Shopaholic Buys a new wardrobe.

Today I bit the bullet and bought new clothes. I can't wait for them to get here so I have things that FIT me! I bought 2 pair of khaki pants, a pair of khaki bermuda shorts, a pair of white cuffed bermuda shorts, a pair of denim shorts, and nine various styled v-neck t-shirts in Lavender, Aqua, Citrus Orange, Sunset Pink, Black, Navy, Green Seedling, Butter Yellow, and Lake Blue. Prepare to see me in my summertime mom uniform of v-necks, shorts or khakis, and flip-flops. I got free shipping from LLBean and $5 shipping from Old Navy. I bought the best quality stain and fade resistant shirts I could find.... hoping they will last long and hold up to my daughter's drool and squash flinging abilities.

I paid the water bill, the Culligan bill, and the daycare bill. I sold $120 of diapers that we weren't using and used that money to buy the finishing touches of the cloth diaper stash. Right now I have everything I will need for newborn through size Medium. Prefolds, pockets, AIO's, Covers, and even some wool to play with for Ardyn right now. It's really neat to have the newborn dipes ready, especially since I never CD'd Ardyn until she was in a size small. Last night I prepped prefolds in preemie and regular sized. The preemies are SOOOOO Super tiny! Can't wait! And I already have a dozen toddler prefolds prepped and packed away.

The list of what's coming in the mail:

• 6 Kissaluv size 0 fitteds coming (known as KL0's)
• a red wool soaker with daisies
• A berry plush minkee cover in leopard print with a snap in soaker
• the lavender curly purly rainbow wool soaker
• 8 thirsties color preemie prefolds
• an orange, yellow, blue, and green wool soaker
• 1 Thirsties Fab Fitted in Butter Yellow to try
• 6 Newborn Fitteds with inserts from a WAHM (snaps)
  
  • 2 monkey img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/glockchick/SNS/monkies.jpg
  • 1 frog img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/glockchick/SNS/frogsandsn...
  • 1 stars img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/glockchick/SNS/bluestarsa...
  • 1 farm print img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/glockchick/SNS/barnyardan...
  • 1 sheep img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/glockchick/SNS/sheep.jpg

• 10 Drybees pockets,
• 6 Medium Thirsties AIO's
• 5 XS Thirsties covers in Aqua, Ocean, Baby Blue, and 2 Raspberry Pink
• And of course the Loveybums Wool Interlock Cover with ladybug
• Sheepish Grins Lanolin
• Sheepish Grins Wool Wash Bar

Mom is coming over for a visit this weekend, and we are also having a date night this weekend with Josh and Lisa, going to Lou's LaGrotto for Pizza and then to see Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell.

The knitting is going well, I discovered that I seem to be better at knitting than perling. But I will eventually get the hang of it. I am playing with pretty yarn and that makes it easier. Last night when I sat down to knit, Ardyn woke up and decided to hang out for a little over two hours, so I didn't really get anything done at all. We did try Green Beans last night. At first the look on her face was hilarious. She gave me the "betrayal!" look and then she ate a whole pack and actually really liked them. Now she has eaten all her veggies and the only thing she doesn't like is peas, but she will eat half a jar. Pears also make her gag, and make her eyes water. It cracks me up. She prefers drinking out of a cup like a big girl to a sippy cup.

A couple of nights ago, we got tired of this icky Illinois Winter and we played beach on the bed. We got out the shovel and the sand sifter, and the sunglasses and our swimsuits and just pretended we were at the beach. It was also a nice idea to try on suits before swimming lessons next month. I don't know if her suit will fit her in a month or two.... only time will tell! We took lots of pictures. I couldn't find my two favorite suits for some reason. But since I haven't worn them since the summer before I was pregnant, who KNOWS where they have gotten to. Now I need to track them down before swimming lessons.

After giving Ardyn green beans, and a bath, and a massage, and putting her in her pajamas, and nursing her, she fell asleep by 6:30pm. Of course then at 8 she woke up until almost 10. Then at 11:30 we did a dream feed and she woke again at 5:30 to eat, and again at 7:30.... then snoozed until 8:40 and snacked a bit before going off to school in a grand mood and full of milk.

Everyone have a nice weekend! I know I will!

Sunday and the Serger

What a WEEK! Today was day 10 of Evan being sick. I feel so bad for him, but at the same time I have to admit that I feel kinda bad for me, because doing everything myself is really getting old, and taxing. This afternoon he was feeling better for a while and I got to take a nap for almost 45 minutes while he watched Ardyn. Then he brought her in so I could feed her and we were all laying down and next thing we know, it's 6pm and we had slept for about two more hours. I really really needed that. Earlier in the day I had gotten piece of glass in my foot (It's still there) and had been walking on it from about 9am till about noon, when Ardyn finally took a nap and I had some time to try to dig it out. Which I wasn't able to do. I sat on the edge of the tub and soaked it in hot water and sea salts... hoping to work it out. It helped a bit, especially to get all the dried blood off my foot so I could see where the glass might be. I still can't see it, but I can feel it. Evan tried to get it out too, but we couldn't. So the glass lives on in my foot.

