I hate to even start feeling this way. You know why? Because I'm only 35 weeks, 3 days pregnant. But who's counting? (Well, technically I guess I am more like 36+ weeks because they keep moving my due date up. But again - who's counting?)
Today especially, I feel so... off. I'm waiting for something that may not happen for a while! I feel kind of icky, and not quite myself. Crampy. Achy. Probably normal pregnant symptoms. Mentally though - I'm so distracted. I keep feeling like something BIG is going to happen!
My first son was two weeks early, and my second was a week late. So "due dates" don't mean too much to me. I've been around the block enough to know that assigning a due date does not give baby an arrival time or even a deadline. So why do I feel like I'm waiting today?
I have no idea.
I need a nap.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Cutting out the TV...
My goal - or test, rather - for this week was to cut out television as much as I could. Not to make a political statement or anything, but just to see how our days went around here when we removed the time and mental energy that we devoted to TV during the day. I was noticing that I'd turn on Curious George while I was making breakfast, and before I realized it, it was 9:30 am, nothing had gotten done, Super Why! was on and Gavin was arguing with me saying, "I want to watch this!"
Now, I'm picky about what the boys watch, anyway. When choosing television for them, I stick to PBS or movies that we own. I do sometimes watch the news or weather in the morning, but let's face it - the news is depressing. I avoid channels with commercials, because it drives me NUTS to hear Gavin say, "I want that!" in reference to whatever item happens to be featured in the commercial. Seriously, he will ask for everything from Cocoa Pebbles to a My Little Pony doll if it pops up on that darn screen. I'd rather not hear it, or expose him to tons of garbage that he does not need.
I've also managed to keep my boys blissfully unaware of most television shows and characters. For the most part, I don't know what other moms are talking about when they mention their kids' favorite shows, and I'm fine with that! Kids TV irks me, so I'm picky about what I expose them to. Now, if only I could get my husband and mother-in-law to stop sabotaging my efforts... but that is another post altogether!!!
We've spent our time playing restaurant, baking, and listening to music, among many other things. The need for background noise has not bothered me as much as I anticipated it would! Plus, the boys have been getting a kick out of turning on the radio when they want some sound or music. Good thing they LOVE country music like their mama!
Now, I'm picky about what the boys watch, anyway. When choosing television for them, I stick to PBS or movies that we own. I do sometimes watch the news or weather in the morning, but let's face it - the news is depressing. I avoid channels with commercials, because it drives me NUTS to hear Gavin say, "I want that!" in reference to whatever item happens to be featured in the commercial. Seriously, he will ask for everything from Cocoa Pebbles to a My Little Pony doll if it pops up on that darn screen. I'd rather not hear it, or expose him to tons of garbage that he does not need.
I've also managed to keep my boys blissfully unaware of most television shows and characters. For the most part, I don't know what other moms are talking about when they mention their kids' favorite shows, and I'm fine with that! Kids TV irks me, so I'm picky about what I expose them to. Now, if only I could get my husband and mother-in-law to stop sabotaging my efforts... but that is another post altogether!!!
We've spent our time playing restaurant, baking, and listening to music, among many other things. The need for background noise has not bothered me as much as I anticipated it would! Plus, the boys have been getting a kick out of turning on the radio when they want some sound or music. Good thing they LOVE country music like their mama!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Catching Up
I have to admit, I am still feeling the pain of my littlest guy being so sick last week, and a really busy weekend. Yesterday, while the boys ate breakfast, I made myself a to-do list. It was a mile long.
By the end of the day, however, all but two things were crossed off! Hooray!
Yesterday was spent catching up. It was a busy day. On top of a million things to do, we had Gavin's spring concert yesterday evening. And he desperately needed a hair cut before he went on stage. So we had to squeeze in an outing after nap time. BUT - we got it done!
By the end of the day, however, all but two things were crossed off! Hooray!
