So I had my 35-week appointment today. The good news is that Gabriel is no longer in the transverse (sideways) breech position. The bad news is that he is now complete breech (basically sitting indian style) and Dr. Kumi says that chances of him getting straight are pretty slim at this point as he's already 5 1/2 pounds and there isn't very much room left right now. He says that at my next appointment in 2 weeks if Gabriel manages to turn head down he will consider inducing me that day to avoid a cesarean section. Apparently breech babies tend to return to breech position. If he doesn't turn, it's pretty much an automatic cesarean section but it'll wait until Dean comes home the following week. If I'm induced in 2 weeks, Dean won't be here for it. It takes them several hours to get a chopper, 45 minutes to the dock, and 4 hours to home, so we have decided as a family that if Gabriel decides to show while he's out Dean isn't going to come in. It doesn't make sense if he's not going to make the big event.
In other, totally surprising news, by some miracle I qualified for WIC for me and Gabriel today. Apparently overtime does not count for WIC income guidelines even if it's part of your regular schedule. I'm not going to turn down free formula. Goodness knows we would have never afforded Nadine's special formula if not for WIC...a little voice keeps whispering a bit of paranoia about why this landed in our lap. I just want a healthy baby.
Dean had his gallbladder taken out on Thursday morning. Everything surgically went fine, but he came out of the anesthesia swinging and it ended up taking 5 people and some really strong sedatives to keep him in the bed and calm. It took most of the afternoon for him to come around but he was home by 6 p.m. Friday I found out from EPA (power company out here) that Regional was on emergency generators when they did his surgery. Gee, thanks for telling us BEFORE doing the surgery that the machines keeping my husband alive were running on batteries! *shakes head* So much for "informed consent"...
Sunday we had our little Christmas so Dean could be there for gifts. I uploaded pics to myspace. It was just a little food, grandparents, and presents. We were both exhausted but we all needed to get that done. Thank goodness for blackened red snapper and crock pot red beans and rice.
I guess that's it for now...we're just busy and I'm taking every quiet moment to sleep.
17 December 2008
04 October 2008
Christmas Ideas for the girls and fun with textbooks
We've already been asked for ideas about the girls' Christmas, so I figured I'd just put this up for everybody.
We'd really prefer not to get toys this year. Nadine's and Claudia's rooms are full and at Nadine's request we're going through her toys and getting rid of what she doesn't play with anymore. She gets overwhelmed easily and has been telling me she just wants a room that is "easy to keep nice", so we're going to do that for her. WE aren't even buying toys this year. The truth is the girls just don't play with them, and they have their "lovies" as far as dolls and stuffed animals...
We're getting her an easel and a little desk for Christmas since she's so interested in art, so anything to go with that would be a huge plus. Plans for her room have changed, and she's going to have a lavender Tinkerbell room, so if you'd like to get her something for her room that fits in with Tinkerbell that would be a good thing too. Nadine's been wanting the Sleeping Beauty movie that's being released on DVD soon, too.
Claudia is insanely into books lately, so any sort of book would be great. She asks to be read to (no kidding!) a half dozen times a day. She's not so much into traditional story books but the books that are more about learning. She has a book called the "B Book" about a little girl collecting things that begin with "B". They have other letters too and I've thought about collecting them for her. She's more the little brainiac than she lets on most of the time. She can count to 12 and loves counting-type books, too. She'll shock you in walmart by reading the numbers on the price tag, too. She'll play dumb more often than not, though. I don't know what we are going to do for her for Christmas. She may get some sort of educational kids video game console, but I haven't researched enough to know which one we're going to get..
Funny thing is, her and Nadine both look over my shoulder into my books while I'm studying. They like the "big-girl books" as Nadine calls them. They both go NUTS over my art appreciation texts. Nadine has some pretty strong opinions about paintings, especially about color combinations and whether the artist knew what he was doing putting those colors in there. We did have an interesting incident with my nutrition text. I turned the page and there is an anatomical drawing of a _complete_ male. ;) I didn't say anything and just sort of waited to see what the girls would say. I didn't want to just rush and turn the page because the drawing was by no means pornographic or inappropriate. Nadine asked "why did they leave THAT part on there?!?" and giggled, so I told her that Mommy is learning all about our bodies to be a nurse so sometimes I have to look at drawings of private parts of the body. She was satisfied by that but had to tell Dean that drawings of "daddy parts" were in my book. I guess the funniest part is that right beside the male was a fully nude anatomical drawing of a female and there were no "Boobie!!!" exclamations from Claudia. They were both too focused on daddy parts or maybe they've just seen mommy parts too much from interrupting my showers to really care about that anymore.
We'd really prefer not to get toys this year. Nadine's and Claudia's rooms are full and at Nadine's request we're going through her toys and getting rid of what she doesn't play with anymore. She gets overwhelmed easily and has been telling me she just wants a room that is "easy to keep nice", so we're going to do that for her. WE aren't even buying toys this year. The truth is the girls just don't play with them, and they have their "lovies" as far as dolls and stuffed animals...
We're getting her an easel and a little desk for Christmas since she's so interested in art, so anything to go with that would be a huge plus. Plans for her room have changed, and she's going to have a lavender Tinkerbell room, so if you'd like to get her something for her room that fits in with Tinkerbell that would be a good thing too. Nadine's been wanting the Sleeping Beauty movie that's being released on DVD soon, too.
Claudia is insanely into books lately, so any sort of book would be great. She asks to be read to (no kidding!) a half dozen times a day. She's not so much into traditional story books but the books that are more about learning. She has a book called the "B Book" about a little girl collecting things that begin with "B". They have other letters too and I've thought about collecting them for her. She's more the little brainiac than she lets on most of the time. She can count to 12 and loves counting-type books, too. She'll shock you in walmart by reading the numbers on the price tag, too. She'll play dumb more often than not, though. I don't know what we are going to do for her for Christmas. She may get some sort of educational kids video game console, but I haven't researched enough to know which one we're going to get..
Funny thing is, her and Nadine both look over my shoulder into my books while I'm studying. They like the "big-girl books" as Nadine calls them. They both go NUTS over my art appreciation texts. Nadine has some pretty strong opinions about paintings, especially about color combinations and whether the artist knew what he was doing putting those colors in there. We did have an interesting incident with my nutrition text. I turned the page and there is an anatomical drawing of a _complete_ male. ;) I didn't say anything and just sort of waited to see what the girls would say. I didn't want to just rush and turn the page because the drawing was by no means pornographic or inappropriate. Nadine asked "why did they leave THAT part on there?!?" and giggled, so I told her that Mommy is learning all about our bodies to be a nurse so sometimes I have to look at drawings of private parts of the body. She was satisfied by that but had to tell Dean that drawings of "daddy parts" were in my book. I guess the funniest part is that right beside the male was a fully nude anatomical drawing of a female and there were no "Boobie!!!" exclamations from Claudia. They were both too focused on daddy parts or maybe they've just seen mommy parts too much from interrupting my showers to really care about that anymore.
01 October 2008
It's been a while
Yikes! It's been forever since I updated the blog. I've been playing with the girls and trying to give them a lot of time over the summer since they don't get as much when mom and dad are both in school full time. I wonder sometimes if its right to take time away from them when they are so young and still discovering the world. I hate the times I have to tell them, "Yeah, that's great! Mommy's got to keep studying though." *sigh* There really isn't a choice other than giving up on a career I really want...the schooling for CRNA takes long enough that it's already really late to be starting. The new baby has me feeling guilty about even thinking about that road; I've always believed that a young child needed mommy right there for the first few years. Now it feels like I'm gonna shortchange the new one. I know it's just one of those places where you lose something no matter what you choose.
We had to take Dean to meet the coworker he rides with to work in Brookhaven last night because the car had to go in the shop (bad CV boot...getting new axle and it's all under warranty, thank goodness. I didn't find out until this morning that Nadine didn't see him get in the truck with the guy so she thought we left him in the Wal-Mart parking lot alone in the middle of the night! LOL! We had been trying to find me another body pillow for me and found one in that Walmart, so in Nadine's mind we left him in the parking lot "even after he bought you a pillow, Mommy!" We explain to Nadine that he goes to work to make money for our family, so in her eyes no matter who purchases something, Daddy bought it because it was his money... ;)
Nadine's been in ballet for a few weeks now and is really loving it. Her teacher says that Nadine is the class leader and is always willing to try the new steps even if no one else will try them with her. That's a huge thing coming from Nadine as she's always been really shy and a perfectionist to the point of not wanting to try new things in front of other people. The teacher says she is really excited by the dance class and that sometimes that is the root of problems in dance class. She can be very "get out of my way and let me dance" sometimes. I'm just glad that she has something she obviously LOVES so much.
As for a Claudia update, on the way to Brookhaven we were messing with Claudia a little bit. A few months back we had told Claudia that steaks come from cows to see what she would say and now she sees a picture of cows in wallyworld and says "STEAK!" A few nights ago Claudia asked if she could have a cow for a pet, and when asked why her excited answer was "so we can eat it!" There's a one track mind going on there... So I pointed out that sometimes people eat ducks, and Claudia got really excited and wanted some duck. She asked what other animals people eat and this kept her entertained for most of the trip. Apparently the only thing she thought wasn't meant to be eaten were sheep. See, I told you that child is strange. Wonderful, a joy to be around, and the life of the party. Definitely strange. ;)
We had to take Dean to meet the coworker he rides with to work in Brookhaven last night because the car had to go in the shop (bad CV boot...getting new axle and it's all under warranty, thank goodness. I didn't find out until this morning that Nadine didn't see him get in the truck with the guy so she thought we left him in the Wal-Mart parking lot alone in the middle of the night! LOL! We had been trying to find me another body pillow for me and found one in that Walmart, so in Nadine's mind we left him in the parking lot "even after he bought you a pillow, Mommy!" We explain to Nadine that he goes to work to make money for our family, so in her eyes no matter who purchases something, Daddy bought it because it was his money... ;)
Nadine's been in ballet for a few weeks now and is really loving it. Her teacher says that Nadine is the class leader and is always willing to try the new steps even if no one else will try them with her. That's a huge thing coming from Nadine as she's always been really shy and a perfectionist to the point of not wanting to try new things in front of other people. The teacher says she is really excited by the dance class and that sometimes that is the root of problems in dance class. She can be very "get out of my way and let me dance" sometimes. I'm just glad that she has something she obviously LOVES so much.
