Ponderings and an Update

Random question: The baby has been head down for the past 7 weeks. Why doesn't all the blood rush to his head like it would ours if we hung upside down? I'm sure it has something to do with the fluid, but the blood still rushes to my head when I do a hand-stand in the swimming pool....

So, I just have 6 more days of work before I start my maternity leave. I usually add, "...unless the baby comes early." However, I've decided to drop that phrase because I'm convinced that I just don't have early babies. Now, granted I'm still 2 weeks out so anything could happen. But, I'm pretty sure it won't. I'll go on maternity leave, sit around my house wondering about every ache and pain, but nothing will happen. At least I feel okay. :-) I have a ton of things to get done at work, but I'm just trying to take one day at a time and recognize that there will be lots that WON'T get done. If only I had the personality to be at peace with that....

The dr. said yesterday that I'm dilated to a 1. That's not much, but it's something! However, the flip side is that I'm 0% effaced which, come to find out, is what really gets things going in terms of labor. So, since this is my second baby, she basically said that that 1 cm of dilation could have been in effect for the last month or even two. Basically, I got nothin folks!!

I do feel like I'm at least trying to make progress in some areas that were previously stressing me out. I've paid my last payment to the hospital (that is until afterward when you get MORE bills), I got the necessary groceries to make and freeze a few casseroles, I at least got out a bag to pack even if there's only underwear and pajamas in there right now, and I scrapbooked ONE page in the baby's scrapbook. Tonight, I have to get back up in the attic to find something I forgot about and desperately need (I'll just stop there for any males reading this), and I aim to scrapbook another page. If I get those 2 things done, I think I can sleep tonight. Tomorrow, I'll deal with the fact that we still desperately need a dresser for the nursery. I can't stand the fact that the room is a mess because I have non-hanging clothes folded everywhere just waiting for a home.

Peace....

Baby Shower

Last Saturday was my baby shower. As I mentioned way back in an early post, I was a little uptight about the whole shower business with a second baby. But, I knew folks at work would want to throw me one and many of those people weren't around when Bailey was born, so I came to peace with it. Then, my MIL wanted to throw me one, as well. I eventually just decided that it was best to combine work/private and just have one shower. I was thinking that, if done separately, each would have had only a handful of attendees.

My estimate was a bit wrong, as we had about 25 people on Saturday. And, I just finished writing a total of 42 thank you notes. It was great! I then spent ALL of Sunday washing clothes, getting things out of the attic, putting other things IN the attic, etc. I officially feel like I can have a baby now.

Here are some pre-shower pics of Bailey and her cousin Lauren.

This is Bailey and Lauren playing in the mini-bouncer my boss gave to Bailey last Christmas. We've actually never hooked up with her to get it, so she debuted the present at the shower. It worked out GREAT because the kids pretty much played outside for 75% of the shower. Bailey did get to open a few of my gifts (and several people brought for HER, which was nice) and ooh and aah over the loot for "my baby" as she likes to say. But, she got bored after awhile, so this diversion was perfect.

Bailey and Lauren (who lives in Houston) played together really well this trip. Lauren has started talking more so Bailey feels like she can interact with her as a peer now, rather than as a "baby" that she has to nurture. Of course, that also brings with it the battles over toys and a lot of the word "MINE!"

Yes, they were being silly and wouldn't close their mouths for this pic.

Here are some pics from the actual shower:

The obligatory food table shot. The cake spelled NOLAN around the top (which will be his name, if you didn't know). And, there were cute train cookies because his room has a locomotive theme.

Is it weird that, when I first walked into the house and saw this I thought, "No it isn't....oh, I guess it is!" I'm still not used to this whole BOY thing. :-)

They gave me the top of the cake with the bow....I got a little sick trying to eat that big of a piece. But, I gave it the old college try, nonetheless! Hey, if I don't eat a huge chunk of cake now, I'll never be able to....since, here in a few weeks it will be back to my old eating habits (boooo!).

Thank you to Rachel and Ilena for helping Jeanne with the shower!! You guys are great friends and I'm lucky to have you.

Jason and I tried to pose for a picture later that night - it's a little close, but I guess not toooooo bad!

