Coffee!

I drank coffee yesterday!
How could I forget to blog about such a HUGE development?

A brief history of the love/hate relationship with coffee since becoming pregnant with Sam:
*First, I was late for my period. Tired and tired of peeing on sticks, only to get a big fat negative. I am making a pot of much needed and much desired coffee one morning, and start to retch. Ding ding ding! Test that very day and 2 LINES!
*Morning sicknes kicks in. No eating or drinking for months. I really want my coffee, but can't stand to go near it.
*Morning sickness eases away. I am craving coffee like mad, love the smell, but if I sip it... ugh. Nauseous!
*Yesterday I am running an errand for my dear sweet hubby. Tired, cranky, have a headache coming on. I am just downright SLEEPY, and in Plano driving in traffic.
My bitches have all been talking about pumpkin spice lattes, which I love every year, and I want one dammit! But will it make me sick?
I throw caution to the wind and whip into the Bucks. I order a tall PSL, though my little Starbucks inner voice is chanting "grande, grande..." Pull out of the parking lot, smelling the heavenly aroma. Nervous. Take a teeeeeenyweeeeny sip.... swallow quickly, and wait. Hmmm... seems okay. I take a better sip- YUM! So then I just start chugging it! That tall was gone in 2 minutes flat, leaving me wanting more! I am so happy that I called Cotton, and then Shannon, just to spread the joyous news!

My coffee aversion has been beaten! At only 19 weeks and 3 days pregnant, I manageed to overpower the demon! HAHA!!!

I see a much more cheerful ME in the weeks to come! :-P

the kids are in bed

Cotton is working a late party. Emmitt is passed out somewhere.

The trim is UP! My house is so close to being done!
We still have to do the front bathroom. The kids' rooms still need that top inch painted, and I refuse to climb on a ladder. Cotton may get to it tomorrow.
I need to put the stripe on Jacob's room, and make his curtains. Also a good possibility for tomorrow.

I would post a picture of the living room- but my camera is d.e.a.d. The batteries are, anyway.

I'm having a very quiet, boring evening.
Fighting with a friend over a stroller. A very cool stroller. Being sold on the mom's board by another mommy.
First it was "I want to buy it." "NO, it's mine you beeyatch!"
But now we have progressed to"You take it sweetie. I already have one." "No, YOU take it. I told my husband I wouldn't shop this week."
So... we'll see how it ends.
It IS a cool stroller. I DO already have a stroller (or 2), and probably DON'T need to spend the money. But I love it so. Lol.

I am also in the market for a new maya wrap. Trying to trade the purple one for a more masculine color.
I had the deal done until I noticed some damage on the tail of mine. :-(
I don't even rememeber that being there- but there it is. I can fix it EASILY (cut 3 inches off and hem it), but I can't sell it as "perfect," and the girl I was swapping with had a brand spanking new one. I didn't feel right about that trade once I noticed the damage on mine. Damn conscience. :-S

I purged many girl clothes. MANY!
My little neighbor girly has loked so cute the past 2 days in dresses I had handmade for Lucy.
I kept my very favorites, of course, but she got quite a few!
I even gave her cutie patootie sister a dress that Lucy wore on her first Christmas. One of the 2, and not my favorite, get out the tissues- sentimental one!

Not much else going on. Just working on beautifying the house, and making room to get ready for Sam!

It looks like we've landed a crib already. We'll see if it pans out.
Brittany brought over some tiny red chucks that were Lucy's, then Kelsie's- awwww... and a floppy seat to replace the one ding-dong threw away (after I TOLD him not to!).
Oh, and a crib sized duvet cover for me to copy! Yay! I can start sewing for Sammy's bed now!
I still need a pattern for the rest of the bedding- but that requires a trip to the fabric store... which is 9 thousand miles away... so I can wait!

I am tagging along on Jacob's field trip Wednesday.
Following the bus, and carpooling with the mom of his crush (which seems to be fizzling out, thank goodnes, lol)!
I am so excited to go with him.
Cotton took off the day so that one of us could go, and one could watch baby girl.
I did the fair and proper thing,a nd asked Jacob which parent he wanted to come.
He said, oh so sweetly "I pick you, Mommy."
Me? Really? ME? YaHOO!!! no one ever picks ME! Daddy is the cool one! Remember? No- don't remember. Pick me! I wanna go!
He said "I want you to get to see the cool pumpkins." Awwww... Isn't he so cute? Couldn't you just eat him with a spoon?
I'm a bit excited. Can you tell?

nothing to report

We are slowly plugging along on the house.
Basically- we just need to get the trim up. I have grand ideas of painting the front bathroom- we'll see how that goes.

My belly is growing all the bigger. I am into the last week of the first half of the pregnancy. Lol. Translation: next Wednesday I will be 20 weeks along- HALFWAY DONE!
None of my maternity pants fit, and I have had to pull out pre-pregnancy elastic waistbands, folded down.
We've finalized a name for the baby, and the kids latched right on to it.

Samuel Beau

Samuel because we like it, and Beau for Cotton's favorite uncle. Also because, well, we like it- although it took me a while to come around.
SamBo, Sammy, and Sam- he's already got the nicknames going.

We had our first parent-teacher conference last night at Jacob's school.
He is right on track for where he should be, "starting kindergarten" level.
He seems to zone out during Spanish, so they were shocked to hear that he comes home giving us random tidbits every day!
He is well behaved, "just a boy," and his teachers seem genuinely fond of him.
He does well with other children, very social, and is shy with adults. Yep, that's him.

Lucy has been amazing lately. She just does her thing, entertains herself. I love how independent she is! So much for "Get her off the boob," "get her out of your bed," and "leave her with a sitter!" My baby girl is her own little person. I never doubted that she would be!
She loves her princess room, and falls asleep in there every night with no complaints!

Yesterday I told her "I love you, baby,"
to which she replied "And I love Daddy."
I asked "Don't you love me?"
"I love Daddy."
"But what about me?"
" :loud sigh: I like you, too, Momma."

Oh, well good. I always wanted to be LIKED by my daughter. Little butt head.

Emmitt has been a downright shit lately. Or maybe it's the hormones. He annoys me to no end.
He IS stealing food from the kitchen counter, and INSISTS on being on the furniture every time I turn my back.
There is no excuse for the food stealing.
The furniture is a gimme- he doesn't like the hard floors. Oh well, suck it up boy.
I need to go get him a nice doggy bed, I'm sure it would keep him off the sofa.
He also feels compeeled to SNIFF me endlessly. As if my odor has changed in the past 18 months. Well- it may have, but not recently. I've been pregnant for 4.5 months- that is long enough for him to adjust!
It drives me batty, I tell ya!

I've regained an appetite in the past few days!
That is HUGE!
I pretty much can't get enough to eat. I want food every hour or so!
Which sucks because my bump is so high that I get full QUICKLY, and feel uncomfortable for hours, and also have lots of nice heartburn.
Lucy predicts that Sam is bald, but with this HB, I think he'll have a nice head of hair! ;-)

Hmmm... plans are underway for getting a crib soon. The changing table needs a coat of polish and I think I'll make a new thicker pad.
I also want a new thicker mattress for the bassinette- I may make that as well.
I need to find a pattern or something for his bedding. I don't know where to start on making it!
Of course, I have plenty of time yet.
We have Christmas to get through before I really need to get the baby ball rolling.

I guess that is it for me.
Just wanted to check in and let y'all know I'm still kicking (and being kicked, heehee).

:sniff:

I've been sorting and packing girl clothes.
I have a bag for Keeley, a bag for my neighbor, and a huge box for Abby and Kelsie.