Yesterday was spent catching up. It was a busy day. On top of a million things to do, we had Gavin's spring concert yesterday evening. And he desperately needed a hair cut before he went on stage. So we had to squeeze in an outing after nap time. BUT - we got it done!
Yummy pineapple slices.
My handsome baking assistant.
Muffins, anyone?
The highlight of the day was certainly Gavin's concert. Nursery school performances are just so... adorable. Gavin spent the entire day insisting that he "forgot how to sing" and "only knows animal songs". So I wasn't quite sure what to expect from him when we got to the show. But he was awesome!
I am the proud mom of the kid who picked his nose on stage. Multiple times and for long durations. Hubs and I were cracking up!
Not only did Gavin remember how to sing just fine - he remembered how to sing LOUDLY. I could hear his voice over all of the other kids. He kind of ended up being the background singer at some points.
His class singing: This little light of mine...
Gavin singing: .................................LIGHT OF MINE!
Tears were streaming down my face from laughing so hard. And the woman next to me knew just which child was mine!
Meal Plan Monday
Ah, I'm a bit late with this. It's Tuesday, isn't it?
This week is hectic. Lately, hectic has been our new "normal".
So here are our goings-on this week!
Monday - Gavin's Spring concert
Tuesday - Work for me
Wednesday - Work for me, softball for hubs. My mom is watching the boys
Thursday - Work for me
Friday - nothing!
Keeping this in mind, and in light of the fact that I did not follow my meal plan at all last week, this is what I've come up with:
Monday - Parmesean breaded chicken, with fresh bread and a veggie
Tuesday - Homemade mac 'n cheese with steamed brocolli
Wednesday - Baked ziti and fresh bread - a simple meal that my mom can pop in the oven at dinner time
Thursday - Hamburger hashbrowns for hubs. Healthy chicken nuggets for the boys, with some fresh fruit
Friday - Grilled marinated chicken breast, steak for hubs if he wants it, roasted potatoes, steamed carrots and cauliflower and garlic bread
Saturday - A bit of a change from tradition, but we are making pizza! It will be a busy day, so a simple and quick meal is a necessity. We could even put our multigrain pizza crusts on the grill. Grilled pizza is delicious!
Sorry for the late menu post! I'm still reeling from Mason being sick last week and a hectic weekend.
This week is hectic. Lately, hectic has been our new "normal".
So here are our goings-on this week!
Monday - Gavin's Spring concert
Tuesday - Work for me
Wednesday - Work for me, softball for hubs. My mom is watching the boys
Thursday - Work for me
Friday - nothing!
Keeping this in mind, and in light of the fact that I did not follow my meal plan at all last week, this is what I've come up with:
Monday - Parmesean breaded chicken, with fresh bread and a veggie
Tuesday - Homemade mac 'n cheese with steamed brocolli
Wednesday - Baked ziti and fresh bread - a simple meal that my mom can pop in the oven at dinner time
Thursday - Hamburger hashbrowns for hubs. Healthy chicken nuggets for the boys, with some fresh fruit
Friday - Grilled marinated chicken breast, steak for hubs if he wants it, roasted potatoes, steamed carrots and cauliflower and garlic bread
Saturday - A bit of a change from tradition, but we are making pizza! It will be a busy day, so a simple and quick meal is a necessity. We could even put our multigrain pizza crusts on the grill. Grilled pizza is delicious!
Sorry for the late menu post! I'm still reeling from Mason being sick last week and a hectic weekend.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
A Day on the Farm
We were invited to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend's little girl today. Her party was at a local farm, during their Baby Animal Days event. I can't lie - I have looked forward to Molly's party for the last couple of weeks!
The weather was perfect - warm and sunny. The kids loved going on the hayride, checking out the animals and eating cupcakes. Molly's cupcakes were a-MAZ-ing! They were so beautifully decorated that it was a shame to eat them... even though they were delicious!
Here are a few pictures of the kids playing on the farm.
