Hello Out There...We're Still Here

Yep. We're still alive. I haven't posted in what seems like ages {October}. Yikes. I swore I would not abandon my blog when I had a kid, but it seems like that's exactly what I did. I'd love to tell you I'm going to blog at least once a week, but I don't want to make a promise that most likely, I won't be able to keep. But I'll try.

There have been lots and lots of things going on in our lives which have caused me to actually live rather than blog. So...here are some things that have been keeping out family busy:

• Work - Kevin's still traveling every other week, or thereabouts. I've been busy at school, teaching one of the best groups of kids I've ever had. Ever.
• Wedding - Not mine. My brother's. I recently spent a long weekend in Atlanta with my future SIL for her bachelorette party. It was wonderful to get to know her family and friends. This weekend, we are also throwing her a bridal shower tea at a local English teahouse, so we're busy prepping for that.
• Wanderings - We traveled to and will continue to travel to Cincinnati to celebrate birthdays {Aunt Jo's big 6-0 and our not-so-little nephew Eli's 5th!} and babies {Cousin Stacey's shower}.
• Work-Outs - I've gotten the workout bug back! Kevin bought me a treadmill and I'm running again. I even ran a 5K with one of my best times! I'm loving the convenience and the inability to make excuses. I've also been dabbling in Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred. I haven't consistently stuck with it, but I'm hanging in there. I'll be wedding ready in no time!
• Wee One - Ethan, of course. He's not so wee anymore. He's developing his own independent personality. His new favorite line is, "No, let me do that!" He's really into movies. Like, a lot. His favorites include Monster's Inc., Monster's University, Finding Nemo, and Madagascar. He loves books, puzzles, and legos, but still isn't a huge fan of eating. Go figure. 

We'll, I think that's all for now. I will try my best to post pictures of our upcoming events, as we have many in the next few months. For now, here's a picture of my little superhero.

Out and About

Boy, did we have a packed day yesterday! Momma and Pops drove in from Cincinnati to spend the day with us. 

First, we went out for a late lunch at Scotty's. Ethan was wonderful. He was awake and content in his carseat, something that he's only recently started to do. He fell asleep towards the end of our meal, so we decided to take a trip to the JCC to sign up for our membership, since there was a great deal going on which ended at the end of this month. 

While we were registering, Pops and Ethan walked around the JCC. We realized that he was probably getting hungry, so we decided to feed him before leaving. As Kevin lifted him out of the stroller, he felt a wet spot on the back of Ethan's pants. Yes, folks, Ethan had a HUGE blowout. He had to be stripped naked in the main entrance of the JCC, given a "wet-wipe bath", and changed into his spare clothing. Thank goodness I was prepared for such a fiasco (except I forgot a spare pair of socks...oops)! Let me tell you, it was quite the scene! Momma and I couldn't help but laugh the whole time. I don't know what was funnier - Kevin's reaction to the whole thing (including the icky smell), or Ethan's proud demeanor. 

After feeding Ethan, we stopped at Huddles, a local self-serve frozen yogurt shop for a sweet treat. Ethan was getting a little fiesty after being in his carseat (and not napping for longer than 30 minutes at a time), so we went home.

We said goodbye to Momma and Pops, and got Ethan ready to go out to dinner with some of our friends. Kevin let Ethan hang out on his lap for a while during dinner, I fed him, and then he was pretty entertained by all the things to look at in the restaurant. 

This was Ethan's longest day out, and he did exceptionally well. I know he enjoyed himself, and was exhausted. He slept from 10pm to 7:30am!!

Ups and Downs

I thought this was an appropriate title for this week's blog post. 

UP: We got to see Baby Ethan at our ultrasound appointment last Friday. According to the measurements (which can be wildly inaccurate), he is 5lbs., 8oz, which puts him in the 36th percentile...not bad! He is in the head down position, which is great news.

DOWN: I fell down the stairs...again. Baby Ethan has continued to move like a wiggle worm, so I'm sure everything is fine. The left side of my lower back hurt, but I feel like I've almost bounced back.

UP: After our latest childbirth class, we decided to give natural childbirth a go. We ordered some items to try to help with labor, and received them today, like...

Nuggle Buddies - Scented rice bags that can be microwaved to relieve soreness, or place over the eyes. I chose "Orange Spice" and "Lavendar, Chamomile, Lemongrass".

