Check-list

My Important Activity Checklist seems to be 95% completed!

-- Baby shower                                             X Check!

-- Baby Blessingway for Anne                       X Check!

-- Car fixed                                                   X Check!

-- Cub Scout year end activity                       X Check!

-- APUSH meeting for Bri                             X Check!

-- Open house of new school for Spud          X Check!

-- Follow up Ped Appt for Spud                   X Check!

-- Field Trips                                                X Check!

-- 8th Grade Graduation for Fi                       

-- 8th Grade Honors Night for Fi   

So far so good!  I can now rest, relax, and not stress about how/if things are going to get done for those goals. I wanted to make sure that we got to all of them, because I know how important they all where to each person.  It also seems that none of those activities have prompted Miss Baby to decide she must arrive sooner than she is supposed to. (THANK GOODNESS!)

The last thing on the list we need done for baby arrival is still the assembly of the crib.  It was planned for this weekend, but now the hubby is sick, so I am not sure if it is going to happen or not.  We will see.  The big kiddo and I may have to do it.  She is an excellent helper, so I have faith in her as my assistant.  I am also considering paying her to paint my bathroom.  How much, I have yet to establish, but I **REALLY** want it done and she is excellent at painting.  So we shall see.

So everything here continues to progress at a normal rate.  We still hope Miss Baby waits at least 2 more weeks to arrive.  So glad I have less stuff to worry about now!

Photo Documentary?

I feel like I need to do a photo documentary for my OB/GYN as to *why* bedrest (even modified) does not work for my family.

This really occurred to me last night when I was letting the dogs out at midnight.  Everyone else in my house had been asleep for at least 2-3 hours.  That makes sense, they are all in some state of feeling poorly.

So, I (at 32 weeks pregnant) scamper down the stairs with my 85 pound dog trying to knock me over and lead the charge to the door.  The dogs have to take turns doing their outside business, because if left to their own devices, they think they are Spy Dogs, and have to wander the neighborhood looking for Evil Bunnies and other criminals.   So, Tova goes outside, and I head downstairs to shut off the lights that were left on in the office (Problem #1).  In the office, the blow-up bed from LAST weekend is still in the floor, stuff is cluttered and not put away. (Problem #2)

I turned on the living room light, and saw the state of the downstairs living room (Problem #3).  It was un-vacuumed, there are small socks scattering the floor, dog toys everywhere, couches still have not been put back, and it is overall messy.  Ugh!  I could not fix all of that at midnight, so I picked up what I could and took it to the laundry room. That worked, as I wanted the check on laundry loads anyway. My darling teenager decided she wanted to work on laundry this weekend.  We have gone over how the washer and such work many times.  I could handle that she did not do large loads of laundry.  That is okay.  However, the part I had a problem with was the fact that I could barely walk **INTO** the laundry room because containers of laundry had gone downstairs and not been sorted (Problem #4).  This was not entirely her doing.  So, standing like a sumo wrestler (The belly is bulky enough that I can't bend at the waist if I want to breath or not end up face first into whatever I am bending over, and ending up face first in a pile of dirty laundry is NOT my idea of fun.....if it was chocolate cake, I would reconsider.), I sorted the laundry that had been left scattered about.  Got loads switched out, switched out the dogs, and took the clean laundry upstairs.  Put the now empty hampers in the rooms they belong in, and went to let the other dog in.  When I was quietly putting the hamper in our room, hubby woke up and asked me what was wrong?  Really.....that is a trick question at midnight when I am seeing the state of the house.

In a summary, what was wrong is my house is a wreck from 2-4 weeks of modified bed rest, and Mother's Day weekend filled with sick people.  The guinea pig cage smells foul enough that it makes me sick to smell it., but the child is too sick to clean it and I am allergic.  The lawn needs to be mowed asap as the yard people are coming Wednesday, the kitchen is a mess, the office is a mess, the craft room is a mess, the bathrooms all need to be cleaned again because of the sick people and potential germ spreading, the laundry is way behind, recycling needs to go out, stuff in the garage needs to be broken down for recycling, the foyer needs to be de-wintered, the crib needs to be built, and the dogs need a bath.

I am so overwhelmed I am not sure where to begin.

I started dishes, and the belly got in the way, but I got a good amount done. I figure I will start in the kitchen and work my way out from there.

So, Dear Doctor, modified or full bed rest is for people who have maids.  It does not work in the real world where your kids get sick and have homework or activities.  It does not work when your hubby works 40+ hours a week and the bed rest stuff has him so stressed *he* gets sick also.  It just does not work.  How about duct tape?  Would **THAT** keep the baby where she is supposed to be for the time being?  It would be easier than any variety of bed rest.

