Pregnancy and the Poo Poo Party

So, oh woe is me. Oh, woe is me.

I needed to feel sorry for myself for a second. I'm better.

I have been so bloggy absent. I think I missed my one-year blogaversary, too. I have been too sick with all day morning sickness, too tired, too hormonal, too irritable, too everything to write or read any blogs. I mean, come on, I cried during an episode of Desperate Housewives. I left the water running in the kitchen sink for some amount of time and had no recollection of why I had turned it on in the first place. I cried during Supernanny. I lost my grocery list in the car when I know I just had it in my hand. How many places could it have gone to in the car?

I have had to take a break lately. I couldn't concentrate on blogging and trying to keep myself awake and sane and from throwing up. I tried to catch up on some of your blogs today. Also, I haven't had anything much to say...any blog posts lately would have been all complaints about the newly acquired nerve pain down my left leg, my nausea and lack of sleep. So, believe me, it was best that I didn't write.

But tonight, Max and I are going to a Poo Poo Party. Max's friend, Simon, who is three years old, pooped in the potty for seven days in a row, so his parents are throwing him a poo poo party and only boys are invited. This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me since I found out I was pregnant seven weeks ago. I might as well be going to a fancy restaurant and then to a Bon Jovi concert. I am way too excited to go to this poop party. But, no fear, I will tell you all about it in my next post.

The Pinball

So, a couple of weeks after I found out I was pregnant, I started spotting. Naturally, this freaked me out, having miscarried in August after spotting. I called the doctor, she told me to come in immediately for an ultrasound. The only problem? I didn't have time to find anyone to watch my 17-month old son, or as I will refer to him in this post, The Pinball.


I knew disaster was coming. It was imminent. The Pinball can't sit still for longer than 4 or 5 seconds, tops. How was I going to keep him under control in a quiet, yet overpopulated, OBGYN waiting room?


I can do this, I thought. I will bring toys and snacks and sippy cups. I will be entertaining. I will be calm, collected, and confident. I will radiate these qualities. My peaceful energy will cause my son to sit quietly and look at a book. I can do this. We can do this.


Of course, I knew this was a lie, but it was a lie I had to tell myself in order to get us in the car and to the doctor's office.


Now, the OBGYN clinic I go to employs around eight or ten doctors, therefore, the waiting room is large and always packed. The minute The Pinball and I stepped off the elevator, he saw one, giant playroom with lots of strangers to touch and stare at and stand next to at uncomfortably close distances. He loves strangers...loves, loves, loves to get really close to them and touch their legs, or their hair and faces and stare at them until they don't know whether to smile and say hello or ask me to remove him.

After checking in, I sat down and started trying to entertain. I gave him a book. I gave him a toy. I tried snacks. But, nevertheless, within 30 seconds, he was off, pinballing from person to person. Thankfully, shortly after arriving, we went back for the ultrasound.

During the ultrasound, my son was unstoppable. He kept pushing buttons on the ultrasound machine, while the nurse continually asked him to stop because he might turn it off. I was lying on the table, helpless to do anything but plead with him. Then, he started crying because he couldn't get up on the table with me. Afterwards, the nurse sent us BACK out into the waiting room. Great.

Here again, my son pinballed around the room until he saw a little boy about his age. A little boy, I might add, who was standing quietly next to his mother, flipping through a board book. Now why can't my son stay still like that kid? The Pinball ran up to him and stood super close to the little boy, making the little boy unsure of what to do. I tried to make small talk with the boy's mother, all the while watching my son knock over a lamp, knock magazines off the tables, and cause general chaos. Finally, the nurse called me back again, this time to have my blood pressure taken.

While I was chained to the blood pressure chair, The Pinball ran off down the hallway. I had no idea where he went, until the nurse finished and let me go look for him. He had run down the hallway and turned a corner, almost running into one of the doctor's private offices. After finding him, the nurse sent us BACK OUT INTO THE WAITING ROOM. I thought, You've got to be kidding me. Again?

This time in the waiting room, The Pinball ran behind the receptionists' desk, screamed when I wouldn't let him go back there, and then tried several times to run back down the hallway from where we had just come. And again, there was that little boy, sitting quietly next to his mother while she read him a story. ARE YOU KIDDING? Did she drug that little boy or is my son just out of control?

