Friday, July 30, 2010

Quiet, Babies, and Getting it all done

Can I tell you how much I appreciate a little time first thing in the morning when I can turn on PBS and Fuss can watch her shows while I check in with the internet/take a shower/get dressed/finish waking up. She is currently sitting on the couch, in nothing but a clean diaper, holding her juice cup in her hand, sucking on her Maddie the Monkey, and watching Curious George - silently. It's not often that she is silent, so I take what I can get.

We went swimming yesterday at my BFF's house. I didn't bring her Maddie the Monkey, so she refused to take a nap, despite my best efforts. We ended up leaving mid-afternoon and she fell asleep within minutes in the car. It was a really nice day, despite the weirdness that was my attempt at her naptime, sans monkey. I was very relieved to not have to go into work, to be able to sleep in, to get stuff done around the house (3 loads of laundry, dishes!)

Today, I have a list of things to do, but I'm still sitting here relishing the quiet, wasting time on the internet. I need to go to the mall, Target, and the grocery store, all before 12:30 when I have a manicure appointment which will likely be immediately followed by Fuss's nap time. And then the day is often shot. (She sleeps for a couple of hours, then it takes her some time to fully wake up and be willing and ready to go out, so I don't often get the opportunity to run errands in the afternoon.)

I'm getting really excited about the arrival of this little boy. I am ready to be holding him in my arms instead of my belly. (Not to mention, I'd love to be able to set him down on occasion!) I think Daddy Fuss is, too. He was asking when my next appointment is because he wants to know my status, though since I won't be quite 35 weeks at my next appointment, I'm not sure if they will check me or not (or if I want them to - I vaguely remember that being very uncomfortable).

But my house is still in disarray, I have no place to finish putting stuff away, I have no place to put the loot I'll likely bring home this weekend after the first of my baby showers. So that is frustrating and concerning. The demolition is almost all done, he has a little bit to finish today and then he can begin on some of the dry walling, which I'm really happy for. I am SO ready for this project to be done, to be in my new room, to have Fuss in hers. Mostly, I am ready to have my house back! This is really messing with my nesting instinct and my new found desire for a cleaner, more organized house.

I am looking forward to a fun, but busy weekend!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Nearly 34 weeks

Just finished my last day of "temp" work for my dad. I have nothing else on the books except for a little paper work that I can do from home, and my weekly 1-2 hours of voluntary (I get paid, but I don't HAVE to go in) check in. I'm actually thrilled to be done, since I have hated having to wake up early to go to work. I do, however, greatly appreciate the money!

Sleep has been an issue in our house of late. Fuss went through almost a week of very early (by everyone's standards) to early-for-her wakings, despite some less-than-stellar naps and at least one late night. BUT! We seem to have tricked her into sleeping at least a little later the last 2 mornings (by wearing her out more and then putting her to bed later) and so I am hoping we are getting back to normal in that department. My 6am alarm, however, has severely damaged my best sleeping time (usually between my 4:30 pee break and whenever Fuss gets up or Daddy Fuss wakes me up) and so I am greatly looking forward to getting back to that starting tomorrow! I know Daddy Fuss is, too, since I've had to wake him to help with Fuss when I leave for work, or he's actually been the one several times to get up and attempt to put her back to sleep to no avail.

She's going through a phase right now where she only wants to sleep in her bed. She's actually become a bit of a home-body, which confuses me. (And is messing with me, too, since with all the chaos at the house, the last place I want to be is home, if I can avoid it.) But our adventure yesterday with attempting to avoid the demolition noise and napping at Grandma's house didn't go over as I had hoped (it was just short of a dismal failure. She slept, but not until much later in the afternoon than she should have - especially since she told me she was tired even earlier than her usual nap time). So today, we are trying again, with a few minor changes, and we shall see what happens.

It is hot. It is incredibly hot and muggy out today. I began to perspire on the very short walk from the back door to the car, a mere 15 feet away. Partially, of course, my "upholstered" body is to blame, but everyone is commenting on how hot it is this summer (weird, since we had the coldest, longest winter we've had in years this past winter). I do not recommend getting pregnant in December, especially when you live in a hot climate to begin with, since the worst time of your pregnancy will be in the hottest months of all. Part of me wonders if my increase in contractions is evidence of him "baking" faster than usual, though I know that's ridiculous!

My baby shower is this weekend and I am looking forward to it. It will be smaller, more laid back, more intimate, than my first shower, and I am completely fine with that. I know it's my second baby and I am grateful that my friends and family are willing and wanting to do anything for me, let alone shower me with gifts, ha ha!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

10 on Tuesday

1. How do you take your coffee on an average day? How do you like your coffee if you’re spluging?
I only rarely have coffee in general (I like it, but I limit my caffeine intake while I'm pregnant and it has more caffeine than a Coke) but I prefer it with lots of Splenda and flavored creamer. My splurge would be a Caramel Latte from Starbucks or a Caramel Frappucino.

2. What is your genre of books to read?
Easy Romance (my own description) - I don't want "heaving busom" novels (though I used to read them), but more of the Nicholas Sparks type.

3. Where do you want to retire, if you could go anywhere?
I am totally fine w/ retiring here (half the rest of the country seems to, why not?) but I wouldn't mind a house in the mountains of North Carolina or something to deal with the hottest months.

4. The 17-year-old you is told to write a 10-minute speech. What topic would you have picked?
Something about an actress I liked or whatever. I have always been into movies and pop culture, etc.

