favorite foods, "gartering" and some new additions

So Beca and I both go through Cranberry Pomegranate juice and some fabulous ice cream - Harris Teeter Naturals brand has a Southern Milk Chocolate.  Tuesday night is taco night.  We're trying to come up with other nights but it really just turns into I need meat protein of some sort plus mashed potatoes and pasta because Beca won't eat mashed potatoes and Steve doesn't like pasta.  And for some reason, I've taken to microwave mac'n'cheese in the middle of the night as a snack.  I'm disturbed by that so I made sure I had some more cereal around.  I pretty much don't hone in on a particular food for more than 2-3 weeks, although hamburgers are always good.  I'm curious to see what the scale says this week.  And terrified.  Regardless of what I eat, BGC2 is already pushing enough that every afternoon I get heartburn.  yippee.  the intensity changes day by day but I think I'll be asking for something to help with that, right after I tell the doctor to ignore the weight thing.

Hopefully later this summer we'll have some yummy foods from our garden!  Steve spent most of a Saturday a few weekends ago building a garden box while Beca and I made starter greenhouses of watermelons and tomatoes.  She really likes to "garter" and keeps her "gartering" bag with gloves and tools plus her watering can handy near the back door. We planted Sunflowers right in the garden box and still have some Orange Sun Peppers to put in as soon as the little plants are ready.  The watermelons went in next to the sunflowers are we're already seeing the little vine leaves starting to come out of the plants.  The tomatoes are supposed to be cherry tomatoes and they are all in pots on the back porch.  There's also some random flower seeds (some are old so we're just going to pour them onto the ground, cover them with dirt and see what happens) to mix into a bed that currently contains 2 camellias and a cedar that I put too much into a corner but haven't bothered to dig it out and move it forward yet.  In May, we'll be able to sow some pumpkin seeds and green bean seeds!  Beca really likes helping me water the plants most nights and checking on the size of the plants.  I thought the sunflower plants were so cute with their little seed hats!  here's some pictures of the process:

We've been starting some new additions around the house.  Outside, besides the garden box, there is a new willow tree.  She sits right over the spring that pops up in our back yard.  Her addition means several pines will probably get removed but that's really ok - we're all so sick of Zoe chewing on pine cones when she's bored.  Steve figured out that having someone come and spread weed killer and fertilizer was actually cheaper than him buying the stuff and once he read their tips for a green lawn and put it into practice, our yard is a pretty green color with a few patches that still need some TLC!  I was hoping to pull out some azaleas (mostly because I don't like the color of these and they were planted too close together - originally had 5 plants that are spread out over about 8 or 9 feet max) and put in a new rhododendron but there were none at the 4H plant sale at the Fairgrounds.  I did get violet geraniums (ok more of a hot pink) and yellow Gerber daisies.  they are fun and bright.  Hoping to get the 2 red geraniums into some pots near Beca's playset.  They help so much with the mosquitoes.

Inside, we're progressing slowly, but the master bathroom is closer to actually being really finished because most of the trim has been painted.  Still don't have a completed kitchen ceiling but it's only been 22 months so is it really all that bad? (Umm, yeah - it's annoying because I can't get on a ladder and just fix it myself now).  Thanks to one of Beca's bazillion pictures that she is taking now with our little camera (she takes really good pictures with this one - much better than on her kids one) for this shot.  There's actually only a handful of tiles to finish gluing up - then the putty nightmare begins.

Beca's bathroom has had some little friends start invading the walls.  I bought them before she was born and never put them up in Pittsboro.  Good thing - they are pretty cute here!

The nursery is taking a lot of time because we have no where to put all the junk that has been in it.  This means yard sale.  But where to put everything until we can have a yard sale and so we can sort it and price it is difficult.  And by "we", I mean mostly me with some help from my mom because Steve would rather throw everything in the trash.  I think yard sales are beneath him.  But to get rid of some of the stuff in the garage, etc., I think a yard sale might be our best bet.  Now to find a place to sort it in order to yard sale.  The nursery is also going to take some time to remove shelves and putty holes, paint and add wainscoting, along with a closet organizer.

Beca received a neat package in the mail for Easter from Aunt Dawn and Uncle Glenn.  It was in the mailbox on a day that reached 87 degrees. By the time we opened it, the multicolor chocolate flowers were a box of mush and the pink ballerina was indistinguishable.  All the chocolates were from Repperts in PA.  We put them on the table and Beca actually took this picture.  The chocolate was still edible once it was re-solidified and we're slowly working on it.

