Cream of Potato Soup

This past weekend has been great--our first weekend of real summer weather. We took full advantage of the nice days, but by today I'm ready for something a little less hot and hazy. I'm sweaty and swollen and I'll be glad for a little relief in the coming week.

In an effort to entertain Evan and perhaps move baby along, we kept very busy Saturday and Sunday. Saturday we ran errands around town. We took Ev to a new playground where he hit some baseballs and got a workout on the climbing wall and slides. I even went down a slide or two (it's anything goes now, folks). We also took a spur of the moment drive out to the spillway, which delighted Evan to no end. We didn't have any bread with us, but a very nice woman gave us two loaves from her big bag of about 15, so Ev was able to throw plenty of stale buns into the waiting mouths of the scary fish. He got just as big a kick out of watching them flail around and try to jump out of the little spill area. As gross as the spillway is, it's someplace we always went as kids and it's fun to see Ev get a charge out of it too. We have to pass this stuff along.

Sunday we headed up to Erie to take in a Seawolves game with my dad. It was a great day and we had a lot of fun, but the heat and beating sun took a lot out of all of us. Even with sunscreen and hats I didn't want to spend too much time out there, so we left after the fifth inning. Ev protested, as he was reallly enjoying himself, but we decided it would be best to take off. After all, the seats were too hot for his little butt to sit in, and he kept jumping between Mike's lap and Grandpa's. And it was just too warm a day to have a sweaty four year old on your lap.

We also stopped by my mom's for a little picnic. That was nice, and a little more my speed as I could sit in the shade and put my feet up. Too bad by the time we got there I had enormous ankles, and by the time we left I could no longer fit in my shoes. The food was great though, and Evan had fun running around and playing ball, so it was a good end to the day.

Today has been a lot more low key. We stayed inside with the fans going, and just tried to relax a bit before life starts again tomorrow. I had planned on doing practical things--cleaning the bathroom, scrapbooking, that sort of thing--but you don't feel like doing much of that when it's this hot. So I just tried to rest and drink water and eat popsicles. I think we're all headed for an early bedtime so we can start fresh tomorrow.

Posted by jenny at 7:38 PM | Permalink

This evening, while I was out running an errand, Mike cut Evan's hair. Himself. Without anyone holding Ev down, without a screaming fit, without a half hour crying spree afterwards. I am pleased at Mike's great success, yet at the same time I'm throwing my hands up in defeat.

I think Daddy's going to be in charge from now on.

Posted by jenny at 10:27 PM | Permalink

This afternoon we ventured up to Erie for my weekly doctor's appointment. Things went fine, but we had a few tense moments there that made the visit just that much more interesting. We went in for my usual check with the doctor--bp, urine, heartbeat, questions--and everything was fine until he got to the heartbeat part. The good doctor searched all over my belly and couldn't find anything. It took him several tries and a lot of manuvering before he got a reading. He also asked me about feeling movement while he was looking, and I admitted that movement had gotten less frequent this week. I'd even had instances where I really had to work to get the little one to move--orange juice, lay on left side, warm bath, that sort of thing.

All this was enough to get me in for a non-stress test. So while I went to be hooked up to the monitors for twenty minutes, Mike and Ev went down to the car to take a little ride and wait. Once I was hooked up to the monitors, it was still hard to find a heartbeat. It was there, but very faint unless I pressed the sensor down on my belly. So I sat, one hand pressing down on the sensor, the other on my little buzzer that I had to click when I felt movement. And boy did I feel movement. I guess baby didn't like the contraction sensor that was strapped tightly across the top of my belly, because he spent most of the time trying to kick it off. When my time was up, doctor pronounced that all was well, and told me to make sure I do good kick counts every day from now on. At least now I know that tying something around my belly is the way to get him good and pissed off.

