As I was opening my Wordpress to write about something non-significant, a knockity knock knock was heard at my door. Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but NO ONE comes to our door unexpected. If we have ANY visitors, we know they are coming, cause we’ve made plans.

The only surprises I have received so far are the pest control guy coming to spray and drop off a bill every other month, and some college kid wanting to sell magazines to raise enough money to study abroad.

Until today.

We have lived in our house for over 2 1/2 years and this is the first time I have been asked if I needed any help getting to know Jesus Christ.

Since hubs is out of town till later this evening, I am always a tad concerned to even go to the door when Rt and I are home alone. But, I figured I would take a peek through the peep hole and make my decision from there.

There they were, the young lads in suits, waiting for me.

I knew I had two choices. For some reason I felt bad for turning and running the other direction. So? I opened the door.

I was asked if I went to church.

I lied.

I said we just moved here and that I grew up an Episcopalian and like, we were going to probably find one of those kinda churches to attend when we got around to attending churches, and um, like, what else could I say for them to believe me and kindly just let me be?

And then, the majorly AWKWARD question was asked.

What is an Episcopalian?

Uh, ur, um……It’s like being a Catholic, but a Protestant.

Ya, that didn’t do it for him. He was still puzzled.

And then the other one asked if we needed help with any of our moving boxes.

Oh DEAR GOD this isn’t happening!!! I am being caught RED HANDED in a LIE to A SPIRITUAL DUDE. ON FOOT!

I can’t even recall what was last said as I smiled politely while closing the door. Have a nice day, maybe?

Good grief.

I feel dirty.

Hmmm, maybe not taking a shower yet today might have something to do with it, perhaps.

e

I am in love with the UPS guy.

I have no idea what he looks like, nor was I here when he came by my house today.

But, the fact that he came to my house delivering my Peanut Shell Winnings, he is truly worthy of my love.

Yes, yes, it could of been a gal, but since my brother is a UPS guy, I think they all are guys, just my “thing”.

Aren’t they purdy?

And they even go with my new diaper bag!

I found this diaper bag via the celebrity babies website. It was reviewed from one of their writers. I haven’t used it yet. Waiting for the new babe to break it in!

UPS man also left me my new stroller, but I haven’t had a moment to put it together yet, so I’ll save that for a later post. It’s a RED jogging stroller. So stoked!

All of these “goodies” are making this ALL VERY REAL. HE WILL BE HERE SOON. But, if I know anything, I’ll be ready with my butt cream in one hand and a mini diaper in another. Too bad being “super prepared” for the baby doesn’t do anything for the upcoming, ongoing sleep deprivation of a newborn. Yikes!

e

Hubs was out of town last night, so that left me and Rt to entertain ourselves until it was bedtime. Luckily, Rt took a nice ‘ol nap for me yesterday, so I didn’t have to shovel food in his face, dunk him in the tub, and toss his little self into bed by 7p.m. to get ample amounts of sleep due to skipping a nap. We got to slow the pace down a bit.

While Rt happily ate our leftover chicken yellow curry and rice, I took a gander outside to see if we could see the eclipse. It had rained on and off all day, so I was unsure of our view. Low and behold, there she was, the moon. And the sun. It was amazing.

I got Rt out of his seat mid-bite and carried him outside.

First, he said, “Look at the moooooooooon, it is soooooooooo pretty.”

I chuckled to myself.

Then, I put him down so he could get his socks soaking wet in the darkened puddles.

After jumping and running around like a crazy person, he yelled at the top of his lungs,

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOOOOOOOOOON!”

I have no idea where he got that from, but it was truly priceless. I only wish I wasn’t the only one around to hear it.

e

it seems me belleh has been a bit busy.

32 weeks, 8 months, 8 weeks to go…..

recent discoveries:

- I can no longer see my nether regions. I take no responsibility as to what it looks like anymore. Sorry doc.

- I take on the waddle of a penguin about halfway through a long neighborhood walk. Must be the shoes. Must be.

- I am almost convinced this child has a dolphin fin for an elbow. I can now entertain guests. Score.

- There is a moment when I wake up in the morning, on my side, when I actually don’t feel pregnant. Then, I have to roll over and I am reminded once again of a small whale.

- I have never been this thirsty ALL THE DANG TIME. Quite annoying. Chugging milk before bed does not help the plethora of pit stops in the night.

Looking forward to adding new discoveries to my list over the next 8 weeks. Any I should keep an eye out for? Do tell. I have forgotten the specifics over the past three years. (is that why we do this over and over again? memory loss?)

e

Across country. To be with him. We were 24.

Wait, let me back up just a bit.

Hubs went to a small, private college in California. Two of my close friends from high school also attended this college. They met in the Freshman dorms and soon became close friends. During the summer of ‘93, hubs came out to visit said friends in our neck of the woods, in Oklahoma, to see what we were all about. This is where we met, 15 years ago.