Saturday was an amazingly successful and exhausting day. I got my SERGER! YAY!!!! I ended up spending the morning calling around to check on what people kept in stock and how many different models each store carried. I called Neal's Sewing Center in Davenport, but their's ranged in price from $499-$1799, which were NOT in my price range. I don't need all that, I just need a serger. Amazingly, the best selection and prices were right her "locally" in Peru, so I called my mom and we took off. Of course while I am on the phone checking prices, Evan is laying in bed sick, holding the baby so I can make a few phone calls, and one second I look up from my phone conversation and see him playing with her, and another second I look up and see Evan missing and Ardyn lying on the bed looking all confused, and then I can hear Evan throwing up. Ugh. Horrible.

Saturday mom and I went shopping and I got the serger, I picked a $299 model Singer, which was higher than a $179 or $199 entry level model, and then when I was checking out they told me that if I came back tomorrow I could save $50 because it was going on sale tomorrow. Ugh! I talked to the ladies at Joann and they gave me the serger for $249.... which meant that I got the serger, 10 cones of thread, a thread organizer, and all kinds of other serger accessories- for the same cost as I would have got the serger itself. Good deal.

I also got really lucky and ran into bedding at target on big time sale, that will match Ardyn's "big girl room." I had been eyeballing some at JCPenney, but at like 60% off, the reversible comforter was $29.99- which wasn't bad, but I was shopping around for something similar. The room will be hot pink, bright orange, and red.... and I was disappointed because what I had found at Penney's was pretty much just pink and orange, no red. I already have red roman shades in that room (my current scrapbook room) and so I wanted to continue with that theme, especially because I have some canvas cubes and flowers that match already. So anyway, I found a reversible comforter at Target for $26.99 that was orange, pink, red, lime, turquoise, and yellow. It reverses to solid red. And some orange sheets for $13.99- which were hard to choose because there were SO many sheets there that matched. I think I will eventually go back and get another set, because all toddlers should have more than one sheet set! Otherwise you are just asking for it.

I grabbed a pink orange and white striped bath sheet on clearance, which I plan to cut in half and serge with some binding, to make two beeb sized beach towels that we can take to the Y and to Grandma's Pool this summer. It will match both her swim suit and her swim diaper set. Good deal. They had spring dresses (simple cotton t-shirt dresses with cute details and bloomers to match) for $6, and I got two of those for this summer, and mom bought one to give her for easter. I got her three little sweatshirts for next fall on clearance at Bergner's for $3, and a cute onesie on clearance that said "That's It, I'm emailing Grandma!"

It was a really nice shopping trip, Ardyn was FABULOUSLY behaved, which was a hige difference from last weekend's trip to Peru for groceries. Ugh. We went to Target, Jo-ann's, Jimmie John's, Victoria's Secret (for my sister's birthday gift) and to the bookstore... and she was great the whole day. I was trying to get myself a copy of the book "Medications and the Mother's Milk" and also "The Breastfeeding Mother's Herbal Companion", but the first book was out of stock and can't be ordered because it's apparently on short supply and looks like it's out of print. So today I got online and found a copy. It wasn't cheap, and I wish that I would have bought it back when I was buying my other pregnancy and breastfeeding books, when it was available everywhere, because I had NO IDEA how little the average healthcare professional knows about what medications are safe to take when breastfeeding. It's actually quite ridiculous. By the time my daughter was 4 months old, Dr's had already tried to prescribe me FOUR unsafe prescriptions, KNOWING that I was breastfeeding, without even considering if it was safe. For god's sakes they tried to get me to take MUSCLE RELAXANTS! Jeez. I should have bought that book long ago.

I tried to serge a bit today. I decided to use the pre-threading on the machine to do a small project, but by the time I sat down to sew, Ardyn was already waking up again. I got exactly three stitches in (literally three stitches) when the thread broke. Ugh. So I broke open the book and tried to read about adjusting the tension, presser foot height, and feed settings based on my fabric. Needless to say, I haven't sewn more yet, but Ardyn finally went to bed, so maybe I will sneak down and try to stitch something before bed. I am working on making her some valentine legwarmers that have little candy conversation hearts on them, but I might have to break down and just do them on the sewing machine or they will not be done in time for Valentine's Day.

