I just embarrassed myself!

So, at work (nursing home, remember?), we have this aviary (with birds) in our front waiting area. The residents love it, visitors love it, etc.

Anyway, the maintenance people take care of the daily stuff: food, water, etc., but four times a year, this guy comes from South Dakota to deep clean the aviary. He takes all the birds out and gives everything a good clean. He uses this REALLY yummy smelling cleaner--it smells like almond/cherry--kind of like Pledge, but BETTER.

Anyway, I'm sitting in my office when suddenly I catch the scent of it. I figured the bird man must have arrived. So, I dial out to the secretary and do the voice dial thing so it comes out over her speakerphone and she doesn't have to pick up. I say, "Is the bird man here?" She says, "yes". I say, "Oh, I figured so, because I smell that cleaner he uses and it smells SOOOOOOO good". She giggled and I said, "okay then" and hung up.

She comes over to my office and informs me that she better turn down her volume because the bird man heard what I said! So did another co-worker in her office.

But it does! It smells so good! I'm just thinking if someone overheard my conversation and they didn't know what I was referring to, it might be taken wrong. Like Office Sexy Sarah talks dirty!

Happy New Year, everyone! 2010 will bring me my baby girl...

Check out these cute outfits! I picked up the pink sleeper on the left when I was at TJ Maxx (it's Carter's, and I love their stuff). The outfit on the right is one my sister gave to me from Old Navy for Christmas. The little hat came from the hospital--at my last appointment they gave it to me (volunteers make them for all new mommies). Anyway, just thought I'd share some pics!

Belly pic, 32 weeks!

I'm rocking my comfy jammies. :) My mom gave them to me for Christmas...

Speaking of my mother, here is the two of us on Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house. I love my mom!

Oh yeah, I also put up a poll on the right-hand side of this page so you can take a guess as to when you think Elise will arive. This is purely for fun!

Sorry I have been MIA!

The holidays were busy, as holidays tend to be. We kept Christmas morning low-key at our house--from Santa, Andrew got several books, a few DVDs, a doodle board (you know, like an erasable one--it's like a Magna Doodle, but it's made by Parents), and an abacus. Yes, my son isn't into toys, but is a "geek" in the making, already. After that, we went to my mom's house, where we all proceeded to be spoiled with presents. She really went all out, even though all I told her I really needed was a big, fluffy robe for the hospital (I have never had a robe before!). I did get the robe, plus pajamas, plus we got a portable DVD player for trips, plus gift cards galore ($100 for a local grocery store, $50 for Friday's, $50 for Olive Garden, $50 for Subway, and $50 for Target). She is taking all of my siblings to Mexico in March and we won't be able to go because of well, having a new baby and whatnot, so she just wanted to get us something. Honestly, I would be happier if she saved her money because it makes me feel bad--she's all by herself paying a mortgage and half-raising my niece...anyway, she has a big heart and that's just how she is.

Back to reality. The tree came down the day after Christmas and got tossed into the yard (it's too hard to watch Andrew with it--he nearly strangled himself in the lights because he couldn't keep his hands off).

My cutie did play in the snow the other day!


I had my 32 week appointment yesterday with the midwife. You can skip this part if you don't want to read about the boring details of my routine appointments! Anyway, blood pressure was perfect, have gained 3 pounds in 2 weeks (yikes, but they said I'm doing perfect), and fundal height measured just over 31 cm (perfect, since I'm 32 weeks today). My midwife is so nice! We talked about gardening for like, 10 minutes because she found out my hubby is a big gardener and it took off from there (too bad DH doesn't tag along to the appointments). The heartbeat sounded just awesome--she sounds so BIG now! I am so happy that I'm measuring on track, because I wouldn't mind another cute 6 lb. baby (I'll take 7 lbs., but 9/10 lbs. frightens me!).

Also, she assured me that I can do this water birth and that I am a good candidate for it and that actually, only 4 out of 10 of their patients get an epidural, meaning 60% do not (I'm talking total deliveries, because obviously an epi isn't allowed w/water birth anyway). That gave me a lot of hope that hey--I, too, can do this.

