this -n- that

I have figured out my perfect pillow formula.  This means I am sleeping fairly well.  (knock on wood)

I use the Neti-Pot regularly and wear those "snoring strips" on my nose at night.  This means Derek is sleeping fairly well.

We watch Wheel of Fortune almost every night.

Cole has gone from thinking the baby is a boy, to a boy AND girl, to a girl, and back to a boy.  I am dying of anticipation!

I have finished purchasing all things baby.  (and now I'm broke)

I am hinting to Derek that I want a garden.  But he ends up doing all of the work....my enthusiasm wanes quickly.

Phoebe has been on a diet.  It's going well.

Lita will do anything for chicken bones.  (Yes, we know they are deadly for dogs.)  She knocks the garbage over to steal them if ever we forget to prevent this.

Derek has finished painting pretty-much every wall surface in the house.  He's seen enough of paintbrushes, pans, cans, etc. to last him a while.

Cole is growing up too fast.

Aside from meeting baby, time off of work to adjust to our new life, etc - I am really excited to lose weight.  I am seriously tired of being so big.

I have a magazine addiction.  I probably have 10 subscriptions.  It's getting out of control.

I got two tickets this week....on Monday.  That sucked.  The rest of the week followed suit.

Happy Friday!

Broadway Oyster Bar

Saturday the fam decided to cash in a groupon for the BOB for an early family friendly dinner.
Yummy oyster grinder for D and fish for Cole & I. Then we all split bread pudding for dessert!
Fun atmosphere.
Lots of memories of different fun times at the BOB - not of the "family friendly" variety!
A few attempts at a good photo.

He loves his Daddy!

Rarely do I have a photo taken with this boy.  I swear I am present in his life and I do hug on him and love him and kiss him on a daily basis.  Here's our attempt for a photo....

Stinker!

(Why do I not realize how pregnant & puffy I look until I see a photo!?  

Maybe the negative talk is why I am never in photos!  ;))

Pregnancy Post Dos

With six weeks and two days left until our whole world changes, here are some of the changes my life is already seeing...

-I. Hurt. All. Over.

-"Good sleep" is a thing of the past.  Refer to the hurting all over.  Great training for when baby comes along.

-This baby feels like a giant.  Cole never felt this big!  Uh oh!  Cole was 8lb 7oz and I delivered him with an epidural.

-This baby will be delivered without medications.  (I am scared.)

-Baby moves all the time.  This can be downright painful, considering how huge he/she feels!

-I have lost all energy for living.  Sorry about the laundry, D!

-The recliner needs me and I need the recliner.

-I have prepared 7 casseroles that now wait in the freezer.  I hope this is helpful after baby comes.   I hope they taste good.  I hope I didn't waste HOURS over the weekend cooking my tail off!

-We have begun 'training' with our doula.  I am also beginning my 'pain training' with an ice water exercise.  Research says that IF I do this exercise 4 times before I go into labor, I will be able to better tolerate and cope with pain!

-Heartburn.  I could do so much better with controlling this - but chocolate is so good.  

-At my last visit I learned that baby was head down and ready for take-off.  This may be proven wrong but I am betting that this baby doesn't wait until April to make an appearance.

-I am emotional.  Even more than usual.

-All of this being said, I am so excited to meet this baby.  I am trying to remember these moments, as this will likely be my last pregnancy.  I know that I will downplay these "cons" when I am not pregnant.  Obviously pregnancy is amazing and such a miracle.   I am so lucky to have this experience twice, to be healthy, and to be nurturing a healthy baby.  I feel connected to baby through the kicks and movement - in some way I think those are telling of personality - and this little one is spunky!

Self portraits @ 33 weeks, 5 days

Derek is amazing.

He is....

...taking good care of me.

...massaging my back in the middle of the night when I am huffing and puffing in discomfort/pain.

...offering repeatedly to do whatever he can to help me.

...doing laundry and housework that I can't bring myself to do.

...teasing me only a little about the lunacy of my casserole making.

...looking forward to Cole 'needing' him more when I am consumed by nursing/caring for baby.

...remarking on how much he looks forward to having an infant again.

...working Saturdays so he has time to take off when we transition to a family of four.

...painting, fixing, organizing, and readying our home for it's coming change in inhabitants.