5. What word describes you best?
Right now, 8.5 months pregnant? TIRED.

6. What is the next “event” that you are looking forward to? (ex.: vacation, moving, date, job change, etc)
The birth of my son in early September!

7. Do you like to discuss controversial topics or do you prefer to avoid those types of conversations?
Depends on the topic. I don't shy away from them because they are controversial, but I don't talk about them unless I have a solid opinion.

8. Would you rather add 4 free hours to each day, or add 1 extra day to the week?
Free like "I can do what I want" free? Oh yes! Of course, I can't tell you I won't use them to sleep, but I'd love that. I think the weeks are long enough!

9. If you created a sports team; what would your colors and mascot be?
Did this for an art-school project once. Purple and silver and the mascot was a pirate (we were the Rogues)

10. If you had to be a teacher, what subject would you teach?
English/Writing or American History. I love to write and I think I might actually be good at inspiring kids to get into it, too. But there was once a dream I had to develop a new American History curriculum with a lot of updated accurate info that they don't teach in schools now.

Fun questions this week!
For more 10 on Tuesday, check out Roots and Rings!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Current Status

Oh our "play date" the other day, Daddy Fuss and I did one of our regular check-ins over lunch. We each asked the other the questions "how are things going?", "are you content with where you are right now?", "what would you like to change?", "is there something specific you'd like to be doing with your life right now?" etc.

I hadn't thought specifically about my answers to those questions lately, but in talking it out with him, I realized that things are pretty good right now. I think a lot of my increasing happiness with my current lot in life is not having to work outside the house (very much) right now. I'm also really enjoying getting back into my writing. But mostly, I'm feeling more confident in my ability to parent/mother Fuss. And while I'm occasionally concerned about what is going to change/happen when the new baby comes (can I parent a toddler and a newborn all day every day?) I am less freaked out about this these days. That's not to say I don't have bad days. Oh, yes, I do! But I seem to have more "bad moments" than full days!

But overall, I am feeling better about things in general lately. I am feeling better about my life (or I was until we cut off the back of the house and began living in chaos this weekend... but you know, overall, things are good!)

There is not a single room in my house that is not in chaos. It's beginning to drive me crazy and it's only day 2 of this. Even Fuss's room has the baby's stuff piled into the crib. And my husband is painting each wall of our room one-by-one so that the main part of it is done before we move rooms (so as not to waist time...). No idea what we're going to do if it's not done by the time the baby arrives. I know he won't be sleeping in the crib right away, but it would be nice to have the crib ready for him, regardless (for the occasional naps, etc.) and I need the storage space for all his stuff, etc. (and do not even get me started on where the heck I'm going to put even the bouncer and the bassinet if the house is still in this much chaos when he arrives. I shudder to think about that possibility.)

Friday, July 23, 2010

7 Quick Takes

1. We found the perfect palate for our exterior colors last weekend, and now seem to have lost the card/can't find them again. Growl.

2. Our initial Home Improvement Fund is severely depleted. The money that we were all so sure would cover everything and possibly then some is dwindling quickly. And as I look out my sliding glass door, I see that we have SO much to do. I'm freaking out. From the impression my dad gave me, I thought we'd have some left over. Or at least as much as we have left for decorating both bedrooms. And we haven't even purchased the dry wall yet! Panic is about to be induced.

3. So tired of changing stinky diapers. And smearing cream on diaper rash!

4. Feeling like a hippopotamus. Heard the term "pregopotamus" this week and glared at my husband to remind him to never use that to refer to me.

5. Heard a story from my dad about his impression of my mom when she was about this pregnant w/ me all those years ago. He described her as "the cutest thing" and assured me that despite my current feelings of unwieldiness, my husband likely doesn't feel that way. This was in direct opposition to the way my mom always implies that my dad felt about her when she was pregnant (she thought he was repulsed by her being "fat"). It was an interesting perspective to hear. Made me feel a little better!

6. Inside demo should be starting next week on the new room. I have to figure out how to push everything away from the wall this weekend (okay, Daddy Fuss does all the heavy work, but I have to figure it out) and I know this means we'll be eating off tray tables for at least a week. Let's hope that's all it means.

7. Daddy Fuss took Fuss to the doctor this morning, since the diarrhea and fever have continued now for 3 days. She woke at 5 am again this morning (way out of the norm for her) and we are both so tired. I can't wait until nap time.

For more, click here.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Sick Kid

Had to work very early today and tomorrow. And I have a sick toddler at home, so not much time for an update. Fuss is running a bad fever and has had diarrhea for 2 days. She's also suffering from a horrible diaper rash on the backs of her thighs, which is causing her some really awful pain. Might be taking her to after hours pediatrics tonight, will have to see how she responds to this next dose of meds. Poor baby.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

(Nearly) 33 weeks

I had my bi-monthly appointment at the OB yesterday and learned a lot.

The best and biggest thing was that they are still very much on board with inducing me at 39 weeks, due to the proposed size of said munchkin. This has been a worry of mine over the last few weeks, since they won't put it on the schedule until 36-37 weeks and I've been sort of counting on that date as my "end date." (Plus, it's super convenient for everybody. My mom and SIL have requested time off, the following weekend is Labor Day weekend, so everybody has a little extra time off to come play with both Fuss and the little guy, etc.)