Then it was off to a sonogram. They wanted to check size and position so we can start thinking about our delivery options. The news was okay there--baby looks healthy and is head down, but not head down in the right way. Instead of his back facing out toward my belly, his shoulder is. So he's laying sideways--his head is down in the lower right corner, and his butt is up in the upper left. His arms and legs are all over the place. He's definitely not in "birth position", but the way he's laying explains all my current discomfort. He's also a good size boy--estimated right now to be 7.5 pounds. Granted, this could be off by a pound in either direction, but he's definitely not small. We'll find out more about what this means next Friday, but at this point I won't be surprised by a repeat c-section.

So there's the big news at 37 weeks. I'm still hanging in there, and feeling okay. It's really starting to sink in for us now that birth is right around the corner. I feel like we're ready--we're definitely more physically ready than we were for Evan. But emotionally? I'm not so sure. Things have seemed so abstract up to this point, and I'm having trouble imagining what it's going to be like to have another person in this house. Both Mike and I are fretting and anxious, but we're trying not to focus on it too much. We did have another go around at names tonight, and we're starting to agree on some things. I hope this trend continues.

Posted by jenny at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today our roof is getting replaced. So far that has consisted of a lot of banging around as the guys tear off our old shingles and throw them over the side of the house. Very entertaining. I'm just waiting for a foot to come through the ceiling. I know Ev is going to dig this once he gets home from school though. I have a feeling I won't be able to tear him away from the window (or get him into the house once he gets off the bus).

But here's the problem. Today's the first nice, sunny day we've had in a while, and I would like to take Ev outside. We've both missed the fresh air and the sunshine. Of course, we can't play in our yard as we'd be hit by flying debris. And it will probably be this way for the next few days as nails and shingles are littered all over the place.

I would take Ev to the park, but that would mean we'd have to go to the park. And honestly, I no longer have the energy for that. I can't walk far or fast, and I certainly can't chase Ev through open fields and across playgrounds. I'm big and unwieldy, and it's really starting to limit my activities. I feel so badly because I don't want Ev to miss out on anything fun, but I know my limits and I don't want to push it.

Last night I almost started crying (hormones) as I tried to explain to Mike how I feel right now. He was teasing me a little, nothing mean, but I got all bent out of shape. For as much as I wanted to make it full term with this baby, I'm finding this part incredibly hard. I can't believe how much I just hurt all the time. My hands are so swollen in the morning that I can't even flex my fingers. And forgive me for being blunt, but my crotch is killing me. I feel like I'm walking with a bowling ball between my thighs. My back aches, and walking has become slow and awkward. I'm not the most fun to take on an outing, that's for sure.

What's a girl to do? I guess we could try a family trip to the park when Mike gets home from work, but that leaves me with a whole afternoon to fill. We'll just have to hold on for the next five hours.

Posted by jenny at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today is Mike's 30th birthday. I'm hoping that he's having a good day so far, and that this year will be one of his best yet. I feel like he's at an exciting place in his life, and we're at an exciting place as a family, so I can imagine that this next 12 months is going to be pretty thrilling. I'm not sure that we're doing anything especially thrilling tonight though, aside from the season finale of 24.

The big excitement was Saturday, when we celebrated Mike's birthday in grand style. We rented out a theater at the local movie house, and showed one of his favorite films to a packed house of family and friends. It was his dream birthday party, one he's talked about for years, and I'm so glad we were able to put it together for him. Let me tell you how funny it was to look up at a theater full of faces and know every one of them--I'm sure Mike felt pretty special to have everyone there celebrating with him too. Of course, I had to knock him down a couple of pegs by putting together a slideshow of slightly embarrassing pictures (mullet) from the past three decades, but even that was well received.

Evan really enjoyed the party also. It was his first time at the "moonies", and he loved it. He even sat through about the first half hour of the film, which wasn't too bad. He was a little more impressed by the giant birthday cake and the arcade in the lobby, but I can understand that. He had such a good time that he wanted to go back the next day, but I don't know if a theater full of strangers would be as understanding of his running in and out, up and down the stairs, and clever narrations of the on-screen action.

