Birthday preparations

I've decided that third babies kinda get the shaft.....

With your first, you buy everything brand-new, take a ton of pictures, actually pull out the video camera, blah, blah, blah. And you plan a huge, awesome first birthday party, inviting everyone you know and their families. All planned weeks in advance. You scour the internet and the stores for the perfect gift(s), and spend a great amount of time lovingly picking out that 1st birthday theme; with a matching cake, of course.

The third baby, however, gets mostly (if not all) hand-me-downs. In our house the picture thing isn't accurate; I actually take more pictures now than I did when it was just Aiden. But it's the birthday thing that's got me.

Last week, I realized that it was going to be Finn's birthday in, well, a week. And I hadn't planned a thing!!! Hmmmmm..... I need to pull a party together for this kid. Here we are, three days before his birthday. I managed to pull together a small guest list, and Paige and I went to the party store last night to pick out a party theme (jungle animals it is....). I think I'm going to make cupcakes, and I told the party invites that we'd do dinner. I still have no idea what I'm going to feed us all, though. And I don't have a clue what to get Finn for his birthday present!!!

Definitely a far cry from Aiden's first birthday party. But the important thing is that we recognize the day of Finn's birth. And that we will certainly do.

The schedule change

Well, we're in week 3, I think, of this new schedule I initiated. I'm not too sure how we're all liking it.

The kids are confused because they can't predict my work days any more. I've tried to fix this by highlighting the days on my calendar, but they haven't gotten in the habit of looking there.

I never know what day it is anymore, and am constantly stopping to try and figure it out. I feel like I don't know if I'm coming or going. It's even hard at work. I never realized how much I relied on knowing exactly when I worked last without thinking about it. I feel like my whole frame of reference is changing.

Chris isn't sure he likes it, either. We were all really used to the three on/ four off routine. Sure, I get that huge chunk of time off once a month. The tradeoff is that my other workdays are clumped a lot closer together than they were before. Chris is now almost entirely responsible for school schedules and shuttling kids back and forth. And it's hard!!!

I'm so tempted to sit down with the schedule grid again (barf) and try to work out something that's a little more inbetween. Like maybe me working three out of four weekends, and having the days more evenly balanced....

My co-workers might hate me. Just a little.

Doom???

Last night, while Finn was in the tub, Paige and I were talking.

Paige- I want apples with peanutbutter before bed, Mommy.

Me- I thought you wanted a bowl of ice cream?

Paige- Well, I'll eat my ice cream first, then I'll have the apples with peanutbutter....

Me- Paigey, some days I think you're a bottomless pit.

Pointing to her belly, Paige- My pit!

We both giggle. Then she lookds very earnestly at me , points to her belly again and says-

The Pit of Doom!!!

Jury Duty

Oh boy. I've been called for Jury duty. Hear the excitement in my voice? Actually, I was called for jury duty at the end of last month.... for the entire month of February. Yeah. The entire month. I thought it was just a one week thing????

Anyhow, I've skated through 2/3 of the month (as potential juror #551) without incident. But my number has finally been called. I have to report to the courthouse at 0830 Monday morning. Ugh. Couldn't they have at least called my number on a day that I could claim jury duty for work????

So, we'll see what the hoopla is all about. I've been told to bring a good book. Sounds like the day could potentially be very boring.

Incidentally, trying to explain jury duty to an almost 7-year old little boy is not easy. And explaining to him why he cannot go with me is even harder.

The Third Circle of Hell; aka shopping for jeans

I'm so aggravated right now!!!!! I was sick this last summer, most of you out there know that. Over the course of all that, I lost a little over 20 pounds. I've managed to keep about 15 of it off. I was able to get into pants that I had hanging around at home that I haven't worn in..... well, a very long time.

I have one pair of jeans that fit me pretty well right now. The others I have I bought last spring 2008-ish, and are too big, but wearable with a belt. Time to buy a new pair or two. Armed with the knowledge that I'm a few pounds lighter, I was kinda excited to go.