My BP is up - still not in the scary zone, but higher than it's been, and higher than it ever was w/ Fuss. She asked me if I'd been having headaches before I even got the chance to mention my 48-hour headache. She asked a bunch of questions about swelling (very little, though a few sporadic episodes where it's been really bad for an hour or two) and indigestion feelings, and she checked my reflexes and verified that my protein levels were normal in my samples. (Yes) Basically, I have a few symptoms of possible pre-ecclampsia and she wants me to monitor my symptoms more closely and to call if they get worse, etc. She also encouraged me to go ahead and take the Rx I have for my headache to try and kill it and see if we could then start from scratch.

The other info I got was that the hospital tour isn't necessary. They were able to give me my paperwork at the Dr's office and I can mail it in for pre-registration. Daddy Fuss and I haven't discussed it yet, but I'm leaning towards skipping the tour altogether and just making my mom happy about the shower schedule.

I'm not happy that there is a chance I might have pre-ecclampsia, but I am happy that I feel like they are taking some of my more annoying symptoms a little more seriously. The one midwife often blows everything off - don't worry, you're fine, you feel different during pregnancy, etc. She is probably right, but I've been asking about my elevated-for-me BP since the end of my 1st trimester when I started getting the pregnancy migraines, and this is the first time I feel like they have truly listened/noticed a potential problem.

I took Fuss to my BFF's house yesterday while I was at my appointment. She ran around with BFF's boys (ages 7 and 3) for several hours and then we all went swimming in their pool when I got there after my appointment. Fuss took an unprecedented 4-hour nap that afternoon. (But then she didn't want to go to bed and woke WAY early for her this morning, so I guess we paid for it, either way.) Now we're both tired and I am really looking forward to nap time!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A different type of 10 on Tuesday

For each of the following 10 categories, tell us which brand/product you use and why.
1. Cell Phone - My faves have always been Nokia, but my current one is an LG. Which is probably my 2nd runner up brand of cell phone.
2. Email - Yahoo with a little gmail thrown in. I'm really getting over yahoo lately, though. Too many issues.
3. Toothpaste - my fave is Arm and Hammer, but my dad always gives us a tube each for Christmas, which tends to last us for awhile during the year. This year it is Crest brand, so that's what we're on
4. Car - I drive a Chrysler Town and Country
5. Writing Utensil - My favorite ball point pens are Xeno by Staples. I have a bunch, so they are often around, but really, I'll write with whatever is available. As much as I like office supplies, I'm not that picky about what I use to jot things down.
6. Lotion - Currently using both Jergens Ultra Healing (to stave off the stretch marks) and Bath and Body Works (to smell good). (Incidentally, I like the Coconut Lime Verbena and the Moonlight Path scents the best)
7. Interior Paint - We bought the new Behr Primer/Paint in one for Fuss's room. Will likely do the same when we have walls to paint for our new room.
8. Soda/Drink - Coca Cola Classic
9. Laundry Detergent - Tide with Bleach or All Free and Clear (depending on who's laundry we're doing)
10. Medicine - Like headache medicine? When not pregnant, I swear by Excedrine, but while pregnant it's good ol' Tylenol (or the generic equivalent) for me!

For more 10 on Tuesday, click here.

Monday, July 19, 2010

I had a play date with my husband.

You know what baffles me? That ice cream at the grocery store is tax-free, but toilet paper (certainly the more "needed for life" of the two) is not. That just messes with my sense of logic. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the tax break on the ice cream - because I love ice cream, but my sense of reason just cannot fathom that.

On Sunday, my SIL, J offered to take Fuss from 8:30am to 4:30pm to join a group from her church to go to the local zoo (it was $5 zoo day, I learned later. I figured there was something going on - maybe a group discount or something, because those darn adult tickets are expensive). We offered to make breakfast for the 2 aunts (my other SIL, LP, was also going) and then they took her on to church and were going over to the zoo immediately following.

For the first time in her life, Fuss needed someone called out of church during the service. No one has any idea what was happening, or why she was suddenly fussy and upset. (She had been in this class before, had walked right in without an issue, had made a friend, and had been there for a couple of hours already. They figured out later that she was very hungry, but she had had a good breakfast and they give a small snack in the class, so I am still confused as to what caused it, but I will likely never know.) They ended up skipping the zoo because she was fussy and complaining that she was tired and hungry and taking her to lunch w/ Oma (my MIL) and then brought her home. She apparently ate everything in sight but then refused to take a nap until mommy and daddy got home at 3 (a very late nap for her), coming home earlier than planned because of her issue. No big deal, we had had a nice day together, etc. but it was sort of strange, overall. She was clingy to me after her nap, as well, though totally willing to go down for her nap as soon as we got home. (She apparently kept asking for Aunt J in the class, and then when Aunt J got there, she burst into tears and cried "I want my mommy!" which is a new experience overall! I have heard stories about separation anxiety, and clingy phases that children go through, and I've waited for them to happen, and never actually seen them. This 15 minute episode is the closest I've seen in my obviously very Independent girl. )

When J offered to take Fuss, she set one stipulation: we were not allowed to work. This was a play day. We appreciated that - Daddy Fuss has been working SO hard, such long hours at the office, picking up freelance jobs and helping my dad with the construction. We had quite a time figuring out what to do with all this proposed freedom! We went over to the fancy mall and walked around. We checked out the iPad at the Apple store (love it, we're dreaming about it) and went to Build-a-Bear for our upcoming arrival and had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (and cheesecake, of course. Simply delicious cheesecake!). We walked into some of the high-end stores that I typically don't go into (I like shopping, but I am really the type that I'm not going to look if I know that I for sure cannot buy anything, therefore I usually don't go into Coach stores - the outlet, maybe, but not the regular retail store - and Tiffany's, etc.) but it was fun to window shop. We also stopped at Brookstone and sat in the massage chairs for a little while, getting electronic massages.