As for a Claudia update, on the way to Brookhaven we were messing with Claudia a little bit. A few months back we had told Claudia that steaks come from cows to see what she would say and now she sees a picture of cows in wallyworld and says "STEAK!" A few nights ago Claudia asked if she could have a cow for a pet, and when asked why her excited answer was "so we can eat it!" There's a one track mind going on there... So I pointed out that sometimes people eat ducks, and Claudia got really excited and wanted some duck. She asked what other animals people eat and this kept her entertained for most of the trip. Apparently the only thing she thought wasn't meant to be eaten were sheep. See, I told you that child is strange. Wonderful, a joy to be around, and the life of the party. Definitely strange. ;)
12 July 2008
Claudia’s Being a Little Too Helpful
Claudia has started to really want to help around the house. Here lately maybe she's a little too helpful. She followed Nadine to the potty tonight and tried to "help" Nadine pull her panties off. After hurrying her out of the bathroom, I think everything's okay until I hear Nadine yelling quite loudly at Claudia to leave her alone. I go to the bathroom to find Claudia with wipe in hand trying to help Nadine wipe herself. When I get Claudia and leave the room, all Claudia could say was "I helped Nadine, Mommy! I helped!" She had no clue she had just majorly violated Nadine's sense of modesty.
We went grocery shopping today and Claudia kept hugging me around the waist and saying "Baby I love you!" I asked her what she was going to do with a new baby, and she's decided she will be the hugger and kisser and I can change the poopy diapers. Nadine gets to feed the baby basically because Claudia doesn't want to. I have no doubt she will love the baby. The only worry I have about her is that she has no clue of her own strength.
Our visit to Lafayette was a lot of fun, not the least of reasons being that we weren't in Natchez. Sunday afternoon we went to the Acadiana Zoo, which is a small zoo the perfect size for taking toddlers. Nadine's favorite exhibit was the macaws. She was shocked to hear a chorus of hellos when she said hello to the birds. One of the macaws flew over and perched on the side of the cage right in front of Nadine, and her and Claudia both really enjoyed the attention. The highlight of the visit for Claudia was seeing the ring-tailed lemur. There's a show on PBS called Zoboomafoo that stars a ring-tailed lemur and a puppet of a ring-tailed lemur that the girls just love. Claudia instantly recognized the lemur and started yelling "Zoboo! Zoboo!"
We were supposed to visit one of Dean's former coworkers the next day. He has horses and was really excited about seeing the girls again and giving them the chance to ride a horse. Unfortunately his great granddaughter has had lung problems since being born premature and was in the hospital on a respirator. She's fine now, but even Nadine was understanding and told us she was lonely when she was in the hospital and he should go see his baby.
We had a great time exploring Lafayette and looking at the reptiles and birds in Petsmart. Claudia desperately wants a bearded dragon, while Nadine fell in love with the cockatiels. When she's older I'll probably let her have one. They are truly great little birds. As for Claudia, she'll probably end up co-owning a reptile with me, and knowing her it'll be a meat eater of some type. She doesn't strike me as the owner of a vegetarian iguana. LOL
As for me, blech. I was celebrating today that I'm almost 12 weeks along. Only what, 28 weeks left? I'm showing like crazy. As of today I'm only 6 pounds up. My weight goes up and down depending on how good or bad my stomach's been. It's a strange feeling to have actually gained weight, though. The first 2 pregnancies I lost between 10 to 15 pounds the first trimester, so to have finally figured out how to manage those issues is a wonderful thing.
I'm taking vasectomy baby to bed. Good night!
16 June 2008
Quickie update and goodbye to my good old girl
I haven't been around much. Vasectomy baby, as Dean so lovingly calls it, has been keeping me rather under the weather with all the usual morning sickness and such. I'm counting down the days until Dean's home and can pamper me a bit. It's going to be insanely busy this time home because he has classes and Fifi and family are going to be down. I'm getting a bit overwhelmed just thinking about it.
Nadine has announced she's having a mermaid and needs a swimming pool for her new baby to live in...she's so funny.
In really sad news, Fancy, the blue heeler that's been my family dog for 13 years, had to be put down today. Her health had been failing for the last couple of years and today was just her day. My mom is understandably upset, as Fancy was like a child to her. I used to joke that Fancy was my favorite sister because of how my mom spoiled her. She was a very good dog, and I never worried for my mom with her around. No matter how territorial or protective she was, the universal response to her antics by newcomers to the house was "I wish I had a dog like that for MY mom". She had to learn to like my girls...she never was fond of sharing my mom's attention, but she has saved Claudia from falling off of the porch at her house so many times and kept other dogs away from my girls. Once she learned that the girls drop food everywhere, the friendship was sealed. She was a once in a lifetime dog, and I've been blessed to know some really great dogs. She will be greatly missed. I don't think I can cry any more about her...but I probably will.
I am really proud of Nadine. When I told her about Fancy (because I didn't want her to show up to Grandma's and her just not be there), her first reaction was, "Grandma must be really sad. I want to call her and tell her I love her." Of course she's sad, but I'm proud of how she was able to figure out someone else's emotions.
Nadine has announced she's having a mermaid and needs a swimming pool for her new baby to live in...she's so funny.
In really sad news, Fancy, the blue heeler that's been my family dog for 13 years, had to be put down today. Her health had been failing for the last couple of years and today was just her day. My mom is understandably upset, as Fancy was like a child to her. I used to joke that Fancy was my favorite sister because of how my mom spoiled her. She was a very good dog, and I never worried for my mom with her around. No matter how territorial or protective she was, the universal response to her antics by newcomers to the house was "I wish I had a dog like that for MY mom". She had to learn to like my girls...she never was fond of sharing my mom's attention, but she has saved Claudia from falling off of the porch at her house so many times and kept other dogs away from my girls. Once she learned that the girls drop food everywhere, the friendship was sealed. She was a once in a lifetime dog, and I've been blessed to know some really great dogs. She will be greatly missed. I don't think I can cry any more about her...but I probably will.
I am really proud of Nadine. When I told her about Fancy (because I didn't want her to show up to Grandma's and her just not be there), her first reaction was, "Grandma must be really sad. I want to call her and tell her I love her." Of course she's sad, but I'm proud of how she was able to figure out someone else's emotions.
04 June 2008
Can I toss her out with the trash, please?
I love the girls' cat Tinkerbell, I swear I do...or usually do. We live in the country and since the manufacturer of our mobile home cut a TWO FOOT HOLE in my bathroom floor to make room for the very small pipes that need to leave the house even with all the steel wool stuffing and expanding foam pumping we do sometimes mice come in. Tink's a great mouser, which means that coming through that hole is quite wonderfully a death trap. She brings the mice to me, which up until say a week ago was cool. I praise her quite a bit for mousing, so this situation is partially my fault.
She's tormenting me with a mouse right now, and it isn't even dead yet. I puked in the living room at the site of said wonderful cat with a squirming little grey mouse in her mouth. I told her to get away from me and all I got was a truly stunned "what? mice are your favorite!?!" stare. She finally went under the dining room table so I ran to my bedroom and shut the door. I can hear that cat letting the mouse go and catching it again in my living room, and I want to puke. I officially hate being pregnant. If I wasn't I'd go take that mouse from her and finish it off without blinking and throw it outside, but thanks to the stupid hormones I'm too terrified of the thing to do it. I HATE not being me...I love the baby, but I can't stand the hormones.
And I swear the cat knows I'm afraid of it and is following me around. She's outside the door right now. I'm stuck in some lame 15-minute horror clip done by university film students, and it sucks. If that mouse is still alive and she lets it go under the door I can't vouch for Tink's future safety...
She's tormenting me with a mouse right now, and it isn't even dead yet. I puked in the living room at the site of said wonderful cat with a squirming little grey mouse in her mouth. I told her to get away from me and all I got was a truly stunned "what? mice are your favorite!?!" stare. She finally went under the dining room table so I ran to my bedroom and shut the door. I can hear that cat letting the mouse go and catching it again in my living room, and I want to puke. I officially hate being pregnant. If I wasn't I'd go take that mouse from her and finish it off without blinking and throw it outside, but thanks to the stupid hormones I'm too terrified of the thing to do it. I HATE not being me...I love the baby, but I can't stand the hormones.
And I swear the cat knows I'm afraid of it and is following me around. She's outside the door right now. I'm stuck in some lame 15-minute horror clip done by university film students, and it sucks. If that mouse is still alive and she lets it go under the door I can't vouch for Tink's future safety...
27 May 2008
The Secret's Out!
I've been hiding for the last 2 weeks...enjoying the family and getting a lot done around the house. I've also been purposely staying away from the blog because there was a secret running around the house that I wasn't sure I could contain if I got anywhere near the blog.
I've been fighting with WW and suspected something was up, and then an old friend didn't show up. So here it is: I'm pregnant. *laughs* I'm happy, Dean's warming up to the idea, and Poppa just wants a boy. All we want is a healthy baby, but if it happens to be a girl that would be great because I've a lot of clothes for a girl. ;)
It's really funny because every time Dean gets a raise or I lose weight I end up pregnant. His first words to me after getting that promotion were, "I hope you're not pregnant". That just might have tempted fate a bit too much. ;)
I've been fighting with WW and suspected something was up, and then an old friend didn't show up. So here it is: I'm pregnant. *laughs* I'm happy, Dean's warming up to the idea, and Poppa just wants a boy. All we want is a healthy baby, but if it happens to be a girl that would be great because I've a lot of clothes for a girl. ;)
It's really funny because every time Dean gets a raise or I lose weight I end up pregnant. His first words to me after getting that promotion were, "I hope you're not pregnant". That just might have tempted fate a bit too much. ;)
17 May 2008
Some of my favorite recipes
By request, I am going to share a couple of my family's favorite WW-friendly recipes. These are in constant rotation in our house and are very filling and point friendly. I have a family of 4 and these two recipes usually have enough left over for lunch the next day.
Vegetable rice skillet
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium carrots, sliced
1-1/2 cups cauliflowerets
1-1/2 cups brocoli florets
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook onion in butter until tender. Add carrots; cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in cauliflower, brocoli, rice, and garlic. Add broth; bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and lemon pepper.
Serving size: 3/4 cup
164 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber, and 7 g protein.
Inside-out Cabbage Rolls
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 small head cabbage, chopped
1 can (10 ounces) mild rotel
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Cook the beef, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the cabbage, tomatoes, broth, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in rice; heat through. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.
