no vulgarity around the taco

The Husband and I thought that once Lydia arrived, our more swarthy habits would phase out on their own. That has proven to not be the case.

After a particularly loud burp while holding the girlie, we decided we should do something to curb our habits. The 'quarter in a jar' trick was quickly ruled out due to lack of quarters. Then I pounced on a plan.

"Okay, if I burp or cuss I have to wash the bottles (usually The Husband's job) and if you burp or cuss you have to clean out the litter box (usually my job)."

"Whoa," replies The Husband.

We had to think about it a minute before agreeing to the plan with farts added in. Both of these chores are completed on a daily basis and are abhorred by the other party. As a bonus, if one commits an error and is doomed to an extra chore, then all the more incentive for the other party to not commit a foul.

I knew I was going to be the first person to mess up. I knew this because while thinking I was going to mess up, "mess" wasn't the word I was using in my mind.

Not ten minutes later, however, I was proven wrong when a loud belch was heard. I looked up to see a shocked expression on The Husband's face, holding a smiling Lydia. He totally cleaned the litter box.

Of course, just as he was finishing up, I let loose with a loud belch while playing on the floor with Lydia. I found myself in the kitchen soon after, washing a mess of bottles and pump paraphernalia.

This is going to be really hard.

five month old taco

Yesterday Lydia turned five months old. Happily, a Sunday, my optimistic self thought I would be able to post this on the day itself but, alas, Lydia decided it would be a Screaming Day. So here we are.

Lydia's grabbiness continued this past month, so the Excersaucer was set up for her. There is a lot of crazy stuff on that thing to play with! It keeps her quite entertained if she's in a good mood, but once she's ready to get out she will let you know. Her little legs barely touch the bottom right now. Soon she'll figure out the thing can bounce, too. Ohh, the discoveries that are yet to be had!



Halloween came about this past month, with more holidays soon to follow. No other holidays let you dress up as whatever you fancy, though. This year Lydia was a Ladybug. Her Nana was much pleased, as I had been hinting that Lydia would make an awesome Baby Vampire. Bluh!



More experimentation was performed this month in the form of rice cereal. Lydia doesn't yet seem to be too keen on the taste and I am certainly not too keen on the mess. So when does she start making her own sandwiches?



For quite some time, Lydia would never nap in her crib, though she slept awesomely there at night. For naps, she would only conk out on the couch. That made me nervous because of the cats -- one clumsy one, one snuggly one -- and once Lydia started rolling over, we knew that had to stop. This past month, we seemed to have worked out the problem . . . somewhat.

She has to have a blanket. Specifically, a soft, white minky-type blanket her Great Aunt Susan gave her.

This is a great big NO-NO in the Rule Book of SIDS, so I am constantly checking on her with it. Speaking of which . . . be right back . . .



Giggles are here in earnest. It's quite easy now to get her to laugh, but do so at your own risk. You will most likely send her into a fit of hiccups that will last for about 30 minutes or so. The Husband always thinks it's worth it. She certainly doesn't seem to mind, either.



Lydia's biggest frustration in life right now is the dastardly event known as teething. Her gums bother her more and more each day -- it's my number one suspect for yesterday's screaming event. Anything near her mouth is fair game for chewing, including me. Her poor hands are feeling the brunt of that, though.

Every day I check: any teeth yet, any teeth yet? I have this vision that once the first two pop through the rest won't be as frustrating. Reality probably isn't so shiny, but it gives me something to hold on to.

It certainly gives greater weight to that age-old song "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth." I hope Santa comes early to this household.

wash your hands after messing with this taco

Over the past week we've experimented a bit with rice cereal. My God, what a mess. I'm not really sure how much Lydia is actually eating. Right now I think she has confused the concoction with bubble gum and she spends most of her energy blowing millions of small bubbles with the gooey stuff.

I have to keep a wet paper towel close by to wipe her off occasionally or else I just can't stand it. And, man, if she reaches up and sticks her fists in her mouth before I can catch them, EEEEEEEE, it's just an absolute disaster.

