Unfortunately, our power cord to the laptop is broken. Actually, the computer is broken where the plug is supposed to plug in to. So I will only be able to use the computer until the battery life runs out. That won't be long now. So I may seem to disappear again until we can get it fixed, but it's not by choice this time.
We are looking forward to coming to Portland on Aug 20-23. We will have a birthday party for Nick and Ethan on Sat the 21st. It's hard to imagine that they will be four and two in just a couple weeks! What's even more awesome than that, is that I'll have baby Andrew in less than a month after that! We are still planning on inducing on Sept 14th if he doesn't come earlier. So by the time we leave Portland, we will have a baby in just three weeks! It can't come soon enough for me. (Okay, I'm not exactly ready; I still have lots to do. But I am ready to hold my new son.)
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Killing Bugs
Unlike most boys his age, Joey does NOT like bugs. He will fight tooth and nail about having to play out in the back yard because of the possible bugs he may encounter. He will stand at the window every few minutes asking when he can come back in because, "I saw a mosquito that wants to suck my blood."
Nick is not as bad, but he learns from his big brother. I don't think he's actually afraid of bugs, but he will act like it when he sees Joey doing it. A couple weeks ago, he even grabbed the fly swatter and killed a fly on the wall in one shot all by himself. I have hope.
Ethan, so far, as shown no such aversion. Not that I want any of my boys fascinated with bugs and bringing them inside for me to look at. I am not the kind of mom that can pretend interest in bugs. I want them to stay outside, away from me, so I can keep ignoring the fact that creepy-crawlies exist. But I don't want my boys afraid of them.
Just before sending them outside today, I hear Joey exclaiming (he doesn't really ever scream about bugs, but he will sound a bit anxious.) "Mom, get the fly swatter! There's a mosquito on the couch."
Well, Nick was doing his best to take care of the bug. I'm not sure it was a mosquito because it pretty much just sat there, rather than flying away. I think, from what I could see, that it was a moth; a very little moth. So here is Nick, with an arm-load of shoes, standing a few inches away from the couch, trying to throw the shoes at the bug to kill it. At one point, it looked like he may have gotten it because it fell from the arm to the cushion, but it started walking around again. So Nick ran away to get more shoes.
Ethan comes along, no hesitation whatsoever, and walks right up to the couch and smashes the bug with the sandal in his hand! No throwing the shoe from a distance, just smacking the shoe right down on top of it. Up close and personal. He cracks me up. As most of you know, Ethan is total Alpha-Male around here....even if only in his own mind. Everything he does, from the way he walks and talks, to the way he plays and jumps around, he does with such confidence and authority. What would we do without him.
Nick is not as bad, but he learns from his big brother. I don't think he's actually afraid of bugs, but he will act like it when he sees Joey doing it. A couple weeks ago, he even grabbed the fly swatter and killed a fly on the wall in one shot all by himself. I have hope.
Ethan, so far, as shown no such aversion. Not that I want any of my boys fascinated with bugs and bringing them inside for me to look at. I am not the kind of mom that can pretend interest in bugs. I want them to stay outside, away from me, so I can keep ignoring the fact that creepy-crawlies exist. But I don't want my boys afraid of them.
Just before sending them outside today, I hear Joey exclaiming (he doesn't really ever scream about bugs, but he will sound a bit anxious.) "Mom, get the fly swatter! There's a mosquito on the couch."
Well, Nick was doing his best to take care of the bug. I'm not sure it was a mosquito because it pretty much just sat there, rather than flying away. I think, from what I could see, that it was a moth; a very little moth. So here is Nick, with an arm-load of shoes, standing a few inches away from the couch, trying to throw the shoes at the bug to kill it. At one point, it looked like he may have gotten it because it fell from the arm to the cushion, but it started walking around again. So Nick ran away to get more shoes.
Ethan comes along, no hesitation whatsoever, and walks right up to the couch and smashes the bug with the sandal in his hand! No throwing the shoe from a distance, just smacking the shoe right down on top of it. Up close and personal. He cracks me up. As most of you know, Ethan is total Alpha-Male around here....even if only in his own mind. Everything he does, from the way he walks and talks, to the way he plays and jumps around, he does with such confidence and authority. What would we do without him.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Big Happenings
This will have to be quick as I have left the kids to their own devices while I get dressed. I'm just taking a few extra minutes to post this.
Nick went potty on the toilet for the first time last night! We were very excited. He has sat on the potty quite a few times, but never actually gone. While he was getting ready for bed last night, he said he thought he had to go potty, so he ran to the bathroom, waited for Joey to be done, and sat down and enjoyed watching himself pee. Then later, he said he had to go again and actually did. This morning, he woke up and tried again, but nothing came out. A couple hours later, he let me know that he had to go, so after finding a dry pull-up, he went potty again! We may be on our way to having a second potty trained child! The goal, of course, is to have him trained before the baby is born, so the sooner the better. I'm very proud of him.
Ethan has started dressing himself, with just a little help. I have to make sure his feet are showing out his pants legs, or he will try to pull them up while standing on the legs, but other than that, he's pretty good at the pants. The only thing that confuses him about putting his shirt on is that he usually tries to put his legs through the sleeves before I remind him that it goes over his head first and the ARMS go through the sleeves. He is talking up a storm (even if I can't understand everything) and has developed quite the personality. It is so funny to see that his personality is a mix of Joey, Nick and himself, so you can imagine that he keeps me laughing.
Okay, I really have to go now. I must come back downstairs dressed, since that was the purpose of going upstairs in the first place.
Have a great day.
