It's Hard Work . . . .Making Nipples

Good grief! Who know providing nipples for a little fluttering blob could wear a girl out??? Certainly not me. But, according to my little pregnancy book, that was one of the major (albeit random) body parts to have been created this past week.

Nipples.

The genitals aren't even fully formed yet.

But, my baby has nipples.

I guess that explains why boys have them. . . nipples just come first.

My husband (because, remember, he's really a 12 year old boy) just LOVED this fact. Everyone learned, from him, that I had given our baby nipples.

Sigh.

Of course, this knowledge is good ammo for future use; well, good ammo if I end up with a boy. It would seem a little awkward having the following scenario with a girl.

Just imagine it -- my 13, 14, or 15 year old son back-talking me in front of his friends.

Mean Old Mom: "Excuse me?????"

Immature, Rude Boy: "Mumble, mumble, mumble."

Mean Old Mom: "Do you know what I WENT through to bring you into this world? Heck, making your nipples alone had me passed out on the couch for nearly a WEEK! You'd better straighten up or I'll talk about what else was hard to make with you!"

I can't wait.

Not that my son is going to ever be rude to his Mama. Not my son.

Yes, I DO Deserve Roses.

Hubby came home early last night -- much earlier than normal.

I was almost worried when I saw him walk in . . . until I saw the roses (or "fwowers" as the Little Lady called them) in his hand.

Go ahead and think it: "Awwwww! He brought her flowers!!!"

Now, let's discuss the back story behind these flowers.

Hubby sometimes, let's make that RARELY, a "bring home flowers" type of guy. He does it once in a great while. The last time was months ago and was, of course, documented on the ol' blog. ;)

Tonight's flowers were deliberately given -- and not just for a "I love you; you're a great wife" kind of reason. Nope. The roses were given for a "I'm sorry I kept your pregnant self up till two o'clock in the morning" kind of reason. Wait -- not a "kind of reason." That WAS the reason.

Yes, my hubby kept me up till after two am Sunday night. AFTER TWO AM!!!!!!!! Did he know how tired I am these days? Did he know that I have to go to bed by 9 pm these days? Did he know that fatigue is even keeping me from being the daily blogger I was once . . . these days????

Yes. Yes, he knows. But, hubby wanted homemade cinnamon rolls.

That's right -- I was up till after 2:30 am all because two dozen stinkin' cinnamon rolls.

Why did I offer to make them if they were going to take so long????

I DIDN'T OFFER!!!! In fact, HUBBY was the one who started the whole yeasty process. He's been crying for homemade rolls for years, but I haven't made them because they take over six hours. Last night, hubby decided he would make the rolls himself.

But, by 11:30, he was done. Not done with making the rolls, but done with his commitment to finishing his project. He was tired. He was ready for bed. He had to "work" the next morning, while I (and I quote) "would have a good chance of taking a nap later."

I was NOT happy, but I also knew that what he said was true. Begrudgingly and (yes) rather hatefully, I told him to go to bed.

He rewarded me with Roses, telling me that I deserved them for staying up late so that he could sleep AND have cinnamon rolls.

I didn't disagree with him.

Now. . . if I work his guilt into a couple of boxes of Godiva chocolate. The baby has been craving those lately.

THE Results

Well, I guess I should share the winning news first and details second.

Here is the official verdict, as proven by three separate measurements yesterday.

The Due Date?????

SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2009

WOO HOO!!!!!

This means that Lori correctly guessed the date and gets to choose her prize!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, for the details.

I got to see and HEAR the heartbeat (woo hoo). The rate was 167.

Hmmm, 167. Now, I know that this baby's gender isn't fully determined yet (although, according to my lil' day by day book, it does get nipples this week. That fact impressed my husband.), but I'm hoping that the slow v. fast heart rate theory will hold true.

'CAUSE I NEED ANOTHER GIRL TO USE ALL THE CLOTHES THAT THE LITTLE LADY HAS ACQUIRED OVER THE PAST 19 MONTHS!!!!!

Contest: ONE DAY ONLY!

Instead of my usual "Semi-Wordless Wednesday," I'm doing something a bit different today.

Why, you ask?