I think I have something I need to let go of, because I KNOW it's going to get worse from here.

the scariest costume ever

Apparently Lydia had a slight case of the runs today. She blew through all the clothes she had at daycare so by the time I arrived to pick her up, she was in "daycare clothes."

They're pretty scary. I told Lydia she was already dressed for Halloween. She could go as a Four Month Old With Diarrhea. That's scary as shit. Literally.

four month old taco

Last Thursday Lydia turned four whole months old. That's a third of a year -- quite an old taco! So much has happened this past month, as well. She has been quite busy.

First, she became a cousin three days into her fourth month with the arrival of her cousin, Elizabeth. We are all glad that Elizabeth is finally here, and Lydia is pleased to have a buddy.



This month was also Lydia's first real sickness with an impromptu trip to the doctor, medication, and everything. She recovered very quickly, thankfully. She certainly did better than me -- I had about a month-long sinus infection during this time that I could not shake. I'm sure we were an absolute blast for The Husband.

Lydia discovered her hands could grab things -- on command! -- and she has made great use of this new superpower. Fingers, bibs, itty bitty toys, Mommy's necklace . . . anything that swings by she'll take a swipe at it. She keeps her claws at the ever ready.



Sometimes, The Claws get confused and just grab each other, producing an entanglement of fingers. It's like a puzzlebox.



To top off a month of many changes, Lydia figured out the fine art of rolling over the other weekend. Ever the ham, she waited until she had an audience of seven with cameras already out before she did it. She likes attention and loves to watch people watching her, or even better, talking to her. If in the right mood, she will talk right back.



This girl has been so much fun. Every day she is doing something new. She's actually making it hard to keep up. I keep waiting for her to stand up, toss her pacifier to the side and announce, "Okay, I'm off to college. See ya!"

I'll just run behind her, hollering, "Wait -- one more picture!"

this is how we roll

A year ago today I found out we were going to get a little taco, and thus this blog was born in secret. It's been a wonderful, crazy year that has gone by quite fast, though there were very slow moments.

I've got to say I am most pleased with the outcome :)

getting better

Miss Lydia has quickly been getting better. She was cleared to go back to daycare on Friday and is all smiles and giggles. She is still taking the Pink Bubblegum Medicine through most of this week but hopefully that is all she'll need.

She is not a fan of that medicine. I can't imagine why; I loved that stuff as a kid. That and Histussin were the only two medicines I would willingly take -- I was a bear with anything else. Oh, Lydia, you have no idea what horrible concoctions await you in the world of medicine. You will relish the pink goodness of amoxicillin soon enough. It's one of the few tasty ones.

She's already learning her own ways of resisting. She has figured out how to spit out some of the medicine very cutely by blowing bubbles with it, her eyes smiling.

She might be like me with medicines, I'm afraid. I was known to try to hide the stuff from my parents or drink so much water afterwards I'd throw it all back up. My parents praised the day I learned to swallow pills.

I can hear my parents chuckling now, thinking, "Hahaha, vengeance."

poor sick taco

About a little over a month ago Lydia got her first cold. No biggie -- just a lot of boogers and it died down pretty quick. All the boogers never really went away, though. There was just enough to be a morning nuisance.

Last week she started tugging on her ears. Admittedly, I did know what that could be a sign of, but she had gotten so grabby with everything lately and seemed like such a happy baby otherwise that I didn't think much of it other than to put more lotion behind her ears because, WOO!, they sure were red from all that tugging.

Two days ago, Lydia starts up with a horrible, racking smoker's cough. Somebody's been slipping my baby cigarettes! After mildly admonishing her that she really shouldn't start smoking until she's 19, a doctor's appointment was scheduled.

After the general poking, prodding, and two chest x-rays -- the technicians were expecting a screaming baby but she actually smiled for the camera -- we found out my poor baby has not only an ear infection (way to pay attention to the signs, Mom) and bronchiolitis. Apparently bronchiolitis is like bronchitis but in the smaller passageways. Nice.

Being an asthmatic myself, I have hoped and prayed that Lydia will get her Daddy's excellent health. I almost cried when the doctor started talking about way-too-familiar drugs like albuterol and Aerochambers. She was about to go into detail about the workings of a spacer when I stopped her. Don't worry. I know. Belieeeeve me.

