The Call

This weekend, my husband was checking in on a football game.

I was half watching, but doing something in the kitchen and missed a penalty call.

I asked my husband what the ref said. (I figure if I'm going to watch some football I might as well follow what's going on.)

Before my husband could respond, my little man very seriously replied "He did Wheels on the Bus, Mama".

Apparently, it was a false start.

He then went on to sing several rounds of Wheels on the Bus, complete with hand motions and butt wiggling.

My kid just cracks me up. He is definitely more entertaining than any TV show.

Let's Talk Turkey

What do you mean it's a holiday?

It can't possible be a holiday.

We're not fighting traffic, there are no house guests in sight and I'm not all stressed out frantically cleaning everything.

Wait a second, I did see a lot of people buying turkeys this week....do you mean to tell me that we're home alone on a holiday.

Is that even allowed?

This is a whole new world for us. The three of us haven't celebrated a single "big" holiday alone ever. (I've mentioned that my son is currently my in laws only grandchild right?)

Basically, the planets just aligned in such a way that it is just us this year.

We can't really travel right now since I'm due to pop in about a month.

And nobody wants to visit us until there is a cute baby to admire so we won't have any visitors until Christmas time.

I figure there are two ways to look at this.

First option, I could think lonely thoughts and complain about the situation (but I'm pretty sure it's bad karma to whine on Thanksgiving).

Or I could look at this as an opportunity to celebrate exactly the way we want, stress free.

I get to cook only what my husband and I want (which means no stuffing, extra mashed potatoes, chocolate pie, English toffee and I'm skipping the turkey in favor of cornish game hens....because I can. Bwhahahaha!).

I'm going to enjoy the freedom! I'm even trying out some new recipes without worrying too much about how they'll turn out.

I intend to enjoy myself as much as possible (and make sure my boys have a good time too...of course). I plan to feast until my pregnant belly is completely full...and then I'll wait a few hours and do it again.

And to make it even better, my husband has Friday off so it's a four day weekend!

We even going to put the tree up on tomorrow. (It's fake so whole dying thing isn't a problem. I love real trees, but my husband won that fight.)

I wonder how long it will take before the kid or the cat knock it over?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

RTT-Tasing, Eggos and Surgery

Welcome to Random Tuesdays! Please visit the Un-Mom to play along (it really is a good time).



I've managed to catch a few non-baby related thoughts floating around my brain this week, just I'm not making any promises on quality.

So this headline caught my eye - Girl, 10 tasered by police officer in Arkansas

This happened in Ozark, Arkansas which is a tiny town of less than 4,000 people...where my parents just so happen to live.

And I know tasing a child isn't really funny, but since she's okay I hope I'm not too bad a person if I gave my mom a little crap.

(And I also might have laughed...but just a little, I swear.)
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And these people definitely need to get some real problems, or at least a little perspective - 7 strange plastic surgery procedures

I think the "radish calf" cure is the most bizarre. I've heard of cankles before, but complaining comparing your buff calf lto a vegetable was a new one to me.

I think there are cases when plastic surgery is totally warranted if it makes somebody feel better, but it can definitely get out of control.

I'll pass on cosmetic surgery myself. I'm not a fan of volunteering for unnecessary pain and then paying the people who made me feel like crap.

I'll just stick to my wonder bra and maybe buy some spanx if I'm feeling self conscious.
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Luckily, I'm too cheap to buy real Eggos, otherwise this might be a problem - Eggo Waffle Shortage: Bacteria First Forced Plant Closure

Apparently, eggos will be hard to find until next summer. The freezer shelves are certainly looking pathetically empty at my grocery store. (I wonder how many people are hoarding eggos? I'm dreaming up all kinds of strange arguments and mental pictures.)

It's just weird to me that they couldn't figure out how to meet the demand. Kellogg's is probably losing a boat load of money over this whole thing.

The generic Safeway brand really isn't bad. I recommend them if you're desperate (or cheap, like me).
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So far, the little one is still butt down. I've got a little more than a week before my appointment where we will "talk about the options". I think that might be one of the scariest things a doctor can say to you.

I hope she is more cooperative after she is born!

Have a great Tuesday everybody!

Today...

Today is November 20th.

It seems like a pretty innocent date. And probably for most people it is.

But for me, this is one of the trickiest days of the year.

Today is my mother's birthday, but it also marks the 4th anniversary of my father's death.

(And if that wasn't enough, it's also my in laws 33rd wedding anniversary.)

My parents split when I was ten so I don't think it's quite as awful for Mom as it sounds at first. Although I'm sure that having your ex kick the bucket on your birthday is a bit unsettling.

I know my dad would see humor in the timing. My parents relationship after the split wasn't the worst I've seen, but we weren't exactly one big happy family holding hands around the camp fire singing songs.

And there are times I can appreciate the irony, but then there are times I'm just still pissed about the whole thing.

My dad was only 59 when he had a heart attack and died suddenly.

And I feel cheated.

I was just getting to know my dad as an adult (I was 25 when he died). It really bothers me that he never got to meet my son (who would have been his first grandchild).