Now we have enough diapers to wash every 2-3 days, which is AWESOME. I washed on Thursday night and then washed again this morning. Of course she was wearing the LAST diaper when the wet diapers were air drying, so I was cutting it a bit close. But when the rest of the aplix dipes arrive this week, I will certainly be able to go three to four days without washing. YEAH! So tonight I stuffed diapers, put them away, re-arranged the changing table, gave Ardyn a bath, made pizza, baked Walnut Brownies, and I think I will go start a load of her laundry and try my hand at the Serger again before bed.... but it is 10:15 so who knows how much I will actually accomplish before I give in and go to bed. Good thing I got a nap!

Tired.

What's new with you folks? I really meant to blog over the weekend, but Evan has been sick since last Friday, and pretty out of it. He has had a sinus infection and horrible headaches and dizziness. So It's been a little bit crazy at home. Sunday and today were the worst for me. We really needed groceries about a month ago, but this weekend we were FINALLY all going to go together and get some. Then Evan got sick, and we put it off all weekend until on Sunday I just decided that I was going to take Ardyn and do it by myself. Of course she was also teething and when I left home it was her nap time. She slept a bit in the car on the way there but wasn't really thrilled with waking up when we got to Target. She seemed fine through about 50% of the store, but then started to get very vocal and fussy. So I ended up carrying her for a while and then we hightailed it out of there. I wanted to go to Aldi's right away but Ardyn screamed in the car and I planned on just forgetting the whole thing and just going home. But she was screaming so loud that I just parked in the Aldi's parking lot and got her out of her seat and fed her in the front seat of the SUV. Of course I had to move my seat all the way back to make room for her in between me and the steering wheel. Then I wanted to change her, but grocery stores don't have changing tables... and it was too cold to change her with a door open to the vehicle, so I changed her on the front seat which was NOT easy with the console in between.

Finally she calmed down and was okay, so we went into Aldi's. Of course we got through 1.5 aisles before she started squealing in protest again, and I ended up alternately carrying her and then once she was happier, putting her down again. She was fine in the checkout line but once I got to the part where I bagged my own groceries, she was frustrated because the groceries (and therefore me) were behind her back and she couldn't see me. I was talking to her but she was instantly bored, and then fussy again. Of course then I was holding her AND bagging groceries one handed when the cashier came over and offered to help and to her surprise I just begged her to hold the baby so I could get stuff in the bags the way I wanted it. Whew! Then in the car she started her screaming again (when teething she doesn't want to be put down. She becomes a real cuddle bug) and then finally fell asleep. She was so exhausted but wouldn't nap. It was almost 1:30 and she usually naps around 10 or 10:30 and she hadn't yet. She was SOOO Overtired. Then I realized that in my hurry to get her out of Target, I hadn't bought Evan's cold medicine, so I had to go to Wal-Mart on the way home and grab some. The very second we got into the store she started screaming again. It was horrible. I just grabbed his cold medicine and got the hell out of there.

By the time we got home she was screaming non-stop so I had to make Evan get out of bed and unload groceries for me while I fed her, changed her, and put her pajamas on. All of which she screamed through as if she had a broken bone or something. Man it was a bad bad scream. Once she was fed, changed, and had her pajamas on, she kinda let out a big sigh and looked at me like "So we are home now?" and then SMILED and was happy. An hour later she was eating again and I was lying down nursing her and I was SO exhausted. She had been up for a whole two hours during the night and I was exhausted because I had been up since 7am, drug her and myself all over, got groceries, and had a headache. Evan and I both fell asleep with Ardyn between us. Of course then the phone rang 5 times in that hour I was trying to nap... and I was so zonked out that I didn't even wake up until it was thundering and lightening and the dogs started barking. Then I was drooling on my pillow I was so exhausted. Ardyn was so tired she slept for another hour, even when I felt guilty and couldn't stay asleep.

Sunday night Evan went and got Lisa (Josh had her car!) and brought her over. We hung out, I did some laundry and we gave Ardyn a bath and put her to bed.... then sat around talking and crocheting until Josh came and got her. We completely avoided the superbowl, which was awesome. The only reason I really care about a superbowl is for all the good food and the commercials.

Today was THE day from hell. First the weather was crappy. I vowed that the next time the weather is crappy I am NOT hauling myself, Ardyn, and all of our belongings out in the weather. It's just not worth it. But, I did. I tried to wait a little bit longer so that all the snow would be cleared from the roads, and so that the sleet would switch to rain, as it was supposed to. But that also meant that I had to go out IN THE RAIN and march through all the snow to get to the vehicle and start it, and then shovel a path in the rain, and then haul all of our stuff (breastpump, purse, diaper bag, carseat) to the car, and then head off. When we got to daycare it was torrential downpouring (great) and I got Ardyn inside just before it really started to get crazy and was lightening and then pouring even harder. So I was running out to the car again and it started hailing. By the time I got to work, just like 3 minutes across town, there was about 2-3 inches of hail on the ground, about the size of peanut M&Ms. That sucked.