Serving size: 1-1/3 cups
244 calories, 8 g fat, 5 g fiber, 21 g protein
Vegetable rice skillet
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium carrots, sliced
1-1/2 cups cauliflowerets
1-1/2 cups brocoli florets
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook onion in butter until tender. Add carrots; cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in cauliflower, brocoli, rice, and garlic. Add broth; bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and lemon pepper.
Serving size: 3/4 cup
164 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber, and 7 g protein.
Inside-out Cabbage Rolls
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 small head cabbage, chopped
1 can (10 ounces) mild rotel
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Cook the beef, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the cabbage, tomatoes, broth, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in rice; heat through. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.
Serving size: 1-1/3 cups
244 calories, 8 g fat, 5 g fiber, 21 g protein
13 May 2008
Claudia Puts on a Show
This weekend Claudia was in full-out comedian mode. It started Friday night. I hear her coming out of her room and down the hall screaming bloody murder. "Mommy, Nadine, help, HELP, it's CHASING MEEEEEE!!!!!!" I jump up ready to kill something and here she comes running with the string for her balloon in her hand. I tell her, "Baby, just let go of the string". She does, watches the balloon float away a bit with a look of awe on her face, and then says "You SAVED me, MOMMA!" I worry about that child...
Apparently that was the warm up for Sunday. It's Mother's Day, and Nadine is doing her best to make Claudia mad. Nadine is lying on the couch watching TV under a blanket Grandma gave her, and she's throwing a fit and kicking at Claudia because Claudia's sitting on "her" couch. After a few minutes, Claudia walks up the couch standing on the blanket so Nadine can't move, pulls her panties off (this is when I look up), squats, and PEES all over Nadine and the blanket. I probably would have given her a hell of a spanking if I could have breathed. I was laughing so hard I couldn't do anything else. I've been telling Nadine to be nice to Claudia because pretty soon Claudia will get payback and it won't be fun...maybe she understands now?
As for other updates, I lost 1.6 pounds at weigh in yesterday. A good bit of that was likely due to the stomach bug Nadine also gave me for Mother's Day.
A girl named Sharon I've made friends with at school missed her exam yesterday...her husband works in the oilfield and something fell on him. He has a broken back, every one of his ribs is broken, punctured a lung, and in the words of the orthopedic surgeon his shoulders are destroyed. She had left a message at Co-Lin about what was going on (he's at UMMC in Jackson), but she emailed a fellow student as a backup to make sure Bullen knew what was going on. She's since ended up in the hospital there for panic attacks. I saw her last Monday and she was celebrating her acceptance to Alcorn School of Nursing. It's scary how fast things change and how easy it is to get hurt in the oilfield. Her husband was on a drilling rig, and Dean's on a production rig which makes it a little safer, but it still hits home when other bit of "oilfield trash" (as they call themselves) gets hurt.
Apparently that was the warm up for Sunday. It's Mother's Day, and Nadine is doing her best to make Claudia mad. Nadine is lying on the couch watching TV under a blanket Grandma gave her, and she's throwing a fit and kicking at Claudia because Claudia's sitting on "her" couch. After a few minutes, Claudia walks up the couch standing on the blanket so Nadine can't move, pulls her panties off (this is when I look up), squats, and PEES all over Nadine and the blanket. I probably would have given her a hell of a spanking if I could have breathed. I was laughing so hard I couldn't do anything else. I've been telling Nadine to be nice to Claudia because pretty soon Claudia will get payback and it won't be fun...maybe she understands now?
As for other updates, I lost 1.6 pounds at weigh in yesterday. A good bit of that was likely due to the stomach bug Nadine also gave me for Mother's Day.
A girl named Sharon I've made friends with at school missed her exam yesterday...her husband works in the oilfield and something fell on him. He has a broken back, every one of his ribs is broken, punctured a lung, and in the words of the orthopedic surgeon his shoulders are destroyed. She had left a message at Co-Lin about what was going on (he's at UMMC in Jackson), but she emailed a fellow student as a backup to make sure Bullen knew what was going on. She's since ended up in the hospital there for panic attacks. I saw her last Monday and she was celebrating her acceptance to Alcorn School of Nursing. It's scary how fast things change and how easy it is to get hurt in the oilfield. Her husband was on a drilling rig, and Dean's on a production rig which makes it a little safer, but it still hits home when other bit of "oilfield trash" (as they call themselves) gets hurt.
10 May 2008
The Girls Pick Momma's Clothes....
I got a great present from the girls for Mother's Day; took them to Walmart to pick me something out for me because Nadine knew Mother's Day was tomorrow thanks to Sprout. Dean's got something already for me but Nadine was freaking out that she didn't have a gift. I love that little monkey. So she decides she wants to buy me a necklace but doesn't find anything she likes. Next she decides she's gonna buy me a shirt (I guess she's been overhearing me say I need some clothes, lol). We go and pick a few things up and go to the dressing rooms to try them on. Nadine picks this turquouise and white floral shirt that I would never pick for myself. It's very girly. I tried it on to make her happy and that was it. It was gorgeous and I fell in love with it. The best part was that it was also TOO BIG! YAY! I had to buy 1X (16) in the blouses.
Funny little polar opposites that they are, the girls could NOT agree on which blouse they wanted to get me, so selfish mommy decided each of the girls could buy me a shirt...ROFL. It IS Mother's Day, after all, right? The one Claudia got me was very pretty. I have no idea even how to describe it. It is definitely very colorful and very girly. It even has *gasp* lace on it. I love it, but I wouldn't have even picked it up if it weren't for the girls insisting I try it on. I might have even pointed and laughed at it. Maybe I should let them pick my clothes more often...
Funny little polar opposites that they are, the girls could NOT agree on which blouse they wanted to get me, so selfish mommy decided each of the girls could buy me a shirt...ROFL. It IS Mother's Day, after all, right? The one Claudia got me was very pretty. I have no idea even how to describe it. It is definitely very colorful and very girly. It even has *gasp* lace on it. I love it, but I wouldn't have even picked it up if it weren't for the girls insisting I try it on. I might have even pointed and laughed at it. Maybe I should let them pick my clothes more often...
07 May 2008
Super Good News!
Dean found out today that he has been promoted to lead operator on the opposite hitch! This of course means more money (which is definitely a wonderful thing with prices soaring the way they have), but it also means that the next time he goes out he'll be out for 28 days. It's hard on the family for him to be gone that long but even harder on him. He's basically stuck on a floating prison for a month. Luckily school is out and I'm not taking summer courses.
We're both a bit in shock right now...
We're both a bit in shock right now...
05 May 2008
Aristotle lights me up and the girls impress at Subway
I lost 1 pound this week, which I consider a blessing because everything conspired against me this week. I managed only 18 APs (I planned for 35) because I strained a muscle in my right back and gluteus. I haven't been doing much of anything since then. It's difficult to stand long enough to cook anything that isn't instant. We've had Subway and Pizza Hut because I couldn't stand but I could drive.
When I input my weight I got a great quote by Aristotle from the Weight Tracker: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." It reminded me not to worry so much about that number on the scale. The weight will come off as long as I'm habitually doing the things that make the Weight Watchers plan work. I'm a perfectionist about some things to the extreme. When I have a gain or skip a workout or eat something that isn't too great, I usually have a hard time just letting it go with "I'll do better next time". This perfectionist streak has been the downfall of many of my goals, not just the weight-loss ones. It applies academically, to parenting...I just had a lightbulb moment courtesy of Weight Watchers and Aristotle.
If you've never heard a 2-year old say "Angelina Ballerina", it's something to behold. Claudia's verbal skills are starting to scare me...we're starting to have conversations Nadine and I didn't until recently. *cue twilight zone music* She's a quirky little bundle of giggles who has no fear of making a mistake.
On one of those trips to Subway, we were in line behind a disabled woman in a power wheelchair. Claudia walked right up to her and started playing peep eye and chatting her up. Nadine let Claudia test the waters (as always) and then jumped in, too. I could tell the woman was eating up the attention. As she was paying for her food, she told me that it was rare for children to play with her in that manner without regard for her wheelchair and that she enjoyed the attention from the girls. She then complimented ME for their behavior, but it really has nothing to do with anything I've done as a parent. The girls had never seen someone in a wheelchair like hers or disabled to the point that this lady was. I never had the opportunity for a teachable moment such as that, and yet my girls passed with flying colors. It makes me even more proud as a mother that they did this on their own without any guidance, that it's just a part of who they are to take people at face value...
When I input my weight I got a great quote by Aristotle from the Weight Tracker: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." It reminded me not to worry so much about that number on the scale. The weight will come off as long as I'm habitually doing the things that make the Weight Watchers plan work. I'm a perfectionist about some things to the extreme. When I have a gain or skip a workout or eat something that isn't too great, I usually have a hard time just letting it go with "I'll do better next time". This perfectionist streak has been the downfall of many of my goals, not just the weight-loss ones. It applies academically, to parenting...I just had a lightbulb moment courtesy of Weight Watchers and Aristotle.
If you've never heard a 2-year old say "Angelina Ballerina", it's something to behold. Claudia's verbal skills are starting to scare me...we're starting to have conversations Nadine and I didn't until recently. *cue twilight zone music* She's a quirky little bundle of giggles who has no fear of making a mistake.
On one of those trips to Subway, we were in line behind a disabled woman in a power wheelchair. Claudia walked right up to her and started playing peep eye and chatting her up. Nadine let Claudia test the waters (as always) and then jumped in, too. I could tell the woman was eating up the attention. As she was paying for her food, she told me that it was rare for children to play with her in that manner without regard for her wheelchair and that she enjoyed the attention from the girls. She then complimented ME for their behavior, but it really has nothing to do with anything I've done as a parent. The girls had never seen someone in a wheelchair like hers or disabled to the point that this lady was. I never had the opportunity for a teachable moment such as that, and yet my girls passed with flying colors. It makes me even more proud as a mother that they did this on their own without any guidance, that it's just a part of who they are to take people at face value...
30 April 2008
Ramblings of a Brain-Dead Lunatic...
Well, I'm finally done with my 2 A&P tests in 2 days. Mr. Bullen does this to punish those who miss tests. The makeup test is always the day before a regular test. I'm tired, and my brain is somewhere near the consistency of scrambled eggs. I'm so happy to not have to worry about anything until the finals on May 12. I have the cat organ test in lab on the 5th, but it's simple so no worries there.