After a torturous amount of time, I was finally called back for the third time, this time to see the doctor. While in the patient room, my son pooped his diaper. And naturally, in my haste to leave the house, I forgot to pack extras. The room smelled like a backed up sewer. Meanwhile, The Pinball ran around the room like a chicken with his feathers on fire, dumping out baskets of pads and tampons, pushing buttons on the patient table, opening and closing the cabinet doors, pulling tissues out of the box in the dressing area. It took so much of my energy and attention to control him and pick up after him that I had no idea what the doctor was telling me. By the time I left, I couldn't remember if she told me that she did see the baby's heartbeat, thought she saw the heartbeat, or if it was too early to tell. No clue what she had said.

I knew my son had more energy than most kids, but whew! I had no idea how much more until I tried to take him to a public place where he isn't confined to a stroller or a shopping cart. I learned my lesson. Never, ever, ever, take The Pinball to a doctor's appointment again. Never. Ever. Not even in an emergency. He's a maniac. We already don't take him to restaurants because his energy level is too extreme for high chair confinement. And the child hardly eats anything. Where is all this energy coming from?

For the longest time, I blamed his behavior on the fact that he is a boy. And while I know this has something to do with it, it isn't the whole reason. I've seen plenty of boys his age in public places who are still and relatively obedient. My son is just a maniac and if his energy could be bottled, it could be used to illuminate New York City, while simultaneously running the subway system.

The Pinball will turn two years old a couple of weeks before the new baby is born. And in my head, I can hear these words, repeated like a haunting refrain: Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

Blog Party..."I Said Yes!"

So, I am joining in with Jen from Mimi Bella Boo on the "I Said Yes!" blog party!

Here's the scoop on when he asked and how I said yes...

So, I didn't think my husband would EVER ask me to marry him. Ever. We dated for five years before he did. And I hinted. I asked when. I pushed. I wondered. I cried. I begged. And after five years...nothing. No ring. Nada.

So, imagine my surprise when it happened right after Christmas - Dec. 28th, 2005.

We met in a bar. Steve was the bartender and I was the barfly. It took a few months of flirting on my part and pursuing him at all loss of my pride and dignity, but eventually he asked me out. And we became inseparable. I knew after our first date that he was the one I would marry and I said so in my journal after I arrived home that night. Through the years, we had our share of troubles, but we pushed through them all.

Fast forward five years, and this is how the engagement started. Steve, my husband, told me that he wanted to have our friends, Jennifer, Green, and Colbey, over to his house for dinner...like a dinner party, but casual. I mean, he lived in a dirty, bachelor pad with a card table for a dining room table, flashing liquor neons, and blankets on the windows for curtains. So, I assumed it was casual.

The night of the party, my friend, Jennifer, called to tell me she would be late. No biggie. I got dressed in jeans, a t-shirt with a picture of a chihuahua on the front, tennis shoes, and my hair in a ponytail. Casual, remember?

I pull up to his house and I am the first one there. No surprise.

Until I walk in the house. Steve answers the door in slacks and a dress shirt, there are flower petals all over the floor and on the table, the lights are dimmed, there are candles lit, and music playing. The band playing was U2 because this is his favorite band of all time. Truly, he's obsessed.

I remember walking in the house and feeling confused. I remember thinking, "Wow, Steve went to a lot of trouble for Jennifer, Green and Colbey! He went all out!" I remember thinking that it was weird that there were flower petals on the floor when two of our guests were guys. Yes, I am dense. I still didn't get it. But, how could I? I had given up on ever marrying him. Also, my grandaddy had died two months before and he was still on my mind most of the time. Marriage was not.

So, I sat down at the table in my chihuahua shirt and tennis shoes and Steve brought me a glass of wine. He sat down across from me and I said, "Jennifer called to say she would be late." And he said, "Well, actually she's not coming." And I said, "Why not?" And he said, "Actually, nobody is coming."

I was still clueless and confused. I had no idea what was going on. I just thought our friends had bailed.

Then, slowly, Steve slid a ring box across the table to me and asked me to open it. And people, I still didn't get it. I still had no idea I was about to be engaged. It just wasn't registering that there was a ring in that box. Until I opened it.

