Andrew didn't care about the presents -at all- and focused solely on the stairs. We don't have stairs at our house, except to the basement, but those ones are a death trap (slippery wood stairs leading to an unfinished basement); we keep the door to the basement closed always. I could not get him to sit still for presents, so I just let him go play on the stairs (I sat on the bottom just in case he fell, but he's pretty good at going both directions without incident). Christmas Eve we spent at my grandparents' house. Andrew had some goodies and then we went downstairs to open presents. I was showing him all his neat toys but he didn't care. We went back home and after Andrew went to sleep, the hubby and I watched Deja Vu starring Denzel Washington. It was very good! DH got it for Christmas from my mom.
Christmas morning we woke up and went over to my mother's house. She cooked up a huge breakfast: pancakes (which I don't eat, but my siblings enjoyed them), scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast. It was delicious! I gave my mom her presents: the first one was a new pan--a deep frying pan that can be used for cooking up a variety of foods. Then I gave her the special gift I got for her in September. She never received her senior yearbook from 1978. She ordered it, custom engraved with her name, but when she went to pick it up they didn't have it. So, back in September I had this brilliant idea of tracking a yearbook down for her. I called her high school and talked to the woman who runs the yearbook club; coincidentally, she also graduated with my mother. The next day she called me back and said a classmate just happened to have an extra! I made a $30 donation to the school and the yearbook was in my hands (well, DH's--he went and picked it up while I was at work). I then got some gold sticker letters and put her initials on the cover (not quite the same as the original would have been, but close enough). So, imagine my mother's surprise when she opened this present! She was like, "Where did you get this???" When I told her the story, she was so impressed. It was only 30 years late, but I'm happy she has her yearbook. She hadn't even seen it up until this point! Also, her senior year, she was deep into her relationship with my "father"--a very abusive, manipulative relationship. She had no life outside of that relationship, so now she can reminisce and look at some memories from that year.
Then we had the present opening. Andrew cruised for the stairs. Up and down. Up and down. He had a good time! DH and I took turns on safety duty. (I always think he'll be fine, but the one moment I turn my back, he could go flying down and break his neck or something). I did get him to look at the Christmas tree for awhile, and play with some of his presents. My mother spoiled him--and us! We have TONS of gift cards--for mostly restaurants but also the 2 grocery stores we shop. My mom had to be at work by 11:00, so we went home shortly thereafter.
We headed up to my brother-in-law's house in Rochester and arrived at 2:00. More of the same--Andrew on the stairs. Up and down. Up and down. I was able to distract him with food at dinner time. We ended up heading out of there a little too late, because a storm hit. We drove home in poor visibility and blowing snow, but only saw one car in the ditch. DH is a great driver in less than favorable weather, and comandeered us safely home. It only took us maybe 20 minutes longer than it should have.
All in all, a great Christmas! I forgot to take pictures, but I think DH got a couple of Andrew and me in front of my grandparents' Christmas tree. I'll get those uploaded soon.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Appointment update...
Yesterday was my first prenatal appointment with the nurse. Pretty boring stuff, actually. I had to go through my medical history. I talked about my appetite, or lack there-of. I told her that most days I'm probably eating 600-800 calories a day (I know, not good considering I'm still nursing + being pregnant--I should be eating about 2600 calories a day total!). Surprisingly, my milk supply is still good. It must be pulling from my stores someplace. My weight is down to 128 (down 6 lbs. from my physical I had in October). I'm still 5'7 1/2". Good to know. My BP was 98/63. Low, but my normal runs 102/64, so it's not that out of range. After this fun 1 hour questioning with the nurse (who recommended that I eat smaller meals more often--I'm trying, I really am! I have to eat mostly during the middle of the day when I feel the best--mornings are hard and so are evenings), I headed down to the lab. I declined the AIDS test (um, since I've only been with my husband and he's only been with me AND neither of us have ever had a blood transfusion AND they made me have the test with my first pregnancy and that one was also negative? I think I'm clear--LOL).
The lab once again botched the first stab (I have tiny veins that move apparently), no major bruising this time at least--last time I ended up with an area the size of a half-dollar all black and blue. She said, "I think I need to use a smaller needle" (yep, you could have just started with one, I thought), and successfully drew four vials of blood from the other arm. I then had to give them a urine sample--I think I was dehydrated because the urine was a dark, dark amber color, and I only got half a cup. I had to giggle. In the bathroom, there are all these highlighted signs on this cabinet behind the toilet: "Leave urine sample here". Seriously, I couldn't miss it even if I were visually impaired. So I pee in the cup, give it everything I have. I wipe and stand up (pants still down) and put the sample in the cabinet. Except it's not a cabinet, it actually opens up to the lab! Like, it's a cabinet with a metal shelf and hello! There were people back there! OMG. I don't think anyone saw. Maybe I should have mooned them. I'm sure they would like a good laugh once in awhile!
The lab once again botched the first stab (I have tiny veins that move apparently), no major bruising this time at least--last time I ended up with an area the size of a half-dollar all black and blue. She said, "I think I need to use a smaller needle" (yep, you could have just started with one, I thought), and successfully drew four vials of blood from the other arm. I then had to give them a urine sample--I think I was dehydrated because the urine was a dark, dark amber color, and I only got half a cup. I had to giggle. In the bathroom, there are all these highlighted signs on this cabinet behind the toilet: "Leave urine sample here". Seriously, I couldn't miss it even if I were visually impaired. So I pee in the cup, give it everything I have. I wipe and stand up (pants still down) and put the sample in the cabinet. Except it's not a cabinet, it actually opens up to the lab! Like, it's a cabinet with a metal shelf and hello! There were people back there! OMG. I don't think anyone saw. Maybe I should have mooned them. I'm sure they would like a good laugh once in awhile!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Mr. Goofball
Earlier today, Daddy was watching t.v. and he was lying on the floor. Andrew loves to crawl over him over and over again when he's on the floor. Both of Andrew's sippy cups were in the living room (he loves to drink from one, and then the other), so he was tossing them over Daddy. It was pretty funny until one hit Daddy in the face. Wait, it was still funny. Haha.........
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
3rd draw for Progesterone level...
12/09/2008 16:27 PROG PROGESTERONE (PROG) 21.1 ng/mL (6w, 2d)
I'll also include the previous two.
11/24/2008 16:20 PROG PROGESTERONE (PROG) 25.0 ng/mL (4w1d)
11/19/2008 16:27 PROG PROGESTERONE (PROG) 15.0 ng/mL (3w3d)
I called my mom (she works in the clinic, but not in the Women's Health dept., but can access my medical records if I authorize her to do so) because I had called the nurse and she was like, "Why are they checking your Progesterone levels? Have you been spotting?" To which I responded, "No, no spotting. We're monitoring my levels due to my loss in July". She was all of a sudden like, "Um, I can't access the results so I'm going to talk to Linda [my midwife] and call you back". Which, I'm not stupid. I know she didn't want to tell me something, because the last time I had this done, the nurse told me over the phone, even though she was "supposed" to consult with Linda first. So after two hours of waiting, I got impatient and called my mom. She is not aware of the pregnacy yet (until now, LOL). I told her to check my lab results from yesterday. She called me back and said, "21.1" So, it has dropped a tiny amount. However, the nurse said she consulted with the fertility department about Progesterone levels and they said they can fluctuate, particularly after they level off. She said as long as it's above 20, it's a good number. A side note, at least my mom knows now, and she is sworn to secrecy.
I'm not going to worry too much about it. My temp is still up, my m/s started on Monday, and I think everything will be okay.
A side note, I should take a pic of my butchered arm. Yesterday when I went to the lab for the draw, the guy couldn't get a good start and was moving the needle around. I know that if the blood doesn't shoot right down the tube, it's not going to work (used to give plasma). Moving the needle around caused me to cringe, but I told him to go ahead and try a new poke. so he did, and same thing. Poking, prodding, moving needle. No blood shooting out, I would see a little blood, then some air, then a little more. Not good. So he asked if I would like someone else and I said sure. The lady came over and did the other arm, got a good vein right away and showed it to him, and then in she went. Success!
My right arm looks like that of a heroin junkie.
---------------
Back to the numbers, does anyone see any need for concern? Should I just try and put it out of my mind? I don't go in again for a "real" appointment until January 21st. I googled P levels and they can really vary. Someone had a successful pregnancy on a P level of 3.3!
I'll also include the previous two.
11/24/2008 16:20 PROG PROGESTERONE (PROG) 25.0 ng/mL (4w1d)
11/19/2008 16:27 PROG PROGESTERONE (PROG) 15.0 ng/mL (3w3d)
I called my mom (she works in the clinic, but not in the Women's Health dept., but can access my medical records if I authorize her to do so) because I had called the nurse and she was like, "Why are they checking your Progesterone levels? Have you been spotting?" To which I responded, "No, no spotting. We're monitoring my levels due to my loss in July". She was all of a sudden like, "Um, I can't access the results so I'm going to talk to Linda [my midwife] and call you back". Which, I'm not stupid. I know she didn't want to tell me something, because the last time I had this done, the nurse told me over the phone, even though she was "supposed" to consult with Linda first. So after two hours of waiting, I got impatient and called my mom. She is not aware of the pregnacy yet (until now, LOL). I told her to check my lab results from yesterday. She called me back and said, "21.1" So, it has dropped a tiny amount. However, the nurse said she consulted with the fertility department about Progesterone levels and they said they can fluctuate, particularly after they level off. She said as long as it's above 20, it's a good number. A side note, at least my mom knows now, and she is sworn to secrecy.
