Change of Plans

Jon and I went to my scheduled Amnio appointment on Thursday morning. I was a bit nervous since the idea of having a needle pierce my uterus and possibly affect the baby scared me A LOT. By the time the Dr. was prepared and stuck the needle in, I panicked and kicked my leg out. To move right as the needle was being put in, was not a good idea. Thank goodness my spaz reaction didn't cause any harm. It was painful at first which is why I jolted, but after a few minutes it was over and done with. We went home assuming everything was normal and I continued my preparations for the planned C-section for the next morning. Around 3pm I got a call from my OB who informed me that the test was negative and my little guys lungs weren't matured enough. She seemed as shocked as I was to find out the news. So, at the last minute my plans were changed and I was told the new date would be December 18th @ 5pm. Now I have an entire week that I didn't think I had. I was a bit disappointed since I was prepared and family had taken time off from work to help me out, BUT I'd rather have a healthy baby. I am glad to know he isn't ready and that he'll be much better off waiting another week.

The picture is from the sonogram that was taken on Thursday. For some strange reason she only printed out two pictures, and the later picture just looked like a black blur. Anyway this one proves me are undoubtedly having a boy! :)

Thanksgiving

I am way behind on writing so I thought I'd post a couple of pictures from Thanksgiving last week. I was in charge of making the potatoes and stuffing and my In-Laws did the turkey and other side dishes. We had a nice meal that Gavin refused to eat any of. It wasn't until about 2 hours later that Gavin was hungry and wanted to try the food. He has been going through a phase of being a picky eater and seems to rebel when it's meal time. I don't force him to eat but I do get frustrated that he wants to eat at different times than we do since that makes double the work for me. In the end, as long as he eats, I'm happy.

The next day, Black Friday, I woke up at 3:00am and couldn't get back to sleep. I ended up picking my sister up at 4:00 am and driving to JC Penney's. We both got a nice sheet set that was 50% off and I got some new pillows for my new bed. Yay! Then we drove to Sears and shopped around for a bit, then Target and Mervyns, and then home before 7am. I actually walked in the door just moments before Gavin woke up. Perfect Timing. I LOVE shopping and Black Friday is usually the day I have the most fun out of the year. This year there weren't as many sales or maybe just nothing I was interested in so it wasn't as much fun as it has been in the past. I did get a Kodak Digital picture frame and some Play-Doh on sale which Gavin is thrilled about. He has been playing with his play-doh everyday since he pulled it out of the Target bag.

Today I am hoping to get a live Christmas Tree at Home Depot and I am attending a cookie exchange with some other mommies. I can't believe I actually baked over 100 pumpkin cookies! It will be really yummy to have so many different types of cookies to take home and sample. I'll let you know how they were after I gain 10 pounds and get diabetes, j/k.

Monday is Jon's 26th Birthday and I am racking my brain as to what to do for him. He is a tough one to shop for since he always says he doesn't need anything. I still have to give it some thought and try to find the time to pick up a cake for him this weekend. Have to run!

Cold Season

We've all been fighting a cold for over a week and it's driving me nuts! For some reason my left nostril is always full and congested but my right nostril is fine and I can breathe out of it. After a few days of this I feel like my entire head is lopsided due to one side being more congested than the other. Gavin's nose has been running like a leaky faucet and as soon as I run to wipe it he has already smeared it all over his hands and cheeks. I'm working on getting him to blow his nose, but so far he holds the Kleenex over his nose and then makes a loud blowing sound through his mouth. It's very cute but I hope he learns to blow his nose the correct way soon. :)

My husband is out shopping for a new mattress. Our current Queen sized mattress is awful! We bought it in Fayetteville NC, back some 5 years ago, for less than 300 dollars. It was a refurbished very shady looking store and I still question what our mattress was actually re-stuffed with. All I know is it now looks and feels like a flattened pancake, so you get what you pay for. We are upgrading (well anything would be an upgrade at this point) to a Standard King size. As I'm getting more and more pregnant and Gavin gets larger we are realizing the Queen bed just isn't big enough for our expanding family. It's going to be a pain to have to buy all new sheets but in the end it will be worth it.

Have to run now, Gavin just woke up from his nap!~

It's been a long time!

Wow it has been months since I have posted a blog. I don't have much time to fill in the gaps right now, but just wanted to say to any of you that have been wondering what happened to me... I'm still here!

I'm 35 wks pregnant- scheduled C-section December 12th. Gavin is now over 2 1/2 and doing great!

I miss the blogging world and hopefully will be back and posting in the near future.

Birthday Fun

Well my 25th Birthday was on Friday, as well as my Dad's Birthday (he turned 48), and my Brother In Law turned (46).  I seem to know a lot of September babies, but maybe that's just because I'm more aware of it.  Anyway Thursday night we celebrated a day early with carrot cake and Chinese Delivery with my In Laws.  Friday Jon took me to the mall and let me pick out something I wanted and got some chocolates at Sees.  That evening we went to my Grandmother's house and had more cake and spent time with my Father and Sister.  I got a ton of maternity clothes, some gift cards, and a new diaper bag!!  YAY!  I don't remember ever getting so much attention for my Birthday, but it was really nice.  Saturday late morning Jon took me to The Broken Yoke for brunch and we spent the day just being together.  My MIL took Gavin to Mexico on Friday so Jon and I had two nights of alone time.  We rented movies and actually slept in the same bed together!  Of course I miss Gavin and I am waiting for him to come home so I can shower him with love and kisses.. BUT it was really nice to have time alone with my husband.  All in all the past three days have been wonderfully amazing, and I feel so blessed to have such a great husband.  

The job hunting still continues...  we hope to find out tomorrow whether there is a potential job offer in Magna Utah with his old Company.  Honestly it's the best job we can get and the only one we have a shot at, so I can't stop hoping it will work out for us.  I would hate to leave San Diego, but it would mean a great job with benefits, and a larger home with less financial burdens.  Cross your fingers for us!

Bad Words on Sesame Street!

Adult humor, but no actual bad words are used.

What day is it again?

