Category Archives: Uncategorized

Well, I am 2cm. If nothing happens before, we will induce on 7/29.
Car seat is in and everything is ready. I suppose now we just wait.
Yesterday was a really shitty day & today has started off the same.
Here's to hoping it gets a little better.

I did way too much these past few days. It started with folding every last piece of laundry in the house on Monday. You know me, right? I hate laundry. I would rather die a fiery death than do laundry. But it’s done and I have kept going. As soon as there is a load, it is washed, dried and folded. Creepiest form of nesting EVER. Hub shot me a funny look a I was classifying our bibs and burp cloths. A system is needed, and it is a very simple one—house bibs/cloths VS. going out bibs/cloths. What’s not to get?

Bud had a Tae Kwon Do test on Monday as well, so I picked the kids up and headed to that and then went to far as to take them to McDonald’s (with play place) and spend an hour. Needless to say, I was exhausted.

Tuesday the kids were home, and Hub had worked late overnight, so I go them out of the house pretty early on. We went to Target, the bank and then to the pool, which again, was exhausting. The cool water did help my ankle though, so there’s a plus. I passed out on the couch while they napped and before I knew it, it was 4:30 and time to get Bud ready for Tae Kwon Do. FIL took him and Lucy and I went shopping for dinner. I have no interest in food, so I cooked some beef tips and we had them over salad with dinner rolls, and that was that.

I had a really hard time sleeping last night and woke up very sore this morning, but got the kids off to school, had some breakfast and then tore apart our room to make room for the bassinet, rearranged the kids’ room, and of course, more laundry. Hub was leaving again for a long trip tonight, so we grabbed some Chinese food for lunch and I brought him back home to sleep while I ran some errands.

The good news is that I finally bought the items for my pif contest. The bad news is that I don’t know when I’ll get to the post office. I actually had an episode in Target that leaves me wary of going out on my own. There was horrible cramping—not even contractions, just weird cramping up my whole stomach. I sat down near the pharmacy for what seemed like hours and finally made my way to the back of he store to get some water. I’m sure it was dehydration—coffee, Pepsi and Chinese food tend to deplete my water supply. Thankfully, the water helped and I was able to finish my shopping, but man did I ever panic. More good news: I found a lightweight robe for the hospital and I got some good snacks for my hospital bag.

I grabbed the kids and fed them dinner, and I made a lime jello pie, which just now served as my dinner. (not the whole thing though….)

Soon I will be going to bed. I’m hoping to take it easy tomorrow, though there is still much to be done. If nothing else, I want to get the car seat in and the bassinet all set upstairs. And take a really good nap.

I will likely be scarce tomorrow, but will update after my doctor’s appointment on Friday. Don’t go panicking if I’m not around. I’ll post a twitter if I’m giving birth. (That’s right Shelly, you smart-ass. Maybe I WILL twitter the whole play by play.)

Finally—-is anyone interested in doing a guest post or 2 over here while I am laid up in the hospital/recovering at home post-partum? Let me know.

Until we meet again…..

Ah, so let’s dig ourselves out of the hole, shall we? Yesterday’s post was dismal, huh? That’s how I felt though. That’s how I feel at the end. I meant it when I said it was worse than post-partum for me.

Things are better; things always are by the light of day. A few bad nights doesn’t make me a bad mom. It tends to make me feel bad; but I know I am not actually horrible. I don’t know.

Let’s back track a bit!!

I took the kiddos to the community pool on Tuesday and they had a really good time. I ran out of sunscreen just as I was finishing Bud, so that left me bare, and I did end up with a bit of a burn. I look healthy now though, despite the potential cancer and whatnot. Besides, it was worth it for the fun the kiddos had.

Yesterday, I shopped for baby items and nursing bras. Then I got a pedicure in a trashy hot-pink shade called “Bimbo Limbo”. I love it. I worked around the house for a bit in the afternoon/early evening and then played Wii for a bit after my temper tantrum.

We got up early and went o the park today to scope it out for Lucy’s upcoming birthday. Hub and I got coffee and breakfast on the way (it’s about a 45 minute drive to this great park, where we also used to camp), and we all had a picnic lunch before heading home. It was a really nice time.

