I'm ashamed to admit it.....I bought new pacis

I have ALWAYS looked in Target/Walmart for the 18+ Gerber Nuks. I can never find them. But I did last night. I bought two packages (4 pacis).

Yes, I want them gone, but at the same time, I really don't feel all that bad about him having them. I've said it before that I'd rather see him sucking a paci than screaming his head off in the middle of the store or a restaurant. No reason why everyone else's outing needs to be screwed up because of my child.

But, we were down to TWO! TWO!!!!!!!!!!

I'm okay with it, though. Really I am. He's been giving them up freely and not really wanting them as much aside from bed and nap time or when he's hurting or in need of consolation. I'd rather work on potty-training thank you.

And now a post for Nana and Papa

Duck loves to color. Moreso, he loves to color while standing. He loves his easel from Ikea!

What a MERRY CHRISTMAS surprise!

Well, we were supposed to have a friend of MIL's for dinner last night. E and I talked about a possibly early arrival, so we tried to make sure we had everything ready and cleaned. Didn't quite happen, but neither did our guest.

A knock at the door and who did E see? His parents, all the way from Michigan!

It was all a surprise. Oddly, I knew. Things just didn't add up over the past few weeks. After all, if David wanted to come see us, why wouldn't he call himself? Plus, with an off-hand remark back in October about wanting to be here for Christmas, kind of made everything fit last night.

Quite funny actually.

It was a nice surprise and Duck had a lot of fun playing with Grandma and Pampu.

It's time for a development update

It seems that every time Duck gets sick, about a week later, he has an all-out verbal explosion. so, here goes. The following was taken from the Arnold Palmer Hospital Howard Phillips Center for Children Development Center website (click here) to see the full outline.

I've changed all the things he CAN do to blue.

18 - 24 months of age - Receptive Language Skills

• Recognizes body parts and clothing articles in large pictures
• Understands simple yes/no questions
• Understands differences in personal pronouns (me, you)
• Follows a series of two - three simple relations commands with the same object
• Appears to listen to meaning of languarge, not merely words
• Recognizes many common objects and pictures as they are named

Expressive Language

• Replaces jargon with meaningful words
• Imitates animal sounds and other environmental sounds in play
• Refers to self by name
• Uses "no" frequently
• Uses "my" to declare ownership
• Begins combining words to form two-word phrases
• Asks questions by raising pitch of voice at end of word or phrase

2 - 3 years of age - Receptive Language Skills

• Understands actions in pictures
• Recognizes names of smaller body parts (chin, knee, elbow)
• Understands functions of objects
• Understands size concepts big and little
• Understands quantity concepts one, more, all
• Understands spatial concepts in, on, under
• Becomes aware of a sequence and organization for daily routines
• Understands question forms who, where, what doing
• Understands genders (boy/girl)
• Likes to listen to short stories

Expressive Language

• Combines words to express: - Possession: "my coat"
  - Recurrence: "more juice"
  - Action: "go outside"
  - Location: "want up"
  - Negation: "no eat"
• Usually uses two- to four-word phrases
• Asks for help with personal needs
• Uses I, me, mine, you
• Can say first and last name when asked
• Can repeat two numbers in squence
• Talks about an event that has just happened
• Uses many commands ("go get it")
• Uses here, there
• Begins using "is" verb form
• Speech is understood by others 70 - 80 percent of the time

3 - 4 years of age - Receptive Language Skills

• Understands concepts hard/soft, rough/smooth
• Understands spatial concepts front/back
• Understands question forms, "What do you do when you're hungry? Sleepy?"
• Follows two-step directions involving two different actions

Expressive Language

• Asks many who, what, where, why questions
• Uses four- to five-word sentences most of the time
• Engages in detailed conversations
• Uses language in imaginative play
• Imitates whispering
• Relates two events in correct sequential order
• Completes simple verbal opposites
• Uses verb forms is, am, are
• Uses regular plural forms consistently ("blocks")
• Uses possessives ("mommy's car")
• Begins using "because" as an explanation

In the past 24 hours

It's hit me that my not having a job in 5 weeks time is a HIGH possibility. this depresses me to no end because aside from the 10 days in 2004 between leaving my job at IRMC in Lansing and starting at Disney in Orlando, I haven't been unemployed since I was 16 years old. and it's not like I can really do much about it at 7.5 months pregnant.

Duck puked again last night, not sure why, but at least this time I kept him in the bathroom, facing the toilet and he hit it! I'm good. Not exactly something I like being good at. But at least I didn't have a bathroom, clothing or bedding to clean up. Just a quick wipe of the face and hands and he was good to go. (he's like his daddy.....puking makes him feel better)

Today is a VERY good day

So much to be grateful for today.

My day started with a very happy pre-schooler in my room at 6:30. Why was this a good thing? Because he was happy and he had POOPED! Poor kid had tried all day long yesterday without luck......even with getting him on the potty. He just gave up when we got him there.

Next? I had put his usual chobby, 2 mini pb cups and a syringe of Atarax on his little table. All I wanted was to change his butt. When I said, "C'mere Duck".....he not only came right over, but he grabbed the syringe of medicine!! Just too cute for words. He's finalyl just relegated that this is part of our morning routine. Shock of his life when by the end of the week all he's getting is chobby!

Then? We have company coming for dinner on Wednesday evening. A friend of MILs is stopping by. Don't get to see David much even though he only lives 3 hours away, so it's a nice treat. But what is making the visit more enjoyable (especially since I have work all day) is MIL treated us to a Honeybaked Ham dinner with cornbread stuffing and cheesecake. YUM! Very excited I do not have to cook this holiday, Thanksgiving was hard enough. So, 7.5 months pregnant and NOT cooking on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Quite possibly THE perfect gift.

And then???? I made a call to the pediatric allergist the pedi we saw on Saturday recommended. They have an appointment for him on Friday at 10:15!!! OMG, this really was a huge highlight to my day. Thought I was going to have to wait WEEKS to get him in. Turns out, we only have to wait a few days. YAY!!!! (Now, anyone want to tell me how to make sure my kid's not screaming bloody murder during an allergy test?)

Now? I'm getting to help out on another grade level at work. My stuff hasn't come in yet, so this gives me something to do, and it's NOT measurement!!! Just simple basic multiplication facts. Of course, my own measurement chapter is due in this week, but it's nice to have a break and be of use to someone.

To make a good day better? My friend Morgan offered to go to Midnight Mass with me on Wednesday night so I can leave my boys at home. Now, just to decide which church to go to.

So, it's 1:00 p.m. and I'm having an EXCELLENT day!

I should add....

the streak on his face? NEARLY GONE!

I'm wondering now if the steroid cream could have made the situation a bit worse, haven't used it since Friday morning. Coincidence? Maybe, but we'll see.

And of course because he's feeling better, we're seeing lots and lots of chattering.

Thank you Reese's!!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.....now my favorite food item in the entire world. Not for me. But for Duck. Definitely makes the medicine go down.

3 mini cups + 1 cup chobby = no fuss medicine time

Now, he's still complaining a bit about it, but three little squirts (about 1/4 tsp each time) and he's done and off to eat his Reese's and drink his chobby.


(chobby is chocolate milk for those not fluent in "Duck-ese")

This is the last photo update

What a difference two trips to the pediatrician's office (1 NP visit/1 Pedi visit), two phone calls with same NP, 8 doses of Atarax, and 4 doses of Augmentin can make in just 48 hours.

12/18 @ 9:30 p.m.

12/20 @ 8:30 p.m.

I have to say that I *LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE* our pediatrician. Seriously, I don't know how I would have managed the past 3 years without him and the rest of the practice.

All I can say to any friend, family member or reader is if you EVER have a doubt about your pedi and think you should switch: DO IT! That really goes for any caregiver you have, because YOU are the client, they work for you. That's not to say that there's a point you need to get a grip and just do what the dr says for the betterment of everyone. But, you have to trust in the person you're dealing with.

So, if you live in the west Orlando area check them out: Windermere Pediatrics. I can tell you that we drive 35 minutes on a clear day, including a few miles on I-4 in order to go to them. They are entirely worth the drive for us. Been doing it three years already and already plan to have them see HJ as well.