This week has gone by so quickly. Jon came down with the flu that I had had two weeks ago on Sunday night. Only now is he feeling back to normal and able to eat solid foods. I am just thankful that Gavin seemed to brush over with only minor symptoms and was healthy within 24 hrs. Tomorrow is my 24 week check up, and I'm a bit nervous since I know I'm gaining too much weight. I can tell just by looking at my chubby cheeks. I only have one more visit (28 wks) before our health insurance drops, so that also makes me worried. Hopefully I will get a letter from Medi-Cal saying that I'm covered within the next few weeks.

No luck still on the job hunt. Jon contacted a recruiter from his Company and asked if they had any out of State job openings, so we're crossing our fingers that a good opportunity will arise. I wouldn't mind moving as a temporary means (maybe a couple of years?) if it meant we had a good job with benefits, and could afford a larger home. In San Diego I just don't see us ever affording a home. In Utah, or West Virgina I have looked up housing and it is SO MUCH cheaper! I really hope something pulls through, whether at home or abroad.

I put Gavin in his Halloween pumpkin sack. He didn't want to stay in it for very long, but I got a good picture before he tore it off. I found it on EBay, used for 10 dollars (that included shipping). Yay for used costumes!

Jim's Birthday

Last Tuesday night (I know I am way late at posting), we went out to celebrate my Father In Law's Birthday. I haven't been out, without Gavin, for a nice dinner in at least a year. It's been so long that I can't remember. Anyway Jon, his parents, his older brother Josh and his Fiance went too. Great-Grandma and Grandpa on my side of the family, came over and watched Gavin for the night. Thank goodness for relatives that don't mind baby-sitting. :) They took Gavin to Chick-fil -A for about an hour jumping in the bouncy jump and having a blast. Every Tuesday night Chick-fil-A has a free bouncy jump and a person dressed in a cow costume for kids. If you purchase an adult meal you get the children's meal free and they even have an art table inside with some activities for the older children. This is our second Tuesday going and I plan on making it a regular event. He can spend hours jumping and still not be worn out.

While he was have a merry old time, we went to a local restaurant called Saskas. It was quiet and dark, and smelled like yummy garlic bread. Mmm... just remembering the food makes my stomach growl. I ordered halibut and mashed potatoes, with a crab soup. Rarely do I get to enjoy good seafood since my husband HATES it. He and the other men all ordered large slabs of steak, while we ladies ordered fish and salads. My FIL also ordered calamari, oysters, and fried zucchini. By the time we were all done eating you had to practically roll us home. I snuck away and found the waitress to ask for a slice of mud pie to surprise him.

It was a great night. I only wish we could do it more often. Maybe I'll get lucky and get to go out for my Birthday this Friday.

Sparklers

Daddy decided to show Gavin what sparklers are a few nights ago. We had gotten quite a few sparklers and fireworks in July when we were in Utah, so we pulled a few out and had a fun night. Gavin has been a real fire bug the past few months. He LOVES to blow out candles so we have gotten in a routine of lighting a few small scented candles before bed and sitting in the dark starring at them. After a few minutes Gavin blows one out and then waits a few minutes to blow out the next one (he has learned not to blow them out too quickly since that means bedtime). We are very clear about how the flame is hot and you have to be very careful around them... so far so good. My husband recalls all the little GI Joe's and household items he burned when he was a kid, I guess it's in their blood.

Sunday

It's been a long time since I've written anything so I'm way behind. Gavin may wake up any minute so I will try to keep this short. Haven't heard anything back from Medi-Cal, usually takes weeks to get any sort of response from the County. No responses from any jobs that Jon has applied for- sign that things are really bad. One more month of health care and pay checks and then we're all on our own.

In the past few weeks I have known 3 people that have gotten laid off (one of which was my husband). The reality really set in at how bad our economy is getting and how many people are looking for work. He may be forced to work at Target or some other retail type job until he can find a good job with benefits. Money is money where ever it comes from... but retail jobs really stink! (I know since I have worked them before).

I have actually asked my husband to look into relocating through his Company. I don't know if it will pan out, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to see if their are open positions paying well in other States. It would really scare me to have to move away from both our families, but if the offer was good enough, we would seriously consider it. San Diego is just so expensive when it comes to housing, food, gas..., just about everything, lol. I'm trying not to panic, but it really scares me to not have a future plan. What if Gavin gets sick and we don't have health insurance? What if another couple of months role by and we don't have money for rent or food? I know we won't really suffer since we do have the support of our families, but it's just not fun to think about.

I REALLY really really hope we get an interview or call backs this next week. There has to be some light at the end of the tunnel. :) Besides that we've been a happy little family. Gavin has now learned to say "RRR" like a pirate. We ask him what a pirate says and in a very low guttural voice he says "RRR". Funny how he gets a kick out of saying sounds like "Moo, and Boo!", but still doesn't say words (besides Momma and Dadda). I know he's heard the word "Hi" and "Bye" a million times, but he just doesn't try to say them. Sometimes I think he just doesn't want to talk. Hopefully with his little brother on the way, he will be forced into talking out of competition for our attention. The speech therapist seems to think that will be the case.

Better end this now before Gavin runs in and attacks me.

Happy Labor Day everyone! Friday is my Birthday (and my Dad's Birthday) so I'm counting down the days for CAKE! I can't believe tomorrow is September! Where did this month go?

Medi-Cal

Why oh why do I get so stressed out just saying the word Medi-cal? Well let me tell you why... I had an appointment at 7am this morning so I end up waking up at 5:30am and can't seem to get back to sleep. Gavin is still sound asleep so I creep around and get ready. I end up arriving at the County Services Office just before 6:30am and wait around in my car for about 15 minutes before realizing that people are starting to form a line in front of the place. The security guard opens the doors not too long after that and has us all go through a metal detector and show her our bags. We form another line and wait about 10 minutes for someone to start checking us in for our appointments. I am the third or fourth person in line.. not bad for arriving a half an hour early.

Then the real waiting begins... more and more families start showing up and the seats start filling up around me. I start watching the children's movie they have playing since it's the only thing to look at while I wait (The Fox and The Hound). When I checked in the woman at the front desk had given me a small packet to fill out and had told me to hold onto it when I was done and wait for my name to be called. I filled it out and waited. It wasn't until after 7:35 that the first few people were called, but I wasn't one of them (strange how we all had 7am appointments). The time continued to tick away, as my stress level rose up and up. I knew my husband was dealing with Gavin and would start to wonder where I was within the hour. As 8am rolled around I decided to double check at the front desk why my 7am appointment still hadn't been called. Now a man is at the desk and shuffles through some papers, "Oh, you weren't marked off that you were here." I was like WTF?! So I had been waiting an hour because no one knew I was there!?

