balloons from Granwendy & Grandaddy

We have been incredibly blessed by support from family and friends, even since before Little Guy made his appearance. My parents took care of Bear on Monday and Tuesday. We had several visitors at the hospital, but not too many. Upon arrival home, a friend from church brought a meal, and the next day our next door neighbors brought over a crock pot full of pulled pork (BBQ here in the south) as well as a tray full to freeze for later. Bear's friends came to meet her little brother (their mom brought us drinks from Sonic while we were still in the hospital- yummy lemon berry slush!) And Tech Mom and Dad, Caslon & Camera Guy were here until this morning. They took great care of us, and gave Bear the extra attention I am not able to give her just yet.

flowers from hubby

Overall, recovery has been easier so far than after Bear's birth. Oh, I am still exhausted. That won't change for about 18 years, I suspect. Little Guy is nursing better than his sister ever did, though I am still a bit anxious about weight gain, etc. Trying to relax. That's my biggest concern right now. (Yes, i did see a Lactation Consultant before I left the hospital.) He had dropped less than 8% of his birth weigh the morning we went home, considering he fasted after the circumcision, that's not too bad. But of course, I can't help but worry a bit. So pray for peace for Mama, lots of milk for baby, etc...

sweet feet

Home....

no play by plays like you are used to. :) we're doing well, tired of course. Brandon, aka "big shooter" as his daddy calls him and "squeaker" as i have dubbed him, is napping.
he is absolutely precious! last night was a making up for not eating night, so i am going to try to get some rest myself before he wakes up.

zann, i was already almost 3 cm at my last checkup, and by the time i was giving in to the fatigue and pain, it was too late... the epidural would have kicked in after the birth! i am still shocked that we made it through, and thankful. God definitely gave me the desire to try to deliver without the epidural (i did have to have iv meds for GBS+ and fluids, though). I am sure a longer labor would have been too much for me to take... when we left the house around 7-ish the contractions were 12-15 minutes apart, and my body kicked into full speed. I was barely on the IV for the amount of time they want the baby to get the medicine before delivery.

Hubby says next time we can hire 2 doulas, someone help me hold him to that, LOL! (If there is a next time, no rush here....)

Thank you!

Thanks for all your prayers and well-wishes! My Dad brought his laptop to the hospital tonight, so I am able to check comments. I'm sorry I don't have time to respond to everyone individually.

I am very tired, but things are going well overall. Becca summarized things very well. Our little guy is precious. He has been a sleepy-head today, not nursing quite as much, but I'm told that is normal following "boy surgery."

I thought I would share today's quips:

The anesthesiologist came in to check on me. "You're doing well? No back pain from the epidural?" he asked. "I feel great, I didn't actually get the epidural." Apparently I was on his list since I had signed the consent forms just in case. He congratulated me and and moved on to the next patient. I did tell him that by the time I had decided to ask for it I Was already dilated to 8cm and figured it wouldn't kick in in time to help. And I am very glad, still a little shocked, that I was able to make it through. I am normally a wimp with very little tolerance for pain, but with an awesome support team including my beloved. And if you have seen the business of being born, do not let it scare you into thinking all hospitals are unsupportive of goals for natural childbirth. If you make up your mind to try it, your doctors and nurses may just surprise you... especially if you bring a supportive spouse and doula along for the ride.

We let Hannah hold her little brother in the hospital bed, with pillow support, of course. She lifted up her shirt with the hand that was not around her brother, and stated, "I feed Brandon milk from my breasts."

Let the adventures in parenting two begin...

Lauren and baby Brandon are doing great! He is soooo cute (perhaps Aunt Becca is a little bit partial). He's an adorable little munk-a-chunk with the most perfectly round head that I've ever seen from a regular delivery. He doesn't have as much hair as Hannah did... he has most of his hair in the mullet area :) His hair looked sort of wavy on top a lot like Hannah's, so we'll see if he ends up with curly hair as well. Brandon is pretty laid back thus far and if the first few hours of his life are any indication, he may turn out to be an "easy" baby.
Joel did a great job coaching Lauren through her all natural child birth, along with the help of a doula. Lauren said that it was VERY hard, but very worth it. Although, she is pretty certain that if the labor lasted too much longer she wouldn't have been able to continue. I can certainly tell a difference between this recovery and the last one. When I (Becca) visited she was practically bouncing off the wall happy. Well, as much as a woman who just gave birth can be. She was so relaxed and able to get around well. Brandon is already eating and pooping like a champ! Hannah is already a very loving big sister.

