No baby...yet.

But this is the week, I think. Maybe Friday. Friday sounds good to me. Nothing too exciting happened at my most recent appt. I'm now at a 2, but I still haven't felt any regular contractions since my bout of false labor last weekend. I get an occassional one here and there, but nothing that would send me running to the hospital. (Although that might help speed things along...)

Also, for those of you following the Rick/Tiffany saga, they were told on Friday that the weight problem has "corrected itself" and that inducing 4 weeks early won't be necessary after all.

In other news, we purchased our camera--thanks to all those who contributed--so expect to see some wonderful pictures and videos of Kathryn once I figure out how to use it.

My Crazy Appt Day

I managed to make it to all my appointments on time Thursday. Sadly, some of the doctors were less punctual. Still, I have a brief update from all of them.

Dentist--No cavities (Yeah, me!!)
OB/GYN--Had a contraction while I was at her office (she told me about it because I'm not feeling them again) and have continued to have them since.
Surgeon--Gallbladder surgery scheduled for Jan 29

So, about the contractions...how long can a person have regular contractions every 8-10 mins, when it's her 2nd child, before the baby actually comes? A couple days? (Please...)

Today's Schedule

7:00am-11:00am Work
11:00am-11:15am Lunch
11:30am-12:30pm Dentist Appt
1:15pm-2:00pm OB Appt
2:10pm-2:45pm Consultation with new surgeon re: gallbladder

Keep in mind it's about 20 minutes from my dentist to my OB. Fortunately, my new surgeon is in the same building, so I might actually make it if my OB is running on schedule. Of course, she's on call today, so I might not get to see her at all. On the plus side, I decided to leave Kathryn at school (she usually comes with me to OB appts) so I will at least have the peace of mind of knowing that she's getting a quality nap while I'm trying to be on time to every doctor's office in Ohio.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Six More Shopping Days!!

I don't really want to post today because I want people to give me feedback on my post from Sunday, but I don't want you to think I've given up on blogging already. So, happy Tuesday and good luck finding those last minute Christmas gifts!

An Update!!!!

I know, I know. Many of you, particularly Adam, thought I had completely given up on the blogging. I haven't. I've just run out of time in my daily schedule to sit at the computer--uninterrupted--to blog for ten minutes a day. I'm hoping to change that, starting today. Today's post is actually more of a question.

As most (if not all) of you know, my brother and his girlfriend are expecting a baby at the end of January. They mentioned to me Friday night that Tiffany's doctor told them they might induce labor at the end of December because the baby has lost some weight. By "some" they mean almost 1lb. Now, my question is, how accurate are in-the-womb fetal weights? I've heard of women being induced because the baby was so big, but never because the baby seemed to be losing weight. I'm sure this is possible, but I've never been told how much my baby weighed before it was born. Near the end of my pregnancy with Kathryn, the doctor estimated that she was probably about 6lbs.

On the other hand, Tiffany has had a couple of ultrasounds (at least 3 so far with another one scheduled for Dec 28, when they will apparently make the inducing decision) and I only had one. Also a factor (at least in my mind) is that Tiffany had the flu for about a week and was actually hospitalized for dehydration during that time. She lost over 10lbs herself, which I would think affects the baby's weight at least slightly. The doctor, however, told her that her weight has nothing to do with the baby's weight. Now, if that's the case, why did my doctor tell me I need to do whatever I can to battle my gallstones so I can gain at least 1lb every week between now and the delivery and that my baby needs me to eat more fat for brain development?

I don't have a lot of faith in Tiffany's doctor--he actually told them that she shouldn't raise her arms above her head because she might strangle the baby with the umbilical cord--but maybe that's just because I like mine so much better. Any thoughts??

How was your Saturday night?

While Evan & I wasted our evening out at the worst Harry Potter movie made thus far, Kathryn actually had a great time at the Indians/Royals game with my parents.

Time for a Change

As some of you already know, I will be starting a new job (at my present company) on July 23. I will be the transportation coordinator, which is a fancy way of saying I will be responsible for scheduling various residents' appointments (testing, eye doctor, etc.), and driving them to and from these appointments. The job is full-time, Monday through Friday, which happily gives me every weekend off for the first time in years. Of course, that also means giving up 40 hours a week with Kathryn, which is pretty much breaking my heart.

