Pregnancy business.......arghhh

As you can see, I'm in my final WEEKS (not months) before my little ball of estrogen arrives. (my Tiffany friend said that and I thought it was pretty funny)

Pregnancy started out just fine (as it always does....for me) I was pretty tired and (Max would say) moody, but what does he know, anyway? I vaguely remember bawling for half my birthday in Jackson Hole but I usually cry a little on my birthday so why does that mean I'm pregnant moody?

Then, the snoggy nose business started in. OH BOY! What a bad couple of months that was. Afrin addicted and still stuffed up. It was the pits. Around then, I started to doubt my even being pregnant. Yeah I know, I had had an ultrasound and heard heart beat and even felt some tiny movements but I doubted. I doubted because my cheep Wal-mart preg test "your pregnant" line had disappeared. Gone! I had a tiny freak out. Why did I keep it, you may ask. Just for that very reason, duh. I told my Dr, and he said to pee on it again, PS It didn't work.

Don't worry I think I'm pregnant still, either that or I have an Karate chopping alien that has taken over my body. Which ever it may be, there is DEFINITELY something in there.

I got my nose business taken care of (except for it's been bad again this last week) and then I started the great hip pains and ankle swelling. MY poor cute shoes are getting quite dusty on my shoe shelves. I do still have the cutest toenails that ever lived.

Then came the ultrasound, where we went to CONFIRM what we already knew (by about 147%) that we were having a boy...... Named Miles Reed....... (but only in my heart since Max despised the name Miles) Only too bad for us cause it wasn't a boy at all. SURPRISE! That was a whoa-is-me day (or 3) for me. But then I got over it and now I am pretty excited for my little pink bundle to arrive. Which even in the whoa is me days I still knew I would be excited for a girl. I just had been SO sure of the boy that it messed me up. Probably don't ask me to pick your lottery numbers or anything. I'm not a very good guesser.

I've had loads of people give me girl/baby stuff. Since I gave all my girl clothes to needy friends telling them "oh no, I don't need them back. I'm done having girls" Funny Funny me. I am set for the first 3 months for sure on clothes. I've even bought some diapers and wipes (what... had a coupon) the other day.

And now my newest pregnant fun is that I seem to have developed Gestational Diabetes. It's good times around here, I tell you. I had a whole day of sadness when I found out, then I got over it and started eating better. I went to the Diabetes clinic (thank you Jessie for watching Ru for a million hours that day) and learned all sorts of good eating ways. I have to poke my finger to test my blood sugar 6 times a day (at a dollar a test strip--thanks to my lame insurance) and eat 6 times a day. That means I'm eating a snack at 9:30 at night! 9:30 at night is sleepy time, not eating time. The protein has been the hardest for me to do, there isn't many choices that I like to eat. The good news is I don't feel as tired as I did and I'm not as thirsty either. The good news is also (as Tierney pointed out) that I'll be done before the holidays and can eat some yummy goodies. Plus I get a baby that may be smaller than 11 pounds! Here's hoping.

That's all. I have to go eat a snack. The end

Garden pests....

Every year that we've lived in this WINDY city, we've had major struggles with our garden. This year was no exception. One year we had hoards of Grasshoppers, the next year it was squash bugs, then shield bugs, they suck all the moisture out of your plants so they just wither up and die before you even know whats going on. And of course, the wind. There is always the wind. Curse the wind.

As we all know, Max is garden obsessed. For reals. He doesn't like ANY help in the garden (unless it's pulling weeds). You could go as far to say he's downright anal about his garden. He babies the garden like crazy. He checks on it before work and after work every day. If he comes home DURING work he'll check on it again. We should have stock in bamboo skewers and Velcro tape for the amount he uses to stake his vines so the wind doesn't devastate them. His anal-ness usually pays off. This year NOTHING grew well but his tomatos and onions. His tomatos and onions were beautiful.

Which brings me to this year's pests..... CHILDREN---boys to be exact. First we had one little boy pull ALL our onions out of the soil and leave them by the garden box. Max about cried. That same little boy picked a bunch of tomatos (before they were ripe) off the vine and chucked them all over our yard. He did this a few times before Max had a talk with his Mom. Needless to say, he's not allowed over here anymore. We though the destruction was over.......We were so WRONG.

Last weekend we get a knock on our back door. It was 2 boys, and their parents coming to apologize. It seems the boys were having some tomato fun and had pulled ALL of Max's biggest tomatos off the vine and destroyed them. These weren't your average tomatos, these suckers were the size of a mans hand. I'm serious, Max had measured. He was waiting for them to be ABSOLUTELY perfect before he picked them. He was too late. Now they're gone.

