Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas!

We're in Lafayette for a few days of family fun and togetherness. It's so nice being back "home" where the pace of life is slower. There's no pressure to get things done, and almost no responsibility, beside taking care of the kids. It's nice to do this every so often and recharge. I have my parents and sister to help with Zoe, and I appreciate it so much since I don't have them around very often.

We arrived on Saturday after a nice drive here. We took both cars, since Darren has to work tomorrow and will be heading home later today. Zoe rode with me, and she slept almost the whole way. I enjoyed listening to the radio, and not having anyone talking my head off. Mom had dinner ready for us, then Darren and I went to get coffee and walk around a new area near Mom and Dad's house.

Sunday, we hung out in our jammies in the morning, then Mom and Dad took Zach to the airport to pick up Natalie and Kevin. We were able to spend a little while with them before taking the kids and heading to Darren's sister Erin's house in Maurice. There were gathered Erin, her husband, son and daughter, Darren's mom and stepdad, Darren's sister Kathleen, Darren's brother Sean and his family, his aunts Myrtle and Bea, Uncle Rick, cousin Pam, and her sons. We had a very enjoyable afternoon catching up with everyone, then all left to go to Acadian Village in Lafayette to see the Christmas lights there. We met my parents and Natalie and Kevin there, but they left when we arrived. They took Zoe with them, which was nice. We were able to walk around and look at the lights, and take Zach on as many rides as he wanted. It was cold and muddy, and we all had enough after a couple of hours.

Yesterday, Natalie and I headed to Target for some last-minute shopping. It's a family tradition to brave the crowds on Christmas Eve for all of those stocking stuffers that I didn't think we needed, but Natalie insists on. Afterward, Mom, Dad, and Natalie headed to church while Zoe and I napped on the couch. I woke up, and Kevin and I made homemade macaroni and cheese, cooked a ham, and baked a cake. We all had dinner together, and Zachary kept asking when he could go to bed so that it would be Christmas sooner. It was really cute! We also tracked Santa on the NORAD website all evening. Dad took Darren, the kids and me to ride around and look at lights. We didn't make it very far; we ended up at the home of my parents' former next-door neighbors. They were waiting for their daughter and her family to come over to exchange gifts, so we waited with them so we could meet Jenny's daughter Stella. After we left their house, Mom called and sent us on a quest for a candy thermometer. The only businesses still open were a couple of drugstores, but we struck out at both. We came home, put the kids to bed, then the adults began assembling the Santa presents. That took until after midnight, and we all promptly crashed. Zoe slept in her carseat from 9:00 last night until 4:00 this morning, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Zach woke everyone up at 7:00 this morning to annouce that Santa Claus had come. We all stubled into the living room, where we opened our stockings and tried to wake up. We were able to postpone opening gifts until 9:00, while everyone got dressed. It took us over an hour to unwrap everything, then Darren cooked breakfast tacos for everyone. Afterward, Zoe and I took a nap until 1:00. She is not sleeping well during the day unless someone sleeps with her, and I am all too happy to oblige!

Now, Mom and Dad are cooking steak for lunch, and Zach is trying to convince everyone to play with him. I guess Darren will head back to Houston after we eat, and I might try to drag someone out to go and take pictures around Lafayette. Tomorrow, we are heading to New Orleans for the day, and I think I am taking Natalie to register for her baby things on Thursday. It will be a nice week!

Friday, December 21, 2007

So Many Stories, So Little Sleep

I have been meaning to post since last weekend, but there hasn't been a stretch of time for me to collect my thoughts and write. I have been busier than ever, and now, we are leaving to go to Louisiana tomorrow for Christmas. The only thing I have accomplished is wrapping all of the gifts; I haven't packed or straightened up the house. At least all of the clothes are clean...I am getting up at 6:00 in hopes of being ready to leave at 9:15. Wish me luck!

I left Zoe with the babysitter for a couple of hours last Friday so I could go to school. I cried like a baby the whole time I was away from her, and even after I picked her up. It was bad! At least I got it out of my system, for now. We'll see what happens when I go back for good on January 2nd. Maybe I'll win the lottery between now and then.

My parents came in last weekend and we had a good time with them. We went to Pappadeaux Friday night, and did some shopping on Saturday. Darren, Mom, Zoe and I braved the crowds to finish our shopping for Zach for Christmas. Afterward, we went and picked up Zach and Dad, and went down to REI to pick out my bike that Darren is giving me for Christmas. We went home for a while, then headed to Galveston. We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, then went to Moody Gardens. We saw the Polar Express in 3-D. That was really cool, but Darren and I missed the middle of the movie. I was so excited that we were able to take Zoe to a movie, then she had a nasty blowout diaper in the really dark movie theater. That was quite an adventure, getting her cleaned up without spreading it everywhere. I did get to wear baby poop on my arm and leg for the rest of the evening.

After the movie, we went to walk through the Festival of Lights. It was supposedly 55 degrees outside, but I think it was 20 degrees colder with the windchill factor. The wind was blowing so hard that my forehead was frozen, and my mom and I were laughing so hard at the ridiculousness of the situation. We ditched the lights about a third of the way through the walk, and headed home.

OK, I'm too tired to finish this post, so I'll write more later. Good night.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Less Than a Week to Go!

I am going to try to focus on the positives about going back to work. My kids are going to be well taken care of, I will get to socialize with grown-ups, I will be making money again, and my kids will be happy to have me back. There, now that I've said that, I can return to my self-pitying state that I am currently in. My time will be dictated for me, Zach will have to go to after-school care and Zoe to a babysitter, and our time together will be much shorter. It's not forever, but it sure feels like it.

We've been doing a lot of holiday-related things together as a family for the past few days, and it's been a lot of fun. Saturday was hectic beyond belief; we had Breakfast with Santa at Zach's school, then we went out to breakfast, since there wasn't much left by the time we got to school. Zach enjoyed seeing his school friends, making crafts, and taking a picture with Santa. Afterward, we went home, and a man came to install our new AT&T U-Verse cable and internet. He spent over five hours at our house, and we now have more channels than we could ever possibly watch. We even have the Horse-Racing Network! How did I ever live without that? While that was going on, I went and had a greatly-needed massage and haircut. What is sad is that the therapist spent most of the hour working on my left shoulder, and wasn't able to relieve the tension. I need to go back and have another massage, or maybe quit holding a baby all the time. I think I'll choose another massage. I also got my first haircut since April, and it doesn't look very different. After that, I swung by the house, picked up Zach, and took him to a skating party. I went home for an hour, fed Zoe, then went to pick Zach up. We stopped and picked up a pizza on the way home, then spent the evening in front of our TV. My friend Jen came over to borrow a gingerbread man cookie cutter, and I ended up making icing for her. She did take a video of my kids, so I guess I shouldn't complain!

Sunday, we sat around until almost 2:30, then left the house to go and look for a new receiver for our TV. We ended up buying one, then went and parked at HEB. We caught a trolley there that took us along the Woodlands Waterway to the mall, where we bought a couple of Christmas presents. We decided to walk back to Market Street, and took a detour to look at the lights around the ice-skating rink and to eat dinner at La Madeleine. After all of that, we trudged through the aisles of HEB to get our greatly-needed groceries.

Yesterday, my parents' best friends came to Houston, and they came over for a couple of hours to visit. It's always so nice to see people from "home", and they are like second parents to me. I wish we could see them more often, but they have a second house in New Hampshire, and spend a lot of time there.

My plans for the rest of the week include finishing my Christmas cards, wrapping presents, getting some of my baking done, and trying to keep the house clean. Maybe I'll even have time to sit down and read. We'll see. I go back to work for three action-packed days next week, then we are headed to Louisiana on the 22nd for Christmas. Darren has to work on the 26th, but I want to stay longer, so we'll probably go in two cars. I have a lot to get done before then!

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Sunday Adventure

The Sweet Life of Zach and Zoe



Here is a video that my friend Jennifer took of my kids. I am horrible about videotaping, so she took matters into her own hands. Thanks, Jen!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Moving Right Along

It seems like time has sped up significantly for me in the past few days. I am sure it has something to do with the fact that I go back to work all too soon, and the need that I feel to finish my Christmas preparations before then. I also have all sorts of other projects that I really want to get done, but I need a dose of realism. Do I regret not getting these things done? No, I don't. I'm just thankful that I have accomplished some things besides being an unshowered, babbling idiot until Darren gets home in the evening. I manage to get dressed every day, take care of Zoe, usually leave the house, get Zach off the bus in the afternoon, and take care of his homework. I am trying really hard to savor every moment that I have at home with the kids right now, because that memory is going to need to get me to June 6th. Sure, I'll have the weekends and school breaks, but it's not the same.

I hate Comcast! We just lost our Internet connection, so I am currently connected to a neighbor. It just lost the rest of my post, and I am sure it was Pulitzer Prize-worthy writing. I have a baby who needs attention; maybe I'll be able to recover the rest of the post, but I doubt it. Bummer.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Two Months!




The first picture shows Zach and me with our new glasses. Zach lost his first tooth last night, so we had to take lots of pictures to document it. For some strange reason, he needed to wear his school sweatshirt and his knit hat for the picture. He was so excited about losing his first tooth that he accosted everyone in Michael's last night to tell them the story of how it came out. He began with lunchtime yesterday at school, when he hit it with his hand, cried and went to the nurse. The story's dramatic conclusion comes when Mommy flicked it out of his mouth, and we had to crawl around on the carpet to find it. I was informed that the tooth fairy leaves $5 for teeth, and I always got a pack of gum, so a very happy little boy found a pack of gum and a fiver in his custom-made Cars tooth fairy pillow (thanks Aunt Natalie) this morning.