Halloween Fun

I had my baby shower yesterday - it was very nice!! I'll post some pics and info about that later. For now, I'm just getting around to getting a few Halloween pics out. Bailey loved Halloween this year and pretty much RAN from house to house and then finally just pooped out and decided she was done....I think Jason wanted her to keep going and get more candy (for him, of course!).

Case in Point

To illustrate what I said a few posts back about everyone having an opinion on your belly.....and feeling free to give it (which is actually the key piece):

1. I went to do a tv interview on KSBI this week and the anchor asked me when I was due. When I told her I had a little over 4 weeks left, she was shocked and kept talking about how that couldn't possibly be true because most pregnant women she's seen at this stage have huge bellies and don't look anywhere near as great as I do. Now, I'm not saying this for any other reason than to point out the irritation caused by the completely opposite sentiment in point #2.

2. Just now, I went to show a co-worker the "I'm a Big Sister" shirt I got for Bailey. We plan to give it to her from the baby. Anyway, in the process of showing her the shirt, she looked at my midsection and said, "God, Kendy. That baby is going to be so huge." How am I supposed to react to that?

The fundamental problem is that people have varying definitions of what is big and what is small. People who've had 6 lb. babies think anything bigger than that is enormous. Others who've had 9 lb. babies think that is par for the course. Now, Bailey was 7 lbs. 13 ozs., so I know I'm not going to have a small baby. But, people need not make you feel like you're going to spit out a baby that could immediately go on the pro weightlifting circuit.

Switching gears.....

Don't call it nesting because it wasn't at all my idea, but Jason and I decided last night to move all the kitchen/dining room furniture and put some elbow grease into cleaning the floors. This started mainly because we've created some scuffs underneath the table from dragging chairs and the area around Scout's doggie dish looked a little grimy. So, we got the bucket with water/soap and a couple of scrub brushes and started in one corner. I have to say that, even though I'm certainly not a clean freak, I regularly mop the floors. Having a dog and a 3-year-old just yields yuckiness. BUT, apparently mopping alone isn't at all sufficient because what we uncovered was just disgusting. Our intention was to just go over each tile to get off the junk that maybe you don't see from a standing position when you're mopping, but it turned into a way different ordeal once we saw what was coming up. I would post a before and after picture of our floors if it wouldn't embarrass me too much. I'd prefer just to let you guys think I really am a clean freak (ha!) and I'm overreacting. But, the simple truth is that we finished about 3/4 of the kitchen last night and had to quit out of sheer exhaustion. The part that is done looks like we just moved in and the undone portion looks like I just poured mud all over it. Of course, it didn't appear to be this dirty when there was no comparison.

What other filth are we living in? This makes me want to burn my house and start over again. I would never even have thought of doing this kind of cleaning and now I'm really wondering what other deep cleaning needs to be done in other parts of my house. I wish I didn't have to work....I'd be home cleaning.

Things That Make Me Laugh Out Loud

I laugh pretty easily (uhhh....just read my previous entries), but there are some things that just push me over the edge. Some of them are "in the moment" kind of things, like watching Monty Python. My husband probably wouldn't even crack a smile at these movies and I might not either if he were my only co-watcher. But, put me in a group with others who appreciate the humor, and I might just have one or more "pee my pants" moments. Other laughable situations or sayings are subtle reminders of my strange sense of humor. Sometimes, I just start laughing at things that aren't that funny, but then I end up laughing at how ridiculous it is that I'm laughing at the non-funny thing. Did you get that?? Smile.

So, without further ado, I present to you a list of things that simply crack me up.


1. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/579435/say_funny_things_to_telemarketers/ Just because.


2. When people boldly sing music lyrics incorrectly and have no idea of the original words. I had a friend from college that would sing along to Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do" and one line was "until the sun comes up over sanna monna couple of vard." I was like, "Jocelyn, did you ever stop to think what the heck is a 'couple of vard?" Of course, I've done the same myself on other songs, so I can't be too judgmental!!! Some other common mistakes I've heard:

Gwen Stefani, Holla Back Girl
Real: I ain't no holla back girl.
Misheard: I ain't no Harlem black girl.

Santana, Smooth
Real: Well, it's a hot one. Like seven inches from the midday sun.
Misheard: Well, it's a hot one. Like seven midgets in the midday sun.

Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody
Real: Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me....
Misheard: The algebra has a devil for a sidekick, meeeeeee....

U2, Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Real: Sunday bloody Sunday
Misheard: Someday buddy, someday

Alanis Morissette, You Oughta Know
Real: An older version of me
Misheard: An older virgin than me

Pearl Jam, Jeremy
Real: Jeremy spoke in class today
Misheard: Jeremy's spoken less today

3. When my daughter butchers words. I know I shouldn't laugh at her but she usually speaks so well that, when words come out a little "off," I can't help myself. I took her to the dentist for the first time a few weeks back and, on the way there she asked, "Are we going to my distant reppointment?"

She also doesn't understand the concept of a highway...she thinks that we're only on the highway when we're driving on an overpass or otherwise "up high." She calls all other roads "lowways." Makes sense, I guess.

She likes to add extra syllables to words. At dance class last week, her teacher had maracas for the kids to use and learn how to keep time with the music. Later, she kept talking about the MACaracas. And, lately, she's been reading a Halloween book that has Frankenstein in it. She calls him FrankenEINstein. Too funny....


4. The Office. I am just over the moon for the character of Michael Scott and his stupid (but brilliant) antics. If you don't watch the show, he's the boss at a small paper company where everyone just hates their jobs. He's constantly trying to display his power, of which he really has none. All the characters speak directly to the camera, because I think the premise is that some group is actually making a documentary or something. Anyway, one of my favorite lines from the show is when Michael is telling the camera how much his employees love him. He holds up a "World's Greatest Boss" coffee cup to illustrate his speech. Then he says, "I got it at Spencer's Gifts." A new favorite line just came this season. I don't remember the episode plot, but Michael says, "I'm not superstitious. I'm just a little stitious." LOVE IT!!!

5. The Royal Tenenbaums. This is another movie that Jason would sit through with a straight face and, in the end, conclude that it was dumb. That's because this movie doesn't have fart or poop jokes. Here are some of my favorite lines:

"You probably don't even known my middle name." "That's a trick question. You don't have one." "It's Helen, dad." "Damn."


"Did you write a suicide note?" "Yes. After I regained consciousness" "Was it dark?" "Well, it was a suicide note."


6. Kathy Griffin. Some people love her, others hate her, and still others love to hate her. I simply love pop culture so her humor hits me in just the right spot. I find it hilarious the way she describes the antics of our favorite IT girls.

I'm sure I could go on forever, but I won't. Hope you enjoyed my little list.

5 Weeks Out

So, I'm officially tired of being pregnant. I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of my belly being the focal point and the source of all comments...."You're ready to pop, aren't you?!" "Wow, you're not that big for being as close as you are." Everyone has an opinion, ya know. Strangely, I don't mind it when people touch my belly, but comments like those get to me a bit. I know that it's just conversation, so I try to take it all in stride.


The worst, however, is my mom, who thinks it's funny to use the word FAT simply because she knows how borderline crazy I am about my non-pregnant lifestyle when it comes to my body and food. I'm certainly not like I used to be, but I like to watch what I eat and exercise. I've talked to an also-pregnant friend about this phenomenon (people thinking it's funny to call you fat) and it's a classic case of "you can call a pretty girl ugly, but you can't call an ugly girl ugly." People just get a kick out of teasing us but we read into it too much!


But, back to my mom....she has recently lost a lot of weight (so has my dad), so I think she feels a weird sense of excitement seeing the numbers on her scale go down, while the numbers on mine go up. Anyway, a few weeks ago, Jason commented on how tiny she looks and she said, "Oh, it's just that your wife is so fat right now that I look small in comparison." Seriously......NOT COOL. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.


