This "talking on the phone" thing is just adorable!

Little Rocker has started imitating RJ and me by talking on his cell phone, and it's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen.

I can actually tell that he's having a "full conversation" with someone: so far it's been RJ and Boscoe {my parent's dog}.  They usually go something like this...

"Hi!  Yeah?!  Dada!  blahbababadadadadididididi"

Then he'll go on for anywhere from five to ten minutes like that, just talking to his daddy.  I love it, and I love my baby boy so much!

Monday's Baby Food Bonanza: Sweet & Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

I made these for dinner the other night, and they were a huge hit with RJ and Little Rocker.  I thought they were super tasty too, so I decided to let you all in on the secret.  The potatoes were very easy to make and my sweet potato and cheese experiment went exactly as planned!

Sweet & Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Quarter about 8 russet potatoes and toss into a large cooking pot

Quarter 1-2 yams and toss into the pot with the russet potatoes

Add enough water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch

Add about 1 teaspoon of salt to water and mix

Bring to a boil on high heat, then lower heat to medium and let simmer for 10-15 minutes

{potatoes should be very soft when poke with a fork}

Drain the water and put potatoes in a large mixing bowl

Add 1 cup of milk and being mixing potatoes with a hand mixer

{you may also use whole or butter milk, but we went the low-fat route}

Add about 1/2 cup of chopped American or Cheddar cheese slowly

{add a little, mix the potatoes, repeat...}

       Add some ground pepper {to taste} and give the potatoes a final mix

You should be done, so now all you need to do it gather your family and enjoy a delicious side dish with your meal!

Let us remember & honor sweet baby, Matthew Finley

Yesterday, at 1:51pm, Matthew Finley entered this world to be with his mama and daddy.  He lived for a few hours and passed away in the warm and loving arms of his mama, but he was just too young to stay on this earth so he joined his big sister, Katie Jane, in Heaven.

Please pray for Matthew and Katie's family.  Ask the Lord to bless their hearts and mend their souls.  Ask him to send them love, comfort, and warmth and to protect them from evil while they are most vulnerable.

Please think of them and send them all your good thoughts and prayers tonight.  I know they're in need of them more than ever.

God bless.




*This post was lovingly written in honor of Matthew Finley {born September 26, 2010} and in memory of Katie Jane {born August 15, 2009}

A little update for everyone

With my now boring life comes {or goes} very little new things to post about.

Little Rocker has been a little upset with me because I can't get down on the floor and play with him right now.  I feel like a terrible mama because I can't do the fun things with my little guy that I love to do, but I need to protect my new little guy as well.  Friday was pretty hard, for this reason, because no one was able to come over Friday and it was Little Rocker and me all day.  Thankfully, RJ took Little Rocker after school and they went to happy hour {at a local Mexican restaurant and bar} where he enjoyed flirting with all the ladies and was fed by one of his favorites, Heather.  They both had a great time, and I was glad that RJ was able to get Little Rocker out of the house and let him have some fun.

I've started to have more contractions {I wasn't having any before finding out that I'm progressing} and in the last few days they've become pretty strong and painful.  I'm also having a lot of discharge {sorry, I know it's gross} that's mucus plug style.  Awesome.  The contractions are not time-able yet, so I'm only moderately worried but they are coming on more and more.  I'll bring that up at my appointment tomorrow, and my OB is going to be checking my cervix again too.  I'm praying for no more progress, but I'm afraid of what I'll find out. 

I had a terrible dream last night that I went in and found out I'm 5+cm dilated and was sent back to labor and delivery.  The nurses weren't even concerned at all that I'm only 33 weeks and were just getting ready for the baby to come, even though I was freaking out about how it's way too early.  I know they won't do much to stop labor starting at 34 weeks, but I'm not sure if they'll try to stop it if I happen to go in at 33 weeks 4 days.