The second picture shows my smiling sweetheart. I still can't believe that she is already two months old. Where did the time go? Zoe now smiles on a regular basis, coos, and can raise her upper body on her arms. She is such a doll; we are so fortunate to have her! I am still having a hard time accepting the fact that I have to leave her to go back to work soon, but my consolation is that I have until next August to find something else to do.

I signed up for a childbirth education certification course last week, and my textbooks and materials arrived today. I haven't looked through them yet, but can't wait. I think this will be a good career move for me; I will still use my teaching skills, but to teach something I am interested in, to a willing audience. I still have to work out the details of how and where I will give classes, but I am hoping that my OB will help me with that. I am thinking that maybe she will allow me to give the classes at her office, and distribute flyers to her patients. The only childbirth classes that I know of in this area are offered through the hospital, and they fill up months in advance. If this works out, I will probably add postnatal education to my certificate. Maybe I'll even go to nursing school farther on down the line. There are a lot of possibilities, and I am looking forward to learning again. I have been craving a mental challenge, and not getting it (in a good way) through my current teaching position. I hope this is the answer I was looking for.

I guess this means I am going to have to wean myself off the computer, but there are so many things I do on here every day. I check my e-mail multiple times, read blogs that I track on Bloglines, check eBay, MySpace, Facebook, and my school e-mail, play on Twitter, and now play with my photos on Flickr. I still have lots of pictures to upload to Snapfish and order prints as well. I need to become more efficient with my computer time, I guess.

All right, I am going check out my box of goodies that arrived today. We spent three hours this evening decorating a cake for Zach's Cub Scout meeting/cake auction that is tomorrow, and I deserve some down time.

I am Socks!

You Are Socks!

Cozy and warm... but easily lost.
You make a good puppet.


I try not to give crappy Christmas gifts, and give something that a person would truly like. It seems like it gets harder and harder every year, because most of the people I buy for would just go out and buy something if they wanted it.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Thanksgiving 2007

We headed to Galveston for the day to spend it with Darren's dad and stepmom. It was a great day, with lots of great food. Also there were Darren's brother Sean, his wife Jamie, and their kids, Darren's sister Erin, her husband Steven, with Maggie and Eric, and Darren's stepbrother's wife Tracie, and her kids. The kids played outside all afternoon and evening in the cold while the grown-ups relaxed inside. We drove home that night full of food and good memories. It was so much fun to have a large family gathering, since my family was so small growing up.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Up Too Late, As Usual

OK, here are the details about my surgery (not that anyone has asked). I went to see the doctor Wednesday, and was in the office forever. When I was leaving, the nurse called the hospital to schedule surgery. First, it was going to be Tuesday. Then, she asks if 1:15 the next day was good for me. It was 5:15 in the afternoon, and I knew Darren was about to leave work. I called him to ask if that was all right with him, and he arranged to stay late that night and work from home the next two days.

I flew out of the doctor's office, picked up Zach from after-school care, and went back to the hospital to do my bloodwork and pre-op paperwork. My friend Jennifer was kind enough to meet me at the hospital and watch the kids so I could get everything done. Afterward, we went home and I made arrangements for someone to take over my Cub Scout meeting the next evening, and canceled my eye doctor and chiropractor's appointments for the next couple of days. We arranged for Jen to take a half-day off work the next day, come and get Zoe from the hospital, get Zach off the bus, and take him to Cub Scouts that evening. She was a life-saver!

The next morning, I packed my bag for the hospital, and tried to be brave. I was really upset that my mom wasn't coming in, but didn't feel like I could ask her to. She called, we both cried, and she arranged to come in the next day and fly to South Carolina Tuesday morning to be with my sister. I became really scared around 9:00 that morning, and couldn't stop crying. I hadn't had surgery since I was 18 and had my wisdom teeth out, and didn't like the idea of having yet another IV, along with general anesthesia. I pulled myself together, and we left for the hospital around 10:45 that morning.

When we arrived at the hospital, we had to see the cashier, then go up to the surgery waiting area. I guess I expected to be put in a hospital room, but where they took me was one large room with a nurses' desk in the middle, and some curtained-off rooms around the edge of the room. I got undressed and waited for what seemed like forever. My neighbor, who is a surgical nurse, came by to see me, along with my OB, Dr. Johnson. She stayed with me for a long time, even holding my hand while the anesthesiologist put the IV in. She instructed my surgeon to put me on the second floor after my surgery, which is the Women's Specialty Unit at the hospital.

Darren came to sit with me once I was prepped for surgery, and Jen came to get Zoe. They rolled me back to the operating room, and all of the nurses in there introduced themselves. They moved me to the operating table, and put me to sleep. What seemed like immediately afterward, I was waking up in the recovery room. I was moved to a regular patient room where Darren was waiting for me, but they couldn't find a bed for me for a couple of hours. I ended up with an ICU bed, which is an air bed. I was tethered in bed by my IV, foot pump things, and morphine pump. I didn't feel too bad after surgery; I just wanted to sleep. Darren left around 6:00 to go and pick Zach up from Cub Scouts, and the nurse gave me a dose of Phenergan. I passed out until 7:00, when Jen and Zoe arrived. Darren and Zach followed shortly after, and Zach was bouncing all over the place. I just wanted them all to leave so I could sleep. Dr. Johnson stopped by to see me on her way home, which was really sweet of her. Darren took the kids home sometime after 8:00, and Jen stayed until visiting hours ended at 9:00.

It wasn't a fun night; someone had to come and get me up anytime I went to the bathroom, and it seemed like there was someone in the room constantly, checking my vital signs or checking the IV pump. The next morning, my nurse put a sign on the door instructing everyone to stay out unless they checked with her first. Finally, I got some sleep!

My parents and Zoe arrived sometime around 2:00, and Darren stayed home to work and get Zach off the bus. I started walking around, and the doctor came to see me at almost 4:00. I was discharged around 4:30, and couldn't wait to get home. I walked around some that evening, but was really sore. The gas was uncomfortable, and walking is the cure for it. I slept for 14 hours that night, and woke up feeling better on Saturday.

Mom,Zoe, and I did some Christmas shopping on Saturday, and Darren and Dad took Zach to run errands. We stayed home that night, missing the Lighting of the Doves. A huge storm hit during the night, and I spent a lot of the night on the couch downstairs. Of course, I wasn't tired after all the sleep I got the night before. Dad left early Sunday morning, and we hung out at home. Darren and I went to the grocery store that evening, and my neighbor brought us dinner.

Today, Mom and I were busy. I went to the eye doctor, picked Zach up from school, took Mom to the chiropractor, went to the grocery store twice, cooked dinner, and visited with an old friend this evening. I will be sad to see Mom leave in the morning, but am looking forward to a couple of days of relaxing. Zach is off school Wednesday, so we'll see how much relaxing I get to do. We are going to head to Galveston to Darren's dad's for Thanksglving, and maybe to the Renaissance Festival Friday, since it is the last weekend of it this year.

Friday, November 16, 2007

What I Did Yesterday


Enjoy the view of my surgery scars. As an added bonus, you can see the lovely stretch marks that I earned with my last pregnancy. My stomach still has iodine painted on it, and I am nice and bloated from the gas they pump you up with during surgery.

I'll post more details later (not that anyone really cares, right?) when I am not hopped up on Vicodin and Phenergan.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Eviction Notice

Dear Gallbladder,

We've had a good run, but after almost 33 years of pain-free co-existence, the time has come for us to part. After the attacks that landed me in the hospital in July, I decided not to make a hasty decision to have you removed. Since I was pregnant at the time, it would have been risky. You've behaved yourself since August, and I thought that we were going to be able to continue living together in peace.

After the stunt you pulled Saturday night that resulted in three hours of agony, a frantic call to my OB (she has the records from the ultrasound in July), and an ER visit that was a complete waste of time, you've got to go. I'm still angry about the unnecessary IV that was installed in my arm, then removed shortly afterward. Then, last night around 3:00, you decided to act up again. This time, I took two Vicodin, tried to relax and focus on my breathing, and passed out after an hour.

Never again. I have an appoinment with a surgeon Wednesday. I don't know when the surgery can be done, and I am scared as hell, but I do not want to go through an attack again. It feels like someone is squeezing you all the way around your body below your chest, accompanied by severe burning. All of that makes it hard to breathe. Fun.

I'll probably have to go through this without my mom, because she can't come in until the week after Thankgiving. Since I won't be able to lift Zoe for a few days, I am hoping I can rely on my friends to come over and help me during the day when Darren is gone. We'll see...

Friday, November 09, 2007

What a Day!

I knew today was going to be hectic, but I had no idea to what extent it would be. I had a 9:00 appointment with my chiropractor, so I set my alarm for 7:00. I hit snooze until almost 7:30, which was a feat, considering I had to roll across the bed and reach over the sleeping baby to hit the button on my clock. I don't know what I did until 8:00, when I began sitting next to the phone, waiting to hear if my sister passed her National Board Certification (she did!). After she called at 8:10, I took a shower, got dressed, dressed the baby, fed her, gathered up an extra bottle, my camera, the diaper bag, and a library book. I managed to leave the house at 8:52 and fly to my appointment.

