Finished this book....

It was pretty good! I finished it at work Saturday because we wern't busy at all! I hope I get some of the books that were on my Christmas list! I've asked for the Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson also. I just love that show, so hopefully the books are just as good!

New Pics of the Kids

We had some fun with the camera the other night. The boys were all grins, so I decided to snap some pics of them. It's not often that Bryce is WILLING to hold Drew!

We're slowly getting ready for Christmas. The only shopping I've done this year is online. It's pretty sweet let me tell ya! You don't get the instant gratification of buying it that day, but you also don't have to fight the crowds with two kids (one of which is begging for every toy in sight!) and you get the anticipation of a package arriving! Can't beat it in my opinion!

Bryce's birthday is this month also (5 days after Christmas). We went to Publix last week and let him choose a cake. I was shocked when he picked the Star Wars cake! He's obsessed with SpongeBob these days, but I guess Darth Vader is pretty cool too. He only has two more weeks of MDO left before Christmas break. Hopefully I can keep him as entertained as they do!

Drew started LAUGHING last week! My chunky-monkey is only 2 1/2 months old and he will just giggle at his bouncy seat, mommy and daddy. He's also been having a major drool-fest. I never remember the slobs coming this early with Bryce. Hopefully teething isn't in the near future!

The good stuff

No need for words :)

My 8 week old

This is the beginning of your second month Drew! You just keep on growing and changing everyday. You're officially out of size "newborn" clothes and into 3 months now. Your smiles now come with squeals and you love to have conversations with me and daddy. I switched to bottle feeding exclusevily last week since I started back to work last night. It's alot of work pumping and feeding, but I'm doing it all for you baby! You're still sleeping great! Daddy is finally able to get you to bed at night without my help. You go to bed around 10pm and like to wake up around 4 or 5am for a bottle, and then back to bed until 8 or 8:30. I hope you keep this routine for awhile!

Just a little funny

I found this at my new favorite website to lurk: KellyMom

I can really relate to #s 2,8 and 9!

Being a working mom, I have to pump. I use an Ameda Purely Yours, which anyone who owns one will tell you is not the quietest thing on the planet. I got thinking yesterday about all the stuff I've learned while pumping. Here are just a few:

1. We need new magazines in the exam rooms. (I work in a doctor's office.)
2. The customer service rep from Sprint can and will hear the pump running, and will almost always ask what that noise is.
3. 90% of women have lopsided breasts. (I think I'm in the top 200)
4. When using exam room 6, someone will either need something, have an emergency or both at the same time. They usually end up being more embarassed than I am.
5. You can use the spine of an Esquire magazine to open a beer.
6. When your boss hollers "AIRMAIL!!!!!!!!!!!" and slides your paycheck under the door, at least eight people will bust out laughing.
7. The term "boobie juicer" is hysterically funny. Especially to other nursing moms.
8. It is possible to fall asleep while pumping. And when the horn separates from the breast and makes a giant farting noise, everyone within a ten-mile radius will hear it.
9. It is physically impossible to turn your pump on or off with your nose.
10. Collection bottles can and will overflow if not properly supervised. This will most likely happen when you're wearing dark blue or purple scrubs.

Just a few random things based on my experience, thought it was funny and that you might enjoy it. Anyone else have anything good?

6 Weeks

Oh my goodness! Drew will be 6 weeks old this Wednesday! Time is flying by so fast already. That's the one thing I've noticed about having TWO kids. The time flies by twice as fast. I guess it's my hormones getting back in order, but I've been tearing up alot lately just looking at Bryce and thinking "When did he get so big?". He's always been my baby and now he's growing up to be quite a handsome little man.

Drew has grown SO much! His little face has filled out and he's in the beginning stages of chubby cheeks. We're going to Portrait Innovations this Wednesday to get some pictures made and I'll post those when we get back. It's such a difference from the newborn ones from my previous post.

