Hanson

Okay so most of the readers of this post will probably have no need to read it. As a high school student I fell in love with Hanson. Yes those cute little boys that sang Mmmmbop. If you hate them I'd challenge you to look up the lyrics as opposed to listening to the songs. Anyway I've liked them for a decade now. They were my first concert when I was 16 in Nashville. Good news! They are going back on tour. They are even coming to Kansas City. The tour is meant to raise money for children without shoes in Africa. They do a 1 mile barefoot walk before the concert and then everyone can enjoy the wonderful music. I am very very excited about the concert in September...and just thought I'd share.

G Diapers, Names, Travel, and The Girls

G Diapers: I was getting so nervous, already, about cloth diapering Peanut. I was getting scared that it would become such an ordeal each day, each diaper change that I would not be able to keep up with being that "green" mom I want to be. We were looking at cloth diapers from different people's etsy stores, G Diapers, Bum Genius. I was getting overwhelmed with all the different types and how to change and clean each kind and the durability and cute factor. We read blog after blog talking about the greatness of G Diapers and then the horrible experiences with G Diapers, the fact that Bum Genius was the greatest invention on earth, and how Bum Genius was a terrible way to cloth diaper. I thought there was no place around where we live that sold any of these types of diapers so that I could hold them, see them, touch them, examine them, critique them. However Jess is brilliant and found out that G Diaper starter kits and refills are sold at a Whole Foods that is about 5 miles from our house. I went, opened a starter kit, felt the diaper, examined it, and fell in love with its design. I know that it will take time to figure out how our babies little bottom will fit perfectly in the little G pants so that we don't have leaking, but I am now committed to stick with it. Plus their color choices are SOOOOO cute! Lurkers chime in on your experiences with cloth diapering.

Names: Jess and I have been talking baby names since the first week of our relationship. I'm not sure if it's a "girl thing" or what, but we decided on one name we both agreed on before even talking about conceiving. We are letting people know this name because she's been saying that she likes that name for years. We came up with some less than average girl names. We are IN LOVE with one of them and really like the other one. However my concern is the unisex nature of the name. Jess thinks it won't be a problem because if she totally hates it as a teenager or adult she can go by her pretty girlie middle name. I'm still a little apprehensive. I don't want her to hate us because we didn't give her a name like Lily or Stacy or Brittany. Let me know what you guys think about this subject.

Travel: We are leaving for a week in California and our wedding in three weeks. We are leaving the girls with their dad because their school starts the day before we leave for the trip. However next year we have committed to not only take the big kids to the beach house but we'll be taking our 7 month old Peanut. I am been thinking about the packing that will be involved in next years trip. A bag for each of the girls for a week. Then we'd need a carry-on for each of the girls because they get bored easily and when they get bored they fight. Jess and I would need a bag for our clothes. Peanut will need a bag for it's clothes, diapers, refills, utensils, bibs, toys, bathing supplies, medicine, etc. Peanut will also need its Pack and Play and we have one of those Graco snap and click swings that we are thinking about bringing and we'll have the carseat and stroller. Seriously! Eight days is a long time to be half way across the country with a baby, a teenager, and a primary school kid. If anyone has any advice on what is necessary to bring on a trip with a 7 month old I am very open to listening. Since it's a year away it's not like it's uber important to have the info tomorrow but I would like to know that its even possible to have baby happy for a week without the comforts of home.

The Girls: OMG! I love these girls. Charlotte is caring and sincere and eager to read. Julia is active and loving and eager to learn anything. They love each other very much and for the most part help one another do tasks and comfort one another when something is wrong or someone is sick. However at the end of the summer I'm pretty sure they are sick of being with each other 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Them being tired of each other makes a very stressful day for me. I have to break up arguments, lecture about using kind words, and separate them to find peace. Let's just say I'm not terribly upset they are going to their Aunt Kelly's house to hang out with her 4 kids for two days next week. :)

Changes

What is up with all the changes to my face and body. First of all I have acne, for the FIRST time in my entire life. As a teenager I never had to deal with acne, yes I had an occasional pimple but never more than one at a time and never more than one a month or two. BLAH! Secondly my boobs have to weigh 2 pounds each. They haven't gotten any bigger but they've gotten more weight to them. EEK! My bowels are all messed up, as if they weren't before, now they are times a thousand. My moods are all over the place and my emotions can switch with the tide.