More later on Beca's great picture taking...

week 23+ and I've never really heard of the terrible 4s and 5s

Oops - sort of at week 23.5 but oh well.  Baby girl doesn't like when I wear the belly band and she thinks mid-afternoon heartburn is a good schedule.  She's beyond active most of the time and Beca got her hand kicked by baby girl one night before bedtime.  It was neat.

I'm already tired of the name question.  We haven't decided completely and probably won't until we see her.  There's so many other things on my mind right now to get done that have to be done (or at least would be a good idea).  At least we told you it's a girl.  So deal.  In the meantime, my grandmother is having the most fun with names - she isn't badgering but she has some sweet suggestions every week - see sidebar.  Now I'm wondering just how long she can keep it up and/or if/when she'll ever pick one of the top choices.

I'm starting to believe that with Beca there is no such thing as terrible twos or threes and that her entire single digit years will all be terrible.  I rarely ever have a sweet and behaved girl.  There is always something with her.  Every morning there's an argument over what she wants to wear (so sorry you can't wear your fancy mostly white dresses to school - its not happening because I paid enough for the Hanna Andersson collection you have and it will actually come clean in the wash with no effort or damage).  Every playdate or birthday party or event comes down to Beca having a meltdown because someone isn't playing with her the way she wants or they aren't doing something the way she wants or they called her a name or today's was they said she couldn't count because she was referring to ordinals rather than straight digits (which was brilliant because she was lining them up but they made her doubt her counting abilities which is one of the things she does well).  Most nights we have to fight her about what we are eating (unless it is taco night).  There's constant whining about everything.  The biggest problem I have is that the girl has limits and boundaries from both of us and from her teachers.  One day something works and the next day it doesn't - we take away TV, computer, dessert and dresses enough - the punishments have an effect of about 1-2 days and then we're right back to taking everything away again.  And I'm too exhausted to have the energy to figure out another strategy.  She is so going to be called a baby and like a hundred other names at school.

singing and games

Every night when Beca gets her hair washed, she sings at the top of her lungs.  Right now it is "Don't Fence Me In" and "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain".  I don't think she's watched that sing-a-long DVD in a while but for some reason, this is the medley we get each night.  She's actually got good pitch for it though until she gets silly and screams or yells it.

Beca has also learned how to play UNO with some Princess UNO cards that Santa brought her.  Generally when someone says "Do you know how to play it?", they are answered with "Yes I do and it is a game that's really only for a 7 year old but I'm 4 and I know how to play it!"  She doesn't quite have all the finesse down (occasionally she gets a win) and we had to borrow a card holder from another game so she can hold onto her cards but its a lot of fun when we can all sit down and play.  Provided she isn't in trouble and getting fun activities and dessert taken away.  I can't wait for a 4 generation UNO game in a few weeks!  Should be fun!

BGC2 reached week 22! and thrifty, nifty and crafty!

Week 22 and she apparently weighs a whole pound.  I still have days where I hardly look pregnant.  Over the weekend, the little miss decided that the back room of her apartment would be the most comfortable.  Maybe for her, but not me.  I'd make it through the day but almost couldn't walk.  My low back and hip hurt so much.  The diagnosis really is stretching ligaments to the point that the muscles forget how to work together.  Luckily, chiropractic, PT and pilates were all scheduled for Monday!  Tuesday was a much better day and I could walk pretty well.  Even figured out that my heeled shoes work better to walk straighter and be able to keep those lazy muscles in check.  Still icing it a bit but doing better.

Beca had a dance recital tonight.  My camera died in the middle of it.  But they did a Spring seeds dance to warm up, an Easter Egg dance, a Tarantella with tambourines, a cat and mouse dance, and a dance where they used shakers.  Beca, as usual, talked through most of it. But she's getting a little better.  I might be able to post some pictures at some point.  She's really silly but seems to love the classes.  And her teacher is such an angel.  She's really trying to teach the kids some good basics of dance.  When we got home we also hung up our Easter Eggs in the tree out front.  Maybe a little late for that to really be worthwhile but Beca enjoyed it.  She also helped Daddy put the Mickey Egg Antenna ball on.

