Days of Yore...Really Bad Yore.

Okay, I dared. Now it's YOUR turn. Everybody post their graduation pics by the end of the week!

Funny Stuff

This makes me so happy. Silly brother of mine...

And I thought I'd go ahead and add the following video also, against my better judgement. I hope I dont offend anyone but I laughed so hard at this little clip that I nearly peed...

Victor is Sweet

The last time I dedicated a post to my new son Victor, he was only a few weeks old and had gone from being a perfect newborn to quite a fussy one. Luckily, that stage lasted only a week or so because since then, he has been the PERFECT baby in every way.

At three months, little VW is almost 16 lbs and cuddlier than the smooshiest teddy bear. He LOVES to be held and snuzzled so I do it all the time. I never feel like I'm spoiling him because even when he's not being held, he is perfectly calm and quiet, gazing about him in that little cross-eyed-trying-to-focus way so endearing in babies his age. He still seems to be an old soul with so much wisdom in his eyes and triple chins. The little strawberry-blonde fuzz on top of his head has multiplied and now lays in a little feathery toupee across his scalp. The perfect peaches and cream complexion he was born with is still very evident and his eyes have remained a lovely steel blue. I can't gush about him enough.

During the day, he sits in his swing or car seat cooing and smiling contentedly until he happens to drift off into a brief nap. He doesnt sleep for long periods during the day and even at night, he seems to be very wakeful. But I guess he's getting enough sleep because even then, he doesnt fuss. Still not close to sleeping through the night though. His eating routine is worked out so that when he eats around 9pm, he doesnt eat again until around 1am...and then again at 5. So I just feed him once during the night, while he's in bed with me. He used to drift of comfortably while he was eating but lately, he's been very fidgety when he's laying beside me so I end up putting him back in his carseat by the bed when he's done. I still haven't been able to get him to sleep for any length of time in his crib. But I keep trying. He just seems to really like being somewhat upright when he's sleeping.

The hand-chewing has started. It will be interesting to see if he begins to suck his thumb or his two fingers, like Nathan. None of my kids would take a pacifier which can be a negative or a positive, depending on how you look at it. A pacifier can be taken away eventually; fingers cannot. Nathan, at 3 1/2 yrs, still sucks his two fingers all the time.

Victor has a great love already for his older brothers and his daddy as well. He watches them closely whenever they're in the room and smiles congenially whenever they attempt to entertain him. He does startle easily though, and that will bring on the most pitiful little curled lip and bout of tears that it just breaks the heart! We've noticed over the past week or so that whenever my husband sniffs or coughs, it scares him into a fit! His whole body jumps and he opens his mouth into a little 'o' until his vocals catch up to it and howls ensue. We really don't know what to do about it...Jonathan has attemped to 'mute' his coughs and sniffs somewhat but that doesnt seem to help as the baby even reacts when his daddy is in another room! Ah well.

I took him shopping Sunday and discovered, a little uneasily, that the child is wearing 6-9 month clothing! Looks like I've got a little viking on my hands.

Out With the Old, In With the Apes

You know you're getting old when you sleep straight thru New Years.

Last night, after a picnic-style meal of Mexican Take-out on the living room rug, the whole family curled up on the couch to await the ball-drop. Jew dropped off by 9:15. Littlun became obnoxious by 9:30 and was banished to bed. My oldest was determined to stay awake but even a Planet of the Apes Marathon on AMC was'nt enough to keep him alert. He was gone by 11pm. And me? I was comfortably settled in my recliner, cuddling the baby, enjoying the misadventures of Taylor and Dr Zaius, when suddenly I woke up! A quick glance at the tv brought me the realization that Taylor had already damned us all to hell and 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes' was in full swing. 12:31am. Yep, I missed the countdown to 2008 entirely. Ah well. From what I understand, things went just fine without me. And I ended up staying awake until 3am, watching the Apes.

I blame it all on a late Sunday night. My husband and I accompanied another couple to Nashville and enjoyed our first real date in months. We ate sushi in Hillsboro Village and saw the premiere of J.D. Wilkes' documentary 'Seven Signs' (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=97701277) which was disturbing and interesting. Then we went to a nice restaurant for dessert and a 'caucasian' (Dude!) before attempting to head home. I say 'attempting' because after leaving the Sunset Grill, I discovered I'd lost my keys...of COURSE I'd lost my keys! We looked at the theater, the restaurant, and were GOING to search the sushi place, only to find that it was closed. Our only course of action was to have our good friends drive us ALL the way home (over an hour away!) and see if I could find my spare set of keys. I didnt find them so they went on home and left me to stew all night, cursing myself and not getting much sleep. As it turns out, my husband was able to go back to Nashville the next day and lo and behold, there were the keys at the sushi place. Upon further examination, it also happens that I left ALL of my spare keys in the glove compartment of the car...aren't I smart?

Anyway, today was a good day. We went into 'town' as a family and ate lunch and then we got one of those new Hot Lattes from Sonic (since Lebanon/Carthage are still without a Starbucks). By the time we got home, it was snowing heavily and my big beautiful Bernice was running around in circles, being hilarious. The snow has since stopped but ball-drop or not, it was a highly satisfactory start to the year.