Post-dr visit update

He's definitely A LOT clearer now. She said not to be too concerned about the redness creeping upward. She it's usually day 3 when things start to look better anyway. (Someone here said that too.....so thank you, I was already at ease before she said that)

We got the referral to the pediatric allergist and I already know that the one she recommended is actually part of my insurance network. So now we hope that I can call AND get him in before January 30 when my contract (ie my insurance) ends.

She said that I was right to be concerned since all of his reactions have worsened in such a short time (4 months). The pedi we saw this morning isn't one we usually see. In three years time, I think this might have been the third time we've seen her. The first time was at 6 months and somewhere in the middle was the second visit. We usually see the other two drs. But at least it's all in his file, whereas if we'd gone to the pedi clinic, they'd just get a copy. Not exactly the same to me.

Oh, and I took my camera with all my pics......since I knew it was highly possible we wouldn't see the same one we saw Thursday night. She was glad I did because she could see the 3-day progression.

I guess I found one arena that my anal retentiveness can pay off!

And here's your morning update

Duck is was in better spirits.....until he tried to get behind my chair and as I lifted the chair and came back down in it in one movement and landed on his outer two toes on his right foot. DAMMIT. His pinky toe is scraped pretty good, but the one next to it too the brunt of the chair....not sure if I ripped the nail off, it's a little bloody. I feel like crap now.

Here is the morning's picture:

SHHHHH, I have a secret

wish me luck on my secret!

Up and over the belly button

We see the pediatrician tomorrow morning at 10:00. It's definitely still spreading, even with continued dosing of Atarax. The good news is that the lower part (below the diaper line) appears to be less red than this morning.

I sent the pics to his teacher and she actually said that she didn't notice anything on Thursday before he left school when she changed him. Not exactly sure HOW that would happen....especially given what I saw Thursday morning before school and what the sitter saw after school. Unless she changes him so fast that his t-shirt gets kind of tucked into the diaper. Entirely possible.....happens to me all the time.

So, here are the latest pics.....from about 5:00 tonight. He's had Atarax at 6a, 12n, 6p and I'll have to get him up at 12m. He got Augmentin at 10a and I'll give it to him again about 8:30 before bed. I should find some yogurt he'll eat.....maybe prevent a YI. He's prone with certain antibiotics and God knows that's the LAST thing I want to deal with now.

Added Augmentin

and we got back to the pedi in the morning just to make sure it's not getting worse.

And this morning.......

Crimeny, can my kid not catch a break?

I would love it if someone could tell me what my kid is allergic to so I could stop giving it to him and so that I could keep this from happening! Keep your fingers crossed we avoid the ER in the next 24-48 hours.

So........

The streak on Duck's face is still there, but the rash seems to be nearly gone. Which is a VERY good thing. The streak is red and hot. Really convinced it's tomatoes. He wouldn't be getting better if it was the Lactaid, right?

Day Three of no puking......

BUT!

He's got a streak of red across his left cheek, reminds me of the sweet potato reaction from when he was 6 months old. He also has a rash around the right side of his tummy/back.

I *think* it's from tomatoes....he's never had them raw, just in spaghetti or pizza sauce. Or it could be Lactaid (doubtful). Or it could be the Florastor. I just don't know. I do know that it wasn't there yesterday and those are the only new things.

the tomatoes, he didn't really eat. E and I had BLTs for dinner and he kept picking up the tomato slices and licking them. Wouldn't eat them though.

He's has several cups of the Lactaid, though. Only two doses of Florastor, each in his morning milk.

And now that I think about it, he's had a bit of a cough (short coughs, several in a row, then nothing) since Thursday night when we started the Lactaid.

Can a child be allergic to Lactaid and not milk?

Update

Okay, so we took Duck in to see the pedi Thursday morning. Apparently he will hang on to a stomach bug longer than the average child since he has a sensitive stomach. So, she had us switch him from 2% milk to Lactaid for hte time being. We're also giving him Florastor to help with good bacteria. His appetite is definitely back in full swing and I anticipate another word/developmental explosion in the next 2-3 days.

I did pull a groin muscle and am walking very gingerly at this point. The OB wanted me checked out before they called in any pain meds since I am unable to sleep/walk/lay down without excruciating pain. But, they also wanted to get an ultrasound before they did that. The result was the following picture.

HJ is fine, I'm fine and will heal fully after he's born and the pressure is off my groin muscles. I did get a prescription that I will only use if absolutely necessary.

We also got a 3D shot of the boy bits, so thankfully I can stop having nightmares that he comes out a girl.

And will SOMEONE please tell my husband that waking up his 7-month pregnant wife out of a drug-induced dead sleep at 2:00 in the morning to tell me the internet is out is a really stupid thing to do?

I swear he's the one with pregnancy brain this time around.

Dammit dammit dammit

He puked AGAIN!

Eric thinks he was too warm....I think it was due to a second cup of milk, but at this point, I have NO FREAKING CLUE.

This is the 5th time in 6 days he has puked and I can't figure out why. It's not the milk.....he was FINE yesterday. He was fine with it this morning. He ate dinner tonight and had some milk. I took him to Target to get prescriptions and he had his before bed milk.

About a half hour later......he started getting really upset. That was my clue that it was going to happen. I ran him to the bathroom, he got even more upset. E was of no help. I got him calmed down and had E get me a t-shirt. We figured he was overheated from the crying, he was in long-sleeved jammies. He was all snuggly on my lap in the bathroom, but he wanted to go to bed.

NOT 3 MINUTES LATER, yes I said 3.................

I hear him crying and I go running at full speed into his room and he'd already puked. I was hoping to catch him beforehand like I did Monday.....no such luck. He nailed his bed, blanket, pillow case through to the pillow, and one of his dogs.

I think I hurt myself as I was running because when I got to him I could barely stand up. and I'm still having a problem walking without pain.

Of course, I cleaned up the bed, got things into the washer and remade the bed....all in pain. Sometimes I really don't like my husband. Seven months pregnant and I'm cleaning up vomit and trying to make a bed while on my knees because I can't freaking stand up.

Sam is sleeping now. I'll be calling the pediatrician first thing in the morning and if I'm not feeling better, the OB as well.

There's a lot to be said for sharing information

I mentioned over the weekend while were in Jax that I needed some additional mat clothes for my remaining 10 weeks. I'd been planning to head to the Community Thrift store in Orlando to see what I could find. but Avery pulled out an entire bag of maternity clothes to go through. Convinced she was much taller and thinner and that nothing would fit, she still encouraged me to go through and see what I might find. I surprised myself. There were a few items that actually fit and fit well. I came home with 4 "new" pairs of pants and 7 "new" shirts.

Two of the outfits I've already worn to work and gotten LOTS of compliments on. Of course, they're definitely much closer to the body than I usually wear or would pick out, but according to Eric and my work friends, they are a great choice. Accentuating my pregnant belly hides everything else. :) So, rahter than continuing my age-old habit of hiding my body, I've put my pg belly out there....in so many ways.

I feel enormous and my duck-waddling days have definitely begun, but I feel better knowing that my clothes aren't the cause of me appearing to be bigger than I am. I just AM big.

We had another vomit incident on Monday night, but I talked to Duck's teacher and he ate really well on Tuesday and by the time I got home, he had a poopy diaper. Hmmm, coincidence? I think not. Because, then he ate some dinner and had some chobby and went to bed without issue.

Today's stats

Weight: 185 lbs (18 gained so far, but I've been slacking on my non-testing days)
GD: still only have to test every other day.....possibly will be able to stop testing at 34 weeks. Numbers are really good, though!

HJ's hb: 140s
HJ's wt: ~ 3lbs

He's butt up, STILL. Guess we know what he thinks of the world already!

And we have a tentative birthday of February 20. That's the date the nurse is aiming for, I'll know for sure on January 5th when I go for my 32-week appointment.


They were almost as happy as I was that I brought in E's bloodwork. YAY ME! No Rhogam.

I guess I should update.....

This is me at 27 weeks, 6 days.......and YES, I feel as huge as I look.


