Neil Diamond

I don't know exactly when it happened or when it happened... might have been a night my girlfriends and I tied one on at the North End back home in Sterling. Might have been me just trying to give Marty the DJ a hard time every night he was working at North End. Or was it that when one of his songs was played everyone we were out with would start to sing at the top of their lungs "Sweet Caroline" or "Crackin' Rose make me a smile..." but somewhere along the line in my life time I have started to LOVE Neil Diamond. I must say that I really only like the old stuff ... you get to the 80's and well "Forever in Blue Jeans" could have stayed forever in the trash can.

Anyway I remember being so excited about hearing that Neil was coming to Chicago but I was 7 months pregnant at the time and I didn't buy tickets. Just last week the news did a clip that Neil was in town and I was sooo bummed that I forgot all about it and didn't get tickets. I didn't think that I would feel like going to a concert when I was still pregnant but Mac was such a easy delivery and has been such an easy baby that I regret not going. Oh well... I think I would have shocked my husband if we had gone. He freaks out as it is that I know every word to every song ever written. I think if I had been singing to all of Neil's songs with all the "older" ladies in the crowd I might have sent him over the edge.

I guess I'll have to catch him next time he comes to town. Maybe I can get the gals together and we can have a little reunion and they can all sit and laugh at me as they often did when I would yell at Marty... "Neil Diamond!!! Play Neil Diamond!!!"

Off the charts

We went for Mac's one month check up today. I knew that my guy had grown, but I had no idea of the change he had made. The little guy has gained 3 1/2 pounds and grown 2 inches in one month. I was shocked. With Grace, she always grew in length but she gained weight slowly and still does. The doctor told us that he is gaining 1 2/3 ounces a day and the average is one ounce. When he plotted his numbers on the chart he didn't even fall on the standards... he is literally off the chart. Grace, she is always around 95 percentile with height but her weight is always some where around the 50th percentile.

As a woman who has struggled with her weight her entire life I have to say that I am very happy that Grace, at this time, seems to have gotten the Hagemaster skinny gene. I am however hoping that Mac gets a happy medium between Don and me and he will be both tall and solid as a "Mac"k Truck. Maybe we will have a Football or Basketball player on our hands. Grace already enjoys playing with the Volleyball with her dad...

OH NO is I don't stop they will be signing me up for that show on Bravo about the Monster Parents. I promise I won't be that bad!!!

If you were dying?

I saw a segment the NBC Nightly News last week about a Mother who was dying of breast cancer and what she was doing for her daughter before she passed. I had seen this same thing, on Oprah a few years back, where a mother had done the same thing, made tapes of her reading stories, tapes of her advice about boys and growing up etc. I thought the whole time I was watching this of my cousin Rhon... was she doing anything for Lisa to remember her by as she continued to grow up? Is this something important to do? Is it important that if we were to leave this world early that we leave something for our children? When I saw the lady on Oprah a few years back, I thought to myself that was a very good idea. But is it more for the adult, than for the child. Is it the adult parents way of coping with their mortality and that they won't be around to give their kids the advice they had always wanted to? I sit here and wonder... would a father feel that they needed to do this the way that a mother might feel she needs to?

Well... I'm not sick, far from it I hope... but I have often thought I wanted to keep a log of life lessons and things that made a difference in my life for my kids if something where to unexpectedly happen to me. I have learned many things in my 40 years, and I know that since my children come from my flesh they too will learn many things the hard way. I often pushed the envelope and my Mom's buttons on a regular basis. Why? I don't know because I could. Because I was brought up to be independent. I don't know but I guess I am going to start exploring some of those things in this blog from time to time.

The following is a link to the website of the sick mother, Joelle Pauporte. She has started a foundation for providing books to kids who have a parent suffering from cancer. I thought it was a neat idea and I thought I would share.

I'm OLD!!!

Is 40 old or young???

It was when I was 15 and my mom turned 40. When my kids turn 15 I will be 53 and 55... that's old.

Or is it?

Will my kids keep me young?

People say that they do.

I know many women in their 60's who have 20+ year old children. They look great. Is it because they have younger children?

It amazes me how with Grace just 22 months ago I could do all the feedings in the night. I didn't need all this sleep. Mac however is a different story. I can get through the 11:00 and the 2:00 but at 6:00 I wake my husband up and just hand him the baby and say I can't do this one. The next thing I know it's an hour and a half later and the baby has been fed. I'm getting old... I can't even stay awake.