I'm scared and worried, but I'm doing everything I can to keep my little guy in there longer.  My goal is to keep him cooking until next Thursday {35 weeks}, and that's my OB's goal as well.  He's moving and kick around, so I know he's healthy and happy.  :-)

The baby name list has been narrowed down...

RJ and I have talked about names a lot more {you know, because we may need a name within the next week or so}, and we've really narrowed the list down a lot.  Thank you for all of your votes!  If you wouldn't mind heading over there to vote, if you haven't done so or if you'd like to cheat and vote again {I won't mind}, we really need to pick a name for this baby boy!

I absolutely love my OB office

I just got a call from one of the nurses...to check up on me and see if I needed anything or had any questions!  She was so nice on the phone, I did have a few questions {like, can I still take a bath at night}, and she made sure I had everything I needed or wanted to know before getting off the phone.

I just can't believe how wonderful this OB office is!  They genuinely care for you and want you and your baby to be 100% healthy.  She even took the time to make sure I wasn't doing anything even remotely strenuous today, and she asked me "what I had been doing all day," which I really liked because it's definitely possible that I could have been doing something I shouldn't have been doing.  Not purposely, but maybe I didn't know it was a no-no.

She was really happy that there are so many people jumping to help RJ and me out, and she promised they were going to take care of Monkey Man and me and try to keep him in there a few weeks longer.

What happens from here? Only time will tell.

I could tell by the look on her face, and the fact that she stopped talking mid-sentence, that something was wrong.

Ten seconds earlier, my OB had been explaining to me that sometimes the cervix will shorten and most of the time it's no big deal.  She was reassuring me that, while 3cm in length is preferred at 32 weeks 5 days, sometimes it shortens a little more than that {like down to around 2cm, in my case} and everything turns out to be fine.  I was going to be sent to labor and delivery, just as a precaution, and this would be a good opportunity to have blood drawn to check my liver and blood levels for Preeclampsia {once and for all} since my blood pressure had been going up and protein started spilling into my urine a few weeks ago.

Then she stopped talking.

"Well," my OB said, "you're 80% effaced and 3cm dilated.  You need to go to labor and delivery right now.  You're going to Sister's {that's the high risk labor and delivery, for both mamas and babies} and I'm sending some cultures with you."

Awesome.

I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded.  This could not be happening, but it was, and I was really scared.  She started asking me about pressure and contractions, so I told her I had been feeling lots of pressure in the last few days but Baby had dropped, so I didn't think it was unusual.  Then I explained that I had only had maybe four contractions in the last three weeks - that I could recall anyway.  They were all on different days and had amounted to nothing.  Just a shot of pain, a tightening belly, me holding in my breath, and then nothing.  I said I just thought they were Braxton Hicks and I had no idea they were actually doing something, but I guess they had been.

Lets rewind about 45 minutes.

I was happily enjoying watching my Monkey Man roll around during a growth ultrasound.  He was looking great, so thoughts of IUGR {Intrauterine Growth Restriction} were far from my mind, and I was just soaking up the moments with the newest man in my life.  I laughed at 3D pictures of his little toes {his big and middle toe make a peace sign, just like Little Rocker's do!} and I smiled wide for an adorable picture of his cute little mouth, hand, and nose.  Nothing could bring me down when my little boy was looking and doing so well.  My fluid levels were coming up perfect and, best of all, he was measuring in the 60th percentile and weighing approximately 5lbs!  Amazing!

The ultrasound tech told me that she couldn't see my cervix, because he finally flipped and had dropped happily into the "birthing position."  His head was right at the mouth, and he was completely blocking her view.  She warned me that she'd unfortunately have to do a Transvaginal ultrasound in a minute {you know, the dildo cam} if he didn't move on his own.  After a few unsuccessful attempts to convince him to move by jiggling my belly, she told me that it was time to de-robe, lol.

