We've had a real rough week or so in this house and I'm truly hoping things turn around in the next couple days. Evan's grandfather died last week, so we had to drive separately back to our hometown on Saturday. While I was at work, Evan drove up to be a pallbearer in the funeral. When I was finished with my shift, I drove our other car to attend a baby shower for a good friend of mine before meeting up with Evan and his family after the burial. After I left the baby shower, the snow started coming down pretty badly and things got nasty pretty quick. I swear, I started braking in what I thought was plenty of time before the stop sign, but it was like my brakes never even engaged and I just kept sliding....right into the side of a black F-150.
I was fine, as was the other driver. I felt terrible having to call Evan to come right from burying his grandpa to rescue his wife from her car accident.
On a more positive note, I had my ultrasound today and I got to see my baby for the first time! S/he is very active, has a strong beating heart, and is developing well. The size of the baby indicates that I am just shy of 13 weeks along so my estimated due date is now September 6th.
We're all still sick. Micah's nose is streaming snot and he isn't sleeping, Isaiah has an on and off fever and diarrhea, and I'm still coughing and feeling pretty run down in general.
Time for a new episode of Castle. Say a little prayer for me that we get a good couple nights of sleep and a surge of healthy vibes. We could really use it!
Well, I finally had my first OB visit on Tuesday so I can actually give you an official baby update! Unfortunately, I have little to report. My blood pressure is fine, my weight is.....what it is. The good news is that since my first appointment was a little late in the game, I've kind of skewed my starting number a bit so in the end my official number of pounds gained will be less! Right?? Bueller?
Ok, back to the baby. My doc estimates that I'm somewhere around 12-14 weeks. Usually, I'm really good about being able to tell her the exact date of my LMP and so due dates have always been pretty straightforward. This time, the Mirena removal and following....ummm....side effects have made it difficult to nail down exactly how far along I am. Long story short, I'm having an ultrasound next week to get a more accurate idea of a due date.
We managed to hear the baby's heartbeat for all of about two seconds. The little buggar was wiggling around so much in there that my doc couldn't find it again. But, it was there and sounded strong, so she has no concerns as of this moment.
I'm looking forward to the ultrasound next week to get a sneak peek at the baby, but I'm really hoping I can convince my ultrasound tech/operator/doctor/whatever that that awful transvaginal ultrasound is really unnecessary. My doctor blushed a bit and chuckled when I referred to it as "The Dreaded Dildo Cam."
I thought it was funny.
And because every blog post needs a photo, let's pretend this is Micah's impression of me about to submit to the afore mentioned ultrasound of terror:
Hello and welcome to Project Life Tuesday! I am taking a photo every day in 2011 and putting them together in an album to create a unique keepsake of this year for our family. Be sure to check in on what others are doing with their projects over at The Mom Creative!
Sunday, February 13th - The only caption I can think of to fit this photo is "Boys and Their Toys."
Monday, February 14th - Isaiah was lucky I was willing to share part of my Valentine's Day gift with him.
Tuesday, February 15th - I got home late after auditions, so we just headed to Culver's for dinner. Micah approved of the decision.
Wednesday, February 16th - My boys love to help with laundry.
Thursday, February 17th - It's been a crazy week in my state. Governor Walker introduced a budget bill that has split our state in two and sent 70,000 or so people to the state capital to protest. It's been an extremely difficult week, regardless of which side of the issue you landed on.
Friday, February 18th - We just sent the final payment on this credit card so it is 100% paid off! So fun to destroy another one! Only one more to go!
Saturday, February 19th - It doesn't matter what I'm trying to do in the kitchen; Isaiah is always right there, pulling his chair over and announcing, "I help you, Mommy!" This time, we were making brownies!
Here's to hoping that next week calms down a bit for us! Thanks for checking out Project Life!
On a spur of the moment decision, we decided to cut Micah's hair tonight. Isaiah was getting his hair buzzed right after supper and Evan finally won me over to the idea of cutting off Micah's mullet curls. I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up a little when the first of those gorgeous curls fell, but I know it was high time to even out his hair. I look forward to when he gets a little older and his hair fills in a bit more. Pair a head of curly blond hair with those blue eyes and the poor boy is going to have to beat the girls off with a stick!!
