bouncing baby boy

Our little guy is quite active this afternoon. It's so much fun to feel his movements inside of me, especially since he is not yet big enough to jab my ribs and hurt them in the process. Just when I get worried that I am not feeling enough movement, he starts doing those somersaults and using my stomach and bladder for kickboxing or some other exercise, as if to remind me that he is just fine.

Today has been better. we had our last Bible study group meeting this morning. It has been such a blessing to go through the Gospel Transformation study with a small group of ladies at our church. God placed each of us in our group for a reason, and each woman has become a treasure to me. Our small group co-leaders have such giving hearts, and their transparency about how the Lord has transformed their lives (and continues to do so) has been an amazing testimony of God's grace in their lives. The best part was that He gave us a group which learned to be honest and vulnerable as we shared our stories and sruggles with one another, knowing that there is no condemnation for those who know Christ Jesus as their personal Savior.

After GT, Bear and I went to Costco. When we pulled into the parking lot, she immediately asked, "See Granddaddy at the store?" The last time we were there, we ran into my Dad and a couple of his friends. She remembered. I am amazed by the things she remembers at just 2 1/2. She already values relationships so much, and is constantly asking to see someone in our family or a friend.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the toddler is napping. Too bad my chores won't do themselves.

just can't keep up

That's how I feel this today. Perhaps because last night's sleep was sporadic and I awoke feeling like a zombie, maybe due to Bear peeing a river through her training pants on the booth at the restaurant where we ate lunch with a friend AFTER previously asking to go to the potty but failing to "produce." (On the bright side, the bill had been paid and we were getting ready to leave, so embarrassment was minimized a little.)

Got home, got her into her room for nap time, and she took an hour to get to sleep. "I'm all alone and cold in my bed." Well maybe if she would have stopped squirming she would have had something besides a pull-up on. And she had plenty of blankets. When I went down to check on her, she not only said she wanted clothes now but she also needed to go potty. She did in fact use it before going back to her room where she proceeded to jabber and sing herself lullabies-a-la-toddler (at the top of her lungs) until she finally fell asleep.

Throughly exhausted and swearing off the so-called adventures of potty training (whether temporarily or indefinitely has yet to be determined), I checked my e-mail where I was reminded that I had signed up to bring a meal to a friend who had surgery a few weeks ago. Not having much on hand, on the verge of a breakdown, I called my friend and apologized, trying to comfort myself with the fact that I had seen her at church on Sunday and at least she is no longer in the immobile-doped-on-pain-killers stage but is well on her way to recovery. Still, I feel bad. But the prospect of figuring out what to make since I did not have the ingredients on hand to make what I had intended to and drive 30 minutes in each direction to deliver whatever it was I might come up with was not helping me looming breakdown. So ticked at myself, and with the noises through the baby monitor having ceased, I went downstairs to get a nap of my own.

It helped. Except I woke up with sciatic nerve pain that hit as soon as I stepped out of bed. It's too early for that in pregnancy! And Bear and I were supposed to go to the Supercenter with a friend to pick out flowers for her flowerbed... obviously that didn't happen, either.

Then there's the whole date mix-up/overbooking. Why does everyone want to have parties and cookouts on the same weekend? I was so excited when I thought we could actually make it to all of them. Then I found out one was actually not planned when we thought it was... oops.

I won't go into the things that I need to do around here... though I am keeping on top of laundry ok. At least we have clean underwear.

Thanks for putting up with my little tantrum in cyberspace without reminding me that I only have one child to keep up with. Now have a lovely evening.

