Introducing my Little Squeaker

Here's my little Squeaker. He's such a loving, bundle of snuggles. Here he is passed out on Mommy. He was born on Sept. 18th. 9.3lbs. 20 inches, blue eyes and strawberry blong hair.

Hope you are all doing well. I'm playing catch-up with all your blogs.

Updates on the Pregnancy

So, I had an ultrasound last Friday to check on the progress our Little Man is making. (I think his nickname is more likely to become "Dude".) He's measuring at 8 lbs. Give or take a pound. Yeesh. I thought he'd be smaller since I'm retaining less water with him than I did with my daughter.

Yesterday I went in for my checkup. They scheduled me for a C-section on the 22nd if he doesn't come by then. Oh boy, I hope he does. Since in the next 5 days, I have to go to the doctor's office/hospital /lab 3 times. Ugh.

Apparently, the doc and the ultrasound tech are worried about my fluid levels. Amniotic fluid for those not in the preggers vocab know. So, I had a non-stress test yesterday morning. Should have taken 10 minutes. Took an hour because my "Little Man" wouldn't stop moving. Note: He hates to have things on my belly. So I have to go to the hospital on Saturday for another non-stress test, the Ultrasound lab on Monday for another ultrasound and back to my doctor's on Tuesday for another non-stress test.

I sat down with the Dude after my appointment and told him that he needs to come, because I don't want to spend all that time running from appointment to appointment. Maybe once he realizes that every time I have to run, it's more seat belt uncomfort-ness for him, he'll get fed up and just come already.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Nearing the Finish Line

So, I'm now at 34 weeks. The little man is measuring quite large. So, in a week and a half I will be having an ultrasound to check on his size. My doc wants to see if he's really big, if I have more fluid, or if it's half and half. After that we'll decide on delivery methods.

I'm somewhat ready for him to get here. Just a few more things I have to check off my list. And we'll be good to go.

In other news, I signed up my daughter for dance. It's a tap/ballet combo and it's for 8 months. Yep. 8 Months. Luckily, if she hates it, we can drop out at no extra cost. But the funniest thing happened the other day. We were buying her ballet and tap shoes. The sales lady asked my daughter to point her toes when she had the ballet slippers on. And my daughter looked at her and pointed to her toes. It was almost like she was thinking....

"Um, my toes are right there. Why do I need to point to them?"

After a minute or so she figured out what we were trying to get her to do. Such is the mind of a two and a half year old. LOL.

And my Angel Baby finally moved into a big girl bed. She now is sleeping in a full size bed. I'm so proud, but yet sad that she's growing up. I guess this happens with all milestones. Though, to be honest, I was really excited when she got out of diapers...and started sleeping through the night.

Updates, Gripes and Pleas

Okay, so I'm alive. Everything is going well with the bun in the oven. I'm now at 32 weeks and I'm ready to have this kid already. The Hubs, Wee One and I went and visited family on the other side of the country last month. It was fun, but exhausting. Though I have to say, my daughter is a great traveler. At 2 1/2 I figured there'd be some screaming, crying, carrying on. Something. Nope. She was an angel both going and coming back. In fact, she got a lot of compliments from our seat neighbors after each flight to tell her what an angel she is/was. Relief on my part. And let me tell you. Squeezing my 7 1/2 month pregnant self and a 2 1/2 year old into an airplane lavatory. Oh my goodness! Talk about tetris-ing yourself. Having to figure out where to put her, and shimmy my way around. Ugh. Thank goodness we only did it a few times. Pull-ups are a great relief!!!

Now on to the gripes.

For Goodness sake people....don't comment on any pregnant woman's belly in the following fashion.

"You look like you're going to explode."

"You look like you've eaten way to many ____."

"Are you going to deliver any day now?"
"No. At the end of September."
"Twins? Triplets?"
"No. Just one."

Or when I say the end of September. Then you tell me there's no way I'll ever make it. And look like I'm a crazy person for not going into labor right then and there.

My doctor and I aren't worried with my progress. I realize I tend to carry everything low and in the front. So I looked like I was full term (for most average women) at 5-6 months. Every pregnant woman is different. Back the fuck off!!!!

I swear, I've been blowing it off. No rude comments back. But the next time a person decides to comment on my size, or tell me how I'm just deluded and that I'm really 11 months pregnant and why haven't the Guinness people called me yet, I'm going to fucking lose it!

Really.

In fact, the only comments that I really enjoy.

"You look adorable."

"You are so cute."

Something along those lines. I don't usually like to be called adorable or cute. But when I feel so gigantic already, then have to deal with random rudeness from idiot fucktards, I will take it.

So, a plea to all of you out there that might think to comment on a pregnant woman's belly.

99.9% of the time, you shouldn't say a single word...unless you're hoping for suicide by proxy.