I'm not going to worry too much about it. My temp is still up, my m/s started on Monday, and I think everything will be okay.
A side note, I should take a pic of my butchered arm. Yesterday when I went to the lab for the draw, the guy couldn't get a good start and was moving the needle around. I know that if the blood doesn't shoot right down the tube, it's not going to work (used to give plasma). Moving the needle around caused me to cringe, but I told him to go ahead and try a new poke. so he did, and same thing. Poking, prodding, moving needle. No blood shooting out, I would see a little blood, then some air, then a little more. Not good. So he asked if I would like someone else and I said sure. The lady came over and did the other arm, got a good vein right away and showed it to him, and then in she went. Success!
My right arm looks like that of a heroin junkie.
---------------
Back to the numbers, does anyone see any need for concern? Should I just try and put it out of my mind? I don't go in again for a "real" appointment until January 21st. I googled P levels and they can really vary. Someone had a successful pregnancy on a P level of 3.3!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The sickness has started...
but I'm not going to complain. It's a good sign that things are progressing normally. I didn't throw up or anything, but I just felt queasy today. Nothing sounded good to eat and in the meantime, my stomach kept growling away. I did eat a few things, but nowhere near what I usually eat. Last time this started at 6 weeks, so I guess I'm on the same path. The good thing is that last time it only lasted for 3 weeks. Let's hope that's the case!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Merry Christmas from Andrew!
I took the picture that will be going out in our Christmas cards next week. He was tired, so I really only got one good shot and this is it. I wanted to take more from different angles, and different poses...but oh well. I think it's cute, and it'll work! :)
Friday, December 5, 2008
Seen yesterday...
Andrew on the kitchen floor, on his stomach (army-crawl style), eating Cheerios off the floor without using his hands. I had to laugh! I told Daddy to come quick and look, and he said, "Oh, yeah. He was doing that earlier".
This kid is so GOOFY! I love him.
This kid is so GOOFY! I love him.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I wouldn't wear a tight shirt right now...
The top belly pic was taken today, at 5 weeks, 4 days. The bottom one is from 3 weeks, 5 days. I know some of it is bloat, and I know women show sooner with their 2nd pregnancies. However, I looked like this at 12 weeks last time! Those muscles must be all stretched out to the max. At this rate, I'll be showing pretty good at 12 weeks! I didn't have a ton to eat today (a yogurt for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch), so it shouldn't be a "food baby". LOL......
Also, it's starting to firm up down there. When I lie on my back and flex my abdomen, I can really feel my uterus good. It's definitely growing, which means dragon #2 is growing too (even if he's a teeny tiny little pea right now).
A side note, I apologize for the fuzziness of the top pic. I didn't realize the flash was disabled.
Also, it's starting to firm up down there. When I lie on my back and flex my abdomen, I can really feel my uterus good. It's definitely growing, which means dragon #2 is growing too (even if he's a teeny tiny little pea right now).
A side note, I apologize for the fuzziness of the top pic. I didn't realize the flash was disabled.
Monday, December 1, 2008
LOL, I know I'm nucking futs!
This is what a BFP looks like at 22dpo. I am 5 weeks, 1 day today. I think if this were the first day I tested, it would be pretty darn obvious! (Note that the test line is the darker than the other line--are the other two both called control lines? Well, whatevs....)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Snow.....and OMG, hungry....
We woke up to about 2 inches of snow on the ground. It has continued to fall throughout the day, and I guess we have around 4 inches total accumulation. Andrew loves it! He isn't quite tall enough to see out of the big picture window in our living room, so we hold him up high and he goes, "Oh...." I think he likes it. We also tell him, "cold" and he will occasionally say, "ddd", which is his word for "cold". I just ran outside and snapped these pics of our house looking all Winter Wonderlandish... (EDIT: I fixed my pics. I am so mad that Blogger messed with the image upload thing; as in no matter what size you select and no matter what original file size you have in Photobucket, Blogger still loads them huge and cuts them off on the right!)
In other news, all I am doing lately is eating. I have a crazy appetite! This is not good, considering I'm only 5 weeks along. I did look up the caloric requirements for breastfeeding while pregnant, and it says 700-800 calories on top of what a normal woman should be eating. I don't feel so bad now, but still. I ate 2 grilled cheese sandwiches for supper! Then I ate some cookies, but we won't go into that (they are Health Valley Mini Chocolate Chocolate Chip, and they're organic, so I feel a little better after eating them that at least I'm not eating trans-fats).
Other symptoms: just very, very tired. I'm also started to pee a little bit more. I still feel great--no news in the morning sickness department (although it might help me with my current eating problem).
Other symptoms: just very, very tired. I'm also started to pee a little bit more. I still feel great--no news in the morning sickness department (although it might help me with my current eating problem).
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Awesomeness of Manheim Steamroller...
I love Manheim Steamroller. I'm also a fan of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. For those of you who haven't had the joy of listening to either of the aforementioned groups, they perform primarily instrumental Christmas music. It's been a tradition in my family to blast Manheim Steamroller CDs while decorating the Christmas Tree and opening Christmas presents. Well, my mom pretty much plays the music from here on out until Christmas, and she really gets moving when she cleans the house (she has those volume knobs in every room, and there are speakers throughout the house. I wish I had that too).
Anyway, I have 4 of the Manheim CDs. I have one bootleg TSO CD someplace, but I'm thinking it skips. I need to get some more TSO to play.
I was driving into work this morning to the tune of "Fum, Fum, Fum" (Manheim) and I mean, JAMMING. I had it cranked, my Focus was probably visibly bumping from an onlooker's view. I LOVE that song! I also love "Oh, Holy Night". It is the song that I used to perform on flute every year back in my church-going days (I was a member of the church choir for quite awhile, which was pretty much the only reason why I attended church--my love of music). That song still makes my mom cry when I play it for her (I just might this year, since I didn't last year). I also love TSO's "Christmas Canon"--seriously who would have thought to turn Pachelbel's Canon in D (an awesomely beautiful song) into a Christmas song. It's so beautiful, you will feel like crying. I also love "Carol of the Bells", one of my all-time favorites.
Or maybe I'm just a dork. You all need to listen to this music so you can see what I'm talking about! I can't wait to run errands for work so I can get back into my car (my commute is only 6-7 minutes, so that doesn't leave me much time to jam)!
Anyway, I have 4 of the Manheim CDs. I have one bootleg TSO CD someplace, but I'm thinking it skips. I need to get some more TSO to play.
I was driving into work this morning to the tune of "Fum, Fum, Fum" (Manheim) and I mean, JAMMING. I had it cranked, my Focus was probably visibly bumping from an onlooker's view. I LOVE that song! I also love "Oh, Holy Night". It is the song that I used to perform on flute every year back in my church-going days (I was a member of the church choir for quite awhile, which was pretty much the only reason why I attended church--my love of music). That song still makes my mom cry when I play it for her (I just might this year, since I didn't last year). I also love TSO's "Christmas Canon"--seriously who would have thought to turn Pachelbel's Canon in D (an awesomely beautiful song) into a Christmas song. It's so beautiful, you will feel like crying. I also love "Carol of the Bells", one of my all-time favorites.
Or maybe I'm just a dork. You all need to listen to this music so you can see what I'm talking about! I can't wait to run errands for work so I can get back into my car (my commute is only 6-7 minutes, so that doesn't leave me much time to jam)!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Results....
are good!!!!!!!!!!!!
Progesterone is at 25. Up from 15 last week. I am so right now! I am also crying tears of joy. This is a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders. My bean is sticking, my levels are rising! At this point last time, I was just starting to spot, and in another 2 days, the m/c had started. This is so GREAT!!!! LOL, it was the RN for my midwife, and she said she had to wait until she was back in tomorrow, so she said, "All I can tell you is that your numbers are good, and they are above where we like them to be....and you're at 25". Which means, in 5 days it rose 10 points...so in my opinion, that's good! Not that I'm an expert, or anything.
Progesterone is at 25. Up from 15 last week. I am so right now! I am also crying tears of joy. This is a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders. My bean is sticking, my levels are rising! At this point last time, I was just starting to spot, and in another 2 days, the m/c had started. This is so GREAT!!!! LOL, it was the RN for my midwife, and she said she had to wait until she was back in tomorrow, so she said, "All I can tell you is that your numbers are good, and they are above where we like them to be....and you're at 25". Which means, in 5 days it rose 10 points...so in my opinion, that's good! Not that I'm an expert, or anything.
Back to the lab again yesterday...
I tried to post this last night but for some reason, Blogger was being difficult.
Anyway, I had e-mailed my clinic to ask my midwife if we could check my Progesterone levels again. I had been doing some reading and found conflicting results on whether or not breastfeeding affected Progesterone levels during pregnancy. I'd rather not chance it. If they are going up, I can at least breathe a sigh of relief. If they're going down, we can start supplementing Progesterone.
I might be a worrier, but I would rather catch a potential problem early, before it is too late.