Of course the parking lot at work was a river, and the whole town was a serious mess with storm drains being frozen and standing water on all the streets and intersections. There was no dry spot to walk, and the water was over the top of my shoes. It was horrible. My socks and shoes were soaked, and the bottom couple of inches of my khakis too. When I got to work I just wanted to cry. WHY didn't I stay HOME! Of course then we had serious problems all day long and I was so busy that instead of my normal four pumping sessions, I only got in TWO of them, which also meant that I didn't even get two bottles of milk for the day, When Ardyn usually drinks 3-4. That sucked. That just made me want to walk right out the door. She is my number one priority. Some people might think this is a totally bizarre statement, but I would quit my job in two seconds and never look back if I though it interfered with being able to breastfeed my child. Seriously. It is that important to me. So by the time my day was over, I was ready to cry I was so pissed. And then I let myself think how I went through all of that, for the $8 a day that I am able to bring home. Its pretty bad when I make like $15 an hour and can only bring home $8 a day as profit. Anyone who says that healthcare and childcare are not issues in this country has never been a working mom who has to pay for both of those things.

We have also had the issue of diapers leaking at daycare. I can have Ardyn in the exact same diapers all evening, and all weekend long, and have never had a leak. But at daycare, it was getting terrible. Last week she was coming home from 6.5 hours at daycare with SEVEN wet diapers and two-three changes of clothes each day. That is a lot of laundry. I mostly use snap diapers because I prefer them to Aplix (velcro) for lots of reasons. They are less bulky, they have a nice size range, the leg and waist sizes adjust independently of each other, velcro gets pilly and can get fuzz and hair stuck in it, and it also sticks to everything in the wash. But for some reason, the snap diapers, the very same ones that I used at home, were leaking at daycare. I could change her every two hours at home and be just fine, but they were changing her every hour to 1.5 hours at daycare and she was still leaking. I swore that they weren't fastening the snaps correctly. They insist that they are as tight as they will go, and I really want to believe them because they are awesome people. But at the same time, we switched to only velcro diapers at daycare and she doesn't leak now. Well, this means that because I only have four velcro and she uses between 5-6 diapers a day, I needed to buy MORE diapers, even though I had PLENTY of them already. So now I am limping along with the four velcro diapers, and awaiting the 11 new velcro diapers that are arriving any day now. Basically 6 new diapers ran me $105 (with a 10% discount and free shipping) and 5 used diapers ran me about $50. That seems incredibly expensive, but if you figure using a $20 pack of diapers every week or so, that's $80 a month that is garbage and not reusable. With cloth you can use them month after month and child after child, and if you take good care of them and wash them properly, you can even sell them for about 50-80% their original retail value.

That said, I am planning on making my own diapers for Ardyn's next size, and also for newborn for our other children. The snap press and die set and my polyacetal industrial snaps arrived on Saturday. Today I got some misc PUL fabric for making Pocket diapers, and 3 yards of really cool outer fabric as well. And my poo pockets diaper patterns. Very exciting. This weekend we are going to the Quad Cities with my mom to shop for Sergers... and then I can get started. I made one of my diaper inserts with the sewing machine, and while it is possible, it's extra steps and they don't look as nice because they aren't as trim and straight. I am refraining from making any more until I have the serger.

This past week I was able to start using my new utility sink in the laundry room, and Evan and I hung the shelf down there that I wanted, and also my 5 Gallon bucket of Charlie's soap arrived. (yay!) Then I worked one whole night cleaning the sewing room (which hasn't been touched since around the time I got pregnant) and I got a dent in it. The problem with having it in the basement is that it just gets plain DIRTY down there, dusty and dirt falls from the ceiling and brick dust from the foundation. Ack. So I started down there. I organized two whole shelves and also cleaned a couple of big baskets of stuff that had kinda accumulated. Still have two tables to clean off and get organized. Ugh. Its a huge project but I want to be able to work down there instead of on the dining room table. As each day unfolds I become more and more restless about going off to work each day, making no money, and also getting nothing accomplished.

Well, now that it is almost 10pm, I have to get myself to bed, because I haven't been getting enough sleep and it makes me even MORE cranky.

speaking of cranky, the Aquatics Coordinator at the Bureau County Metro Center never called me back about infant water classes. Bah Humbug. Evan says that if that's the way they are, we need to just take her over to Peru. I would agree with that more if I wasn't working all day long and THEN driving her to Peru, but we will make it work.

Just need to finish this marathon of new John and Kate Plus 8 Episodes (I am an addict) and off to bed. Everyone have a great night.

Retail Therapy

Well, shopping made me feel better. It always does. Retail Therapy. Even if it's just Wal-Mart I can find shit to buy. We needed toilet paper, and laundry detergent. I needed a tote.