BECAUSE TODAY I SHOULD LEARN WHEN MY DUE DATE IS!!!!!!

That's right, today at approximately 2:30 (ish) pm, I will be flat on my back, with various magical equipment attached to me . . . in the hopes of pinpointing exactly how far along I am.

And here's where YOU can win too!

Today, ending at 7:00 pm (CST), you get to submit one comment telling me when you think my Due Date will be.

Your one comment = one entry.

Here's some background info:

(1) My last "cycle" occurred sometime between the last week of October and mid November. Yeah, I can't get any more specific than that.

(2) I "may" have ovulated sometime between the 14th -19th of December (a possibility because of some suspicious cramping -- of course, that cramping could have also been related to the early stages of pregnancy).

(3) At our last appointment, last Wednesday, the doctor didn't take any measurements but we did see the heart beating away.

(4) I had detectable symptoms beginning the last week of December; of course, I just chalked them up to an impending visit from a certain "Aunt."

So, what do you think?????

The person who gets it right will win a $10 gift card to either Starbucks or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice). If MORE than one person comes up with the correct EDD, I will use Random Integer to select one winner.

That's it!! Just pick when you think I'll be due!!!!

Leave your choice in a comment BEFORE 7 pm CST.

YAY -- I can't wait to see who is right!

Winner will be announced Thursday morning along with (hopefully) and ultrasound photo of the new baby.

Can Someone Kick Him For Me?

I mean, I would do it myself but I'm just too tired.

Oh, and for the record, the "Him" I'm talking about is this boy right here:

That's right -- my husband. . . in all his "Nacho Libre" glory.

Although, Nacho might have been a little more intelligent than my husband Monday.

I was laying on the couch around mid-morning, trying to take a nap, as I typically do these days. Hubby knows this. We've talked about how exhausted I have been over the past two week. . . how I absolutely have to take at least one nap in order to make it through the day. I *thought* that hubby got the picture.

I was wrong.

Hubby plopped down beside me and began tickling me -- an action that did NOT make me happy or giggly.

"Stop! I'm tired -- I'm trying to sleep!"

Hubby sighed. "What have you done today to be tired about??" He stood up, looking down at me as I once again curled up under my little blanket.

"Me? Oh, I don't know -- I'm just making a WHOLE OTHER PERSON here!"

He began to strut into the kitchen. "Like that's hard."

I raised up a bit, just enough to quickly fire back a retort. "Get back over here so I can kick you!"

"No, I'm not," he calmly stated. "I'm staying right here so you can get up and have something to be tired about!"

And, had he not taken off his shirt and proceeded to perform his "Old Man" dance, I would have gotten up and kicked him.

Unfortunately, I was laughing too hard.

Which left me wayyyyyyyy too tired to attempt any kicking.

Darn! He got out of it (again).

People Like to give Awards to Pregnant People

That's what I learned this week. Announce you're pregnant and you'll get a few awards. :)

Although, to be honest, a few of these were given to me before my announcement, but because I'm such a slacker about posting awards . . . well, that's just it. I'm a slacker.

So, here we go.

The Butterfly Award

Two people have sent this to me! Woo hoo. Penny, whose blog (Teaching Challenges) explores and discusses her goals/experiences as a teacher, was the first to send this award. Incidentally, I wish I had been a better blogger while I was teaching -- I would have loved to brainstorm with her. Her blog is great resource for teachers! (she also made my day with her reasons why she gave me this award!)

Elaine (from Commotion from the Ocean of Life) was the 2nd to pass along the "Butterfly." This blogger has been such a support since the moment I went public with this blog. She always comes along with sweet comments, blog layout tips, and encouragement. Thanks, Elaine!

The Buttload of Awards (my description)

One of my new favorite bloggers (new to me!), from Firefly Shop, REALLY out did herself. She sent along these five awards. That's right . . count 'em. FIVE. I love it!! She has a fun, fun blog (and an awesome layout that I wish I'd made!). GO CHECK HER OUT!

The Lemonade Award

Did you see the little Lemonade Cart award above???? Well, it just so happens that someone else also picked me for this award! The Rambler sent it to me. If you haven't come across her blogs, you definitely need to do so! Not only does she have her personal blog, but she also maintains a blog about her little Roo -- Caring For Cole. It was actually from this blog (which focuses on her life with Cole, who was born with Cerebral Palsy) that I first met her.

