35 Weeks!

Happy New Year! This is a day early because tomorrow night I'll be celebrating, Friday I will most likely be working on the kitchen with Eric and I have shit to do on top of all of that!

Random Thoughts from This Week: I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas break. I love it because I have time to myself. I hate it because my kiddos are restless and are in a different routine because I'm in a different routine and it screws everything up. But damnit, I want that ten extra minutes of sleep!
Maternity clothes? Yes, and this week it has been nothing but yoga pants and shirts.
Weight gain? Yep, sitting at a glorious 190. Every time I eat something, I think, "I'm going to have to lose this weight." At this point, I think I was only 175 with Catherine, if that. Also, I am pretty sure when I gave birth to Catherine, I was at 182. Sooo... go me.
Stretch marks? Nope!
Best moment this week? Physical. Therapy. Oh my God! It was amazing! She showed me all the reasons I am in pain, and then showed me how I can actually combat that pain. I actually thought I might be able to skip out of my appointment. Then I had an hour-long prenatal massage, and I feel awesome. I didn't realize how much pain I was in until I wasn't in that much pain anymore! Another "best" moment this week is that we actually started in on the kitchen. And we started with a bang. It's been pretty crazy, but somehow, it's actually still functional. Sure, we don't have a floor and are just walking on the sub floor, which is dusty. Sure, we don't have a counter top, but in all reality, we didn't really have much to begin with, so we're not really losing much. It's been a good time, but we hit a snafu today, so hopefully we can get past it quickly!
Worst moment this week? James has been naughty naughty naughty and tonight, I bribed him with a New Year's Eve party if he stays in his room after bedtime. He has made a habit of getting out of bed for one thing or another, which seems to be the norm every couple of months.
Movement? Oh my, yes. The other night, you stuck your knee out and moved allll the way across my belly, making my belly button pop out! It was crazy to watch, and certainly alien-like, but still very cool.
Anything make you queasy or sick? Because the stove is unhooked and Eric took down the microwave to put up a cabinet, I had to be really inventive when cooking dinner last night. We had grilled cheese sandwiches, and they are so good, I had too many and felt like hell. So yes, I was definitely queasy after that bout.
Looking forward to: I get to have physical therapy TWICE A WEEK. I am so damn excited, I can hardly contain myself. I can't believe how much better I felt! Here's to a few more days of break, and week 35!

34 Weeks!

Merry Christmas!!!


Random Thoughts from This Week: I know that in the grand scheme of things, Christmas is about Jesus, not presents. But I fucking won in the parenting department with the presents I got the kids. Especially with James' bunk bed. Super awesome!
Maternity clothes? Yep! Especially for our photos at Christmas, the staples came out. Boots, leggings, dress, scarf.
Weight gain? Probably. All I've done is eat, and it's awesome. On the news today, they said the average American will gain 6 pounds between now and New Years Eve. I bet I will gain more. ;)
Stretch marks? Negative, ghost rider. Which is surprising, because the way this kid stretches out is insane.
Best moment this week? Definitely being together with family for Christmas. It was really fun, and for the first time in several years, Eric's family Christmas was enjoyable. It was enjoyable when we first got together, but after things went downhill with his parents, it got really awkward. Finally, they are at an amicable place where we can actually have fun. It was awesome.
Worst moment this week? I am in so much pain, it's unreal. It doesn't matter if I'm walking, sitting down, sleeping, whatever I'm doing, I'm in pain. In the past week, I have not once woken up feeling great. I have a feeling this will be the norm in this pregnancy until I give birth.
Miss anything? This week, definitely my dad.
Movement? OMG, yes, my child, how you love to move. You don't really kick anymore, you just sloooowly shift around. You especially like to stick your knees out at my belly button, which hurts. I usually have to push back so you'll stop. It's very painful. Add that to the pain that I'm already feeling, and I just want to lay down on the bed and cry!
Anything make you queasy or sick? If Christmas cookies made me queasy or sick, I would be incredible sad.

Looking forward to: This coming week have a snowstorm coming (wahoo!), I have Catherine's 18 month appointment (just after she has turned 19 months and after missing her 15 month - parenting win!), I have my first physical therapy appointment (THANK YOU JESUS), I have an hour-long prenatal massage (YESSSSS) and Eric will be tearing apart our kitchen (half excited, half dreading it...). Not to mention, our kids are in daycare ALL WEEK until Thursday. Whoopee!! Usually, she takes time off for the holidays, for which we still have to pay (ugh, but that's the way it goes), but this year because of the way the holidays fall, she is staying open. I can't wait to have all this time to myself and help Eric out on the kitchen... as much as I can, I suppose!

Here's to 6 weeks left! 

33 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Holy. Shit.
Maternity clothes? Yes, and I am squeezing into all of them. Luckily, it's finally cold enough for the staples: dress, leggings, boots. Add a scarf, and it looks like I tried. My biggest issue so far has been *gasp* the boobs. Holy. Hell. Where did these things come from? Why have they not gotten this big before? You can tell I've gained some weight here and there (face, as always!), but if you look at the boob comparison from pregnancy to pregnancy, this time, they are HUGE. I finally broke down and bought bigger nursing bras to give the girls some room because they were getting out of control! I have only ever been this size once, and it was when I was breastfeeding Catherine. Incredible!
Weight gain? Yes, believe it or not. Although I'm only up 20 pounds from the weight I was when I got pregnant, not to mention I was wearing boots, heavy pants and a bunch of shit at the doctors office, I am definitely as heavy as I was with James at this point. Which isn't fun. It was so nice to lose the weight so quickly with Catherine, and it was so hard with James.I am guessing that after multiple pregnancies, given my age, it will, again, be difficult to lose weight. Hopefully, not too difficult!
Stretch marks? Nope. I just might actually be one of the lucky ones.
Best moment this week? Umm... I had my concert on Monday night. Even though I wasn't happy with the end product, I spent most of it hobbling around because I was in so much pain, and at one point, I contemplated stepping outside because I was so nauseous, it's OVER. That means I don't have anything major going on until this baby comes. Thank God. Also, I was referred for physical therapy from the doctor, since she said my pain is just going to get worse as baby gets bigger. So I have my first appointment on the 30th, and I can't wait. I am so ready to have this baby and NOT be in pain anymore! Then, I had my second pregnancy massage, and it was glorious. Since I won't be having one next week, I scheduled an HOUR massage for Christmas Break. Can't wait! Already, I am dreaming of Gregorian Chant, aromatherapy candles and laying on my stomach. Cannot. Wait. 
Worst moment this week? Eric has been gone a lot this week already, and will be gone again tomorrow morning. Which leaves a very pregnant me trying to entertain two small children. I am thrilled that James is really into a couple of apps on his tablet and puzzles (OH MY GOD, PUZZLES...), and that Catherine is really finding her purse to be fascinating, but it is difficult to try and get down on their level and play with them. While I was hanging out on the floor (oh lord, the pain in getting up from that!) I had a bit of mommy guilt, much like I did when I was pregnant with Catherine. Soon, these two aren't going to be my one and only's. And even though we are simply adding to the brood, and I have been through this before, it is still the last time I will ever have just two kids. Pretty nuts...
Miss anything? Walking normally. I am officially starting to waddle.
Movement? It has started to slow down dramatically. Lots of pushing and squirming, not so much kicking jabbing. Which tells me it's getting tight in there!
Food cravings? Chips and dip. Right now, in fact. And Honeycrisp Apples. Oh my, how I love Honeycrisp Apples!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Not really anything in particular, I have just been feeling sick in general. I am guessing third trimester nausea is starting to make an appearance, which is always fun. At least I don't have to pretend that I've not sick, like we normally do for the first trimester!

