wednesday already?

Based on my lack of posting you'd think I've been so busy, but I haven't been. Not more than the usual, I guess. Sadly, I don't even remember what I did Monday besides grocery shopping and that's not a fond memory anyhow. Yesterday I made 5 pans of cinnamon rolls and promptly ate half of one before anyone could stop me. I had to make sure they were good! (I did get heartburn from eating too many so... actions have consequences, blah blah blah.)

This morning was the usual hustle and bustle to school with some mommy bravery on the side as I didn't throw a pull up on Rose... she is a "big girl" now. Recently she has really impressed us and I think it's time she gets her certificate of success and promotion to undies full time. Sadly, for those of you thinking of potty training your kiddo, I don't have any super awesome secrets to share. I gave myself 9 months (basically we wanted her potty trained by the time the baby was born), she was "ready", able to communicate (seriously, I feel this is a major factor in potty training) and I was ready (another major factor). We took it one failure or success at a time.

Tonight we're going to our church's festival with Cinderella, Iron Man and Optimus Prime. (Rose was going to be a unicorn, but unfortunately that costume was a tad bit too small. Thanks to Uncle E for the cool costumes, that was a great surprise!) I hope everyone has a fun night! Happy whatever it is you're celebrating! I've got to make some worms (spaghetti) for dinner now.

33 weeks

Tomorrow I'm 33 weeks, not that I think 12 hours is really going to make a difference here.

I feel like this baby is huge. This girl is frequently hitting my ribs and making me wince with her very painful jabs. She is head down (and has been for a while) and growing nicely. Apparently she weighs four pounds and I am gaining (supposed to be, anyhow) a pound a week.... half a pound goes to her and half a pound is "water retention" that goes to me.

I've been slowing down on my eating everything in sight routine. I just don't feel as hungry anymore, although there are certainly times when I feel famished. No particular cravings to mention, but I do find myself gulping cranberry grape juice any chance I get. Heartburn loves me. Interesting little fact about that.... old wives tale that heartburn during pregnancy was a sure sign that the baby would be born with a nice head of hair has been scientifically proven. I read that article and instantly thought back on my previous pregnancies and I have concluded that it is indeed true. I didn't have much heartburn with my first and he was not completely bald, but close to it. My second and third I could not go to bed without taking tums first and eventually backed off eating trigger foods. With this one it has been bad for quite a while and I have tried my best to not eat anything after 4pm that will set off the flames (I miss salsa). I hypothesize that this baby girl will have lots of hair.

Nesting has not picked up any. I am still slowly packing my hospital bag and I think I'm about done with that. Next month I plan on making some freezer meals so that I'm not forcing everyone to eat pasta or cold cereal for supper for a couple of weeks after the baby is born. Any suggestions for me? I plan on throwing in some ready for the crock pot meals, too (stew, potato soup, honey bourbon chicken).

That about wraps up this little journal entry. I thought about making a pumpkin cake today, but it might be too late for that. Whatever, I'm making it anyway. Adios my good friends.

p.s. happy birthday to my very sweet mother-in-law!

back to normal

D went back to school today and seeing all the kids in his class run up and greet him was so cute this morning. The first thing he did was give his teacher a big hug; I am so thankful that he likes her so much. (He's feeling better and just has a cough that wants to hang around.)

My other two munchkins and I headed out to do some shopping and hit up all three home improvement stores in town. I was expecting to stop only at Home Depot, but unfortunately their restrooms were under construction (Rose had to go potty) and I couldn't find the caulk I was looking for. So... across the highway to Lowe's we rolled. I found one part of my caulk (I needed two kinds) and thankfully their restrooms were open, as well as very clean. One more stop and I found what I hope is the right caulk and we were on our way home. We also went to the grocery store and found some ready to bake gingerbread cookies that I'm about to pop in the oven. Mmm... can't wait!

Happy Wednesday!

what was monday

I read something a few weeks ago that went something like this, "We make plans and God laughs." Yeah, that was yesterday. Yesterday I was going to go shopping by myself, go to my checkup and then come home rested and refreshed. Unfortunately D woke up with a low grade fever and cough that couldn't be ignored. I decided he wouldn't be going to school and then upon further evaluation thought he might need to see the doctor. The doc had two appointments... one coincided with my own appointment and the other gave us 15 seconds to get on the road and maybe make it in time. I managed to already have plans for Ry and Rose to visit their Pappy G (my awesome father in law) so they went on their way and I went mine. I also stopped panicking and being flustered with the situation because, really, things were working out fairly well.

