Almost Christmas...Bah Humbug Day!

The day started out okay, although early. My little sunshine, Natalie has had a rough week. She has been so congested that she can hardly breathe. Several times over the past week, I have had to hold her upright while she sleeps. Okay, so I have really enjoyed that part but the sleepless nights are starting to take their toll. Yesterday, she screamed blood curdling screams when I tried to put her down for her late afternoon nap. I called the nurse at the pediatrician's office. She suspected fluid in her ears and suggested I bring her in first thing this morning. I gathered us all up at 7:45 this morning...no easy feat these days...and off we went to Savannah. Natalie fell asleep before we left the end of our street. This was good!

At the office, the Nurse Practitioner declared everything fine. Probably just a cold but nothing in her ears and not RSV. This was terrific news but I still know that Natalie is not feeling well. She is a little more cuddly than normal and wants to nurse often. Despite this, we head over to the mall. They have a wonderful Santa there. Authentic. He is there every year so our pictures are consistent. It has been a big question of whether or not to do the Santa thing with the kids but we decided to go ahead with it. Many of our friends don't do it because they don't want to have the kids think that if Santa isn't real then Jesus isn't real. Both of us love Christmas and haven't been traumatized by the Santa experience. We will certainly explain a little more each year but for this year, we are going to just see how it goes. I do think we are going to have a birthday cake for Jesus though. But I digress.

Because of finances, we haven't had formal pictures of Natalie taken. Many of my friends and family haven't even see her. I was the obsessive Mom today trying to get the pictures just right. The individual ones shown here are great and I was pleased. The one with the two of them together was just okay. I have decided that it might be impossible to get more than one child in a picture to all be smiling AND looking at the camera at the same time. If you do see one, it has to be edited. By the time we finished, there was a line behind me and I am quite sure they were thinking I was some kind of nut. I will probably never see them again so I guess I don't care...much.

After the pictures, the day kind of went downhill from there. We stopped for Mackenzie to play in the children's area and I decided to nurse. The congested nose means that Natalie was having a hard time nursing and she decided to let all 16 people in the play area AND half the mall know she was pretty ticked about it. She wailed while everyone watched. While I don't mind nursing in public, I do try to be somewhat discreet. That is almost impossible when you have a thrashing, screaming baby in your arms. I am pretty positive that about 10% of Savannah saw my breast today. Gotta love that! Again, I will probably never see them again so I don't care...much.

In the midst of the screaming, thrashing baby, Mackenzie comes running over to me and asks if I have a pull-up for her. While there was a time she would have a bowel movement in the toilet, it has passed and she has decided that the best method is to torture her mother by having a complete explosion in a diaper. I can't even begin to tell you the times I gag trying to get it changed. UGH! In her defense, part of the reason we reverted back to diapers for BM's is because for the longest time, we had constipation issues. It was agonizing to watch her go through the pain of not being able to go and then finally having to give her an enema because she couldn't (So, as I type this, I am realizing that changing a diaper isn't as bad as giving an enema so it could be worse.). At home, she goes and gets her own diaper and then just tells me when she is finished. At least we don't have dirty pants issues. That would be worse! When she started her Mom's Morning Out in October, I attended an Open House and several of the Mom's said their child had this issue. That did help me realize that it was common and normal. Okay. I digress again.

Screaming, thrashing child. Three year old that needs a diaper. Savannah catching glimpes of my chest as I am trying to fix it all. What fun we are having. My "solution" is to head to the van. I can give Mackenzie her diaper and feed Natalie there in peace. Doesn't that sound good? I tossed both girls in the stroller and headed for the door, with Natalie screaming the entire way. Smile! Smile! Smile! Everyone around you understands, right? We make it to the van, get the diaper on and settle down to nurse. NOT! At this point, Natalie is on the verge of hysteria and I can't get her calmed down. Like all good Mom's, I screamed at Mackenzie for something stupid. The entire 15 minutes of waiting for Mackenzie to totally stink up the van is accompanied by blood curdling screams. All the while, there are 3 police officers standing across the parking aisle from our van watching us. Although it was cold outside, I had to periodically open the van door to actually get air and not aphixiate the three of us with the diaper issue. Are we having fun yet?