I never took naps... EVER... I need a nap know. Does that mean I'm old? Maybe it means I'm young? My kids take naps and they are young. Isn't it true though that young and old people need to take naps? I'm OLD.

I might be OLD but I am very lucky. I have two VERY healthy children. I have lost all of my baby weight and then some... (subject of another blog soon). I had to wait 40 years to have my kids evidentally so that I could be a good Mom. A Mom who worries about EVERYTHING, but I think I'm a good Mom. I think my kids will keep me young no matter how old I am!!! I hope that they get to do what they want to do with their lives and I hope that I am young enough to enjoy their life with them.

Is 40 OLD?

I hope not...

Super Nanny take me away...

I'm a former teacher, my husband is a teacher and yet our 22 month old baffles us everyday with the questions about what should we do with her? I watched Super Nanny before the baby came a long, plus I don't think she is on tv for the summer, and I'm trying to remember what I saw on that show and different things that I have read... I need to structure my daughter's day.

She is so smart that she scares me. She's not really big on talking but she could do it more if she chose to. She can count to four, loves to play (bang) at the piano, can tell you about every part of the body, many more things that I don't need to brag about but one thing I do know is that I need to start structuring her day. She is just all over the place throughout the day. That has really come about since ther baby has gotten here. Mostly because I am breastfeeding the baby and that takes time away from her. I have, however, told my husband that we have to get them both on schedule because it will be better for all of us. I have taken a nap away from Grace so I have to find things for her to do in the afternoon especially. Tomorrow I'm off to the teacher store to find specific activities for her. Also I want to find these black and white flashcards for the baby so while Grace is doing a lesson we can do something with Mac too. I was so good at having Grace on a schedule when she was the only one but I have lost my mind somewhat now that there are two.

I also need to get them scheduled or I can see my mother taking control when she starts watching them full time again when I go back to work. My mother has this unique way of telling me that I don't do things right but she does. I think this is the way with all mother and daughters but I really do not want to deal with it. I want to have my schedule in place so that I can tell her what I want done with my kids, not her telling me what I should be doing. I get a little frustrated that my mom will just put on a video while she does a crossword puzzle, but I guess that is the subject of another blog. Anyway, I digress...

I realized yesterday that I have a vast world of resources out there via the internet. I'm going to do some surfing of the web and find things for the girl and her family to do together. I'm going to make her have one nap a day. I'm going to get her schedule together so that things will flow smoother with her and Mac. I might have to go buy the Super Nanny book so that I can put everything into perspective. I think that I am obsessing about this because I really don't want one of those kids that people look down their noses at, and say behind your back... "that child is out of control." I don't want that at ALL!!!

So I guess I have to remember this is all still new to us, the two kids, the new brother, mom's time being divided, etc. But, I also have to start now... So anyone out there with suggestions of how to do this thing they call "Mother of 2" I will be forever in your debt.

Birth and the Human Udder

My life right now is all about feeding my child. I can’t believe how time consuming it is to breastfeed a child. I’m no stranger to breastfeeding, I did it with my firstborn, but I forgot how much time it takes. I feel like a human udder. Two big udders that every three hours gets smaller and then swell to the size of small watermelons, it is painful and backbreaking, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

In my past life when all my friends were having babies by means of natural childbirth and breastfeeding, I thought they were all nuts. I thought breastfeeding was gross, why would someone want to do that. I also thought that if you were going to have a child why not do it the easy way… just let them cut you open and get it out asap.

Boy have I changed in 15 years. I did the whole natural thing… I did need the drugs but I didn’t have to have anyone cut me open. In fact I find it hard to believe that someone would actually want to have a C-section unless it was only for the safety of the child. I have to tell you it does sort of gross me out the whole birthing process. I know that it is suppose to be the most beautiful natural thing, but I think it is the grossest natural thing. Grace was here in five simple pushes while I was watching “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” really nothing gross about her, but Mac… push one and his head was out and he started to cry. That absolutely grossed me out. I just wanted to scream, “GROSS ME OUT… GET HIM OUT PLEASE!!!” I’m glad that babies get here and become part of our families, but what happened to babies being delivered by storks or coming to us via the cabbage patch?