I thought he was way cute. Hell, he was from California. What wasn’t to like? He was a drummer, a MUSICIAN, people, and he had long curly hair. Total surfer style. With big blue Irish eyes. He was super dreamy. Was it love at first sight? Um, I wouldn’t call it quite that. Not on this trip.

He macked down with one of my friends.

The following summer, he came to visit again. Another summer, another mack down, with another friend. So, love at first sight? Um, not on this trip, either. Keep reading.

Sigh. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. At least, not then anyway.

But, a couple of years later, after college, I came out to San Francisco to stay with my best friend, Miss Caroline. The group was still hanging out together and I was able to see “hubs” once again.

Over the course of this week, something happened. To us. We became something. Our first kiss was in the bay window of an apartment with a view of the Golden Gate. Hubs told me when I walked into the room for the first time that week, I took his breathe away. He told me, in passing, I should move out to California. It was such a whirlwind.

I planned on going home on a Saturday, due to a cheaper fare, but called the airline in a drunken stupor and changed my flight to a Monday. Ah, f*ck it, who cares, right? Um, clearly I didn’t that night. I didn’t have Monday off from work. I barely had any time off of work, being my first job out of the starting gates, BUT I thought it was the “right thing” to do at the time. In fact, it was my first bold move of my life and just might have changed my life’s course entirely. By staying an extra two days, spending time with “hubs”, sealed our fate.

Luckily, my best friend was so understanding, she lent me $75 to pay for my changed ticket, since I was FLAT BROKE. I had no money, NONE, but it didn’t matter. This time, it just didn’t matter.

So, from that point on, hubs and I “dated” long distance. He’d come see me while traveling for business. I’d go meet him in Tahoe over a long holiday weekend. We tried to make it work anyway we knew how. We spent a total of 12 days together over a course of 9 months, before I moved across country to be with him. It was the biggest risk I ever took in my life, and it was the right one, for once.

As I flew home, flying the friendly skies, after that first week in San Francisco, I wrote in my journal. Ok, FINE, it was a poem. (such cheese, I know.)

One line in the poem read,

“If you’d ask me today, I’d say yes.”

And I did.

4 years later.

e

MommyKnows is hosting the Think Love, Think Peanut Shell® Valentine’s Day Giveaway! Go on over and comment and be entered to Win one of two prizes packages each containing a Peanut Shell® Baby Sling and a Peanut Shell® Nursing Cover.

I’ve already entered the contest. I have both of these lovely items on my “wish list”, so I figured I’d give it a shot. Here’s to Valentine’s Day luck!

e

It’s coming.

It will be here sooner than later.

The day when adding another child to the mix means, days like these will not happen for a VERY LONG TIME.

So, what have I done with this precious time while my son is away with my in-laws? AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

It all started with the three of us heading up to the in-laws Saturday afternoon. Our first plan of action was to take Rt sledding. We’ve recently accumulated massive amounts of snow, for this area, and knew we needed to take advantage of it before it melted away.

The next day, hubs and I headed out at the crack of dawn while Rt remained behind to enjoy more time with his Gran Gran and Grandfather. Hubs met up with another dude and went skiing for the day, and I headed back home to find something to do with my time.

So, to keep this post from becoming a novel, I’ll share my “Did That” list in bullet point fashion.

Sunday:

-Soak in the tub with Real Simple Mag.

-Matinee Feature: 27 Dresses. Not complete without entire box of Milk Duds all to myself.

-Facial: 70 minutes of undivided attention on the face. Just waiting for hidden breakouts to emerge.

-Valentine’s Dinner with Hubs: Only night we could celebrate the occasion. Shrimp, strawberry, feta salad, drunken brandy steak w/ potatoes and white chocolate Oreo cheesecake. Oh, and a sip of wine. So hammered! ha.

-Entire evening alone with hubs. Enough said.

Monday

-Slept in till 8:15am.

-Weekly MOPS meeting. Topic of speaker, “In the Bedroom”. Notes were taken. Check out this video they showed: Business Time. Somewhat relative, I’d say.

-Children’s consignment store and Trader Joe’s shopping all to myself. Ah, pure bliss!

- Discount Shoe shopping! Bought a pair of sneakers and darling black flats with tiny heel. So set!

-Mani/Pedi. Usually I get just the pedi, but since the pedi’s were on special, I threw in a mani, just to be THAT crazy! I know, stop me now.

-Monday Night Feature: Michael Clayton. Hubs and I hadn’t seen it yet, plus it’s nominated for best flick. Best Ending EVER!

Tuesday

-Slept in till 7:30a.m. YES, that is sleeping in when you don’t have to get out of bed before 8.

-Another shopping errand alone. TARGET. Of course, I chatted on the phone the entire time, so I was still distracted, but I took my sweet ass time perusing the place.