It is so hard to get rid of it all, and I still have a bag for momma, too. I am trying to let go of as much as possible, but it's sooo hard!

I haven't even gone NEAR the bag of her tyeeny baby clothes in the top of the closet. I don't have anyone to give those to, anyway. Maybe when someone I love has a brand new little girl...
But I do need to pull out anything unisex, and anything that she wore of Jacob's, for little brother.

I also have a pretty good sized box of Jacob's toddler clothes to use! I was pleasantly surprised that I had so much left. I have gotten rid of a good 6 tons of boy clothes over the years.
I can't WAIT to see the little guy in his big brother's old stuff. (which will be mostly after he truns 4, lol)
It's not that I don't want to, or can't, buy him his own clothes. It's sentimental!
The best part is the huge bag of teeny weeny BOY clothes in the top of the closet! I need to hurry up and get a dresser for the baby so that I can start sorting! :-D

The home project is moving right along.
Cotton has ben touching up all of the paint in the house. The trim is clean, freshly painted, and ready to go back up. The rugs are fresh and back in place. The kids' rooms are fully functional.

I'm tired. Lol. I have been doing a bunch of nothing all weekend, as far as the house is concerned. I have to buy groceries today, and then it will be nearly time for FOOTBALL- so that leaves little to no time for chores. Darn.

Can the Boys go 6-0 today? I think they can! As long as they play better than they did last week!
I can't handle the stress of another game like that!

Happy Sunday!

Killing me with cuteness

Could Lucy be any cuter about her baby brother?
Um... no.

We went to check out our new Super Target today- woohoo- and she informed me that "I need to get baby brother a teddy bear for his birthday."
How sweet is that? She didn't ask for a toy for herself. She wanted one for the baby!
So we picked out a nice, soft, "wittle" teddy bear for the baby. I wanted to buy him a birthday present too, so I got a sweet little crocheted hat and booties for him- probably to go with his coming home outfit. It will be blue, naturally.

She also told a random stranger today- "I have a baby brother in my mommy's tummy." And then told the lady his name. Awwwww.... she's so proud!

I saw about 18 zillion things I wanted for my new little man, but resisted the urge. If I buy 2 thousand newborn outfits NOW, and then get another thousand as gifts- well... we'd be swimming in baby clothes! Not to mention the tiny little bit of stuff that I have left from jacob's baby days (which will be my favorite outfits of all!)
And my babies grow FAST! He will probably only wear that teeny size for a month, 2 months TOPS. Of course- I could always buy big. Lol. And I WILL- but not just yet!
Luckily, most of the stuff out right now is wintery, and it will be darn close to warm when the baby arrives. We don't really need furry boots and fleece sleepers and velour hats with ears... as adorable as they may be, they are not practical for March! So- Yes, there is temptation out there. But not TOO much.

Remodeling

What a PAIN!

A pain in the neck, back, head... not to mention a major inconvenience. Oh, and the pain in the wallet... OUCH!

Our floors are completely stripped, cleaned, refinished, and topcoated.

The kids' rooms have been repainted- but are awaiting touch ups (by Cotton, I refuse to climb on a ladder and paint over my pregnant head). The living room and entry foyer have been touched up, but need REtouching up.

All of the trim, ALL of it from the entire house, is sitting in the garage. It needs to be repainted in places, and put back lower on the walls.

My rugs are mid-cleaning.

The furniture is back inside, thank goodness. Well- all of it except the big sofa that I just couldn't live with any longer.

Soon we will work on the bathrooms, and the master bedroom. Rearranging, painting, and making room for The Bean to move in with us.

Jacob wants his brother in his room- but A: Jacob's room is the smallest in the house, and B: Jacob won't be up nursing him several times a night- so MY convenience wins for now.

And the result of all this hard labor?

We are pleased.

The floors were quite the experiment, and we went out on a limb. After the fact- we realize that we could have easily gotten carpet or laminate for the money we spent. But maybe not with all of the paint, tools, etc... that were extras.

And I do have 5 gallons of low-lustre finish to return today or tomorrow- so that's a good chunk of change.

The floors look pretty darn good.

We love the ease of cleaning that we'll have from now on. Carpet is so gross- if you really sit and think about it. Uck.

Once the walls are all prettified, and the trim is in place- then and only THEN will I share some pictures and have you all over to see the place.

Right now it takes a little squinting and imagination to see where we were going with the look. Lol.

Bean is a

well, perhaps some of you are living under a rock someplace.

I would love to post some pictures from the sonogram today- but I have none of the face, and the others are a bit graphic for the general public.
I don't think my baby son would appreciate me sharing pictures of his goods with all of the internet world! Lol!

So Bean is a BOY!!!!

Undeniable, no doubt about it. All boy. From a couple of different angles.
Healthy and perfect in every way imaginable. Gorgeous little heart, thumping away at 154 bpm.

Lucy is not really impressed. She told us it was a boy baby months ago.
Jacob thought it was "really cool" to see his brother, and is really excited now that he's got some confirmation!
Cotton was stopping random people in the parking lot to tell them the news, and he called every last number in his phone. Lmbo!

We also got his very first boy gift today- 3 adorable outfits from Alex and Peggy! Jacob held them and cooed over them the whole way home! :-D

I am thrilled. I don't have to return the diaper bag, holloween costume, or the clothes that I'd already bought my little guy. I do have 18 million tons of girl stuff to get rid of now- but I don't foresee that being a problem.
I've got Abby and Kelsey, and then Keeley, and the little cutie down the street- all waiting with open hands...erm... arms...

I'm 3/3 on gender guessing- when it's a baby in my own womb. Woohoo! Go me!

So now we know, for certain. Only 4.5 looong months until I have him in my arms. :sigh:

Let the BOY shopping commence! Times 2!!

17 week prenatal appt

Nothing much to report.

My BP is still a wee bit high.
Weight is better (I think I gained a pound)
I got stuck twice, so that they can test my blood for neural tube defects. That only require one stick for most people :-P
I also got a flu shot, and my poor arm is REALLY sore

She couldn't get a heart beat on the baby for several minutes- but all I could do was LAUGH. He (or she) was rolling and punching too much to get at the HB.
Finally got a good one, still in the 160's.

The doc said "You aren't huge! You're cute. You'll grow into it." Whatever that means :-P I am, in fact, quite huge IMO.

And she said that I probably wasn't feeling the baby move- it is most likely gas. Whatever.

So that is that.
I may or may not get a picture up before the big disconnect.
I hear my hubby stirring around in the kitchen- which probably means we'll be cracking down again soon.

I'll be MIA for a few days

I'm not sure how long it will be- but when I suddenly disappear from the internet world, don't be shocked!

We are doing some major remodeling around here- and my poor little computer is going to be camping out in the garage for at least the rest of this week.

Miss me!

I'm going to be an UNCLE!

No, wait...
I'll still be an auntie- but to a little BOY!!!!

My little bitty sister had her ultrasound yesterday, and her baby is a sweet little boy!
I can't wait to meet him in January. I know he is going to be absolutely gorgeous!

How weird will it be to say "my nephew" after 8+ years of having all nieces?

Oh crap

I just lost everything!
All of my links, buttons, and even my baby tickers!

Like I didn't have enough to do today. :-(

Going pink for October

October is breast cancer awareness month.
Check your boobies, and turn your website pink!

Technically, my blog has alway been pink- so "going pink" is a bit of a stretch, but I am going to look for a new design so that I can truly make a change.

I miss you, Grandma. Every day.

