Happy Eyes

“Happy the eyes that can close.” --from Cry the Beloved Country

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Stupid Sets In

I'm 30 weeks along. 10 weeks further than i got with Bode before bedrest and 2 weeks further than Keegen. Quite the accomplishment. It's really rather weird. Nice. But weird. I'm ready to just lounge around in my bed with a laptop but my cervix just isn't cooperating...;)

In all seriousness, it is a welcome change. Much less stressful. I do contract a lot but just manage it with my medications and so far so good. I feel very very pregnant. I walk like i'm 42 weeks along (usually because i'm contracting any time i'm walking and it makes me feel like i have to pee really really bad, if that helps anyone with a better visual of what i might be walking like). I find myself breathing to relax, usually during or after a contraction or in response to how crummy the meds make me feel. A woman came up to me after church today to ask how i was doing since i looked so uncomfortable. I'm sure she thinks i'm such a wuss. 30 weeks and already complaining of being so uncomfortable!

The one thing i enjoy a lot is feeling "baby sister," as we call her, move a lot and it's so fun to watch my belly move while i feel it. Makes me laugh.

Things i don't like? The fact that i'm growing out of most of the maternity clothes i'd assumed would last me till the end. The fact that i'm already sleeping like i have a newborn to get up with every 2-3 hours (darn contractions and bladder). The fact that i have zero patience with the children who are already out of my womb. The fact that when it comes to having a conversation, i can't remember what i was saying, or what "that word" is i'm looking for or any other semblance of intelligence (a pre-pregnant problem as well. But much worse now). Gone. Shunting off to my placenta, no doubt.

So my escape of late has been planning her nursery. I have a fun idea for a mobile. And i found a crib skirt i like. I'm searching for a good baby sling/wrap. And i'm making lots of lists of things for Doug to get done in the remaining few weeks. 'Cause i'm really good at putting him to work.

We painted the boys' room and moved Keegen's bed in so they share now. I have mixed feelings about it. For the most part, i think it will be good. But sometimes it's nice to be able to send them to separate rooms! Or like right now, I decided to make Keegen-the-Unable-to-Cope-r take a nap today, so Bode has to stay out of his room and do quiet time somewhere else. They are fighting like cats and dogs and i hope it's just a phase. Anyway. It doesn't really matter. But i do love the bright green on their walls and we hung a cool solar system mobile in there and for the most part, i think they'll like being in the same room.

I need to get off the computer to get some things done. But i can't remember what i'm supposed to be doing.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Finally

So. These pictures were taken LAST July. I finally chose and got the pics in time for Christmas. At that point, i was all about finding frames and getting this collage up on the wall. I found four frames but the 16x16 posed a problem. So the frames sat against the wall in my bedroom. I got pregnant. I got sick. I felt better. And then i FINALLY returned the frames i had since i couldn't find one for the big pic. Found five that worked all together. Had a baby shower which made me want to get.them.on.the.wall. And here they are! I love them! With baby #3 on her way, we'll have to make a trip sometime again for Jeri to update the wall. And maybe we'll include Doug, too.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

SLC

I just got back from 10 days in Utah. I decided i was feeling well enough and that we all needed more of a diversion, an actual "summer vacation" and Utah is close enough to drive, we have a free and easy place to stay (my parents' condo) and there's a lot to do. As much as i will not live in Utah for a number of different reasons, i do love visiting. So much kid stuff to do in a very small proximity. Parks on every other corner. Etc., etc.

We drove to Breckenridge on Thursday night after Doug got home from work and stayed at a friend's condo. This cut off a good two hours from the following day's drive, which was really nice. The boys are stellar road-trippers. Seriously, they are so good. Yes, we have a DVD player and that helps, too, but they will sit and listen to audiobooks, look out the window and point things out, look at books and they know that after lunch we always do "quiet time" in the car. This way Keegen always falls asleep and most of the time Bode gets an hour nap as well.