Without further ado, here are some pics of the bouncing baby boy! GranWendy and I are staying the night with Hannah tonight, so these are the unedited photos. Hopefully I'll be able to share some better pics soon, but this will at least give you an idea. Enjoy!
P.S.- If Brandon looks mad in some pics, it's because he was getting a bath :)






















What's the big deal with that bright light?


(video to follow)...

brandon john arrived this afternoon at 12:18pm!
he weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs. 9oz and measured 21inches.
mom and baby are resting comfortably.
i've not spoken to wandering heart, but i'm sure she appreciates your prayers and well-wishes!

he's on his way...
a wandering heart went to the hospital about an hour ago.
please pray all goes as planned!

happy mcfamily and i will keep you posted

Silly Six Meme

I have been tagged by Kristi.

The rules are:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules.
3. Tell six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six bloggers by linking.
5. Leave a comment for each blogger.

OK, here goes:

1. I have a harmonica collection of about 15. I don't play any of them well. When I was in 5th grade, my parent bought me a harmonica because I liked playing my Grandpa's so well when we would visit him in NY. A neighbor's Uncle Ed came to visit and heard/saw me sitting on the front porch playing my harmonica (bet the neighbors loved that), and he sent me his collection. He died of cancer shortly after that. Conincidentally, Uncle Ed was from the Pacific Northwest, the same region where several of my blogging buddies reside.

2. I would rather do yard work than keep my house clean. Under normal circumstances. This far along in pregnancy, I am not up to either, though I have at least made myself keep up with laundry and dishes.

3. I am usually pretty laid back, but don't you dare mess up my everyday silverware drawer. It will drive me nuts until I can fix it. I've begun to notice since MIL came to help me "nest" that there are other certain things that must now be in their respective correct places. But the average person would never notice them. (She sorted my towels by color, I prefer to organize them by size and then color. For example, she had blue hand towels and washcloths in a stack with the bath towels. Well, I use them all at different rates, so for me it makes more sense to stack them according to towel type so the wash cloths and hand towels don't get lost in the stacks. I never realized that would bother me so much, considering how when I grew up we were just lucky if the linens didn't fall out of the closet onto us.)

4. I collect digital photos. On my computer. I do not print them out often enough.

5. I am addicted to Facebook. I have re-connected with a couple of people from elementary school, middle school, and cousins who I would not normally recognize if I passed them on a street thanks to FB. I'm getting to know more recently made friends better, too.

6. I find myself using phrases my Mom still uses with me when talking with my little girl. "I'm so glad your my daughter." One of Bear's favorite lullabies is a rendition of one Mom sang to us as kids. Pretty soon, as she starts gaining responsibilities, I'm sure, "I don't expect perfection, but appreciate the effort!" will be added to the list.
****

Okay, I played along. Now this little guy needs to come OUT! Seriously. I had some contractions after my last post, went to sleep, and they stopped. We're going on 41 weeks here. I can't imagine how people who gain TONS of weight manage... I'm approaching 30 lbs, and that's more than enough for me!

I tag Becca, Caslon, Becky, Jenn, Steph in TX, and Emily D.

good golly, miss molly

doc wasn't joking when she said there was lots of mucous. it decided to dislodge itself. i think my body is definitely getting ready... the question is, how long will the getting itself ready take?

no contractions since before dinner...

false alarm
(potentially tmi)

I woke up at 3 am to pee and felt extra moist. Went to the doctor, nothing more than my body prepping for the big event. It was not the extremely slow leak I had hoped it was.

Dilation is about the same (between 2 and 3), effacement has continued to 70-80%. So progress has been made.

My belly feels like a watermelon.

Still sporadic contractions, but nothing consistent, though talking on the phone tends to set them into gear. Too bad I don't feel like talking all the time!!!

