Slacker

Yes, I’ve been a slacker… but for good reason… I have three kids now. 

Here is a photo from Easter… aren’t they cute?

Kids are doing great and I am finally getting into the swing of things. 

Speaking of swings – I borrowed swings for my last two kids (then gave them back), so I didn’t have one for Natalie.  This kid NEEDED a swing… she hates the vibrating chair, and was not too keen on the bouncer we were given.  I had a hookup that ended up not working out.   Yesterday I went on Craigslist and was able to find the exact one I was looking for.  They were going for about $80, but then I found someone the next city over who was selling hers for only $40!  We rushed up and got it, and let me tell you, it is a Godsend.  Baby is happy and quiet and I’m actually getting a few things done today.

I’ve been reading up on all of you with my Google Reader, but don’t always have a chance to comment.  Hopefully that will change.

Have a great day!

She’s here!

Natalie Lou
Born 3/31/09
6 pounds, 14 ounces
20.5 inches

More later…

Tomorrow is the big day!

Ok… tomorrow… FINALLY!!  I probably won’t post anything until I get home later in the week, so wish us all luck!

One week left…

not that I’m counting down or anything.

Almost NOT pregnant… yippy!

Things I’m looking forward to after having the baby (besides having a new bundle of joy, of course):

• Sleeping on my stomach again
• Eating any kind of cheese I want without checking to see if it’s pasteurized
• Getting rid of all these maternity clothes (I got some secondhand for free, for which I can’t complain, BUT most of them were not my style or WAY too large for me) and getting back into my ‘old’ stuff.
• The strawberry daiquiri that has been calling my name
• No more heartburn (besides the kind that comes with the occasional Mexican food)
• Going on the rides at Knotts instead of sitting them out.  (Just once on the Log Ride would be nice!)
• Putting the steering wheel back to it’s normal place
• Seeing my feet

26 more days!!!

35 days and counting!

I’m down to 5 weeks left of this pregnancy. Thank God! I have to say it’s been the easiest of all three… I didn’t have all of the crazy side effects like last time, which I am VERY happy about.

I’ve already told you about the amazing deals we got in regards to baby stuff. I just have a few more things to get and we will have everything but the baby. My husband keeps telling me he’s going to laugh if it’s a boy. I keep telling him I’m going to punch him if he laughs. I went with that ’70% chance’ that it’s a girl and ran with it. Everything I bought is pink & brown. All of the clothing I have is pink. (all secondhand)

We will be scheduling the c-section for the week of March 30th. While I thought it would be fun to go with April 1st, I’ve since vetoed it. Knowing my luck, it WOULD be a boy and the joke would be on me. LOL So there you go. I’ve been doing some nesting (if you call doing my regular chores nesting), have moved Grant into Katie’s room, and have all of the new baby’s things all set up.

So… if you don’t hear from me too much, it’s not for lack of love – I’m either running after these two rugrats (Grant RUNS now!), on Facebook, OR taking a nap.

Oh yeah!

What is better than going to Target and picking up a double stroller for $39.00 (regular price $139.99)? 

Getting THIS

for $5.04!  Brand new in box… clearance… normally $89.99!  Whoo hoooooooooooooooo!

We are definitely counting our blessings this evening!

Little ears

We’re always trying to correct Katie so she says nice things instead of mean or bad things. She took to saying ‘stupid’ after watching Spongebob, and we told her she can’t watch that show anymore because she says things she shouldn’t.

Well, I just said ‘damn’ while talking to Daddy. And from the next room I hear Katie saying, “Mommy can’t watch Spongebob anymore… she said damn instead of darn.”

Damn darn kid.

What’s new with the kids…

Updates on the kids…

#1 Katie: We’ve come into the new year with her finally potty trained!  Yay for all of us!

#2 Grant: Just got his first haircut and is a handsome devil.  Also thisclose to walking on his own.  He takes steps all over the place, but 5 is the most consecutively.  Great job!

#3: 28 weeks today, and according to babycenter.com: By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She’s also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

So there you go!  We’re off to Knotts Berry Farm today… Grandma got us tickets and boy are we using them!