And when I'm not being totally self absorbed, I also just feel really bad for my half-brother who will graduate high school in June. He lost our dad way too early.

And I feel like celebrating my mom's birthday should be really simple and uncomplicated, but it's just not right now.

As I've mentioned before, my mom has Parkinson's. Luckily, she is still in the early stages and is still able to pretty much life her life normally, but with Parkinson's you just don't know how quickly things might progress.

So while I'm thankfully she is celebrating another healthy year today, it also makes me very aware that time is passing. And unfortunately with a degenerative disease, time is not your friend.

I can't help but think about it all today.

Tomorrow I'll focus on being thankful, the new baby excitement and getting ready for the holidays.

But not today.

Today, I'll just do the best I can. And I'll give my husband and son a few extra hugs and kisses.

Mom-mification

I'm an engineer.

I love being an engineer and I find my field pretty darn interesting.

That said, I'm well aware that when I talk about anything work related to any non-engineer it probably sounds a bit like Charlie Brown's teacher. So I don't even try it.

I figured similar reasoning should be applied when my days started revolving around a small person.

I accept that non-parents don't want to hear the intimate details of life with a small child. The occasional funny story is probably okay, but I do my best not to over share about the little mundane things that make up so much of my life these days.

And I think I was fairly successful in holding up my end of the conversations. I could talk politics, current events, books and even a little sports. (Note the use of the word "could".)

Frankly, I don't usually want to talk about my kid all the time. Even with I'm hanging out with other moms sometimes I just really want to talk about something else. (Am I breaking the mom code to even admit that?)

I love my kid. I love being a mom. But I also love having a few things in my life that are not mommy-centric.

But lately, I'm afraid I'm becoming that mom. You know...the one who can't seem to talk about anything other than her kids and babies.

I think I might be becoming utterly and completely boring.

I can't even think of a blog topic that isn't entirely focused on my family.

I've developed a bad case of tunnel vision/thinking with the impending arrival of number two. I swear I was able to hold other thoughts in my brain just a few weeks ago, but now it's pretty much all babies all the time.

(I've even started doing that thing where you organize and than re-organize the dresser full of adorable little clothes that totally don't need to be folded yet again.)

So dear readers, please be understanding. I'll try to post about "other" things as they pass through my mind, but I'm afraid there might be a lot of baby talk for the next couple of months.

I just hope this isn't a permanent state of affairs.

I'm afraid I'll be buying themed sweaters for every holiday by this time next year. Maybe I should just buy the tapered jeans right now and be done with it?

Is the second baby the tipping point?

Will the fog lift in a few months and I'll find there is still a little bit of me that isn't totally mommified?

Bottoms Up....Please

I had my sonogram on Friday. (I'm 33 weeks now.)

Most important news - The baby looks healthy and is growing well. No scary surprises.

Good news - Despite continuing contractions, nothing too exciting is going on yet. (Which means no bed rest!)

Bad news - I've figured out why things seem "different" and extra uncomfortable this. Turns out I've got a baby behind sitting directly on top of my cervix.

I feel a little dumb for not figuring out she is breech before this. It made perfect sense as soon as they said it.

I've been feeling a lot of pressure and movement down low this time, which isn't a surprise if she has her bottom and wiggly legs stuffed in a space that is really sized for her head.

For now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping she'll flip in the next few weeks.

I keep telling myself that any birth that ends with a healthy baby and mom is a good birth, but I'd really rather not have a c-section.

I'm actually a bit of wimp and one of the reasons I had a natural birth with my son was because I was scared of getting a needle in my spine.

So let's not talk about the whole getting cut open while still awake thing just yet...

Baby got...belly?

Setting: Parking lot at the gym.

I have on zero make-up, my hair is in a pony tail and I'm in workout gear. From the back, I might be able to pass for a college kid with my super casual wardrobe and old Nissan Sentra.

Bending over getting my gym bag out of the backseat, I hear a long, low "good morning". It was the kind of greeting that is basically a slightly classier cat call.

I turn to see who in the heck it is (thinking it might be somebody I know screwing with me).

But it is actually a random twenty-something guy with a big cocky smile on his face.

I can tell the second he notices that I'm sporting a basketball size belly because his smile freezes on his face and then slips away.

My two year old choose that moment to launch into his usual nonstop color commentary from the back seat. (The kid has great comedic timing.)

Random guy actually turned a little green at this point. He quickly turned his head away and pretty much speed walked until he reached the relative safety of the gym.

I've never been confused for a super model, but I think this might be the first time I actively repulsed the opposite sex.

At least I'm not currently in the market for a man. Otherwise it might be a little harder to see the humor.

RTT- Sappy Days Off

Ah...it's Tuesday. One of my favorite days of the week because the Un-Mom plays her random thoughts game today...

Please visit her to join in on fun. (Come on, you know you want to...)


And we're off and rambling.

My husband has tomorrow off!

He works for the government so he gets all federal holidays off. You just gotta love bonus days off in the middle of the week!

And I've heard all the clock punching jokes, but I love the fact he has a job where the expectation is that he'll work a 40 hours a week, at least most of the time. (If something important is going on, obviously he'll do whatever needs to be done.)

