Sweat Shop Mamma

(I am without internet at home so keep in mind that this post was written on 9-12-08)

The past couple of days I have shocked myself with the things I have accomplished. The pre-pregnancy Meagan must be in there somewhere trying to get out. Of course by 8pm I am so exhausted I can’t hardly keep my eyes open.

Yesterday (Thursday) I picked up the living room, dining room, bathroom, and our bedroom. I re-organized Ardyn’s toys and packed up some more “baby-ish” toys. I took tags off the new clothes that Evan bought her. I washed diapers. I went through a stack of magazines and papers on the dining room chair that was no shorter than 2.5 feet tall (seriously) and did something with everything, and kept a 1 foot stack of magazines that I haven’t cracked the covers on yet (I suck.) and am keeping them by the bed so that I may hopefully flip through them, and tear out the things that I want to file. I went through the file on the top of the desk in the office. I created new folders for each pregnancy (going to specialists really gathers lots of paperwork…. Insurance, referrals, prescriptions, letters and maps, lab tests, new patient forms, etc) I keep most of this because I am going to many specialists this time around too, and they always want to compare things to last pregnancy. I emptied folders from being a Pampered Chef Consultant, (2003-2005) and fold veterinary bills from when I had Carrie’s beagle. I consolidated paperwork from my “former” employer. Threw away 6 years of paystubs, and filed the contract for the website that I am currently working on (soon!) and also my exit interview from my former employer. I was pretty proud of getting all that in order. I found my envelope full of cards that I received from Ardyn’s baby shower, and cards I received in the mail after her birth. I decided to keep them for her, because I remember how much fun it was to see the cards that my mom kept in my baby book. But she has so many that I had to punch holes in them all and put them on a zip tie ring. I also found cards from her first Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and finally all of her first birthday cards. I added those to the ring too.

I miraculously found a gift card that fell out of one of the cards, and wouldn’t you know that it was a card for ME from my former co-workers, from when Ardyn was born? It said “this is to be used for something special for mom” and of course THAT is the card that got pushed to the wayside and never used. 1 year later, you can bet I will be buying something for myself! Ha!

I also went through Ardyn’s baby books and her health tracks book and put in her 1 year stats as well as her shots and the info on her new teeth that have come in. I filled out the pages for her first birthday and info on when she started crawling, standing, etc.

Yesterday Ardyn took three steps to Evan, which was awesome. She’s getting closer to full-blown walking every day.

So today was Friday, and it started out like any other day but got humid as hell. Around lunchtime I decided to bring up all the fabric that I had bought to make baby wipes. I started cutting and I cut 164 eight by eight squares of fabric. Then I serged 82 pair of them into 82 new and fabulous baby wipes. They are Organic Sherpa Fleece on one side and flannel or cotton knit on the other side (prints.) Then I folded 82 baby wipes in half and admired them over and over. Then I fray checked the corner of 82 wipes. Then I put them in a tote and smiled at them all. I can’t wait till tomorrow when I can start wiping a little butt with them. The sherpa fleece makes for excellent poo grabbing and they wash up really nice. They are so soft and thick. I am terribly excited.

I have been using baby washcloths for the past 9 months, and even though I have about 140 of them, they have been washed SO many times, and there just aren’t enough for two little butts to wipe. Plus toddler poos require a whole new wipe animal than little breastfed baby poos. So I feel like I have done a very accomplished thing and that I am even a little more prepared for two babies. I have also been loving the new stack of goodmamas. That’s all she’s been wearing for the past two days. It’s so nice. She can run around coverless and she is even coverless at naptime! Holy moly! I now know without a doubt that if I come into money, I will be ordering a Goodmama box, or even a bunch of bundles. Although I really like the clean look of the OBV’s. The prints are adorable but I can just see them getting pilly and faded so I am not sure that’s what I want.

I have gotten back into some books that I had been perusing, Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck, Unplugged Play, and Raising Baby Green by Alan Greene MD. In order to prevent myself from getting bored, I just keep rotating between them. I did a few things form Unplugged play with Ardyn today. I put a blanket on the floor and gave her a Tupperware container with an inch of water in the bottom of it, and gave her a bunch of her own spoons and forks and a dishrag. She was thrilled. She washed them. She washed herself… her legs, her hair, and then she put her feet in the water. Then she dumped it over accidentally, and then on purpose. Then she splashed around in the little bit of water that was left. I also got her little tiny stuffed baby doll out and cut her a blanket out of fleece from the sewing room. I put her baby to sleep in a shoebox. I showed her how to rock the baby and sing to the baby and put the baby “night-night.” She wasn’t fond of the attention the baby was getting. I then asked her if the baby wanted milk and acted like I was going to breastfeed the baby through my shirt, she got VERY angry and smacked the baby out of the way. Then she climbed up into my lap and started giving me kisses on the lips, like she wanted to remind me that SHE is my baby and a very sweet and loving one at that. And then she shoved the baby in her shoebox, under the coffee table where no one could find her. It was hilarious. We will have to keep working on the baby.

Ardyn loves to say that things are pretty. Candles and things that are glass and not to be touched are regarded as “pretty.” Freshly folded clothes, towels, and diapers are “pretty” (otherwise she will unfold them) and when I put clips in her hair I announce that they are “pretty” otherwise she will take them out. I gave her a big fat powder brush a month or so ago, and showed her how to put on blush and say “pretty” and now she loves to put blush on herself and then mommy and say “pretty.” Today we discovered a magic trick with a toilet paper tube and the brush. We put the brush, handle side down, into the tube. She can SEE the top of the brush and touch the bristles and she is trying to get it out and then suddenly, I whisk the brush out of the bottom of the tube and display it up by her face and she squeals with delight! Magic! How did that brush get out of that tube! And so quickly! We played with that for a long time today.

She also amazes me how fast she catches on. Earlier in the week I was using the oven and told her it was hot. Every time she sees me open the oven she makes her “hot” sign (waving her hand back and forth like HOT) and I saw “yes, it’s HOT. Don’t touch.” Very smart. Unfortunately, if you don’t know her, you might get her hot sign confused with her “stinky” sign. But her stinky sign usually comes with sniffing of the nose and sometimes the word “stinky.” And I guess it could also be confused with her waving hello or bye bye…. But again, in context.

Well, it’s past my bedtime. I intended on sleeping long ago, but wanted to get diapers started so I would have a full stash of goodmamas for the weekend and also wanted to get some stuff written down lest I forget.

Like today, I decided that for the first time in 29 years I would try mustard on my hot dog. I never tried it because even though I love mustard, it just never sounded right on a hot dog. And you know what, I was right. Mustard doesn’t belong on a hot dog. So I guess I haven’t been missing anything. But this from the person who had never had a chili dog until about 3 years ago. Sheltered I tell you!

Happiness is: Homemade Chex Mix and Goodmamas.