I found an amazing thing this afternoon; uncovered by 8 weeks of Weight Watchers and a lot of hard work, I found a hip bone! Well, the area where I squeeze by the treadmill to get down the hall found it, but hey, I'm happy. I'd completely forgotten I had a pair of those. To think I used to complain about them being too prominent. Grr! I swear this time if I get to a decent weight I won't be down on myself like I was in high school for not being small enough. I think that attitude is why I gained it all back and then some. It's sad, really, to look back at pics from high school and think I used to think I was a whale. I look at some jeans I had back then and all I can say is that I had to be tiny to fit into those. I don't think I could put one leg in the waist of my old jeans.
I need to go hop on the treadmill for a bit. I've lost a lot of motivation in the exercise department over the last couple of weeks due to school, and I'm having a hard time getting back in the swing of things. Part of me wants to just go to bed and start fresh tomorrow, but I've been saying that for a couple of weeks now...
I found an amazing thing this afternoon; uncovered by 8 weeks of Weight Watchers and a lot of hard work, I found a hip bone! Well, the area where I squeeze by the treadmill to get down the hall found it, but hey, I'm happy. I'd completely forgotten I had a pair of those. To think I used to complain about them being too prominent. Grr! I swear this time if I get to a decent weight I won't be down on myself like I was in high school for not being small enough. I think that attitude is why I gained it all back and then some. It's sad, really, to look back at pics from high school and think I used to think I was a whale. I look at some jeans I had back then and all I can say is that I had to be tiny to fit into those. I don't think I could put one leg in the waist of my old jeans.
I need to go hop on the treadmill for a bit. I've lost a lot of motivation in the exercise department over the last couple of weeks due to school, and I'm having a hard time getting back in the swing of things. Part of me wants to just go to bed and start fresh tomorrow, but I've been saying that for a couple of weeks now...
28 April 2008
The Girls get sent to their rooms and it's weigh-in time again!
Dean cleaned the junk out of the third bedroom and created a playroom for the girls this past week. They loved it, but it won't be a playroom long. We're putting their beds in separate rooms soon because separate beds just aren't cutting it any longer. Claudia wakes up in the middle of the night (takes after her mom, what can I say?) and hits and yells at Nadine until she wakes her up, too. As a result we have two very upset children in the morning because Nadine's learned to wake Claudia's grumpy butt up a couple hours early in retribution. Aack! They're growing up too fast for me. :(
Jasmine did her first really bad thing since we got her in February: She chewed through a telephone line, 2 network cables, and the power cord for the girls' laptop. Dean built something to keep her out from under the desk in the kitchen, so it shouldn't happen again. She's usually so good about using her chew toys that I don't know what got into her.
I had another weigh-in with Weight Watchers today, and I've lost 3.2 pounds for a total of 16.2 pounds lost in 8 weeks. I'm no longer getting the messages that I'm losing too fast, and I'm still on track to have my 10% goal of 244.6 met by my birthday at the end of June. My goal is to be under 200 pounds by the end of the year. They are conservative goals, but I think I can be happy if all I do is barely meet them, you know?
Things have been chaotic to say the least and I haven't been on my exercise ball once since Dean came home, but I'm still eating right and working the treadmill. With all of the rearranging going on in the house I just don't have the open space for the exercise ball right now. It makes me a bit sad as I really love it, but it just motivates me to get going with the organizing so I can use the ball.
Jasmine did her first really bad thing since we got her in February: She chewed through a telephone line, 2 network cables, and the power cord for the girls' laptop. Dean built something to keep her out from under the desk in the kitchen, so it shouldn't happen again. She's usually so good about using her chew toys that I don't know what got into her.
I had another weigh-in with Weight Watchers today, and I've lost 3.2 pounds for a total of 16.2 pounds lost in 8 weeks. I'm no longer getting the messages that I'm losing too fast, and I'm still on track to have my 10% goal of 244.6 met by my birthday at the end of June. My goal is to be under 200 pounds by the end of the year. They are conservative goals, but I think I can be happy if all I do is barely meet them, you know?
Things have been chaotic to say the least and I haven't been on my exercise ball once since Dean came home, but I'm still eating right and working the treadmill. With all of the rearranging going on in the house I just don't have the open space for the exercise ball right now. It makes me a bit sad as I really love it, but it just motivates me to get going with the organizing so I can use the ball.
26 April 2008
Welcome to the my new home
If you came here looking for my new blog, you found it! I know some of you will be unhappy that I moved my blog from myspace, but I needed a reliable host that didn't lose my posts half the time. Grr! I'll be moving those posts over here as time allows.
For now, make yourself at home and if you'd like subscribe for email notifications of new posts by using the link to the right while I learn a bit more about all the cool new features I have at my disposal. A new post with the latest on family life, my Weight Watchers saga, and the trials and tribulations of trying to figure yourself out will come within a couple of days. Bye for now!
For now, make yourself at home and if you'd like subscribe for email notifications of new posts by using the link to the right while I learn a bit more about all the cool new features I have at my disposal. A new post with the latest on family life, my Weight Watchers saga, and the trials and tribulations of trying to figure yourself out will come within a couple of days. Bye for now!
22 April 2008
Ramblings on the Girls and More...
Claudia's talking in not just sentences but whole paragraphs. I can't imagine what she's going to be like in a few months. She's my little ball of giggles and fun.
I was joking with the girls and asking them if they wanted me to have another baby. Nadine just laughs and says "no no no silly Mommy", but Claudia's reaction was priceless: "No no no Mommy please promise me no!" She knows she has it made as the baby of the house. Dean says she knows how big of a pain in the butt she is to Nadine and doesn't want the same done to her.
My Weight Watchers weigh-in this week was typical for me. It's my time of the month, and I showed a 1.6-pound gain. It'll disappear next week along with whatever happened underneath the hormones, so it doesn't worry me at all. There's no sense in getting upset over something that's going to happen every month for the next decade or two; I'll just stay on plan and keep shrinking. The only thing better than a good weigh-in is getting into a smaller size pair of jeans while it's your time of the month.
In other news, I'll be vice president of the honor society next year, so yay me! Everything's shaping up much better than I dared dream...as of getting elected vice president of the honor society, I now qualify for scholarships that will more than cover my expenses at UMC.
I was joking with the girls and asking them if they wanted me to have another baby. Nadine just laughs and says "no no no silly Mommy", but Claudia's reaction was priceless: "No no no Mommy please promise me no!" She knows she has it made as the baby of the house. Dean says she knows how big of a pain in the butt she is to Nadine and doesn't want the same done to her.
My Weight Watchers weigh-in this week was typical for me. It's my time of the month, and I showed a 1.6-pound gain. It'll disappear next week along with whatever happened underneath the hormones, so it doesn't worry me at all. There's no sense in getting upset over something that's going to happen every month for the next decade or two; I'll just stay on plan and keep shrinking. The only thing better than a good weigh-in is getting into a smaller size pair of jeans while it's your time of the month.
In other news, I'll be vice president of the honor society next year, so yay me! Everything's shaping up much better than I dared dream...as of getting elected vice president of the honor society, I now qualify for scholarships that will more than cover my expenses at UMC.
15 April 2008
Nonstop talking, flower beds, and another weigh-in
Claudia's talking up a storm now, but she gets angry if I ask her to repeat anything. She gives the most stern "are you stupid or deaf" look...and just as quickly changes the subject and gives a bright smile that outshines the sun.
Nadine's not wanting to wear anything other than dresses and skirts lately. She says she's a princess and that princesses wear dresses. She's been taking care of a hanging petunia she picked out. She's madly in love with it and asks to pick a purple flower every time we go outside. She also thinks the petunia is scared of the dark and needs to come in at night...
Dean mentioned making a flower bed for her and that's all I've heard for the last week. She's going to have special flowers that the lawnmower can't reach. That's all she'll talk to him about, too.
I weighed-in yesterday and lost 1.4 pounds. I am really proud of that 1.4 pounds because it was done with very little exercise as I have just been exhausted this week. I think I did the ball workout twice and the treadmill once. I also dug into my weekly points for the first time. I was just hungry! To eat what I have this week and still lose, well, that's proof that WW's points system works!
Now, if only I can get my online classes finished up now...I have a paper, a statistics test and final, and some computer stuff I've got to get done. Thankfully Dean will be done Friday as that's his algebra final and I can focus on just getting done with the online stuff and focus solely on A&P for the last couple of weeks of the semester.
I won't be taking summer courses. YAY! I need the break and so do the girls. We're going to take our time getting done and will be here for the next academic year and the fall following that. The timing will be better (Claudia will be old enough to start preschool and Nadine will already be in school) and it will be a lot easier to move and settle in our new place before starting UMC in the summer if I have that spring semester open. Right now, their summer semester starts before Co-Lin's spring semester ends, so that would make it close to impossible for us to move and get things done if I rush just to get in for summer 2009. Taking our time basically means my course load will stay the same instead of vastly increasing next year. I think it's the best decision for our family.
Nadine's not wanting to wear anything other than dresses and skirts lately. She says she's a princess and that princesses wear dresses. She's been taking care of a hanging petunia she picked out. She's madly in love with it and asks to pick a purple flower every time we go outside. She also thinks the petunia is scared of the dark and needs to come in at night...
Dean mentioned making a flower bed for her and that's all I've heard for the last week. She's going to have special flowers that the lawnmower can't reach. That's all she'll talk to him about, too.
I weighed-in yesterday and lost 1.4 pounds. I am really proud of that 1.4 pounds because it was done with very little exercise as I have just been exhausted this week. I think I did the ball workout twice and the treadmill once. I also dug into my weekly points for the first time. I was just hungry! To eat what I have this week and still lose, well, that's proof that WW's points system works!
Now, if only I can get my online classes finished up now...I have a paper, a statistics test and final, and some computer stuff I've got to get done. Thankfully Dean will be done Friday as that's his algebra final and I can focus on just getting done with the online stuff and focus solely on A&P for the last couple of weeks of the semester.
I won't be taking summer courses. YAY! I need the break and so do the girls. We're going to take our time getting done and will be here for the next academic year and the fall following that. The timing will be better (Claudia will be old enough to start preschool and Nadine will already be in school) and it will be a lot easier to move and settle in our new place before starting UMC in the summer if I have that spring semester open. Right now, their summer semester starts before Co-Lin's spring semester ends, so that would make it close to impossible for us to move and get things done if I rush just to get in for summer 2009. Taking our time basically means my course load will stay the same instead of vastly increasing next year. I think it's the best decision for our family.