Not only did I do ok with the birthing thing… I’m also breastfeeding. I hate it. I hate every moment of it. People say that it is this wonderful bonding time with your child. I don’t know, but I just don’t feel that. I’m simply doing it because I have read in more that one article about the benefits to your child the first 6 months of their life if you breastfeed. I have to say that Grace has been a very healthy child and I swear it is do to breastfeeding. I know so many people who have had babies around the same time as we had our Grace, and well they have struggled with ear infections, allergies, sinus infections, etc, we have had none of that in 22 months. She has had her cold here and there but nothing chronic and nothing that has lasted more than a week. I will let you know if I have the same luck with Mac. I have had to watch what I eat with Mac. He doesn’t like certain foods. Hopefully that will go away as he gets bigger but for now I can watch my diet.

So now that I have probably shared WAY more with you than you have ever wanted to read about the birth and breastfeeding of my children… I would just like to encourage anyone who might be reading this and having child soon or someday to encourage you to breastfeed your child. It is so healthy for them. Don’t let someone tell you that you might not be able to do it, or that it is too hard. It is hard, it is time consuming, it is a royal pain in the ass (or should I say boobs), but it is the best thing you could ever do for your child. Think of it this way, if you pump and can get enough milk stored you won’t have to do it a full six months… I’m hoping that I can be done at least 2 weeks early!!! My gift to myself for not having any control over my body for 15 months is a 4 day trip to Vegas over Christmas. I hope someone will watch my children!!!

Feeling Guilty

I was so worried for the last month of how Grace would react to the new addition to our family. I don't think that she is doing too bad but I think there are things that I have done wrong with her up to this point that I am going to pay for until I break the bad habits I have created. (I can't say that I have created all the problems because I have wanted things to change but my mother baby sits for me and she doesn't always listen to what I say... I have a problem with that but that is for another blog). I also worry that some of these bad habits will be extremely hard to break because she will see that her new brother gets to do things that she use to ... why does she have to change? You know we don't want our children to hurt. When she cries it breaks my heart. I cry. When she sees me cry she cries... it's truly a vicious cycle. The only thing that I can say is that I have been really good about getting my kids on schedules and Grace has slept through the night since 6 weeks and Mac is already sleeping 5 hours at a time after his 10 and 3 feeding. I guess I need to focus my energy in breaking her habits as I do and have in creating her schedule. She is soooo scheduled sometimes it too is a fault but we are doing ok.

Grace's bad habits...

Number 1 - I still let her have the bottle. She's 21 months old and she still has the bottle. That is not good. The reason why it has gone on this long is that when she was littler she was so skinny and she hated the sippy cup so she wouldn't drink from anything than the bottle. We have found a sippy cup that she will drink from so now my goal is to get her to drink her milk from that. At 2 years... the bottle is OVER. Like it or not... tears or not... she is not going to have it any more.

Number 2 - She won't sit on the potty any more.
She use to sit there all the time. She was really good at it. I think that we sat her there too early and would keep her there too long and so now she just doesn't want to sit there. I'm trying to get her to sit there if even for 10 seconds... it's better than nothing. She is a really big (tall) girl so it is getting hard to change her on our changing table. She is too long.

Number 3 - She hates to sit in her seat at the table. This habit I will not take credit for. My mother created this problem. While home on maternity leave I am working on getting her back to the way she use to be.

You know as I sit and write these things I wonder... "Am I sweating the small stuff?" Am I worrying way too much about nothing? After all Grace won't drink from a bottle all her life, nor will she wear diapers her whole life, and surely she will at some point realize that she has to sit at the table to eat if she wants to fit in to societal norms. So it might be small stuff and I will try to remember that BUT doesn't it come in the Mom's Manual that you get to sweat the small stuff????

Where there is Life there is Death...

About a month ago we learned that my cousin Rhonda's battle cancer was beginning to take over her body. She had been admitted to the hospital and just hearing that I knew that it was the beginning of the end. Rhonda treated her cancer holistically. Doctors were amazed at how she was able to fight this rare form of cancer with natural foods, no meat, lots of greens, including something called green drink... it is not necessarily the best drink I have ever had but it is soooo good for you. Anyway, I so wanted to get back to Dixon to visit her but when I asked the doctor if I could make the trip he told me that he did not want me to take the chance. I had a life growing in me... she had death growing in her. I worried the last few weeks that Rhon would die the same day that my baby boy was born. When would the two come to fruition???

