Tuesday, November 28, 2006

And Our Baby Is A...

 So I went yesterday for my regular OB appointment and to see if we could determine the gender of our little baby with an ultrasound. I am 16 weeks along, and the Dr. assured me that we would have a 99% chance of seeing everything. So after a few minutes of measurements he took a look……and we still have no idea what we’re having. The baby refused to cooperate, was apparently in the middle of a complicated tap dance routine, and also thought it would be funny to tangle the umbilical cord and have it in just the right spot so that no matter what resolution or method the Dr. used, we couldn’t tell if it’s a boy or a girl. Maybe it’s because Craig and I decided not to find out our babies gender with three of my pregnancies, but I am not disapointed at all. I was so excited to see our little one moving and dancing around in there, I really don’t care that we didn’t get a definitive answer on gender. I’m supposed to return in another couple of weeks for a complete diagnostic ultrasound, but I may have to make some changes instead.
   While I really think my Dr. is fantastic, I am having a hard time with the long drive and then the long wait to see him. I know my Dr. is busy because he’s in high demand, it’s just not working out for me with all of the driving and waiting. I hate that I have to drive 50 minutes to his office, wait for 45 minutes or more to be seen, and then drive the whole long way back. I think once my appointments become more frequent and are every two weeks, and then weekly, it will be even worse. And I am becoming more and more unhappy with the idea of not delivering in my local hospital. I love the hospital here, it’s very patient oriented, and I get the most personalized and friendly care. I really loathe the thought of changing Dr.’s, but I think I need to do what’s best for my family as well as myself, and a change seems to be the right answer for all of those reasons. First I need to make some calls to some of my friends and get some recommendations, and then figure out if I want to do this or not.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

The Nutcracker

Last year, Haven somehow ended up watching a production of the Nutcracker Ballet on TV, and ever since then has loved it. So when I saw that tickets for a local production of it were on sale, I hurried and made arrangements to go. I asked my Mom to go with me and Haven, and she thought it was a great idea since we both love the music, even though we aren’t usually big ballet fans. So on Saturday, we got dressed up and headed to the theatre. I wondered if the balcony seats we had would be any good, and I have to say, they were incredible. Our view was clear, unobstructed, and still close so that you didn’t miss a thing on stage. I would sit in those seats happily anytime, for any production, the theatre is the perfect size so that any seat is really a great one.
It was so fun to see so many other little girls there, and most of them were also decked out in their best dresses. There was a lot of velvet, tulle and sparkling satin, and even a few tiaras which I thought was so much fun. Haven was transfixed as soon as the curtain went up, and my Mom and I took turns quietly whispering to her what each scene was about so that the story made more sense. I loved the dance of the sugar plum fairies with the snow, and also the part with Mother Ginger. Haven loved it when Clara was made a princess and had all of the different dancers to celebrate the occasion. My Mom and I both were surprised at how fast it seemed to go, it never felt like 2 hours to either of us.
Afterwards, my Mom and I both agreed we would be doing this every year, and we can’t wait to go with Heidi and Korby and whichever kids will want to come with us the next year. I already have it planned to make it into a whole day, and I can’t wait to do this again. It was just so wonderful to be able to take my little girl, and be with my Mom and go to such a fun event together. I even teared up twice at just that thought, being that I was so happy just to be there with the two of them. And I’m not chalking that up to pregnant hormones, my Mom later told me that she teared up too for the same reason, we were both just so happy, and it was such a wonderful time for the three of us.
Afterwards we went to the store and I let Haven pick out a little red nutcracker of her own, and she was thrilled to have one. As soon as we got home Haven wanted a nightgown just like Clara had, and luckily I had one cut out and ready to sew from my project pile. So I put on the Barbie Nutcracker, sat her down and I went to work on a ruffled nighty for her to wear to bed that night. The pattern is a fast one, so I was done as soon as the movie ended, and she happily went off to bed in her Clara nighty and pantaloons holding onto her little nutcracker prince. Don’t be too surprised if you hear about me sewing a Clara dress next, I think it would be so fun to make her one, but I need to get a few other things done first.
So here’s to next year, and all of the fun we get to plan for, and I’m sure we will have. And I am hoping to convince C to go too, I think she would love it, and I was very sorry she didn’t come with us. She hated the last ballet she saw on a school field trip, so she really didn’t want to go with us since she thought this would be really boring too. This production of the Nutcracker was so lively, colorful and fun, I think she would have enjoyed herself though, and I hope she will give it a try when we go next year.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Hey! I Felt That!

