Interesting day

My rear end is a little sore tonight, but I will get to that later.

The day started off with a manicure which is always a wonderful beginning. I then had to go get a few more ultrasound pictures because the technician forgot them for some reason. While she was rolling the tool around my gunked up belly, the neatest thing happened. We saw the little guy in a giant yawn. His little mouth opened up wide. It was pretty precious. It made my heart drop. Sweet little guy. He was probably thinking, 'Hey lady, why are you prodding at me and disturbing my nap?'


When I got home, I was absolutely exhausted. I drifted in and out of sleep on the couch while Q toddled around on the floor. Awhile later, I reached down and patted his little bum, and realized it was bare underneath his pajamas. I thought for a split second T had completely forgotten to put a diaper on him, until I realized the soiled diaper was somehow wedged down around his ankle. Poop was smeared all over his legs, and he peed through his pj's. He smelled just wonderful, as you can imagine. He did not enjoy the clean-up process.

Later he sought revenge by trying to kill me. I was running on the treadmill while he was playing. He started rolling my big exercise ball around and somehow wedged it under the end of the treadmill. The machine was stuck, but I was still moving. I slammed down onto the treadmill. Q was scared and started crying as I yanked the ball out. My rear and back have been hurting all day. Q may also have been trying to target his little brother in my belly. Perhaps he doesn't want someone else stealing his spotlight. I will have to watch my back.

Tonight we got a family picture taken at Sears to send out in our Christmas cards. We all dressed in shades of blue with Q in a new striped shirt and blue corduroy vest. He looked adorable but spent much of the time squealing, twisting, writhing, and attempting to escape. We pinned him as we plastered grins on our faces and tried to squeeze one little smile out of him. We finally got a single good picture, but that's all we needed. So it was a success.

I hope tomorrow is a little less interesting.

--MM

Baby school

Q had his first day of baby school today. An educator from the Early Childhood Services came to our house. She came ten minutes early, which I hate. What can't people have the decency to be late? Q was in the shower with T, so I whisked Q out and got him ready while the woman sat in his nursery. T almost came out into the hall in only his socks. Oops! That would have been awkward. But amusing.

She watched Q and asked me questions and wrote up a report. She gave me advice about how to encourage him to walk and to increase his language skills. It was all a lot to take in, but I think I will be able to start to use little bits and pieces. I don't think most parents have to work this hard at it. I think most kids just kind of figure it out on their own. Maybe I'm wrong. This is my first time around, so I am always just guessing. We'll see how Q does. The teacher will come to our house every week or two and work with him. It certainly can't hurt.

I was realizing today, that I really like working. It seems like most moms I know either stay at home with their kids or wish they did. I really don't feel that way. Granted, if I had all the money in the world, I probably wouldn't work and would lay on a beach somewhere being fanned. But, despite all the annoyances, frustrations, and sleep deprivation, I genuinely like work.

A friend and her two sons came over yesterday, and I made lunch. The boys tore the house apart. We had a nice morning, but I was completely ready to take Q to daycare and go on to work. My friend would just go home for more of the same. That would just not make me happy. I even started to get a little restless and down on my maternity leave. I know myself, and I know that is just not my strength. Some women are born to be mothers and that is their gift. I am not one of them. I think I make a good mom, but I just need more to feel fulfilled. I almost feel guilty sometimes when I talk about that to people. It seems like I should say I have no choice but to work. That I wish I could stay home full time. It certainly supports the lifestyle we want to lead by having two incomes, but I mostly work because I choose to. And I think I am lucky to know that.

--MM

A little brother

Q is going to have a baby brother. We found out the news today during our 20-week ultrasound. This will be the sixth grandson in my family, without a granddaughter to be found.

In all honesty, I had a twinge of disappointment when I found out Q was a little boy. I thought of boys as dirty and stinky and didn't know much about them at all. The dirty and stinky part did turn out to be true, but there is much more to them. This time I was excited to hear another boy is in our future. I picture Q and the little one being best buds and discovering lots of badness to get into together. Although the new baby looks quite alien-like, it was wonderful to see his face today and know a little more about him.

Q came six weeks early, so this time my pregnancy will be monitored for any signs of premature labor. That began today with a cervical ultrasound. If you have never had one of these, just keep your fingers crossed you never will. It consisted of a long, large curling iron type device being prodded where you would rather it not go. Everything was the right length thankfully, so far so good. I can look forward to more of that unpleasantness over the next 20 weeks.

