announcing...

This may be dumb, but the major reason I was rooting for a girl was because of the clothes. I started remembering all the cute outfits Alexis had that haven't been used in a long time, and I got excited at the thought of getting to use them again.

But upon hearing the news this morning, I remembered something else. And the good news is, now I'll have another little dude to subject to this outfit.


Pure awesomeness. I can't wait for him to arrive!

P.S. Is it even possible to look at that picture and not laugh? Cause I can't do it.

turn that frown upside down

Last night was a long night. I had a raging case of heartburn that kept me up late, then a few hours later Tyler started puking and kept at it every 20 minutes for the next several hours. During that my indigestion kicked up again, and this morning I'm feeling very nauseous because I forgot to take my half of a unisom last night. Doesn't my body know it's 21 weeks now, it can cut out the nausea?

But this morning my brother sent me a text that said "I love Cole on Scrubs". So this morning I watched last night's episode of Hulu and was reminded how much I love Cole too. It's lifted my tired spirits this morning, so I bring you my list of things that are making me smile today.

1. Cole, from Scrubs.
2. The fact that my kids have apparently called a truce on the fighting they've been doing for the last week and have resumed their normal happy play.
3. Tyler is no longer puking.
4. Jeremy. He's just plain awesome--and an especially awesome dad. And I like to think about him trying to not puke while dealing with Tyler's.
5. My clean kitchen.
6. My clean living room (that's probably where the list of clean rooms ends).
7. My ultrasound tomorrow. Any gender guesses? Offer them now. I'm thinking boy, but my guesses are never right. I think my mother's intuition doesn't work until they come out--and even then it's spotty.
8. Repeat listenings of 10,000 Maniacs Live version of "Because the Night".

What's making you smile today?

a lot of nothing

Last week, in my silly ignorance, I wrote that we were recovering from our sicknesses. I recovered but the kids can't seem to make up their minds--one day they're sick, the next they're just fine. They like to keep me guessing--and up at night with their coughing. Thanks to this I was reminded of the fact that newborns wake up A LOT during the night to eat. I had forgotten that, and am thrilled to be reminded, as you can imagine.

Because of all the sickness, and the accompanying whining, last week was a LONG week! I don't like to blog when I'm having a LONG (translation: bad) week because who wants to read that, right? And then Alexis woke up this morning all sick again. So I imagine this week might not be much better. And it's STILL January!

But just for fun I pulled out the camera and realized that we did do a few things last week worth mentioning. The majority of it was documented by Alexis, which means I have about 45 pictures of each event, most of them blurry. No offense to Alexis, but she should look into taking a photography class or something.

First, Tyler finished basketball. What a relief, because he mostly hated it. He's under that parachute somewhere, trust me. Photo courtesy of Alexis.

Next, we went to the Dinosaur Museum with the cutest 2 year old girl currently walking the earth. And if you've ever spent 2 minutes with her, you would agree.

Then we finished our week off with a minor head wound. Tyler's head met the corner of the entertainment center. Thankfully it happened just minutes after Jeremy got home from work because do you know what I do when I see blood? Nothing helpful, that's what. I hope this picture doesn't gross anyone out--it wasn't too deep. Jeremy took it so he could show Tyler what his head looked like.

Then on Sunday afternoon Alexis asked to take a few pictures of her doll, Sylvia. A few to her means about 60. I like this one because you can see her in the reflection from the TV, along with Tyler who's waiting for his turn to take pictures.
Then he decided to start posing with the dolls.

Now we have a close-up of Sharpay (the girl from High School Musical?), Sylvia & Ken. Nudity and blood in one post--I think I may have to put a content warning on this blog.
Next it was Tyler's turn with the camera, and he captured these works of art:

I think I'll call this one "Plate on Couch, with Arm"

And this one shows the fine electronics we have at our house. And the entertainment center--Tyler's nemesis. Yes, that is a VCR. And a PlayStation that gets played approximately once a year.

And then there's the top of Jeremy's head.

Which I guess is when Jeremy turned the camera on Tyler's sweet little face. Very dry, but sweet. See me in the back, soaking up the sunshine??

Picking my split ends, that's what I do.