Right after he types my name into the computer my name gets called. I run to the door and the worker right away asks why I am an hour late. I tell her I was waiting there since 6:30 this morning and that someone had screwed up and not checked me in. She accepts my apology and goes to her computer. Well, wouldn't you know her computer won't start up. She swears it was just working and starts to reboot it and unplug it, etc etc.. then calls someone in to try and fix why it won't show a screen. At this point I am so upset. Finally after 10 minutes she decides we need to switch rooms and find a computer that works. THANK GOD!

Now comes the paperwork. I tried to be prepared as best as I could and pull out all the IDs and pay roll, and medical paper work before she even asks for it. Then she ask for me, my husband, and Gavin's birth certificates, Social Security Cards, my Marriage Certificate, and my husbands CA ID. I was like WHAT? I am just trying to get insurance to cover my pregnancy, nothing else. Not only this but Gavin was born on Medi-Cal and I know that they had all this paper work on file from just less than two years ago. She even showed that I was on Medi-Cal back in 2007 on her computer! I tell her I didn't bring all our birth certificates or ID cards because I thought it was just for me, and that I had already done this just a year ago. She basically says, "I told you on the phone to bring EVERYTHING. Also I don't have your old file here, but if I find it then I can double check what you have... BUT until then I need to see ALL your paperwork." Immediately she pulls out the dreaded pink form and starts to list off all the things I didn't bring with me, and tells me she can't process or start my file until she receives these items... AND I only have 10 days to get them to her. On top of that she wants my husbands last pay stub, which of course I don't have yet, and PROOF OF PREGNANCY! I mean I am obviously showing as I waddled by ass in there, but she has to have a letter from my Dr. saying that I am pregnant? I am so frustrated by the end of our hour long process that as soon as I get to my car I start crying. I end up getting home by 9:30 (3 HOURS LATER!), and get to deal with my husband who is wondering where the hell I have been for so long. He doesn't like that he had to get up at 6:30am and take care of our son all morning..although after he heard the crap I went through he apologized.

Oh another random thing that upset me was before I had my appointment I was sitting watching other people going through the security check point. I noticed the security guard let a pregnant woman go around the x-ray machine and warned her not to go through it. I immediately think, what the hell? She made me go through the machine, is it something that can hurt the baby? I should have said something, but at the time I just sat there and quietly and just let it go.

Am I over reacting? I know in the end it's just their job (even though my entire family was born in San Diego, and I know they can easily see from my past file all the papers she's requiring), but it really stressed me out. My husband thinks I should complain but I wouldn't even know who to complain to. I just hope I can get all the required papers mailed ASAP and get the ball rolling.

Belmont Park

Sunday night my MIL, Gavin, and myself went to Belmont Park. You would think after living in Mission Beach for 4 years that I would know to avoid tourist trap areas on the weekend (especially during the summer months), BUT we still went. Gavin pulled along his radio flyer wagon and we walked to the Roller Coaster (less than a mile from or house). Grandma bought Gavin a ticket for the Carousel, and the two of them rode around a few times. Then after the ride was over they went and played at the arcade. I luckily was able to find a bench and sit with the wagon while she chased him around. He LOVES arcades! I think it has something to do with all the lights and noises and balls being thrown around, he gets so excited. Usually I just let him run around and pretend to do the race car games, but this time Grandma actually bought some tokens and let him play some games. His favorite by far is throwing the hard (almost like pool table balls, but larger) up a small incline, into the pockets. Every time you get it into a larger number you get a ticket. He didn't have the strength to actually get the balls into the holes, but he had a blast throwing them around, and almost killing the people who were playing next to us. After about a half an hour of games he had enough tickets to get a few pieces of candy and a hot dog toy.

We ended the night by stopping at a local pizzeria and taking home some pizza and chicken strips. The food and rides are over priced, and were crowded with tourists, but it was a special night. Hopefully Gavin won't think that he'll get to do all that every time we go to Belmont Park, at least not unless Grandma is paying. :)

Guinea Pig

Well two days ago I woke up and went to feed the Guinea pig... but it was dead. We have only had it since last Christmas, so it didn't last very long. It started having seizures and loosing it's hair a few months ago, but it seemed that he had started getting better on his own. We're not the type of people that can afford or who would spend lots of money on taking a small pet to the Vet, so we felt we would just continue feeding him like normal and give him vitamins in his water. I guess since we only had him for 9 months that may explain why I don't feel too attached to the little guy. I feel sorry for his death, but honestly I am glad he is no longer in pain, and it's one less mouth to feed. With another baby on the way we just wouldn't have the time to give him love and attention.

Vanilla (Nilla) will be missed. RIP.

Recap

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. I've been having a very good week considering the bad news from Monday. Jon has been home so we've gotten a lot of housework done and had some great family moments. It's like he's on vacation! The bad part of course is that in a few weeks if he's still on "vacation" then we will be really stressing out and I will probably be ready to hit him over the head with a frying pan. It's funny how you can love being around someone but after a few weeks you really start wanting your space again, but for right now we're happy to be constantly attached. He cooked dinner the other night and has been washing the dishes and playing a lot with Gavin. I am going to miss his extra help when he does get a new job.

I have been sending his resume out to a few jobs a day and crossing my fingers that someone will call us back for an interview. I don't want to jinx it but we have gotten VERY lucky and had the nicest person on MTSD send in his resume to her company. She has done so much to help us find a job that I can't say enough good things about her. The only problem is the job doesn't open up until next month and Jon still had to go to an interview and qualify for the position, so just because they have his resume doesn't mean he'll get the job. By the way this job is AWESOME, so it's really hard to not put all our hopes into him getting it.

Tuesday we went and signed up for WIC, and next Tuesday I get to go to the Medical office and fill out forms to try and get Medical for the new baby that is due in December. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night stressing about healthcare and about the baby, and then have trouble getting back to sleep. I know deep down that everything will work out, but it's so hard not to worry about the unknown.