This doesn't mean she will get asthma or allergies, but it's still a big downer for me. After seeing Lydia get the jittery shakes from the albuterol last night I don't think I'm going to give it to her anymore (which the doctor said is totally cool).

I pray it's just a fluke and she will get stronger from this. She did sleep very well last night and hopefully she is on the mend.

I hope she doesn't get sick again for another 20 years because I don't think my heart can take it.

three month old taco

Lydia turned three months old wayyyy back on September 23rd. A few days later things got real busy around here with the arrival of her cousin and other accouterments of life, so I'm a wee bit late with this post. Bad Mama. The internet will never forgive you.

A few days into her third month Lydia slept through the night for the first time! There was much celebration to be had. There really was no turning back from that. Sometimes there was some 2 a.m. fussing for a pacifier but once that night feeding was gone, man, it was GONE. Through-the-night sleeping makes for very happy Daddies.



We also got A New Thing -- a vibrating papasan chair. At first I was against anything vibrating because I was afraid she would get too used to being soothed by it. However, we gave in once we realized the swing did not amuse for long periods of time and she did love the one at daycare. I'm all about the vibrating papasan chair now -- it lets me get ready for work.



Also soon into her third month -- many new things seem to happen right after a month milestone is reached -- Lydia discovered her hands fit wonderfully into her mouth and BOY do they taste good! She never goes for any individual fingers -- it's always the entire fist. As a side effect, her hands are now constantly wet and clammy, which makes for an excellent cat hair magnet. I'm always having to watch for the cat hairs.



The world is beginning to amuse her. We get big smiles every morning, especially after she's just eaten or if she's just had a really big poo. We're starting to get a feel of her personality: she's a morning person, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but is quite crabby by the evening. She likes all the attention she can get and likes to entertain. She reminds me of my sister. She knows when she's got an audience and is starting to know what to do when I get my camera out: pose.



We made a daycare switch this month so now I am the one picking her up and dropping her off each day. She is on the road and away from home less and handled the change with no problem at all. She hangs out in her papasan chair each morning while I gussy myself up. I put on my suntan lotion while explaining to her why I have to do it each day: "Mommy is a vampire but she wants to go outside like normal people." Lydia grins at me and kicks at her bunny. Poor girl -- she's half-vampire herself. She just doesn't know it yet.

the orgin of the taco

So . . . why taco? Most people say bean, right? As with everything, there is a story to the taco name.

Last October The Husband and I boogied down to Columbus, Georgia on a Thursday afternoon to meet my sister and her husband. We were going to see George Carlin -- live! We were very excited, and looking back, we are all very glad we went to see him since he passed away the night before Lydia was born.

We were trying for Lydia by now -- I had another week to find out I had her. I had suspicions that my sister and her husband might be trying for their own child but wasn't sure.

The four of us were waiting for the show to start and discussing our dinners. The Husband and I had had Wendy's, I think, and my sister and brother-in-law had enjoyed some tasty tacos.

"How was your taco?" my sister asked her husband.

"Most excellent," he replied. He rubbed her belly and asked, "And how is your taco?"

There was this split second where my sister looked kinda funny, looked at him, then said rather guardedly, "My taco is fine."

"Oh, my God -- they're pregnant." I thought.

It turns out they weren't, but wouldn't you have thought that, too, what with the belly rubbing and taco questions?

So, less than a week later when I saw those two pink lines, what else could it be BUT a taco?

two month old taco

Last weekend, Lydia turned two whole months old. Crazy how fast it's going. She became more awake this month, though since nothing really interests her yet, being awake was very boring to her and she would get all mad. It wasn't until recently that she started reacting to to stuff like The Husband and I making the goofiest faces we could come up with.



At about six weeks there were some horrible nights where Lydia would scream and holler. We didn't know if we needed to tire her out more or try to work out more burps or if she was just a mad mad baby. She would get to sleep but then flail herself awake with her wiggly arms and legs. Even the swaddle couldn't hold her back.