On June 30, between 11:30pm and midnight, Rhonda lost her battle to this horrible cancer. (I found out today... July 11 ... that I did not have the time and date correct ... Rhonda did die on July 1)
On July 1, 2:47am, Donald MacIntyre was born.

Rhonda fought for 3 years to beat this cancer. Doctors gave her 6 months to live when first diagnosed. She wanted to live everyday to the fullest. She never complained and she only worried about others. She has three beautiful children and a wonderful husband who were there for her. Plus she had all of our family, trying to give them all the support that she needed. Although at the end there was nothing we could really do except pray that she no longer suffer.

I found out at the funeral that Rhonda's middle name was Lee and I'm somewhat sad that I found this out too late. I actually might have let my Don name the baby Donald Lee the third had I known this. It would have been in my mind my little way of honoring her and my husband all in the same. I'm not disappoint with the Mac Daddy's name it's just that I could have had a family name... it's ok thought.

I believe that Mac now has his own gardian angel. His angel is a fighter and she will help to watch over my baby boy. One life in our family replacing that of another. It says in the Bible "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." I believe that although Rhon has been taken from us, she is much happier and no longer suffereing where she is now, and I believe that Mac will live up to the expectations of his family and his gardian angel and he will be blessed for life.

And the name is...

Donald MacIntyre. About two hours into labor when I was about ready to kill anyone who said anything to me, I told my husband that I would be naming this child and he had NO say!!! After the drugs kicked in and the pain. for the most part, went away I still had my heart set on Patrick MacIntyre. The problem was I could see this look on Don's face, this desire to have his son named after him but not wanting to seem like he wouldn't compromise. We had a name conversation right before we fell asleep, (5:00am) when we woke up, I said to him that we could name the baby Donald MacIntyre. I know that it made Don happy, I know that it was something he really wanted. I must say Mac fits the little guy. He is a bruiser. He came so fast that he sort of had what looked like a broken nose and bruises under his eyes like a football player.



So anyway let the nicknames begin... Big Mac, Little Mac, Mac Daddy, Little Mac Daddy, Macky... my biggest fear...Mac Donald. (Won't bother me however if some day he gets a MacDonald's endorsement deal)... It will be ok I suppose, he's bound to be a big boy and he will be able to defend himself no matter what people call him. For now he's my Baby Mac and I will gladly call him Mac the rest of my life.

The Last days of an Only Child

It has been very hard the last few days not being able to get on the floor, take a walk, help with the bath, etc. with my little one. Every day I wake up and think, "Is this going to be the last day that Grace is an only child?" It saddens me a lot because I have really enjoyed having her to myself (and her father) and giving her our full attention. I can give her everything she needs and I worry, as the second one gets very close to being here that I will forget to give her that same amount of attention. Being an only child I know that if my Mom was gone for a few days and came back with another little body... I don't think that I would have been very happy about it.

As I think about this I know that this issue is truly about me and not Grace. She gets up on my lap at night and puts her hands on my belly and pats it like she is talking to the baby. He kicks her generally from inside. It is like they are talking to each other. Maybe they already are? Maybe I don't need to worry... after all I'm giving her someone who she will know the longest in her life. Hopefully they will be thick as thieves, trust each other, protect each other... and even sometimes lie for each other. Hopefully, they both know how much we are blessed for them to have come into our lives. We are truly blessed.

SHUT UP ABOUT TOM CRUISE!!!

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT HIM!!! I DON'T WANT TO SEE HIM!!! I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO ONE THING HE HAS TO SAY!!!

MY TV WATCHING WHILE ON BED REST IS BEING LIMITED BECAUSE OF THIS JERK!!! I WILL NO LONGER WATCH ANYTHING WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT HIM. I HATE BEING A CHANNEL SURFER BUT UNFORTUNATELY UNTIL THIS IDIOT IS DONE PROMOTING HIS LIFE I WILL HAVE TO DO SO.

WHAT MAKES HIM SO IMPORTANT? WHY DO WE CARE???

One more week...

One more week to be a family of three.

One more week to suffer through this heat.

One more week to enjoy my time with my "only child" before she becomes the BIG sister.


One more week to get all those small things ready that you have to do before a baby comes.

One more week to get a breast pump.

One more week to get the carpets cleaned.

One more week to remember what you do with a newborn.

One more week to re read the book Baby Wise. (To all new mom’s I can’t recommend this book enough.)


One more week to decide if I am going to do the VIA Chord program.