I put the gown on and got back onto the table, and I knew that something might not look right as soon as she got started.  During the whole ultrasound, she had been laughing and joking with me about how silly my little guy was.  We were talking about Little Rocker and about her niece who is the same age, and we laughed about the crazy and funny things toddlers do.  Now she was quiet, almost grim, and had a very serious look on her face.  After a few minutes of double-checking and telling me that "I had a hard cervix to see, so she was just making sure" she told me the big news.  She said that my cervix was shortened a lot, and it was now only about 2cm.  This is far less than ideal.  3cm or more is what they like to see at this point in a pregnancy, and 2.5cm is manageable, but less than that can sometimes be no good.  She asked me about contractions and pressure, so I told her, and she then told me I could get dressed and the doctor would be right in to see me.

I was nervous, but hopeful.  Maybe it was just a slightly shortened cervix and nothing else.  Maybe they could give me a pill to make it get better.  I knew they couldn't put a cerciage in, because I'm much too far along, so I mostly thought about what the heck they even could do for me at this point.

Then my OB came in and she calmed me down a lot.  She too was hopeful, and that was wonderful to hear and see, but as soon as she did the internal I could tell she was nervous.  I was rushed to check out, while my OB prepared the cultures she had just taken and faxed down my chart.  As soon as everything was ready, she handed me two biohazard sealed bags, filled with ice and cultures, and told me that the nurse in labor and delivery would be waiting for these.  I was on my way.

Without going through the crazy logistics of gathering my parents to watch Little Rocker while RJ and I rushed away to the hospital, I finally got everyone home.  My mom drove me there and she stayed with me until she had to go to work.  She was there about an hour and then I was alone for a while, while RJ tried to get Little Rocker {whose entire day was completely out of whack} to take a nap.  He finally gave up and left Little Rocker in the care of my dad and best friend, who is also Little Rocker's godmother.


So guess what!!!

No one has any idea what's going on.

The good news: 

I don't have pre-e yet. My blood pressure is up and I'm spilling protein, but all my blood and liver levels came back negative. The OB in labor and delivery said that I'll probably get it within the next few weeks, but for now I'm still good and can relax about that.

The bad news: 

No one knows why I'm dilating. I've been having no measurable contractions, and it's pretty much just happening on its own. The OB in labor and delivery was pretty confused when I told her I haven't felt one contraction, and she questioned why my dr had even checked me today. I just explained that the tech noticed my short cervix during my growth ultrasound that I was having due to IUGR, and my OB felt she needed to check me to be safe.

I'm home now, because they can't keep me without "imminent labor" {i.e. you know, actual contractions and what not}, but they gave me the first dose of steroid shot to develop Monkey Man's lungs before I left and I need to go back tomorrow for the second dose. The little guy is measuring 5lbs, so both the OB in labor and delivery and my OB are pretty confident that if I do deliver soon he should he ok with that size and the steroid shots.

Basically, no one knows anything so I have to stay on strict bedrest. I'm exhausted from being at the hospital all day and I'm scared that I'm so dilated, effaced, and shortened at just 33 weeks.  Oh, and also because of the fact that it's all a big mystery to the medical professionals!  Yikes!

I would love to be sleeping right now, but after two tiny naps I just can't fall asleep again.  I'm pretty sure it has something to do with this migraine I've had for the last two weeks, but what are you going to do?!

If you're the praying type, please send some prayers up to God and ask him to keep this little monkey inside his mama for a few more weeks.  I'll be 33 weeks on Thursday, so even three more weeks would do.  Despite his estimated size, I'd really love to let him cook for a while longer and I don't want him to suffer after he's born because it was slightly too early.

Thanks, everyone, and good night!!

LOTS and LOTS of prayers needed...everything you have, please

I very close friend and her unborn son need all the prayers you can give.  They need them tonight, and they may need them for a while.  Please send all that you can spare.  She is much too early to deliver, and she needs your help and the Grace of God to give her the pregnancy she deserves and bring her little boy into this world safe and sound.

"Holy gracious Jesus Christ, we kneel and thank you for our lives, and pray that every unborn child will see their parents' loving smile."   ~ Amen

There's a place in France...

