Chit-chat: September - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[MrsKoehn]

Originally Posted by faithsstuff 

A 2 1/2 year old and 13 month old would put me over the edge!  

Today we went to a puppet show and ds stood and danced to the entire banjo intro, it was so funny to watch, I forgot my phone so could catch it.  

Ugh, family!  My dad got remarried on the 14th, none of us were invited.  My family is a mess and it brakes my heart, I can't even deal with it.  

So onto nice thoughts....chocolate ice cream...mmmmmm

I've also been craving fruit like...a huge fruit craver.  I spent 40ish bucks at Whole Foods on produce, and I've been eating it!  I also crave bean dishes, if you guys have any good recipes let me know. On Monday I should find out if failed the 3 hour GTT, if so my fruit intake will have to be cut significantly :(

On another note, hubby and I found a position to have ummm.....you know ;) I also discovered that the position shifts my uterus up and get the babes head out of my pelvis.  This is the first day in months that I have been pain free.  It was amazing, I've pretty much been bed bound, and in pain for 6+ weeks.  

I have to go so I can eat an apple with peanut butter followed by a banana :)

I think that's why she escapes via phone to me and our Mom so often. Lol They sometimes drive me batty and they're like 2250 miles away.

How sad that your dad did that. : ( Hubby's sister did the same thing in the Spring. Just after we found out about the baby actually. And now we're all supposed to be happy about it. We all woke up to the big album on Facebook. I guess her parents cried. That's so sad. So I don't know just how you feel, but I have an idea.

You know, I haven't had any cravings. No more than usual anyway. Sometimes I just want something at the best of times. I'm glad I don't crave. We only shop twice a month, order from Azure Standard (organics) once a month and Lucky Vitamin once every two months. SO It would be horrible to crave.

Good for you and hubby! So far, my belly's small enough to not be so bad for us. But we've had problems with my having pain since our honeymoon. It's actually not too bad right now.... Hubby's like that, don't they? Mine's been really understanding but still, he's got needs too. So for you -

Enjoy your fruit and I HOPE you didn't fail your test!

[sere234]

Faithstuff- Ugh, extended family can be a hassle sometimes. I don't talk to my dad much anymore and for me that is best. 

MrsKoehn- Love that you only shop twice a month! I'm trying to get to that point but I still need to make 3-4 small trips every month. Starting to use all the produce we froze and canned over the summer so that help with avoiding stores :)

AFM- DS fell asleep cuddling my belly button and watching birth videos this afternoon. Little dude has loved my bb for months, it was my way of getting him to stop grabbing my other nipple when he was a teeny tiny nurser. Now he's just hooked on my pregnancy outie and it's kinda funny. He asks for "button" when he has trouble falling asleep!

DH went to work this morning and then will be going to his college homecoming tonight and tomorrow. So DS and I are taking it pretty easy, went to yard sales, midwife appt, more yard sales (), and then home. Now he napping (late) and I'm doing laundry and straightening the house. It's a chilly gray day here today and nice for cuddling and being at home. Of course I'm sure once DS wakes from his nap I'll drag him out and about since it'll be quiet w/o DH. Maybe we'll go look for a Halloween costume! That might be fun! 

[faithsstuff]

Yesterday we went to a wild animal safari park. Dh wasn't thrilled with the price but I tried to
make him understand how important it is to me do some special things with ds before we become the parents of two. We got some great pics and ds was Practically mauled by a giraffe who wanted all of ds' food how many kids get to have that experiance? Lol we all had fun.

Question: anyone else's breasts starting to ooze? I can only wear sports bras and have noticed that they and my nips are damp at the end of the day. Is it early for this? With ds milk would flow in the shower starting about two weeks before he was induced.

Also, is it possible to lose hunks of your mucous plug this early?

[tekcez]

Originally Posted by sere234 

AFM- DS fell asleep cuddling my belly button and watching birth videos this afternoon. Little dude has loved my bb for months, it was my way of getting him to stop grabbing my other nipple when he was a teeny tiny nurser. Now he's just hooked on my pregnancy outie and it's kinda funny. He asks for "button" when he has trouble falling asleep!

Oh that's too cute.  Ds's sleep crutch is grabbing my hair and rubbing it between his fingers.  My hair is really short so that means he is right up in my face.  Sometimes it's the sweetest feeling ever.  Other times it makes me insane.  He is also a bit obsessed with the belly button. In his mind, buttons are for pressing, so he asks to see it and then pushes it in.  