Welcome Andrew Blake Dickens

Baby Drew arrived September 12, 2007! He weighed in at 7lbs 14oz and was 20 3/4 inches long! I'm adjusting to life with a newborn AND an almost 4 year old in the house, hence the delay in uploading pics and updating my blog. I'm sure there will be more pictures to come!

Baby Evan comes for a visit!

Stephanie brought baby Evan over Saturday for a visit! He's sooo precious! It was nice to hold a little baby in preparation for my little one's arrival Wednesday. Bryce did very good with me holding a baby. I was sort of concerned that he might have a bit of jealousy. Notice how BIG I am now!! That pic was taken one day before my due date. My maternity clothes barely cover my belly anymore.

AAAAHHHHH!

Yesterday while Bryce was at school I treated myself to an hour prenatal massage at Blue River Canyon Salon and Day Spa. Oh my GOSH! Why didn't I do this SOONER?!?!? I actually got to lay on my stomach for the first part of the massage which alone was worth the cost of admission. I haven't laid on my stomach since January atleast! It was so relaxing, and I'm trying every way I can to go back next week ;)

Shopaholic makes a movie!

Given the success of Bridget Jones' Diary and any number of other "chick flicks" based on chick lit, I'm surprised it's taken this long to hear news about a movie based on the Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic series. But alas, now the time has come for a film all about Becky Bloomwood and her wacky adventures.

ComingSoon reports:

P.J. Hogan (Peter Pan, My Best Friend's Wedding) will direct Confessions of a Shopaholic, an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Sophie Kinsella. Jerry Bruckheimer will produce.

Shooting begins this November so I'll be on the lookout for upcoming casting news. I just read in 'US Weekly' that Isla Fisher has been cast as Becky Bloomwood.

She was the crazy sister in "Wedding Crashers" and is also pregnant with Borat's child. I can see her in the role of Becky, but I really, really hope that they color her hair!!! I can't get the whole "She's a red-haired Bitch and I hate her" t-shirt image out of my head from the 'Shopaholic and Baby' book. I hope they consider that.

Bryce's first day of Mother's Day Out!

This was such a big day for me and Bryce. We went to the open house last night to meet the teacher and see his classroom and he was VERY excited about going back. I told him last night that mommy and daddy wouldn't be staying with him when he went back on Tuesday. He didn't like that. So he woke up this morning and claimed that he "wasn't going" and "daddy said I could stay home". He's learned to play me already! I got his backpack and lunchbox out and he quickly changed his tune. Carrying a backback is the coolest thing in my son's opinion!

So we loaded up and when we got there he would barely stop so I could take a picture! He darted through the door and made a bee-line for his room (which by the way he remembered exactly where it was!). The teacher does the smartest thing for when the kids come in....she has an activity waiting on the tables for them which makes drop-offs go so much easier. Today on one of the tables was a big tub filled with rice and cars. Bryce went right for that. He started digging and burying the cars in the bin. The other table was covered with paper fish that had magnets on them. There were fishing poles with paperclips tied to the end so the kids could go fishing. With all that cool stuff, Bryce could've cared less if I was there or not.

The teacher gives all the parents a daily report on what they did. Today she said Bryce was very quiet (give that some time), and didn't want to take a nap (yeah, good luck with that). He claimed during nap time that he had to potty 3 times in the 30 minutes that they were resting. That little booger is smart I'm telling ya! Already wanting to roam the halls!

My first experience with MDO has been very positive so far. I was afraid it would be more like a daycare or drop-in childcare, but I was so happy to hear that there was some structure in their day.

Here's what Bryce's Tuesdays and Thursday's look like:

9:00-9:20 Morning Activity (which today was the fishing and rice)
9:20-9:55 Art
9:55-10:00 Clean up
10:00-10:15 Snack
10:15-10:25 potty break
10:25-10:45 Bible story/music
10:50-11:20 Recess/gym
11:30-11:50 Circle time
11:50-12:20 lunch
12:20-12:30 potty break
12:30-2:00 Nap

Almost 36 Weeks!