A favorite of hers is to play Uno.  Not the little kid one but the game that is for 7 year olds but she is smart enough to play and she's only 4 (add a little more attitude and pride and that's how she says it).  She's got a pretty good grasp of the game, but since we're playing the Disney Princess version, there are a few rules that are a little complicated for her.  and she can't really hold the cards all that well.  Luckily we have some card holders from another game that are really pretty cool - little round wheels that you can slip the cards in and out of.  A little better ergonomically for little hands.

So, my thrifty, nifty and crafty project tonight involves several things.  Zoe got sick on her bed the other day and the whole thing had to be pulled apart and cleaned.  A bunch of the filling had to be trashed.  For the longest time, whenever a body pillow gets too flat for me, I wait until I have 2 and then I shove them under the original bed, which is usually flattened out.  We always have a hard time figuring out what to do with extra pillows and stuff like that anyway.  Well, I just opened the old body pillows up and pulled the filling out and stuffed it in the liner of the dog bed and she now has a nice fluffy squishy bed.  And I have 3 big pieces of fabric that I can use to make something else.  I have a good idea what to make but I have to figure out the dimensions.  I'm just happy something got accomplished other than laundry and Farmville tonight.

Welcome Home to Happiness Hotel

My favorite place to hear "welcome home" is our Disney trips, because that's how Vacation Club members are greeted and it does always feel like home.  In flying to Minnesota to drive to Wisconsin for working in the plant and checking into a hotel that is back in Minnesota, I have realized the value of a true "Happiness Hotel".  For a while, I stayed in vaious places closer to the plant and every time, I came home sick.  The air was always stuffy and if the was a breakfast, it was not very good.  Enter a brilliant idea - stay somewhere close to a large company headquarters and use their corporate rate.  This only benefits that company by bringing more business to the hotel.  Our choice is the Sheraton St. Paul/Woodbury - a nice little "home" when I have to be away from home.  My travel buddy and I were both recognized by staff members, which also may indicate that we come a little too often.  But by coming often, we know what to expect.  Like a room on the fourth floor, which has certain perks and amenities associated with it.  Like a robe and a shower puff and a really nice shower head.  But even the lower floors have a much nicer feel in staying here than most hotels I've been too.  The hotel is relatively new, there has never been smoking in the hotel so nothing smells like smoke!  The restaurant and bar downstairs is always busy and always good (especially when the previously mentioned corporate rate gets you a complimentary breakfast buffet - oatmeal, sausage and bacon, eggs, pastries, cereals, etc).  Coffee and hot tea on your way out the door (Starbucks and Tazo to be precise).  A large HD flat screen in the room and a nice armoire to store everything in. It's really the cleanest hotel I have ever stayed in (although since I qualified it as a hotel, that rules out our DVC home of Bay Lake Towers which was indeed phenomenal).  Mention you don't want a paper, they take some off your bill.  Hang a plackard out overnight and get a voucher for the facility for $5 off just for having housekeeping stay out of your room the next day (win-win for everyone here).  The workout facilities are fantastic, although I never seem to remember my swimsuit.  There's a big, comfy bed, large desk space and gorgeous bathroom amenities with a lovely French door opening which just makes it feel that much richer.  I'm in heaven to come stay here.  And its only 45 minutes max to the Mall of America.  A very wonderful "happiness hotel".

BGC2 - week 21

Baby girl is just as wiggly as her sister!  According to babycenter.com:

"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now."

"You may soon feel" made me laugh - she's soooo not just doing martial arts and it's been weeks since I first felt her belt me.  I swear she's rearranging furniture in her apartment most days.  She was extremely squirmy on the plane ride to Minnesota (more on that next post).

As we move clothes and such around, Beca is more excited about a baby sister.  And as I've moved in a few more of her doll clothes and toys, she's becoming more willing to part with the Little People and give those to "Baby Sister".  And we think we might have a name, maybe.  It's still up in the air and I don't want to hear the stories of "I knew a so-and-so and she was a real @#$%@#$" (insert whatever interesting word you feel like).  So for now, her name will just have to wait.  And we'll focus on getting a purple and green nursery together.  Luckily most everything I have is green from Beca's nursery.  I was scoping possible ideas in the PB Kids catalog the other day and there are several big girl sets that I may just have to base the colors on in the room.  Of course, Beca came across a picture of the pink gingham curtains and informed me that they would be perfect in her room.  Ah, indeed they would little miss.  She soooo plays into my plan every now and then!!