Ardyn was still so fussy... that when I put her in her carseat she was SCREAMING at me no matter if I gave her a pacifier, rocked her, swung her seat around a bit.... nothing. I finally had to get like 1 inch from her face to talk to her because she couldn't even hear me through her screaming. I got her calmed down and then I defrosted 2, 2ounce bottles of breastmilk and fed them to her in the carseat. She was out in an instant. The fastest way to soothe her without taking her out of the carseat, swaddling her, and breastfeeding her. We were on the road by 9:15. spent about an hour in the mart. I bought new super soft pajamas and a new robe. The robe is fitting, but I think I would like it bigger. Must exchange it. I bought brown, tan, and cream socks. All of mine seem to be mismatched now, and even after cleaning the laundry room, I have about 25 tan socks, and only two of them match. Seriously, that is no exaggeration.

Every single time the shopping cart sat still, Ardyn was crying. Cart stops, pacifier goes flying out of her mouth, and screaming ensues. Don't stop to look at anything. I meant to try the robe on before I left the store, but I guess it makes sense that I forgot. I also got a cool thing for the laundry room that I can put each person's foldable laundry and underwear/socks in until I can match them. Or hey, how about husband can match his own socks? Yeah. That's a great idea! So I got to the checkout and had to exit with TWO carts because I had a giant tote that took up one entire cart and another stackable unit that took up another cart. I Was trying to push both carts (with the baby) and a friend Jen (HER husband Evan is friends with MY husband Evan, and she once sold Pampered Chef as one of my recruits) was shopping there and offered to escort me and help by pushing one cart. She did, thankfully, even though I told her no (why do I refuse help? What the fuck is wrong with me? Martyr much?) and then she put the tote and the other stuff IN my car while I got Ardyn snapped in, AND she took both carts back inside the store. Doesn't she deserve like a medal or something?

What I love more than anything is women and moms reaching out to help other women and moms. What I love is when you are shopping and you see another mom and she looks at you with a look of "I've been there!" and it's such a good feeling to know that she understands the exhaustion on your face, or the fact that you are changing a diaper in the backseat of your car, or breastfeeding in the middle of the mall, or trying to contain a tantrum, or anything mom related. I get so sick of moms who compete with everyone. My kid did this and this and this and has this and that and this. It isn't a competition! Everyone is proud of their child. That is natural. But at the same time, be proud of another person's kids. Be happy to help. OFFER to help and I guess sometimes, when I mom refuses or seems overwhelmed or too proud or feels guilty for accepting, insist on helping her. Please. I don't mean overstep your bounds and invade on her privacy, but please offer to help. Two or three times.

Today makes me want to read the book "it takes a village" and Honestly I never even gave a second thought to that phrase or anything in the past. It just made me laugh about all the people that I don't want influencing my kids. But moms have to stick together. And when I think about all the favors that I have done for other moms over the years, before I had kids or realized how much of a big freaking nice deal it was to have someone who gave a crap.... I realize that there are a lot of people out there who owe me. And I mean owe me BIG TIME. And when I also think about it, several of those people have disappeared out of my life. Mostly because we got too busy, sometimes because I get sick of giving giving giving all the time and not getting anything in return. A lot of those people were "users." And I don't do favors to get things in return, but getting respect in return is my number one goal. I think of friends who had kids in high school, and friends who had kids after high school, and I spent lots of my time with those kids. Babysitting for free. Buying BIRTHDAY presents and CHRISTMAS presents! Giving them rides to doctor appointments and family member's houses. Helping decorate for parties and dress up for Halloween. Taking them Trick-or-Treating. Taking them shopping. Taking them to movies. I bought their parents baby shower presents and bridal shower presents and wedding gifts. And those people have taken advantage of me and disappeared. I never saw a shower or wedding gift from them, not even a card. And here I sit with a 2 month old and I can literally count on one hand the people who would do anything for me in return. And two of those people live in Alaska and Chicago respectively. Isn't that crazy? I guess this makes me realize that while it takes a village, I still need to start looking out for my own family. And how lucky I am that some of those people aren't in my life anymore. Because I don't need things from people who aren't truly my friends. I don't need the hassle... and I don't need to be used.

Fuck! Couch!

Well today was a LONG day. We shopped with Evan's mom all day, and I am exhausted. Ardyn just finally went to sleep around midnight and I just finished up a couple of things that I needed to accomplish. I have plenty to write about, but I need SLEEP!