As of next week, I will have known Mike for half his life. We met for the first time at the end of our ninth grade year, about a week after his 15th birthday. We became fast friends, and spent the next three years of high school tormenting each other in and out of class. Now I'm lucky enough to get to torment him at home on a daily basis.

So happy birthday, best friend. I'm so glad we met, and I'm so glad you talked too much in Ma Hilliard's class and got sentenced to sitting in front of me, the quiet girl. Pretty soon you got me talking too, and somehow I've never shut up. And here we are, many years later, with a wonderful marriage and a beautiful son and another one about to join the party. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Posted by jenny at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I had my 36 week doctor's appointment yesterday, and everything remains the same. I'm fine, baby's fine, etc. I had my first "exam" and was fully convinced I'd be dilated at least a little. It turns out I'm not--things are closed up tight. So I guess I'm not nearly as close to labor as I thought. I am wondering how much more uncomfortable I can get though. If I feel this odd now, I can only imagine the fun once things start to happen!

I have my next appointment next Friday the 26th. I'll have another check of the goods, followed by a sonogram. They want to check the baby's size, position, and all that good stuff. If he turns out to be a whopper or isn't in just the right spot, I'm thinking we'll probably just go ahead and schedule the c-section. These doctors, they don't screw around.

Posted by jenny at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I had a lovely surprise yesterday, as Mike's coworkers threw us a lunchtime baby shower--complete with pizza and decorations and fantastic cupcakes. Mike works with a great group of people, and it was really thoughtful of them to do that for us. I had a wonderful time, as did Ev, though I'm pretty sure he thought it was somebody's birthday. Either way it made for a fun afternoon.

I'm trying to get the laundry done today, and some general cleaning things, but I find myself needing to take frequent breaks. I'm just not able to do much all at once. And I'm more tired now than I was in my first trimester--I even slept the whole time Ev was at school yesterday. It wouldn't be so bad if I could sleep better at night, but somehow that's not happening anymore. I did spend most of last night on the couch though, and I seemed to do better there than in bed. Whatever works at this point, right?

I don't think the weather is helping much either. It's been so gray and rainy this week, and that doesn't exactly inspire one to action. But this is spring, and I suppose in my case it's better to have cool and rainy than hot and humid at this point. There will be enough of that come summer. It's May 17th already, and that summer is just around the corner.

Posted by jenny at 10:25 AM | Permalink

I've been feeling out of touch with the world lately. I'm definitely making a little cocoon for myself as we prepare to welcome the new baby--I'm nesting, and spending time at home, and generally just being quiet. This waiting feeling is a weird one, and though we're trying to be calm, both Mike and I are a little on edge because of it.

Everyone who saw me over the weekend commented that the baby had dropped. I knew this because I can eat more, but it feels like the kid is about to fall out anytime I stand up to walk. I'm also feeling much more tired, and not like myself, so I will be happy if this means labor is around the corner. Unfortunately, the consensus is that I'm going to go into labor Saturday morning during Mike's 30th birthday party. That's the one time I want to avoid, so I'm sure that's the time things will happen. Watch this space for updates.

On Saturday my brother and his fiancee graduated from law school. Due to my condition I wasn't able to attend, but we're so excited for Jerry and Tammy and their bright future together. It seems like just yesterday he was starting school, and I was laughing that Evan would be four when he finished. Now here we are, Ev is four and Jerry has his J.D. Over the next year he'll be busy taking the bar, studying for his LLM at NYU, and probably helping a minimal amount with wedding planning. I'm sure it's a lot to be dealing with in such a short period of time.

We saw our new nephew again yesterday, and he's gotten so big. It feels like he was just born last week, but he's 7 weeks old already. And his older brother is two, and I can hardly believe that he's grown so much so fast. When you see these kids, it makes time feel like it's just flying by--I even notice how much Ev has grown, and that's hard because I'm with him every day. And all of the girls I've been pregnant with are coming towards the end of their pregnancies too, and it's crazy to think of all the new lives we're going to come to know over the next few months. Things change so quickly around here these days, and it's hard to keep up.