If we could avoid it, we would. The fact of the matter is that neither one of the cars we currently own can fit three carseats in the backseat. It is a physical impossibility. Thus, we are in the market for a vehicle. We are also on the Total Money Makeover, step 2. That makes things.....tricky. It also leads to "discussions" between my husband and I about purchasing said vehicle to resemble this:
Only, without the smiling children. That's me on the left because I like red and Evan's a boy, so he gets to be the blue robot. We verbally spar back and forth, Evan countering my jabs of "safety," "reliability," and "but it's RED!" with his own punches of "no more debt," "don't really need it," and "just needs to run!" Around and around we go until one of our heads finally shoots up toward the ceiling and we quit before one or the other ends up sleeping on the couch.
There's nothing like spending money to drive a wedge between a couple, is there? Oh, it's frustrating.
Evan's Side of the Story - We've been busting our butts to attack our debt and we've been doing pretty well. The last thing we want to do now is take on any new debt, for any reason! We can find a van that may not be the nicest swagger wagon around, but will run and will meet our needs until we can trade it in after a couple years of saving for something nicer. Sarah needs to ditch her emotional attachment to getting an Odyssey or a Sienna and realize that we're just not necessarily going to be able to afford one, even an older used one. Cash only. Period. (His target price range: $5,000-$8,000)
Sarah's Side of the Story - Of course I don't want to go digging us into a bigger hole! I'm not so delusional as to think I can waltz into a Honda dealership and pick out a brand spankin' new Odyssey with all the tricked out accessories. What is important to me is purchasing a vehicle I can count on and feel comfortable putting my babies in. I've got my "heart set" on an Odyssey or a Sienna because I trust those brands, the research I have done shows they are the best choices, and I have had nothing but good experiences with the Hondas I have driven my whole life. Yes, those brands are a bit more costly. Also, I know we have other things to be saving money for over the next couple years (new windows, flooring, etc.) and I don't want all our focus to be on the "next van." I think it makes more sense to buy a slightly nicer, newer, less busted van now. Yes, we may have to take out a small loan, but I'm talking about a loan we can have GONE in two years or less and still stay on budget and on track with our TMMO. Then we'll have a better van, paid in full, with a higher trade-in value when we are ready to upgrade further down the line. (Her target price range: $9,000-$11,000)
We are both frugal people, having found a real peace in having a budget and living by it. Where we differ is that I think the rules need to be bend just a little sometimes and Evan is sticking to it, hard-lined. I think we can both see where the other is coming from, but it doesn't make choosing a vehicle any easier.
Care to weigh in on this one? We promise, it won't be adding fuel to the fire. Honestly, some outside opinions could really help us stay as objective as possible, so we're all ears! Should we be looking for this van:
or this van:
Just kidding! I don't think the panther comes with that model anyway....
Yes, I'm a teacher in Wisconsin. No, I'm not going to write anything specific about it here on the blog, but there are plenty of sources where you can read as much as you want about the uproar that the new budget bill has caused. This week has been so difficult for a number of reasons and I have a feeling it won't be improving for quite some time. Although I am currently non-union, the teachers at my district are my colleagues and my friends. I watch movies with them, drink beer with them (no, not right NOW!), have playdates with them. My friends are hurting right now. They are frustrated, scared, angry, and upset. I swear, the very air in the school hallways feels electrically charged. My heart goes out to my colleagues and I can only hope that things calm down soon because it is really hard for me to see them hurting so much.
It doesn't matter what my position on the issue is. That's not what I want to write about. All I want to come on here and say is that regardless of where you stand politically, I hope that all Wisconsinites take a second to remember that this whole debate isn't just about politics or budgets. There are real people with real families and real fears on the line here. Hard decisions are going to be made. Hateful words have already been spoken and will continue to be spouted. Misinformation and propaganda is already rampant. Let's just all keep a level head and respect one another's varied opinions, regardless of whether we are public or private sector, teacher, farmer, or otherwise. I can only hope that the uproar will settle, democracy will resume, and we can move forward toward a resolution soon.
It's been a very difficult week. I miss my Super Bowl high.
There. I've said my piece.
P.S. My college buddy Jessica Arp is the political reporter for Channel 3 and has been putting in some crazy hours covering this story as it develops right at the state capitol. Follow her on Twitter for the inside scoop.