08 April 2008
A wayward washcloth undoes a week's work...
So, what do I get for cleaning the bathroom? The unveiling of a washcloth under my scale. That little piece of fabric was taking 4 pounds off of my weight. I haven’t moved my scale in forever, so I have 2 choices: Edit my start weight 4 pounds higher or just eat the 4 pounds and write down a 1.6-pound gain. Ugh! I edited my start weight, BTW, so the ups and downs of my journey was correct and I’d be starting at the *proper* weight this week. Just think: That whole first week I could have eaten an extra point every day!
I’m thinking of going to meetings with Mom; the price of going to the meetings has me hesitant, though. I’m paying $16.95 a month for access to the plan online. If I go to meetings with their cheapest plan, it’s $39.95 a month plus 4 trips to town a month. Part of me wants to go and part of me would rather put that money to use for new shoes...
Oh yeah, curses on my mom for sending not one but TWO bags of Peanut Butter Eggs home with the girls! She’s evil, I tell you. I cannot resist those little turd-shaped balls of peanut butter and chocolate.
I’m thinking of going to meetings with Mom; the price of going to the meetings has me hesitant, though. I’m paying $16.95 a month for access to the plan online. If I go to meetings with their cheapest plan, it’s $39.95 a month plus 4 trips to town a month. Part of me wants to go and part of me would rather put that money to use for new shoes...
Oh yeah, curses on my mom for sending not one but TWO bags of Peanut Butter Eggs home with the girls! She’s evil, I tell you. I cannot resist those little turd-shaped balls of peanut butter and chocolate.
07 April 2008
Another Day, Another Weigh-in
I lost 2.4 pounds this past week for a total of 13.4 in a month. I got a warning last week and today that if I keep losing over 2 pounds a week I’m going to have to see my doctor and get a note from him to continue with WW. So I ate more this week, all of my activity points (all 25 of them!) and about 10 of my weekly points and still lost more than 2 pounds. I really can’t eat any more than this, so I guess I’ll have to go to Dr. Jeansonne soon. He’ll do backflips; he’s been trying to get me to lose weight for almost 4 years now.
I started a new workout this week using an exercise ball. The workout was only 20 minutes and when I was done I thought it was challenging but there was no burn so I was a little disappointed. I woke up the next morning knowing I had really, really worked the night before. Even when I was in high school and doing 200 crunches a day I never worked my abs like that. I’m now in love.
Claudia has a big Disney princess ball and now she’s always trying to roll over the ball and do the things I do on mine. It’s so cute. I’m going to have to get a pic or video of it somehow.
Those of you who where at the birthday party when Nadine got the Dora 4-wheeler should beware: Claudia rides it now and she truly is hell on wheels. She likes to try to chase me down on it, and she only knows full-throttle.
I started a new workout this week using an exercise ball. The workout was only 20 minutes and when I was done I thought it was challenging but there was no burn so I was a little disappointed. I woke up the next morning knowing I had really, really worked the night before. Even when I was in high school and doing 200 crunches a day I never worked my abs like that. I’m now in love.
Claudia has a big Disney princess ball and now she’s always trying to roll over the ball and do the things I do on mine. It’s so cute. I’m going to have to get a pic or video of it somehow.
Those of you who where at the birthday party when Nadine got the Dora 4-wheeler should beware: Claudia rides it now and she truly is hell on wheels. She likes to try to chase me down on it, and she only knows full-throttle.
04 April 2008
Birthday Girl
Happy Birthday Claudia!
That’s right, Claudia turned 2 today. The party will be sometime after Dean gets in. It depends on test schedules and online finals and all of that good stuff.
That’s right, Claudia turned 2 today. The party will be sometime after Dean gets in. It depends on test schedules and online finals and all of that good stuff.
02 April 2008
There she goes again...
You know you always have someone who it feels like will always be a part of you. For me it’s someone I met in 3rd grade, but it’s far more complicated than that. She feels like a sister to me, and even though we’ve been through so much together I think I just might have to be done with it all. It’s not that I don’t love her or that I won’t always love her. It’s that she’s just stuck in such a vicious cycle that seems to be repeating again. I can’t go there again, being a friend to someone who’s just a shell of who they really are, who they really could be if they could just give a damn...always giving and giving and giving and rarely receiving. I’ve got too much on me to carry someone else. I had really high hopes of this cycle being broken...
I know I should really give her a chance...maybe things are as stressed and strange as she says. The sad thing is there are several signs coming together all at the same time and I don’t have to be psychic to see where the road is headed. We’ve been there several times and I don’t have it in me to do it again.
How far is too far for someone like that? Do you take the chance and hope the trip isn’t going where your gut says it is (and where it’s been more times than you can count) or do you pass up the trip for your own good?
*sighs*
I know I should really give her a chance...maybe things are as stressed and strange as she says. The sad thing is there are several signs coming together all at the same time and I don’t have to be psychic to see where the road is headed. We’ve been there several times and I don’t have it in me to do it again.
How far is too far for someone like that? Do you take the chance and hope the trip isn’t going where your gut says it is (and where it’s been more times than you can count) or do you pass up the trip for your own good?
*sighs*
01 April 2008
Daddy Leaves and the Girls Discover the Healing Power of Chocolate
So tonight we sent Dean off; it always sucks, but tonight he left too early to tuck the girls in and boy were they angry after he left. I tried distracting them and nothing worked, so I took them to walmart and bought them chocolate ice cream because that’s what they asked for. Score! They went to bed happily distracted and even talked to Dean on the phone before going to bed without getting upset again. I’m proud of myself because I haven’t dipped into that ice cream even though it’s Breyer’s, my favorite brand. Yay me!
Dean had what he called a nightmare about having a third little girl...one coming along really soon. I laughed it off and told him it was a cosmic April Fool’s joke, but I can see where it would upset him. Another right now would pretty much strand us in Natchez and kill any chance at me becoming a CRNA...
I lost 4.6 pounds this week on Weight Watchers, which is great! A good part of it was water weight from Aunt Flo, but that’s okay too. I found some great low-points recipes this week, too, the best of which was called inside-out cabbage rolls. There was also a really good mexican meatloaf and a vegetable-rice skillet that was also really good. It looks like I’ll have to buy a steamer online; the one in walmart was a cheap piece of garbage that probably won’t last a week. I keep asking myself why
I’m surprised to have to order one online.
Grandma got Claudia and Nadine a basketball goal for their birthdays so we’ve been spending a good amount of time outside. Dean cut the grass this time in and cut down all of the wildflowers. Nadine had been picking flowers every day so she’s a little upset with him; she told me he could cut the grass but not the flowers next time. Just imagine Dean trimming the grass with scissors trying to spare the wildflowers!
Did I mention there are chocolate-covered donuts in the house and I still haven’t given into the junk food? I have so much self-control now that it scares me...
Dean had what he called a nightmare about having a third little girl...one coming along really soon. I laughed it off and told him it was a cosmic April Fool’s joke, but I can see where it would upset him. Another right now would pretty much strand us in Natchez and kill any chance at me becoming a CRNA...
I lost 4.6 pounds this week on Weight Watchers, which is great! A good part of it was water weight from Aunt Flo, but that’s okay too. I found some great low-points recipes this week, too, the best of which was called inside-out cabbage rolls. There was also a really good mexican meatloaf and a vegetable-rice skillet that was also really good. It looks like I’ll have to buy a steamer online; the one in walmart was a cheap piece of garbage that probably won’t last a week. I keep asking myself why
I’m surprised to have to order one online.
Grandma got Claudia and Nadine a basketball goal for their birthdays so we’ve been spending a good amount of time outside. Dean cut the grass this time in and cut down all of the wildflowers. Nadine had been picking flowers every day so she’s a little upset with him; she told me he could cut the grass but not the flowers next time. Just imagine Dean trimming the grass with scissors trying to spare the wildflowers!
Did I mention there are chocolate-covered donuts in the house and I still haven’t given into the junk food? I have so much self-control now that it scares me...
27 March 2008
Kids Update, Weight Watchers, and Text Messaging Research Papers...
Don’t mind the time; I’ve never been able to sleep worth anything at night. Add on top of that being wired from the treadmill and things aren’t looking good sleepwise for me tonight.
Claudia has this new thing where she comes up with excuses to say "I’m sorry" and give hugs. She’ll pinch your cheek or "accidentally" step on your toes, and then she comes over and says "sorry, momma" and gives a big hug and then pets your cheek. It’s so cute!
I just *thought* Nadine was so smart it scared me. Claudia understands as much at 2 years old as Nadine does right now...I dunno what I’m going to do with those two, especially when they start conspiring against me.
That Weight Watchers casserole that was so terrible was called Southwestern Ham, Cheese, and Potato Casserole. The filling tasted so good on the stove, but there was way too much potato and the flavors never really blended. It really was quite bad. Even Claudia wouldn’t eat it. She came over to Dean and started spooning hers into his bowl and then brought the bowl to me and said "all done!" I think the filling has potential, though. We may rework the recipe with half the potato and some salsa and maybe even cooking the potato slices on the stove with the peppers and onions before mixing it all together to bake. If we get the guts to try to modify this recipe, we’ll tell you how it goes.
My weigh in didn’t go well this week; it was my time of the month and I bloat 3 to 5 pounds so who knows what my weight should have been. I posted a 1.7-pound weight gain on Monday that has disappeared along with Aunt Flo this morning. Oh well, it’ll be bigger loss next Monday for all the headache.
I had pizza tonight; Nadine had a craving and we took the points hit and let her have it...yum! I did well and stayed within my daily points, too.
Oh yeah, Dean has all but a small section of the lattice work up around the trailer but still hasn’t put the Easter pics in to be developed... I have seen the video we shot, and it’s as adorable as all get out, so I’m really excited to see pics of the girls and Jasmine out there.
I got inducted into Phi Theta Kappa today, the community college honor society, and it was pretty fun. I’m pretty much joining for the scholarship opportunities with 4-year universities but I really enjoy talking to the sponsor, Mrs. McLemore, who also happens to be head librarian.
Can you believe that Mrs. Pickle, my English professor last semester, had to fail FIVE students’ research papers this semester because they used text messaging lingo throughout their papers? What in the name of all that’s holy is going on in our educational system that these students 1) used text messaging lingo in the first place, and 2) argued with her for over an hour because they honestly couldn’t understand why that would result in a failing grade on a scholarly project? It’s amazing, really. At Co-Lin you can meet some really insanely bright people and people who are so stupid or choose to be so uneducated that I can’t decide whether to pity them for their brain defect or be pissed off that they’re wasting federal pell grant money by attending college in the first place.