Nick went potty on the toilet for the first time last night! We were very excited. He has sat on the potty quite a few times, but never actually gone. While he was getting ready for bed last night, he said he thought he had to go potty, so he ran to the bathroom, waited for Joey to be done, and sat down and enjoyed watching himself pee. Then later, he said he had to go again and actually did. This morning, he woke up and tried again, but nothing came out. A couple hours later, he let me know that he had to go, so after finding a dry pull-up, he went potty again! We may be on our way to having a second potty trained child! The goal, of course, is to have him trained before the baby is born, so the sooner the better. I'm very proud of him.
Ethan has started dressing himself, with just a little help. I have to make sure his feet are showing out his pants legs, or he will try to pull them up while standing on the legs, but other than that, he's pretty good at the pants. The only thing that confuses him about putting his shirt on is that he usually tries to put his legs through the sleeves before I remind him that it goes over his head first and the ARMS go through the sleeves. He is talking up a storm (even if I can't understand everything) and has developed quite the personality. It is so funny to see that his personality is a mix of Joey, Nick and himself, so you can imagine that he keeps me laughing.
Okay, I really have to go now. I must come back downstairs dressed, since that was the purpose of going upstairs in the first place.
Have a great day.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A Rash of Fevers
We are experiencing a rash of fevers at our house. Joey spent the weekend (from Fri night thru Sat) running fevers of 101-104.5. Sunday he was feeling better, but we couldn't take him to church since he had a fever in within 24 hours. He did have a soar throat. He knows what the uvula is, and so his excuse for everything was that his uvula hurts. "It hurts my uvula to chew that." I asked him to bring me a couple dishes off the table. His response? "That will hurt my uvula." Nice try, Bub!
Ethan ended the day yesterday with a fever. He had the best night sleep in awhile and woke up feeling fine, although he was a bit less exuberant than usual. He woke up from his nap with another fever.
Nick also seemed to catch the fever bug this afternoon. After three or four attempts to get his temperature with the thermometer under the tongue, we reverted back to the underarm method, resulting in a temp of 101.7.
Nick is still working like crazy and neither of us can wait for his vacation in June. We both need a break from the long hours.
I'm doing well, except for being exhausted. Andrew is moving around quite a bit, which is lots of fun. By the time we come down next month, he will be more easily felt by other people, so I'm expecting lots of belly rubs.
Hopefully the fevers will leave us in the next day or so. I'm just thankful that there is nothing else paired with them. (I don't do pukies!)
Ethan ended the day yesterday with a fever. He had the best night sleep in awhile and woke up feeling fine, although he was a bit less exuberant than usual. He woke up from his nap with another fever.
Nick also seemed to catch the fever bug this afternoon. After three or four attempts to get his temperature with the thermometer under the tongue, we reverted back to the underarm method, resulting in a temp of 101.7.
Nick is still working like crazy and neither of us can wait for his vacation in June. We both need a break from the long hours.
I'm doing well, except for being exhausted. Andrew is moving around quite a bit, which is lots of fun. By the time we come down next month, he will be more easily felt by other people, so I'm expecting lots of belly rubs.
Hopefully the fevers will leave us in the next day or so. I'm just thankful that there is nothing else paired with them. (I don't do pukies!)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Slight Spill
I took a little spill down the stairs this morning. Just a couple stairs, but I still have an owie.
We have a gate on the bottom stair to help corral the boys to a manageable area in the house. As I was stepping over the gate, Nick grabbed hold of my other leg and started pulling me down. I tried to shake him off, but he wouldn't budge. As fate would have it, I shook too hard and sent him flying, right into the wall behind me. In my haste to get to him, I missed the stair, didn't have the leg length to reach the floor, got caught on the gate and fell. I landed on my left thigh on the folded Pack 'N Play, hit my head on the wall, and fell on top of Nick.
I have a small bruise on the back of my right ankle from the gate, and a huge bruise on my left thigh, which makes it difficult to move or sit.
We have a gate on the bottom stair to help corral the boys to a manageable area in the house. As I was stepping over the gate, Nick grabbed hold of my other leg and started pulling me down. I tried to shake him off, but he wouldn't budge. As fate would have it, I shook too hard and sent him flying, right into the wall behind me. In my haste to get to him, I missed the stair, didn't have the leg length to reach the floor, got caught on the gate and fell. I landed on my left thigh on the folded Pack 'N Play, hit my head on the wall, and fell on top of Nick.
I have a small bruise on the back of my right ankle from the gate, and a huge bruise on my left thigh, which makes it difficult to move or sit.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Another Big Baby
Each of my kids have been over 8 pounds at birth. This is not huge, by any means, but I would love to experience a nice, average 7.5 pound baby for once. It's not likely to happen.
According to what is "average" the baby's crown to rump length is 18 cm or 7 inches and weighs about 300-350 grams or 10.5-12.3 ounces at this point.
According to the ultrasound, the baby is weighing in at about a pound already...four ounces more than the high end of "average."
Oh well.
According to what is "average" the baby's crown to rump length is 18 cm or 7 inches and weighs about 300-350 grams or 10.5-12.3 ounces at this point.
According to the ultrasound, the baby is weighing in at about a pound already...four ounces more than the high end of "average."
Oh well.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Growing Up
It is hard to imagine, but Joey just turned six years old a couple of days ago. I remember the day he was born so clearly...at least parts of it. There was a time when I was so exhausted after the long hours of contractions, but for the most part I remember.
I remember waking up about 6am, when Nick's alarm went off so he could get ready for work. I knew that I was experiencing some uncomfortable pains, but not having had a child before, I wasn't sure if it was actual labor. Nick wondered if he should call in to work, but I assured him he could go; not that he had a choice, he had the work truck at home and needed to get it back. I had a dr. appt that morning anyway.