Here I am! Large and in charge! Some of my friends threw me a shower last night to help welcome Baby Drew! I had a wonderful time and got lots of baby goodies. I was so excited to bring everything home and find a place for it in the nursery. I can't believe that I'm nearing the end of my final pregnancy. In a way it's bittersweet. I'm having awful hip pain when I sleep, lots of heartburn, not much energy, and THE HEAT!!! I think it's three times hotter to a pregnant woman than it is to one that's not. But it also makes me sad that this is the last time I will get to experience these things. Only I could feel my baby's first kick. Only I can tell when his active times are in the womb. Only I can have the wonderful bonding experience that a pregnant mother has with her baby. I just have four more weeks to go, so I'm going to suck-up the complaining and enjoy it while it lasts!

Daniele wins HOH!!!

Congratulations Daniele.

I wonder what her exciting nominations are going to be this week. Since she swore to Kail that she wouldn't be going home to get Kail to quit, who is she going to nominate? What will Daniele do?

We're the proud owners of a Wii

Chris is a game nut! His XBOX 360 crashed last weekend and it will be out for repairs for almost a month. I think he is already having withdrawals! His birthday is next Saturday, so I told him if he wanted an early birthday present he should go ahead and get it. He was just like a kid on Christmas morning...so cute!

Interesting List I thought I would share

Since I signed up for the Grocery Game I have accumulated SO MUCH STUFF!! I've started to wonder how long the shelf life actually is because I have enough soap and toothpaste to last the next 5 years! Here's a little peek at my closet....




Surprising Expiration Dates
A handy, who-knew guide to 77 foods, beauty products, and household goods

KeateCertain items in your house practically scream “toss me” when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes.

But what about that jar of olives or Maraschino cherries that has resided in your refrigerator since before the birth of your kindergartner? Or the innumerable nonedibles lurking deep within your cabinets and closets: stockpiled shampoo and toothpaste, seldom-used silver polish? How do you know when their primes have passed?

With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple has compiled a guide to expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf lives of most products depend upon how you treat them. Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.


Food

Beer
Unopened: 4 months.


Brown sugar
Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place.


Chocolate (Hershey bar)
1 year from production date


Coffee, canned ground
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 1 month refrigerated


Coffee, gourmet
Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container


Coffee, instant
Unopened: Up to 2 years
Opened: Up to 1 month


Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)
Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date.
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.


Dried pasta
12 months


Frozen dinners
Unopened: 12 to 18 months


Frozen vegetables
Unopened: 18 to 24 months
Opened: 1 month


Honey
Indefinite shelf life


Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)
Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days


Ketchup
Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)


Maple syrup, real or imitation
1 year


Maraschino cherries
Unopened: 3 to 4 years
Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated


Marshmallows
Unopened: 40 weeks
Opened: 3 months


Mayonnaise
Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)


Mustard
2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)




Olives, jarred (green with pimento)
Unopened: 3 years
Opened: 3 months


Olive oil
2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)


Peanuts
Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated
Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container


Peanut butter, natural
9 months


Peanut butter, processed (Jif)
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months


Pickles
Unopened: 18 months
Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.

Protein bars (PowerBars)
Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.


Rice, white
2 years from date on box or date of purchase


Salad dressing, bottled
Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date
Opened: 9 months refrigerated


Soda, regular
Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected


Steak sauce
33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)


Tabasco
5 years, stored in a cool, dry place


Tea bags (Lipton)
Use within 2 years of opening the package


Tuna, canned
Unopened: 1 year from purchase date
Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can


Soy sauce, bottled
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)


Vinegar
42 months


Wine (red, white)
Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines
Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked


Worcestershire sauce
Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened: 2 years

For more information, see:
How to Protect Your Produce
How to Save an Open Bottle of Wine