Even with a commute, my man eats dinner with us and gives the little guy his bath nearly every night. I know that the salaries are bigger in the corporate world, but you just can't put a price on some things.

And a great big early THANK YOU to all the veterans out there! I sincerely appreciate your service and all the sacrifices made to protect this fine nation.

A big thank you also to the military families out there. Being a military spouse isn't an easy job by any stretch.

And I usually talk about my favorite news articles of the week on Tuesday, but everything has been too depressing lately. So I'd rather just say thanks in general.

It seems like a good time of year to do it.

So excuse me for a moment, but I feel I need to say it -thank you universe for everything. I have so much more than I deserve.

And sure, life happens sometimes. My appliances rebel (especially when my in laws are visiting), my car breaks down and we all get sick sometimes...all the same annoying things that everybody has to deal with, but in general, life is really pretty darn good.

So thank you for my wonderful, healthy family, including the new little one that will join us shortly.

Thank you for my husband's job and our snug little house.

And I truly appreciate the opportunity to stay home with my little ones, even if I occasionally vent a bit about life with a feral two year old.

Thank you for my friends and all the little things that brighten my day - library books, hot tea, chocolate, sticky kisses, etc...

Clearly, my pregnancy hormones are raging, but if you can't be a bit sappy in your third trimester when you can you?

So what if I keep crying at sad movies, books, news stories, blog posts, etc?

I mean do you really want to make an issue out of it? We all know that my mood will swing the opposite way soon enough.

I used to think I was a pretty stable, mellow person, but lately I'm just pulling on my seat belt and trying to enjoy the ride (and trying to remember to be nice to the people I love, of course).

Happy Tuesday all! (Go give your family a big sappy kiss from me.)

RN, Google University

Contractions have been my biggest issue this pregnancy.

Lab work and blood pressure are thankfully normal, but I have a handful of contractions painful enough to take my breath away every day.

Nothing rhythmic, but enough pain that I'm feeling a pretty paranoid since I'm only 32 weeks. And since I was in labor for a whopping four hours the first time, I'm pretty sure there's no stopping it if something happens.

Based on my concerns, my doctor's appointment this past week involved a pretty elaborate discussion of Braxton Hicks contractions. We sent quite a bit of time talking about what's normal and when they might signal a problem.

The doctor concluded that I should have a "cervical health" sonogram this week just to make sure that nothing exciting is happening yet.

I'm pretty sure it's the equivalent of a prescription for a chill pill, but I'm grateful that at least I'll know what my body is up to (it's probably just screwing with me, but better safe than sorry).

After all the discussion, the doc asked me if I was a nurse. (Which I'm totally not.)

I wouldn't think anything about this, but it's the third time I've gotten this question this pregnancy.

Three times...from three different doctors.

I think this means I've officially became THAT patient.

Google, I love you, but I think we need to take a break for awhile.

We need to cool off before my self diagnostics get totally out of hand.

The Boob Tube

I saw an article this week that I found a little shocking - Kids Watch More Than A Day of TV a Week

A recent study found that children ages 2 to 5 average more than 32 hours of screen time a week.

32 hours... That's nearly an entire 40 hour work.

Is it just me or does that seem like a ton of time?

Please don't get me wrong, my little guy watches TV. Without the help of the Little Einsteins and their red rocket ship, I'm not sure dinner would get cooked most nights.

I am thankful that he will sit still for a half hour if I put on a show. I have figured what I can accomplish in a half hour block of time almost to the minute.

And, if I'm being honest, there have been days when he has watched way too much TV (like when I couldn't get my head out of the toilet last summer during my first trimester).

I totally understand that sometimes you just do the best you can.

But doesn't averaging over four hours a day seem a bit extreme? That is a huge chuck of their lives.

The article also says that kids age 6 to 11 average 28 hours of screen time a week. I find that pretty darn impressive considering that they are probably in school.

When are they going outside, reading a book, playing with friends, or coloring? When are they playing pretend or learning how to become adults?

The scariest thought of all is this quote the director of a director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood:

"Once you start hooking babies on media, it's harder to limit it. If we start children early in life on a steady diet of screen time and electronic toys, they don't develop the resources to generate their own amusement, so they become dependent on screens."

It seems like we're doing these little bodies and mind a great disservice if we put them in front of a screen all the time.

I honestly hope it comes out that the study was flawed in some way and that the numbers aren't accurate.

I'm also inspired to make sure we keep the boob tube turned off a little more.

Natural Habitat

A creature rarely seen online...

My little man in his natural habitat.

We took him trick or treating for the first time this year.

At the first house, the little guy tried to barge through the door like he owned the place. The next stop he attempted to forcefully steal the entire plastic pumpkin of treats out of the hosts hands.

After that he got the idea.

I mean he really got the idea. He worked those people like a champ.

He seems to innately sense when being super cute will get him extra stuff (and just about everybody threw something extra in his bag after his super sweet thank you).

He's already got flirting down to an art form. I'm afraid to even think about what it might be like once my little Casanova hits high school.

The holidays are so much more fun when you have kids. I can't wait for Christmas.