Holiday in Memphis-The Highlights

Memphis ain't all bad. There are definitely nice things about a visit there. Some of my own highlights about last weekend's visit are listed below:

1. Discovering a New 'Shortcut': We had to leave on Saturday morning instead of Friday night, as originally intended, and since we knew holiday traffic would be horrid, we made it a point to drive thru Gallatin and catch 65 instead of driving I40 the whole way. It knocked a good 45 minutes off the drive and that was a big plus. Also, Victor slept almost the entire time. Easy Peasy.

2. Victor in all his 'fatness' meeting friends and family: Mom hasnt seen Victor since he was born so it was fun to watch her face when she saw him again, in all his fifteen pound splendor! I knew she wouldnt want to put him down...so cuddly and smooshy is he!

3.'Tear It Up' and White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha: On a quick little outting Saturday, my husband and I ran accross a great little clothing/accessory store on Cooper beside the Celtic Crossing. It's called Tear It Up and even though the store is the size of a small bedroom, there are some GREAT items in there. I couldnt resist a super-soft T-Rex (the band) Tee for 19.00. Also, lots of nice retro reproduction shoes and dresses in there, ladies! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to the novelty of Starbucks (we don't have any of those around here, guys) and their seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha which was AMAZING. Starbucks is the one thing that makes me wish I lived in the city...ha!

4.Seeing the new Assembly Hall: No, we didnt get to actually attend the assembly like we planned...sigh. We had to drive in on Sat instead of Friday so that day was gone anyway. And then on Sunday morning we were ten minutes late to the program and there were NO seats! Crazy! And since there was some work being done in the Cafeteria, we couldnt go in there. But we got to see the place anyway, and it is indeed beautiful!

5.Good Food: We have our 'regular' places we like to eat in Memphis but this time, we made two more yummy discoveries. Sunday we ate at the Dixie Cafe for the first time (which we loved...go figure how it's possible I havent' eaten there before) and Sunday night we tried the Blue Fin on Main st. Awesome place...loved the atmosphere, loved the beer, loved the sushi, but most of all loved the...

6.Good Company: So nice to visit w/ old friends...Moose, Monkey, Muffin, all of you guys were a blast! Big brother is always a plus too. I'm so glad we found out about the Karaoke at Alfred's and that practically no one was around to witness our foolishness! You know we have to sing our 'signature song' every time now, don't ya Moose? Oh, and here's the link to the RED lipstick: http://www.besamecosmetics.com/home/?page=home


7.Family : Time spent w/ my parents, niece and nephew, and spiritual family will always be the best part of any little trip. And I enjoyed seeing my brother's new house and forseeing the good times to be had there as well.

We had an easy drive home with almost no traffice, due to the Holiday. It was companionable and smooth. All in all, a lovely little Holiday.

Hospitals Make Me Sick

Ok, this has to be some kind of record for one family when it comes to hospital visits within the calendar year! Not only has my family been sick on and off throughout the whole year (seriously, I kept a written tab of sickness in our house and only July and August were illness-free), but we have made so many trips to the hospital, I swear we're keeping the place in business.

In April, my husband woke up w/ severe chest/abdominal pain and rather than risk the possibility of appendicitis or, worse yet, heart attack-we opted to take him to the ER (something we would normally never do since ER visits are so dang expensive). After a pretty inept analysis by the ER doctor, he was diagnosed w/ severe 'gastritis'. Since this diagnosis is not considered an Emergency, my insurance declined to pay the bill and I'm STILL haggling w/ them over it. That's one.

In August, my oldest boy jumped off a pile of dirt at his uncle's house and hit his head on a sharp rock, causing a pretty nasty gash about 2 inches long on his forehead. The local ER is actually pretty good w/ these types of injuries (where diagnoses aren't necessary) and they fixed him up pretty good. That's two.

In September, my 3 yr old swallowed a magnet (as most of you remember) and I had to take him to the hospital for an x-ray so it could be determined that he would be passing it. Since we were never able to find the thing (even after fun examination of his doodie), we had to take him back to the hospital for yet another x-ray-just to make sure. Three and Four.

On Oct 1st, I had a baby. That's five.

And then this morning, I woke up around 1am to find that Victor (who has been suffering from congestion since Thursday), was running a temperature of 101-a very high degree for such a young baby. I called the doctor and because of his age and other symptoms, they advised me to take him to the ER and have him tested for potentially serious viruses, like RSV. Which I did. So I was there until 5am and happily he doesnt have RSV, just an Upper Respiratory Tract infection which is not even that severe. But still, that's six.

SIX hospital visits in one year, people! How normal can that be? And top all that off with the fun fact that when I returned home this morning at six-thirty, my three year old was vomiting and having diarrhea and still is. I should be stressed beyond belief but actually, I'm strangely calm. It's almost funny for some reason.

In Good Company...

So my house isnt quite as small as once I thought. After five days playing host to lots of company, I feel like I am finally in my element and ready to start planning more parties at home. I've never felt like much of a success in that arena before but things went really well so maybe I'll reconsider. I've already made plans w/ two couples to come have dinner in December...yay me!