I've been plagued with some bad headaches again lately, but today seems to be the worst in awhile. I woke with it, feeling like I'd slept funny and I know I slept poorly all night - my longest (by far) stretch of sleep without waking was 90 minutes. But my usual tricks to get past a morning where I wake up with a headache didn't completely work. (it's better than it was - I can function and take care of Fuss as needed, though I imagine she'll be watching a little more TV than is ideal today, but we've already been to Target, where she was happily very well behaved)

I'm hoping for an easy day. I have things to do, of course, but I plan to take it easy. I've also noticed an increase in contractions this morning (including one in the shower that I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't scrubbing my tummy at the time - apparently the idea of a water birth really has some merit!) so, yet another reason to take it a little easier.

Friday, July 16, 2010

7 Quick Takes: It's the end of the week!

1. I am still recovering from my experience of working for 3 days this week. I know that it's July and I'm 8 months pregnant, but I'm mildly amused at myself, since I used to do this full-time, often 50 hours a week or more. And we were way busier then (though I also had help back then, too!). I am getting old!

2. My house is being attacked by flying insects. The construction at the back of house seems to have somehow allowed them access to the inside of the house, and I have spent way too much time slapping at house flies. Ugh. We're getting them under control with bug spray, etc. but it's been somewhat ridiculous.

3. Did I mention that we signed up for Netflix recently and are LOVING the streaming-through-the Wii option? Seriously, it has been a life-saver in the Fuss department (they have a great selection of kid-friendly movies and TV shows) and Daddy Fuss and I are enjoying some of the older movies and TV shows available (remember The Commish? Love that Tony Scally!) I think we'd continue it just for the streaming option, but we also get several disks in the mail per month, which is great, too! (since not everything is available streaming through the Wii).

4. I'm going to have to hurry up and choose the exterior colors for my house, since we need to paint the outside of our addition (something I hadn't considered) and I am having SUCH a time making that choice. Cannot believe how difficult it is to pick a nice-looking combination that both Daddy Fuss and I like. Plus, I am not in the outside-of-the-house mindset right now. I am focused on the inside and I am just not ready for this!

5. I really, really, really want a new battery for my laptop. I have all these fanciful thoughts of being able to, you know, MOVE my computer off my desk. Or take it to Panera some evening for a quiet hour or two of writing by myself without little kid TV shows entering my thoughts from the background.

6. My exhaustion this week has delayed my writing, though I have written a little bit and it's all completely new stuff. I have even named a character after one of my internet friends and it's interesting how this originally minor character is coming alive. I hadn't even planned this character into existence, but there she is, in my story. I'm amused.

7. I am so glad to have White Collar back. Neil Caffrey, I have missed you!

For more quick takes, click here.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Tired, swollen, and plain worn out...

I am swelling this morning. I've had several experiences this pregnancy with rapid swelling in my hands that lasts from 20-60 minutes or so, and I've been assured that since it's always first thing in the morning, that it's just my body's reaction to no hydration overnight... but this was freaky to me, since it was my feet, not my hands. And I had to hobble from place to another since my toes were so puffy that they wouldn't bend well...

I feel like he's shoving himself into my lungs/ribs lately and I'm having more trouble getting good, deep breaths. I don't remember that with Fuss, but then, she spent most of her time pushing down on my left hip bone and this baby's favorite spot is my upper right section.

I want to sleep all day today. Seriously, I am SO tired. The waking so frequently at night is really annoying, and I've put in a lot more physical work this week than I'm currently used to. I'm looking forward to taking it easy today, I think. As a matter of fact, I've been wishing my laptop was more portable (the battery doesn't work at all, so it has to stay plugged in at all time or it shuts off immediately. The current scenario has the laptop stuck on a desk and a very uncomfortable chair to sit in, and all I want is to be lazy and lounge in bed or in my recliner or whatever.

I am officially 8 months pregnant today. I have 7 weeks until my (tentative) induction date. I am starting to feel very overwhelmed by everything that is going on/still needs to be done. I'm freaking out about the room - since we need it done for the space, but also, I don't want to be finishing it while having a newborn at the house, adjusting to postpartum life, etc. (can you imagine the noise/paint fumes/dust and having a newborn? I cringe at the thought).

Off to start my day... shower, laundry and relaxation. Looking forward to it.

Oh, I should note that yesterday, my SIL J took Fuss for the morning and they played/went out to lunch and then came home and cleaned up my living room. I was SO grateful. She even vacuumed. So sweet.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The exhaustion that is Wednesday

I woke Monday morning to the blaring of my husband's alarm. And by "my husband's" I mean, it sits less than 2 feet away from my head and I am responsible for turning it off and tapping/pushing/kicking him out of bed over the next 1-2 minutes. He got up rather easily at that time and left our room, taking the dog who was awake with him and closing the door behind him. Approximately 2 minutes later, I heard the skies open up and the rains deluge. I was drifting back to sleep when I realized that some of my father's construction equipment was outside in said deluge. And I didn't know if, in his sleep-filled state - my dear husband would remember this bit of info. So I got up. And I searched the house for my dearest love. I knew there was no way he could have gotten out the door and been far enough away from the house on his run to be delayed in returning in the 5 minutes it took for my brain to process this situation. Finally, I looked out back where the equipment was and heard a clanging. I went outside to help my now-drenched beloved. And then we both wiped ourselves off and climbed back into bed with the words "bed is good" being muttered by one of us...