I am 14 weeks and 2 days pregnant, and today was the first day I felt the baby kick! It’s so fun to feel the little flutterings and movement and know that there really is someone in there. No matter how many times I have been pregnant, feeling the baby move is still such an exciting thing. Of course it’s way to early for anyone else to feel any of the movement going on, but my kids can’t wait until they get to feel the kicking too. That is their favorite part, feeling the baby move when it’s still in Mom’s tummy. There is nothing cuter than their little hands on my belly, eagerly waiting for any nudge, kick, punch or bump from the little one inside. It’s all so exciting for them, and for me too. So whoever you are in there, I felt that! And I am looking forward to even more!

Thursday, November 9, 2006

A Favorite Birthday Memory Of Mine, But Probably Not For My Brother

When I was growing up, sometimes I didn’t always get along with my brother Rob. Actually we rarely got along and fought a lot about really dumb stuff. He loved to tease me about anything and everything, and I of course fell for the bait every time. The older we got, the better we got along, and we don’t bicker like that anymore, but I do remember one time however where Robby had it dished out, literally, and for once he was the recipient of the teasing.
   Rob used to be really germaphobic about his food. He didn’t like anyone touching, breathing, or much less looking at his food (he’s not like this any more in case you’re wondering). We were having a family birthday dinner for me, I believe it was my 15th birhtday(?), and I felt like Rob had been pushing my buttons a little bit extra that day (whether he was or not, remember, I was his sister, and a teen, so it was all drama then). I was in the kitchen with my sisters and my cousin Kezia, and we were dishing up the cake and ice cream for everyone.
   I must have been fuming about Rob or something while I was in there with the other girls, because Kezia turned to me with a bowl of chocolate cake, gave the top of the cake a huge long lick with her tongue, plopped a scoop of ice cream into the bowl and said Happy Birthday Heather! She then walked right into the family room where my brother Rob was, and gave him the “tainted” dessert. And yes, he ate it, the saliva cake and all. To this day I still don’t know if he ever found out or not. I love my brother Rob a lot, and he and I stopped the fighting a long time ago, but I have to admit, that was one of my favorite birthday presents, ever.

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

You Put WHAT In Your Hair?!?!!

Shortly after I wrote the post below (Never Far Behind), I went about trying to pick up the house. There were stray toys strewn about, some dirty clothes to take to the laundry room, and the kids had pulled a bunch of videos off the shelf in the basement so I set about to try and get things looking neater. I wasn’t gone, I was just in and out of the rooms as I picked up, but we all know how fast our kids can get into mischief. Apparently Gracen and Mathes had baited me with the mess and used it to distract me for a few minutes because that was all it took for Mathes to get the tub of Vaseline down, take off the lid, and give it to Gracen to play with. And play she did.
When I came back in the room she had it ALL over her clothes, face, neck, hands, legs/tights, and worst of all, in her hair. And we’re not talking just a little bit. She had gobbed it into her hair and smeared it around for good measure. One side of her hair was sticking up and out to the side all crazy too, and she looked like a grease bomb. I got her into the bath, and did as the instructions I got from the internet told me, and put cornstarch in her hair and then shampooed the heck out of it. It worked fairly well, and I got the gobs out, but her hair still has a Vaseline residue, and I’m pretty sure it will be there for a few days too. (Banna, this brought back memories of our moisturizing hair treatment gone bad experience.)
I’m still mystified as to why Mathes only opened the lid and then gave it to Gracen without playing in it himself. I guess he decided to let someone else get into trouble this time. The pictures above are of little miss wicky pants in the Vaseline, then afterwards in the bath with the cornstarch in her hair to try and get the goo out. She looked pretty funny and just thought it was an extra treat to get two tubbies in one day since I had given her a bath earlier this morning. So naughty, and yet still so cute. How can you be mad at that sweet little face?

Never Far Behind

It’s so funny to see my little Gracen running as fast as she can behind the other kids, trying to keep up with them. Amazingly she does, and she is always right there in the middle of the fun, playing right along with them and being one of the “big kids”. She may be a smurf, but she doesn’t seem to be aware of it, and she hasn’t let it get in the way of whatever she sets her mind to doing. I love her determined little spirit and her funny little personality, she keeps us all entertained with her quirky antics. Gracen loves to play with Haven and Mathes the most, but sometimes Haven thinks Gracen is her own personal baby and loves to play with her as one too. Gracen will put up with it for a little while, then gets tired of it and gives Haven a piece of her mind.
Gracen also loves playing with dolls, so she and Haven can ususally be found hunkered over the doll cradle with their “babies”, pretending to be little mommies. Although lately, Gracen has become Mathes’ shadow, following him everywhere and copying EVERYTHING he does. If he drums on the table, then she has to do it too, if he climbs onto the couch and jumps off, she’s right behind him ready to take her turn. I know she’s little, but her size is deceiving. And while she’s a little sweetheart and gives kisses and hugs out like there’s no tomorrow, she’s the toughest baby of any of my kids, ever, and she loves to be in on all of the fun and excitement. So watch out world, Gracen is a force to be reckoned with, and heaven help those that stand in her way.