It was a day of appointments, and today we also met with the people who will be working with Q because of his delayed walking. A therapist will visit our house on Wednesday to begin the first session. She also wants to get Q's hearing checked in case there is a problem there. Q has been taking several steps lately, so I am convinced he is just marching (slowly) along to the beat of his own drummer, but all this free extra help can't hurt, I suppose.

--MM

We're number one!

My alma mater the University of Missouri is ranked number one in the country! Amazing. They play next week for the Big 12 championship and have a chance to play for the national championship. So exciting. It was very fun to watch them beat rivals Kansas yesterday. I wish they were that good when I went to school there seven years ago! Go Mizzou!

--MM

Stuffing is good

I am working this Thanksgiving Day, but I don't mind it terribly. We finally convinced our bosses to not make T and I work on the same day, since obviously we don't have child care, and it just makes it miserable when you don't even have a few hours together to celebrate the holiday. I have tomorrow off, which is lovely. Today will still be a long day though because I am doing all shows by myself and producing the late show.

As I type, my belly is stuffed tight and full. Swimming around in there are piles of stuffing, faux meat, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, cheese and crackers, and a baby who is probably also full.

T and I watched a little Green Bay Packers football this morning and then I went for a run. It was the perfect day for it with the sun shining but the air crisp and cold. It made me feel much better for our afternoon indulgence. T had his little turkey breast to himself, and we enjoyed cranberry juice and champagne. It is quite a nice little mix. Q nibbled at his small dish of Thanksgiving food and then fussed and rolled around on the ground.

Some people feel sorry for us that we have these tiny little holiday gatherings, but I really think I prefer them. I am just not a big raucous crowd kind of person. I like a few loved ones nearby, and that's good for me.

I will not be shopping tomorrow. I will be napping and laying around with my cats and my baby. A few things I am most thankful for. Oh yeah. And T.

Happy Thanksgiving!

--MM

Apathetic mama

I wasn't exactly a gold star mama today. Q woke up crying very early this morning, and T got up with him. I went downstairs after a few minutes, and we both worked on soothing him. Q is still not quite himself but much better than the last few days.

After awhile, I went back upstairs and climbed into bed with two warm cats. My favorite place to be. I rested a little while longer but could not drag myself out of bed when T was ready to go to work. I drifted in and out of sleep while Q trashed the room. He pulled down T's clock radio and turned it on, knocked over the lamp, tossed toys around, and pulled T's bookmark out of his book. At least most of his destruction was aimed at T's stuff.

I must admit, it felt pretty nice to get a little extra rest, but I did not exactly feel like mom of the year when I finally dragged myself out of bed and witnessed Q sitting amidst his destruction. Some days I am a supermom, taking Q to play dates, making him a wonderful nutritious lunch, and playing educational games. Other days, like today, I am a pretty apathetic mama. Yet, it doesn't seem like other moms have these lapses.

I feel guilty about it, but then I don't know how to get around it when I am so tired early in the morning, and I know I have to keep going till midnight. I know it is only going to get worse when the second child arrives. Maybe I won't let him come out. He can just stay inside my belly and live and give me an excuse to eat ice cream and not lift heavy things. That could work!

--MM

SURPISE!!

I can finally talk about what I have been planning for months, because it is all over. This summer I started thinking about what I could for T's big 30th birthday. I wanted something memorable, so I decided to plan a surprise party. I enlisted a friend from work to help and then began the super secret planning process.

It was quite a challenge considering we work in the same place. I put together these invitations using a baby picture and a current picture. It was quite a source of frustration for me, since I am far from a computer genius. Usually I would ask T for help. When I finally finished, I felt like the smartest person to ever touch a keyboard. I had Kinko's print them up for me and then surreptitiously passed them out.

I asked T's mom to provide me with many embarrassing pictures from his last 30 years and then put them in little frames to be displayed throughout the party. I ordered a cake with a grim reaper on it. I planned my appetizers and organized with my partner-in-crime. Everything was going smoothly.

Then, my perfectly-hatched plan ran into some problems. Usually T goes to his MBA classes all day Saturday. I thought I would have several hours to get things ready. However, his classes were cancelled. He was going to be home all day. I created an aerobics meeting I had to go to, and sent T to a play date with Q. Then in my hour and a half window I tore around getting decorations, snacks, and picking up the cake. It was pouring and ten balloons were swaying back and forth in the backseat of my little Sunfire. I dumped all the paraphernalia at my cohort's home, and then called T. He had been out of his play date for half an hour and was wondering where I was.