So we're waiting until Wednesday for the NST and u/s. At that point, if Little Guy still hasn't decided to leave his cozy home, I will most likely request an induction for Thursday or Friday. I went into this trimester hoping to be able to find out what it's like for my body to start labor naturally. And the OB who was on call today respects that. She sympathetically yet flat out told me that there is no medical reason to induce at this point, when my body is showing signs that it is prepping for the big event. (Though they would do it if I asked them to.) So we're giving it a couple of more days, and praying, as we have every day for a week or so, that today is the big day. ;-) This doc also induced her first one and waited to go into labor on her own for the 2nd, so she obviously understands the emotional aspect of wanting to let how God designed us take it's course when it is possible. And she comforted me by saying that at the very end she was going crazy wondering, and she is a physician who sees women go through it all the time. God knew who needed to be on call today.

I took a good nap this afternoon and have a homemade chicken pot pie in the oven. I figured the heat from the oven could bring on contractions! (The crusts are the roll out kind, don't think I'm too insane.)

It's been a good day, overall.

So far, baby is still baking. But that's ok, he'll come when he's ready, or be evicted no later than Friday, I am sure. I felt loved by my church family, loved by my parents, hubby and daughter, and all those who called to wish me happy birthday and find out if Little Guy seemed any closer to making his appearance.

Little Guy danced in my womb during the worship service, and that is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. We sang one of my all-time favorite hymns, "The Solid Rock."

If he comes tomorrow, he and his sister will have been born on the same day of their birth months. That would be nice. (My brother and I were born on the same day of our birth months, so it would be kind of like continuing a family tradition, plus make it easy to remember. The number would also be the same as one of her cousins.)

Pray for rest for me, I am tired and though I really want to meet my little one ASAP, a good night of sleep sure sounds appealing.

comforting words... and not so much

caslon called to wish me happy birthday and see if her newest nephew was showing any signs of making an appearance yet. her best friend from childhood was the youngest of 4, came the latest and the longest labor. while that might discouraged some, at least i know i am not alone in the waiting game. i keep reminding myself he's not a week late yet.

then gramma m called to wish me happy birthday and tell me a girl in her church gave birth this morning. good for her!

little guy has definitely dropped lower, there are some early signs that he could come soon, but they are the kinds subtle of signs that mean "soon" could be 8 hours away or 2 weeks away, because every woman, her pregnancy and baby are different. but some signs are better than none at all. and there are still 8 hours left in the day, so while not probably, the arrival of my little guy on my birthday could be possible.

after church, mom and dad treated us to lunch. they were not-so-secretly hoping my water would break or contractions would set it while all of us were together.

bear is awake from her nap and calling my name. time to waddle downstairs. maybe i'll let her tackle me and see if that helps bring on labor.

aah...
I can breath a little better. Of course, I am peeing more and my belly rests on my thighs when I sit up with my back straight.

Today was restful, except for the occasional Braxton Hicks and one pretty crazy back spasm. And while my solitary walk was peaceful, that hardly qualifies as restful when you are 9+ months pregnant.

If I am so motivated, I might write a new verse to the tune of the Christmas carol, "Here we come a caroling."

Here I come a waddling.
Along the streets so hard.
Here I come a waddling,
past the neighbors' yards....

Okay, someone else can finish it for me. I don't feel like thinking that much.

wild things

we have a "pet" canary. it's lime green with black, and it lives in our birch tree. i assume that it was someone else's pet, it got away, and now it likes us well enough to stick around our yard. two days ago, it flew right up next to me on the sidewalk, and when i whistled at it, it whistled back. yesterday, it flew next to me and bear on the front porch and landed on the back of the chair, within 2 feet, staying for just a moment. i went inside for my camera, but it did not return.

mr. woodchuck has also been returning to munch on our lousy excuse for a lawn just about every morning. we have given up watering, so it must like crunchy grass.

and last, but not least, hubby got his new battery for his motorcycle and is out for a morning ride. he washed his baby last night. i'm tempted to jump on the back for a ride when he returns. if i can fit.

waiting...

still....

does a rushing increase in hormonal responses mean labor is eminent? because my mood swings are not getting any better.... maybe i just need prozac...