-Cleaned the kitchen, den, did 2 loads of laundry, trimmed some noisy bushes outside our bedroom window (when it’s windy), took out the trash, cleaned out my car (in Target parking lot, classy, huh?) put together a gate for Rt’s doorway (must keep kid contained), and watched a tad of Days of our Lives, just cause it was on?

Rt should be here in an hour, and I need to shower and get my bi-weekly blow-dry/flat iron session in. So, on that note, I am off. Even though I did so much these past two days, I sure feel rested. Funny how that happens……

Oh ya, my due date is exactly 2 months from today. Hot damn!

e

p.s. “12 days with hubs” post coming, I promise. Stay tuned….

And you know what else was fabulous enough to interview me for The Great Blog Interview Experiment  over at Citizen of the Month. Check her out when you get a sec. And away we go…..

**************

 As I mentioned yesterday, I interviewed Little Miss Mel for The Great Blog Interview Experiment. LMM was a very gracious interviewee, and I loved reading through some of her archives. Her answers to my (kind of random) questions were fantastic.

I didn’t ask LMM how she wanted me to introduce her, so I will just have to do the best I can. She spent most of her childhood in the Midwest and now lives in California. She seems smart and funny. She is the mother to one son, and she is currently pregnant with her second child. Most boring intro ever! Sorry! Just read the interview below.

What is the best part about being pregnant?

The fact that my body can actually grow and incubate another human being blows my mind. I felt this way the first go around with my son, Rt. The concept is so huge, so over my head, that I try to NOT think about the actuality of it all. I HAVE A HUMAN INSIDE ME. A tad freaky, I’d say. So, with it being the best part about being pregnant, it’s also the part I am overwhelmed with the most.

When did you first start thinking of yourself as a mom?

I don’t know if I do yet or not. Being old enough to be somebody’s mother is still a hard one to comprehend. Me? Someone’s mom? And now, soon there will be TWO of them? Who thought I was qualified? I think it’s a lifelong journey, to feel “good enough” for the job. Luckily, I’ve had almost 3 years experience, so this time around, I feel I am not as frazzled as I was before my first was born.

What is your favorite (inanimate) thing in your home? Why?

Currently, my computer wins out. I have never owned my own computer until early last summer. I have either worked for a company that provided me my own computer/laptop or borrowed my husband’s reject computer when he got an upgraded one through his work. My Mac is ALL MINE and I love it. Maybe too much, but you know, this is my outlet, my space where I say who, I say how much, I say WHO! Ha, no, it’s just nice to be able to hit a button and catapult myself outside my 4 walls.

What is your first memory?

I lived in North Carolina till I was 6, before moving to Oklahoma for the duration of my childhood. So, I was 3, maybe at the time of my first memory. We had these steps leading down into the den. I’d say there were about 4-5 of them. I recall jumping off these stairs in my nightgown and launching myself into the thick of things. Seems to be my motto for life, really. I still have that nightgown. Somewhere…..

How do you feel about living so far from your family? (FYI, I live far away from my family too, and it doesn’t usually bother me, but I also don’t have kids.)

When I moved out to California from Oklahoma, I had plenty of reasons for the move. Most importantly to be with my future husband, but I was also running away from a lot of things as well. My parents had split up my Freshman year in college, so what I had known from growing up, was really no longer, or at least it didn’t look very familiar anymore. So, when I met my husband, I took full advantage of the space between me and my past, happily. Now that it has been 9 years since the big move, I’ve gotten married, had a child and adding another one, the distance is harder, for sure. Luckily, I have been able to travel home about twice a year, so I still feel like I get the fill I need until the next time I return.

How do you decide what to write about?

What I write about actually happens in my life. I really don’t think I leave much out. But, that is my style, that is my personality. When you get me, you get all of me. Hiding behind perfection, or just “I’m always happy, why wouldn’t I be?” is such a waste of time. I enjoy reading others who are true to who they are. That’s what makes them interesting. So, I try to stay true to myself and my daily life and hope it makes for a good read.

What topics are off-limits on your blog, and why?

Ha! Well, not much, I guess. I’d say topics regarding security. Where I live, what my name is. I tend to have nicknames for my people I discuss often, but I don’t make it such a secret that it takes away from the storyline, etc. I tend to be a little bold with some of my topics. Not sure if it offends or embarrasses anyone, but no one has complained to my face, so who knows?

What is your favorite movie of all time? Your favorite recent movie?

I was just talking with my sister-in-law yesterday about Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow. The message behind the story is right on in my book. Hmm, a recent movie. Well, when I do get out and see a flick, sometimes alone, I usually hit a chick flick, so I can get my fill without my husband rolling his eyes next to me. So, on that train, I’d say August Rush. TOTAL CHEESE, but the music was amazing. It was quite inspiring. Not sure for what reasons, it just was. Oh well, I got away for a couple of hours. So, it did the job.