Moms get all the blame!

I didn't share this drama on here- but now I will.

On about the third day of kindergarten, I walked Jacob in to the cafeteria. He went over and sat down at his table, and out of the clear blue- this little boy PUNCHED HIM in the jaw! Very deliberate, and downright MEAN.
A couple of days later, I get an email from Jacob's teacher. Someone had pushed him in the hallway, and he fell into a wall causing a big goose egg on his head. :-(

My poor boy.

Since then- we haven't had any incidents. Other than a shoving match between Jacob and the kid that pushed him in the hall...

So tonight we were talking about kindergarten, asking him how it is going.
Cotton asked "Has anyone been mean to you lately?" Jacob said no.
Then Cotton says "Why were those kids mean to you before?"

Jacob answered "Because their mommas aren't very smart."

We figure- if he had said this to the kids in the beginning- that would explain the pushing and hitting. Lol. But no- he came to this conclusion after the fact.

Oh so sleeeeepyy!

I am so freaking tired!
It's only 1:43- so I have a very long day ahead.

An hour and 15 minutes until I can get Jacob.
Then we have to go to the bank- because I FORGOT while we were in town earlier.
I am so not looking forward to driving. I need a coffee or something. Oh, damn. Coffee makes me sick. Ugh.

And while we're on the topic. I hate Mondays. Hate them.
And I absolutely HATEHATEHATE 6AM. Truly, I do.

a quick Jacob laugh

I picked Jacob up from school the other day and he was starving (okay, that's every day).
As he dug in his lunchbox for leftover cookies, I asked him "Are you hungry enough to eat a horse?"
His response:
"I don't know. What does a horse taste like when it's cooked?"

Look out, Seabiscuit!

More Lucy antics

I have to catch up...

My sweet, loving, and affectionate daughter has developed quite the attitude towards her "boys."
Firstly- there is no more "Jacob and Daddy." They are simply "BOYS!"

Heaven forbid the boys get too noisy, aka breathe too loudly, in her vicinity. She's all exasperated: "Be quiet Daddy- I am trying to color." "Daddy- don't talk with food in your mouth." "Daddy- I am twying to concentwate!"
Maybe we shouldn't let her talk that way but she is SO FUNNY! And she knows she is being a nut- lots of times she follows it up with a giggle "I'm just kitten!"
If she wasn't so genuinely sweet and loving- I might be concerned. But she is completely enamored with Cotton, and happens also to have his sense of humor- so I think we are safe with a little teasing!

We were out in the backyard over the weekend. Cotton and the kids were playing football.
The boys got a bit wrapped up in chasing and tackling each other- and didn't throw Lucy the ball for a while.
She stood up on a chair and yelled
"Throw it to me! I'm over here, throw it to me boys!" about 30 times to no avail.
The next thing I hear is "HEY KNUCKLEHEAD! Throw it to ME!"
I nearly fell out of my chair I was laughing SO hard!
Cotton stopped and said "who's a knucklehead?"
She replied matter-of-factly "You are Daddy."

The child is also becoming obsessed with football.
Ask her who the quarterback for the Cowboys is. She knows.
And if you ask her who "the guy" is, she'll tell you it's Marion Barber!

Oh, and don't (JOKINGLY) threaten to eat the dog. That really freaks her out for some reason. I learned this the hard way, through a long fit of tears.

Shannon

Girl- I am so glad you are okay. And your babies.

I had to pull over and compose myself when I got a phone call saying you had been in an accident.
I've been near tears all day. I got such a bad case of the "what if's..."
I left you smiling and handing out goody bags, and 10 minutes later your car is rolling and y'all are headed to the hospital!

I'm going to bubble wrap your new car when you get it! Lol!
I love you, girly. I love Faithie and Baby Ben! You are just going to have to be more careful, for my sake! ;-)

Wilbur has returned

I'm fairly certain I have blogged about Wilbur and Arnold.
Wilbur was Lucy's first imaginary friend, he stuck around for a few weeks. Months later- Arnold entered the picture. I had to actually set the table for Arnold, answer him when he had questions, and include him in our playtime.

Well- Arnold disappeared months ago. Close to a year, even.

But Wilbur has come back.
Now Wilbur is a girl, and she goes everywhere we go.
I have to wait for Wilbur to climb in and out of the car. I have to buckle Wilbur into a seat belt. Whenever I find things like marker on Lucy's back, or oreos on the floor- "Wilbur did it."

I just have to laugh.

kind of old, but a day in the life of us

These are from last month- which seems like AGES ago with all that has happened!
But they are really great- so I wanted to get them on here anyway...

We did our "Day in the Life" for DAM on Aug 10th, and here are a few pics from our day:

Sleepy head


Good morning Grumpy Bear!


She is actually a real morning person, but didn't appreciate a camera in her face that early- I suppose. lol.

Good morning, pretty eyes!


Playing at a birthday party


playing video games


wanting to play video games, but intimidated because she's not any good


digging through goody bag loot instead!


a little art in the afternoon






FOOTBALL! (some of my absolute favorites!)










we go out for ice cream


Yummm...










and last but not least... pajama time!

As promised

The 15 week belly!



which isn't a whole lot different than the 12 week belly, lol. Except a little fuller on the bottom, and on the top. And that when I am full of dinner and dessert- it pokes out enough to bang into doors before the rest of me gets there.

Other than being bigger- I now pee every 10 minutes. My hips pop in and out of socket when I am on my feet for too long. My lower back hurts like a SOB.
But I am feeling lots and lots of movement- and I am falling in love with whoever it is in there! swoon:

I'll try to take new pictures tomorrow- at 16 weeks. :-D

And just for fun- here I am at 14 weeks- tagging along as the guys went hunting.

No- I was NOT hunting. I wouldn't have a clue of what to do with that thing, lol.
But we wanted to document baby's first hunting trip- just in case he's a little man that starts going regularly.
Cotton dressed me, but we couldn't even come close to zipping the vest. ;-)

I bought it.

The Robin costume.
Who knows if I'll ever run across another one?

The ultrasound is 2 weeks from tomorrow.

If Rebecca is right, and we are having a little M. Rebecca, heehee, then I'll just take it back.

But she isn't right. Her own kid even said so!

That big already?

Last night we went out for dinner.
As I was leaving the restaurant (Cotton had already taken the kids to the car while I finished up), I reached out to push the door open in front of me...

Only another part of me hit the bar before my hands did. :-S
Yep- the belly.

I'm officially bigger than I think I am. And I think I'm pretty damned big for just shy of 4 months! Lol.

Pictures coming soon!