I want to thank you, Ke$ha, for taking that ridiculous childrens song and making a crappy pop craze out of it.  I cannot walk into my house without hearing RJ singing either...

There's a place in France where the naked ladies dance

There's a whole in the wall, so the men can see it all

Or, your  fabulously clever version of the popular rhyme...

There's a place downtown where the freaks all come around

It's a whole in the wall, it's a dirty free for all

Wow.  That's pure genius right there.  Do you see how she did that?  She took the same music, part of the lyrics of the rhyme, and she made something completely dumb and sadly catchy.  And this isn't the first time that Ke$ha has provided us with some damn good lyrics.  Do we all remember Tik Tok?  Amazing...

Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy

Grab my glasses, I'm out the door, I'm gonna hit the city

Whoa!  That is some deep stuff right there, man.  I don't think I can handle any more of this song...

Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack

Cuz when I leave for the night I ain't coming back

Stick me with a fork, I'm done!  No really, that's her inspiration for the next big hit.  I heard it on the internet, so you know it's true.

By the way, any respectable old folk {like myself} knows that his name isn't really "P. Diddy."  He is and always will be "Puff Daddy" to me.

Been around the world and I, I, I

and we been playa hated

I don't know and I don't know why

Why they just want us hated

I don't know why they hate us

Is it our ladies?

Or I drive a Mercedes

Baby, Baby!

You know that's right!  Puff and Biggy {with a little Mace in there}, this is where the real music is.  lol

I've better get my bottom to bed before I lay into some more musicians.  Toodles!

Lyrics for this post provided by MetroLyrics.

The kindness of strangers

While I was out running errands, earlier this afternoon, the sweetest thing happened to me.

I was waiting in a ridiculously long line at the post office, and totally zoning out {because it was boring!}.  I probably waited for about ten minutes, and then a woman moved up to the front and was called.  She looked back at me and told me to go ahead of her!  I was completely taken aback, and I said "are you sure?"  She insisted!  It was the nicest thing ever, and that small gesture really made my day.

Not very many people even consider others, unless their friends or family, and I've never had someone do something nice for me simply because I'm hugely pregnant and look like I could use a push through {or a seat}.

I've been in the best mood since then, and I can't wait to tell RJ how nice the woman at the post office was!

Monday's Baby Food Bonanza: Incredibly Easy Butternut Squash {and a bonus}

This is an incredibly easy {and magically delicious!} recipe that I found while browsing recipe sites the other day.  It.s from a site called Cooks.com, which is just a huge site with links to yummy recipes.  The result is very tasty indeed!!!

Incredibly Easy Butternut Squash

Wash and split in half 2 butternut squash

Scoop out seeds

{put aside for later}

Coat the meat of the squash with slightly melted butter

Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper

{to taste}

Fill baking pan with about 1 inch of water

Bake on 350 for 1 hour 

{or until meat is brown and tender when tested with a fork}

Enjoy!!

Now for your bonus...

This bonus is NOT safe for babies...

It's for mommies and daddies to enjoy...

Oven Roasted Squash {or Pumpkin} Seeds

Rinse the seeds under cold water to clean off pulp

 Sprinkle seeds on a baking sheet that's greased up with butter
{butter makes them yummy}

Sprinkle seeds with a light layer of salt 
{to taste}

Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes
{stirring after 8-10 minutes, if needed}

Let cool and EAT!!!

Check out my baby names poll!!

I thought we had decided on a name for Little Rocker, but RJ has apparently decided he's thinking twice about our most possible name choice.  Since we're having trouble making a decision, I've added a Baby Names poll to the right sidebar of my blog.

If you're board and would like to help us out, please click on the Baby Names ad and vote on the baby names we've got on our list.

Thank you!!!

Oopsie!!!

I can totally see this happening, now that I'm a mommy.  So, be warned, fellow moms and dads out there...your children are lurking...ready to delete your computer files and wreak havoc on your life!