I'm also tired of my maternity clothes. Having worn a big chunk of this wardrobe during 2 pregnancies, I'm kind of ready to burn them. My dilemma right now is that it's starting to get cold and I really only have a few long-sleeved shirts and sweaters. And, those particular items were worn during the early part of my pregnancy with Bailey since she was due in August. I was hoping to make it through without any more purchases, but I think I'm going to have to try to find one or two cheap sweaters to make it through the next few weeks. It seems a big waste, but I also don't want to risk flashing the underside of my belly because the shirts I'm wearing are riding up! :-)


I'm also starting to worry about childbirth. Now, I really didn't think I would get uptight about it this time but I unfortunately kind of live my life in "what if" mode. Since EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG acts like your 2nd baby just kind of slides right out (sorry for the crude level), I am convinced that my experience will be quite the opposite. My water broke with Bailey, which was a clear cut indicator of when to go to the hospital. I asked the dr. if there was any more likelihood that the same will happen this time, and she said no. So, I'm worried about contractions.....how will I know when to go to the hospital? Since I didn't have a single contraction prior to my water breaking, the whole timing/pain level formula they give you just seems so foreign to me.


Oh, and the epidural. Geez, the EPIDURAL!!! This is the only extremely vivid memory I have of my first delivery. Everyone told me that this would be no big deal, and I remember looking at my mom with panic in my eyes and vengeance in my heart because I felt betrayed by each and every person who had addressed this with me. It hurt.....BAD. Of course, I'm not at all interested in the alternative, so I will just be content to dread it from now until that time.


Okay, I'm done ranting. As you can tell, my head is in a lot of different places at this point. I'll focus on something a little more mundane next time!

More Tales From the Altar

My family just can't seem to get enough inappropriate church behavior squeezed into our busy lives. This morning started off quite good....Bailey went straight to the nursery without even spending the usual requisite amount of time in the pew with us getting told to "shhhh" every 5 minutes. Since the nursery is really just a room off to the side of the sanctuary with toys, sometimes she comes and goes several times throughout the service. Today, she was playing happily when I went to get her for the children's sermon. She always likes to go up front with grandma but today she wanted me to take her. This made me happy and I was pleased to take her up front. She picked a spot on the altar, and all was well. That is, until she started lifting up her skirt. Now, I know she's only 3 years old and it's kind of cute when little ones do things like this, but since she was sitting RIGHT BESIDE THE PASTOR AND ALL EYES WERE ON HIM (AND HER), I wanted to nip that in the bud. So, I nonchalantly put my hand on the bottom of her skirt and whispered, "We don't lift up our dress in public, sweetie." This evoked a very loud and emphatic (and a little bit picked up by the pastor's lapel mic), "It's not a DRESS, it's a SKIRT!" Well, excuuuuuse me....I guess I have to be spot on with my admonishments or I get chastised by my toddler. Anyway, she kept trying to kick her legs up and show her underwear and I kept trying to subtly keep her from doing it. She caught on pretty quickly and tried to push me away. As a parent of a tantrum-prone toddler, the question always becomes how far you push discipline in situations like this as you don't know whether a little bit will take care of it enough to avoid causing an episode or if even a small gesture will result in full-on screaming. Hearkening back to my previous post about the disastrous choir performance, I spent the next few minutes thinking, "How long IS this children's sermon, anyway??" Fortunately, it ended fairly quickly after that and we all got back to our seats without any more drama.

Then, the next situation arose during communion. The back story here is that I'm ALWAYS a bit nervous about taking communion in the Lutheran church. The churches I've always gone to serve communion at your seat, so I worry about the protocol when I have to go up front....how do I hold my hands, do I eat the bread immediately or keep it until the line can eat together? It seems like, no matter how many times I do it, I still walk up there with a little bit of trepidation. Today, I wasn't too worried about it and I got through it just fine. Then, the pastor came over to me, held his hand up about chest high and started talking. Let me just cut to the chase and say that he was blessing my unborn baby just like he does children who go up there but are not old enough to take communion. BUT, he's never done that before and it took me a minute to figure it out. My thought process was such that I wondered why he was starting whatever he was doing with me and not Jason, who was to my right. And, the way he was holding his hand, I thought (for a fleeting moment) that I was supposed to take his hand. So, once I figured it out, it was amusing to me that I almost shook his hand when he was actually blessing my burgeoning belly. So, after he moved on down the line, I told Jason that I almost ruined a very nice moment by shaking the pastor's hand like a goober....AND HE STARTED LAUGHING AGAIN. I tried really hard, but I laughed, too. Now, this wasn't like last week when we really got out of control. But, the fact that we were at the altar of God and taking communion just made it seem wrong. Good gosh, I think we're being tested....and we might be failing!