So, basically we are still living like Jon has a job, since he technically has his job for 60 more days... but as the days slowly tick away we'll have to get more urgent about things. At least there is always unemployment if he still doesn't have work by then...

Next time I write I'll try and post something about Gavin and our wonderful adventures! Bye!

Layed Off

Well I woke up this morning and saw a pile of paperwork on my husband's desk. I thought it was work related but as I read I discovered that it was lay-off papers telling him that he no longer was needed at work. The company let off 70 people and he was one of the newer hires so he had to go too (some people he knew had worked there for over 15 years and got layed off as well). I am really in shock right now.
He has 60 days of benifits but starting October 8th we will have no medical insurance... and I am due December with a baby. I am so scared and not sure what to do. I know he is taking it harder than I am, and feels depressed about it. We have time to look for new jobs and get unemployment but I just don't see him finding anything as good as what he had. Also it was the first job we had medical insurance so I doubt he'll get a job with those benifits again (he doesn't have a college degree which makes it all the harder). I guess I just have to suck it up and go to Medi-Cal and WIC and get free services. I am so upset because that means I am forced to see random Doctor's and my entire birth plan is destroyed, I won't be able to have the baby at Mary Birch.... phew. I am in shock.I know all that matters is having a healthy baby but I went through so much crap when I had Gavin on Medi-Cal that this time around I was so excited to be able to do things better and on my own terms. I had a terrible infection and had to spend hours every week at Logan, and hours for appointments. I guess I just have to get over it since I don't have any other choice. We can't afford to pay out of pocket costs and we just got slammed with my breast surgery bills so we've got those to worry about at the moment.I don't know why I am telling you all this. I need to just get it off my chest. How do I stay happy around Gavin when I am so upset, and how do I support and make my husband feel better?

20wk Ultrasound

Well this morning I dragged my husband along to my 20wk ultrasound. He HATES waiting at Doctor's offices or having to go to something he knows nothing about. That is why I don't drag him along to every appointment, but rather pick the most important ones for him to go to. They took a ton of measurements and showed me every little organ and body part. It is so amazing to see his kidneys and stomach and ventricles of his heart. I mean it really looks like a baby, yet it's still not even a pound yet. I decided to post the two cutest pictures I got taken. One is hard to see from the picture, but it's the bottom of his two feet (like footprints). The other is a side profile, but it just amazes me that I can see his nose and mouth already.

Everything looked great and I got some blood drawn to do an APF test, just to make sure everything is fine. They said he measured large so even though it's my 20wk check up his measurements are around 21 wks (not too far off). Of course the dreaded weigh in wasn't too great. I gained 9 pounds in 5 weeks, but they would rather see 1 pound a week so I over did it. Oh well, honestly what's a few pounds? I mean it's been hot and humid so I haven't been walking around as much as I should be, but in the end I'm going to be a huge whale whether it's 30 pounds or 40 pounds that I gain. I know I should care, but I really don't, lol. I guess that's why it shows.

Enjoy the pics and wish me luck on my next weigh in! AHH!

Hello

I don't know where the time flys! Often I tell myself to sit down and post something, but each time I get interrupted or forget why I went on the computer in the first place. Tomorrow I go to the OBGYN for my 20wk ultrasound, so that's exciting. Gavin has been busy but we haven't gone on too many outings since I have been tired and avoiding this crazy humidity. I feel like I am constantly sweating!

We spent the weekend together while Daddy and In-laws went to a CODE Race in Jacume, MX. They all had a great time and came in 3rd place (off-road racing). I am glad Gavin and I stayed home, it would have been hotter than hell, and I don't think it would have been much fun for Gavin. Instead I got some errands done and we went swimming at the Plunge, played at the bay, and went to the park. I was going to take him to a tap class on Monday but after much thought decided to wait until he's a bit older. It isn't worth the cost of the clothes and shoes and class fee when I don't feel that he would even sit still long enough to enjoy the class. I mean he's only just over 2 (25 months?) and when he's 3 he will have a much larger window of options. A lot of Rec centers have very low cost fees for 3 and older pee wee sports or even free classes. He won't be THAT far behind if I don't have him enrolled in various sports and activities for another 8 months (I'm being sarcastic, lol). So for now we will enjoy playing with friends and going on the occasional outings with a less structured regime.

He woke up at 5am this morning so now has been napping about an hour and a half, and it's only noon! I think today is going to be a very long day. I see his arm moving so I sense my time is limited. We will be going to the Church event at 3pm for Moms that are expecting or who have more than one child, so hopefully I can get some much needed Mom support, and Gavin can meet some new friends. Chow!

*Oh Gavin was playing with my camera and took some photos of himself. Most were of his leg and stomach, but I thought those were cute.

Deep Breath

Well today has been going much better than yesterday. I know it's all based on my reactions and my mood so I just told myself today would be better, so it was. I am taking things slower and trying not to dwell on the small things. I think lately I have been pushing myself too much and therefore getting tired and stressing out a lot easier. Today it's about having fun and not worrying about anything.

Gavin took a nap at 10:45 until around noon. This is very early for him, but It was a nice change from yesterday's no nap. He woke up all smiles and we had a good lunch and cuddled until 12:30ish. After lunch I packed up a small basket of beach items and we walked across the street to the Bay. We splashed around in the water and collected shells, all the while enjoying each other's company. Reflecting on days where I get stressed or feel like everything is going wrong, I think it is because I am not enjoying the present. When I start to worry about tomorrow or wonder how I am going to get through the next 8 hours, etc, I stop having fun. I am having trouble trying to get my point across, but hopefully you all know what I mean. I guess it's like any job. When you don't have your head into your work you won't do as well. Of course also like all work, some days you don't feel like getting up and doing your job, so it's to be expected that I won't always have a positive attitude. All I know is that it helps to keep a smile on my face and not worry about all of life's issues, because worrying doesn't solve anything. (The house being clean, bills, laundry, errands, etc.)

Gavin is now playing in a small pool and periodically running through the house naked with his toy car. Oh to be a kid again and have no cares in the world. It must be so exciting to discover new things every day.