Hello everyone! Wednesday. We have been pretty lazy the past couple of days. We had a busy weekend and a Busy Monday (okay, a hectic monday) and so we have pretty much been napping and eating and sleeping and eating. Today we slept in again (ahhh, 9:30!) and then Ardyn and I lay around in bed and watched TV until 11am, when we made scrambled eggs and toast. I have laundry going, the dishwasher unloaded, reloaded, and running again, and Chex Mix in the oven. I love the smell and the satisfaction of chex mix in the oven. I am going to make two batches. I have a close friend whose family member is seriously ill (very likely terminally ill) and I will make Chicken Casserole, Cheesy Rice and Broccoli Casserole, and Chex mix to take over to them tonight. I feel like I want to DO something but I know that right now it's just a bunch of waiting for them, and spending as much time with their loved one as possible. I feel terrible. And Helpless. I can't even imagine how they feel.

Monday was my appointment at the Endocrinologist for my thyroid. It is overactive now (it was previously underactive) and they did more bloodwork and intend to monitor it for the pregnancy. No medications just yet, as they feel it might very shortly resolve itself. So I have been laying low. MIL Asked me if I wanted to go shopping today, but I just Can NOT do shopping. I can barely make it through a 30 minute trip to Wal-Mart. Last night I thought I was going to take Ardyn for a walk because it was so nice, but I forgot that I left the stroller in the loaner car and they have it at the dealership and I keep forgetting to pick it up. Ha. I go back to the Endocrinologist next week, and then I will probably go see my midwife, just because I miss her. LOL.

Last night I made Ardyn and myself some fabulous Cheerios Snack Mix Just mix...no baknig required!) For my recipe and a photo, go here! It is SO yummy. A little sweet, and dry... great for a preggo tummy... both to tide you over and get rid of nausea. (which I have no more... YAY!) When Ardyn finishes a little bowl, she turns it upside down and says "uh-oh" and looks at me hopefully.

Off to stir the chex mix! I love that burn in your nose when you open the oven and a big waft of seasoning and sauce hits you in the face. YUM!Last night I washed the BIGGEST Load of diapers ever. It was awesome. I actually had to wash them twice. I probably should have split it into two. Yesterday was an awesome day for fluffy mail. I got 5 Goodmama OBV's and 1 PIddle Poddle, which I also adore. It's amazingly similar to the Goodmama. The only differences that I have noticed with our first wearing is that the rise seems shorter (which will soon be a problem) and the wing snaps (to prevent droop) aren't exactly where I need them. I will probably stick to goodmamas for those reasons. This brings my Goodmama total to NINE beautiful OBV's. I adore them. I never thought in a million years that I would choose the $37 diaper as my favorite. Never. Ever. But I certainly do adore them. the fit is just perfect. And the fact that they are super soft, and one size, AND absorbent enough to go coverless yet trim enough to be comfy... not to mention they clean up spotlessly. Every. Freaking. Time.

I have been very much considering selling the Thirsties AIOs. I am disappointed that since the release of V2, V1's resale value has dropped to like $11 each. It makes me furious, especially since they were $17.50 each new. We aren't using them, I just have them in a tote looking at me.
I guess the money could go torwards more goodmamas.

Last Sunday was a busy day. I attended Lisa's Bridal Shower for her mom's family, and then went right to Evan's grandparents for his grandpa's 79th Birthday Party. We had a nice supper and sat outside and Ardyn played. She adores Evan's cousin Lukas (who is 18ish) and gave him hugs and kisses and snuggles. It was so cute. She kept going to him so he would pick her up and put her on his lap. It was cute. I stopped at Tanner's on my way back from the Dr. on Monday. Bought some apples and apple cider donuts, and some apple muffins that are TO DIE FOR. I also got some pumpkin butter, which I thouht I would love, but really didn't. Ardyn LOVES it though, so that's a plus. I recently had to make the honey/peanut butter decision for her. "They" still debate about giving peanut butter or honey at 1 year. The Ped gave the go ahead for honey in small amounts and the pep talk for staying clear of Peanut Butter and other nut products for another year. So I bought some sun butter (sunflower seeds) and she doesn't know the difference. I haven't given her the honey yet, but we have a LOVELY jar that just came fresh off the farm at Evan's parents, and the hives are located in the timber with wildflowers, fruit trees, and a garden... the honey tastes FABULOUS!

Ardyn's 1 year photos came back from the photographer. I have to decide which ones I am going to order. Tough Tough Decision!

Well, batch one of chex mix is cooling. Gotta go start the next one. Have a great week!

The longest post ever. And My Beef with Thirsties AIO Pockets.

Well, the birthday party is over. It was great. I was feeling icky. It was hot. I was exhausted. And Nauseous. And had a weird pain in my upper belly all day. But It was still fun. The pool was refreshing. The food was AMAZING. The cake got rave reviews for taste AND looks. I was pleased. Evan did a great job of blowing up the balloons and making a pretty balloon bouqet for the bench along the driveway. It was wonderful. Ardyn got lots of good stuff, a few toys, books, a beautiful quilt made by Bekah, and some really great clothes from my mom. She enjoyed every bit of it and wouldn't nap for a second. She was awake from 7:30am till 9:30pm, that little stinker didn't want to miss a bit of HER party. Ha.

Since the party we have recuperated. Gotten the dishwasher installed (I am in love) and Ardyn and I met with Nicole Isaacson and spent two hours, two locations, and FIVE outfits getting pictures taken. I can't wait to see the results! Hopefully we will see them online by the end of this week or the beginning of next week at the latest. Today Ardyn and I took the van for an oil change, and also to get the AC Checked out because by Saturday it was not working again. They found the leak this time and have ordered parts. We took a Dodge Magnum Wagon as a loaner car today. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't trade it for my van. I don't like all the blind spots it has, it's way worse than MIL's newer Durango. But it was a nice loaner. Except I left the stroller in the back like a Moron. But in my defense it WAS Pouring rain all day. And I didn't like moving the baby, car seat, diaper bag, purse, etc. in the rain.... let alone the stroller. I just forgot. Until about three hours later when I was mentioning strollers when talking to my mom and I was like "Holy shit I have to call the car dealer!"

Tomorrow are Ardyn's 1 year shots. I am not looking forward to them. At all. They worry me because she will get ones that she has never had before, and because MMR is "the" controversial shot. I am sure it will all be fine, but mom's can't help be be anxious abut these things.

Lisa's Bridal shower gift arrived today via UPS and I am SO Excited to give it to her. I also got a dress and shoes in the mail today, that I will wear to her wedding. I already had a dress with a cute little sweater that I bought at the beginning of the summer, with plans to wear it to the wedding and reception, but that was BEFORE I was pregnant, and it still has the tags on it because NOW I can't wear it. LOL. Oh well. My shoes are so freakin adorable. They are Kenneth Cole Reaction and I got them from PiperLime. I adore them and will be able to wear them comfortably forever and ever. That's the best kind of shoe there is. When I measured my belly last week it was already 46 inches! Holy Cats! They are right when they say that you show quicker the second time around. By 6 weeks I couldn't button my pants and had to break out maternity clothes. The only bad thing for me is that all of my maternity clothes (most of them) are too big for me. So either I can't wear them (in the case of jeans and some of my shirts) or they look frumpy. I have asked my mom for some smaller maternity clothes for my Birthday, which is actually approaching fairly quickly. I sent her links to ones I like and am pretty sure she's got me covered. Evan my maternity underwear are too huge, and my swimsuit too. For Ardyn's birthday party I was able to wear my regular swimsuit but my stomach was all squished and killing me after an hour or so. I had to get out of that suit.