Originally Posted by faithsstuff 

Question: anyone else's breasts starting to ooze? I can only wear sports bras and have noticed that they and my nips are damp at the end of the day. Is it early for this? With ds milk would flow in the shower starting about two weeks before he was induced.
Also, is it possible to lose hunks of your mucous plug this early?

I've found myself really trying to step up the special outings with ds, too.  I think we are going to try to take him to a friend's sheep farm next weekend.  We'll see how that goes.  He had a blast just playing in the dirt at the farmer's market today, though. 

As far as oozing breasts, mine are mostly just kind of crusting up at this point.  I haven't noticed any wetness and never had any oozing or dripping before ds was born either.  I did, however, have a ginormous colostrum bleb a couple of weeks ago that gave me some trouble.  Didn't really think that was possible, but there it was.  I'm finding a really have to keep the nipples moisturized to prevent more blebs developing and mitigate the crusting.  Delightful.  

So yesterday started out great and ended up not so nice.  We did a bunch of walking and eating downtown in the morning.  My blood sugar levels were great with all the exercise.  I had a snack and after ds's nap we went to pick up some leaf bags and a push broom.  On the way home, my blood sugar tanked hard, and I started having like constant contractions.  I ate a ton of food once we got home, drank a bunch of water hoping to stop the contractions.  I just never felt right the rest of the day and couldn't regulate my sugar like I usually can.  The contractions really never stopped all evening, but they weren't painful, so I figured they were just a result of over doing it with the walking and maybe being a bit dehydrated.  I ended up not being able to sleep at all, so I had a small glass of wine and took a bath at 12:30.  Oh that was after I flipped out at ds for waking up and not being able to fall asleep himself after almost an hour of tossing and turning.  DH came running in a grabbed him from me, and I felt like a monster.  So yeah wine and bath were in order.  But the wine threw off my sugar levels this morning. 

I didn't have this much trouble regulating my glucose levels last time and I'm worried that if my fasting levels keep rising over the next 7 weeks I will get booted from the birthing center.  I don't know how to wrap my head around a hospital birth.  I'm torn between wanting to prepare for that possibility and wanting to stay positive with my eyes on the prize.  I feel sure that I can improve on my experience with the last birth at the birthing center, but a hospital possibility really throws a wrench into things.  Dh said that since I'm reporting my levels on the honor system, I don't have to tell them the exact levels if they are only a little bit off.  There's just a part of me that is not trusting my own gut that things will be fine even if my fasting levels are elevated a bit beyond what they should be.  Anyway, this is getting long!  Take care, mamas.

[sere234]

Tekcez- Dang, regulating blood sugar sounds hard!! I know how it feels to be at the end of your rope and suddenly you take it out on your kid. Makes you feel awful afterwards.  Hopefully things will get better and regulate today and this week. Try to take it easy if you can!!

Faithstuff- No sign of the mucus plug but my breasts are producing colostrum (makes DS laugh to see liquid coming out of my nipples, the little dude doesn't remember that they are anything but a pacifier!). 

So DS and I were running some errands Friday night when the radio said a very bad storm was rolling in. I thought I'd stop and grab us some food at a nearby restaurant and make it home before the storm hit. Well, we placed our order, waited for them to make it, and as soon as I'd paid and gotten the food it started raining. Dang! So I grabbed DS in my arms, bag of dinner in my hand, diaperbag backpack on my back, and hightailed it out of there. It was just raining when I opened the restaurant door to go to my car (parked 30 feet away) but suddenly a giant gust of rain and hail nearly knocked us over!! So there I am, holding my kiddo, arms full, preggo, running through hail and sideways rain to the car when I realize I don't even have my keys out! Get to the car, DS is screaming, I'm cursing, hail is hitting us, and I turn around and run back to the restaurant. 

Felt like the world's most awesome mom sitting down with my soaking wet 2 yo, both of us shivering and him freaked out, while everyone tried to help us. Fed DS some french fries, covered him in dry dishcloths the restaurant staff gave me, and waited for the storm to blow over. 15 minutes later we left, got home, found out the neighbor's dog killed one of our chickens, got DS and me into dry clothes, set him on the couch with TV and food, went outside and closed the remaining chickens in the coop, called neighbor, then finally cuddled with my kid.