If you could talk to one person from your past with whom you have lost contact, who would you talk to and what would you say?

Besides my husband, the longest relationship I have ever had was with my high school boyfriend. A total of 8 months. I broke up with him once he left for college. Guess I wanted my pick of the younger boys and didn’t want to be tied down. (What a punk, eh?) Well, we remained friends enough throughout college and kept in touch. We even began dating again once both of us graduated. One weekend, he was coming up to visit me (we lived 90 miles apart at the time) and he NEVER SHOWED UP. I don’t remember exactly what he said on the phone when I called to bitch him out, but I never got a clear answer as to WHY?? He pops up in my dreams sometimes. You know, the unanswered ones that you can’t shake? Ya, I got one. I wish he’d move on. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.

cheeks.

lots of them.

 The newest member of my family.

My brother and sister-in-law welcomed their third child, their first girl, today, at 9:30a.m. She weighed 8 lbs 7oz. 21 inches. She joins her two brothers, 3 1/2 and 2 years old. Seems their household is going to be hoppin for years to come.

Congrats guys!

e

transitions, transitions, transitions…….

4 weeks ago it was the potty, this week, the BIG BOY BED BABY.

Currently, he’s still trying to figure out the whole poop thing, (who could really blame him?) but as far as peeing in the potty goes, Rt is on track. (Thank you whoever is helping make this happen!) Still using the porta potty as his potty of choice. (So not picky at this point.) We’ll tackle the seat on top of the actual potty here in a bit. One thing at a time.

So, this past weekend, 4 weeks after transition #1 began, we decided to move Rt’s twin bed into his room and move his crib and glider into the nursery. The actual process took little time and was quite enjoyed by all.

Hubs took down the only bed Rt knew. It was a sad goodbye. (Clearly! I captured the moment on “film”. sniff.)

Rt listened to “distracting” music while hubs and I tore into dismantling his room.

Hubs tried to get the bed rail assembled. If we didn’t use the rail, it would be mere minutes after he fell asleep that he’d roll off. He’s just one of those sleepers.

Final product!! Rail and lack of frame kinda takes away from the beauty of it all, but practicality wins out here.

Rt’s seal of approval. A big grin.

So, how is the sleeping going in the big boy bed, you ask? Well, I would say lovely, just lovely.

Actually, the first “nap” in the new room wasn’t actual napping, but he did stay in there for over an hour and a half, so I’ll take it. He didn’t nap the day before, in his crib, so it wasn’t a total shocker he didn’t nod off into a deep slumber this go. BUT, by nite nite time, he was asking to go to sleep in his new bed, so that was a major bonus.

I wish I could say I slept the entire night through, but I was so concerned about him getting his head lodged somewhere strange, getting caught under his pillow and not knowing what to do, everything completely bizarre ran through my head in the wee hours. In fact, the anxiety of it all made its way into my dreams. I dreamed about an old boyfriend from high school that morphed into Tom Cruise. It seems I was the “new Katie Holmes”. It was a true nightmare.

HOWEVER, Rt slept the entire night through and was perfectly fine, ALL NIGHT LONG.

Nap the next day? We had to wake him after 2 hours 15 minutes. (Needed him just tired enough for nite nite!)

Slept through the night again? YESSERIE BOB! (I slept a tad bit better, just up twice to pee.)

Nap today? Well, THAT’S A FUNNY STORY. You see, as I am typing this, I have had to take Rt back to his room and put him back in his bed FIVE TIMES. I pulled the whole Supernanny act. Nicely telling him the first time, it’s time for nappy nap. Second time, just telling him it’s time for nap, third time, no speaking AT ALL. Fourth time? No speaking AGAIN. 5th time? (I wasn’t sure if Rt understood exactly what was expected of him, so I did decide to say something.) As I was tucking him back in his bed, I said it was time to nap and he couldn’t COME OUT OF HIS ROOM.

You think he got the hint? It’s been 30 minutes, so we shall see……..

e

UPDATE: Well, he waited 45 minutes before showing himself again. It has been over a hour and a half since I put him down to begin with. (my initial “cut off” time for a real nap.) I took him back to his room, since I didn’t really know how to end this bunk session of the day.

So, here is my question:

What do you do when they come out of their room? I think I am on the right track……. I would think there’d be a time limit. Right? For the love of all things, I can’t do this all day! For me, an hour and a half is fine. But, now what do I say when he comes out for the last time? ” You don’t snooze, you lose?” I have done that before in the crib. (like withholding a cartoon since he didn’t nap, etc.) Will he get the point? someday soon?

UPDATE #2: Well, the little stinker fell asleep after my last attempt. Figures, it’s 4 o’clock. At least he’s sleeping, right?