What pissed you off this week? Mmm, nothing really. It's been a pretty normal week.

Here's to week 34!!!! 

32 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Ready to not have to bend over at an awkward angle in front of my students anymore........
Maternity clothes? Yes, and they are starting to get too small. How's that for self-esteem?
Weight gain? Probably - we will find out on Tuesday!
Stretch marks? Nope, and I'm hoping to get to the mall this weekend for a little Bath and Body Works lotion!
Best moment this week? It's been a rough week, but maybe today when my Select Choir sang at the Senior Citizens Dinner and was AWESOME. Not to mention today I had my first (of many) prenatal massages. I felt AWESOME afterward! She pinpointed all the spots that I have been complaining about, including my sciatic nerve, and it was amazing. I seriously felt like I was 22 weeks instead of 32!!!! Also, the fact that we have a decent bathtub that I can soak in every night is glorious. And I do soak in it every night. It's amazing. I just wish I could make it blazing hot like I enjoy, but alas, I have to make sure Baby Engels is safe (hence, no pregnant women in hot tubs)!
Worst moment this week? I have been very sore, and very tired. It has made dealing with our kids a bit of a handful. James has also been extra naughty and extra whiney and it has made for some long nights for this family of four. Eric and I have been strung out.
Miss anything? I desperately miss being able to haul myself off the couch faster. I also miss not having to plea every time I bend over, which makes balance very difficult. 
Movement? Right now, he is boot scooting. I can tell it's getting much tighter in there! 
Food cravings? Honeycrisp apples are in season right now, and it's awesome. I have been munching on one of those for breakfast every morning, and they are glorious!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope. I pretty much dealt with the majority of that last week with the flu. I am fully functioning this week.

What pissed you off this week? My y'all come sing choir has been incredibly talkative, so I channeled my inner bitch, and let them have it. If they talk out of turn, they have to sing their part for me by themselves on the spot. If they continue, they go to the library to write a paper. Every time after that, they add one page to the paper. Needless to say, they have been awesome. I am very excited to work with them this week since they sucked all last week adn when I came back from having the flu on Monday. Just a lot of kids who don't know how to work hard.

So here's to Week 33, which is making me nervous... We have a kitchen that we have yet to order cabinets for, lay flooring for etc. Although I have to hand it to Eric, he is cleaning and organizing the garage so he has a place to assemble the cabinets. We are going with Ready to Assemble cabinets as they are very inexpensive, but higher quality. Not to mention, we don't need any custom cabinets, so that will keep the cost down too. I am always so surprised at what people pay for things. Our neighbors got their cabinets "re-faced," meaning some people came in and sprayed them down with white paint, and they really don't look that good. We have done our research, Eric is a smart contractor, and it really is the best option for us right now. He will also be able to store and assemble them as we install them, which will mean that my kitchen won't be completely demolished and then rebuilt over time. Instead, we will demolish slowly.

The bathroom is almost completely done. We just need to cut the mirrors to size (again, my hubby's a contractor, so he got perfectly good mirrors out of a remodel he was doing and thought, "I should put those back in case we need them as mirrors are expensive." Smart guy, I tell ya!) and get vanity lights. I thought that would do it, but Eric thinks our toilet is leaking. He put some sawdust down and yep, just the slightest bit of water. He thinks it's the way he positioned the toilet. I think we have a crack somewhere in the bowl and need to return it as soon as possible. Just what I wanted to deal with at 8 months pregnant.

I read an article the other night about deciding (who decided this one??) to have the third kid. One of them said DO NOT have a third kid if you are thinking of doing any remodeling in the next 5 years. Ummmmm, we are completely ignoring that one. Remodel is about the only thing we know. But here we are, with almost 100% equity in our home (thank you assessment and property value increases...). Not a whole lot of people can say that... unless they can say their parents gave them a ton of money for a down payment. Haha. But honestly, that's huge. And our house genuinely looks nice. What I cannot understand is that we have a house that is 1500 square feet, with a 700 square foot (finished portion) basement, and a 400 square foot deck. We have acquaintances that just bought an 1800 square foot house, basement UNFINISHED and about 800 square feet, for $280,000!!! What the hell??? Why on earth would you do that? Do they have a three-stall garage? Yes. But they are only on a quarter-acre of land, like we are. And yet, they paid more than double we did? I'm telling you, foreclosures are where it's at. It's a lot of work, but in the end, when we go to sell this puppy, we will have a ton of money for a much bigger house, and we will still be able to live comfortably. You could say I'm pretty proud of that!

But, of course, I digress. Bottom line: we are almost done with our remodels. The question is, will we be done by the time Baby E3 gets here??? We shall see!

Onward!

31 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Last week, I was thanking God for not getting the flu. This week, I am thanking God that I lived through the flu.
Maternity clothes? Yes, yes and yes. I have taken a few out that were too big in the beginning, as they fit me now. Why not, right? 
Weight gain? Considering how much I have thrown up in the past 24 hours, I'm guessing there is not a whole lot of weight gain there...
Stretch marks? Negative. I wonder if I'm just one of those people who are lucky and don't get them. Although I have been spreading lotion on!
Best moment this week? We put up our Christmas tree on Sunday, AFTER we laid our new floor in our dining room. Hallelujah! James was hilarious and kept taking ornaments to Eric to put on the tree. He would run to the tree and give Eric the ornament and then say, "Merry Christmas!" or something to that extent. It was adorable. 
Worst moment this week? The flu. Holy hell.
Miss anything? Feeling normal. I am so tired, I think I strained a muscle in my stomach from puking, I can't seem to get comfortable in bed anymore, and I feel like a cow most days. I can't wait for post-baby!
Movement? A ton, despite all the puking I did last night. You were still boot scooting away!
Food cravings? Not right now!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Just the sight of food last night sent me to the bathroom. So yes, right now, everything except for the crackers and apple I have choked down.

What pissed you off this week? Not much! Surprisingly...

Here's to week 32! Can't believe how close we're getting!

30 Weeks!

Happy Thanksgiving Baby E!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Thank God I have not gotten the flu.........
Maternity clothes? Yes, and it's getting pretty bad. Now I am having to put bigger maternity tanks under t-shirts just to cover my belly. UGH! 
Weight gain? Probably. It's Thanksgiving for God's sake. I have been eating nothing but crap!
Stretch marks? No, but I think I found a sign that I should start spreading lotion on when I got a Bath and Body Works coupon book in the mail... I think I might just take them up on that!
Best moment this week? Catherine is starting to get over whatever it is that pisses her off and is getting to be FUN. She is laughing and running around with James and being goofy. It's awesome. She still gets tired and goes down about 6:00-6:30 p.m. (and sleeps until we wake her at 7:15 or so), but otherwise, she has been awesome. Thank God! 
Worst moment this week? This morning, I thought I was going to go out of my damn mind. The kids weren't getting along, James was antagonizing Catherine, being a big butthead, and we had to put him in timeout a time or two. Luckily, after that, he had an attitude adjustment, but holy hell. Both Eric and I were going to go out of our minds!
Miss anything? Something has gone awry in my left glute. It's almost like I pulled a muscle. Whenever I bring it up to say, take the stairs or something, it kills. Not to mention, getting up from a sitting position is tedious as I have to wait for my hips to adjust before taking a step. Then when I take a step, my lower back kills. I can tell it's because you're sitting so low, because even though I still get out of breath per normal, I can take big breaths with out discomfort, which is interesting. Also, if you look at my belly from the side, you can see how low you're sitting compared to my other pregnancies. In short, this pregnancy sucks ass.  
Movement? Yes. Large kicks about knock the wind out of me.
Food cravings? Yes. Uncle Bucks' turkey wrap, which I am eating TOMORROW. I am so damn excited about it too!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Not this week!

