Thank goodness for the Magic Eraser.
Something does exist that removes crayon and colored pencil from a 100-year-plus-old / antique dining room table.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Quick One for Tuesday
This just in:
Julia is licking her arm to make it wet, and then drying it off with a Kleenex.
S-M-R-T. I mean, S-M-A-R-T. (Two points to the person who can get THAT quote!)
erin
Julia is licking her arm to make it wet, and then drying it off with a Kleenex.
S-M-R-T. I mean, S-M-A-R-T. (Two points to the person who can get THAT quote!)
erin
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Thyroid
Blah.
My precautionary blood draw today turned out to be a good thing in the end... my levels are low so my doc is upping my dosage of medication. Double blah. Nothing to worry about really, but tomorrow I will go and pick up the prescription. My guess is that I will be back on a lower dose within a few months of this new little one being born, similar to what happened after Julia was born.
Oh, well, eh?
erin
My precautionary blood draw today turned out to be a good thing in the end... my levels are low so my doc is upping my dosage of medication. Double blah. Nothing to worry about really, but tomorrow I will go and pick up the prescription. My guess is that I will be back on a lower dose within a few months of this new little one being born, similar to what happened after Julia was born.
Oh, well, eh?
erin
32 Weeks Minus 1 Day
I had an OB appointment today. YAY!
For those of you wondering about the facts of the appointment, here's some info:
Total Weight Gain: 22 lbs
Difference from Last Appointment: +3 lb (darn the ankle / foot swelling that will not go away...)
Baby's Heartbeat: 150's
Fundal height (belly measurement): 34 cm / 34 weeks
Blood Pressure: 113/72
Tomorrow I will be 32 weeks pregnant... wowsa! The time is flying by! I go back to the doctor again two weeks (on the 5th) and then again on my birthday (August 19th). I will have all my labs done again on the 19th, so yay (not!), for my birthday I will be poked and prodded. What fun. Ha!
Today I had blood drawn for a TSH / thyroid check, so will probably hear back on that this afternoon. Nothing suspicious; just hadn't had one done since February and figured it was time again.
Otherwise, told doctor how Julia was wanting to be carried more, but in the last week it feels like she has gained 10 lbs (which there is no possible way that could be) and that I cannot carry her on the front anymore because it feels like she is pushing the baby out! He said she will be doing that more and more; he says she knows something is up and coming even if she is not sure what. So, I carry her a little, set her down a little, and do what I can.
The tired bug has surely slapped me again, yet sleeping is no fun because my left arm keeps falling asleep on me when I sleep and hurts all the day long. Oh, well! The joys of pregnancy! I am just glad all else is going along well.
later,
erin
For those of you wondering about the facts of the appointment, here's some info:
Total Weight Gain: 22 lbs
Difference from Last Appointment: +3 lb (darn the ankle / foot swelling that will not go away...)
Baby's Heartbeat: 150's
Fundal height (belly measurement): 34 cm / 34 weeks
Blood Pressure: 113/72
Tomorrow I will be 32 weeks pregnant... wowsa! The time is flying by! I go back to the doctor again two weeks (on the 5th) and then again on my birthday (August 19th). I will have all my labs done again on the 19th, so yay (not!), for my birthday I will be poked and prodded. What fun. Ha!
Today I had blood drawn for a TSH / thyroid check, so will probably hear back on that this afternoon. Nothing suspicious; just hadn't had one done since February and figured it was time again.
Otherwise, told doctor how Julia was wanting to be carried more, but in the last week it feels like she has gained 10 lbs (which there is no possible way that could be) and that I cannot carry her on the front anymore because it feels like she is pushing the baby out! He said she will be doing that more and more; he says she knows something is up and coming even if she is not sure what. So, I carry her a little, set her down a little, and do what I can.
The tired bug has surely slapped me again, yet sleeping is no fun because my left arm keeps falling asleep on me when I sleep and hurts all the day long. Oh, well! The joys of pregnancy! I am just glad all else is going along well.
later,
erin
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Summer Fun
I don't know if you know the weather in Iowa at all, but it has been GORGEOUS here the last few days... last Friday through today... it's been in the high 60s / low 70s and... basically perfect. (Perfect for a pregnant lady, anyway! Normally we are in the high 80s and the humidity is nasty high all the time... normally, I would not be outside at all. Ha!)
Last Saturday night before Adam headed to his gig, we went outside and played around a bit (mostly, Adam played around with Julia and I hung out and watched... I'm not as fast as he is and I most certainly cannot ride a swing on my belly right now...!).