The Winners

Ok, now its time to pass along these awards. Please insert the sound of a drum roll in your head.

Now, turn it off.

Here we go:

The Butterfly Award

Lil Booger Bows
The View from My Beach Chair
Caring for Cole
Boondock Ramblings


The Buttload of Awards

Ma Vie Folle
A Day In the Life
I'm No SuperMom
Valerie
Raising Delia


The Lemonade Award
(which I'm choosing to pass along to blogs that I think are just SWEET!)

That Engaged Girl
Finleypotamus
Mommy-Momo
Our Lives in a Nutshell


THANKS, friends . . . . I hope I haven't forgotten anything or anyone!

SO freakin' excited

We're getting ready to head out for our celebratory dinner. You know -- nothing celebrates a baby better than food. But, not just any food. . .

Oh, no. We're heading to the most AWESOME, DELICIOUS Chinese food BUFFET. That's right -- buffet. Yards and Yards and Yards of food.

It's a hungry pregnant woman's dream.

Well, this hungry pregnant woman's dream.

WOO HOO!

Tales From the Doctor's Office

I'm a little late getting this post out. My most humble apologies to all of you!

So . . . the doctor's visit.

First of all, why did I assume my husband was mature enough to be in an OB/Gyn's office??? Cause -- he certainly wasn't, especially with the foot tall, 3-D replica of a woman's reproductive system beside his chair. OH, MY GOSH! The whole time we waited for the doctor, that "boy" couldn't resist the jokes, the comments, and the exclamation, "This explains so MUCH!"

Sheesh.

Oh, yeah -- and then there was the Pap-Smear. I had to tell him to stand by my head as he had, apparently, forgotten that he didn't want to observe that specific procedure. Of course, he let out some asinine comment about needing a rotating flashlight like the Doctor's. I just gave him "The Look." Instantly, he was silent. He knows when I mean business (even if I am in a somewhat precarious position).

Now, before I move on, I do want to highlight some things I learned from this experience:

(1) It is impossible to pee into a teeny-tiny cup when you're nervous. Your hands simply don't cooperate and neither does the "stream." Ugh.

(2) Having a grabby toddler in the room is not good -- especially given all of the cool toys around (you know -- the 3-D vagina just out there on the table).

(3) The trans-vaginal ultrasound "wand" (or whatever it is called) is daunting. To any man one.


Ok, back to the real reason for this post: Our baby has a heartbeat!!!!!

(insert the "Bosom Buddies" Dance of Joy . . . . HERE)

That's right, despite the ancient ultrasound machine that was used, we were able to see our little one and his/her fast, flickering little heart!!

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But, because of the ancient ultrasound machine, the doctor wasn't able to get the most accurate measurements. Yep, I still have no clue as to how far along I am or when I'm due.

(Before you get worried -- they do have a new, state of the art machine. It was getting some repairs, updates, etc. at the time of our visit.)

I will go back Wednesday for another visit, this time with the GOOD machine! Hopefully, I'll be bringing back some sweet pictures!

Semi Wordless Wednesday

Guess Who Was Excited
(and Just A Little Bit Confused)
To Learn She Would Be A Big Sister?

The One Where I Find Out

So, God has the biggest sense of humor.

Just about two weeks ago, my dear, sweet husband was in the middle of a conversation with my sister and brother-in-law, discussing their plans to "eventually" start trying to have a baby.

"God knows the right time -- when it's right, He'll make it happen."

He said this in a confident manner -- confident both in God and in the fact that we weren't having any more kids any time soon.

Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, chuckle

I think everyone knows that we adopted our little girl, taking her straight home from the hospital after she was born. Before we adopted the Little Lady, after years of "no protection" and fertility treatments, my doctor told me that IUI or IVF was pretty much my only options to get pregnant. We decided that we would rather pursue adoption that those risky options.

Since that appointment, we haven't been trying for a baby . . . but we haven't really been trying to prevent either.

Then, God decided it was time to bring a little ironic laughter into the situation.