Some time in the next hour, I vaguely remember being uncomfortable with a not-so-fun combination of headache/toothache/heartburn and struggling to fall back to sleep. I also vaguely remember hearing a cell phone ringing from the next room, and for some reason assuming it was my husband's work phone and some random co-worker was calling in sick.

When he arose at 7, I muttered "I heard your phone earlier" and rolled over. Fifteen minutes later, he came back in, listening to MY phone's messages. It was my dad. He was in need of someone to work the morning shift - at least while he did the runs to the other store - since the girl who was supposed to cover for the next 2 weeks' worth of vacations didn't come in. This did not bode well for my week.

Long story short (too late!), I ended up working the bulk of a 6 hour shift in 90+ degree heat (that's w/ the AC on full-blast), on my feet, 8 months pregnant, with a toddler in tow. This was not ideal. And in normal circumstances, I could have helped him out this one day and said, "sorry dad, make your alternate arrangements," and left him to find someone else to work the mornings and he could cover the afternoons (which he has done for months and months, so this is not a huge deal.) BUT! With 7 weeks until my baby's birth and major construction (for us, anyway) going on at the back of my house - mostly being done by my dad - I have to help out more than I'd like in my current condition.

The heat and stress and "on-my-feet"-ness of the job caused me to have several more Braxton Hicks contractions than I'm currently used to. The lack of decent drinking liquids available (the soda machine is long gone and my dad has only been stocked Diet Pepsis lately - his drink of choice, but I can't handle the NutraSweet and on Monday, the water cooler was broken/frozen over, so that was out) made me swell up for several hours in the afternoon.

We can use the money and I really do want to help out my dad when I can. And, surprisingly, he's being great about whatever help I can give him. I think he's realizing that my body just can't handle the stress of working like I used to (and I did this for years. Often for 6-8 hour shifts with many a 10-12hour day thrown in for good measure), especially while being THIS pregnant and still having to deal with a 2-year-old both during and after working hours. He's shown concern for my physical well-being during this pregnancy, which is nice. I'm not sure he realized what women go through to grow a baby - I seriously wonder if he thought that all that they did was to "get fat," but I have been educating him with as much tact as I can (I don't go into the graphic details - he's my dad after all - but he knows a lot more now than he did 30 years ago when it was my mom enduring the discomforts!)

I agreed to cover Tuesday (why not?) and Wednesday (I have a babysitter for Fuss that day, so that takes care of SOME of the stress) mornings for him, and he has stated that he will be sure to be here to work on the house on those days that I am able to relieve that burden from him. I'm not sure what I'll do next week, as that, at least, will be in a slightly more comfortable environment (not our plant, so the temperature is much more conducive to being controlled at normal levels), but for this week, 3 days is all I can promise at this time.

I am exhausted. Truly. My legs and feet and back hurt (more so that before) and I have ZERO energy. My contractions have upped and my headaches. I want this to end.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

10 on Tueday

1. What is the worst movie you have ever seen?
For the longest time, I would have to say either Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (the only movie I have ever walked out of because it was so awful) or Pitch Black (Vin Diesel at his worst), but then my step-dad introduced me to a movie that was so awful... The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (or something to that effect) and, well, that is probably the winner as far as bad movies go. Really. Terrible. The ONLY thing that got me 2/3 of the way through it was the fact that an actress I once liked was the main child character in the movie and I kept hoping it would get better...

2. Do you have a favorite Disney/Pixar film?
Ah, Disney movies. Do you specifically want Pixar films? That would be Monsters, Inc. But if you're talking Disney animated and just throwing in the Pixar to widen the genre, I'd give you the list of all my favorite Disney animateds...
Classic Disney animated, Sleeping Beauty, with Snow White as a close 2nd.
Modern Disney animated, Beauty and the Beast, with Aladdin as a close 2nd.
I honestly prefer 2D animation to the digital images, since I feel like those are akin to actual art, as opposed to computerized art, but I did truly love the plots of both Monsters, Inc. (I cried - at an animated film, did the same for Up!, but then, when I saw Up! I was pregnant, so it might not count...) and Finding Nemo, so they get a lot of credit for that.


3. Do you have a favorite movie from the 80′s?
Does The Parent Trap II count? I LOVED that movie (came out in 1986)

4. Are there any movies you saw more than once in the theater?
Plenty in the old days, but the last one I saw more than once in the theater was Titanic if that tells you how jaded I have become about giving the theaters my money multiple times...

5. What is one city/area of the US (or country you live if you do not live in the US) that you have not seen but would like to see?
Washington State/Oregon wine country. This is a big, planned vacation for me and my husband, but we want to do it sans kid(s) and when I'm not pregnant, so it's gonna likely be awhile.

6. What are your favorite toppings on an Ice Cream Sundae?
Hot fudge, caramel, maraschino cherries, chocolate chips

7. How many proms did you go to? What color was your prom dress? If you went to multiple proms, what color was your favorite prom dress?
We weren't allowed to dance at my high school (or even allowed to dance at another high school if you attended our high school, though those rules have since been changed...) so we didn't have "prom" per se, but had a formal dinner we called Jr/Sr Banquet. I went to the both my Jr and Sr year banquets. (You were not allowed to go if you were not of age, even if your date was)
My mom made both of my dresses (a very popular thing at my school - most of my friends formal dresses were custom made by a mom or a seamstress) and Jr year it was teal blue, and Sr year it was spearmint green. I loved them both, but looking back at pictures, I love the teal blue one was the best.