Julia had a blast and is becoming better at going down the slide and enjoys trying to give me heart problems with her playground climbing antics.
Julia getting ready to go down the slide.
Adam helping her getting into position.
Adam promising to catch her... I love this picture... in mid-slide!
(LOVE this picture!)
Oooh, do I have to touch the grass? Seriously?
Julia had the sun in her eyes and I could not stop laughing.
erin
Last Saturday night before Adam headed to his gig, we went outside and played around a bit (mostly, Adam played around with Julia and I hung out and watched... I'm not as fast as he is and I most certainly cannot ride a swing on my belly right now...!).
Julia had a blast and is becoming better at going down the slide and enjoys trying to give me heart problems with her playground climbing antics.
Julia getting ready to go down the slide.
Adam helping her getting into position.
Adam promising to catch her... I love this picture... in mid-slide!
(LOVE this picture!)
Oooh, do I have to touch the grass? Seriously?
Julia had the sun in her eyes and I could not stop laughing.
erin
Budding Photographer
Julia has recently taken to saying "chee" ("cheese") and smiling when I get out the camera... of course, she does this before I have a chance to even turn it on or focus on her, and by the time I do, she's all done with taking pictues.
However, she loves to look at herself in pictures ("baby, baby!") and really enjoys watching the back of the screen when the camera is in picture taking mode.
While we were out by the pool one night last week, I kept trying to take a picture of her and she was freaking out on me because SHE wanted to hold the camera and take the pictures... so I let her! Hee!
Maybe not so good right now... but I'm sure she'll get the hang of it over the next few years...
erin
However, she loves to look at herself in pictures ("baby, baby!") and really enjoys watching the back of the screen when the camera is in picture taking mode.
While we were out by the pool one night last week, I kept trying to take a picture of her and she was freaking out on me because SHE wanted to hold the camera and take the pictures... so I let her! Hee!
Maybe not so good right now... but I'm sure she'll get the hang of it over the next few years...
erin
Tree Corn?
We seem to have an abundance of squirrels that nest in our trees and run in the neighborhood. So, it should not be any surprise to us that we find random stalks of corn growing around our property, as the squirrels are really good at nabbing corn cobs from the neighbors garden during harvest time.
We recently found a corn stalk growing underneath the slide, and I am pretty sure there are some in the hostas.
This last weekend as we were playing outside, Adam looked up in one of our trees and said, "What is THAT?" Upon closer inspection, we noticed that it was a stalk of corn. Sure enough, a squirrel had dropped a precious kernel of corn into the "Y" of one of our big maples, and there grew a corn stalk.
erin
We recently found a corn stalk growing underneath the slide, and I am pretty sure there are some in the hostas.
This last weekend as we were playing outside, Adam looked up in one of our trees and said, "What is THAT?" Upon closer inspection, we noticed that it was a stalk of corn. Sure enough, a squirrel had dropped a precious kernel of corn into the "Y" of one of our big maples, and there grew a corn stalk.
erin
Monday, July 20, 2009
Pictures of a Pregnant Lady
In an effort to stay on top of belly picture taking, I veered off my normal course of only taking pictures on the week and had Adam snap a few pictures yesterday.
My haircut in curls:
With Julia:
Just me and my almost-32-week-pregnant belly:
erin
My haircut in curls:
With Julia:
Just me and my almost-32-week-pregnant belly:
erin
Operation Rescue the Truck
A conversation you may have heard in our house early Sunday morning... around 2:00 am...
(Phone ringing) Ring, ring!
(Wife realizes it is not alarm clock, picks up phone, and wonders who is calling? After confusedly trying to figure out whose phone number it is, realizes it is Husband's cell.)
Wife: (groggily) Hello?
Husband: Hi. I have a flat tire.
Wife: Hmm.
Husband: There is no patching it.
Wife: Hmm.
Husband: I am between Knoxville and Attica and it is pitch black out here and I cannot see anything to change it.
Wife: I should come and get you.
Husband: Yes.
Wife: I cannot leave Julia here. (saying things outloud she really means to be saying only in her head)
Husband: No.
Wife: Where are you?
Husband: On 5 between Knoxville and Attica. Take a left at the Casey's. It does not say it is Highway 5, but it is. It is the Dragoon Trail... (continues to give directions)
Wife: Take 14?
Husband: Yes.
Wife: I will call you to find out the rest when I get there. I am trying to process.
Husband: Okay.