Then...I remember. I had purchased some personalized Christmas ornaments in the mall and was supposed to go back and pick them up. I get out of the van, change the diaper, open the tailgate and unfold the stroller, load the underwearless child and the screaming baby back into the stroller, smile at the 3 nice police officers and head back into the mall while all the heads around me turn to see what is making such a ruckess. I am not sure if it was the blast of cold air or the bright sun but within a few minutes, Natalie calmed down...for 20 seconds. Then, she screamed louder. I got the ornaments, went back to the car and prayed. I couldn't do this by myself. I finally prayed and asked God to calm me down and help our situation. Why does it take so long to remember to do that?

It took a few more minutes but Natalie finally latched on and nursed. All the crying had exhuasted her and she fell asleep quickly. I apologized to Mackenzie for losing my temper, buckled her in and we were on our way back home. I will spare you the details but 4 messes later (an entire salt shaker, green jello spit on the floor, a whole bottle of water on the coffee table (so she could play in it) and something else which I can't even remember within one hour just about sent me to the moon again. Not to mention, my annual cookie party is 3 days away and I don't have a Christmas tree or a single decoration up. I am starting to feel stressed.

As I am typing this, I can hear Natalie in the baby monitor shaking a doll with bells inside. It sounds a lot like Jingle Bells. Even she is in the Christmas spirit. Once again, I need to learn something from my 5 month old!

Halloween 2007

Aren't these the cutest Mermaids you have ever seen?


God knows the heart of our children. We live in a small neighborhood and know all of the neighbors so I had planned to let Mackenzie go trick or treating this year. However, with finances being tight, I thought we could use one of the many princess outfits we have. We had a giraffe that we were going to use last year but in the move in got misplaced. This year, I found it but it was too small. Stay tuned because I am sure Natalie will "want" to be a giraffe in a year or two. Anyway...

Last week, Mackenzie and I took a trip to the grocery store. I really don't enjoy this part of my domestic management job so we stopped to treat ourselves to a double chocolate chip cream frappacino at the Starbucks inside Kroger. After all, we might as well enjoy the shopping experience, right? The clerk actually came all the way around the counter to hand Mackenzie her drink and asked her what she was going to be for Halloween. We have TONS of magazines that came in the mail with all kinds of costumes. Mackenzie has been scouring them for the last month with a different choice each day. I listened with great curiousity to see what she was going to say. Her answer? A Blue Mermaid! Hmmmmm. I wondered how I was going to pull that off.

We drove home and when Dad unloaded the van, he pulled out a bag of clothes that someone had given us earlier in the week. I assumed it was regular clothing but it was actually a bag of fun costume pieces. Guess what was inside? A Mermaid costume. It was purple instead of blue but she was thrilled just the same! And...she got her wish to be a mermaid. If I could only have faith like that!!! The next night, I went with a friend to find maternity clothes and one of the stores had all of their costumes 50% off. I got the matching infant mermaid costume for $9. Gotta love that!

My Girls

These are my girls! God has definitely blessed me with two beautiful little ones. I am amazed daily by these two. Mackenzie loves her little sister and wants to hold her often. I hope they grow up to be the closest friends!

This is my "Curly Girl." Every where we go, total strangers touch her hair. Look at that fabulous smile! Doesn't it warm your heart? Did you ever read that poem about the little girl with the curl? Here it is:
There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good
She was very, very good!
But when she was bad, she was terrible.

This describes my Mackenzie. She is the most loving child you will ever want to meet. She can turn on the charm like no other (she gets that from Daddy). She has a laugh that can melt your heart. She is incredibly smart...and more strong willed than I ever thought possible. She has sent me crying on more than one occasion. And...it is this beautiful laugh that has spared her a few swats when I wanted to hang her from the ceiling fan.

Natalie is my breath of fresh air. She is always happy, always smiling. When I am feeling sad, frustrated or worried, I can count on her to give me a smile that says everything will be okay. She turned 4 months old yesterday and has been sleeping through the night for over a month. She hasn't woken in the night even one time since then. I feed her at 8:00, kiss her goodnight and lay her in the crib. She just smiles at me and drifts off to dreamland. Somewhere around 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning, I hear her sucking her thumb furiously and I know she is hungry. Doesn't she have the most beautiful eyes?

Thank you Lord for my two precious girls!

The Million $$$ haircut!

I know perhaps it sounds a little vain but I have always loved my hair. Even if I was having a fat day, my hair was there to cheer me up. Just enough natural curl to hold curls when I style it and yet I could wear it straight and long if I wanted to. I have had short hair a few times but mostly wear it shoulder length or longer. Until I was in my middle 20's, the color was terrific. Lots of natural blonde highlights that were God given. Later in my 20's, my hair started getting darker but still had many highlights. One stylist even argued with me that I had put hightlights in my hair and was lying to her. Now that my 40th birthday is only 5 days away, the color is, well, not what I would like it to be. It is this dull brown color with more gray roots than I care to admit. I might mention that gray roots don't color well!