But for all the changes, and such a fast pace, we're slowing down a bit and waiting. Our time is coming.

Posted by jenny at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today was Mother's Day, and I think I've had one of my best yet. There was a lot of fun with my guys, and fun with family, and I got to relax too, so I couldn't ask for any more. Except that I have one of those "loose" taste buds on the end of my tongue today, and it's driving me crazy. Other than that though, it was a pretty great day.

I got treated to breakfast in bed, and lots of time to lay around with Mike and Ev. That's really my favorite time of every weekend--just the three of us, snuggling and wresting and joking around in our bed. I like the easy pace and the time to just be a family. After that we headed up to Erie for lunch with Mike's family. We ate a lot and the boys played together, so it was a nice time.

Late in the afternoon someone decided we should take the kids to Waldameer, which turned out to be tons of fun. We did have about 15 minutes of showers (during which the boys rode the Merry-Go-Round twice), but other than that it was just great. It was nice because there were no crowds at all, and we really had the run of the park. I'm excited to take Evan back later in the summer, because he was anxious to ride everything and had a really wonderful time.

After that we headed over to visit my mom, and that was a nice end to the day. We got to kick back a little (and Ev got to hit a few baseballs in the yard), so everyone was happy. It was just the kind of day I would have wanted, and now I feel ready to face the busy week ahead. Sometimes it's good to get extra special treatment, and Mike and Evan didn't disappoint me. I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful family.

I want to write more, but I'm tired and bed seems more important right now. I'll try again tomorrow, when I'm likely to make more sense.

Posted by jenny at 11:09 PM | Permalink

This week has been another busy one for us so far, and Evan's been busy in his own way. He started drinking from a juice box. Sounds like no big deal to most people, but this has been another one of his sensory hurdles that we've been trying to overcome for years. But he tried this one without too much coaxing or hesitation, which is great. He's pretty excited about it, so much so that I bet I'll be getting another pack of juice boxes before the weekend.

We're working jointly in speech and OT now to try to rid Evan of his last lingering sensory problems. I realize that he's never going to be just like other kids, but we'd like to get him to the point where seeing someone eat a banana or drink from a glass with ice doesn't make him gag. He has sensory components in all of his therapy sessions now, and I've been doing new things with him at home to help.

It's strange, but things we've tried in the past and failed are starting to work now. I guess Evan just needed to be ready for everything to click like it has been. With this, as with so many things, Ev has shown us that our timeline is not necessarily his. We've just needed to let him work at his own pace and make his own progress. I just wish I could see what his timeline is for potty training.

Posted by jenny at 9:37 PM | Permalink

We've been getting quite the amount of ideas and feedback about potty training from other parents and friends lately, solicited and non. The thing I've realizing after 4 years of doing this is that no kids are alike and what works for you doesn't work for Evan.

Case in point - potty training. Every time we ask if Ev wants to use the potty, he says no. Straight up. "Wanna use the potty?"

"Nope!"

"Ok, then."

Most parents I've talked to here at work say their kids started going once they offered them some sort of reward. M&M's seemed to be a common theme. Here's the thing though - Evan could give a crap about M&M's and certainly isn't going to sit on the potty - something he despises - for some stupid M&M's. The trick for us is going to be finding something that would interest him enough to actually try going.

On Friday, I had an idea.

This was only going to work not by rewarding him but by taking stuff away. The thing that finally worked - Wolfenstein Enemy Territory.

We don't really let him play it, we just let him loose in an empty map and he runs around and throws grenades. All in all, it's pretty harmless, but he likes to play it. He calls it Goldrush - after one of the maps he likes.

On Friday night, we took the game away and told him that if he wanted to play he had to use the potty. We tried first in short spurts - we would sit him on the big potty, and he would cry. We tried counting to 20, then he could get off and take a break, then back on.