Thanksgiving was AWESOME. 14 lb turkey was perfect for two days of guests. I even have most of the dark meat leftover. So we froze that and E is hoping that when my mom comes in February for HJ's arrival that she'll make (I mean help me make) turkey noodle soup with it.

HJ is crazy busy growing and flipping around. My sugar is well under control. I see the OB tomorrow morning. We finally got E's bloodwork back to prove he's O negative and getting me out of a Rhogam shot.

We spent this weekend in little town near Jacksonville. Went to see family and had a BLAST! Duck got to play with his cousin Brody and really loved every minute of it. Of course, they have a yard with a swingset, which was definitely the hit of the weekend. (aside from the playroom that is)




Duck's new phrases are "sit chair mama", "more Toot mama", and "I soh-yee mama".

Oh, and we have the whole new routine in the car each morning of "no hitting, no fighting, no screaming." I say each one, then he repeats. The "no screaming" came in handy as E's cousin has a macaw that likes to scream when things are kind of loud and out of control. (hee hee, the boys had a blast together)

We learned how to quickly clean up puke by just making sure Duck pukes all over Mommy. It doesn't even phase me anymore, ya know? I really, really, really hope that HJ is not a puker. I also learned that I want the same kind of washer and dryer that K and A have. The washer took a little over an hour, but that was with a SECOND rinse *AND* the dryer had everything completely dry in about a half hour, including both Doggies. (because God forbid we do anything without Doggies)

Pregnancy Update

As of today, I am 26 weeks, 1 day. I officially have 97 days to go. I'll have a c-section sometime after the 38 week mark provided my GD continues to stay under control with diet only. I saw the OB today and he was happy with my efforts and knows that I've been "cheating" a little at night. HJ's heartbeat was between 150 and 155. He's butt up right now with his legs in my right side.

Stats:
Weight: 182 pounds
Gain so far: 15 pounds
Blood pressure: 116/68

Fasting level: 80-90 mg/dL
16 day averagetesting 4 times each day: 100

I can move to testing every other day rather than every day!!

"I yike Cismas tees"

I'll let you all decipher that one. Duck's been so very good about leaving the tree alone! Of course, I did not do the smart thing last year and buy a tree skirt at 75% off after Christmas, so I have to try and find a cheapie one now to get me through this year. I just don't like the cords and *gasp* plastic base showing. Yes, we have a fake tree, but it is so worth it. Sure I still have a few needles to vacuum, but at least I don't have to worry about anyone remembering to water it or any little hands playing in said water.

Just a veggie tray and I'm D-O-N-E DONE!

Yep, I got all the stuff I needed for Thanksgiving dinner over two days. I have 6 adults, 1 infant, 1 toddler and 1 pre-schooler for Thursday and 4 adults and 1 pre-schooler for Friday. For some reason, my wonderful husband doesn't think a 14-lb turkey is enough.

Considering we are also having:
baked mashed potatoes
gravy
sweet potatoes (at absolute insistence they stay in the kitchen out of reach of Duck)
green bean casserole
stuffing
homemade white wheat bread
crescent rolls
veggie tray
triple layer pumpkin pie
chocolate chip cookies
no bake cookies
salad
and a mystery dessert being brought by a guest :)

I'm also making a triple layer chocolate pie for Friday as a fresh dessert.

I was always taught figure a half pound of meat per person. I have 8 adults, so I really think 14 pounds is more than enough. Duck will likely not eat turkey, just mashed potatoes and bread. (no worries, I have chicken nuggets in the freezer for him.)

But I had to promise E that if we looked "low" on Friday morning, I would go out and buy a small turkey breast to make for our guests that day. I doubt that will happen though.

I'll stop off at Publix to get a medium veggie tray on my way home on Wednesday. and I'm all done! WAHOOOOOOO

Oh, and we're putting our Christmas tree up in a little bit, just had to wait til Duck got up from his nap.

OMG my belly is TIGHT

Little, little man must be going through a growth spurt faster than my skin can stretch. Not feeling comfortable at all right now. He's moving around, but everything hurts from the inside out.

I think I'm the only pg woman in the world that teh baby moving at night HELPS me fall asleep. It's peace of mind really. I mean, think about it. If he's moving around, I can fall asleep knowing he's okay and I can relax. It's when he stops moving around that I worry and can't watch the insides of my eyes.

I also don't get up to pee in the middle of hte night (yet). Probably because I've always been one to go long periods of time without going. Don't get me wrong, I go ALL.DAY.LONG. I go before I leave work and still have to go the minute I get home and it's only a 12-mile drive!

I'm sure that will all change in the next 13 weeks. YES, can you believe it? THIRTEEN weeks!! maybe less, maybe more (doubtful). The holidays are almost here and after that it will be all downhill as far as time left to go.

I'm really looking forward to my parents being here for HJ's birth. My mom was here for Duck. Sadly because he was an emergency c/s she wasn't in the delivery room....and this one will be a scheduled c/s, so again just me and E. But at least Duck will have someone he loves very much taking care of him while I'm in the hospital.

S, wha d- do?

in other words: "S, What did you do?" is the new fave phrase around here. I have a feeling it was picked up from school which is fine, it's just hilarious he's referring to himself in third person.

Although, he still is saying his name is "Owie". I have NO idea where that came from.

I do have an idea of where a few choice words came from that we're not happy about hearing. Duck's officially a myna bird now and everything said in front of him can and will be repeated at school or hte babysitter's house, so we REALLY have to watch it now. It was funny for a while, a very short while....I kept telling E that he would get more clear on his words and sure enough I got a note home from school on Tuesday stating he'd been PERFECTLY clear on his choice of words.

HJ is movin' and groovin'. My friend M at work got to feel him. She was so excited as that was the first time she'd ever felt a baby move like that. He popped her hard too.

I can't remember what we had for dinner the other night, but it must have knocked the poor kid out because he didn't move for nearly two hours even WITH me drinking juice. Scared the crap out of me. Seriously thought I was going to have to call the OB, but he finally got the hiccups and I felt a bit better.

My GD numbers are good. Had the best day yet today when I didn't have a single reading over 100. Got close....but didn't go over. (88, 97, 90, 98) I think I finally have the portions down of what I need to eat.

Now I just need to get those snacks in somehow.

Still going around

Well, we're all still a bit sick, but on the mend.

Duck and I still have a wet cough, I'm still blowing my nose like crazy. E feels like he's finally getting out of his system more today since he spent the day puking. Gotta love that sensitive gag reflex my boys have! I couldn't make myself puke if I wanted to. In two pregnancies, I have only puked once each time. I think.....I really don't think I've puked with this one. I know I did with Sam but that was more food related than pregnancy related.

I've been puking sick ONCE in 10 years. That was the year I actually got a flu shot. Not since!

In other news, Duck continues to put 3-4 words together. Such as:

Whew, that was close
S, what do? (S, what did you do?)
I three (I'm three)
My name owie (My name is Owie...we're not sure where Owie came from, but we're working hard on getting him to say S instead)

Being a sick mom just plain SUCKS

It's bad enough that I've been sick all week. But to be pregnant, sick and unable to take much is horrible. Add in a puking sick pre-schooler and a puking sick husband and you have a slight glimpse into my first week of a gestational diabetes diagnosis.

I missed a day and a half of work because I could not stop blowing my nose or stop coughing. Did I get rest? Nope, the first day, Duck was off school for Veteran's Day. (why couldn't he have had Columbus Day like I had it from work? or why couldn't I have had VD off?) The second day? That involved a trip to the pediatrician.

He'd come home from school on Friday covered in yuck. Threw up on himself on the bus to the sitter's. While I was at work Saturday afternoon.......he threw up on himself again. I kept him home on Monday because he still wasn't 100%. Tuesday he started with sniffles and green snot and another fever. Wednesday we went to the pedi's office. Wednesday night, he puked again after taking the antibiotic. Thursday morning, he puked again......the pedi's office gave us another excuse to keep him out all week. Said he likely picked up another stomach bug on top of the sinus infection he had going on.

E's been sick through all this too. (and we all know how men are when they get sick, so I don't have to explain how I wound up being sick and still taking care of the general household.)