I seem to pick hair stylists with drama. I do think they would qualify for the reality television show (despite the fact that I have no idea what the name of it is)! I had one who did a great job for a while and then she started having husband/health/child issues. The last time she cut my hair, she was crying and telling me her latest life story. I should have grabbed the scissors right then and walked out. But no...I let her continue to cut away (literally) until my hair was an uneven mess. My husband swears he will commit me if I ever allow her near my hair again.

Next came the person who repaired the damage of the stylist just mentioned. I was shocked when she told me she had to take another inch off just to even it up. To say that looking in the mirror was traumatizing was an understatement. To try to fix it, I thought perhaps a few blonde highlights would help. I guess when you don't have much hair, your hair must take highlights well because it was REALLY blonde. I looked entirely different. You can imagine what that looked like growing out! With this stylist, I have experimented with color to find something that might work. The first time she tried a strawberry blonde, it washed out in a few weeks. There was money well spent! We tried more red and that color looked pretty good. The next time, she thought more would be better and I left looking like Lucille Ball! Right before Natalie was born, she decided we would try "something close to my natural color." It might have looked natural if I was a cow but the brown wasn't natural at all. Okay...that would be the last time she colored it.

My dear friend Donna and I took a trip to Sally's Beauty Supply and found the perfect color quite by accident. $8 later, I was well pleased. The biggest reason I had Donna help me is that she does her own hair and it always looks stunning. And...I just can't afford to spend $130 on color and highlights every 6 weeks. Thank you Donna!

However, when I went back to the stylist to get my hair trimmed, she was quite unhappy that I hadn't used her for color. While she SAID she understood that I just didn't have the money, the hair cut I got that day said otherwise. I came home and told Stephen I just wasn't sure what to do. So, I did nothing until last Friday.

Mackenzie has the most gorgeous head of soft, ringlet curls you can imagine. Every where we go, people touch her hair. She won't keep a barrette it in for longer than 2 minutes so I have been having her bangs cut so she won't eat her hair. Yes, she really was chewing on it while watching television. What a great Mom I am! Anyway, when I called last week to see if there was an appointment, I thought I would also try to have my hair cut by this young stylist.

This cut was perhaps one of the best haircuts I have ever gotten. She washed my hair and deep conditioned it while telling me that the product I am using wasn't giving my hair enough moisture. I had suspected this anyway so I was happy she agreed with my thoughts. She also spent some time looking at my face and my hair to determine what kind of cut and length would be good for me. She then spent over a half hour meticulously cutting my hair. I watched in awe though the mirror. She did a great job. Of course, that would really be determined when I tried to style it myself.

That day, it was raining so I had to add a few curls before I left for a meeting. I decided to flip it up and it looked adorable. The next day, I washed and styled it on my own. It still looked good. Today, I did a 2 minute blow dry so it wasn't dripping wet, added some hair spray and ran out the door. While it certainly didn't look fabulous, it looked good for the 2 minutes I spent on it. I didn't feel embarrassed to go out in public. She had done a great job.

And then...the bill! When she told me it would be $60 for my haircut, I almost choked. Who pays that kind of money on a haircut? I don't have that kind of money. Unbelievable. I knew I had to add a tip but I can tell you I hesitated. That would make it $70. Not to be totally embarrassed, I took some money out of my wallet and paid for it. With Mackenzie's haircut ($20 + tip) we spent over $90. My husband had worked the entire Saturday night before helping a guy who gave him a $100 bill. I was supposed to put it into the bank. When he came home a few days later, he asked me if I had deposited the money yet. Everything in me wanted to tell a big FAT lie. "I lost the money, honey." Instead, I took a gulp and told him I was really embarrassed about what had happened. I told him the truth...very slowly, with lots of emphasis on what a great haircut we both had. He kind of looked ill but didn't chastise me.