What pissed you off this week? Mmm, my kids. But that's normal. :)  

29 Weeks!

I hope you brought waders, because shit is about to get deep in here!

I had my 28 week appointment, which technically, is my 29 week appointment. Either way, I am officially measuring right on. Which means that odds are I will not be delivering on or even close to the day my dad passed away because my babies like to come late.

There are some sort of bittersweet feelings in knowing this. I have been preparing myself for the day that I give birth to this miracle baby, which could easily come on the anniversary of my dad's death. And in some ways, I want him to come on that day. Childbirth is like nothing else in this world; it's incredibly chaotic, beautiful and so far, the two best moments I have had in not only my life, but in this life with Eric. Giving birth to you on the same day that death took my dad wouldn't necessarily be replacing one memory with another, but it would remind me that my dad is truly always with me.

On the other side, I don't want to give birth on the anniversary of my dad's death, because that one day reminds me that I need to live the three hundred sixty-four other days that aren't bogged down with sadness and grief. Even though those feelings are still deep-seeded, they don't steal my breath like they used to. But when that day comes around each year, I am able to remember and realize how precious life and relationships with other human beings are; to never take anything for granted.

And then, with all that being said, I know this miracle baby will surprise me and make our family complete. So come what may...

In other news, when I finished my check up this week, the doctor said, "Ok, we'll see you in two weeks." I did a double take and said, "Two weeks?!" Since we're technically at week 29, they start the two week appointments at week 30.... so, that would mean that in two weeks, I begin every two weeks until week 36. Luckily, I asked if I could put it off another week and truly come on week 32, and she approved it, so this one will be three weeks. But still. What the hell??? I cannot believe it. I was so shocked. I think because with my other two pregnancies, at this point, I was looking forward to finding out if Baby E was a boy or a girl. Now, at this point, I'm in my third trimester and staring down the barrel of the Holiday Shotgun. What comes right after the holidays? BABY. It's so weird to think like that.

Luckily, our bathroom is almost finished and next will be the kitchen. I made pumpkin bars tonight for our family Thanksgiving this weekend (where we will ALSO be attending the Iowa game. SO EXCITED!) and kept thinking about how excited I was about my new kitchen. I cannot wait. After Thanksgiving, Eric and I will be ordering our cabinets and looking for our counter top. I have been busy pinning the various colors and organizational things I want in my kitchen, and overall, getting very excited that soon, our house will be 90% complete. The whole house. And currently, we have over $80,000 in equity in our home. Which means with it actually complete, we will have much more than that. Which means we are closer to our seven year goal of moving into a bigger house, or buying an acreage. WAHOO! WE ARE MOVING FORWARD!

Speaking of moving forward, on to the update!


Random Thoughts from This Week: I hope I don't get the flu, I hope I don't get the flu, I hope I don't get the flu...
Maternity clothes? Yes, and some of them are about to be retired. So long, brown pants.
Weight gain? Yes, which again, I am trying not to stress out about. From my ideal weight, I am almost 30 pounds. From my typical weight, I am about 23 pounds. From my weight when I first found out I was pregnant, thanks to my anxiety pills (that's my story and I'm sticking to it...) I am only 15. So that's not technically that bad. For some reason, I've really been hard on myself. So I feel a little bit better about it after today's appointment. Although I am really surprised that no doctor has mentioned it, but after thinking about it, this is probably why!
Stretch marks? Nope! I hope it stays that way! 
Best moment this week? We have this thing called "Homeroom" which is like an advisory period once a week where students are assigned to a teacher, and that teacher acts as their liaison, communicator etc. in case the kid feels like they don't have one in the school. This week's homeroom lesson plan was to write thank you notes to people. It was the teacher's choice to whom they wanted the students to write, but most kids wrote to the teachers. I received 13 "thank you" notes from some of my most unsuspecting students. Some of the students that I didn't think I was reaching, I was. It was really incredible. I was shocked, but it was an incredibly humbling feeling. 
Worst moment this week? Probably from 2:00 a.m. this morning until about a half hour ago. The flu has struck my little man down, and being that I'm so far along, I do NOT want to catch it. It's not just the "I ate something horrible" flu, it's the genuine flu, with a fever and everything. So I spent most of last night wiping up puke, wiping James' face, yelling at him to get to the trash can at the side of his bed etc. Eric took the reins and actually got into bed with James to make sure he didn't choke on his vomit etc. while I stayed in our room, but we were up about every hour, either cleaning up puke, cleaning up James, or just guiding him toward the waste basket while I rubbed his back and he puked. I ended up going to a conference today, and Eric took the  day off to take care of him. About noon is when the fever and dry heaves hit, and the poor kid dry heaved and slept off and on all afternoon. I feel awful for him, but Eric smartly gave him a bath about 6:00, which broke his fever and he's been slightly warm, but in much better spirits since.
Miss anything? Not hurting when I move. 
Movement? Yep! You've started your twitchy thing!
Food cravings? I went out to eat with my mom at Uncle Buck's and had a turkey wrap thing. IT WAS FUCKING DELICIOUS. I want to order another one. Every day.
Anything make you queasy or sick? The smell of James' vomit. It was terrible. 

What pissed you off this week? Not much. Surprisingly...  

28 Weeks!

How interesting it is to look back at each of my third trimesters. The first one I was soooo excited about James! The second one, I was sooooo excited about Catherine. This one? I'm just trying to make it through this damn pregnancy with two other small children to look after.

I hurt. ALL THE TIME. It's nearly impossible to walk quickly, or move quickly, or really, do anything like I used to. Being that I'm about the only one who knows what I'm doing when it comes to setting up the sound system in our auditorium, I have setting up all week for the Variety Show. Holy hell, is it a lot of work when you are this far along. UGH!

Either way, I only have three more months until I meet my little guy. I remember thinking with the first pregnancy about how little time I had until I met him. With this pregnancy? Not so much. It seems like February 5th is a lifetime away.

Anyway - onward to the update, of which I took a couple questions from the other pregnancy updates, just for fun and because, surprisingly, I have some time to do that...

Random Thoughts from This Week: I just need the Variety Show to be DONE.
Maternity clothes? Um, yes. Of course.
Weight gain? Most likely!
Stretch marks? Not yet, which is impressive. And my linea nigra has yet to show. Probably because this is the third pregnancy and my stomach is used to stretching this way!
Best moment this week? Not last night, I can tell you that. Possibly the fact that I looked at all my "acts" for the Variety Show and said, "Huh... they are definitely ready."
Worst moment this week? Last night. It was horrible. I was busy with work, Eric was busy with work. Everyone was pissed off. It sucked.
Miss anything? Not feeling like a huge heifer.
Movement? Absolutely. It's been crazy. The other night, I didn't get to sleep until well after midnight because he would not stop moving around! Arg!
Food cravings? Spice spice and more spice. I love it!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Not particularly this week. 

What pissed you off this week? I had a student make a poor decision, and he has definitely been my stressor. Not to mention, his parents. But at the end of the day, he made the poor decision and violated the behavior contract I had him (and his parents) sign, because his behavior warranted it.  

