The 2010 Book Club List

Another year, another book club list! At our last gathering, we selected books for 2010, so here's our list for next year!

JANUARY
Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smarta**, Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster

FEBRUARY
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

MARCH
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

APRIL
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

MAY
A Silver Lining (If You Could See Me Now) by Cecelia Ahern

JUNE
Free for All… AKA book report month: pick your own book to read and share with the group (dioramas optional)

JULY
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

AUGUST
The Funny Thing Is by Ellen DeGeneres

SEPTEMBER
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

OCTOBER
Dracula by Bram Stoker

NOVEMBER
Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison

DECEMBER
The Best Worst Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

2009 Books

Looking back at the books I read in 2009, I read very little that I hadn’t read once before. Several of the books were re-reads because our bookclub chose them as books for the month, and I tried to re-read anything that we were reading for bookclub.

On the other hand, I just decided at the end of the summer that it was time to re-read all the Harry Potter books and boy were they good! It was really nice to read them all at once, back to back and get the whole story in one big chunk. (Although J would disagree because I pretty much disappeared for about a month.)

So here’s what I read in 2009 – stars by the books I liked best.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (reread)
*Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
*The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman (reread)
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
*Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies by Laura Esquivel (reread)
*Size 12 Is Not Fat: A Heather Wells Mystery by Meg Cabot
*Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Where are you now? by Mary Higgins Clark
*Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (reread)
*Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (reread)
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (reread)
*Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (reread)
*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (reread)
*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (reread)
*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (reread)
Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffengger
Four Blind Mice by James Patterson
Gift of the Magi by O. Henry (reread)
Naptime is the New Happy Hour: And Other Ways Toddlers Turn Your Life Upside-down by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

We have our bookclub list for 2010, but I’m always looking for more to read, so suggestions would be wonderful!

38 Week Update

38 weeks (pregnant... in case you haven't noticed)

I went for the regular check-up today and haven't made much progress. Although, I had one of the most uncomfortable nights of my life last night, so I was hoping for a little better news. Won't bother you with the gory details, but basically I feel as if I'm being split in two from the bottom up.

They tell me this is probably because she is "sunny side up" - or head down, but facing the wrong way - and putting a lot of pressure, well, everywhere really.

Based on Bug's birth, being "favorable," and the amount of pain I'm having, we've made a tentative induction date of January 4th for Baby Awesome.

I'm third on the waiting list, so we may or may not actually get in there that day. I also have a doctors appointment scheduled for the same day, so if she doesn't come on her own, and I don't get induced, then we'll be seeing the doctor again and looking at a possible induction for later that week... oh, and I have a solid induction date of January 11th scheduled as well.

So... basically to sum it all up, I have no idea when this baby is coming. (Just as it should be I suppose... although the control freak in me is screaming.) She'll be here sometime between now, and January 11th!

Merry Christmas!

Cheeriest sounds, merriest sights, holiday joys, brightest delights...

May they be yours this season.

Merry Christmas from our Family to Yours!

Up and Running Again

We're back up and running again with a working home computer and internet... we don't have everything all settled yet, but at least I can get on the internet again!

Today we went to our 37 week doctor's appointment. J has the next few days off for Christmas, so we went out to breakfast and all went to the appointment together.

No new progress at this point. Baby is still in there kicking away.

I've been having a lot of cramping and back aches, but since I haven't progressed any since last week the doctor doesn't think we'll be having a baby any time soon. And I agree. I think she's pretty set on staying in there for awhile yet, and just making me uncomfortable.

We're planning an easy Christmas with family and staying close to home, which I'm really looking forward to.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas too!

Growth Chart

I made this growth chart a few weeks ago for a friend to give to her sister for a baby shower gift. I think it's my favorite one I've made yet...

J, of course, did the hard parts - I drew the tree, leaves, and racoon, but he cut them out. Then, I painted everything and put it all together.

It makes me want to re-do the nursery and paint everything with trees.

36 Weeks

On Monday I had my 36 week appointment with the OB... baby is doing great. She's moving around a lot, and I’m really feeling like I’m starting to run out of room. At the doctor, I was measuring right on track, and I’m once again 3 centimeters dilated. Although, I’m not getting my hopes up this time, because I was that far along at this point with Bug, and she didn’t come out until she was induced on her due date.

One thing that’s different is that I’m 25% effaced… so I guess there is a little spark of hope that we won’t have to go another full four weeks. I just don’t know where she’s going to go if it takes that long. I already feel like we don’t have any more room in there, and she’s trying to suffocate me!