Whew. Then I remembered I should eat and rest because, oh yeah, I'm pregnant and forgot all about protecting THAT baby in the craziness. 

Awesome night for DH to be out of town! 

[faithsstuff]

Tekcez- I hope the other day was just an 'off' day. I find out mon if I passed my three hour.ast pregnancy I had to go on an oral med the last month, I just could not manage it with diet. My fingers are crossed for you.

Sere- sorry your day sucked! A stray dog took out 8 hens one night, I'm so glad dh was here to deal with it. I am sincerely hoping he doesn't have more travel.

We made a big batch of tamales that are steaming now. Today is going to be good

[franjapany]

hey, everybody:) it's another six weeks for me until baby comes, another three til our move and I have managed to catch yet another cold/bronchitis. Is there anything worse than coughing all the time when pregnant in the last trimester? The 'leaking' problem was totally under control as long as there was no coughing but now it's back in full force and it does my head in. Especially repeatedly needing to get up in the night so I can sit on the toilet and cough my heart out without wetting the bed .

My only real craving these days apart from fresh produce, fruit and salad is ice cubes. I just crunch them up and they are the most delicious thing for me. Curious to get my last iron level results back since they say craving ice is associated with low iron levels.

On a more positive note: I feel really accomplished since this weekend I managed to make three pants for all three children (unborn included) and a maternity wrap-around fleece coat for myself. I simply realized that I had at least another six weeks to go in autumny weather and there was no way I would invest in some ridiculously expensive maternity clothes for that short time. I am really pleased with the outcome and I think I might even be able to later on use it as a babywearing coat as well. Yay:) And I scored a second baby carrier (manduca which is the german equivalent to the ergo) on ebay for a really good price. The one we are still using with DD is slowly starting to fall apart and since DD was worn exclusively and this LO will be too, it felt totally justifiable to buy a second one :D

Looking forward to reading more updates from everybody else :)

[faithsstuff]

Franjapanny- I am giggling at you, but sorry you don't feel well.  We are in the same boat!  I go through more pads now then I did when menstrating.  I also have an unending cold and actually did wet the bed a bit the other night.  Once the babies here, worse will happen to this new bed :) Though I do kinda wish I could blame the bed wetting on my 3 year old 

I can't believe you have a move coming up!  Are you looking forward to it?  Is it near by?

Talk to me about carriers.  Ds has a Boba, I bought an ergo for this new babe (amazing price) and think that I'd like a ring sling.  At least for the tiny baby stage, it seems pretty convenient.  What are your thoughts?  I actually have 2 Moby wraps and I know people love them, but I just didn't.  

So these pants you made, did you use a pattern?  Is it hard?  I have a bunch of super soft flannel I'd like to use to make some new baby clothes but don't trust myself.

On another note, I've tested my blood sugar levels a couple times last night and a couple times today and they are way elevated.  Even on a great diet.  I'm thinking they're high enough that I might be looking at insulin.  Ugh.  I've already talked to my midwives and the peri they work with about what this could mean and what it would mean for labor.  Actually the perinatologist is comfortable with me still going post date on insulin if all measurements, NSTs look good, but the midwives are uncomfortable.  So it looks like I'd be looking at induction but still VBAC, which is not the end of the world.  I actually almost wish my team was a little more conservative about this.  How many women say that?  But I'm getting ahead of myself, I send my numbers in Fri and will meet with the doc next week.

[franjapany]

faithstuff - sorry to hear about your blood sugar troubles. I am glad I never had to deal with any difficulties like that, can't imagine what that's like.

About the carriers: I never had a moby, but they always looked too flexible for my taste. I kinda like a good woven wrap for the newborn stage, although the amount of fabric usually puts me off and I rather sooner than later switch to my manduca. Ring slings I love (I make them myself and sell them on the German equivalent to etsy), but I use them mainly in the hip-carry position in the 'curious' stage when baby is big enough to want to see everything and it just sucks to be banished to mama's back. However, if you have a nice woven fabric ring slings are awesome in the newborn stage too (i.e. for the cradle position and there are some great video tutorials for really creative positions on youtube by paxbaby!). I have quite a few customers who discover the ring sling when their baby can already crawl but still wants to be picked up loads and they often use it up to when they are two years old or older.

But: I wouldn't miss my manduca for the world! such a great carrier. These days we still use it a lot for DD to fall asleep. DH usually goes for a little walk with her on his back in the evenings and it never fails to work. It just has always been her safe place I guess and now that nursing to sleep is not an option anymore I am really glad we still have the carrier.