This is my update with Catherine...
How far along? 28 Weeks! Wahoo!
Maternity clothes? Of course. Today I was wearing my brown pants, white shirt, brown flats, and a cute pearl necklace with a floral accent on the side, and a student told me I looked really pretty today. It made my day!!!!!!!! Still have these pants, which I wear regularly. But this shirt that I'm talking about does NOT fit this pregnancy. My boobs are out of control!!! 
Weight gain? I'm pretty sure only the typical 3-4 pounds (Update: I was right on the money with only 3 pounds gained). I stubbed my toe on our scale in the basement moving something else (it's buried beneath God knows what) and decided to step on it. Granted, it has never worked correctly, but I've made it work for the most part. I think I've gained a few pounds since my last appointment, taking me somewhere in the upper 160's, which I'm ok with. Some people my height would have a hard time with that weight, but to be completely honest, at 150, I look like I weigh 130. It's really bizarre, and it's not like when I weigh 150 that I actually have fat on my body. The least I've weighed in my female adulthood was a dangerous 145, and I looked anemic. It was kind of gross. So I'm pretty happy that I've only gained about 18 pounds. My pregnancy calculator said that I should gain about 11 pounds in the third trimester, which would only put me in the 170's. That's only about 20 pounds more than I would normally weigh, so I'm good with that. It's healthy, but not the unhealthy 40 pounds I gained with James! I am right on the mark to gain a little less than I did with James, and more than I did with Catherine. I am trying really hard not to stress about it, but even with all the movement I do every day, plus the fact I truly am watching what I eat, it still doesn't help. I just have to resign to the fact that with this pregnancy, pineapple for lunch every day is just not good! 
Stretch marks? No, thankfully. Still lotioning up!
Best moment this week? Eric's mom came to visit, so we were able to escape for a night out. We went out to eat, and then saw a movie. We're really homebodies and like to be at home, or at someone else's home. We hate spending money like that, but at the same time, sometimes we need that. It was nice to sit across from Eric and talk about adult things, instead of trying to keep James occupied. Not to mention we had a snow day on Monday, so we were able to take some time to work on our master bedroom/closet/bathroom remodel, which was nice. One of our favorite things to do together are home renovations and we've done them all - remodeled bedrooms, bathrooms, our living room and dining room, sided our house, put in new windows, insulated our attic, finished our basement. All by ourselves. Although it was hard to move being almost 28 weeks pregnant, it was also nice to give my husband shit about how he grunts when he's exerting a lot of energy. It took me back to our pre-children days. :)
Miss anything? As of right now, not really. Everything is really falling into place!
Movement? Yes, and only on one side, which is odd. And usually, a ton after I eat (duh) and 9:30 or so at night, which is annoying! You also love to move during the night and wake me up when you're in my rib! This guy LOVES to move at the exact same times. I just finished supper and he is boot scootin' away in there. Not to mention, about 9:00, it's like he strikes up the band in my abdomen. Holy crap. 
Food cravings? This week, it's been sweets. I've been dominating the candy jar at work, and buying candy bars that the post prom committee is selling in the teachers lounge every day. It obviously gives me more energy, but I also am craving sweet things. Which is probably where the pineapple comes in. I need to get back on that track rather than the sweets train I've been riding. But it's so good...
Anything make you queasy or sick? I can't remember what it was this week, but I wanted to puke all over the place. It was something kind of obscure and not something that I run into all the time. But oddly enough, I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was!!!!! But I just remember wanting to gag in my mouth. And typical to my last pregnancy, someone posted a chicken recipe on facebook, complete with a picture of the chicken breast, and I wanted to barf. So, I haven't had chicken in a really long time!!!
Labor signs? TMI, but tons of mucus discharge. I remember with James at 28 weeks exactly, and the morning of my doctor appointment, I lost my mucus plug. I remember crying when telling the nurse, terrified that labor was starting and I had no idea what to do. She asked me if I was sure it was my mucus plug. YES. There is absolutely no mistaking the mucus plug. After checking me, the doctor assured me that yes, I did lose my mucus plug, BUT the mucus plug usually regenerates if you lose it too early and don't go into labor. Seriously? So I've been looking for that to happen again, but luckily, nothing! Although this time, I'd say I'm much better prepared! 
Symptoms? Pregnancy insomnia is back (shit!). It sucks. Could be a direct correlation to all the sweets I've been eating?? I'm not sure if it's pregnancy insomnia, or the fact that I have small children, but the insomnia is definitely beginning to return. 
Belly button in or out? In, but barely. I'm waiting for it to finally pop!
Linea nigra? Nope! Smooth belly!
Wedding ring on or off? On! But this time, it's slowly getting tighter. I doubt I will be able to wear it much longer! 
Happy or moody? It's been off and on moody this week, thanks to me being so tired.
Looking forward to: TOMORROW! We have our ultrasound, my glucola test, and our 28 week appointment. I'll be anxious to hear what they have to say about the placenta. Hopefully all is well! :)

And this is my update with James...

How far along? 28 weeks

Maternity clothes? My yoga pants rock and pretty much, anything that's comfortable. I love changing into really comfortable clothes when I get home from work!!! Still do... still definitely do. 

Stretch marks? No! Hooray!!! I'm super excited that I still don't have stretch marks. I'm hoping hoping hoping that it stays that way!!!

Sleep? It a little touch a go a couple days ago, but last night, I put a pillow between my knees. Heaven! It worked like a charm and I woke up this morning feeling refreshed! After reading this particular post this week, I tried it again and guess what? It worked like a charm (again) and yesterday morning I felt incredibly refreshed. 

Best moment this week? I saw you MOVE. As in, MOVE. My whole belly moved really slowly! I can tell things are getting tighter in there and you must be uncomfortable, but hopefully the more uncomfortable you are, the sooner you'll come out and join us! :)

Miss anything? Not waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom!!! Once again, this is true. However, I have began limiting myself to water only before 9:00 p.m. After that, I don't drink anything. It has helped!

Movement? A ton! And real movement - not just kicks. I've noticed moreso this week than any other week that you do this twitching thing that sometimes scares me a little bit. It's like when you get an eye twitch, only in my belly! Pretty crazy!!!

Food cravings? Not really. I really like all of it! :)

Anything make you queasy or sick? Not really, although I have been feeling slightly queasy on and off for a week or so. It goes away fairly quickly...

Labor signs? None!

Symptoms? I have an incredible urge to nest!

Belly button in or out? It's in...but my mole has begun to stick out!

Linea nigra? A very faint line on a very stretched, smooth belly!

Wedding ring on or off? On!

Happy or moody? Still ridiculously happy. All the time! Hahaha, how things have changed...

Looking forward to: My baby shower is this weekend. I can't wait to see everyone and get all those great gifts that is going to make this even more real! :)

I love how I have switched from the count-up to the count-down! Only 12 more weeks until I get to hold you in my arms! :) I love you already! Nope, still in the count-up this time around. Haha...

27 Weeks!

I will let this week speak for itself...