Tough Day

Man today was tough. I don't know if I just started out in a bad frame of mind or if we both just didn't get enough sleep, but things just stressed me out a lot today. Speak of the devil, lol, he just woke up crying again...brb

Gavin woke up at 6am and right away wanted to go outside and play. For the first time in as long as I can remember he didn't want to watch any cartoons or TV, and refused to eat breakfast. All he wanted to do was ride his bike and play with his outside toys. I am pretty patient with him, and I think I compromise very well... but I draw the line if it's dark outside and it's earlier than 7am. I won't go into too much detail, but he pretty much was non-stop on crack all day. I had to drive my FIL to pick up his car at the mechanics around noon so Gavin slept for about 15 minutes and woke up as soon as we got home. That was his nap of the day. I tried everything to get him to lay down, but he was VERY ACTIVE. Finally at 2pm I gave up and we went to Target and played with our neighbor's. By 4pm he was obviously tired and yawning constantly, but still he would not slow down. He wanted to paint, color, play with trains, jump all over Daddy's computer (!!), and dance around the house. By this point I was so tired and stressing about a bunch of bills we have due in a few weeks, so my mood wasn't the best. Luckily Daddy was awake and gave me about a half an hour to shower and de-stress. Thank God for hot showers.

At one point today he pooped outside on the cement and then came to show me. He stuffed a nice bath towel inside our toilet TWICE! I have no idea where he got the idea to do this, but I had hoped the first time was a mistake. Then about an hour ago I went to use the bathroom and there was another towel stuffed completely in the toilet, totally soaked. I'm not sure when he did it or what to do about it. He can open the bathroom door so I can't really keep him out, and since I didn't catch him in the act I didn't get a chance to scold him or tell him not do it again.

I am just really tired and ready for bed. I shouldn't be up right now, but since I had no time to get on the computer today, I am using this time as my me time. So I got him to sleep at 7pm, which is nice and early, but since then he was woken up crying about 3x. I think he just got over tired and is having trouble sleeping. Jon is leaving for the weekend so it will be just me and Gavin the next three days. I hate to complain because there are many military wives that do it everyday by themselves (I don't know how you all do it). I guess I am just dreading not having a person to fall back on have to vent to. I hate to say it, but I really hope Gavin wants to watch a little TV tomorrow, because I can't entertain him for 14-16 hours without a break here and there. There is only so much running around I can take.

Pee-pee time

Well I haven't been really trying to potty train besides having an Elmo video about it and a few books. Gavin has pooped in a potty before but only after I knew he was about to go, so I scooped him up and put him on the seat. I keep thinking when he's ready he will go since he can see that his Daddy and I both use it regularly. I also explain to him often that when he's a big boy he won't need any diapers and he can use the potty to pee and poop in. Well this morning, like every morning, I take off his full diaper and run to grab another one. Right away he starts to pee so I grab a towel and throw it in his stream line. He doesn't like that I covered his pee puddle so he stops himself from peeing anymore. I quickly think fast and ask him if he wants to pee in his potty instead of on the floor. He runs after me and stands in front of his small potty chair and starts to pee inside of it!! You should have seen how happy I was! I was bouncing off the walls. Of course I realize it's just one small step and may not even click with him, BUT every step is a good one. I gave him a gummy bear and told him that every time he pees or poops in the potty I will give him a gummy bear. He has still peed on the floor since this morning, but each time I see him start to pee I run and grab the potty or move him to the potty. So we end up with pee on the floor and some pee in the potty. I never realized how much work this is!

I mean we've only been awake for 2 hours and he's peed at least 4x! I swear the milk just comes straight out of him, lol. Anyway I just wanted to share my special moment. I really hope that he can be potty trained before the new baby comes in December... but if not it wouldn't be a huge deal. I know sooner or later he'll get it.

Wild Animal Park

Well I haven't had a chance to upload the pictures from today's excursion, but I'll update the post later. Jon got a night off from work so he thought it would be fun for us all to spend the morning at the Wild Animal Park. I was as giddy as a school girl since it's not often that he wants to do a family trip or even comes up with the suggestion himself. We ended up getting there just after 9:30 and staying until 11:30. We both hadn't been in at least 5 years so we were amazed at all the new areas and rides that have been added. It was AMAZING! They have WAY more activities for kids to do than the Zoo. They have a Sponge bob show, a Bubble show, bird shows, a kids activity area, a small water area for kids to get wet, a jungle gym area, a carousal, safari rides, a hot air balloon ride.... phew, the list could go on even more, but I'll stop now.

After the Journey to Africa ride we were ready to go home. Gavin had ran around and played at a few of the play areas so by the time we went on the ride he was ready for a nap. We got an ice cream for the road and headed home. After seeing all the neat expansions and renovations that have been done to WIP (Wild Animal Park) I definitely plan on going back. The only draw back is you have to pay $5 for parking and of course it's all the way to Escondido so it's not the quickest trip. I think we'll try and go every month or two from now on. The night shows look amazing too!

Besides that we've stayed indoors the rest of the day. I seem to only handle one big excursion per day now. I wish I had more energy but after a few hours of chasing him around at a park or outing I need some time to recuperate. He plays with his train set and watches some cartoons and then we may take a short walk around the neighborhood before bed. Not the most exciting life but enough to keep us all happy and entertained.

Arts and Crafts

Well today was my attempt at being crafty. I was starting to feel like I needed a hobby so I decided to go to Jo-Anne's craft store and find some thing to do. They are having a sale on kids fabrics so I got a yard of curious george material and made a standard pillow case for Gavin. I sewed it by hand so it took a couple of hours but it was nice and relaxing. Then my friend across the street gave me a bag of random things that she said she would never use- A Beadazzler (so 1980s), a Candle Maker, and a stamp/laminating machine. We beadazzled some of my denim overalls and random things around the house, and I made a candle. I also got corn starch and corn syrup and a few other odds and ends so we can do some toddler crafts later this week. My hope is to do one craft a week. I would like to do more than that but it gets pricey buying all the materials and setting everything up. I never realized I could make my own chalk, finger paint, and bubbles at home. I don't know if it will be worth all the trouble, but at least I can try it out and see.

Gavin loves to help me cook in the kitchen so this morning I let him crack the eggs into the frying pan and then stir them. I let him use our little hand held blinder when I make mashed potatoes and he LOVES IT! I forget sometimes that little everyday tasks are so much more interesting to him, and he really gets a kick out of feeling like he's helped. Why is it always so easy to reflect on the day after it's over? Sometimes I look back at the day and wish instead of getting upset or raising my voice that I had just kissed him a little more, or shown more compassion.

