Conceivable

I just received conception advice from an old woman in a convenience store....I didn't know what to do. I just thanked her and fled. Oh, Sheridan.

It all started with a birthday. Well, I guess technically you could say it started back in January, but we won't go there...
Zachary is staying with Grandma tonight so Johnny and I can spend time together for his birthday. Courtesy of a gift from my parents I took Johnny out on the town (a.k.a. the classy Centennial movie theatre). On our way back from seeing "Tropic Thunder" we decided to dose up on caffeine at the Loaf n' Jug close to our house. As we approached the check out the charming older cashier, whom I can only describe as typically Sheridanese, asked me when I was due. I informed her with a smile that we were due in 6 weeks.
"Looks like a girl," she casually informed me. Apparently my belly looks feminine.
"No," I mourned. "It's my second boy."
"Oh, well I had three boys before my girl," she assured me. I smiled, encouraged, and turn to leave, but she stopped us with this sage interjection:
"You have to make sure your temperature is up...High temperature kills the male sperm."
Johnny's mouth hit the floor and I believe I stammered something to the effect of "good to know," while the man in line behind us unabashedly guffawed.... I'm really not sure, it's all a blur until we reached the safety of our car.

Seriously, what do you say to that?

Guess I'll have to work on bringing up my temperature....

Ladies' Man

Zachary is an all-star! The doctor's words, not mine. Although very, very puny, his development is excellent and his health is superb. He's a champ. He was very pleased to show off his new walking skills to the nurses and receptionist. The receptionist even followed us back to his room to play with him. What a lady-killer. Not only did he charm the entire office staff, he won the hearts of every lady at US Bank, and delightedly waved to people from Daddy's second floor office window.

I waited to take my medicine until about half an hour ago. I'm too afraid to drive while I'm on it. Procardia lowers blood pressure, and since mine is already freakishly low, I get terrible headaches, dizzy spells, and nausea. So, I suffered through contractions most of the morning, but it was a delight to spend a morning being able to focus on life in general. I hope I can make it through two weeks on this stuff.

The mice had the audacity to eat my chocolate!! Even mice should know better than to mess with a pregnant woman's chocolate stash. This is war, people.

Cake Week

The birthday season has begun!! We kicked off the week with Grandmommy on 8/25. Today is my mother-in-law's 54th birthday. Zachary will celebrate his first big day on Sunday, followed directly after by Johnny's on Labor Day. Mike's 21st bash is on the 4th, but, alas, he is back to Laramie for school, so no big party with him.

Johnny's facebook status says it all. "Wowza, what a busy week!" Cousin Andy just left after taking us out for breakfast. Such a sweet guy. He's headed back to Wisconsin for school. Peter comes into town this afternoon and we are scheduled to have a birthday dinner tonight. I have to remember Zachary's 12 month check up on Friday morning. Plus, the week didn't exactly get off to a relaxing start, considering baby troubles and doctor visits.

Monday night we headed up to the hospital to pre-register with Obstetrics. I love that system, because it means when I actually do go into labor all I have to think about is pushing a watermelon out my down-town, not signing medical papers. Unfortunately, that night also brought on whopper contractions. They were so bad I thought I was going into labor. But after three hours they settled down and I was able to sleep.

Tuesday morning I got in trouble at my checkup for losing 2 lbs. and was put on Procardia to stop my endless stream of contractions. I also have to get an extra ultrasound to check on Baby's size since my tummy isn't growing.

But amidst the turmoil of this week, my son gave me a moment to pause and just revel in the joy of motherhood. He walked up to me, rested his head on my leg, and sighed, "mama." I could melt. What an angel.

Is anyone else stoked for football season?? First Gator game on Saturday!!! Woo-hoo!!

Tiny Package, Priceless Gift

There is nothing more beautiful than having your little one rest his head on your shoulder and dry his tears. He knows that Mommy will never let anything hurt him. His trust is my greatest treasure. Sweet dreams, Little Angel.

Hey, Jude

My son's favorite word is "hey." He uses it a good 5 dozen times throughout the day, not only to get attention, point out objects of interest, and assume command, but also to express indignation. Today he used it to inform me that he took offense to me unceremoniously picking him up and peeking in his diaper to check for poo.

Gabriel is still a-cookin' but we don't know how long that will last. I have many contractions throughout the day and a lot of pain and pressure.

Ryan visits this weekend!! Yay!!

So happy for Heather and very proud to have found a dress that meets her selective approval. ;) I'm hoping and praying that everything works out beautifully for her. And who wouldn't I kill to be able to visit her in NYC!!