Random Thoughts from This Week: For the love of all that's holy, can we just get a cold snap and keep it? This weather makes the kids crazy... both here and at school!
Maternity clothes? Ding ding ding! I still fit into those dresses that are non-maternity, per every pregnancy, but for the most part, it's all maternity clothes from here on out. And most likely, bigger maternity clothes in the very near future... *sad face*
Weight gain? I am going to go ahead and say yeaaahhhhhh...
Stretch marks? Negative. And I have yet to buy my lotion. I think I may slightly still be in denial about this pregnancy...
Best moment this week? My new washer and dryer. They are splendid. I can program special load specifications FROM MY PHONE. That's right, I have a washer app. ON MY PHONE. when my load is finished, there is a lovely little melody that plays. They are QUIET. I love them. LOVE THEM. Also, Eric and I had a great time with our kiddos on Sunday. Playing, hanging out, and just being a family.
Worst moment this week? Saturday. That is all.
Miss anything? Moving quickly. Not feeling my vagina break in half every time I get out of bed. Not getting out of bed every ten seconds to pee in the middle of the night.
Movement? Wowza, yes. The other night, Eric had his hand on my belly for just a little while and he was going nuts. Even Eric was like, "Whoa!" Even right now, E3 is going nuts. And when we goes nuts, it's nuts. He's already in my ribs!
Food cravings? Anything spicy, anything with carbs, and candy. So, that should be good for my figure, right?
Anything make you queasy or sick? Because our school is designed really poorly, the choir room is across from the boys locker room and a coaches office. It REEKS. I even put an air freshener in my office because the stench was beginning to waft from the locker room, across the hall, into my room and then into my office. Pretty amazing if you ask me, as that proves it was one hell of a stench!

What pissed you off this week? My chatty students! Ayeesh. That's why we just need to have to weather change and stay changed. 

Can't believe I am almost 2/3 done with this pregnancy! Can't wait until the finished product! ;)

26 Weeks!

Last week, I ended with "How did we get here so quickly?" This week, I start with, "Shit, only 26 weeks???!!!!" This week, time seemed to stand still!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Screw you, full-moon-end-of-the-quarter-halloween-attitudes that have been in oversupply among my students. Ayeyeye, they are crabby!
Maternity clothes? That would be a resounding YES.
Weight gain? Most likely. Tonight, I had spaghetti, followed by some macaroni and cheese that my kids left out. At this point, I have had two children and have, eventually, managed to get back down to a decent weight. This is not my first rodeo, so although I'm still careful with what I eat, I'm also not being psychotic about it.
Stretch marks? Nope!
Best moment this week? Our bathroom is almost complete! As of right now, Eric is laying tile! The walls are painted! The faucet on the bathtub runs! The toilet will be installed on Saturday! The washer and dryer will arrive and be installed on Saturday! We get to go pick out a counter top at one of Eric's tile stores that he uses! Our vanities are here! WE ARE ALMOST DONE WITH PHASE 1. Thank you, Jesus. It will be interesting to see if we actually get the kitchen done when we say we're going to... i.e. before E3 comes cruising into this world!
Worst moment this week? Catherine. Holy moly. Teething. Growing. Tired. Constantly hungry. Poor thing has had a tough week. Mom has had a tough week with her.
Miss anything? As I was cuddling Catherine, since she is very much a cuddler, It was difficult to do. She likes to snuggle in, her back to my front, and she can't do that since E3 is in the way. So we have had to adjust and I don't like it. :(
Movement? Yep! Loves to move all over the place, particularly between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. when I am trying to get to sleep.
Food cravings? Still spicy mac and cheese! Honestly, anything spicy or carb-y, I thoroughly enjoy. Soooo different from Catherine, but soooooo similar to James! Crazy!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope!

What pissed you off this week? Probably a dozen people asked me this week, "When are you due again?" Yeah, people, I know. I'm big. It's because it's my THIRD CHILD in almost as many years. Jesus. 

I can see the third trimester on the horizon! 

25 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Be the problem-solver, not the problem. Holy hell.
Maternity clothes? Ohhhhh yes. Hahaha...
Weight gain? Probably... although I have noticed that I have been much more active, so hopefully that helps.
Stretch marks? Nope!
Best moment this week? We got Eric's truck back, Catherine is starting to really walk - like, in circles, etc. Also, Eric is currently, at 9:41 p.m., screwing drywall in our new bathroom. Which is why I'm not curled up with a book at 9:41 p.m. And why James is sleeping next to me in our bed at 9:41 p.m.
Worst moment this week? Catherine got a nice-sized bump on her head from trying to walk up the incline of our driveway. Fell forward, tried to catch herself but ended up hitting her head and sliding forward a little bit, scraping it. It looks pretty nasty, and I felt awful! I watched the whole thing happen, but was unloading the car and had my hands full. Poor thing!
Miss anything? Being able to move quickly.
Movement? Yes, good Lord.
Food cravings? Roasted veggie spicy mac and cheese. Oddly enough, I also had a craving for hot dogs tonight. What the hell? So I had two of them. With buns, ketchup, mustard etc. Delicious!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Not really!

What pissed you off this week? People that love to complain. My God. Be the problem-solver, not the problem! If you are going to complain, offer a damn suggestion! Good lord! It's not hard! 

Onward to week 26, I guess. How the hell did we get here so quickly?? 

24 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: There has to be something about pregnancy hormones and cats. With every pregnancy, my cat will not leave me alone! He loves to be on top of me, next to me, tripping me, you name it. It's incredibly annoying! As of right now, when I sat down, fired up the computer and began typing, I have had to move him from my "lap" down to the bottom of the bed. And now he's curled up as far up on my legs as possible. So annoying!
Maternity clothes? Yes. I also broke down tonight and went out and bought some black over-the-belly leggings. I had inherited some, but they were terrible!! They kept sliding down my belly. These are from Motherhood Maternity and they will be much better than the H&M Mommy ones I got from a friend. Hallelujah!
Weight gain? Talk about a shocker when I stepped on the scale at my doctor's appointment on Tuesday! Yes, I have, in fact, gained weight. Like, 8 pounds. Holy hell! I blame it on the fact that I had a student teacher and sat around most of my day... usually eating and watching/listening to her teach. I have since started moving around MUCH more, and I am hoping my next weigh-in won't be so dramatic!
Stretch marks? Nope!
Best moment this week? An incredibly LOOOOOONG story, which has nothing to do with pregnancy, but we have been without Eric's truck for SIX WEEKS. We took it to our mechanic after Eric turned it off and it wouldn't turn back on. After almost 3 weeks, he could not figure out what was wrong with it and threw in the towel. Right then we knew it couldn't be good. We took it to the dealership, only to find out Eric's fuel was "contaminated." Think sugar or flour being poured into the gas tank, but it wasn't flour or sugar. But it was definitely contaminated. Luckily, that means insurance will cover it under vandalism for a $500 deductible, which is awesome, since we are already into this about $4000. So after the insurance claim, it has been slow-going, since the dealership has to get everything approved by insurance first. It's a lot of back and forth, but if we only have to pay a measly $500, I could care less. Today, the dealership called with bad news: it has ruined a lot of the engine, which means we need to get a new engine for the lovely price of about $7500. Now I am really thanking GOD that we are only paying a $500 deductible. So at about 1:00 p.m. today, they were talking about totaling Eric's vehicle out, as the total cost of repairs so far is over $12,000. Holy. Shitballs. I can't imagine if that would have had to come out of our pocket. We would have no money left!  So, after the insurance agent then transferred it to another insurance agent who deals more with this area, he swung by and took a look at it. Luckily, he believes it's a very nice truck (it's a Lariat for crying out loud, it's a nice damn truck), so he said there's no way we're going to total it out. Thank you JESUS! The Ford dealership will look for a new motor and put that in. So, I would have to say that is definitely the best moment this week!
Worst moment this week? Constantly wondering what is going to go wrong in our lives!
Miss anything? Not having a gigantic belly that gets in my way. Bending over without the intense pain that is my pubic bone splitting into a million pieces.
Movement? Yes, and my God, you LOVE to stretch!
Food cravings? My roasted veggie spicy mac and cheese. Holy crap, I could eat that stuff every day. I put in double the spices, so it's extra spicy and I can't get enough.
Anything make you queasy or sick? Since Eric has been without a truck, we have been carpooling every day. He drops me off at work and picks me up well after my contract ends, but that's fine, I have plenty of work to do. Anyway - his driving makes me sick! I have to drive to school and then we switch so he can drive off into the sunrise, and my co-workers laugh at me all the time. But I can't help it. It's actually always been this way, but for some reason, pregnancy exacerbates my carsickness.