I went back to work Thursday, trying ot meet a deadline. Unfortunately, I went back and it seems my entire team is now sick. (sorry ladies)

this morning my internal alarm had me up at 6:30. I forced myself to lay in bed another 30 minutes or so and then I got up. Before I could actually get E upright, I had loaded the dishwasher and ran it, cleaned the kitchen floor (old style-hands and knees), picked up the living room. Once Duck was up, I got his room completely picked up, his bedding off and into the washer. I made cinnamon raisin bread this morning.

My house is clean. 100% clean.

both my boys are napping. E in bed and Duck on the couch. Because of course Duck wouldn't go down, he'd been bored all morning. While I was cleaning up, he just watched tv and trashed his room some more. So I had to lay with him to get him to sleep. He loves Lord of the Rings and it's something about the music in it that he falls asleep to. But I can't nap like that on the couch, he's a hot-body like his daddy.

so, I get time to myself to update my blog for hte first time in a week.

GD is not going well. okay, it is, but I hate it. My numbers, from the research I've done are fairly consistently IN NORMAL RANGES. Why am I testing all the time? My after breakfast check was actually LOWER than my fasting check this morning.

A peek into my sugar.

Okay, so I went to learn how to use my Ultra Touch 2 at the OB's office. The charge nurse took hers first as an example.....126. Then she had me take mine. 90. And yes, I had lunch. Cheese quesadilla with salsa and sour cream with a Ginger Ale. Time lapse between lunch and test? 3 hours.

We had chicken, peas and mashed potatoes for dinner, I had a big glass of chocolate milk with it. Two hours later, my sugar was 113.

I didn't have to test until today....and I figure it might as well track my sugar and food somewhere. Don't worry, my focus will still be Duck and HJ.

So, here's today's results so far:
fasting (7:30 a.m.): 88

breakfast: 12 bite-size frosted mini wheats (serv size = 24), 4 oz milk, 4 oz pear juice

2 hours after breakfast (11 a.m.): 75

morning snack: 1 piece bread with peanut butter, 8 oz milk

lunch: 2 oz grilled chicken breast, 1/4 cup no salt added peas, 1 pear, 1 piece of bread with peanut butter

2 hours after lunch (5:00): 94

snack: NONE

dinner: 3 squares of Domino's thin crust cheese pizza, three pieces of Domino's cheesy bread, 16 oz of Canada Dry Ginger Ale

2 hours after dinner (8:30): 122

snack: 11 almonds

Obviously an all carb dinner was a bad idea.

My 3-hour glucose test experience, results included

Knowing the lab only does one 3-hour test each Saturday, I had to sign up three weeks in advance to make sure they would have my results back by my appointment today. I get there right at appt time, they get me started.

Thankfully, I got to drink ORANGE syrup. You know that stuff McDonald's used to serve way back when? That's what it tasted like. But because I was already very hungry and bordering dehydrated (for me)......it tasted incredible. Hell, anything was better than that fruit punch stuff I had to drink at the OB's office.

Anyway, they had me drink it, took my blood and sent me back out to the waiting room. 55 minutes later, I walked back to the testing area and let my tech know I was ready. then it hit me. 100mL of pure sugar hit me and HJ like a ton of bricks. HJ starts spazzing out, flipping and turning. I'd swear he'd give Paul or Morgan Hamm a run for their medals. Then the tunnel vision and cold sweats. I turn to another patient and ask him to get someone.

Of course, he didn't quite hear me at first, then he looked at me. The head guy from the lab walked into my field of vision and it was all I could to reach up and touch his arm. I said, "I don't feel so good"

"You're a glucose test aren't you?"

At that point, he picks me up......well, not like a groom carries a bride, but close enough. He had my entire weight on him. (me at 5'3 and him at over 6'......yeah, it was a sight)

they get me back to the one room they have an exam table and get me laid down. And they go ahead and take my blood.

I lay there, fading in and out......not sure if I was passing out or just sleeping, but it was 10-15 minute increments. They took my blood an hour later, from the same vein and it hurt A LOT.

Another hour of fading in and out and they hit the same vein a third time. Thsi time, I actually screamed a little.

It's now 4 days post-test and yes, I have lovely bruise. But at least the bruise is covering up the needle marks. Sunday it looked like I had track marks......

Today I learned, I failed. I failed my 3-hour test.

Remember I said that I "barely failed" my 1-hour? She was right......it was 130. According to WebMD, the upper cut off is 140. The lower cut off? 130. So I failed by ONE FREAKING POINT!

The really odd thing? My 1-hour with Duck was 135 and I supposedly passed. Might have something to do with my 8lb, 2oz baby who had low blood sugar at birth.

Official scores:
fasting: 86 (pass)
1-hour: 191 (fail)
2-hour: 119 (pass)
3-hour: 174 (fail)

This site gives the scores for each hour......National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse

So, now I sit back and wait to hear from my OB's charge nurse as to how he wants to handle it. I'll either wind up with daily pricks to my fingers or on medications.

And for your viewing pleasure today, Duck's first listen at HJ's heartbeat. I will say that it's not til 44 seconds that you can really tell it's a heartbeat clearly. He was incredibly active.....I had just had a full lunch to include pudding and Sunny D. (guess that stops now, huh?)

Rest in peace Jack

At 11:00 this morning EST, sweet toddler Jack will be laid to rest. Please pray for his family.

Putting things in perspective.

Life is so short............even for those that live to be over 100. But J's death has really had an impact on me the past two days. He didn't ask for a heart defect. He didn't live a life of drinking, smoking, womanizing, or general bad decisions. He was a child. A perfectly innocent child whose life was way too short. He will be missed by those who knew and loved him. And by people who have never, ever met him in person.

See, I belong to several online mommy groups. I met J's mom through one of them. Oddly, they lived in MI, so when she would talk about places they'd been or hospitals J had to go to, I knew right where they were.

I came here to post about my 3-hour glucose test yesterday.....but I just can't bring myself to do it. It's not worth complaining about.

I have so very much to be thankful for. Duck, E, HJ on the way.......a roof over my head, a job I love. Sure, there's stress in my life, but not like J had. And certainly nothing like J's parents went through. So, I'm taking a break from my blog for a while. Not sure how long, but I need to do this for myself. To really put things into perspective.

Thankfulness

Last night my friend's little boy lost his battle with a severe congenital heart defect. Not much younger than Duck, he suffered more in the past few months than most people endure their entire life.

When I read what happened, I went in and hugged Duck as he slept, then as I went to bed, I rubbed my belly, thankful for both my little boys.

I really don't know what else to say other than I'm so sad for A/B/N's loss.

J-you will be missed dearly!

Quite possibly, MOST intelligent thing I've ever done

SCHEDULE a 3-hour glucose screening for gestational diabetes for the day after Halloween!

How can I be so anal about time and dates and NOT realize this when I scheduled the appointment? So I will likely fail my appt tomorrow.

I eat very little in the form of veggies, but eat tons of fruit and I have a huge glass off Juicy Juice peach juice every morning to take my meds with.

Please help us meet our base goal!

Duck and I are walking in the Walk Now for Autism Orlando walk on November 15. We did this last year and while I will be nearly 6 months pregnant, we're doing it again.

The minimum donation for a t-shirt is $100. Duck has $25 raised so far. I originally set a high goal, but right now I just want to see my Duck get a shirt for his participation.

This is our design, from my friend Heidi:


Please? Without Autism awareness, I really feel that Duck would have fallen through the cracks as just another boy who talked late. We know that's not the case, there's so much more than just a speech delay. But not enough to qualify under PDD-NOS right now. Duck continues to make strides every single day with the help he gets in school. Again, without Autism awareness, this is something we would not have.

To donate, please visit Duck's team member page (click here).

This is such a worth cause and fully tax deductible.

Okay, I got the cold weather

now can someone please tell me how to stop feeling like a beach ball?

I'm 5 months pregnant and already outgrowing my maternity pants. NOT supposed to happen this way! I'm seriously not comfortable in anything aside from my yoga pants or pajama bottoms. So, I'll be heading to wherever you can find cheap clothing and looking for mat pants that will get me through at least the next few months.

