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.

18 Weeks!

Random Thoughts from This Week: How is it that some people never grow out of the "high school" phase of life? You know, when you go from being kind of obnoxious, a little bit gossip-y, and a lot naive to a decent human being with standards? I've never known the high road like I am getting to know this one!
Maternity clothes? Yesterday, I squeezed into a non-maternity dress. Despite the fact that it went a touch far up on my thighs when I sat down, like, an inch above my knee, it still fit. Wahoo! Otherwise, I am rocking and rolling in the dresses. Unfortunately it has been BLAZING HOT here this week, so I am wearing all the dresses and praying for cooler weather when I can break everything else out of the closet.
Weight gain? Let's be real here, people...
Stretch marks? Nope!
Best moment this week? For three nights straight (and I really really really hope I am not jinxing this...) James has slept through the night until about 6:30, when I am getting up for work. Meaning I have slept through the night. Sweet glory, hallelujah!
Worst moment this week? Yesterday was the hardest single day I have had for awhile. The night before, my childhood friend's mother, a mother who really helped raise us all considering we were always around each other, finally passed away after a long bout with several different cancers over the course of almost 4 years. She put up one hell of a fight, and combine that with pregnancy hormones, I was incredibly upset. It just puts you through the motions of losing your own parent all over again, and I was ugly crying pretty much most of Tuesday night. Wednesday, I woke up to a downpour that had soaked the inside of my car since I had left the sunroof open. While getting soaked from the continued downpour, I dried the interior the best I could, but it had been down pouring for awhile. My purse was literally holding water, so I dumped it out in front of the air conditioning vent and loaded the kids up in the car... in the downpour... sopping wet... I ended up sitting on a wet seat and drove the couple miles to daycare. Only, when I got there, the downpour had stopped. I took the kids inside, noticing that I felt a little damp. Yep, the seat had soaked the towel, which had soaked the back of my dress. What's even more awesome is that this dress is a very pretty blue, but turns a dark blue when wet. Yep, my butt was dark blue, as pointed out by all the daycare kids. So I get out to my car prepared to go home and change, when my car started beeping at me. Yes, 9 miles to E! Only, I had taken my purse out of the car to dry and doubted I would need my wallet that day. Awesome. So I called Eric and asked him to meet me at the nearest gas station. All the while, watching the clock as it inched closer to the time I was supposed to be at school to rehearse with a couple of students for the talent show. Great! I filled my tank with about a half tank, then called it quits... still soaking wet, mind you! Drove to school where everyone seemed to want to comment on my blue ass, had two terrible choral rehearsals with a student teacher, and came home and cried some more, over not only the shitty day I had, but also, the fact that my friends' mother had passed away. What a damn disaster yesterday was. Needless to say, today was much better!
Miss anything? Dairy... still... I tried some sour cream on my taco meat today - no go. I feel awful tonight, and it was literally a little dollop about the size of my thumbnail. It's weird how I am reacting so much to so little of it.
Movement? Not so much the past week or so, but I can feel them every now and again. It's pretty exciting.
Food cravings? Still eggs. And the other night I had a dream about hard boiled eggs. YUM! With spicy seasoning. I might actually go and make some right now.
Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope - the routine definitely helps. I eat the same thing for breakfast, about the same thing for lunch, and not very much for dinner. It seems to help stave off the weird nausea.
What pissed you off this week? People that can't leave high school behind. For God's sake, you are over 50! Act that way!!!

That's about it. In a week and a half we find out if we're having a little miss or a little man. The closer we get, the more I want to know what it is, but the more I want to have her write it on a note card and take it to a bakery or something. But let's face it... I won't be able to wait!!! We will see. Eric wants a boy, James seems to think we're having a boy or a girl every other time we ask, so he is obviously not reliable, and I feel like we're having another girl. Catherine can't talk yet, but I bet she wants a little sister. She will love growing up with a sister to do everything with. Guess we will see!