What pissed you off this week? Lazy students! Ugh! I had a student who wanted to know how many lessons he has missed. For God's sake, child! There is a damn calendar on the door to the practice room! Look yourself! And then when I said, "I don't know," he scoffed at me. HOW DARE YOU?! I turned back around and said, "Asking me how many lessons you've missed is like me asking my boss how many sick days I have left because I don't want to log onto the absence system for our school and look myself. And you know what Mr. Kramer would say? He would tell me to look myself, because he has 35 other employees to worry about." And then I walked away. Holy hell, children. Do it your damn self! 

Here's to Week 25!

23 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: I am so damn sick of taking pills. I have always hated taking pills, since I was young. It's not necessarily the actual pill-swallowing that I hate. It's the fact that I have to be responsible enough to take them, and that I actually need them to feel normal. Currently, I take ranitidine for my acid reflux, because it's already terrible. I also take 1000 mg of tylenol. EVERY NIGHT. That's right!
Maternity clothes? Yep, and I am large and in charge. It's so awesome...
Weight gain? I have been eating like crap. I'm guessing I will have gained at least 4 pounds by my appointment next week.
Stretch marks? Nope, and I am starting to really stretch.
Best moment this week? I can see E3 move outside my belly. Being home with the kiddos, who are less demonic than last week. We went on a family bike ride (the last of my pregnant bike riding, let me tell you...) last night as it was a beautiful night. We took the trail halfway to Pleasant Hill then wound back through our neighborhood. We stopped at the park where James held Catherine as they went down the slide (and then James would crawl back up and Eric would hand off Catherine). Since I've been gone three of these four week nights, it was awesome to be able to spend not just time with my family, but quality time where no one was screaming, there were no electronics, and it was a genuinely enjoyable evening.
Worst moment this week? Any moment where I have to get up from a sitting position, or really, walking. No joke, my hips and pelvis hurt so bad. Hence, the 1000 mg of tylenol every night. Otherwise, when I get up in the morning, I can hardly move. I remember at this point with James, I was feeling my tummy muscles stretch and it hurt so bad! That was nothing. THIS. This feels like my vagina is going to split wide open. I hobble around like an old person and it's terrible. I feel awful almost all the time.
Miss anything? Being able to move quickly. It's amazing that I have lost that ability so soon into this pregnancy.
Movement? All over the place. All the time.
Food cravings? Panera Mac and Cheese!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope!

What pissed you off this week? A co-worker is driving me bat-shit crazy. She has absolutely no tact, and it's terrible! I feel even worse for another co-worker, who is getting the brunt of it. Hopefully, she will stand up for herself sometime and not let this person walk all over her! We shall see..............

Onward! 

And time stood still...

It has been 5 years since I was investigated, exonerated, and my case with the BOEE was thrown out. In fact, 5 years ago today, I took a personal day to go to the actual meeting and hear my case. It wasn't on that meeting that time, but I took the day anyway. 

It's been a long time since I thought of all the dates associated with my case, my PTSD and really, what I saw as, at the time, the end to my teaching career. 

I have been blissfully unaware, kicking ass and taking names, where I currently am. No longer do I think about what had happened. Not too long ago, Eric actually said her name and it shocked me; I hadn't thought of her, or heard her name in ages. It was weird to think about, and we were able to laugh it off. 

But in these situations, there is never one person. There is a small group of people, with one person leading the herd. That was this student, and mainly, her mother. They went on the witch-hunt, and they got two other parents involved. When I think of the situation, I don't think of these other parents. I just think of the one person who started it all. The one person who mainly lead the pack. The one person who caused me the stress, anxiety, tears, hatred. 

Today, I came face to face with one of those parents, and was not ready for my mind's reaction. 

As I was walking out of my office, I came face to face with one of those parents, who was carrying mail in from the district office. That's right, because he works for the school district. 

At first, it was hard to recognize him and I remember thinking, "No, that cannot be him." But when I made eye contact with him, I knew. And I knew he knew. I could see the recognition in his eyes. But it was like my mind didn't believe it. So I continued my walk back to the mail room, and so did he. He sorted the mail and walked out. I took a minute to compose myself, because while standing there watching him get the mail as I checked my mail box, I realized that it was him. It was, in fact, someone who had made my life a living hell. Someone who had accused me of things my principal called "crazy" but yet, still allowed the school district to investigate me, time and time again. 

When he left, I asked the secretaries if they knew who he was, as he looked familiar to me. They said his name was Bill. As I was asking what his last name was, a custodian was walking by and said his last name.

Immediately, my heart rate soared, my hands turned cold, I couldn't breathe and it felt like I was having an out of body experience. Immediately, my eyes began to tear up, and my fight or flight response kicked in. I had to get out of that office. My co-worked, who had been standing at the desk, noticed my response and was concerned.  I explained to her that this individual had tried to get me fired from my last school district. In fact, he had run for the school board on the platform of getting me fired. Talk about a strong hatred for someone! Of course, he didn't win, but at the same time, it was apparent that he, and these other people, would stop at nothing to make sure that I didn't have a job. In fact, it got to the point where the school district had to tell him that he no longer had children in the system, so they were not going to listen to him in regard to his complaints about me. But that was after the damage was already done. 

It was the first time in a long time that I dissociated. It was like I was floating above my body and I couldn't breathe. I had to concentrate really hard on breathing and acting normal. It was the worst 5 minutes I have had in a long time. 

But I can tell I am better. I am stronger. I snapped out of it long enough to pull myself together. 

The rest of the day was up and down. There were times when I had the flight response and wanted to hole up in my office. But there were other times where I wanted to say, "Bring it, fucker." I had to repeat to myself "this situation does not define me as a teacher or a human being." The same thing I had written on those orange post-it notes and hung all over my house. 

In the end, I won. I won against every single ridiculous accusation there was. Because I didn't do anything wrong.

I went back and forth between talking to my principal about the situation, as Bill is also a bus driver in our district. I have, just this month, requested 3 buses. Odds are, he will be the driver for one of them. It makes me wonder if I should actually say something to someone. But I don't want anyone to know. Those days, that school, that life is behind me. I don't want to drudge it all up again. But at the same time, I want and HAVE to protect myself. Isn't that my right? 

I also went back and forth between talking to my school resource officer. Again, I don't know if what I would tell him would be confidential, Again, I don't want to bring this life back up again if I don't have to. So I emailed a friend of mine, who also happens to be a detective, but one day a week serves as a school resource officer, and explained my story to him. It was via email, and it was a very abbreviated version, but hopefully, he can give me some insight. 

Otherwise, I suppose I will continue to do what I know how to do. Teach, love my students, and live my life. 

Bring it, fucker. 

