Friday Night Leftovers

Once again, another week has come and gone. Time for all those random thoughts in my head! As always, head over and see Danifred for more leftovers!

•Alice climbed a tree on Easter. It wasn't completely vertical, but she was 15-20 feet up in the air before Sean realized! They were mushroom hunting, and I guess he had put her down and was picking mushrooms. He said he heard some laughing, looked up, and there she was! He dropped his bag and climbed up to get her. Then all hell broke loose because she wanted to go all the way to the top (which was about 60 feet!). We are in serious trouble with this one, folks!

•I wake up everyday and wonder if this is the day that we end up in the emergency room. I pray that doesn't happen, but with Alice and her climbing, I'm sure that is where we will end up.

•The car is fixed! Sean got it done Saturday evening. Yay! My husband rocks!!!

•I'm so tired of hearing about the whole Obama birth certificate thing. I think the "analysts" are missing the most important point. That an 18 year old, Caucasian woman, had an African man's baby in 1961! Thank God she chose life!

•Furthermore, I'd appreciate if they start talking more about why I'm going to have to start selling kidneys on the black market to put gas in our vehicles!

•I found Alice helping herself to some chocolate cake yesterday. I had left it out on the stove, and she grabbed her spoon, stood on her tiptoes, and went to town!

•She also helped herself to a "bite" of my coffee this morning. "Mmm! Dats pwitty," she said! I didn't know she could say pretty. I also think I've confused her when I say something is "pretty good".

•Alice is teething. She has two that have broken through, and another two that should be here shortly. You know what that means...diarrhea, diaper rash, and yeast infections! Woohoo! Oh yeah, and all that crankiness stuff too.

•It has been raining here almost everyday. I love how it makes the grass a beautiful, lush green. Now if it would stop so we could mow our swamp, that would be splendid!

•I will get around to making the prizes for the winners from the "Guess when HJ will arrive and how big he will be game" and for yesterday's question, as well. The prizes will be baked goodies, and maybe a little something else thrown in!

•I am preparing to do a post about my favorite things. There will be a give-away for that. Whenever I get around to it!

•I still can't find the recipe for the filling from when I made the triple chocolate cupcakes. I did find a box mix that is a pretty good substitute (that is what inspired me in the first place).

And that is it for today! Wishing you all a lovely weekend! Remember to visit all the leftovers over the weekend!

I Wanna Talk About Me

I had asked if any of you had questions about me, and some of you did. So now I will answer a few of them. Let's talk about me! (First one to tell me who sang that song gets a "prize")


Megan asked, "what is your dream occupation? (including SAHM obviously) Where did you and Sean meet?"

I will probably do two separate posts on this down the road, as my answers are pretty long. My dream job changes all of the time. A few things I'd love to do/be (besides SAHM b/c I'm doing that and LOVE it) OB/GYN, math teacher, architect, private investigator, and a chef. The only job I can incorporate most of those things into is SAHM (minus the OB/GYN part, but I use myself as my patient there!).
Sean and I met at a bar/pool hall when I was 24. I had gone out with one of my girlfriends, and she and I were shooting pool. He came over and asked if he could play the winner. That was me! So I then proceeded to whoop up on him ;-) There is more to that story because we only dated about two weeks, and then I didn't see him again for two years, where we picked back up and the rest is history! (stay tuned-I'm sure you're wondering what happened!)

Tasha asked, "What did you do before you had the kids? How old are you?"

I'm not sure exactly what you are looking for here, Tasha ;-) Before I had kids, I would go out A LOT and shoot pool and drink beer! I would sleep a lot. There isn't a lot of that going on these days, but I don't regret that one bit. I worked at a bank doing processing (applying payments, deposits) and I was in charge of the account corrections. Ever get a notice that your account was credited/debited due to error in addition, extra (or missing) items? I did that stuff. Of course, I did this for awhile after Alice was born, until I was severanced in September.
I just turned 30 in December. Sean turned 40 in December. We are 9 years and 360 days apart (roughly-I didn't go back and count those days from that last year. It could be a leap year for all I know).

Carrie asked, "If you go on any vacation with anyone for 5 days - who would you bring and where would you go?"

This is another one that I could write a whole post on. I guess it depends on where I was going because it would change on who I'd take with me.
If I went to Ireland, I'd take my sister and Dad (and Sean). And aside from the obvious sight-seeing, I'd make it a point to hit every pub in the country ;-) We might need more than five days!
Hawaii-I'd take Sean. We'd go surfing, swimming, hiking, and all sorts of other stuff!
Alaska-Sean. We'd go fishing, hiking, and hunt polar bears and moose ;-)
Florida-I'd take the kiddos to Busch Gardens, Disney World, and the beach. Of course, this is the most likely to occur. We'd visit my aunt and stay a few days with her. We'd probably also visit Jen and Dibits on our way there or back (assuming they would want to see us!).

Danifred asked, "Where would you live if you could go anywhere? What was life like for you growing up?"