Anyway, I had e-mailed my clinic to ask my midwife if we could check my Progesterone levels again. I had been doing some reading and found conflicting results on whether or not breastfeeding affected Progesterone levels during pregnancy. I'd rather not chance it. If they are going up, I can at least breathe a sigh of relief. If they're going down, we can start supplementing Progesterone.
I might be a worrier, but I would rather catch a potential problem early, before it is too late.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Line Progression
So, I think I can stop worrying so much. At least the line is getting darker!
ETA: I have no idea why it looks all digitized like that. In Photobucket, it looks just fine! Weird.
ETA: I have no idea why it looks all digitized like that. In Photobucket, it looks just fine! Weird.
7 up
7 up!
7 things I can do...
1. Play the flute
2. Dance and not care if I look stupid
3. Fix the copier at work when nobody else can
4. Swallow my tongue
5. Draw
6. Walk really far, really fast
7. Remember dates and other crazy number details without trying.
7 things I can't do...
1. Bake (no desire)
2. French braid
3. Find my way around a new city
4. Stand on my head
5. Run for very long periods of time
6. Sew
7. Have the fan on while I sleep
7 things I always say...
1. "Andrew, do you want to watch your movie?" (Animal Adventures...he loves it)
2. "Boo?" (asking Dragon if he wants to eat)
3. "Andrew, do you want some nums?" (asking Dragon if he wants something to eat)
4. "Andrew, don't touch that!" (Andrew going for our computer cords)
5. "Andrew, NO!" (Andrew attempting to tear the plastic that is over our window--winterizing, for those of you not from the arctic).
6. "Andrew, don't bang on the birds' cages!" (this needs no explanation)
7. "Airplane!" (we live by the airport and Andrew loves planes)
7 things I always eat...
1. Yogurt (must be Brown Cow)--100% agree, Rachel! This is my favorite. Especially the whole milk Strawberry stuff....yum!
2. Cheese
3. Chili (this seems to be our favorite family dish)
4. Homemade spaghetti (because the shit in the can cannot compare to Daddy's homemade)
5. Dove milk chocolate (although I am eating much less now, to cut caffeine out)
6. Breakfast bars (can't think of the brand, but they are really good cherry ones)
6. Oranges
7. Homemade bread-- Daddy has this mean recipe he got from America's Test Kitchen. It is delish!
7 People I tag...
--Anyone who is reading this and/or who has a blog!--
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thank you, everyone!
Thanks for the congratulations. We are so happy right now, and I am hoping this time the bean sticks. I had a blood draw yesterday to do a pregnancy test (like I didn't already know, but they insisted, and a Progesterone level). The test came back + and the Progesterone is at 15. The nurse said that's an average number--I'm right in the middle. She said I was early (yesterday was 3w4d), and they normally don't do this blood draw until a little later--more like 4 weeks or later. I'm trying not to be too concerned. I did carry Andrew to term without a hitch, so I'm hoping this bean is just as strong.
I'm dead tired, so that's good. I'm slightly hungrier than normal. I've peed a little bit more than normal. I've had a few pulsing cramps, sporadically. The breasts are maybe slightly enlarged, but I'm still nursing too...so I don't think they had to inflate too much. Other than that, I have no symptoms. No sick feelings. No boob pains. Not licking the palms. (That last one was just a random thought I had).
With that, I guess just positive thoughts needed! I need to get a little further along before I stop worrying. Last time the spotting started at 15dpo, and continued through that weekend. The miscarriage started that following Monday.
Oh yeah, after I talked to the nurse, she put me through to the appointment desk. My first appointment is December 22nd, and that is with the nurse. We just go through my medical history (really, they can just copy my answers from last time if they want). It's not a "real" appointment. My first real appointment with my midwife is on January 21st. It's a 12 week appointment (which is standard if you're not considered "high-risk"...no early ultrasounds or heartbeat appointments here). I will hopefully get to hear the heartbeat for the first time on January 21st. Gosh, it sounds so far away!
In the meantime, I will be doing mandatory peeing on a stick every 2 days.
I'm dead tired, so that's good. I'm slightly hungrier than normal. I've peed a little bit more than normal. I've had a few pulsing cramps, sporadically. The breasts are maybe slightly enlarged, but I'm still nursing too...so I don't think they had to inflate too much. Other than that, I have no symptoms. No sick feelings. No boob pains. Not licking the palms. (That last one was just a random thought I had).
With that, I guess just positive thoughts needed! I need to get a little further along before I stop worrying. Last time the spotting started at 15dpo, and continued through that weekend. The miscarriage started that following Monday.
Oh yeah, after I talked to the nurse, she put me through to the appointment desk. My first appointment is December 22nd, and that is with the nurse. We just go through my medical history (really, they can just copy my answers from last time if they want). It's not a "real" appointment. My first real appointment with my midwife is on January 21st. It's a 12 week appointment (which is standard if you're not considered "high-risk"...no early ultrasounds or heartbeat appointments here). I will hopefully get to hear the heartbeat for the first time on January 21st. Gosh, it sounds so far away!
In the meantime, I will be doing mandatory peeing on a stick every 2 days.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
An interesting read...
This is an article from National Geographic entitled "The Pollution Within". It's a little long, but it is very well narrated by a guy who had his blood tested for common household contaminants. It's not a "boring" article, by any means.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2006/10/toxic-people/duncan-text/1
This is really not a debate, but I just wanted to bring light to an interesting article. If you've already read it, you may pass it up or read it again.
As for us, we do EVERYTHING we can to find healthy alternatives. If it means buying shampoo that costs 2 or 3 times the "regular" stuff, so be it. I'll take a shampoo without phthalates, please! Our shower curtain is made from a fabric, so we don't have to worry about PVC fumes there. We threw away any non-stick pans we had many years ago after some of my online friends lost their birds to PTFE "Teflon" poisoning (seriously, she had 4 birds drop dead within minutes of each other the first time she used her new toaster oven). We have found a nice dish soap by "Earth Friendly Products" that smells like almond. I would use it even if it weren't deemed natural. All off the make-up I use is by Everyday Minerals. After I read about methylparaben and its negative effects on reproduction, that was enough for me (it is a hormone disruptor). The few times Andrew took a bottle of my milk, it was in a glass Evenflo bottle--they really weren't that much more than the plastic ones. The Playtex Natural Nurser is also BPA-free. I got rid of all my trendy Nalgene bottles I used in college, and opted for a BPA-free one (Nalgene makes one made of Polyethylene instead). After all, I chug water all day long at work; I'd rather be chugging it from a bottle that isn't leaching chemicals into my bloodstream.
My point is, maybe one single thing seems harmless, but my belief is that a cumulative effect of all of the above is never a good thing. I can't avoid all the things I breathe in on a day-to-day basis, but I can control what I put into my body at home.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2006/10/toxic-people/duncan-text/1
This is really not a debate, but I just wanted to bring light to an interesting article. If you've already read it, you may pass it up or read it again.
As for us, we do EVERYTHING we can to find healthy alternatives. If it means buying shampoo that costs 2 or 3 times the "regular" stuff, so be it. I'll take a shampoo without phthalates, please! Our shower curtain is made from a fabric, so we don't have to worry about PVC fumes there. We threw away any non-stick pans we had many years ago after some of my online friends lost their birds to PTFE "Teflon" poisoning (seriously, she had 4 birds drop dead within minutes of each other the first time she used her new toaster oven). We have found a nice dish soap by "Earth Friendly Products" that smells like almond. I would use it even if it weren't deemed natural. All off the make-up I use is by Everyday Minerals. After I read about methylparaben and its negative effects on reproduction, that was enough for me (it is a hormone disruptor). The few times Andrew took a bottle of my milk, it was in a glass Evenflo bottle--they really weren't that much more than the plastic ones. The Playtex Natural Nurser is also BPA-free. I got rid of all my trendy Nalgene bottles I used in college, and opted for a BPA-free one (Nalgene makes one made of Polyethylene instead). After all, I chug water all day long at work; I'd rather be chugging it from a bottle that isn't leaching chemicals into my bloodstream.
My point is, maybe one single thing seems harmless, but my belief is that a cumulative effect of all of the above is never a good thing. I can't avoid all the things I breathe in on a day-to-day basis, but I can control what I put into my body at home.
I think the cold is on its way out - FINALLY!
Although he coughed quite a bit last night, keeping me up and worried (I always think he's going to choke on the phlegm), this morning his nose was snot-free. I am hoping that the coughing is the last stage of this cold--now going on about 2 weeks.
In other news, Andrew started slapping at Mommy the other day! :( I was sitting on the floor and he'd come up to me, stand up, and whip his hand in my face--not hard enough to hurt me, but it did hurt my feelings. Also, I love to sneak up next to him when he's doing something, and then he'll look over and my face is right there. Normally he'll laugh or tap his forehead to mine. Last night--push Mommy's face away! I am so sad. But, I do believe his recent annoyance with me is because for the past 2 weeks I've been coming after him with the snot rag, several times a day. Yeah, that's it!
Oh yeah, and he doesn't hit Daddy. :*(
In other news, Andrew started slapping at Mommy the other day! :( I was sitting on the floor and he'd come up to me, stand up, and whip his hand in my face--not hard enough to hurt me, but it did hurt my feelings. Also, I love to sneak up next to him when he's doing something, and then he'll look over and my face is right there. Normally he'll laugh or tap his forehead to mine. Last night--push Mommy's face away! I am so sad. But, I do believe his recent annoyance with me is because for the past 2 weeks I've been coming after him with the snot rag, several times a day. Yeah, that's it!