22 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Where the hell did my precious children go? They have been replaced by demons, spawned from all things loud and scream-y.
Maternity clothes? Yes. Last week I looked 28 weeks. This week, I look 30. So maternity clothes at this point are a must! I broke out my new $.97 jeans (yes, you read that right) from Old Navy and love them! Although I have to wear them with a belt (weird...) so they stay up as they are the "Real waist" type. I have decided that I much prefer the over-the-belly type of jeans. Under the belly fall down too easily and they make my bump look an odd shape. Real waist is good, but I am not a fan that I need something to keep them up. Most likely only until I get a little bigger (is that possible at this point?). I have two over-the-belly pants and love them the most. Only 18 more weeks that I really need to worry about it, I guess.
Weight gain? Wouldn't doubt it. I have slowly been adding dairy back into my diet, and it seems like I can handle it in very little doses. So bizarre. Sometimes, I wonder if it's really dairy, or another weird food allergy...
Stretch marks? No, and I was even at the mall on Friday and didn't get any lotion.
Best moment this week? I am actually able to see E3 moving and kicking on the outside of my belly, and Eric finally felt him kick. That was pretty awesome. He's boot-scootin' away right now, in fact. I can see him all over the place. He might be normal weight for his gestation, but I am very curious as to how loooooong he will be.
Worst moment this week? E3 LOVES to stretch and oh my God, it genuinely hurts.
Miss anything? My real children, who love me and give me kisses and don't get in trouble and force me to put them in time-out at 6:45 a.m.
Movement? Absolutely - I can even feel you above my belly button!
Food cravings? Not really. Just food in general!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Not really.

What pissed you off this week? My beautiful satan's-spawn children. This morning, James asked me what I was doing. Instead of coming unglued, like I really wanted, I calmly looked at him and said, "Apparently, I am Grand Marshalling a one-star shit parade!" Hopefully, he doesn't learn to repeat that. Also, sneezing. Because when I sneeze, I pee. *sigh*

Here's to week 22! Yippee kai-yay!

Big Week!

It has been a very big week in our house, and I have to blog more about it. I am so incredibly excited, moved, overwhelmed and just very thankful that we have the people in our life we do that have helped Catherine in the way that they have.

I got to Christy's this afternoon to pick up the kids, and Maci, her middle child, came out of her room screaming, "She's here, she's here!!" Maci led me downstairs, where Makenna, the youngest, stood holding Catherine across from Maci, about seven feet apart. Makenna put Catherine down and Catherine took about 6-8 steps over to Maci.

I immediately teared up. I was so damn excited!! I never thought this day would come. It's not that we thought you wouldn't actually walk. We knew, after the physical therapist and doctor's have reassured me that there is actually nothing wrong with you developmentally, that you eventually would. But at the same time, we have been through so much with you. So much worry and heartbreak and constant research on what could be going wrong in your development. Doctor's appointments and physical therapy continued to tell us that you "weren't there yet" but today you proved them all wrong. Even at physical therapy last night, we were talking about how she would write the insurance and ask for an extended coverage of her therapy (insurance only covers 20 visits a year per person), and they would most likely give us at least a couple more sessions to hopefully get her walking. I guess we might not need them after all.

I am so thankful for Christy and her kiddos.

So not only did we get rid of the pacifier, but Catherine has really started to move. Hallelujah. We are so grateful!!!

Bye, Felicia!

There is a scene in the movie "Friday" where Felicia, a crack head, comes to borrow a "blunt" (how is that possible?) from Craig, he says, "Buh-bye Felicia!" 

However, now-a-days, my high school students use it as a catch phrase meaning "I could give two shits about you, get out of my face." I am forever curious if they know from where that actual slang derives. I also wonder how many of them have actually seen the movie Friday. Hopefully not many. 

Either way, this slang crops up about every day in the hallways where I teach, so I thought it only appropriate to use cool, hip, teen-slang to say this: WE ARE DONE WITH THE PACIFIER. 

Let me start at the beginning. We are not PPP (pro-pacifier parents), but instead, APP (anti-pacifier parents). We requested that the hospital not give James a pacifier at birth. I remember about having a heart attack when they brought him back from his circumcision and HE HAD A PACIFIER IN HIS MOUTH! I was appalled and asked the nurse to make sure that didn't happen again (in a very nice, soothing, thank-you-for-helping-me-deliver-my-baby voice). After that, there was no pacifier. 

All of this came from watching people that we know give their children, 4, 3, and 1, pacifiers. FOUR. THREE. ONE. Now, that's their choice, and sometimes, we as parents do what we have to do (Cheesy Dibbles for dinner, anyone?). But at the same time, four??? I remember at a get-together, James grabbed a pacifier from the older (again, FOUR), and put it in his mouth (upside down, of course, because he didn't know better). I took it out immediately and caught a glimpse of a regular looking shield with a HUGE, BULBOUS nipple on the end. I asked what kind of pacifier that was, and the mother replied, "one for kids who shouldn't have pacifiers anymore." Okay, sooooo, you know your kid shouldn't have a pacifier anymore. That's the first step, I guess. 

After watching their two oldest beg, plead and cry for pacifiers, and also walk with it in their mouths, and talk around it, Eric and I became APP. But after that episode, I saw SO MANY PEOPLE with their kids old enough to walk, talk, and otherwise know what a pacifier is, have a pacifier. Again, not judging, but we definitely did not want that to be our child. Not to mention, because the aforementioned 1 year old had a pacifier for so long, and the WRONG pacifier, her teeth grew in around it. So, that was it for us.

Then we had Catherine. 

Don't get me wrong. Our kids have the things they are attached to. But they are only attached to them in our home. They don't get to take it to daycare. They don't get to take it out and about. The only time they get to take their blankets with them, is when we are headed to the Grandma's or Grandpa's houses. And they know it. Sometimes, James will ask to take his blanket somewhere (mostly to daycare, where another little girl is allowed to bring her blanket everywhere with her), but we put the kabosh on that one pretty quickly. And our kids know it. 

However, thanks to several issues with Catherine and her bowel movements (or rather, bowel immobility...), she would scream. All. The. Time. It was horrendous. I remember there being nights where I would have to honestly, and very motherly, go in and scrape out her poop, or try to help her have a bowel movement. We would do glycerine suppositories and I would cry with her, and it was awful. So we tried a pacifier. It helped. Not all the time, but it helped. 

And slowly, it developed into quite often. We tried to curb it at daycare and home, but it just seemed to reappear again. 

Then this weekend happened.

Somewhere, Catherine threw the only pacifier that our daycare provider had overboard on their walk. Gone was the pacifier that Catherine would have when she went down for her naps. So Christy just put her to bed without one. And Catherine did just fine. 

Then, we lost most of the pacifiers in our house, except one, which happened, and for some reason was, in the console of my car. But I went out with friends on Friday night, and what should occur? I took the only pacifier we had with me. So Eric just put her down without one. 

That night, we decided that since she did well, we wouldn't give her a pacifier all weekend. And to our surprise, she made it all weekend. There was never any crying, there wasn't even a temper tantrum. And since she doesn't talk, she especially didn't ask for one. 

I had read forum after forum on how to get rid of the "binky" and watched as mothers posted their "help me" posts on my parenting support group on Facebook. I would do just about everything BUT take copious notes in regard to how to get rid of it. I was determined to do it before E3 gets here. And guess what? 

I didn't really need much. And apparently, she didn't really need the pacifier. 

So, bye-bye Felicia. Hope you don't come back with this third one! 