20 March 2008
Daddy's Home!
Daddy finally made it home. We’re in that wonderous honeymoon period you only get when the one you love isn’t available a good bit of the time. I think the best thing to happen in our marriage (besides the girls) is our time apart; we cherish the time we do spend with each other because we know there will be times the other isn’t there. Because of his schedule, when he’s home he’s really, really home, though. It seems as though we have more time together than we did when he was "here" all of the time. It still doesn’t make being a "single mom" half of the month easy, but...
I got a new Weight Watchers cookbook in on Tuesday (not the free one, Mom) called Meals in Minutes. It’s simple, fast, healthy recipes. I bought it because while there are a lot of recipes on the WW site, most of them take more time to prepare than I have. The highest point value I’ve seen is 6, and most of those are for some rather decadent desserts. I fixed some Asian Steak and Noodles for supper. Yum! It was a very satisfying, "stick to your ribs" meal with unique flavors. So satisfying, in fact, that I couldn’t finish it all. Nadine ate all of hers and Claudia’s leftovers, too. Those of you who have had the honor of trying to feed Princess Nadine have an idea why I’m so happy about this. I got a "thank you thank you Mommy" for today’s supper. I can’t help but wonder if the healthier food she’s eating is having an effect on her reflux control; she’s asked for Tums only once since I started Weight Watchers.
There are so many things besides the actual weight loss that make me happy I joined Weight Watchers. I feel much more energetic when I’m sticking to the plan, I exercise every day and am now up to a mile of walking, and I feel like I’m finally in control of the food instead of the other way around.
Dean’s home and learning about Weight Watchers and is extremely supportive of me. He went out the day after I joined so he came home to a wife who was 9 pounds lighter. He’s told me he wants to lose weight too and that he’ll support the food decisions I make. I know I couldn’t do it without his unconditional support. The day I asked him about joining I told him I was hesitant because I’d need to exercise and the living room wasn’t set up for me to use the treadmill often. It had to be moved, let down, etc. He took the time right then on the crazy last day in to rearrange the living room so I could use the treadmill easily and told me to join. I know it helped that Mom’s lost so much weight with WW, but it’s a huge thing when your other half hops on the boat right there beside you.
Oh yeah, thanks to Aunt Lena we now know for a fact that the truck will fit (with room to spare, even!) a third car seat in the back. Dean’s in denial, but...I really think that down the road there is one more baby in me.
I got a new Weight Watchers cookbook in on Tuesday (not the free one, Mom) called Meals in Minutes. It’s simple, fast, healthy recipes. I bought it because while there are a lot of recipes on the WW site, most of them take more time to prepare than I have. The highest point value I’ve seen is 6, and most of those are for some rather decadent desserts. I fixed some Asian Steak and Noodles for supper. Yum! It was a very satisfying, "stick to your ribs" meal with unique flavors. So satisfying, in fact, that I couldn’t finish it all. Nadine ate all of hers and Claudia’s leftovers, too. Those of you who have had the honor of trying to feed Princess Nadine have an idea why I’m so happy about this. I got a "thank you thank you Mommy" for today’s supper. I can’t help but wonder if the healthier food she’s eating is having an effect on her reflux control; she’s asked for Tums only once since I started Weight Watchers.
There are so many things besides the actual weight loss that make me happy I joined Weight Watchers. I feel much more energetic when I’m sticking to the plan, I exercise every day and am now up to a mile of walking, and I feel like I’m finally in control of the food instead of the other way around.
Dean’s home and learning about Weight Watchers and is extremely supportive of me. He went out the day after I joined so he came home to a wife who was 9 pounds lighter. He’s told me he wants to lose weight too and that he’ll support the food decisions I make. I know I couldn’t do it without his unconditional support. The day I asked him about joining I told him I was hesitant because I’d need to exercise and the living room wasn’t set up for me to use the treadmill often. It had to be moved, let down, etc. He took the time right then on the crazy last day in to rearrange the living room so I could use the treadmill easily and told me to join. I know it helped that Mom’s lost so much weight with WW, but it’s a huge thing when your other half hops on the boat right there beside you.
Oh yeah, thanks to Aunt Lena we now know for a fact that the truck will fit (with room to spare, even!) a third car seat in the back. Dean’s in denial, but...I really think that down the road there is one more baby in me.
17 March 2008
Spaghetti, Weight Watchers, and Mommy busts her butt
Nadine is quite the strange little princess. Yesterday we had spaghetti for lunch because I had made spaghetti the night before and her stomach was off. Spaghetti is one of her favorite foods and you can NEVER go wrong serving it to her, so when she asked me to make it again, I obliged. She comes over to me and jumps in my lap, and I’m just grateful for the cuddles, you know? She’s stopped wanting to sleep with me , so I’m usually more than desperate for cuddles. Once in my lap she gives me this huge hug and tells me that she loves my "new" spaghetti (meaning the one I made according to WW rules). I ask why and she tells me "it’s not all greasy and it tastes the best I’ve had in my whole life". She’s not given to bouts of hyperbole at all...
I tell you all of this to say that I was really worried when I started Weight Watchers that the girls wouldn’t like it and I’d be fixing 2 meals at a time. They *love* the new food. They are wanting water and not juice the majority of the time. I’m amazed how quickly they are starting to like healthy foods and really energized by it. They still get 2% milk and good fats and treats, but I’m impressed with how they’re taking the change. They usually aren’t good with change, but they’re going with this one, which is great because I lost another 2.9 pounds this week and am really jazzed about Weight Watchers.
If it weren’t in such a private location I’d show the massive black bruise I got from the treadmill. In a graceful manner only I could pull off, I tripped over my own feet and busted my hip against the corner of the girls’ bookshelf. The girls were more concerned with whether Mommy had broken the bookshelf than they were with whether Mommy broke her hip. The bruise is about the size of a 3x5 index card, and when Nadine saw it yesterday she told me "that’s the worst bo bo I ever did see". I asked if she’d kiss it, and she looked at me like I was stupid and proceeded to blow it a kiss and ask if the bo bo caught it. Well, it’s the size of my hand; how could she have missed it?
BTW, Dean managed to ask if I was injured before cracking up laughing at me...
13 March 2008
Courtesy of Daddy...never before seen pics
We’ve got baby fever again. There’ll be no more kids until after nursing school, but I felt that we should warn you that viewing these pics may cause baby sickness. These are stills from video Dean has been working on...and they amazed me and made me miss the little babies they used to be.
Yep, I just suckered you into looking at my little angels again, but wasn’t seeing Nadine kiss Claudia for the first time worth it?
Yep, I just suckered you into looking at my little angels again, but wasn’t seeing Nadine kiss Claudia for the first time worth it?
11 March 2008
So one of your children disappears on you...
...and it's the mischevious one, the one you just know is somewhere creating a disaster beyond the bounds of your imagination. This one's been cutting second year molars and had a cold and has generally been quite the handful. So you prepare yourself for the worst and start looking, and you come across this:
Yep, that's mommy's favorite little demon, fast asleep...and that's Tinkerbell giving me a very stern "Don't you DARE wake that child with that camera! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get her to stop strangling me and go to sleep!?!" look. I almost felt guilty for expecting to find her waist deep in maxi pads again. Almost.
I finally found an Easter dress for Claudia. Nadine's easy to shop for, but too many Easter dresses are too super duper girly for Claudia. Simple things work well for her, so that means quite a bit of hunting any time we want to buy her a dress. I even found them both shoes that were on clearance! I love to find good stuff super cheap for the girls.
We're planning on Dean taking the Easter pics of the girls out at Emerald Mound. It's always beautiful out there, and Dean has a great eye for photography. I finally talked him into taking more pics of the girls; I hate those "propped up in front of background" shots you get at portrait studios. I just think they are such a waste of money and would rather have my candid pics and Dean taking their "official" portraits. I'm still madly in love with the first Easter pics he did with Nadine, and I'm hoping that these pics will encourage him to take over the portraits full time. We're taking Jasmine, too, because we want to get some pics of the girls with her as a tiny puppy. That's one thing I don't have of the dog I grew up with, and I'd like my girls to have some.
I started Weight Watchers last week...online, not the meetings. I saw how well Momma was doing on it and decided to give it a try. I lost 5.8 pounds my first week and all I can say is it's easy, you can cook this way and serve it to your kids, and it WORKS. I'm very excited, and Dean has decided to start eating better as well. I can't do diets with these huge lists of what you can never eat again; I'm just not wired that way. I like the points system and how you can have that little sliver of cake if that's what you're craving and not blow the whole diet or feel guilty. I'm really, really falling in love. The only downside is that now I get to spend my spring break cleaning the junk out of that massive pantry Dean built me...
I'm incredibly blessed to have the husband, children, and life that I do...even if it's crazy hectic and there's always something waiting to be done. We have a lot of love in our little family, and there's nothing better than that.
Yep, that's mommy's favorite little demon, fast asleep...and that's Tinkerbell giving me a very stern "Don't you DARE wake that child with that camera! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get her to stop strangling me and go to sleep!?!" look. I almost felt guilty for expecting to find her waist deep in maxi pads again. Almost.
I finally found an Easter dress for Claudia. Nadine's easy to shop for, but too many Easter dresses are too super duper girly for Claudia. Simple things work well for her, so that means quite a bit of hunting any time we want to buy her a dress. I even found them both shoes that were on clearance! I love to find good stuff super cheap for the girls.
We're planning on Dean taking the Easter pics of the girls out at Emerald Mound. It's always beautiful out there, and Dean has a great eye for photography. I finally talked him into taking more pics of the girls; I hate those "propped up in front of background" shots you get at portrait studios. I just think they are such a waste of money and would rather have my candid pics and Dean taking their "official" portraits. I'm still madly in love with the first Easter pics he did with Nadine, and I'm hoping that these pics will encourage him to take over the portraits full time. We're taking Jasmine, too, because we want to get some pics of the girls with her as a tiny puppy. That's one thing I don't have of the dog I grew up with, and I'd like my girls to have some.