Pants are the easiest thing to make! I am pretty much of a free style sewer, but you could use for example this pattern. I like to add cuffs in cute colours and play around with the pattern a little. I make a lot of stuff from old wool jumpers, since my kids are outside a lot and need to keep warm. They are the perfect pants for underneath and the kids love them. Also I love to recycle, especially when it is high quality materials - gives me great satisfaction when something good comes out of something that was already meant to be thrown out (and it's a lot cheaper than buying that kind of fabric new:)

ETA: yeah, moving that short before a new arrival - it's crazy I know! It is not far away though, only 7km and we will have both places in parallel for the second half of october. But I will be so glad once everything is over. I am also feeling a little anxious about not feeling at home in the new place that quickly... we really want this move and are looking forward to it, but it will also be a big adjustment for the kids to suddenly be in a new home. I am mainly worried about 4yo DS.

[fayebond]

franjapany - Ditto the ice craving!  I've been blending it into oblivion and savoring every cold bite.  DD is eating it too, she saw me enjoying it so much that she thinks its fun now too.  I don't like how big the moby style wraps are, although they feel so cozy.  I like my ergobaby best.  Its so much easier to get on and off and when the baby is little, I can slip them in all wrapped and swaddled up and then slip them out when they are asleep and get a nap myself.  

faithsstuff - I lose little bits of my plug starting at 4 months usually.  So far its not affected my dialation or anything, so I'm going with the theory that it grows back pretty easy.

sere234 - aww, I feel ya.  The proverbial storms always roll in when the man rolls out of town.  Its like a subdivision of murphey's law.  

Today is clean up after the painting day.  ITs all out of order b/c I've been trying to paint while home alone with DD, which basically means if she isn't in danger she can pull all the clothes out of hte drawers for an hour so I can paint.  So its a bad bad mess.  But by tonight it will be back to normal, and the drawers will have been refilled in anticipation of painting some more this week.  We just can't live in this mess any longer.  And its our anniversary, so DD is going over to Safta's for the night and I am not shoving stuff out of the way just to sit on the couch with my guy on a romantic evening like this.

[faithsstuff]

Ugh, hours of contractions last night :(  They weren't getting more painful so I was prepared to just ignore then but the ICAN ladies convinced me to call.  They petered out after tons of water, and hour in the bathtub and big ol glass of wine.  THey had started around 12 and from 4-9 were 5-8 mins apart and lasting 45seconds to one minute.  I"m kinda annoyed that I called, I was sure it wasn't an emergency, dh was starting to freak out though.  After telling the midwife what was going on her first response was 'well, it's too early for you to go into labor, you should have called us hours ago' (of course it was the one midwife I dislike in the entire practice).  Now I'm just tired.  So tired.

I also have a call into the peri about my bs levels.  I've only been testing for a week, but I cannot get my numbers in the normal range.  I feel like I should be stressed over it, but I'm just not right now.  What does stress me out is not eating or drinking for an hour after eating so I can test myself.  I never realized how often I'm eating or drinking something!

[MrsKoehn]

Originally Posted by faithsstuff 

Yesterday we went to a wild animal safari park. Dh wasn't thrilled with the price but I tried to
make him understand how important it is to me do some special things with ds before we become the parents of two. We got some great pics and ds was Practically mauled by a giraffe who wanted all of ds' food how many kids get to have that experiance? Lol we all had fun.
Question: anyone else's breasts starting to ooze? I can only wear sports bras and have noticed that they and my nips are damp at the end of the day. Is it early for this? With ds milk would flow in the shower starting about two weeks before he was induced.
Also, is it possible to lose hunks of your mucous plug this early?

Oh there was one we would go to sometimes in Arkansas, it was so fun! Lots of great memories.

No oozing, but I wish they would at least once so I know there's something in there. Lol

I've heard the mucous plug regenerates itself over and over throughout pregnancy so I guess it's possible. Was it bloody? I have heard of women loosing it 2-4 weeks before labor.... Might be something to ask your MW or whomever you see.