Oh yeah, and he doesn't hit Daddy. :*(
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Walking!
I've been waiting for the time to publish this post. I guess I was waiting for him to take off across the room, but since it's been a week now where he's taken 4-5 steps at a time, I guess he's officially walking. Part-time, as it is, but I'll take it.
Go, Andrew! :)
Go, Andrew! :)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Image overload! :)
All right, so I have had a lot of cute pictures lately and as they start to build up on my camera, I feel the need to update my Photobucket; and consequently, my blog. So here they are. Enjoy!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Here's looking at you, kid...
Andrew loves to crawl all over Daddy and/or the couch. I caught this moment on film. I love it! :)
Every morning, after he watches me get ready for work (he loves the blow dryer), Andrew rushes out to say good morning to Daddy. He goes straight for the nose and puts his mouth over it. Apparently it's how he kisses (so cute).
Ah, this one. I bought him a winter hat and when we were in the store, the two of us could not stop laughing. I put it back on him when we got home so I could get a picture of it.
Just a random of him...
I told Daddy to hold Andrew like a baby, so he did. :) They both got a kick out of it.
Andrew loves to crawl all over Daddy and/or the couch. I caught this moment on film. I love it! :)
Every morning, after he watches me get ready for work (he loves the blow dryer), Andrew rushes out to say good morning to Daddy. He goes straight for the nose and puts his mouth over it. Apparently it's how he kisses (so cute). Ah, this one. I bought him a winter hat and when we were in the store, the two of us could not stop laughing. I put it back on him when we got home so I could get a picture of it.Just a random of him...I told Daddy to hold Andrew like a baby, so he did. :) They both got a kick out of it.
He was being super cute this day, so I went crazy with the camera.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Oh yeah!
I almost forgot. My new laptop arrived on Tuesday. It's identical to the hubby's--a Dell Latitude D420. I ordered it off Ebay, and it was eligible for LiveCash so I'll get $135 back in cash (they're offering some deal right now; you just have to sign-up for an account at Microsoft Live...read about the deal on FatWallet)! The computer was $530.44 with shipping (shipping was $17.97 and I paid the $2.50 insurance, just because it's a computer), so my cost after CashBack will be about $400. Not bad for a computer that still has remaining warranty. My other one was just too slow and bulky. I love this one because it has a 12" screen. It's also really lightweight and part of the computer is made of metal instead of plastic.
Dragon is sick...
He's had a cold for a few days now. I hope he feels better soon! When he nurses, he has to take a breath every 5 seconds, so it's constant latching and relatching. He works hard for it though, because apparently he still wants the milk!
I suctioned out his nose tonight and he didn't like it one bit. I don't really know how much good it did, because it seems like it's a never-ending supply of mucus.
Hopefully this weekend he catches a break.
On a side note, I've had a sore throat for 2 days and it's the same one Daddy had. I think it's a separate illness from Dragon's, becuase Daddy's sore throat just went away without a cold. I guess time will tell.
I suctioned out his nose tonight and he didn't like it one bit. I don't really know how much good it did, because it seems like it's a never-ending supply of mucus.
Hopefully this weekend he catches a break.
On a side note, I've had a sore throat for 2 days and it's the same one Daddy had. I think it's a separate illness from Dragon's, becuase Daddy's sore throat just went away without a cold. I guess time will tell.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
I voted!
I am so excited for tonight. I love election night. I love watching the map of the states turning colors. I love it when they say, "Oh, wait...we have just heard...", and then they give an exciting update about a state being called. I love it when the polls start closing, because I then feel that the end is getting closer.
I was pissed after the 2000 election results and I was pissed after the 2004 election results. I am SO ready for a change and cannot wait until we have a new president!
Get out and VOTE today! This is an historical election.
I was pissed after the 2000 election results and I was pissed after the 2004 election results. I am SO ready for a change and cannot wait until we have a new president!
Get out and VOTE today! This is an historical election.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
My little dragon!!!!!!!!!!
Some Halloween pics for your viewing pleasure. I apologize that the pics are kind-of big...I uploaded them "small" but oh well. Hopefully none of you are still using dial-up! If you are, then you have more problems than I can help you with.
Anyhow....I took the day off of work so I'd have a nice 3-day weekend...and I knew we'd be busy for Halloween. I didn't want to have to run around after 4:00, trying to cram everything in.
The first few here are from my work. I stopped in for the 2:00 Halloween party. Sorry this first pic isn't the greatest. Rob took it and it's a new camera...not sure what setting he had it on.
You can see the side of his costume here. Look at the cute little wings!
The back of the costume. That tail is so darn cute!
Everytime Andrew visits me at work, he can't resist playing with the thingies on the side of my desk. You know, they are for putting cords through? Yeah, he LOVES playing with these things. So funny.
My mom took this one with her camera. Not the greatest shot, but I love that he was clapping for no apparent reason.
Finally, have you ever seen a cuter dragon than this??? I took this shot at my mom's house.
Later on, we went back home. I was sitting on my computer reading about all these other moms taking their kids trick-or-treating and I figured, what the heck! So, I asked Rob if he'd want to go, put Andrew's costume back on (it was 7:15, so we still had 45 minutes left of trick-or-treating time), and packed him into the stroller. It was so cute to look down and see this little dragon in the stroller. The look on his face as we went door-to-door (we just went around the neighborhood) was priceless. He would smile at all the people. He even left his hood of his costume on, which surprised me. The ladies ooohed and aaahed over him. This one dude seemed kind-of rude, like we shouldn't have been taking our son trick-or-treating because he was so young. He said, "oh, he looks like he's real into it. Good luck with that..."... WTF? We took him out because he had this adorable costume and I wanted him to experience the dinging of the doorbell, waiting, and then yelling, "Trick or Treat!" He loved that part of it. He couldn't care less about the candy. Poo on him. I will say that 99.9% of my neighbors were really sweet. The best part was when we stoppeed by the neighbors' house (across the road). They have a little boy named Parker who is 2 months older than Andrew. It was fun to see them interact! Andrew would crawl up to him and reach out and touch his hair. Then he'd quickly scoot back and giggle. They were chasing each other around. It was adorable. Parker's mom and I agreed that we have to do a playdate sometime!
That's about all for now. I apologize to my small following of readers that I haven't been very talkative lately. I've been very busy at work and stressed about my messy house. We cleaned today, so now I have peace in my mind. Does anyone else feel that way? That they can have a better day, knowing that the house is clean? Discuss amongst yourselves. Respond back to me on this. :)
Anyhow....I took the day off of work so I'd have a nice 3-day weekend...and I knew we'd be busy for Halloween. I didn't want to have to run around after 4:00, trying to cram everything in.
The first few here are from my work. I stopped in for the 2:00 Halloween party. Sorry this first pic isn't the greatest. Rob took it and it's a new camera...not sure what setting he had it on.
You can see the side of his costume here. Look at the cute little wings!
The back of the costume. That tail is so darn cute!
Everytime Andrew visits me at work, he can't resist playing with the thingies on the side of my desk. You know, they are for putting cords through? Yeah, he LOVES playing with these things. So funny.
My mom took this one with her camera. Not the greatest shot, but I love that he was clapping for no apparent reason.
Finally, have you ever seen a cuter dragon than this??? I took this shot at my mom's house.
Later on, we went back home. I was sitting on my computer reading about all these other moms taking their kids trick-or-treating and I figured, what the heck! So, I asked Rob if he'd want to go, put Andrew's costume back on (it was 7:15, so we still had 45 minutes left of trick-or-treating time), and packed him into the stroller. It was so cute to look down and see this little dragon in the stroller. The look on his face as we went door-to-door (we just went around the neighborhood) was priceless. He would smile at all the people. He even left his hood of his costume on, which surprised me. The ladies ooohed and aaahed over him. This one dude seemed kind-of rude, like we shouldn't have been taking our son trick-or-treating because he was so young. He said, "oh, he looks like he's real into it. Good luck with that..."... WTF? We took him out because he had this adorable costume and I wanted him to experience the dinging of the doorbell, waiting, and then yelling, "Trick or Treat!" He loved that part of it. He couldn't care less about the candy. Poo on him. I will say that 99.9% of my neighbors were really sweet. The best part was when we stoppeed by the neighbors' house (across the road). They have a little boy named Parker who is 2 months older than Andrew. It was fun to see them interact! Andrew would crawl up to him and reach out and touch his hair. Then he'd quickly scoot back and giggle. They were chasing each other around. It was adorable. Parker's mom and I agreed that we have to do a playdate sometime!
That's about all for now. I apologize to my small following of readers that I haven't been very talkative lately. I've been very busy at work and stressed about my messy house. We cleaned today, so now I have peace in my mind. Does anyone else feel that way? That they can have a better day, knowing that the house is clean? Discuss amongst yourselves. Respond back to me on this. :)
Monday, October 20, 2008
I'm taking those things back!
So, yesterday I picked up some oven knob covers. I read the directions and installed them. I was disappointed, because I thought they were the kind you could leave on and still use (like those ones you squeeze and turn). Turns out you have to actually remove the plastic cover and then use the knob, and replace the cover. It also says, "Remove knobs when oven is in use". Um, okay? So, basically, when the flames are a kicking, I'm supposed to take these "protective" covers off. Riiiight.