Kathryn is very excited about the change. Not the never seeing me part, of course, but the idea of spending extra time with Grammy & Aunt Betsy and going to "school" two days a week. She's already picked out a Tinkerbell lunch box and equally girly thermos for the occasion. And she wants to do more shopping. (This is unusual because Kathryn, like me, hates shopping.) Here's her official first day supply list:

--2 complete changes of clothing, including underwear, socks, and shoes (more if in the potty-training process)
--Nap blanket & pillow
--A paint shirt or oversized t-shirt for art time
--Lunch with an ice pack
--Sunscreen
--Family photos for the classroom photo board
--Diapers & wipes

Shoes also need to be closed-toe, which means I have to add that to the shopping list, because Kathryn generally wears sandals every day.

Just to show you how much Kathryn is going to love this place, in her first four weeks there, she will experience: a library lady visit, 3 Popsicle days, surfin' safari and beach dress up days, and visits from Milrow characters. Every day has it's own theme.

Drum Roll Please...

Today is a big day in the Vanover house. It is the first official day of Kathryn's room being completely overcrowded...with her big girl bed! It arrived bright and early this morning, and, as Kathryn was so excited she could barely keep the oatmeal on her spoon, we immediately had to set up with sheets, bed skirt, and the extremely girly quilt set that she picked out. Here's the result:

(Kathryn just looked at this picture and said, "Baby Drew??")

Now, the actual sleeping part didn't really work out. She was so excited that she just kept climbing in and out and playing until I finally went in and put her back in her crib. She was not too impressed by that decision, but she did take a nap. I guess it's a gradual transition.

Eventually, there will be a beautiful white headboard to go with it, but that's going to take a few weeks.

Pottermania

Photo from Amazon.com

This July seems to be the month for Pottermania, and you either fall on the "I Hate Harry Potter!" side or the "I Can't Wait!" side of the phenomenon. As I am of the latter, I am very excited for this month to be here, and have done my share of contributing to the craziness. My copy of Deathly Hallows has been pre-ordered--40% off at Borders if you pick it up that first weekend--and my tickets to see Order of the Phoenix have also been purchased ahead, just in case the Saturday night showing sells out. This was my favorite of all the books (although Half-Blood Prince is a VERY close 2nd, so close that I sometimes change my mind) so I'll probably hate the movie, but I still have to see it. And since Evan can't bring himself to sit still for 900 pages of reading, this will be his first experience beyond Goblet of Fire. And I just saw that they are offering a boxset of the entire series in September, which will be well worth the money for me since this is the first book I'll actually be buying, but I've read the rest of them more times than I can count. (Well, except the first three, which are kind of boring after the second three.)

And the tradition continues... After requesting pancakes and syrup for breakfast, the first thing Kathryn said today was, "Want watch Power." She can't quite say "Potter."

New Toys Are Very Exciting

Turns out there's a huge benefit to having (very generous) cousins that are 15+ years younger than me: Kathryn gets all their old toys! This particular toy includes three sides for climbing, a mid-level floor for climbing onto or hiding under, and a slide. It also fits remarkably well in her bedroom, ensuring that she plays with it every day, rain or shine.


She also got another playhouse that is in our guest room and will be getting a picnic table. Last night she tried to convince us to let her sleep in the playhouse.

We've only been here two months and we're already out of space!!!

Tale As Old As Time...

Don't bother turning up your volume. One of Betsy's friends is talking is the background--sorry!!--and Kathryn isn't really saying much anyway. She's dancing to "Tale As Old As Time" from Beauty & the Beast. The music can faintly be heard playing, then the talking starts. We tried to get another take with no one talking, but Kathryn wasn't interested in dancing anymore.



This happens pretty much every time she watches the movie, so chances are decent that we'll be able to get a better video at some point, but I know some people have been getting a little impatient... Hope you enjoy it!

It's Really Over

Veronica Mars Is Now "Officially Dead"

Maybe now the healing can begin....