Sooooo...I started this entry on September 23 but didn't post it. It is now October 29th. I have to admit I have had more compliments on my hair in the last month than in the past two years combined. I have had great hair days every day. Okay, maybe not the days I choose to be lazy and put it in a clippy, but almost every day. I am REALLY happy with the cut. Now I just have to figure out where I can get a part time job to pay for it again. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Poop

I have decided that if you are a mother with a blog spot and there isn't one about poop that you can't be legit. Here is the email I sent to my husband this afternoon:

Some days I look at the clock and wonder where the entire day went when there is no evidence that I have done anything. Then...I look at the last hour. Here are the details:

2:01 Pull into the driveway after being gone half the day to a doctor's appointment. Mackenzie fell asleep right at the entrance to our neighborhood. Can't understand why. She woke me up at 5:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. Pray to God that she stays sleeping while I carry her in.

2:02 Out of the car carrying load one...stuff. The diaper bag. Toys for Mackenzie. The remnants of our nutritious Sonic lunch. Open the house door, turn off the alarm and set all the stuff in the house. Go into our bedroom and take the pillows off the bed so I will have someplace to lay the, hopefully, sleeping child.

2:05 Back to the car to get load two...Mackenzie. Thankfully, she stays asleep when I lay her on the bed. Out to the living room to get a blanket.

2:07 Back to the car to get load three...Natalie. She was sleeping and now gives me the biggest toothless grin. Of course she isn't going to stay asleep too. That would be too lucky! I get her in the house and take her out of the car seat. We go upstairs to check emails. I lay her on the play mat and get one email typed (to you). Then, she starts screaming so I pick her up and try to comfort her. That only works for a short time.

2:25 I give up trying to calm Natalie down by holding her and give her the boob. It works only briefly and she is still fussing.

2:32 Take Natalie into the bedroom to see if I can rock her to sleep. Hmmmm. This seems to be working. She is almost asleep. If I am lucky, I can take a quick nap too. Perhaps I can add a few minutes to the big 5 hours of sleep I got last night.

2:40 Out of this little body comes this horrific fart. She gets this from her father. It even scares the cat. So much for sleep because she just loaded her diaper. I put her on the bed and change it.

2:45 Back in the rocking chair.

2:55 She is almost asleep so I get up and put her in the crib. I just about make it to the door and she squeals. I stop in my tracks. Then...another horrific fart and another full diaper.

2:56 Since she is already in the crib, I decide to change her there. I can't believe how much poop this little child can emit. Unbelievable! I put another diaper under her....

2:58 UGH! GROSS! DISGUSTING! She PROJECTILE pooped while I had her legs up tryig to wipe her! Across the crib and onto the floor. How is that even possible? There is now a yellow, mustard like substance all over the crib. On the white overlay, the sheet underneath, the mattress pad and the crib bumper. I try to get her wiped on the only few inches of the sheet remaining without poop. I put her on the bed to go fetch another diaper (the new one was ruined too) and pray that she doesn't go again while I am getting it.

3:10 She is now in a clean diaper with her pants on. I totally strip the crib while she watches me. Her thumb is in her mouth and she is cooing. I just know this is her way of laughing at me.

3:15 I am on the floor now cleaning up more poop and thanking God that somehow she missed me even though I was in the direct line of fire. And then I hear it...

3:16 Another horrific fart. Another full diaper. I look around the room and wonder if I am on that new television show that is similar to Candid Camera. Someone is having a great laugh at my expense. I am sure of it.

3:18 We are now on diaper #4 in less than an hour. Now, Natalie is WIDE awake. No afternoon nap for her...or me and I can hardly keep my eyes open. I am so tired they are burning.

3:23 Begin typing an email to hubby and father of the incredible pooping child.

The Diet Begins...

Hubby and I engaged in a very sick activity this morning. We decided to take some "Before" pictures and begin a diet. I warned you! He actually went first which made my pain seem a little less, until I actually saw the pictures. I am not sure which grossed me out more...the big flab of fat that is now my post partem belly or the massive stretch marks across the big flab. During the picture taking process, I turned around and told him to get my back. UGH! Unbelievable! Ridiculous! I am not sure I even have the right words in my vocabulary to describe it. I can assure you that I could easily be a contender on Extreme Makeovers right now. Of course, they would tell me that I had to lose weight before they could liposuction my jelly belly. Of course, on the Extreme Makeover show I would get a personal trainer, a personal chef (to cook all that asparagus they eat) and my entire calendar freed up to spend the next two months running like a hamster on a treadmill. Do you ever wonder how those people get 8 weeks off from work and still pay the bills?