.1% of the time, you compliment the pregnant woman.

And that .1% of the time should only happen when there's a woman, like me, that is so obviously pregnant that there's no way she could just be gaining weight.

The Wisdom of Gaia

Many of you may have seen this on Leeanna's site "Can We Have a New Witch? Ours Melted" yesterday.

I just had to repost!!!

Great News!!!

Hey everyone, I have some amazing news. I've been playing this close to my chest for a long time now and figure that I can finally tell everyone.

I'm 20 weeks pregnant!!!!

I'm having a little boy!!!!

So, we are all of course very excited. This time around, I'm not worrying so much about how I'll be as a parent. Now I'm worried about how my daughter will handle a new baby brother. So far, she kisses and hugs my belly. Saying "Hugs and kisses for baby brother." So that's good. But at other times, I'm wondering if her new affectionate nature, is a response. The Hubs said he was very affectionate as a child so it could be a personality thing.

Don't get me wrong, I love all the unprompted "I love you, Mommy." and "Mommy pretty." comments. My heart just melts when I hear it. I'm just hoping that it's here to stay and not something temporary. Well, granted it probably won't happen when she's 13. But hopefully it will stay for a while.

I had a wonderful Mother's day. I got flowers from my mom. And a "World's Best Mom" coffee mug with a brand new Keurig coffee maker from my Daughter and Husband. Though the coffee maker is apparently for both Mom and Dad's day. No biggie for me. Cuts down on the shopping I have to do in June. ;)

So what are you all up to? Any big news for you?

Lately...

• I've been reading: The Trouble with Magic, A Charmed Death & Mermaids in the Basement.

• Enjoying all the "Happy Mommy's" from my amazing, little daughter.

• Visiting family.

• I'm happy that despite the rain, the temps seem to be going higher and higher.

• Trying not to get sucked into yet another tv show (True Blood) by my Hubs.

• Listening to The Ragbirds.

• Playing Angry Birds on my Nook.

What have you all been up to?

Early Birthday Gift

So, my birthday isn't until the end of the month. But the Hubs and the Wee One went, out Sunday afternoon and bought me my birthday present. Now, I wasn't expecting it. In fact, I didn't realize they had left the house last Sunday until the Hubs mentioned they went to Costco. (Granted, I was out of the house from 10:15 - 3pm.)

Anyway, the Hubs mentioned that he bought the Wee One a book. She told me it was a Tinkerbell book. Or rather, "Daddy. Book. Bell Bell." Which means the same thing in 28 month old speak. Turns out they left it in the car. I told the Hubs I'd go get it. No worries, right?

Well, the Hubs left my present on the front passenger seat. I played it off. But he asked me point blank at dinner that night if I'd seen it.

"Yes. But I'll be surprised." (For the Munchkin's sake. Since we don't get birthday presents for each other anymore. The Daughter does. She pays the other parent in Smiles, Hugs and Kisses. LOL)

So later that night. Hubs gives my present to our daughter. She comes running out to me, saying "Happy Mommy Birth. Happy Mommy Birth." And is so excited.

I of course play along. And she snuggles up next to me on the couch and eagerly watches me open it.

What is it?

Why my Nook Color that I wanted. I had to go plug it in. So I took it into the kitchen and when I came out without it, my Daughter starts crying. I soothe her and try to explain that it has to be charged in order to work. After some time, she calmed down.

Needless to say, the whole thing was very cute. And I've been addicted to my Nook ever since. I'm still not sure how all the bells and whistles work. But, I'm having fun, nonetheless. And I bought this cover.I wanted one that had a few pockets, had a closure and was only a bi-fold. I was a little sad to see that they only had black. No flashy colors to choose from. But alas, I took function over style. Maybe sometime in the future they'll come out with Style and Substance.

So, anyone with a Nook want to explain the LendMe feature?

Books and Friends

I just finished reading The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen. And while it was a good book, I don't think it was her best. It got me to thinking though about friendship and what true friendship really looks like.

The book focuses on a small town in North Carolina. The main character Paxton is the President of the Women's Society Club and she's always striving to be perfect. The other main female character is Willa. She's from a family that was wealthy in the beginning, but lost their fortune when the logging trade dried up.

Anyway, they both went to high school together, but weren't friends. One night while driving home late, Willa sees Paxton in trouble and comes to her rescue. After that, Paxton can't figure out why Willa hasn't spilled the beans to everyone in town. She thinks Willa must be planning to use this information against her at a later date. Willa is very confused by this, since it's not how she operates.

But to be fair that's the only kind of friendship Paxton has ever experienced. At the end, Paxton comes to understand what true friendship is, and she sums it all up in this quote " One way or the other, Paxton knew that those who decided to stick with her would be her true friends. The others would just be scenery."