The weather was awesome today. Low 60's, rained all day. We opened the house up yesterday and it is so nice and cool. Ardyn and I have snuggly pants on and long sleeved shirts and socks and slippers. We drank tea (juice for her) and baked cookies this evening. We have all the Scentsy warmers going with Sugar Cookie bricks. It smells heavenly here! If you haven't heard of scentsy, my best friend Carrie is a consultant and you NEED to check it out. Flameless home scents with wax that isn't hot enough to burn. It's heated by a regular lightbulb, and the warmers are beautiful. They JUST released a plug in warmer that I want to get for my kitchen. They are awesome. Check them out here www.scentsy.com/carriestokes

I was actually motivated to clean off the dining room table, which was a mess of paper and glue and scissors and glitter from working on decorations for Ardyn's party. I was pleased when I finished. I am really wanting to get my 2 yards of Organic Sherpa Fleece cut into 9" squares so that I can start matching them up with my flannel and cotton knit fabrics and making wipes.

I just bought 5 Goodmama One Size OBV Dipes to add to the collection today. Lavender, Purple, Hot Pink, Orange, and Light Blue. I already have Lime, Red, Circus (rainbow Serging), and Marigold. Ardyn is just now growing out of her Size Medium Thirsties AIO's.

They recently re-vamped the Thirsties AIO Pockets and removed the fabric from inside the leg gussets. The V1 model had leakage issues, which to my dismay, we have experienced. It is frustrating because I paid $17 plus for each diaper and we have a full dozen of them in Medium and another full Dozen in size Small. That's alot of money ($414.00 to be exact), and that doesn't count the Ten Thirsties PUL Covers that I have (@ $11.50 each) or the Thirsties fitted or the 18 Thirsties Prefolds.

Even though the thirsties diapers are under warranty, the manufacturer doesn't feel that the leaking warrants a replacement or a discount on replacements, even though the leaking did warrant a redesign of the product into a V2. This has been something that I have been thinking alot about and I have made the decision to no longer purchase Thirsties AIO Pockets. I think. So instead of moving up to the size Large, I will move into using more fitteds and OS diapers, like the BG 3.0's that I am so happy with, and the Goodmamas. If I want some AIO's I will be trying BG AIO's. I like their Organic AIO but it is pricey at $24.95 per diaper... but really not bad for a OS AIO (which there aren't many of.) AND I was recently able to send in 3 BG OS 3.0's that I had aplix issues with (they had the older style aplix) and have them completely replaced at no cost to me, with new identical diapers with all the newer aplix and newer foldback tabs. Now. That is what I call customer service. And THAT is what makes me be a repeat customer, when you will stand by your product. I adore thirsties, but when you feel like you have $414 in diapers that you can't use for your second child, that frustrates you. It frustrates you enough to not invest another $217 to buy a dozen large diapers. I saw that Kelly's closet is clearancing out the V1 for $11 each. Ugh. Proof that they have been improved and aren't worth as much anymore.

For me, It is making more sense to use more OS Diapers. OS dipes will fit the new baby and Ardyn at the same time. I can use the BG 3.0's, the MEOS OBV's, and the Goodmama OBV's for both kids at the same time, eliminating the need to keep different sizes of diapers separate, and also eliminating the need to pack two sizes of diapers for an outing. The only downside is the added bulk of a fitted and cover (but fleece covers seem to work well for us in substitute for pants) and the fact that the millions of snaps in pretty rows tend to make a grandparent's and daddy's head spin. Although Evan does really well with snap MEOS. Unfortunately, when grandparents see those snaps, their mind automatically says "Disposables at my house" which really does make me sad. Very sad. I don't mind education sessions, but the older you get, the more you can't remember from one day (or hour) to the next, and not everyone in the grandparent lineup is a good listener.

We adore prefolds at home, but if you think snaps make a person's head spin.... just let them face down the pointy teeth and snappin stretch of a snappi. LOL. I love snappis. I love prefolds. But it sets panic into the hearts of babysitters everywhere. Evan doesn't do snappis. But he does fitteds and that makes my heart beat faster. He he.

So tonight I put Ardyn in a Fattycakes Heavy Wetter Fitted By Butterfly Baby, and some wool longies for overnight. I know the fattycake will do well overnight, but I have never used it with wool overnight, so we will see what the morning brings. I usually use BG OS for nights, but they are all in the wash, with the exception of the 3 new ones that are on the way to replace the ones I sent back to Cottonbabies.

I also ordered 5 pair of Custom Fleece Longies from Michele at ThePeaChicNest (part of the inspired congo.) I have SEVEN of her fleece inspiration soakers and they are hands down the best on the market. She does great custom work. I can't wait for the new ones to arrive. Aunt Liz gave Ardyn some birthday money and that has funded the 5 pairs of Fleecey goodness that we are awaiting.

Well. it's midnight. I am falling asleep. Gotta Go!

My Review of Toys on the Go Backseat Organizer

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

We asked our Parents Panel to describe their ideal backseat organizer, then made their wishes come true! Our ultimate organizer has a full 15 pockets in various sizes, including one big enough to hold 8½" x 11" books. There's even a detachable activity case for bringing special ...

Toys on the Go Backseat Organizer

Has worked really well for us!

By dazed81 from Illinois on 9/4/2008

 

4out of 5

Pros: Durable, Easy Use, Easy Setup, Strong Construction, Portable, Easily Accessible

Best Uses: Newborn, Travel, Infants, Toddlers, Daily Use

Describe Yourself: Pregnant with 2, First Time Parent, Used in both a car van

I bought this item when I was pregnant with my first child. She is now One and I am pregnant with #2. I initially used it in a 4-door 99 Grand Prix. It was close quarters in the backseat (even though the backseat is big!) and couldn't be used by the carseat at all (rear facing, not a good idea anyway) so it practically made anyone riding in the backseat impossible.

When we upgraded to a Dodge Grand Caravan, I loved this organized MUCH MUCH more. I have always used it to keep supplies handy. Extra wipes, a few extra disposable diapers (we use cloth diapers) and also wet wipes in a popup cup sized container (fit perfect in the cupholder areas) and sunscreen, bug spray, first aid items, extra pacifiers, sippy cups, etc. When I would get a travel size baby product I would stash it in the pockets and velcro them shut, and then I was always stocked. It seriously lightened the load in my purse and diaper bag. Bandaids, etc could be kept close at hand, for both adults AND kids.

