And then there were 3...

There are only 3 bloggers left in our little contest! We lost 3 this week alone. We'll miss you Julie, Jen and Scarlett! I had each and every one of my blogging friends on my daily read list and it's dwindled down to nearly nothing. :( Even Andrea who is new to blogging (and not in the contest) hasn't posted in a week. At least Heather's still hanging in there- even though she took herself out of the contest at the beginning of the month. Way to go H! I'm not sure how much money is in the original pot but I think it's like $85. Divide that by 3 and we finally get some moola. Yea!

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's that day again. Dh and I decided not to do much this year. He did go out to the mall last night though and picked me up 2 boxes of Godiva dark chocolates. Mmmm. I got them last night too- something about not wanting to leave them in his car. I got this box and this box (I think those are the right ones).

I looked for a new movie for him but nothing was sticking out to me. Of course, when I'm out and about in the area (right after 9am) nothing is open except Target. I thought about getting him some weights (too $$$ plus store closed) or a new game (store closed) or some new Crocs (store closed) so I came home. I would have started earlier and should have gotten something last week but again, I'm a procrastinator. Oh well...I'll make him a card later today. We'll probably get some take out or something tonight. I'm certainly not braving the crowded restaurants.

ETA: These are the kind of weights we're looking for. We had regular dumbbells but they took up too much room so we sold those.

Getting ready

I've decided to start packing... my birth center bag that is. I started out with my smallest suitcase and had to upgrade to the medium size one. I still haven't even finished or even come close to packing everything I have to bring either. I hope it's big enough! It's not like a hospital where they give you everything there. I have to pack diapers, overnight pads (menstrual), dh's robe (for walking around the house- that takes up ALL the room), gowns for labor, nursing bras/tanks/swimsuit top or whatever for being in the tub, baby clothes, socks, onesies, underwear, swimtrunks for dh, extra set of clothes for dh, cut up towels for compresses, going home outfit for me....and that doesn't include the cooler we have to bring full of food and drinks for both of us or any sundries. I also need to pack my handheld fan, video camera, camera, ipod.... whew! Think I can just hitch the house to some wheels and drive it to the birth center? It might be easier!

So because I've decided to start packing, I also had to go shopping. I realized I have barely anything for this little girl. No hats, no onesies, no sleepers or socks or baby blankets. Well, I have blankets but they aren't pink (haha) and they are up in the attic somewhere and heaven knows when I can get dh to get up there to get them, so I bought a few new ones! I didn't use them that much with the boys so I figure the 4pk I got will be enough.

In the next few weeks, I'll be shopping (by myself!!) for some nursing bras/tanks. I refuse to take little man with me to clothes shop. I also need to get a fish net. No not stockings, an actual fish net for fishing "stuff" out of the birth tub if needed. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?

I can't believe I have just over a month left!

Flushable diapers

While on the prowl for new blogs to read, I came across this site... gDiapers. They are basically cloth diapers with a flushable, biodegradeable liner. You can even use the wet liner in your compost pile. Even by the case, they are probably 0.10 more per diaper but so much better for the environment. It's a great concept, I'm just not sure if I'm ready for it personally. A breastfed baby poops a LOT!

Labor

Since I'm planning on a natural labor again this time, I thought I'd share this Virtual Labor tool. See how you'd handle a natural birth.

Fair day- Part 2 animals

We walked over to the Mooternity ward to see all the babies. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get very good shots of them. It was packed inside. There were some cuties though!! Here's a cow that didn't look particularly happy. She was busy being milked. It was interesting to watch. The kids each had a chance to do it but Logan refused.



I took this pic for Amy... a Texas Longhorn!


There were also a few animals you just don't see as much in the U.S. like a Watusi and a Yak. Here's a Watusi. The horns were HUGE. I tried taking a pic from the front but couldn't fit all the horns in.


This turkey is only relaxed bc it's not Thanksgiving yet. Haha!


After the ward, we walked over to the stables where all the horses are kept. I love horses! I so want to go riding one day. There were some beauties there. The largest horses there are Percherons (I think that was what they were). They are just gorgeous and so big! They towered over guys that were 6ft and taller.

Here's one that just had a bath.


These are a couple that came flying down the road. I'd hope he could have stopped those horses had people been in the way. I don't think so though as I heard him comment about it after he'd stopped.


Here you can see just how big the horses are...


These were a couple of cute donkeys.


And a horse named Sky. Isn't she pretty? Look at those eyes!! Okay, it's hard to see in a smaller pic but they are a beautiful pale blue.


And that's the end....

Fair Day Part 1- food!

I wasn't sure we'd have enough time but we decided to go to the fair this morning anyway. There wasn't too much in the way of people watching though which was really surprising. Everyone actually seemed fairly normal. You had the occasional guy in camo shirt and hat but that's pretty normal in the south. We walked thru Cracker Country a little bit first and then on to the exhibits hall. Nothing really caught my eye that I had to have. There were some cute bags/backpacks that were supposedly "homemade" that I thought about using as a diaper bag. I didn't stop to really look though. After that, we just wandered around.