So, anyway, day two of these things being on. DH calls me at work and said Andrew took the whole knob off, including the "protector", and was playing with it. I'm so taking these back!
He's an observant little fellow. DH said he wasn't even using the stove at all. Andrew just noticed something new and took it upon himself to investigate.
In other news, the trip to Menard's wasn't totally in vain. I got some non-slip sticky paper stuff to put on my basement stairs. The stairs are wood, and I swear the previous owner of the house sanded them. They're slippery motherf***ers. I am always careful to close the door behind me when going down to do laundry, but DH has fallen down the stairs once and I fell twice--once while pregnant (I caught myself with the railing and nearly ripped my shoulder out of its socket and hurt my butt, but was otherwise okay). I did put a foam exercise mat on the basement floor, below the stairs, in case someone does happen to take a tumble.
So, next project: make stairs so they don't lead to certain death.
So, anyway, day two of these things being on. DH calls me at work and said Andrew took the whole knob off, including the "protector", and was playing with it. I'm so taking these back!
He's an observant little fellow. DH said he wasn't even using the stove at all. Andrew just noticed something new and took it upon himself to investigate.
In other news, the trip to Menard's wasn't totally in vain. I got some non-slip sticky paper stuff to put on my basement stairs. The stairs are wood, and I swear the previous owner of the house sanded them. They're slippery motherf***ers. I am always careful to close the door behind me when going down to do laundry, but DH has fallen down the stairs once and I fell twice--once while pregnant (I caught myself with the railing and nearly ripped my shoulder out of its socket and hurt my butt, but was otherwise okay). I did put a foam exercise mat on the basement floor, below the stairs, in case someone does happen to take a tumble.
So, next project: make stairs so they don't lead to certain death.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The daily grind...
So, I started this post the other day and then Baby woke up crying so I had to go take care of him.
I was starting a post about our morning routine, because it is pretty funny!
6:26 am: alarm goes off. Mommy usually lays in bed and pushes snooze just once, or she turns off the alarm before it goes off. Sometimes Dragon is just starting to stir, and other times he is still snoring away.
6:35/6:40 am: If Dragon is awake, Mommy changes his diaper now and puts on his outfit for the day (usually trying to pick out something that isn't white because Daddy isn't as careful as Mommy is when it comes to feeding the Dragon)...if Dragon is not awake, Mommy changes him after she gets out of the shower.
6:50 am: Figure out if it's going to be a shower day or a bath day. If the Dragon is still sleeping, Mommy takes a nice, hot shower. If he's awake, Mommy takes a bath instead (because otherwise he will cry the entire time she's in the shower, moving the curtain to the side and getting water on the floor in the process...in the end he is a mess of tears and snot and Mommy's shower isn't very relaxing). Dragon happily stands next to the bathtub, splashing his fingers in the water.
7:00 am: Mommy gets dressed and blow dries her hair. Andrew loves the blow dryer. As soon as he sees Mommy pull the blue thing out of the drawer, he smiles. Mommy usually will aim the blow dryer at Dragon, which results in him giggling and zooming around the bathroom. It's also a really good way to get him to stop doing something he shouldn't be (Mommy doesn't like him standing near the toilet because she's a germophobe). Dragon climbs inside the cabinet or throws Mommy's pajamas around the bathroom.
7:15/7:20 am: Mommy puts her make-up on. This doesn't take very long. She loves her Everyday Minerals make-up (Mommy never thought she'd be a "powder" girl, but this stuff is amazing! It has no parabens in it which was reason #1 for trying it; a bonus is it looks more natural than liquid make-up!).
7:30 am: Mommy is ready to go and asks Dragon if he wants "the boo". Andrew usually squeals in delight at this. Mommy and Dragon head out to the living room and he has his morning milk. Daddy is usually just awaking from his slumber and will start telling Mommy and Dragon some random thing. An example of this would be, "Oil hit "x" amount of dollars today." Mommy listens as Daddy rambles on.
7:40/7:45 am: Time for Mommy to go to work! Mommy kisses her Dragon and tells him she loves him. She packs a quick lunch (if Mommy were smart, she would do this the night before). Out the door she goes, and if Dragon happens to be by the kitchen door, he cries and cries (Mommy hates this time of day, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do!).
Some random time during the day: Mommy gets a call from Daddy, who usually tells her some random thing he read on the internet. She usually gets to hear Dragon in the background. Daddy tells Mommy what Dragon ate and Mommy usually asks if he took a long nap (he is much better than he used to be and gets at least 2 1-hour naps a day now! Sometimes they are an hour-and-a-half--big changes from what used to be 2 half-hour naps a day).
12:00: Sometimes Daddy brings Dragon to Mommy's work at lunchtime (6 minute commute from home to work in car, or when biking, a 45-minute commute). Dragon gets The Boo on these days, but he doesn't need the lunchtime feed anymore (due to the large amounts of food he consumes during the day and his ability to take in more milk during the other feedings when he misses the noon feeding). On the days Dragon comes to Mommy's work, they hang out in Mommy's office (she shuts the door and has a privacy paper to cover the little window). Mommy plays, "Where's Mommy" with Dragon, hiding behind her desk. Dragon finds Mommy and then she says, "I'm gonna....Gitchu Gitchu Gitchu" and she chases him, tickling him when she catches him. This is Dragon's favorite game. It's only a 1/2 hour lunch, so at 12:25 or so, Mommy walks Daddy and Dragon out to the car or bike.
During the day, Daddy and Andrew have many adventures. At some point, the diaper comes off and Daddy lets Dragon crawl around the house nakey. Dragon loves this and squeals in delight. Four times in a row, he went to the bird room and took a dump on the floor by their cages in the same spot. In the summer, Dragon went in his kiddie pool on a daily basis. Dragon "helps" Daddy out with most everything. Dragon gets a lot, lot, lot of fruit in his diet because it is Daddy's favorite! He eats blueberries and Cheerios every day for breakfast, around 8:30 or 9:00 am. Around 11:00 am, he has lunch, which is any number of things. One of his favorite foods is homemade chili. He loves kidney beans (Mommy DOES NOT love the diaper changes after these--ew!). Daddy takes Dragon to the grocery store, the food c0-op, and Menard's. Dragon is his little buddy.
4:00: Time for Mommy to clock out! Mommy comes in the door after a day's work and half the time Dragon is still napping; the rest of the time he comes speed-crawling to the door with a big smile for Mommy. Boo is priority number one for the little Dragon. If he's sleeping, Mommy catches a quick bite to eat. The rest of the evening is spent playing with Dragon--his favorite thing to do is read, so he usually gets super excited if Mommy says, "Book" to him. His favorite is I Love You Through and Through. He cries when Mommy gets to the last page! :) Usually she starts it over again. They try to take a walk at least 3 nights a week (Dragon has a fancy jogging stroller which doubles as his bike trailer--it's a Croozer 737 and that thing really rolls nice! Mommy saves the Graco stroller for the mall or on-the-go. However, the Croozer folds down nicely to go in the trunk (Daddy hasn't taught Mommy how to put it together yet, but it looks like the tires come off and go back on easily). Dragon gets a bath usually every 3 days, unless he gets messy (then he has an extra one in there).
8:00: Last Boo of the evening (shhhh....Dragon still eats twice during the night).
9:00: Time for Dragon to get to sleep! Mommy still gets him to sleep in her arms before lying him in his crib (he's fine for naps to go down awake and he usually doesn't cry, but when Mommy tried to do it at bedtime, he puked all over himself the first attempt, and the second attempt he ended up with snot all over his face...she hasn't been brave enough to try it in awhile and she enjoys the snuggling).
10:00: Dada goes to sleep on the couch (we have a full size bed and Daddy didn't want to hear Dragon crying when he was a newborn, and he just never came back to the bed).
12:00 am: Dragon wakes up and is sitting/standing in his crib. Mommy brings him in by her and he eats a little bit and falls back asleep.
4:00/5:00 am: Dragon wakes up again for a mini-feed and falls back asleep.
That's about it! :) If you got this far, you deserve an award...
I was starting a post about our morning routine, because it is pretty funny!
6:26 am: alarm goes off. Mommy usually lays in bed and pushes snooze just once, or she turns off the alarm before it goes off. Sometimes Dragon is just starting to stir, and other times he is still snoring away.
6:35/6:40 am: If Dragon is awake, Mommy changes his diaper now and puts on his outfit for the day (usually trying to pick out something that isn't white because Daddy isn't as careful as Mommy is when it comes to feeding the Dragon)...if Dragon is not awake, Mommy changes him after she gets out of the shower.
6:50 am: Figure out if it's going to be a shower day or a bath day. If the Dragon is still sleeping, Mommy takes a nice, hot shower. If he's awake, Mommy takes a bath instead (because otherwise he will cry the entire time she's in the shower, moving the curtain to the side and getting water on the floor in the process...in the end he is a mess of tears and snot and Mommy's shower isn't very relaxing). Dragon happily stands next to the bathtub, splashing his fingers in the water.
7:00 am: Mommy gets dressed and blow dries her hair. Andrew loves the blow dryer. As soon as he sees Mommy pull the blue thing out of the drawer, he smiles. Mommy usually will aim the blow dryer at Dragon, which results in him giggling and zooming around the bathroom. It's also a really good way to get him to stop doing something he shouldn't be (Mommy doesn't like him standing near the toilet because she's a germophobe). Dragon climbs inside the cabinet or throws Mommy's pajamas around the bathroom.