When I got to the office for my appt., the nurse came in, took one look at me, and said, "You're in labor." So they hooked me up to the monitor and found that my contractions were only three minutes apart. So they called ahead to the hospital to book me a room. Of course, although I had my bag packed, I didn't have them in the car. So I had to go all the way home (past the hospital) and load the car and wait for my husband to make the hour drive back home.
There are so many other details that I remember about that day. I remember that at one point, my husband thought that I was nearly passing out from pain, when in fact I was trying to doze in the two minutes between contractions. I remember how I asked my mom to time my contractions because I couldn't concentrate on the mental activity. When she told me there was about two minutes between contractions, I told her she had to be lying, because it sure felt one on top of the other to me. (She obviously didn't understand what I was going through.)
I remember how I felt when I held Joey for the first time, how I was so proud to show him off, how the nurse suggested I have him taken to the nursery so I could sleep but I wouldn't hear of it.
And now I look over at him, he hardly fits on my ever decreasing lap(as the baby increases)and he is reading! Where did the time go? How did this happen? Was I here, watching? It doesn't seem like it.
Joey had his check up this afternoon. He was 43 1/4 inches tall and 41 3/4 pounds. All looks well, and he promised the Dr. that he wore his helmet every time he rode his bike or scooter. He showed the doctor the bruise and scrape he got when he fell off the scooter. The Dr. said his legs look like a boys' leg should look if he was active enough. (It's nice to hear that rather than a suspicion of abuse for all the bruises.)
It always amazes me how much the kids grow right before my eyes. I don't seem to notice as its happening, until one day it hits me all at once. Could somebody just hit pause or slow motion or something? I feel I need some more time.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Mouth Movement
At the very end of this clip, you will see Andrew open and close his mouth. What a miracle to know that a new life is growing and developing inside me, and what an amazing thing to be able to witness a bit of it through technology!
Beating Heart
Here is a great view of Andrew's heart beating. They measured his heartbeats at about 139 per minute; which is in the normal, healthy range.
More Ultrasound Pictures
Here are his feet, one on top of the other.
A profile picture, showing how he liked to keep his arm by his head.
Here's the alien view of the face; eyes, nose, mouth.
Andrew is waving to you.
Here is another profile picture; cute nose.
It's A Boy
Yes, God has blessed us with yet another boy. Andrew Kyle will arrive in mid-September. Everybody's first question is "am I alright?" Of course. I am blessed to be expecting another child, and according to the ultrasound, one that is healthy and growing as he should.
However, this being our last child, I am also experiencing a great loss; a loss of a dream I have loved since I was a little girl. Loss and joy. Two conflicting emotions, but two completely different reasons. Do I feel loss because I'm having a boy? Absolutely NOT. I feel loss because I'm not having a girl. I feel only joy and excitement waiting for Andrew's arrival.
As I have said before, it helps to have his name picked out because I can start to bond with him as an indiviual, and not some nebulous idea of him. By the time he is born, I will want no baby other than him.
Here are some pictures of the ultrasound.
A great view of the spine.
The left arm kept up by the head.
The four chambers of the heart.
This should be obvious to anyone; but in case it isn't....what you are seeing here are two legs and what is between them. Yes, we are definitely having a boy. It's hard to mistake that.
Here are his legs, with his feet off to the left side of the picture.
I have a few more pictures and a couple videos to add.
However, this being our last child, I am also experiencing a great loss; a loss of a dream I have loved since I was a little girl. Loss and joy. Two conflicting emotions, but two completely different reasons. Do I feel loss because I'm having a boy? Absolutely NOT. I feel loss because I'm not having a girl. I feel only joy and excitement waiting for Andrew's arrival.
As I have said before, it helps to have his name picked out because I can start to bond with him as an indiviual, and not some nebulous idea of him. By the time he is born, I will want no baby other than him.
Here are some pictures of the ultrasound.
A great view of the spine.
The left arm kept up by the head.
The four chambers of the heart.
This should be obvious to anyone; but in case it isn't....what you are seeing here are two legs and what is between them. Yes, we are definitely having a boy. It's hard to mistake that.
Here are his legs, with his feet off to the left side of the picture.
I have a few more pictures and a couple videos to add.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Cute Talk
Nick said a couple cute things today.
First, it was about 6am when Ethan and Nick joined Nick and I in bed this morning. Ethan was between us, so I bundled Nick up at the foot of the bed. After awhile, Ethan crawled down to be with Nick. Nick was so sweet with him and covered him up and gave him loves. Then Ethan pointed up to the ceiling fan and said something around his pacifier.
Nick asked, "Do you want the fan off?" Ethan obviously did not want the fan off, but I couldn't understand what he was jabbering about. Then Nick said, "Why does the fan spin? Oh, that's how the air comes out."
Ethan was satisfied enough with that. It was so cute listening to my three year old explain the operation of a fan to my toddler.
In the afternoon, Nick took Nick with him to do the grocery shopping. On the way home, they had to stop at work to open the office for someone. Nick asked his Daddy why they had to go to work. Daddy said, "I have to meet a lady at work."
Nick didn't like this, and in a show of loyalty one can only dream of from a son, he said, "Why do you have to meet another lady? Mommy's at home!"
What a little love.
First, it was about 6am when Ethan and Nick joined Nick and I in bed this morning. Ethan was between us, so I bundled Nick up at the foot of the bed. After awhile, Ethan crawled down to be with Nick. Nick was so sweet with him and covered him up and gave him loves. Then Ethan pointed up to the ceiling fan and said something around his pacifier.
Nick asked, "Do you want the fan off?" Ethan obviously did not want the fan off, but I couldn't understand what he was jabbering about. Then Nick said, "Why does the fan spin? Oh, that's how the air comes out."