There was a time in my life that I was going to be svelte by my 40th birthday. Since that is only 25 days away, I am thinking probably not! Well...maybe if I stopped eating entirely and spent 12 hours a day on the treadmill I could accomplish that. Wait...maybe I would be dead first. So, I guess I will have to lose weight the sensible, painstakeingly slow way. The worst part is that right now, I am under doctor's orders not to exercise. That has always been my motivator not to engage in wrong eating in the past. I guess those lovely pictures will have to be my new motivator! The brand new treadmill we bought will either sit there silent or run under hubby's feet.

I have this little book that I started recording my weight, measurements and dieting adventures in after one of my miscarriages. In 2001, I was (ready for this?) 36 inches smaller overall than I am right now. The sad part is that I still weighed 5 more pounds than when I married Stephen just 9 years ago. I remember when I weighed 110 pounds and thought I was fat. What was I thinking?

So...my goals in order are:
1) To begin a plan of eating that is healthy
2) To begin exercising daily when I am allowed to start
3) To lose 10% of my current weight (this is a weight watchers goal).
If I have to pick a number on the scale of where I would like to be, I would say 130. When I get there, I will work on those last 10 pounds. Right now, that seems overwhelming to me to even think about how much I have to lose to get there...so I won't!

I am off to eat carrot sticks!

All About Pregnancy

When I was about 5 months pregnant with Natalie, someone asked what being pregnant was like. Here is my response:

Let's see. First, the nausea begins. The smell of food you normally love sends you running...hopefully, only to get away and not to your new porcelain friend. And, speaking of smell, you nose is suddenly more sensitive than a tracking dog. You can smell the person two cars in front of you having a cigarette. Because your body is trying to function at its optimum, you begin to eliminate more...meaning, you will soon know the location of every woman's room within a 20 mile radius of your house. Another fun aspect of pregnancy is the sheer exhaustion. You will begin to wonder if you can stay awake until 8:00PM to see your favorite show. You may take naps in your car during work breaks because you just can't keep your eyes open one more minute. Within a few weeks, your chest is so tender you want to cry. Sometimes, even putting on a bra is misery. And, they begin to grow and grow and grow. You will have cleavage you only ever dreamed about!

Once you get over the morning sickness...which sometimes lasts all day, you start to feel hungry. Although you have never raided the fridge in the middle of the night before, you will quickly learn how to make it to the kitchen in the middle of the night, eat, and get back into bed without waking the husband. Eventually, the growing baby, and the eating will take its toll on your body and you begin spouting a little belly. Of course, no one will be able to tell you are pregnant yet so people will just assume you have been eating more (and you have!). Buying bigger sizes works for a little while and so does raiding the hubby's closet. Soon, you will need to make a trip to the maternity store. This is LOTS of fun. Assuming they have the styles you like, you have to also find out what fits. You can try on 50 things and walk out with one shirt. It is enough to make you cry.

Crying. That is another subject. Your emotions are now on the roller coaster ride of a lifetime. Things that should be happy for you make you cry. Things that never bothered you in the past will be cause for World War III. Of course, there is much happiness knowing that you are growing this little life inside and you try to justify that all the crazy emotions will be worth it in the end...and they are!

At about 16-18 weeks, you will begin to feel some fluttering in your tummy. It is kind of like the feeling you had as a little kid riding through the hills in the car. Eventually, this gives way to a stronger movement and you realize that is the baby kicking. This will cause real tears of joy! Over the rest of the pregnancy, you will feel much movement and it somehow connects you to your baby in a really neat way. Of course, the baby connects with all your inner body parts too...and that isn't always the most comfortable feeling. Trying to get the baby to move out from under your ribs so you can breathe can be a major feat! But, it is fun to watch your belly roll around and occasionally, you can see a foot or arm protruding. Very cool!

Throughout the pregnancy, you may have other weird symptoms. Lack of sleeping. Funny bodily smells. Heartburn that takes your breathe away. People who touch your belly for no apparent reason. Strangers that ask personal questions and give you advice as if they have known you all your life. Smiles from almost everyone you pass. Life is good!

Around the second trimester, you will start to feel obsessed about getting things done. Closets that you never dared to open will need to be organized. You will be on ladders deep cleaning areas of your house that you previously ignored. But, since the second trimester is the best for energy levels, emotions and well being, enjoy those nesting feelings and get it all done while you can!

You also have constant questions. Is this normal? Is everything okay? Will my baby love me? Can I be a good parent? How will I know what to do? Will the baby breast feed? All the security you have ever know will suddenly be in doubt over an 8 pound little being.