When I left the chiropractor, I stopped and got breakfast at Chick-Fil-A, then went to the library. Zoe fell asleep on the way there, so I allowed myself ten whole minutes to look for books. I found five, checked out, and climbed back into the car. I then drove all the way across town to my 10:30 appointment with my OB. She did all the usual post-partum things to me, I visited with everyone in the office, took a picture of Dr. Johnson holding Zoe, gave Zoe a bottle, and left there around 11:15. I don't get to see them again until April, which makes me sad. Again, the unnatural attachment to my doctor...

Our learning community at school was having a special luncheon today for the students who made all E's in conduct, so I decided it was as good a time as any to go by and show the students Zoe. I had a hard time making it from the door to the library at school, because I kept getting stopped by both students and teachers who wanted to look at her. I ended up going to all four classrooms in our community so they could see Zoe, the front office, and the teachers' lounge. It took over an hour, but I am glad I went. Seeing all of my students, and how happy they were to see me, made me feel better about having to go back to work. I've been having some serious issues with that, and I get teary-eyed every time I think of having to leave Zoe with someone else.

I've been wanting to get out of teaching for a while, and this break has given me an opportunity to try to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. It's not that I really dislike teaching, it's all the paperwork and extra responsibilities that get thrown at us, and the lack of flexibility. I've always wanted to own my own business again, but I am not sure what exactly I'd want to have. I do know that it would be just about impossible to start something now, and still get to spend some time with my kids. Besides that, I've always wanted to go to culinary school. I don't want to work in a restaurant; maybe catering? Again, not a good choice with young children. Since I had such a good experience with Zoe's birth, and an unnatural attachment to my doctor, I briefly considered becoming a midwife, so I could work with her. I realized that I would have to become a nurse first, and my husband pointed out that I probably couldn't handle watching childbirth. I did find something promising, which would be to become a childbirth educator. All that is involved in that is reading some material and taking a test. I talked to Dr. Johnson about that today, and she said that I might be able to find some doctors who would allow me to conduct classes in their office. The hospital would rather someone with an RN. I also applied to be the person at the hospital who goes around and takes pictures of the babies. I really think I am being pulled in the direction of working with babies, but I am still not sure how. I am really hoping that this is my last year as a teacher, at least in public school. I could try private school, but I really want to work part-time, so that I can have more time for the kids, and more time to get things done around the house. I don't think I'm meant to stay at home all the time, because I wouldn't have enough social interaction with other grown-ups, and because we do need for me to bring in some money.

After that amazing tangent, here's the rest of my day: I left school, went to Michael's and bought a Cub Scout scrapbook for Zach (another scrapbook to keep up with; I must be crazy!), then came home. I spent some time cleaning up, but didn't accomplish enough, and when it was just about time for Zach to get home, I started getting phone calls, and one of his friends came by to see if he could play. When Zach did get home, I took him to ride his bike around the cul-de-sac next to our house, then two friends came to play. Darren brought home Raising Cane's, and we are taking it easy tonight. This weekend, we plan to work in our yard, and we have a block party on Sunday. I hope the weather cooperates. It was almost 80 degrees here today. My air conditioner is running right now. Craziness!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Not Gonna Happen

I was really motivated to participate in NaBloPoMo, but the days seem to be escaping me more and more right now, and there's no way I can post every day. There's always next year...

I sat down Monday morning to post about our weekend, but realized I was running late for the chiropractor. I am cramming in every medical appointment that I can right now, since I will not have any more days to take off work with pay once I go back to work. So, Zach and Zoe aren't allowed to get sick until after June 6th, unless it's on a weekend or holiday. Right.

Here's how my week is shaping up: I have a chiropractor's appointment Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:30. I am loving it, and feel better than I have in ages. I had a dentist appointment yesterday, which I had forgotten about, to have a cavity filled. Tomorrow, we have an ultrasound and VCUG scheduled for Zoe at the hospital. What's a VCUG? I had to call the pediatrician to ask about that, and by some fluke, actually got him on the phone. Basically, they insert a catheter and run some dye through her urinary system to make sure that she doesn't have reflux. That is when urine flows back from the bladder to the kidneys, and it would shorten the life of her kidneys. If she does have reflux, I think there's a simple surgical procedure to fix it, and it's better to catch it now. The reason why this is being done is to figure out why Zoe had a bladder infection at two weeks old. I'm glad I called the doctor, because I was really wondering if that $323 would be better spent elsewhere. Anyway, after that appointment, I am supposed to go and chaperone Zachary's school field trip, then we have a Cub Scout meeting tomorrow evening. Friday, I have my postpartum check-up with my OB and am supposed to try to go to my school for their all "E" luncheon for the first nine weeks. Saturday, we have to pick up the popcorn that Zachary sold for Cub Scouts, and Sunday, we have a neighborhood block party. Do you think there's any way that I am bored right now?

Because of all these things that take me out of the house, I am trying really hard not to stress over the fact that the house is not cleaned every day. I'd like to at least pick up everything, but that doesn't happen, not when I have a baby to take care of, and I make some sort of effort to relax. I am SO glad that Darren doesn't care. I just have to make sure to hide the Christmas presents that I bought today before Zach gets off the bus at 3:45.

Oh, wasn't I supposed to be posting about my weekend? So, I get a little distracted sometime...Mom and Dad came in around 1:00 on Friday, and we picked Zachary up from school. We took him to pick up his new glasses, then came home and he and Dad played in the yard. He left to go spend the night with a friend around 5:00, and I actually cooked dinner. Mom and I went to the mall that night, and sadly, I didn't find any clothes to buy. Zoe started smiling that night, and of course, smiled at everyone but me first. Zachary came home around 11:30 that night, for several unclear reasons. I think he missed us, and we missed him.

Saturday, Darren spent the day working at the University of Houston for the AIR rally; teams designed websites for different non-profits, and they did one for the Beer Can House. Mom, Dad, the kids, and I went to a craft fair at a local elementary school, then headed into Houston to go and buy a baby sling for me. The store we went to was really cool, and they had all sorts of (expensive) things that I didn't know that I needed. I then took them to eat at Rudy's, which is a new barbecue place that opened here. There are several in the Austin area, but this is the first one in Houston. As always, it was worth the wait. Saturday afternoon, Mom and I went to Wal-Mart to hunt for some elusive new die-cast cars that have come out, and that night, Darren and I finally went out to eat for our anniversary. We went to the Melting Pot and ate ourselves silly, and afterward, were too full to do anything beside come home. Sunday, we hung out at the house, Darren cooked breakfast tacos, and Mom and Dad left around 1:00. We went for a walk that afternoon, then came home and took the training wheels off Zach's bike. He mastered riding without them immediately, and took off riding. I was so proud of him!

Well, I have one hour until Zach gets home. I need to hurry and go relax and clean up. Maybe I can do them both at the same time.

Friday, November 02, 2007

It's Been Five Weeks Already?


Wow, the time is flying by this fall! I am doing my best to enjoy every minute with Zoe, but it's really hard to do that and keep up with life. I wanted to participate in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), but I already missed yesterday. Oh, well.

Anyway, since the last time I posted, we've had a lot going on. We headed to Lafayette on the 20th of October for the weekend. Zoe did great in the car, and we managed to fit all of the baby gear in there. I was a little worried. It's been a while since we've had to haul all sorts of extra stuff around, and I just knew we were going to forget something crucial, like bottles. We managed to cram in everything that we wanted to do while we were there. Saturday morning, we went to the UL Homecoming parade. The weather was perfect, and Zach had a great time. Afterward, Darren and I took Zoe and ate at Piccadilly, which is a cafeteria-style place similar to Luby's here in Texas. I hadn't been there since I was a kid, and Darren and I seemed to be the only people there under the age of 60. We then went to the mall to look for a shirt for Darren's reunion that evening, but didn't find anything. Later that afternoon, we all went to a pumpkin patch to get our Halloween pumpkins. Zach had a great time in the moonwalk, and we went on a hayride. That evening, Darren and I went to his 20th high school reunion. It was at a restaurant, and was kind of lame, but not as bad as his last reunion. We had a private room, and a few people walked around and socialized, but for the most part, everyone just sat at their table. The food wasn't the greatest, and at one point, I was so bored I was ready to gouge my eyes out. I survived, though. Sunday, we went to see Darren's sister's new house, and headed home.

Last weekend, we had a Cub Scout camping trip. It was at Huntsville State Park, and the weather was gorgeous. We were at the top of a hill, across the street from a lake, and the temperature was perfect. Zoe and I went with Darren and Zach Saturday morning. We set up the tent, ate a delicious lunch, then the boys raced wooden boats in the "Raingutter Regatta". Zach was pretty upset at not winning, but forgot about that quickly enough. Afterward, the boys carved pumpkins, and when I left, they were having a pinecone war. They had made forts out of pine needles, and would hide behind those and throw pinecones at each other. Of course, a few got hurt, but that was all part of the fun. Zoe and I left around 5:00, but I wished we could have stayed. I really like all of the families who we have gotten to know through Scouts. I hope that we continue to have a good experience, because it's nice to meet more people who live in our area, and have similar interests. We've had a bumpy start to the year, but things are starting to run more smoothly. I am the co-leader of Zach's den, though I am not sure exactly what my role is yet.