Ethan was satisfied enough with that. It was so cute listening to my three year old explain the operation of a fan to my toddler.
In the afternoon, Nick took Nick with him to do the grocery shopping. On the way home, they had to stop at work to open the office for someone. Nick asked his Daddy why they had to go to work. Daddy said, "I have to meet a lady at work."
Nick didn't like this, and in a show of loyalty one can only dream of from a son, he said, "Why do you have to meet another lady? Mommy's at home!"
What a little love.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Two Chariot Warriors And A Princess
We had a wonderful weekend. We came down to see family this weekend. Nick spent his time helping his Dad with Rebuilding Together, and on Saturday was able to help rebuild, remodel, and clean up 50 homes around the Portland area. This is something Nick has helped with for the last 19 years or so, with the exception of the time he spent in AK. (But even then, he came down for one year just for Rebuilding Together.)
While Nick was busy rebuilding Portland, the boys and I were able to spend time with the family. On Thursday evening, we went over to Grandma Mary's where we had dinner and celebrated Joey's birthday. Aunt Angie was there and made some delicious cupcakes. We all had fun spending time with them.
On Friday, Sarina came over after school to play with the boys. This gave me an opportunity to do some birthday shopping, since we hadn't done any before coming. I took Ethan with me, since I don't get to spend one-on-one time with him very often. He wore his sunglasses everywhere we went, and everywhere we went I got smiles and comments about how adorable he was. All I could do was smile, try to keep my chest from bursting, and say humbly, "I know."
Saturday, we celebrated Sarina's birthday at Pump It Up. The boys had never been there before and had a blast. Ethan was a little overwhelmed, but seemed to have fun anyway. Especially when he discovered the baby he could give loves to. He is going to be just as wonderful of a big brother as his big brothers are. Sarina and Jesse came over to play for a little while after the party, to the complete enthrallment of my kids.
Sunday, after church, we had Joey's birthday party. I know it's a little earlly, but since we were in town, it seemed logical, especially since it is illogical just to spend the money on coming down the next weekend just to get closer to his actual birthday. Since we won't be doing anything to celebrate Joey's actual birthday, Daddy will probably take him to a movie at the theater for a treat. Joey had a great time at his party and came away with some really cool stuff.
One thing he got was a Zhu Zhu Hamster, which he kept on his lap throughout the drive home. We stopped and grabbed McDonalds for dinner on the way home. Since Joey already had something to play with, I suggested Nick hand out the Happy Meal toys to Nick and Ethan. Nick reached into the first two bags and pulled out some sort of charriot toy from each and gave them to Nick and Ethan. Joey didn't think that was fair, even though he already had a toy to play with, so he asked for his Happy Meal toy. After reaching into the third bag, Nick discovered that we were given a pink and purple Princess tiara! Poor Joey. I couldn't stop laughing. It's not like we asked for any girl toys. I think they just grabbed the wrong toy. It struck me as funny though, that I want a daughter so bad, but that doesn't mean I want one of my boys to act like one!
Now we are back to routine and the process of settling down after an excitement packed weekend. We are already looking foward to coming back down again. I don't know when that will be yet, but I can't wait.
The countdown is on; just eight more days until the scheduled ultrasound. Hopefully, we will be able to know in eight days whether we are having a boy or a girl. Nick is determined to believe that we are having a boy, so that he is not disappointed. I know that he wants me to believe the same thing, but I just can't stop myself from hoping that I may possibly get my daughter this time. I am not one of those women who are so "in tune" with their body that I can just "know", so I don't have any idea whether it is a boy or a girl. I will just keep hoping until I find out for sure. I will keep you posted.
Well, I have three kids who have claws on hands and feet, so it is time I start cutting 60 nails. I should trim my own while I'm at it, but I think I will wait on those.
While Nick was busy rebuilding Portland, the boys and I were able to spend time with the family. On Thursday evening, we went over to Grandma Mary's where we had dinner and celebrated Joey's birthday. Aunt Angie was there and made some delicious cupcakes. We all had fun spending time with them.
On Friday, Sarina came over after school to play with the boys. This gave me an opportunity to do some birthday shopping, since we hadn't done any before coming. I took Ethan with me, since I don't get to spend one-on-one time with him very often. He wore his sunglasses everywhere we went, and everywhere we went I got smiles and comments about how adorable he was. All I could do was smile, try to keep my chest from bursting, and say humbly, "I know."
Saturday, we celebrated Sarina's birthday at Pump It Up. The boys had never been there before and had a blast. Ethan was a little overwhelmed, but seemed to have fun anyway. Especially when he discovered the baby he could give loves to. He is going to be just as wonderful of a big brother as his big brothers are. Sarina and Jesse came over to play for a little while after the party, to the complete enthrallment of my kids.
Sunday, after church, we had Joey's birthday party. I know it's a little earlly, but since we were in town, it seemed logical, especially since it is illogical just to spend the money on coming down the next weekend just to get closer to his actual birthday. Since we won't be doing anything to celebrate Joey's actual birthday, Daddy will probably take him to a movie at the theater for a treat. Joey had a great time at his party and came away with some really cool stuff.
One thing he got was a Zhu Zhu Hamster, which he kept on his lap throughout the drive home. We stopped and grabbed McDonalds for dinner on the way home. Since Joey already had something to play with, I suggested Nick hand out the Happy Meal toys to Nick and Ethan. Nick reached into the first two bags and pulled out some sort of charriot toy from each and gave them to Nick and Ethan. Joey didn't think that was fair, even though he already had a toy to play with, so he asked for his Happy Meal toy. After reaching into the third bag, Nick discovered that we were given a pink and purple Princess tiara! Poor Joey. I couldn't stop laughing. It's not like we asked for any girl toys. I think they just grabbed the wrong toy. It struck me as funny though, that I want a daughter so bad, but that doesn't mean I want one of my boys to act like one!