We got in Friday evening and realized that our van A/C stopped working somewhere around Price. So we spent a lovely $1100 getting that fixed on Saturday (ain't no way i was driving BACK to CO without A/C). NOT how i'd planned to spend that kind of money. How did the A/C go out on a 3-year old van? There's a separation in the front bumper (just how it's designed) and a ROCK got between the separation as we drove and blew a hole in our condenser. So much for my CHEAP vacation. Alas. Our van had to sit in the shop all weekend since we have an extended warranty and wanted to see if any of the cost was covered from that. Thankfully, my parents keep a Jeep at the condo so we weren't stranded or having to rent a car for the weeekend. Anywho.

I've already forgotten the order of events. I used to have such a great memory! Oh well. We did LOTS. I think the boys played on Saturday--oh ya. Doug's brother came up to SLC and they played tennis with the boys and we had lunch at Morelia's. Sunday we met my grandma at the Original Pancake House for breakfast (they have GF pancakes. Bode was thrilled!). I made a trip to Ikea at some point during the weekend and spent way more than i should have. But i LOVE the underbed storage baskets i got. Love love love them. They are filled with all my extra sheets and quilts that were falling all over the place in my closets. Doug left Sunday night to go back home to work until Thursday.

So while he was away, we took advantage of all the things to do. We took Trax to the planetarium (riding on Trax is a treat for the boys in and of itself and we can get on it literally one block down the hill from my parents' condo). I wasn't so sure about the planetarium at first. There didn't seem to be as much to do as there should be, but the boys had a blast. They spent a lot of time on this "Newton's Sculpture" thingy, where these big balls and little balls orbitted around the ceiling and inside a glass 2-story wall. They could manipulate the balls with knobs on the outside of the glass and make the balls hit stuff inside the glass to make noises/music. Hard to 'splain. I was bored with it, but they could have played with it allthelivelongday. I decided to splurge and we watched the 3D IMAX Under the Sea. They're favorite part of the movie was the popcorn. We spent some time at Liberty Park where they have a splashpad now (maybe they had it last time and i didn't notice?). We drove up to Ogden and spent the afternoon with the Zeke, Bode's long-lost best buddy from CO. We also took Trax again another day and met Zeke and family at the children's museum, which has yet to disappoint us. We spent a large part of a day at Thanksgiving Point's children's garden. It was a really fun place to explore. Like the planetarium, i wasn't sure about it initially. It seemed really small and not terribly interesting until we just really explored. They had neat hedge mazes. And a lighthouse (where if you're taller than 4 1/2 feet tall you will crack your head on the door on your way out and see stars and wait for your black-out or concussion to occur. So beware). A pond full of waterlilies and fish that we fed. But we spent most of our time in the "outdoor classrooms" where they kids could build with "blocks." Literally just random shaped and sized pieces of wood that they had piled up around tables the kids could build on. Anyway. It ended up being time well-spent. Oh, and the splash area with the Noah's Ark and fountains was fun, too. A little mini-golf in the 100 degree heat (i was dying. And so glad they were quick little golfers). We ate out quite a bit and had lots of ice cream and treats and wore ourselves out. It was great!

Doug came back in the wee hours of Friday morning (he was supposed to get in around 8pm Thursday night, but weather in Denver delayed him). Friday he took the boys to Provo to play at Seven Peaks Water Park (which, by the way, is where Doug and i met ice skating eons ago!). The place was PACKED even when i dropped them off 10 minutes after they opened (it WAS a holiday for a lot of people, so i shouldn't have been so surprised). I was really curious to hear how the boys did since Bode won't go under water and neither are super-comfortable in water. They.did.awesome! They had so much fun. And the areas for the smaller kids weren't so packed as the rest of the place. Bode went down slides into pools over and over and was very proud of himself for going under the water. Keegen had a blast. They all went down the bigger slides together on a 2-man raft. They were there from 11-3:30 and had nothing but really great things to say about it. I was so happy. While they played, i tooled around the BYU Bookstore and then headed to the mall. There wasn't as much to do down there as i'd thought, but i enjoyed my time alone, especially after being the only parent for the week. I had a nice lunch just me and my book at PF Chang's.