7:15/7:20 am: Mommy puts her make-up on. This doesn't take very long. She loves her Everyday Minerals make-up (Mommy never thought she'd be a "powder" girl, but this stuff is amazing! It has no parabens in it which was reason #1 for trying it; a bonus is it looks more natural than liquid make-up!).
7:30 am: Mommy is ready to go and asks Dragon if he wants "the boo". Andrew usually squeals in delight at this. Mommy and Dragon head out to the living room and he has his morning milk. Daddy is usually just awaking from his slumber and will start telling Mommy and Dragon some random thing. An example of this would be, "Oil hit "x" amount of dollars today." Mommy listens as Daddy rambles on.
7:40/7:45 am: Time for Mommy to go to work! Mommy kisses her Dragon and tells him she loves him. She packs a quick lunch (if Mommy were smart, she would do this the night before). Out the door she goes, and if Dragon happens to be by the kitchen door, he cries and cries (Mommy hates this time of day, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do!).
Some random time during the day: Mommy gets a call from Daddy, who usually tells her some random thing he read on the internet. She usually gets to hear Dragon in the background. Daddy tells Mommy what Dragon ate and Mommy usually asks if he took a long nap (he is much better than he used to be and gets at least 2 1-hour naps a day now! Sometimes they are an hour-and-a-half--big changes from what used to be 2 half-hour naps a day).
12:00: Sometimes Daddy brings Dragon to Mommy's work at lunchtime (6 minute commute from home to work in car, or when biking, a 45-minute commute). Dragon gets The Boo on these days, but he doesn't need the lunchtime feed anymore (due to the large amounts of food he consumes during the day and his ability to take in more milk during the other feedings when he misses the noon feeding). On the days Dragon comes to Mommy's work, they hang out in Mommy's office (she shuts the door and has a privacy paper to cover the little window). Mommy plays, "Where's Mommy" with Dragon, hiding behind her desk. Dragon finds Mommy and then she says, "I'm gonna....Gitchu Gitchu Gitchu" and she chases him, tickling him when she catches him. This is Dragon's favorite game. It's only a 1/2 hour lunch, so at 12:25 or so, Mommy walks Daddy and Dragon out to the car or bike.
During the day, Daddy and Andrew have many adventures. At some point, the diaper comes off and Daddy lets Dragon crawl around the house nakey. Dragon loves this and squeals in delight. Four times in a row, he went to the bird room and took a dump on the floor by their cages in the same spot. In the summer, Dragon went in his kiddie pool on a daily basis. Dragon "helps" Daddy out with most everything. Dragon gets a lot, lot, lot of fruit in his diet because it is Daddy's favorite! He eats blueberries and Cheerios every day for breakfast, around 8:30 or 9:00 am. Around 11:00 am, he has lunch, which is any number of things. One of his favorite foods is homemade chili. He loves kidney beans (Mommy DOES NOT love the diaper changes after these--ew!). Daddy takes Dragon to the grocery store, the food c0-op, and Menard's. Dragon is his little buddy.
4:00: Time for Mommy to clock out! Mommy comes in the door after a day's work and half the time Dragon is still napping; the rest of the time he comes speed-crawling to the door with a big smile for Mommy. Boo is priority number one for the little Dragon. If he's sleeping, Mommy catches a quick bite to eat. The rest of the evening is spent playing with Dragon--his favorite thing to do is read, so he usually gets super excited if Mommy says, "Book" to him. His favorite is I Love You Through and Through. He cries when Mommy gets to the last page! :) Usually she starts it over again. They try to take a walk at least 3 nights a week (Dragon has a fancy jogging stroller which doubles as his bike trailer--it's a Croozer 737 and that thing really rolls nice! Mommy saves the Graco stroller for the mall or on-the-go. However, the Croozer folds down nicely to go in the trunk (Daddy hasn't taught Mommy how to put it together yet, but it looks like the tires come off and go back on easily). Dragon gets a bath usually every 3 days, unless he gets messy (then he has an extra one in there).
8:00: Last Boo of the evening (shhhh....Dragon still eats twice during the night).
9:00: Time for Dragon to get to sleep! Mommy still gets him to sleep in her arms before lying him in his crib (he's fine for naps to go down awake and he usually doesn't cry, but when Mommy tried to do it at bedtime, he puked all over himself the first attempt, and the second attempt he ended up with snot all over his face...she hasn't been brave enough to try it in awhile and she enjoys the snuggling).
10:00: Dada goes to sleep on the couch (we have a full size bed and Daddy didn't want to hear Dragon crying when he was a newborn, and he just never came back to the bed).
12:00 am: Dragon wakes up and is sitting/standing in his crib. Mommy brings him in by her and he eats a little bit and falls back asleep.
4:00/5:00 am: Dragon wakes up again for a mini-feed and falls back asleep.
That's about it! :) If you got this far, you deserve an award...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
A picture (or three) is worth a thousand words!
Andrew is a funny little guy. Here is the proof! None of these are posed--I kid you not! The top picture was taken as I was getting ready for bed. I heard a rustling below and this is what I found. Then yesterday, I caught him in action underneath our kitchen sink (don't worry--I moved all cleaning products to a high cupboard awhile back). He is very interested in playing underneath the sink, so I had to capture the moment! I have come to the conclusion that he's either going to be an OB/GYN or a plumber! LOL! (Either way, he's working with plumbing of sorts...bwahaha!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
I've been tagged!
I've been tagged by Julie/Jewels and now I get to bore you with 7 random facts about me!7 random facts about me:
1. I can swallow my tongue and touch my nose with it. I don't have the connector thingy under my tongue (and no, I never had it surgically cut). My tongue is extremely long and maybe someday I will be brave enough to share a pic of it! Think KISS.
2. I have a calendar in my head. Like, if you say a date--take today's date for instance, September 25th--there is a certain location on the calendar. September is located at about the 5 if you're looking at a clock. The calendar is circular. December is on top, at the 12, and June is on the bottom at the 6. The calendar in my head is more oval than round. It is very hard to explain.
3. I don't talk to my dad because he is an abusive psycho. He beat the living daylights out of my mom and us kids. He also verbally abused us and that is much worse. My great-grandpa murdered his wife and then shot himself. It was 1939. I am proud of my mom for breaking the cycle of abuse (it's now been 7 years since she filed for divorce). My husband's father passed away when my hubby was 11. He died of cancer. I am sad that I never got to meet him because he was a great guy. This is why I question God. How is it fair that we lose a good guy and my dad still walks the earth? I am sad that Andrew will never have a grandpa. The only hope is if my mom someday remarries!
4. I have a hard time talking to people when they're wearing dark sunglasses. I don't know where to look when I can't see their eyes. It freaks me out!
5. When I was 18, I had bell's palsy. It's a temporary condition that causes facial paralysis. The left side of my face was paralyzed and it was very strange. I couldn't taste anything on that side, or wink, raise that eyebrow; and my smile was missing on that side. Luckily, since I was a young pup, it completely healed. I pushed and pushed myself to get better because I was preparing for solo & ensemble (I play the flute). I would practice with just my fingers on the keys because I could no longer form my embrochure (to play the flute, one must make an "o" shape with her mouth and I could not do that). One day, I was in the practice room getting so frustrated and my band instructor came and talked to me and told me it would be okay. I actually ended up making it to solo & ensemble; albeit a week late. I received a "1*" on my flute solo, and then went on to State and received a "1" on my solo. :) I also received the Benton Fowler Memorial Scholarship for band--an award given to one senior. It really helped me out because I was footing my own college bill.
6. I am obsessive about having clean hands. If I have someting on them, even if it's a dot of ink from a pen, I must go wash my hands.
7. I wish I were beautiful. Sometimes I feel like I am so boring. I am jealous of beautiful women. I would like to be beautiful for just a day... EDIT: Okay, so I'll clarify this a little. I know I'm not totally butt, but my mom is like, drop-dead gorgeous. She could be a model. Sometimes I feel like the ugly duckling and I hate that I look more like my dad. I wish I had gotten more of her genes because sometimes when I look in the mirror, I can see my dad in me and it bugs me. Does that make sense? I even tried having long hair like my mom and I still didn't look like her. I am constantly trying to think of things I could do to look better--new hairstyles, etc. I still feel just average. Average is okay, though. KWIM? This is where I am coming from.
Now I am tagging 7 other fellow bloggers, so you must do the same (okay, so I only know 6 bloggers besides Jewels and I don't want to re-tag her)!
Rachel
Molly
Nancy
Sarah
Cate
Jessi
Monday, September 22, 2008
The quest for the Oktoberfest Medallion...
So, for those of you not from the area, every year La Crosse, WI hosts this HUGE festival that goes on for over a week. This year, it will start on Friday, 9/26, with the annual tapping of the Golden Keg (i.e., an excuse for area drunks to skip work and get toasted), and the party carries on through the weekend, the next week, before wrapping up on Saturday night, October 4th. La Crosse is known for this festival, a time when our city of 50,000 doubles in population! If you want more information on Oktoberfest, visit http://www.oktoberfestusa.com/ . The origins of Oktoberfest are from Germany (where the largest of Oktoberfest celebrations take place), but you don't have to be German here to partake in the festivities.