For this week's Tackle It Tuesday meme, I'm bragging on my hubby. When he got his bike (motorcycle) a few weeks ago, he was also bit by the "organize the garage" bug. We began by throwing out a bunch of junk that had accumulated on the floor. Now, considering my parents' garage is 25' by 25' and at best has room for one car in it, ours was in pretty decent shape. But after almost 5 years of living here, it was past time for a little TLC. Here's an "in process" photo:



A lot of the junk was old flower pots, some of which were broken Then we went to Lowe's and priced out shelving and hooks. Our goal was to safely get as much up off the floor as possible without spending a lot of money. While Bear doesn't play in the garage, she does wander in there from time to time. While his Dad was here with the trailer this weekend, they went back to Lowe's and bought a couple of shelves and brackets to haul back to the house. Hubby had discovered that our drill battery does not seem to hold its charge, so Tech Dad brought his drill along, too. Together, they found the studs, made sure they were level, etc...


I went to take a picture of the "completed" tackle (to this point), and my camera batteries are dead. So after the charger does a tackle of its own, I'll post the "after" pic...

Maybe Caslon can post a pic of the jimmy-rigging Tech Dad did on our counter, or e-mail it to me... that was another tackle in itself.

As for my own personal tackles... I am trying to not let Mt. Laundry pile up and to be more conscienscious about gradual pick-up so I don't get overwhelmed. (I seem to live in a perpetual state of either overwhelmed-ness or denial of chores.) I managed to fold 3 loads last night IMMEDIATELY after washing them.

And I moved a mum plant because it was in the middle of the calla lillies which have begun to poke through. (scroll down a few days to see the spikes if you are so inclined.) Now it's at the very end of my flower bed, where it has room to spread out a bit. That entailed transplanting one of my purple salvia flowers, too. Hubby dumped compost into my big pots and I planted the basil plant in the pot with my perennial herbs (thyme and oregano). I also planted some green beans that I started from seed into one of the other pots. They were at least 2 inches tall and needed more space than the little 6" pot they were in could offer. Let's hope the HOA doesn't deny my retroactive "yard ornament/landscaping" approval request that I submitted for the pots.

If you would like to see other tackles, click on the Meme tag at the top of the post. You can also get the code for your own "Tackle It Tuesday" label from 5 minutes for Mom.


Update: After Pics

I am so glad to know the poisonous chemicals are out of our daughter's reach! But in hubby's zeal for cleaning up, he took a raft (that pink blob)out of a box that it needed to be stored in in order to protect it from punctures. Oh, well, I'll find another box for it.

family time

Tech Mom and Dad, caslon (the blogger, not the kitty) & camera man came to visit this weekend. Tech Dad helped hubby hang a couple of shelves in the garage and epoxy and re-caulk our kitchen counter where is was beginning to separate from the particle board underneath (the back splash and counter top are 2 pieces unlike the counters that have a back splash built in). Hubby FINALLY found the caulk that had been missing for 3 years since we had the kitchen painted, much to everyone's relief.

In the evenings, we hung out on the front porch, and the neighbor-kitty which has not been removed by the HOA or Animal Control came to visit/play with Bear. If it makes it down to the end of the cul-de-sac, its owners may not see it again.

Yesterday, us girls took advantage of the Spring tax-free shopping weekend and hit Kohl's. Meanwhile, the boys hit the road on the motorcycles, heading over to the Natchez Trace Pkwy for a scenic drive. In spite of Tech Dad's prompting that Computer Guy (Hubby's brother) would give Camera Man a good deal on his motorcycle so he can get a new one, Camera Man continues to contend that he would prefer a new camera. I can't say that I blame him, especially since a motorcycle won't really contribute to his livelihood.

Last night I even got to ride on the bike with hubby, and I have to say I prefer the full-face helmet that blocks wind from your eyes and bugs from your teeth to the "brain bucket" that leaves your face open to everything. Baby didn't seem to mind the bike ride in the least, though I doubt riding on a motorcycle will be a regular occurrence for us during the remainder of the pregnancy.

All-in-all it was a very good weekend. Bear will miss her company greatly, as will we.

23 weeks and 4 days belly shot
4/27/08

kissing the belly

do i have to kiss it again, mom?

once upon a time...

i ordered a prenatal yoga video from amazon.
i actually watched and attempted to do the exercises on that video.
i felt good and relaxed after doing said exercises (when i did them without a 2 1/2 year old underfoot).

it's time to be able to remember when i last did those exercises...

buenas noches, y'all!