Originally Posted by sere234 

So DS and I were running some errands Friday night when the radio said a very bad storm was rolling in. I thought I'd stop and grab us some food at a nearby restaurant and make it home before the storm hit. Well, we placed our order, waited for them to make it, and as soon as I'd paid and gotten the food it started raining. Dang! So I grabbed DS in my arms, bag of dinner in my hand, diaperbag backpack on my back, and hightailed it out of there. It was just raining when I opened the restaurant door to go to my car (parked 30 feet away) but suddenly a giant gust of rain and hail nearly knocked us over!! So there I am, holding my kiddo, arms full, preggo, running through hail and sideways rain to the car when I realize I don't even have my keys out! Get to the car, DS is screaming, I'm cursing, hail is hitting us, and I turn around and run back to the restaurant. 

Felt like the world's most awesome mom sitting down with my soaking wet 2 yo, both of us shivering and him freaked out, while everyone tried to help us. Fed DS some french fries, covered him in dry dishcloths the restaurant staff gave me, and waited for the storm to blow over. 15 minutes later we left, got home, found out the neighbor's dog killed one of our chickens, got DS and me into dry clothes, set him on the couch with TV and food, went outside and closed the remaining chickens in the coop, called neighbor, then finally cuddled with my kid.

Whew. Then I remembered I should eat and rest because, oh yeah, I'm pregnant and forgot all about protecting THAT baby in the craziness. 

Awesome night for DH to be out of town! 

Oh dear! That's no fun at all.   Makes for some memories though, huh?

Originally Posted by faithsstuff 

We made a big batch of tamales that are steaming now. Today is going to be good

My MIL sent over some tamales last week. They tasted like Dawn dish soap. My one SIL said the same thing about hers. I know why too. My MIL takes so many short cuts, her hubby calls her Short Cut Sally. She saves time by not rinsing the dishes she hand washes (which is all of them).   SO when she uses a cup to soak the husks..... DAWN.

Originally Posted by franjapany 

hey, everybody:) it's another six weeks for me until baby comes, another three til our move and I have managed to catch yet another cold/bronchitis. Is there anything worse than coughing all the time when pregnant in the last trimester? The 'leaking' problem was totally under control as long as there was no coughing but now it's back in full force and it does my head in. Especially repeatedly needing to get up in the night so I can sit on the toilet and cough my heart out without wetting the bed .

My only real craving these days apart from fresh produce, fruit and salad is ice cubes. I just crunch them up and they are the most delicious thing for me. Curious to get my last iron level results back since they say craving ice is associated with low iron levels.

Ooh, I was being bad the other day. Hubby and I were being silly and I was jumping on the bed (just barely). I was laughing so hard when I sad down to get off.... Ya.

Wondering about the ice and iron too. Though I know I'm 1 point low and not craving it.....

[tekcez]

I feel you, faithstuff! I think I've been depriving myself of needed calories by not eating when I'm hungry and instead waiting 2 hrs to test sometimes. I'm done with that. Had a good email convo with the np at the peri, and she feels like, if I can make it to 38 wks without needing the pill, the peri will give me slack and not out me to the birthing center crew, assuming the numerous biophysical profiles continue to look good. I had a day or so of stress about it all, but now I'm done. Just focusing on the end result and letting the rest go.

I had a night like yours earlier in the week. And I seem to remember this happening around the same time with ds, too. Hope you get some rest.

Despite dh reporting that ds needed some form of attention every 45 minutes last night, he was in a fabulous mood this morning. Great mosquito-free, rock-eating time was had at the park. He endured 2 errands without a hint of tantrum or pulling things off shelves. He charmed everyone at the grocery store by saying hi, playing peekaboo, and signing thank you whem they told him what a cute little girl he was. Hoping to keep riding the good vibes until tomorrow afternoon when papa and nana will come over to play with him so I can clean my house! Feeling another surge of nesting coming on.

[sere234]

Faithstuff- Oh my, how stressful!! Ugh, and to have the midwife you didn't like answer the call too! 

Tekcez- Hehe, people call my DS a girl sometimes too. Maybe it's because he has curly hair? Most of the time he looks and acts like a typical boy imo..... Hope you hang in there with the GD not causing much more trouble.

Dang, those of you who talk about your active babies in utero, don't know how you do it. This LO is pretty calm and gentle but the other night, while I was trying to fall asleep, he was more active than I think he has EVER been. Wow. Kicks and punches and squirms like never before. Kudos to you all for managing to make it through months of that happening to your insides!! I was glad when he went back to his gentle kicks, tiny hiccups, and little punches the next day. 