Wife: (putting on glasses, trying to swing pregnant body from bed) I am up. I have to get Julia and then will be there.
Husband: Okay.
So, off Julia and I went to pick Adam up in the dead of night just south of Knoxville. Me, having listened to my husband, drove out to Highway 14 and went over the Mile Long Bridge and drove past the County Fairgrounds / Knoxville Speedway and conveniently drove right by the light-less Casey's (and I didn't take a left). However, thankfully between TomTom and my knowledge of Knoxville, I knew I would hit Highway 5 directly anyway, and upon doing so, called Adam, and about five minutes later, I found him and his truck on the side of the road, hazards flashing.
To say he had a flat tire or that it was pitch black out was an understatment. It is more like his tire blew up and looked like a split turkey, and well, were it not for his hazards flashing, it was dark enough out that I probably would have driven by him and had to turn around because I would have seen him too late.
And, seeing as how we had church at 9:45 in the morning, we didn't figure spending time on the side of a state highway in the middle of the night was a real smart move.
So, we headed home, and of course, to stay awake, I jabbered Adam's ear off. Adam didn't fall asleep till after 3:30 and I was still up at 4:00 am. (And Julia was kind of whacked too; she kept sitting up in bed holding her blanket.)
Side Note: I should point out at this time that Adam gave me directions (as seen above) and I followed them mostly AND found him, only to realize on the way home that he meant T-15 - NOT Hwy 14 - and the Kum & Go - NOT Casey's. Please note that I DID take Hwy 14 and would have turned by the Casey's had I seen it in time and I still would have found him. Thank goodness for small miracles.
After church yesterday, we drove back and found Adam's truck, and I... uh... supervised... while he changed the tire (and of course, took some pictures). It is a good thing we did not attempt doing this at 2:30 in the morning... there were some frustrating enough times doing it during the middle of the day with the sun out and fully awake!
Oooh. Bad.
Definitely on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.
Another view of the bad tire.
Hmm... got the spare off... now what... what's next...?
Why am *I* being punished because daddy's tire blew up? LET ME OUT!!! (I eventually let her crawl around the backseat of the car while we were outside. The road was so busy I couldn't even think to let her out of the car. I was smart and left the car running with the air conditioning on AND rolled the driver's window down enough to get my arm in there in case she locked us out inadvertently. )
These... ugh... lug nuts... ARGH... are on... OOOF... too tight!!! I know... I'll jump on the wrench to loosen them up!
Whew, tire off. Let's put it in the back of Erin's car.
This is what I think happened...
Mom, there is a TIRE in the back of the car.
A close up of the damage.
Spare on...! Time to head home!
(For time refererence, I took the first picture at 1 pm and the last at 1:30 pm. We had some clean-up after the last picture. We rolled into home at 2 pm and I basically had to talk loudly at Julia the last five minutes of the trip to keep her awake and then promptly took her to bed for her nap. I am thinking maybe I should have left her with a babysitter or something... oh, well!)
Adam will be calling about the tire this week. Sadly, this tire (and the other three) have less than 25,000 miles on them. This would be his third tire on the truck (I would say third "set", but we are NOT replacing the other three). His truck just barely has 60,000 miles on it and is a 2003, so having a third set of tires is a bit premature. My Escape, on the other hand, is only on its third set of tires and has almost 120,000 miles on it. And never a flat tire (knock on wood). Go figure.
erin
(Phone ringing) Ring, ring!
(Wife realizes it is not alarm clock, picks up phone, and wonders who is calling? After confusedly trying to figure out whose phone number it is, realizes it is Husband's cell.)
Wife: (groggily) Hello?
Husband: Hi. I have a flat tire.
Wife: Hmm.
Husband: There is no patching it.
Wife: Hmm.
Husband: I am between Knoxville and Attica and it is pitch black out here and I cannot see anything to change it.
Wife: I should come and get you.
Husband: Yes.
Wife: I cannot leave Julia here. (saying things outloud she really means to be saying only in her head)
Husband: No.
Wife: Where are you?
Husband: On 5 between Knoxville and Attica. Take a left at the Casey's. It does not say it is Highway 5, but it is. It is the Dragoon Trail... (continues to give directions)
Wife: Take 14?
Husband: Yes.
Wife: I will call you to find out the rest when I get there. I am trying to process.
Husband: Okay.
Wife: (putting on glasses, trying to swing pregnant body from bed) I am up. I have to get Julia and then will be there.
Husband: Okay.