It started with a little bit of grumpiness -- well, if you ask my mom, it was a WHOLE LOT of grumpy . . . from me. For some reason, I was grumpier and weepier than normal. I just chalked it up to the stress of the holidays and being stuck in Oklahoma.

Then, a wee bit of nausea started hitting me in the evenings. It was the weirdest thing!!!!! Every time I tried to eat in the late afternoon or evening, I would instantly get sick.

And that's what got me to thinkin'.

Could I be? Noooooo! Not me! I'm the lady that can't get pregnant! I'm the infertile chick! Babies don't grow in ME!!!!!

But, I bought a pregnancy test, which (incidentally) is such an embarrassing experience. Why do I get so red-faced when I head down the "Family Planning" aisle? And, why do pregnancy tests, condoms, and the like have to be RIGHT next to the Depends???? It never fails that I end up next to some old lady or man. And those people are ALWAYS nosy.

But, I digress.

Wednesday evening, after the laying on the couch for a few hours to sleep off the queasy feeling, I decided to test -- just to prove to myself that I wasn't pregnant. I was tired of obsessing about it; it was time to see that big fat negative and move on.

I carefully read the directions and fully expected that I would know in three minutes that I wasn't pregnant.

Once the test had been "doctored," I carefully sat it on my dry, flat surface known as "the bathroom counter." But, as soon as it was there, I noticed something.

THERE WAS ALREADY A PLUS SIGN IN THE WINDOW. A DARK plus sign.

(what the HECK???? I'm pregnant?????????)

Of course, I was in such shock that I didn't have the presence of mind to come up with a clever way of telling the Hubby. Oh, no -- I immediately SCREAMED for him. (oh, and by the way, I was STILL SITTING ON THE TOILET . . . .pants around my ankles -- so embarrassing.)

Hubby immediately burst into the bathroom with the Little Lady, thinking I had seen a mouse or something. I just looked up and said, "I'm pregnant." Then, the first round of tears started.

The Little Lady, of course, was scared by the intensity of my sobbing. Hubby was in shock . . . although, I'm not sure if it was over the BFP (aka Big Fat Positive) or the fact that he was seeing me on the toilet for the very first time.

At that point, he tried to grab the test, but by this time I had realized the precarious position I was i. I made him leave so I could "finish business." (sigh -- this is "such" a great story.)

When I came out, I just stared and stared and stared at the test. Heck, I still can't stop looking at it.

We are still shocked but getting happier by the moment. Oh, yeah -- and we're nervous. We don't know how far along I am . . . . don't know if my body will keep this baby . . . . don't know what's going to happen over the next few weeks and, hopefully, months. We're just trying to enjoy every minute while it lasts.

My first OB appointment is Wednesday afternoon. Please be praying and thinking about us -- it would be nice if that appointment went well!!!!! :)

One Choice: Jack Bauer or Your Wife

When did my relationship with my husband change? When did Jack Bauer become "the other woman?"

I mentioned awhile back that my husband has a man crush on Keifer Sutherland's character in Fox's series, "24." Last night, I realized the man crush has escalated. REALLY escalated. For some reason, I now fall below Jack in the pecking order.

WHAT THE HECK???

Let me back-track a bit. For the past few days, I have been hungry. Really hungry. All the time. Wait -- I mean . . . ALL. THE. FREAKIN'. TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I seriously cannot get enough food in me. I eat a meal or a snack, and within 45 minutes to an hour, I feel as though I haven't eaten in weeks. It's absolutely ridiculous! The most excruciating hunger pains take over, leaving me incapable of thinking straight. Not only that, but I become the biggest grouch. My only objective is getting food in my mouth, right away. Hubby has had to learn not to get between me and the pantry/fridge.

(Do I have a tape worm or some exotic parasite??? Not that I've been any where exotic lately, but stranger things have happened.)

Anyway, yesterday, Hubby decided to be very sweet. All day long, he offered to bring me snacks, fix lunch, rub my feet, and other such very sweet little offerings. As evening approached, I mentioned (for probably the 15th time that day) that I was hungry. Hubby gallantly offered to make dinner -- his specialty: Carne Asada.