As you go through all of this, you have lots of doctor's visits. They make you step on the scale every time so you can watch the numbers get higher and higher. You have to manuever this little tiny cup around your big belly and into your urine stream. They prick your finger and occasionally make you drink sickening sweet orange syrup while trying not to throw up. And later in the pregnancy, the doctor sticks his/her entire arm inside of you to see how things are progressing. All of this to make sure you aren't having any physical problems and the baby is doing okay. The fun side of the doctor's visits are that you get to hear the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler machine and occasionally get a little wave during the ultrasounds.

Somewhere in the 9th month, you decide that you have had enough fun. Everything you do is a major effort and you would really like this pregnancy thing to be over. So, you walk a lot and try every crazy wives tale to see if it will make you go into labor. You even get the hubby involved because somewhere you read that sperm can cause labor. After you spend 1/2 hour trying to find a position, you realize that you are just going to have to wait until the baby is ready to appear.

Then, labor begins. If you are lucky, you begin having contractions that are spaced far apart. Contractions feel like someone has a belt around your belly and are pulling it tight for a minute or two. They release it and you continue through that cycle as the belt tightens closer and closer together each time. When your water breaks, it feels like you just had an accident in your pants. Am I peeing or is that my water? Inquiring minds want to know! Hopefully, labor is short and painless. Although if it is not, you can opt for good drugs to make you feel better.

And, after about 260 days of pregnancy, they hand you the smallest thing you have ever seen. You are amazed that this baby came from your body just seconds ago. You feel a love that you never knew you could. Everything in you begins to formulate the protection instincts of a mother bear. This is your baby. Your life. Your love. And, it was all worth it.

Now...go buy three books. "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" is a positive book that tells you each week what is happening in your body and with the baby. "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" tell you all the things doctor's never will and will keep you laughing when you want to cry. "The Pregnancy Journal" is a daily account of what is happening with the baby (like when the fingernails grow, etc.), gives advice on pregnancy and has lots of space for you to record all the details about your pregnancy. Good luck!

Natalie Elizabeth

It was only one week after my last post that I delivered a beautiful baby girl named Natalie Elizabeth. She weighed only 6 pounds, 10 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. She is a terrific baby! Once again, God has blessed us with a little girl to love.

On Wednesday, I went to the OBGYN for him to tell me that NOTHING was happening in Baby World. After having had two days of contractions the weekend before, I was bummed to say the least. He suggested that if I hadn't had the baby by July 4th, that he would hospitalize me and break my water. Having studied enough childbirthing books to start my own library, I know that doesn't always start labor. Because Mackenzie was a c-section, he couldn't give me anything else to induce labor. If breaking my water didn't work, he would have to do a c-section. I came home and sent an email to my praying friends and asked them to pray for a natural labor. Be careful what you ask for!

Thursday, June 28th started a little early for us. Around 4:00 AM, I started feeling "crampy." I knew something wasn't quite right and tried to lay there and rest but sleep wouldn't come. Evidently, excitement was brewing in the air because Mackenzie crawled into our bed at 5:00 wide awake. I went ahead and got out of bed because I wasn't sure I could deal with her. I really wasn't feeling well. Stephen tried to get Mackenzie back to sleep to no avail and he got up at 5:30 to get ready to work. We put her on the couch with a sippy cup of chocolate milk and a cartoon. It wasn't too long after that when the contractions started. These contractions were different than the weekend prior and I told Stephen I thought I was in labor. He had the typical male response. "Are you sure becuase I don't have much time off work and can't stay home just to help you with Mackenzie?" No, I didn't smack him.

The contractions continued to get stronger and Stephen took Mackenzie to the sitter's house around 7:30. When he got back at 8:00, the contractions were pretty intense. He timed them and said they were only about 2 minutes apart and thought we should leave. All I could think about was the 19 hours of labor I had with Mackenzie. I really didn't want to spend that long in the hospital again but I agreed. We left around 8:30 for the half hour drive to the hospital.

The car ride was pretty agonizing. I think I came close to understanding how Mary felt on the horse. Okay...maybe not but it was bad. I was using the armrest and the center console to hold myself up because sitting hurt so much. The contractions were coming so close that I hardly had time to catch my breath in between. It was somewhere on this 1/2 hour drive that I decided I might just need drugs to get through this...forget the natural childbirth. During labor with Mackenzie, I was pretty calm. I talked on the phone and just said "Hold On. I am having a contraction." So...it was pretty obvious that this was a different labor. I yelled at my mother when she asked me why I was on my way to the hospital (perhaps she forgot I was pregnant??). I hung up on the pastor's wife when a contraction started. I screamed at Stephen when he told me to do this whistling type of breathing to help. After all, I could barely breathe, let alone do synchronized breathing! And...I did some pretty good yelping and moaning.