Now we are back to routine and the process of settling down after an excitement packed weekend. We are already looking foward to coming back down again. I don't know when that will be yet, but I can't wait.
The countdown is on; just eight more days until the scheduled ultrasound. Hopefully, we will be able to know in eight days whether we are having a boy or a girl. Nick is determined to believe that we are having a boy, so that he is not disappointed. I know that he wants me to believe the same thing, but I just can't stop myself from hoping that I may possibly get my daughter this time. I am not one of those women who are so "in tune" with their body that I can just "know", so I don't have any idea whether it is a boy or a girl. I will just keep hoping until I find out for sure. I will keep you posted.
Well, I have three kids who have claws on hands and feet, so it is time I start cutting 60 nails. I should trim my own while I'm at it, but I think I will wait on those.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Crush
"I'm in a crush with Isabella." Joey said when he got home from school.
I'm not sure what my face looked like, because he felt the need to further explain. "That means we're in love."
I couldn't help it; I laughed out loud. Then I tried to compose myself so Joey wouldn't feel like I was making fun of him. "When did this happen?" I asked him.
"Today. She sat by me and made me love her." Joey stated.
"How did she make you love her?" I inquired.
"She smiled at me." Joey responded.
Oh, the whole thing was entirely too precious and too funny. He's a couple weeks away from six years old...I thought I had a few more years before this. I hope that in the future, I will learn a little self control. I don't ever want him afraid of telling me his feelings, even when he gets to the point when he won't WANT to tell me his feelings. I always want him to know he can come to me if he wanted to.
I'm not sure what my face looked like, because he felt the need to further explain. "That means we're in love."
I couldn't help it; I laughed out loud. Then I tried to compose myself so Joey wouldn't feel like I was making fun of him. "When did this happen?" I asked him.
"Today. She sat by me and made me love her." Joey stated.
"How did she make you love her?" I inquired.
"She smiled at me." Joey responded.
Oh, the whole thing was entirely too precious and too funny. He's a couple weeks away from six years old...I thought I had a few more years before this. I hope that in the future, I will learn a little self control. I don't ever want him afraid of telling me his feelings, even when he gets to the point when he won't WANT to tell me his feelings. I always want him to know he can come to me if he wanted to.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Chicken Soup
I haven't read any of my "Chicken Soup For the Soul" books in so long, so the other day, I pulled one out. Last night, I read a story that had me laughing and shaking my head at the truth of the subject. I wanted to share it with you, so the remainder of this post will not be my words, but those of Dave Barry.
What Women Don't Understand About Guys
Contrary to what many women believe, it's easy to develop a long-term, intimate and mutually fulfilling relationship with a guy. Of course, the guy has to be a Labrador retriever. With human guys, it's extremely difficult. This is because guys don't really grasp what women mean by the word relationship.
Let's say a guy named Roger asks a woman named Elaine out to a movie. She accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and soon neither is seeing anybody else.
Then one evening when they're driving home, a thought occurs to Elaine. She says: "Do you realize that we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?"
Silence fills the car. To Elaine, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: "Geez, I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he feels confined by our relationship. Maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation."
And Roger is thinking: "Gosh. Six months."
And Elaine is thinking: "But hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship either. Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?"
And Roger is thinking: "So that means it was...let's see...February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's which means...lemme check the odometer...whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here."
And Elaine is thinking: "He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship-more intimacy, more commitment. Maybe he senses my reservations. Yes, that's it. He's afraid of being rejected."
And Roger is thinking: "I'm going to have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say-it's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on cold weather this time. It's 87 degrees out, and this things is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent, thieving cretins 600 dollars!"
And Elaine is thinking: "He's angry, and I don't blame him. I'd be angry too. I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure."
And Roger is thinking: "They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty. That's what they're gonna say!"
And Elaine is thinking: "Maybe I'm too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I'm sitting next to a perfectly good person who's in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl fantasy."
And Roger is thinking: "Warranty? I'll give them a warranty!"
"Roger," Elaine says aloud.
"What?" says Roger.
"I'm such a fool," Elaine say, sobbing. "I mean, I know there's no knight and there's no horse."
"There's no horse?" says Roger.
"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Elaine says.
"No!" Roger says, glad to know the correct answer.
"It's just that....I need some time," Elaine says.
There is a 15-second pause while Roger tries to come up with a safe response. "Yes," he finally says.
Elaine, deeply moved, touches his hand. "Oh, Roger, do you really feel that way?"
"What way?" says Roger.
"That way about time," Elaine says.
"Oh," says Roger. "Yes."
Elaine gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she says, "Thank you, Roger."
"Thank you," he responds.
Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted soul weeping until dawn, where as when Roger gets back to his place, he opens a bag of chips, turns on the TV and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a tennis match between two Czech players he never heard of. A tiny voice in his mind tells him that something mayor was going on back there in the car, but he figures it's better not to think about it.
The next day Elaine will call her closest friend, and they will talk for six straight hours. In painstaking detail they will analyze everything she said and everything he said. They will continue to discuss this subject for weeks, never reaching any definite conclusions but never getting bored with it either.
Meanwhile, Roger, playing racquetball one day with a friend of his and Elaine's, will pause just before serving and ask, "Norm, did Elaine ever own a horse?"
We're not talking about different wavelengths here. We're talking about different planets in completely different solar systems. Elaine cannot communicate meaningfully with Roger because the sum total of his thinking about relationships is 'Huh?'
He has a guy brain, basically an analytical, problem-solving organ. It's not comfortable with nebulous concepts such as love, need and trust. If the guy brain has to form an opinion about another person, it prefers to base it on facts, such as his or her earned-run average.