We went to Old Navy. I know, not the best choice for jeans buying. But it's close to my house, and affordable, and what I've bought in the past. The jeans I have that fit are a product of Old Navy. I browsed the jeans section, found a couple pair I liked- and a whole bunch that were awful. Really, skinny jeans are still in????

Into the dressing room I went. When pulling on the very first pair, I knew there was going to be a problem when I pulled them up over my thighs. They fit, but were a lot tighter than I was expecting. And yep, had to suck it in a bit to get them buttoned. Oh... and there it is.... the muffin-top that I hate, that was doing so much better after the summer. (Keep in mind that these jeans are the same size as the ones I have at home that are just a smidge big on me, and also from Old Navy). WTH???? Maybe it's just the cut.

On to the next pair. Same issue. Crap. Well, let's try the cargo capris that I brought in to try for spring. They looked great in the thigh/bum area, and were actually the right length for me (which is rare). But there was that dang muffin top again. Really... I thought I lost weight over the summer???? One more pair of jeans. Okay, these aren't as bad. But, of course, they're about 4 inches too long. Grrrrrr.........

About then, all I wanted to do was run from the dressing room screaming. What I thought would be a fun jeans buying adventure was turning out to be as nightmarish as the last time I tried on jeans. 15 pounds heavier. Did Old Navy slim down their sizes??? I have the numbers on the scale to back up what my mind perceives as as somewhat smaller me..... Needless to say, I left the dressing room feeling discouraged and, well, that awful f- word no one loves to hear. No, not the four letter one, either.

I went with the pair that are too long. I'm going to have to hem them before I can even wear them. I'm halfway tempted to go to GAP, or American Eagle to look for a nice pair of jeans. It's just that I get so discouraged that I don't want to try it again.

Ugh... is spring in sight yet????

This fine Valentine's Day 2010 saw most of my family sick. Aiden, Paige, and Finn are all several days out from fevers, but all three of them have that horrible, barky cough that scares the heck out of less *seasoned* parents. And the snot is running like a waterfall around this place. I wish I had caught a pic of the bubbles coming out of Finn's nose earlier. It was priceless.... We finally caved, medicating two out of the three before bed tonight in the hopes of a good nights' sleep for all. Yeah. We'll see about that.

Chris and I seem to take turns contracting whatever ailment it is that plagues our children. apparently this time, it was my turn. Joy. Enter fever, sore throat, headache, and post-nasal drip. Oh yeah, and that snot-fall I mentioned earlier? Might as well add my name to that list. But on the bright side.... at least it's not strep this time. And all on my days off, too.

But, since everyone was feeling marginally better today, we managed to make it out to visit with a dear friend who moved away about a year ago. Trinity and her kids were in town for the weekend, so we had an impromptu playdate. It was great to see her and the kids again.... Everyone grows too fast!!!

I think we'll celebrate Valentine's Day tomorrow, and take the kids to lunch at Red Robin. Maybe.

Taking pictures, and the best snack EVER

We love to take pictures here. The great thing about a digital camera, everyone knows, is that you can take hundreds of shots and just delete the ones you don't like.

I have friends who take beautiful pictures. They have a great eye for what makes a beautiful shot, and seem to get the lighting right every time, and manage to not get those in-the-middle-of-a-blink shots that I get. I've discovered over the years that I have no talent for photography whatsoever. I've often pulled out a solid colored sheet and tried my own "studio photography at home" with the kids. It's been a disaster every time. Oh well. Good thing I have great friends who take great pictures, and the occasional trip to a professional studio to back me up!

My kids love to take pictures, too. They're getting old enough that I can hand over the camera and let them have a ball. It's really cool to see the world from their perspective. And they take pictures of some of the strangest things......