I covered with a story about craving cheese curds (which was partly true), and we met at home. Fairly quickly we realized Q was not feeling good. He spent the rest of the day alternately crying and screaming. He kept touching his mouth and drooled through three shirts and six bibs. T said he had fallen and hit his teeth on the coffee table earlier in the day. We took Q in to the doctor, who said nothing was wrong with him. We spent the day trying to convince him to eat, rocking him, and administering Tylenol.

The three of us went to get ice cream that evening at precisely 8 p.m. with a quick stop for Orajel at Rite-Aid. I text messaged my friend as we left and made sure to keep the door unlocked. I nervously slurped at my ice cream. I was surprised how nerve-wracking it all was. Then a quick text message from the bathroom informed the assembled party-goers we would return in ten minutes.

In the garage, I said, "I'll get Q," and T went in first. He seemed genuinely shocked as "Surprise!!" rang out. He said he didn't expect a thing. I was so happy to pull it all off. We had a great crowd and a very good time. T did a few shots, which he doesn't often do, and felt a little queasy by the end of the night. Despite that, he was touched and happy, and that made it all worth it.

--MM

Looking up

Things are looking up as they always do. After my crappy Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were better. Yesterday was a little weird though. There were a bunch of schedule changes at work, and some people were just not very happy about it. It was an awkward place to be to be honest. I like the schedule changes, because they make my life a lot easier. But it is uncomfortable when you are around people who are not so happy with their new hours.

I have gained about ten pounds so far in this pregnancy. I don't think I am nearly as paranoid about it this time around. Last time I was probably a little too concerned with gaining weight. When you are not used to it, it is a challenge to just watch that scale sneak up. I started to get a little obsessive about it, so I finally stuck the scale in the closet. This time, I started ten pounds heavier than last time, but I just feel a lot more comfortable with the fact that you have to gain weight, and it will come off afterward.

One week from Monday we find out what the little peanut is!

--MM

Crappy day

I can not kick a glum mood today. I hate days like that. I am just waiting it out.

I didn't get much sleep yesterday, so today I was just wiped out. I took a nap while Q did, but that just seemed to make me more sluggish. As I was changing him, I realized he had not been bathed in awhile and was actually stinky. So, I put him in the bathtub. Usually he loves his bath, but today he was flipping out. He was standing up, clinging on to me, soaking my dress, with poop smeared all over his bum. Bath time was quick but fussy, as you can imagine.

Lunch time was slow though. Q picked through his food and looked longingly at the bowl of cold cereal I was eating. You just never know how long it is going to take to get you and a squirmy baby ready. I always end up flying around frantically five minutes late.

I had some interviews to do this afternoon and was just not in the mood to do them. I was trying my hardest to be sunny and extra polite, but I'm not entirely sure I was successful.

I think days like this you just have to wait to end. It seems to take forever though.

--MM

Flu shots and fussy kids

I got a flu shot at my prenatal appointment yesterday. I relaxed my arm and readied myself for the stick. It wasn't so bad. It never really is, but as the nurse was doing it she says, "Oh sorry! Ouch!"

"Why are you saying 'Ouch'?" I said.

"I don't know. I can't help it. It's just a reaction," she said. Not the best reflex to have as a nurse is it?

Shots have never bothered me very much. I have had a tattoo, a belly button piercing, and a total of eight ear piercings in my misguided youth. Several of them I did myself. All have since been removed except for one modest piercing in each ear. But all of that was much more painful than a simple shot. Not to mention child birth and four marathons. I still am not a fan of dental exams of any sort or pap smears. They just never become fun. Ever.

I had lunch today with a friend who has two sons ages 2 1/2 and 1. They are usually pretty good little boys, and Q is the bad one by comparison. Not today. We attempted to go to lunch, and her little guys were throwing fits. She was very calm through it all, even as it was stressing me out. It made me slightly afraid to add another baby to the mix. Too late to rethink it now though! Next week I am making our fussy brood lunch in the privacy of my home.

Speaking of the impending child, I am having a lot of cramping tonight or maybe Braxton-Hicks contractions? I didn't have them last time. Whatever it is, I don't like it. It makes me worry I will go into even more premature labor than I did with Q at 34 weeks.

--MM

No idea what's coming

I had a prenatal appointment this morning, and we listened to the heartbeat. I haven't felt any very distinct movements yet, so I always get a little nervous until we hear that hoof beat sound again. I have heard too many horror stories to not be paranoid. T brought Q to the short appointment. Q perked up when he heard the heartbeat and laughed. Poor little thing has no idea what is headed his way.