Here are a few pix…

Katie & Snoopy

Grant's first haircut.

M&M’s

Apparently, ‘They melt in your mouth, not in your hands’ doesn’t apply to 3 year olds.

Inconclusive?? Inconceivable!!

Well, this squirt is giving us a hard time already.  The ultrasound tech was unable to tell us the gender of the baby!  She told us throughout the appointment that the baby was not cooperating and they weren’t able to get all of the measurements for the doctor.  More than likely, my dr will make me wait a month and then send me back for another one.

Grrrr!  I was so looking forward to finding out!  I’m not leaning either way, but my curiosity is getting the best of me!! I tell you, if I could afford one of those 3 or 4D ultrasounds, I’d be out there right now getting one.

Sick Mama

Everyday.  At least 2x. 

Nauseous.

All

Day

Long

Majesty or Ted?

Katie seems to think the new baby will be a girl.  I asked her what we should name it, and she said ‘Majesty’.  I asked ‘what if it is a boy?’ 

Her answer? 

‘Ted.’

The Rules

Dear Pregnancy:

As we start our third round, I think it’s fair that we establish some ground rules this time around.

1. I don’t mind the morning sickness so much, considering the fact that I didn’t gain any weight the last two times.  Let’s agree that if I’m going to puke every day for the next nine months, that not only will I NOT gain any weight, but that I will lose some.
2. I understand you like to hit me with the sudden urge to pee just as I get comfortable in bed.  I’ll accept that.  But maybe you can forgo the hemorrhoids – those I can definitely do without.
3. Each time you like to throw me a curveball and give me some strange ailment like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Restless Leg Syndrome.  Maybe this time you can be nice and give me Beautiful Skin Syndrome or Eat All the Ranch Dip You Want Syndrome.
4. I’ll try to lay off the chili cheese fries and you be nice with the Acid Reflux.
5. I’m all about the scheduled c-section.  Try not to let my water break and put me into labor before the scheduled date.  I’ve gone 2 pregnancies without one iota of labor, I’m ready to make it 3 for 3.
6. I know last pregnancy we had a lot going on.  I’m trying to avoid the stress this year for both of us.  I’ll do what I can to ensure we don’t have any cancer scares or have to move again.

I think that sounds fair.  Don’t you?  And I think this is the last time we’ll have to go through all of this, so let’s make it a pleasant affair.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Maternity Clothes

So, of course a few months back I gave away ALL of my maternity clothes!  And now I’m prego again.  I certainly don’t have it in my budget to buy all new clothes!  I was lucky enought the second time around to get a huge bag from a friend of mine. 

This time, I found someone on craigslist.com who wanted to sell some of her clothes for $75.  We emailed back and forth and I asked if maybe I could do it in trade (scrapbooking/stamping items), since I was low on funds.   She ended up just giving them to me.  Whoo hoo! They are moving cross country this week and we made the switch yesterday.  I offered to make her a scrapbook album for her kids and she said not to worry, that she’d rather see the clothes go to someone who needs them than have someone buy them for cheap and re-sell them (apparently someone offered her only $30 and was going to re-sell on ebay).  She also said maybe if I have the time, I could make her a book and she would pay me.  Awesome. 

The Big Guy Upstairs is clearly looking out for us.

ps… Major tip of the day for parents on a budget… if you have a service to offer in lieu of money, it doesn’t hurt to ask to buy something in trade!

Oops, I did it again…

As if we didn’t have our hands full enough with Katie and Grant, God has blessed us with a third pregnancy!  Looks like we will be having Baby #3 in late March, early April.  

This should complete our little family, and we are looking forward to the many years of raising these wonderful children.

Sunday Recap – including a celebrity siting!