One more week to make sure my husband knows that he is very important to me in case for a few weeks I forget to tell him.



One more week to get all the clothes washed.

One more week to decide if I need a double stroller.

One more week to give myself three injections a day of insulin.

One more week of not being able to ice cream.

One more week to feel bigger than a barn.

One more week of bed rest.

One more week worrying about the delivery.

One more week to remember my lamaze breathing.

One more week to watch any show I want on TV.

One more week to be pampered.

One more week… until my beautiful baby boy comes into this world!!!!

Tom Cruise is a FREAKING IDIOT!!!

Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Scientology the belief in writings of a science fiction writer? I just can't believe this idiot, Tom Cruise, whom I use to REALLY like, is out there telling women that they don't know the history of psychology, that Brooke Shields could control her postpartum if she believed in herself, that she is the only one who can control her emotions.

I have a few words for Mr. Cruise. When you have a degree that gives you the right to give advice to anyone about what they should do, think, or feel with regard to having a baby, then you can open your mouth. You don’t so shut the hell up!!! When you have a vagina and have had a child that lives in you for 10 months (yes people they lie to all of you… we are pregnant 40 weeks… in my book that’s 10 months) and does crazy things to your body and your hormones, then you can put your two cents worth into this conversation. Until then SHUT UP!!! I have no problem with someone believing that they need to focus on self and how to make themselves a better person, but you believe in a science fiction writer. I’m sorry you are NUTS. I use to love your films but I will NEVER buy, rent, or attend a movie that you are in ever again.

I wonder how many viewers NBC is losing from the Today Show because we don’t care nor do we wish to see or hear anything about Tom, Katie, War of the Worlds, or Scientology. I just want to scream every time I see him on TV. I can’t change the station fast enough. If I were Steven Spielberg I would be telling Cruise to stop talking, promote my movie and not your life. Katie… honey… don’t be a fool. I was someone who married a man several years older than herself… DON’T DO IT!!! Especially if he has the views he does about childbirth and postpartum. I was lucky enough to get out of that marriage and have a new husband who understands depression, that you often can’t control it when your hormones are going crazy. Katie, Katie. Katie, I’m soooo worried for you.

My baby Bo Bice

This year when American Idol began my mother was staying with us four nights a week helping to watch my baby daughter. One of her favorite shows is American Idol so this meant every Tuesday and Wednesday evening our TV time was made up of American Idol tryouts, top 20, all the way down to the finals. I had never watched this show. I do enjoy Reuben Studdard and Clay Aiken but I thought that Kelly and Fantasia were too "poppy" for me.

Anyway my husband, daughter, and myself joined Grandma in the living room every Tuesday and Wednesday night to see what would happen from week to week. I liked Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, and the other blonde girl from the start. I watched it as much as I could. I found myself racing home from a bargaining session to see who was singing what or who got kicked off that week. Our family decided with about six weeks left to go who the final three would be and we were right. I was so excited that Carrie won. I think she is really talented and I hope she goes places.

Little did I notice however is how much my daughter was watching this show and paying attention to the "Rock and Roll" man... BO Bice. It seems that she was paying attention far more than I realized. As you can see by the picture she enjoys taking our toilet paper holder and using it as a microphone much the way Bo does when he sings. I don't know anywhere else that she would have picked this up from other than Bo on American Idol. Every night after her tubby she likes to grab her microphone and pretend that she is singing. Although we have no idea what she is singing about I think that I have my own little idol on my hands.

Who knew that American Idol could bring out the best in your baby... I think my girl is a born performer. Look out Idol 2020 my girl's getting ready NOW!!!

I think that I'm getting really OLD!!!

Do you remember when you thought your parents were nuts because they listened to Country Music? Well I have found myself over the last week of bed rest watching CMT and really liking the music.

Maybe the music has changed?! I keep trying to tell myself that Country Music today is more like the Southern Rock music I use to like to listen to when I was in High School. As a product of the 80's we had what I thought was good music... Styx , Journey, REO, Loverboy, Ozzy, ACDC and many many more. We also had those interesting bands, The Tubes, 'Til Tuesday, The Motels, and the many different types of "new wave" music. I didn't much like the new wave... Being a musician I thought it was a crime that a person could make it famous as long as they had a synthesizer. They didn't even have to have a good voice. They could just mix and make themselves sound good. It amazed me, it still amazes me.