8. Is there a sport or extra-curricular activity that you didn’t get to try as a child that you wish you would have? (e.g. gymnastics, piano lessons, ballet, etc.)
I did all the extra curricular activities that I wanted to, at some point. I took piano for years (i'm not very good) and took ballet off and on until a horrible teacher soured me on it, Children's Theater, baseball, tennis, etc. The only thing I wish I had stuck with longer/more advanced was gymnastics. I took a pre-school class when I was very little and I loved it, but when I outgrew that instructor, I didn't go on and I wish I would have.

9. How many silblings do you have? Are you the oldest, middle, or youngest?
None, technically, I am an only child. I adopted my older sister (but there is no legal or blood relation) and I now have 3 step-brothers, but we didn't grow up together (I was almost 26 and married when our parents got married). I am older than all of my step-brothers.

10. Do you feel like you fit in with your age group? Or do you feel younger/older than your age group?
It depends on who I'm with when that question is asked. For the most part, I feel like my peers (as in those who are the Exact same age as me) act either younger than me or my same age (I have 2 friends who were born the same year as me, and they are about the same in maturity as I am. However, most of the time, I think people my own age are a lot less mature than I am. Maybe that comes from being an only child (and therefore hanging out w/ a lot of adults/my parents friends) or maybe it comes from always having friends who were older than I am. My husband is younger than me (6 mos by the calendar, but graduated a year behind me) and he is the youngest in our circle. He's really the only friend younger than me that matches my maturity.

(For what it's worth, I think this was one of the best sets of questions I've seen on 10 on Tuesday, but that might be because it was all stuff that really interested me...)

For more 10 on Tuesday, click here.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Writin'

I've written a ton of stories in my life. I've written reports and short stories for fun and school. When I was younger (read: jr high) I had this whole series in the works called "The Fabulous 14" about FOURTEEN best friends. I was really into characters and character development. Before I had a few pages of the story written, I had put hours upon hours into character development and backstory for each of them. Needless to say, I eventually got bored and nothing came of it. I've since realized that that is way too many main characters. But I really like characters. I've always spent a lot of time figuring out my characters before I focus on the plot.

This time, however, I haven't really put a lot of effort into the background of my characters. And I'm missing a bunch of details. And I need to figure out some of those details before I get too much further. I need to know what my main heroine does for a living. I've not even remotely begun to describe her physical features, her family, etc. Mostly because I don't know yet. Somehow, I can see them, but not put it into words or something.

It's a very weird way for me to write. And maybe that's a good thing, since I never can seem to actually finish the things I write (or, in the case of very short stories, the plot is so incredibly boring that no one - including myself - would want to read it.)

I don't know if I should go back now and fill in some of the background or if I should just move forward with the story, hope the facts come to me, and fill in some details on my first round of edits or what. I guess I'll take it as it comes, though I kind of wish I knew a few more details about my main characters, at least.

Friday, July 9, 2010

7 Quick Takes: Short ones

1. I find some of the PBS shows that Fuss likes to watch really annoying. But the one I dislike the most (that I can't seem to get out of) is the one that she interacts with the most/best so I feel like I should let her watch it. But the darn songs get stuck in my head...

2. We got the house cleaned up pretty well in time for our guest last night and my goal is to stay on top of it better in the coming weeks. I had let it get out of hand again, so it was a little more chaotic than it should have been!

3. I'm struggling with being tired all the time, especially at inconvenient times (like when it's no where near naptime for Fuss). I guess I'm just not sleeping very well in general. My best sleep seems to be in the last hours before we get up - and if I'm awakened early, then I'm in trouble.

4. Last night, I woke up to go to the bathroom and found Fuss's door opened. I tend to get a hyper-imagination in the middle of the night, so I had this fear she'd been kidnapped and had to go into her room to check on her. She wasn't there. I nearly had a heart attack. I decided to check the living room before I woke my husband and there she was, asleep on the couch (or half on the couch - couldn't have been very comfortable). I carried her back to bed and re-tucked her in (she was missing Maddie Monkey and her paci, so I found them) and she went right back to sleep. When I asked her about it this morning, she didn't seem to know what I was talking about. I wonder if she was sleep-walking, since she didn't make any noise, apparently. (I would have heard her.)

5. The baby seems to keep trying to shove his head into my ribs or something and it really hurts. I have to stretch my torso as long as I can, which isn't that much fun or comfortable, either. I think this kid is long - because often, I can feel him very high into my ribs and also lots of pressure down below. I won't be surprised if he's actually really long.

6. My new craving/food-obsession is Key Lime Pie. Loving it. And so is the baby!

7. Blogger seems to be auto-saving and freezing every minute, making this post very difficult to get through. Grrr.

For more Quick Takes, click here...

Thursday, July 8, 2010

So much to do!

Oh my goodness, I have a tooth ache. A BAD tooth ache. The kind where it radiates down into the other jaw as well and feels like half of teeth hurt in general. And of course, being pregnant, nobody wants to do anything for me - and I have 2 months left of pregnancy! And then at least a week (or more) until I can get enough milk stored up to take a few hours away from my newborn to get my teeth fixed... suddenly, those 2 months seem like a VERY long time instead of the panic I've been feeling about it being so short and having so much to do! I'm having trouble sleeping when I lay on the side with the sore tooth, it's giving me a headache and I feel kind of like I'm falling apart. I'm going a little crazy.