Wednesday night, my good friend Barbie came and stayed w/ me since hubby was spending the night away (enjoying that show I already mentioned on a previous entry and making me very jealous). We had a nice quiet night of Project Runway, the game of LIFE, and Miller Chill. It was really fun staying up until 2am again, talking. Thanks, cinnamongirl!

Thursday, I did a quick cleaning job and prepared for my next set of company. Craig and Sarah (with their little beauty, Violet) had originally planned to stay in a hotel but since we're so far from the nearest one, I made room for them in Victor's room and they were able to stay here..and I'm so glad they did! Sarah is one of my favorite people, so easy to talk to. We made a quick trip to Wal Mart for some games and last minute items so when Toby and the kids came later that evening, we had JUST ENOUGH food for everyone (but no surplus).

It must be noted that I love to cook for my family but I've always shied away from cooking for guests. This time though, I made myself do it and I just loved every minute of it. Thursday night I made Chicken Parmesan, baked potatoes (brush some sesame oil on the skins prior to baking...so yummy), salad, and garlic bread. Friday morning I got up and made semi-homemade Cinnamon Latte rolls (courtesy Sandra Lee of the Food Network) and for lunch I prepared another Paula Deen recipe, Taco Soup. It was all very successful, I think. Josh and Mo came for dinner that evening (and brought food with them) so we provided a few extra store-bought side dishes and I made a double layer pumpkin pie, which is quick and easy. Thanks again for the ham, Mo, it was AWESOME! I wanted to gnaw on the bone like a dog...ha.

All six of the kids were surprisingly good, especially since they were kind of confined to the house due to the cold, wet weather. We put them to bed at a decent hour still, and were able to enjoy grownup talk and cards until relatively late. Very nice.

Saturday morning, Craig and Sarah said their goodbyes and I was able to make it to the bookstudy...late, of course. Afterwards, Toby and I took all our kids to McDonalds to eat lunch and then we went to the (gasp) Outlet Mall in Lebanon. My van fit everybody just BARELY and the kids were all very well behaved. We even took them to Wal Mart to buy some necessaries and got away with only minimal 'kid' purchases. This was the first time my brother and I have ever been anywhere w/ just us and the kids. It was so great to spend time together like that. When I come to Memphis, I usually end up spending the little time I have w/ my parents at their respective homes so we don't really get the chance to do that. I'm hoping he can make it up here more often now.

Saturday night was the now-famous hayride that Barbie's parents put on every November. It comes complete w/ bonfire, chili, marshmallows, homemade wine, and lots of nice people. The actual hayride was even more of a hoot than usual because Barbie and I sat side by side singing Janis Joplin at the top of our lungs, heedless to the annoyed glances of our fellow passengers...except for Chad who sang along...good for you, man! We rock! My Nathan was so happy to be on the hayride he sat in stunned silence. It was so sweet. We liked it so much, John took us all on a second hayride later (an oh-so-memorable one, wasnt it Barbie?)...hee hee. And I finally tried elderberry wine (but w/out the arsenic)!

Sunday morning, we made it late to the meeting (really really late) and enjoyed good conversation w/ friends at the local Mexican restaurant before heading home so Toby could pack up youngn's and clothes. He left by late afternoon along w/ our other houseguest Michael (who is a regular in this establishment) and we were finally on our own again, as a family. It was so wierd.

But I can't wait to do it all again.

Minivans Anonymous

And so against my wishes, I am back in the ranks of minivan mom. My 1998 Honda Odyssey wagon (which had four hinged doors, drove like a car, and got AMAZING gas mileage) was declared totalled two weeks ago and I was kind of forced into finding something quickly. The insurance company treated me right and gave me even more than I spent on my Honda, which is nice, but 6000 doesnt buy all that much and unfortunately, there are a severe lack of 1998 Honda Odysseys around. I have owned two minivans in the past, a Nissan Quest and a Mercury Villager (which are incidentally the same vehicle), neither of which I liked and both of which got mediocre gas mileage. I told myself I would never have one again but with three children, we are sadly limited. Our only other options were those giant SUV's w/ a third row seat, most of which were out of our price range or rediculously inefficient fuel-wise.

I looked on every internet site, including ebay, and finally settled on this 1998 Toyota Sienna which was in Knoxville. It's fully loaded, obscenely heavy, and drives like a dream but I miss my Honda. We drove to Knoxville last night to pick it up and for once I had no buyers remorse since I had called and tied them down to a price over the phone before I made the trip. I haggle much better over the phone...heh heh.

In other news, we have all been down w/ the 'crud' lately and are very slow about recovering. Even Victor has a stuffy nose which makes it difficult for him to eat and he sounds like a little snuffling piglet most of the time. It's cute, but sad.

We have tons of company scheduled to arrive Thursday, in rotation, so I'm sure another entry will be in order by next week. We aren't used to having company so it's a big deal for us.

Toodeloo!

Tiny Loss

Sadly, Mrs. Roper's tiny puppy did not survive.