My daughter isn't old enough to reach this yet, so we haven't used it for toys. My only thing is I wish it were a bit WIDER so that it took up more of the valuable space behind the seat. It's my estimation that if your car has small seats this will be in your way more than it's worth, so I wish it were bigger.

GREAT for a van. Okay for a car. Has lasted well, easy to move from vehicle to vehicle, very sturdy.

(legalese)

Dishwasher Worship. And why can't you blogger peeps fix the photo upload thingy?

Well, we are feeling pretty much "better" around here. Except for Evan that is.

My bloodwork showed that my thyroid IS off again, but this time the exact opposite of what it was towards the end of my pregnancy with Ardyn. I have an upcoming appointment with an endocrinologist.

In the meantime, I continue to get tired really easily. Pretty much anytime I do any walking, I feel exhausted and need a nap. But I don't usually get to take a nap.

I have practiced Ardyn's birthday cake:
I have made decorations, including a banner/garland for her high chair tray and a cupcake crown for her to wear:And on a totally "off topic" tangent, to the folks at blogger, WHY can't you make it so that when I insert a photo into my blog, the photo goes where my CURSOR was, instead of always at the top of my post, forcing me to re-arrange and backspace annoyingly? Seriously? You haven't figured this out yet?

Now back to Birthday. All the food has been bought. All the ingredients and decorations for her cakes are sitting in the kitchen. Tomorrow I bake them, Saturday I decorate them, Sunday I inflate the balloons. All is well. I have a few things to wrap and I hope to get that done today. I also hope to get dishes done (I have to) so that I can have a clean kitchen and maximize my counter space for cake baking tomorrow.

These past few months have been the worst of my life because our dishwasher took a total shit. I hate life without a dishwasher. It's torture. I don't know why people choose to do that to themselves. Even if I get all the dishes done, and go to bed, when I wake up, there is a whole meal's worth of dishes. Evan makes a late night snack or a late supper and I wake up to more dishes while he marches off to work, immune to the dishes. It infuriates me.

We have had our dishwasher ordered, and it has been in at Sears for almost two weeks. Yesterday we were finally able to get it picked up, and next Tuesday it will be installed. We used to have a portable and this time around we got a plumbed in model, which meant that we had to have a surround built in (which was done several weeks ago) and the drain and water lines will be run next week and then my life can resume it's happy normalcy that a dishwasher brings.

Once the birthday party gets over, I have an exceptionally busy week ahead of me. The dishwasher gets installed, a new kitchen faucet (because our portable dishwasher has already ruined three faucets in eight years) and hopefully the ceiling fan in our bedroom can get fixed. It's stuck on high because the cleaning people pulled the chain and it broke off up inside the fan. Thank GOD the fan is under warranty and Hunter sent us parts, but this is the second part in three years that has had to be replaced on that $200 fan. That really pisses me off. First the light kit quit working and now the fan kit. So basically if you want a light on in our room, you have to have the fan on high. And if you want to sleep with the fan on, high is the only speed. Ugh. I hate it. I NEVER put that fan on high. Medium maybe. So it is eternally annoying to me.

Ardyn will be getting her 1 year pictures taken by a photographer (YAY!) and I also have an appointment for an oil change on the van and Ardyn has her 1 year appointment and shots with the pediatrician. Tons going on next week. Then I have a bridal shower. And then my appointment with the Endocrinologist in Peoria. SO MUCH. I hope I can stay focused and take naps so I don't get sick again. I had a friend call and want me to go shopping with her next week, and she literally didn't get that I Had something going EVERY SINGLE DAY and I didn't want to go. She was trying to find out what time I would be done with this or that so we could go later in the day. I was like "I can't go do two things in one day. I will be so exhausted after one that I won't be able to function. It will literally make me sick." I felt bad but I just can't do that now. Maybe once my thyroid gets straightened out and I get out of the first trimester. I hope that will mean I will feel better all around.

Well, Ardyn just poo'd her third poo of the day and it's only 12:30. I can't believe that. Must be the antibiotics she is on. Poor baby.

Have a great day, I am off to change a diaper.

Belated

So since I know you are all wondering where I have been, I can quite easily tell you that I have been.... on the couch. Ardyn and I have been sick.

I have been sick for a couple of weeks. I kept being told that it was just pregnancy fatigue and nausea but I knew better. It just kept getting worse and worse. Ardyn was running a fever of about 101.2 and we attributed it to teething since she has all 4 top teeth visible, and two poking through the gums... and then on Thursday she broke out in a full body rash. We took her to the pediatrician and discovered that she has a virus, which COULD be strep (babies get a rash with strep) and then not even 5 hours later I started to have a killer sore throat. I have been so exhausted that I kept telling Evan to jut take me to the hospital and have them admit me so that I could have some sleep. Wednesday night I ended up having hallucinations in my sleep and getting all freaked out. Between an upset stomach, barely being able to eat, being pregnant, and breastfeeding.... I was just so exhausted I could barely function. Friday I had a scheduled ultrasound and my midwife added bloodwork into the mix. We decided to check my thyroid, since it was not right at the end of my pregnancy with Ardyn. And I got a strep throat culture.

So we saw the heartbeat and the baby is great, and I got all my many vials of blood drawn. Then Evan bought me ice cream and I went home and went right back to bed, because my mom came over and was watching Ardyn, doing dishes, cleaning, and doing laundry. I have been able to get enough sleep the past few days and nights, so that has helped immensely in how I am feeling. I feel like I have plenty to do with cleaning people coming tomorrow and Ardyn's birthday party next Sunday. I have to practice her cake (I got cake pans like Michele's) and I have to get my hot dogs at the locker and chips, ice cream, etc. I still have to make a few decorations, and of course get all the balloons blown up. I plan on making the cakes this Friday (there will be two of them!) and taking all the food and decorations to the pool on Saturday. Then Sunday morning all I will have to do is get the balloons filled up and go finish decorating.... I can't wait!

I called a photographer to get her 1 year photos taken... and should be hearing back from her the beginning of this week. Evan cut me 2 cake boards to fit perfectly under my cupcake cakes. Now that I am feeling a little more like myself, I might be able to practice cake on Tuesday.

More later.... time to rest!

Online (for a minute)

So. Here I am. Momentarily!

Still no internet at home, but should be soon. As soon as they get out Check that is. LOL.

It really hasn't been half bad. I have been keeping a mental list of what I need to do online, and today is the first time I have gotten online in two weeks. I had 1131 emails. Ick. I responded to most of them that I needed to. Checked my mom message board and posted a quick update, and then paid a few bills online.