21 Weeks!

I am posting this a day early because thanks to Homecoming festivities, I will not be available the next few nights. Although, I have to say that my Select Choir kids call me "mom" sometimes, and for Blue/White Game Night they asked if I would be their parent chaperone because none of their parents wanted to do it! I thought that was pretty adorable! So I said yes. I couldn't help it. They are getting me a shirt that says Mama Eggplant, since our team is the Fruits and Veggies. Pretty hilarious. Wahoo for Homecoming week!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Are people just not as passionate as I am about certain things?
Maternity clothes? Yes. I look like I'm 28 weeks along. And I feel like I'm 36 weeks along.
Weight gain? Probably!
Stretch marks? Nope, but still have to pick up my lotion...
Best moment this week? I actually had some time to do a few things BY MYSELF without kids. It seems like there are so many things that I have been doing with them, that actually going and having some time at the grocery store was nice. Imagine that! Also, last Friday night, my Uncle Steve and Aunt Sue, along with my cousins Emily and Rachel and their significant others stopped into town on their way to a wedding. We sat at a restaurant for THREE HOURS talking and laughing and just having an awesome time. I loved it. We got to talk about my dad for awhile, which is always nice. I miss him so much sometimes, and it was so much fun to hear about him. Boy, I miss him.
Worst moment this week? Lack of sleep!
Miss anything? Clear skin. Holy acne, Batman.
Movement? Yes, it's getting to be more and more! Can't wait until James and Eric and Catherine can enjoy it too!
Food cravings? The other night I got a crazy craving for tacos. I didn't have them, but I definitely wanted some. BAD!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope, I think I am past that stage!
What pissed you off this week? More people. What the hell, people?

20 Weeks and 3 Lovely Words!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Oh, I'm so sorry. I know you are single, and not a parent, but no, I cannot move my rehearsal to another time of the weekend because I have already sacrificed A LOT to be able to have it in the first place! For God's sakes. Also, when you put a recipe on the internet, if the shit is going to burn, crust over, and stick to the bottom of the muffin tins, do you want to go ahead and put that in the recipe after "remove from oven and let cool on rack."
Maternity clothes? Yes, although tonight was hotter than the blazes, so I squeezed into some non-maternity shorts. Getting a liiiiiiiittle tight...
Weight gain? We had our doctor's appointment on Monday and yes, I am up about 2 pounds. Not surprising!
Stretch marks? Nope, and I have yet to pick up that lotion at B&BW.
Best moment this week? I took James to the SEP Homecoming parade tonight. He loved it! Every piece of candy he got, he would yell, "Mom!" and show it to me. It was hilarious. He was so cute!
Worst moment this week? Lack of sleep.
Miss anything? Not having mood swings. Low anxiety levels. Not hating most people.
Movement? Yes, and SO MUCH! You love to boot scoot every night about 8:00 and I love to just lay there and feel it. You are such a mover and shaker!
Food cravings? SALT. Lays potato chips. SPICES. Anything hot, or extra spicy. In fact, when I was pregnant with James was when I developed an affinity for really spicy foods, which I couldn't stand before. The more spice, the better!
Anything make you queasy or sick? Not really this week.
What pissed you off this week? People, people and more people. Especially people who don't understand I have a family. UGH!

In other, happier, news, we were so excited to find out you were a boy! We told the ultrasound tech that we wanted to know, so you would think that she would have said, "Oh, ok, let's check it out." Nope. Went right for the head. What the hell? That's not where you can find the gender! Finally, she made her way down the abdomen, to the legs... which were closed. So she went back up, got some better pictures, and then went back down. Still closed. So she checked out the feet, and different angles of the body. Then back to the legs. Still closed! I remember thinking to myself, 'of course this would happen to us - we want to know and this one won't tell us! Everything about this pregnancy is going to be a surprise!' Finally, the tech jiggled the wand on my belly fairly vigorously and got him to really move around. And viola, he opened his legs and there he was! It was lovely and I cried quite a bit, thinking about how my dad had so much to do with this.

Before the ultrasound, Eric went to a client's house to make sure his subcontractors got in ok, and then was going to meet me at the hospital. So I sat at home, and was compelled to read a story about a local news anchor, her infertility issues, and finally, her first pregnancy. In the article, a doctor stated, "A lot of things have to come together just so in order for one to conceive. 10% of the population have difficulty with fertility and 40% have dealt with miscarriages at least once." I am so lucky that I am in that 50% that have never had any issues with fertility, pregnancy, or disabilities with our children. Obviously, it is very easy for us to get pregnant, and for that, I am very grateful.

Finally, it was time for me to leave for the ultrasound, and I threw up a prayer to my dad, stating, "Dad, I need for this baby to be healthy, and I need for this baby to be a boy." Looks like my wish came true, and for that, I am so happy. Thanks, Dad.

You're a boy! See you in 20 weeks!

19 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: Some people suck so much! Holy crap! How am I going to get through this pregnancy without killing someone???
Maternity clothes? Umm, yeah. People are STILL asking me if I think it's twins because I'm "so big." People... I already feel like shit enough about the fact we are incubating a third human,
Weight gain? Probably. Can't wait to see what it is!
Stretch marks? No, but I definitely need to pick up some more Bath and Body Works body cream. I applied that religiously the last two pregnancies, and even if it really didn't help with stretch marks, I don't really care. I will be applying it as religiously this pregnancy.
Best moment this week? Moments? SLEEP! Hooray! Lots of it! Through the night!
Worst moment this week? People can just be mean. I was talking to someone else about how sometimes I am feeling like I am on an emotional roller coaster, and they said it's because my hormones rebounded after being pregnant with Catherine, then I went on medicine, then I went off it, and now my hormones are going crazy again. So maybe I am being sensitive, but people still suck.
Miss anything? A clear face free of any acne. Cheese. Walking normal. Bending over. Playing on the floor with my kids. Sleeping on my stomach.
Movement? Yes! The other night, there was a pretty big kick/punch and it was awesome! There was no mistaking what it was. It's been awesome to feel you move around, and even more fun to try and watch for it. Love it!
Food cravings? Still eggs. Also, orange juice. And bacon. I had an omelet and orange juice this past weekend for breakfast. I had a BLT tonight for dinner. I have had deviled egg salad every day for dinner. I have drank almost an entire gallon of orange juice since last night. I would definitely say those are cravings...
Anything make you queasy or sick? Last night, Eric made hamburgers. I was so excited, I loaded mine up with ketchup, mustard, pickles, onion, lettuce and tomato, and the first bite I about threw up. I don't know if it was the seasoning that he used on the hamburger or what, but holy hell, I couldn't do it!
What pissed you off this week? People. And some students. But mostly just people in general.

On Monday we go to see the doctor and find out what Baby E is! So far, people are saying a boy. I feel pretty heavily that it's a girl. Someone told me that an old wives tales says when they are less than 2 years apart, they are usually the same gender. So I told my mom that, who scoffed at it: my grandma had 7 kids in 7 years and only two were the same gender right in a row. That's a fairly good point.

I will also be anxious to hear what the doctor says, as I am sure he will measure me. I honestly am pretty big for 20 weeks, so I wonder if I'm measuring ahead. The interesting thing with this baby is we have no idea when we conceived. With Catherine and James, it was one time, and I could pinpoint the date. But this time, I have absolutely no idea. So I wonder if I really am 19 weeks, or if I am a little bit further than that. Especially because I don't remember the date of my last period, but I am guessing it was around May 1, because my period returned while breastfeeding on January 1 (Happy New Year from Mother Nature!).

Oh well. Looking forward to Monday and finding out what you really are, E3.