Last week we had some frigid nights but oddly enough, Mrs Roper succeeded in keeping the puppy nice and warm so he seemed to be fine. However Sunday my husband noticed Mrs Roper carrying something in her mouth and upon further examination, it turned out to be a dead puppy. We were sad until we realized that it wasnt the one we had seen. I guess there had originally been more than one puppy in her litter and she was simply putting it to rest. We looked at her 'nest', and saw that the other puppy was still there, whimpering and crying loudly. I was so relieved!

But two days ago I noticed that the living puppy was not gaining well. He was obviously very weak and no bigger than when I had first seem him a week and a half before. Mrs Roper was still steadily caring for him and loving him so I left them alone, hoping for the best. I even called the vet to ask if I should take the puppy and try raising it myself but she advised against that since the mother had not abandoned it. She said if it was naturally a sickly puppy, the mother could take better care of it than I ever could. Since the rest of the litter had died, it was evidently just a 'weak litter', which is supposedly kind of common with a dog's first pregnancy. Sigh.

Yesterday morning I went out to give Mrs Roper her food and noticed that the puppy was gone. My dog was happily covorting around the yard, seemingly very happy to be 'free', which depressed me. I don't know what she did w/ his tiny little body but I'm kind of glad I didnt see it dead. It was such a precious little thing. One of its ears was permananty flipped inside out which was a birth defect but also very endearing. After a good cry, I soothed myself with the thought that at least now I didnt need to keep Bernice tied up for fear she'd eat the puppy or worry that racoons would find it. But it's still very sad.

Mrs. Roper Multiplies

Mrs Roper, my 3 year old beagle, has had a puppy. That's right. One puppy. She was pregnant and we knew she was ready to go any time but when she kind of 'disappeared' over the last day or two, we knew she'd gone off to have her litter. My husband found her this morning under an old boat we have and noticed that there was only one puppy. I guess if she had any others, they didnt survive for some reason. (In the picture above, you can just barely see the puppy's back legs and tail peeking out.) Anyway, she stays with the puppy like a good little mommy and only leaves it alone to eat a few bites. It's cold outside but since the puppy survived last night okay, we figure the nest Mrs Roper made for it is doing it's job. She dug out a hollow under the boat and is well protected from the wind. We're going to get some hay to put under there too and keep Bernice tied up for a while.

There's something strangely comforting about watching her take care of her one baby while I'm taking care of mine. We're bonding, I think.

Stupid Bambi!

Yes, deer can be very pretty. Right now, there are scads of them all over the county. Frolicking on the frosted hills in the morning, standing and gazing with soulful eyes when they're disturbed, dancing into roadside bushes at dusk w/ a flash of their perky white tails. I sit on my window seat daily with my two older sons and stare at them as they forage our hillside for food and brazenly ignore my huge puppy's ominous barking. They walk by the kitchen window in droves every morning as I get my boys their breakfast and we have shared a few magical moments watching them. Sweet li'l Bambi.

Stupid Bambi. Friday night, I was on my way home from Carthage w/ my tiny son in tow and a sackful of Sonic by my side. It was already dark, though barely 7pm, and I had my brights on since the highway was mostly deserted at the moment. POW! From out of nowhere a huge buck ran into the road and I slammed into him at a full 60 mph! I saw him fly into the air, bend in half, and come down flopping in the yard to my right-his long legs flailing helplessly. Fortunately for Victor and I, no one was hurt and I was surprisingly self-possessed as I brought my smoking car to a halt on the shoulder and got out to assess the damage. As you can see, I hit him absolutely DEAD CENTER and not only is my hood and fender horribly messed up but I think my radiator is shot. Part of the headlight assembly has disappeared also and who knows what else was causing all the smoke and leaking fluids. My poor Honda! (As most of you know, I just got this car in May and I love it dearly!)

After checking on Victor, who was frowning but fine, I flagged down a passing motorist for help. You can't get a cellphone signal on this particular highway but luckily, this guy was a fireman and able to radio in to the police. He also had a special cellphone w/ a stronger signal so he called my husband for me. No one was able to find the deer, which I find very unsettling. All that and no deer carcass to show for it? How is this possible?

So now I'm without a vehicle. I know that since my car was older and had alot of miles, the damage may ammount to more than the vehicle is worth and the insurance company may total it out. This would make me very sad since I searched so hard to find this car and it will be difficult to replace. But it would also be a blessing in that I wouldnt have to pay that stupid 250.00 deductible.

On the way home, my husband said 'Now, do you see why they need to be hunted?' I laughed and said 'Yes, I do. It's just a shame this one had to die without my getting to claim even one steak.'

Comme Ci, Comme Sa

And so the fall days fly by in a whirl of tiny diapers, coke zero, data entry, and television. I will not say that I'm stuck in a rut but I will admit to being comfortably stagnant right now, due to my routined existence. My weekdays are very similar. Get up, exercise, see Johnson off to school, breakfast, work, lunch, work, straighten house, dinner, tv, and bed. Insert breastfeeding every two hours and bible reading at the dinner table and you've pretty much got my day at a glance. I know it sounds horribly dull but like I said, I'm comfortable with a routined life. The idea of NOT having a scheduled time to do things stresses me out so basically, I'm back to being myself. I just had to insert another person into the mix.