After we implemented some tips from family and friends, there was a huge change for the better. We ditched the swaddling for footie jammies, got her to nap as soon as she showed signs of fussiness, and we figured out she prefers to sleep on her side. Now she's more comfy, and we're more well-rested.



This past month I've really started to feel like a mom. The first few weeks Lydia was here I felt more like a long-term babysitter for someone else's kid. Now that she's reacting back to us and really starting to show off her personality the realness of having a daughter is pouring over me. We're a family. How awesome is that?



The family keeps growing, too. On Lydia's two month birthday we threw a baby shower for my sister, who is due with her first in a few short weeks. We all can't wait to meet Lydia's little taco cousin.

the taco goes to school

Tomorrow I go back to work, and thus Lydia will have her first day of daycare. On the one hand, I am looking forward to going back to work and am pleased that I still want to have a career. Many people told me I would ache to be a stay-at-home-mom once I had Lydia, and I didn't want to be miserable once my maternity leave was over.

On the other hand, I feel a horrible guilt that I am looking forward to going back to work and leaving poor Lydia in the care of strangers. Why would I not want to be with my baby girl all day? I'm a horrible mom.

Nevertheless, work and daycare are just another sleep away.

Speaking of sleep, it's been a long, hard week. The first half of the week was horrible, sleep-wise. Lydia just screamed and screamed, refusing to go to sleep, not sleeping long, it was just horrendous. The Husband and I were very frustrated and felt like the most horrible of parents. I dreaded the night.

We talked with a few people who assured us this was normal and we weren't on the path to laying down a horrible childhood for Lydia. We got some tips for some different things to try -- we switched from swaddling her flailing legs to legged jammies and we found she preferred to sleep on her side. This plus more sleep during the day and a dash of the rocking chair led to a perfect night the past three nights. Apparently sleep begets more sleep. Here's hoping we're starting a trend.

Lydia had her two-month appointment on Friday. She is now a whopping 10 pounds 9 ounces and 22.5 inches long! Unfortunately, she got the first set of a barrage of shots. There were four long shots in her thighs plus an oral medicine. Ohhh, I have never seen her eyes get so big nor her face so red. My poooor baby -- the tears did flow!

I'm so glad she won't remember a bit of that.

a month-old taco

I can't believe Lydia is already over a month old. In fact, she's five weeks old today! She has grown so much, too. Lifting her head is practically a piece of cake, and boy does she eat a lot. I would guess she's about nine pounds by now.



After three weeks of easy burps and seemingly drug-induced sleeps, Lydia's digestive system screamed, "Hey, I'm not ready for this yet!" and thus we entered the gassy stage. The Husband and I now work really hard to get out every last burp and sometimes that's still not enough, prompting Lydia to produce this nonstop wailing cry that absolutely tears at your heart and eardrums.



If any good is to find of my poor baby's gassy tummy, it's once she has worn herself out from crying, she will have a good, hard sleep of four plus hours. Last evening she slept from 7:30 to 12:00 with only a brief 'hold-me-now' moment.



I'm looking forward to the day when Lydia discovers her true superpower -- she can actually control her flailing arms and legs. Right now they have a mind of their own and their goal is to shake Lydia awake with their constant wiggling. Swaddling is her only defense.



A milestone was reached last week -- Lydia went with us to her first restaurant outing. She did wonderfully. It is no small feat to sleep while visiting an Applebee's during a loud lunch hour. She also visited the mall and Babies R'Us -- Mommy's favorite store.

She's also great for snuggling during movies. I think she'll be a snuggler for many years.

home with the taco

Lydia's been with us for almost three weeks now. Being home with her has been wonderful. In fact, so far it has been a bit easier than I expected. I'm not sure if that's because I had lower expectations or if Lydia is just an agreeable baby.

We came home late Wednesday night after she was born. The cats were ever so glad to see me, but they were stressed because I'd been gone so long and we brought home this screaming pink thing. The first time Lydia cried the cats scattered to the opposite ends of the house. Once Renton tried to reach through the cradle to touch her and The Husband gave him such a hard smack Renton saw stars. He hasn't tried that again.