Halloween was a lot of fun. I felt bad that I really didn't decorate, since I usually go all-out. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I went to four stores in the hopes of finding something that I could put up quickly, but of course, Halloween had already been clearanced out and Christmas was up in full force. It's not that I don't have decorations, but getting them out required more energy than I had to give. It would have been easier just to buy new stuff. If you saw my garage right now, you'd understand...

I picked Zach and his friend Ethan up from school Wednesday afternoon, and we came home and changed into their costumes. First, we went to our local shopping center to Trick-or-Treat, and finished that in about twenty minutes. I picked up a pizza, met up with Ethan's mom to drop him off, then we came home to eat. We waited until dark to leave the house, because it's no fun to trick-or-treat in daylight. We put Zoe in her stroller and went around our neighborhood. It's nice that we know so many more people now, and we ran into several of our new friends while we were walking around. After we finished in our neighborhood, we got in the car and drove two streets over to where one of Zach's friends from school lives. He and his dad had a haunted house in their garage, and we wanted to check that out. I am so jealous; there was a large group of people sitting around on their driveway, and lots of kids running around in the yard. Our street just isn't that social, and we had that closeness with our neighbors growing up. I wish we lived on a cul-de-sac where it would be safe to play in the street. Our street is just too busy for that. We do have a block party coming up on the 11th, so maybe we'll meet more of our neighbors.

This weekend, Mom and Dad are coming here, and Mom and I are going to a big craft fair tomorrow morning. I hope to finally get a chance to get my hair cut; it's been since April! Darren is going to be working all day tomorrow, then he and I are going out to dinner for our anniversary (which was last Sunday) tomorrow night. We haven't been to the Melting Pot in a long time, and I can't wait to go back! I need to not eat all day tomorrow to save room. Zach is going to spend the night with a friend tonight, and and I don't know what else we are going to do. Maybe I can convince Dad to spend some time in our poor, neglected yard. It's bad, and I don't know where to start. We have pine needles everywhere, and also need some seasonal plants.

Well, I guess I need to go and unload the groceries that I bought this morning. I only had time to unload the refrigerated stuff before it was time to go to the chiropractor, and everything else is still out on the counter. Mom and Dad will be here soon, and I don't want to look like a slacker!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Needing More Time

There don't seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I want to do. This isn't a new thing, but has gotten worse since Zoe was born. These days, my spectacular accomplishment is to take a shower and get dressed before Zach's bus drops him off at 3:45. I guess sleeping until 10:00 or 10:30 doesn't help the situation, but I don't nap, and Zoe has been staying up until 1:00 or 1:30 most nights. I guess I need to let it go, and adjust to the fact that my house isn't going to be clean every day. Sigh.

Yesterday was a really good day. I ventured out to the mall with the baby, and she slept the whole time. I haven't bought clothes that aren't maternity since March, and was determined to find something to wear to Darren's class reunion this weekend. I was like a kid in a candy store! I love fall clothes, and they are really cute this year. I bought a dress, pair of jeans, and top, all in my pre-pregnancy size. I'd like to be able to wear smaller clothes, but I know that will come with time (and dieting). I had so much fun! It felt so decadent to be in the mall in the middle of the day. I know that I will have to go back to work in order to do that again, unfortunately.

I took Zachary for his six-year-old well-child checkup yesterday. So what if we were a couple of months late doing it? They weighed and measured him, and the doctor is concerned about his body mass index. To me, he looks like a skinny little kid, and I am sure a growth spurt would help even things out. He hasn't grown in forever, and still wears toddler sized clothes, so I am not worried about that. He did have to have three shots, which was very traumatic for he and I both. I had to hold him down while the nurse injected him, and I came pretty close to crying along with him. For a treat, I took Zach and bought him the movie Surf's Up. He didn't seem to feel bad after the shots, except for limping through the store, but today he is fine.

I guess I'd better go accomplish something. We have Zach's parent-teacher conference, then a Cub Scout meeting tonight, the housekeepers are coming tomorrow morning, and we are leaving to go out of town tomorrow. It would be nice to have clean clothes to take with us, plus I will have to figure out how much baby gear we can fit in my car. We are going to the UL Homecoming parade Saturday morning, a pumpkin patch later that day, then Darren and I are going to his class reunion. I wish there were more time to try to see some of our friends and family, but that will have to wait until a later visit to Lafayette. Let's hope Zoe is a good car rider. It could be a LOONNGGG four hours!

Friday, October 12, 2007

My Birth Story



I've been wanting to write this post for two weeks, but there never seems to be the time to sit down and complete it. This may take awhile, but there are so many details about that day that I don't want to forget.

My parents came in on the afternoon of the 27th, and we went and did some shopping. We bought the swing, took my mom's iPod to the Apple store to be fixed, and probably went other places, but I forget. My sister flew in that evening, and we all met Darren at a Thai restaurant near our house for dinner. After dinner, we went home and my sister tried on my maternity clothes, then we watched some TV. I had a really hard time going to sleep that night, and finally passed out around midnight. I was so afraid to sleep through my alarm, and have my spot at the hospital filled by someone else, that by 3:00, I was wide awake. I was supposed to call the hospital at 5:30 to get a time to go in, and I managed to contain myself until 5:25. I was so relieved that they told me to go in at 7:00 that morning! I showered, got dressed, ate breakfast, woke Darren up, and we left with barely enough time to get there.

Darren dropped me off at the front door of the hospital and went to park the car. I walked into Labor and Delivery, found the correct nurses' station, and they had me fill out a slip of paper explaining why I was there. I thought that was quite humorous! After a few minutes of waiting on a bench with all of our stuff (everything except the kitchen sink, even though we live ten minutes from the hospital), a nurse escorted us to my room. It was so much nicer than the one where I had Zachary; it had wood floors, a cabinet with a TV, DVD player and refrigerator, a sink to bathe the baby in, a fold-out couch, and some other chairs. I changed into the hospital gown, climbed in bed, and the nurses put some monitors on me. After asking endless medical questions, we arrived at the worst part of the process for me: the IV. My nurse assured me that she was the one who everyone called when they had trouble, and it went in without any problems. What a relief!

The Pitocin drip was started around 7:30, and my parents and sister arrived around 8:00. Dr. Johnson came in at around 8:30 to check me and break my water, and I was 3 cm dilated, 90% effaced, and the baby was at -2 station, whatever that means. I thought I was going to climb out of my skin when she started trying to break the water. That was incredibly painful, and I nearly squeezed my sister's hand off. Afterward, that is the most disgusting feeling as all of the water drains out, and it lasts for hours, it seems. Dr. Johnson said she'd be back to check on me at lunchtime, and to get the epidural as soon as I wanted it.

All morning, the nurses kept cranking up the Pitocin level, and I think I dozed for a while. The nurse came in around 10:30 to check on me, and said the anesthesiologist had a C-section at noon, so if I wanted my epidural, I might want to get it before then. I told her that 11:00 sounded good for me. The contractions were increasing, but not getting really painful, but I wanted to make sure I didn't wait and regret it like last time. At around 11:15, the anesthesiologist arrived, and made everyone leave. One of the nurses stayed with me, and helped walk me through the procedure. It hurt when he gave me a local anesthetic, but the epidural itself didn't hurt. I was shaking at this point from nerves, but Erica, the nurse, held my hands and kept me calm. Once the doctor was finished, he put me on a pump and gave me an extra button that I could push for more medicine. I never ended up needing it, which was nice. I was able to move my legs around, but couldn't feel any pain. Afterward, I got a catheter and my family all came back from lunch.

My parents went and picked Zach up from school around 1:00, and Dr. Johnson came in at 1:30. At this point, I was fully dilated, and she sat down on the bed and asked if I was ready. I was thinking this was a rhetorical question; the contractions didn't hurt at all, and she had said it would be sometime around 3:00. All of a sudden, the room sprang to life with nurses getting out medical equipment, wheeling in the warmer and baby scale, and taking my bed apart. We did a couple of practice pushes, and my mom and sister decided to stay in the room with me, along with Darren. Dr. Johnson suited up, and we started pushing. It was weird, because I could tell when the contractions were coming, and knew when to push. With Zach, I was so numb that she had to let me know when to push.

I pushed for about 30 minutes, and all of a sudden there was a baby on my chest! She was covered in all sorts of nasty stuff, so I didn't really want to grab her and snuggle her at that point. Darren cut the umbilical cord, Dr. Johnson sewed me up, and Zoe was taken across the room to be weighed and measured. My dad and Zach came back in for a little while, then everyone cleared out and Darren and I were given some time alone with Zoe. At this point, it still seemed so surreal to have the baby there. At around 4:00, everyone came back in, and Zoe was given her first bath then put under the warmer. Darren and my mom made phone calls, and a couple of friends from work came by.

Things went well with Zoe in the hospital. Darren stayed with me, and we would have to wake her up to sleep. We had great nurses, and the pediatrician came in every day to check on her. Dr. Johnson came back to see me Saturday afternoon, and told me that I could go home on Sunday as soon as Zoe was released.

We didn't have nearly as many visitors in the hospital as I expected. My parents and sister were there most of the weekend, Jamie came twice, and my friend Haley and her mom came to see us on Saturday. That was fine, though, because it seemed like we had an endless parade of nurses in and out of the room, especially on Saturday. The lactation consultant spent most of the afternoon with me on Saturday, because of my concern of my milk not coming in. She brought me a hospital pump, and showed me how to use it.

Zoe failed her hearing test on Saturday, but passed it on Sunday. Saturday night, a nurse took her for blood testing, because her bilirubin level was high. It was still high Sunday when the pediatrician came in, so she told us that we needed to see our regular doctor on Monday, and also take Zoe back to the hospital for blood testing.