Night Time Zoo

Yesterday evening we met up with a few friends at their kids at the Zoo. We had a great time. They had a live band playing Spanish style music when we arrived, something about it being Fiesta Week until the 1st? We ended up spending about an hour at the petting zoo and colored arts and crafts. A worker told me that they have arts and crafts set up only during the night time zoo. It seemed more busy than usual but there was also more going on so I can see why. I would like to make this a once a week regular trip. The only bad part was as soon as I arrived I started getting intestinal cramps and had to run to the bathroom a few times. I haven't had issues in awhile with my IBS, but for whatever reason it hit me hard yesterday. It's so embarrassing having to run to the bathroom so often and having to try to figure out what to do with Gavin while it happens. Luckily everyone was very helpful and Gavin didn't seem to mind.

I hope today I feel better. Not much more to comment on since I'm half asleep and need to start breakfast. I just wanted to recommend the night time Zoo and see if anyone else is interested in going with us sometime.

New Children's Museum

Wow, we just got back and I am totally exhausted! Gavin had a ball! I was a little bummed because all the fun things I would have liked to do, Gavin was not interested in doing. They had a huge car with paint brushes and tables with clay to mold, also an outside bubble area. I mean everything you could think of it had. He didn't want to paint, didn't want to play with the clay, and didn't want to blow bubbles. Normally he does enjoy doing those things, but I think it was a bit overwhelming to have so many options all at once. What he did want to do was climb up and down the stairs and play with the see through elevator. He LOVED the mattress room they have set up on the 3rd floor. It is an entire room with mattress on the walls and floors and even a queen sized mattress that is propped up like a slide so the kids could climb up and slide down it. He jumped all over the beds and dove into soft tires that were covering the ground. I think he could have just played there the entire time.

They have a rock climbing area for older kids. On the lower level there is a room with dolphins and fish projected onto the floor so the kids can run around and chase the moving fish. There is also a dress up area with clothes... an area with wooden sticks that you can stack, and play wooden cars that you can slide down a huge hill.

It isn't easy to park but I got there earlier enough and found a metered parking spot about a block away. I think it cost around 2 bucks in quarters for 2 hours (not bad). If you use the paid parking it is 10 bucks~~crazy!! It is also 10 bucks per person and kids over 1, so it would have cost 20 bucks just for today, so instead I got the 1 year membership. It's 75 bucks but pays for your entire family (not sure if there is a limit on kids), but that means the three of us can go as often as we want. I put down a guest pass as the alternate pass since I didn't want it to only be for my husband. This way I can bring any guest with me (Grandma, MIL, etc) when we go. When I think about all the paint and clay and supplies they provide you with it really is a good deal.

Now if I could just get Gavin to want to paint, lol. They provide smocks to wear but the paint can still dry and stain so it's best to wear frumpy clothes. I'm sure I forgot to mention other things that the museum has going on, but hopefully I got the main points across. We will definitely be going more often. It does get busy but it wasn't too bad going early and leaving by 11.

Men at rest

I don't know how much longer I have a quiet house so I may have to make this short and sweet. Gavin has amazingly been sleeping since 3pm, and so has my husband! Please ignore his pasty white skin, lol, since he works nights he hasn't had much time to tan.

So while they are both peacefully sleeping I cooked dinner, did the dishes, ate, and just baked a cake. I thought for sure that I would hear a cry or see a head peak around the corner at any minute. I know when Gavin wakes up it will be tough getting him to bed at his normal time, but it is soooo worth having some free time to cook . I love baking but it seems like I never get the time to do it anymore. Gavin seems to cling at my leg whenever I start any cooking projects.

This brings up a whole other topic. I want to start being more crafty and do some fun activities with Gav. I attempted to tie dye one of his white shirts this afternoon, but it wasn't as easy as I thought. I didn't have rubber bands so the string fell off and it looks more like a blue shirt with some light blue smuges on it. Oh well, it was my first try. So any craft ideas would be greatly appreciated! I found some easy sand ones and a few things we could make out of toilet paper rolls, but nothing that seems like a whole lot of fun. I think I'll take him to the New Children's Museum tomorrow morning so he can get crafty and messy there. I heard they have tons of paint and chalk activities for toddlers to do, and the fact that I wouldn't have to clean any of it up is a huge plus.

Better run now so I can ice my cake before someone stirs.

Which Goddess are you?

Which Goddess are you?

Which Goddess Are You?

http://www.quizilla.com/quizzes/7545936/which-goddess-are-you

37% Take another quiz!

You are Hera
You are closest in personality to Hera, the queen of the goddesses. Hera was lovely, elegant, regal and grand - in short, she was a true lady. Hera was also the protector of married women and Hera types tend to be somewhat traditional in love and value marriage, family, children and fidelity very highly. You are also practical and show good common sense.

It's A .....

BOY!!!

This time around he was dancing around doing flips so the tech found out he was a boy in a matter of seconds. It's amazing how she can see something so tiny... I still had trouble seeing it after she pointed it out to me. I was a little sad because I had slight hopes I would be the first to have a girl in our family, but a huge part of me knew it would be a boy. I am greatful that I have all the clothes and supplies for a boy so things should be a lot cheaper this time around. I also like the idea of the two of them sharing a bunk bed and having each other to bond with about boy issues. Now it's time to pick out a name. We already know his middle name will be my dad's name, Peter, but we're still not decided on first names.

As long as he's healthy that's all the truly matters in the end. Now time to prepare!

Will I find out today???

Tonight at 6pm I have another go at trying to determine what sex the baby is. Any tips on getting him or her to open his legs or roll over for me?? I really hope I can find out tonight... but if not I'll just wait another month for my 20 week ultrasound. Sooner or later I will find out regardless.

This morning Gavin and I went out to the beach and had a great time digging holes and splashing around. I hate dealing with the sandy clothes and cleaning up afterwards, but it's worth all the fun we have. I dug a large hole for Gavin to jump inside, but as soon as he sat in it, he decided to bury himself. It wasn't too deep so part of his chest and head were out of the sand, but it looked cute to see him popping up from the ground. AS soon as he was buried I ran to get the camera, but he decided he didn't want to be buried anymore and got out. I discovered later that he had buried his sandal in the hole too so I had to dig for awhile to try and find it.