Last weekend, some of my dear friends threw a surprise “Baby Sprinkle” for us! It was so sweet and nice to have some time with girlfriends. We did pampering things like a paraffin wax on our hands, and everyone pitched in to help us purchase a double stroller. We are SO LUCKY to have such great friends in our lives. (No pics, cuz it was a surprise and I didn’t know I needed to bring my camera!)

And now, here it is, the middle of the night, and I can’t sleep… maybe I’m nesting? There just seems to be so much to do, and so little time - and then you throw in Christmas and New Years and she’s going to be here before you know it!

Things to do before baby comes:

• Pack the bags
• Install the car seat (at least we know where it is, and it’s all cleaned up again)
• Hang things in the nursery (including a super-cute wall decal I just ordered)
• Order our new double stroller!
• Organize all the baby toiletries and find them homes again (right now they are in big plastic bags)
• Make baby blankets
• Make baby pacifier attacher
• Make a new sling
• Buy pacifiers
• Paint the kitchen/living/dining rooms
• Set up the home computer
• Wrap all the Christmas presents

I’m sure there’s a lot more, but that’s just the top of my head.

We might not have internet for a week or so, while J tries to get it set up in our office (there’s currently no phone line or cable in that room, and it’s on a slab) – so just a warning if you don’t hear from us for awhile!

*******

PS! I set up a guessing game for when BabyAwesome might arrive on the right of the page... so make your predictions!

First Day of "School"

First Dentist Appointment

Visit With Santa

We visited Santa at the Children's Museum once again this year, and Oh! what a difference a year makes!

Miss Bug was adorable. She was so excited to meet him, and she walked right up and gave him a big hug and sat on his lap. I think even Santa was a little surprised.

She did smile for a picture, but the hugging one was too cute to pass up.

When Santa asked what she wanted for Christmas, she kind of just grinned and seemed to be in some sort of stunned celebrity-induced euphoria. And then just hopped off his lap and went on her merry way.

The Christmas Card Update

We’re having so many “firsts” and changes around here lately that I think I’ll just give you the down and dirty quick update.

• Bug had her first dentist appointment – which went great – and she got a free ice cream cone out of the deal. We redeemed the free ice cream from Chic-fil-a immediately afterwards, and she finished off her nuggets by dipping them IN the ice cream. Gag. Delicious.
• Potty training is on hold for now. We gave it a good solid one/two week effort. The first few days we had a few successes, but it just didn’t quite click. She’s wearing pull-ups now, and we still sit on the potty every day, but she just hasn’t quite connected the urge to go with getting to the potty – or else she just doesn’t want to. She does stay dry for a lot longer these days, though. So no pressure, we’ll try again in a few weeks.
• We’ve decided that we’re taking a break from dance class until next year. About a month ago, they changed the songs/order of what they do in class, which set little MissBug off. She pouted at every new song, and decided to sit or stand in the corner when they would come on. At our class last week, she just decided to pout through the ENTIRE class - while very pregnant Mommy danced around trying to get her to participate. I’m sure it was a sight. Anyway – we want this to be fun, and if she doesn’t want to do it, that’s OK. So, we decided not to sign up for the December lessons, and we’ll try again next fall when she’s not TWO anymore.
• This week MissBug starts “school!” We’re enrolling her in a Parent’s Day Out program at a local church – it’s four hours, one day a week, and Mommy Bug is really looking forward to it. We decided to start her this month instead of next, so that hopefully there’s no association with the birth of BabyAwesome – in case she handles it the way she did with dance class.
• I’m going to be a full time stay at home mom! My last day at work is December 16th, and then I’m retiring from the architectural work-force for awhile. I’m really looking forward to being home with our two little girls, but I’m really scared and nervous about it too.
• My handy-man husband has been super busy with finally getting our house settled… and it’s almost there. We have nearly-every room painted, curtains and blinds hung, and we just got new furniture for the living room. There’s just one room (the junk room office) that’s still full of boxes, and the living room/kitchen to paint. Now that our Christmas decorations are up, it’s starting to really feel like home!
• Speaking of J – he’s been at his new job for a full YEAR now. He still really likes it and it is unbelievable how time flies. We're so lucky that he's finally in a place where he's doing something he enjoys. 

That’s the big news at our house these days… I feel like I just wrote a Christmas card update. So, Merry (early) Christmas!

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks and 2 days

Maternity clothes? Beginning to run out of ones that fit…

Sleep: I’m a pretty serious sleeper, and these days I can’t get enough. There are the many trips to the loo in the middle of the night, but I’ve been making up for those with naps during the day.