I think I'd live in North Carolina. It has a little bit of everything. Mountains, beach, and ocean. Of course, I wouldn't mind living in one of those huts in Bora Bora.

Life while growing up (I will do a post on this later) in a nut-shell: I have a twin brother and a younger sister. My dad worked nights for the majority of my youth and I didn't see him much. He had a bad temper and I remember being scared of him. My mom was a SAHM for quite awhile. She was a "good" mom for awhile, and after my Granny passed she completely quit caring. Of course, that didn't happen over night, and had been building for years. So I was forced to grow up at a young age. I was doing everyones laundry and cooking dinner, occasionally, by the time I was 9 or 10. I had to start doing that "regularly" by the age of 13. But I'll expand on that more later.

Is there anything else you would like to know, or for me to expand upon?

What A Morning!

I hope this posts. I wrote one yesterday, and I tried to publish it and have NO idea where it went. It wasn't even saved to my drafts!

I got everyone to bed earlier than ever last night. Everyone was asleep BY 9 pm! Except me. I stayed up until 1 am.

Around 2:30, I was awoken to Sean running into the room yelling, "How did he fall out of the swing?" I immediately jumped up and said, "What the hell!" Alice woke up during all of this, so we had two kids crying. Alice didn't want Sean to leave ("Daddee NOOOO bye!"). HJ only cried for a few minutes. I checked him out. No bumps or marks. He nursed for about twenty minutes and then went back to sleep. It took me an hour to get Alice back down. She HAD to have a cookie and a drink. I stayed up for awhile longer and kept checking on HJ.

He seems fine. He shows no signs of anything. No vomiting, etc. He has been sleeping a lot, though. I tried to figure out how he got out of the swing. We have it fully reclined, and it wasn't going fast enough to "launch" him out of there. I think he just plopped himself over the tray.

I checked on him again before going to sleep, and he was almost out again! Apparently he had kicked the tray up and was wiggling himself down. Good grief! I've got a Houdini! Now it is time to start buckling him in. I never in a million years would have thought I'd have to worry about this with a 6 week old!

(Just talked to Sean and this is what he said)
Sean said he was in the kitchen and he heard two thuds. He was in the bedroom before HJ started crying and picked him up. He thought Alice had thrown him out of the swing! Our best guess is that the first "thud" was him kicking the tray up and the second was him hitting the floor. I guess he was face down about two feet in front of the swing!

I'm planning on calling the pediatrician, as he seems fine, but I'm worried a little as he has been asleep since 8:30 (it is almost 1pm). I know the big thing to look for/worry about is vomiting, and we are okay there.

I'm just hoping he is fine. He seems to be, but I'm still a little worried. I'm glad babies are resilient. Sean "dropped" Alice (he says she rolled off of his chest) and she hit her head on the corner of the nightstand, within hours of getting home from the hospital after her birth! So we are no strangers to head "injuries".

Also today, I've had to wash one of the couch cushions and give Alice a bath. She had a blowout and got it all over the couch. Lovely!

Ahh, a day in the life ;-)

OOH, An Award!

So I have been bestowed my first blog award! Apparently, Jenner has been pulled into my mighty charismatic trap and thinks my blog has substance *wink*! Bahaha! So now I am required to share seven things about myself with you. And I won't cheat and use your questions from yesterday.

1. I am not scared of many things. I am scared of mushrooms. The ones you eat. The wild ones outside do not bother me. If a mushroom is in something, on something, or near something I'm eating then I will not eat that food. What if we get a pizza and they are on half, you ask? Nope. Still won't eat any of that pizza! Why, you ask. Because fungus has spores, and those spores have spread onto the other half. Do not try to convince me of anything otherwise. I am set in my way on this!

2. Sean also does not like mushrooms and will not eat them. I knew I would marry him when I found this out! Now I don't have to worry about getting spores from someone who has eaten a mushroom and then kisses me. Phew! Big sigh of relief!!!

3. I love pickles! Sean and I make our own pickles. Well I really make the "juice" and he helps. They are AWESOME!

4. I have a phobia of milk. I have not drank milk (with the occasional exception of Nesquik, which I put way too much on and make it really gritty) since I turned 6. Why? I walked in on my dad nursing on my mom after my sister was born. "He was hungry," they said. My mom asked me about how I can nurse, if I'm so terrified of milk. Breast milk is different. Plus, I don't see it when nursing. The smell of milk makes my stomach turn. I will use it for baking/cooking. And don't ask me the logic behind seeing someone drink breast milk and quit drinking cows milk. I was six!

5. My favorite band of all time is Counting Crows.

6. If I could live at any different period of time, I would choose the sixties/seventies. I would have made an awesome hippie! I'm a "modernized" hippie. Not into all of that "love" crap from back then (whatever floats your boat-I'm happy being monogamous), but I'm all for peace, love, and joy! Plus simplicity!

7. I have never been a big chocolate fan, but I have been dying for anything chocolate/peanut butter! Whoever thought that combo up is a genius!