The first night at home with her wasn't too bad. She was a very sleepy baby for the first week or so of her life, so we had more of a time trying to wake her up so she could eat. She slept for good three to four hour stretches the first night and I actually woke up rather rested.

The cats were much more calm the next day and we gave her her first sponge bath. At times she was not amused with the process.



Lydia had her first pediatrician's appointment that Friday and the doctors were slightly concerned that she hadn't started to gain weight yet. She was down to 6 pounds 3 ounces. They also wanted to make sure the little booty dimple she has wasn't connected to her spine, so we had to take her to Children's Hospital for a booty ultrasound the next Monday, then bring her back to the pedi's to re-weigh her.

Thankfully, her booty dimple is just that -- she did really well with the whole ultrasound experience. Her weight was back up to 6 pounds 10 ounces as well, so the doctors and us were very pleased.



During her second week Lydia became a little more alert each day. She began to focus more intently on our faces and was making tons of different facial expressions. Many of her expressions look just like her Daddy.

This week The Husband had to go back to work, so it's been me, her, and the two cats. At her two week appointment she weighed in at a hefty 7 pounds 5 ounces and even gained an inch in height!

The cats seem very used to her now. The main thing they really want is attention and loving which I try to give to them as often as I can. Whoever is holding Lydia tends to get a Hermione in their lap as well. Renton is happiest on his chair cushions.



The other day Lydia got her first piece of mail! It was from the government, of course -- every once in a while they can be quick with stuff. Inside was Lydia's bonifide Social Security Card, so she's officially here in the eyes of the U.S.A. I have a new number to memorize.

I do not miss being pregnant at all. I'm so glad she's finally here -- she's much more fun outside than she was inside. She never stops being cute. Hermione has finally met her match.

taco delivery

Now that we all know Lydia is here -- she'll be two weeks old on Monday! -- I figured I would write up how she got here. Be forewarned: this is the longest post EVER.

On June 10th at my OB's appointment my doctor gave me the option of inducing at 39 weeks because of my high blood pressure issues. My BP had been fine during the pregnancy but it could rear its head suddenly the closer we got to my due date. So we scheduled an induction for the morning of June 23rd -- The Husband's 27th birthday.

I had already talked to The Husband about the possibility of Lydia arriving on his birthday and he was fine with it. He said she would make a good birthday present.

Even though we now had The Date, the only people The Husband and I told were work-related. We weren't going to tell our family until she arrived. I'm a rogue, a rascal, a villain, a thief, a scoundrel and a mean, dirty, stinking, sniveling, sneaking, pimping, pocket-picking, thrice double-damned no-good son-of-a-bitch; I know.

And so we waited in silence for two solid weeks. The last weekend before the 23rd was LONG, but our friends unknowingly kept us amused with a barbecue dinner and a trip to the Dairy Queen. I watched the sun set behind Oak Mountain on the 22nd while eating my hot fudge sundae at the DQ. Tomorrow was the day.

We arrived at the hospital bright and early at 6:30 a.m. and were led to the delivery room, which was very nice indeed. I gowned myself up and climbed into the bed.


I got an IV and the labor drugs started to course through my veins. Soon after, my doctor came in and broke my water, which was the weirdest feeling. There was quite a lot of it and it just kept on coming out since the IV was constantly putting fluids in me. I felt kind of unsanitary.

Most of the day was just spent waiting. At 10:30 a.m. I went ahead and got the epidural. Getting that didn't hurt at all -- the worst part was the intense scrubbing the anesthesiologist performed on my back.

Around 2 p.m. I reached five centimeters. Soon after that I started running a fever so they hooked me up to antibiotics. Lydia didn't like the fever too much so they gave me some oxygen for a while.



At 5 p.m. I reached seven centimeters and my fever started to go down. I was starting to guess we would be well into the night before Lydia arrived. The time frame was starting to present a problem because people were trying to get in touch with us to wish The Husband a happy birthday. We were calling people back when we got a chance and were monitoring the answering machine at home, but we were about to hit crunch time soon when most people would try to call.