The CW has officially pulled the plug on Veronica Mars. Series creator Rob Thomas confirmed the news for me via e-mail just moments ago. "I'm afraid I have to report that Veronica Mars is officially dead," he wrote. "At least in TV-show form. There's really no way that it can happen now. I'm not sure the CW should've given the glimmer of hope. I think Dawn Ostroff genuinely would have liked to have continued on with a version of the show, but there was too much resistance around her. At the end of the day, it would've been kinder had the band-aid simply been ripped off rather than peeled away in this agonizingly slow manner."

Although we all saw this coming, particularly when they didn't even get a full 22-episodes this season, it's still sad that my newest favorite show has ended. Even more sad because it was finally looking like stupid Piz would get out of the way for a Logan/Veronica reunion. (The actor--Chris Lowell--is scheduled to be on the Grey's spinoff next fall.) But, as with all my favorite shows, it didn't last.

Really makes me appreciate General Hospital. On the air since 1963 with a new episode every weekday. Doesn't get more stable than that.

Photo by Patrick Ecclesine/The CW; article from tvguide.com

I Relented

Turns out, that first night was a fluke. Every night after resulted in more and more crying. I can only take so much "Mommy...Mommy...need paci. Mommy..." mixed with sobs (both real and forced) before I crack. So last night, after a good 30 minutes of breaking my heart, I went in and gave her the pacifier. She looked up at me and said, "Thank you," in the most pathetic, exasperated little voice. It was adorable. I've now decided that I care if she ruins her teeth with it...they're all going to fall out anyway. Just as long as she's not that 4-year-old walking around the mall tying to talk through it.

Sans Pacifier, Night 1

Remember how I just said I was terrified of putting Kathryn to bed without her pacifier? Well, sometime between her nap this afternoon and bedtime tonight, it vanished. I mean, completely disappeared. Evan tore her room apart looking for it, checked the living room, kitchen...nothing. So, we decided to give the whole no pacifier thing a try. Turns out, it wasn't so bad. Tonight.

She was exhausted from a busy day of playing with Daddy and then a birthday celebration for my mom, aunt, and grandma (all have birthdays within two weeks of each other this month) at my grandma's house, which I thought would make things worse. Seems it may have actually helped. She was so tired that she only cried for 2 minutes. Followed by 3 minutes of quiet. Then 1 minute of forced crying. Then about 10 minutes of playing. For the last hour she's been perfectly quiet, which I hope means she fell asleep.

We did try to compromise by giving her a chew toy--what I call a chew toy is actually one of those teething toys that go in the freezer until you use them--but it's a rattle-type, so she can't really suck on it. She may have hidden the pacifier someplace that we couldn't find and simply got it out again after we left, but she hasn't yet figured out how to climb out the crib, so she would have had to find a really good hiding place. Like, inside the foot of her Tickle Me Elmo.

I'm not sure if this was just luck being on our side tonight or if giving up the pacifier really wasn't as big a deal as I anticipated, but I'm hoping for more nights like this one. Maybe with even less crying. Nap time tomorrow will probably be a good indication. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!

My Daughter, The Monkey

Maybe it's because she just finished watching the monkey section of Baby Einstein's World Animals, or maybe she just decided it sounded like fun, but my daughter just did one of the craziest things of her short life thus far.

Kathryn was supposed to be watching the rest of her Baby Einstein DVD (which was not doing a very good job of holding her attention) while I did a few things on the computer. She comes wandering into the computer room, bugging me to change the DVD (for the 4th time in an hour, and by 4th time, I mean 4th DVD). Reluctantly, I agreed, but told her to go into her room first so I could change her diaper. Then I went back to the computer, sort of forgetting that she was waiting for me.

A few minutes later, she starts calling me. "Mommy, help! I stuck!" I realize I haven't gone to change her diaper yet and now she probably has her arm stuck in her crib trying to reach that dumb pacifier. So I go into her room, and there she is, laying exactly the way she does when I change her, on top of her changing table. I have no idea how she got up there. Nothing was knocked over, so I guess she climbed up the shelves of the table, and miraculously didn't tip it over onto herself. I asked her to show me how she did it, but she refused and went back to the DVD.

Hmm...I guess maybe that section of her room could use a little straightening... Maybe later. It's lunch time.