It was just about lunch time so dh and the boys stopped for some pizza. I can get pizza anywhere so I looked around but didn't spot anything I wanted. Once again, I didn't eat lunch! I had some diet Pepsi though while they were eating and a little of Ian's leftover pizza so I didn't starve.

The boys were ready for dessert though so we opted for some Deep Fried Pepsi (infused dough with Pepsi Cola and Pepsi syrup, deep fried, and served on a toothpick with Pepsi syrup drizzled over it and a flurry of confectionery sugar) and Deep Fried Reeses Cups. Mmmm...heart attack in a paper bowl... The DFP was good- but it wasn't anything I'd have to have again. The DFRC though were to die for. Ooey gooey melted chocolate with a Reeses center wrapped in fried dough. Mmmm. I really wanted to try the DF cookie dough but they had already run out!! The nerve of them. Apparently it's very popular!

On the left are the Pepsi balls and on the right are the DF Reeses.


A close up of the DFRC


Just before we left, we got some smoothies too. The boys had strawberry ones which were super yummy. Dh and I got a version of Pina Coladas that needed some sugar. They were blah. I didn't get any pics of those. Sorry!

There were also a few other new items we didn't try out like Fried Bologna (my dad used to make this) and some new hispanic food items. Oh and a Walking Taco- it's apparently a bag of Fritos or Doritos and they add all the taco fixins to the bag. You walk around holding the bag and eat from it with a fork. I didn't see anyone with one though.

Okay so here are some pics!

A shot from the bridge




Pirate ship! There's actually a small (free!) 3 hole golf course to play next to the ship.





Laundry????


Ohh the good stuff...


Can someone tell me what Crispy-Googy Good is???

Quite sad really

I'm Mom now...not mama...not mommy...just Mom according to Logan. I don't want to be Mom yet. I like being a Mama. It makes me feel like he's growing up too fast...it's all quite sad. I'm still hoping it's a phase and I'll go back to being Mama soon.

Another lazy Saturday

I've done nothing today except make food for the family. Seriously, frozen waffles and cereal for breakfast, pb&j for lunch( I don't think I actually ate lunch...I can't remember!) and chili for dinner. Oh and since dh and I were watching a chocolate show on Food Network, No Pudge brownies for dessert. Mmmm. I need to go dig into those while they are warm. Dh did get the side of the house primed and painted though so he accomplished something. It started raining and he ran out of primer so that was the end of that. I need to do so many things and I have no energy or desire to do them. Oh well!

Tomorrow I have a group meeting with my playgroup but before that, we are thinking about hitting the fair. Who doesn't want some Fried pepsi, fried cookie dough and fudge, or fried fruit on a stick? What's the fair without a little heart attack? I like seeing all the exhibits and people watching. There are some strange people at the fair! We'll see how quickly we get up and moving in the morning.

Whining

OMG the whining is driving my insane. It's like nails on a chalkboard. We took the boys to Best Buy tonight. Dh was hoping to find a keyboard for his PC at work. Ian was in the cart (back) and kept climbing back and forth, back and forth, between the back and seat of the cart so after a few warnings, I buckled his little butt in. I'm not going to have him fall out on his head. After that, all he did was whine, whine, whine. Dh pushed the cart and I walked away. LOL He has a much higher tolerance for it I guess. I should really know better than to take the child anywhere but I keep trying. I'm a glutton for punishment I guess.

LOST

Is it just me or does everyone else get more and more LOST watching LOST? I love the show and it's one of 2 shows dh actually watches every week. Tonight's episode (and every episode for that matter) just leaves me with more and more questions. How will they ever wrap this show up???

Naptime

Argh why is it that naptime is such a struggle? He knows it's naptime. He tells me he's tired. We go thru the whole routine only for me to have to go tuck him in (aka put the blanket over his head) over and over. Does he not understand Mommy wants to take a nap too? Mommy is 8 months pregnant and NEEDS a nap! We struggle with this for at least 30-40min every day. I even threaten to close his door if he doesn't stay in bed. I just put him down one more time. Let's see if it holds...

Kid songs...

Anyone else get them stuck in their head? My 2yr old loves Dora and has been singing either Arriba- Up, Abajo- down or Abre- open, sierra- close (I know Spanish and English too, I like them both, How about you?) for a while now. I think it's great he's picking up spanish so easily. Heaven knows I can't remember it. Wanna hear something even better, I couldn't remember that second song so I just asked him what open and close is and he told me the words in Spanish. It amazes me. Dh told me Logan was counting the other day in English and Ian piped in to finish in Spanish. If only dh would teach them both more words... English is his first language though and since I don't speak Spanish, I think it's just natural to speak English at home.