I am sure it was those yelps and moans that caused the nurses to come out of the back room once we arrived at the emergency room. Or perhaps it was the screaming I was doing as I was trying not to rip the chair apart that I was holding on to. To his credit, Stephen very calmly told the admittance clerk that I was in labor. The hospital staff had told us prior that when we came to the hospital to be patient. They see hundreds of women in labor and would get us to a room after we registered. Obviously, most of the women in labor don't come in screaming like I do because they insisted on taking me up immediately. It took 3 nurses to convince me (okay, force me) to sit in the wheelchair to be transported to labor and delivery. I was terrifed that once I got there, they were going to gently pat me on the back and say "Congratulations Lisa! You are dilated 2 centimeters."

Instead, after much persuasion (okay...again, they had to force me) I was up on the table being examined. I felt like an olympic athlete when she said 9. YEAH! I did ask if they could give me anything to take the edge off these crazy contractions. They all just laughed at me like I was the funniest thing. The doctor arrived about 10 minutes later and announced that I was now at 10. Lucky for me, they were out of labor rooms and labor tables. I was transported to a brightly lit operating room and moved to a small, hard metal table. No stirrups. No arm rails and about as wide as my pregnant rear end. Thankfully, I only had to push about 5-6 times and little Natalie was born. Of course not before the nurse told me I wasn't allowed to scream during pushes. Okay. I won't scream. Just come over here and let me rip your ears off instead! My doctor won the hero award though when two pushes later he told me I could scream because it made my pushes better. I did my best to accomodate him! From start to finish, my labor and delivery was less than 6 hours.

Then, it was off to the Great Land of Demerol while they stitched me up. They took us to a holding area until they had a room for us several hours later. Stephen had to make all the calls because I was totally out of it. They brought the baby to me to nurse but I was so loopy I wasn't even sure I could hold her. When they handed her to me, I fell in love with this little tiny baby girl. I must say that it was all worth it! Isn't she gorgeous?

Baby Watch

It is Thursday, June 21st and we are anxiously awaiting baby number 2. My official due date is July 11th but since the beginning of this pregnancy, they have suspected I am a week further along, closer to July 4th. I would be happy with any day at this point. I have had contractions for the last few days and the doctor says things are changing but no dilation at this point. UGH! Oh well, I haven't really been ready for her until the last few days anyway.

The baby clothes are washed and put away. The Pack N Play is in our bedroom. The crib is clean and ready to go...even if it is in the wrong bedroom. That would be hubby's only job to do so we will see when it gets done...before or after she comes. The car seat is sitting on the dining room table along with the pad that goes under it, the mirror to see her little face, and a few other accompaniments. The swing and bouncy seat are in the closet ready to go also. Everything just waiting for a precious little girl.

A few friends had a little "sprinkle" for me two weeks ago. They gave me enough monetary gifts to get the one thing we really need, a double stroller. As I have gone through the baby stuff, once again, I feel so extremely blessed for the friends and family I have. Because of the 4 miscarriages we had before Mackenzie, everyone really spoiled us when I was pregnant with her. The few things (and I emphasize few) that I had to buy were covered by gift cards. I am amazed at all of the memories sorting through baby stuff has brought back. I remember all three showers with Mackenzie and who gave us almost every outfit and accessory. I worked so hard to take care of everything and now I get to use it all again. I am more than grateful to everyone who helped us then...and now as we use it with this new little baby. Thank you again.

Okay, so now the negative. I am over being pregnant! I haven't gained as much weight with this baby but I am MUCH bigger. About two months ago, I outgrew that clothes that I wore when I delivered Mackenzie...and was 20 pounds heavier. I am carrying this baby lower and it has been interesting. The good news from that is no acid reflux/vomiting like last time. The bad news is that I have to be in the bathroom about every hour. I am as slow as a turtle on valium and sometimes, I feel that way too. It takes me at least 3 times longer to accomplish anything. My dear daughter has figured out that she can run from me and I can't catch her. Funny, huh? Here is a picture of the big belly, complete with all of the bruises from the shots, which I am happy to report that are now finished! YEAH!