Now I get to bestow this award on to seven lucky people. In no particular order:
Jen
Lindsay (if she ever does another post! *hint hint*)
Shannon
Lisa
Danifred
Tasha
April

Friday Night Leftovers (Take Two)

I'm really irritated. I was almost done with my leftovers when Blogger had to refresh, and I lost them. ARGH! I'll probably forget half of what I wrote the first time, but here we go...

•Happy Earth Day, on this Good Friday. Not only did Jesus die for our carbon transgressions, but also for all of our sins.

•As I was playing with HJ and watching him smile at me, I thought how happy I am that I'm not God because if I had to give up my son to save all of mankind, you'd all die and go to hell.

•I am incredibly exhausted. I have gotten three to four hours of sleep each of the past few nights. Consequently, I have been nodding off nursing and anytime I'm sitting.

•Want to know how exhausted I am? I changed HJ's diaper the other day. I then put him down, threw the diaper away, grabbed him and changed his diaper. A little bit later, I was wondering how Alice's diaper could be leaking?! Gee, I wonder!

•Do you know that breast pads don't work when you put the absorbent side away from you? Twice I have done that this week, and woken up soaking wet and in a puddle of breast milk.

•My mom made a comment the other day (in reference to having my hands full) that if I had a third I'd just be depressed. Umm, no. I might go crazy from the chaos, but I wouldn't be depressed. That explains why she was a crappy mother...at least until she just quit parenting.

•When I told Sean about what my mom said, he agreed that that explains everything. Then he went on to say that anyone who has more than two kids is selfish. We should just repopulate ourselves. WTH?! I think this comes from his parents (he and his sisters spent the majority of their youth with other relatives and apart from each other) and their lack of involvement, love, etc.

•HJ is now rolling both ways from tummy to back, and can use his forearms to lift himself up. He's grounded! Growing up too fast is now a mandatory grounding!

•We are forecasted for thunderstorms for the next week. Why don't you just pee in my Wheaties too, Mother Nature?

•Thank you for all of your suggestions yesterday! I will be trying them out and seeing what works. I'll update soon :-)

•I realize a lot of you really don't know a lot about me. I know I'm usually talking about the kids (they're mine and I like talking about them), but there is more to me than mom-dom. Is there anything you'd like to know?

For more leftovers, visit Danifred! Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

Help Me Out

I'm going to start a new thing. It may not be weekly, but it will be an occasional thing. Help Me Out will be where I ask you some questions, and you can humor me and help me out!

Jack (that is what I'm calling him this week *wink*) has been a horrible napper lately. He will fall asleep nursing and wake up immediately upon putting him down. He takes cat naps. Ten, maybe twenty minutes if I'm lucky. In order to get him to take a good nap during the day, I have been putting him in bed with Alice and me, and nursing him until he falls asleep. Then he will sleep for about three hours, BUT only if I'm lying next to him for a good part of that at the beginning. So I usually end up taking a nap for an hour or so (much needed!). I then put him in the bassinet, which I warm up with a heating pad so it feels like I'm still there for a bit. Any ideas on getting him to nap better and quit falling asleep at my breast? I don't swaddle him, but maybe that would help. He does well at night mostly. I put him in the swing, and he will go anywhere from 3-5 hours with the occasional longer stretch.

Alice, also, has been napping/sleeping poorly. She has been getting about 8 hours of sleep at night, and a two (sometimes three) hour nap. She really needs more like twelve hours of sleep a day. She will fall asleep for twenty to thirty minutes, and then be up for a few hours before actually napping (which means she goes down later than I'd like) and the same thing at bedtime. Tonight she went to bed with Sean (about 9:30) so I'm hoping she will stay asleep until morning. I think me lying in bed and being awake is what is interrupting her sleep. If Sean is here, I can stay out if the room until I'm ready to sleep, but if I'm the only one here, she won't stay in bed unless I'm right there with her. Any ideas for her?

Stoned

I'm laughing thinking about how many hits on google this post could get. Especially considering what day it is!

No, I'm not stoned. I sure feel like it though. We had awful storms last night (80 mph winds!), and Alice didn't go to sleep until 2am! Not because of the storms, but because she has been staying up later and later every night, and getting up later each day. I've allowed this because it gives me a chance for some extra sleep, but no more!

I got her down at 2, and then went to the grocery store. It couldn't wait. We needed toilet paper! And food because why waste a trip? I got home around 3:20 and put everything up, washed my face and brushed my teeth, and headed to sleep about 4. No sooner had I gotten settled and HJ woke up. So we did the whole routine, and got to bed at 5:30. 8 o'clock rolls around, and someone was hungry! Got back to sleep thirty minutes later, and then everyone was up around 10. Ugh! I'm exhausted!!! This is especially cruel because HJ had slept 7.5 and 8.5 hours the past two nights, so I was "used" to getting some sleep. I have gotten a few really big smiles from a cute toothless guy, so it is all worth it!