ON TO CONTEST STUFF

My package from Swistle arrived yesterday and it was full of great stuff, as well as notes about where most of it came from. It was awesome.

It included a blanket, cardigan, sleeper and adorable sandals for baby, some animal trading cards—2 sets EXACTLY the same for Bud and Lucy, A Teeny Bopper Beany which Lucy has not put down, a Halloween costume, and the reusable target bags—which I do not believe are sold here. (Those are Lucy’s toes in the photo; Swistle did not ship me toddler toes.)

Then there was this, my favorite thing. I actually said out loud: “Is this from the MIL set????” Indeed, it is, and it is gorgeous. I love it.

Thanks Swistle!!!

Now then, of course I have to pay it forward, an lets not do any of that random crap unless it’s necessary. Here’s what I want to do:

My tell-all appointment is tomorrow. We will find out if/how much I am dilated as well as get an estimate via sonogram of how big the baby is. Whoever is the closes on the CM and size wins!!

To help you out:

*Tomorrow I will be 36 weeks and 3 days pregnant
*I was 2cm with Bud for the last 5 weeks of pregnancy.
*I did not dilate until 38 weeks with Lucy and was 3cm the day before I went in to labor.
*I have measured about 2 weeks ahead of schedule size-wise since about 20-weeks.
*Bud was born at 40 weeks and 3 days at 10lbs 2oz
*Lucy was born at 38 weeks and 1 day at 9lbs 5oz.

So go!! Make your guesses! Really, it is anyone’s game. You will have until 11:59PM (eastern time) on Saturday 7/12 to enter. I will announce a winner on Sunday.

OK, I feel a bit better now and I’m off to bed. Big day tomorrow!! If you aren’t entering and must know how things went, shoot me an email.

I would just die to win this one!!!

The kids are out of control. As soon as Hub leaves, they stop
listening. I turn in to this screaming lunatic and then bawl Like
crazy once they are in bed. I hate this.
Then there's the sunburn. And the exhaustion. And the
whole 'getting ready for baby' thing.
I feel tested and burnt out.
And that's why I'm not posting.

I am on TWITTER. You all are a bad influence!!

WOW, can you believe all of these contests??? Can you believe it’s winning time already? CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT I WON SWISTLE’S CONTEST?????? (also can you believe that I will be hosting yet another contest, while I’m likely sleep deprived and post-partum?) Those mixed cd’s I referenced may just come in handy. Or the prize may be me singing karaoke from bed or something. I just don’t know.

But anyway…..you are here to see who won, no?

DRUM ROLL PLEASE…..

Random.org chose comment number 24, who just so happens to be Semi-Desperate Housewife. YAY!! I am excited for her! I am excited for all of us!! I am emailing her now!!!!

*I'm officially done working! Huge sigh of relief.
*My employees surprised me with cake, coffee, and a gift of
some baby clothes. *Then I had contractions every ten minutes
for 2 hours…until I realized that I had not had any water today.
*All is well now; I am looking forward to the next few
weeks.

Last week, Swistle began talk of this massive pay it forward effort (and no, this doesn’t meant that one of us has to get stabbed a la Haley Joel Osment in the end) and despite my extra large, miserable and sciatic pregnant state, I’ve decided to jump on the band wagon.

In case you haven’t heard, here is how it works: I post this contest today, telling you that it is a pay it forward kind of deal. You leave me a comment (see details at the bottom) and in the end, I will use a random number generator to pick a winner. The catch is that if you win, you have to pay it forward in a contest of your own. Theoretically, we will have contests up the wazoo for the foreseeable future.

I’m not sure what the prize will be, however as my last day of work (UNTIL OCTOBER!!!!) is Wednesday, and the kiddos will still be going to summer camp a few days a week, I envision a lengthy trip to Chez Target upon which I will spend way too much money on myself and the baby, but will also have you in mind. Now of course, if something happens, and I find myself on bed rest, your prize may be a mixed CD of some of my favorite songs (think obscure 70’s rock and folk, combined with 80’s and 90’s 1-hit wonders—yes, I am an enigma) or some random crapstuff from home that after living without for 3 months of a kitchen remodel, I’ve decided that I don’t really need. But let’s not think like that; let’s remain positive in our thoughts that the prize will be ridiculously awesome no matter what.