The weather was perfect - warm and sunny. The kids loved going on the hayride, checking out the animals and eating cupcakes. Molly's cupcakes were a-MAZ-ing! They were so beautifully decorated that it was a shame to eat them... even though they were delicious!
Here are a few pictures of the kids playing on the farm.
Snacking on an apple.
Seeing the sights on the hayride!
What mom? You want to take our picture?
Farmer Gavin with his bucket of animal feed.
Petting a baby duck.
Jen, Ray, Molly and Raymond - thank you for inviting us to be a part of your celebration! Happy birthday, Molly! :)
Sunday - A Day of Rest (Wait, what?)
Sunday... Oh, Sunday.
A day of rest.
Rest? What the heck is that? I think Sunday's new title should be Sunday... a day of prep.
Family time passes too quickly. I am a stay-at-home-mom, so weekends are strange for me. It's kind of the same-old-same, but with hubs thrown into the mix. And of course, that changes everything! Our Monday through Friday routine sometimes goes out the window. We usually end up doing something fun, which is what the weekends are for. But by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around I am looking ahead to the week, being alone with the kids, checking out our schedule and seeing what I need to accomplish.
On Sunday, I usually try to prepare for the week. These preparations include....
This was my dining room table at 9 pm on Sunday night. Finally looking through the fliers. While waiting for rice to cook so that I could assemble and pack wraps for husband. I got about... two pages in. I'll deal with that tomorrow! (It does look like there are some good coupons, so I'll likely order some duplicates tomorrow, too.)
So what DID I get done on this day of prep?
Lunch for hubs? Check!
Waffles cooked and in freezer? Check!
AND... that's it! The rest will have to wait until tomorrow.
A day of rest.
Rest? What the heck is that? I think Sunday's new title should be Sunday... a day of prep.
Family time passes too quickly. I am a stay-at-home-mom, so weekends are strange for me. It's kind of the same-old-same, but with hubs thrown into the mix. And of course, that changes everything! Our Monday through Friday routine sometimes goes out the window. We usually end up doing something fun, which is what the weekends are for. But by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around I am looking ahead to the week, being alone with the kids, checking out our schedule and seeing what I need to accomplish.
On Sunday, I usually try to prepare for the week. These preparations include....
- Reading the newspaper, reviewing fliers, matching coupons to sales
- Planning my grocery shopping
- SOMETIMES accomplishing my grocery shopping
- Batch-cooking some waffles or muffins for breakfast during the week
- Slicing fruit
- Making lunch for the hubs
This was my dining room table at 9 pm on Sunday night. Finally looking through the fliers. While waiting for rice to cook so that I could assemble and pack wraps for husband. I got about... two pages in. I'll deal with that tomorrow! (It does look like there are some good coupons, so I'll likely order some duplicates tomorrow, too.)
So what DID I get done on this day of prep?
Lunch for hubs? Check!
Waffles cooked and in freezer? Check!
AND... that's it! The rest will have to wait until tomorrow.
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Best Laid Plans...
So this week has not gone the way it should have gone.
Eh, scratch that. I guess there is no real way that things should go, but it certainly has not gone according to plan. Well, at least not my plan! Maybe God's plan.
Mason has been sick. It started Tuesday night. He had a low fever - just felt a bit warm. He kept pointing to his mouth, so I assumed teething. Gave him some Tylenol and he did okay.
By Wednesday, he had a rash. So we visited the pediatrician. Sinus infection. Antibiotics. I can handle that!
By Thursday morning, at around 4 am, he had a fever of 105.1. With about an hour of sleep, I went to the grocery store to get him ibuprofen, as Tylenol was not helping his fever at all. Fever broke, we all got some sleep. I was able to keep the fever down most of Thursday with a cool bath and medicine.
This morning, his fever was back to 104.9. Sigh. At least we got some sleep last night! But needless to say - we were back at the pediatrican's office this morning.