I started Weight Watchers last week...online, not the meetings. I saw how well Momma was doing on it and decided to give it a try. I lost 5.8 pounds my first week and all I can say is it's easy, you can cook this way and serve it to your kids, and it WORKS. I'm very excited, and Dean has decided to start eating better as well. I can't do diets with these huge lists of what you can never eat again; I'm just not wired that way. I like the points system and how you can have that little sliver of cake if that's what you're craving and not blow the whole diet or feel guilty. I'm really, really falling in love. The only downside is that now I get to spend my spring break cleaning the junk out of that massive pantry Dean built me...
I'm incredibly blessed to have the husband, children, and life that I do...even if it's crazy hectic and there's always something waiting to be done. We have a lot of love in our little family, and there's nothing better than that.
07 March 2008
Puppies, Kittens, Children, and Spring Break
Lady Jasmine is fitting in really well with the family. Tinkerbell, Nadine's kitten, and Jasmine wrestle and chase each other from one end of the house to the other. I don't think they realize they are supposed to be enemies. They take their daytime naps together in Jasmine's crate and sneak food and water from each other's bowls.
The girls are in love with Jasmine, too. Nadine's not crazy about her greeting licks, so we've taught her to take her stool with her when she decides to play with the puppy. It puts her just high enough that she doesn't get licked in the face, so she spends a lot more time with Jasmine. Claudia loves anything furry; she runs in the house from MeMe's and first thing is "puppy gog!" I love the way she says it.
It was so fun on Wednesday afternoon when I picked Claudia up. She can talk up a storm very clearly (when she chooses), but she hadn't really been talking much to MeMe and Poppa. I told her to give Poppa love so we could go, and she gives him a huge bear hug and says "i love you Poppa". You should've seen him melt...
I had a bit of drama with Nadine Wednesday, too. She wanted to watch her movies, which had been on the DVR (think Tivo if you're not familiar). Dean had put them on DVD and then edited out the commercials and burned them again. Nadine comes to my crying saying, "Daddy burned all my movies, Mommy." Try explaining putting movies on a shiny disc to a 3-year old...LOL! She knows she still has her movies but is upset that Daddy "burned" them in the first place...
That's all that's happening around here right now. I'm off to enjoy Spring Break and maybe get some sleep...and you can print me on that.
The girls are in love with Jasmine, too. Nadine's not crazy about her greeting licks, so we've taught her to take her stool with her when she decides to play with the puppy. It puts her just high enough that she doesn't get licked in the face, so she spends a lot more time with Jasmine. Claudia loves anything furry; she runs in the house from MeMe's and first thing is "puppy gog!" I love the way she says it.
It was so fun on Wednesday afternoon when I picked Claudia up. She can talk up a storm very clearly (when she chooses), but she hadn't really been talking much to MeMe and Poppa. I told her to give Poppa love so we could go, and she gives him a huge bear hug and says "i love you Poppa". You should've seen him melt...
I had a bit of drama with Nadine Wednesday, too. She wanted to watch her movies, which had been on the DVR (think Tivo if you're not familiar). Dean had put them on DVD and then edited out the commercials and burned them again. Nadine comes to my crying saying, "Daddy burned all my movies, Mommy." Try explaining putting movies on a shiny disc to a 3-year old...LOL! She knows she still has her movies but is upset that Daddy "burned" them in the first place...
That's all that's happening around here right now. I'm off to enjoy Spring Break and maybe get some sleep...and you can print me on that.
27 February 2008
Midterms and Puppies and Art Supplies Oh My!
If I'd have known a registered pup was this worry-free, I'd have had one long ago. Jasmine has quickly become part of the family. Even the feline royalty of the house, Tinkerbelle, has not only accepted her presence but is enjoying the energetic new playmate. The girls enjoy going outside with Jasmine; they go out much more often since I have to go outside with the puppy anyhow. Claudia thinks it's hilarious when Jasmine does 2. I don't know if Jasmine's housetrained faster because of Claudia's cheers when she does her business outside or in spite of it, but there's a party every time anyway. I suspect this is partly due to the cheers I give Nadine for using the potty...Claudia is a great help with that as well. I'm still amazed Claudia hasn't "explored" the cat box yet...all I had to do was tell Nadine the cat poopied in there and it became funny to see mommy clean it out. She laughs and tells me I've got cat poopie on my hands...
Nadine loves her new fingerpaints from Aunt Sonia. In a stunning role reversal, Claudia doesn't like the feel of them on her fingers and cries for wipes. I swear those two switch bodies sometimes. Nadine's supposed to be Mr. Monk, not Claudia. New storybooks are always a welcome addition. We bought a cheap bookshelf for them (knowing they are going to end up demolishing it), and that really thrilled Nadine. She loves having a special place for her books.
All in all around here, life just goes on. I'm in the middle of midterms and of course Dean has 2 classes as well, so things are crazy hectic. The most relaxing thing I have right now is 2 wonderful girls and a truly fantastic puppy playing in the yard together.
Did I mention my husband and my girls are wonderful?
Nadine loves her new fingerpaints from Aunt Sonia. In a stunning role reversal, Claudia doesn't like the feel of them on her fingers and cries for wipes. I swear those two switch bodies sometimes. Nadine's supposed to be Mr. Monk, not Claudia. New storybooks are always a welcome addition. We bought a cheap bookshelf for them (knowing they are going to end up demolishing it), and that really thrilled Nadine. She loves having a special place for her books.
All in all around here, life just goes on. I'm in the middle of midterms and of course Dean has 2 classes as well, so things are crazy hectic. The most relaxing thing I have right now is 2 wonderful girls and a truly fantastic puppy playing in the yard together.
Did I mention my husband and my girls are wonderful?
17 February 2008
Bad Goodbyes and Good Hellos...and magical Shiba Inus
We had to take Bear to the pound earlier this past week. He had gotten Nadine on the ground on several occasions that I thought were just rough puppy play but then he got jealous of Claudia getting my attention outside the other day. He jumped her and started biting on her head. She had a good-sized knot and a blue bruise on her temple. I can't have an animal like that around my kids, especially not one as large as he has the potential to be. So off to the pound he went with an explanation to the people there and a request that he not be homed with children. They said they wouldn't, but who knows really.
So with Claudia totally out of sorts without her former favorite cuddle Bear, Dean and I started looking for small dogs that were good with children. We found an interesting breed called a Shiba Inu and even found a breeder somewhat close to us (Deville, LA). I talked to her by email and phone about what we were looking for in a dog, and I had a really good feeling about her and her dogs. A big plus was that her grandkids are over all day 3 to 4 days a week while her daughter works, so these pups are the main attraction so to speak. They didn't have a clue that there are homes without these strange miniature humans groping them and chasing them constantly. She met me this morning in the mall parking lot as she was coming to Meadville to visit family. Sure enough, the instant the pup saw Claudia and Nadine she wanted to go meet them. There was no puppy hyperactivity or craziness. She just wants to be petted. In fact, she's in my lap asleep right now...farting little thing that she is.
I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out. Claudia is thrilled to have a puppy again, especially one small enough for her to hold. The best reaction has been from Nadine, who after getting thrown to the ground by Bear decided that she was not a dog person. All day she's been getting closer and closer to Jasmine, and tonight when she wasn't feeling well she asked to hold Jasmine. Nadine's usually a lot slower to adapt to new things (as Uncle Jon! lol), so this quiet little snuggle bug is getting quite the reception in the house. It's gone from "the puppy is for Claudia" to "Claudia share puppy with me and I share Tinkerbelle with Claudia". Big strides in less than 12 hours, especially when you figure in that Jasmine (or Lady Jasmine per her papers) was lost in the house for 3 of them. My mom found her sleeping in an empty 12-pack box of sunkist after I tore the house apart and moved the freezer looking for her...did I mention I moved that box 3 times?
Here's the gorgeous new baby...and no, I don't think even the presence of testicles would stop Nadine and Claudia from naming a pet after a Disney princess!
So with Claudia totally out of sorts without her former favorite cuddle Bear, Dean and I started looking for small dogs that were good with children. We found an interesting breed called a Shiba Inu and even found a breeder somewhat close to us (Deville, LA). I talked to her by email and phone about what we were looking for in a dog, and I had a really good feeling about her and her dogs. A big plus was that her grandkids are over all day 3 to 4 days a week while her daughter works, so these pups are the main attraction so to speak. They didn't have a clue that there are homes without these strange miniature humans groping them and chasing them constantly. She met me this morning in the mall parking lot as she was coming to Meadville to visit family. Sure enough, the instant the pup saw Claudia and Nadine she wanted to go meet them. There was no puppy hyperactivity or craziness. She just wants to be petted. In fact, she's in my lap asleep right now...farting little thing that she is.
I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out. Claudia is thrilled to have a puppy again, especially one small enough for her to hold. The best reaction has been from Nadine, who after getting thrown to the ground by Bear decided that she was not a dog person. All day she's been getting closer and closer to Jasmine, and tonight when she wasn't feeling well she asked to hold Jasmine. Nadine's usually a lot slower to adapt to new things (as Uncle Jon! lol), so this quiet little snuggle bug is getting quite the reception in the house. It's gone from "the puppy is for Claudia" to "Claudia share puppy with me and I share Tinkerbelle with Claudia". Big strides in less than 12 hours, especially when you figure in that Jasmine (or Lady Jasmine per her papers) was lost in the house for 3 of them. My mom found her sleeping in an empty 12-pack box of sunkist after I tore the house apart and moved the freezer looking for her...did I mention I moved that box 3 times?
Here's the gorgeous new baby...and no, I don't think even the presence of testicles would stop Nadine and Claudia from naming a pet after a Disney princess!
14 February 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
I was up late last night making molded candies for the girls so we could make some together today as well. Apparently I'm channeling Martha Stewart because I also decided to make cupcakes for the girls, too. I made them with them, or in spite of their "help", as the case may be. I filled the first pan, put the cup I using to pour the batter on the counter and started looking for the second cupcake pan. When I find it, the cup of batter is gone. This is especially troubling because that cup was NOT empty when I left it; it was when I found it, though. In a matter of 2 to 3 minutes Claudia managed to steal and DRINK half a cup of raw cake batter...the other half was on her face and her clothes.
My mom had the nerve to ask last night why I was planning to make candy with Nadine while Claudia was sleeping. If this isn't a reason, I don't know what is!
My mom had the nerve to ask last night why I was planning to make candy with Nadine while Claudia was sleeping. If this isn't a reason, I don't know what is!
06 February 2008
Aunt Lena kept the girls for me today while I went to class. They must have had a lot of fun; they came home wanting to play hide and seek. We played for a couple of hours tonight. Nadine only counts to 4, so you have to be fast! There were a lot of giggles around the house tonight for sure.