Victor is doing great. He's very fat. I laughed last night when I was watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents and realized that my baby resembles the outlined drawing of the director that heralds the beginning of each episode. He sleeps very well at night and I rarely have to get up with him except to change a diaper every now and then. During the day, he stays in his swing, lies on his boppy pillow, or sleeps in his carseat by my desk so he's at easy reach to be rocked. So the fussy situation from a recent entry has somewhat abated.

The other boys have adjusted well. I still have behavior issues w/ my oldest son but as it turns out, he is perfect for everyone but me so I guess I should at least be thankful for that. My Nathan is very loving w/ the baby but other than stopping by to look at him once or twice , he goes about his day exactly as he did before Victor was born. Playhouse Disney in the morning, Star Wars toys and running around outside in the afternoon,and playing w/ Johnson in the evening. Bernice is getting HUGE and eating us out of house and home but luckily she seems to keep a good eye on the boys when they're outside so I don't have to worry too much. She barks if they go off too far and it always alerts me.

I am starting to feel like this house may not be the place we 'end up' after all. So much construction is going on around us and I am becoming such a BABY in cold weather. I have arthritis in my knees from a car accident and as I get older, the cold damp weather really gets to me (switch complaint-free bracelet to other wrist). So I am steadily but non-naggingly tossing 'Go-West-Young-Man' comments to my husband whenever I get a chance. Plus, I will be the first to admit that we spent too much money on this house and it is starting to annoy me. When you build, unfortunately, unexpected costs arise that will inevitably affect the final mortgage payment so collecting on the equity is starting to really look warm and friendly. I guess we'll see what happens.

I need a date with my neglected husband. We are planning to go see The Reverend Horton Heat on the day before Thanksgiving if we can:

I'm going to check around for a baby sitter as soon as I can. Lord knows, I could use some time away since I spend basically ninety percent of my time here at home. I've been a huge fan of the good Reverend and his psychobilly band for a long ol' time and it would be an awesome release to see them live again.

So that's how things are going...'Comme ci, comme sa'.

A Complaint Free World

I heard about this book on the radio and though I haven't read it (nor do I necessarily plan to), I was really attracted to the general premise of it and plan to try to put the ideas into practice myself. The writer, Will Bowen, has some pretty inspired things to say about the subject of complaining.

I've noticed over the past year that my seven year old has developed the worst habit of complaining and no matter how much we tell him 'don't complain', the problem only seems to be getting worse. He's a whiner. I know he hears me gripe a bit and therefore is probably only developing a trait he has learned from me. Sigh.

The idea presented in this book is therefore a good one for our family, I feel. The concept is that anyone can become 'complaint free' by conscientiously trying NOT to focus on the negative for 21 days. According to Mr Bowen, complaining is like 'bad breath'. You notice it when it comes out of someone else's mouth but not your own. Once a person becomes in tuned with their own problem of complaining, it can be overcome. He encourages wearing a bracelet and switching it to the other wrist when you catch yourself whining, griping, or complaining. The object is to keep it on the same wrist for 21 days since this is how long experts say it takes to start a new habit. Cool idea, huh?

One thing he made sure to stress on the radio interview this morning, however, is NOT to confuse complaining w/ getting what you deserve. In other words, getting the wrong item at a restaurant, a hair in your soup, or talking to a doctor about an ailment is NOT complaining-at least not in his program. Also, avoiding gossip is a good idea but not if it qualifies as something you would say directly to the person concerned or if the gossip is positive in nature (sounds like a Watchtower article I once read). The point is to avoid focusing on negative things to the point that you have to talk about them. Because really, 'what good do it do?' Hee hee.

Victor-Two Week Update

Well, I must say we had a very calm first two weeks w/ Victor. He was the perfect baby...never cried, always happy, calm and peaceful. He slept at night and during the day too. Very laid back and sweet.

He's still sweet but unfortunately, he is becoming quite fussy. He eats well and has gained a whopping 2 lbs and 3 oz since birth! Yesterday at the doctor we discovered this. He also has grown one inch in length so he's 22 inches long now. However, I think over the last few days my let-down reflex has strengthened or something because when it happens, Victor gasps and chokes. He sometimes spits up in projectile-fashion, a problem which plagued Johnson from the beginning. I think he's getting alot of air which prevents him from falling asleep while he's eating and stresses him out alot. He can't seem to settle himself down to sleep afterwards (day or night) so I have to take the time to rock him until he can relax himself somewhat. This, of course, prevents me from getting ANYTHING else done so my house is a wreck, my boys are freaking out from the lack of attention, and I can't cook a meal to save my life! I'm also supposed to be working now but I know I will be 'dealt with' if my efficiency doesnt pick up since I'm currently having to work while holding a fussy baby which means I have to type with one hand. Heh heh. Poor little thing, he really just wants to go to sleep I know. It's pitiful to see.

Anyway, on a positive note. He's very healthy and round. And hopefully this stage will pass quickly. Quickly enough to prevent my strangling my other children, losing my job, or pulling my hair out.