BGC2 - week 20

I love the description of size for this week - "Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel - the length of a banana." I mostly like it because Beca has been asking how big her baby sister is - and a banana is an easy concept to understand.  And I think baby girl likes to stretch out to her full length on occasion.  She's moving around to different spots now.  I still have days where I don't even look pregnant and others that I look pretty big. weird.  Yesterday, I had a very uncomfortable feeling all day - like my insides were being rearranged in order to paint a room or something.  And then girlie was practicing some form of karate most of the early morning hours.
I'll be suffering some survivor's guilt as a close friend had another miscarriage.  But I know things can work out in the end.  Science is catching up but its hard to not have a real answer sometimes.
We got a lot of stuff out of the nursery yesterday.  Of course, that means a huge mountain of clothes on the Aero bed in the bonus room so Beca can't really play in there.  Trying to pack up clothes for different people over the weekend.  most of it is Beca's clothes that do not fit her any more.  We've also found a bunch of stuff to put out at a yard sale.  Not sure where we are going to put it until we have a yard sale but I'm sure there are some bins in the garage that have extra space and are really just full of stuff we need to get rid of.  Lots to do in the next few weeks - so maybe a little extra energy and some beautiful weather will help!

copied from Facebook

My friend Marshall had this quote on his Facebook update (which was apparently from an email):

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.

Movin' Movin' - Shake Your Groove Thang

BGC2 is quite a kicker and puncher.  She's constantly on the go.  All the time!  Steve could feel her last night just before bed and again tonight.  Beca doesn't stay still enough to actually feel her baby sister yet but soon!  Pilates seems to always get baby girl moving - I don't think I'll be on my stomach for too much longer!  At least that's what I keep telling myself.

I'm halfway through this pregnancy.  I had a great week getting out all my spring clothes and starting to clear all the stuff from the nursery.  It's going to be interesting - all of the little baby stuff got sold a long time ago so I could throw Steve his 30th birthday wine party.  But I am finding some really fun adorable stuff that I did keep!  Actually, a lot of it is clothes for me!  Bring on spring time!

Beca has been asking a lot for dresses to wear.  This morning, neither Steve nor I were really ready to be up and we told her to go ahead and just get dressed.  This is what our little fashionista came up with:  A light blue Cinderella long sleeve tee, black Hanna Andersson tiered skirt (now closer to a mini), navy and pink striped leggings, ruffle socks (always requested), and a short Hanna Andersson pink sweater.  All with necklace, bracelet, and hair clips.

Steve and I went for a massage tonight then dinner.  It's the first weekend that we've both not been sick in a while.  Steve also finished putting up a new fan/light in our water closet and then a new ceiling!  It's really pretty plank tiles.  We just need some crown moulding (which a trip to Lowe's solved at least the procurement of the items needed), a smaller light fixture (also Lowe's), and a coat of paint (ceiling and trim)!  I'm so excited that at least one room in the house will be completely finished (albeit the smallest).  Here's a picture of the ceiling so far.  The square light is the new fan (wreaked havoc on Steve's back in the attic to get it in last weekend).

Fun Quotes (well, if you're a woman)

Cynthia (see Two Princess, the Queen Mum and the Court Jester blog) has a daily tear off calendar called Wild Words from Wild Women.  Sometimes it should be wise words.  I thought I'd share some:

"Sometimes I feel like a figment of my own imagination." -Lily Tomlin, world class wit

"I envy paranoids: they actually feel people are paying attention to them." -Susan Sontag, intellectual icon

"I don't worry about rivals. After all, there will never be another me." -Katie Price, bosomy British model

"Bigamy is when you're married to one man too many.  Monogamy is the same thing." -Erica Jong, feminist fatale

"A woman who takes things from a man is called a girlfriend; a man who takes things from a woman is called a gigolo." -Ruthie Stein, simple semanticist

"I'd like to find a man who's sensitive in general and macho in emergencies." -Anne Gibbons, cartoon creator

"Any idiot would know women's needs are simple.  All we want is your basic millionaire/brain surgeon/ciminal lawyer/great dancer who pilots his own Learjet and owns seafront property.  On the other hand, things being wha tthey are today, most of us will settle for a guy who holds down a steady job and isn't carrying an infectious disease."  -Linda Sunshine, American author