"10" Things for Rachelle

Recently, my wonderful sister-in-law, Rachelle, posted a 10-things-about-me list on her blog and asked that all her sisters-in-law do the same. Well, the others did it a while ago, and I've been going crazy trying to think of 10 things about myself that I felt like sharing with the world wide web. So, here's what I've come up with:

1. I think offering a 42-oz soft drink for 89 cents is just plain cruel. McDonald's should be ashamed of themselves.

2. My thoughts on domestic violence are perfectly summed up in Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder & Lead" (from her Crazy Ex-Girlfriend CD), and it warms my heart to hear Kathryn "singing" along in the backseat.

3. I pretty much always sing in the car (unless I'm on the phone) or while watching Disney movies with Kathryn, but I absolutely will not sing in front of Evan. Nevermind how we met or that he probably wouldn't really care that I don't have a very good voice, it will not happen.

4. I made Amish friendship bread for the first time this week and it was actually good! (The surprise is in reference to my culinary skills, not the Amish.)

5. I am a compulsive list-maker, although I rarely check things off.

6. I am terrified of the day that I have to take Kathryn's pacifier away from her. Evan tried this morning and my heart almost broke from her devastated little expression.

7. I'm pretty sure I couldn't function without my DVR & SOAPNet.

8. Despite our technical competence, neither Evan nor I can figure out how to hook up our TV so that the DVD player and VCR (which are connected) work at the same time. For the last two years, we've either not used the VCR or changed the cords around so the DVD player doesn't work so we can watch a VHS tape.

9. I haven't yet managed to teach Kathryn how to say "yes" but she has learned "mm-hmm." Now, when I tell her her I love her, she says, "Mm-hmm." I ask, "You love Mommy?" And she says, "Mm-hmm." It's probably one of the cutest things she's ever learned.


10. After all this time trying to think of 10 things, I only came up with 9.

Choose your words wisely...

...when speaking to a 22-month-old. On our drive home from the doctor's office yesterday, I decided we should stop and get something for lunch because I didn't really have time to make anything before nap time (and I didn't really feel like making anything).

I said: Kathryn, where should we eat?
She said: On couch.

Clearly, she missed the point of my question, and she refused to let me rephrase it. Every time I tried to ask it differently, she'd say, "No. Eat on couch."


In doctor's appt news: NewBaby is the only one there (no twins) and is about 1" long right now. Dr. estimates my due date at January 11, but said not to plan any holiday traveling (based on Kathryn coming two weeks ahead of her due date). So, it's pretty much what I thought. Oddly enough, Kathryn was due August 11 and actually came July 29, so I guess NewBaby could come as early as December 29. I'm thinking more like Jan 4, though.

$5 To The First Person To Answer...

1. What is this?
2. How do I fix it?


I know the picture is a little fuzzy, but it's the best we could get with a camera-phone. It looks like some sort of fungus growing on various parts of my azalea plant. This is the plant that was already here when we moved in, so I have no idea how long it's been like this. I just noticed it today, but, if it makes any difference, no new flowers have grown on the plant in the last couple weeks.

***

Well, I guess the $5 is going to stay in my pocket. I decided to do a little research on my own, and I found the problem. Apparently, my azalea plant has what is known as azalea gall disease. Seems it's not very serious, but Evan still needs to remove all the infected leaves as soon as we notice them to keep it from spreading all over the plant and my new rhododendron (which Kathryn brutalized this afternoon). Thanks for playing, though!!

Life's Simple Pleasures

#1 on Kathryn's list is ice cream.

On this particular day, Kathryn is enjoying a chocolate peanut butter sugar cone and cup--yes, both. The delicious mess was courtesy of her favorite Granny. You'll notice the photo progression leads from almost clean to total disaster.

Still figuring out how the cone works.

Now she's got the hang of it.

Moving on to the cup.

All that's left of the ice cream...and the table.

I should mention that at the conclusion of this adventure, I took her into the bathroom to wash her off. She took one look at herself in the mirror and started crying hysterically. Apparently, she was so messy, she actually scared herself. But it was worth it.

A Lovely Night At Work

Between the hours of 11:00pm last night and 8:30am this morning, NewBaby made me sick more times than Kathryn did during my entire pregnancy. Keep in mind, Tuesday night is my 3rd shift night. So, I spent the entire night trying not to think about how miserable I felt, when all I wanted to do was sleep. I think NewBaby is not going to be as well-behaved as Kathryn. Which is scary. Unless it's the opposite: NewBaby is more rebellious in utero and a perfect angel once born. Somehow I doubt that.