Jacob's horoscope

The report was generated with the following birth data: male, born on 24 April 2002 at 6:26 pm in Carrollton, Texas. Your sun sign is Taurus. This is the sign in which the Sun is in your birth chart. Your Ascendant, the rising sign, is in Libra, and your Moon is also in Libra.
Libra Rising With this rising sign, you are likely to be attractive to others and probably popular. Instead of using force of character to persuade people to do something your way, you use charm. You dislike unpleasantness in any form, so you do your best to keep everything peaceful. In this same spirit, you like to dress elegantly, perhaps even flashily. You may develop an early taste for art, music and literature. In your desire to be agreeable, you must be sure not to compromise something that is important to you. Sometimes it is necessary to fight, and you should learn when and how to do so.
Sun in Taurus You are very patient and like to do things slowly so that you can see what is really happening. You like to be comfortable. With your love of comfort and ease, you may try to avoid strenuous situations, but you really need such experiences to help you mature. People will probably like you because you are affectionate; you give and receive love easily. However, if others try to take advantage of your placidity, they will quickly discover that when you are roused to anger, you don't calm down easily. You find it difficult to work for abstract goals. You don't mind working a long time for the results you want, but you have to understand and relate to those results.
Sun in the Seventh House You are at your best with another person, either working or just having a good time. You are able to adjust your own needs to someone else's so that together you make a pair that works better than either of you would separately. You are very social, and you have learned early in life to get along with others. For this reason, you are able to help others patch up an argument, because you see both sides of the controversy. Some people express another side of the seventh-house Sun. You may really feel like arguing and fighting with others, instead of trying to get along. Don't make a habit of it, because everyone gets tired of fighting eventually. You should learn to be more independent. Also avoid making compromises that require you to give up something essential just to keep a friend.
Moon in Libra You like life to be beautiful and prefer not to think about things that aren't pleasant. You are affectionate, warm and friendly, but you may overlook other people's faults that you should keep in mind. You are a peace-loving person and do not like to start fights with others. You very much like to be with a group of friends so that you can talk and be friendly with everyone. But when there is work to be done you may try to use sweet talk to get out of work or to get someone else to do it. But people will like you anyway, not for the charm you use to get out of trouble, but for your real charms. Really you are a friendly and loving person, and you should try to develop that side of yourself.
Moon in the Twelfth House You are rather unwilling to talk about your feelings with others, because you feel that they won't understand you or won't think well of you. Often you feel that no one should see the real you, but that is not true. You have a great need for emotional security, but you often feel you won't get it. But even though it is difficult for you to trust people on an emotional level, you do like to help others. You may pretend that you are not really generous and helpful, but in fact you are. Often this position means that you like to fantasize and daydream.
Venus in Taurus You are a very warm person who forms lasting attachments to others. The only problem is that you want the friend you are with to pay attention to you alone. You will have to learn to be less possessive. You are very fond of beautiful things and luxury. Try not to indulge yourself too much, not only in eating but also in buying things. You must realize that you will have to work to get the things you desire, even though they seem to come to you a bit more easily than to others. People like you enough so that they are willing to do favors for you, which may strengthen your tendency to be lazy. But you should act for yourself and not depend upon other people.
Venus in the Eighth House You enjoy your senses, and you want to experience the world as vividly and totally as possible. You seem to be looking for a hidden dimension of the world that will transform your life completely. Often you will seek this dimension through relationships with others, which will be very intense and full of feeling. Be careful not to be too possessive of your friends. Also, you shouldn't choose your friends according to the advantages you will gain from their friendship. While you are young, you should begin to take care of your health by not eating or drinking too much and by getting plenty of physical exercise.
Mars in Gemini Your energies get turned on very rapidly, and you work very quickly. You are inclined to start several projects at once and never finish any of them. If you cannot overcome this basic tendency to dabble shallowly in many activities, you will not master any skill very completely. On the other hand, you do have a quick mind, which you enjoy using, especially to debate and argue with others in a spirit of friendly disagreement. Try not to be so impulsive in the way you think. If you make decisions too rapidly, you will often be wrong.
Mars in the Eighth House You have such strong desires that it is very difficult for anyone to stop you from doing something you have decided upon. And if you want something, you will do everything in your power to get it. You may not have enough regard for the fact that others have a right to what is theirs. Also it is difficult for you to share anything. You do everything with great intensity, which should be to your advantage most of the time. Learn to be moderate in all your activities now so that you won't have to change later when it will be harder.

Astrological Data used for Short Report - Children and Young People

for Jacob (male)

born on 24 April 2002	local time	6:26 pm
in Carrollton, TX (US)	U.T.	23:26
96w53, 32n57	sid. time	07:09:43

Lucy's horoscope

I'll come back and add my thoughts in a bit. (I still have Jacob's and my own to look at!)
I know this is long and may be boring to some- but I find it fascinating, and wanted to get it copied down- and thought maybe some readers would be interested in all of this!



The report was generated with the following birth data: female, born on 11 February 2004 at 1:16 pm in Plano, Texas.

Your sun sign is Aquarius. This is the sign in which the Sun is in your birth chart. Your Ascendant, the rising sign, is in Gemini, and your Moon is in Libra.

Gemini Rising You are a very active person who likes to get around, meet people and have as many different experiences as possible. You like to communicate with others, and in fact you may have difficulty keeping quiet even when you are supposed to. Sometimes this takes the form of writing ability or a fondness for books, anything that keeps your mind going. You will always look younger than you are and, even more important, you will always be open to new ideas and experiences.
Sun in Aquarius You like new things and new ideas and are bored by old ways of thinking and acting. You are an individualist and a free spirit, but at the same time you need to work and share your life with other people. However, even though you are attracted to new ideas, you don't readily change your thinking once you have made up your mind. Because of your fondness for new ideas, you enjoy studying science, technology and other subjects that enable people to control the world in some way. As you get older, you may be attracted to more offbeat studies, such as astrology and the occult. When you are with a group of friends, you think about the group as a whole rather than just about yourself. This can cause problems for you if your needs conflict with the needs of the rest of the group. You will stand up for anyone who is not being treated fairly.
Sun in the Ninth House You have a strong sense of curiosity, and you want all your questions answered as soon as possible. You are interested in studies that reveal the most about the world around you on a broad scale. You are fascinated by anything concerning foreign and distant places; you want to travel and see the world. You are tolerant of people's faults and willing to ignore the bad side, as long as there is sufficient good in someone. You do not like people who are too critical or who see only the bad side of things.
Moon in Libra You like life to be beautiful and prefer not to think about things that aren't pleasant. You are affectionate, warm and friendly, but you may overlook other people's faults that you should keep in mind. You are a peace-loving person and do not like to start fights with others. You very much like to be with a group of friends so that you can talk and be friendly with everyone. But when there is work to be done you may try to use sweet talk to get out of work or to get someone else to do it. But people will like you anyway, not for the charm you use to get out of trouble, but for your real charms. Really you are a friendly and loving person, and you should try to develop that side of yourself.
Moon in the Fifth House You express yourself through your feelings, which are very strong and vigorous. You really love good times, and for entertainment you enjoy plays, stories and television programs that appeal to your emotions. You don't make any pretense about your strong dislikes and likes. It is important to you to be honest about your emotions. Sometimes, in a mood of joyous high spirits, you may take risks that are really quite foolish. Also you may sometimes get carried away by your feelings, which can be difficult for others to handle.
Venus in Aries You are very affectionate toward others, but you hate to be tied down by anyone. Not shy or reserved, you express your loving feelings freely, and you need to be free to love whomever you choose. You are unwilling to give in to your partner, because you always want things your own way. This could be a problem in your friendships. However, now is the time when you can learn how to give and how to make compromises with friends, relatives and other people. People usually like you because you are yourself, not because you are charming. You know what you want, and you are willing to go after it.
Venus in the Eleventh House You are a very sociable person who really enjoys good company and good times. You are at your best in a group, and you are an excellent team player in any activity you get involved in. You like to be with friends who are warm and sociable. Whoever your friends are, you are likely to enjoy them. Throughout your life, friendship should be a source of pleasure and fun. Note: Venus is technically near the end of house 10 and is therefore interpreted in house 11.
Mars in Taurus You work carefully and rather slowly, but your results are almost always good, because your thoroughness makes up for lack of speed. You are also quite stubborn and will resist anyone's efforts to speed you up. You have a strong desire to own things, and your possessions are very important to you. If you decide you want something, you will work very hard to get it. You may have a problem with jealousy, tending to be very possessive of the people you love. You have to allow your friends some independence, or you will lose them. Anger can be a problem for you, because you have difficulty expressing it until it builds to the point that you lose control. The problem is that other people may try to take advantage of your apparent patience, not realizing that you are really angry. It is up to you to let them know how you feel.
Mars in the Eleventh House You like to be around people who are active, vigorous and independent. You like to work hard and play very actively with your friends. It is very important for you to be with people whose goals are similar to yours, because you believe in your own opinions strongly and will defend them vigorously against anyone who challenges them.

