LOL Archiving Failure

Well, I sure have been a failure at keeping this up to date. I am going to revive this blog. Again. There are 3 little girls now, so I have some doubt about my ability to do find the time. But I have diaries on a shelf from my entire life. It feels wrong not to be keeping a record of the things I live through so that some point in the future, I can read it and laugh. Or cry.

I'm a bit more concerned with anonymity now than I was, so I won't use real names. I'm trying to come up with nicknames for the girls since that would be nicer than just using initials. All I can think of right now is Recheetah, Stickapod and Boo, but those are sort of long. I'll ponder that.

I might have a first real post later today, but since we have 2 soccer games (the last of the season) and a birthday party to attend....

Archiving Failure

So, I've done a horrible job of journaling this pregnancy. I have extensive write-ups of every stage of my first pregnancy, a few long journals from the second and absolutely none (but the few little bits on this blog) about this third AND VERY FINAL pregnancy. The one thing I have learned very well this time is that this is the LAST. If we want another child after this one, we will finally fulfill that vague need I feel to adopt.

The morning sickness that was really all-day-and-more-at-night sickness hit a horrid high about 3 weeks ago. I've thrown up a total of 3 times, a low number due to the benefits of Zofran, the world's most expensive drug for nausea. For our 11th wedding anniversary on June 15th, Spitz found the pharmacy in town that sold it for the least, and we got the doctor to call in 30 pills. He paid for them (the insurance only will pay for 12 pills each 30 days) and I've been able to take them anytime I need them (translate that "daily") ever since. His very thoughtful present has made this a bit more bearable to the tune of $840!

Anyway, I begin to hope (and hopefully not delude myself) that the sickness is on the downside. I've managed to take Zofran only in the morning and not again in the afternoon twice this week. Since it's been worse at night, I see that as quite a step forward. We'll see how it goes, because this is only week 13 - 3 weeks earlier than the sickness has ever gone away and 10 weeks earlier than it was over last pregnancy.

I'm excited to think that in about 3-4 weeks, I will be able to start to feel small movements inside. That is my ultimate favorite part of pregnancy. I always miss feeling the little one move inside after they are born. It's sort of lonely after months of being very firmly TOGETHER.

About a week ago, I was getting ready to step in the shower when Diana let out a huge gasp and said, "Mommy! Your tummy is getting bigger! Your tummy is getting bigger! Becca, look! Mommy's tummy is getting bigger!" She was so thrilled; I laughed and laughed. The girls have started talking to the baby. He can hear them now. (Yes, I use "he." If the sickness is going away early, I'm sure it must have a reason! Something significant must be different this time!)

I have an appointment August 15 for the ultrasound that will reveal the sex of this little one. If you mention it at all, the girls begin chanting loudly, "We want a girl! We want a girl!" As if it could possibly be influenced. (-: Spitz has actually brought up a potential name for the first time - we've not talked names at all yet - and it was a girl name.

Okay, my guilt at not archiving this pregnancy at all has been a bit assuaged. And it's time to go feed the savages lunch.

Becca did it!

Diana 3.0 has recently started blaming Rebecca 5.9 for anything she thinks she is about to get in trouble for. Actually, sometimes it's not even something that Diana will be in trouble for; it's just never Diana's own fault, of course.

Diana recently potty trained (and she is doing amazing, by the way. It is so much better when the child picks the time and place completely on her own). If you aren't a parent, you probably don't know that there is a stage in every child's life where they are capable of going to the toilet and using it when needed, but the parent still needs to wipe them - or else the result is red, sore bottoms, not to mention the streaks.

So yesterday, Beth (a dear friend who cleans our house and is nice enough to come more frequently while I feel so awful) was here, and she stepped in on one such adult-wiping encounter. I think I was asleep, so I'm very grateful for all the babysitting she tosses in along with the cleaning. Later, when the girls were getting ready for bed, Becca announced that Diana's underwear had poop on it. (Kids love to announce that kind of stuff, especially if you happen to be out at the store.) I took Diana in to help her wipe a bit more and get fresh underwear, and Diana is saying how Beth wiped her.... Then she heads back to her room to find the fresh underwear and announces, "Becca pooped in my underwear!!"

Last but Certainly Not Least!!

Big news!! Diana 3.0 has potty trained! Monday afternoon, she didn't want the diaper back on after she'd just finished a shower. She insisted on big-girl underwear. She has a bunch that she got to pick out in hopes it would inspire her, but it hadn't worked before. She'd been adamant for about 2 months that, no, she didn't want to sit on the potty.

So, it took just that - her mind made up - to reverse the policy. She had a rough day Tuesday, but has had only one accident since Tuesday afternoon. Really phenomenal! I'm so proud of her. And she's staying dry in big-girl panties at night, too!

Woot!

Now what?

Springtime always brings with it a HUGE RUSH. Becca plays soccer. Often, we schedule swimming lessons. Ballet recitals. Diana's birthday. Family/friends' graduations. Easter. Mother's Day. I can't even think of it all, but I'm sure there's more. I feel like we've had every night and weekend scheduled full for weeks and even months.

But. We've come to the end. Yesterday, Becca graduated from kindergarten, and today was the end of year picnic. Diana's school actually ended last week.

Entering next week, we have NO PLANS. I don't know what we'll do. I get this feeling every year. The "what will I do with them?" doubts. Of course, by the time school starts, I wish for the freedom again. I expect greater challenge for this transition this year because I am so sick. I've been taking lots of naps, and without school, I don't know how that will be managed. I can't just leave them unsupervised. *seeking babysitter!*

Popping out

I remember back to the first pregnancy with Becca. I think I was four months pregnant and clothes had begun to get a bit tight when a friend and coworker took me shopping for maternity clothes for the first time. When I got pregnant with Diana, I remember thinking that I had to pull out the maternity clothes much earlier.