Today is also Alice's 20 month-versary! Twenty months on the twentieth! Is that kind of like a princess birthday? It is hard to believe she will be TWO in four months! My goodness, time flies by! Since I haven't posted her monthly updates in awhile, I'll do one today.

Alice has started talking more. She had stopped using most of her words when I started staying home, so I'm glad she is starting to communicate a little more.

Words she is now using regularly:
Pee
Dog (sounds like daw)
Bunny (bunh)
Ball (baw)
Bite (she uses this for sips of my drink as well-too cute!)
Bath
Bolt (bote-this is her most favorite movie!)
Swing (swee)
Yea (finally answering yes occasionally!)


So a lot of those words sound the same and some people may say she isn't saying new words, but I can tell a difference in what she says and know what she is trying to say.

New things this past month:
Somersaults
"reading" all of the time
Loves to do laundry (throw stuff in washing machine or dryer and close the door/lid)
Can lock doors!
Can throw a ball correctly
Loves to feed the chickens (instead of watching)
Loves tools and "helping" Daddy on the car (future mechanic?)
Puts things back where they go (or where she thinks they should go!)

And there is probably more, but I'm not functioning too well!

Happy Twenty Month-aversary, my sweet Alice!

Quick Update (Random Bullets)

I wrote a long post yesterday, but never got around to posting it. I'll try to finish it soon because I think it is funny. It was titled "The Day I Almost Peed Myself".

Bring on the bullets!

•The cat got into Sean's ice fishing stuff. He pierced his lip with a lure. We have a few options: Attempt to take it out ourselves, while one person gets (most likely) clawed to death holding him (that would be me!) and the other person work it out. Take him to the vet, get him sedated, and let them do it (safest option for all involved, though $$). Wait and see what happens (this is Sean's favorite). Don't worry, he can eat/drink just fine. Just don't touch his lip piercing because he gets a tad bit irritated.

•HJ had his one month well-check yesterday. He weighs 11 lbs 11 oz, and is 22 3/4 inches. I think someone was off about his length somewhere in the past month. He is in the 98% for weight and like 90% for height. Big boy!

•The car is still not fixed. Sean has it in the car and about 90% done. Yay!

•We need new CV joints, rotors, and a battery. Sean blew up the battery, rusted the rotors from having the wheels off, and noticed the CV joints need replaced when installing the engine. So we would need to replace the CV joints, but everything else...ugh!

•My mom took us to the appointment yesterday. Her driving scares me!

•I got my last severance check. Thankfully it got us through the times when Sean didn't have any income coming in. Now the rest is up to him! I can file for unemployment, but I'd have to apply for jobs, so I'm not sure about that. I guess I could collect it, and then if someone offers me a job (which I'd turn down b/c we are planning on me staying home for the next 3-5 years), I'd no longer be able. Is that wrong to collect it, when I'm not really looking for a job? I wouldn't be like the babysitter and "pretend" to apply for jobs. I would. Thoughts? Be honest.

•I haven't had time to blog lately. Have you noticed? I've been looking for that rare and coveted "me time" but haven't had any luck. I just wanted everyone to know we are all alive and doing well ;-)

And there is so much more I could say, but I need to swap out laundry, put Alice's clothes up, start dinner, and pick up before HJ and Alice wake up. I have been trying to keep up with all of you. I may not be able to comment on every one of your posts, but know I'm reading them! And if anything big happens, please let me know! I can't guarantee I don't occasionally miss a post.

One Month

Today is Harold Jack's one month Birthday! Time is flying by! I'm grounding him because I'm not having any of this growing up business!

The past month has been so wonderful. HJ has fit right in to our family very nicely. Alice is getting better with him each and every day. Though she still loves to climb into the bassinet, regardless whether he is in it or not!

HJ is just the sweetest, most calm and laid-back baby. He hardly cries unless he is hungry. He sleeps! He seems to have gotten his days and nights back. He goes down around 11:30-midnight and sleeps until 5 or 6, gets up to eat, and goes back down until 10-11. Such a sweetheart! I'm hoping his schedule stays like this, but I know it will probably change.

HJ has rolled over twice now. The first time at 3w2d and the second time two days later. He only goes from his tummy to back (and from his left side).

He takes the occasional bottle of pumped milk, which is nice for future occasions and when Mommy needs a bit of a break.

We have each gotten a real smile out of him. That just melts my heart! His one month appointment isn't until Monday, so I don't know his height/weight yet, but I will update then. I know he has grown quite a bit because he feels heavier, and he has been nursing almost constantly during the day!

And now his one month picture!

Happy One Month Birthday, my little man! Mommy, Daddy, and Sissy love you very much!

Harold Jack's Birth Story

I have been working on this for almost four weeks, and am finally done!
*****************************************************

I had a feeling on Friday, March 11, that I would be going into labor soon. I remember telling Sean on the phone that I wasn't going to make it through the next week! He thought I was referring to taking care of Alice. Ha! Nope, my dear, this baby will be here soon.