The water is warming up nicely and the weather is just right. I decided I want to have a Beach Brunch next week or the week after that and invite everyone to come down and enjoy the water with us. Kids have so much fun getting wet and chasing each other around. I haven't determined the exact date yet, but anyone interested just let me know. We can all sit back (HAH!) and munch on fruit and muffins while our kids tire each other out.

It worked for me! Gavin is passed out and hopefully will sleep for a good two hours if I'm lucky.

Zoo

Haha, whoops, I guess I got side tracked and ended up not writing anything about our day at the Zoo. Gavin napped on the ride home so of course didn't nap the rest of the day. On days he doesn't nap, Mommy doesn't get time to write a Blog or check up on her e-mails.

Yesterday I decided to go out and do something we hadn't done in awhile. We have year passes to the Zoo so I thought I'd give it a go and see how much trouble we get into. Gavin was amazing! He didn't throw any tantrums or try and get lost in the crowds of people... he very happily pushed his stroller by each animal and stopped and posed for pictures when I asked him to. I really had the best time I can remember going out in public with him. I hate to say that but the past 6 months or so I haven't wanted to go anywhere with him. He runs away from me and ignores me, and in the end I feel like I drag him home kicking and screaming.

This was the first time we didn't go to the petting zoo or kid area, but it actually worked out better that way. We started with the Flamingos and then walked through the monkeys and Gorillas. We walked further and saw the Panda's, Elephants, Giraffes, Camels, and Koala bears. I don't think I ever walked as much as I did yesterday without some sort of issues arising. I brought ice cold water and snacks, so we stopped on the way and tried to stay cool (it was HOT!). I also ended up getting a soft serve ice cream and it was so sweet to watch Gavin hold it and try his best to lick it. People looked at me like I was crazy for letting ice cream melt all over his hands and arms, but what more fun can a child have then making a complete sweet mess of himself ? After such a good afternoon we got home... but didn't nap. Oh well.

I plan on going to the Zoo more often now. I realized that maybe he had a better time because I wasn't stressing to meet someone or trying to see certain animals. Gavin was glad to be in control of where he wanted to go and not have any time constraints or agendas. My little man is growing up... or maybe it was just a fluke, lol. We all have our good days and our bad days.

"OOO"

Yesterday (Saturday) I went and got my hair done. It's funny how when I don't feel pretty I always feel better doing something different with my hair or getting my nails done. My highlights were growing out and it had been a few months since my last cut so I decided to go short again. It's a little different than what I had in mind, but I'm getting used to it, and my husband likes it. It's so much easier having it short. I don't even have to brush it! The touch up highlights look a lot more natural than they did before (something about a toner and brown hues?), so I guess more natural is better. :D

Gavin spent the afternoon at Great-Grandma's tormenting her cats and chasing the tiny dog around. I guess he discovered how to escape out of her backyard so on two occassions they found him next door at the neighbors house. The next door neighbor is a cute 3 year-old named Sammy. I am really happy that he has a friend to play with when he goes to my Grandmother's house... but at 2 years-old he is a little young to be running off and ringing their doorbell by himself. We'll have to figure out how to keep the gate locked.

Gavin progressed a little more with his speech therapist. He now says "Boo, Moo, and Hoots like an owl." I don't know why it's all words with ooo sound, but at least it's progress. I think he'll start talking when he's ready, so I'm not too worried about it anymore. I have heard of a few boys in our family that didn't talk until 3 or even 4 years of age, and they ended up very smart (Dentists and such).

Well that's about it for now. I'm getting phone calls from upstairs so my train of thought keeps getting interrupted.

Today the only exciting plan is the monthly trip to Costco. YAY!

Sleeping Beauty

Gavin found a tiny corner to hide in today. It doesn't look comfortable but somehow he got snuggled up into this spot and decided to fall asleep there. I don't have the heart to move him so I'm going to leave him and hope he gets a nice nap.

Last night I ended up going to the 3D-4D ultrasound office with my Grandmother. It was great to see the tiny little baby and watch as he/she kicked his arms around. The heartbeat was a nice 150bps. The only problem was that he refused to un-cross his legs! She poked and pushed but he wouldn't budge from his comfortable spot. In the end I didn't get to see what the sex of the baby was. :( Luckily they will have one more go at it next Wednesday night. If he still refuses to open his legs than I'll have to wait until 20 weeks to find out. I really hope this second time he will be more active for us. I did get some good ultrasound photos and a VHS of him moving around, but at only 15 weeks he doesn't look very human yet. It is still amazing to think that I am creating this little person and yet on a daily basis I forget that it's even there. It's about the size of an apple right now so I don't feel any movement yet. I'll keep you all informed as to what I find out next week.

My impatience got the best of me. :P

Much Better

Well today things are going much better. Gavin ate his first real meal last night!! It has been so long since he ate more than one bite of food that I was in heaven watching him stuff his face with veggies and mashed potatoes. He is finally over whatever bug he had so now it's catch up time on all the calories he lost. Today I spent the morning washing the bathroom floor, sink, and toilet, then washed the kitchen floor, and cleaned out the nasty motor home. It took 4 loads of trash bags to get all the dirty clothes and supplies out of it. Then came the emptying of the fridge (Yukky!). Now I have about 5 loads of laundry to do but besides that I am very pleased with most of the cleaning that was done. Gavin is napping so I know I should be laying down and getting a few Zzz myself but I always find things to do rather than resting.

I am debating about getting the 4D ultrasound. I did it with Gavin when he was 16 weeks and found out he was a boy! It was so exciting and the pictures are amazing compared to regular ultrasound pics... but it's 100 bucks. My other option is wait until August and find out at my OB appointment with a regular crummy ultrasound machine. They say they can tell the sex as early as 15 weeks, which is basically what I am now and a few days. My excitement and lack of reasoning says to go now NOW NOW! But then I think about how I should be logical and just wait another month to find out when the cost is covered by my insurance. What to do what to do? Damn, I just hate waiting. They also promise if they can't tell they will do another free visit the next time, so I know I won't be out the money even if it is a little too early to say for sure.