So, off Julia and I went to pick Adam up in the dead of night just south of Knoxville. Me, having listened to my husband, drove out to Highway 14 and went over the Mile Long Bridge and drove past the County Fairgrounds / Knoxville Speedway and conveniently drove right by the light-less Casey's (and I didn't take a left). However, thankfully between TomTom and my knowledge of Knoxville, I knew I would hit Highway 5 directly anyway, and upon doing so, called Adam, and about five minutes later, I found him and his truck on the side of the road, hazards flashing.
To say he had a flat tire or that it was pitch black out was an understatment. It is more like his tire blew up and looked like a split turkey, and well, were it not for his hazards flashing, it was dark enough out that I probably would have driven by him and had to turn around because I would have seen him too late.
And, seeing as how we had church at 9:45 in the morning, we didn't figure spending time on the side of a state highway in the middle of the night was a real smart move.
So, we headed home, and of course, to stay awake, I jabbered Adam's ear off. Adam didn't fall asleep till after 3:30 and I was still up at 4:00 am. (And Julia was kind of whacked too; she kept sitting up in bed holding her blanket.)
Side Note: I should point out at this time that Adam gave me directions (as seen above) and I followed them mostly AND found him, only to realize on the way home that he meant T-15 - NOT Hwy 14 - and the Kum & Go - NOT Casey's. Please note that I DID take Hwy 14 and would have turned by the Casey's had I seen it in time and I still would have found him. Thank goodness for small miracles.
After church yesterday, we drove back and found Adam's truck, and I... uh... supervised... while he changed the tire (and of course, took some pictures). It is a good thing we did not attempt doing this at 2:30 in the morning... there were some frustrating enough times doing it during the middle of the day with the sun out and fully awake!
Oooh. Bad.
Definitely on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.
Another view of the bad tire.
Hmm... got the spare off... now what... what's next...?
Why am *I* being punished because daddy's tire blew up? LET ME OUT!!! (I eventually let her crawl around the backseat of the car while we were outside. The road was so busy I couldn't even think to let her out of the car. I was smart and left the car running with the air conditioning on AND rolled the driver's window down enough to get my arm in there in case she locked us out inadvertently. )
These... ugh... lug nuts... ARGH... are on... OOOF... too tight!!! I know... I'll jump on the wrench to loosen them up!
Whew, tire off. Let's put it in the back of Erin's car.
This is what I think happened...
Mom, there is a TIRE in the back of the car.
A close up of the damage.
Spare on...! Time to head home!
(For time refererence, I took the first picture at 1 pm and the last at 1:30 pm. We had some clean-up after the last picture. We rolled into home at 2 pm and I basically had to talk loudly at Julia the last five minutes of the trip to keep her awake and then promptly took her to bed for her nap. I am thinking maybe I should have left her with a babysitter or something... oh, well!)
Adam will be calling about the tire this week. Sadly, this tire (and the other three) have less than 25,000 miles on them. This would be his third tire on the truck (I would say third "set", but we are NOT replacing the other three). His truck just barely has 60,000 miles on it and is a 2003, so having a third set of tires is a bit premature. My Escape, on the other hand, is only on its third set of tires and has almost 120,000 miles on it. And never a flat tire (knock on wood). Go figure.
erin
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Lovin' Drummin'
This morning we had Praise Band practice at church, and after some time, Julia toddled off to watch drummer Josh play. This isn't the first time that she's done this, but it's the first time I've thought to take a picture of it! :)
erin
Friday, July 17, 2009
Sepia: Sisters
A picture of my sissy (Lis, Melissa, Lissy... or whatever you want to call her!) and me...
Though I cannot tell you what year this picture was taken (though, I will guess... 1983... mom?), I can tell you WHERE this picture was taken. Here we are sitting on Grandma and Grandpa Schroeder's back patio, and as you can see, we like croquet mallets. :) I thoroughly enjoyed playing croquet at my grandparents' house, and now own the set that I am holding...!
Very soon Julia will have a small brother or sister that she can play croquet with in our backyard... hopefully she wants to PLAY with him/her and not bang him/her over the head with the mallet...!
erin
Though I cannot tell you what year this picture was taken (though, I will guess... 1983... mom?), I can tell you WHERE this picture was taken. Here we are sitting on Grandma and Grandpa Schroeder's back patio, and as you can see, we like croquet mallets. :) I thoroughly enjoyed playing croquet at my grandparents' house, and now own the set that I am holding...!
