Ignoring the ticker...

...this is me ignoring the Baby Due Date tracker on this blog.

I'm also ignoring the BabyCenter emails, ignoring the comment from my midwife that I've NEVER measured this big with my other 2, avoiding the scale, praying for the irritability, complaining spirit, and anxiety to be put-off, and trying to both ignore and avoid the flourless chocolate birthday cake with raspberry glaze I made for Baby 3's birthday(!)... which may be a while, so I should just eat it to prevent it from going bad, right?

For those who know me well and my OCD tendencies, I should also mention that I've given up trying to keep my house in order, de-cluttered, and picked up. My bathrooms may be dirty when this baby arrives, toys will probably not be picked up, and I may have piles of laundry on my couch. If you come over, I will probably apologize, but not really mean it.
You have my permission to do a sort-term victory dance with me.


Now about that cake... I should eat it, right?

Lj

Here are a few things Wild Thing #2 said this past week referring to my belly button and Baby:
they are too cute not to share (the comments, not the belly button)

After pushing my belly button (like an intercom), Lj says, "Hi, Baby! Are you warm in there"?

My pj shirt wasn't exactly covering my WHOLE belly, Lj bends her head sideways and says, "Mommy! The Baby is smiling at me!"

I'm happy to declare...

...the flooring is completed in the Babe 3's room.

The crib is put together.

This kid has a NAME, a real one, and not just several floating around that we were trying out :0)

The hubs joined Pinterest for the sole purpose of "Following" my likes and repins. :D

I feel a pedicure coming on, since this week I realized, I can't reach my toes.

Whoa!

I know that I've mentioned this before, but REALLY!? How can I be a few weeks shy of having a 3rd baby?

My Midwife officially went, "On-Call" for me on Monday. This is really happening.

My observations this pregnancy are as follows:

I pee...A LOT, especially when my sweet Midwife suggested I increase my intake of water to 96oz. I'd been trying to avoid hydration due to the compression hose, but seeing as the kid is floating, I guess it's a good idea.

Babe's movements are less frequent, but WAY more noticeable.

Taking Vitamin C and E are helping with the vein issues.

My body does not cope well with pregnancy. I can birth with the best of them, but the stages leading up to the expulsion (insert you own less graphic word, here) point... my body HATES me.

This Babe hasn't gotten the same treatment as the other two in the photo dept. There are not monthly photos documenting the growth or flow chart of belly progress. I apologize Bebe 3 in advance, hopefully this will not lead to lengthy therapy sessions.

Sometimes, it's not until I bend over to pick something off of the floor that I remember I'm 9 months pregnant. Particularly, if I have failed to hydrate.

Sleep? What's that?

I should have bought stock in BioFreeze.

I cry. At. Everything.
In Florida, I saw my Kindergarten teacher at Publix and I cried.

Nesting, with 3 other people in the house, is really like shoveling snow in a snow storm. Part of my brain, the part still functioning, has a major fit when my "To-Do" list gets tampered with.

Be forewarned, this is your official, I'll-be-less-of-a-blogger-as-of-now, notice.

It's a Pinterest Christmas

So... Here is one of the Christmas gifts I made for Travis' teacher using this Pinterest tutorial.



After it was deconstructed by a certain 2 year old (ahem!), I rebuilt it and it turned out well.

Mrs. G really liked it and added it to her collection of "G's"

I'd say a great Pinterest success.

Sigh!

Nothing like having to name 2 of your "Nearest Relatives" to make realize that you don't live close to ANY relatives.

Which makes you feel all sad inside and then you cry.

And then you have a slight freak out (again, because it happens EVERY time you're pregnant)!

To which your 5 year old son wants to know why you are crying, and you begin to try to explain about missing your family...

...then he says, "Oh! Can I have a cookie?"

Then your tears become laughing and you(!) end up eating 18 cookies...while your 2 children split 4.

Blink!

I think I just blinked or took a breathe and some how I am down to single week-age digits on the pregnancy bus.