But just a highlight:
1. Cute Clothes for Ardyn from Old Navy, Babies R Us, and The Children's Place
2. A new hairbrush (pink ribbon) from Chi, a headband, and a hair clip for me
3. Lunch at Miss Mamie's Catfish House in Moline
4. Nursing in the middle of the mall twice and in a comfy chair between men's and lingerie in Von Mauer.
5. Tivo-ing Cassanova with Heath Ledger (yum)
6. Proactiv is working. My face is almost clear after 2 weeks of use. I have terrible cystic acne as a side effect of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and apparently it is tons worse after pregnancy and during breastfeeding because my hormones. It spreads to me neck, chest, shoulders and back, and is so painful and widespread that it hurts to wear a bra. Since the proactive is working on my face, I am now buying their body clear kit and starting that ASAP.
7. A strange stranger left me an Anonymous comment on my blog. The moral of the story was that they will never be back here again because I use "filthy language" and that I talk that way because it's the only way I think I can get attention. Ha. Sounds like a catholic grandma is reading my blog now. But we will never know because they made it clear that they won't be back. Ha. Is that a threat? I hate to say it, but my mouth is much filthier when no one is around to hear me. And when it comes to "bad words", I often think of the phrase "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." because no matter which word is deemed to be "bad", that word could just as easily be any other clean word in the english language. I think I am going to take after one of Evan's grandma's and make up my own "clean" words that I intend to use as dirty words. So like, instead of fuck, I will say "couch!" and anyone who knows me will know that's my word for fuck. Or I could just say fuck. It would be easier, wouldn't it? Besides, I only have like 6 months before I can't say fuck in front of my daughter anymore, so shouldn't I enjoy it while it lasts. Fuck Yeah!
8. Reese's makes cookies. Yes it is as good as it sounds. But they are rich. And not like the Darlings (if you get that then you have to comment. I totally love Dirty Sexy Money.)
9. Ardyn got a new toy this week. The "Go Baby Go Kickin' Bobbin' Gym" and she LOVES it.
10. If I win the lottery I will buy a brand new van. And I will still use Michelle's Husband's Discount, and I will buy her a van to thank them. (this is the big lottery I mean. Like millions.)
11. I woke up with a sore throat. I thought that was so over.
12. Carving pumpkins Friday night?
13. Dogs got Rawhide bones. Now they are leaving me alone.
14. Ate four more reese's cookies while typing this. Have to sleep so I will stop!

Monday already???

Monday! Whoo-Hoo!

Not.

At least I remembered to blog! The weekend was nice. Friday night I went shopping and got Evan some new clothes for father's day. He dropped a pant size and quit smoking AND it's Father's Day. I got him 4 shirts and a pair of shorts and some brown flip flops.

I got me a pair of flip flops for free (for buying his) and a new headband, and another pair of black dress pants (maternity) so that makes two pair and that's a good thing!

I also bought 10 baby hangers (plastic) and picked out the umbrella stroller that I wanted on my registry. And I ate supper at the club with Amethyst and Evan made my dinner.

Saturday was soooo super busy. I had a pedicure in the morning and then went right to Evan's family reunion. Then I went to a cookout at my sister's and then right back to Evan's family in the evening. We got home around 10:30 pm and I was so exhausted I could hardly function. I went to bed and slept like a rock (a rock that pees every hour or two) and then was able to sleep till 9:30 on Sunday. Sunday I just didn't feel right. Kinda cranky, tired, had a pain on my left side, and really unmotivated. I ended up going through a stack of pregnancy and childcare magazines and tearing out what I wanted, and getting rid of the rest. I researched digital thermometers for the baby. I compiled a "medicine cabinet" list of meds and supplies that I wanted for the baby.

Evan went golfing and brought me Chicken Soft Tacos for supper. I washed my first ever load of baby items, all the blankets, washcloths, hooded towel, burp rags, crib and bassinet sheets. I then learned how difficult it is to change a crib sheet when the mattress is in the infant position and there is a bumper involved. And then I cut all the care tags off the blankets and washcloths and folded them into soft and sweet little piles.

I also went to Wal-Mart and returned three pieces of clothing, and then I bought a big glass apothecary jar and filled it with baby medicine items such as infants mylicon, tylenol, motrin, saline nose drops, orajel daytime and nighttime formula, vaseline, baby nail clippers, cotton swabs, and cotton rounds for baby eye care and umbilical cord cleaning. It was fun and the jar is so super cute all full of goodies. I feel so much better having used all my coupons and being ready with supplies to make caring for a sick baby a little easier.... and less expensive!

So after my Wal-mart trip I went and got a Waffle Crisp Blizzard at DQ. This was my second time having it, and I tell you, I love it. This time I loved it even more because the first time the kid didn't put much in it, it was more ice cream than blizzard. This time it was LOADED with caramel chocolate and waffle cone pieces. Yum! It hit the spot!