That and referee fights--of which there are many lately. Really, it's got to be some sort of cruel joke that it is STILL JANUARY.

You know it's bad when you look forward to your mom coming over to babysit so you can go to the grocery store alone. THE GROCERY STORE! ALONE! It should be illegal to have that much fun.

Vit C

Yesterday we had our first sick day of the winter. Since about October I've been pumping us all full of Vitamin C, hoping it would make us immune to sicknesses. Apparently it doesn't, but I'd say that since it's nearing the end of January (finally!) and this is the first time any of us have gotten sick, that the Vitamin C has been pretty successful. Especially considering all the germs a certain someone drags home from kindergarten everyday.

Today is our recovery day. Alexis and I are all better, Tyler still has a scratchy throat but no more fevers. And it feels good to wash all the sheets and blankets, brush our teeth, shower and rid ourselves of that sick feeling.

And by the way, thank goodness for moms. Really, I'd be up a creek without a paddle if it weren't for my mom. I'd say the best part about growing up is learning to really appreciate my parents. Hopefully someday I'll do the things for my kids that my mom and dad do for me.

Also, my three year old can dribble between his legs, it happens about 20 seconds in to this video. We signed him up for what they call itty-bitty basketball, mostly for something to do. He spends the majority of the time walking around either with his hands down his pants or his finger up his nose. But when he gets the ball he gives it all he's got! He's the short one in the blue shorts and white shirt.

fancy

If you have a little girl, you probably know about the Fancy Nancy books. We discovered them this month and I think there's no going back for Alexis. Nothing will ever compare to Nancy. And I actually like them too! Fancy Nancy teaches Alexis everything her soul has ever desired to know that I simply can't teach. She teaches about accessories, about how to walk fancy, how to talk fancy, how to decorate your room--basically things any girly girl needs to know. And from what I've seen they never even mention make-up!

This morning while I was gone Alexis got the idea to dress up Fancy Nancy style. Jeremy snapped a few pictures so I could see when I got home.


Please note: the gloves, the fan, the purse, the shirts with the fun prints, the feather duster, the feather boa, the crown, the multiple skirts and the high heels. I think Fancy Nancy would be proud!


---------------

Everything about this pregnancy has been magnified many times compared to my previous pregnancies, so I shouldn't be surprised that acid indigestion appears to be no different.

A few weeks ago I told Jeremy that I was getting far enough along that I'll probably start having heartburn and indigestion--something I never experience when not pregnant. Two nights later I had the worst case I've ever experienced and it kept me up late since laying down only aggravates the problem. And now, just this week, the indigestion has showed up permanently. It may be my constant companion these remaining months. I'm going to be the lady that carries tums in her purse.

Also, I'm guessing that I've got about a week left of stomach sleeping before it gets too painful--that will be a sad day. I LOVE sleeping on my stomach.

And lastly, I have my ultrasound appointment in two weeks where hopefully we'll get to figure out the sex of this little baby. I'm rooting for a girl but am just thrilled about this baby either way. Alexis is now on Team Girl, but Tyler has been waffling. Last I heard he wanted a girl--or gill, as he pronounces it. And Jeremy...who knows? If you can get him to have an opinion on it then I'll know you can perform some sort of voodoo magic. I much prefer him opinion less, that way he can't be disappointed.

tea parties and other girly things

We got a new (to us) computer a little while ago and everything is all changed around. I was going to write a whole thing about how I'm kind of dumb and can't remember how to do things unless I've done them a thousand times. But, long story short, I have to upload the pictures off my camera onto the computer in a different way so now I hardly ever do it. I just wait for Jeremy to have time to do it for me, but that's like waiting for Tyler to remember he used to love naps and that they are indeed fun.

So this morning I summoned the courage to plug the camera in and pull the pictures off it. That's when I came across these pictures I took last week. The kids were having a "tea party".

There are three cups out, and if you look at the left side of this picture you'll see who the third guest is.

Alexis had taken a picture of Jeremy that I keep on my nightstand, (is that weird that I have a picture of him on my nightstand when he sleeps right next to me?) and poured him a cup of "tea" so that they could have a tea party with daddy.