Astrological Data used for Short Report - Children and Young People

for Lucy (female)

born on 11 Feb 2004	local time	1:16 pm
in Plano, TX (US)	U.T.	19:16
96w42, 33n01	sid. time	22:14:00

Random Ramblings

We looked at Cinderella costumes today. found one that was really cute- but not the right size.
So I bought baby blue tulle, satin, and some sequiny stuff... and am going to try my hand at a princess dress. Eeek.
We also got a really cute Cinderella choker and bracelet, and will be on the hunt for the perfect shoes and tiara...
Being a girl mom is so much FUN!!!

While looking at costumes- I couldn't help but look at the itsy bitsy baby ones. Awww...
And of all the things to find- ROBIN! A BABY ROBIN COSTUME!!!
OMG- as soon as I get this sonogram- and if it says boy- I am buying that costume for next year!!!

Do you remember what even started this whole baby adventure?
Jacob. Wanting a brother. To be named Robin, because he needs a sidekick.
:sigh:
(who knew that, when I blogged about that months ago- we would ACTUALLY conceive another child? Wow! It is really some kind of miracle)
I really want a brother for him, too.
A girl would be GREAT for ME. But my beautiful little boy wants a brother so bad he can taste it.

Jacob still wants to be Superman, or Batman, this year. Easy enough. And I am already plotting Batman, Batgirl, and Robin next year. Yaaayyyy!!!!

I also saved Halloween for a stranger. A woman was costume shopping next to me, for like half an hour. Looking for Batgirl in a 4-6, and getting really exasperated. She even had a store employee helping her, to no avail.
Well- guess who found it? Yup. Little ole me! I thought she was going to cry!
That was a nice little moment!

Cowboys.
Oh my gawd.
Can you even believe it? 3 and 0, and we beat the living crap out of the Bears last night!
We would have beat them by more if it weren't for some beyond ignorant, one-sided refs (and I normally don't go that way- but last night was BLATANT), and a totally stupid pass that should NOT have been dropped!

Romo- I love you so. Marion Barber, you are the next jersey we'll buy. Sam Hurd, I'm working on Cotton to name the baby little Sam. ;-)
I'm still grinning ear to ear over the game. AWESOME!
How great will it be to watch my Boys win a Superbowl, and then turn around and have my miracle baby- all within a month? Heehee!

I wish I had my tattoo already. It's really a shame that they frown on having those done while you are pregnant or nursing... I've decided Cotton's getting one to celebrate his big 3-0 in March! But I'll be nursing the Bean, and likely holding him in the sling while Daddy gets inked, and... well... it's probably not the most responsible parenting choice to get mine done when I have a less than month old baby attached to the breast constantly, is it?

Cotton went and bought Lucy a Romo jersey yesterday. All 3 of them were decked out yesterday- and can you believe for a second that I did NOT take a single picture!?!?!
It's true. I really didn't, we were busy and I was grumpy. But next week I will- without a doubt!

My little Miracle- Baby Beany, is just a wiggling away in there. I still want more, of course- but I've gone from feeling a bump every 3 days or so, to feeling something at least 3-4 times a day. It's very clming to feel those little thumps, and to watch my belly growing bigger, and to feel that nice lower back pain, and to barely squeeze into my humongo bras, and to have my pelvis crackle when I walk, and to pee every 15 minutes...
2 weeks, 2 days until I see my baby again. 1 week, 2 days, until I hear that little whooshing heart.
We talked briefly last night about not finding out the gender after all. Lol. I don't think we have the willpower, but it would be FUN!

I can actually start watching tV again this week!
OH MY GAWD! FINALLY!
Grey's, Dancing with the Stars, the Housewives, and the Grey's spinoff. YAY!
If I just had some Idol- I'd be in TV heaven!

Umm...
I dropped little man off for his 4th week of kindergarten.
I still feel empty when I walk away from the school. :-(
But he was happy as a little lark. Chatting away with his friend Jacob in the lunchroom.
I got the proof back of his picture- and it IS cute!
Nothing fancy- just a headshot- but it looks like a happy, smiling JACOB. Not some wierd, sad, odd looking kid like last years. Ha.
He informed us this weekend that he wants to get back into soccer- woohoo! So we have to wait for spring (January), but he'll be back on the field.

I've decided to bump miss thang into 2 day a week dance classes. She is SO into it, has SO much fun, and begs to go all darn week! It is torture to make her wait until Friday!
Plus- I get to buy more tiny cute leotards (heehee). And it is practically free for her to go twice a week- only $15 more a month! How can I pass that up? It's a no brainer now that she's dropped out of preschool.

I've decided I want a diamond circle necklace. Yes, they are trendy and everyone has one. But maybe that is because they are GORGEOUS!
So we have coming up: Christmas, Valentine's Day, Anniversary, and a big "PUSH PRESENT"- which I told Cotton needs to cover all 3 kids, since I've never gotten one.
Somewhere in there, momma should get her sparkly, dontcha' think?
But Christmas would be preferable, as it is the soonest. ;-)

Hmmm... I guess that's all I've got for now.
At some point I'll add pictures. My resolution is really wonky on my screen- so I wouldn't be able to edit (or even SEE) them properly until I get that fixed.

Off to do a half-assed round of house cleaning. I really hate cleaning. Did you know that? Blech.

Kindergarten update

I guess I haven't updated on my little school boy lately.
He is doing AWESOME!

I am really proud of him, and really relieved.

He gets up in the morning, groggy, but without complaint.
He gets dressed and has actually learned to eat a little something before school- whether he wants to or not. 11:30 is a long time to be hungry!

Drop offs have gotten to be pretty much seamless.
We stroll in, he gives me a lightning fast peck, looks around to see if anyone was watching, and then goes to sit with his class. I stroll out, looking to see if he's watching me leave- he never is!

He has been having so much fun, making friends, learning a little Spanish here and there. It's a slow process, but every word he picks up is a step in the right direction! He's got 6 years to go in this program- and I am really excited for him!

He loves his "coaches" in PE. He won the freeze dance the other day, "Everyone else got 'out!'"- and he LOVES the freeze dance.

Homework, so far, is pretty quick and painless. Very simple stuff. He actually enjoys doing it with me, and I love watching him breeze through it, and then write his whole name across the top.

In the afternoons he begs to go outside and ride bikes with his friends, and as long as I am feeling up to standing in the road- he gets to.
There is a little 4yo boy that just moved in across the street, and another little kindergartener down the street, and between them and their little sisters- they tear up M. lane! Lol!

When his head hits the pillow at night, he is out like a light.

Our life is definitely different now, but it was such an unbelievably smooth transition. Everyone is thriving on the new schedule- everyone is happy!

Oh, and today Jacob has school pictures! As we were walking in the school, him in nicely ironed (can you believe that?) khakis, his favorite plaid batman shirt, and his bat-symbol converse- he told me "I look *GOOD* today for picture day!" I asked him to show me his picture smile, and it was awesome- spot on! I told him "Smile like that and Mommy will go broke buying the prints!"

Happy belated birthday to

THIS BLOG!!!