D's doc diagnosed him with the start of an ear infection, congestion and a little case of bronchitis. I knew it was bad when I heard D wheeze with every breath he took for the doc. He has his very own inhaler now. Awesome.

After that we went to Chik-fil-A and ate lunch, Target (where I sped through throwing things in my cart that I desperately needed) and then to my appointment. I was early. I chatted with the doctor and asked him (since it's trendy and all) if I needed to write a birth plan. He laughed and asked if I really thought I needed one. Then he said all the nurses cringe when they get handed one and he throws them away anyhow. I felt relieved; I didn't want to write one anyway. He mentioned that this might be my biggest baby... then after looking at my worried expression said, "Probably not 9 or 10 pounds... around 8." Ry holds the record for my biggest baby at 7.15 and I remember that being a breeze. (Apparently I feel really confident 7ish weeks away from my due date.)

D stayed home today since he was still coughing every 5 seconds this morning. We stopped by the school and picked up his missed work which he has already finished today. It's nap time now so I am going to try to get something done, but it seems almost impossible as I am needed every 23 seconds.

ten happy things friday

one
cooler weather

two
pumpkin pie creamer (finally found it!!)

three
Something we've been working on for a while is finally going to be possible! It kind of feels like a dream coming true.

four
golden grahams

five
tiny baby socks

six
nice people

seven
the way Rose insists on kissing D on the nose when we drop him off at school

eight
love hearing Ry strike up conversations with everyone he meets

nine
I like that D rarely lets me forget to pray in the mornings and that he gives me so many hugs

ten
new nail polish

ten happy things friday

one
My sister got me some really cool earrings!

two
Our public library has preschool story time on Wednesday mornings and I'm planning on taking Ry and Rose next week. I'm nervous, but we'll see how it turns out.

three
The kindergarten- 3rd grade choir is singing in church on Sunday. So... D is singing on Sunday!

four
I managed to get pulled over by a trooper on my 3 minute drive to the bus stop on Tuesday and got out with a warning (thank goodness).

five
We had breakfast for dinner last night and it made me happy.

six
I started packing my hospital bag this morning. So far I have a burp cloth and swaddling blanket for the baby and a wrap/ sweater for me. Totally prepared. (Nothing else is packed because I got distracted. So typical.)

seven
I signed us up to work the kindergarten booth (for a half hour) during the school/church fall festival. I'm pretty sure we can manage clipping some prizes on to a "fishing pole" for 30 minutes.

eight
I'm 31 weeks today so roughly 7- 8 weeks to go if I stick to this little trend:
Baby #1 @ 38weeks 4 days, Babe #2 @ 38 weeks 2 days and Bambina (#3) @ 38 weeks 3 days

nine
I'm making chili tonight. It's not chili weather. At all.

ten
The boys ran up to me a few nights ago while we were outside and claimed that they had seen a snake. I looked and never found it and then Tim looked and still nothing. I figured the snake had escaped and was a tiny bit skeptical of the whole thing.... This afternoon I see something that looks a lot like a snake in the kids outside play room. Turns out they were telling the truth. I'm also really proud of them for following the rules of seeing a snake: RUN AWAY.

Everyone have a good weekend!

Tuesday Tidbits

I have a little bit of the nesting bug today (as soon as I type this out I'm sure it will disappear) and thought I would sit down and take a little break. I have done so much laundry today in the effort to make sure all the baskets/hampers are empty when this baby arrives, because who wants three baskets of laundry waiting for them when they get home from the hospital? Not me. So... I really have to keep up with it now.

Yesterday I was gone most of the day grocery shopping, dropping the kids off at my mom's and getting a checkup. The baby is growing wonderfully, especially with the steady diet of cookies that I've been on (the scale didn't hold anything back). That has to stop, though, so I made this potato soup yesterday for supper. I cut the recipe in half and it was more than enough and delicious. I will definitely be making it again and again. It's really budget friendly. As in less than a $1/serving by my completely accurate calculations.