Household Products

Air freshener, aerosol
2 years


Antifreeze, premixed
1 to 5 years


Antifreeze, concentrate
Indefinite


Batteries, alkaline
7 years


Batteries, lithium
10 years


Bleach
3 to 6 months


Dish detergent, liquid or powdered
1 year


Fire extinguisher, rechargeable
Service or replace every 6 years


Fire extinguisher, nonrechargeable
12 years


Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered
Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months


Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)
At least 3 years


Miracle Gro, liquid
Opened: 3 to 8 years


Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble
Indefinite


Motor oil
Unopened: 2 to 5 years
Opened: 3 months


Mr. Clean
2 years


Paint
Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years


Spray paint
2 to 3 years


Windex
2 years


Wood polish (Pledge)
2 years

For more information, see:
The Right Way to Throw Out Medicine, Paint, Batteries
Earth-Friendly Cleaning Products

Beauty Products
All dates are from the manufacture date, which is either displayed on the packaging or can be obtained by calling the manufacturer's customer-service number.


Bar soap
18 months to 3 years


Bath gel, body wash
3 years


Bath oil
1 year


Body bleaches and depilatories
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 6 months


Body lotion
3 years


Conditioner
2 to 3 years


Deodorant
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 1 to 2 years
For antiperspirants, see expiration date


Eye cream
Unopened: 3 years
Used: 1 year


Face lotion
With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years


Foundation, oil-based
2 years


Foundation, water-based
3 years


Hair gel
2 to 3 years


Hair spray
2 to 3 years


Lip balm
Unopened: 5 years
Used: 1 to 5 years


Lipstick
2 years


Mascara
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 3 to 4 months


Mouthwash
Three years from manufacture date


Nail polish
1 year


Nail-polish remover
Lasts indefinitely


Perfume
1 to 2 years


Rubbing alcohol
At least 3 years


Shampoo
2 to 3 years


Shaving cream
2 years or more


Tooth-whitening strips
13 months


Wash'n Dri moist wipes
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: Good until dried out

What to do today....

I feel like such a horrible mom lately. My energy has been totally zapped because of the past two nights of work. It's so tough to be up half the night and then have to function with a 3 year-old's schedule. I know I would feel so much better if I could sleep in to say 9 or 10? I've just been a grouch. It's not fair to him. I didn't have to go in last night, so I feel like I've caught up on my sleep. I got a good 10 hours in last night. I'm going to try to make it up to Bryce for being such a bum the past couple of days. Maybe a trip to Chuck e Cheese is in the cards for today!

ICE ROAD TRUCKERS

It's not the norm for me to flip to the History channel at night, but I found this show on last night and was very intrigued. These people are so crazy to do what they do, but I guess the money makes it worth the risk. Here's a review from the show:


Whatever you do for a living, it has to be more pleasant than the job chosen by the people in Ice Road Truckers, a reality series premiering on The History Channel on June 17 (10PM Eastern, 9PM Central). The show's title says it all: to bring heavy equipment and supplies to diamond mines in Canada's Northwest Territories, truck drivers have to guide their massive machines hundreds of miles over roads made of snow and ice. The ice roads are only usable in the winter, obviously, so the truckers work in temperatures that can reach -50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Even in the Canadian north, where the ice can freeze several feet thick on some lakes, the ice roads can only support so much weight. When your cargo is several tons, you have to be extremely careful - not just because of the risk of sinking through the ice, but because of "blowouts" caused when truckers drive too quickly, creating waves of pressure that can burst through the ice and render the road impassable. Even when you're not driving over frozen water, the roads can be treacherous, and it's not uncommon for jackknifed vehicles to block the road and bring the traffic, such as it is, to a complete standstill for hours at a time.

So why would anyone do this? Money, of course - a skilled driver can make around $70,000.00 for a couple of months' work. (Even if that's Canadian money, it's still pretty impressive, especially at today's exchange rates.) But the work is lonely, tiresome and often very dull, and it's not uncommon for would-be drivers to drop out after a few days.