I just finished a 10 day stretch of substitute teaching. I know that doesn't sound like much to those of you with "real jobs" who go to work every day, week in and week out. Bravo for you, but I really like being able to split my time between stay at home Mommy and teacher. It works well for me....most of the time. The key is balance. Ideally, I need a couple days a week to be home with my kids, but too many and I start to go a little stir crazy. 10 days in a row of being away from them is a bit much for me. I was totally ready to get back into Mommy Mode for a while.
Especially after last Thursday and Friday. I've written about my escapades as a substitute teacher here on the blog several times, but this time I tweeted my adventures to a different source. If you follow me on Twitter, then you already saw this. After school on Friday, I tweeted:
@AaronRodgers12 Just survived a day of substitute teaching where a kid passed out in class and another hacked his hair with scissors. BELT.
Yup, I tweeted to Aaron Rodgers. It was hilarious (in my head) because a bunch of people had taken to sending him tweets of all the things they had accomplished in their day that had earned them the right to a title belt celebration. (If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, I'm sorry. We can't be friends.) I jumped right on the bandwagon and sent my little gem.
So just picture me, waiting and watching until every student has filed out of the classroom before I turn and.....
Just when I thought I had my head on straight when it came to this baby, my darling husband goes and throws a monkeywrench in the whole affair. Now I'm all turned around, upside down and sideways, and I'm at a loss for which path to choose.
When we were pregnant with Isaiah, I really wanted to find out the sex of the baby at the ultrasound. Evan preferred to be surprised. So, we compromised....and found out at the ultrasound.
With Micah, I once again was set on finding out at the ultrasound whether I should break out the bins of boy stuff or if I got to go shopping for ruffles and flowers. Again, Evan would have voted for the element of surprise in the delivery room. Once again, my whining logic prevailed and our ultrasound revealed our second set of baby boy parts.
That's my Micah, giving up the goods.
Which brings us to Bambino #3 here. Before this little bean was even conceived, Evan and I discussed how this third (and presumably our last) baby would be different. We wouldn't really "try" to get pregnant, but we wouldn't work to prevent it either....just let it happen if it was meant to happen. Second, we decided that this time was "Evan's turn" and we would wait until our baby was born to discover if we've got a trio of sons or if a little princess was joining the brood. It took some work for me to get my head around this because I live and die by a plan. I like to know what's coming up so I can know how to handle it. Throwing caution to the wind is not really my thing. In fact, it really stresses me out. But, I was willing to test my patience to the limits and wait for the baby to emerge and the doctor to announce, "It's a ______!"
Cue: Monkeywrench.
We were discussing names the other night and Evan drops this bomb on me:
"You know, we can find out if it's a boy or a girl before it's born if you really want to. It's not that big of a deal to me either way."
WHAT???!! I launch into this tirade about how I had girded my loins, steeled my senses, prepared myself to stick it out and wait until the birth and now he tells me it really isn't all that big of a deal to him!!?? You're killing me, here!
So now here I sit, on the precipice of a decision. Do I or don't I find out the sex of this baby at the ultrasound? On one hand....it sure makes it easier. I already have two boys so if I have another boy coming, I can rest easy in knowing I'm practically prepared already. Done. However, if there is a girl in there, I have some work to do. The room will be painted and I'll have some serious shopping to do because my house is brimming with BOY right now. Of course, the surprise of the announcement of "It's a _____!" is a unique opportunity and life doesn't come with surprises like that very often.
Help. Discuss. Should I go for it and reveal the baby's gender at the ultrasound (in April) or stay the course and wait to be surprised at the birth?
Hello and welcome to Project Life Tuesday! I am taking a photo every day in 2011 and putting them together in an album to create a unique keepsake of this year for our family. Be sure to check in on what others are doing with their projects over at The Mom Creative!
Sunday, February 6th - A day like today deserves two photos! The Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl Champs!
We headed to Evan's parents' house to watch the game and we even got a naked Micah to cheer for the Packers!
Monday, February 7th - The first thing I did Monday morning was to stop by Kwik Trip and buy two newspapers for my Project Life album to commemorate the Packers' victory. Later, I drove straight to Madison to buy my official Super Bowl Champions T-Shirt!
Tuesday, February 8th - My friends Julie and Auna invited me to a fondue party with their friends from church and oh. my. goodness. I had a serious belly ache by the time I left, but it was soooooo good.
Wednesday, February 9th - Comfy couch, box of Veggie Tales videos, sippy cups of juice. All the elements a couple little boys need for a relaxing evening at home.
Thursday, February 10th - Snuggled in with a comfy blanket, Isaiah was sitting pretty with his Leapster Explorer and his best pal by his side.