Update on the twins

My friend's sister and her twin boys are on their way home to GA. She is on meds to keep her body from going into labor (it may want to, thinking the surgery was labor). She is also on meds for Joseph's heart. They could not find Little Joe (Joshua's) bladder during surgery.

Still a lot of uncertainty for this precious family. Please pray for God to take care of Mommy and the little ones who are growing inside of her!!!


Also, my friend Sandy(the sister of the Mommy) is expecting a little one in December, so keep her and her little one in your prayers, too!

Update on little Joseph....

He passed away at the age of 4. Please pray for his family.



******
BTW, yes I know sleep can help relax the body to bring on labor, too.
I tried to get to sleep, it didn't happen. Let's hope the 2nd time is the charm! (At least for the sleep part, the whole waiting game is not ALL that terrible unless I am trying to get up from lying down. Or get to sleep.)

because i'm obsessed...

pardon the richard simmons 'do on bear. she apparently sleeps like her mommy...
all over the place. my hair is a tad bit more forgiving. anyway, she has decided her bouncy ball is an exercise ball, but her feet don't touch the floor. it makes keeping my balance a bit more difficult.

tonight, before mexican food

Just for kicks... and in case I get desperate.

What natural labor-inducers have any of you tried that worked? Castor oil is out of the question, don't even bother suggesting that. I'm thinking more along the lines of foods, something that might actually provide nourishment for me and baby (and preferably taste good). Walking and assorted household chores are apparently not going to work. Of course, Doc says they are all wives tales, etc... but I figure what's the harm in trying (some of them, at least).

40 week self-portrait

... well, the most prominent physical part of my self right now.

I've been trying to keep myself occupied by keeping up with dishes, laundry, etc.... The hike halfway down the biggest hill in the subdivision did not make a lick of difference. I thought about ringing my friend Katrin's doorbell at 7 a.m. to see if the magic Xocaii chocolates she sells will induce labor. But I abstained, my mom taught me not to disturb people before 9 a.m. (Though sometimes she forgets that rule herself.)

keep praying for Andy (and his family)

A month ago, he was wounded by a sniper in the line of duty in Afghanistan. Check out his sister, Sarah's, blog for the details.

the waiting game

he's still bakin'. my weight was the same as last week, still measuring good, doc d said the cervix is softening nicely and i am closer to 3 cm, effacement probably about 50% still. but of course those stats don't mean anything, except that's almost 3 cm less that i have to open up to push this baby out of me when the time comes. he's in a good position, but she didn't feel around enough to check for a station, which is fine by me. her philosophy is he'll come when he's ready or no later than 41 weeks when it's pretty much their office's standard to evict, i mean induce.

if for some reason he decides to stick it out til next week, i will go back next wednesday for an ultrasound to check amniotic fluid levels and a non-stress test. but he's definitely still kicking in there, heart rate was good, yada, yada, yada....

hubby predicts we'll meet our little one within the next 3 days. parents predict the side effects from the tropical storm will work their way up here and bring on the action no later than my birthday. but they also predicted the full moon would bring him out. i do think the increases in twinges, hip/pelvis aches, braxton hicks that i've felt over the past couple of days can't be bad signs.

I went for a walk all by myself.

The last time I did that was on the beach in Gulf Shores last summer. I walked up to what I call the "war zone", across the neighborhood where the developer abandoned partially finished homes when he went bankrupt. And of course, I walked home. I'll take the undeveloped, growing back in lots behind us over barely framed houses to stare at any day.

The walk was good, no major contractions or loss of mucous or water breaking yet. So I guess you could say all is status quo, still.

Hubby is working at home, so he kept an ear out for Bear while I walked... and she stayed asleep until I returned.

And on the 1st night of the 40th week....

Lauren rested. Mostly. Getting up every 2 hours is not completely restful, but I've grown so accustomed to it that it's not a big deal anymore. The cramps/mild contractions/whatever they were fizzled by 1 a.m. (They were like half as bad as my regular pms cramps, nothing major. But when you haven't felt anything like that in months, well you can't help but wonder.)