The first two episodes of Ice Road Truckers are quite fascinating, with brief segments on maintenance of the roads, salvage divers, a computer-generated "blowout" and, of course, lots of big rigs. (Anyone who grew up on Smokey and the Bandit movies and their fathers' old Red Sovine records will appreciate this show.) We don't learn too much about the drivers themselves, though, and Ice Road Truckers will only work as a regular series if we grow attached to them individually. Time will tell.

This book is a good read!

If you're looking for a fun, light summer reading book, then I suggest this book! It's the first in a series of about 5 or 6 "Shopaholic" books. I actually finished this book in two days!

Me at 27 weeks

This is the first belly shot I've taken since I've been pregnant. Wow! It's crazy looking at this!

I'll never learn!

I've had a sun allergy for about the past 10 years. It usually never flares up unless I go somewhere extremely sunny for vacation. It happens every time we go to Florida. I actually thought I had an allergic reaction to shellfish one time, until the doctor at the urgent care in Florida told me what happened. I had a huge reaction when we went on our cruise and I had to see the doctor on the ship. This weekend was the first time it ever happened to me while I was in Tennessee. From what I've been told, the form that I have is pretty rare. I'm just going to keep rubbing on cortizone and hope for the best!

Here's a little info about sun allergies:

A sun allergy is an immune system reaction to sunlight, most often, an itchy red rash. The most common locations include the "V" of the neck, the back of the hands, the outside surface of the arms and the lower legs. In rare cases, the skin reaction may be more severe, producing hives or small blisters that may even spread to skin in clothed areas.

Sun allergies are triggered by changes that occur in sun-exposed skin. It is not clear why the body develops this reaction. However, the immune system recognizes some components of the sun-altered skin as "foreign," and the body activates its immune defenses against them. This produces an allergic reaction that takes the form of a rash, tiny blisters or, rarely, some other type of skin eruption.

Sun allergies occur only in certain sensitive people, and in some cases, they can be triggered by only a few brief moments of sun exposure. Scientists do not know exactly why some people develop a sun allergy and others do not. There is evidence, however, that some forms of sun allergy are inherited.

This is the "form" that I have....

Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) — PMLE, which usually appears as an itchy rash on sun-exposed skin, is the second most common sun-related skin problem seen by doctors, after common sunburn. It occurs in an estimated 10% to 15% of the U.S. population, affecting people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Women are affected by PMLE more often than men, and symptoms typically begin during young adult life. In temperate climates, PMLE is usually rare in the winter, but common during the spring and summer months. In many cases, the PMLE rash returns every spring, immediately after the person begins spending more time outside. As spring turns into summer, repeated sun exposure may cause the person to become less sensitive to sunlight, and the PMLE rash either may disappear totally or gradually become less severe. Although the effects of this desensitization process, called "hardening," usually last through the end of the summer, the PMLE rash often returns at full intensity the following spring.
PMLE — PMLE typically produces an itchy or burning rash within the first two hours after sun exposure. The rash usually appears on sun-exposed portions of the neck, upper chest, arms and lower legs. In addition, there may be one to two hours of chills, headache, nausea and malaise (a general sick feeling). In rare cases, PMLE may erupt as red plaques (flat, raised areas), small fluid-filled blisters or tiny areas of bleeding under the skin.

More Domestic Things...

I've been piddling around the house lately, and I guess I've been watching a little too much HGTV during the day. Here are a few projects that I've done around the house this week.

I re-painted my kitchen a couple of months ago this golden straw color, and I just had the 4 metal squares hanging on this blank wall. I went by Lowe's and picked up a quart of paint for $3!! It was an OOPS batch that was mixed the wrong color, but it worked for me! Now the metal squares don't seem to get so lost.

I have also gotten into these "wall words" from uppercaseliving.com. I have the "welcome" on my front door. I absolutely LOVE IT! I haven't seen any of these on any other houses yet, so it excites me to be doing something different.