I'll be so glad when it's cooler out

I'm really tired of these 80+ degree days. I think I got pg one month too early. I'm 22 weeks and waddling like crazy, getting overheated way too easily, and what few mat clothes I do have, I'm already outgrowing. My fave pair of pants will likely need replacing no later than Thanksgiving. They're already starting to feel a bit uncomfortable around the belly.

I broke down and got my bigger pair of mat shorts out this weekend. Pathetic because at this point with Duck? I had just started wearing mat shorts. 22 weeks! I still have 16 weeks to go! (well, 18 officially)

Can someone please hurry up Christmas so I can start a real countdown? Thanks!

I started buying food items for our annual "Friends, No Family" turkey-day dinner. I do that like my mom, buy a little at each payday, then you're not shelling out buku bucks the week of. The stuffing and green bean casserole are taken care of. I think I'm going to break down and buy a pie, though. I want our guests to come with only their appetites and leave with leftovers!

I'll have to check our menu again to see what else I can buy in advance. The turkey will likely wait til the week of so I don't have to worry about freezer space.

No sweet potatoes at our house, Duck is allergic. So, I'm hoping someone at work brings them to that celebration. Not that either of us feel we're missing out by not having them, it's just that when we've had the opportunity to eat them sans Duck......we forget how gooey sweet they are. (we went out to dinner back in May to Golden Corral when my parents had Duck and we each had some.)

I guess I could just type it out here:
turkey
mashed potatoes (from scratch)
gravy
pumpkin pie
green bean casserole
stuffing (no I don't make it because I don't like homemade)
beverages (juice, water, milk, pop--that's soda to non-Midwesterners)
salad or veggie tray
cheese and crackers

I also don't do cranberry mess, either Gross, the only time I've actually enjoyed cranberry juice were the two times I was in the L&D area at the hospital down the street. (when I had Duck and yesterday when I was monitored after the accident)

The best part about FNF Thanksgiving? I have room this year! Thanks to my wonderful ILs, we have beautiful furniture and expanding table. A little short on chairs this year, but I'm thinking that Duck and the other toddler can sit at his table, giving us the two folding chairs for the table. I don't have room to store extra dining room chairs. At least not til I get Duck AND HJ out of a high chair or find a house. I'm sure the former will happen way before the latter!

We're on to PHRASES!!

"hmmm, I know!" is Duck's favorite phrase right now.

(well, along with "waz tha soun?")

It's so great to hear him putting words together and using them appropriately.

Went grocery shopping today. Took my car, just drove carefully, making sure it didn't overheat. I wish that we could do things the cheap way just once. I mean, I would have loved to have just gone to a body shop and paid for the new bumper on the Scion outright, but we can't be down both cars. I'm taking a chance as it is driving mine. We did take a look at the owner's manual for the Saturn and it sounds more and more like it is the thermostat. Once the boys get up from naps, we'll take a peak at it.

Pictures from the accident.

Right afterward. You can see my tires are turned into my lane and I WAS certain that's the white line of the lane, but I looked at another photo and it's not.


After we moved the vehicles.


Driver's side.


Close up


After I was able to determine it was just the bumper.

Car accidents SUCK

I was on my way home tonight, sitting a red light, when I hear a huge fired truck coming from behind us. I try to get into the right lane and before I can.....the fire truck decides to jump the median and head the wrong way down the other side of the road.

So I think fine, I'll turn my wheel back toward the lane I was 90% in. All traffic was stopped. Then this freaking semi comes barreling through the right lane and HITS ME! :(" border="0"> Took the front bumper halfway off, and scraped the hub cap for the front right tire, but no engine damage and it didn't even jar me. I certainly took pictures for the insurance agent.

Anyway, then before we can call 911, the Orange County Fire Dept Batallion Chief comes up behind us. (he was on his way to the same accident as the fire truck) He called FHP and helped us get off the road.

The trucker denied ever hearing the fire truck. Don't know how, it was less than 3 minutes from fire truck to getting hit. I was clock-watching as usual because I was late leaving work.

Anyway, FHP finally gets there, hears both sides of the story.

I was found at fault because the trucker hit me with the back of his truck not the front, but I did not get a ticket. I'm fighting the fault with the insurance company. I did what I was supposed to do (move over for emergency vehicles) and got hit when I was STOPPED. With stopped cars in front of and behind me.

But, the trooper said that because I did the right thing, I wasn't getting a ticket. Stupid trucker comes barreling through the right lane at a red light and I'M AT FAULT?

I have no front bumper. The trooper and trucker took it the rest of the way off and put it in my back end.

Trooper said if I got pulled over on my way home for no front bumper, just to show them the crash report.

I hadn't felt the baby move the entire time we were sitting there (over an hour) and I started to get worried. I asked him if I needed to go later on, he said to take the report to the hospital.

I got home two hours after the accident and HJ hadn't moved yet. So I downed some Sunny D and he started moving again and has been pretty active the past two hours.

I don't want to drive it any more than we have to, but we are going to try and file the claim with All State and make the appt to get the Scion in for repairs.

We just can't catch a break EVER.

I'll come back later with pictures, I promise

His name is Henry James

There are VERY few things you get to choose in your life. Your child's name is one of them. So, I say, if you don't like our choice for our child, have your own child.

We chose Henry James for many reasons. My dad's name is James T...........but one of my cousin's has a son named James and I really like it for a middle name. T? Yeah, too much of a mouthful for a toddler, especially one like Duck who has a speech impairment. Don't want to set both kids up for frustration.

My grandfather's middle name is Henry. His first name is R. Each of my parents have only one brother and they are both named R. Each of my uncles have a son named R. To me, that's definitely enough Rs in our family. So, we opted for Henry as a first name.

We will call him Henry. NOT HANK. I do NOT like the name Hank. (though I do love King of the Hill.)

I don't even mind HJ as a nickname, E doesn't like it, but I don't think it's horrible. Heck of a lot better than Hank.

In a time when people are coming up with the strangest spellings of even the most "normal" names......we chose a name that was simple, classic and easy.

And I really like the idea of Sam-n-Henry.

So the decision is final. I won't be changing my mind this time. Duck had a different name for a while in utero in the very beginning, but once we knew he was a boy, we chose his name and stuck to it. We've actually had Henry James picked out for a while.

Duck's progress

If I counted right the word list below has over 130 words. I'm sure there's a lot more that he uses in school, though.

hi
bye
hewo (hello)
Mama
Dada
Daddy
Papa
Nana
nana (for banana)
Money (Mommy)
Baby
boy
grrl (girl)
hat
cat
dog
doggie
bunny
hop
chinin (chicken)
cow
howse (horse)
house
barn
bwue (blue)
yewwow (yellow)
geen (green)
wed (red)
puhpl (purple)
bwue cwue (Blue's Clues)
mmeeeehhhhh (how he identifies a sheep)
pen-in (penguin)
eh-way (elephant)
ion (lion)
bug
sidey (spider)
hipooo (hippo)
zeza (zebra)
Jambo! (hello in Swahili thanks to Go Diego Go Safari Rescue)
Cece (this is the babysitter)
uh tun Mama (your turn Mama)
skoo (school)
bus
car
tuck (truck)
choo choo (can mean either a train or that he wants The Polar Express dvd)
tain (train)
book
ousigh (outside)
in
down
up
open
close
how you (how are you)
Dooby-Dooby (he wants me to read Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin)
atsoo (achoo)
we-come (welcome)
thank you
buh-byee! (with attitude, totally different than bye)
kwa-kwin (Franklin)
bear
Pinky
Dago (Diego)
Oobi
Uma
Kako
Ampu (Grampu)
dance
jump
sake (shake)
snake
wuuurm (worm)
duck
pig
piggie (his stuff at school is labeled with a pink pig)
owie
boo-boo
flower
Zee (the bird on Noggin)
wow
pee
poop
poh-yee (ptty)
mee-mee (pacifier)
I want ......
waz that sou? (what's that sound?)
wazis? (what's this?)
bay-el (bell.......like a southern belle would say bell)
eye
nose
head
hair
ear
belly (and he knows that there's a baby in Mommy's belly)
pee-pee
feet
hands
happy
sad
Jo-Jo
geoge (George, as in Curious George)
mo (more)
all done
down
peees (peas)
sceered (scared)
So..... (like Dory in Finding Nemo "so, what's......")
bruke (broke)
Pa-lo (Pablo from Backyardigans)
sruit (fruit)
sfoot (foot)
han (hand)
fwush (flush)
Henny (Henry, figure we better start working on it now)
Pam-pa/Pom-pa (Grampa)
gwass (grass)
soos (shoes)
sock
sirt (shirt)
pizza
wa-wa (water)
cup
staw (straw)
hep (help)
yup
no (snow)
baff (bath)
dino (dinosaur)
dah-no (dolphin)
boak (boat)
bee
owl
seet (sit)
cheer (chair)
Oosy (Lucy, my MIL's dog)
ware dog go? (Where'd the dog go?)
ware go? (Where are you going?)
toos me (excuse me for burps)