It's a good thing they are creative because I'm fairly certain that's the closest Jeremy will ever come to having a tea party with them. Tea parties are boring, and I only do them occasionally because I have a guilty mother's conscience. Jeremy is not burdened with the same.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing right by Tyler. He plays a lot of "girly" games with Alexis, and his new favorite movie is Barbie Fairytopia. He even cried the other day because he wanted to watch that and Alexis wanted to watch something else. (Someday he'll hate me for telling everybody that.) But he very much loves dinosaurs and cars and wrestling, and I've never seen him dress up in Alexis' clothes.
Voluntarily, I mean.

do you get the blues?

Sometimes I just marvel at the color of Alexis' hair. Isn't it gorgeous?

Anyway, that's not what I was going to talk about. The winter blues have set in. BIG TIME. That's what I was going to talk about. I really hate January. Like, really, really, really, with a passion. I've been looking at the January calendar hanging on my wall, and it seems so big. Why does it have to have 31 days in it? And the really unfair part is that this year there are 5 Sundays in January! That is a long month. Don't try and tell me that it's just as long as July, because I know it's not true. There are only 4 Sundays in July this year, so there--I think I've proved my point. And that is, that January is worth hating.

Friday was a bad day. A no-good, very bad day. A day that made me cry. And Jeremy said "What do you need?"* And I said, "I don't know, I don't know what's wrong with me." And he said, "You are pregnant and it's the winter". He gets it. Well, I don't know if he gets it, but he pretends like he does and he knows it's coming. My soul needs the sunshine and the warmth. I dream about summer daily, which is really not helping my cause. I dream about days when I can do this:

(Can you tell I'm pregnant in this picture? With the T-man.)

or this:(Can you tell she's rolling down a hill? A sequence of pictures would be helpful.)

or this:(Can you tell we're roasting hot dogs in the canyon?)

and we can't forget about this:

(I think I talk enough about this that you can tell what he's doing)

We do summer right, let me tell you. But I have not figured out how to do winter right.

Anyway, Friday was the kind of day where I could just not get past myself. Myself was preventing me from doing anything productive. I had bread to make. I had laundry to fold. I had kids to play with. But I couldn't do any of it. When the winter blues hit me I don't get all depressed like, "Oh man, my life sucks. I hate everything, woe is me." Nope, I'm not the negative thoughts type. I'm more the blob type. That means I pick a spot and sit there, blob like, thinking about all the things I should do. Eventually something compels me to move, usually a child, and then 2 minutes later I pick another spot and become blob-like again, for as long as possible. And the day goes on like that. Myself gets in my way. It would almost be funny if it weren't for the fact that it isn't funny.

So what I have to do is this: Plan something. Anything. And do it in advance. If my calendar says I have to be at the post office at 10 am to mail something, I will be there. (I don't actually write stuff like that on my calendar.) Which means I have to get dressed. I have to get kids dressed, and I have to LEAVE MY HOUSE. So this week, stuff is planned--except for Friday. I better come up with something.

Also, what I have to do is take full advantage of any sunshine I see. If the sun is streaming in and resting on my couch, I must stop whatever I'm doing (even if it's being a blob) and soak in the sun for as long as it stays. That is a rule I have for myself in the winter. My brain requires sunshine as much as it requires sleep.

And also, I need to stop looking at pictures from the summer.

Finally, I need to blog more. The rambling makes me feel better, and there's only so much rambling I should subject Jeremy to.

So there you go--my ridiculous tips for surviving winter. Don't worry about me--we will make it through. Summer always comes back. And then all will be right with the world again.

Now, what should I make for dinner?


*Turns out, what I needed was a bath and a quick read of Shannon Hale's "Book of a Thousand Days". Have you read that book? You need to.

writing practice

Alexis, like any 5 year old kindergartner, is really into writing. She's getting a lot better at it and knows how to spell quite a few words by herself. She also likes to attempt to spell words and then ask later if she's spelled them correctly. Finding her hand written notes around the house is one of my new favorite things.