We went home around noon on Sunday, and I was so ready to go. I started packing around 9:00 that morning, and got dressed and ready to go. I did enjoy my stay in the hospital, but was ready to be home and have more space to move around.

Zoe came home and was still a good sleeper. I continued to nurse her, along with giving her formula. I rented a pump from the hospital, but haven't been all that good at using it regularly. I still don't have much milk, and it is easier to give Zoe formula most of the time. I still nurse her, but she doesn't get enough from me to sustain her.

After blood testing and a pediatrician visit on Monday, Zoe's bilirubin level was still high. We ended up having to go back to the hospital every day that week, and also getting a special blanket with a light to help get rid of the jaundice. I got to know the receptionist, Audrey the cashier, and Alma the blood lady at the hospital. They were all really nice, which helped a lot. It was hard to rest, since we had to make our daily visits there.

We were able to stop the light therapy on Sunday, and when Dr. Flanagan made his daily phone call to me on Monday, I mentioned that Zoe's urine smelled funny. We went to see him on Tuesday, and it turned out that she had a bladder infection. I spent an hour and a half at the doctor's office, and they collected urine twice, took lots of blood, and cauterized her umbilical cord, since it was still oozing. The doctor sat in the room with us most of the time, which was nice. Zoe is now on amoxicillin, and we are going back to the doctor on Friday for another urine culture.

I finally feel like life is starting to return to normal. Zoe is eating about every three hours, and sleeps well, as long as she is being held. I am trying to keep up with the housework, and have started to leave the house a little more. I am really missing seeing my doctor every week, which I guess is a normal thing. Zach is adjusting to not being the only one, and is getting to ride the bus home from school every day. That's nice, because he gets home much earlier now, and we get his homework done quickly. The best news is that I can fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans! I hope the weight loss continues, without a whole lot of effort on my part!

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

She's Here!

Zoe Jacqueline Ansley was born on Friday, September 28th at 2:32 pm. She weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long. Labor was short and relatively easy, and she is a sweet, calm baby so far. We are having jaundice issues, and have been back to the hospital the past three mornings for blood tests. Things are going fairly well at home, and nursing is successful so far.

I will post a detailed entry later, with pictures. She is about to wake up and want to be fed, and I can't type one-handed.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Here We Go

I just called the hospital, and they will take me at 7:00 this morning. If all goes well, we'll have a new baby by 3 or 4 this afternoon. GULP! Now, I don't feel so ready...

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

38 Weeks and 2 Days

I had my final doctor's appointment today. I waited over an hour to be called back, then more time for the ultrasound room. I'm glad she's busy, but I could have done something else with my time.

Anyway, I've lost a pound, and according to the ultrasound, Zoe weighs between 8 and 9 pounds. Those things always overestimate the weight, so we'll see...my vote is 7 pounds, 6 ounces. I have dilated enough for the doctor to be able to break my water, and she is still in position.

Now, for the not-so-certain news: I have an appointment with the hospital on Friday. I am #1 on their list. I have to call at 5:30 Friday morning, and they will let me know if I can go in immediately. If there is no room, I have to sit around and wait on Friday for an empty bed, and they will take me as late as 5:00 Friday evening. The control freak planner in me does not like this plan AT ALL. I want to know that I am having her on Friday, and that everything will run smoothly. My doctor is very optimistic that there will be room, but if not, they will try to get me in this weekend. Don't they understand that my sister is flying in for the weekend, and Darren has taken time off from work? I guess not. I just have to hope for the best, and keep telling myself that it will happen Friday. If not, I will be one miserable pregnant lady.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Week 38

We're in the home stretch now, and it feels great! Friday was my last day of work, and it was so weird to walk out of my classroom that day. Everything was ready to go, and my substitute came and met with me that afternoon. I hope she does a good job with the kids, but that's about the only part of the equation that I can't control. I really don't want to hear about what's going on in there for a while.

We had a nice weekend. I can't remember what, if anything we did Friday night. Saturday, we woke up early and went shopping. We bought the dog a new bed so whoever ends up sleeping on the couch won't hear his nails hitting the plastic bottom of the cage during the night. We also went down to Super Target and spent some of the gift card money. That was fun, but I don't think Darren enjoyed it as much as I did. I bought formula, toys, a dishwasher basket, and some other things I felt were essentials. Then, we went to Babies R Us to exchange some duplicate things I had gotten, and I bought a cool shopping cart/highchair cover for later, along with an Ultimate Crib Sheet. That will be so nice for when she wets the crib in the middle of the night!

Saturday evening, we went to a swimming party for a neighbor. Being in the water was really nice, and Zach did a great job of swimming. I got really tired at the end, though, so we left a few minutes early. I found that I am able to eat pizza again; I guess the baby moving down has taken some of the pressure off my gall bladder. I sure am enjoying getting to experience more of a variety of food! I am actually interested in eating again. My friend Jen came over Saturday night with a birthday present for me, and brought her new man for us to meet. I really like him, and hope that they work out.

Yesterday, I cooked breakfast while Darren worked in the yard, then made room in the kitchen cabinets for bottles. They are all ready to go now! We went and picked up our desktop computer at the Apple store, then hit the grocery store. That is one task that I really hate, because of having to stand still in line to check out. I don't mind walking around, but once I stop, my body is ready to lie down.

Today is my 33rd birthday. Yippie. I really don't care either way about it, but I guess it's part of life. It was weird not having to get up and go to work, and I accomplished a lot today. I finished thank-you notes from my first shower, finished laundry, had lunch with Zach, took a nap, picked Zach up from school, finished a book, installed the baby's car seat, cleaned out the nursery, and started baby laundry. Darren took us out to eat Japanese tonight, and now he is watching the Saints play Tennessee. I just can't get into football anymore. It's nice to have on as background noise, but I can't imagine sitting down and doing nothing besides watching the game.

I think I was going to fold laundry and clean the kitchen before I sat down at the computer. I guess I'd better get to that. Four more days!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

9 Days to Go!

I think the tired thing isn't going to go away anytime soon, unfortunately. After working a 12-hour day yesterday (because of Open House), I considered taking today off, but since the kids were going to read all day, I went to work. I finished lesson plans through Christmas, grades are done and entered in the computer, and I have practically written a novel of instructions for my substitute. I may be over-prepared, but I want everything to continue running smoothly in my classroom while I'm gone. I have a great group of kids this year, and I want them to stay that way. I think they're pretty much trained to know where everything is, which is wonderful. One kid asked me today if I had the baby yet, which was kind of insulting. I sure hope I look better after I have her!

This past weekend, in addition to going to a birthday party and shower, I put away the shower gifts, worked on thank-yous, and sterilized bottles. I also bought a great new digital SLR camera, which is my birthday present. My bag is almost packed, and I still need to put the car seat in my car, and wash the rest of the clothes. That's what next week is for, along with a hair cut, pedicure, and lunch with Zach at his school.

I went to the doctor today, and not much has changed. I haven't dilated more, but did gain three pounds since last week. I am having lots of contractions, but nothing regular. It hurts to walk, and I have a lot of pressure. We're scheduled at the hospital for next Friday. I can't sleep more than an hour at a time without Ambien right now, and it was starting to hurt to lie in bed. I got this great new wedge pillow to put under my belly, which made a big difference. I'll pass it on to my sister when I'm done with it.

I guess that's about it for now. Tomorrow is going to be a LONG day, so I hope I make it without curling up in the corner and rocking. We have an 8:00 faculty meeting, I have four classes of students to present a project (while I grade it), a fire drill, a parent conference, a baby shower after school, and our first Cub Scout meeting tomorrow night. Thank God there's nothing going on Friday!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

36 and a Half Weeks

Tired. Extremely tired. Everything hurts. Belly is huge. Stayed home today to sleep. Will work until next Friday. Doctor yesterday. Have lost three pounds (so 7 pounds total gain). One centimeter, 70% effaced, plenty of amniotic fluid, placenta mature. Still being induced on the 28th.

Had shower Saturday. Got lots of cool and useful presents. Have lots of thank-you notes that I will take too long to write. Weird that some friends and family members didn't come or call. Oh, well.

Still need to wash baby clothes and sterilize bottles and pack suitcase. Can't get motivated to do that, because it involves multiple trips up and down the stairs. Too tired to do that.

Way too many commitments in the next week, but can't forgo any of them. Zach's Open House Thursday. Birthday party Saturday. Baby shower for a friend Sunday. My Open House next Tuesday, which means a 12-hour work day for me. Shower after school next Thursday. Cub Scout meeting next Thursday. Birthday party next Saturday. Too much!

Going nap now while I can.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Week 35

After a relaxing weekend, I went back to work yesterday, and I'm tired already. Of course, I seem to be tired 90% of the time now, so I guess that's nothing new...

We took Zach fishing for the first time Saturday, and had a ball. It was a tournament for kids at a park near our house, and the pond had been stocked with catfish. Zach has a little Tweety bird fishing pole that he was given before he was born, and we took it out of the package for this occasion. Bait was provided for us, and we tried to catch a fish for over two and a half hours. We had several nibbles, but didn't catch anything. We had fun anyway, and Zach earned his fishing belt loop for Cub Scouts.

We did some shopping this weekend, and some laundry, and that was about it. I enjoyed not having any big plans. I did spend quite a bit of time doing school work Monday, so I felt prepared when I got to work yesterday. Now, if only those many weeks of lesson plans for while I am out would just write themselves...