Maybe I should go for a quick walk while Bear is still sleeping, it's not too hot out yet, and hubby is home in case Bear does wake up. (He's working from home today.)

wondering...

is tonight the night? tomorrow? we'll see...

definitely having some crampiness... still irregular. getting up and down from any type of sitting position is, well, comical at best, sometimes painful. especially when bear helps me up and grunts as she tugs.

stay tuned... i'm watching some gymnastics and breathing a sigh of relief that at least i got the dishes from last night and tonight done, so if mom does have to come over she won't have to clean up my mess. maybe if i scrub some toilets or swiffer the kitchen floor, that will send me over the edge into labor... but that would require the nesting instinct that God didn't give me. ;)

my 40 week check up is tomorrow afternoon, 2:20 or so. i wonder if mom and dad will have to meet us at the hospital afterward. i can't help but hope....

One of my neighbors is hosting a craft n' chat night at her house tonight. Well, I decided it was time for me to go ahead and stock up on yarn. And unless something changes drastically in the next few hours, the girls' night will be a welcome change of focus. Of course, Bear so sweetly asked, "Mommy, will you make me a blanket?" So the multi-colored yarn is hers.

Pray for these babies!

My friend Sandy's sister is pregnant with twin boys, Joseph and Joshua. They are due in November, and recent tests show that the healthy baby is measuring at 25 weeks (1lb 12 oz.), but his brother is measuring at just 18 weeks (11 oz.). They are currently seeing a specialist in Cincinnati to see if they are candidates for surgery that would enable them to share blood flow so they both get proper nutrition. Tests from last week showed that the smaller baby only gets 20% of the placenta, and the larger baby's heart is enlarged and beginning to have heart failure. The only hope for either baby is to do the procedure to share the blood flow more effectively, but the placenta is located in front, which will add an additional level of difficulty.

Please pray for Kathy and he husband Charlie, and for these two precious little boys. Pray for wisdom and skill for the doctors as they perform the surgery this morning!

bloggy baby fun

make your predictions in the comments for this post...

1) how much do you think lauren's baby will weigh at birth (lbs., oz.)?
2) how long do you think he'll be?

oh, and in case you are wondering, as of tonight my belly button is basically completely flat. not an innie or an outie.

labor dust is in the air!

just not my air yet. congratulations to my friend lisa from women@home on the birth of her little boy! her estimated due date was august 28th.

An invitation for parents in Middle Tennessee:For more info, click HERE

the 39 week check-up went well.

no big changes since last week. my blood pressure was up a little but still within the normal range. when i asked the ob if that meant i probably won't have a full moon baby tomorrow, she offered a disclaimer but said "probably not. he's still pretty high up there." she thought for a moment...

"the full moon's this weekend?" she asked.
"yup."
"woo-hoo, i'm not on call for once!" (maybe she didn't say w00-hoo, i don't remember for sure.)
"so there IS something to the whole full-moon theory?" i asked.
"absolutely, they don't call them lunatics for nothing!"

will it be today?

now that i am in my last week before little guy's estimated due date, i can't help but wonder. i slept well last night, well, from 1:30 to 6:00 this morning. as i vacuumed the bonus room i made a point to vacuum under the couch cushions, and let's just say it was greatly needed. that counts as nesting, doesn't it? who in their right mind vacuums at 11:00 p.m.?

my theory is that if i go to this afternoon's 39-week appointment with bags packed and in the car, he won't come today. but if i go unprepared, he will.

warning: prone to moodiness

ok, if you know me, you know that's not abnormal. but until yesterday, i was feeling pretty level-headed and even-keeled.

does an increase in moodiness signify an onset of labor? because if it does, then i'm going to have to change my voice mail greeting before next wednesday...

oh, and for the record, don't interrupt me while i'm chopping watermelon with a long knife. apparently my tone changes and i don't sound "okay" through the phone. you may be tempted to ask me if i am sure i'm ok. of course, i could have not answered the call....

Pray for Joseph

A new blog to check out, and a new little boy to pray for. He's fighting a brain tumor.

39 week bump watch

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

At this point in my first pregnancy,

just shy of 3 years ago....