I'm getting sketchy again on details, but i think Friday night we went to Doug's Aunt Susan's house for a 4th of July BBQ. Doug's parents drove down from Oregon so it was nice to see everyone. The kids had a great time playing with Doug's cousins' kids and after dark everyone hiked up the hill for the North Salt Lake fireworks show. Saturday?? I don't remember. I was kind of done. Ready to go back home. I think we spent more time with Doug's parents and brother and sister-in-law.

And Sunday was the long drive back home. But it was surprisingly tolerable. The boys did great. I did better than usual ;) We took the route through Wyoming which is usually painful (so brown and boring) but it was fine.

Anywho. TOO MUCH FUN. It was exactly what i wanted it to be. I just wanted to go go go with the boys and that's what we did. I was sure i'd come home and my cervix would be gone and i'd be put on bedrest, but amazingly, i am just dandy. No cervical shortening or funnelling. Yahoo!

The boys have had to adjust to not going non-stop and not getting treats every time they ask! I forgot my camera which i don't think i've ever done before. It's kind of a shame, but it was also kind of freeing. Here's the one and only picture we got. The Pillsbury Doughboy's got nothin' on me.


The End.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Thoughts/Comments on Today

Words i never realized would come out of my mouth: "Keegen! Get your FACE out of the TOILET." (He's ever so proud of his potty successes and likes to watch the contents swish away but today was a little too up-close-and-personal).

Speaking of too up-close-and-personal, I've joked that Keegen is so small that i fear he'll fall in the toilet. Darn thing looks like it's about to swallow him up when he sits on it. But i never imagined he'd fall into the toilet while standing up peeing. He was standing on a step to reach the toilet, peeing, when he shifted and somehow the step slipped and he fell INTO THE TOILET face and hands outstretched first. So. What do i do? I pick him up (stifling my disbelieving laughter), wipe him off, stand him back up on the step to try again. And what happens? STEP SOMEHOW SLIPS AGAIN AND HE FLIES IN FACE FIRST AGAIN! (maybe having his shorts wrapped around his ankles wasn't a good idea, either...). Thankfully, after he got mad at me for laughing he was quick to forgive and laugh, too. No. You're right. We will not be using that step EVER again for that purpose. Should this be one of those blackbox warnings for parents? Do not let your child pee alone into the toilet due to risk of drowning???

And finally, i thought this was funny. I know i have "Say" playing by Jon Mayer when my blog comes up. I know. I'm sick of it, too. Just too lazy to go to the site to delete the code to get rid of it all. Anywho. We're sitting at Taco Bell tonight for a lovely dinner of hydrogenates, Grade F meat and who knows what else and "Say" is playing overhead. Bode asks, "Why is he saying Sandwiches Make Sense?" (as opposed to Say What you Need to Say). (sing with me now, "sandwiches makes se-e-e-nse, sandwiches make se-ense"). Love it. Just like his father hearing things that aren't there.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Strawberry Fields Forever

I've had a hankering for a pick-your-own experience for a long time now. I was foiled last fall when there were no apples to pick in the entire state of Colorado due to a severe frost. No homemade applesauce for me! This year? I found a fantastic little farm just an hour and a half away where we could pick strawberries.

We invited Kristen and Kate and Jack (because if anyone likes PYO more than me, it's Kristen. No doubt). We met up and carpooled to the farm and it was the fastest, most enjoyable drive i've had to Denver yet (it's actually in Brighton, just past the Denver airport). (We went to Berry Patch Farms, for anyone interested!). Most enjoyable because the kids were totally entertained with each other. Very novel having friends in the car for a "road trip." And therefore, Kristen and i got to gab the entire way there and back.

The farm was darling. Wonderful red barn. Roosters cockadoodling to greet us. A ginormous pig that delighted the kids. To get the the strawberry fields, we had to take the "berry train," a hay wagon, essentially, which the kids loved, too.