Saturday - more of the same. He wanted to wear his big-boy underpants so there was more sitting on the potty, with just a little less crying but still no poop, so no Goldrush.

Sunday, it was more of the underpants, so we tried the potty a few more times. He was acting like he had to go so bar - dancing around and fidgeting. We'd sit him down between rounds of Guitar Hero and nothing would happen.

Finally, we coaxed a few drops out of him. We praised him profusely, and rightly so. He finally went on the potty, albeit a small amount, but it's a step in the right direction. There were no tears and I think he likes wearing the big boy underpants.

I'm a man of my word, and since he went in the potty (I suppose 4 drops counts), he got to go play Goldrush. All was well.

To thank us, as soon as he started playing Goldrush, he crapped his pants.

Thanks, Ev.

Posted by Mike at 7:46 AM | Permalink

We were able to get a lot done around the house yesterday, with help from Beth. The nursery is finished--I just need to clean up the swing and bathtub and bouncer that were in the attic, and that will be it. We also got a bunch of stuff organized and put away in Evan's room, so I'm feeling much better about everything. I'm putting off packing a hospital bag--I'm just not sure what I want to take and I haven't felt like doing it. I keep thinking that I didn't have a bag last time and I did okay, so what's the big deal? But I'll probably get around to it sometime, once I've done everything else under the sun and am still pregnant.

On that note, we were at my mom's today for dinner (turkey--yum) and she remarked that we were nowhere near baby time. I haven't dropped yet, she said, and then she asked if we knew how big the baby is. I said we'd never been told, but she said she was guessing big. I trust her years of experience, but that one statement made me want to run and book the c-section and be done with it. I'm still not decided on the whole delivery thing--right now I guess I'm just going to wait and see what develops (until someone forces me to decide one way or the other).

Now I'm just feeling either hot or achy or tired always. Time is flying and dragging at the same time. The one thing I'm very thankful for is that May is busy. Our weeks are all full of preschool and therapy (no breaks this month), and our weekends are full of family obligations and parties and things. So at least I am not sitting still and driving myself up the wall. That would be way too easy to do.

Posted by jenny at 8:38 PM | Permalink

My 34 week doctor's appointment was last evening, and still everything is fine. All fluids and rates and measurements are right on track, and I don't have to go back for another two weeks. It seems I'm just right in the complaint department too, as all my aches and pains are "perfectly normal" for this stage of the game. Honestly, I'm not feeling that badly--I just get very tired by the end of the day, and my walking/sitting in certain positions has become uncomfortable with the large baby pressing down. But all in all it could be worse.

I saw Lisa yesterday, and she's due about 9 weeks behind me (give or take) and it was nice to see her little belly poking out as well. We took a few pictures together, as we're never sure if we'll see each other again before this baby pops out. I only saw the preview of one of them, but I'm huge! We took the shots from the side, and my belly sticks way out now. It's almost comical--if she sends them along, I'll be sure to share.

This weekend we're getting the last of the loose ends tied up in the "getting ready for baby" department. We have a few more things to organize and get out of the attic, and then we're done. It will be a relief for me to finally be ready and not have to think about it anymore. Then I just have to pack our bags and we'll be all set to sit around and wait for five more weeks!

Posted by jenny at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well, we're figuring that Ev's general snottiness was a cold and not allergies, because both Mike and I came down with it over the weekend also. Unfortunately, we were already visiting Mike's folks in Cleveland by that time--we're just hoping we didn't spread our germy goodness to them as well. So what was supposed to be our last weekend to spend time alone before the baby comes became a weekend of laying on the couch watching the football draft. We did get in an Indians game before the illness set in, which was great, because I don't see us doing so much of that later in the summer!

Now we're back home, and everyone's back at work and school after taking yesterday off to recover. We all seem to be in the achy/occasional coughing end stage of things, and I'm hoping we're all good as new in another day or two. I'm going to take the time while Ev's at school doing laundry and disinfecting all surfaces. And maybe resting a bit, because I don't want to push it.

Posted by jenny at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)