I adore this poem, and I thought I should share it with everyone

The Elephant In The Room


There`s an elephant in the room.



It is large and squatting,



so it is hard to get around it.



Yet, we squeeze by with,



"how are you" and "I`m fine..."



and a thousand other forms of trivial chatter.



we talk about everything else



except the elephant in the room.



We all know it`s there.



We are thinking about the elephant as we talk.



It is constantly on our minds.



For you see, it is a very big elephant.



But we do not talk about



the elephant in the room.



Oh, please, somebody say my child`s name



Oh, please, say it again



Oh, please, let`s talk about the elephant in the room.



For if we talk about their death,



perhaps we can talk about their life.



Can I say their name...



and not have you look away?



For if I cannot,



you are leaving me alone...



In a room...



with an elephant.



~Author Unknown

Be prepared for your heart to melt...

Last night while RJ and I were putting Little Rocker to bed, the little guy was being extra clingy with me.  He had played with his daddy all evening, so I wasn't minding one bit.

After RJ got Little Rocker's bottle warmed and ready, he came into the nursery and sat down in the glider to wait for me to finish snuggling my little guy.  A few minutes later, he told Little Rocker "say goodnight to Mommy!" and Little Rocker got such a sad look on his face.

:-(

Then he hugged my neck really tight and said, "noooooooo" in the most sorrowful little way.  My sweet little baby boy.  I love him so much, words cannot ever express, and that was just the sweetest thing I've ever seen in my life.

A Culture Crisis

I came across this letter on Facebook earlier today.  You may have already read it, but I think it's worth another read and maybe you should pass it on.  The letter was written by a young Emergency Room doctor and it reflects his recent experience with a patient on Medicaid.

Pictured is a young physician by the name of Dr. Roger Starner Jones. His short... two-paragraph letter to the White House accurately puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis"

Dear Mr. President:
During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.


While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one pack of cigarettes every day, eats only at fast-food take-outs, and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer. And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture" a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.

Respectfully,
ROGER STARNER JONES, MD 

 

 If you agree...pass this on.

GAH!!! Rough day in our hoursehold

Little Rocker won't nap. 

I don't know what's wrong with him, but he just won't allow himself to fall asleep today.  He started getting tired around his usual time {12:15 or so}, and since I had just changed his diaper I gave him a sippy of water and then we went to snuggle in his glider.  This is our typical routine, as he gets his bottle after nap, and he usually doesn't fight it at all.

We got all snuggled up, he was in his blanket and toasty warm, and I was rocking him like usual.  I know he's a big boy and can be plopped right into his crib for naptime, but I really love the closeness so I still snuggle and rock him for around ten minutes.  His eyes started getting droopy, which is my cue to put him in his crib, so I kissed his cheek and put him down then I said "goodnight, Baby."  Our usual routine, which either results in his smiling and falling asleep or whining for about five minutes before falling asleep.

Today, not so much.

The poor dude cried FOR-EVER!  I went into his room four times, between 12:15 and 1:20, because he was freaking out so much.  The fourth time, I caved and brought him his bottle because I thought maybe the poor kid just got thirsty earlier than usual.  He finally just passed out, but I'm wondering if he has an earache or something.

I've been thinking that he might for a few days because when I clean his little ears he's been getting mad at me, which is something he doesn't normally do.  He actually couldn't care less that I'm cleaning his ears, on most days, so maybe a call to his doctor is due.

Unwanted pregnancy comments at the gym...or...the idiotic things men say

I rarely get comments of any kind about my pregnancy.  In fact, I don't really recall ever having one that was completely out of the blue.  Until today.

Neither comment was a huge deal, but men seriously just shouldn't talk.  lol

The first guy bumped into me while I was waiting for the water fountain.  He said sorry and walked away, and I just said "no problem" and went about my business.  About twenty minutes later I was back for more water, obviously! lol, and the same guy says "I won't bump into you again" after he got water right before me.  Then he told me that I look great for being pregnant and he hopes his wife looks that good when she is.  I was like, um...ok, thanks and I walked away.  Seriously?  You don't say that to a stranger, it's just weird!