I most recently made the BEST decision I have made in a while, which was to pass the bill paying on to my husband. With no income of my own to speak of, it was really getting ridiculous to be the person in charge of paying everything and trying to make ends meet everywhere, when really it would be good to have him doing it. So for the first time in 8 years, I just washed my hands of it and passed it over to Evan. I am loving that. No problem. When I went to Peoria with my mom yesterday, we were picking up the crib from Evan's cousin (that we will use for Ardyn until she moves into the toddler bed.) and when we got to JC Penney they had everything "buy 1 get one for $1" since it was back to school time. I also had a $10 off coupon. I had intended to maybe get Ardyn some pajamas but didn't find any I liked. I called Evan and said "how much can I spend?" and he told me, and so I was able to get a pair of maternity jeans, a maternity shirt, and a whole outfit for Ardyn for photos in the future, for about $50. This is the FIRST Pair of maternity jeans that I have ever bought new, as all my previous pairs were on eBay. When I tried on all my maternity jeans and shirts, they are all too big because of all the weight (50+ pounds) that I lost after having Ardyn. Plus I am going to be pregnant in the winter and not the summer like last year, so that will be different. I love the jeans. Thank GOD. and so now I just need to pull the rest of my stuff out of the attic. I have several fall/winter shirts and such, and because last time I wore them very early in my pregnancy, I am hoping that with all the weight I lost, they will fit me LATER in my pregnancy this time so it will work out.

We had an ultrasound last week at 6w1d, and saw the yolk sac but no fetal pole yet (still early) so next Friday I go back to look for fetal pole and heartbeat. Cross your fingers. I had some spotting last weekend, but it was light and only lasted Saturday morning. None since thank goodness.

Ardyn brought a top tooth in last Saturday also. So I was spotting, it was our wedding anniversary so we cancelled our plans to have dinner out, and Ardyn was teething. It was quite the weekend. And we were away from home. I can see all 4 of Ardyn's top teeth, 3 are just below the gums, and then the one that popped through Saturday.

I have been taking "Morning Sickness Magic" supplements by Mommy's Bliss, and have had almost NO morning sickness since I started them. As long as I remember to take them. Heartburn, on the other hand, is brutal for me. I take Zantac at the approval of my midwife, at take 150mg a day, but later in my pregnancy that just does NOT cut it. I remember being SO sick and having SUCH terrible heartburn, that I couldn't sleep. Even with the max dose of Zantac, I would have to sleep upright and I couldn't even get near something with tomato sauce (pizza, pasta, etc) and garlic or onions were big NO NO's. And Lemonade. This time around Lemonade isn't bothering me. But tomato sauce and garlic and onions.... no way. I swear that I will not deal with this for my entire pregnancy. Just drinking WATER gave me heartburn with Ardyn. It was insane. I have heard of lots of other people taking prescription strength acid meds- and even though my midwife said no, I am about to go in and tell her I am taking them if I have to buy them on the damn black market. Although I think that taking the Zantac BEFORE a meal seems to be better because it is preventative. I have read that using an acid reducer doesn't work so well AFTER you already have introduced the acid into your stomach. So if YOU took an acid reducer during pregnancy, you need to comment and tell me WHAT you took and what dose so that I can arm myself with ammo in case I need upgrade. Because I have acid reflux, and that throwing up in your mouth thing, and it's all because of heartburn and excess acid.

So. What else is new? Not much. Pretty much the same thing. We practiced giant cupcakes for Ardyn's 1st Birthday party, and I hated them. So I decided to maybe to make one giant cupcake cake. But I have to practice. Still. I also need to get plates to match the napkins, and forks and spoons, and streamers. I just ordered the balloons. My mom is making potato salad and Evan's mom should be making beans. I need to get my hot dogs, etc etc in order. I can't believe it's two weeks away! Holy MOLY! I had to pay for express shipping to get the balloons in time!

Well, stay tuned. More sometime later when I get online again!

Hope this lasts you a while....

So What's New? Ha. Well, we are currently in the stages of "thinking double." It's ironic because just a month ago I had a family member offer me a high chair AND a very very nice crib. I told her while I would love to take them off her hands, I really didn't need them since we already had one of each. And we of course were going to try to get pregnant right away, but when you are breastfeeding you just have to wait until your fertility comes back. And we figured that when it came back it would take a while, since Ardyn took two years. But... we were wrong! We are so lucky to be pregnant on the first try, it seems too good to be true. SO far so good, my Beta numbers are climbing. I have two more blood draws this week and then we schedule my appointment with the RE and get a TVU (our first ultrasound) in about a week and a half from now. We will be looking for all the good parts (fetal pole, yolk sac, etc) and of course a heartbeat. We saw Ardyn's on TVU around 6weeks 5days, so there is a good chance that we will be able to see this baby's. Keep your fingers crossed and your thoughts with us!

SO I emailed that family member and asked if she still had the crib and high chair because I am PREGNANT and because I am not confident that Ardyn will be ready for her twin bed at 1.5 years old when the baby gets here. Ardyn napped in her crib from day 1, and I would like to continue that trend with baby #2, because it made it a cinch to get her into her crib at nighttime once she was ready to be out of the co-sleeper. She slept through the night the very first time I put her in her crib! We never looked back. So hopefully next week we will be picking up another crib and the second high chair, which also straps to the dining room chairs like Ardyn's. There isn't much I will need for this baby, except a few things that we have worn out, like new diaphragms for my breast pump, new stage 1 Avent nipples, and a couple of the swaddles that are my favorites. I tried lots of them with Ardyn, and they were a godsend. I have SEVERAL Halo swaddles but Ardyn could easily get out of them and it was practically impossible to change a diaper without unswaddling her completely... and also she would often wake up with the swaddle part up hear her neck, and that was horrible. So I eventually found ONE that I really liked, easy to change diapers, easy to use, never ever ever came loose. I only own one, so I will probably get two more. And the double stroller. I found a couple locally that are in great shape for around $40-$50, which is awesome considering they are $200-$700 brand new. I would also like to get one of the Cube Organizers from Target with the fabric cubes for some additional diaper storage, since I will have two in cloth. Luckily before I left my job I thought ahead and bought an entire stash of newborn cloth diapers. I took the tote down last week and peeked inside and they are soooo tiny they just make me smile! I started myself an Amazon baby registry for these few things we might need, and will be using it as my own shopping list so that I can spread the expenses out over the next 7-8 months. If we have a boy, I do have one tote full of boy clothes in various sizes, and several gender neutral pajamas for infants. Beyond that I have a friend who has lots of boy clothes in the exact seasons/sizes I need, and I will be buying some from her if I need them. If we have a girl, we are totally set! YAY!

Ardyn will move into her "big girl room"- which basically means we will lose the scrapbook room and office, but not a big deal. We might finish off the attic and move stuff up there, otherwise I will have to put the scrapbook stuff into my sewing room and make it work. No big deal. I already have a Sealy posturpedic Twin Bed that's like new, a brand new comforter set and two new sets of sheets for her new room, and also an area rug to match. We have plenty of furniture, as her nursery is cramped now, so we will likely split some furniture in each room and be done with it. Sounds like fun! It will be fun to put the bumpers and the mobile back on the crib! Last week I just packed away the baby bottles, sterilizer, baby bibs, nipples, etc.