So now that it's Monday, husband and I are planning on what to do this week. We have a few movies that we want to catch up on, and we are having a fish fry with his family some night this week and look forward to that. So even though it's Monday, and I am not feeling tip top, (left side aches still) I am gonna probably make it through the week okay. Especially since my friend PG will be in town and so will others like TD. It should be a fun week!

Shopping!

Last night Heather and I went to enjoy Mexican food and Mi Margaritas. I broke out of the usual for the first time EVER and instead of Chicken Fajitas, I ordered a beef taco and 1 cheese enchilada. It was fabulous. I ate the enchilada and had a couple bites of taco and I was STUFFED. Of course all night I was worried that I might bring back the bad kidney pain so I was trying to be super careful and not eat too much, or anything spicy. But it was tasty.

Then we went to Kohl's, because Heather had some babies to buy for, and that worked out well for me, because I got to go shopping for the first time since knowing that I am having a girl (except Wal-Mart) and of course, everything was on sale for 40-50% off and then there was a 60% off clearance rack. I bought an adorable blue dress with a matching blue sweater, a cute pink and khaki jumper style dress, and on the 60% off rack, a pink and white polka dot dress with pretty white trim and a white rounded collar.... which should fit next spring around easter time. (awww!) and then I got a stuffed puppy dog that is white with pink spots... sooooo cute! I couldn't resist since the nursery is puppies, and she needs at least 1 pink puppy. So the trip was fun and successful, The clothes were inexpensive.

We stopped and each rented our own movies on the way home. I always seem to go for the movies that are on the shelf in the video store that are like "B movies" that I have never heard of and people don't usually rent. The one that is a lone copy all by itself in the new releases, that you can buy for like 5 nights for dirt cheap. I got two of those, but this time I managed to pick ones with hot guys in them.... Heath Ledger is in one and Ryan Gosling is in another. And then I got that one with Jack Black and Jude Law where the chicks switch houses. SO anyway, the Heath Ledger one was called Candy. It was about Heath Ledger's character Dan, and his girlfriend Candy (Abbie Cornish)- and how they were desperately in love, but how heroine and other drugs took them to a kind of heaven (in their own eyes at least) and then brought them crashing down to earth (she marries him and becomes a junkie who works as a whore to get their smack money) when she becomes pregnant from a night of unprotected sex with her husband after they shoot up. Then they try to detox themselves when she is pregnant to do the right thing and her body and baby are so stressed that in the middle of the detox she miscarries and has to deliver the baby stillborn. Then the heroin (which they start again) takes them to a place like hell, when they move to the country and start to fight between themselves and she has a nervous breakdown, but because he doesn't get what's happening to her, he leaves her alone and she gets institutionalized. It's a crazy ass movie. It was good, not great, and I can see what they were trying to do. There were many comments made in the movie about how it isn't about HEROIN but about a love story and how their love tried to overcome their addiction.... or as someone said in the commentary, a Hero, a Heroine, and Heroin. Hmmm. I can see and feel their pain, and their struggle to do the right thing, and their struggle to get away from the smack... but it's really hard for me to imagine a junkie as a hero. But it was a good movie.

Hump Day.

This week I have been sending my husband "spam" emails with links to baby products online. I found an ungodly amazingly huge lot of toys on ebay for $16. He loved it. But I keep telling myself, does ANY child under 1 need that many toys? Probably not. We probably have enough toys right now and we don't have ANY kids. LOL.

But I see things that are just GENIUS like the backseat mirror that has lights and music that are activated by a REMOTE and after watching one too many friends twise like a pretzel while driving to push a button on some music making device to keep the baby happy in the car, I am like "I NEEEEEEED That!" and so I research the price and then go to eBay. I did win the $50 bouncy seat for $9.99, which was awesome. It's just so much cheaper to buy certain things used.... and they really are in great shape!

Last night seemed to go fast, it was cleanup days so Evan put stuff out on the "curb" and I didn't accomplish much. Ate Supper, watched 1 TIVO'd show, drank my Chamomile Tea and watched Roseanne episodes while I cut my toenails, filed my fingernails, and put on tummy butter.... then off to sleep for me.

May is already shaping up to be a busy month for me, We meet with our potential Pediatrician one Friday, then for work I have a Expo to help with that Sunday, cleaning people coming on Monday, a pedicure on Tuesday night, and a 2 day trip to a conference that Wednesday and Thursday, and then when I get home from that and unpack, I will have a wedding to attend Friday afternoon, and a Dr's appt the following Tuesday morning.... Plenty going on. The end of the month I am hosting a bead retreat party and I will do the work duties on Memorial Day and Memorial Day Weekend.