The second guy just randomly said to me while I was hopping on the treadmill, "that's a great way to get the baby out!"  I was like, "what is?" and he responded "working out!"  I just laughed and said "yeah, I guess."

Apple Muffins and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm still on modified bedrest, but I have been cleared for light exercise.  Since I've been feeling pretty decent lately, I decided that this was the week for me to go back to the gym.  It had been four weeks, and I was totally ready!

After putting in a great thirty minute workout on Monday, I felt really good and knew I had made the right decision.  I'll be going again tomorrow.  I can't wait!


Today I went to a Pottery Barn Kids storytime with my cousin and her two boys.  They went in and out of interest, but Little Rocker was pretty interested the whole time.  I think we'll be going at least every other week, and the best part is that you get a $10 gift card for every four visits!  I guess we found a way to pay for Monkey Man's Christmas stocking.  lol

After storytime, Rae and I went shopping!  WOOT!!  There's nothing more exciting than clothes shopping with three little dudes, but we did get some pretty great things.

 I bought this very cute maternity dress for myself.  I was able to get it in XS, so I'm confident that I can have my tailor alter it a little after Monkey Man arrives so I'll still be able to wear it!

 This cute little number was picked up in both 3-6 and 18-24, so that RJ and I can take some adorable pictures of our boys wearing the same little outfit!

 This is for Monkey Man, and I think it'll look soooo adorable on him.

 I bought this for Little Rocker, although it isn't actually a footie outfit {I hope no one who orders it online is mad}.  He only needed a few more pjs for the winter, and this is super cute.

To end my wonderful day, RJ and I baked chocolate chip cookies {recipe thanks to my cousin Amy} and I baked apple muffins.  RJ asked my cousin for the recipe because he says they were so yummy at a party she recently had.  He was disappointed with his outcome, so I'll be calling Amy tomorrow to see what we did wrong.  I, however, thought they were delicious, but he's the cookie man.  The apple muffins are fabulously delicious, and I'd love to eat them all right now.  I'll have to restrain myself because I've already gained enough weight this pregnancy.

Monday's Baby Food Bonanza: Simple Cinnamon Apple Sauce

This is a simple, and simply fantastic, treat to make in the Fall.  It warms your tummy and keeps you full, and what kid doesn't love apple sauce???  I hope you love it as much as we do!

Simply Cinnamon Apple Sauce

Peel, core, and chop ( I like small squares) 4 apples

  Add 3/4 cups of water to a medium sauce pan

Stir in 1/4 cup of white sugar

Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Add apples to water, cover, and cook on medium for 15-20 min.

(or until apples are nice and soft)

Allow 10 or so minutes to cool and mash with a potato masher or large forg

Bon appetit!

*You can also double the recipe and cook for 3-4 hours in a slow cooker...mmm*

Early to bed, early to rise...

It's been taking me about two hours to fall asleep, in the last few days, so I made the decision to start going to bed no later than 9:30pm.  It sucks, because I like to stay up and spend time with RJ after Little Rocker is in bed, but I have to do it if I want to be sleeping before 2:00 or 3:00am. 

I just lay there, trying to fall asleep but unable to.

And it's not that I'm thinking about things or not really tired...I just can't. fall. asleep.  I know it's pregnancy-related and it's going to last for the next month and 25 days, so I'm trying to just suck it up and deal.  Therefore, I will be cuddled up in bed every night by 9:30.

Yay.

Little Rocker got in a bar fight over a chick!!!

Ok, ok it wasn't exactly at a bar but it was over a pretty lady.  Thursday night we had our friend and her 15 month old son over.  The boys were having a fabulous time together, playing with Little Rocker's toys and eating all their dinners like big boys.

Then I had to run out for an appointment, and it apparently all went downhill from there.

The story goes...