Anyway, one of the annual traditions is the Oktoberfest Medallion Hunt. In the past, my husband and I would peek at the clues but we haven't actively searched in about 10 years. The year we almost got the Medallion was when we were at the wrong school. There are 2 big public schools in La Crosse--they are Logan High School (northside of La Crosse, where my hubby graduated from) and Central High School (South side of La Crosse). One of the clues that year (I think it was 1999 or 2000) led us under the bleachers outside at Central High School. We couldn't find the medallion, so we gave up. Later that day, the medallion was found under the bleachers at Logan High School! We were so close. The prize is $500 cash, tickets to the Festmaster's Ball, and gift certificates for local businesses.
So, this year when the first clue came out, we decided to give it a try. Last Monday was the first day of clues. We kept in mind that often the first clue will give a very general hint at the location of the medallion (this year it started out, "As we chug ahead with each crisp fall day...") so we were pretty sure a train/train tracks would be near the location of the beloved coin. Anyway, I'll just touch briefly on some of the experiences we had this year. Let's just say at one point we thought we knew where it was so off the hubby went with his flashlight in hand, looking in and around a cemetery at 9:30 pm....along with 20 other people. The whole family made several trips, quite a daunting task when you're dealing with a baby/toddler who likes his stroller to keep moving (set him on the ground and he will eat rocks and other non-edible items). My mother and I went looking all over the place on Saturday and we were so close to the location of the medallion, it wasn't even funny. We were literally a block over from it. Sunday morning, we woke up at 5:45 am to get the day's clue and were so certain of it's location that we grabbed Andrew and took off in the car around 6:30 a.m. We were the first ones there, and more and more people showed up as the time passed on (obviously we were all thinking the same thing). Let's just say that we were so certain it was hidden in a pine tree that DH crawled underneath it and climbed inside to take a peek (not an easy task, considering how sharp the needles were and how low to the ground the branches were lying). After an hour-and-a-half at the same location with no luck, we were brainstorming in car when Andrew started fussing. That's when the hubby said, "I'm done looking for this thing; let's wait until tomorrow's clue" and we went home. Later on that day, we heard the news that the medallion had been found (Aunt L heard it on the radio, but was not sure of the location). I was at my grandparents' house along with the rest of my family, and I just had to know the location so I called the radio station and they told me. Zephyr Circle. Zephyr was the name of the silver bullet train, and I had uttered the word earlier in the morning, not knowing there was a road by the same name. I told my mom and we started screaming because we were JUST in that area the day before. We could have had it. Not to mention, the location was just one of the few grassy boulevards in the center of a neighborhood in the area. The husband and I checked two of these the day before and they were almost identical to the one where the medallion was found. Here are the clues so you can read for yourself; now that the medallion has been found the website gives meaning behind those clues: http://www.oktoberfestusa.com/2008/Medallion/medallion.htm
The good thing to come of this is we learned a lot about the history of the area, including Granddad Bluff (which we sometimes take for granted in this area). We did so much reading (thank you, Google) and we checked out this sweet book from the public library (a 700+ page book that came out earlier this year on the history of La Crosse...we will most likely purchase this book from the La Crosse Historical Society). We were dead on with all of the clues (all but one of them) and we know that we came close. I keep telling myself that we came in 2nd place, and next year we will find the Medallion. Also, we congratulate the winner--Amber!
Anyway, one of the annual traditions is the Oktoberfest Medallion Hunt. In the past, my husband and I would peek at the clues but we haven't actively searched in about 10 years. The year we almost got the Medallion was when we were at the wrong school. There are 2 big public schools in La Crosse--they are Logan High School (northside of La Crosse, where my hubby graduated from) and Central High School (South side of La Crosse). One of the clues that year (I think it was 1999 or 2000) led us under the bleachers outside at Central High School. We couldn't find the medallion, so we gave up. Later that day, the medallion was found under the bleachers at Logan High School! We were so close. The prize is $500 cash, tickets to the Festmaster's Ball, and gift certificates for local businesses.
So, this year when the first clue came out, we decided to give it a try. Last Monday was the first day of clues. We kept in mind that often the first clue will give a very general hint at the location of the medallion (this year it started out, "As we chug ahead with each crisp fall day...") so we were pretty sure a train/train tracks would be near the location of the beloved coin. Anyway, I'll just touch briefly on some of the experiences we had this year. Let's just say at one point we thought we knew where it was so off the hubby went with his flashlight in hand, looking in and around a cemetery at 9:30 pm....along with 20 other people. The whole family made several trips, quite a daunting task when you're dealing with a baby/toddler who likes his stroller to keep moving (set him on the ground and he will eat rocks and other non-edible items). My mother and I went looking all over the place on Saturday and we were so close to the location of the medallion, it wasn't even funny. We were literally a block over from it. Sunday morning, we woke up at 5:45 am to get the day's clue and were so certain of it's location that we grabbed Andrew and took off in the car around 6:30 a.m. We were the first ones there, and more and more people showed up as the time passed on (obviously we were all thinking the same thing). Let's just say that we were so certain it was hidden in a pine tree that DH crawled underneath it and climbed inside to take a peek (not an easy task, considering how sharp the needles were and how low to the ground the branches were lying). After an hour-and-a-half at the same location with no luck, we were brainstorming in car when Andrew started fussing. That's when the hubby said, "I'm done looking for this thing; let's wait until tomorrow's clue" and we went home. Later on that day, we heard the news that the medallion had been found (Aunt L heard it on the radio, but was not sure of the location). I was at my grandparents' house along with the rest of my family, and I just had to know the location so I called the radio station and they told me. Zephyr Circle. Zephyr was the name of the silver bullet train, and I had uttered the word earlier in the morning, not knowing there was a road by the same name. I told my mom and we started screaming because we were JUST in that area the day before. We could have had it. Not to mention, the location was just one of the few grassy boulevards in the center of a neighborhood in the area. The husband and I checked two of these the day before and they were almost identical to the one where the medallion was found. Here are the clues so you can read for yourself; now that the medallion has been found the website gives meaning behind those clues: http://www.oktoberfestusa.com/2008/Medallion/medallion.htm
The good thing to come of this is we learned a lot about the history of the area, including Granddad Bluff (which we sometimes take for granted in this area). We did so much reading (thank you, Google) and we checked out this sweet book from the public library (a 700+ page book that came out earlier this year on the history of La Crosse...we will most likely purchase this book from the La Crosse Historical Society). We were dead on with all of the clues (all but one of them) and we know that we came close. I keep telling myself that we came in 2nd place, and next year we will find the Medallion. Also, we congratulate the winner--Amber!
Monday, September 15, 2008
He just makes my heart smile!
Daddy showed up at lunch today with Dragon (a side note, I found his Halloween costume on Saturday at Old Navy, and it's a dragon costume!). They got here a little before noon, and I don't take my lunch until noon, so Daddy was just sitting in my office with Andrew on his lap. I was trying to work, but out of the corner of my eye, Andrew was giving me the biggest smile! I smiled back at him and tried to finish up what I was doing. I just kept thinking how lucky I am to have both of these "boys" in my life. Daddy said something then, something to the effect of, "this is my baby in my lap". :) We don't dare set him down when my office door is open because out the hallway he will go! I'm always afraid a resident is going to trip over him (or run him over with a wheelchair).
Ah, the memories Dragon will have someday. I just know he's going to ask me why he remembers a sea of people in wheelchairs with gray hair and glasses! They love him though; they really do. He elicits a lot of return smiles for his big grin!
Ah, the memories Dragon will have someday. I just know he's going to ask me why he remembers a sea of people in wheelchairs with gray hair and glasses! They love him though; they really do. He elicits a lot of return smiles for his big grin!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Funny habit...
I noticed something a couple months ago but forgot to post about it. Andrew does not like things to stay together. Case in point: he has these stackable cups (6 different colorful plastic cups that fit inside one another from littlest to biggest). Anytime I hand them to him together, he has to dump them out. He can't resist! The same goes for his Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack (you know the 5 colorful rings that stack on top of one another on that yellow tube-looking thing?). I love putting it together and he loves dumping it upside down. I build him beautiful towers with his wooden blocks and I love watching him make a beeline for it so he can smash it down. Hehe--my little guy is the Master of Destruction. Such a boy!
Also, Andrew loves books. He loves being read to. He gets a big smile on his face when I grab one of his favorite books (I like I Love You Through and Through). He drools the entire time I read (I like to think I'm activating his pre-frontal cortex or something exciting like that). :)
Also, Andrew loves books. He loves being read to. He gets a big smile on his face when I grab one of his favorite books (I like I Love You Through and Through). He drools the entire time I read (I like to think I'm activating his pre-frontal cortex or something exciting like that). :)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
New layout!
Sweet. For those of you that don't already know, I am obsessed with the color aqua (any variations of it--teal, sea green, etc). If you were to look in my closet, you would see that an insane amount of my clothing is in the aqua family (I have to work really hard on myself to buy something red).
I think this new layout matches my personality so I had to update the boring default Blogger layout to reflect that.
-Back to regular programming-
I think this new layout matches my personality so I had to update the boring default Blogger layout to reflect that.