So that's all our excitement. Ardyn is growing like always, walking around the coffee table and the couches, standing up on her own and playing with everything in sight. She reads BOOK after BOOK and knows horses and dogs and ducks. She knows what a ball is, and signs "more" and "milk" when she wants to eat. She recognizes SO many words and phrases. She's been eating table food for a while now so dinnertime is a sharing affair, and we love it. She and I take baths together and play. We got some bathtub markers, and I draw animals and things on the walls and she names them and makes their noises. I have refrained from using the Red marker because it appears to stain, so I will be getting out the soft scrub to see if the lovely red heart with daddy's name in it will come off of the shower surround. :) otherwise I am sure a bleach pen will take care of it.

It's been plenty hot lately but we have enjoyed pretty much nightly walks. Sometimes we call LIsa to join us, or Grandma Deb, or sometimes it's just Ardyn and I, and we take both dogs. I just tie them to the stroller and we roll. Now that I am pregnant I can't walk without water, or I am dying halfway through. But it doesn't help that it's usually almost 90 degrees with the humidity each evening. I really love going on the walks though.

We are planning a picnic lunch this week with a friend and I am catching up on laundry. We were displaced for those couple of days without power last week and that got me a bit behind on diapers and dishes. It's good to be home, and tonight a storm blew through when I was making BLT's on Hoagies, Corn on the Cob, and Rice.... the power went out JUST as the bacon was finishing and I was SO angry, but it came back on fairly quickly. We need a generator! Ha! For lunch Ardyn and I had Baked Tuscan Chicken and Teriyaki Vegetables. Yesterday we had baked tilapia, chicken vermicelli, and steamed asparagus. I am making a huge effort to eat well and keep Ardyn eating a nice and balanced meal with lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

We started to participate in the local SHARE Program. Families get their buying power together to get food at lower prices. With the costs of gas and groceries rising so much, It's REALLY awesome. For $16 we got a TON of stuff last week. A pound of Bacon, Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry, 4 Hamburger Patties, Cheese HotDogs, Pluots, Nectarines, Strawberries, Kiwis, A head of lettuce, a head of cauliflower, radishes, and a few other things that I can't think of off the top of my head. It's a great deal and we will be signing up for August as well. The hard part for me was picking it up at 8am on a Saturday. It wouldn't be a big deal except that I feel more nauseous if I have to move fast in the morning. Lots of times Ardyn and I will lay around in bed and snack on crackers and pretzels and watch TV and read books and just be goofy. If I have to go pick up RAW MEAT at 8am, I am not so thrilled. Or should I saw my stomach isn't. I just brought it home and told Evan to unload it where it belonged and then I checked out what was in the clothes basket that afternoon. That was a good arrangement. He watched Ardyn too so I didn't have to have her ready and out the door with me.

I did get some really cool stuff that I will try this pregnancy. It's called Mommy Bliss Morning Sickness Magic. It's an all natural remedy for morning sickness and it has WONDERFUL online reviews. With Ardyn I pretty much had all day nausea, especially about halfway through or just after my meals. I spent some time laying low, but for the most part was able to function. An online mom friend suggested Jolly ranchers (because they are sour) and boy do they work! You'd never think... but preggo pops are basically the same thing but lots more expensive. I haven't had it too bad yet so I haven't started the Supplement yet, but today I started to notice the texture of chicken (which I had an aversion to early on with Ardyn) and changed my mind about pork chops for supper for the same reason. I remember during a strange bought of nausea while working, I thought that Macaroni Pasta salad was "squeaky" and the way it rubbed against my teeth made me nauseous. So I avoided that for MONTHS.

Once I have been bothered by the smell of rinsing poopy cloth diapers.... but I have been able to work around it and do the laundry when I am feeling well.... so I hope I can continue to do that! Or else I will be more diligent and use rice paper liners in each diaper, or at least each time I know what to expect from her, which is pretty much predictable. I just haven't been doing it, but I bet it would make my life a whole lot easier. :)

Everyone have a great night. I don't anticipate being online for a while, as the evil devil that is Comcast is really charging a holy-hell of a lot for internet and cable these days, and it just isn't in the budget. We are going to try out the "library" internet access for a week or so. That's how it goes when the van payment, power bill, and cell phone bills are more important. Not to mention having some FOOD to eat and GAS in your car. Everyone take care. I'll be back!

Pregnant.

Yep. I am pregnant. Isn't that exciting! Ardyn will be a big sister! Due sometime the end of March or beginning of April. :) YAY!

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Powerless. AGAIN.

So at least once a year, now it seems more like twice a year, we have a big power outage. We had one last winter when Ardyn was a baby, and one the winter before that when I was pregnant. Yesterday at about 6:30am the power surged and flickered for a while before it went out permanently. The outages covered a HUGE area, and we had terrible storms. Ardyn and I stayed at my parents last night, and the power finally came back on after about 9pm. My parents were without power, Evan's parents, my sister, Evan's brother, pretty much every person we knew had no power. There were lots of trees down and power lines down and damage to homes, businesses, and cornfields were flattened. There were 200,000 people without power when the storm hit, and there are still 91,000 without power today.

I just got online at mom's to check my email and such. I had to unload the fridge about 11 hours into the outage as it was getting too hot. I brought everything to my moms house to keep it cool, because I had just gotten about $200 of groceries on Friday. So today Evan will help me haul it all back home and hopefully we can get all settled and relax for a bit. It's been a long beginning of the week!

Sunday

Another weekend over. I need to keep reminding myself that it doesn't really matter to me. Everyday is a weekend. :) Ahhh.

Evan and I went on a date night on Saturday, and had a great time. We ate at Flat Top Grill (the most awesome stir fry ever) and went shopping at the outdoor mall. I got three tank tops for $1.99 each at Old Navy, and a shirt. We grabbed a few clearance items for Ardyn and two pair of pajamas for this fall and winter. I also got a few items for a baby shower that I have to go to in a week.

Thursday I picked a gallon of cherries. Friday we pitted the gallon of Cherries and Friday afternoon, Ardyn and I picked sweet corn and went grocery shopping with my mom. I got tons of stuff for cheap, since I adore Aldi's. Right now our house is overflowing with fresh fruits, produce, and such. Today I made pasta salad before 9am, cleaned up all my DISHES from the making of the salad, and by the time Ardyn woke up from her nap, I shredded a HUGE batch of zucchini and sliced two big cucumbers. Evan was husking sweet corn and then I blanched and froze 2 dozen ears. I washed a huge bunch of green grapes and made pasta with spaghetti sauce in bulk and froze a bunch for Ardyn. She pretty much eats table food, but there is the occasion where what we are having really isn't suitable for an entire meal for her, so it's nice to keep a few things frozen that I can pull out for her.

Saturday I made Sugar Free Orange Jello with Mandarin Oranges for Ardyn. I cleaned house and organized the pantry. I packed away her bottles, her sterilizer, and her infant spoons. I found a mom of twins to give my babyfood stash too, since we don't need them anymore. I pakced away her cloth bibs and burp rags. She is such a big girl!