One last thing and then I better go finish working on the house. Last Sunday, I wore a dress to church, trying to make myself feel pretty and pregnant. I wore pearls and worked extra hard on my hair. I was feeling good about myself. It was short lived! As Mackenzie and I were walking into church, the first person I saw said "Oh my gosh! You look like you are ready to explode! Are you sure there is only one in there?" When I walked up the center aisle, people looked at me in total sympathy and literally shook their heads. I was standing in my aisle singing and someone walked up behind me and said "Your zipper is broken and we can see your panties so I am going to fix it for you." Since I was in the third row, I thought it might be best to head to the restroom instead of standing there for the entire church to watch. Once we got there, I lifted up my dress to try and help and the woman said loudly, "YOU ARE SO HUGE! You must be miserable. My daughter is due in another month and you are MUCH bigger than she is." What exactly do you say to that? "Why, thank you! I was feeling as big as a tank and you have confirmed it." Anyway, I offered to take over the dress repairing process and went back into the sanctuary. As I was leaving, another woman came up to me and said "You are sooooo swollen. I hope the doctor is keeping a close watch on that." While I know that some people just don't get it, I can't even imagine saying any of those statements to someone.

"Gosh, you look like you have had one too many chocolate bars. Are you planning to start Weight Watchers this week?" Okay, so maybe I could say that mentally and smile!

Helpful household tips!

I am fascinated by things that help me around the house. After all, if it will make my life easier, sometimes it is worth the cost! Last year, my mother told me about the Magic Clean Eraser. How did we ever live without that? I have cleaned walls, tubs, sinks and other weird items from stains I thought might be impossible to get out. Thanks Mom for the advice! With young kids in the house, my little eraser will never be too far from reach.

Last week, my husband helped me find an oldie...but definitely a great product again. I vaguely remember Mom having this too and hating them when I had to use them. But, I digress. I was running late last week and asked my husband to start the potatoes on the stove. Of course, I ran even later than I thought and he let them keep cooking. When I got home, one of my best pans was black. The situation looked impossible. I filled the pan with baking soda and let it sit for several days, dreading the cleaning attempt it might take. On my next trip to Wally World, I bought SOS pads. You know, the metal ones that Mom used to use? My husband very nicely volunteered for clean up duty. It only took him a few minutes and when he showed me the pan, I was amazed. My 22 year old pan looked brand new inside. It was 100 times better than before the potatoes. The next day, I had another pan to clean and thought I would just try the SOS pad to see what happened. Again, a beautiful shiny pan emerged. I had no idea my pans were that condition...but could be revived. I just assumed that years of use made them dull and stained inside. Thanks Honey for burning the potatoes! Each time I use a pan, I will be spending time with my new SOS friend until they are all shiny and new. I should probably explain that the pans I like the best are these big, heavy aluminum pans.

Another one of my favorite products is Chem-Dry carpet cleaner. While you can buy it in the store, I always track down the local Chem-Dry company and get the professional bottles from them. It is much stronger than the store bought version. Don't tell my husband but it actually took permanent marker out of our new carpet a few months ago. I have tried all the other brands and find that it doesn't take too long for stains to reimerge within a short period of time. They don't seem to do that with Chem-Dry. Of course, the really bad stains still require a lot of elbow grease to get out but I have gotten almost everything out that I have tried over the last 7 years of using it.

This past week I also discovered a short cut in cooking. You might think this is really obvious so hit the "DUH" button if you want to. I was going to make a chicken casserole to take to a friend (but I still haven't, long story). I laid out a few pacakges of chicken breast to thaw. Typically, I cook them on the stove top but I had a lot to do that day and decided to throw both packages of chicken in a big dish and bake them to save time. When they were done, I tossed them into a quart size ziploc bag, into the fridge and headed out the door. Several times over the last week, I have neglected to have something thawed for dinner...and it was the cooked chicken to the rescue. One night, I chopped up a few breasts and made Chicken Chowder Cheese soup. Since the chicken was already cooked, it took no time to throw everything else in a pan to simmer together. One night, I cut some of it into little squares and my daughter had chicken for a snack. She wanted it cold (UGH!) but she ate every bite. Today I wasn't feeling well and didn't even think about dinner until 6:15. I cut up the chicken and made a quick casserole which was done in time for hubby. I bet it didn't take 6-7 minutes for me to assemble, again, because the chicken was already cooked. I have a few breasts left and I think I am going to make chicken salad with it tomorrow. I am wondering how it would be if I cooked some in advance and froze it. This week, the chicken has still been extremely moist because it hasn't been frozen. Hmmmm! If I keep learning little short cuts like this, when the new baby comes, I will have lots of tricks to help me out.