Anyway……

In order to be entered, I’d really like it if you answered the following questions:

1. What is your favorite musical? (And don’t say you hate musicals; everybody likes at least one, even if it’s Moulin Rouge or some crap like that)
2. What is your favorite movie theatre candy?
3. If you had to name 2 babies today, yours or otherwise, one boy and one girl, no questions asked, what would their names be?

If you’re against being questioned, that’s ok too—not fun, but ok—just leave me a “please enter me” comment.

Be sure that if you don’t leave a link back to your own site, you leave me your email address so that I may contact you when you win. So, GO!! Enter!! Let’s get this going!!!

**Contest is open until 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on July 4, 2008**

(For a complete list of contests, you can visit Swistle.)

Universal Studios Home Entertainment and 5 Minutes For Mom are hosting a contest in honor of the June 24th release of Definitely, Maybe. Post your proposal story and you could win a set of 3 DVDs to include “Definitely, Maybe”, “Love Actually” and Notting Hill. You can find the rules here . And for a $5 off coupon to purchase “Definitely, Maybe” visit their site here.

So, without further ado, here is our story, sans pseudonyms, because it seems silly.

Ed and I began dating during the summer of 1994. Although we saw each other nearly every day, our relationship wasn’t “official”, as things had to be back then, until August 14th. It was Woodstock Weekend and our mutual friend Melissa (along with her father) was hosting a weekend long party complete with pay per view to celebrate. I was 15 years old and was sure that I knew everything; was sure that despite my age, I was more of an adult than a child. I can still hear my mother’s endless chant “You are 15 and he is 18. You don’t know what love is. You are a child.”

I knew better though. Ed was the one for me. We entered in to our respective Junior and Senior years that fall and were quickly seen as being inseparable, you know, that couple. We were somewhat of an unlikely pair as my past boyfriends had leaned more toward dangerous and unstable. Ed was responsible and a genuine nice guy. To be honest, I’m not sure where I would be today if it wasn’t for him.

My Senior Prom 1996

Years passed, and we each graduated high school. Ed waited a year after graduation, and we both started college together in 1996. We had many serious talks over the years and we both knew we would be married and eventually have children. We knew where our lives were headed and agreed that once we were done with school, we would do the whole engagement thing.

After a year of college, on my 19th birthday, we took the next step in our relationship and moved in together. We both still hold fond memories of our basement apartment with the blankets over the windows and mish mosh of hand-me-down furniture. We were both working 2 jobs and going to school full time, and for me, soon school fell by the wayside.

We moved in to our house, then owned by Ed’s father, in 1999. As we approached 5 years of togetherness, I started getting the itch. It was time to be married. It didn’t help things that my best girlfriend, who had been with her boyfriend for about half as long as we had been together, was planning her own wedding. I was her maid of honor and while I was thrilled for her, I was devastated for myself. “It should be me……”, I thought over and over again. The breaking point was after attending a bridal fair with her and being happy all day. I came home and collapsed in our bed and just sobbed. I was honest with Ed about why I was upset and he reassured me with “someday……”

I still don’t know if it was that day that got him in to gear, or if it was already in the works by then. On our annual trip to Cedar Point, on our 6 year anniversary, Ed finally proposed. We were sitting on a bench in Frontier Town, just outside of our favorite cookie shop, taking a rest. He was behaving oddly, but I chalked it up to the heat. Before I could even process what was going on, there he was, on one knee in front of me. His words were simple, “Sara, will you marry me?” Of course, I said yes. The ring was perfect, simple, a heart shaped diamond that he had picked and arranged the setting for himself.

Horrible posture, I know

The rest is history. I married my best friend and soul mate on September 14, 2002, after 8 years of being together. We had a gorgeous, simple church ceremony, and threw what our family and friends still refer to as the best reception ever.

Possibly dancing like Elaine from Seinfeld…

This coming August, just after we welcome our third child, we will have been a couple; a unit, for 14 years—nearly one half of my life. I did know what love was, even at the age of 15, when I was really more of a child than adult. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My 10-Year High School Reunion, August 2006