Anyway, my night at work started by me finding out that our business office manager had been fired. Technically, her position was eliminated, but it all comes down to the same thing. They actually had a representative from our parent company come in at the end of the day last Thursday to tell her. She had to pack up and leave the grounds immediately. This woman had been with the company for 5 years. Doesn't that sound like the kind of company you'd like to work for???

The interesting part of all this is that even though they "eliminated the position" her responsibilities still need to be done. So, the human resources person (who worked under the BOM) is taking over her job and they're hiring someone new to do the HR aspect, which to me sounds like they just wanted to fire the BOM. As a result, there's an HR opening that I might apply for. It's a much better job, but it's full-time. That's a major downside because it means putting Kathryn in daycare 3-4 days a week. I'll let you know how it goes.

Must Be A Sign

Our DVD player isn't the highest quality, but it gets the job done. In fact, it has worked with relatively no problems (that I can think of) until recently. Now, it has done the same thing twice. Let me explain...

Although it is not technically an HD DVD player, it still plays every disc we try. Until the Pulse disaster. We tried to play that disc and it would not work. Thinking it was the disc and not the player, I returned it for another copy. This went on until the third disc of the same movie, when we finally decided to get a non-HD copy. Now, you may recall that this particular movie was not worth all the effort. In the end, we were fairly disappointed in having spent so much time trying to get a movie that didn't impress us. So, when it happened again, we decided to forget the movie altogether.

This second time was with Babel. I'd heard mixed reviews going into it, so the decision to give up on it wasn't all that painful. If anyone has seen it and thinks I should reconsider, please let me know. Otherwise, we are taking it as a sign that we should not waste 2+ hours (not to mention all the days needed to get a new copy) on it.

In happier movie news, we recently watched and enjoyed the following:
Flyboys
Alpha Dog
The Pursuit of Happyness

When is the best time, when it's never the "right" time?

I haven't yet told my employer that I'm pregnant again. I have several reasons for this. Here are a few, in no particular order:

• It never seems like the right time.
• My maternity leave is going to fall immediately after a co-worker takes three weeks off to visit family in TX, which already has my boss scrambling to fill shifts.
• Last time I had a baby, something happened...oh yeah. They FIRED me.

So, perhaps you can see why I'm a little hesitant to share my good news with them. In my defense, I'm just starting my 7th week today, so it's not as if there isn't time.

My plan is to wait until after my first doctor's appointment on June 4th, when they will give me an estimated due date, although I've already narrowed it down to January4-11. I figure this way I can tell my boss the dates and then it will be a little more concrete than my predictions. (Of course, my last prediction was only a day off.) By that date, I'll be just over 8 weeks. Now, in your expert opinion, does that seem sufficient notice?

To thank you for your time, here's a little reward:

The (Surprising) Joy of Swimming Lessons

This morning I spent a full 45 minutes with no nausea. I know, I know. It's hard to believe, especially given how miserable I've been over the last few days, but it's true. The trick, it appears, is being in a swimming pool.

I was really nervous about going to Kathryn's swimming lesson--so nervous I convinced my mom to come watch in case I had to jump out quickly and needed someone to take Kathryn. It was our first lesson since my nausea has really set in. We couldn't go on Tuesday because neither one of us could breathe with our awful allergies. Instead we both went to the doctor. I got a fantastic recommendation of Sudafed, while Kathryn actually got a prescription for Zyrtec. Needless to say, after two days, she's feeling much better than I am.

Anyway, so we went to her lesson and I fully thought I'd be sick right in the middle of it, but I actually felt pretty good most of the time. Except, of course, when Kathryn had a fit about kicking while on her back and twisted around and started kneeing me in the stomach. That brought on just a bit of queasiness, but not so much that there was a problem.

Now you might think that I just got lucky for a few minutes and that the pool had nothing to do with it. You might be right. But, in the pool's defense, by the time we got to the locker room--a full two minute's walk at most--I was nauseous again.

The Trouble With Early Pregnancy

It's just plain exhausting.