I started blogging in this very spot on Sept 13, 2005.
I had a beautiful 19 month old baby, and a gorgeous 3 year old boy!

Wow!
It's amazing how this thing has become such a part of my life. And how much of the last 2 years is now documented, photographed, and posted here!

I think I'll have some cake today- in honor of the blog.

Too cool for preschool!

After a 2 week trial run- Lucy and I came to the conclusion that we don't like the "preschool" aka daycare that she was attending.
Call me spoiled- but the preschool Jacob went to last year completely rocked my socks. (Logistically- there is no way Lucy can go there. But I may try to finagle it for next year...)
The daycare/MDO that Lucy was going to just wasn't cutting it for me.
Sure- daycare is fine, if that is what you want. I happen to be staunchly opposed to daycare for MY kids.
MDO is great- for socialization, learning to be separate, and for mom to have a break. Again- not what I want.

And more importantly, Lucy didn't like it.
Sure- she looked "okay" enough while she was there. A little lost at times, not really interacting... but she was fine.
She cried at 2 of the 4 drop offs, and told me that she cried after I left on the other 2 days.

I asked her if she wanted to go back and she said "No thank you, I want to stay with you."
I stressed and fretted for days, until Cotton shed some light on it for me. "You don't HAVE to send her. She doesn't HAVE to go." He basically told me- if If don't like it, and Lucy doesn't like it- then we're stupid for paying for her to go, and forcing her to go, and making everyone miserable. Errr.... DUH!!!

And ya know what? She's 3! Not 4, certainly not 5... she is my little angel baby (but please don't ell her I called her the b-word!).
If she wants to be with me- then she can BE WITH ME dammit!
I have no desire to send her off. I am totally miserable and lonely without her. Maybe that makes me pathetic and overly attached, but oh well. If the worst thing you can say about me is that I love my kids too much- bring it on.

Besides (and this is a new favorite word in little miss' vocabulary), she can use her time to do something more productive, that we both enjoy. Like working on her tapdancing career. Or exploring her cutting edge fashion sense (see above). Or writing all over herself with markers, and drinking mustard from a glass (which reminds me- we are out of mustard again).

So- my little sidekick is a preschool drop out. And we are both thrilled with the decision!
If only I could find a way to keep Jacob with me (and make him not love kindergarten anymore- because he DOES), that would be the next step in my diabolical plan. Muahahahahahaha....

Good golly Miss Molly

a lot of people read this blog!

I have an average of 7 new readers every day- and between 40-50 visitors daily.

WOW! That really just knocks my socks off! (okay- not really- because I never wear socks. But if I *did*, it totally would!)

Who the heck are you people? Lol!

And people all over the country- even a few in other countries!

Am I really that interesting?
Should I be worried that one of you is stalking me? lol
I know my children are beautiful and entertaining, for sure- but I can't believe we are worth a daily read to so many folks out there!

I really spill my guts, and tell a lot of personal stuff on here... so I hope that my secrets are safe with you- 50 of my closest friends!
While I kind of get a weird feeling in my tummy (or is that the little one kicking me again?) about all my secrets just being out there- I certainly don't want to change my blog. It's far too therapeutic for me to type my life story here, and to have it all down for my kids... so I am just going to roll with it. Be gentle, readers!

I have to unload the camera- and then I promise to enthrall you with a story about a trip to the thrift store, photos of Lucy's new tap shoes, some of Lucy's artwork, and new belly shots soon!
Poor Jacob has been gone too much to give me any writing material... but I'll try to include him!

Off to make lunches, throw clothes in the dryer, and wipe down the kitchen... ahh the exciting life I lead!
Good night to ALL!

Flutters and Bumps

I'm feeling a few.
I know for sure I've felt little Bean move 2 or 3 times. Then I've felt about 20 or so "maybes."

I've become obsessed with sitting still, breathing deeply, and waiting for something to move in my belly.

I have never felt anything more wonderful, more miraculous, than a tiny life inside my body. With both Jacob and Lucy, I would just lie awake in bed- feeling them dance. Trying to figure out "was that a kick, a punch, a turn? Is this a head or a butt?"
And I've already confessed that feeling this one move is something I NEED desperately.
Although I am pretty much out of any danger (doc is still being cautious until the u/s)- I still just crave the reassurance that my sweet little baby is okay.

WooooooHoo!

It's September 9th.
Do you know what today is?

OPENING DAY OF COWBOY SEASON!!!!!

At 7:15 tonight we'll be huddled around the TV, eating queso and grilled (something)...

and watching my boy Romo lead the 'Boys to their first victory of the year!

heard in my house

"I just wubb these pajamas. They're so.... pajama-y."

and another one

"Girls are girls, and boys are boys." (a groundbreaking revelation, lol)

a temporary change of pace

This is a little deep for a blog about drinking mustard out of a glass and how I'm hair-retarded... but I have some things on my heart today- and I feel like writing them out. I live a happy life. But we all have our skeletons, our issues, our "thing" that we try to ignore and get past. Believe it or not, friends- I have them too.
And many of you will know where this is coming from, and have supported me through this dark period. A few of you, as sad as it is- have very similar issues, and I hate that you hurt like I hurt, but I value the understanding you offer me so much.
Many of the people who read this blog will be utterly confused, lol, and wonder "where did that happy, spunky blogger go?"
Oh, worry not my friends. I am still here, still happy. But I'm human, and sometimes the battles in my heart get to me. I doubt myself, I waver in my strength, and I have to give myself a little pep talk to regain my perspective!

Thank you to a wonderful woman, for giving me this quote. It touches me very much right now:

"When someone shows you who they really are, believe them the first time."

Maya Angelou

I am a person of second chances. Third, fourth, fifth chances. So very many chances.
I have a forgiving heart. I really just want to love, and be loved in return.
I want to surround myself with family and friends, have people to call on the drop of a hat, have huge holiday parties and cook for the masses, have hundreds of people to send Christmas cards to, have people my children can count on...

Often I am right to forgive. To reconnect. Especially when a friendship is abandoned in the heat of the moment.
A long (or even not so long) history of love and companionship, gone temporarily astray, is worth fighting for.
I have learned this in recent years.
People can change, and learn from their mistakes.
Some people cannot, though, or maybe they could- but they would rather not.

But I have to learn to hold back sometimes. To protect my gentle nature. To realize that, while I always look for the good in people- sometimes I am really pushing too hard to see past a mountain of bad.
That I must take a closer look at what a person brings to my life.
Is it happiness, affection, joy, laughter, LOVE?
Or is it stress, heartache after heartache, tears, and wounds that just can't heal, or wounds that just begin to heal- only to be ripped open again and again?
Or maybe it's a combination of both- but the pendulum swings too far in the wrong direction...
Do the benefits outweigh the the price I pay, to have this person in my life? My children's lives?

I have a very open mind, and a very loving heart. Anyone who TRULY knows me, knows this to be true. I may not always be a total sweetheart, but if I love you- I love you for REAL, come hell or high water. I will protect you, stand up for you, tell you that you're stupid, or a bitch- but I love you anyway.
I will not let my pride kill a relationship. I have sent emails, made phone calls, given hugs that downright HURT in the pit of my stomach- but it had to be done.
I will take responsibility when I am wrong. I don't say a malicious words out of anger- much less out of pure meanness. You just can't take that shit back.
Once you say something, you have to stand behind it. I choose my words wisely, and often resort to NO words, because I know that I am too upset to be coherent. Or because I know, this too shall pass, and to fight is not worth the strife that will result. Oh yes- I know this. I choose my battles.
Things have been said about me, by people who profess to love me, that- I honestly wouldn't say about someone I just met. A stranger. An enemy.
It hurts, and it will hurt for life. There is no excuse for that when you are an adult. When your intent is to hurt, and then you change your mind after the fact, because you feel better, it doesn't erase the mark you left. Emotions run high, and I understand that. But if you truly care about someone- you have to have a little self control.