Unfortunately for me and my ravenous stomach, Hubby had forgotten that Jack would be showing up at 7 pm for a date. AHHHHH!!!!! The moment Jack's Marlboro-esque face popped up on the screen, I was ditched. . . dinner plans were ditched. He was glued to the TV, absorbing Jack's every word and move.

I had to fix the meal myself, which was not an easy task since the overwhelming smell of the peppers, onions, and beef nearly made me sick (which would have been the 2nd time that day some smell nearly did me in).

Sigh -- it's going to be a long season if this keeps up. Seriously, if my tapeworm and I have to fight with Jack Bauer. . . Sigh. Let's just put it this way -- Hubby will realize that Jack ISN'T the biggest bad a$$.

I have a message for you, Jack.



You're going down.

Blah di Blah Blah Blah

Sorry that I haven't been posting the past couple of days -- Good grief, I even missed Photo Story Friday!!!!

The bad news is that I'm a bit under the weather.

The good news is that there is a very fun reason behind the sick feeling.

'Nuff said for now.


HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Semi Wordless Wednesday

Seriously? This was all you really wanted???

What is it with kids and boxes???? The Little Lady has a slew of toys from her aunties, uncles, and grandparents. But, it seems those toys are only fun if they're in a box. A big, slightly dilapidated freezer box.

If I had only known about a month ago when I was Christmas shopping . . . . .

Ice Is the Way To My Heart

I don't know whether this is a sign that I'm old, have been married too long (all of nearly 5 years), or I'm just an boring fuddy-duddy.

Either way, I received THE best (belated) Christmas present yesterday. One that I wasn't expecting.

Let me backtrack a bit. Sunday -- late, late, LATE Sunday night -- we finally pulled into our driveway. Oh, my goodness - I was NEVER so glad to be home and out of the car. The trip back was not fun at all, especially for my screaming Little Lady who kept signing and saying "Done! Done!! Done!!!" We were all done, but unfortunately the road wasn't.

As the garage door rose, I noticed a gi-normous box in the middle of the garage. Seriously -- GI-NORMOUS!

My husband lied when I asked him about it; he said his parents brought the box for the Little Lady to play with.

I believed him. I'm naive like that -- I believe what my husband tells me.

Turns out . . . the box . . . was for . . . THIS:

That's right, my husband had gotten ME a deep freezer for Christmas!!!!! I had no clue, but I certainly squealed like a little girl when I saw it in our laundry room.

Do you know how LONG I've been wanting such a gloriously cold piece of technology? Well, no, you probably don't. But, my husband did. He knew how much I longed for a deep freezer -- a place where I could safely store my excess steaks, ground beef, and all of the other random pieces of steer that my Mom sends my way.

That's how cool my husband is -- he actually knows what I want and need. I never dropped a single hint that I wanted this for Christmas. He figured it out all on his own.

It's just another example of how sweet this boy really is; despite his penchant for rodent killing, his incessant need to leave the toilet seat up, and his most recent annoying venture (teaching the Little Lady to "toot" on command . . . and LAUGH about it), he pays attention to me. He notices what bothers me, what I need, and what makes me happy. And, my genius boy can figure it all out on his own.

He's that good.

Hmmm. . . though, he hasn't seemed to notice that I don't appreciate the Little Lady's new tooting habit. Maybe I need to drop a hint about THAT one!




Yet Another Jay and Deb Production.

Houston, We're Coming HOME!!!!!

Our tires are finally fixed!!!!!!! Praise the LORD!

Turns out, the repairs could have been finished much sooner but there was a misunderstanding between our insurance company and the repair shop. But, the sweet mechanic/owner offered to open up this morning to fix the tires!!!!!!!!

Hubby drove in from Houston last night, walking in through my parent's front door around 2 am. It was about that time that the Little Lady woke up . . . and talk about a REUNION!!!!!! Oh, my goodness -- that was one excited little girl. She was instantly all smiles, very giggly, and full of silly antics, doing everything she could to entertain her long lost Daddy. Around 3 am, she decided it was ok if she went to sleep -- as long as she was in the bed with her Daddy.

Now, well tomorrow, we will begin our 10 hour drive back home. It's been wonderful, absolutely wonderful, to spend this extra time with my family, but I am definitely ready to head home!