Best moment this week: Wednesday morning MissBug told my mom that Baby Awesome was in her belly. I think she thinks all bellies are now called “Awesome.”

She also told her that she was going to be a big sister, and hold and kiss the baby. She also said she was going to “hide” the baby… I’m hoping she was talking about playing hide and go seek.

Movement: She’s beginning to run out of room in there. She’s squirming away, but it’s getting more painful, and she’s all on my right side – kicking my ribs and things I didn’t know could hurt in there. She also gets the hiccups a lot.

Labor Signs: I have Braxton hicks whenever I have to pee – which is pretty often – but nothing regular or serious.

Belly Button in or out? In, sorta… now it’s mostly just flat.

What I miss: bladder control

What I am looking forward to: Meeting our new little girl!

Weekly Wisdom: I don’t believe for one second that cocoa butter, or any other kind of lotion will keep you from getting stretch marks. If you’re going to get them, you will – and if you’re one of those lucky people I hate that doesn’t get them, then you won’t. Period. That’s just how it works.

I got so many stretch marks with Bug that I can’t tell the new from the old with this one. And I RELIGOUSLY applied the cocoa butter with the first pregnancy, and pretty much gave it up with this one.

All dreams of being a Victoria’s Secret model are out the window – I’m OK with that. I’m going to have a couple beautiful little girls who make it worth it.

Milestones: Just FORTY days to go! Just had my last of the quick two week check-ups. Starting in two weeks (36 weeks), we’ll get to start weekly visits and exams to see how we’re progressing down there. At 36 weeks with MissBug I was 3 cm dilated… so cross your fingers!

when left to her own amusement...

Yesterday, (after talking and playing for about an hour) when I went in to get MissBug up from her nap, she was a little startled and looked as if she was caught in the act of doing something wrong.

She had her socks on her hands, and her pants pulled up to her knees, and a big grin on her face.

And even when I got her out of bed, she walked downstairs, played with toys and continued to wear her socks on her hands for about ten minutes.

She, of course, decided to take them off as I was getting the camera out.

Turkey Time

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wondeful Thanksgiving with family and friends - two of them actually.

Prior to the big turkey day, we had a playdate with our friends the Macks, James, and Lands and made our very own turkey shirts. The shirts turned out really cute (they say "I'm Thankful for My Family") and the back of Miss Bug's has her handprint. The following day was MOPS, so we decided to dress up our kiddos in their shirts and try to get a picture of all of them together...

This is the best I could get. But to be really honest, it's a pretty good description of their personalities/talents at the moment... (from L to R) Sarah is pretty laid back and easy going; Annabelle is just starting to sit up; at the time, Abby was spending most of her time sleeping; Connor is quite the little ladies man; and then there's Bug. The picture says it all. She's TWO.

She was all smiles before the picture. And then, when I asked her to participate, her answer was of course, "No." And when I forced her to participate, the hysterics began.

So that’s our precious little Bug. Always the life of the party.

And not in the other pictures. She's probably laying on the floor kicking and screaming.

I have family pictures from the actual Thankgiving celebrations to come... but between the TWO YEAR OLD and being SIX WEEKS away from my due date, I'm not feeling so up to blogging these days!

Tasty Tuesday - Quick Mix Pizza Dough

We make our own pizza about once a week, usually on Friday nights. I've been through a lot of recipes - some using the bread machine, some that need to sit overnight, some that use my kitchen-aid mixer, but this is our new favorite pizza dough recipe. And to make it even better, it comes with directions to freeze it, and doesn't take any special equipment.

Quick Mix Pizza Dough



1c. water
2T olive oil
3-3 1/2c. flour
1 pkg. (2 1/4t.) active dry yeast
1t. sugar
1/2t. salt

Recipe yields 2 medium or large crusts, depending on thickness.

Cooking day instructions
Heat water and olive oil to 120 degrees. In bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour with yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water and mix with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups additional flour by hand to form a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes, adding rest of flour as needed. Dough should be smooth and elastic but not sticky. Shape into a ball and place in greased bowl. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch down and divide in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and freeze in freezer bag.


Serving day instructions
Thaw completely. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out pizza dough directly onto pizza pan or baking stone. Prick crust with fork, then parbake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, add toppings, and return to over to continue baking for 10-15 minutes more until done.  (I usually parbake for about 8 minutes, and bake for about 10.)