Victor

Yes, he's here. Thus follows the 'birth story' of Victor James Westmoreland, born at 5:25am Oct 1st, 2007.

First a little 'background' on the day in question. Most of you are aware that my due date was originally September 30th but was revised to Sept 28th after an ultrasound conducted in April. The 28th was actually Friday, as you know, but instead of waking up in labor on that fateful day, I actually woke up with the world's WORST stomach virus. It was horrifying indeed. The mere idea of trying to cope with labor pains while also dealing with congestion, vomiting, and diarrhea was unthinkable to say the least. I was terrified that I would suddenly find myself faced with such an obstacle and so the sickness was even more intensified by just thinking of those things and became and all out panic attack! I sobbingly called my husband, my mother in law, and a sister in our hall begging for help because Johnson was home from school and he and his little brother were blissfully unaware of the severity of it all and wreaking havoc. Jonathan came home, Linda (his mom) came over to take care of the boys, and the aforementioned sister stopped her busy service day to bring me gatorade. After finally getting to the point where I could take some Phenergan, the virus seemed to loosen its hold a little and by evening I was able to eat a little plain rice. No labor yet. Whew!

Saturday I woke up weak and tired but the day was uneventful and I was able to eat a sandwich by that night.

Sunday, I felt great. I ate a small normal breakfast, went to the meeting, cleaned my whole house, and went grocery shopping by myself (which was pretty stupid but turned out okay). Sunday night, I began to feel a few contractions but nothing out of the ordinary. I stayed on the couch until they subsided which was about 1:30am. Then I went to bed. Sleeping was difficult and I kept having crazy nightmares and night terrors, which is really wierd for me. Around 3:30am, I woke with a strange cramping in my lower abdomen that was not similar to any contractions I had ever felt. I got up and started getting ready to leave because I had that 'feeling', you know? The cramp persisted and I was worried so we went ahead and planned to go the hospital, calling a neighbor couple to come stay w/ the boys while we went. I also called my sweet coach, Barbie, and told her to meet us there.

As the babysitters arrived ( less than 10 minutes later), I began to worry because the cramp was getting worse and I told them to tell my husband to hurry, as I was outside waiting by the car. But suddenly, my water broke! I ran inside to change and even though I was a little freaked out (the cramp I felt was obviously my waters pushing against my pelvis), I was glad that I now KNEW this was IT. By the time we got to Carthage (4:08am), there were strong steady contractions present. Strong enough to have to breath through. They were about 4-6 minutes apart. We got to UMC in Lebanon at 4:35. After trying several locked doors, we remembered that only the ER was open at this hour and when my husband dropped me off at the door, I was to the point that I was panicked. The contractions were RIGHT on top of each other. I walked into the completeley empty waiting room and made this known from the center of the floor since I didnt know which desk to approach. A harried man w/ a wheelchair appeared out of nowhere and took me to the maternity ward where Barbie and Granny Linda were both waiting.

There was NO ONE in the maternity ward but 3 nurses, two of which were not really attending nurses, but nursery personell. A young nurse named Tambra w/ short stri-pedy hair got my gown and began grilling me about the facts. By now the contractions were excruciating and I could NOT talk through them so I did my best and waited for her to get my iv in and check me. When she did, I was dismayed to find that I was only 5 cm dilated! It seemed I had a long while to go. And I was almost to the point that I didnt think I'd make it because, since my waters had ruptured, I wasnt 'allowed' to move around the room but had to stay attatched to machines in the bed. This was almost intolerable, let me tell you.

When the time came where I felt like I couldnt take any more, I asked the nurse to check me again. It was now to the point where it felt like one long contraction, with no break to speak of. When she checked me, I saw her eyes go wide and she said 'Oh wow. You're complete. I'm calling the doctor now.' So I went from 5 to 10 cm in less than 20 minutes.

Barbie was trying to help but by this point I was severely blinded by pain and I hate to say, I wasnt being very nice to her (sorry, Barbie). But she did a GREAT job with what she was given. The nurses were scurrying about like so many scattered hens, trying to get the room ready for the birth and all the while telling me 'don't push!' in unison. I saw Tambra say that the doctor was still at home and then I really began to get frantic because I knew I wasnt going to be able to wait. I told her 'I have to push NOW!' and with every ounce of coherence I could muster, told Barbie that I was now going to inhale and begin pushing and that I needed her to count to seven. She did and Tambra resigned herself to the fact that this was going to happen, whether she liked it or not. With one very violent and very intense push, I felt the baby's head emerge and with one more push, the body rushed out. You have not experienced relief until you feel this feeling! It is indescribably wonderful.

Anyway, I had been at the hospital for 45 minutes total when Victor was born. He was perfectly pink and very wrinkly. He doesnt possess the same newborn 'prettiness' of the other two boys, but he is full of Nichols character in his little face. We all think he looks alot like his uncle Josh and his Papa Nick.
His vitals were all perfect and he weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 21 inches long. Unfortunately, due to the intensity of the birth and inexperience of the nurses, there was no time to immediately bond with him. They took him off to the empty nursery immediately and Tambra proceeded to try and extract the placenta, which was being mighty stubborn. At this moment, the very ticked off Doctor arrived, and griped at poor little Tambra for not having called him sooner. We were all pretty annoyed with him. Basically, he came to get the placenta out and do a little 'stitching up', which I'm sure is kind of a pain for a highly paid obstetrician at 5:30am.