What's worse is the mom of one of the boys told me that Max needed to "suck it up" and asked if we were REALLY going to eat all those tomatos (does it matter, and YES). She doesn't like tomatos and I think she thinks all tomatos are the same. She's wrong. Garden tomatos are HEAVEN. I tried to explain to her how he had been taking such careful good care of these particular tomatos and how he was so excited every day he checked on them, that none of them had cracked and how important they had been to his garden happiness etc etc. She didn't get it. Tomatos aren't her thing.

That night Maddy said "can we get an electric fence?" She's funny, and may be on to something.

Shan-tastic....

My friend Shan sent me a picture text not too long ago. It was a picture of 3 white tee's (one being a tiny baby onsie) and a tie dye kit. Her text said: "Prolly, I'm the most favorite." Prolly, she is. Shan likes to come over and do "activities" with the girls, Shan has lots of friends and has been super busy this summer, the girls have had Shan-withdrawls. I think they forgot about they're neglected-ness once she walked through our door.

Getting started. Maddy was bouncing off the walls with excitement.

Ruby's a blur of excitement, making a shirt for Max with the extra dye.

Maddy would have liked to tie dye our whole house, she settled for a pair of her undies, and a pair of mine, I won't show you mine since that would be embarrassing. Maddy brought it on herself by INSISTING on tie dying my undies, I'm fine embarrassing her....times 10.

The finished undies. They are, pretty much-hands down, the cutest undies on the face of the earth.

Ruby, deep in concentration, mostly she squirted the dye straight out over the shirt and onto the plastic. She's got super squirty skills. Ruby was dressed all in black, so the dye wouldn't show up if it got on her clothes. I thought she looked like a Sprocket from Saturday Night Live. You should YOUtube "Sprocket SNL" if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about.

Shan, thanks for coming over and playing with the girls. We like you A-lot.

You really are Shan-tastic.

The end.

The Fifth grader and the Kindergardener.....

The Maddy started 5th grade last Tuesday (on Heed's birthday). She was NOT looking forward to having a BOY (gasp) teacher (with not ONE of her friends in her class) until we went to meet him Monday afternoon. He won her over by telling her he was color blind. She thinks that's the coolest. I'm pretty sure Mr Bailey is gonna get teased by her this year. I think he's up for it. He's pretty cool himself.

That "5" is for "5th grade-- Not cause she's 5 years old. Do you like her monstrous backpack? It's nearly as big as her.

I can't believe how OLD she is. 10 1/2 to be exact. Why do they grow up -- And get all sassy and teenagery so quick?

AND THE RUBY...Ruby started real actual school today. And before any of you comment about the character print shirt she's wearing...... I was outnumbered and overruled at Target (by ONE Miss RUBY Elizabeth--she's was very firm about her style). There was nothing I could do.

Her teacher is Miss Halter. I hope she's ready for Ru. Her life may never be the same. Heck, the whole school may never be the same. This morning when I went into her room all she said was "its my second day of school, yeah" Then went to work (with Maddy's unwanted help) finding just the right clothes to wear.

And here are the 2 walking to the bus stop, holding hands (awwwh). Not even looking back. (GRRR) What's a mother to do? Oh maybe, I'll have another one who won't leave me for another 5 or 6 years. That'll teach them.

This is the Mads. She was feeling crummy, tummy ache, tired and didn't even want a Cinnamon roll for breakfast (!), but I made her go to school anyway. Someone had to take Ru to her class. :) She called me at 11 am to say she was feeling worse. She looked worse. (She was better by 3pm) And the MEAN MEAN Mom that I am, wouldn't let her go to soccer.

Oh and since it's taken me 3 days to write this post, I found out yesterday that the bus drops little Ru off right exactly at our front door! How great is that?!

The end.

15 years of wedded bliss.....

Yesterday..... Yes, I said yesterday..... was our 15 year anniversary. We were duds about it.

I get him and he gets me.... I couldn't have married a better man for me. OK I totally didn't mean for that to rhyme. That's cheese ball. He loves me the very most and lately has said that I'm a pleasure even though I'm 6 months pregnant. Also, he doesn't lie.

He loves these girls with all his heart, and probably, they love him that much too. He's even super happy about having a 3rd little lady around here.

He is kind, loving, funny, (but not as funny as me) and pretty swell. He wears the funny stuff I buy him, without complaint. He paints tiny toenails and fingers, he even lets the girls paint his toes sometimes. Just as long as they're painted black....like all the cage fighters. He likes to swing on our swing set, play Chinese jump rope and is a very good sport when Ruby wants him to wear princess dress ups for dinner. He's very secure in his manliness.

Happy Anniversary fella. You're the best. And I love you the most.

The END.

Ruby's birthday celebration......

You all know that I'm 6 months pregnant..and 36....and overweight by A LOT...not to mention old and moldy.