ONE day of Potty Training

EIGHT pairs of panties
TWO rolls of toilet paper
TWO rolls of paper towels
ONE HALF GALLON chocolate milk
COUNTLESS amounts of water and hand soap
TOO MANY TO COUNT readings of “The Princess & The Pea”
TWO phone calls to celebrate our success
TWO gold stars
FOUR M&Ms (one for each hand)

= ONE very long, very hot shower for a very sore, very tired, very pregnant Momma

Potty Training Bootcamp

Other than going in the potty once, way back in June, Bug’s potty training has been pretty much non-existent.

We’ve had a little potty in the house, and I try to encourage it when I think of it, but we haven’t had any really consistent work with it. I blame the move, and my own lack of motivation from being tired and pregnant.

I recently realized, however, that if I don’t get her potty trained soon, then I’m going to have two in diapers, which I’d really like to avoid… And with only 9 weeks left to the arrival of Baby Awesome, and Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all in there, that doesn’t leave much time for potty training.

So a few weeks ago, I began reading all the potty training materials I could get my hands on. I’ve decided to meld together a few different “techniques” and pretty much go no-holds-barred for the next three to four days and see what happens.

And I have absolutely NO IDEA what I’m doing.

With everything I've read they all start with, “Is your child ready?” This question irks me. Physically and mentally she is definitely ready. But, the “is she ready?” questions never address items like, “Does your child adamantly refuse to do anything that you suggest, no matter what it is, just because you suggest it?” I’m sure if it did, the answer would be, “then she’s not ready.”

I’m not willing to accept this, because I’m pretty sure she’s going to refuse to do anything I suggest for pretty much the rest of her life because she is my daughter, and even to this day I tend to be like that with my own mother. (Sorry mom, it’s just a reaction, I can’t control it.)

So here’s my plan for Potty Training Bootcamp:

• We’re going to make a big deal of how it’s her “Big Potty Day!” (we’ve been building this up for the last few days and counting down)
• We’ve been reading potty books before bed for the last few nights
• Her little friend, Maura, who is four, is going to spend the morning with us tomorrow – and hopefully show MissBug how to use the “big potty”
• We’re going to “throw away” all the diapers
• We have new princess panties
• We’re going to spend the next three days in the princess panties and a t-shirt, and stay home
• She picked out her own Dora potty seat, which will be unveiled tomorrow (she’s forgotten about it)
• We have M&Ms for rewards for going in the potty
• We have lots of chocolate milk (not something she gets daily, and her favorite), Capri Suns (extra treat), and salty snacks – to encourage the drinking
• We have a potty chart and stickers
• We get to call Daddy if she goes in the potty

I’m going to give this a big GIANT effort over the next four days, and if by Monday she’s not making any progress, then she’s going to have to wait until Kindergarten and we’ll just change the diapers.

I’d love all the help, wise words, etc. I can get!

Tasty Tuesday - Five Minute Chocolate Cake

This recipe is a horrible, terrible thing to share. Because it really is a chocolate cake in FIVE MINUTES. In the MICROWAVE. And it's delicious.

I have to work very hard not to make one daily.

I got the recipe from our realtor. She was nice enough to leave it on our doorstep this Halloween with a bag of chocolate chips, so the recipe is copied straight from what she gave me... enjoy!

5 Minute Chocolate Cake


4T flour
4T sugar
2T cocoa
1 egg
3T milk
3T oil
4T chocolate chips (this is the only change I'd make, I really think these are optional, and I would at least cut it to 2T)
Splash of Vanilla
1 Large Coffee Mug

Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add chocolate chips and vanilla and mix again.
Put mug in the microwave on saucer and cook for 3 minutes. (Cake may rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed.)
Allow to cool for 3 minutes, then dump out on saucer.
EAT! (This can serve two if so desired.)


Why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because we are now only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Happy Halloween!

We spent Halloween at my parent's house. MissBug went trick-or-treating through the neighborhood, and was much better at it by this time than she was at Zoo-Boo.

She did insist on riding on Daddy's shoulders between every house. We didn't go to that many houses, but she insisted on being carried to them.

She was required to walk up to the front doors on her own to get the candy, though.

By the end of the night she was a pro.

And she ate a LOT of candy.

The next morning, J got her out of bed, and I laid in bed listening to them on the monitor. It went something like this:

Daddy: "Good morning Bug."

Bug: "Treat!"

Daddy: "No more trick-or-treat, sweetie. Halloween is over."

Bug: "Candy!"

Daddy: "I think we've created a monster."