But third baby? Bamm, right from the get-go. I'm only 7 1/2 weeks pregnant, and I've pulled out the maternity shorts. Due in part to the nausea and an intense dislike of any pressure on my middle, I can't wear my normal clothes. I've pulled out all these old dresses I've had forever so that I can be waist-pressure-free. I can safely say that I haven't bought a dress except for fancy Christmas party deals since we moved here 4 years ago, so my recent wardrobe is anything but fashionable. *sigh*

And my friend Cynthia pointed out that I look pretty pale right now, too.

Have I mentioned that I hate pregnancy?

Whoever Named It Morning Sickness

This is not morning sickness. It is All-Day-Every-Day-Drive-You-Mad Sickness. Can any man imagine what it is like to feel nausea for 3 months straight? It literally threatens your sanity.

Why did I do this again? *groan* And to top it all off, I'm all emotional today, too. I dropped the knife while making Diana's peanut butter and jelly sandwich and started crying at the huge jelly mess I'd made. (About then Spitz came home and almost got in big husband trouble for the ... how to describe it... "she's moody" man look he gave me.) Then Diana and I went to her end of the school year party. They showed a slideshow of all the pics they've taken of the kids all year. I was fighting so hard not to cry because those people don't know I'm pregnant and wouldn't understand.

I need a nap. What? Oh, yeah, I know. Pigs aren't flying yet, so, no nap!

Mother's Day Shopping

Spitz told me this story, because obviously, I wasn't there.

He took the two girls out to find Mother's Day presents for me. He likes to let them pick out something on their own - makes the presents much more meaningful (although sometimes it means... well... that it takes a mother to love them). Anyway, Becca apparently picked out a present very quickly, but they continued to shop because Diana still needed to choose. As they looked, Becca would periodically go over to Diana, place her arm around Diana's shoulders and say, "Now, Diana, you have to pick a really special present for Mommy because we have a really awesome mommy. And she deserves a very good present."

*cry* She is so sweet!

Update/Rambling

It has been a busy 2 weeks!

At playgroup on 5/4, I couldn't keep the new addition to the family secret from the other moms because Mindy saw me and immediately said, "So are you?" I had to hush her excitement at my response because Becca and Diana didn't know yet. Three days later at Bunco, Lesa asked me straight out, too. My friends are nosy!!! (-;

Friday we bought our new mini van, a 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L. I love it! We were not really going for the new car, but looking for the Derby vans. Kristi told me about them at Bunco last week. Honda gives some minivans to the Derby Festival, and they are used for whatever for about a month. Then they go back to Honda with about 3,000 miles on them - for a bit of cleanup and sale to the public. Rumor is that you can get a pretty good deal on them. Well, the dealership we went to was pretty much asking the price of a new van. Pfft. Spitz basically said, "We'll pay you x and we want the 0% financing you are giving on new cars." They said, "Um, sorry, the good financing is only available on new cars... but we'll sell you a new one for that." So, surprise, I drove home a new van at about midnight (paperwork to buy a car takes FOREVER - because of the stupid waiting they make you do while they "check with their manager" on every point). Hmm. And we suspect we offered too much for the Derby Van with 3200 miles on it.

Saturday, Diana had a fabulous birthday and party. I ordered food from a restaurant and only had to make the cake. It was perfect weather for most people to sit outside the whole time. It was the most relaxed party I've ever given. A lot of fun. The hit presents were a remote-controlled car and a music box that plays music when she opens it. And she has a closet full of new very fancy dresses to strut around in! (Diana wears nothing else! She is a fashion plate.)

We announced my pregnancy at the party. We basically pulled the girls aside and told them. After a few seconds for it to sink in, they both went running back into the heart of the party and yelled, "Diana is going to be a big sister!!" It was really adorable. The only downside to this was my mother-in-law's comment, "I was right!" She manages to irritate me in every conceivable way, even when I'm really trying to not be in a bad mood towards her. *sigh*

(So, now the only secret is on WoW because Spitz wants to announce it at our next guild meeting.)

On a final note, the timing has proved perfect because my brother and his wife (who are moving back to Columbus after his graduation this week, need an additional family-friendly car, and hope to start a family soon) want to buy my Toyota Avalon. We didn't use it as a trade-in because we don't have the paperwork yet to have a free-and-clear title. But this works out nicely, except for the fact that it is really better to not do business with family. Really.

And today, the morning sickness has arrived. )-:

Flatten Chicken Breasts to 1/4" Thickness

I've read this in a recipe repeatedly when scanning cookbooks in the past, but I've never made a recipe that called for it. Ok. So.

Messy, nasty, more challenging than you'd expect. And it actually turns my stomach a bit to think of what taking a heavy, marble rolling pin to (what was) living, breathing flesh looks like.

So, I've declared my pounding step complete, but they surely aren't 1/4 inch thick. I think if I really got them that thin, they wouldn't be in one piece anymore. Actually, they are only sort of in one piece now. Hmm. I hope that once I roll them up around butter/parsley/chives and then dip and bread them, they will be more appetizing. I'm sure they will be to anyone who hasn't seen the current status.

The Results Are In

YES!!



(shhhh, it's a secret. Seriously.)

The Waiting

So, has it happened?
*shrug* I can't tell you. I don't know myself.
Do I think it has?
I hope so. The waiting is killing me. Usually I've tested by now, but Spitz wants me to wait this time.
Time to test yet?
Well, the box says so, but to keep marital harmony, I'll wait a few more days.

The waiting is killing me.