...overall, being a great partner for me as I deal with above noted changes.

VD

I will defer to Jill to express some of how I am feeling about Valentine's Day this year.  I don't have teenagers, but I am doing plenty of cheek squishing, kissing and hugging.  Well said, friend!

I hate the commercialism - yet I love LOVE.  And I have lots of it.  And maybe a little of me wants to celebrate it!  However, I don't need overpriced flowers, jewelry (Derek says I wouldn't wear it anyway - and he's right!), or chocolates....no wait, I totally need chocolate!  

I would love to receive flowers some other day (Derek has planted me many lovely flowers!  I like the symbolism of that - living flowers over cut & dying ones).  Not today.  Not on the day when some women build up expectations and are often let down.  Not on the day that makes single people feel lonely (that was me so many years).  Not on a day that Hallmark created.

That being said, here's to love...because I love LOVE!

Cole made us so proud when he wrote his name on all of his Valentine's.  I may or may not have been so proud that I squirted a few tears.  Blame it on the hormones.

Despite my overall less-than-lovely attitude about Valentine's Day, we were completely spoiled on this day!  Cole brought home the sweetest Valentine's for his Mommy & Daddy!  Na brought by an adorable book for Cole (more about this in another post!) and an E-reader for Derek and I!  Opa sent cards and stickers for Cole!  Cole got a bag-o-loot from his friends at school!  And, our lovely neighbors, Mr. Greg & Mrs. Jen left a bag of treats & cookies in the mailbox! 

I chose to spoil my loves a bit too.  I tried not to "buy" in too much but instead made D his favorite cookies (gooey butter) and got Cole a few treats.  I hope that I show them how very much I love them each and every day - with a little extra 'sugar' on this Valentine's Day!

To my family and friends, I love you all very much - - every single day!  Thank you for year round acts of love and kindness.  

Here's to LOVE!
XOXOXO 

a pretty good Wednesday

Wednesday was pretty good...not your run-of-the-mill, mid-week evening. 

Nope.

Cole got his first poster hung in his room.

...and I got my gift-card ordered Cuisinart food processor!

For the Love of a Montage

This week there was a Rocky movie on each night.  

We quickly learned that Cole loves a good workout montage as much as his dad.

He was mesmerized!

Superbowl Sunday

Colin, Milinn, and Meredith invited us over for the Superbowl. Wishing the game was shown on a Saturday, wishing Edwardsville was a little closer, and wishing we had Monday off, we headed over.

We were graciously hosted by all three. Meredith was wonderful with Cole and provided Derek and I a very relaxing evening!

Colin created a Superbowl Squares game, knowing that Derek loves it.  It made the game a little more interesting, seeing as how none of us really cared about the competing teams.

Each of us ended up winning one quarter, meaning there was no money exchanged in the end.  

My kind of gamblin'!

The boys warmed up with some foosball.

Meredith and Milinn provided Cole with a super fun, (nice) smelly, messy good time with shaving cream in the water table.

Does it get better than this for a SB party?  Cozy, comfy couch with a table full of food!  

Funny note about the food - Colin & Milinn made meatballs and queso.  Derek and I brought meatballs and queso.  There were a LOT of meatballs and gallons of queso for consumption! 
Yum.
Fun. 

Ice. Ice. Baby.

With t-8 weeks until bebe arrives, we have started on the changes that have to happen to accommodate a family of four in this house!

After he completed, I told Derek in shock that he had just painted the kids rooms!

Have a look at the mess progress:

There are many other things that need to happen before this child arrives...such as choosing a name, organizing, remembering how to change a diaper, laundry, laundry, laundry, etc.

We are on our way though!

Ice Day

We got freezing rain followed by sleet all day today.  They called for tons of snow on top but it never formulated....so far (fingers crossed that it stays away!).  

Here was the view for us today...

 Phoebe did NOT do well in the ice.

She moved in a way that reminded me of the "Elaine" dance from Seinfeld! 

 For the most part we stayed in and relaxed.  I cooked three meals (snow makes me feel domestic)! 

 Cole played and watched some 'toons. 

 Derek shoveled!

Eventually it stopped coming down long enough for us to go outside and check it all out. 

It was a nice day at home.  However, I am hoping Spring finds us soon!