I am so ready to find out if this baby is a boy Peanut or a girl Peanut. I'm ready to meet this baby and hold this baby and cuddle this baby. Over the past few days I have just really been yearning to see Peanut and hold Peanut and bring Peanut home. I'm still not looking forward to the actual labor part of the whole process, but I want that Peanut in my arms!

WooHoo Second Trimester!!!

So today I enter my second trimester...well I guess technically I enter it tomorrow, but hey whatever.
This summer has been sooooooo friggin busy. Over the 4th of July weekend we drove to Columbia to hang out with Jess' grandparents and cousins that flew in from California. We also went to the "Stewart Family Picnic". That was a trip. It was Jess' official "coming out" to her entire extended family. It was quite interesting but her family was amazing. I got to hold a few babies and play with a couple of toddlers. I enjoyed myself. Total driving time 10 hours.
The very next weekend we drove to Arkansas to see my family and go to my childhood friend's wedding. I got to see my pseudo niece...she turned 2 on the 4th. She looked so pretty at her mom's wedding...and she was finally old enough to recognize me...even giving me a good bye hug and kiss on the cheek. Total driving time 17 hours.
This week Charlotte is in an Environmentalist Camp that lasts from 8-5 so I've had lots of alone time with Julia. OMG having one child is SOOOOOOOO different that having two. Julia and I have gone to the pool three times this week, Jess and I took her to the American Girl movie, we've read lots of books, gone up to the hospital to have lunch with Jess, and lots of other stuff. This week we also went to our Sequential Testing appointment where they check for Down's, Tri 18, and spina bifida. Well Peanut refused to be still. Peanut was standing straight up and down and would just bend its knees and jump straight up and down throwing its hands in the air each time. The sonographer just kept calling peanut a jumping bean and then asked us to reschedule the appointment for next week. Peanut is still measuring 3 days behind.
Just thought I'd give everyone an update since it's been a while. I am feeling much better these days. I am no longer on progesterone so I am no longer nauseated.

Peanut is alive and well!!!!!

We went in today to get the sonogram to tell us if Peanut was developing well after my hormone dip. Good news. Peanut is alive and well. Peanut measures just 3 days behind when we thought. Peanut's little heart beat was 188 bpm. Our sonographer gave us 4 b&w pictures and a 4 D picture of peanut because we were so worried.

Hawaiian Ice

Growing up I remember my mom taking my brother and I to these little Hawaiian Ice Shacks in local grocery store parking lots. My brother would get this cream kind called Wedding Cake and I would always get something that would spark a conversation among my friends the following day such as Tiger's Blood, Ninja Turtle, Margarita. My mom dealt with all the running syrup and ice staining our t-shirts and shorts. She felt like it was a fun little outing that we would always remember. She was right. We did always remember. Then I moved to Kansas and these people have never even heard of a Hawaiian Ice! So since 2004 I have no I had one, until last night! We found one of those little shacks and we took Julia (Char was at a sleepover). Julia got Tiger's Blood and bragged that she was drinking real tiger's blood. I got Margarita. Jess got a cherry limeade. Oh my gosh it was sooooo good. Just like I remembered. Julia's syrup dripped down her very nice sweatshirt and all I did was wipe off the excess juice and tell her to have fun. Jess suggested we do this every Saturday night during the summer. WOOOOHOOOO I am so excited. And my peanut likes Hawaiian Ice too!

And update on my mom. I finally called her back yesterday and we had a very tearful conversation. She said that this pregnancy is brining up a lot for her because her mother died 9 years before I was ever born and she had no family support. I explained that she is all I have and it saddens me that she lives so far away and it doesn't feel like she's totally on board for this pregnancy. We just basically came to the conclusion to cut each other some slack, she's going to be more "motherly" and I'm going to let her off the hook about being so far away and unable to be here throughout the stages of pregnancy except the birth. :) She will be here for that.

On the puppy front, yesterday while sitting in the living room a little chipmunk came up to our back glass sliding doors and started scratching on them and squeaking. This little guy was trying to get my dogs attention. Once Max figured out what it was they chased each other and stared at each other through the glass. It was definitely a sight to see. Then later in the afternoon the chipmunk came back and did the same thing again. Who knew chipmunks were so social. :)

Parental Support

My parents have been extremely supportive in my plight as a gay woman. Other than my first girlfriend, they have liked all of them. My mom has especially been supportive and loving over the past year. However over the past two months my mother has been less than supportive of my pregnancy. Yes she's offered to buy the crib, but doesn't ever ask. She keeps telling me not to get my hopes up because I could lose the baby. I'm just not sure as to why she can't just be happy or at least supportive in a positive way. Just a little down about that right now.