Friday, February 11th - Zim, one of our cooks at the restaurant, actually made a bet with me on the Super Bowl and he picked against the Packers! Tonight, he paid up. He had to wear this tiara for his entire shift and we all called him "Princess" for the evening. What a good sport!
Saturday, February 12th - I picked up some Valentine cupcakes on the way home from work today and Micah was shoving them into his mouth as fast as he could!
It's only fitting that I should publish a post about love on Valentine's Day, right? Well, since I'm kind of throwing this together at the last minute (and at school...shhhhh!), forgive me if this seems a little hodge-podge. I have two goals for this here post: 1. To talk about my favorite book about love & relationships and 2. To let Evan know I love him more than my luggage (name that movie!!!)
Since about our second year of marriage, Evan and I have made it our practice to include a copy of The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman as part of our gift to every wedding we go to. Some might think it a little crass to give a newlywed couple a book on relationships, but I certainly wish someone had placed one our gift table back in July of 2004! It might have saved us a lot of hollering and frustrations that first year. This book is wonderful and we cannot sing its praises enough. Reading this book, learning how to understand how the other feels love, and putting it into practice probably saved our marriage. Is it easy? No way. Does it take constant work to keep the "love tank" full? Absolutely. In fact, Evan and I just had a rather intense discussion the other night about how he felt like he was "running on empty." You see, we have practically opposite love languages. Here's what I mean. This is a screen shot of a little quiz I took on the Five Love Languages website that reveals my primary love language:
I feel most loved when Evan does things for me without me explicitly asking him to do so. Dishes, laundry, giving the kids a bath, etc. I feel neglected and unloved when those things are ignored, forgotten, or when I feel he leaves more for me to do.
On the flip side, my husband is a textbook example of a Physical Touch love language. He feels most loved when I seek out to touch him - hugs, hand holding, kisses, being near him. Yes, physical intimacy is involved in this too, but it isn't the whole story. He feels like he's "running on empty" when I don't go out of my way to engage in physical contact or when he feels like he has to chase me.
To understand our struggle, check out my score for Physical Touch. Yup....ZERO. It isn't even on my radar screen. And as for him, he struggles to understand why when I come home from work and find dirty dishes all over the counters that I immediately get annoyed and upset. Considering it's Love Day, I figured it was a good time for us both to be reminded about the importance of speaking each other's language and to share this concept with you!
So, this Valentine's Day....I'm sending some love over the cyberspace airwaves to my hubby despite the fact that it really won't register with his love language at all! Ironic, huh? Love you, Evan!
Want to figure out your love language? Take the Quiz! And really...buy the book. Work through it with your spouse and you will never regret it!
My husband thinks I'm crazy. I mean, more crazy than usual. In fact, I believe the words that he used were something along the lines of "Who are you? I don't even know who you are anymore!" What could send my spouse of nearly 7 years spiralling into such a conniption fit?
Ruffles.
It all started with the camera strap. I had it on my Christmas list and my lovely parents ordered it for me, but not in time to get it before the holiday. On a recent trip back to visit, they gave me my belated Christmas gift and I greedily tore into it and installed that ruffled lovely onto my camera. Evan took one look at it and rolled his eyes, probably attributing this strange turn of events to peer pressure or influences from all these creepy blog people I keep meeting online and on "the Twitter."
Side note: When I am Tweeting during a football game, I think he wants to kill me. I just enjoy sharing the experience with countless other fans!!
Once my camera was all tricked out, I'm sure Evan thought this whole thing was over. But....then I dug out a chunk of the Christmas money I had left and ordered this gorgeous little number from Gussy Sews:
It's it cute??!! I threw it in my purse to keep my lip gloss, medication, earrings, and that sort of thing from bouncing all willy-nilly around my bag. When the hubs saw it, all he saw was the PINK ruffle.
Did I mention that my cute little Gussy pouch arrived pretty much the same day I had sent Evan an email with a little hint about a gift I would love for Valentine's Day?
The poor boy was at a loss. Suddenly, his football loving, blue jeans and sneaker wearing, low key wife was a girly girl!! "When did this happen?" he wondered. "Who are you?" he inquired.
You see? It's not my fault. I think that top one, the mulberry color, is my favorite. Oh, it is so sweet. Check out the Heart Smiles Etsy shop for more of this uber cuteness.