So, in the spirit of not pissing off my doctors, or stressing out my hubby, I will do some mild cleaning today, and not go crazy, even if my OCD is saying "CLEAN IT ALL OR BURN IT ON THE DRIVEWAY!!!!" I am sure a pregnant woman, cackling while burning stuff in the driveway, and swearing would not alarm my neighbors at all! Suuuuuuuuure!

Sick kids

Can someone explain to me how my kids get EVERY fricking virus/bug/illness out there?

My children:

-- wash their hands

-- eat foods from a variety of food groups (including fruits and veggies)

-- take a multivitamin

-- get exercise

-- live in a clean and safe home environment (even if it sometimes does not meet my standards...see next post)

-- do not share foods and beverages with others (95% of the time)

Yet they have gotten every big virus so far this year.  Bri had whooping cough (no shot, she is allergic), Spud started school off with a concussion (which lead to a variety of absences), and now they have some unknown thing.  It **looks** like strep, but Spud's initial test came back negative and I have yet to hear about the 24 hour culture (waiting for the office to open).  Spud current has a throat so swollen, I am surprised he can eat anything, a temp that bounces between normal and 100, a double ear infection, headache, stomach ache, and has started coughing. O.o  Bri has a sore throat, headache, stomach ache, exhaustion, body aches, and overall icky feeling.  Spud went to Urgent Care on Sunday, and Bri has an appointment today.

What in the hell am I doing wrong???  ARGH!  I am not getting sick, and I usually catch everything...it is odd.  Hubby is only getting some of these things, which lead me to believe it is all coming from school.

Friends

So I have two groups of friends.  Lately I am feeling like they are all distant and upset with me/us about something.  I keep trying to pinpoint something that could have happened to start this.  I keep coming up with nothing.  I know I am upset, but I am also pregnant, so I am not sure if there is *actually* a problem or if it is more of a hormone thing.

I suck at confrontation, and so far it seems they are uninterested in speaking up about anything that could be upsetting them.  I don't know what to do.  I get upset, frustrated and weepy.  Then I talk myself OUT of being upset, frustrated, and weepy because something I always expected from these two groups of people was for them to be honest and open about communication.

It seems like if there is going to be a point at which I talk to them, I think the Panda needs to be out, as I am a mess right now and do not want to scare them off with my excessive sobbing.  I am very attached to one group, and love the other group like family.

Kids

The kids are doing well.  As with all kids, there is always SOMETHING going on.

This weekend Bri had her birthday/spring party the night before May Day.  We will not be doing that again.  It was fun, the kids were excellent (best group of teens ever!) but I need way more than 5 hours of sleep to function without getting ill.  There was one snafu on May Day with one of her friends who stayed over, but that got resolved.

Spud has been doing well.  We have started the process of educational/behavioral evaluation at school. This is what it must look like in his head.

He has a song in his heart every day, and often has problems keeping it from erupting out of his mouth during school.  Add that to the fact that he can't seem to focus or use self-control to finish his work in a reasonable time, and you have a concerned teacher and concerned parents.  His first Pediatrician visit was simple.  We talked about the problem, and she said she will have to have papers filled out and other stuff done.  He could be gifted and bored, or have something like ADHD.  His eldest sister(K) is very smart, and her ADHD did not get diagnosed until she was in the 4th grade.  Those were difficult years, so I hope to be able to get ideas now, so he does not suffer like she did.  He is doing excellent in school.  His reading is terrific, his reading comprehension is amazing, he loves math and does a great job on everything but Timed Math.  His handwriting is messy, but we are working on that.  He loves school and loves his teacher.  He is super sweet and friendly.

Miss Panda is squirming like crazy most of the time now.  She had one day last week where she freaked me out, but my best friend helped me relax and not worry about it.  Yay for best friends with Doppler things!  Woot!  If the morning sickness could go completely away, I would be thrilled.  Threw up so hard today, I pulled an ab muscle and it is killing me.  Argh!  I am planning a nap for very soon so I can try to feel better.  It is not like I have a ton to do with the modified bed rest stuff going on.  Only so much old TV I can watch before my brain melts. (Finishing Angel and Buffy, and considering restarting The X-Files.)

<3

Frustrated

I **want** my baby belly to look like this!  Big, round, healthy, cause there is a big, healthy baby inside.  I am ready for the glowing, healthy part to start, however, it seems I will be out-of-luck.  How can someone who LOVES babies so much, and has the perfect hips to deliver babies, be so bad at keeping them where they are supposed to be without extra medical attention?