The "bubbles" quote also came from uppercase living. I put it in Bryce's bathtub up close to the upper edge, which explains the crappy picture. There's alot of natural light coming in from the window above the tub right now and my flash kept reflecting off the tub.

But anyway, I just thought I would share what all I've been up to!

Mom and Dad Scrapbook pages

For those that needed a better look!

Painted the nursery!

I finished painting the nursery this weekend! I was very excited to have that done. It makes it seem more "real" now that there will be another little one around very soon.

I did something I've never done before....I painted the ceiling! We have "stomped" ceilings in our house, and sometimes the starky white gets to me, so I decided that I would experiment in the nursery. I painted the ceiling a light blue and carried that color down on the wall about 16 inches. The rest of the room is a light green which I LOVE! I was nervous about the green color thinking that it might be a little too overwhelming, but the blue seems to tone it down a bit.

Now onto my favorite part...ACCESSORIES!!! These painted walls are a little too bare for me!

Uncle Sam can kiss my A$$!

The tax man cometh and the tax man taketh away.

That is all.

Carry on.

This weekend.....

Our POOL was installed! The people from Watson's came out Saturday and destroyed our back yard, but the outcome was a very nice pool! We still have TONS of work to do to get it the way we want it though. We've decided to hire some people to do most of the work for us since I'm in no shape right now, and Chris can't do it alone. But this is the progress that was made this weekend.

If Sanjaya wins.....

Found this on ifsanjayawins.com and had to ask you to fill in the blanks. Simply leave a comment with your thoughts on what you would do if Sanjaya wins. Try and be a little more unique than “Stop watching American Idol”. We always say that when someone who sucks stays and someone good goes and each week we all keep coming back. You can leave more than one idea.

I'm really frustrated with how the results went last night. Sanjaya wasn't even in the bottom three! What are these people thinking?!? I was also sad to see Gina go. I was a fan of hers since the beginning. She had a totally different sound than the "3 Divas" brought to the table. I thought she was trying really hard to improve and wanted this very bad. And to make her sing her swan song going out...."Smile though your heart is breaking". I couldn't make this stuff up! I'll miss you Gina!

Now for my "official" Idol prediction: Jordin Sparks
I know that Melinda Doolittle is a favorite to win, but I believe that closer to the end, her and Lakisha will just cancel each other out. Their votes will be divided, leaving Jordin to rise to the top!

Okay....

I had someone else's eyes confirm what I saw, and it is definately a boy!


<--------Here's the crib bedding I've ordered for my new addition....
It's called "Sammy the Frog". I loved this one (along with two others), but what sold me was having just a little bit of blue mixed in with the green and white. The others I was looking at were more gender neutral. It has the cutest little froggies on it with dragonflies! So, so cute! I can't wait for it to get here!

Now for names...
We've decided to incorporate Chris' dad somehow in the naming process. He passed away unexpectedly 4 months before we got married (so I guess it's been 5 years now). His first and middle name is Robert Quitman. Okay, I can't do the Quitman thing, but I'm thinking about using Robert as a middle name. But then, would my dad be upset if we didn't use his name somehow? That's the dilemma. His name is Harold Andrew. It's obvious which one of those names I would use as well.

These are the only two name combos that I've come up with so far:

-Gavin Robert Dickens
-Andrew Robert Dickens (would call him Drew Dickens)

I have plenty of time to decide, and I'm sure my mind will change a few times between now and September, but what do you think?

16 1/2 weeks!

I'm finally starting to show a "bump" as my waistline is disappearing! So far, I've only gained 6 pounds....which is WAY better than the first time around. I've been keeping up my exercise and doing well with eating (although I've noticed I want smaller, more frequent meals lately).

When I went to see the doctor last month, she talked to me about the MME or Triple Screen test to check for Down's syndrome, Spina Bifida, etc. I declined this with Bryce, as I did with this baby. No matter what the results of the tests are, it wouldn't change wheather or not I had this baby.....plus, it would save me from worrying about a "false positive" until September.