In the late 90's I started to DJ for a local club and the kids who would come in loved all types of music. I would play anything from John Denver "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" to Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline" to Nine Inch Nails " I Want to F--- U like an Animal" plus the Dance songs and slow songs that were necessary to keep everyone happy. I thought I was really hip. I knew all the songs. I was early 30's, taught school by day, ran a bar by night... and knew 98% of all music out there.

Now, I'm 40... 40 years old!!!! I am a Mom of a 21 month old, with another to be born ANY DAY, I have a high pressure job, and I can't find anything to watch on TV except the Top 20 Countdown on CMT!!!! UGH. I think I'm getting OLD!!!

I wonder if when my little ones are a few years older will I be into their music? Or will they be writing a Blog saying..."Do you remember when your parents listened to Country Music and you thought they were square????"

Did you know there is a difference...

between labor and labor that should send you to the hospital?

I knew that there was a difference between Braxton Hicks, false labor, but I really had no idea that there was a difference in labors until you get to hard labor and then it's time to push.

Well I'll tell you, I'm really tired of this "light" labor. Friday it lasted all day. Yesterday, I maybe had 5 labor pains... today it's back. I'm trying to decide if it is because I'm tired or if the boy really wants to come out.

It amazes me daily the difference between pregnancies. With my first I was on bed rest forever, I had pre-eclampsia and I was not allowed to do anything for almost 7 weeks. This one, my love for ice cream and M&M’s got the better of me and I got, gestational diabetes. After trying to fix that with diet, which did not work and I was very faithful to the diet, they put me on insulin. The insulin has made me feel good and I have been able to work until this last Friday.

With the first one, I never went in to labor. Well I did have Braxton Hicks for 6 hours, we went to the hospital and they sent us home. Then four days later I went in for a non-stress test and they asked if I was over due which I was, they took me to have an ultrasound and with in an hour I was in a birthing room because I was almost out of amniotic fluid. I was poked with all kinds of needles to induce the labor and that is the first time I felt any real labor.

This one, he wants out, He wants out early, and I’m about ready to tell them GET HIM OUT OF ME NOW!!!!

I was going to try to have the last one natural… I got dilated to 6 centimeters when I said to my husband and I quote, “IF YOU WANT ME TO HAVE MORE CHILDREN, I NEED THE DRUGS AND I NEED THEM NOW!!!” We had a code word that I had to say, believe it or not today I can’t even remember what it was, but I could not have the epidural until I said the word.

There is a bit of concern with this one that I’m going to get to the hospital and be too far dilated and they won’t let me have the shot. I absolutely, under only conditions of saving the life of the baby, do I want a C-Section… BUT I DO WANT THE DRUGS.

So my husband just left to get me a BIG BEEF sandwich and ice tea. Grandma is here to help watch the girl. And I’m sitting in the red rocker, thinking about having a baby tomorrow if the doctor will let me, reminiscing to myself and you about how different these two pregnancies have been.

I'm grumpy... just deal with it

You know at 36 weeks pregnant I think that I deserve a few days of being grumpy.

Friday was one of those days. I had very little sleep. The girl did not want to sleep the night before and so I was up with her until 3am and then I woke up at 6:30 with terrible pains in my pregnant belly. I knew those pains... CONTRACTIONS. The problem is... it is too early to feel this way. I then look over at my husband, who is sleeping like a baby, and I start to get angry. This is when my grumpiness started. I have been up with the girl, he did help a little bit but he just cannot function in the middle of the night so I generally don't ask for help... (My trade off is that I make him change ALOT of diapers!!!) I am very envious of the fact that he can sleep and I can't.

So around 8:30 the girl and her dad wake up and we start to get ready to go to the doctor. I was really hoping that we could leave at just the right time so that she would sleep the hour up to Evanston and be in a good mood the whole day. Why would I think that would actually happen? We were late getting in the car so she was overtired from the start and did not sleep the whole way up there. Then we made her walk and walk and walk so that she would sleep between appointments. I could only be that lucky. She chose to sleep once and it could not have been more than 20 minutes!!!

We get to my Non-stress test and sure enough, I'm having contractions and they are about 8 minutes apart. No one seems to be too worried about it. EXCEPT ME!!! I have four more days to work... I need to work and I'm worried about what I am going to do. I'm also worried that Don starts his new volleyball job on Monday and what is going to happen if I have this baby early? How do I get hold of my Mom and get her to our house as soon as possible? I don't have a suitcase, not just that but I'm not even packed. We haven't gotten anything ready for this baby, and I'm starting feeling guilty. Why am I so laid back about getting things ready for this one? He's just as important as Grace. Am I just that much busier? UGH.. calgon take me away!!!