... we met our daughter.

39 week funk

Yep, that's how I feel today. I've been up since 3:30, wide awake for no reason. No contractions, so don't get your hopes up. Although I did have a couple of pretty good Braxton Hicks yesterday afternoon.

When I created the poll in the sidebar, I did not realize there's a full moon this weekend. Apparently my parents' friends think Little Guy will come on Saturday if he has not pushed his way out before then.

Right now, I just want sleep.

Chapman Family Interview

Here's the link to the interview which was aired on Good Morning America this week...

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5524419

congratulations to zann and her hubby, j, on the birth of their little girl!
and canine big sister, sasha, who has no idea how her life is about to change.

nothin' a little retail therapy can't fix

so, i got to my check-up today. everything was going smoothly.

weight? 165 lbs. check
blood pressure? still great
baby's heartbeat? 145 bpm
progress? 2 cm, 50%
position? head first
size? can't REALLY tell, but no more than 7 1/2 lbs, possibly less
if he doesn't come on his own by 41 weeks, induction will be eminent. we've got a bit to go for that.

and oh, by the way, since i tested + for group b strep, i get to have penicillin iv'd through me. what happened to the phone call with the results? am i sooo laid back that i come across like i don't care? what if i had gone into labor this week and did not know i would need the iv's, took my precious time getting to the hospital, and then not been able to get the meds? i'm sure it would have been fine, but i was a bit irritated.

oh, well. now i have some super cute itsy bitsy newborn socks and caps and a super snuggly blanket and snuggle toy set for my little guy (for bear to give to him), 2 pair of lightweight pants for bear to wear with her plethora of t-shirts, and a present for bear from her little brother. i tried not to let the fact that kohl's doesn't carry nursing tops or bras spoil my therapy session.

38 weeks

Where has the time gone? I have been blessed with a smooth pregnancy. What has stood out the most has been the process of seeing our little girl "get it". Now, I am not blind to the fact that she doesn't yet understand all the ways her life is about to change (or mine, for that matter). But it is not uncommon for her to just come up and give my belly a hug, kiss, or both. She talks about him as if he were already here, which he is in a way. She is growing into such a big girl, and while it excites and awes me, part of me wants to scream, "No!!!! Don't grow up so fast!!!" I am amazed by her sense of logic and reason at a young age. And order. She already has the gift of communication and draws conclusions that some teenagers would not verbalize. She likes to help and that is going to come in handy when we need diapers, wipes, another blankie, etc.... Yet I also want to remember to not push her to grow up too fast, to encourage her to experiment... to play with caterpillars, pick tomatoes, paint her craft in her own way without fretting about the mess. There is a time and place for order, and there is a time and place for creativity.

Oh, wait, this entry was supposed to be about my 38th week of pregnancy with our little guy. Well, my check-up is not until tomorrow, so not much to report statistically today. Occasional Braxton Hicks, but nothing major. My biggest complaints are heartburn and getting up from the couch or in and out of bed. I am trying to go for walks once a day or so, or at least every other day....

I love feeling the movements inside, even when I get jabbed in the ribs or my bladder hurts. Bear was never as continuously active as Little Guy has been, and I can't help but wonder if that's an indication of his temperament. Or just a boy vs. girl difference.

I am a bit anxious about nursing, since it was so hard with Bear and she had such difficulty gaining weight at first, but trying not to worry about it.

I am looking forward to having hubby home instead of having him rush off to training 8 hours away. In fact, I'm looking forward to (hopefully) going into labor on my own, when my body and baby are ready. In that sense, this almost feels like a first pregnancy... without the fear of the complete unknown of labor, since I have labored before.

I am also a bit sad. I have several friends online and in real life who have lost babies during the time that I have been pregnant, one has lost her 2nd. (The first would have been due this week.) So I mourn for my friends, Moms who are wondering "why?", and wish they could experiece the journey of motherhood without the pain. I pray that they will not lose hope, that the Lord will bless them with healthy pregnancies and children.

This is a milestone week. Almost 3 years ago, I went into my 38-week check-up and my doctor offered the induction the next week because she knew our circumstances. That was best for us.
This time, I revel in the mystery and expectation... with a few aches and pains along the way. It's exciting!