Pumpkin Carving

The night before Halloween we carved our pumpkins. MissBug has been carrying her “baby pumpkin” around for about a month now. It was going to bed with her, eating meals with us, and pretty much a close family friend.

Surprisingly, cutting Baby Pumpkin open and pulling out his guts didn’t seem to bother her too much. She was slightly grossed out, but not like last year when she shivered and wouldn’t touch the insides.

As soon as J cut the top off, she stuck her little hand in and grabbed a handful and stuck it in her mouth. Gross.

Afterwards, I roasted the pumpkin seeds and we watched Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin.

I’d like to add that J and I were both slightly disappointed in this movie… we hadn’t seen it since we were kids, and we both remembered the Great Pumpkin coming – he doesn’t – but for some reason, we both were just sure that he did.

More Fall Fun

On Thursday before Halloween we celebrated with J's family. Poppy got a hay wagon just for the occassion, so we all got to go on a big hayride. The kiddos also got to pick their own pumpkins that Poppy and Moo-moo grew for them, and decorate halloween cookies.

Zoo-Boo

We did all sorts of fun Halloween activities over the last week. Our fun-filled week kicked off the Sunday before Halloween with a trip to the zoo for "Zoo-Boo."

Miss Bug tried out her costume for the first time too. She was supposed to be a bumble-bee, but with the recent obsession with tu-tus I had to make one of those to go with it... so she was a "Bumble-bee Princess."

And if you asked her, she was just a Princess.

MissBug's very first attempt at trick-or-treating...

Tasty Tuesday - Creamy Chicken & Noodles

For some time now, I've been looking for a recipe for chicken and noodles that's somewhere between soup and dumplings. The kind of thing I remember eating in the school cafeteria - the kind that's almost like gravy, and you can't eat it without mashed potatoes and bread. I have made a lot of recipes that are not any of these things... but Sunday night, I think we may have found the ONE. And to make things even better, it's really simple.

Creamy Chicken & Noodles


1 (26 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 (9 ounce) packages frozen egg noodles

In a large pot, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, and chicken meat. Season with onion powder, seasoning salt, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, and stir in the noodles. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

(I added a bay leaf, used about 5 cups chicken broth, and three shredded boneless chicken breasts. I didn’t have any seasoning salt, so I added about 1/4t. salt. I also read in the reviews that it is really important to use the frozen noodles, and not dried for this recipe.)

We served it over buttermilk mashed potatoes with crusty bread. Delicious!

I found the grapes...

I found the grapes under my kitchen sink the other day.

I'm loosing my mind. The baby is killing all my brain cells.

Well actually, if I'm being honest, I found the grapes under the sink at least a month ago. Because I'm loosing my mind I didn't remember to post it until today.

Pumpkin Playdate

Last week we made a trip Waterman's for their Fall Harvest Festival with our good buddies The Macks, The James, and The Lands... between us we had five kiddos (and one in utero) all under the age of 26 months. Whew.

Miss Bug's bestest friend in the world is Sarah, and they were sure happy to see each other. (Bug asks me almost every day if she gets to see Sarah.) They're only about three months apart, and they've been buddies since they were about seven and ten months old. Sarah just got a little sister, Abby, about three weeks ago, so they hadn't seen each other in a little bit longer than they were used to and I think they were going through withdrawals.

Their relationship works pretty much like this:  Bug drags Sarah around and tells her what to do. Sarah, a very laid back little gal, takes it like a champ.

Bug got to try out a bouncy house for the first time. And of course, picked a pumpkin and took a hayride.

The crowd:

After I looked through these pictures (and the other 50 I took that day), and saw all of us Mommies, my very first and honest thought was, "Boy, we all look really tired."

Happy Fall!

28 Weeks!

How far along? 28 weeks

Maternity clothes? Are you serious?

Sleep: As much as possible.

Best moment this week: I was at a conference all day on Monday – like 15 hours all day – and on my feet all day. (Got up at 4am to drive to Fort Wayne for the conference.)

While aimlessly wandering around and talking to vendors at random booths, a salesman asked me when I was due. After telling him I still have 12 weeks to go, he got this look of “genuine” surprise on his face and said, “Wow. You look great!” And with so much sincerity that I was slightly startled.

I knew with every ounce of my being that I did not look great. (This was about hour 12 of standing on my feet.) I was pretty darn sure that I looked like I’d been run over by a truck.

Needless to say, he was a really good salesman. He could have won an Oscar for that performance, because it got me through the rest of the day. :)

Movement: All over the place. This girl never stops.