Of course, he thought I was just tired and cranky, but I could tell. How? I had a tingly sensation in my head (hormones-I got them a few days before Alice was born, and get them from time to time before I ovulate or start my period) and I felt like being left completely alone. Alice was driving me nuts that evening, and she was just watching a movie! My sister called too, and I just didn't want to talk. I told her I wasn't feeling well and (I think) wanted to be left alone. So not like me.

So Saturday rolls around, and I got sick that morning. I decided to still go to my prenatal massage because nothing would make me go into labor, unless it was time. I remember having some cramps in the drive there. I relaxed and enjoyed my massage. As soon as it was over and I got up to get dressed, the cramps returned but were stronger and a bit painful.

I got home and took a nap. When I got up, the cramps returned. I needed to go pick up some prescriptions, so Alice and I headed into town. We didn't make it before the pharmacy closed (missed by four minutes!). I realized on the drive there, that my "cramps" were getting stronger, and I had three (it is a 10 minute drive). So I opened up Contraction Master on my phone and started timing. Sure enough, they were contractions! We got home, and I threw something together for dinner and went to sit down. The contractions were irregular, lasting around 30 seconds and anywhere from four to twenty minutes apart. I called my brother and let him know that he was on-call for the night.

After dinner and Alice's bath, I had Sean get her settled for bed, and I went outside to walk. I didn't want to have days of prodromal labor like I had with Alice. Days of painful contractions, no more than twenty minutes apart, really take a toll on you! I walked up and down the driveway, and even through the yard. The contractions slowed down and spaced out. So I went inside and took a hot shower. I was hoping they would pick back up, but they didn't. So I went to bed.

I got up several times, still having minor contractions, but was able to go back to sleep. About 7 am, they were getting uncomfortable and I couldn't sleep anymore. So I got up and started walking around. I called the after hours number and left my number for the ob to call. I had Sean go into town to get prescriptions and a few things. That was around 8:30. I told him to hurry back because I was having trouble coping through some of them. Alice woke up and I fixed her breakfast.

I hopped into the shower, while she was eating, and this time they didn't stop or slow down. Sean called and told me the pharmacy didn't open until 10 am, and he'd be home right afterwards. So I called my brother and let him know what was going on. That we would be going to the hospital at some point, and I'd keep him informed.

I went to the bathroom where I noticed I lost a large portion of my mucus plug and had some bleeding. Sean called and said he was on his way home. I told him what was going on, and I guess he over reacted a bit because I noticed him flying down the road with hazard lights on, going about 80!

He ran in and started rushing around. What a contrast to being in labor with Alice. I had to threaten to kill him for hours before he agreed to go to the hospital! I told him to calm down. We had awhile left. I finished packing a few things for the hospital, and then packed a bag for Alice, along with snacks, juice, and books. Sean packed up the car, and I finally talked to my doctor. I told her I had been having contractions regularly since 7 (it was after 11 at this point). They were lasting 30-50 seconds, and 1:30-3 minutes apart. She told me to head to the hospital. I went to the bathroom before we left, and noticed a lot more mucus plug and bloody show. So we headed to the hospital. I called my brother en route, and he was to meet us there.

Sean took a different route to the hospital, an asked if we had time to grab some food. I was starving, so we pulled into a McDonald's. We got our food, and headed towards the hospital. We got there around 1 pm, and headed up to Labor & Delivery. They got me in a triage room and had me put on a gown. The nurse checked me, and I was 3 cm and about 50% effaced. Normally, you have to be 4 cm to be admitted, but my ob came in and said to admit me. So they moved us to a huge delivery room (it was for twins). After hooking me up to the monitors and starting an IV line, I was able to walk around for 40 minutes every hour, with 20 minutes of monitoring.

My dad, brother, and Alice were still at the hospital and they came back to visit for a bit. I will never forget the look on Alice's face. She looked confused and concerned...and yet, in awe of everything! Alice, my dad, and I did a few laps while they were there. I had to stop with every contraction, and Alice kept rubbing my leg. It was so sweet! They left about 3 to get her a nap.

My walking laps and being monitored continued for a few more hours. My contractions were getting increasingly painful, and if I wasn't up walking around (actually bending over, kind of squatting) through them, I had a really hard time getting through them!

At six, my new nurse came in and offered me an epidural. I told her I wanted to see where I was at, and then decide. I was STILL 3 cm and about 80% effaced. So in four hours of walking, it did nothing. I told her I'd wait a bit longer, but they were starting pitocin, so I didn't know how long I'd be able to hang on.