The contractions were getting more intense and even though I had the epidural, I could definitely feel them. They weren't painful, there was just a lot of pressure that got more intense. There was a point around this time that it went from intense pressure to pain very quickly. By the time the anesthesiologist arrived to give me a boost in my epidural, I was in tears.

At around 6:20 p.m. I was ready to start pushing. I got kinda scared at this point because THE TIME HAD ARRIVED and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do this part. The nurse gave me some instructions that went in one ear and out the other, and we started to push. Even with the epidural the pressure and urge to push was incredibly intense. There were a few times when the nurses had me rest through a contraction and that was even harder than pushing.

My doctor arrived and her and the nurses felt Lydia would arrive by the 7:00 hour, but that time came and went. I had read that the time involved in pushing would fly by swiftly no matter how long it actually takes, but I definitely remember the time it took. Near the end, I would just about fall asleep between the contractions, muttering about how tired I was. What was really wearing me out was holding my breath so long. The Husband was excellent -- he constantly told me how good I was doing, how proud he was of me, and how much he loved me. He was wonderful.

A little after 8:00 p.m. Lydia was very close to arriving but we had to wait 15 minutes for my doctor, who had go perform a c-section first. That was a very long 15 minutes.

The doctor finally arrived and there was a whirlwind of activity around me as the nurses got ready for Lydia. By this time I just wanted to roll over and go to sleep -- I was so incredibly tired. Finally, at 8:26 p.m. after five hard pushes in a row, Lydia decided to arrive. I had pushed for two whole hours. She came three minutes before her Daddy's birth time of 8:29 p.m.

As soon as she was out I felt soooooo much better. They cleaned out her mouth and nose and put her on my chest, and there she was -- my little baby girl. I was shocked at how much hair she had. The Husband cut the cord and then they cleaned her up, weighed her, and brought her back over.



It was a wonderful overwhelming feeling to have her in my arms. The tiredness went away completely and I knew the entire experience had been absolutely worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.



We finally got to call our family and tell them about The Husband's birthday present. Never have I loved my husband more than when I saw him holding Lydia and I could tell he had fallen completely, irrevocably in love.

I feel wonderful and accomplished.

June 23rd, 2008

Well, we've gone from this:


to this:

when your clothes don't stretch, other things do

Well, 39 weeks today. I'm about to start getting REALLY ready. It's hot outside and I'm craving some raw, raw sushi.

Also, despite what I was expecting, I have gone through this entire pregnancy without any stretch marks at all . . . until last Tuesday. I'm THIS CLOSE TO THE END and now they show up?! Come on, dude. We are not amused. They're really not bad all; it's just the timing of it.

Overall, it hasn't been a bad pregnancy at all. I'd just rather have her here now. I'm not going to miss being pregnant.

bad reception

Apparently I am not in tune with my inner moon goddess. Ahh well. I guess I should just hope that I am in tune with my due date! Only a week and a half, yo!

lunacy

"It is the very error of the moon,
She comes more near the earth than she was wont,
And makes men mad"

-William Shakespeare, Othello

Ahh, yes, there is a full moon tomorrow (12:31 p.m. central time, to be exact) and we all know the full moon can fill up ER waiting rooms, the back seats of cop cars, and Labor and Delivery beds. I do hope I am in tune with the lunar goddesses.

Overall, I am still feeling pretty good. I'm as ready as I think I'm going to get, but I'm not going bonkers. Going to work helps with that, I think. I might sing a different tune if it gets to, say, July and she still isn't here yet. Then I might consider the horrid castor oil.

Renton the cat seems more nervous and paces around even now. He senses it and is not amused.

the end is nigh

Ahh, June is here! Now we really are getting close.

I think The Husband and I are as prepared as two naive parents-to-be can be. Everything's ready at the house minus a few odds and ends. I think there will always be odds and ends. Now I'm just ready to get this show on the road. It's about time for a rare steak and a good sleep on my stomach.

It's also starting to get really freakin' hot outside. Summer is here and it makes me sweat profusely. Just yesterday my feet were attacked by a horde of vicious, bloodthirsty mosquitoes. It was the longest drive back to my office where the sweet, sweet Cortizone cream lived.