TOMORROW IS THE DAY!!! I'm going to visit my friend Stephanie to find out "officially" what this child is! I'm about 85% sure it's a boy based on what I've seen from scanning myself, but I just need someone else's eyes to take a look to be sure, so stay tuned!

Week 16: Time for ye olde ultrasounde
Fetal development in pregnancy week 16:fetus in fourth month Over the past three weeks your astounding growing baby has managed to stretch yet another 2 full inches (totaling about 4.5”) and weighs around 3.5 ounces. That’s pretty serious growth, and with it comes several physical developments! For starters, their head to body ratio is finally starting to even out a bit as the rest of the body is actually growing faster than the head at this point. Finally, your little light bulb is not so top-heavy. Their adorable little limbs have lengthened, almost reaching their normal proportions which they will have at birth. Their eyes are still closed but moving now and if you had an ultrasound, which many doctors recommend you have at about this time, you may even see your little one sucking on a thumb, not to mention the necessary signifiers to let you know whether you’ve got a wee lad or lassie.

And how's mom doing? Along with an ultrasound, many practitioners recommend administering the “Multiple Marker Test (MMT)” (sometimes known as the “Triple Screen Test”) this week. This very common procedure checks your blood (not your baby’s) for specific protein and hormone levels as well as informing you about any potential Before you start breathing in that strained fearful way or furrowing your brow in concern, you should know that even if you do get a positive test, this hardly means your little trooper is in trouble. Only about 3 to 5 percent of women yield positive results risks of genetic or birth defects. Before you start breathing in that strained fearful way or furrowing your brow in concern, you should know that even if you do get a positive test, this hardly means your little trooper is in trouble. Only about 3 to 5 percent of women yield positive results and of those women, only 10 percent actually have any sort of complication to report. Obviously, a positive test from the MMT will mean further testing for you, including amniocentesis and more ultrasounds. Although this test sounds like a bit of a dud with the high percentage of false positives coming back, it's popular because it has and can effectively identify a majority of all neural tube defects as well as babies with Down syndrome. So despite its obvious drawbacks, you’ll still want to arrange to take the test to better prepare you and your family for the fact that anything is possible.

Queen Slacker!

Well, I've totally ignored my blog for quite sometime now. My unnecessary responsibilities are slowly dwindling away. Alot has changed in my life that has forced me to change how I spend my time. First of all, my sitter of almost 2 years decided that she was tired of watching kids and is ready to go back to work. I was spoiled with my mom's days out, but it's also a pleasant change having Bryce here all the time. He hangs well with me! Plus, it has forced me to quit my day jobs. Yep, I had to quit them ALL! (((yeah!))) I first quit my job with MTMC that I've had for almost 5 years now....7 years if you count my clinics that I did while in school. I made alot of good friends there, and hopefully that's something I can keep with me. I also had to stop all commitments with the scrapbook store. Having a 3 year old in the house all the time leaves little time for scrapping for myself, much less other people. I'll have to admit, it has been SOOOO nice not having the phone ring everyday for someone asking me to work.

And if you haven't heard, baby #2 is on the way! I'm somewhere along the 12-13 week range now. This has been way easier of a pregnancy than Bryce was. I stayed nauseous and light-headed with him almost daily. The only "issues" I've had so far have just been being tired all of the time.

So, with Baby #2 and no babysitter anymore, I decided to sign Bryce up for a mother's day out program. Man is that a stressful thing to do! Here's how it works: I had 3 places in mind of where I wanted to send him based on talking to other moms, etc. I called all of the places and inquired about registration....and get this....
MDO #1 had registration yesterday
MDO #2 has registration 3/5
MDO #3 has registration the first of April
so what do you do? I really wanted him to go to MDO #3, but if he didn't get in, then I missed registration for MDO #1 & 2! I signed him up for MDO #1 yesterday and he got his spot in the 3-year old class, and I forked out a $90 deposit to secure the place. I hope I made the right decision!