Our friend was sitting on the recliner and Little Rocker kept trying to get her to pay attention to him.  I guess he must have missed me, and he loves this particular friend, so this is no big surprise to me.  He was all over her, trying to climb up the chair, etc.  Well, her son caught wind of the events unfolding and he was NOT happy about it.  He ran {wobbled} over and started pushing Little Rocker away from his mommy.  

Then the boys got territorial.

RJ says they were pushing each other out of the way, puffing up their chests, and really getting upset.  It was apparently hilarious, and I'm really bummed to have missed it!

I'm 31 Weeks!!! I'm 31 Weeks!!!

How did this happen and how am I so far along already???  Monkey Man will be here in exactly 8 weeks and 1 day {unless he decides to make an early appearance}, and I'm freaking out with excitement!

I feel him moving around in there all the time.  It's so amazing.  He's not a kicker, like his big brother way, he's more of a roller.  Or a mover and a shaker, if you'd prefer.  I have the occasional kick, here and there, but I mostly feel his rolling movements all day long.

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. 

It only took one day, and I'm back in the schoolyear swing of things!

Little Rocker is still confused by RJ not being around all day, but I am happy to announce that I'm completely back into my usual schedule.  I got up and ready this morning before the little guy was up, and had his milk heated by the time he was ready to play.  He refused to eat any breakfast until around 11:00am {my guess is because he was upset that Daddy wasn't here}, but I did finally get him to finish.  That's more than yesterday since he refused to eat everything for breakfast and lunch yesterday.

He was not a fan of falling asleep at naptime, since RJ wasn't home, but after about 10 minutes of tears he went right to bed.  I got the diapers into the wash and baked yummy zucchini bread muffins {all while Little Rocker continued to nap} and now I'm sitting in the recliner with some homemade pumpkin pie.  mmmmm

Little Rocker is still asleep, and I'm enjoying my break from it all.  I know there's a lot more to do today, but I can get that done later.  I feel pretty good about what I've done so far, and for 31 weeks pregnant I think I've done a good job!

Tomorrow I'm making a yummy corn and crab stew, recipe compliments of my cousin and I'll be sure to post it for you all, because some dear friends are coming over for dinner on Thursday.  Life is good. 

Today was so ridiculously busy

Lets take a short walk through my ridiculously busy day.

7:30am - Say bye to hubby {first day of school!}.

8:15am - Get my butt up to get ready for the day, before Little Rocker wakes up.

9:45am - Wow, he slept in today!  Get the little man ready for the day.

10:10am - Breakfast and total breakdown because Daddy is nowhere to be seen {boy, do I love the first day of school}.

10:50am - Cannot believe we actually finished breakfast semi-successfully.  Time to get out the door.

11:10am - Yeah...getting off on time definitely didn't work out like I had planned.

11:30am - Frantically call Dad as we pull in the parking lot {he's watching Little Rocker during my OB appt}.  Dad's on a phone conference, so his Account Admin runs out to get Little Rocker so I can rush to my appt.  Thank you!

11:45am - I made it, and I'm only 5 minutes late.  Not bad at all.

12:15pm - Appt is done and done.  You'll get an update on that later.

12:30pm - Eat lunch at Dad's office, head to the rug store to pick out Little Rocker's toddler room rug.  A success!  Rugs will be delivered next week!

1:00pm - Little Rocker takes the shortest nap on record.

2:05pm - We arrive at RJ's school.  Time to help Daddy get ready for kids!

4:45pm - After lots of work, Daddy's classroom is looking good and ready for some third graders.  Woot!  Lets go home and have some dinner.

I am not interested in a day like that again any time soon.  I'm totally beat and the little dude was very tired from his nap strike.  I don't think he would have fought like that had his morning been normal, but he'll just have to get used to Daddy being gone all day again. 

Perfect Day - Perfect Evening

Despite the fact that I have a pretty yucky cold and Little Rocker inherited the same great cold as well as some teething pain from his "first year molar," today was awesome.