Right now it's a race to see what lasts longer: this pregnancy or my maternity clothes. It's going down to the home stretch! (get it??)

roundy!

I figured I'd please everyone with another picture. Here I am yesterday. If you look at me straight-on in this shirt, you really can't tell I'm pregnant. Just last week I was offered a margarita. I wish.

Four more weeks, give or take.

that's so stupid; I'd never do that

Things I Said I'd Never do when I was Pregnant (But Now I Do Them All The Time):

1. Touch/rub my belly all the time

I always thought it was so silly to see pregnant women in movies always touching, rubbing, or otherwise bring notice to their very pregnant belly in movies -- Big Fish comes to mind here. Both my sister and I agreed: real pregnant women don't do that. How stupid.

Oh, my God -- I do it all the time! Not even thinking about it, my hands go right to my stomach, rubbing it, massaging it, or just resting on it. I do it because my stomach is usually hurting or I just want to feel Lydia move because it's neat.

Either way, I was wrong, and I shall beg my forgiveness on the internet.

2. Forget things

I have an iron-clad memory for the important stuff. Not necessarily what hotel room number we stayed in at Gulf Shores in the summer of 1991 -- I mean important things like YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT 2:30 TODAY. I never wrote that stuff down. That wasn't going to go away.

Ha ha ha.

One of the many things I've forgotten is the other stuff I was going to put on this list that I thought of this morning. There was other stuff. I forgot it.

Dammit.

You think I'm trying to be funny but I am so serious. I had this all written out in my head BUT IT IS GONE.

Ooh, I just thought of a new one but now I'm so irritated at myself I'm just not in the mood anymore. Poop.

look at all the things!

I had my shower this weekend, and it was absolutely the awesome. I'll post some pictures once I get them up.

Tell you what, though. This girl will not want for clothes for quite some time. She is set! I've been working on organizing through them, starting with removing the tags and washing them all so we don't run into the problem of "Has this been washed yet??" when she needs a change of clothes.

Man, if I ever see one of these things again . . .



. . . I will cry. I hate them. Carter's gets especially tag-happy. There's got to be a better way to attach tags to clothes.

please wait six to eight weeks for delivery

Ever since I hit the 30 week mark, I've been more in a countdown mode: 10 weeks to go, 9 weeks, 8 . . . It's like counting down for the space shuttle. Right now I'm at 7.5. It's a slow countdown.

I'm feeling pretty big now. For the longest time I really wasn't gaining much weight, but then the Hungry As A Bear stage hit and BAM! I gained 11 pounds in five weeks. I know I'm pregnant and all, but that's still a hard blow to the morale. All that weight better be on her.

Lydia moves around a lot, especially at night. At night she likes to see how sore she can make her mommy's tummy. I've also been having those Braxton-Hicks contractions, but other than that, I feel pretty good. No heartburn, nothing is swelling up, so I don't have many comp laints except I want her to hurry up and get here -- or at least I wish June would hurry up.

Ooh, I gotta go pee again.

smile for the camera, sweetie

After three tries, we finally got a good look at what Lydia looks like -- and she's cute, albeit stubborn!

six months down

And three months to go! I'm entering the 3rd trimester today, so we're on the final third of this journey! I am certainly ready for Lydia to be here -- I'm ready for a RARE filet mignon, among other things.

I figured I would please y'all with a belly shot. Don't look at the dirty mirror!

making preparations

Woo, I'm 26 weeks today! Only 14 weeks to go, give or take -- maybe she'll come a bit early. The Husband and I are getting more excited to meet her. She seems to be getting more excited to meet us as well -- her movements are a lot stronger. Sometimes you can even see my stomach move. It's wild -- like really kickin' gas.

I had to make the move to maternity shirts a few weeks ago. They're much more comfortable, but they certainly scream, "I'm pregnant!" There's no hiding anything with those tops.

Yesterday my dad and The Husband painted Lydia's room and also put together the crib, which finally came in.


They still have to paint the corners of the room (ran out of paint!) but that'll probably get finished up today.