Last night our kiddos has a Vacation Bible School performance. i think it might have been the cutest performance ever! They were little surfers..surfing through the scriptures. You had to be there to truly appreciate it but to see our six year old get clobbered by the kid standing behind her on the risers while he was trying to dance and then watching our 11 year old pretend she was on a surf board surfing the waves...it was just hilarious.

Today I ripped up the carpet in the master bathroom and so far i've ripped up a fourth of the carpet in the kitchen! (who the heck puts carpet in a kitchen?!) Jess asked if I could do those two rooms while i was home today with no kids. We'll see how far I get on the kitchen. It's much more difficult than the bathroom was.

3 days till my sonogram that tells me if everything is okay. I'm getting rather nervous. I just hope peanut is happy and healthy and growing in there.

What's up with the sleeping issues?

Last night I couldn't get to sleep until after midnight after laying in bed for 2 hours and then I woke up at around 430 a.m. I am flippin exhausted today obviously. I have no idea why I've been having so many problems sleeping so early in my pregnancy. I'm prepared to have sleeping issues when I"m in my third trimester but not at 9 weeks! :(

Some good news, over the last few days I have pretty much given up chewing on my finger nails. I have no idea why I'm not chewing on them anymore but I actually have nails that are decently long right now. Let's just hope this horrible habit has disappeared.

I will try and post some pictures of our puppies this weekend. They just got their summer hair cuts. Joey looks like he has pigtails. They wouldn't get out of their kennel for me to take pictures, but i did get some cute ones nonetheless.

4 days till my sonogram that tells me if the progesterone worked and that everything is progressing properly. Still no spotting so all seems like a good sign. 10 days till my second prenatal appointment.

Just a little updating...

So now I've been taking progesterone suppositories for 8 days now. Mann that stuff makes me ill!! I guess if it's keeping Peanut in my uterus safe and sound it's worth the nausea. Our little peanut doesn't have a tail anymore. WOO HOO!!! Makes me very happy. We go in 6 days for our sonogram to determine if the pregnancy is developing normally. I haven't had any spotting so that's a good sign.

The girls are in Vacation Bible School this week. I love watching my kiddos without them knowing because you get to see how they really act and who they really are...without them knowing the watchful eye of Mama is on them...well today I got to VBS early...just in time to watch our youngest run away from her teacher and her class. Fun times!

So it is an interesting life we live. We have two children in VERY different developmental and social stages. We have the 11 year old that is encountering peer pressure to talk about and do things that are beyond her age (such as "hand jobs"). Yep that's right...she knows that term because her "best friend" told her and also told her that she needs to start doing that no later than 12! For crying out loud, are we friggin serious about that crap?! Yeah well she's not spending the night at that child's house ever again.
Our youngest is trying to learn how to read, how to add and subtract, and how to relate to other people appropriately. She is learning positive attention and negative attention. She is just having fun being a little kid.
Then there's peanut who is just growing in my uterus. Oh the joys of parenthood!

Jess' Birthday

So today is Jess' birthday! She is __ years old. She's not really letting me telling you how old she is. But shhhhhhh she's 32!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This morning we went to IHOP for breakfast, I took Beanie to ecology camp, and then Jess went and got the massage I bought for her. :) It was her first ever massage. She enjoyed herself in her hour of relaxation. Then for lunch we went to Tomfooleries and met her mom. She gave her a little pottery thing to hang on the wall. After lunch we went to this neighborhood wide garage sale. We got lots of onesies, some books for Char, some beanie babies for Juli, some shoes for both of them, and clothes for both girls. I also got some homework stuff for Juli...gotta love me and teaching those kids some things.

On to the pregnancy. A stupid nurse from my dr's office called frantic Tuesday telling me my progesterone was low, I had to come right away to get progesterone suppositories, and that I need to schedule a sonogram for July 1st to make sure I still had the pregnancy. Was she friggin serious!? Had she never spoken to a pregnant woman before!? So I did exactly what she said and then the next day we called and asked another nurse more pointed questions. Apparently they don't like to see progesterone levels less than 25 and mine is 24.6. So panic averted. Borderline is still cause for concern, but it is not necessarily something to panic about. It is still very possible that I will carry this pregnancy to term with no complications.