They started pitocin about 7pm, and I was pretty confined to the bed (or bathroom) at that point. I hung in there for several hours before I couldn't take it anymore. I asked for an epidural, and at 10:30 the anesthesiologist came in. This was the worst experience of my life! She used the lidocaine shot, but didn't wait for it to start working before starting to put the epidural in. So I'm bent over the table, holding on to my nurse's hands and I can feel the whole thing. At some point it just felt like pressure, so the lidocaine had started working. Of course, during this I'm having the longest and strongest contraction yet. So I'm breathing (barely), tears were streaming down my face, and the nurse was trying to help me cope. She kept apologizing under her breath for the dr not waiting for everything to numb. The epi was finally in, and was started. Of course, it didn't take very well. My right side was numb, but I could feel hot points on my left side. Which didn't surprise me, since I felt the epi go in and it was more on the right side of my spine. Plus she put it up a bit higher than normal. So what does the dr do? Just keeps giving me more drugs in the line. Which eventually makes my left side numb too. Of course, it was too much and having to lie almost flat didn't help. It soon traveled up to my chest, and I started having an anxiety attack. Do you know what it feels like to have to cough, but not be able to because everything is numb? Scary! So I elevated the bed and after an hour or so, I could start to feel my chest.

I was checked a little after midnight, and I was almost 4 cm and 80%. I was getting frustrated. I just tried to relax and played some games on my phone. Sometime between 1:15-1:20, I heard a "pop" and what "felt" like there was fluid by my legs (I was still really numb, so to feel anything was weird). My nurse came in a few minutes later, and I asked her to check me because I thought my water had broken. I was right, my water had broken and she said there was some meconium. Great. Now if I had been anxious before, that was nothing compared to how I felt now! She did an internal and I was now 7cm! Woo hoo! I woke Sean up a little after this time and told him the party was going to be starting soon, and to give him a heads up about the meconium.

She went off to notify the Nicu that they would need to be there at delivery, and to call my ob. A little after 2 am, Stacy (my nurse-who was the best ever!) came in to check me (I was almost complete) and let me know it wouldn't be an "intimate" delivery, as a lot of people would be there, in case he had any complications. My epidural was wearing off on my left side and I was getting hot spots, so they gave me another bolus. Great more numbness!

Around 2:30 am, I started feeling pressure and let Stacy know. I was almost complete, but had a bit of cervical lip left (had this with Alice too-they just flipped it). So we waited for my doctor.

She got there about 2:45 and checked me. I told her she would probably have to flip the lip, and she smiled and did. Then we had to wait for the Nicu team. They came in right before 3 am, set up, and got called to another room! My doctor and Stacy were a bit peeved! Couldn't it wait? His head was literally right there! My contractions were moving him down and at this rate he would just slide out!

So they came right back. I started pushing at 3:05. Two contractions later, Harold Jack was born at 3:08 am, weighing 9 pounds (actually 8lbs15.6oz), 22 inches, and head circumference of 14cm.

It felt like minutes before I heard him cry, but Sean said it was almost immediate. Sean cut the cord, and followed him to get suctioned. Then they brought him to me. He was absolutely beautiful! Dark hair, chubby cheeks...just perfect! After a few minutes, they whisked him off to get cleaned up and then brought him back to me. I started nursing him, and he went to town!

We had to wait about two hours before they moved us, as I still couldn't feel or move my legs from that last bolus (which I don't think I needed, but who knew it would be so soon after?!).

Once we got to our room, I immediately was given some pain medicine along with a turkey sandwich and some other stuff. I'm pretty sure it was an awful sandwich, but it tasted amazing! Funny how hunger is the best seasoning!

About 7 am, I managed to get a bit of a nap in. I'm glad I did because visitors started pouring in around 10 am. Did they think that I slept six hours and was well rested? Luckily, I managed a shower before that, and Sean went home to get cleaned up and feed the animals.

When my brother and SIL brought Alice, I just started bawling! I had missed her terribly. She and I had never spent that much time apart, let alone an overnight! Plus the look on her face! Excitement, happiness, and concern. She was glad to see me, wondering why I was in this totally awesome bed with buttons, and wait...what is that? A BABY! "Beebee!" And the tears started flowing again! I got her in bed with me and hugged and kissed her, and introduced her brother to her.

I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get family time with Alice before everyone came. That was my original plan. To introduce her, and the four of us have a little time together. It all worked out. We had all evening together and the next day!

Harold Jack was unnamed until the last hour (or less) that we were at the hospital. We had a name picked out that second day (Charles Walker), but when I told my sister she said "Chuck Norris, Walker Texas Ranger" and I immediately nixed it. I have always loved the name Harold Jack (how could you not like the way it flows!), plus my grandfather was named Harold and my other grandfather was John (nickname for Jack). I had given up on the name long before we knew HJ was a boy. So when Sean came in and suggested it that last day, I was surprised to say the least! So that is how HJ became Harold Jack!

Oh The Love!

I am just so in love with HJ, Alice, and Sean. It is amazing how adding a new little person can intensify the love everyday for everyone!

I worried while pregnant if I would love this little man as much as I love Alice. Without a doubt, I do, and it happened so much "quicker" than after Alice was born. Not to say I didn't love her immediately-I did! I just think my heart grew a million times more that day, so it just felt like that.