I'm not going to lie... I'm so NOT ready for a newborn.

What I'm AM ready for is this long laundry list: to have my ribs and bladder back, to be able to go up and down stairs without panting like I ran 12 miles, to sleep on my back, to eat and not be reminded of what I ate for the rest of the day, to drink wine or a margarita or coffee (!)...

I will not miss the depressed feeling I get going to water pilates or how I pretend I know what a jello mold is(?).

I will not miss the crying and the emotions that seem to have taken some sort of vulcan death grip on me. Seriously, just cried about the jello-mold.

I will not miss the extra 15 min. it takes for me to get ready in the morning because of the super-duper suction compression hose, shorts, and now "prenatal-cradle" I sport (most of the time).

...but I'm pretty sure that all these things will not matter when this newborn comes screaming into this world.

Happy Friday, ya'll!

Oh Baby Jesus!

The music styling of a 5 year old :)

Ticker

This pregnancy has flown by fast. Not so much in the beginning when I was sick... oh, so, so sick, but now as I'm heading into my third trimester (Yikes!) It's like lightning.

So to commemorate this third trimester milestone and because this Baby is lacking on pre-birth love in the form of pictures, I thought it was only fair to add a pregnancy ticker.

For the Love...

I'm making room in the baby's room and for all the baby stuff that comes with a new baby.
Some stuff is actually worth something, while the other is just accumulated junk. So I'm going to give my blog followers/ friends first dibs before I craigslist/ ebay the good stuff.

For the LOVE of... Fabric:
I've got a bit of everything. Not scraps, mostly full and half yards yards with the likes of Michael Miller, Alexander Henry, FreeSpirit, Bernatex, Moda, some Tula Pink, I have a couple yards in "JoAnn's" brand. Ask me about specific fabrics and yardage if you like something. I will also be adding another photo of the other half of what I'm selling (tear)



For the LOVE of... Pillows:
(2) Brown Linen pillows, (1) Pottery Barn cornflower blue tie-top pillow cover, (2) Pottery Barn cardinal red pillow covers.





For the LOVE of... Jewelry:

Silver bird with baby birdies Necklace- Retails for $73
Looks like this with the momma bird and 2 babies


For the Love of... Baby things:

Pottery Barn Kayla Crib Bumper in package, Fitted Sheet, and Matching Quilt in it's package. I was thinking $75 for the whole thing. Make me an offer :)






(4) aden + anais muslin swaddle blankets- Mod about Baby is the pattern. Make me an offer- Retails for $49.95 SOLD



As soon as I go through my craft mess stuff, I'll list those things too... and probably more neglected jewelry that doesn't get to be worn... and probably more kids stuff that I don't need.

Perspective

I say we are blessed beyond measure.


Originally saw this on Pinterest.

Com-Pressing

Today's the day that I have to start wearing compression shorts over my compression hose.

Here's what you should know about hose and compression in general. Should you find yourself a thirty-something trapped in a seventy-somethings body, you'll be somewhat of an expert.

1:
All those layers really make the junk in the trunk seem bigger, not smaller as "compression" would suggest.

2:
Not all hose are created equal. I, apparently, have been wearing the ones prescribed for little ladies who can't get their hose up.

3:
Once you take them off and stand up, you really can't get them back on. No amount of cornstarch will help.

4:
They mean it when they say cut your fingernails and take off your rings.

5:
They will make your pants and underwear slide down all day, forcing you to pull up your pants constantly.

6:
There really isn't any such thing as a "no-show toe seam". You and everyone else will see it. Don't attempt to wear open toe anything.

7:
You will feel like you are 200º all the time. This may make you want to go sock-less. Refer to number 6.

8:
Try not to let your husband see any part of the compressing routine. The sweating, stuffing, straining is not an image they need to see.

9:
They don't think you know how to put shorts on, so they show you. Over and over. Then they include a door hanger that shows you again.



10:
It's painful. But this Baby is worth it!

Yay, for only 17 more weeks!!