• he can/will now identify himself in a picture as "Sam" not baby
• can eat cereal from a bowl WITH MILK! (lots of milk down the front, but i'll take it!)
• eats from a bowl in the car without spilling.....this is big for those long trips
  
• when he's done with his plate/cup he hands them to us
• he's consistently asking for help
• knows that words on the screen of a tv program means it's over, so he tells it bye-bye. (like bye-bye kwa-kwin when Franklin is over)
• he can correctly identify the letters N, M, O, H and A
• he can identify and match red, blue, yellow, green, and purple. still has difficulty even attempting to say orange, but he can match it
• knows the potty routine of pants down, potty, pants up, flush, wash hands
• knows to cover his mouth when he sneezes
  
• We're seeing a lot of inflection in his voice these days
• has yet to figure out what to call my mother-in-law. Grandma is too hard yet.....and he just inserted an "m" in Papa for my father-in-law. I'm sure he'll come up with something
  

I'm still not convinced he's hearing CLEARLY. there are certain words that he says that make me think he's hearing something muffled or because he had ear infections/untreated allergies for so long that because he always heard them muffled he thinks they are supposed to be that way.

Hency, why I hate toddler hearing tests. They only test THAT they're hearing, not WHAT they're hearing.

Fetal echo done today

I had a fetal echo done this morning. And the first thing the tech asked was whether or not we knew the gender. I asked her to make sure for us. So she played around after we got the required stuff done and the baby is ALL BOY. So, make way for Henry James. He'll make his debut sometime the week of February 16, 2009. We will have a firm date closer to Christmas.

As for the rest........
Henry's stats:

*heartbeat: 150 bpm

*weight: ~1 lb

*foot length: 3.99 cm

*measured about 1 week ahead

*No cleft lip or palate

*teeth buds already visible (tech said she'd never seen them this early)

*sucking/swallowing very well

*Risk of Down's based on 2nd integrated screen: 1 in 2,500 (versus 1 in 270 for my age)

*Risk of Trisomy-18 based on 2nd integrated screen: 1 in 10,000 (versus 1 in 100 for my age)



My stats:
*21 weeks as of 10-20-08

*BP: 112/76

*weight: 175 (a gain of 8 pounds since June 23 when I learned I was pregnant)

My husband calls it "nesting", I call it.....

not wanting to live in a clutter pit. We have lived in three apartment in five years. With each apartment, we've gained at least one more room. This time? We gained a room, a laundry room and a pantry. I actually have a PLACE for most everything.

So, I've been doing a lot more cleaning. I mean, get-down-on-my-hands-and-knees wiping down the floors cleaning. I vacuum all the time, I wipe down things all the time, and I want to be able to see my counter-tops.

I still have boxes to "unpack" which is code for go through and throw the crap away. I mean, 90% of the remaining boxes have been in storage for the 4.5 years since we moved here. If we didn't need it then or now, we won't need it in the future. Rare exception would be things like flashcards for Sam or other art supplies we'll use over time.

Tonight I spent an hour baking cookies. I made a batch of chocolate no-bake cookies and a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies (with the last pan having chocolate chips added --- special mommy-only cookeis). Yes, that's about 10 dozen cookies in an hour. That takes talent. And table/counter space. Something I could NEVER have done in our 1-bedroom apartment.

I failed.

I failed my 1-hour glucose test. Probably overload on my system, that stuff was NASTY! I hate fruit punch flavored stuff and to have to drink that sugary syrup and keep it down for an hour?

And then I FAILED????

I guess I'm supposed to feel better about the fact that I "barely failed." How do you "barely fail" a medical test? Probably the same way I "barely passed" the same test with Duck, I guess.

So, I have to go to the lab for the three hour test. GROSS. I had one once.....at the Rippe Institute for a WW study. The only "good" thing was they put in a line so they wouldn't have to keep sticking me. I hope the lab does the same thing!

Duck had an eating day today. Ate toast and cereal for breakfast; mac-n-cheese, peas and chicken nuggets at lunch; fetuccine alfredo with E for dinner; and then some mini-M&Ms and chobby for desert. I'm going to watch it for a few days, but I think I discovered the culprit. He's been having chobby in the morning rather than juice. So, he's full for breakfast time, but will eat if it's something he likes which means he won't eat lunch.

I'm thinking it's time for a new word list from Duck........that will be a future post I think.

It's official, my son eats like crap

We had a conference on Friday with Duck's teacher about some of our concerns and eating was definitely one of them. The teacher also expressed some concern because he's typically eating breakfast OR lunch, but not always both. Then the problem becomes if he doesn't eat lunch, he will eat at the sitter's which in turn causes him to not eat dinner.

I don't know what his problem was this weekend. He didn't have breakfast, wouldn't eat it until I took a bite of a Nutripals bar. Then he ate that. He ate lunch and dinner, though.

Today, he ate half my Coco Roos, had a cup of chobby. He had a Kit Kat for a morning snack (we don't worry about sugar so much as getting carlories into him, he really does eat healthy). then a grilled cheese for lunch with some pear juice and cheddar sour cream chips. Dinner? Nope. I even made spaghetti and gave him peas. No go. All he wound up having was some water and then his night chobby.

Oddly, I was very relieved to not be the only one noticing he eats so freaking little. We offer 3-5 things even, no such luck. Mac-n-cheese is pretty much a given, as is grilled cheese. But, those things have other implications. He's back off the Miralax, but I feel like now we're trading on issue for the other.

So, visit to the pedi? Pedi gastro?

It's not just toddler eating/non-eating day. this is consistent eating only two meals a day, with a third thrown in once in a while. when I told the teacher that the days he eats both meals at school, he won't eat at school, she thought the same thing as I did. It's not normal.

they had a fire drill on Friday. Then the alarm wouldn't turn off. Of course it was right in the middle of pre-K breakfast. She took them all outside with their breakfast. The rest of the boys ate and then played. She took Duck back inside with some cards to work with and as she was "ignoring" him, he would pick up a cheerio or two and eat. she said he ate about half a bowl before someone came in the room and it was over at that point.

He's weird like that. He either wants to be ignored during meal time or he wants everyone eating and we still haven't figured out when it's time for either.

Duck and playdough

Duck loves playdough....but it's only been recent that he actually does something other than squish it. He finally got the toys figured out and I owe it all to SCHOOL.

Wordless Wednesday, a couple days late.....

This is what Duck thinks of his toys.


And yet, people wonder why I close my bathroom doors!

okay.....glucose test?

entirely DISGUSTING!

seriously, I hate fruit punch of any kind, but to have to drink the equivalent of bag-in-a-box cola syrup flavored like fruit punch.....that is the worst kind of punishment.

I had to talk myself out of puking at least three times in the 55 minutes I had to wait. The ONLY thing that kept me from puking was the thought that if I did, I would have to do the whole thing over again.

OMG I hope I pass so I don't have to do it again til Thanksgiving.

Waiting for the glucose test

I'm waiting to go to my 1-hour glucose test. I asked if I needed to fast and they said no, but not to have a sugary breakfast. HA!

She said "piece of toast and some coffee is fine."

I said, "So, um, I'll be fasting since all I have is Lucky Charms and Cocoa Puffs at my house."

I don't do coffee and we keep forgetting to buy bread, so no toast.

So, I won't eat til almost 11. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't pass out!