Love is not something you can turn off and on like a switch.
It grows over time. It can fade over time, I suppose, with enough "help."
I have honestly never stopped loving anyone in my life. If I ever cared about you, gave you a piece of my soul- you still have it. Even if we haven't spoken in years. Even if we had a falling out. Even if I can't stand to be in the same room with you. The love remains.
If a love is deep and true, and this person is essential to your being- then you fight for them. You apologize. You nurture them, chase after them, and put their needs before your own. You stand up for them- no matter who your opposition may be.
If you can honestly just STOP loving someone, then you never really loved them at all.

There are choices in life that are hard to make. Painfully hard. I struggle often with myself, with my kind heart. With my willingness to be hurt, just to make things better for other people.
But every person has their breaking point. The point when one says " enough is enough." It is time to protect what is mine. This is where I have arrived. While I am not at all happy with my choice, I am trying to find peace with it. I look at little innocent faces, and know that while they may never understand- they will be better off. Because I am better off.

some long overdue pampering

I decided (okay, LUCY decided) that it was finally time for me to have a pedicure.
My darling daughter chose a color for me from her own personal stash



...and informed me that since *I* paint her toenails

(exhibit A- cute baby feet)


... she will now assume the duty of painting mine.
That will come quite in handy as this belly continues to grow, right?

So here we go




the finished product: time to bust out those cute sandals!



The best part, of course, is that I couldn't have asked for a cuter person to do my nails! And it just made her day. :-D
I cleaned them up, but haven't had the heart to actually remove the purple polish yet!

To Amber

(my hair girl)

Thank you so much for the beautiful, stylish cut and color you gave me.
I really love it.
However, I am quite hair-challenged, and must admit that it hasn't looked good since the first wash. Once I undid your styling magic, it became an untamed mop.

I have tried pomade, mousse, and my straightening iron, along with various other tools.
It is not your fault, I am just completely retarded in the area of hair.
I cannot blow dry properly. I usually fall asleep with my hair damp- resulting in those unflattering waves and curls that I can't ever achieve on purpose- but always find in the morning and can't get rid of.

I vow to continue to try- if only for your sake. I would hate for someone to ask me who does my hair, and have to LIE to protect your image! lol.

I just had to get that off of my chest.
(and I don't think Amber even reads this blog- but if she does, that's all the better)

signed,
your friend and satisfied (with YOU) client... Krysta

trial run at dance class

So Stacey talked me into going with her to take the girls to a dance/tumbling class.
I decided, what the hell... it's free, it's not sitting at home, it could make for some cute pictures.
I fought against the urge to buy Lucy a leotard to wear just the once, and threw her in some shorts. We did, however, do ballerina buns in her hair, with big bows! ;-)
I've been toying with the idea of dance for a while, but always figured- eh. Not my kid. She is too much of free spirit, and too spirited.
I figured- she won't do this. She'll hang on my leg and refuse to go in.
She went in.
I figured- well, she won't listen to the teacher. She'll run around like a wild child.
She obeyed almost every word out of the teacher's mouth.
I figured- she has zero coordination. This won't go well.
She was a friggin' SUPERSTAR in there!
And she fell head over heels in love with the teacher. Wanted to hold her hand, sit in her lap, hug her, and just beamed when she was praised! (it would have been even better if the teacher would have called her LUCY instead of Hailee... but what are you gonna do? lol)

So here is some video of my superstar's first attempt at tapping. She's not perfect- but you can tell she really wants to do well, and I think she will!
I had to LMAO when the teacher was showing them the arm movements and says "Now PUSH!" Well... my very literal child ran up and pushed her. Whoops.
Luckily, Miss Tanya seems to have a good deal of patience!
And then you have lots of hand holding, flopping, and the typical, physical "Lucy-love," that might look like she's trying to kill you.

If you don't know, the little dark haired girl is her school friend, Hailee.

Wait for the end- it's the cutest part!
...and don't listen to whatever Stace and I are gabbing on about. We couldn't really hear the girls- so it's just random chit chat. Not gossip, thank goodness! ;-)
If you can find a way to mute us- please do!



When we got home, I made her a special bento lunch- all cut into stars, because I am one proud momma. :-D

Lucy goes to preschool

Monday I told Lucy "You've got school in the morning, love."
She said "I do?!"
"Yes, you do."
Then she throws her tiny little hands up in the air and exclaims "But WHAT am I going to WEAR?"
(insert giddy, girly, squealy noise here!)
How friggin cute can she be?
So we went into her closet, and I pulled out her stash of new school clothes. I gave her like 5 outfits to choose from- seeing that this was a huge day in her life.
She went with my personal favorite (and what she would have worn if *I* had chosen), the strawberries!
We had to lay everything out, right down to strawberry ponytail holders, red socks, "diamond" shoes, and her Care Bear panties.




The next morning, all dolled up. Could she BE any more adorable?
She really wanted a "pink starfish cookie" for breakfast. She sat on the couch, with her backpack close at hand, and nervously nibbled it.
We had one clingy episode- but mostly, she just seemed really excited!


A little cameo by an old pro at this school stuff.
Mr Batman GQ


I managed to get them to stand together in the yard for like 2 seconds.
Note the ear holding- my little bundle of nerves


try #2. Still no smiles- but I'll take what I can get.


Walking in. Again I ask you- could this child get one teeny bit cuter?


How about a classic Lucy "cheeze face?"


When we got there, she was really not all that nervous.
She didn't want to go to the potty, and kept looking out to make sure I hadn't snuck off on her. lol.
But when I did finally say "Go play with your friends, mommy has to go now." She took off and never looked back.
I felt really lost and confused, and lingered around the door a bit- hoping for at least a kiss or a wave. No such luck.

She was incredibly happy to see me at 11:30, though. Ran right up and wrapped around my leg. :-D
She didn't have a lot to say about her first day at school. She told me she had a pop tart for snack, and that she played on the playground. That's about it.

Today's drop off was about a thousand times worse that Tuesday's. I was a mess, she was a mess. But she seemed to have an okay day after I left. Her teacher said she was "fine."
I'm really hoping for some better luck next week!

And as for my big boy- drop offs have gotten pretty darn easy with him.
He still wants me to walk him in, which is fine by me.
He jumps in line with his class, and walks away from me- without even looking back.
I wish he would look back. :-( He was so cute those first couple of days, waving and blowing kisses.
I guess he's just too cool for that stuff now. After all, he's been in kindergarten almost 2 weeks. Lol.

Well...

Once again I am coming to you from a newly wiped, squeaky clean hard drive.
Please oh please let this be the end of my computer problems!

I am sitting here, in a totally silent house. Eating lunch all alone- leftover manicotti and cheese pizza from Sicily's last night... yuummmmm!

Oh, and I'm miserable.
We had a really rough drop-off at preschool this morning. A teacher finally had to come over with a crowbar to pry me and Miss Baby apart. :-(
I walked away, listening to her cry, and I knew it wasn't going to be long before my tears started. Darn hormones. Darn person at the front desk trying to talk to me. I lost it right there in the lobby and started crying like a fool.
It took me about 15 minutes to get home, and to figure out the web cam thingy to watch her,
By then she was calm, eating a snack, wandering around the classroom aimlessly, washing her hands and making water designs on the table, doing art projects... Yes. I have been sitting here for and hour and a half, basically watching Lucy the whole time. I mean, I haven't watched her continuously. Just peeked back every 5 minutes or so...