Three things happened centered around Gramma coming back yesterday:

1. We made Gramma a cake.  I let it sit on a rack to cool and when I wasn’t looking, Miss Katie helped herself to some.  Little stinker.
2. As we arrived at LAX I witnessed my first paparazzi frenzy.  There was a guy and a girl with a baby trying to get into a taxi and there were hoards of photogs everywhere.  I couldn’t tell who it was and wasn’t about to make my husband stop the car to satisfy my curiosity.  However, once he dropped Katie and I off to run in, we saw yet another mob.  This time it was a young guy trying to get through the crowd and I could see my mom on the other side of the mob.  We just waited for them to pass us, then Katie ran over to see Gramma.  I think I was the only one pointing my camera at someone other than the celebrity.  I went on TMZ this morning to see who it was and it was none other than Zac Efron.  Here is the video… (mom is in the blue shirt at 0:16) 
3. Since Mom is in town, we asked her if she could watch the kids last night so we could see a movie.  We put baby down, and Katie and Gramma were going to sleep.  We finally left at about 9:45 and how sad are we… we turned the car around after about 1 mile… we were just too tired to sit through a movie.  We had already eaten a late dinner AND cake, so we couldn’t even go out for dessert.  Plus, we don’t drink, so there really wasn’t anything to do.  Pathetic? I think so.

Gramma’s comin’ home!

For the past three years my mom has gone back east while her husband teaches summer school.  Well, this year she’s coming home early to take care of some things. 

Yay for Katie… she and grandma have a very special relationship!  Katie still re-tells the story of how we picked up Grandma from the airport last year.

Also, yay for me… she can take my girl off my hands for a few hours at a time so I can spend time with baby and/or clean up around the house without having to keep tabs on her whereabouts.

Christmas 2005

Summer Activities

Now that we are more settled in our new place and baby is on a schedule, I’m ready to get Katie into some summer activities.   She loves being around other kids, and certainly loves to perform.  Just last night at Target, she held court in the accessory department with a crowd of about 5 watching her sing into a little microphone and dance around.  As she ended each song, she would shout ‘HEY HEY!’ and then bow.  People walking by would clap and say she should be on American Idol.  My little performer.  Andrew suggested we put out a little hat for tips.

I signed her up for a ‘Storytelling, Singing & Dancing’ class that starts in 2 weeks - a few days after we get back from our vacation.  It is for one hour each week for 5 weeks.  This girl LOVES to sing and dance, so I think it will be perfect for her.  Also, I lucked out and the classes are held about one block from my house, so we can walk to and from (thus saving gas and parking fees.)  If you are from California, you know we drive EVERYWHERE, so walking the block will be a new experience for us (and GREAT excersise!)

Once those classes are over, I enrolled her (just this morning!) in swimming lessons.  It would have been nice to get them before the vacation, but that is okay.  She’ll still have one on one time with both me and Andrew in the pool/lake this coming week.  She is like a little fish already and LOVES to be in the water, and can get around pretty good with just her floatie jacket on.

What are your kids doing this summer?

The Girl Who Cries Wolf

Ever since Katie was about 6 months old, she has had this shrill scream.  Well it has turned into a scream for attention for the most minute things, such as not being able to reach something, or not getting something she wants and happens SEVERAL.TIMES.DAILY.  I have learned to tune it out, as I can’t come running everytime she can’t reach a darn crayon.  I knew at some point, she would actually BE hurt or something would be wrong and it’s not the crayon.  That day is today.

I was on the phone trying to do some business, and I heard her getting frustrated with the Swiffer.  She had been trying to help me clean the floor, and so I was letting her go to town.  The phone rang, and I was talking for about a minute when I heard her getting frustrated and yelling.  The yell, surprise, surprise, turned into THE SCREAM.  I let it go on as I was on the phone and just walked away, so I could actually hear the person on the other end.  The scream progressed longer than usual, so when I went to check on her, I see that her finger is caught in the hole at the swivel base of the Swiffer.  OOPS!  I got off the phone real quick, and got that little finger out of the hole.  Katie was now in hysterics.  I ran her finger under cold water then carried her to the couch to hug on her while she was sobbing.  Once the sobs dwindled down, I tried to explain the whole ‘crying wolf’ thing to her… that from now on, if she wants Mommy to come to her when she is hurt, she must save ‘the scream’ for those times only.

Who knows if she’ll actually understand.