Little Rocker decided to sleep in until 10am, which gave me some extra time to sleep my cold off.  This was much needed and much appreciated.  I still felt like garbage when I got up but it was better garbage than I had felt like the night before.  RJ let me relax while he gave Little Rocker his morning bottle and breakfast, and he told me to go shower after I ate so I could loosen up some of my congestion.  I didn't fully start my day {i.e. return from Zombieland} until 11:14am and that was a huge difference from my usual day.  When I was finally done relaxing, eating a yummy bowl of pureed zuchini stew {thanks to my mama}, taking a long shower, and getting ready for the day I was actually a human being again.

Little Rocker has been sick also, and cranky from his teeth coming in, so he wanted to snuggle with me while RJ showered up.  I love snuggle time with my little man, so I was all about that.  We got comfy in the recliner and watched a show on Sprout...Little Rocker looked up at me every minute or so to make sure I was still watching.  He's the best little boy I know.  He started to get really sleepy, so we walked back to see if RJ was almost done with his shower.  Little Rocker loves it when his daddy puts him down for bedtime and naps, and since that all ends tomorrow I wanted to make sure he had his last naptime snuggle for a while.

While the little dude napped, RJ and I spent some time together and got laundry done.  In fact, the laundry is still going because we had a freaking lot of it!  Unfortunately, Little Rocker woke up from the teething pain {Motrin can only do so much} and his usual 2.5 hour nap was shortened to just under 1 hour.  He was pretty crabby and cranky so we decided to take a long walk as a family, during which we ran into our sister in law's little sister.  Totally random, since she doesn't live anywhere near us.  We had a nice conversation with her and then we all went our separate ways.  Then RJ and I walked home, popped Little Rocker in the car, and got some short errands done.  Something else that was nice to do on his last day before school begins.  It always feels good to get things done.

Little Rocker didn't show any interest in an afternoon nap, so we let him play until dinnertime.  I made a scrumptious dinner of Tilapia, red potatoes, and yams.  It was soooo tasty and really hit the spot for all of us.  Little Rocker decided that red potatoes made a fantastic face paint and plastered his entire head with mashed potatoes.  He's pretty resourceful...he mashed them with his hands like a kid playing in the mud.  Then he laughed and laughed and RJ and I laughed and laughed.  How can you not laugh when your kid is covering himself with a layer of potatoes???

He was showing signs of becoming a crankmonster, so RJ went to get his bath ready and I cleaned him up enough for transport to the bathroom.  By the time I got t the tub it was too late, and the little guy had become a crazed lunatic.  He screamed throughout his entire bath and was passed out about 45 seconds into his bedtime routine.

Then I switched the laundry and my wonderful husband cleaned the entire kitchen.  What a lovely way to spend the day.

Monday's Baby Food Bonanza: Yogurt with Blueberries & Graham Crackers

This one is very easy, and nearly every child will fall all over eating it!  I like to make it with blueberries {because we bought lots this summer and Little Rocker likes them...yum!}, but you can use virtually any fruit in this delicious breakfast treat or midday snack.

Yogurt with Blueberries & Graham Crackers

These directions are so simple...

Fill a cereal bowl with as much yogurt as your baby will happily eat

  Add blueberries {or whatever fruit you choose} to the bowl

Crumble two graham crackers and add them to the bowl

Mix thoroughly and serve!

I'm sorry for not posting this week,

but I haven't really felt the same since my grandmother passed away on Monday.  I just don't feel like being witty, silly, and talkative right now but I'll be back next week.  I promise.  I know you probably are annoyed by coming here to read the recent posts or updates...only to find that there are none...but I can't help that this week.

I can tell you that we're all doing well, though.  On Monday evening we went over to a cousin's house to see other family.  We all ate dinner and talked about how much we loved Grandma and how great she really was.  Then I went out with another cousin to Starbucks.  We just enjoyed the time without our boys {she has two sons as well} and relaxed a little.

Next week I'll fill you in with all the recent updates and gossip.  Caio for now!