Women have trouble accepting this. They are convinced that guys must spend a certain amount of time thinking about the relationship. How could a guy see another human being day after day, night after night, and not be thinking about the relationship? This is what women figure.
They are wrong. A guy in a relationship is like an ant standing on top of a truck tire. The ant is aware that something large is there, but he cannot even dimly comprehend what it is. And if the truck starts moving and the tire starts to roll, the ant will sense that something important is happening, but right up until he rolls around to the bottom and is squashed, the only thought in his tiny brain will be 'Huh?'
Thus the No. 1 tip for women to remember is never assume the guy understands that you and he have a relationship. You have to plant the idea in his brain by constantly making subtle references to it, such as:
"Roger, would you mind passing me the sugar, inasmuch as we have a relationship?"
"Wake up, Roger! There's a prowler in the den and we have a relationship! You and I do, I mean."
"Good news, Roger! The doctor says we're going to have our fourth child-another indication that we have a relationship!"
"Roger, inasmuch as this plane is crashing and we have only a minute to live, I want you to know that we've had a wonderful 53 years of marriage together, which clearly constitutes a relationship."
Never let up, women. Pound away relentlessly at this concept, and eventually it will start to penetrate the guy's brain. Someday he might even start thinking about it on his own. He'll be talking with some other guys about women, and out of the blue he'll say, "Elaine and I, we have, ummmm....we have, ahhh....we....we have this thing."
And he will sincerely mean it.
What Women Don't Understand About Guys
Contrary to what many women believe, it's easy to develop a long-term, intimate and mutually fulfilling relationship with a guy. Of course, the guy has to be a Labrador retriever. With human guys, it's extremely difficult. This is because guys don't really grasp what women mean by the word relationship.
Let's say a guy named Roger asks a woman named Elaine out to a movie. She accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and soon neither is seeing anybody else.
Then one evening when they're driving home, a thought occurs to Elaine. She says: "Do you realize that we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?"
Silence fills the car. To Elaine, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: "Geez, I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he feels confined by our relationship. Maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation."
And Roger is thinking: "Gosh. Six months."
And Elaine is thinking: "But hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship either. Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?"
And Roger is thinking: "So that means it was...let's see...February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's which means...lemme check the odometer...whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here."
And Elaine is thinking: "He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship-more intimacy, more commitment. Maybe he senses my reservations. Yes, that's it. He's afraid of being rejected."
And Roger is thinking: "I'm going to have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say-it's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on cold weather this time. It's 87 degrees out, and this things is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent, thieving cretins 600 dollars!"
And Elaine is thinking: "He's angry, and I don't blame him. I'd be angry too. I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure."
And Roger is thinking: "They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty. That's what they're gonna say!"
And Elaine is thinking: "Maybe I'm too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I'm sitting next to a perfectly good person who's in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl fantasy."
And Roger is thinking: "Warranty? I'll give them a warranty!"
"Roger," Elaine says aloud.
"What?" says Roger.
"I'm such a fool," Elaine say, sobbing. "I mean, I know there's no knight and there's no horse."
"There's no horse?" says Roger.
"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Elaine says.
"No!" Roger says, glad to know the correct answer.
"It's just that....I need some time," Elaine says.
There is a 15-second pause while Roger tries to come up with a safe response. "Yes," he finally says.
Elaine, deeply moved, touches his hand. "Oh, Roger, do you really feel that way?"
"What way?" says Roger.
"That way about time," Elaine says.
"Oh," says Roger. "Yes."
Elaine gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she says, "Thank you, Roger."
"Thank you," he responds.
Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted soul weeping until dawn, where as when Roger gets back to his place, he opens a bag of chips, turns on the TV and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a tennis match between two Czech players he never heard of. A tiny voice in his mind tells him that something mayor was going on back there in the car, but he figures it's better not to think about it.
The next day Elaine will call her closest friend, and they will talk for six straight hours. In painstaking detail they will analyze everything she said and everything he said. They will continue to discuss this subject for weeks, never reaching any definite conclusions but never getting bored with it either.
Meanwhile, Roger, playing racquetball one day with a friend of his and Elaine's, will pause just before serving and ask, "Norm, did Elaine ever own a horse?"
We're not talking about different wavelengths here. We're talking about different planets in completely different solar systems. Elaine cannot communicate meaningfully with Roger because the sum total of his thinking about relationships is 'Huh?'
He has a guy brain, basically an analytical, problem-solving organ. It's not comfortable with nebulous concepts such as love, need and trust. If the guy brain has to form an opinion about another person, it prefers to base it on facts, such as his or her earned-run average.
Women have trouble accepting this. They are convinced that guys must spend a certain amount of time thinking about the relationship. How could a guy see another human being day after day, night after night, and not be thinking about the relationship? This is what women figure.
They are wrong. A guy in a relationship is like an ant standing on top of a truck tire. The ant is aware that something large is there, but he cannot even dimly comprehend what it is. And if the truck starts moving and the tire starts to roll, the ant will sense that something important is happening, but right up until he rolls around to the bottom and is squashed, the only thought in his tiny brain will be 'Huh?'
Thus the No. 1 tip for women to remember is never assume the guy understands that you and he have a relationship. You have to plant the idea in his brain by constantly making subtle references to it, such as:
"Roger, would you mind passing me the sugar, inasmuch as we have a relationship?"
"Wake up, Roger! There's a prowler in the den and we have a relationship! You and I do, I mean."
"Good news, Roger! The doctor says we're going to have our fourth child-another indication that we have a relationship!"
"Roger, inasmuch as this plane is crashing and we have only a minute to live, I want you to know that we've had a wonderful 53 years of marriage together, which clearly constitutes a relationship."