Honestly, I think Nutella qualifies as one of the greatest food creations ever. I have been eating this wonderful spread since I was a child in Germany. I was beyond thrilled when they finally started selling this ooey-gooey chocolaty hazelnut goodness here in the states. I don't let myself buy Nutella very often. I'm too likely to sit down with the jar and a spoon and nosh away. Honestly, I'm not sure there is any sort of bread/ grain product that can't benefit from a little Nutella. Toast, good. Bagels, good. Crepes, good. Waffles..... you get my drift. If you've never had Nutella, and love chocolate, I'd highly encourage you to run out and buy some. Now. Or at the very least tomorrow morning. Yum.

Family love

I found a beautiful new way to show off my love for my family.

I love all the necklaces out there that have baby rings on them, or birth stones, or initials for your kids. I've been looking for one of my own for several years. I always wanted something I could "add to", not knowing how many children we were going to have. I just never found anything that I loved.

Until a couple months ago. One thing those parenting magazines can be good for are the ads in the back. That's where I found The Vintage Pearl. And at The Vintage Pearl, I found the perfect necklace for me.

If you like what you see, check them out at http://www.thevintagepearl.com/ or http://www.thevintagepearl.blogspot.com/ .

Of course...

So, my new schedule started at the beginning of this month. So far I like it. It's a little odd not being at the hospital only on the weekends, but I'm sure I'll get used to that.

My first big stretch is coming up, starting tomorrow. 8 days off in a row. It's like a mini-vacay every month! Except, well, yeah. During my very first long stretch off, I have a mandatory 4 hour staff meeting that I have to attend one day, and an 8 hour mandatory class I have to attend another. Both were prescheduled for me.

Now tell me, how is that fair????

It's Valentine's Day this weekend. Not such a big deal for the adults in the house, but both the Big Kids have Valentine's parties at the end of the week at school. And both the Big Kids are coming down with something.

Why does it always hit when there is something fun going on??? Paige missed her Halloween party this year, and I'm hoping neither of them has to stay home for their V-Day parties.

Although, if they are well enough to go it means I have to fill out all those little cards and tape all those heart shaped gummies onto the cards. Hmmmmmm.......

Book Nerd??? Who, Me???

Okay, okay... I love books. Not just like a little, or think they're something kinda fun to pass the time with- I truly love books. (But no, Honey, not enough to marry one. Thank you very much.)

I've been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. I don't remember a time when I couldn't read. When I was a child, my dad(s) were in the military, and I spent a part of my childhood overseas. Where there was only one TV channel in English. I know.... my children would gasp in horror. But I'm sure it helped foster my love for reading and books.

I was one of those "smart kids" in school that the popular kids didn't like. They made fun of me on more than one occasion. I remember one of my classmates in the 6th or 7th grade being excited about a book he had just finished. When I commented to him that it "was a great book, I read it a couple years ago", he looked disgusted with me- just like a lot of other people. Funny, I didn't get why until just now. Lol.

Some people collect shoes. Some people collect purses. Other people collect bodies. There's something out there for everyone. I collect books. I haven't counted my personal collection in a couple years, but the last time I counted I had in the neighborhood of 300. I love the way they look, I love the way they feel, the way they smell.... My goal has always been to have an extensive personal library. That way, when the kids get older, they will have a vast array of literature to choose from right at their fingertips. Thank god I don't work in a bookstore. I'd never have any money left. Also why I don't frequent bookstores often.

Why all the book talk? Well, my husband picked up a book to read this last week. The very first book I've seen him pick up to read just for himself. Ever. Not for school, not for the kids, but just something he thought he'd enjoy. I was thrilled. I desperately want to pass my love of books down to my children- I believe that reading is important, and somewhat magical. What better way to foster a love for books than to read to my kids, let them see me and their dad reading, and provide books for them to read.

