying to get back to sleep in the middle of the night ideas.

My husband isn't really a gadget, sports, or car kind of guy.  Food is the way to his heart.  I really wanted to get him a big bunch of chocolate and candy this year.  But lately we are both trying to resist the urge to eat sweets.  So when I stumbled upon this idea of pickled onions I knew he would love it for several reasons.

You see, my dad is really allergic to onions.  Even the smell of them will make him sick.  Growing up we were a strictly onion-free house.  I really don't like the way onions taste, detest the way they smell and don't enjoy cutting them at all.  So what better way to show someone the true extent of your love than to make them something that you absolutely hate.  Ugh, the house smelled of onions and vinegar for a whole day.  Not pleasant for an onion-hating pregnant gal ;-)

From the idea of just the onions I came up with this:

A basket filled with all sorts of food stuffs reflecting different moods.

I attached this little note that reads:  I love you no matter what mood you're in!  No fancy labels here....just store-bought doilies and my messy handwriting.  But my hubby wouldn't want it any other way ;-)

Tomatillo salsa: I love you when you're spicy



Blue tortilla chips: I love you when you're blue



Jelly Belly Kids Mix: I love you when you're childish



Pickled onions: I love you even when you're stinky



Chocolates: I love you when you're sweet

Lemonade: I love you even when you're sour

It was fun finding foods to fit the different moods.  I really could've gone overboard but decided that we didn't need a bunch of snacks stuffing our small kitchen cupboards.

I think this gift idea would work for more than just Valentine's Day.  It would be perfect for an "I Love You" gift (that's what my mom calls little gifts that she surprises us with.  One of the many sweet things about her) or a quick pick-me-up for a friend or spouse that is down.  And of course, you super crafty gals out there could come up with some fancy little labels to attach or even make your own goodies to stuff in the basket.  I would love to see what you create!

*Update:  My husband has declared that the pickled onions are scrumptious and even mentioned trying to can some once we are settled after our next move.  My brother tried them the other night at dinner and he liked them too.  I'll have to take their word for it, I couldn't get past the smell to try any!

I'm linking to:

http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/2011/02/amaze-me-monday-13.html

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/02/21/made-by-you-monday-41/

http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/2011/02/market-yourself-monday-family-picture.html

http://texasmonkey.blogspot.com/2011/02/all-about-you-link-up-party-50-walmart.html

What We're Reading Wednesday

Lately, my Hubby has been taking the kiddos to the library each week.  The Lil' Miss gets so excited to pick out her own books and she has really picked some winners.  So I thought I would share some with you with what I hope to be a weekly feature here on Wednesdays.

This is my daughter's favorite library pick from last week.

Pirates Don't Change Diapers by Melinda Long & David Shannon

 The illustrations are very colorful and filled with details.  This is one of our favorite pages.

And the story itself is really very cute.  Of course anytime you combine pirates and a baby, funny things happen like sneezed strained spinach covering the faces of the crew.

My only complaint about this particular book is that it is just long enough that my voice is hurting by the end of it from talking like a pirate. ;-)

Guilty TV pleasures

Okay, we all have them.....tv shows that we would hesitate to admit we like.  No, not THOSE kind of shows.  Not the late night, need to be locked under the parental control setting shows.

Since no one reads this blog anyways, I'll share without feeling ashamed. ;-)  The other night my husband stumbled upon this documentary while channel surfing.

After watching for just a few minutes we were hooked.  It is all about this particular family, the Whites, who live in WV.  And whoa, it was like driving past a pile up on the highway....you'd really rather not look, but something inside of you makes you turn your head to catch a glimpse of the wreckage.  All I can say is wow, it is nothing but a continual parade of drugs, drinking, drama and white trash stereotypes.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not judging these folks.  My husband and I both have some shady characters in our families.  But there was just something about watching this family that drew us in.

You can find more info about this documentary at http://wildandwonderfulwhites.com/.  So if you're looking for something that is both shocking and entertaining check this movie out.

Makes Me Smile Monday - Late Edition

So many things brought a smile to my face yesterday.

*Seeing these two bunches of flowers on the table.  Hubby was so sweet to get both of the gals in his life a bouquet for Valentine's.  Our daughter was so excited that she received flowers of her own.

*Seeing Lil' Miss get so excited to go to dance class in the morning.

*Warmer temperatures and lots of sunshine!

*Getting a call from my husband saying that he was done working for the day and he was headed towards dance class to peek in our daughter.  What a surprise for all of us!  She loved seeing Daddy though the window.