[leafylady]

Everything is going ok here. I just need to get a car seat and cloth diapers to be prepared.  I'm hoping relatives pull through with onesies or some type of basic clothing.  

I need to get my birth plan in order.  I saw finneganmom's example of that on another thread and think I'll copy most of it- Thanks finnegansmom!!

My back gets worn out, but it helps to change up my computer chair with a yoga/exercise ball.  I also like to bounce on it while I'm sitting at the computer so I feel like I get some exercise.  I have tons of braxton hicks, but did with the first 2 pregnancies, so don't worry about them much. 

We just got a used treadmill off Craigslist.  I figure i can walk on it for about ten minutes after every meal, just to feel like I'm keeping any potential GD issues in check.  I refused the GTT test this time, instead did a fasting then a 2 hr post prandial blood test and did fine on those at my 29 week visit.  I'm basically keeping my carb intake balanced like I did ten years ago, with diet.  

I'm more scatterbrained than usual and kicking myself because I didn't move $$ to the right place at the right time, thus incurring a $30 fee from the bank.  grrrrr.  I am usually so organized about this kind of stuff.  I can't believe I lost track of it.  I probably haven't done that since I was pregnant the last time..., ten-ish years ago.

As I read about all of you with toddlers, I remember being pregnant with my 2nd and having a toddler to chase after.  I'm so glad my two are older now.  They are actually a big help and even put up with my moodiness and grump sessions.  

[guen]

I know this sounds mean, but I am so glad to read of so many of you having such intense BHs.  With each of my pregnancies, the BHs have come earlier, lasted longer and been more intense.  But they are getting ridiculour these days.  They aren't uncomfortable anymore, they are downright painful, to the point that I have to stop what I'm doing and just try to relax through them and breathe.  Of course, this all further feeds my paranoia that the baby will come too early when I know they are just normal BHs.

I've actually started to enjoy this pregnancy since the beginning of September.  The intense nausea and the horrible, chronic migraines are gone, as are several other miserable complaints I was dealing with and I'm only left with the mundane pregnancy complaints--terrible insomnia, BHs and pain when I walk.  Honestly, I can live with that stuff!  The breathlessness is ridiculous when I'm huffing and puffing all the time, but that's just a consequence of high blood pressure and the fact that I always carry my babies high and packed in too tightly. 

The youngest also started preschool (German kindergarten) beginning of summer and that's been a huge relief for me. I haven't been able to keep her active and occupied due to my own limitations with the pregnancy and once the big kids returned to school after summer holidays, she would have no one to play with or keep her busy. She is a bundle of energy and wears me out!  She took to kindie right away and absolutely loves it.  That means quiet mornings for me to catch up on missed sleep from the previous night or just relax a bit before all the kids come home in the afternoon.  Also, she comes home pooped and is much easier to get into bed at night.  Yay all around!  And, to top it off, I finally got around to arranging household help (paid for through our health insurance) and now have a lady coming to the house for 2 hours every day to clean, do laundry, do shopping and anything else I need.  She's amazing and a huge help.  I feel so much more relaxed now in a clean house and not drowning in laundry!  And without the extra stress of keeping up with the house, DH and I are able to get to those jobs that need doing before baby comes, like turning the 3 y.o.'s never-used baby cot into a side car, washing up all the baby clothes and cloth diapers and putting them away in the baby dresser, rearranging our bedroom so it will now easily accomodate another roomie (we'll be four in there when baby comes) and all those nesting type things that I want done.  This might be the  most well-prepared for baby we've had since our first one came!
 

[sere234]

Originally Posted by guen 

The youngest also started preschool (German kindergarten) beginning of summer and that's been a huge relief for me. I haven't been able to keep her active and occupied due to my own limitations with the pregnancy and once the big kids returned to school after summer holidays, she would have no one to play with or keep her busy. She is a bundle of energy and wears me out!  She took to kindie right away and absolutely loves it.  That means quiet mornings for me to catch up on missed sleep from the previous night or just relax a bit before all the kids come home in the afternoon.  Also, she comes home pooped and is much easier to get into bed at night.  Yay all around!  And, to top it off, I finally got around to arranging household help (paid for through our health insurance) and now have a lady coming to the house for 2 hours every day to clean, do laundry, do shopping and anything else I need.  She's amazing and a huge help.  I feel so much more relaxed now in a clean house and not drowning in laundry!  And without the extra stress of keeping up with the house, DH and I are able to get to those jobs that need doing before baby comes, like turning the 3 y.o.'s never-used baby cot into a side car, washing up all the baby clothes and cloth diapers and putting them away in the baby dresser, rearranging our bedroom so it will now easily accomodate another roomie (we'll be four in there when baby comes) and all those nesting type things that I want done.  This might be the  most well-prepared for baby we've had since our first one came!
 