Never let up, women. Pound away relentlessly at this concept, and eventually it will start to penetrate the guy's brain. Someday he might even start thinking about it on his own. He'll be talking with some other guys about women, and out of the blue he'll say, "Elaine and I, we have, ummmm....we have, ahhh....we....we have this thing."
And he will sincerely mean it.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Baby Appointment
I had another appointment today. Everything is looking good, baby's heartbeat sounds nice and strong. I have been feeling some movement, but they are still few and far between; usually just when I'm about to fall asleep, or just before I fully wake up, when I'm still not sure if I'm really feeling the baby. But here in the next few weeks, I'm sure that will change, and I'll be able to feel more. That is the best thing about being pregnant, feeling the baby move inside.
I have scheduled my ultrasound appointment. I am looking foward to it with excitement and a bit of trepidation. Finally knowing will be a relief, but the 'finding out' is a bit nerve-wracking.
As far as the baby's developement, this week: Baby's crown to rump length is 13.5 cm or 5.3 inches. Baby weighs about 150-200 grams or 5.3-7.0 ounces. Fine hair called lanugo is starting to appear. Baby's fingerprints and toeprints are forming. Baby's teeth beginning to form enamel.
Pretty exciting developements in the baby department. I will make sure to let everyone know whether we will be meeting Breanna Rose or Andrew Kyle as soon as I can. Unfortunately, Mom will be off sailing again, and I would really like to be able to tell her before letting the whole world know. We will do our best to contact her if possible.
I have scheduled my ultrasound appointment. I am looking foward to it with excitement and a bit of trepidation. Finally knowing will be a relief, but the 'finding out' is a bit nerve-wracking.
As far as the baby's developement, this week: Baby's crown to rump length is 13.5 cm or 5.3 inches. Baby weighs about 150-200 grams or 5.3-7.0 ounces. Fine hair called lanugo is starting to appear. Baby's fingerprints and toeprints are forming. Baby's teeth beginning to form enamel.
Pretty exciting developements in the baby department. I will make sure to let everyone know whether we will be meeting Breanna Rose or Andrew Kyle as soon as I can. Unfortunately, Mom will be off sailing again, and I would really like to be able to tell her before letting the whole world know. We will do our best to contact her if possible.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Naked Nap
There will be no picture for this; you'll just have to use your imagination.
After eating Noodle Soup for lunch (my boys' name for Top Ramen), Ethan was stripped down to his diaper for nap time. Nick was having a difficult time settling down for nap, as he has been lately. For over an hour, he and Ethan played around intead of sleeping. Finally, they settled down and it was quiet for awhile.
I went upstairs to check on them, waking them up in the process. Since it was after 4pm, I was okay with them waking up; I do want them to get to bed at a decent hour. As I walked further into the room, I noticed Ethan curled around a great big wet spot.....completely naked! Yes, he had stripped his diaper off and slept in the buff. This was the first time he has ever done that.
I had Nick come upstairs to observe his son, and then take him downstairs to get him changed while I changed the sheet. What a goofy boy!
After eating Noodle Soup for lunch (my boys' name for Top Ramen), Ethan was stripped down to his diaper for nap time. Nick was having a difficult time settling down for nap, as he has been lately. For over an hour, he and Ethan played around intead of sleeping. Finally, they settled down and it was quiet for awhile.
I went upstairs to check on them, waking them up in the process. Since it was after 4pm, I was okay with them waking up; I do want them to get to bed at a decent hour. As I walked further into the room, I noticed Ethan curled around a great big wet spot.....completely naked! Yes, he had stripped his diaper off and slept in the buff. This was the first time he has ever done that.
I had Nick come upstairs to observe his son, and then take him downstairs to get him changed while I changed the sheet. What a goofy boy!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Oldies But Goodies
The kids and I have been looking at old baby pictures of each of them and I was reminded of some of my favorites. I thought I would share a few.
It all started the other day when Joey asked me what the bump next to his left ear was. This, of course, is what is left of his skin tag he had at birth. It has been so long ago, sometimes I forget that it was ever bigger than the little bump he has. Last night, when I brought up Joey's question to my husband, Nick asked Joey why he wanted to know.
Joey said, "Cameron (a boy in his class) touched it and wanted to know if I wanted him to pop it."
Oh, my goodness. I laughed so hard. I never thought that there was a reason other than curiosity that made him ask.
So here are a few of my favorite pictures of the boys' early days.
There is no better day in my life than the day each of my boys was born. This is one of my favorite pictures of Joey right after he was born. I don't think I had even held him yet, but I love how scrunched up his face is. He is saying, "I'm cold and I want my Mommy!"
This is probably my most favorite picture of Joey when he was really little. He is so peaceful and soft looking. It is also the one picture I think of when I want to see, or show, how big his skin tag was before we had it removed.
Here is a picture of Nick when he came "home" from the hospital. I put quotations around home because we were staying at Mom's at the time while we were in transition to Alaska. I love how tiny Nick looks, and he was compared to Joey, but he was not a tiny baby by any means. I love how the clothes look like they are about to fall right off.
This one of Nick is probably my all time favorite of Nick. It cracks me up each time I look at it. I love the expression on his face.
And here is a darling picture of Ethan when he was born. I love his cheeks, and though he has grown into them a little, they are still one of my favorite features on him today.
If I were totally honest, I would say that I have hundreds of favorite pictures of my boys, because I love looking at them and remembering all those days with them. They are my favorite people in the world, even if I don't remember that every day. But since I can't put hundreds of pictures on a blog post (and nobody is as interested in looking at all of them as I am) I will limit myself to these few. Maybe I will post some more at a later date. Spread the wealth a bit.