*Having lunch out at Chipotle.  What a treat to actually go into a restaurant and sit down for a meal.  Nowadays we just do carryout or usually eat at home.

*Gelato and some awesome coffee for our after-lunch snack.

*Taking the kids to the playground to run off above-mentioned gelato.  They had such a good time running, sliding and swinging.  I cannot wait for Spring so we can all get out more often.

*Early baths for the kiddos.  It was so nice to have that job out of the way so we didn't have to rush around after dinner like usual.

*Heart-shaped pizzas for dinner.

*My daughter opening the bathroom door just as I was about to get in the shower.  She got such a kick out of seeing the surprise on my face.

*My hubby kindly offering to pay for my brothers' way out to come visit us.  He has yet to see all the sights in DC and I know he would truly enjoy it.

*Finally getting caught up on a little laundry.

More than 10 quick ones

I mentioned in an earlier post (read about it here) about my 10 minute clean-up/organizing jobs around the house.  Somehow I think it is going to take more than a quick 10 minutes to clean up the high chair.  I am ashamed to even show this picture but this is what was hiding under the chair cover.  Ew.  Bit and crumbs of just about everything imaginable.  I can't even identify some of the stuff that was caked to the underside of the cover.  All I know is that it smells BAD. 

I think I need to make cleaning all the nooks and crannies of the high chair a priority from now on.  I don't want to be the one responsible for inviting Mr. E. Coli into our home.

Shoe horn anyone?

photo from here

 

I am in need of a shoe horn.  You know the old-fashioned ones that seemed to be everywhere when I was a kid. 

Lately, it seems like as soon as my butt connects with the couch, I turn into a total slug.  I spend time watching mindless tv, browsing lots of other blogs and wishing I had the time and talent that so many others out there in blogland seem to have.  I make mental lists of all the things that need to be done or should be done before the baby arrives.  I then of course gravitate to worrying about the baby, if she will come early or if she won't, and how the delivery will all play out. 

At that point it is usually 11pm and I waddle my way downstairs to my little crafty corner and spend an hour or so puttering around without accomplishing anything major.  I then beat myself up over wasting so much time, while knowing that I don't have much time to waste these days.  Then I vow that tomorrow will be different and that I am NOT plopping down on the couch like usual.

Tomorrow comes and you know what.....my heiny is velcroed to the couch AGAIN! 

Aaaaagggghhhhh!  It is a viscious cycle!  And I think the only solution is a giant-sized shoe horn.

For the Record

Just for the record....

1 pre-schooler + 1 toddler + couscous = a big mess!

I made the mistake of serving couscous to the kids tonight at dinner.  Yeah, it won't be on the menu again anytime soon.

Losin' it

Image from here

I am losing it.  In the past few weeks I have.....

*Called my mom the day before her birthday and sang Happy Birthday to her thinking it was the right day.  Ooops

*We now have 25 rolls of paper towels in our basement only because I didn't realize we already had a bunch stashed on the shelf.

*Lost a beloved family recipe that my MIL gave me over the holidays.  Wouldn't be a big deal except that this is the 2nd time I have lost it over the years.  Thankfully, I found it stashed in my wallet (of all places) because I was too embarassed to ask her for it again.

*Didn't think to unlock the door when I went outside to toss out the trash.  And of course, the Little Guy slamed the door shut.  There I was locked out, no shoes, no coat, no cell phone, no extra key stashed under a rock somewhere, eggs cooking away on the stove, daughter playing quietly in her room and son staring at me while I beat away on the door.  Yeah, play that one out in your mind for a bit;  Eggs start to burn, smoke alarm goes off, kids freak out.  Oh boy, it could've been bad, real bad.  Thankfully, I got the attention of my daughter and she was able to get the door unlocked.  She was the Hero of the day, that is for sure.

*Totally spaced my daughter's tumbling/dance class.  I finally remembered when there was only about 15 minutes left of the class.  There was no way I could make it with two kids to dress, bundle in coats and buckle in car seats.  Luckily, she didn't even realize we missed it but I still feel so guilty.

*And even though it doesn't make much of a difference, I am continually screwing up the trash and recycling pickup days.  Last night I told my hubby we needed to get the trash rounded up.  I was thinking that today was Weds not Tuesday.  Anymore, we just laugh about it because it seems like I'm messing it up each week.

None of these things really are a big deal (well, other than getting locked out of the house) but when you group them all together, I really do feel like I'm losing my marbles.  This is the worst case of Mommy Brain I've had yet.  I can only imagine how bad it will be after the baby gets here and I'll be responsible for 3 little ones.  I think I will just have to say a bunch of prayers to get me through the chaos.