Check Out My Big Booty

If you've seen my Twitter updates over the past few days, you've seen mentions of being sad, wanting to cry, and the announcement that this Dec 31st was the first time, in five years, that Hubby and I weren't together for New Year's Eve.

Absolutely pathetic.

The Little Lady and I are still in Oklahoma, waiting for the two bent rims on our car to be repaired. Incidentally, this the SECOND Christmas in a row that our car has been damaged while in Oklahoma. What the heck??? I think OK is jealous of our Texas plates . . . or else, OK hasn't forgiven me yet for moving south of the Red River.

Anyway, I was alone . . . dateless . . . sad and depressed about New Year's Eve. Just your general, silly little state of feeling sorry for myself.

But, dude -- I got HOOKED UP and had the PARTY of ALL parties.

(get ready to be jealous)

Who was the one to bring me out of the my funk and help me bring out my funky party self?

This little charmer right here:



Sorry about the picture -- that was his angry face . . .angry at ME face. You see, our date didn't go so well. Why? Because I'm a better pirate than he is.

That's right, I'm a better pirate. You see, our party plans included a variety of activities: binging on chips and dip (and brownies -- can't party without chocolate), watching "The Incredibles," and playing "Pirate's Cove."

This was my pirate:



I named him Peg Leg Wally "Gold-tooth" McGuin. He's the coolest pirate in the Cove.

I don't know if it was because of "Gold-tooth," or my pirating skills, or the fact that my nephew was distracted by the TV in the background, but it didn't take long for me to amass quite a Booty.

(that is the correct use of booty, right??? I mean, you know what I mean, right? I'm talking about gold, ya know . . . . not the OTHER kind of booty. That's a whole other post . . . that couldn't be posted on THIS blog)

Here's my winning pile of booty, in case you're still confused:




And, here's my date . . . and his reaction when I bragged that I, a girl, was a better pirate:



Apparently, despite the sound whipping he received playing me, he still didn't believe that he'd REALLY been bested by a girl.

Get used to it, Dear Nephew, I ALWAYS play to win.

Happy New Year's.




Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

No, Honey - We Don't Tickle Strangers

Especially Men.

Old Men.

The Little Lady has turned into an inappropriate little tickle monster. Every time she walks by someone sitting, squatting, or bending over, she reaches over with her little bitty fingers and tickles the small of their back.

USUALLY (hopefully) the small of their back. Sometimes, her aim isn't the most accurate -- which leaves one feeling just a tad bit uncomfortable.

The bad part is that she doesn't really understand the difference between "Tickle-Safe" people and "Not-Tickle-Safe" people.

Tickle-Safe: Mommy, Daddy, Grammie, Papa, Nina, Poppi . . . and all of the Aunties and Uncles.

Not-Tickle-Safe: All Strangers, including any old Farmer eating at a greasy spoon restaurant, and Grammie's dog, Molly.

Wait, WHAT? An Old FARMER? Yes, that's what I wrote. Tuesday, my daughter, either in an attempt to be cute, silly, or flirtatious, decided to tickle the backside of a 70+ year old man as she passed by his seat at a lunch. His backside. A 70+ year old man's BACKSIDE!!!!

Of course, she has to announce what she's doing: "Tickle, tickle, tickle." Not that telling the old man made it any better -- she still was touching something that shouldn't be touched.

(Interjection: my 7 year old nephew, who is reading over my shoulder as I type this, is having a giggle-fit. "Do you mean his BEHIND?" he asked amid hiccupy-laughter. Yes, dear Isaak -- I mean his BEHIND. Now STOP reading over my shoulder! Yes, I really mean STOP!)

Fortunately, the old man either had no sense of feeling or she wasn't doing a good job of tickling, because he didn't seem to notice the tiny fingers at play.

Too bad Auntie Hannah didn't have a similar experience later that night. Then again, the Little Lady used her foot that time . . . and she ended up sticking her foot down the back of Auntie Hannah's pajamas. That's a little harder to miss.

Of course, Hannah had it coming -- she's the one that felt me up in her sleep during my last family visit. Yeah, she totally deserved a itty bitty foot down her backside.