Johnny is sitting beside me playing a computer game. It might be pathetic, but I'm happy just to be near him; it doesn't matter if he's left the known world for his own happy universe. I love to just be able to reach over and rub his back. He's so amazing.

I would really love to perform in a musical right now. Unfortunately, my diaphram is completely squished and I am way too fat to dance.

Is it bad that the highlight of my day was going to Wal Mart?

Here We Go Again

I went for my bi-weekly doctor check-up today. I had promised Johnny that I would have them check to see if I was dilating at all. I wasn't too worried, because not only was I the textbook perfect preggo at my last appointment, but I was confident in my old pro labor and delivery status. I would *know* if there was trouble. But, like the sweet, indulgent little wife I am, I asked them to check.
Before I knew it, I had been down-graded from "textbook" to "scary." Not only did I have two contractions in the time it took the doctor to measure my fundal height, I was also 4 weeks behind in belly size, hadn't grown at all since my last appointment, putting me at risk for an under-sized baby. So, the doctor already had sentenced me to weekly appointments from now on to watch the baby's size.
As if that wasn't enough, my pelvic exam showed that I am 70% effaced and about 1 cm dilated. I had to get a test done to make sure I wasn't going into active labor and I've been condemmed to "take it easy" for the next 5 weeks.

I thought I was doing so well this time.

Oh, yeah, and the doctor gave me instructions to avoid "intercourse" in about the most awkward way I have ever heard a doctor refer to sex. Wow...I think my suppressed laughter may have led to those contractions...

Living Large

My husband is my hero. It seems the longer we're together the more difficult it is to be apart. Johnny returned from his seminar in Cheyenne yesterday evening and I felt like I could breath again. We haven't even been married three years yet and five days of separation is like living a nightmare. What will it be like in 20 years? I hope to never find out.

Zachary spent dinnertime chewing on the table. The poor little bugger is cutting his canines. I doped him up on Motrin right before he went to bed and he went to sleep easily. I pray that he will get some rest and relief tonight.

Being pregnant for the majority of 2 years really gives new meaning to the term "living large." Last month I, once again, packed away my cute little size 1 GAP jeans in favor of the ever-flattering Motherhood Maternity elastic waistband. Fortunately, the juniors section of Wal-Mart abounds with the news style of blouse that looks made for big, fat preggos like me, so I can remain somewhat trendy.

2 months until little Gabriel is due!! We bought a changing table with shelves today and I was finally able to begin organizing the nursery. I dug out the tiny 0-3 month sizes in preparation for Boy #2. Zachary did not seem pleased, but I'm not sure he even realizes why he wouldn't be.

Just Another Day in Paradise

I love to vent in writing. It's wonderful. It forces all the goop out of my scrambled brain and into a semi-coherent format. Such a purging of the mind always leaves me feeling refreshed and re-focused. With this knowledge in hand I decided today would be a perfect day to start a new blog.
It just so happens that today was a perfectly rotten day. Normally I just love my life as little Susie homemaker, prancing around barefoot-in-the-kitchen-pregnant, but today, between the scraping, screaming, whining, idiocy that went on around me, the homemaker life didn't quite cut it. Even I could go for a vodka cranberry right about now.
The awfulness started with the fact that my amazing husband, Johnny, left at 8 am for a week long seminar in Cheyenne, WY. I already miss him terribly and it's just the first day of a very long five.
Awfulness #2: We just moved into a new house (a rental) and it was decided that on the day we moved in the owners wanted the trimming around the windows painted. The painter was to keep his supplies locked in our storage she while he worked. We thought that was fine; it would take us a couple days to settle and we wouldn't need the shed until we were all sorted out anyway. We figured such a simple job on such a small home could not possibly take more than 3 days. Two weeks later the man has not finished painting. He arrived at 7:30 this morning, opened all the windows, left them open all day, woke Zach from his afternoon nap by scraping the paint off the glass where he had done an exceptionally shoddy job, and tramped mud across my freshly mopped floor on his way to get a window open. I arrived home from dinner with my inlaws to find the windows not only left open for all the bugs to fly in, but also painted securely in place. I had to interrupt my father-in-laws evening to come and shut them for me. It took him nearly half an hour since he had to cut the windows free.
So now my house is infested with bugs, my son is throwing his second lack-of-sleep tantrum of the evening and won't drop off to sleep, and I'm alone for the night in a very creeky house.

Oh yeah, and I'm over seven months pregnant.

Life is dandy.

No, it really is...I just have to get through the rest of this week alive.