We played ring around the rosie, too. Claudia loves the falling down part and usually does a flip, dragging Nadine along for the ride.
Oh yeah. Nadine even gave Uncle Jon a hug today! Maybe she's figured out he's not such a monster after all.
The ultimate news: Another Manning won the Super Bowl!!!!! Take that, Tom Brady!
I couldn't help that last bit. I usually have a wallpaper on my computer of the girls, but I had to change it to a pic of on of the more vicious hits Brady took this past Sunday. Claudia sees a Giants football player and starts yelling "Eli! Eli! Eli!" That's my girl. None of that tainted LSU blood in this one like my turncoat brother. He was pulling for the Patriots, too, BTW. That's just Evil.
We played ring around the rosie, too. Claudia loves the falling down part and usually does a flip, dragging Nadine along for the ride.
Oh yeah. Nadine even gave Uncle Jon a hug today! Maybe she's figured out he's not such a monster after all.
The ultimate news: Another Manning won the Super Bowl!!!!! Take that, Tom Brady!
I couldn't help that last bit. I usually have a wallpaper on my computer of the girls, but I had to change it to a pic of on of the more vicious hits Brady took this past Sunday. Claudia sees a Giants football player and starts yelling "Eli! Eli! Eli!" That's my girl. None of that tainted LSU blood in this one like my turncoat brother. He was pulling for the Patriots, too, BTW. That's just Evil.
31 January 2008
Is it the Poopy Diaries Now? Reflections...
YAY!!!
Nadine's going potty most of the time at our house (public and grandparents' houses are another matter) and made stinky in the potty today for the first time, too. We are deliriously happy with how quickly things are getting better for Nadine lately.
I may have to drive to Jackson before her appointment in April and slap those docs. Every time I think about the problem being fiber-related and how many times I wanted to try it I want to strangle them. Yep, the same docs who saved her life are on my crap list at the moment. I'm pretty glad it's "just" going to be Bishop's partner Nowicke instead of Bishop herself. Well, yes and no. I know Bishop can take me ripping her a new one; I did that when Nadine was a baby...she is very understanding with momma bears. Nowicke's just so...nice. Every time I think about the situation I feel like this: . Given that I want to rip them a new one on the same visit I tell them she's no longer on reflux meds, I probably should be more confused.
My gut says the greatly reduced reflux and the regularity occurring together aren't a coincidence...and the only reliable thing we've had to go on in Nadine's short life is my gut. I don't know why I didn't stick her on fiber before now, I really don't. I always swore I wouldn't not listen to my gut again, but I guess even with great docs you trust sometimes the gut has to rule.
Her docs should be glad the price of gas is so high. Maybe by April I'll forgive them. I can't afford a $60 tank of gas just to slap them.
Goodness knows Dr. Russ isn't waiting on my forgiveness. She still turns and goes the other way when I see her in Wally World. I guess she's not fatally stupid after all...and she'll probably be turning the other way when Nadine graduates high school. I try, but I truly do hate that woman. Not only for saying reflux doesn't exist and that Nadine's problems were only in my head, but mostly because the docs in Jackson asked her to start Zantac a WEEK before we had an appointment in Jackson. The first dose of meds made her so calm and relaxed so fast that I hate her because my baby suffered an extra week because she couldn't cooperate with a specialist she asked to see Nadine. *sigh* I really am working on it. It's gone from murderous fury to just outright hatred...I guess that's a start.
I look back at everything we've been through with Nadine, and I don't know how I could have handled it if she weren't my first baby. If Claudia had come first and had been healthy, I would have been too paralyzed by fear to do what I had to do with Nadine. Ignorance is bliss in those sorts of situations...
When I look back I am reminded to love her for her willfullness. The strength of will that drives me crazy at times is the only thing that kept her going early on. Without it I wouldn't have my little diva princess. That doesn't mean that we're not trying to teach her to handle her emotions properly; it's just that having a hothead temper and a strong will is a difficult thing for a child her age to manage. I was full-on demon until I was 6 for the same reason. It's just so hard to control it. She's me made over. My mom got her wish. I'm raising myself.
Boy am I ever in for it.
Nadine's going potty most of the time at our house (public and grandparents' houses are another matter) and made stinky in the potty today for the first time, too. We are deliriously happy with how quickly things are getting better for Nadine lately.
I may have to drive to Jackson before her appointment in April and slap those docs. Every time I think about the problem being fiber-related and how many times I wanted to try it I want to strangle them. Yep, the same docs who saved her life are on my crap list at the moment. I'm pretty glad it's "just" going to be Bishop's partner Nowicke instead of Bishop herself. Well, yes and no. I know Bishop can take me ripping her a new one; I did that when Nadine was a baby...she is very understanding with momma bears. Nowicke's just so...nice. Every time I think about the situation I feel like this: . Given that I want to rip them a new one on the same visit I tell them she's no longer on reflux meds, I probably should be more confused.
My gut says the greatly reduced reflux and the regularity occurring together aren't a coincidence...and the only reliable thing we've had to go on in Nadine's short life is my gut. I don't know why I didn't stick her on fiber before now, I really don't. I always swore I wouldn't not listen to my gut again, but I guess even with great docs you trust sometimes the gut has to rule.
Her docs should be glad the price of gas is so high. Maybe by April I'll forgive them. I can't afford a $60 tank of gas just to slap them.
Goodness knows Dr. Russ isn't waiting on my forgiveness. She still turns and goes the other way when I see her in Wally World. I guess she's not fatally stupid after all...and she'll probably be turning the other way when Nadine graduates high school. I try, but I truly do hate that woman. Not only for saying reflux doesn't exist and that Nadine's problems were only in my head, but mostly because the docs in Jackson asked her to start Zantac a WEEK before we had an appointment in Jackson. The first dose of meds made her so calm and relaxed so fast that I hate her because my baby suffered an extra week because she couldn't cooperate with a specialist she asked to see Nadine. *sigh* I really am working on it. It's gone from murderous fury to just outright hatred...I guess that's a start.
I look back at everything we've been through with Nadine, and I don't know how I could have handled it if she weren't my first baby. If Claudia had come first and had been healthy, I would have been too paralyzed by fear to do what I had to do with Nadine. Ignorance is bliss in those sorts of situations...
When I look back I am reminded to love her for her willfullness. The strength of will that drives me crazy at times is the only thing that kept her going early on. Without it I wouldn't have my little diva princess. That doesn't mean that we're not trying to teach her to handle her emotions properly; it's just that having a hothead temper and a strong will is a difficult thing for a child her age to manage. I was full-on demon until I was 6 for the same reason. It's just so hard to control it. She's me made over. My mom got her wish. I'm raising myself.
Boy am I ever in for it.
28 January 2008
No, We're Not Dead
It's been over 2 weeks since I've added to the blog, mostly because of a massive anatomy/physiology test that left me pretty much brain dead and partially because having 2 parents in school is a really difficult juggling act. Dean's taking 2 classes online and working toward an associate's degree in Business, and I'm taking 5 classes, 3 of which are online. If I disappear for a while, you can pretty much assume that I got caught up in the quicksand that is academic life. My girls get first dibs on my free time, and lately the computer isn't where I want to be when I'm not doing schoolwork.
We are STILL noonie free, which is an absolutely insane thing to say. I hope everyone's ready for the supersecret good news we've been holding back...(NO I'M NOT PREGNANT!) Nadine has been off of all reflux medicine for 3 weeks now with the exception of a Tums or two. Her constipation issues are pretty much over thanks to not prescription laxatives but 2 fiber pills a day. I want to strangle those docs...I asked about fiber on several occasions and was told she was getting plenty. Well, if anything, we know her digestive system's never been normal. I tried some anyhow, and now she's a regular girl (pardon the pun).
We are STILL noonie free, which is an absolutely insane thing to say. I hope everyone's ready for the supersecret good news we've been holding back...(NO I'M NOT PREGNANT!) Nadine has been off of all reflux medicine for 3 weeks now with the exception of a Tums or two. Her constipation issues are pretty much over thanks to not prescription laxatives but 2 fiber pills a day. I want to strangle those docs...I asked about fiber on several occasions and was told she was getting plenty. Well, if anything, we know her digestive system's never been normal. I tried some anyhow, and now she's a regular girl (pardon the pun).
10 January 2008
The Noonie is Dead; Long Live the Pets!
The noonie has died. I am so happy, but Claudia's a little overly over dramatic. She found one the other day, but it quickly met it's demise at the hands of the Scissor Demon. Nadine doesn't even ask for it when she finds one. She just says, "Mommy, please don't cut it up. Just throw it away. It was a good noonie."
In other news, one of the pups has wormed his way into the house. His name is Bear, and I posted a pic of him. He's about 8 weeks old and 17.4 pounds! The girls are so in love with him. Nadine, little miss OCD clean freak, lets him lick her and climb all over her. She has *never* let a dog do that.
In other news I started school again on the 7th and even qualified for a half-tuition nontraditional (read old) student scholarship. I only have to be there for my A&P lecture and lab. The rest of my classes are online, so I get to be with the girls more. Whether that means I'll do well is another story, but my girls are happy.
Oh, and the big announcement: Nadine actually wants to use the potty now. No more forcing, no more anything other than asking. She just uses it. All it took was telling her she wouldn't be able to go to school if she couldn't potty like the other big kids, and she's on board. Now if we can keep her bowels going, we'll be in heaven...or at least I will be. Goodness knows one fewer bottom to diaper is a happy, happy thought right now.
In other news, one of the pups has wormed his way into the house. His name is Bear, and I posted a pic of him. He's about 8 weeks old and 17.4 pounds! The girls are so in love with him. Nadine, little miss OCD clean freak, lets him lick her and climb all over her. She has *never* let a dog do that.
In other news I started school again on the 7th and even qualified for a half-tuition nontraditional (read old) student scholarship. I only have to be there for my A&P lecture and lab. The rest of my classes are online, so I get to be with the girls more. Whether that means I'll do well is another story, but my girls are happy.
Oh, and the big announcement: Nadine actually wants to use the potty now. No more forcing, no more anything other than asking. She just uses it. All it took was telling her she wouldn't be able to go to school if she couldn't potty like the other big kids, and she's on board. Now if we can keep her bowels going, we'll be in heaven...or at least I will be. Goodness knows one fewer bottom to diaper is a happy, happy thought right now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)