We get to my doctor's appointment and my blood pressure is sky high. He does an exam and tells me that I'm starting to get ready to have this baby... dilated one centimeter and he could feel the head. Well I'm thinking... what does that mean? Do I go to the hospital? Am I sending my husband and child home to pack for me??? What are we doing? Thank goodness my doctor and Don are so laid back because... I'M NOT AT THIS POINT!!! He has the nurse check my blood pressure one more time and then informs me that I am not going back to work. I am to go home and rest. Not do anything just rest. Call if I have a head ache. Call if I have blurred vision. Otherwise just rest, hopefully the contractions will go away and we will get our 3 weeks in. He then informs me I have to do this HORRIBLE test, that I won't go into but it involves 24 hours and finding out if I am expelling protein. I HATE THIS TEST!!! And then he tells me I have to come back on Monday. So next week I have to go to the doctor Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday... unless I have the baby first. But I can't have the baby for the next two weeks because Don has volleyball camp at his new job. (DO YOU SEE THE CRAZY THINGS THAT RUN THROUGH A PREGNANT MOTHER'S MIND???!!!!!)

So then we decide that we should go get something to eat to avoid the rush hour traffic. Well our girl, who is use to eating out, and is generally really good at a restaurant, decides to through a FIT! She was soooo tired, because she never had more that a 20-minute nap all day. I'm so embarrassed. People are looking at us. At that point I told Don I was not going make these people around us suffer for our sake... so we got up and left.

You know it was one of those days. It has been one of those weekends. I tried to explain it to Don yesterday. Everything just goes along fine... I'm fine... I'm fine... I'm fine... all of a sudden... I PANIC... I have to do this I have to do that... I need his help... I can't keep up with the girl... we don't have a name... we have nothing done... I BITE DON'S HEAD OFF... I CRY... I'm fine... I'm fine ... I'm fine...

So I finally just told him and my family, I'm grumpy and they are going to have to just deal with it. Right now... they are all sleeping and I'm up because I'm not feeling the greatest, but this is a great time. No one to bother me. Nothing to think about really. I think that I will go make me some breakfast. Maybe send them to church and I can relax for a while longer. Then it will be back to a day of I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine... I PANIC.

Shameless Plug...

For about 4 years now I have been a personal use consultant with Mary Kay. I have a few costomers but I have changed jobs since then and now married with a family and I have put that business on hold. I don't really know why. You know you can make money selling the stuff!!! In fact you know one of the finalist for the Apprentice, Tana, is/was a Mark Kay lady. She was my favorite and I really liked what she did to find out who would buy what and marketing her product. I however amd not that creative, but I woke up this morning thinking... HMMMM as I begin my maternity leave why not give a shamelss plug for my business on my blog.

Well here it is... if you would like to check out that new Mary Kay products and/or interested in purchasing something please go to my web site...

My MaryKay website

As I'm sitting home with my new baby and my little girl it would be wonderful to get a few new customers. You know one day it would be nice to be independently wealthy as a Mary Kay consultant, I could work less hours and be home with my kids. I'd also really like one of those red jackets, he he he... But for now I'll continue to work the job I love, but maybe I can use the money from to take vacations....

Any suggestions for a name???

As I sit here wondering if I am either in labor (which would make me a month early) or just experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions I thought that I would write to see if those of you who might read this blog have some good suggestions for a name for my baby boy.

Don and I have "narrowed" our list to 8 options. None of which I am totally excited about except for the names Charles or Patrick. Neither are favorites of Don's. As I have written before naming my children is a major issue for me. The child has to live with this name the rest of their life. Being a former teacher, there are kids with names that I remember saying to myself what was that parent thinking??? I even had a mother with a crazy name... "Hi," she said, "I'm Early May". Yes you are reading that correctly... Early May. Guess when she was born??? I was playing in an orchestra back in high school and the guest vocalist singing with us was Merry Belz. But the kicker was that her maiden name was Christmas... so her name was Merry Christmas Belz. WHAT WERE THESE PARENTS THINKING???? Wasn't the only daughter of former govenor Hogg of Texas named Ima. So her name was IMA HOGG!!! Names are issues with me can you tell...