I then met with the nurse to do the birth plan, and she gave me a pink, knitted hat--they have some volunteers that make them for all the new moms!

Finally, I met with another lady who did my pre-registration. I'm all set!

8 weeks to go before Baby is here!

Here's a self-portrait maternity photo, entitled "Womb, Revisited" (a prior one I posted was from 22 weeks and this is from almost 32 weeks)...

Happy holidays!

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season. I; unfortunately, have to work today, but then I am looking forward to a weekend of festivities and fun. Tonight we will head over to my grandparents' house and gather there. Tomorrow morning, we are doing the "Santa" thing with Andrew for the first time (we never had a tree before, plus he was so young in previous years). Then we will head over to my mom's house (Santa comes there too), and finally, we have my husband's family's Christmas party at 3:00 at his sister's house.

Andrew is getting a nice "I Love you So Much" book from me and Daddy bought him a couple books off Amazon that are way above his level, but hey--I couldn't spoil his fun (one of them is about the Periodic Elements; the other is a "Numbers Fun" book that is more for a grade schooler). ;)

From Santa, he is getting three books (he loves being read to and paging through the books himself--"Andrew do it"), an abacus (he likes to count and when we go to the doctor's office, he plays with the beads), and a "Parents" brand Magna-doodle thing (so we can have fun writing letters and numbers). On the way (not sure if they'll get here on time if they don't come today) are three DVDs--two of them are Leap Frog letters DVDs and the other is Super Why (Andrew's favorite show--cannot find the DVDs in stores around here, but Amazon has them). So yeah, no toys for him (because he doesn't play with them and I hate all those plastic toys anyway) because the kid loves to learn; thus, he is getting fun learning tools. :)

I got DH a nice Columbia winter jacket. I can't wait to give it to him (he has never had a nice, new jacket of his own--he has always gotten hand-me-ups from his nephews--they are giant men who grew bigger and taller than him; his mom has picked him up jackets from Goodwill before, but unfortunately, the zippers are all broken on the jackets he has now).

Andrew loves toast: a cute dialogue...

Every morning he wants a piece of toast (or two) with grape jelly. The conversation goes like this...

Andrew: "Toast?"
Mom: "Sure, honey. Let's go make it."

Head to kitchen to prepare toast...

Andrew: "Cook it?"
Mom: "Yep, we'll cook it. Let mom put it in the toaster."

Andrew whines a little because the toaster takes you know, more than a second to make the toast...

A minute or so later, the toast pops out, eliciting a squeal of delight from Andrew...

Andrew: "Butter?"
Mom: "Yep, Mom is putting butter on the toast."
Andrew: "Wife?"
Mom: "Yep, with a knife."
Andrew: "Sauce?"

("Sauce" is Andrew's word for jelly)

Mom: "Yep, we'll put the sauce on next."
Andrew: "Cut?"
Mom: "Yep, Mom will cut the toast for you."

Andrew happily takes his plate into the living room so he can enjoy watching Super Why with his toast.

Andrew: "Mmm...good".


A side note from Daddy: one time Dad handed Andrew a piece of bread and Andrew handed it back saying, "cook".
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Also, last night we were at TJ Maxx. Andrew was in the front of the cart and I grabbed a couple pairs of warm winter socks. Anyway, we walked past the undergarments section and Andrew yelled, "BOOBIES!!!" when he saw the bras. LOL, it was within hearing range of this other young couple and the girl was laughing for like five minutes. It was so funny!

Since I can't send one to all of you...

I will just send you a "Blogcard". Happy holidays from my family to yours! :)

Passing this SWEET DEAL along to nursing mothers...

I just ordered my nursing cover (didn't have one with Andrew but would like one this time so I don't have to nurse in my car so often--this is a very anti-BFing area--seriously I have never seen another mother nursing in public, not once).

Anyway, go to www.uddercovers.com and pick a nursing cover. Plug in the code: "babykiss" and that will take off the price of the nursing cover ($32) so all you have to pay is $8.95 in shipping.

I know several people online who have already done this and received their covers and they said they are nicer than the ones the company originally offered. :)