I started having some contractions last night, and now my belly just feels tight. It's nothing serious, and I figure I will know when it's time to go to the hospital, right? I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, and I still haven't gained any weight. In fact, I haven't gained anything since August 14th. I guess I need to have Darren write a note saying that I really am eating! I don't know where it's all going. I have barely started to dilate, and the doctor could feel the baby's head, but she's not engaged yet. She says she wouldn't be surprised if I had her in the next week, but I really don't think it's going to happen that soon. I'll probably make it to the 28th. If I can just manage to work until the 21st, I'll be lucky. I'd love to take a day off to sleep, but I don't want to waste a paid day off right now. Twelve more days of work. If the air conditioner would work better in my classroom, it would make it so much nicer right now. I have always had the coldest classroom in the school, but not this year. I almost kidnapped the repair man today. He said it was 75 degrees in my classroom, but I'd like it to be 65.

I have a shower this weekend, and I am excited to see everyone. It sounds like there will be quite a few people there, so it should be fun. Darren is going to ride in a breast cancer awareness bike ride this weekend; I don't envy him! I guess we need to start raising money for it, but I don't think he's registered yet. I'd love to be able to worry as little about things as he can.

More details later. I'm going put my feet up.

Friday, August 31, 2007

My Brain Hurts!

Well, the first week of school is behind me, and I am still alive. I can't remember ever being this tired before, and it's not because I'm not sleeping at night. Thanks to my friend Ambien, I've been getting eight solid hours of rest.

Teacher work week was nothing exciting; we had meetings at school, a half-day of staff development on a topic that didn't relate to what I teach, convocation with all the district employees, and Meet the Teacher night. It was fun to see my friends again, but having to be somewhere for eight hours at a time is so tiring! Most of my kids showed up for Meet the Teacher, and I sat on a stool in the hall. I did have a few parents who seemed concerned about me being pregnant, but I expected that.

Mom and Dad came back last Thursday and brought Zach home. It was his birthday, along with his Meet the Teacher. Darren and I took him to his school that evening, and we really liked his teacher. Afterward, we took him to dinner at a Japanese place for his birthday. Mom and Dad watched Zach on Friday, then went home that evening. Last Saturday, we went to school for a while to work, then hung out on Sunday.

Whoever decided to start school on a Monday needs to be shot! It is so hard for both the kids and teachers to settle back into a routine, and five days is WAAAAYYY too long to have to do that at once. Our bus situation was horrible, as it always is the first week, so kids are coming in halfway through class in the morning, and some buses aren't leaving until almost 5:30 in the evening. That's a long day for a child who is not used to that kind of schedule! We had our usual collect supplies, tour the school, set up binders, and deal with paperwork first day, then spent two days teaching the school rules and procedures to the students. That went smoothly, then I started actually teaching yesterday. One of my classes has some REALLY low kids in it, and they are very hard to teach. It's going to be a rough year with them, simply because I am not experienced at teaching those kind of kids, and I feel sorry for the ones who are on grade level and will have to sit and wait while I slow down the pace for the others. I am not the most patient person, so I hope that I don't do a disservice to those kids this year. I brought tons of stuff home to work on this weekend, but I can't even think about taking it out of the car until tomorrow. I need a mental break!

I went to the doctor yesterday, and I am measuring at 36 weeks. I lost weight again, even though I am eating like crazy. She did an ultrasound, and the baby has settled into position. I am scheduled to be induced on Friday, September 28th, which is my doctor's birthday. I plan to work until Friday the 21st, then stay home until December 17th. I have my sub, and my leave has been approved. All that's left to do is write twelve weeks of lesson plans, and wash the baby clothes. My sister-in-law is giving me a shower next Saturday, and it sounds like there will be a lot of people there.

I'm too tired to write any more. Further bulletins as events warrant.

Monday, August 20, 2007

I MIght Have a Date!

After too little sleep and much heartburn, I went to the doctor this morning for my weekly visit. I had to wait over an hour, because she had to leave and do an emergency C-section (I was sorta jealous). When she finally came in, we discussed my insomnia, for which I got an Ambien prescription, going back to work tomorrow, for which I got a note saying that I can't ride school buses, lift anything over ten pounds, or stand up for long periods of time, and how long she is going to let me go before inducing. Three of my friends who are currently pregnant, and due after me, have already gotten dates, and I am jealous! I am such a control freak that I even want to plan when my baby's birth will happen. There are so many things to coordinate: Mom and Dad coming in, a substitute for my classroom, Darren's vacation time, etc.

The doctor said that I can pick any date after 38 weeks to be induced. If I manage to work until September 21st, I will be able to take off work until January 2nd. That is what I REALLY want to do, but I know these things don't always go as planned. 38 weeks falls on September 24th, my birthday, so I was thinking September 26th or 28th. I wanted to make it to October, but I don't care anymore. We can't make it official until a week in advance, so maybe I'll change my mind before then. Who knows.

I guess I need to go and use my last day of freedom to its potential. I feel like I have wasted so much time already today, and my body is telling me to go and lie on the couch and watch some TLC. I will try very hard not to give in to that, and instead make sure the house is picked up, laundry is done, and there is food in the kitchen. Wish me luck!

Missing my Little Buddy

Zach's birthday weekend went well. We survived the party, and during said party, I realized that there is no way I could ever teach first grade. Those little boys are ever-moving bundles of energy! Do their desks come with seat belts? This was before they had sugar! Anyway, I think everyone had a great time, and Zach seemed to be pleased with all of the new toys that he received. After the party, some of his cousins came over to play, we went to dinner, then came home and started assembling all of those new toys. Four or five hours later, I had his new MP3 player loaded with the soundtracks to High School Musical and High School Musical 2, and we had explored the world of Webkinz. Zach wore my dad out with his requests of assembling Legos and Transformers, and I realized that boys' toys just don't appeal to me. Zachary then stayed awake until after 1 am; I have no idea how he was able to do that. He was so excited to have an "iPod" like Mom and Dad's, and he laid in bed, singing along to the songs.

Today, my parents went back home to Louisiana, and took Zach with them. He had been somewhat apprehensive about it all week, because we have been together non-stop since we all returned from vacation on June 9th. Zach wanted to know why he had to go to Gammy and Poppa's without me, and why I couldn't just get a baby-sitter for him. He's always loved going to their house, but I guess with a new baby on the way, he's unsure about a lot of things. I go back to work on Tuesday, and don't have childcare this week, so Mom and Dad offered to take him to Lafayette with them. They'll be back on Thursday, which is his actual birthday and "Meet the Teacher" night, so it won't even be a full week.

We packed up his suitcase this morning, and I managed to convince him to leave some of the new toys here. He had a little fit right before they left, but by the time the Suburban was loaded, Zach had his DVD player going, had some gumballs and his blanky, and was ready to go. He did request a picture of Darren and me to take with him, and wanted to know our phone number in case he got lonely and wanted to call.

Darren and I didn't know what to do with ourselves this afternoon. Should we take a nap? Go shopping? The possibilities were endless! In the end, we sat around and read for a few hours, until we decided to go shopping for a new computer mouse and go to dinner. It was so strange, not having anyone asking non-stop questions and demanding my attention. Darren and I were able to go to a restaurant and sit down and talk. Weird. By the time we returned home, we were both missing him. I am so unused to being alone, but I am sure I will enjoy the quiet time this week. I can't wait until Thursday, though.

Tomorrow, or later today, I have my weekly OB appointment, then I can't decide if I should go to school or not. I don't have to be there until Tuesday, and I should make the most of my last day of freedom. I'll probably end up cleaning or doing some laundry, and not anything fun. If I don't stay home, there's a meeting at school at 2:00 to discuss a new program that we are trying; a "boot camp" of sorts the first week of school to get the students familiar with our procedures. I'd kind of like to be a part of that, so maybe I'll come home after the doctor, then only go to school for the meeting. Decisions, decisions...

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Update on Previous Post

I went back upstairs an hour later, and not much progress had been made in the room. The TV was on, as well, which was a MAJOR no-no. I disconnected the TV, then sat down to watch Zach clean. I finally caved in and helped him, and amazingly, he got it done. It took all afternoon, and pre-empted any other plans I had for today, but at least that room is clean, and he has room for new toys this weekend.

Now, who wants to buy a set of metal (pre-lead) Thomas trains and accessories, and a Geo Trax set? I'll make you a great deal...

Going Psycho

If you're one of the two or three people (thanks for your support) who has been reading this blog this summer, you know that I have been working really hard to clean and organize my house. It seems to be getting smaller by the day, and a major contributor to that feeling is my son, Zachary. He has an art desk in the corner of my dining room that I have organized, toys in a metal bucket in our den, a bookshelf in the hallway upstairs, and his room and closet full of toys. I would rather everything be kept upstairs, but we just don't have that kind of room, nor do we have an extra room to turn into a playroom. Zach watches way too much TV, and doesn't play with most of his toys. What he does play with, he drags downstairs in the den, and plays with them in front of the TV. When I ask him to take his things upstairs and put them away, he either throws them in his closet, or in the middle of his room. I don't clean in there often, because I get too angry.