Labor Signs: Few Braxton Hicks here and there, but nothing too serious.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Going up a flight of stairs without having to stop and catch my breath.

What I am looking forward to: The hospital stay. Yeah, seriously. The hospital stay with Bug was like getting to visit a spa. Everyone waiting on you hand and foot, and you just get to bask and glow in the new baby happiness. God willing, there are no complications, I’m really looking forward to it.

Weekly Wisdom: blah blah blah

Milestones: Third trimester! We’re in the home stretch!

First Haircut for Bug

On Tuesday, Bug got her first real haircut. My mom and I took her to Cookie Cutters where it was all fun and games, until the actual cutting began. ...not so sure about this.
And moments later, we'd resorted to turning on cartoons and pulling out the paci - just to get her to stay still.

But she lived! And her hair looks beautiful!

Yes, I am Afraid of Needles

Yesterday was my regular Dr.’s appointment for Baby Awesome, and everything went well. She’s almost 28 weeks, so it was time for the dreaded glucose test and my Rhogam shot. I hate both of these things. The glucose test tastes disgusting, and the Rhogam shot is surprisingly painful. (Although, I will say that the shot I got after Bug was born didn’t even faze me since I’d just given birth.)

Anyway, I got to thinking about this appointment about two years ago when I was pregnant with Bug, and this little story makes me chuckle… so I thought I’d repost.

Originally posted Friday, June 15, 2007

…It was a long appointment and I was feeling a little shaky by the time they got around to my [Rhogam] shot, after having nothing to eat all morning except this yucky orange drink they give you for the glucose test and then having four vials of blood removed.

The nurse came in to give me my shot and began explaining that I was going to have to get it in my cheek.

My CHEEK?! (Remember I was a little light-headed by this point.)

I thought she was implying that she was going to stick the giant needle in the side of my face.

As I restrained myself from running out of the room, thoughts of “I did NOT sign up for this!” ran through my head. No one ever mentioned needles in my FACE.

The look of fear on my face must have been pretty funny, because the nurse started laughing really hard at me as she explained that she meant another cheek that wasn’t on my face.

OH… Ok, that one I think I can handle.

A Name for Awesome

So, let's talk about BabyAwesome's name.

I've tried to not include MissBug's name on here in order to give her a little privacy later in life. It's probably not going to work, but I thought the less I could associate her real name with naked baby pictures, probably the better for when she hits adolescence. So, I'm going to do the same for little BabyAwesome, except for this one post.

I'm going to put this out there, because J and I need some feedback on BabyAwesome's name, and I would like to enlist the help of the Internet.

We're going to call BabyAwesome, Violet. That's set in stone (so long as a girl actually comes out), so no use giving us new first names (You know who you are. Mom. Dad.)

What we're having trouble with is her middle name.

We really like the middle name "Isla" (pronounced eye-luh), but we're (I'm) a little hung up on whether or not this will scar her for life. I really love it... but it sort of rhymes with her first name. And there's the issue that no one will be able to spell it.

Violet Isla

So what are your thoughts? I promise, you won't hurt my feelings, this is her NAME, and I don't want to mess her up straight out of the womb.

Big Girl Bed

This week MissBug started sleeping in her very own Big Girl Bed. Daddy finished painting her room, and putting up chair rail, so we set up the furniture and got her all settled in. All that's left now are curtains and decorations!

She's spent three nights in her bed now, and she's done really well. (I think she kind of still thinks it's actually a crib, though, since we've got the bed rails on there.) She was really excited about it, and has enjoyed showing everyone who comes over her "Big Girl Bed."

As if the ballet classes and tu-tu weren't enough, now she's got a princess room to go with it... when BabyAwesome comes along, Daddy is going to be drowning in girly-ness!

Baby Ballerina

On her way to her very first dance class... MissBug started taking a ballet/tap class about three weeks ago, and I'm not sure we've taken the tu-tu off since. She loves her class - it's 30 minutes long, and it's a Mommy & Me class, so by the end of the class we're both pooped.

Since she started her ballet class, now everything is a "pretty princess." I'm also not joking about the tu-tu. She wears it over her clothes most days, all around the house, and out into the world if I let her. She has her very own tap shoes, which she also insists on wearing as much as possible - although, when it comes to actually tapping in the class, she doesn't have much patience for it. When spend a lot of time now dancing around the house on our tippy toes, spinning and turning and being a "princess."

She's such a girly-girl right now. :) I'm eating this up!

And... there's even a recital in May/June!

Happy Anniversary

four years ago today...