Guess what these are?

(I am not referring to the pieces of mulch. Look closely.)

hint: a couple of weeks ago, I stated I did not think they were coming back this year.
I watered their location anyway, since I read that they like to be kept moist and not dry out.

And now I do the happy dance! Perhaps I should wait until they actually bloom.

the little purple tulip that could

As I've mentioned previously, most of the tulips which actually came up this Spring were the ivory ones from the batch. I'm guessing purple is a more difficult color to grow, because I haven't seen many out... lots of red, pink, and yellows, but no purple.

Well, I think I've had a total of 3 or 4 purple tulips actually bloom the Spring...
here is the most recent. I love how the ivory "siblings" tower over it.

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

(My friend Gina took this pic of our girls and their friend as we left the park today.)

Little Guy's 1st Mail!

I have to admit, I drooled like a puppy dog when I saw the adorable taggy snugglies/blankies that Farmwife has been making. (If you haven't seen them, go check out the collaborative crafty zone called Nudge-Nudge.)

This was one of them, or one like them. In case you're wondering "why the tags?"... the answer is "for baby to chew on and play with!" It doesn't take much to amuse an infant, and they love to explore textures, patterns, etc.

AND IT CAME IN MY MAIL TODAY!!!!

THANK YOU, FARMWIFE!

Giveaway Gazette

If you haven't been over to 5 minutes for Mom's 2 weeks of toys giveaways, you simply must. They have so many contests going on for some really awesome toys.

Plus, Stephanie over at Punkin' Press is doing a drawing for an awesome kids' book.

Just so you can't say I didn't tell you... they are clickable in my sidebar!

There's one less tulip in the flowerbed than when she stepped outside.
I just planted more daisy seeds so she'll have plenty to pick this summer. If they grow.

I've been in a cooking rut... forever

Last night I took a step at getting out of that rut:

shrimp scampi with bowtie pasta and sweet red peppers

I basically followed the recipe on the back of a 1 lb frozen bag of pre-cooked shrimp from-walmart. I added the peppers because they were on hand and needed to be eaten, and hubby doesn't munch on them raw. I also threw in some fresh oregano from my "illegal" herb pot in the backyard (which I am submitting an approval request for just to play nice). And lots of ground black pepper, salt, and fresh garlic... and 1 tsp more butter than the recipe called for.

Hubby liked it, bear liked it, and I liked it. It would have been better with fresh gulf shrimp in our beach rental home in Gulf Shores, but I am just glad to have something else to add to my meager selection of dishes. And I think it tasted at least as good as some dishes I've had in restaurants, at a fraction of the cost! It even looks pretty in my blue plates, unlike some dishes!

milestone for hubby

He drove his new ride to work today. He dropped his laptop and things off at the office on his way back into town last night after working "out west" (within state). I knew this beautiful weather had to be making him antsy.

No cops have come to my door to express condolences, so I'm assuming he made it safely.
***
I had to laugh to myself as one of our non-motorcycle riding guy friends tried to pick Hubby's brain about the appeal of bikes. Apparently the bug has never really bit him like it bites other men/boys.

Of course, when the exterminator sales guys were making their rounds, I got to come across as the cool wife as they drooled over hubby's toy while interrupting me from bringing in groceries. (They did offer to help, but do I look stupid? I don't let strange men into my house.) Still, I told them he found it on craigslist. But in my mind, they were younger college-age guys who haven't earned their bikes yet. Hubby waited a long time for his.

Woo hoo!!!

I have my summer maternity clothes back! They were in TX, then stranded at Steph's Mom's, then stranded at my parents'... they have returned home safely and I now have more than 2 pairs of maternity pants to wear.

(Celebrate the small things, right?)

22 week check-up

I can't believe I am OVER the halfway mark already! My doctor's appointment went well. I got to go by myself, since my parents came and played with Bear. I think they were pretty worn out by the time I got home. :)

Stats: Little guy's heartbeat- 144 bpm
Weight gain: 5 lbs since last check-up (151.3 total weight; about 1 lb per week)
Belly measured right where it should... not too big, not too small.
My blood pressure is good.