Aiden is just "getting" reading. His sight vocabulary grows in leaps and bounds every week. The kid is amazing. He is now reading every day to earn time on the Xbox and/or PS3. Paige sees all of us reading, and picks up books to rifle through herself. While she may not be able to read yet, she can pick out certain words, and loves to make up stories to go with the pictures. The floor in their room is littered with books- we try to keep them picked up, but it is just about impossible. I bought one of those storage shelves that have the cubes in them to help organize their room a couple years ago- it's now filled with children's books.

Books. They make me happy. I know I had a point to this blog when I started. But, well, I've lost it in all the chatter about one of my favorite things. *sigh*

****On a different note****
A few people have asked me about how things are going with the surrogacy agency search. I've started a new blog to chronicle that whole journey. I figure I'll keep this blog for family updates, news, and wild ramblings. Anything that happens concerning the surrogacy, I"ll post about on my other blog.
You can find that at awombforyou.blogspot.com
If you want me to email you when I post there, just leave me a comment and let me know.

Patience is NOT my virture....

I'm really excited about learning the process for this whole surrogacy thing. I must be. Waiting to hear back from the surrogacy agency is driving me NUTS!!! I sent the initial "Hi, how are you, I'm interested in this whole thing" email on a Tuesday. A week later, I was about to give in and send another email when they finally responded to me with their initial 15 question screening tool.

Me, being the nerd that I am, filled the thing out and had it emailed back to the lady in about 20 minutes. That was last Tuesday. A week ago. And I'm still waiting to hear if the even received the thing. Ugh. I HATE waiting.

I'm tempted to send her an email asking if they got the form. But I don't know the etiquette for something like this..... Should I wait to hear back, should I bug them???? I don't want to be a pain, but really, I think a week is plenty of time for an initial review.

So, I guess I'm not too impressed with the response time this agency has offered. I'm beginning to wonder if this is the place for me.... If they take this long just to respond back, how will they handle more important aspects of the process?

The problem is that there are only 3 or so agencies for this type of thing in our area. The initial information I have for all 3 agencies comes from their websites. And out of the 3, the agency I contacted had (by far) the most comprehensive, well put together website. One of the other websites was full of typos, and the form that you could download to "apply" was jacked up and full of mistakes. And the 3rd place's website was so unremarkable that I looked at it for about 2.5 minutes and shut it down. I also have a friend who is listed as a surrogate through the agency I contacted, so it comes pretty highly recommended to me.

Grrrrr...... Really, how hard is it to send a simple email: "Hey, we got your questionnaire, and are reviewing the answers. We will contact you soon."

Not difficult.

So, for now, I'm waiting.

Holy Cruiser, Batman!!!!

Wow. It's milestone time again. Seriously, is this kid ever going to stop growing??? Not likely, huh? Well, Finn's 11 months old today. That's right- only one more month until he's 1. Can we rewind and go back a few months? No again. *sigh*

Finn's accomplishments:

Taking bath in the big tub. He's only gotten his face under the water once, and (though he tries daily) has been unsuccessful in his venture to catapult himself over the side.

Sleeping through the night 85% of the time. This is a big deal for us. Our big kids didn't sleep through the night until they were 16-18 months old. We're in new territory, and loving it.

• Responding to certain questions with his versions of an answer. Hey, we're communicating. So, we're starting with some simple signs. I know, I know.... about 6 months later than you're "supposed to", but let's face it.... I don't have the patience to do it any sooner.



• Working more with the sippy cup. This kid is an enigma. Our other two loved the sippy cup. Saying Finn hates it may be too strong a phrase, but he certainly doesn't like it.



• We've finally mastered the hands-and-knees crawl. But this is a carpet only activity. He still does that strange split/scoot thing on the hardwoods.



• Standing thisclose to independently. He lets go of whatever is steadying him for 3-5 seconds at a time.



• Cruising!!!! He's got the transfer from one item to the next down solid. He loves being up on his feet.



• And last, but not least, Finn's starting to take steps if you walk with him holding your hands. Sheesh, are we encouraging the independent walking now????

Even though we're a little sad to see our baby growing so quickly, it's so much fun to watch him discover the world around him.