Aromatherapy - Jasmine is supposed to strengthen contractions, and lavendar can promote pain relief and relaxation. It's worth a try!

 

Exercise Ball - Good for finding positions to ease pain.

Tennis Balls and Lip Balm - Tennis balls are great massage tools, and the lip balm will ease my chapped lips.

 

DOWN: This should really be an up, since my feet (mostly my right ankle) are swelling UP.  I've been sitting a lot more while teaching, but I still need to work on elevating my feet. My goal is to work for three more weeks (I'm due in four), so I need to focus on this stuff.

 

Finally, here is a picture of me at 35 weeks. I'm starting to feel huge. I know I'm not, but my belly is starting to really extend outwards...which makes me feel huge. Just look back a few weeks and compare my belly now to my belly then...BIG difference! I also begin my weekly doctor appointments this week...the countdown has begun!

Not Our Day

I have been much less coordinated since I've been pregnant. Let's not forget the coffee-spill-on-the-computer incident at the very beginning of my first trimester, and my little trip down the stairs at the beginning of my second trimester. Now with my belly making itself known to the world, I am trying to be more cautious. It's not always possible.

Yesterday, I got up from the couch, and I guess I didn't see the edge of the coffee table. I slammed my right pinky toe into the corner...I think I misjudged the distance. I went to bend down and grab my foot, and my belly immediately stopped me. I couldn't reach it! I was in a lot of pain...but it was so funny, we couldn't stop laughing!!

Later that evening, I hear a HUGE thud upstairs. I yelled to make sure Kevin was OK. He shouted down that he was fine...he just went to sit down at the desk and the chair was not there. Fortunately, he said that he had plenty of padding in his behind to cushion the fall! 

Perhaps my clumsiness is contagious???

Pregnancy Brain...Gotta Love It!

Today, I woke up early to go to a teaching workshop. There were three different sessions going on simultaneously, and I was signed up for the one entitled, "Inquiry". I signed my name on the registration form, and wandered into the conference room. After finding some of my co-workers and getting settled, I began to chat...and chat...and chat. It wasn't until 15 minutes later, when the workshop leader said, "Hi, my name is Cheryl. Welcome to the 'Teaching and Learning' workshop," that I realized I was in the wrong place! Of course, I was sitting front and center, so I couldn't just get my stuff together and leave. With my luck I'd drop/trip over something...too risky. I just sucked it up and decided I'd be taking this session instead. I don't feel I learned very much at this session, but I heard that people felt similarly about the other two workshops...so at least I didn't miss out on anything!

I did learn two things today...

• I look more pregnant than I thought I did. People kept coming to me and asking when I was due. (I thought you weren't supposed to do that, though???)
• People are very nice to pregnant women...so I'm kind of glad I'm showing!

Tobi's Diet

Tobi went to the veterinarian a few weeks ago for some shots. Apparently, we have been overfeeding our dog. I didn't even know that was possible! According to the IAMS dog food bag, a dog of Tobi's size should be eating three cups of food. Our vet said that he should only be eating a cup and a half!

We noticed something was wrong when he was having trouble get up after laying down for extended periods of time, and then walking like his hind legs were asleep. The vet thought this was due to his additional weight. 

Now, poor Tobi only gets one cup of food in the morning and one cup at night. I know the vet said a cup and half, but he was having to much trouble adjusting to such a drastic drop in food! Lately, we've been supplementing his evening cup with a small can of green beans (per the vet's suggestion), which he LOVES. 

I never thought I'd be one of those doggy-moms who let their dog get too big...who knew!

RIP MacBook

Early this morning, while drinking coffee and playing Spider Solitaire, I did something stupid. I dropped my coffee mug on my MacBook, the couch, and myself. I don't know how it actually happened, but it did. The laptop immediately shut off. 

After muttering a few choice words, I removed the battery from the laptop, tried to shake as much coffee out of it, cleaned up the couch, and went upstairs to tell Kevin that I just ruined my computer.

Kevin ran downstairs and began to take the computer apart. He was able to remove the hard drive, and we made an appointment at the Apple Store to see if they could resurrect the computer. The cost to clean and fix it was more than what the computer was worth, so we decided not to do that, and opted to buy a brand new MacBook Pro.