Very soon Julia will have a small brother or sister that she can play croquet with in our backyard... hopefully she wants to PLAY with him/her and not bang him/her over the head with the mallet...!
erin
31
Yesterday I was 31 weeks pregnant. In less than 5 weeks, I will be 31 years old! Ha!
It is hard to believe how quickly the time is flying by with this pregnancy. I have fleeting thoughts about getting this ready or going through that box or whatnot. Last week while Adam's mom was here, I carpet-cleaned Julia's room and re-arranged it to make room for our new addition. Today I had thoughts about maybe cleaning up the changing table and figuring out what was all on there... maybe.
Here is a picture of my belly from last week... at 30w2d... I don't have one from this week yet. I know, boo.
As you can see, I've figured out pretty well how to hold Julia with the ever expanding, although, she is partial to be carried ON my belly as opposed to on my hip. Oh, well! Funny how I don't think twice about doing things while pregnant this time around that I never would have imagined doing last time (i.e., like carrying around a 20-some pound kid...!).
Nine weeks from today we will have a new little one with us... boy or girl? Name? What will he/she look like? I'm excited and nervous and anxious and... well, I can wait, and I can't... and I'm just full of a jumble of thoughts and whatnot. But, regardless, it will be all good.
erin
It is hard to believe how quickly the time is flying by with this pregnancy. I have fleeting thoughts about getting this ready or going through that box or whatnot. Last week while Adam's mom was here, I carpet-cleaned Julia's room and re-arranged it to make room for our new addition. Today I had thoughts about maybe cleaning up the changing table and figuring out what was all on there... maybe.
Here is a picture of my belly from last week... at 30w2d... I don't have one from this week yet. I know, boo.
As you can see, I've figured out pretty well how to hold Julia with the ever expanding, although, she is partial to be carried ON my belly as opposed to on my hip. Oh, well! Funny how I don't think twice about doing things while pregnant this time around that I never would have imagined doing last time (i.e., like carrying around a 20-some pound kid...!).
Nine weeks from today we will have a new little one with us... boy or girl? Name? What will he/she look like? I'm excited and nervous and anxious and... well, I can wait, and I can't... and I'm just full of a jumble of thoughts and whatnot. But, regardless, it will be all good.
erin
Family Pictures
Adam's mom took a few photos of us together last week...
Friday, the 10th:
Saturday, the 11th:
erin
Friday, the 10th:
Saturday, the 11th:
erin
Buscha Comes to Town
Adam's mom, Marcia (aka, Buscha), visited last week Wednesday (8th) through Saturday (11th). She had a grand time with Julia... she didn't come to see me, after all, and Adam wasn't here (at least, not until Friday), and I could hardly get Julia out of bed in the morning before she was whisked away for the day... ha!
Here are some pictures from her visit:
Vrrrroooooommmmmmm!!!!!!
Run, run, as fast as you can!
Playing "tea party".
Whatcha readin'?
Buscha and Julia together...
Monkey See, Monkey Do.
Going through the barrel...
erin
Here are some pictures from her visit:
Vrrrroooooommmmmmm!!!!!!
Run, run, as fast as you can!
Playing "tea party".
Whatcha readin'?
Buscha and Julia together...
Monkey See, Monkey Do.
Going through the barrel...
erin
Monday, July 13, 2009
Rethinking This Baby Business
All right.
I realize that 31 (almost) weeks pregnant is a little late to be rethinking anything to do with this baby, but I couldn't help but wonder at about 3 am this morning if maybe we could have a "do over" or something. Ha.
I say this, because I realized last night that in 20 (almost) short months of Julia's life, I have relearned how much I LOVE sleep and my body has forgotten ALREADY what it is like to wake up multiple times in the night.
And, soon we are bringing a newborn into our lives... a little body that will require a lot of attention at odd times of the night.
All of this thinking business came about because Julia has been up A LOT in the last four nights. Her... bowel movements... have shifted such that she requires being changed nightly at around 3 am or so. (I say "requires", because she is starting to realize that she abhors a poopy butt and demands it to be changed, regardless of the hour. Of course, this doesn't mean she is ready to potty train. Really, it only bothers her when she is trying to sleep and she doesn't seem to realize why she is waking up and whimpering... but I can sure smell why!)
The first few nights I managed just fine, and fell back to sleep just fine, and Julia went back to sleep just fine, but last night... LAST NIGHT... she woke up at 1 am... not because she needed to be changed, but simply because she was in a new habit of waking up and well, it seemed like fun to her to read books and play at 1 am.