After this afternoon's escapades, I have more dishes to do, and my compost container in the kitchen is full. Once I get that taken care of, I have apple crisp and cherry crisp to make, and zucchini bars. Tomorow I am going to make Creamy Cucumber Canapes (one of my former Pampered Chef recipes) with the cucumbers, and maybe get some crisp made, although I see that more as a Tuesday project since we have a bunch of other stuff to do on Monday.

I am working on laundry still, and tonight I have to wash diapers. not because I have too many dirty ones, but because I have too many poopy ones!

Brownies and Books

Tomorrow. Is Thursday. This week has gone pretty fast! Monday we went swimming in the afternoon and Ardyn got a horrible case of heat rash while taking a nap. Poor thing. She was in the shade or under a canopy all day, but once she went in the house to nap and the AC wasn't on, she got all uncomfortable.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I can't remember anything that I did, although I think there was laundry involved... and wait I watched two movies (Walk the Line and Ed TV) off TIVO. And I think I wore comfy organic cotton pants and a t-shirt all stinkin day. And Ardyn and I took a bath before bed.

Today we played outside in the afternoon and filled Ardyn's baby pool. She had a great time splashing and playing with toys. We took tons of pictures (Flickr Friends you know where to find them!) and tonight Grandma came over to visit and we went on a walk.

Tomorrow I have nothing planned. If I were smart I would make a small grocery run because we have no FOOD but also that would mean money would be needed and I need gas in the van and DAMN money sucks.

Friday we have produce to pick up from a friend and I can not wait for that because I already am wrapping my head around what I want to make with it.

I haven't done any sewing since last week. I am spending every spare moment keeping up with the fucking dishes. DAMN I want a new dishwasher. I really really do. It sucks that I had to use my dishwasher fund to pay household expenses. I was already up to $125 in the fund and now it's sadly GONE. Tis life.

This weekend it's supposed to rain and I am not happy because last weekend my camping plans got cancelled because Evan had things he needed to do and now this weekend it's supposed to rain so we have already just decided against it. We will go see the new batman movie this weekend though.

So I am just sitting here watching Chris Angel bend forks and lift taxis on cable, thinking my lap is going to melt from the overheating of my laptop, and that I SHOULD be reading Julie and Julia for my bookclub and going to bed. But now I am thinking about the Ghiradelli Brownies in the kitchen.... mmmmmm....

Guess it's time for me to go!

Longgggg weekend

Ugh. My stomach just started hurting. Don’t you just hate that? I am sure it will be gone shortly, but I still hate it. As soon as I became a mom, it doubled my hatred for sickness because there is no possible way for me to relax and feel better with a baby to take care of, and because that usually means that at least one other person in the house will be sick, if not all of us. But this is more of a come and go stomach ache. But I hate those too.

Ardyn has had a rough weekend, she has been running a fever since Wednesday evening, due to teething, and today is the first day that she hasn’t been running a temp or on Motrin to keep it down. No teeth yet. Of course. She has a signature teething repertoire, like most kids. Instant Diaper Rash. Loose Stools. Gnawing and sometimes Drooling. Excessive crankiness and irritability. Crying at the drop of a hat. Eats less solid food and increases her nursing sessions. Gets overly tired very easily and stumbles around like a drunk. Takes long naps that require me to convince myself that she is “still breathing in there.” Right now we are having the 354 thousandth random crying bout today. She will cry when she drops something. When she looks at something. When the vacuum moves out of her reach. When her macaroni gets too cold. When the barn door won’t un-velcro to allow her easy access to the animals inside. It must be torture for her because it’s pretty near torture for me. She doesn’t want me to hold her and doesn’t want me to put her down. She doesn’t want to cuddle but then seconds later is laying her head on my shoulder and clinging to me for dear life. Actually, it’s a lot like PMS.

Of course this past weekend was the Wyanet Festival. We watched the parade and ate too many corn dogs. But besides that we took lots of long naps in the air conditioned evenings and pretty much avoided the festival. It appears we have officially outgrown the beer gardens and Ardyn isn’t old enough to enjoy the type of rides they have here. The parade was fun. She did some waving and some clapping, sucked on a few popsicles that she got handed, and watched as the adults scampered around like her drones and picked up the candy that she can’t eat yet. She got papers for vacation bible school, and to vote for Don, and to come to the kid zone. We got sunglasses that offer us a chance to win $$ from our bank and Frisbees and fliers for the upcoming Tiskilwa Pow Wow Days.

As I am typing this she is repeatedly closing the barn door and then screaming when it won’t un-velcro for her immediately. She’s really just torturing herself. I feel badly for her but I let her struggle because tonight I am making her stick to her bedtime. All of our late and long naps and being out and about every day have got her in the habit of a midnight bedtime and a 7am wakeup. Ugh. I don’t know how she does it, because I sure can’t. So today I am trying to wear her out so that we can go back to the usual bedtime. The problem with being out and about is that she falls asleep at her regular bedtime but then wakes up an hour or so later, feeling refreshed like she just had a power nap. Not good. And since we are usually out and about, there is always something to look at besides her own room and her crib sides, so she opts to stay awake. It’s nice to have a baby so amiable and so portable, because at previous times, sticking to her “schedule” meant that mom never left the house after 8pm. Sometimes earlier. But now that she is older, I have no guilt about watching my sister play softball at a late game or going for a walk once the summer sun goes down and it cools off. I can make a late night run for ice cream or a wal-mart trip… But too much of that starts to get the little one thinking that she can stay up late every night, even if mom is exhausted. If that also meant that she was sleeping in later, that would be great. But with the ability to pull her up to standing every 3 seconds, she doesn’t want to lay down long enough to go back to sleep, and so as soon as her eyes see the light of day, it’s time to move. And now that she has decreased to one nap a day, it makes it harder for her to be herself for the 15 hours a day that she wants to be awake. So I have decided to go back to Gestapo bedtimes for a little while. Unless I want to go for a late walk. That always seems to get her relaxed and often puts her to sleep anyway.

She has really been a terror today. The word No seems to be just random chatter in the background of her mind. No matter what tone of voice or volume it is spewed forth with. She has been into everything, to a whole new level today. Reaching for mixing bowls in the kitchen, undocking the roomba vacuum, pushing buttons on the DVD player, opening and closing the TV Armoire doors about 500 times more than usual, finding the ONE clump of dog hair that I missed and putting it in her mouth, pulling my neatly organized papers off the coffee table, pushing the TV remote so far under the couch that even mom’s “go-go gadget arms” can’t reach it. Oh and then there is the bazillion microscopic paper scraps and cheerio pieces that the naked eye can’t see, but she can find and get into her mouth before you can get two steps to her. It really is amazing, and annoying, and exciting. But I am sure that many of you remember those days.