Tagged again

Julie has tagged us yet again. Maybe she's bored with what we're writing. LOL So she wants to know what 10 things would you buy if you had 10 million dollars to spend. It has to be spent on yourself, no giving it to charity. So now I have to think...why do you make me think Julie??

1.) Buy a huge custom RV that is retrofitted so carseats can be used in it (no you can't use carseats in normal RVs). Tour the USA/Canada in it. Hire a tutor to go with so noone misses any school.

2.) Buy a bigger home with a pool and huge yard. Hire a housekeeper.

3.) Start a college fund for my children. (Crap, I checked the rules and this can't be an answer but it would be an answer! Dumb rule Julie!)

4.) Send dh to college and maybe myself.

5.) Buy a second home(summer) in another state or Canada.

6.) Buy dh his dream car (undoubtedly a sports car that goes too fast), a family vehicle (enviromental green car) and a convertible for me (Mercedes, Audi, Lexus...).

7.) Once all 3 kids are old enough, travel through Europe. Bring a tutor.

8.) Take classes and learn how to use my camera and photo software. Buy all the accessories and start a photography business.

9.) Get LASIK done and get braces for dh and I. Hold onto some money if the kids need braces later on.

10.) Hire a chef and personal trainer to get dh and I into shape. Make sure the kids know all about good fitness.

11.) (since #3 didn't count)... I'm still thinking

Ah Ha!!

I knew I wasn't crazy. I knew I was right and now there's proof! Pregnancy really does make you forgetful! Check out this LINK.

Here she is!

Briana Elizabeth....


Look at the head of hair!


Things have changed a bit since I was last at the hospital. It's like Ft Knox to get in! You have to go to the security guard, hand him your ID and then you have your picture taken. You get a badge with the room # and a name tag/sticker with your picture and other ID-able info. Then you can go upstairs. If you are headed to L&D, you have to push a button and they have a camera there too before you are allowed in. My sister had not 1 or 2 ID bracelets, but 4! And the baby had an ankle bracelet on like you'd see someone on house arrest. LOL I'm glad they have security but WOW!

And the Mother of the Year award goes to....

This woman! Seriously?! WTF was she thinking? Ohhhh that's right, she wasn't. Heaven help if her precious beer was hurt in an accident, but ehh the baby will be okay.

I'm going to be an Aunt again!

My sister is having her C-section today. I can't wait to meet my new niece! Hopefully dh will get off at a decent time tonight so I can go up to the hospital. Everyone please pray that all goes well and that they both come thru the surgery okay.

ETA: She's here! She was 5lbs, 13oz and 18in long. Everything looks good!
ETAA: She's being observed in the nursery right now. She may have fluid in her lungs still and won't cry or stay awake.

33 week appt

I had my 33wk appt today. I'm actually measuring 34wks. Bella's HR was 160. She has at least one foot stuck up in my ribs non stop it seems. Everything looks good with me- my heart palpitations didn't seem to be out of the ordinary but I should let them know if it happens anymore and my blood pressure is fine. I go back in 2 weeks for the Group B test. Yippee. Not.

I also took a Waterbirth class tonight. It was rather impromptu though as the instructor wasn't told she had a class tonight. Oops! She didn't have any of her materials with her so she just had to wing it. It was just me and one other mom there. I learned some new stuff though and I think I may go forward with it. It does seem more glamorous on TV, even when it's a reality type show but after I told dh what to expect, he's not sure he wants to get in the tub with me. Big sissy! LOL I'll be packing his swim trunks just in case! Has anyone seen a waterproof iPod case lately? I think I'll probably need one.

ETA: if anyone wants to watch waterbirth videos (haven't seen anything gory yet), you can go to Youtube.com and there are many to choose from.

A Disney Picture Post

Feel free to skip it OR post comments!

We'll start with my flower pics... I really need to learn how to use this camera in something other than Auto mode.



Don't you love the spiderweb on the above pic?

When I say there are still things I've never seen at Disney, I really do mean it. Here are the gardens in Canada. We've just never walked down that path before. I wish my yard looked like this!



A pic of the boys in England...

Holly Hobbie was apparently in England too. Okay, she wasn't really HH. Dh thought she was a cast member. Uh nope. That's just what they call fashion in Japan I'm guessing. I wish I could have gotten a front pic. The shoes laced up around the ankles too.


And now we move over to France. I love how I can go around the world in 8 hours. LOL
Here's Ian and Marie from Aristocats

And my little boy hugging on a Princess (Sleeping Beauty). Isn't he cute?


Another spot I'd never seen. This was part of the Beast's library from Beauty and the Beast. I know why I'd never seen it- it's in the store with all the smelly perfumes.



A "hidden" Mickey, I actually spotted another one on the Mexico ride but didn't have my camera out...next time!


Just 3 more...almost done!
This was China. The acrobats do some cool stuff! I took these as he did his tricks. Notice he's balancing and the bowls and spoon flying thru the air...they all landed on his head.


And although I could keep going, I thought I'd leave you with just this last picture. Mr. cranky pants....