Zach's birthday party is this Saturday. I am sure he will be receiving many more toys, so I decided that this was the week where we would make room for those new toys. I sat him down this morning and explained that we cannot possibly keep everything (since a lot of his stuff is junk like Happy Meal toys), and if he wanted to be able to get new toys for his birthday, he was going to have to be willing to sell or give away some of his toys. I've had this bad habit in the past where we pack outgrown toys into plastic tubs and store them in the attic, but we just can't do that anymore. Since I am having a girl, she will probably have completely different interests from him, and will want brand-new toys of her own.

Zachary was pretty understanding, and we started out by cleaning out the metal tub in the den. We got rid of about half of its contents, and sorted the rest of the stuff. We then moved upstairs to his room, where things took a definite turn for the worst. I got busy by cleaning out the drawers of his built-in desk, and asked Zach to straighten the books that were all over the floor. We got an empty laundry basket, and I told him to put anything he was willing to get rid of in that basket. I also convinced him to sell all of his Thomas the Train pieces, since he no longer plays with them, and they take up a lot of room. We have several playsets, lots of track, and about 40 train pieces. I'll have to take pictures of them later and post them on one of the local auction sites, since we are not allowed to have garage sales here.

After the books, I asked Zach to go through the set of bins underneath his window, make sure all of the items in the bins were alike, and choose some of the things to get rid of. He looked through them for about 30 seconds, then sat down on his bed and said that he was tired. I began to lose it at that point, but kept it under control. I went and helped him with the bins, pulled out items that didn't belong, and told him he had two minutes to get the things put away correctly. He took about half of the toys, walked over to his closet, and threw them in. Then, he sat down on the floor and began to play with something. I threw the rest of the toys in my laundry basket, then started tossing everything that was out of place to the center of the room. There was a 2-foot pile of trucks and assorted plastic pieces piled up in a corner, which went to the center of the room. Zach continued to stand and watch me.

At this point, I really became angry. Why should he get new toys for his birthday if he doesn't play with or take care of what he has already? There is no room for anything else, and that really became apparent when I went to the closet. The floor was so full of toys that you cannot walk in the closet, so I tossed all of that into the room, as well. I found food on the floor under all of the toys, clothes balled up, and toys that he had begged me to keep from earlier in the summer, just thrown in there.

OK, here's where I go psycho: I told Zachary that he cannot leave his room until it is clean, unless it is to go to the bathroom or eat. He didn't argue or complain, just sat there and looked at the mountain of toys on the floor. I know it's a lot to expect of a first-grader, but I am not going to keep doing this every couple of months. Maybe he'll see this time that I am serious, and that he has to take better care of his things. I just want him to keep pieces of toys together, and put them back when he is done playing with them. I don't think that is an unreasonable request, do you?

Friday, August 10, 2007

I can't get a break!

This week started out well, but has gone downhill since Monday. The good news is that my classroom is pretty much ready to go, and my house is clean. I still have to do lesson plans, but I have all of the materials to do them at home with me. Since I am going from one to two subjects (well, basically four, if you count spelling, grammar and writing) in a 65-minute period, it's going to be a little tricky to plan for that and all the extra things we have, like assemblies. My goal is to get all of my plans written through Christmas before the beginning of September. I know it's early to start thinking about these things, but at the rate my pregnancy is going, I don't think I'll be working very long before I have this baby.

That brings us to the not-so-good news. I did work pretty hard on Wednesday in my classroom, but not hauling heavy boxes around or anything. Yesterday, I really took it easy, sitting in a chair and reading for most of the day. Since the housekeepers were coming this morning, I planned to spend some time in the afternoon clearing the boxes from the hallway upstairs. I planned to put them in our already overcrowded office, and sat down on the floor in there to clear out some room. Around 5:00, the doorbell rang, and it was UPS delivering some clothes that I ordered from Kohl's. I took them upstairs to try them on, went to the bathroom, and realized I was spotting. I've also had some menstrual-like cramps the past couple of days, but didn't get too worried about them.

When I saw the blood, I called my doctor, and the nurse told me to go and lie down for the evening. She said to go to the hospital if there was any more, and if not, to call the office in the morning. I called Darren and told him my wonderful news, and he was a little miffed, because he planned to work late last night. He ended up coming home and cleaning up all of the boxes, then working from home. I didn't have any more bleeding last night, just cramping, and slept OK last night.

We went to the doctor at 9:15 this morning, and I have gained a whole pound, bringing my grand total up to 9. She checked me, and my cervix is starting to soften. She doesn't seem to think that I will make it to my due date, and I agree with her. She is not worried about the baby, but wants me to make it at least another month. I hope that I get to go back to work, at least for a few weeks, but we'll have to wait and see what happens. I would be really disappointed if I had to go back to work before Christmas, but it's kind of looking like things might turn out that way. I have a shower scheduled for the 8th of September; we may be doing that in the hospital!

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Fighting with Health Insurance

Does anyone else out there hate fighting with health insurance companies as much as I do? It seems like we switch companies immediately before any major medical event takes place, and then I have to make a zillion calls to prove that we did have prior coverage, and no, we don't still have coverage with another company. What a pain!

The year that I was pregnant with Zachary, Darren's company switched insurance in April, and I had to find a new OB, since my old one wasn't in the new company's network. I hated it at the time, but have come to love my doctor. I will miss her when I go back to seeing her once a year! Anyway, that July, his company switched to a benefits administrator, which meant yet another insurance change. If I wouldn't have been so far along in my pregnancy, it would have been great for us, because it would have cost us a whole lot less to have Zachary. Because I was so far along, we had to get on the lower coverage insurance, and then make numerous phone calls to prove coverage once the bills started rolling in.

The following summer, Darren's company went through a massive layoff, and I got on my school district's insurance. It was crappy coverage, but fairly easy to deal with. There were high copays, high costs of prescriptions, but no deductible. I knew they would cover everything without a fight, but I would still have to pay a portion of any of my claims.

Fast forward five years, and Darren gets a new job. That was this past May, and his new insurance is wonderful, and costs us next to nothing for premiums. I dropped my coverage, and went on Darren's. So far, Zach and I have both been to the dentist, and had to pay nothing, and this baby hasn't cost me anything so far.

This past week, the letters regarding my hospital stay in Lafayette began to roll in, and they are denying my claim, due to the fact that my gallstones are a possible pre-existing condition. After three phone calls today, I have a letter coming from the old company to prove that I did have insurance before, and the new company is going to look at the claim again. There's an hour of my life that I am never going to get back!

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Growing Up, and Out!



I still can't believe that Zach has a loose tooth! I don't know why this milestone of childhood bothers me, but it just does. I got over him starting school last year, but this is one that will alter the way he looks, permanently. He's growing up so fast, and won't be my little boy for too much longer. He still can't ride a two-wheeler, doesn't care what I dress him in, and enjoys snuggling with Mom. He still kisses me at the bus stop, tells me he loves me in public, and sleeps with a blankie. One change I have noticed lately is that he is starting to watch more grown-up TV shows. Even though he still likes Little Einsteins, he has really started to like Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody on Disney. I want him to always be my little boy, but I guess I can't hold onto that forever.

As far as growing out, I feel like my belly has really begun to expand. Some of my maternity shirts are starting to be too short, and it's hit me that, wow, I will have a baby sometime in the next two months. Darren has been painting away all weekend, and we are hoping to set the crib up later today. I can't wait!

I am very nervous about going back to work on the 21st. I am going to have to give up my afternoon nap, and I am so sore all the time. I've started to have some mild contractions, and I can't stand up for long periods of time. Maybe I'll assign a student to roll me around in my chair. That could be fun! I will just have to train them to do a lot around the classroom, which will be a good thing when I am gone for 12 weeks. I started working in my classroom last week, and need to get moving on lesson plans this week. The good thing is that Zach enjoys going to school with me; he gets to draw on the board, use all of my art supplies, and watch DVDs on my TV. He's good company, and I can get a lot of work done with him there. Also, it gets us out of the house, and he doesn't complain that he's bored. It would be nice to get finished with all of the stuff in my classroom this week so that I can have the following week to scrapbook. I am finally up to last August, and our trip to Chicago. Only one more year to go!

I guess I should get dressed, and get my child dressed, since it's after 2:30 in the afternoon...

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Mean, Cruel, and Horrible

I think I have just won an award for being a bad mother. We've been struggling lately with Zachary's behavior, particularly the way he treats me. He yells, calls me names, covers his ears when I talk to him, or tells me no. What's scary is that he can switch from being a sweet, lovable little boy into a monster in about 2 seconds flat.

Today started out just fine. He was happy when he woke up, came and snuggled in bed with me, and was so excited that he had discovered his first loose tooth. He knew that he had been invited to play with a friend today, and was really looking forward to that. We went to swim lessons, and he did a great job. He swam across the pool by himself, and told the teacher that he wanted to make her proud. We came home, he took a shower, got dressed, then came downstairs to ask me when he was going to go to his friend's house. I informed him that I had just talked to his friend's mother, and we were going to go to a pool with them at 12:30, so we should probably have lunch.

At that instant, he was displeased, because he wanted to go and play at the friend's house, not go to the pool. I explained that the invitation was for swimming and not playing at the house, and we were not going to call his friend and ask to do that instead. He started screaming and throwing a royal fit, and telling me how horrible I am for not letting him play at his friend's house. Then, he demanded his lunch, and covered his ears when I tried to explain that he could choose to calm down and eat, or go to his room. I told him that I was not going to allow him to talk to me that way, and I was not going to reward his rude behavior by letting him go and have fun with a friend. Zach then went and started bouncing on the couch and screaming at me, and I somehow got him to go upstairs, where he continued screaming insults at me. In the meantime, I called his daddy for a second opinion, and we decided that, no matter how much he started sucking up, there was no way he was going to go and do anything fun this afternoon. I locked myself in the bathroom, talked to the friend's mom and explained the situation, and prepared for round two.