Somehow, for some reason, I failed my FFN test again.

I am starting to get really worried.  I have no desire to deliver a preemie in April or May.  She is not due until JULY!  She needs to stay where she is supposed to stay until at the very earliest JUNE!

I almost burst into tears when my CNP called to tell me.  My doctor is out-of-town, but one of the other doctors gave her a list of things he wanted me to do.  She was so unhappy at having to tell me, but I reassured her it was certainly not her fault!  My body is just continuing to thwart me at every chance.

I was looking up the signs of preterm labor (again).  Not overly helpful.  Also, checked to see how big the average baby is at 29 weeks.  2.5 pounds.  Also not helpful.

So I go in Monday, where they check my cervix via ultrasound again.  Until then, I am on restricted activity.  I can be up for 20-30 minutes at a time.  I can drive.  No housework, no lifting anything heavier than my purse. When resting, especially sleeping, I need to rest on my side (which I already do.)  Any signs of problems, I call in asap.  I suck at resting. =(

This week my Bri turns 15, and there is a party on Saturday, and Easter is tomorrow, and hubby works with idiots, so all of his after work stuff seems to take forever.  There should be bedrest robots, who can do basic housework, it would make life easier for everyone.

Dishwasher love

My dishwasher!  It is back!  <3 <3 <3  My dishwasher has been having issues since we got home from Thanksgiving.  It was supposedly repaired by the HSP program that I pay for with my gas bill.  I think they did more harm than good, as they took off parts that did not need to be removed to switch out pumps, and they broke my water gasket and line.  Argh!

Well, after trying to wash dishes by hand for months, the baby has finally decided to throw in her $.02.  She has done this by getting big enough that I can't really reach things deep in the sink or at the back of the sink.  I think you can see how this could be a problem when trying to wash things.  My Bri has been helping, but she is pretty busy.  My hubby has been helping, but he has eczema on his hands, so it is very painful for him at times.  We all agreed getting it fixed asap was the best plan.  So we called a certified Bosch repair person to fix it (the picture above is not my actual dishwasher.)  He came out and checked it out and fixed it this week.

I have to say, if you have Bosch appliances, it might be best to get a certified repair person to fix them.  He was quick, knowledgeable, and friendly.

My dishwasher is happily humming away, scrubbing my dishes to a pretty shiny state of happiness.  I have rubbed it gently with a cloth and cooed at it while it was working, just to make sure it knew how much it was loved.  We also had some intense light time.  The lights are so shiny and bright!  Rawr!  I have missed them so! 

Most importantly, you know what this means right?  I can make homemade cookies again now!  I was not doing much baking because of all the dishes it dirties up and washing them was exhausting and often made me queasy.  There will be oatmeal cookies tomorrow if all goes well! <3

Dipping

So, you can dip your dogs and your cats to prevent fleas and ticks, but my question is can you dip your CHILD to prevent the spread of germs?

It seems that bath-time is insufficient.  The little guy has a really bad habit of "forgetting" to flush and wash his hands after trips to the bathroom.  I am saying it ALL the time, and it is making me crazy.  Today we had to have a nasty conversation about "poop germs" and how spreading them all over the house can make EVERYONE sick. (He currently has a tummy ache and is spending extra time forgetting to flush/wash.)  He used to LOVE washing his hands.  I would find him playing with soap and water while singing in the bathroom.  Did that switch get stuck in the OFF position when he turned 7?

So, after discussing this 3 times today, and he forgot AGAIN, I asked him to go wipe down the light switches, sink handles and toilet handle(to be done last) with a disinfectant wipe.  Then I made him wash his hands AFTER that too.  He keeps getting sick, and bringing germs home, and I am at a loss as to what to do next!  I figure this was significantly less extreme than soaking him in a tub full of soap for a few hours. ;-P I would really like him to get back into this practice before we have a new baby in the house.

For now, he is clean, fed, and I can demand some rest time for all of us!  Sick kid days are rough!

Whale with feet

I feel like a whale with feet.  It was the most accurate description in one of my pregnancy updates for this week.  I am envious of the women who look all cute and adorable when they are this pregnant.  I wonder, do they feel cute and adorable, or are they just putting a happy face on for photos and such?

Allergies are kicking my butt, and messing with my no throwing up record.

Also, I was getting excited about spending more time outside.  It was nice, and sunny, with light winds.  Then it snowed.  BAH!  The snow has melted, but it is still chilly enough that my feet and hands get cold if I am outside for too long.  My body can't decide if it wants to be warm enough that I take my jacket off all the time, or cold enough I am shivering. So fun!