I've dealt with a weakening or loss of friendship over the past year. And it's been weighing on my mind. I sat down a while ago and really thought about who I could lean on if I needed to. And it turns out that I don't really have many.

I'm talking about:

• calling at all hours of the night/day


• being there for them when they need me


• being able to talk about whatever and knowing they won't spill the beans to anyone


• them being there for me


• helping each other out


• listening to problems and automatically knowing to offer advice or agreement


• being willing to drive to see me, just as much as I drive to them

I also include the usual talking about whatever and joking of course. But just to have one woman that you can always go to, to talk about whatever, whenever, is amazing.

I have that.

I do.

It just surprised me that it wasn't originally who I though it was. And I'm so thankful that I have both of them in my life.

Jeanie & Mom - you are both all sorts of AWESOME!

Kindle vs. Nook Color

Okay readers, I need your help. Do you have a Kindle or a Nook Color? I know all the differences between them, and I'm honestly leaning more towards the Nook Color. But I want to know what you think.

This:

Or this:

Winner of my Ostara Candy Giveaway

Okay, so there were three commenters on my last post. So, I put in your three names and drew the winner.

Dun, dun, duuuuunnnnn.....

Lilac Silverfox of My Wiccan Ways!!!!

Congratulations sweetie!!!

BTW, Lilac is participating in the Welcoming the God blog party and her guest post is today!!!! She's got a great entry about Quetzalcoatl. So check her out. She's a new blogger, but she's doing amazing!!!

Ostara Celebration and Giveaway

Happy Ostara to all of you visiting from Confessions of a Country Witch's blog party.

I thought I'd share something fun with all of you.

Just keep in mind that you will want a very SMALL chocolate rabbit. We celebrated yesterday and it was a ton of fun. A bit of a sugary, sweet overload, but fun.

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Chocolate Rabbit

1. For this ritual, you'll need the following:

•A bag of jellybeans
•Marshmallow Peeps -- chicks, bunnies, etc.
•A chocolate rabbit for each particpant
•A glass of milk for each participant

Arrange your ritual supplies on your altar so they look pretty. Kids can do this -- typically the chocolate rabbits end up in the center, surrounded by an army of Peeps and several rings of jellybeans. A quick note -- you might want to perform this ritual well in advance of mealtime, or all the kids will be too full of candy to eat a real dinner.

2. First, give everyone present a handful of jellybeans. Point out the different colors in the jellybeans, and what they can represent. As you call out each one, eat the jellybeans in that color. Feel free to be a bit goofy. Say something like:

Behold, little jelly eggs, small symbols of the season,
How we adore you!
Green is for the grass that springs from the land! (eat all the green jellybeans)
Yellow is for the sun shining above our heads! (eat all your yellow jellybeans)
Red is for the tulips that grow in our garden! (eat your red jellybeans)
Pink is for Aunt Martha's new Easter hat! (eat your pink jellybeans)
Purple is for the crocuses that sprout along our driveway! (eat the purple ones)

3. Continue this until all the colors are gone -- if you really want to have some fun, make the kids take turns naming off the colors and what they mean to them. When they're all gone, call out:

Hail! Hail! to the mighty jelly bean of Spring!

4. Next, hand out the marshmallow Peeps. As you do, say:

Behold the Peep! The Peep is life, brought back in the spring!
Little Peep chickens, we honor you! (bite the Peep chicks)
Little Peep bunnies, we honor you! (bite the Peep bunnies)…

Continue this until the Peeps are all gone -- it's probably a good idea to limit each kid to just two or three Peeps at the most. When the Peeps have all vanished, call out:

Hail! Hail! to the mighty Peeps of Spring!

5. Finally, distribute the chocolate rabbits. Say:

Behold the great chocolate rabbit!
As he hops through the land, he spreads joy and happiness!
O, how we adore the chocolate rabbit and his great big chocolate ears! (eat the rabbit's ears)
Praise the chocolate rabbit, and his delicious chocolate tail! (eat the rabbit's tail)
Honor this chocolate rabbit, and his chocolate hoppity legs! (eat the rabbit's legs)
He is a wonderful rabbit, and he is special indeed! (eat the rest of the rabbit)

When the rabbits are all gone, say:

Hail! Hail! to the mighty chocolate rabbit of Spring!

6. Give everyone a glass of milk, and raise your drinks in a toast to these three symbols of the season.

To the jelly beans!
To the Peeps!
To the chocolate rabbit!
We drink in your honor!

Drink your milk, and sit back to enjoy the sensation of being stuffed with ritual candy.

What You Need:
•Jelly beans
•Peeps
•Chocolate rabbits
•Milk

And look, you can win everything you need for this ritual. So all you'd need is the milk.


To enter the giveaway you need to be a follower of this blog.

That's it. Just comment below. And make sure that you have an accessible email address.