I have to say, that housecleaner sounds marvelous! Add in your DD going to kindie and I can see why you and your DH are able to get so much done. Sometimes I wonder how productive I would be if DS was in preschool.... Or stayed with his grandparents for 1 week. Oh wow, the possibilities are endless.

And speaking of BH, I'm hosting my mom's birthday party tonight and quite naturally the day has been crazy and I've been having BH very often. FInally got DS to nap so I'm sitting here taking a short break. To stop the BH of course.  I'm pretty peeved at my crappy oven for always running too hot and burning the cake even though I adjust the temp and time (had to make another cake). Really need to buy a new oven/stove soon!!!

Off to strip a chicken I roasted this morning of its meat and make a chicken noodle casserole. Then clean the bathroom, empty the litterbox (very carefully!!), and cut up a watermelon. With a happy heart! I'm not grouchy and annoyed with life at all! I can do this! 

[fayebond]

leafylady, that is so awesome that your kids are helpful right now!  Mine is all smiles and messes.  I too am quite scatterbrained, we've now gone to three phantom appointments that I swore I set up, one of which was for a building that doesn't exist.  

guen, someday I'm going to swap some kind of coverage for that cleaning lady.  I can think of alot of low-likelihood diseases that I would happily trade insurance for in exchange for a cleaning lady in my third trimester!  I am trying to have a happy heart too, its easier today since I got a good nights sleep.  

teckez, it drives DH nuts when people think DD is a boy.  He's been putting her into exclusively pink clothes lately, its adorable.

Speaking of the little dear, she bumped her head on my shoe today (it was on the floor after another closet-emptying-session with her), and cut into her upper lip!!!   So we had it all checked out and its fine, just a bit of a nick in her upper lip.  DD is all too happy to take on the perks of injury (protien milkshakes and popsicles!  and keeping an eye on it in case something gets worse), but she's still being very cool about the whole thing, so thankfully it must not hurt too much.  Whew. Now I'll be paranoid about every fall for a month... and she probably will never do this again.  SIGH, babies.  

[guen]

Fayebond, you don't need a disease for your health insurance to pay for household help.  You just need to have your next baby in Germany! ;-) You can also get household help for mundane illnesses that leave you bedridden with kids and there is no other adult in the house during the daytime to run the house.  The only difference is, when you're preggers, you don't have to pay a co-pay (which is pretty small even if you aren't preggers). 

Sarah, I think just being 8 months pregnant is a darned good reason for taking a break!!  BHs should justify an even longer break! :-)  Don't overdo it today.
 

[tekcez]

It's official.  Baby girl's escape through the navel attempts have begun! I thought this would be my calmer, more easy going baby, but apparently she is poised to claw her way out just like her big brother was.  People are starting to notice the lumps rolling across my belly as well as the occasional giant and violent shift of mass from one side to the other and back again.  The little one is getting restless!  And probably feeling cramped.    

Also, another round of night terrors, or headaches, or tummy troubles, or teething, or who knows what have stricken ds and messed up already messy sleepy time.  Thankfully dh has been a huge help. I got to sleep, uninterrupted, from 3:30 to 8 this morning. I have to say, though, I just hate having the same "he's just throwing a fit/no, he's going through something and needs us" conversation with dh every time ds embarks upon yet another phase of even worse than normal sleeping.  Is an entire life, albeit a short one, of crap sleep not enough of a pattern to believe that he is just not very good at the peaceful night time thing?  He is good at plenty of other things.  I mean, just give in.  I have, and I feel much better about it than when I was trying to fix it and fight it all the time.  The only thing that bugs me is thinking that he's hurting and I can't help because I don't know where, what, why.  

AND our sweet dog has another cancer bump, this time on his tail.  Poor old guy is getting lost in the shuffle these days.  The last bump was on his neck and had to be removed with huge margins leaving a 7 inch zipper.  I'm wondering if they will be able to get such large margins on his tail...He'll probably have to wear a cone.  The indignity.  

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend.  I'm taking it easy but back on the to do list trip.