We got out to the fields with our boxes to fill and set the kids loose. They did a great job only picking the ripe ones and eating lots as they went along! Keegen had to have eaten an entire quart, easily. Bode was less voracious, but enjoyed some, too. It's an organic farm and i LOVED being able to paw through the plants and not worry about pesticide/fertilizer residue. And loved even more that we could just pop the berries in our mouths without worry. Oh, and they were so tasty. I got home and told Doug that i am spoiled now, having tasted these sweet, fresh berries. Yum!Bode searching for the perfect berries

these kids are awesome

I got about 2/3 of a flat, which was plenty since i'd just made freezer jam the week before. We've enjoyed these berries with whipped cream and ice cream and i just dipped a bunch in melted semi-sweet chocolate (lazy man's fondue!). Soooooo good!

i love this picture! makes up for not getting one on mother's day! check out keegen's face, hands and empty container...

Friday, June 19, 2009

Quick Catch-Up

Mother's Day: I was given a menu of options for the day in book form that the boys worked on with Doug. A menu of many choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as activity choices for the day. The choices were impressive. For breakfast alone we had cinnamon rolls (my faves from a can), orange julius and eggs benedict. As for activities, I went with the simply hang out with the family as well as rest a lot since i wasn't feeling well then.

Bode's Preschool Graduation: He is on to kindergarten! Hard to believe sometimes. He wouldn't participate in the presentation the kids put on or walk in the graduation "procession", which made me sad only because he'd been willing to do things like this a few months ago. But i had to remind myself that I hate performing and being in front of a crowd, too, so i understood it. It's not always just his sensory processing issues. He knew all of the songs and what they were going to do. He'd fully participated during school to learn them. But when it came to performing in front of a bunch of parents he couldn't. We did get some fun pictures later...


I will be saving his preschool eval in Bode's school file (as if i'm so organized) but wanted to save it here, too. His pre-reading, writing, math, science; etc. skills were all appropriate, but i wanted to highlight what the teachers wrote that i think says a lot about how much progress he's made. In "Social/Life Skills," (the ones i worry about. I don't fret about academics, it's how he can process, behave, integrate and socialize in a school setting that worries me),

* in response to "demonstrates respect for authority" she wrote "always."
* "Engages in social play with others," Cooperates with peers," "Demonstrates respect for property," and "Follows instructions" she wrote, "Can be hesitant at times, but has come a very long way socially."
* Bode's comment to identifying numbers was, "I am good at numbers." Love the healthy self-esteem there.
* Their comments in general--"Bode was exceptionally responsive and cooperative. Would say, "Yes, I can do that." He was outgoing, very fast and accurate. He nailed all his letters, sounds and numbers. I cannot express how much i will miss Bode. I have seen him come a long way socially. Bode is inquistive and eager to learn. Pays a great deal to detail and is extremely observant. Hope to see Bode this summer" (at the preschool camps).

I was so happy reading these comments. It confirmed for me that he was in the right school this year. That they loved him and understood him and really guided him in a lot of his progress. He has been so excited every morning to go to school. I've seen him go from the kid who stands alone to the side of the room for a very.long.time trying to warm up to the kid who jumps right in as soon as we hit the door.

My Birthday: I am now exactly twice the age of my mental age/age i feel i should be. Yowzas. We had cake for breakfast and then spent some time on a garage sale the boys wanted to do (of all things. It all started with a Max and Ruby episode "Ruby's Rummage Sale..."). Anyway. We did that for a few hours and then headed to Boulder to go to the farmer's market there. It's a great market and we came home with some flowers for the backyard, some Boulder Popcorn kernels that i so love and some gluten-free baked goods. It was a laid back day and i enjoyed just spending it with the fam.