Next, we headed to Frye's to get a hard drive enclosure to see if we could transfer files from my old hard drive to the new one. THANK GOODNESS, the coffee didn't get to it, and I was able to access all of my old files and pictures! 

My old MacBook lived a good life, and I was sad to see it go...but its files will live on in my new Pro.

RIP MacBook.

Today, I Almost Said...

Scrotum. 

In class.

(Julie, I KNOW what you're thinking!) 

By accident, of course.

I was reading an article about how the Plains Indians used all the parts of the buffalo. My kids were actively listening to all the odd parts that were used, and how they were used. I was quickly trying to get through it, and flipped the page over. 

That's when I saw it (and almost said it)...Scrotum. I hope the kids didn't notice my eyes get wide as I fumbled over that word to the next one. 

Can you imagine the parent phone calls and e-mails I would have gotten for that one?? Not to mention the awkward questions I would have had to answer point blank. I just thank my lucky stars I didn't make copies of it for the kids!

By the way, those crafty Plains Indians used the "unmentionable" for...ceremonial rattles. Odd.

What Dentists Don't Tell You About Flossing

It could pop your fillings out. That's right, this morning I "flossed" my filling out. Two things bother me about this. First, I was just at the dentist last Thursday for a cleaning. My dentist told me my teeth looked great, which is a big deal for me, since I am the Cavity Queen. Apparently, my teeth did not appreciate the compliment, and unfortunately, I had to make an impromptu visit to the dentist for a "re-fill". The second thing that bothers me is I didn't even lose my filling by doing anything fun, like eating gooey and delicious candy! That might have been worth the shots in the mouth, numb right side of my face, and drool dripping down my chin. Did I mention I went back to school to finish the day out with my paralyzed face???

My advice to you? Flossing could be dangerous to your teeth! :)

The Fridge Debaucle

Last weekend, Kevin and I spontaneously bought a new refrigerator. We've had our eyes on the new Samsung 4-door fridge. You know, it's the one with the cute little boy reaching into the nifty refrigerator drawer for a juice box. Well, we decided that we should just get it. Plus, it was on sale for 25% off! 

The refrigerator came this Friday, and while Kevin had measured correctly, we found that the wall on the right of the fridge narrowed towards the bottom. Therefore, the fridge did not fit. Kevin took the cabinet next to the fridge of the wall, and moved the counter, so now our kitchen looks like a bit of a construction zone. The carpenter is coming this Friday, and hopefully all of this will be an easy fix, because we are NOT getting rid of this amazing fridge!

We're in a VOLCANO!

While we were in Hawaii, we took a day trip to the big island (called Hawaii). We had a wonderful time there. Possibly the coolest thing we did while on vacation was to hike through the Kilauea crater. It is most certainly something that Kevin and I would love to do again. After that, we went to a black sand beach, which was also a beautiful sight to see. The only negative to this whole day was that Kevin lost his Oakley sunglasses, which he has had for the last 10 years. We were able to purchase him a new pair once we got back to Oahu that evening, but of course, he claims the old ones were better. R.I.P. Oakleys...at least they were lost in paradise.

Something Fishy Going On

At camp, there is a large fish tank with all sorts of pretty fish in it at the end of the "Big Room". When it's too hot outside, we take the kids in the "Big Room" to ride the various scooters and bikes around. One of the little girls rolled her scooter over to the fish tank, and all of a sudden, I heard, "Ahhh! A fish jumped out of the tank!" I looked over, and sure enough, there was a fish flopping around on the ground. I was so shocked, that rather than picking it up, I ran into the office and yelled, "A fish just jumped out of the tank!" The assistant director ran out, scooped it up, and plopped it back in the tank. The little girl told me that the fish had actually smacked her in the arm on the way down, and told me it was because he was trying to kiss her on the cheek and missed!!!

Old Habits!!

I promised myself that I would blog 2-3 times per week. Clearly, that did not happen last week. I kept trying to think of something to post after that unique letter, but I just couldn't think of anything. Kevin and I did have a major breakthrough this weekend...we FINALLY finished picking out our wedding pictures for our album...only 6 1/2 months after the wedding! Oh well...better late than never. Just in case you haven't peeked yet, here are our wonderful pics.