Yesterday I spent the whole day in my bed, bonding w/ my little wrinkled son and getting him aquainted w/ the phenom of nursing, which he has taken to wonderfully (and yes, my nipples are screaming). Unfortunately, I woke up this morning at around 3:30am with another bout of that nasty stomach virus and was unable to enjoy my last hours at the hospital. I was given a phenergan shot and some Immodium which left me feeling more exhausted than I should and made me all too anxious to get back home. Which I did. Which I am. Which I love.

When it rains...

You know that saying, 'When it rains, it pours'? I'm finally beginning to understand the meaning behind that.

Yesterday, all the way to the doctor's office I was having strong, regular contractions and I thought I was actually in labor (which would have been unrealistically convenient). But it turns out these are still 'false labor' contractions and aren't causing any changes to speak of. I'm actually still at 2cm and 30% effaced. The doctor is not very optimistic about my going into labor by my due date (the 28th) and is now throwing the word 'induction' around, which makes me crazy. I do NOT want to be induced. Being induced means being stuck in a bed until contractions regulate, not being able to eat anything, and relying on stupid chemicals to do what mother nature was meant to do all along. No offense to those of you who have been through it with good results, it's just not what I'm used to and I don't want it. So I'm currently doing research on what I can do to stimulate labor myself and hoping against hope that I don't have to deal w/ the induction issue at all.

THEN, this morning, my three year old proceeds to swallow a very powerful magnetic rock- the shiny ones that you can get at places like the discovery center and which I THOUGHT we had put away where the kids couldnt play w/ them unsupervised. I freaked out a little bit, having heard horror stories about kids swallowing magnets, and promptly called both the Poison Control Center and the kids' doctor. The PCC told me that he'd probably need an x-ray to make sure it wasnt 'hung' anywhere but as long as it was only one that he swallowed, the danger was minimal. I also checked Web Md to verify this and made an appointment for the doctor to see him as soon as possible, which was 9:20 am. The doctor promptly sent us to the radiologist at the neighboring hospital and so we had to wait a good half hour in the outpatient waiting room for the x-ray lab to be ready. The waiting area was overcrowded w/ growly people of all ages and I have never seen so many 'crocs' in my life! (Is it odd that the mere sight of these shoes immediately throws me into the pits of depression?) Anyway, the magnetic rock was actually already in his lower abdomen so they sent me home w/ the happy mission of 'searching' through each of his stools until I find it. If he doesnt pass it withiin five days, he'll have to go back and be x-rayed again. So far, I've searched through one batch w/ no luck. Yay.

Beautiful Bernice...

A Great Pyrenees at full size...about 100 pounds of doggage.
Bernice


Meet Bernice. She is our new 12 week old Great Pyrenees and we already love her dearly. We decided some time ago to get a large dog that may help prevent other dogs from taking over our property and from what we understand, this breed is ideal for that purpose. They are calm, mild-tempered, and extremely loyal. I've never met a puppy like her. She doesnt jump and galavant or get under your feet. She lays in a watchful position on high ground (even w/out being trained to do so) and when she's not doing that, she's making continuous circuits around our property like a palace guard. She rarely barks and when she does, it is an intimidating sound indeed. It took her exactly one day to become familiar w/our family and only one trip around the property line w/ my husband to realize her job. She follows us around obediently, always staying a few paces back, and hasnt been agressive or unfriendly to our current cat and dog as of yet. However, when the dreaded brown lab puppy from next door tried to come around yesterday, we saw her tail go up immediately and she made a low growly sound in her throat. The chocolate lab hightailed it back home immediately (Bernice, at 12 weeks, already outsizes the other dog).

For those of you not familiar w/ the breed, the 1st picture is how she should look when she's full grown, minus the pure white cleanliness...hahah. Living around here, I'm certain she won't look like a champion but she will still be beautiful. The lady we got her from said that her fur will start to 'fill out' in the next couple of months and soon get really long, like the dog in the 1st picture. Typical of the breed, she doesnt get wild and jump up on the kids...as a matter of fact, she doesnt do anything suddenly or compulsively. She seems to be thinking through every move she makes. I know this may not be the ideal 'puppy' for some families, but in our case, it's exactly what we needed.

And yes, it will cost a friggin' fortune to feed her...but at least I'm not inadvertantly feeding four strays instead.

The !@#$%* Dog Days of Summer...

You guys won't BELIEVE the morning I just had.

So my neighbor has this chocolate lab 'puppy' that is already about the size of a small horse and is completely unaware of his own strength. When he was smaller, he used to come hang out w/ my beagle and I was shocked how strong he already was, jumping up on the kids, knocking the three year old to the ground etc. You can only imagine what his added pounds have accomplished over the weeks in this area. He is an unstoppable force now...a juggernaut. And USUALLY his mistress keeps him tied up. But this morning, I noticed as I was preparing to take my 7 year old to school that he was loose and wreaking havoc all over my yard.