This new baby will have one advantage that Julia did not have... when I am awaken in the middle of the night, I am FULL ON AWAKE. So, this new baby will not have to suffer a half-asleep mama trying to remember who she is or what she is doing or for goodness sake, what IS this writhing being in my arms and oh, yes, it is my newborn child. Whew.
Julia has trained me to be AWAKE. I think I was much more awake from 1 - 3 am this morning than I was... well, have been at all today yet. I was fully aware of what was going on, I was fully able to read books in the dim light of her room, and I was fully able to say, "Lay down. LAY DOWN. Julia, lay down, please. PLEASE. It is time to go to sleep."
As I crawled back into bed and listened to Julia putz around in hers (so obviously NOT going to sleep as her little seahorse dude began playing bubble music and whatnot), I thought to myself... WOW. I am wide awake. WOW. I am so not looking forward to being up half the night and then trying to function the rest of the day when this new baby comes. WOW. I think poor Adam is going to suffer a lot more this time around because after only four nights of Julia being awake in the middle of the night, I was ready to start bawling and ask Adam to get up and please go put His Child back to bed... and well, if that can almost happen after only four nights... WHAT is going to happen when it is EVERY NIGHT? FOR THREE MONTHS? Gosh, I hope this new child starts that "sleeping through the night" business sooner than later.
I believe I prayed myself to sleep last night after laying Julia back down... I am pretty sure of it... I remember starting to pray and then I remember being jolted back awake at 3:30 am by some noise... I checked on Julia and she was sound asleep, cuddling her cat. I went back to bed... and finally, instantly fell asleep.
I'm not so sure where this post is going today. As I have told a few folks today, I have some serious diarrhea of the brain (mouth) today. It has to do with being overly tired.
I think that this post is simply a way to get my thoughts out of my head; a way to help me realize that yes, I will get through this newborn business again... I want to do this newborn business again... it's not going to be so terrible, and I can look back on the night before and maybe smile a little bit. And hope that I don't cringe at the thought of going to bed tonight with the fear that I will be woken up before it is Time.
And, now that I am thinking back on last night... I realize that even still... the time that we have with Julia is so precious and will go by so fast, and who shouldn't want to read books to their child in the middle of the night? And isn't it a little funny when you try to bring her into bed with you, hoping she will sleep, only to hear her say "uh, oh" as she drops her nuk and blanket down the crack between the wall and the bed simply because she thinks it is a hoot? And, who doesn't love their 20 (almost) month old figuring out how to take up more than 50% of a king-sized bed?
So... writing all of this out, I am reminded too that I am blessed to have Julia in my life, I am blessed to be pregnant (and it has been a healthy pregnancy at that)... and a few nights of little sleep are completely worth it.
Rethinking... finished.
erin
I realize that 31 (almost) weeks pregnant is a little late to be rethinking anything to do with this baby, but I couldn't help but wonder at about 3 am this morning if maybe we could have a "do over" or something. Ha.
I say this, because I realized last night that in 20 (almost) short months of Julia's life, I have relearned how much I LOVE sleep and my body has forgotten ALREADY what it is like to wake up multiple times in the night.
And, soon we are bringing a newborn into our lives... a little body that will require a lot of attention at odd times of the night.
All of this thinking business came about because Julia has been up A LOT in the last four nights. Her... bowel movements... have shifted such that she requires being changed nightly at around 3 am or so. (I say "requires", because she is starting to realize that she abhors a poopy butt and demands it to be changed, regardless of the hour. Of course, this doesn't mean she is ready to potty train. Really, it only bothers her when she is trying to sleep and she doesn't seem to realize why she is waking up and whimpering... but I can sure smell why!)
The first few nights I managed just fine, and fell back to sleep just fine, and Julia went back to sleep just fine, but last night... LAST NIGHT... she woke up at 1 am... not because she needed to be changed, but simply because she was in a new habit of waking up and well, it seemed like fun to her to read books and play at 1 am.
This new baby will have one advantage that Julia did not have... when I am awaken in the middle of the night, I am FULL ON AWAKE. So, this new baby will not have to suffer a half-asleep mama trying to remember who she is or what she is doing or for goodness sake, what IS this writhing being in my arms and oh, yes, it is my newborn child. Whew.
Julia has trained me to be AWAKE. I think I was much more awake from 1 - 3 am this morning than I was... well, have been at all today yet. I was fully aware of what was going on, I was fully able to read books in the dim light of her room, and I was fully able to say, "Lay down. LAY DOWN. Julia, lay down, please. PLEASE. It is time to go to sleep."