When I opened it, I remember getting really nervous and sweaty. I got hot all of a sudden and my heart started beating super fast. Then, suddenly, Steve is kneeling on one knee in front of me. And honestly and sadly, I have no idea what he said. He doesn't remember either. We were both so nervous and emotional! Then, we drank champagne, ate the dinner he cooked (I have no recollection of what we ate either!! Maybe it is in my journal...), and called our family members.

I do remember that we both cried, just like we did five months later during our wedding ceremony.

We didn't want a long engagement, so we married on May 26th, 2006.

(images by Aus10 Photography)

And now three and a half years, one son, and another baby on the way later, we are still going strong. We have had our share of trials and troubles in marriage, but we always seem to come out the other side, stronger and closer.

I love you, Steve! Happy Valentine's Day!

The Big News

So, I said I would tell you what has been going on with me and now I feel fairly comfortable doing it.

I am pregnant! Without a second surgery! Yay!

It still seems surreal.

I am currently 8 weeks along and everything is looking great. Fearing another miscarriage, I have had two ultrasounds already. I saw the heartbeat yesterday at the doctor's office and it was strong. The due date is September 17th! A Virgo!

This, besides my aunt's heart surgery, is the other reason I haven't been around much. I used to write my posts and read my favorite blogs during my son's naps. However, now when he naps, I have to take a nap, too. I am exhausted!

This pregnancy is turning out to be very different from when I was pregnant with Max. With this pregnancy, I have morning sickness ALL DAY. I was never sick with Max. I have absolutely no appetite and all I can stomach is dill pickles, chocolate ice cream, and gingerale. Really healthy, I know. Yesterday, the doctor gave me a prescription for anti-nausea pills, which I am super stoked about. Hopefully, I will be able to eat again.

Also, I am extremely tired with this pregnancy and very short of breath. I don't remember being this tired last time. Of course, it could be that I am chasing a hyperactive toddler all day on top of being pregnant. Could have something to do with it.

I also have a lot of abdominal pain with this pregnancy because of all the scar tissue from previous surgeries. This sucks. It really hurts. The doc said it will only get worse as my uterus grows. Super duper.

My husband and I are so thrilled that our son will have a sibling. We wanted him to have a sibling more than anything because we both had siblings who became our closest friends. My son is a Leo and the new baby will be a Virgo. I already know these signs get along because I am a Leo and my best friend is a Virgo. We've been friends for twelve years.

Well, I have many stories already to tell you about my experiences the last few weeks, and as soon as I can find the energy, I will write them! I am looking forward to that second trimester when I have more energy. I miss reading all your blogs. I will read and write soon!

I'm waving you back over...

So, what is the matter with her? you might be thinking. Is she always this inconsistent? Well, there are a lot of things wrong with me, just ask my husband. But, for now, I have just been a little preoccupied. That is why I haven't posted in a week. I wrote a post every day for a week, and then I disappeared for a week. That's how I roll.

I'll be better able to tell you more about it toward the end of the week. I've had a lot going on. For now, I can tell you that my aunt had quintuple bypass surgery last week (yes, that's five bypasses! Like David Letterman!) and she is doing wonderfully well. It was frightening because she had some internal bleeding and had to go in for a second surgery, but everything is A-OK now and she leaves the hospital tomorrow. I was worried most of the week with sky-rocketing anxiety and therefore couldn't concentrate to write a post.

Also, my husband was out of town at the beginning of the week and we had a big snowstorm at the end of the week- well, big for us here in Arkansas. We got something like six inches of snow and some ice. This shuts down the entire town. I've got pictures loaded up for you of my son sledding with my husband. We live on a steep hill, so it was perfect for sledding. This picture is my husband pulling Max up the street.

I am a wuss and a weenie, so I only went down the hill once. My husband and I and Max were all three on the sled. We were going super fast, which freaked me out, and I screamed the whole time while dirty street snow flew into my mouth. That was it for me. I was out.

Like I said, I'll tell you more at the end of the week. Here are the pictures!

Oh! And one last note: thank you to everyone for the toothbrush advice. We got him a spinbrush and he let us brush his teeth ALL WEEK! Naturally, the thrill is starting to wear off and he fought us again last night, but hey. We got a whole week of toothbrushing in. Surely that will save his teeth for a while. Thanks again!

This picture was taken after sledding, when Max had his first hot chocolate. Look, he's drunk with chocolate marshmallowy love.