Darren called to check and see how things were going (no better), and Zachary came downstairs to fight some more. He laid on the couch and yelled that he wanted to do something fun for about ten minutes, and I calmly left the room. When he realized that he no longer had an audience, he turned down his volume a bit, but didn't stop yelling and crying. I explained to him that we were both being punished by his bad behavior, and that maybe next time he would choose to be nice and not treat me poorly. He started screaming at me again, so I walked out again.

I heard the door to the garage open, and when I went to investigate, Zach informed me that he was going outside to ride his scooter. I told him that he was not going outside, because riding the scooter is fun. He ran upstairs, where he still is, and I can still hear him crying. It's going to be a LOOONNNNGGGGG afternoon! Wish me luck. I have errands that need to be run, but that would be suicide. Instead, I guess I can straighten up the house and try not to dislike my child too much.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Nesting Like Crazy

Since I last wrote, I made a very ambitious list of cleaning and organizing projects that I would like to complete around the house before the baby gets here. I seriously doubt that I will get to all of them, but I have put a pretty large dent in the list. Highlights include cleaning the kitchen junk drawer, cleaning the coat closet, and organizing Zachary's art desk. After completing some of these projects, I have come to the sad conclusion that no matter how much stuff I manage to get rid of, it won't be enough to make the house look uncluttered. People aren't going to come to my house, see the organized junk drawer (I got a really cool two-level organizer from Bed Bath and Beyond), and overlook the stack of mail on the counter, or the cookbooks piled up on the baker's rack. Sigh. At least I can find stuff now.

The most important project has yet to be completed. That would be the baby's room/extra bedroom. We've removed all of the furniture in there besides a queen sized bed and night stand, and relocated the chest of drawers to the closet. The problem is that I can't find a home for some of my craft items and photo albums, so they, along with our luggage and gift wrapping supplies, will have to stay in there. I hate that she won't have an entire room just to herself, but it's the best I can do right now. So far, we have painted the walls, changed the outlets and light switches, and attempted to hang new wood blinds. The only catch is that the blinds that we bought, and had cut, are too short in length. So, we can kiss that money goodbye, because Home Depot won't take back blinds that have been cut. We took apart one of them to try to use it to make another one longer, but they are not cut to the same width, and it just looks bad. Anyone need some white wood blinds that are 33.5 inches wide, and 42 inches long? I have three sets that can be yours!

Hopefully Darren will finish painting the trim and doors for the nursery this weekend, and we can start the fun part, decorating. I can't wait to assemble the crib again; it was nearly impossible last time, and I doubt we were smart enough to keep the directions. After that, we just need to get the garage cleaned out so that we can get to the attic above the garage to get down all of the baby items. I go back to work on the 21st, and I want it done by then. Keep your fingers crossed...

I went to the doctor today for a check-up. I am now at 30 weeks, and have gained a whopping eight pounds. That's less weight to take off later, and the baby is growing fine. We did an ultrasound today, and I was able to see her eye sockets, spine, and hands. She looks great, the placenta is completely out of the way, and I don't appear to be in imminent danger of going into labor. Life is good.

I am trying to get back into scrapbooking. I am still a Creative Memories consultant through the end of August, but know I won't make my order quota by then. I went to Michael's yesterday and walked around for a while. Martha Stewart now has a line of craft and scrapbooking products, and they are really pretty. I came home last night and cleaned up my desk, and was able to get started on Zoe's baby book, and do a couple of pages in Zach's album. I'm "only" a year behind on his; think I can finish before October? Maybe if I don't sleep...

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Never a Dull Moment

We had a nice weekend with my parents. My dad helped Darren move furniture around in the future baby's room, and we went out to eat Japanese Saturday night. Sunday, Darren, Zach and I went to a neighbor's birthday party, then a sibling class at the hospital. Mom, Dad, Zach, Buddy (Mom and Dad's dog), and I left for Lafayette around 5:15 Sunday, and got here around 9:30.

Monday, Mom and I hung out around the house, reading, and the only thing I did was to go to Target with Dad that evening for some essentials. Around 7:00, my back and upper abdomen really started to hurt. I wasn't worried that I was in labor, because there were no contractions. I hadn't eaten much that day, so figured it was gas. I took a bath, tried to lie down in different positions, and took a walk with my dad. I couldn't get any relief, so around 9:00 we headed to the hospital. They took me straight to labor and delivery, and put me on some monitors for the baby's heartbeat and contractions. I saw the OB on duty, and he agreed that it was probably gas, but if it continued, advised me to have my gallbladder checked. Around 11:00, they gave me a Mylicon pill, which had me feeling better in about 40 minutes. Soon after that, we were sent home with instructions to take gas medicine after every meal, and go back if the pain started again. After stopping at the store, we were home around 12:15. Around 1:00, the pain started back with a vengeance. It felt like someone was squeezing my chest, I couldn't breathe, and couldn't sit or lie down. I took another gas pill and debated waking my dad back up. At 1:30, I couldn't stand it anymore, so I woke Dad up and went and packed a bag. I figured I wasn't going to be sent home again.

We arrived at the hospital around 2:00, and I was put in a triage room. As soon as I undressed and climbed in bed, the pain stopped completely. The nurse decided to keep me overnight anyway, so I was put in a room off the labor and delivery unit, and an IV was started. I sent Dad home to bed, because I knew how tired he was. Plus, at 3:00 in the morning, I didn't want to do anything besides sleep. I slept utnil about 7:15, when my breakfast tray was brought in, and my nurse and the OB on duty came to introduce themselves. I hadn't eaten in close to 15 hours at this point, so I wolfed down my breakfast and tried to get some more sleep. That was interrupted by the nutritionist, someone with food services offering me a popsicle, and phone calls from my mom and husband. The nurse came back around 9:00 and told me that the gallbladder scan couldn't be done until I hadn't eaten for eight hours. Why didn't we do it before breakfast, I wanted to know?

I lolled around in bed all day, reading and sleeping. My parents brought Zach in a couple of times to see me, and the scan was finally done around 4:00. It turns out that I have gallstones, but they don't want to remove it until after the baby is born. Until then, I am supposed to follow a low-fat diet, which stinks. I'm pregnant; I'm supposed to be able to eat what I want right now without consequence!

After getting this news,I was told that I was going to be released. I begged them to feed me before they sent me home, since I had gone all day without food. Also, I knew I would get a hot meal, and wouldn't have to try to decide what I could and couldn't have. So, a tray was brought in. Only in South Louisiana would the low-fat diet consist of round steak with rice and LOW-FAT gravy, corn, a roll, and low-fat pound cake. Lunch yesterday would have been pork roast stuffed with sausage, and lunch today would have been smothered chicken with more rice and gravy. I must say, that dinner was great! I ate every bit, then Dad took me home. Hopefully there won't be any more attacks anytime soon. Now, if I could only get rid of this nasty sinus infection...

Friday, July 13, 2007

My Productive Day

As a follow-up to the last post, I did end up taking Zach to the pool yesterday. I was feeling so guilty for not doing anything, so I went to where he was lying in front of the TV, and asked him if he wanted to go to the pool. By the time I could finish the popsicle I was eating (trying to intake more fluids!), he had changed into his swim trunks, gotten beach towels, snacks, and drinks out, and was looking for our beach bag. That's the most efficient he's been in ages! By the time I went upstairs and changed, the beach bag was in the car, and he was sitting in his car seat with the sunroof open and the radio on.

I wish I could say we had a great time at the pool; the water was as warm as bath water, the pool was crowded, and there were some little flies that kept biting me on the arms. Zach had a good time, though, and did a great job of practicing his swimming. I can't wait to see how well he does after he takes lessons in a couple of weeks! I got him out of there with the promise of a McDonald's Happy Meal, which Darren met us at the house with. We capped off our evening with a trip to Toys R Us for a birthday gift, then a visit to Home Depot to pick out paint for the nursery. We bought a quart, and I can't wait to see if it will work with our bedding! Afterward, we came home and I did some more preparation for the housekeepers.

This morning, I was woken up at 8:30 by the housekeepers coming in. I guess we need to make sure to be up the next time they come, and it won't be a problem once school starts, because we'll be gone by then. They only stayed for an hour, then I had a dentist appointment. I haven't had my teeth cleaned in two years, and was really nervous about what they would find. Since they couldn't do x-rays, the news wasn't too bad. There is one tooth with an old filling that's loose, and another tooth they are worried about. I know I have bad teeth, and know there will be more work done every time I go. It's just a fact of life. Zach sat in a chair in the corner and played with his Leapster the whole time.

After the dentist, since it actually wasn't raining, I decided to take my car to get the oil changed and have it vacuummed and washed. Why we bought a car with black carpet is beyond me, but it looked awful. I've had it for three months now, and have never had it cleaned, so it was overdue. I then took Zach to lunch at a pizza buffet, YUM! Our final stop was the grocery store for a few things for the weekend. I rewarded myself by coming home to my clean house and taking a nap.

Now, my sugared-up child is zooming around the room. I think it's time to take a walk to the mailbox to work off some of that energy. I will probably cap off my exciting day by cooking dinner. We party like rockstars here!