As I crawled back into bed and listened to Julia putz around in hers (so obviously NOT going to sleep as her little seahorse dude began playing bubble music and whatnot), I thought to myself... WOW. I am wide awake. WOW. I am so not looking forward to being up half the night and then trying to function the rest of the day when this new baby comes. WOW. I think poor Adam is going to suffer a lot more this time around because after only four nights of Julia being awake in the middle of the night, I was ready to start bawling and ask Adam to get up and please go put His Child back to bed... and well, if that can almost happen after only four nights... WHAT is going to happen when it is EVERY NIGHT? FOR THREE MONTHS? Gosh, I hope this new child starts that "sleeping through the night" business sooner than later.
I believe I prayed myself to sleep last night after laying Julia back down... I am pretty sure of it... I remember starting to pray and then I remember being jolted back awake at 3:30 am by some noise... I checked on Julia and she was sound asleep, cuddling her cat. I went back to bed... and finally, instantly fell asleep.
I'm not so sure where this post is going today. As I have told a few folks today, I have some serious diarrhea of the brain (mouth) today. It has to do with being overly tired.
I think that this post is simply a way to get my thoughts out of my head; a way to help me realize that yes, I will get through this newborn business again... I want to do this newborn business again... it's not going to be so terrible, and I can look back on the night before and maybe smile a little bit. And hope that I don't cringe at the thought of going to bed tonight with the fear that I will be woken up before it is Time.
And, now that I am thinking back on last night... I realize that even still... the time that we have with Julia is so precious and will go by so fast, and who shouldn't want to read books to their child in the middle of the night? And isn't it a little funny when you try to bring her into bed with you, hoping she will sleep, only to hear her say "uh, oh" as she drops her nuk and blanket down the crack between the wall and the bed simply because she thinks it is a hoot? And, who doesn't love their 20 (almost) month old figuring out how to take up more than 50% of a king-sized bed?
So... writing all of this out, I am reminded too that I am blessed to have Julia in my life, I am blessed to be pregnant (and it has been a healthy pregnancy at that)... and a few nights of little sleep are completely worth it.
Rethinking... finished.
erin
(A Badly Needed) Haircut
When the cat's away, the mice will play...
... and that's exactly what this mouse did while her husband was out of town this last week.
After months of thinking about it, I finally got a badly needed haircut... not just a trim, but an actual CUT. Adam might beg to differ, but I felt like it was time to loosen up and let go of some of the length... and I am so glad that I did!
I bought a few "short hair" magazines so that I had ideas to take to my hairdresser, and she looked as well for ideas. This is how it all turned out...
... before...
... and after...
Yes, that is me taking a picture of myself in my car with my cellphone... I almost forgot to take a picture before the big cut.
And, I think... maybe I need to use makeup a little bit more. Ha!
erin
... and that's exactly what this mouse did while her husband was out of town this last week.
After months of thinking about it, I finally got a badly needed haircut... not just a trim, but an actual CUT. Adam might beg to differ, but I felt like it was time to loosen up and let go of some of the length... and I am so glad that I did!
I bought a few "short hair" magazines so that I had ideas to take to my hairdresser, and she looked as well for ideas. This is how it all turned out...
... before...
... and after...
Yes, that is me taking a picture of myself in my car with my cellphone... I almost forgot to take a picture before the big cut.
And, I think... maybe I need to use makeup a little bit more. Ha!
erin
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Battening Down the Hatches
I've been thinking about doing this for some time, and I decided today was the day. I have decided to "lock down" my blog so that only people who are "approved" by me are allowed to read it.
I post a lot of pictures of Julia, I talk a lot about my family, and it wouldn't be hard to find me or figure out where I live. I have had an increasing number of random comments (most of which I have deleted) lately, and I have decided that all too many people in Blogosphere have access to what I write and to what I post (picture-wise).
So... if you are interested in being an invited member, just visit my blog site (erin-quilter.blogspot.com), and request to be added. As long as I know who you are, no doubt I will add you! :) And please, only request access via one email account; I have a limited number of "allowed" members, and I won't be adding anyone via more than one email address.
Hugs & Thanks!
erin
I post a lot of pictures of Julia, I talk a lot about my family, and it wouldn't be hard to find me or figure out where I live. I have had an increasing number of random comments (most of which I have deleted) lately, and I have decided that all too many people in Blogosphere have access to what I write and to what I post (picture-wise).