What is sometimes the most frustrating to me, is that my husband fails to see the value in babyproofing. I mean, I AM a SAHM, right? So why do we need anything babyproofed? Because I do have those eyes in the back of my head, right? So even the things that we have babyproofed, like the under the sink cabinets, he doesn’t feel it necessary to secure them and leaves them open CONSTANTLY. It makes me SO FURIOUS and I am considering just making him walk in there and secure them again every time I find one, instead of just doing it myself. I mean seriously. If he doesn’t like the strap things, than he can install one of the two sets of under cabinet locks that I have been handing to him repeatedly for the past month and a half. The outlets are only covered in the living room, dining room, and Ardyn’s bedroom… even though I have the stuff to do EVERY outlet in the house. And the blind cords are only wrapped up in her Room, leaving Seven blind cords that are hazardous. This also infuriates me. And whenever I remind him, I get the “I’ll do it, don’t worry!” and weeks go by, and nothing happens. The only reason that Ardyn’s room is babyproofed is because I did it, and when I was trying to screw the blind cord wraps in, he saw me and decided that he should do it instead of me.

Ardyn loves TV. And she hasn’t watched any all day today, but I just put in a Little People DVD about animals and she is locked in to it and all frustrated screaming has been delayed….

She has finely honed a new type of scream and cry in the last two weeks, I call it the “bloody murder” or “tantrum” scream. No one believed me until she started trying it out on grandparents and in public. I have never seen people cover their ears or clear a room so quickly. She really gears up for it, with about 15 seconds of airless, soundless, open-mouthed, close-eyed, red-faced preparation. If you don’t see her getting ready, you have no reason to suspect something is wrong. You have no time to prepare yourself. I have started to say “wait for it….” And then the blood-curdling scream happens. I am sure that the whole neighborhood is sitting at home thinking “child abuse” when really all I have done was tell her that she can’t eat an electrical cord or push all the buttons on the Playstation 2. Hysteria. She even has a thing that she occasionally does… putting her head down on the floor between her legs and feet and acting as though the world is coming to a screeching halt. It’s all about the drama. And Evan picks her up. EVERY TIME. That does not help. I just walk away. And if she starts a tantrum when I am holding her, and arches her back and thrashes and throws her head back and then bashes me in the face with her forehead, I just put her down and walk away. That really gets her going, but in a few minutes, she gives up and starts something else that keeps her attention. But apparently I am the only one who feels like it’s okay to ignore a tantrum of any proportions. Everyone else says “she’s just a baby!” and I say “Sure, and now you’re her bitch.” It cracks me up that she is almost a year old, and she DOES know the meaning of no, but people don’t think she is old enough to know anything. That little stinker is a hundred thousand times smarter than anyone else gives her credit for. But she isn’t fooling mommy. No way. No how.

When she makes the same bloodcurdling scream because I walked ten feet into the kitchen to get her some cheerios, I know that it isn’t something to take seriously.

So tomorrow we are supposed to go swimming, but we have no gas in the van, the fuel light is on, and we have zero pesos until… well until we start to have money. LOL. How do you tell your mother in law that you can’t come see her because you don’t have gas? It’s kinda embarrassing but at the same time, it’s just a fact of life. If it were my own mom, I’d just tell her, and if she wanted to give me gas money, that’s be cool, but she would understand that I am not trying to get money out of her, but I just am stating a fact and telling her that I will have to stay home. But with your mother-in-law, it could sound manipulative. So I am not sure if I just stay home and keep my mouth shut and miss her get-together at the pool, or if I tell her that I don’t have gas so I will be staying home. Gas prices these days really do suck. And it would be great to walk or ride a bike, but you can’t just not drive around when it is 20 miles to anything. Seriously. That’s life in a small town.

At least once a day, I convince myself that it’s not practical to invent a self cleaning high chair tray. It may seem lazy to not want to clean a high chair tray, but when you scrub hardened macaroni, slimy asparagus, and sticky peaches three times a day, it can get to you a tiny bit. And what really bugs me is that the tray is dishwasher safe. But I don’t run my dishwasher three times a day, and even if I did, the damn tray is to TALL to fit in the dishwasher. It’s SO annoying. Can you say “design flaw?” Of course, none of it really is relevant, considering that my beloved dishwasher is totally and utterly done for, and I have to wash all my dishes by hand. I would rather wash a thousand poopy cloth diapers than 10 dirty forks, so you can already tell that I hate dishes. They pile up. And I wash them. And as soon as I get them all washed, My husband makes late night stir fry and leaves 22 pieces in the sink to be washed the next day when he is conveniently busy or gone. Kinda like how he drinks the last of the Culligan Water and leaves me an empty 5 gallon jug of water that needs to be carried from the back porch and tipped upside down and refilled. Woe is me. My mind is a constant honey-do list that I end up doing myself.

I recall being totally excited about nice weather and how much money I would save by hanging clothes on the line. I was even willing to forgo that misery that is crunchy bath towels and jeans that stand unaided. But then the logistics of it frustrated me. How DOES one carry a wiggly child and a clothes basket of laundry clear out to the back 40 to hang them on the line? It takes like 5 trips. And you can’t take the kid out there first, because then she is unattended outside on a busy road while you go grab the laundry. And you can’t leave her unattended inside while you take the clothes out because in that 1 minute that you are outside, she could severely injure herself in the house that your husband feels it is unnecessary to fully babyproof. So I don’t get NEARLY as much laundry hung out as I would like to. I kick myself for being excited for the moments when she can walk out to the clothesline with me. And then I stop myself from figuring out how I will ever get anything done with two small children. And I hope that my house is childproof by then. And bigger. And cleaner. Ha.

As long as I am writing this never-ending post, I should mention that I was able to make homemade play-doh today, in addition to cleaning. And I dyed it four different fabulous neon colors, green, purple, pink, and turquoise. It looks great. I can’t wait to use it this week. And the plan is to also play outside and fill up the baby pool and hook up the elmo sprinkler mat for Ardyn. Good things to do when you have no gas and no money.

I recently made her a new dress, and have everything finished except the button holes and the final turn under of the hem. It was a super cute and easy dress to make, and I see myself making many more. I also sewed myself a backless apron-top, with a nursing flap and nursing openings beneath. But something that I didn’t really consider when I came across the fabulous free pattern, is that a nursing mom with DD cups doesn’t fare well in a backless braless top. Really. Not good. And it’s super super cute fabric, so I am still trying to figure out how to attach a front only bra to the damn thing. LOL. Lots of work. Cute final product. Not so realistic. It really is great though because instead of just copying a pattern, you actually measure yourself and use your measurements to figure out the pattern pieces. Great in theory. Fits well. Needs a bra. It irks me a bit that I worked so hard on it, staying up till almost 1am so that I could start and finish it in one day… only to not be wearing it anywhere.

I am awaiting a few packages that I paid for back when I had money. 2 yards of organic sherpa fleece to make my own wipes, since mine aren’t the best for an older baby… and a custom order of fleece soakers from the PeaChicNest. (mmmmm can’t wait!) They should both be here anyday now! It’s so exciting I can barely stand it. I also need to sew my cloth napkins. I have the fabric. It may be a week of spending time outside and in the sewing room. I have lots of projects on my list.