The drawing will be held Monday, March 21st.

Send Prayers and Energy to Japan!!!

Oh my god!!! The devastation that has hit Japan is enough to make you sit down and start rocking back and forth catatonically. Please send whatever thoughts, prayers, energy, whatever to Japan and now possibly to Hawaii!!!

March Inspirations

I'm so looking forward to March. I can't even begin to tell you all how much I can't wait for this month to get fully underway! Well, maybe it is already, and I'm just late to the party. Who, knows.

Anywho,

• I'm inspired by the rain that has been coming. Granted, I'm not a sloppy mud person. But I do appreciate the fact that it's no longer cold enough to snow. Bring on the warmer temps. And warmer temps = skirts and dresses. Yay!!!
• Ostara.
  
• We're going to be doing our backyard this year. Patio, fire pit?, the works. I'm looking forward to lazy summer days sitting on my back patio drinking lemonade and reading a beloved book.
• I'm hoping that in addition to doing our back yard, I can get the front flowerbed going. I have some ideas, so we'll see if we have the time and more importantly the funds to do it. If nothing else, I'll always have my kitchen windowsill garden.
• St. Patrick's Day. I love the Corned beef and cabbage and carrots and potatoes of it all. Mmmm.
• And of course, Fat Tuesday today!!! Come on everyone, get your Mardi Gras, Paczki grove on!!!
  

Come and Celebrate the God with Us

Hey everyone,

No, I'm not dead. Thankfully. I fought that nasty cold and then to reward me, another cold decided to come party. Luckily, I've been cold free for the past two or three weeks. Phew. Let's hope it continues, (keeping my fingers crossed.)

Anywho, I decided to celebrate the upcoming spring by participating in the "15 Days of Welcoming the God" Blog Party hosted by Confessions of a Country Witch and Domesticated Gypsy.

I am learning about the God in my new Circle now and I'm really surprised by how connected I am to him. I haven't focused on a male deity for...yea, don't think I ever really have. So, it's been a breath of fresh air. Anyway, let's all visit the party for some much needed masculine energy.

I'm doing Ostara. Though my post isn't focused entirely on the God. AND, I will be doing a giveaway for it. So stay tuned.

The Joys of Laryngitis

Yes, my friends. I have developed laryngitis from this nasty fucking cold. The joys are numerous. To name a few:

* My 2 year old daughter doesn't acknowledge my flailing arms when I'm trying to get her attention. I've reverted to clapping, stomping and slapping walls like a crazy person. And then the only one who comes running, is my husband, who thinks I've had some odd accident.

* Random people whisper back to me. Thinking it's a conspiratorial game of sorts.

* My Mother hangs up on me, thinking my voice issue is due to bad reception. I have to call her back and say, "My voice sucks, don't hang up." really fast, hoping she'll hear and understand me.

* When going to order lunch yesterday, I think. Oh, crap. How can I get food? I have to pathetically ask a (very sweet) co-worker to order my lunch for me.

Why?

Why is it that:

* When my daughter gets sick, she's sick for a day. While I'm sick for a week?

* When I take a nap, our stupid first response radio alarm thing goes off? And not for anything today. For a weather watch for tomorrow night. How does the weatherman know that far in advance when he can't usually tell me when it's going to rain?

* When I'm sick, I feel guilty for canceling everything?

* When I'm sick, there's nothing but shit on tv. But when I'm healthy, all the good shows and specials are on?

* When I'm sick and can barely talk, my dog acts out more than usual?

* When I'm sick I'm bitchy?

My Dear Blog,

I'm sorry I have been remiss in posting to you. While you are my sanctuary, I just haven't had the need/desire to write. Very selfish of me, I know. However, I am working on bettering myself. I promise. I just don't seem to find enough time in my day to post to you as regularly as before. I'm sure I'll come back and be more regular one day. Hmmm, I wonder if there's a blog fiber out there?

Anyway, I haven't forgotten you, my wonderful blog. I've just been fliting around lately. (And getting over a cold.)

Love,
Me

What I've been doing...

Since I've been gone I've been up to a few things.

* Konad and Shany Nail Art Stamping. I used to do my nails all the time, but got out of it for a few years. Now with this fun system I can't wait to try new ideas and patterns.



* Cooking. In fact, I tried out making a rainbow cake. But it didn't turn out all that well. I think since I made it from scratch and I over stirred. But check out these awesome cupcakes.



* Working with the Wee One and the potty. Yep, she's all interested in it. Which is great since then we can stop buying diapers. But I don't think she's going to master it anytime soon. No rush.

* Taking a bit of an internet fast. Just trying to cut down on how much I'm online. It was getting a little out of hand.

* Working on my spiritual path. It's wonderful to be able to finally focus on that part of my life.

What are you all up to?