I'm really wondering how my body can contain my heart. It feels like it grows exponentially everyday!

Friday Night Leftovers

Another week done! Time for all my random thoughts.

•Sean let the cat in the breezeway last night. He was stuck in there and there is no litter box in there (it is in the barn). So he pooped in there. I don't know where the poop is, so I'll let Sean deal with it. I deal with enough poop around here anyways :-)

•Oh and Mortimer's leg/foot is fine. I meant to mention that last week. I don't think it was broken because he was walking/jumping just fine a few days later.

•Alice is fascinated with watching me pee. (working on introducing potty training-still a LONG ways away from starting) which is a good thing because she knows what pee is now. Now just to get her to realize when she is peeing!

•Apparently I should have titled this the "Potty Version"! I promise, no more pee or poop in this post!

•I have been craving chocolate like never before! Which is a big deal because I have rarely craved chocolate.

•I was having really sharp pains on my left ovary the past week or so. The other day it was almost constant. I think I may have ovulated, but I guess time will tell. I also have a HUGE zit on the left side of my chin, which leads me to believe I did ovulate from my left side (if I did). And I hardly ever get zits.

•Both kids were up until 2 am last night. I swear they were waiting up for Sean.

•I totally snapped at Sean this morning. I was exhausted. I had already nursed HJ for almost two hours (not straight), and hadn't had any coffee. Both babes were screaming and crying and he was on me about calling to get reports/bills for the attorney. I just lost it and told him to shut up. Alice came in and looked shocked (we hardly ever argue/fight/raise our voices)! Oops!

•Then he said that we need to discuss, "getting his balls chopped off." I told him I wasn't sure that I wanted to be done, but that I wasn't sure I wanted anymore kids either. I said I wanted to wait a few years before making that decision. Then he said he wanted me to be done and spoil the two we have. Obviously he and I have to talk about this more. I want him to wait on a vasectomy. I'd prefer to use birth control. I just don't want to use anything with hormones until I'm done breastfeeding...which will be at least a year. We didn't use any birth control after Alice (I felt the same way), but we knew we wanted the next close in age-got pregnant when Alice was 9 1/2 months. So I figure I really have to be careful! What did you do for birth control after giving birth?

•I haven't decided what I'm going to call Harold Jack (I just refer to him as HJ because it is shorter, but I don't call him that). I've been going between Harry and Jack. So if I start referring to him as something besides HJ, don't be confused.

•The other day HJ rolled over during tummy time! Well, Alice pushed him at the very end, but he was almost all the way over. I uploaded a video to YouTube. You can see Alice "help" him. I've watched it several times and am pretty sure he would have gone the rest of the way by himself. You can see it here

I think that is enough for tonight! Head on over to see Danifred for more leftovers!

How Do They Do It?

Who knows if you'll ever see this post. My blogger app hates me, and thinks you do not want to see what is going on. Maybe it is feeling neglected since I haven't been posting daily?

How do single parents do it? While I'm not technically a single parent, I am a single parent for 5-6 days out of the week. Sean works at least twelve hours a day, and with commute time and lunch that is at least 14-15 hours. This week he has been going to Chicago and leaves the house by 9:30 am doesn't return home until 1-2am. Then my father likes to walk out of work and talk to Sean, so that ties him up even longer. I swear, I think my father thinks they are married! They see more of each other and talk more than Sean and I do! No worries, I will be discussing this "after hours" party with both of them this weekend.

Basically, it is all me, all day. I do not get a break. Granted any SAHM doesn't get a break, and they are always "on-call", but at some point a spouse shows up. They can help out with baths and bedtime. Then they can have some adult time and conversation. Me? I don't get that. I have seen Sean for maybe 45 minutes all week. We have resorted to catching up on his break (which is difficult when being distracted with two babes!). The sacrifices we make...

It is rough being home all day with a toddler and a newborn. I'll be glad when my car is fixed. Then we could at least go grocery shopping and to the park. You know, get out of the house!

Plus I would kill for some help. Just for a couple of hours a week! Unfortunately, that isn't a possibility. My mom says she will help but only if I go there. The drive here is "too much". So that isn't any help. How can I get anything done around here, if I'm not here?

So how do single parents do it? Do they have help? What about the ones that don't? Those poor, tired parents! At least I get a break for a few hours a week when Sean is here. And today he got up with HJ and changed him and gave him a bottle that I pumped! Which was a life saver because I had only gotten about 2 1/2 hours of sleep (actually naps) at that point!

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE being able to be with them 24/7. The good greatly outweighs the not so good. I just really would like a break occasionally. And a good nap! I really think having twins would be easier than a toddler and newborn. Of course, Carrie had a toddler AND twins, so how did you do it? Give me advice, tips, or whatever!

Bad Mommy Moments

Let me begin this by saying no one is perfect. Not me. Not you. Not that beautiful, athletic, not a hair out of place, happy, cheery, always smiling, seems to be perfect mom. So I'm not really looking for a "don't feel bad" or "it's not your fault" kind of thing. What follows will be stories for posterity, an FYI, and possibly future guilt trips (for me, from my kiddos!).