I am going to rest for a bit and then take a nice long shower and see if that helps with the cute and adorable feeling.  I am also scheduling a haircut/trim soon.  That should also help.  Right?

Finally! Sleep!

For the last few nights, I have slept extra crappy.  Tossing, turning, too hot, have to pee, baby kicking my bladder, hubby dealing with insomnia, wind storm, etc.

Who knew that lack of sleep + being 27 weeks pregnant can make you a cranky, cranky bitch?  (((Well...probably everyone.)))

Last night I was getting ready for bed and I was already too hot.  I found the thinnest nightgown I own, and laid in bed with no blankets.  Then I got water with ice and lemon.  Then I got some crackers.  Then I looked at my clock.  It was 75 degrees F in my bedroom.  Most of the winter it was 68-69, a temperature I loved cause I could cover up lightly and be comfy.  I whined at the poor hubby.  I went and checked the thermostat.  OMFG, it was claiming it was 72 upstairs.  The heater was not actively running, but still!  I cranked that baby down.  We all still have our comforters on our bed, so if we get chilly we can cover up.

I slept like a happy, swaddled baby! (Well, minus the 6-8 trips to pee)  I was able to lightly cover up and be comfy.  I was not up with heartburn, sweaty and uncomfortable, waiting to fall back to sleep for 2 hours.  It was heaven!  I feel so great today, I want to curl back up and repeat the experience.  The next step is to open windows when it is consistently warmer at night.  I can't wait!  If only you could have an open window and no noises, that would be perfect!

Push-ups?

Well, if it means I do not have to sound like a broken record until I am ready to pull out my hair, I will give it a try.  My kids may end up looking like Pop-eye at the end of the summer. =P

Last night Spud (7) went to a birthday party at a Martial Arts school.  The teacher was impressive in his ability to positively enforce the kids, and get them to listen.  He gave all of the parents a suggestion.  He said when you have to ask your children to do something more than once, each time after the first, make them do 5 push-ups.  He also encouraged the parents to take Hand Sanitizer places so the kids can do them ANYWHERE.  lol  He said it helps them build up strength, and something else (pregnancy brain strikes again!)  It seems like it could be a good learning tool.  They have that time for the 5 push-ups to think of what they were supposed to do and make a plan to do it.  So far this morning, Spud has had to do 10 push-ups.  One set for nagging me about something when I asked him to stop asking.  Another set for playing with his toys with his feet instead of sorting his laundry.  He is being a REALLY good sport about it.  He has also been practicing everything they learned at the party, all morning long.

I told B that since she is almost 15, she gets to do ***10*** each time she ignores me.  I also said she could keep track of them and enter them into http://teens.sparkpeople.com/indexteen.asp at the end of the day.  This plan may not work as well for her.  If she starts ignoring me just so she can do push-ups, we may have a problem. ;-P

Push-ups and squirt bottles!  What a perfect parenting style I have adapted to my liking!

Bored and lonely

Anyone else ever have this problem when pregnant?

I just want some other biped in the house with me.  I love my dogs, but it just isn't the same.  I do not even need to be actively interacting with the other biped, just having them around would be enough to make me happy.  It is odd, as I am usually not excessively needy when it comes to having other people around.

I have a doctor appointment in a few hours, so that will have me interacting with people, so that will be okay.

Maybe I will take this time to nap again.  Naps are good when you only slept 4 hours at night.

Spring Break is over....

Where is the earth shattering KABOOM?

I had a mini earth-shattering kaboom.  I had NO desire to sing that stupid-ass Rebecca Black "Friday" song.

The "high" points of my Friday: (hopefully you can read sarcasm)
-- Last day of spring break with my great kids
-- Officially 26 weeks pregnant with a baby girl
-- My dad would have been 65 if he was still alive
-- Started throwing up blood due to the amount of morning sickness I have had
-- accomplished nothing at all.

The rest of the weekend got a bit better.  The awesome CNP I saw gave me some excellent medicine to help with the nausea, and it seems to be working.  I got to hang out with my daughter and one of my honorary daughters.  My bestie http://musemama.blogspot.com/ came by for some homemade hot and sour soup.  We got stuff done in the garage.  I got naps!  Yay naps!

I will miss my kids going back to school.  I am actively looking forward to summer vacation!

Open Memo to the Upcoming Week:
-- Get your shit together and gift me with some awesome.  Do not make me end you!

First Blog Post

OMG....Baby Cow...I made a blog!

I have no idea what I am doing!

Bear with me while I figure this out and pick the brain of my friends for info as to how this works!