He loves all sorts of sounds. One of his absolute favorite things is my blow-dryer. He just thinks that is a riot. He also likes electric toothbrushes and coffee grinders. Funny little guy.

We find out the gender of the little fetus in two weeks. I am so anxious. Then we will know his/her name and have a much more concrete idea about him/her.

T's birthday is tomorrow. He will be the ripe old age of 30. I decided to get him a satellite radio and was immediately overwhelmed by all the choices. I enlisted some help from people who know far more than me and settled on XM and a Pioneer Inno. I am perhaps the most impatient person around, so as soon as I get a present, I just want to give it to the person. I bought it on Saturday and held off all the way till Sunday before I gave it to him. He always gets mad, because it makes his actual birthday anti-climactic, but I have a few more things cooking.

We had a busy weekend filled with work-related things. That is always rough because you feel like you never actually left. We had a ritzy event on Saturday night for which we hired a new babysitter. We found her on Craig's List and were quite happy with her. What the hell do you pay a babysitter these days anyway? We paid her $8.00 an hour, but I think most people pay much less.

I got my hair done for the event, which was a fun diversion. I couldn't find the place so I tore around dialing information with Q hanging on in the back seat. I finally arrived ten minutes late, but thankfully she was running behind herself. I was on edge the whole time wondering how Q would behave, but he was a perfect gentleman, enthralled with the blow dryer and charming the other clients. I loved my sleek little up do that I could never duplicate myself. I even slept in it so I could sport it for awhile the next morning. Eventually it got itchy and disheveled though, so it had to come down.

I had to present one of my projects last night at 11:00 p.m. It just about killed me to get in the shower at 10 and put on all my make-up and do my hair. But, it had to be done, and I actually got great feedback from two of my bosses. That is a rare but very welcome thing. It is so nice when someone actually notices your hours of hard work.

--MM

18-month check-up

Q had his regular doctor's visit today. He of course still isn't walking yet, so it was a bit discouraging. The pediatrician was very vague about everything. He said it could all mean nothing and Q will be a rocket scientist who runs marathons some day. Or it could mean Q didn't get enough oxygen right at birth since he was premature and now is delayed.

It's hard to know how to take it. He referred us to two specialists from a big university hospital who come to town a couple times a year. He said they will examine him and might suggest an MRI or some other course of action. Real comforting, huh? He said he didn't think he had any of the common syndromes, because he was a cute baby and didn't have a distinctive look to him. I guess that was meant to make us feel better, but it didn't.

You never expect you will have anything less than a smart, perfect little baby, so it is a bit alarming when it turns out otherwise. We'll just keep chugging along and see what they say. It is a frustratingly slow process though. Specialists from the school district were supposed to contact us to arrange sessions to work with Q, but we have heard nothing. I guess budgets keep getting cut, and since Q isn't any sort of drastic case, he is at the end of the list.

As we were discussing Q's shortfalls, he was happily smiling away in the corner. Then he got a flu shot and was very unhappy. Later when I was brushing his teeth, I noticed a molar is growing in as well. Poor tough little guy.

I have a busy weekend which I hate. I like to have two days with nothing scheduled except naps and TV watching. We have a work event tomorrow night, and I am getting my hair done for it. I never do that except for my own wedding and prom, so that should be fun. Sunday, I have to help clean up from that event, Q has his 18-month pictures, and I have to present my work project that night at 11. Busy, busy weekend. Hopefully, I will be able to squeeze in a few naps.

--MM

Bouncing back

Q was back to his jolly little self today. He still was a bit tired, but his fever seemed to be gone, and he was much happier.

I had plans to meet a friend for lunch today. We met at the restaurant, and Q was good for the first few minutes. He quickly gets so restless. He repeatedly threw my cup and cell phone on the ground and splashed his milk everywhere. He ripped up a paper napkin into tiny bits and handed half to my friend and threw the rest on the floor.

I ended up letting him crawl around on the ground, which I'm sure my fellow diners hated, but I am just not sure what to do. It is either him squealing or him crawling around underfoot. I decided to forgo the squealing. I hadn't seen this friend in quite awhile and really wanted to catch up with her.

The next time you see parents in a restaurant with unruly children and wonder why they don't control their kids, remember they would if they could.

--MM

Sick baby slug

Q is sick. He woke up cranky and feeling very hot. As I was changing his diaper, I took his temperature. Our thermometer unfortunately takes a really long time, so as I was waiting for the temp to inch up, he peed a little. Great. His fever was 101.6. Not excessively high for a baby, but not ideal obviously.