Because of all that business, poor Ruby had a bump on a log for a birthday mom this year. We didn't do much, but I think she was mostly happy, even though there has been a few grumblings about not going to Pirate Island.


The picture is blurry, but how cute is that face?

Aunt Kennon, this is what she was doing while talking to you on the phone.

The opening of the presents. A Dora the Explorer Leapster game, a zuzu pet with accessories, and a bike/basket. We wrapped the basket and had the Dad bring in the bike from the trunk afterwards.

The bump on a log mom continues here, Usually I decorate the house (Max's helps) with balloons, streamers and banners the night before the girls birthdays. This year, I was too darn tired, also, the Dad doesn't find it too important of a job to do himself. So on the way into church, Ruby starts saying "I wish you had decorated for my birthday, that's what I really want." I just smiled to myself and said "oh, I'm sorry" cause, Max and I had already planned to skip out on Sunday School (shhh) to decorate the house and frost her cake. When she walked in the house she was SO excited. I tell you, it was worth it to see that face.

She was pretty in love with that bike and the bike messenger. Max said she hugged him with her whole body. I didn't mention that it was my idea to actually buy the bike for her. (I prefer to suffer in silence)

4.5 seconds after we got home from church, Ruby went to change.......into her pajamas. It was 2:20 in the afternoon, I'm pretty sure. So birthday pictures in her jams! She also did her own hair.

And last but not least, the must have "Blowing out the candles" picture.

Happy Birthday Ruby Ruby Ru. We love you bigger than the whole sky.

That'll be all.

What happens in Smithfield......

.............stays in Smithfield. Apparently it's true, since I didn't take ONE STINKING PICTURE of our visit.


This is Heed* and Patty. Heed is my "little" brother, his actual name is Bentley, but I just like "Heed" and that's all. "Patty" is not Patty's real actual name either, but she just like "Patty" and that's all. We like them both.

They invited us up to visit them last weekend. Heed has lived in Smithfield/Logan for about 10ish years. They've been married for 4. This was our first visit. Heed likes to remind us of that. Heed is somewhat of a hairball.

Max and I left the girls with his parents for the weekend. Whu hoo! And we left. We got up there Friday night and super quick went to dinner at the most glorious Mexican restaurant, Cafe Sabor. It was so yummy. Plus, I got a Pink Zebra drink that was delicious, and not to mention -- trendy.

There are no pictures of the restaurant, the food, the company or my drink.

There was, however, an Indian family that came in while we were waiting to be seated, that gave us a chuckle. The Dad asked a silly question. The hostess asked if they wanted to eat outside or inside. He asked her if it was cold outside. She replied: uhh it's just like it was when you came in. (10 seconds ago) I'm not sure if those were the exact words, but it was pretty stinkin' hilarious. We thought it was funny ALL weekend long.

After dinner we went to a pastry shop and bought goodies. MY FAVORITE. I bought 2 goodies and ate one later that night. I had the other one for breakfast with my turkey bacon and scrambled eggs. It was the perfect breakfast.

Nope, no pictures of that place either.

Saturday, we lazed around the house and then drove to visit a lake, it was not good fishing that day. We visited Heed's work and they bought me my first pair of CHOCO'S sandles. They are super cute. They will be even cuter on my feet once those feet aren't swollen anymore. Then, that night for dinner we ate at Hamilton's Steak House. It was also delicious. I got the salmon (I know, right?) Max got the Rib eye and shared with me. He's delightful.

We went to the same pastry shop that night too. This time I bought 3 treats. There is still 1/2 a lemon bar in my fridge.

That night the 2 boys and Patty played video games and then did a firework or two. Despite Heed's persistence, I did not participate in either of those activities. Which confirms that I am indeed more stubborn than Heed. He didn't enjoy that information.

At 3am (!) we went to bed. It was maybe a wee bit too late for me but we were having so much fun, I didn't want the party to end.

Patty's funny, she asked me how I slept both mornings and the second morning I just smiled and said "I don't know". I'm 6 months pregnant, I never sleep good. (Max had to be told not to ask me how I slept anymore, since I didn't want to be a downer every single morning.)
Sunday morning we lounged and video gamed some more. Then we went to breakfast at Village Inn. It was noon, so I got lunch instead. After that we lounged more, packed up and left for home. It was a sad time for all of us.

We loved our visit. We ate good food, had good conversations, laughed A LOT and were Merry. Thanks Heed and Patty for all the fun.

We made it home safe with both the girls, and didn't get dead in any ditches. Yippee.

No pictures of that business either.

* I named Heed, "HEED" when he was in high school and he decided to grow dreadlocks. It was not a pretty sight. (Heed, it wasn't) The movie So I Married an Ax Murderer was popular and quoted often at our house. So he, and his huge HEED got renamed, because he looked like an orange on a toothpick.

The end.