-Back to regular programming-
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
1 year check-up
It was last Wednesday--I apologize for not updating until now! He's doing great--he weighs 22 lbs, 1 oz (he was 6 lbs, 6 oz. at birth, so he has more than tripled his weight); he is 30.55 inches long. The doctor (whom Andrew hasn't seen since his 2 day check-up, since every other appointment has been with the Nurse Practitioner) said Andrew is doing great. He's just above the 50th percentile for height, and just below the 50th for weight.
He's funny--Dr. Manson. Andrew was on the exam table and he was pretty active and Dr. M. said, "No diving without a parachute!" because I think he thought Andrew was going to jump off. Andrew is pretty good with boundaries though--he will crawl around the bed and go to the edge but not go off the edge. Maybe it's just a coincidence.
Anyway, the next appointment is at 18 months.
He's funny--Dr. Manson. Andrew was on the exam table and he was pretty active and Dr. M. said, "No diving without a parachute!" because I think he thought Andrew was going to jump off. Andrew is pretty good with boundaries though--he will crawl around the bed and go to the edge but not go off the edge. Maybe it's just a coincidence.
Anyway, the next appointment is at 18 months.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
He knows things!
Words, that is. Andrew knows a lot of words. In the morning, Daddy tells me that he'll say, "Bluebods?" (our strange abbreviation for blueberries...it started a long time ago and for some reason we just stuck with it) , and when he says this, Andrew will crawl over to his high chair in anticipation. He'll then proceed to make a lot of squealing noises until he is up in his chair with "Bluebods" in front of him. So cute!
Daddy also said that yesterday or today he said, "Do you want to take a bath?", and Andrew crawled into the bathroom.
Tonight Daddy said, "Car ride?" and Andrew crawled towards the front door, fussing. We weren't going in the car, so then I had to distract him with something else.
Also, the 2nd day he had his new ball (my mom got it for him), we would say, "ball" and Andrew would go get his ball.
I love it!
Andrew also does this cute thing when he crawls around--he'll hum a little song. It goes, "m m m"....."m m m"... always sets of three. If I start doing it too, he'll smile and repeat. He has even done this while nursing!
Daddy also said that yesterday or today he said, "Do you want to take a bath?", and Andrew crawled into the bathroom.
Tonight Daddy said, "Car ride?" and Andrew crawled towards the front door, fussing. We weren't going in the car, so then I had to distract him with something else.
Also, the 2nd day he had his new ball (my mom got it for him), we would say, "ball" and Andrew would go get his ball.
I love it!
Andrew also does this cute thing when he crawls around--he'll hum a little song. It goes, "m m m"....."m m m"... always sets of three. If I start doing it too, he'll smile and repeat. He has even done this while nursing!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The shower is evil....
Andrew gets up when I do in the morning, right around 6:30 a.m. In his early days, I'd set the bouncy seat down on the bathroom floor so he could chill while I was in the shower. He then went through a phase where he'd sleep until 7:30 or so, so I would just go get him when I was done getting ready for work, and then I'd change/feed him.
Now, he usually gets up at 6:30 so I bring him in the bathroom (the husband has a new habit of metal detecting every morning and he leaves around 5:45/6:00 a.m....don't even ask).
Anyway, Andrew has decided that when Mommy steps into the shower, she is actually stepping into another dimension. He bawls his little heart out as soon as I slide that shower curtain. I have to leave one end open and talk/wave to him so he calms down. The other option is to take a bath while he leans over the edge, splashing his hands in the water. No amount of toys help/distract in this situation. I can only hope he learns that Mommy is fine and she will be out of the shower in 5-6 minutes.
Now, he usually gets up at 6:30 so I bring him in the bathroom (the husband has a new habit of metal detecting every morning and he leaves around 5:45/6:00 a.m....don't even ask).
Anyway, Andrew has decided that when Mommy steps into the shower, she is actually stepping into another dimension. He bawls his little heart out as soon as I slide that shower curtain. I have to leave one end open and talk/wave to him so he calms down. The other option is to take a bath while he leans over the edge, splashing his hands in the water. No amount of toys help/distract in this situation. I can only hope he learns that Mommy is fine and she will be out of the shower in 5-6 minutes.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Happy 1st birthday, Andrew!
Another photo blog for our readers. Hope you don't mind the pics! I literally take thousands of them and only share a few of my favorites with the blog world.
So, the birthday was pretty much celebrated for 2 days. :) Okay, well, we went to Great-Grandma and Grandpa's house as we do every Sunday so we got to celebrate with that crowd first (all of Andrew's great aunts and uncles and second cousins).
This is at Great-Grandma & Grandpa's house. Andrew was snoozing in the shade (the pool was way too cold to go in due to our recent cold nights).
Now these are from today from the party at our house. Andrew loved the gift from his Aunt Pixy--it was 2 wooden puzzles. The knobs on them looked like boobies and he was mesmerized! He didn't care about anything else (note that one of them is in his mouth)!
(Left to right: Mommy, Andrew, and Aunt Kimmy...Mikayla, behind Andrew, is his cousin)
Awaiting the cake...look at his feet! He always does this in his high chair. Oh, ginormous feet to match those ginormous hands mentioned in the previous plum post...LOL!
That's it! All in all, it was a great birthday. He took a very short nap this morning (like 1/2 hour around 10:20 a.m.) so I knew he was tired later on, but I didn't want him to be sleeping when the party started. Around 4:15 pm (he had to be so tired by now), Andrew decided to give me such a sweet present. I went to sit down in the chair in the living room and he crawled up to me and whined and I asked him, "Oh, you wanna come up by Mommy?" and I laid his head on my chest and he closed his eyes. He just wanted to snuggle! I patted his bum for a moment and he was sound asleep. That was the fastest he's ever fallen asleep and it's not usual for him to just come to me and whine because he was tired (normally he whines for boob or food or whatever, but not usually for sleepytime). It makes me feel all warm inside! Needless to say, Andrew was sleeping by the time everyone finally arrived for the party (they're always late).
A cool fact, in case I haven't mentioned it before. My birthday is 6/25, Daddy's is 2/25, and Andrew's is 8/25. We were all born on the 25th (which is why I say Andrew had to come 6 days early). The numerology of it: 6 (June, Mommy) + 2 (Feb, Daddy) = 8 (Aug, Andrew). :) It's just meant to be perfect.
So, the birthday was pretty much celebrated for 2 days. :) Okay, well, we went to Great-Grandma and Grandpa's house as we do every Sunday so we got to celebrate with that crowd first (all of Andrew's great aunts and uncles and second cousins).
This was from yesterday morning at our house. I had to take a pic of his daily breakfast of blueberries, bananas, and Cheerios! I just like the look on his face and love his hair in this one...
This is at Great-Grandma & Grandpa's house. Andrew was snoozing in the shade (the pool was way too cold to go in due to our recent cold nights).
Cake time!!!
This is why I call him 'Cheeseball'
Now these are from today from the party at our house. Andrew loved the gift from his Aunt Pixy--it was 2 wooden puzzles. The knobs on them looked like boobies and he was mesmerized! He didn't care about anything else (note that one of them is in his mouth)!
(Left to right: Mommy, Andrew, and Aunt Kimmy...Mikayla, behind Andrew, is his cousin)
Awaiting the cake...look at his feet! He always does this in his high chair. Oh, ginormous feet to match those ginormous hands mentioned in the previous plum post...LOL!My mom made a SWEET (literally) angelfood cake with strawberries and whipped cream. YUM!
Really digging in now...
Really digging in now...
That's it! All in all, it was a great birthday. He took a very short nap this morning (like 1/2 hour around 10:20 a.m.) so I knew he was tired later on, but I didn't want him to be sleeping when the party started. Around 4:15 pm (he had to be so tired by now), Andrew decided to give me such a sweet present. I went to sit down in the chair in the living room and he crawled up to me and whined and I asked him, "Oh, you wanna come up by Mommy?" and I laid his head on my chest and he closed his eyes. He just wanted to snuggle! I patted his bum for a moment and he was sound asleep. That was the fastest he's ever fallen asleep and it's not usual for him to just come to me and whine because he was tired (normally he whines for boob or food or whatever, but not usually for sleepytime). It makes me feel all warm inside! Needless to say, Andrew was sleeping by the time everyone finally arrived for the party (they're always late).
A cool fact, in case I haven't mentioned it before. My birthday is 6/25, Daddy's is 2/25, and Andrew's is 8/25. We were all born on the 25th (which is why I say Andrew had to come 6 days early). The numerology of it: 6 (June, Mommy) + 2 (Feb, Daddy) = 8 (Aug, Andrew). :) It's just meant to be perfect.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Gimme that plum!!!
Andrew and Daddy share a love affair with fruit. It's great! I am glad to start him off young liking something healthy. Daddy has shared many a plum with Andrew, and the other night I decided to just hand him a whole one and see what he did with it...
The results...
And then he just kept on eating!
Note the size of Andrew's HUGE hands...
And yes, he ate the entire plum. As he got closer to the pit, I removed it for him and then he finished off what remained of the plum.
The results...
First, he took a couple of big bites...
And then he just kept on eating!Note the size of Andrew's HUGE hands...Oh yeah, and all of those teeth (he now has 16 teeth in--8 on top and 8 on the bottom)!
And yes, he ate the entire plum. As he got closer to the pit, I removed it for him and then he finished off what remained of the plum.
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