We went down for breakfast, but Q didn't have much of an appetite. Afterward he just crumpled up on the ground on top of his favorite stuffed seal like a slug. Poor thing. I put him in his bed, and he napped for three hours. I kept looking in on him and feeling terrible for his sick little self, but I must admit it was nice to have hours of uninterrupted time. I got a lot done and spent 40 minutes on the treadmill.

When he woke up from his nap, he just wanted to be held and still was extremely sluggish. T called the doctor, and they said it was nothing to worry about, and he could still go to daycare. He spent a little more time lying on the ground and sucking his thumb. It's tough to watch! He and the cats were acting very similarly today. We are just giving him water and Tylenol and letting him rest so he can fight off whatever nasty thing has invaded his little body.

In other news, I think I can feel the other baby moving. It is so extremely hard to tell at this stage. There is always so much stuff going on in your belly it is hard to know. But, I think I feel that familiar fluttering. Last time I felt it about a week earlier, but I was also ten pounds thinner. Sigh.

--MM

Success!

Q has graduated from shrimp to kipper in swimming lessons! Finally! He flunked shrimp once before, but now he is moving on up. He still has to conquer kipper, perch, and advanced perch before he can even advance out of the parent-tot classes. So, he's not exactly swimming laps, but he can go underwater without drowning. That's progress! I can't wait until he can take the swimming lessons where I just sit on the side and read while he splashes around. I could do without climbing into a cold pool on these chilly mornings.

I think probably just about everyone in class passed, but I was still so proud for some reason. It is one of his bigger accomplishments in his short life! As I was bragging to another mom in the locker room, Q fell off the bench and bumped his head. Oops.

--MM

Could be worse

Q and I went to a play date this morning with some friends. We met at kids' wonderland that has several rooms of toys for various age groups. As usual, I spent much of the time chasing Q and rescuing him from tight spots or battles with other babies. Then a dad came in with his three-year-old triplets. I quickly stopped feeling stressed. I just don't know how parents of multiples do it. I don't know how the mother carries all those squirmy things in her belly. I don't know how they wash that many clothes, change that many diapers, and wrangle that many car seats.

I have watched a few episodes of John & Kate Plus Eight on Discovery Health Channel, and I just get stressed out watching them. They had a set of twins, and then when they decided to expand their family, they had sextuplets. Yikes. The poor woman's post-pregnancy belly was like a folded up paper bag until she got a tummy tuck. If you have fewer than eight kids and are ever feeling overwhelmed, just catch an episode. Every diaper change and snack time is a grueling endeavor.

Q has taken to squealing and thrashing around whenever I have the nerve to change his diaper. Today as he was throwing a fit in the bathroom, I was thinking, at least I don't have two to do. And then I realized, I will have two in just a few months. Oh well. At least it's not eight.

--MM

RIP Rojito

My sister's cat died this weekend. Such a bummer. He was a ginormous red cat with a lot of character, and he was her buddy.

I hate when pets die. They are such a big part of you, that it is jarring when they leave. You see your pet day and night, much more often than you see most people. They are loyal and loving and keep you warm at night.

We should all appreciate them a little more while they are here.

--MM

The quest for perfect nachos

I have tasted the perfect nacho and now I can never be satisfied again. It happened on our anniversary weekend at Skamania Lodge in Washington. The nachos were crisp and cheesy, piled high with black beans, corn, spices, guacamole and salsa. They were the perfect blend of crunch and spice.

Now that I have tasted the Mexican nectar, I am on a desperate search. Those nachos are hours away, but I have not been able to find a comparable plate in my vicinity. I have searched high and low, stuffed my self with mediocre chips for the cause. Some had icky cheese, others soggy refried beans, or overripe tomatoes.

Tonight, I came close. The nachos had whole pinto beans and a good does of salsa. They had just the right amount of jalapenos and a generous sprinkling of cheese. Something was missing though. So, for now I continue on my nacho quest.

--MM

Stinky Halloween

Q was a stinky little skunk for Halloween. Last year he was a lobster. We like to do unusual costumes as you can see. Some day he will demand to be a Power Ranger or something, so at least we temporarily have control.

I dressed him up to go to daycare, but he quickly lost his headdress and feet. T and I took him to the mall afterward to trick or treat. The little kids dominate that place. We actually saw three other skunks. Who would have thought?

My first big project for this month is out of the way. It aired last night. I was proud of how it turned out. Just three more to go!

--MM