I better get back to managing what's still left to clean up.... the kitchen has been sorely neglected today. More exciting things tomorrow. Maybe.

ten happy things friday

one
breakfast tacos
(You mean I started out with food right off the bat? Crazy.)

two
I'm head over heels with reese's pieces.

three
30 weeks today. What?!

four
Parks and Rec last night. Did anyone watch? I laughed so hard when the city councilman was eating his lunch (same thing everyday for 50 years... caesar salad, extra dressing, extra croutons & extra anchovies) because what have I been packing Tim for lunch (almost) everyday for the past couple of months? Salad. Extra dressing, extra croutons. Maybe it's only funny to me.

five
Once a week I wash my hair by mixing baking soda with my shampoo and then I rinse it out (my hair is left squeaky- squeaky clean) then I do a rinse with vinegar (make sure the baking soda shampoo is completely rinsed out.) which leaves my hair super soft and then I rinse that out with cool water. I don't have to wash my hair for at least four days after I do this. (Do NOT let the vinegar get on your face- it burns. I know, I know.)

six
Cold front (or cool front, whatever) is coming through tomorrow. The high will be 76. (It's supposed to be 66 on Sunday.... don't know if I totally believe that.)

seven
I have a lot of pictures of Roxanne (and family) that I'm going to share soon.

eight
Bragging on D... we got his report card this week and he is one of the top 3 readers in his class. He is also extremely well mannered and considerate. We are so very proud of him!

nine
I used Grandma's cookie dough recipe the past few times I made cookies. Really, it's a great recipe... my secret is to double the vanilla extract. Oh, not a secret anymore.

ten
It's a 3 day weekend for D. Tim still has to go to work on Monday and I have a doctor's appointment that day so... we still have to get out of our pajamas. But not until noon!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Try, at least. 

streaming live from preggo brain

My blogging has been lacking lately. When I have time to write I find myself obsessively researching hospital bag packing lists and what I still need for the baby and reading birth stories.... as if I haven't done this 3 times already. I really need to chill out. And when I'm not stressing about that stuff I'm stressing about managing everything I do with a newborn. Everything I do.... um, mainly just making sure we are all presentable to drop D off at school. Yesterday I saw a mom at school with two preschoolers and a newborn. They were all dressed and they were on time. It gave me hope that I can do it, too. It sounds sort of ridiculous when I say it out loud (like I did to Tim yesterday and writing it here), but I've been in a pretty good groove with these three so I'm just praying this little girl is a cooperative team player and takes it easy on her mama. 

I read a lot of posts on message boards and blogs that the mom-to-be is saying how she wants to have the baby early (well, full term- 37 weeks) instead of later (due date or later). I was sure with D that I would go past due, but he came 10 days early. With Ry I wanted him out! I waddled around dilated for 3 weeks and he came before his due date, too. When I was pregnant with Rose I just knew she was coming before her due date and I predicted the date (I was right!) ten days early again. This time around I find myself in no hurry for the baby to arrive. Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited about her and I can't wait to have her here in my arms instead of kicking me in the ribs, but I feel much more relaxed that she'll come when she's ready. I probably won't be forcing spicy foods and fresh pineapple down my throat and all the other things women do to speed up labor starting. I did it once before and I don't regret it, but I was in such a hurry that I don't want to do that again. (Talk to me again in about 8 weeks, I might change my mind.)

I'm preparing for a baby in eight-ish weeks in case she follows her siblings and wants to be "early", too. I'm predicting that she'll be long (at least 20 1/2 in), I'm not sure about weight... maybe around 7 pounds 6 ounces (random or what?). That seems to be about the middle of road with mine being from 6.15 -7.15. And although we are pretty much all Monday babies (except Ry- Sunday) I'm thinking a Friday for this girl.

Well, I'm stopping myself before this goes on forever. I promised a kid or three that I would make cookies today so I better get on that while I have the time. The grocery store didn't have reese's peanut butter chips... like I even care. (I care. A lot. It was quite the let down, but no worries I found the little reese's pieces candies to put in the cookies. Not obsessed.)

tiny tuesday

I made a batch of pumpkin cookies using a recipe that is simply a boxed cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. (Recipe here.) I left out the chocolate chips because I didn't want them and also I didn't have any. They are okay. They are super cakey (imagine that), light and airy and moist. I think they would make great mini muffins, but I'm enjoying them with a glass a milk right now and not regretting making them.

Now I have to figure out what to make for supper. And referee the kids apparently. Have a nice afternoon/evening!