The Astronaut and the Ballerina

All dressed up.

Well, hello there, Sunshine!

2 1/2 yards of fabulous winter-chasing, chevron sunshine has just been delivered to my door.
This, my faithful reading friends, is the beginnings of a nursery for Baby March.
I love it when a plan starts to come together.

It's all fun and games until...

...someone breaks a tooth.

Here at the Rodeo, we are no stranger to accidents involving teeth, unfortunately.

So this morning, as I was using the step stool to put some cabinet shelves up, I made certain that LJ knew NOT to play on it.

I got two shelves up and was wiping off the counter where the dusty shelf had been then, I see LJ, sideways in the air falling off the stool.

She landed with the corner of the stool in her mouth, stuck between the cabinet and the stool.

Tears, blood, tears, more blood.

I found pieces of wood and stain in her mouth.

I found pieces of tooth... the front one.

My girl knocked her front tooth clear half- off.

We have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning, and I have the souvenir of a stool with tooth marks.

Richardson Rodeo perpetuating the Kentucky stereotype one child at a time, ya'll.

Crayons, exercise, and understanding pinterest

Our couch now has the artistic styling of a 2 year old etched in black crayon.

Any one know how to get crayon out of twill upholstery?

Exercise... Ha!

I haven't. I'm sure the gals at pilates are worried, or I've given them something else to talk about.

Allergies to new foods? I had a serious reaction to something I ate on Sunday. The problem is that I can't figure it out, but have NO desire to try to repeat it. I'm thinking I may have to give up eating entirely.

Yes, I'm kidding, Mom.

But seriously folks, rice seems to be the only non-offending food :(


Pinterest: In an effort to find the perfect decor and color choices for this Baby Mango, I caved. Unfortunately, I don't understand the point other than to "like" or "pin" photos of other people's ideas. So far I can't find any instructions on how you actually go about making or doing the things you are "liking" or wanting to accomplish.
This may be another time waster, unless I'm missing a crucial element to the world of pinterest. All you pinterest- pros.

Contemplating

How detrimental would it be for a kid to have the initials B.E.E.R?

I mean would you be setting your kid up to be in the fraternity/ sorority scene or an alcoholic.

Would that be cruel and irresponsible as his/her parents?

Feel free to weigh in on the importance of name and initials...

Oh the thinks that you think!

I gave clear instructions that while I went to bathe LJ, T was to finish writing his spelling words.

When I came downstairs, not one spelling word was written.

After I inquired a bit further, T said, "Mom, I hate to have to tell you this, but I painted my toenails." He showed me. They were painted, but the paint had been mostly taken off.

"T? What did you use to take the nail polish off your toes?"

"This cleaner right here."

As he points to Soft Scrub with Bleach

I don't know what's more disturbing, my son's affinity for nail polish or the fact that I haven't taught my children that "cleaners" are off limits.

Gotta run... I sent T upstairs to clean off the bleach and he just yelled that LJ sat in the tub... with her pajamas on!!!

Oh, JOY!

Steve Jobs

This is what he changed into after school. I think he wants to be Steve Jobs.

Cravings

By definition cravings are something you get every once in a while, but to pregnant women everywhere it defines our meal times.
The saddest thing (to me, anyway) is the lack of discipline I have with these cravings.

They beg to be given in to.

They must be given in to.

Or someone dies.

That last part may be a bit over the top, but nonetheless I feel powerless to defend my ever expanding adjustable maternity pants against the mighty monster.

Latest craving, cookie dough.

I know cookie dough is BAD. It's worse for a pregnant woman. Plus all the salmonella talk and cookie dough recalls. It was enough to make me cry, because like a 2 year old I couldn't have any.

So enter, this tantrum fighting recipe for "Cookie Dough...you can eat raw"!!!

It's TRUE!!! I made some, ate some, froze some just before I started this post.

I tweaked the recipe to make it gluten free by using Pamela's and GF vanilla. I hate margarine, so I used real butter.

Heartburn never felt so good.