See her right in the front? In the red shirt and pigtails? Awwww.... It's Lucy at school!!!

Can I just take a moment to say it is probably a VERY good thing that they don't have web cams at the elementary school?
I would never leave this chair!

I think I need a hobby, or a baby or something. I miss my kiddos way too much!
I at least need a new book, or an exciting sewing project (baby bedding comes to mind!)

And since we've drifted to the subject of the baby-
We checked out just fine!

Baby was very cooperative. Nice happy heart beat. 160bpm. Doc was very comfy with that as a 13 wk HR. She said it will fluctuate at different stages of development. (which basically means it is no clue to the gender. :-P Although 160 is fast, and I've had a couple of people remind me that the OWT says fast=girl)

As for me- I'm still on pelvic rest until after the next ultrasound. And the next US happens to be the BIG one! The 18 weeker. Mark your calendars for Oct, ummm... 5 weeks from yesterday. Lol. I think it's the 13th.

I've also dropped 10 lbs since my last appt, 4 weeks ago. Doc was none too thrilled about that one. But, despite an episode this morning, the nausea is greatly improved. I am *almost* back to eating for one. Maybe the eating for 2 will be soon to follow. I rather like eating for 2. Haha.

Oh, and 4 out of 4 in this household are now predicting Bean to be a boy.
Cotton always has. Jacob, too. I have definitely been leaning that direction.
Day before yesterday- Lucy was saying how she wants a "sister baby." I asked her "Is this a sister baby, in my tummy?" She dejectedly answered "No. That one is a boy." And agian, yesterday, she told the doctor "That baby is a brother. Just like Jacob." Poor thing is so bummed about it. Lol.
I think if she didn't know something- she would predict the sex she WANTS. Niot the one that bums her out!
I'm not at all worried, though. No matter whether this is a "Baby M" or a "Baby N," (ooooohhh- what do those initials stand for? Mwahahahahaha!!!) Jacob and Lucy are just going to go nuts over the baby. NUTS. And I couldn't really care less. Yes- I would love another little man, but how sweet would another baby girl be? The clothes, the bows, the matching dresses....? :sigh: 4 weeks, 6 days to go!

I am currently downloading my photo software AGAIN. At some point tonight I'll get Lucy's first haircut and first day of school pics up on this thing!

Take the baby poll!

Enter your guess for Bean's birthday, gender, weight, length!



Play the game here!

If you win- you get the baby! Hahahahaha!

heard in my house today...

"Lucy, you can't drink mustard out of a glass!" (as I take the glass of mustard away.

"But momma! I love mustard on sandwiches!"

Yep. That's my girl.
She's currently singing "SpongeBob Squarepants" and tattooing her entire body with (WASHABLE) markers.

Who says girls are easier?

If you are wondering about Lucy

yes, we still have her. Lol.

It's been a big week for Jacob, and last night was a big night for the belly- but I've got some Lucy stuff to post soon as well. I just have to empty the camera AGAIN- after I get the shot I want of what I want to blog about. Lol.

She had her "going to preschool" check up yesterday...
The verdict says she is perfectly perfect.
The nurse practitioner that we saw was concerned that she is very slightly overweight, and wanted to go further into that issue. Her BMI is 99 and they like it to be 95, or something like that.
BUT when she went and talked to Lucy's actual pediatrician he stopped that train in it's tracks. No nutritionist. No sticking my baby for cholesterol or blood sugar tests. She's always been a monster at the top of the charts (currently 95% in height 99% in weight), even when she was exclusively breastfeeding.
Dr A said that as long as she holds steady, stays on her curve- we are fine. She'll stretch out as she gets older. :)

Oh, and the stats:
Right on track developmentally.
Smart, sweet, adorable.
Gorgeous hair. Yes, the nurse said that ;-)
A very EXTREME anxiety concerning the dr's office (poor baby cried for over an hour while we were there)
One shot. A Hep A booster. Required for school. :-(
Her hearing, vision, and BP couldn't be checked- because she was shaking and crying too hard.
41 inches (although I think she was leaning, so more like 43-44)
and, are you ready for this?

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fifty three pounds. 53 lbs!!!!

The nurse asked me, as we were running down the list of developmental questions: "Is she a picky eater?"
Lmbo! Does she LOOK like a picky eater?

I'm so glad that her doctor backed me up on her weight. I know she is healthy. She gets lots of exercise. She eats lots of good foods. She's just a big girl, slightly chunky, DEFINITELY not obese! With the genetics she has- is it any wonder she is built like a brick house? I'm really shocked that Jacob is so wiry!
(and have to say- yes, Shannon, you were right. You told me a lot of this before I went, but I was still worried about what the dr would say- I worry. I can't help it)

Pictures of my beautiful 53lbs-of-chunky-baby-love to come later.

It's September first!

Time for the annual father/son *opening day of dove season* pics!

They had a great morning, and are napping now, waiting to go out again at dusk.

Newly featured this year: New camo pants for both guys, and a BB gun for little man (who, might I add- is a pretty good shot already from what I hear!).

I can't give you too many details because, well... it's "guy stuff," and I am only allowed to know what I need to know. ;-)

Holy baby bump, Batman!

last night, 12 weeks, 2 days pregnant



At 11wks 6d, I was still contemplating whether I should wear maternity clothes.
The next day, I just did it. The next day after that, I had some definite ball-ness going on. Yesterday morning, I woke up and put on a fitted shirt, and asked Cotton "Fat or pregnant?" He said Definitely pregnant (and he would NOT just spare my feelings, :-P).

I went and ran around, had lunch with 2 of my best girls, dropped in on another... and looked round, but not that round. Every time I passed a mirror in Target, I obsessively peeked to make sure I was still round and not flabby. Heehee.

Last night I changed clothes to go grab some dinner, and that ^ is what I saw.
A hard, round, incredibly uncomfortable bump.
Probably the highest my belly has ever been... and let me tell you, Lucy was high!
Somewhere I have a picture of me, 3 months pregnant with her. Looking pretty similar to this, but not quite as big, and definitely not as uncomfortable. So, while I may be some incredibly-showing FREAK, lol, at least that is normal for a pregnancy of mine.
This belly just HURTS. Like all of my organs are being forced into my ribs. Oh, wait... that is exactly what is happening! Ouch.

I go back to the doctor on Wednesday- to FINALLY hear a heartbeat, and to beg for another ultrasound to check the bleed... I'm still incredibly nervous that something will go wrong, be wrong, look wrong. I never had this kind of fear with the other babes! Normal jitters, yes. But never a flat out FEAR that the heartbeat wouldn't be there.
Sadly, I think the fear has kept me from forming much of a bond to little Bean (who is much bigger than a bean now, but what else am I gonna call him/her?).
Between the constant worry of a m/c, and the constant activity around this place- I barely have time to even think about being pregnant. It's like it isn't even real...
I am SO INCREDIBLY ANXIOUS to start feeling some kicks. If it kicks, then it just is. If it moves, it's a real, live baby inside, and that baby is okay- definitely alive. I hate worrying. :-(

But I am obviously pregnant. Symptoms are still strongly showing themselves- nausea, fatigue, I'm now 3 months late for my period, haha. The belly is certainly some kind of proof.

Next baby update on Wednesday afternoon. Until then... grow Bean grow!