I have two posts that have been "saved as drafts" and at least five more in my head, and I'm just too tired to take the time to insert pictures and create links. I think I failed to consider how much energy Kathryn takes up when conceiving again. At least with her, I only had a part-time job to contend with on a regular basis. I could easily sleep 15 hours a day and not have any trouble. And California weather is very relaxing in the fall. Now I have a part-time job and a full-day schedule of running all over the house/yard/playground/pool, trying to unpack and settle into the new house, and fight off morning sickness--which is also starting earlier this time around.

Do me a favor. The next time I'm thinking about getting pregnant, please remind me that pregnancy is not kind to me, and I should plan a month-long vacation at the start of it. Preferably someplace with ridiculously beautiful weather and a lot of white beaches. And also remind me to hire a nanny to go with me. Or, to convince one of my fabulous sisters-in-law to take over that responsibility for free. Wait a minute...isn't one of my sisters-in-law also a nanny??? Hmm... You'd like to spend a month at the ocean with Kathryn, NewBaby, and me, wouldn't you?


Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Happy Mother's Day!

Move-In Ready...Almost

We have a few days of work left before our new house is completely ready for next weekend's moving, but here are a few photos from the process...

Kathryn's favorite part of her new room was running through all the strips of torn down wallpaper. It looks nothing like this now.

Please note the hideous brown around the ceiling and chair rail. This color was all over the dining room and downstairs bathroom.

Our beautiful fireplace...one of my favorite features.

Blue is supposed to one of those colors that soothes you when you wake up. Guess we'll find out...

Pay close attention to the floor here. It used to be dark pink carpet. Hmm...I think I need a picture that shows the new floor better.

Don't forget our moving dates are May4-6. We can use all the help we can get!!

Just for Adam

Since Adam specifically requested more videos, here's an adorable little one we made just the other day. You'll want to turn your volume up so you can hear exactly what she says. (Don't worry. She won't scream.)

The Great Pancake Experiment

Many of you already know, either from word-of-mouth testimonies or first-hand experience, that I am not the world's best housekeeper. On a good day, there's only about 10 hours worth of clutter to pick up. What you may not know, however, is that I'm actually not too bad in the kitchen. (By that I mean cooking, of course, not cleaning.) I'm certainly not going to win any awards, but my family generally eats my meals without complaint. Because of this, I'm willing to take a few chances with foods I've already mastered. One such food is pancakes.

Lately, Kathryn has been on a "Berries!!" kick, so I've been buying raspberries and blackberries as often as I can afford them. This morning I realized I was down to one package of blackberries and they weren't looking too great. So, we decided to put them in pancakes. At first, this idea made perfect sense. Delicious fruit mixed into pancakes. What could go wrong? Well, I'll tell you. Blackberries, as it turns out, are much thicker than pancakes. Therefore, when you try to flip the pancakes, the other side doesn't reach the pan.


For the second batch, I smashed the blackberries already on the pan. By the third, I had figured out that it made the most sense to smash them in the bowl with the remaining batter. That not only made them prettier, but also allowed for even cooking on both sides.


In the end it was a huge success. Kathryn ate four of them--without syrup. I can't tell you how much easier that makes mealtime.

What are some of your successful (or unsuccessful) homemade modifications??

The View from the Top

Although last night's Wings' game didn't end quite as I'd hoped--they lost 2-0 to San Jose--there was still plenty to see.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a game with my dad, I suggest you take full advantage. Playoffs or not, sitting at the Joe cheering for goals (and even louder for fights) has brought some of the best memories of my life.

The garage? Seriously?

Now, do you think that means I'll actually have to open the garage door? As in reveal its contents? The contents that would make it nearly impossible to fit a bicycle, let alone a car, inside?

You'd think if that was the case they might have given me a little more notice. This letter was outside my apartment door (and the doors of all my neighbors) when I got home today, meaning it arrived between 10:00am and 5:30pm. There's also a note taped to the building entrance saying that our building's day is the 27th. For those of us keeping track, that's tomorrow.

So I'm checking the weather channel, hoping for thunderstorms to prevent any actual work being done, and what do they predict? Few showers. 60 and cloudy with a 30% chance of rain.

I ask again--do you think I have to open the door?

Good morning!

Kathryn decided to take a moment out of her busy breakfast schedule to wish you an enthusiastic "Good morning!!" Make sure your volume is on...