So... if you are interested in being an invited member, just visit my blog site (erin-quilter.blogspot.com), and request to be added. As long as I know who you are, no doubt I will add you! :) And please, only request access via one email account; I have a limited number of "allowed" members, and I won't be adding anyone via more than one email address.
Hugs & Thanks!
erin
Baby (in the) Pool
Today before Julia and I took a walk up town to purchase sewing accoutrements, we filled up the baby pool. It was a rather warmish sort of day, so I figured she'd enjoy a dip in the pool after her afternoon nap.
Well, after we came home from shopping (and checking out the car show on the square and purchasing some yummy cookies from Jaarsma's), I let Julia out of her stroller. I figured we would play outside for a bit before her nap.
I kicked off my shoes and stepped in the pool, never thinking for half a second that Julia would want to climb in the pool. The last two times we played in the pool, she sat on the outside and splashed in the water.
Well, as Adam pointed out earlier tonight, "monkey see, monkey do", and Julia stepped right into the pool... socks, shoes, shorts, and shirt!!! And to add to that, she plunked right down on her butt and started splashing. She was having a grand ol' time.
So, I stripped her down to her diaper, laid her clothes out to dry on the grass, and let her play to her hearts content. She had a wonderful time. And, at 2 pm, she went down for her nap and slept for 3.5 hours!!!
After dinner, I took her outside to play on the swing (she was in a new / dry outfit), and she ran right for the pool! However, I said, "no" and she stopped. But, the second I let down my guard... in she went again!!! This time I had the camera with me.
I suppose we won't be going outside much anymore if the pool is filled with water unless Julia is wearing a bathing suit. Ha! After her dip in the pool, I took her inside and put her in the tub... she was full of dirt and grass from wanting to go down the slide and swing and such.
erin
Well, after we came home from shopping (and checking out the car show on the square and purchasing some yummy cookies from Jaarsma's), I let Julia out of her stroller. I figured we would play outside for a bit before her nap.
I kicked off my shoes and stepped in the pool, never thinking for half a second that Julia would want to climb in the pool. The last two times we played in the pool, she sat on the outside and splashed in the water.
Well, as Adam pointed out earlier tonight, "monkey see, monkey do", and Julia stepped right into the pool... socks, shoes, shorts, and shirt!!! And to add to that, she plunked right down on her butt and started splashing. She was having a grand ol' time.
So, I stripped her down to her diaper, laid her clothes out to dry on the grass, and let her play to her hearts content. She had a wonderful time. And, at 2 pm, she went down for her nap and slept for 3.5 hours!!!
After dinner, I took her outside to play on the swing (she was in a new / dry outfit), and she ran right for the pool! However, I said, "no" and she stopped. But, the second I let down my guard... in she went again!!! This time I had the camera with me.
I suppose we won't be going outside much anymore if the pool is filled with water unless Julia is wearing a bathing suit. Ha! After her dip in the pool, I took her inside and put her in the tub... she was full of dirt and grass from wanting to go down the slide and swing and such.
erin
Fun Saturday Purchases
With the quilting of the wall hanging on the horizon, Julia and I took a trip to our local quilt shop (Vande Lune Fabrics) and checked out quilting threads and templates today. I was also in need of some paper-backed fusible web for a project (the next project on my mind), so I wanted to pick up some of that as well.
I took along two threads I already possessed (the two on the right) and leftover scraps from the wall hanging. I picked up a few new spools.
Also, I looked at templates and picked up a few as they are rather cheap, and whether or not they are used on this quilt, I will most likely use them in the future. I'm very excited to get started!
And... a picture of the fusible web. I have never used any for a project, so while I had an idea of what I was after, thankfully when I said, "Fusible web?" to my shop owner, she said, "For fusible applique?" and upon my nod and "Yes", she pulled out exactly what I needed. YAY!
So... maybe these pictures aren't so exciting or inspiring to you... but they make my mouth water! Ha! Yay!
erin
I took along two threads I already possessed (the two on the right) and leftover scraps from the wall hanging. I picked up a few new spools.
Also, I looked at templates and picked up a few as they are rather cheap, and whether or not they are used on this quilt, I will most likely use them in the future. I'm very excited to get started!
And... a picture of the fusible web. I have never used any for a project, so while I had an idea of what I was after, thankfully when I said, "Fusible web?" to my shop owner, she said, "For fusible applique?" and upon my nod and "Yes", she pulled out exactly what I needed. YAY!
So... maybe these pictures aren't so exciting or inspiring to you... but they make my mouth water! Ha! Yay!
erin
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