Another Tackle in Progress

"word scramble"

I asked Bear if we should paint the letters green to match her name above her bed, or blue.
"Brother likes blue!" she responded.

Meanwhile, Bear tackled her own painting project, mixing the two colors.
And miraculously, she did not get any blue paint on her shirt.

Tackle It "Tuesday"

As previously posted, my MIL came to help me nest, since God apparently forgot to put that instinct into my gene pool. (My sister must have got all of those genes, because I don't think my brother got any of them, either).

Here are some photos which show what we accomplished:

This photo represents the "before", even though it was taken after. Except for the motorcycle and tools in the background, all of these boxes were cleared out during our tackle.

After:

Hubby and Dad-in-law moved the top 2 shelves up to the top notch, then bought and installed the mug and small-plate shelves. They worked with the holes that came in the cabinets.

Organized spice/seasoning cabinet.
The containers with the white faces hold packets, loose tea bags and other oddly shaped items which normally would fall out. Tech Mom found them under a cabinet at work, no longer in use. The used to hold prescription samples, before their filing went high tech. We covered the blatant drug logo with white contact paper. She also brought me the 3 tiered expandable insert for the spices.

The re-organized hall/kitchen storage closet.
The paper goods and griddle had been falling out every time I opened the door. We moved the tall glasses into their home in the kitchen cabinets after hubby and Dad in law added the extra shelves. That got rid of a box and created usable and greatly needed space.

"Bear" in front of the linen closet.
Table cloths and other miscellaneous linens packed away in the tote.
(Yes, I do brush her hair. Sometimes. She asked to be in the picture.)

Bear and Little Guy's closet.

Yesterday I managed to keep my kitchen clean, keep up with laundry as much as I can (I still need to go through my clothes), and organize the cabinet under my bathroom sink. (Hubby's is not quite the disaster area.) I also vacuumed the utility room, including behind the washer and dryer, which got rid of the mess of dust-bunnies and other debris that somehow accumulate so quickly.

And thanks again to the World's Greatest Mother-in-Law! (Who really needs to update her blog, by the way.)


So, those are the main tackles from this week. Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to visit the Tackle it Tuesday HQ by clicking on the banner at the top of this post.

i <3 craigs list

hubby reposted some things on craig's list over the weekend.... some of his old electronic "boy toys" that have been packed away, an antique-style sofa and chair set. in all honesty, we use the chair in our room, but the sofa is really more for piling pillows and blankets in the bonus room, and we could use that space for other things. we have at least 2 people who've expressed interest in it (there was a 3rd, but apparently i was too slow in getting back to her with a response... she e-mailed me during church yesterday, i didnt get it til last night, she found another one in between), and a while back we sold an old vhs vcr, and tonight we sold his amp. we are too lazy to mess with pay pal and e-bay shipping arrangements... so far the whole craigs list thing is definitely worth the time and effort. it certainly beats sitting out in the smothering heat for a yard sale.

are you my conscience?

or rather, is my mother-in-law my nesting instinct?

if you've read my blog, or know me in real life, i've made it pretty obvious that i am domestically challenged. at times, i am what you call a "defeated perfectionist" who suffers from "analysis paralysis." i made a spreadsheet of several nesting projects, room-by-room about a month ago. then i got so overwhelmed by the magnitude that i have really only done a few things here and there, the bare minimum. of course, getting sick didn't help, but i honestly can't blame my lack-of-productivity on just one week.

a few weeks back, tech mom asked if i wanted her to come help tackle some of the projects around the house. this weekend became the chosen weekend for our tackles.

today was our "tackle it tuesday", weekend edition. we:

• cleaned out all except 2 of the cabinets in the kitchen (one will be easy, the other, well, this pregnant woman won't be leaning into the corner cabinet any time soon)
• cleaned out and reorganized the hall "pantry" which is really a storage closet for kitchen stuff that doesn't fit in my cupboards because the floor plan is so darn open we have limited cabinet space.
• reorganized the microwave cart/cleaned out the microwave/threw out old phone books
• went through old baby clothes... set aside several boxes for goodwill, boxes to give back to sis in law to go through to see what she wants to keep in case they have a surprise 3rd daughter, kept several plastic totes "just in case", since hubby and i are open to the idea of more kids in the future, reorganized bear's dresser and closet
• threw out a bunch of junk... boxes, plastic bags, old gift bags, store hangers

not only did she help with all that cleaning, she brought a few things to help me utilize my space more efficiently... spice steps for the spice cabinet, lid baskets for tupperware/gladwarelids, and 2 small wire shelves.

plus, hubby and his dad took bear along on a trip to lowe's to buy previously mentioned totes and some shoe box-sized clear boxes. they also took one of the shelves out of the kitchen cabinets, bought 2 more just like it, and installed them. you see, our builder put in these nice tall cabinets for us, claiming they were an "included upgrade" but they should have put in at least one more shelf. so now some glasses which were in storage in their box on the floor of the hall closet have a home in my kitchen cabinets. we actually had more kitchen cabinet space in our 1000 square foot apartment than we do here.

bear was a really good girl all day. she kept trying to find ways to help, and as we sorted through her old shoes, she decided to squeeze into her squeaky shoes and run around the house in them. then she decided she did not like where mommy put her current shoes in her closet and set them up the way she liked them. she also helped carry good hangers from "ground zero" in the guest room back into her bedroom, which was actually a huge help so i did not have to squat to pick them up off the floor.

so, here is a list of projects left to tackle, hopefully before baby boy makes his appearance:

in the kitchen:

• clean out junk drawer in kitchen
• clean out cookie sheet cabinet: done Sunday (thanks, Tech Mom!)
  
• clean out big awkward pot/pan cabinet:done (thanks, Tech Mom!)
  
• clean off counter (begun)
  

in the nursery:

• put crib side back on toddler bed and raise mattress
• put batteries in mobile and set it back up
• finish washing little guy's clothes
  
• organize little guy's dresser a bit better (done Sunday)
  
• organize crib sheets and blankets in closet shelves (done Sunday)

master bedroom:

• clean off my dresser
• clean out my dresser... go through clothes, get rid of the size 6's which i will never squeze into again after birthing 2 children
• clean mirror on dresser
• set up mini pack and play (sheets are washed)

miscellany:

• put cleaned bouncy seat and car seat covers back on their respective homes
• put clean boppy cover on pillow (done Sunday)
  
• go to publix and use my baby club buy one get one free coupons on miscellaneous needs for little guy

bathrooms:

• thoroughly scrub/clean everything one more time (it's been almost 2 weeks... sigh)
• clean out and reorganize cabinets and drawers. (1 done, 1 to go, thanks to tech mom)
  

utility room:

• clean out and reorganize tall cabinet (done Sunday)
  
• "dust" top of dryer and washer again (just did it a couple of weeks ago) (done Sunday)
  
• vacuum and mop floor
• vacuum corners and behind washer and dryer

oh yeah:

• pack hospital bag for me and baby
• pack a "just in case" bag in the event we have to drag bear to the hospital with us to meet my parents there, in case there is not time for them to make it to our house before we leave for the hospital
  

there's still a lot to do, but i am so thankful for the help i had this weekend. and thankfully, if our little guy were to decide to come tomorrow, it will only take a couple of minutes for hubby to put the cover back on the car seat and set up the mini pack and play next to our bed.

thanks, tech mom, for all of your help!!!!! i couldn't have done it without you (and without tech dad and hubby keeping bear occupied)

so, today tech mom decided she was on a roll and wanted to get more done... did she ever. in addition to the things listed in brown on the above list, she reorganized my linen closet. we packed away some table cloths and other linens that we don't use very often in a tote in the bottom of the closet, which basically made an extra shelf on which to put the recently laundered baby bath towels.

after church and lunch, i also tackled a couple of things, listed in red.

mom's day out

my neighbor gina and i got to go out sans kids this afternoon, since our hubbies were off work. we got pedicures and then hit babies r us, which had an extra 20% off the clearance items. little guy made out pretty well, thanks to gina's knack for finding the good deals on the rack. (i typically lack the patience and move on before i come across the $2-$3 items).