When I opened the door to leave, of COURSE the stupid dog was RIGHT THERE waiting and of COURSE he runs into my house and proceeds to skid around on my hardwood floors, run into walls, and terrify my three year old who was coming out of his room in blissful ignorance and probably thought a pony was loose in our hallway. I was so mad that I screamed insulting words at the beast and ran as best I could to head him off and out the door. After much exhausted maneuvering, I finally succeeded but had to CARRY my three year old son to the car, so frightened was he. I also watched in horror as the dog jumped on my seven year old repeatedly, nearly knocking him down, and leaving muddy pawprints all over his school clothes which would have to stay that way since it was now too late to change. Deep breath. Drive.

On the way home from the school, I stopped at the store to get my morning fix of coke zero (as well as a few extras, for later) and a powerade for my son. When I got home, I opened the car door and WHO should jump into my unexpecting lap but that insane canine , tearing the bag of drinks in the process and running off w/ the powerade like it was some kind of game! Again, my big ol' belly and I chased him down and finally retrieved the drink but in my haste, I'd forgotten to close the car door and of COURSE the dog was now in my car, stinking it up! I decided to prioritize and get my sobbing son out of the car first, carrying he and the five bottles of drinks, that no longer had a useable bag, into the house in one haul. Then back out to the car I went to pull the DEAD WEIGHT of a dog out of my car since he refused to come on his own. Now I'm exhausted beyond belief, my belly is scratched up, my clothes are covered in muddy pawprints, and to top it all off, I'm evidently allergic to this dog and have developed hives all over both arms.

When I got back to the house and opened the door, he tried to run back inside but I was having NONE of that and managed to slam the door on his smart alleck, smiling face without the slightest regret. One look at my scratched hardwood floors was all the validation I needed.

Presently, I'm looking out the window as he rolls around on his back gleefully, completely unaware of the hell he's put me through, snapping his jaws at butterflies and wagging his lead rope of a tail like the baby that he is. I don't want to be one of THOSE neighbors, but I'm going to have to let the next door lady know I cannot have another morning like this. She's gonna have to keep the beast tied up...that is, if she wants him back alive.

SO how was everybody else's morning?

34 weeks

No picture to post this time. I don't look any different than my last picture really and according to yesterday's doctor visit, I've actually lost a pound. The nurse said it's probably because I've really picked up on drinking fluids...and I have! I have been drinking water, milk, and coke zero like it's going out of style! But from what I understand, that's not altogether a bad thing and the contractions have slacked up somewhat.

I also told my doctor about that strange pinching sensation I get sometimes and he said it's more than likely a nerve being pinched when I'm in certain positions. He
checked me to make sure and discovered that the baby's head is really low so it's no wonder that some nerves would be pressed. A 'low' head also means I probably won't go the full six weeks to my due date! So for once, I will most likely be early! Yay! (Deep breath)

I've been practicing my breathing when I can but I don't feel nearly as prepared this time. Still got lots of practicing to do. I've been cleaning like a crazy woman and completely set up the nursery last week, just in case. The walls still need another coat of paint but my hubby will get to that when he gets a chance and we can deal w/ the thin spots for now.

Yes, I dread the labor. With Johnson, I was in labor for 7 hrs from beginning to end and with Nathan, it was five. The experience is very intense because it is so short and I'm not expecting this time to be any different. I am very in touch w/ how my body reacts to certain phases of the labor so I don't take medication so that I can maintain that awareness. Not all women can or choose to do that and I certainly don't blame them. My biggest fear is not being able to make it to the Lebanon Hospital and giving birth in the Carthage ER among strangers. We'll see, I guess.

Some of you have expressed some concern about not being able to pull up my gift registry at Target. Stupid me, it's under my first name Sharron. I don't know why I did that, exactly. Anyway, here's a link that SHOULD take you to it...

http://www.target.com/gp/registry/registry.html/ref=cm_lc_sr_1/602-7766674-4728631?ie=UTF8&type=babyreg&id=1JI1C4X6KYXP8&jsebd=1


Edit: I recently got several notes stating that the majority of my Target registry is 'online only'. Sorry about that. I wasnt even aware. I started a registry at Babies R Us that duplicates alot of the items in the Target one but there's more available in the store...what a pain. It's under Ashley Westmoreland/ Pleasant Shade Tn.

That's all for now.

Uncouth Invitation...

I am taking it upon myself to invite all my lady-friends to a luncheon/shower at my mom's on the 25th of August. Not 100% sure of the time yet...I think around three? So it'll be a LATE luncheon, I suppose. Heh heh. My mom isnt sending out formal invitations so yeah, I guess I'm inviting people to my own shower...(in the words of Judy Holliday from 'Born Yesterday', 'It ain't COUTH!'). Anyway, there it is. Any further info can be obtained by calling my mom...

After the 'shower', I'm gonna plan on leaving my kids w/ their nanna and heading off w/ any who care to join me for a 'girls' night out'. Karaoke and sushi sounds sweeeeet!