Well, baby boy decided to once again be his own person

The nurse practitioner tried for a good 5-7 minutes to trap that kid in a spot to hear his heartbeat and he wouldn't stay put. So, she had to go get the ultrasound machine. Oh, boy is this boy is sitting low! Duck did too, but not like this. He was just chillin' out, waving to mommy, trying to flip over.

I swear I felt him from the outside last night. I was laying on the bed, trying to just relax and feel him inside, when all of a sudden, I felt him inside and on the palm of my hand. E was already asleep, so I didn't get to share it with him.

Next appt:
October 3: 1st glucose test
October 5: 2nd integrated screen (1st was on 8.22)
October 20: fetal echocardiogram

As long as I don't have any problems with tomorrow's blood test, I won't have to have another glucose screening until 28 weeks. Otherwise, it's on to the 3-hour test. I was borderline for the 3-hour test with Duck, so hopefully, I will not be anywhere near that tomorrow.

Weight is currently at 173. Total weight gain: 6 pounds.

This is why I need Oobi on dvd

Oobi on DVD?

PLEASE someone tell me that Oobi exists on DVD. I can dvr it. I'm just not talented enough to record to a vhs.

lack of udpates

Sorry.....it's been pretty crazy around here. Recently made the decision to drive home in a few weeks. I have a job where if you don't use your vacay, you lose it. But, being 18 week pg, I had to make a decision fast or I'd be taking a vacay in my apartment. So, against the better judgment of other people, we are driving the 1200 miles from Orlando to Detroit in a couple of weeks. Yep, at 20 weeks pg and with a potty-training 3yo, we're going to drive straight up I-75. Much better and more cost effective than shelling out $1000 tickets and luggage, plus trying to find transporation to and from the airport. Not to mention lugging Duck's car seat through the airport (we have a cool thing, but you have to disassemble it on the plane). Just easier to drive than fly when you have a toddler/pre-schooler.

But seriously, I would rather drive. That's the way I grew up. Driving and staying either with family or in a pop-up camper. When I was an exchange student in 88, it was my first flight every. At age 14, to a foreign country without my parents.

E and I drove down here in April 04, we drove back home for Christmas 06 and now we'll do it again in 08. (I also did it for NYE 99/00, but that was BE.......Before E.) So, I don't think much of an 18-hour drive. And adding Duck into the mix isn't that bad. As long as we have a full charged dvd player, his Franklin, Diego and Curious George dvds, some Nutripals bars and some Chobby......we're all set. Might look for a new toy the night before we leave though.

Plus? Plus after all the media some of these families with special needs families are getting? I don't need that kind of crap happening with Duck. He'll be much happier in his own seat for 1200 miles, getting to run around every few hours. As I'm sure so would every other Orlando to Detroit passenger be than if we flew. He's just at that age where not getting what he wants entitles him to a full blown meltdown. I hate dealing with them, I won't purposely subject someone else to them, nor would I put my child in a situation where he might have one.

Anyway, things have been crazy.

FIL is here right now. YAY. Love it when he's here. 'Course he brought presents for Duck. Really cool building blocks, an alphabet puzzle and a bowling game. And we've got a PERFECT hallway for the bowling.

Tomorrow? Tomorrow I'm making a pot roast. Last night I had a steak for dinner. I know you're probably all picking your jaws up from the floor. I'm not a big beef eater.

Seriously, I grew up with home-grilled steak every other week. Complete with buttered mushrooms. So, it's not like I wasn't exposed. I just never developed a strong desire to eat it. My mom makes the BEST pot roast in the world. I could eat it any time. But, I live 1200 miles from her. And, really, I don't like to cook big meals for just me and E. Otherwise, I seriously don't eat a lot of red meat. (tacos and spaghetti don't count and we really don't have hamburgers that often.) I'm a chicken or tuna kind of girl. And since E's learned how to successfully grill a salmon steak, we have that about once a month. (he gets fish and I don't have a fishy-smelling apartment)

BUT.......a few weeks ago, I drove by a Texas Roadhouse. And, OHMYGOD, the smell coming from that place was enough to drive me crazy. So, FIL took us there last night and I actually ordered an 8oz sirloin. I seriously was in heaven. I didn't finish it all, but it was enough to curb the craving for a while. But, on my way home, had to go to Super Target to pick up new photos of Duck and found a perfectly perfect pot roast and grabbed some carrots and red potatoes too.

YUM Can't wait to cook that tomorrow.

Then tomorrow night? I'm making chili. Just because I want to have it on hand.

Yes, I give my child silverware to eat with

But I still strip him down for good reason:

Trip to the pedi's office

I just LOVE our pediatrician. Love, love, love the man dearly. Seriously, he's freaking AWESOME. Granted, we didn't get to see him this morning, but I still love him.

What do I love about him? He's younger (about 5 years older than me I think), has younger children and isn't so far removed from preschoolers that he doesn't pass Duck's delays off as him just being a slow learner or telling us "he'll talk when he wants to." I also love that he takes the time to listen. He's never once made me feel like a first-time mom. He respects that I take time to research stuff online, that I generally follow his directions (typically with my own instincts thrown in for Duck), and he's just a really great guy overall.

So, we did have to take Duck in this morning. He came home Thursday with a nasty bite. I posted to my mommy groups and got lots of suggestions....chiggers, sand fleas, fire ants, mosquitos.

This is from Friday morning. Keep in my he's a skinny 3yo, so there's not much of his leg not wrapped by this "bite":



I cleaned him up and bandaged it Thursday night, but it was still oozing Friday afternoon when he got to the sitter's. After she told me how icky it still looked, I called the nurseline at pedi's office. They said to bring him to the clinic or to the office the next morning. Well, since the clinic is a $50 co-pay and the pedi is $20, we waited til this morning.

We got right in and Dr. C's nurse was working. She was so impressed with Duck's language. I mean, it's only been since July that we were there and he was chattering away. He identified the trains, planes, and cars on the wall. He pointed to the school, bus and apple on the roll paper and even looked at books quietly.

The NP said it was more than one bite and after I looked at it better, it's most likely fire ants. Like he ran through a hill or something. I'd say 6-7 bites on that one area, plus three on the front (one was from Tuesday).

On being anal retentive

My husband thinks I'm anal retentive. In some cases, I'd probably agree.

My husband thinks I have OCD. Never been officially diagnosed, I think it goes in hand with the first two statements.

Unfortunately, I gave him proof tonight. We have 10 sippy cups. all the same brand. I bought them in two packs. I remember which colors came together. Two weeks ago, I sent Duck to school with his juice to finish at breakfast. The cup never made it home. The teacher doesn't have it. The sitter doesn't have it. And I've cleaned out both cars....nope.

So, tonight, E finds a sippy behind the couch in the den. It's got milk in it..............but, I can tell that since it's chocolate milk, it's not "that" old. As in more than one day, but definitely not 2 weeks.

As I put dishes in the dishwasher tonight, I started counting again. First I got 8, then I remembered that Duck was drinking milk at that time, so I got 9. Still missing one.

"Why do you get all anal about this?" says my husband.

"Because, I know that we have 10 cups and that means I know to be on the lookout for a moldy milk cup if necessary"

"You're nuts!"

So, I waited a few minutes, then I walk into the den and say, "No, anal would be being able to tell you that it's a blue cup with an orange lid. We have 5 blue cups, 3 green and 2 orange. I know that one orange is at the sitter's. There are 2 green in the dishwasher and 1 in the cupboard. So that leaves me with 5 blue cups. Two are in the cupboard, two are in the dishwasher. That means I need one more. And since I have all the green ones and I know that the orange and blue cups came together, I know that the missing cup is blue with an orange lid."

Crap. I AM anal.

Today's an eating day and "how not to kill a betta"

First, it's an "EATING DAY" YAY!!! Of course, it didn't start until abut 11:00 and only after we'd offered french toast and then Lucky Charms at 9:30. He finally ate some the Lucky Charms (okay, Marshmallow Mateys, whatever we like them better)and drank a cup of pear juice. This was after chugging two cups of "chobby". Then, E and I sat down to have leftover tacos for lunch and we decided to see if he'd actually eat with us again. This was at 12:30.