Right Name, Wrong Chromosome

There was discussion among some of us that the Vanover men tend to get in a yard-working mood around this time of the year. I, of course, commented that my Vanover does not follow this family trend. As it turns out, the yard-work gene does exist in my family, just not in my husband.

Gardening with Aunt Betsy. (And thoroughly enjoying

every second of being allowed to play in the dirt.)


Getting some practice time on the riding lawn mower.
(Already a better driver than Uncle Rick.)

MISSING

Missing one Kodak EasyShare digital camera.
Last known sighting April 8, 2007. Please contact
me immediately with any information.

*REWARD*



Actual model not shown.

Spring is here...finally!!!

It seems that after months of waiting and a brief reprieve a few weeks ago, spring is finally here for 2007. Of course, that doesn't absolve us of awful rainy days or ones where the sky is completely gloomy and not at all "spring" feeling. On the other hand, it does occasionally provide us with days like yesterday: sunny and 75 with just enough breeze to keep you comfortable. The kind of days that inspire a one-year-old to venture by herself--for the first time--down a twisty-tunnel slide even though she'll come out sideways at the bottom.


I love spring.

The countdown begins...

With a little luck, the entire downstairs of my new house will be painted and move-in ready by tomorrow afternoon!! It's down to one room that needs wall paint and a little trim work in a few others. (Okay, all the others.) Then we can move on to cleaning the carpets (which apparently never happened with the previous owner) and finishing the upstairs. Then it's just a matter of packing all our junk and moving it from one place to another!

Just to inspire us to actually start moving, I scheduled a service transfer for my cable/internet/phone (all with the same company) for May 7th. Now, anyone who knows me knows I cannot live without my DVR, so I guess that settles it!

If you'd like to help with the festivities of moving, we'll be doing it the weekend leading up the 7th. Everyone willing to carry things, pack, unpack, drive, or distract Kathryn while I do all of those things is welcome! (Unless you're some creepy weirdo that I don't know who's just reading my blog for no reason. You are not welcome.)

Let me tell you about my local McDonald's...

I'm one of those people who enjoys a good, hot breakfast in the morning. I'm also one of those people who wakes up 15 minutes before I have to be somewhere. You can see my dilemma. Fortunately, I've found a solution that generally works well. There's a McDonald's located right on the corner of my road and the road that takes me...well, everywhere. As a rule, McDonald's is my least favorite of all fast food chains (but they do have flavored coffee and hashbrowns). Apparently, my McDonald's feels the same way about me.

Friday morning I ventured into the drive-thru, hoping for a quick stop before heading to work. I don't love their breakfasts--although they're slightly better than their lunches--so I always get the same thing: a #11 (a sausage mcgriddle meal). Recently, our "restaurant" expanded into iced coffees, which I am very pleased to enjoy. So, on Friday, I pulled up and ordered a #11 with an iced vanilla coffee.

Here's how the conversation went:

Me: I'd like a #11, please.
Employee: We're out of mcgriddles.
M: Okay, I'll have a sausage biscuit meal. With an iced vanilla coffee.
E: We're out of vanilla.

You should be impressed that I left without yelling.

So, I ordered hazelnut (the only other option), and went on with my day. Sunday, I decided to try again. I pull up, order my #11 with an iced vanilla coffee. The girl charges me $5 something and I head off to work. Once I get to work, I open the bag to eat a quick bite before delivering the newspapers (yes, I have to deliver newspapers to 150 residents on weekend mornings), and what do I find? Certainly not what I ordered. Instead of a sausage mcgriddle, I got a bacon, "egg" and cheese mcgriddle. I removed the egg product and tried to enjoy what was left. Of course, it was awful.

At least the hashbrowns are consistent.

Ahh...the joys of teething.

Those of you with children feel my pain, figuratively speaking. To those who don't: good luck.

Kathryn is one of those babies that gets multiple teeth at the same time. On one hand, that makes for fewer bouts of teething; on the other, the experience is that much more painful. This time, she has four coming in simultaneously. You can imagine how the last week has been at our house. None of us has slept through the night since Friday, when we were up--literally--every hour.