The doctor was fantastic. We reviewed all of Mason's doctor appointments, ER visits, urgent care visits - you name it, we went through charts, spoke of symptoms and tried to piece together what is happening. You see, this is not a new occurance for Masey. He has had a fever of 105 four times so far this year. What we noticed is that each time a fever presents, it's accompanied by viral symptoms. The doctor thinks that Mason has an extreme febrile reaction to most common viruses that would simply cause a runny nose in other kids. So for now, we need to keep him comfortable when he gets sick, treat his fever with ibuprofen as I have been doing, and be a bit more cautious. We need to wash our hands more frequently, try to avoid other (obviously) sick people. And we will continue to track his illnesses, symptoms and fevers to see if we notice any further correllation. As of now, however, it does not look to be an auto-immune problem. So that is good news!
With Mason being so sick, I've been home all week. Which has been good and bad. I am thankful that I don't have to worry about working, finding childcare and taking care of my sick little guy. But I am also feeling a bit frustrated and trapped. Even though I'm a stay at home mom, the boys and I really try to get out of the house every day, even if we just wash the car, visit the lobsters at the grocery store or take a walk. And we play in the yard often now that it's warmer out. But we've been inside. Yesterday was a pajama and movies kind of day. I ordered pizza for lunch.
Needless to say, I haven't been cleaning like I should. All of my organization - which I was so proud to accomplish last week - has gone to crap. We missed our mom group park date on Wednesday. I haven't been able to cook or bake. BUT - I have gotten in extra snuggles and quality time with the boys. So maybe the best laid plans aren't really always the best plans, anyhow!
Eh, scratch that. I guess there is no real way that things should go, but it certainly has not gone according to plan. Well, at least not my plan! Maybe God's plan.
Mason has been sick. It started Tuesday night. He had a low fever - just felt a bit warm. He kept pointing to his mouth, so I assumed teething. Gave him some Tylenol and he did okay.
By Wednesday, he had a rash. So we visited the pediatrician. Sinus infection. Antibiotics. I can handle that!
By Thursday morning, at around 4 am, he had a fever of 105.1. With about an hour of sleep, I went to the grocery store to get him ibuprofen, as Tylenol was not helping his fever at all. Fever broke, we all got some sleep. I was able to keep the fever down most of Thursday with a cool bath and medicine.
This morning, his fever was back to 104.9. Sigh. At least we got some sleep last night! But needless to say - we were back at the pediatrican's office this morning.
The doctor was fantastic. We reviewed all of Mason's doctor appointments, ER visits, urgent care visits - you name it, we went through charts, spoke of symptoms and tried to piece together what is happening. You see, this is not a new occurance for Masey. He has had a fever of 105 four times so far this year. What we noticed is that each time a fever presents, it's accompanied by viral symptoms. The doctor thinks that Mason has an extreme febrile reaction to most common viruses that would simply cause a runny nose in other kids. So for now, we need to keep him comfortable when he gets sick, treat his fever with ibuprofen as I have been doing, and be a bit more cautious. We need to wash our hands more frequently, try to avoid other (obviously) sick people. And we will continue to track his illnesses, symptoms and fevers to see if we notice any further correllation. As of now, however, it does not look to be an auto-immune problem. So that is good news!
With Mason being so sick, I've been home all week. Which has been good and bad. I am thankful that I don't have to worry about working, finding childcare and taking care of my sick little guy. But I am also feeling a bit frustrated and trapped. Even though I'm a stay at home mom, the boys and I really try to get out of the house every day, even if we just wash the car, visit the lobsters at the grocery store or take a walk. And we play in the yard often now that it's warmer out. But we've been inside. Yesterday was a pajama and movies kind of day. I ordered pizza for lunch.
Needless to say, I haven't been cleaning like I should. All of my organization - which I was so proud to accomplish last week - has gone to crap. We missed our mom group park date on Wednesday. I haven't been able to cook or bake. BUT - I have gotten in extra snuggles and quality time with the boys. So maybe the best laid plans aren't really always the best plans, anyhow!
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