So why the sudden urge to be such a girly girl? Who knows! I've had a couple people tell me that it must mean this baby is a girl, but I must admit that I'm fairly convinced that I'm having another boy! Only time will tell since I have to wait until the baby is actually born to confirm my suspicions, but in the meantime.....
Hello and welcome to Project Life Tuesday! I am taking a photo every day in 2011 and putting them together in an album to create a unique keepsake of this year for our family. Be sure to check in on what others are doing with their projects over at The Mom Creative!
Sunday, January 30th - One of my favorite things to do is to snuggle and watch a movie with my boys. It's rare to get Micah in on it too! He is usually much more interested in sitting by himself.
Monday, January 31st - Here Micah is sitting in the boys' "shopping cart" taking care of the "groceries." I have no idea why he isn't wearing a shirt, but it sure is cute!
Tuesday, February 1st - Micah woke up today with a fever and was super crabby all day long. He didn't want to eat, sleep, or smile. Turns out, he was working on cutting two of his bottom molars!
Wednesday, February 2nd - Our second snow day of the week! About 18 inches of snow fell overnight, so the boys and I spent another day together in snuggle mode.
Thursday, February 3rd - Things have been slow at the restaurant lately. Very slow. What you see here is the total amount I made for the night. Ouch!
Friday, February 4th - Two days to go until the Super Bowl and I went to visit the "Prairie Dome," an enormous Packers helmet made out of snow and ice....right in the town where I work!
Saturday, February 5th - It was actually relatively warm this afternoon, so the four of us went out to play in the snow when I got home from work. With Daddy's help, Isaiah built his first snow fort!
And just as a little sneak peek at next week's Project Life.....
My week started off pretty amazing!! See you next Tuesday for another week of Project Life!
It wasn't pretty and I swear I held my breath for nearly the entire second half, but they won. They WON! I think I might still be in shock, but my beloved Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl Champions. 15 players on IR, two HUGE starters lost to injury during the Super Bowl, a 6th seed in the playoffs. None of it mattered and they won.
The Lombardi Trophy is coming home. I'm so happy.
For just a moment, I thought about calling in "sick" tomorrow to go to the party at Lambeau, but then I realized my husband just might divorce me if I went without him.
It was Green & Gold day at school today so the place was just packed with Packer pride (hardee har har har). Teachers, students, custodians, and adolescent nutrition technicians alike all came to school today proudly displaying their loyalties to the Pack. It was a little uncomfortable for me, in my Aaron Rodgers jersey, to be right next door (and clearly visible through a window) to a math teacher wearing an old school Brett Favre jersey, but her heart was in the right place.
My kids also wore some of their Packers gear to daycare today and Isaiah was pleased as punch to announce upon his arrival, "I Rodgers! Go football!" I'm so proud of that boy.
I don't know if you've heard, but we Packers fans are hardcore. Seriously. I know every team claims their fans are the best, but if you really look at it from an objective standpoint (as I clearly am), nobody holds a candle to Packers fans. Proof? Have you heard of the "Prairie Dome?" It's nothing fancy, just an enormous Packers helmet carved out of snow and ice where some local fans will be enjoying the Super Bowl. This bad boy is in my town, people. I drove a couple blocks after school and snapped these photos of the Prairie Dome:
(Excuse my squinting, goofy face. It was windy and cold!)
You see, we live and breathe the Packers here. It's part of who we are. Yes, I realize there is a small percentage of our population who doesn't give a flying fart about football and may not even know who Clay Matthews is, but you know what? Those are the kind of people that the rest of us fanatics just kindly roll our eyes at and say, "Oh bless their little heart" as we donn our Cheeseheads and get ready to scream until our throats bleed to rally our team to victory. Heck, our state capitol building is even lit up to support the Packers!
As Rick Reilly recently wrote in his article for ESPN.com, "You root for the Packers in this Super Bowl because being a Steelers fan is a sickness but being a Packers fan is incurable."
Well Rick, I've got the fever and the only cure is a Lombardi Trophy. Go Pack Go!
Have you seen this commercial yet? I seriously dang near had to go change my underpants the first time I saw it. For Star Wars lovers, parents, and kids alike....enjoy!
It reminds me of Isaiah walking around the basement like this:
May the Force be with you!
P.S. Micah is starting to do a little better. As it turns out, he's been working on cutting two molars at the same time and that would be enough to tick me off too.
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