Lots of baby movement to be felt last night and today. Rolling around. I did have an appointment with the midwife yesterday, I have gained 1 pound in the past 5 months. The baby itself weighs 1 pound, not counting placenta and amniotic fluid. She did the usual discussion time, followed by the feeling around outside my belly, and the heartbeat on the doppler, which was strong but the baby was moving out of the way and she commented on what an active baby we have. Evan couldn't make the appointment but he did call me afterwards to get the scoop. The midwife thinks that my lack of weight gain is normal for me, and the baby is growing and measures right on target.... but she did comment that since she can't gauge the baby's weight gain based on my weight gain, I will probably be having several more ultrasounds to measure the baby's growth. Sounds like fun! So we should get to see the sex SOMETIME before the baby is here!

I have a lot going on the next few days and this weekend, so you may or may not hear much from me.... till Monday-ish.... but I'll be back.

Did I mention.....

That I bought the Eddie Bauer Equivilent to a Nalgene? I have been eyeing different ones for a while, and now that I am preggo, I decided to buy one to have around this summer, for walks and golf and hot occasions like parades, summer festivals, and family reunions. Or just sitting on the couch. LOL. I got the one with the ice core that goes through the center and then I bought a pack of 3 refill ice cores. So you should be able to see me coming this summer, with my Nalgene and a folding chair.

It's cleanup days here in town and I just saw a truck go by completely loaded with junk, mostly metal for scrap. And by completely loaded I mean the back was heaped higher than the cab of the truck. Insane.

I also have been eyeing baby slings and bid on a Maya sling on eBay. I have to decide if I want Khaki or Black. I thought black, but then I thought that the khaki ones really match more, even brown or navy blue outfits or coats, as well as black clothes. And the khaki ones wouldn't show spit up stains or milk stains quite like black. I hope I win the auction so I can practice for a while before the baby gets here. I love how the Maya wraps have a "tail" that you can use to cover up with if you want to nurse in publie (or even at a friend's house.)

I also bid on the bouncer seat that we want, they have now been around long enough to be gently used on ebay, for about half the price as retail, but the shipping isnt cheap. But I am frustrated because I have a registry at Target, and they say the bouncer is available in store but now they aren't listing a price and I don't ever see it in the store anymore.... although you can buy it online at Sears and other baby stores. Evan picked it out and I think he made an Excellent choice, so I am hoping to get a nice clean used one on eBay.

And now I am watching Desperate Housewives.

A Few More Wares....

Got an ISIS IQ Uno Breastpump on ebay, New in Box. It retails for $149 and I got it for $65! I also am wearing a new maternity shirt today, it's gray with black satin collar and cuffs, and says "bebe" in rhinestones. I also got a big lot of avent bottles and nipples and a microwaveable steam sterilizer on eBay for dirt cheap!

Dirty Whores wear Stripey Socks!

Tuesday. My "calling cards" arrived today. Haven't handed any out yet. Sad sad sad. Need to see some friends. Or meet some new people.

My legwarmers came last night. They are super cute, even though I am not a japanese chick with tiny feet. I tried them on with about 4 pair of shoes. I danced around. I laid in bed. They were fun. Not sure if and when I will wear them in public, but they are so cute!

You know what someone said to me the other day? Wow. Someone who has no room to talk, said (because I had striped socks on under my jeans with my mary janes) "Oh, so now that you got married you are a whore now?" Um. Okay. So now people who wear striped socks are whores? Wow. Guess I missed that memo.

Looking back, I guess that the fact that she has only known me for 4 years, and she has only known the "follow the work dresscode and do what the boss says" Meagan - when really the outside of work Meagan is as individual as you can get. But she doesn't know that?

I am as "I don't give a shit what you think" as I can be and still be polite and employeable.... and really I have worn stripey socks for so many years, it isn't even funny.... but since this person just saw them on me for the first time, and since I got married last year, apparently she coordinated that with "you just got married and turned into a whore."

What in the HELL is up with that? I wanted so badly to respond with "No, I've always been a whore." What the Fuck? So, all you stripey sock whores out there... watch your back.

I thought to myself.... wow. good thing I didn't wear my pirate mary janes to work. Good thing she has never seen my HNT posts. I am SUCH a dirty dirty whore (let's see how many google hits we can get on this post, shall we?)

She's really not gonna like when my red boots arrive or when I get my knee high argyle socks. And she's probably gonna hate me if I win those three schoolgirl skirts, or those black boots I have wanted for like 12 years and am finally bidding on. Yep, those will really make me a whore!

You know, everytime I get something funky and cute and young, my husband loves it. I get the ass grabbing, cop a feel hello's when he sees me, and It feels great to be recognized. I like to look good. What husband wouldn't want his wife to look good? And THAT makes me a whore too I suppose? LOL. People need to pay close attention to the meaning of whore. Really.

And even if I looked like a Harijuku girl from head to toe, that doesn't make me a whore. Whores sleep around, and last I checked, whores aren't known worldwide for their fashion sense.