My Birthday Extended: The weekend after my birthday, Doug's gift to me was a solo trip to Salt Lake to meet my sister so we could spend the weekend together. It was great. No kids, no household worries, no plans. We ate a lot and shopped a lot. Yummy Morelia's, Sweet Tomatoes, Jamba Juice, Cafe Rio, Market Street Grill, Iceberg...We saw our aunt, uncle and grandma, too. Good times.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

hiya

When i first started my blog almost 3 years ago, i remember thinking how nice it would have been to have had a blog when i was pregnant with the boys. Easily record the experiences. The sonos. The changes. Etc etc. Well. Now that i'm pregnant and have a blog, i've realized pregnancy apparently sucks the life and creativity out of me and leaves no interest in blogging about it. It all seems so mundane (even though it's not). Or complain-y. Or i'm too busy making another piece of white trash bread, toasted, with a couple teaspoons of butter, and top that with a couple tablespoons of sugar and a dash of cinnamon and...

And then i think about how much i HAVEN'T blogged about that i want recorded, related to pregnancy and not, and i feel so behind and bogged down when, really, i should just start from today, or whenever, and go from there. Right?

So. Today. I worked. At the hospital. An actual shift. I haven't worked an actual shift since JANUARY. And not because i'm pregnant. Things have just been very slow at work and the few shifts i'd signed on for ended up being on slow days and i was canceled. I've been toying with quitting the work scene, in part because of the frequent cancellations and having to then cancel my babysitter (or keeping my babysitter because i don't want to have to cancel her again, which isn't so bad but I'M not getting paid to pay her. Does that make sense?). But also because i think, now honestly, am i going to want to/feel able to go back to work within a couple of months? With 3 kids? With a nursing newborn? Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. I kinda don't think so. I'm all for pumping (that was almost typed as "pimping") and having a break. But on my own schedule. And being a nurse? Not.really.a.break. Today? I had to change an adult diaper. NOT A GOOD SCENE. MUCH GAGGING AND COUGHING ON THIS PREGNANT CHICAS PART. And i had to take care of a bunch of pediatric patients, which just isn't my thing. So. Not missing the work scene so much. Like the money. Like interacting with my co-workers. Like feeling like i'm keeping the proverbial foot in the door. But. Overall? Probably done. Just need to sleep on it some more and talk to my boss (not Doug. Heaven knows I'M THE BOSS in our house!).

As for the pregnancy, things are great. Really really great. Surprisingly and knocking on wood great. The heinous, what-i-was-certain-was-never-ending-nausea subsided around 18-ish weeks and i've gained the 15 pounds plus more back because i really like to eat. At 18 weeks, i started contracting and was absolutely sure this pregnancy was from hell. That i was headed down the preterm labor/bedrest/anxiety-filled road i've been on before. I was worried that it would be another pregnancy like Bode's since i didn't have problems with Keegen until about 26 weeks, but with Bode it all started at 18. Anyway. I was on oral medication to treat the contractions for 2 weeks and my OB assured me by 20 weeks, the weekly injections i get to prevent preterm labor would work better. I did not believe him. But. Happily. He was right. Things calmed down and i haven't needed the extra meds and hope not to anytime soon (or ever). I've been feeling her move since 13 weeks, which i think is kind of crazy. But i'm almost 24 weeks now and can really feel her shake her booty now. I had a stress-binge the other night (filled with Laffy Taffy, chocolate toffees and whatever other leftover Easter candy i could find that i liked). Afterwards i was lying on the couch and felt the kicks, jabs and punches of a sugar high go on inside of me which i enjoyed very much.

The boys have been very cute about this growing baby sister. Keegen often almost absent-mindedly rubs my belly, but also throws himself back on me when he's trying to sit on my now non-existent lap that it hurts! He asks a lot about when she'll get here, when my "belly will pop" and she'll come out. Bode actually asked how she gets out and the whole belly popping theory was discussed. Which i shot down. I just told them that she has to stay inside my tummy and grow until she's big enough and strong enough to come out. And that at that time there will be a hole for her to slide out of (doesn't that sound like fun? A little SLIDE). And then? I held my breath in hopes that there would be no further questions on that topic at that time. And there weren't. And i was relieved...They ask what she'll be able to do and what she'll want to do and we've talked about how much they can teach her and so far things seem pretty positive on that front.

And that's all i've got for now. Off to bed for me.