He ate: string cheese stick, 2 chicken fingers, 1/2 cup of peas, AND a snack sized KitKat. Plus water.

Oh, and now his favorite word is "soooup-beeee" which means "Super Oobi". If you don't know what or who Oobi is, you need to check him out at this website: Oobi Dance as soon as possible.

Now on to "how not to kill a betta". Last year, just about this time, we inherited our friend's betta fish. They were moving back to Chicago and didn't think the fish would make the 1200 mile drive. HA! HA, I say to them! The first weekend, Duck attempted to commit fishy-cide by dropping the 1-quart tank on the floor spilling blue fish to the floor. He survived. Blue Fish (aka Mr. Fishy at our house) survived the half-block move in May. Really, he got to ride in his cup in the U-haul truck! Still, I think he would have made the 1200 mile trek to Chicago.

Why? Because that's a two to three day trip. While not completely on purpose, but not purposefully paying attention, I managed to not change the water for well over a month, probably closer to two months. The water level was probably less than a pint, dingy and filthy and I honestly can't remember the last time the poor thing was fed.

This morning, I rescued Mr. Fishy changing his water, giving him a full tank to swim around and yes, I even fed him. I think he's happier now that he can swim without his tail touching the bottom of the tank. I'd rather have him in a 10-gallon tank with a filter that I don't have to constantly change, though. But, right now, his 1-quart tank is all we have room for.

So, if you're really looking to get rid of a betta, don't count on it dying in less than a year on its own, don't count on it wanting fresh water (rumor has it they like filthy water), and don't count on it not making a 1200 mile trip. Do it the old fashioned way and buy another one, put them in the same tank and let 'em have at it.

We like Mr. Fishy, really we do. Life just gets away from us sometimes. Thankfully he's a hearty fish.....and really, it's much easier to clean out a tank than to pick up dog poop in the hot, summer, Florida sun.

I just hope that the fresh water and food aren't a shock to his system.

Today was a crap eating day

Although, he did eat something other than chicken nuggets. Granted it was a taco shell, some shredded cheese and a NutriPals bar, but at least it was a variety. Duck's eating habits suck big time lately. I mean, it's the same thing every day and God forbid I expect him to eat what's been made for dinner. (though I don't force him, not a parenting practice I believe in) I'd at least like to see him eating protein other than chicken and peanut butter.

I can sneak in tuna when I make mac-n-cheese (one small can of tuna, one can of no salt added peas, and one box of Kraft mac-n-cheese is enough for us all to eat with leftovers. And everybody likes it. Reheats the next day for lunch too!

That's why I like the NutriPals bars.....I know he's getting protein and fiber from those.

Oh and he's on a milk kick. I'm fairly certain he had 4 cups of milk today. Chobby is Duck for "chocolate milk". I did pick up a trick from my sister. The first cup has chocolate in it, the next one? I fake it. I mean, there's enough milk in the cup so that he gets a bit of flavoring, but otherwise, I don't add any more to it.

And I think this is why we're back to 3 poops a day. Two months ago, he was backed up and only going once a week. Now? Now I'm rushing him to the potty. We didn't make it a single time today. I don't like cleaning up poopy diapers, but I hate giving an enema even more.

Milk is so good for him, though. Calcium, protein, fat (at 3y2m he still only weighs 30 pounds).....but what it does to his system is just plain horrible.

Unfortunately this is the cause of the crap eating. He's too full. Need to go back to water and juice. If anyone needs to be drinking more milk, it's me or E. I do get plenty though because I generally drink the milk from my cereal, which I had for breakfast and lunch today.

Duck's progress.....

I guess it's about that time again. Time for a full Duck update.

I'll start by saying that he's all but dropped sign language completely. He only consistently signs "all done" and even then it's only when he's on the potty or in his high chair. I started working on dropping the thank you sign a few months ago. I wanted him to say it rather than sign and say it. So, I cruelly held his hands down. He finally just started saying it. Of course, he's picked up BOWING while saying thank you. (yes, thank you Oobi!) And he'll sign "more" when he wants more and we're saying no.

He started school on August 18th and started riding the bus from school to the sitter's on September 2nd. The bus ride is very smooth and SHORT. The sitter lives about 0.25 miles from the school. Basically two turns and he's there. The big "developmental" news here is that every day as they round the corner, Duck starts saying "eesa, eesa" because he knows he's going to see his friend (sitter's daughter).

He's following two-step directions fairly easily now. Only if they're directions that he's familiar ith, though. Like "get your shoes and bring to mom".

Juice is joos, water is wa-wa, but milk is cup or cuppy. The important thing there is that he's distinguishing the three AND asking for each individually.

Everything in a wrapper is a "cookie" which did cause confusion at school for a while because I send a NutriPals bar in his lunch every day just in case he refuses to eat lunch. He LOVES KitKats, though. He even knows that the mini ones come with two bars. The cool thing about that is it's helping with counting! Whatever it takes right?

He has so many words now. I wish I could think of all the new ones, but I'm sure I'd miss 2 or 10. He hasn't lost any verbal words, just signs.

Phrases and Words that I can think of on 4 hours of sleep....will explain that in a minute:
hep me (help me)
i tuc (i stuck)
pobby (potty)
poop
pee
doggie
mee-mee (the pacifier---more on that in a minute too)

First, the mee-mee issue. I had the damn thing almost gone, definitely a nap and bedtime thing only. And even then, if he was at the sitter's, he wasn't getting it at nap time. But then he had to go and NAME IT. He walks through the house saying "meeeee-meeee, air ar ou?" like a mom looking for a hiding child. Once he finds it, it's as if they're long lost pals who haven't seen each other in YEARS (when in reality it's probably been 20 minutes). I have, however, taken to throwing some away.

Last night, Duck walked into our bedroom at 1:00. I'd been in bed since about 9:30. He was WIDE awake and chatty. E took him for a while, but then he came back in when the tv shut off. I yelled at E to come back and get him. He put him back in bed....10 minutes later, E's PASSED OUT snoring and Duck's opening our bedroom door again. Somebody didn't put the door knob cover on again. So, I've been up since about 1 a.m.....fully since 3, though.

He's potty-training pretty well. Good days and bad. He will poop on the potty more readily than pee. We at least get notified he has to poop, he tells us AFTER the fact with pee. We've taken to giving mini M&Ms if he uses the potty. And I have to tell you, I like not having to clean his entire rear end from a poopy diaper.

I think the biggest proof of his language finally starting to try to become more cohesive and understandable is the other night he said a bit of jibberish, then doggie, jibberish, then mee-mee, and more jibberish. I was so proud.

Meal preparation places

I don't normally buy the paper on any day but Sunday and even then it's only for the funnies and the coupons (whcih have sucked lately by the way). So, I didn't know about this article regarding meal preparation places until the owners of the place I frequent sent it to me.

Magical Mealtime has got to be the best in the area. As a busy mom, I LOVE their meals, their products are always fresh and I don't have to worry about buying spices I might use only once or twice in a given 6 month period. I can spend 2-3 hours on a Saturday morning prepping meals to go in my freezer and I'm done for the week or even longer. E and I usually just do a 6 half meal session. Why? It's just two of us. Duck will usually eat chicken fingers or a peanut butter sandwich. We will easily get two full meals out of one half meal from MM. Which means, for the low cost of $79, I can get at least 12 dinners and most often 6 lunches. Even with just 12 meals, that's just about $6 per meal.

While I understand that there are cookbooks out there like "30-Minute Meals" by Rachel Ray and others, these often require me to still have items on hand that I might not buy every week. And I certainly try to only buy items that I know I'll use in the next 5-7 days. Problem is with that concept (for me anyway) is the last thing I want to do after working an 8-hour shift, driving to pick up Duck from the sitter's is to spend 30 minutes in the kitchen.

Alos, with being 1200 miles away from much of my family and friends (though we do have WONDERFUL friends here), we don't necessarily have a base to do meal exchanges with. And again, I'm prepping meals in my kitchen, leaving a mess to clean up behind me.

Meal preparation places like Magical Mealtime are God's gift to busy families. And whose family isn't busy these days?