One day at the beginning of the school year I let her ride her bike to school and lock it up. This was a mistake because a lot of tears were shed and it took us approximately an hour to get to school, when a normal walk is about 7 minutes. Anyway, before going she made a sign for her bike to ensure that no one would take it, and then taped it to her bike.
It says, "Alexis nobody take my bike bike". And I'm fairly certain the rainbow stripes on the sign let everyone know that she meant business and was not a person they wanted to mess with.

This next one I found laying across our pillows just last week. It's very sweet, and she wrote it all by herself. The other side is a series of colorful hearts.
It says "I love you mom and dad love alexiS".

And this last one I will keep forever and is currently sitting on my kitchen counter to bring a smile to my face whenever I pass it. She wrote a thank-you note to our neighbor Bob who brought us some Christmas presents. She never actually finished the thank-you note inside the envelope, so that's one reason we won't be taking it to him. The other is because on the envelope Alexis attempted to spell his name by herself first, and then asked me how to spell it. This is an instance I'm grateful for her independence because the results are hilarious to me. See for yourself:

This note is mine to keep because I'm guessing a 70 year old man would not appreciate being called a Boob.

I hate January

This week is going to be a tough one...I can tell already. Back to a regular schedule, back to reality, back to never seeing Jeremy. And to top it all off, the snow and cold are still here! And will be for awhile, I suppose.

And I think I have a cold. A little baby one, but still, my head feels puffy. And I'm finally admitting it--I've been in denial for a few days.

So far this morning I've been having one of those days where I wonder why I made the decision to have a third child. What was I thinking? Tyler is in the throes of three-year-oldness. Which means he won't do anything you ask him to do. He won't do anything you demand him to do. And he won't do anything you threaten him to do. Also he seems to have a constant bad attitude, and he talks like a baby all day long. As in, he uses a really annoying baby voice that I can't understand. I don't get it. To top it all off, he is bored at home, but fights me whenever I try to take him anywhere. Oh three-year-olds, why can't you make any sense?

And then there is Alexis. She wanted to wear her wedding dress to school today because she wants to be a snow princess. Then she wanted to wear her denim skirt over her denim pants because "SNOW PRINCESSES DO NOT WEAR PANTS!!!". Then she wanted to wear a crown to school. Then she wanted to wear a veil. And with each new thing came ten minutes of arguing. I am not exaggerating. The girl DOES NOT listen, and I'm stumped about how to fix that.

It's been one of those days (or past few days) where I just stand there scratching my head thinking to myself, "yup, you're failing". I'm 50% convinced that I'm not actually failing as a parent, but sometimes it just really feels like it.

On a more positive note, I finally got a few pictures of our Christmas morning at my in-laws.

Waiting to see if Santa came

Dinosaurs!!

J and I made Alexis a craft box that holds all sorts of supplies since she loves to sit at the table and create. This is also a present for me because she won't be asking me for her scissors every 10 minutes. I thought she might not be too excited about this, but it turns out it was her favorite present!! See, I guess I'm not failing...

Hopefully more Christmas pictures will be coming soon. I hope the rest of you are having a better Monday than me!

Hairy 2009

It's that time when just about every blog you read has a recap of the year 2009. I'm always amazed at these because I can barely remember what happened last week, let alone 10 or 11 months ago. So in an attempt to remember, I looked back through our year in pictures. The last few months of the year were taken over by morning sickness and very few pictures were snapped, but the first part of the year had more than enough to spark my memory. While looking through these pictures I realized one thing: While not the year of the mullet, Tyler's hair has had quite a year.

So join me as I recap 2009, as it looked through Tyler's hair.

January 2009
February 2009

March 2009

April 2009
Long enough to blow in the wind, too much to be contained by a hat

May 2009
In the words of Alexis, "There's Tyler when he was a girl!", he learned to tilt his head up when he wanted to see. First real, professional haircut--also the first time I came near tears because of a haircut.

June 2009

July, August, September 2009
These months provide him a bit of respite from the hair gel and comb...but it grows back fast!

October 2009
The Mohawk returns (though not just for Halloween) and gets some color!

November 2009
Due to morning sickness, Tyler's mohawk is badly neglected. Alexis' hair takes center stage.

December 2009
Morning sickness still...gel the Mohawk once and it lasts for days and days.

It makes me wonder, what could 2010 possibly mean for Tyler's hair?