I've re-typed a little over 5000 words (with edits) and now I'm to the point where I think the original writing moved way too fast and got way too... much. So I need to move it in a different direction and that is, of course, slower going. Unfortunately, my husband and I are having guests over this evening for dinner and I have to spend more time cleaning the house today and getting ready for our company. I had let the house get a little more out of hand than I should have - so it's taking me more time than it should.

In addition, we finally found the Pull-ups that we were searching for (the Cool Alert version) and I tried starting Fuss in them yesterday. It doesn't seem to be working the way I had hoped, but she does seem to be more interested in letting me change her... so at there is something happening there! I'm trying not to get frustrated with her lack of progress in the potty training department. I'm not really in a hurry at this point, since I know she'll likely regress from that when the baby comes since it's so close now, but I feel like she COULD do it, or at least do better at it now, but she chooses not to.

We picked out the paint color for Fuss's new big girl room, and I'm very excited. We're discussing the options on the details - I want to paint some really large (larger than life) flowers on at least one section of her room to kind of give it a garden feel. And the main color scheme is green w/ pink, but her quilt has several colors in it, so I might need to add more than just pink colors for the flowers.

There is so much to do here at Casa Fuss. And I have 8 weeks from today until my (tentatively) scheduled induction date!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Writing, writing, writing

My usual random Wednesday is to be interrupted by my new obsession with writing again. I woke (early. very early.) on Tuesday with thoughts on the next section of a story I had written years ago and not touched since before Fuss was born and I'm getting back into it. I've been wanting to work on my writing for awhile now (Maggie inspired me back in November... what can I say? I'm a procrastinator...) and this is one of the first things that has gotten me truly excited, with a chunk of ideas. Unfortunately, while I have a hard copy of the original pages, I don't have the file any longer (I have no idea which computer it would be on, either - and we have all our old hard drives stored up at my dad's building right now, so it's not even as "simple" as plugging them in one by one and figuring out where it is.) so I have to retype 17 single-spaced pages, plus the new material. And I'm finding that I'm editing as I type, so it's slow-going. But it's fun. I'm excited. I can't wait to see how it unfolds.

I haven't decided how much I'm going to discuss here - Maggie didn't talk about any of hers, and that drove me nuts, as a faithful reader, but I can kind of see her point. We shall see. But I'm hoping to have a lot more of this developed before the baby arrives.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

10 on Tuesday: 7-6-10

1. If given the opportunity, would you choose a mediocre job that paid well or your dream job that paid poorly?
It would depend on a lot of factors, of course, but I think my dream job (if I ever figure out what that might be) regardless of pay. It would be nice to be fulfilled on a daily basis - feeling as if your life and work count for something. I guess you could say that being a SAHM is like that - I am regularly made aware that this is a gift - getting to spend time with my daughter, to mold her and teach her and watch her grow - and that, despite the lack of money being made, it is a precious thing.

2. What is your favorite thing about the 4th of July? (For the foreigners: What is your impression of the 4th of July?)
Can I say the food? There is something about good, american food (hot dogs, apple pie, you get the idea) and having fun w/ friends and family.

3. What’s the most random fact you know about American history?
Recently found out that President John Quincy Adams used to swim nude in the Potomac River. When a female reporter found out, she showed up on the bank of the river and sat on his clothes until he granted her an interview. This was the first interview of a President done by a female reporter.

4. What is the best fireworks display you’ve ever seen?
Several years ago, i was invited to a small gathering at a casual friends' beach condo for 4th of July. We stood out on her balcony for hours and watched a panoramic view of about 6 different fireworks shows in the distance. All the sparkle, none of the crowds, sand, or noise.

5. Who taught you how to put on makeup?
My mom and then Valerie Schaeffer, my Mary Kay consultant sort of fine-tuned it. But I'm always learning new techniques for little things both from the internet, magazines, and make-up counter make overs.

6. Have you ever gone through a financial planning process? Tell us about it.
Depending on what you mean by "financial planning process" when we found out we were pregnant the first time, my husband got inspired to get on a budget, stick with it, get us out of debt and really clean up our financial issues. We did it, too and paid off the last of our credit cards in early 2009 and have a few other debts (student loans, mortgage) that we are working on, still.

7. What was your favorite outfit as a kid? Bonus points for pictures.
No pictures, unfortunately. I remember this cute little gray and baby pink dress I had that I outgrew so my mom wouldn't let me wear it by itself anymore (I outgrew it height-wise, but it still fit everywhere else, just too short.) So I wore it over some skinny pink capri pants and I thought I was the coolest thing. I wore ankle boots and pink scrunch socks (it was the early 90's) with it and I felt very much like a dancer or something. Loved it. No idea what happened to it.

8. Do you prefer a beach, lake, swimming pool, or no water?
Swimming pool. I do not like the "dirtiness" or natural water sources for swimming, if I can avoid them.

9. Do you recycle? If not, why?
Nope. Because it seems like it is more trouble than it is worth. When we had a regular recycling pick up in our neighborhood, I was great about it. When I could drop my stuff off at the school and they would turn it all in in bulk, I was fairly good about it. But now, I have to go way out of my way to "throw away garbage" and that is so unappealing to me, so I don't bother.

10. What are your thoughts and feelings about the Twilight Saga?
I succumbed to reading it just after the 3rd book came out (for some reason the cover appealed to me in Borders one day) and I enjoyed it. I thought the character of Bella was so relateable (is that a word?) and I've liked good vampire stories since Sarah Michelle Gellar played Buffy. (big Buffy fan here - but the movie was too cheesy) I thought the 4th book was a little over the top (even by comparison to the basic storyline of vampires and werewolves in general) so I was glad it ended then. I thought the first movie was horrible (I kept apologizing to my husband for making him sit through it - and we've sat through some pretty bad movies in the past...) but the second one redeemed itself and I'm interested in the 3rd. (haven't seen it yet)

For more 10 on Tuesday, click here.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Having a son...