So listed below are names we have thought of. In most cases they have something to do with family... I'm open to other options I just don't know that Don is. Any suggestions would be helpful... MAYBE.

Names

1. Donald Lee, the 3rd
2. Donald MacIntyre (he would be called Mac, this name comes from Don and then his uncle's last name)
3. Patrick MacIntyre (we would call him Pat)
4. Donald Christopher (Don's mom likes this but would prefer Christopher as the first name... I don't care to have my child named after me. It reminds me of Young and the Restless where Victor and Nikki named their children Victoria and Nicholas)
5. Bernham MacIntyre (My mom's uncle's name and Don's uncles last name... I can only think about him being Bernie Mac)
6. Charles Lee (Don's uncle's first name and Don's middle name... one of my favorites)
7. Charles Leroy (we would call him Charlie and the middle name would be after my grandfather... this is my favorite.)
8. Donald Jude (after Don and my mother, Judy, and we would call him DJ)

So there they are... the other family names are for the most part worse than any I have listed here... Albert, Arnold, Gustf, Frank, William (which I would gladly use but Don won't let me have a Will and Grace), I know there are others but I can't remember them at this time.

Well now that my pains have gone away and it is 5:30am... I have been up since 3. I better try to get another hour of sleep because I have a busy day of bargaining. Hope to hear from you about suggestions for names...

Three weeks to go!!!

I have absolutely nothing ready for this baby. I don't know if this is the way it is for other mothers but it is amazing to me that I virtually have nothing done other than today I went and bought diapers. I remember with Grace I wanted everything just right, but then you sort of realize that it might be just right for one day and then it is WING IT!!!

We have terrible water, when I say terrible I mean terrible sulfur smelling yellow water, where I live and so I have to go to the laundry mat to wash all the baby clothes. I do want to do that because I would like to them to be soft and smell good. BUT WHO WANTS TO GO TO THE LAUNDRY MAT?!!! The only nice thing about the laundry mat I go to is they have a wireless network so I can play on the computer while I sit and wait.


For baby number one my husband made a cradle. This time he isn't going to. Or at least at this point he hasn't gotten around to it. I am assuming with only 3 weeks to go it is not going to get done. He thinks that the baby can use Grace’s and my feeling is that they should each have its own. He said that since this is a boy, the boy won't care if he had a cradle of his own, Don says that it is a girl thing and that Grace will get the cradle handed down to her and she can decide if she wants to let her bother use it if he ever has children. I think that I will ask one more time and then just deal with the fact that a new cradle is not getting made.

Thank goodness for my mom being here taking care of Grace because she found the baby bottles that I need to use for a newborn.
Yet I do plan on breastfeeding once again for 6 months and my pump is broken. You might think that I would want to get that ready or at least know who I could rent one from before the baby gets here. Why rush it? What's the hurry?

I never realized how dirty carpets get with little ones. We have carpet in our dining room!! ICK!!! I'm big on not wearing shoes in the house but that is not a priority of Don's and so I just hate it when I get the carpets cleaned and people wear shoes in my house. I probably should have done this a few weeks ago because when Don's Mom and Dad return home from their mission trip... they won't take their shoes off either when they come over. I can handle the shoes a few weeks after the carpets are done but not the same or next day. At this point knowing that I am moving soon... do I clean my carpets? Once again what's the rush?

With my Grace I didn't really nest. I was on bed rest for 6 weeks before and well this time... it doesn't look like bed rest is going to happen and so I have been working. Because I'm working I think that that increases my adrenaline and I get home and I just want this done or that done... I want the cradle, I want clothes washed, I want my breast pump fixed, and I want my carpets cleaned!!!! We spent all morning cleaning today... I told my husband that every Saturday we are getting up and cleaning so that at any point that we might have to go to the hospital early the house will be good to go. My mom keeps it pretty clean through out the week, we just need to keep it that way when she leaves.

So, three weeks to go and so much to do and very little time to get everything ready for baby number two. I am working a lot to try to get some loose ends tied up before I go and then I am planning on not being gone more that eight weeks. I stayed home a bit longer with the first one but since Grandma will be here to watch the kids I think that I can go back to work and not worry. Well you always worry as a Mom but that would be the topic of another blog. Wish me luck that the laundry gets done, the carpets get cleaned, the breast pump gets fixed... and maybe just maybe a cradle will get made.