She confirmed that the u/s looked good, and as the mommy of a cute little boy, was happy to congratulate me on expecting a boy.

I was also able to finally ask some questions related to my birth "plan" (I use that term loosely)... namely, my desire to deliver naturally if possible. She was completely supportive, and encouraged me to take a Lamaze class for prep to build my confidence. She also said that since it's baby #2, my body should naturally handle the stretching better since it has been there and done that (not to minimize the pain), and from what she has observed the recovery after a NCB is definitely easier than with all the meds in your system. Of course, at this point who knows how it will play out in the end, but one of my biggest fears (though I suspected I was just being paranoid) was that I'd feel belittled for even considering NCB.

Insomnia strikes again...
and I am really missing the CD's I loaned to someone. At last month's A Mom's HEART, I was captivated by the lyrics and music of Jill Phillips. She came across as a very real person, one who is not afraid to let it be known that she does not have all the answers....

Anyway, here's a video someone put on you tube to one of her songs, I Am:

New Links....

If you haven't noticed, I have 2 new html links in my sidebar. Not only are they cute, I just thought some of my readers might be interested in playing along.

I have already entered the drawings for some of the prizes in the 2 weeks of toys contest.

I am hoping that Scrapping Servant's National Scrapbooking Month celebration will help inspire me to get some pictures printed and actually scrap again. My flowerbeds ARE running out of space, so pretty soon I'll just be watering and weeding... ;)

Hidden danger of parking close to the garden department

I initially began parking close to the garden center at the superstore last fall or winter, because there were always closer spots available. I would rather walk through the store than across the parking lot, a target for whomever might be looking for a victim.

Well, in addition to a few groceries/household items, tonight I left with 1 white/mauve centered clematis plant for my mailbox, a 6-pack of purple salvia, and 2 pretty pink columbines. Bear played with her bubbles and chased a neighbor's cat (which is going to get picked up by animal control some day if they continue to let it roam. or worse.) A couple of neighbor girls stopped to play with her, and one wanted to help me plant my flowers. I <3 purple flowers, by the way. Who am I kidding? I <3 flowers period. I justify it by convincing myself the flowers would have cost more at a fancy garden center, and that you have to pick the best colors before they get picked over. Anyway, I think it's time for a trip to starbucks to pick up a load of natural fertilizer (coffee grounds). (Some of my previous loads mildewed in their bags the garage, so the garbage can is REALLY heavy this week.)

Still hoping my calla lily plants come back... So far, there is no sign of them. It might be too early. I hope.

Another glimpse of the fearless leader of the HOA's "uncommon sense"

My friend was in front of witnesses when the HOA President told her that her husband could continue to park his police car on the curb. He denies it and says he has the whole meeting recorded on tape. (Breach of privacy, anyone?)

Last week, out of principle, her DH gave an honest effort at keeping the car in the driveway since the HOA is enforcing a "no parking on the street" rule. Keep in mind that when he is off duty, he can't so much as turn the car on without his precinct knowing. So logistics were tricky. Their main car, like ours, is parked in the garage. DH's other car is usually in the driveway. So with both cars in the driveway, anytime my friend wanted to leave with her 2 girls, she or her DH had to move her DH's other car.

After sending a letter of complaint to the board when witnesses confirmed that she was told the police car could stay by the curb, she received a response back. In that response, she as told the cop car was in essence nothing more than any other commercial vehicle and did not belong parked on the streets.

I don't know about y'all, but when my DH drove a cop car, I heard over and over and over and over how glad my neighbors were to see it parked on the street.

Apparently with all the enforcements the HOA has time for, they don't need police help.

I am seriously reconsidering whether or not I want to do the newsletter when there does not appear to be any budging on the issues that matter.


Have a great day, ya'll! I'm off to Bible study after I shower.