Our church put on a beautiful patriotic program this morning. I have a lot of respect for our military in general (see my Memorial Day post for the list of friends and family in the military) and my mom was always a red, white, and blue nut, especially around the 4th of July, so a good rendition of a patriotic song can move me to tears (they opened the service with an abbreviated version of God Bless the USA, which was beautiful) and I as I watched the video images of the flag, the military cemeteries, the images from our nations history, I started to think about all the men (and women) in the military today - how so many of them are younger than I am (including 2 of my step-brothers, currently serving over seas) and how they are all sons of somebody, etc. And how I'm going to have a son soon. And there will come a time when he turns 18 that he has to register for selective service... and how whether drafted (hopefully that won't need to happen again) or volunteering, there is a chance that he could someday serve in the military. (I suppose I could say the same for Fuss, since there are lots of women in the military, too, but for some reason it doesn't seem as likely - I guess despite the advances in gender neutrality, we still think of soldiers as men...) and I suddenly felt very weird. MY son could go fight a war some day. MY son could work to protect our country, to protect the freedoms that we so often take for granted. It made it that much more real somehow.

The 4th of July is a day to celebrate the birth of our nation. It's day to celebrate the past, our history, our Independence. But it is also a day to think about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for that independence - and those who are still out there today, working to keep those freedoms, and willing to do make sacrifices for us. It's also a day to look toward the future of our country and pray for our children and their futures - that maybe, some day those sacrifices won't have to be made...

Friday, July 2, 2010

7 Quick Takes

1. Got to see my friends' baby last night and she was SO tiny. Fuss was 2 pounds heavier at birth, so I am not used to tiny babies! :) But it was nice to meet her...

2. Despite my best hopes, no forward progress has been made on the new room in the last 2 days - we realized some more complicated demo had to be done on the far wall since it was thrown together by the previous constructors. I still don't have a closed in space and my dad is going out of town for the long weekend (a well-needed vacation for him) so not much will happen this weekend, either! Ah well!

3. I cannot seem to get my house in order. It is starting to drive me bonkers.

4. I'm struggling between wanting the next 9 weeks to fly and wanting them to slow down. I am ready to have this baby, but there is SO much to do between now and then.

5. Going to a 4th of July party at my oldest friend's parents' condo on the beach this weekend. Bringing Fuss this year (we left her with Grandma last year) so I hope she is well-behaved. She's been SUCH a Drama Queen lately.

6. My head plays PBS theme songs in the middle of the night. I miss the days when it was trendy show tunes.

7. Heading to IKEA w/ my mom and Fuss today. I may try out their kids' play area w/ Fuss for the first time. We shall see.

For more Quick Takes, click here.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Thoughtful Thursday: Housework and such

I scrubbed and scrubbed my kitchen the other day - it was SO pretty - the sink was shiny and the stove top was crud-free, the counters were clear... it had been a day or two since it was looking good and about a week since it was perfect. (This is actually a major improvement for me. I have not been great about doing this regularly, so my new-found domesticity is a nice change.) However... last night my husband made his now-semi-famous Creole in bulk for an office potluck party today. And now my kitchen is a disaster. This is why I rarely used to work on my kitchen very hard - it always gets messed up SO fast. There are also a ton (okay, a dozen) cleaned, empty wine bottles gathering on the counters for my husbands new hobby of wine-making (also a messy adventure!)

I get discouraged by my messy house. I hate looking everywhere and seeing disorganization, clutter, mess, etc. It doesn't make me comfortable in my own home, which is a bad feeling. I've never been a great housekeeper - I blame my childhood. My mom was both a little mentally scattered and very busy outside the home (she had a full-time job from about the time I was 4 or 5 and she likes knick-knacks and "stuff" so our house was always at least a little cluttered, etc.) and was never very into a cleaning. We would often let the house get kind of messy - not dirty, per se, but messy and cluttered and disorganized. So then we'd have to spend a day or two to cleaning and it would be nice for awhile, but we'd let it get away from us... And my husband's mom is way worse, so he isn't terribly picky about housework (I am blessed - I know a lot of guys who are cranky about mess and clutter... including my own dad. Of course, he wasn't ever willing to participate in the cleaning up, so he mostly let it slide, but he complained plenty). But I feel more like now that I stay home so much more, I should have the house in better order. (although I fully expect it to slip again when the baby is born - I think everybody's house suffers a bit when they have a new baby!)

But right now my house is so FULL. We have way too much stuff crammed into our space because of the construction. When my dad made mention yesterday of having to do some inside demolition earlier than originally planned, I panicked. WHERE are we going to put this stuff? Our living room is going to be unlivable. Our dining room will be useless. I'm going to be somewhat miserable with all the chaos. But I'm hoping that it's all going to be worth it - lots more space for stuff and storage!

I am officially 30 weeks today. This means 9 weeks until my likely induction. I am very excited by that, but also a little nervous about getting everything done. Once again, I am dependent on other people to help finish all I need to do to be prepared for this baby! I am also grateful that my dad hired some temporary help to cover the vacations coming up that he and I were going to have to cover (and whatever I couldn't do was going to prevent him from working on the room any further).