Anyone that has had a newborn knows how rough it is. The almost constant sleepy daze is killer. Add in a toddler, and your chances of "sleeping when baby sleeps" is pretty much nil. So it is no wonder that many mamas suffer from "mommy brain". Not only do I suffer from mommy brain, but I also (apparently) have a lack of brain function in general (I.e. Thinking, problem solving, etc.).

Saturday, Sean got called in to work (yay for finally working and getting $-boo to him having to work on a weekend!). My dad ended up coming up (along with my uncle and aunt, but they were only here maybe 45 minutes). He left a little before 5pm to go get KFC for dinner and to pick up a few things at the store for me. While he was gone, I decided to go feed/water the animals. HJ was asleep in the bassinet, and Alice was occupied with some grapes and a movie. So I slipped out really quickly. I only had to give the rabbits water (Sean did everything else-but never gives the rabbits water!). I then head back inside. Except I can't get inside. And Alice is at the door waving at me. Crap! She locked the door. So I go to the car and grab a rewards card (cc thing) and head back to "break in". I managed to almost open the door, when she pushes a step stool over to the door, reaches up, and turns the deadbolt! Noooooooo! So I proceeded to try to get her to turn it the other way. Ha! She proceeded to stick her tongue out, laugh, and then start licking the trim on the door (pretty sure there is lead in that paint), so I start shouting at her to stop!

I walked around the house to see if any windows were unmatched. Nope. I'm not surprised. I'm pretty anal about all locks being locked. Then I hear HJ screaming and crying. So I try the front door. I went and got a hammer and pounded in the door until the slider lock came undone. Then I started trying to work the card in to the door to open it. After a few minutes, I decided to wait until my dad got back (he has a spare key to the house). But then I see HJ grab a burp cloth and pull it on his face. And then he stops crying. So I start panicking, thinking he is smothering himself. So I start using the card again. I almost had it, when the wind catches the storm door and slams into me. I literally smashed through the door (it is mostly glass). As I'm getting my wits about me and grab the burp cloth off of HJ, and make sure he is breathing, I realize I'm bleeding all over the floor. So I wash my hands and discover cuts all over. Most were superficial, but one was pretty bad. I grabbed a hand towel and wrapped my hand up. I grab the baby, and go to get Alice. And see my dad walking up. Seriously! If I had waited two or three more minutes, we could have used a key to get in. Instead of me acting like some stunt double. So he takes the baby and calms him down, while I put bandages on, and start cleaning up glass. I had to change the one bandage four times! And I think I probably should have gotten stitches, as it is pretty deep, and I'm sure I'll have a scar. It took about an hour to clean up all of the glass, mop, and put plywood over the outside (until we get new glass).

Lessons learned: keep a spare key outside, never underestimate your child (she had never locked the door before, and she goes and licks BOTH locks!), and do not leave anything around baby/bassinet that they could inadvertently get to.

Then yesterday, Alice and I were getting ready to go to the store. I brought HJ outside in his car seat, as Sean was working on the car. The monitor doesn't work at that part of the yard for whatever reason. I got the stroller out, and put the car seat in it, covered him with a blanket, and put a bottle I just pumped. I was putting Alice in the truck when Sean started yelling for me. I ran over and he was picking HJ up off the ground! WTH? Turns out the wind blew the stroller over (it is 26lbs plus the car seat and HJ, so we're talking at least 40 lbs!) and HJ tumbled our. He was fine, thank God! No bumps, bruises, or anything. He was crying, but that was because he was startled-can you blame him?

Lessons learned: always buckle baby in car seat (or whatever), don't put Your child in anything that could topple over.

So no one was hurt (well me, but whatever) during my bad mommy moments. I apparently need some more sleep, and some more brains. I would love to say there will never be anymore, but I'm sure there will be. I just hope and pray that no one gets hurt.

Friday Night Leftovers (The What A Week Version)

•This has been some week!
•I'm going to backdate this because it is midnight and I'm just getting around to this.
•I FINALLY got a shower just a bit ago! I hadn't showered since Tuesday, when the in-laws showed up. Gross. I know. I'm sure you know this but it is amazing how great you feel after a shower!
•One of my friends told me the not showering thing is okay because "once you have two or more kids/babies showering becomes optional." Not sure I agree, but it made me feel better at the time.
•I went to the store around 10:30, and when I got home I hit Alice with the door. Seems someone snuck out of bed and fell asleep by the door waiting for me. Poor thing!
•Sean took his CDL test again today. He texted me when he got done and said he failed. Followed by "April Fools!" I wanted to slap him!
•Alice can do somersaults now! I got a short video of her, but have to upload it from my phone.
•I'm hoping Sean can get the engine installed by Sunday.
•I had more to say, but I'm getting tired and I want to check out your blogs before HJ and I go to sleep.

For more leftovers, please visit Danifred.