It all started the other day when Joey asked me what the bump next to his left ear was. This, of course, is what is left of his skin tag he had at birth. It has been so long ago, sometimes I forget that it was ever bigger than the little bump he has. Last night, when I brought up Joey's question to my husband, Nick asked Joey why he wanted to know.
Joey said, "Cameron (a boy in his class) touched it and wanted to know if I wanted him to pop it."
Oh, my goodness. I laughed so hard. I never thought that there was a reason other than curiosity that made him ask.
So here are a few of my favorite pictures of the boys' early days.
There is no better day in my life than the day each of my boys was born. This is one of my favorite pictures of Joey right after he was born. I don't think I had even held him yet, but I love how scrunched up his face is. He is saying, "I'm cold and I want my Mommy!"
This is probably my most favorite picture of Joey when he was really little. He is so peaceful and soft looking. It is also the one picture I think of when I want to see, or show, how big his skin tag was before we had it removed.
Here is a picture of Nick when he came "home" from the hospital. I put quotations around home because we were staying at Mom's at the time while we were in transition to Alaska. I love how tiny Nick looks, and he was compared to Joey, but he was not a tiny baby by any means. I love how the clothes look like they are about to fall right off.
This one of Nick is probably my all time favorite of Nick. It cracks me up each time I look at it. I love the expression on his face.
And here is a darling picture of Ethan when he was born. I love his cheeks, and though he has grown into them a little, they are still one of my favorite features on him today.
If I were totally honest, I would say that I have hundreds of favorite pictures of my boys, because I love looking at them and remembering all those days with them. They are my favorite people in the world, even if I don't remember that every day. But since I can't put hundreds of pictures on a blog post (and nobody is as interested in looking at all of them as I am) I will limit myself to these few. Maybe I will post some more at a later date. Spread the wealth a bit.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Baby Update
I have officially completed my fourth month of pregnancy and start my fifth month today. Remember, we are talking a ten-month (28 day month) system here. Here is what is happening with baby at this stage:
Baby's crown to rump length is 11 or 12 cm or 5 inches. Baby weighs about 100-150 grams or 3.5-5.3 ounces. Baby's eyes and ears are in their proper place now. Baby's circulatory system is completely functional. Baby's sweat glands are developing.
Pretty exciting, huh?! My next appointment is a week from tomorrow. I always look forward to hearing the heart beat. The other exciting thing about this appointment, is that I get to schedule my ultrasound! It's coming up fast. The less exciting thing about this appointment is that I will probably have blood work done. I don't detest having blood drawn, but it isn't my favorite thing.
Baby's crown to rump length is 11 or 12 cm or 5 inches. Baby weighs about 100-150 grams or 3.5-5.3 ounces. Baby's eyes and ears are in their proper place now. Baby's circulatory system is completely functional. Baby's sweat glands are developing.
Pretty exciting, huh?! My next appointment is a week from tomorrow. I always look forward to hearing the heart beat. The other exciting thing about this appointment, is that I get to schedule my ultrasound! It's coming up fast. The less exciting thing about this appointment is that I will probably have blood work done. I don't detest having blood drawn, but it isn't my favorite thing.
Face Plant
Ethan is very good doing face plants. He will be getting himself up off the floor when his arms will give out and he will land his face right there on the floor. Most of the time he is fine, it doesn't even phase him. Other times it is absolutely hysterical! Like the other night, Nick and I were both laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face.
Picture a toddler getting to a standing position: They plant their hands and their feet on the ground, then push off with their hands until they are in a full standing position. This is not exactly what Ethan did the other night. He got his hands and feet on the ground, but instead of pushing off with his hands, he jumped up using his feet, causing his arms to buckle, and....well, I'm sure you can imagine. He wasn't hurt; in fact, I don't think he even noticed, which gave Nick and I license to laugh.
Then there are the times when he hits something that causes him to get hurt. Yesterday was such a time. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan do a face plant. So when he came up screaming, I didn't at first understand why. I pulled him onto my lap to comfort him. He sat up with me, facing away, for several minutes. Then he decided he was ready to get down. He sat down on the floor, this time facing me, and I saw for the first time the huge goose egg that had surfaced on the bridge of his nose, between his eyes. I don't know if I have ever seen a bigger one.
He seemed to be acting normal, maybe a little calmer, but nothing to make me worry that something worse than a bump had occured.
I took a couple pictures for proof. By the time Nick got home from work, the swelling had gone down by half, but was still quite significant. This morning, the swelling was all gone, but he has a nasty bruise that I know will get worse before it gets better.
Picture a toddler getting to a standing position: They plant their hands and their feet on the ground, then push off with their hands until they are in a full standing position. This is not exactly what Ethan did the other night. He got his hands and feet on the ground, but instead of pushing off with his hands, he jumped up using his feet, causing his arms to buckle, and....well, I'm sure you can imagine. He wasn't hurt; in fact, I don't think he even noticed, which gave Nick and I license to laugh.
Then there are the times when he hits something that causes him to get hurt. Yesterday was such a time. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan do a face plant. So when he came up screaming, I didn't at first understand why. I pulled him onto my lap to comfort him. He sat up with me, facing away, for several minutes. Then he decided he was ready to get down. He sat down on the floor, this time facing me, and I saw for the first time the huge goose egg that had surfaced on the bridge of his nose, between his eyes. I don't know if I have ever seen a bigger one.
He seemed to be acting normal, maybe a little calmer, but nothing to make me worry that something worse than a bump had occured.
I took a couple pictures for proof. By the time Nick got home from work, the swelling had gone down by half, but was still quite significant. This morning, the swelling was all gone, but he has a nasty bruise that I know will get worse before it gets better.
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