Fortunately, after this round is over, she only has four teeth left to come. Of course, since the remaining four are molars, I doubt it'll be easy. At least the 101.5 fever is down to a reasonable 99.5 and we aren't feeding her Motrin like water anymore. I guess that means we're almost finished.

Stifling that "Vanover Temper"

Whether it's in her genes or just her age, Kathryn's temper is getting out of hand. She used to hit and scream for reactions, but she's now doing it in retaliation for not getting her way. In a way, I guess that's still for reactions, but she's doing it to hurt people now rather than to see what happens. Time-outs are not working. Any tips on how to stop this behavior before it gets really unruly??

Starbucks' The Way I See It #205

Many people search blindly for the "meaning of life." What they don't seem to understand is that life does not have meaning through mere existence or acquisition or fun. The meaning of life is inherent in the connections we make to others through honor and obligation.
--Dr. Laura Schlessinger, International Radio Host & Author

There are some things that happen in my life that can only be explained as God looking out for me. Even if you're not religious, these things have probably still occurred, but you gave them another name. Today I felt compelled to buy myself a delicious caramel mocha latte. This is not an unusual urge, but it is fairly unusual for me to actually give in to it. When I read the quote on the side of the cup, I knew why.

I'm at a particularly difficult time in my life right now, and Dr. Laura's words resonated better than any of the advice or platitudes others have offered. If more people, or, specifically, the people causing me such heartache, embraced that single statement, my life would be much simpler. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works. Life is messy and complicated, and emotions, as we all know, too often prevent logic and common sense from allowing us to do what we know is right--what we know is honorable.

At times like these, when it feels like the world is closing in around me, it's indescribably reassuring to know that someone is still watching out for me--even if it's only with a few simple words.

"The Way I See It" can be found on your 10% post-consumer recycled fiber coffee cup or at www.starbucks.com/wayiseeit.

Harmonica lessons, anyone??

Not for you--for us. Specifically, for Evan. He received a free harmonica in the mail today and is now determined to learn how to play it. Any tips (from those who actually know) would be appreciated.

Kathryn is also interested in learning. After watching Evan for a few minutes, she took it right out of his hands and started "playing" a little herself. Of course, her version sounds more like her humming against the metal, rather than actually blowing air through it. Still, she's quite the musician. We're very proud.

After she gets a little more practice, maybe she'll put on a concert for all of you. Of course, there is one guest who must attend, above all others:

No Mail is Good Mail

The week officially ended without the receipt of the dreaded certified letter we were expecting. Keep your fingers crossed and your prayers going up that it wasn't an oversight.

At least one of our friends wasn't so lucky. Fortunately, she has extenuating circumstances that might just keep her out.

What Not to Watch

If you're into horror movies, or just looking for something a little different, allow me to not recommend Pulse. I'm not sure what I expected, but not what I spent a seemingly unending 85 minutes watching. Don't get me wrong, I love Kristen Bell (best known as Veronica Mars from the TV show of the same name), and she did a very good job, but the movie itself was kind of awful. Evan asked me to rate it one-star at Netflix. (For those unfamiliar with the wonders of Netflix, one star means "I hated it.")

On the plus side, now we can send it back and get something better. Next on our queue is The Good Shepherd. And we still have Babel and the second half of Flyboys to watch--not to mention half a house to paint. Are we busy people, or what?

Would you like a Veronica Mars link? I'll give you two. The CW's site isn't that great, so I'm including one that's maintained by fans. Much more informative.

Such a loving child...

Although it may not appear that way, I'm actually pulling Kathryn's head away from Drew Tae in an effort to not let her smash his little baby face. In a few seconds, she'll shove my arm (and Drew) out of her way so she can climb down.

This is the sort of over-excited loving both Drew Tae and Tegan can expect this weekend. With any luck, Kylinn has been toughening them up.

Step 2: Start your own blog.

Well, here it is. My very own blog. Now if I just had something to blog about... Guess I'll go with the one thing I can always talk about...my beautiful little angel baby Kathryn.

In preparation for her trip to Michigan this weekend, we've been working on saying people's names. She now says Shell, Drew (as in Baby, not Uncle), Meg, Baby Tee, Papa, and, of course, Ky. Hopefully, she'll even recognize all those people.

Here's a little something to help all of you recognize her...