I hate to admit it but I really want a girl. I love Gavin and I would love another boy just as much as a girl.. but I want to buy dresses and do braids and see what it's like to take care of a little girl. I know it would be cheaper to re-use the boy clothes I already have, and it would be easier for the two of them to share a room, but I still kind of wish that it's a girl. Honestly I feel deep in my gut that it's a boy. Jon is one of 6 boys, his brothers had 2 sons, and of course I had a son, so it seems I have the cards against me. I don't know what it is about having boys in his family but it seems that I have a much higher chance of it being male than female. I will update as soon as I know for sure. I believe the Chinese calendar said it was a boy too. (Just my luck) :D

Well that's all for today. Nothing exciting, just recovering and relaxing. Hopefully we can get the strength to go to the park and do something fun later this week. I hate hiding out indoors for too long.

We're Back!!

How do I explain a trip that feels weeks long, but was actually only 4 days? Let's first start with the morning we leave. We left much later than planned and hit the road around 10am. We ended up stopping for a late lunch in Barstow CA at a small 50s style diner. Gavin having been in the motor home for a few hours was not ready to sit down for lunch. I ended up chasing him around for an hour while the rest of the family had a nice sit down meal... I had thought after my husband or MIL had finished eating they would switch off and let me eat, but for some reason no one thought to come help me. In the end they got my burger and Gavin's nuggets to go and we ate on the road.

The heat as we got near Las Vegas was unbearable. The motor home has AC as long as we turn the generator on for the extra power. Well after about 20 minutes of nice AC the generator started failing and shutting off. So while driving through death valley it got to a nice roasting 120 degrees in the motor home. We all layed around half comatose and poured cold water on ourselves to survive. The heat finally let up around 9:30pm at night. Another issue we hadn't realized was that in the motor home going up the grapevine as well as other steep mountainous areas we had to go as slow as 30 miles an hour. Even going on straight aways and down hill we can't get much faster than 55mph, SOO this added an extra few hours on our trip. Instead of 4-5 hours to Las Vegas it took us almost 8 hours. By 10 or 11pm we were just hitting Utah and all very sick and tired of being stuck in the overheated boat. We all just wanted to get to Provo and get a break from the motion sickness. Finally we arrived at Jon's Aunt's home around 2am Thursday morning. Gavin who had slept most of the trip due to the constant shaking and motion of the motor home woke up bright and early at 6am so I may have gotten around 3 hours of sleep that night. Everyone else slept right on through the morning.

Thursday around 2pm we meet up the whole Degn clan. Let me explain just a little about my husband's family. We had driven to visit Susan, his father's sister (Jon's Aunt). She had 12 kids, but 2 passed away so Jon has 10 cousins, just from that one aunt! His family IS HUGE! Probably due to the fact that they are Mormon, but who knows for sure. Anyway out of those 10 cousins they have 34 kids. Sooo Gavin got to meet tons of his 3rd cousins? However they are all related there were a lot of kids to play with. We met up with about half of the clan at a Provo Waterpark and spent the afternoon there. I would like to say it was a blast but with all of us tired and Gavin being too young to enjoy the water slides it wasn't as fun as it could have been. We went inner tubing a few times and got to chat with the family so all in all it went well.

I should probably do a better job at making this story shorter so I'll try and jump through the details. Gavin starting getting a fever and didn't eat much at all on the drive up (we assumed because of motion sickness on the drive). By Friday night we had a very very high temperature and now had not eaten for almost 3 days. We took him to the ER. This was at midnight from a campground site in the mountains on the 4th of July. We had no idea where the nearest ER was located and had to deal with thousands of people leaving after the fireworks and a Hannah Montana concert were over. After stopping at two gas stations to ask for directions and driving about 45 minutes we found an ER and Gavin got seen right away. He was given medicine for strep throat since his throat was red and swollen and his fever was so high. We went home around 3am and Gavin started vomiting. Again everyone went to sleep and Mommy was left to stay up with her sick son all morning. His fever was down due to the Tylenol and Motrin but the vomiting was non-stop for 4 hours. By 7am I woke up my In-Laws and decided to take Gavin back to the ER for fluids and the reaction he had to the antibiotic they had given him. They gave him some anti-vomiting medicine and told us to stop the amoxiclian. In the end they decided it was not strep throat but a flu virus that needed to run its course. So Friday night I may have gotten about an hour of sleep, and was covered in vomit. Gavin spent another day not eating and even now that we are home has only had one bite of an apple. He is drinking fluids but I hate that he hasn't eaten for so many days. I see his ribs and pale face and it really worries me. Anyway he does seem to be slightly better today (Sunday) so I hope he is on the mend.

Saturday due to his sickness and our lack of sleep we decide to leave town early. Susan's 70th Birthday party was that night but there was no way we could enjoy a huge reunion type party with a sick baby and ourselves being so sleep deprived. We hit the road at 11am Sat. and ended up back in San Diego by 3am Sun. This time the ride was much worse since we were all tired before we left and the generator again wasn't working. I started getting sick and throwing up (which is not fun in a tiny port-a-potty style bathroom). The water pump wasn't working either so I had to pour bottled water down the toilet to try and flush things down. Gavin again slept most of the way and his fever was slightly lower than before. Thank God he didn't continue throwing up so at least he drank water and juice periodically on the trip home.

I loved meeting the cousins and family. They are all such nice friendly people and their children were so great with Gavin. The childrens ages ranged from as young as a 7 week old newborn to the oldest , 16, I think. Jon's cousins were older than us (30s and 40s) but we all got along very well. I loved the mountains and the peaceful beauty of Utah. I just wish Gavin hadn't gotten sick and we had not gone in the motor home. Next time we fly and get a nice hotel room to stay at. I have never had so little sleep (besides when Gavin was first born). Hopefully the next few days we can all feel better and get some rest from our Vacation from Hell.

Trip to Utah

So tomorrow, Gavin, my FIL, MIL, Jon, and myself leave for a road trip in our motorhome to Provo, Utah. The majority of Jon's family lives in Utah so it's going to be a huge Mormon family reunion (they are all Mormon). I think it will be fun to meet his cousins and for Gavin to meet his second and third cousins. Thursday is a day at the water park, and Friday is a huge Fourth of July celebration with catered food and fun activities for the kids. My husband is not too excited since he usually sits back at the beach and watches the traffic go by our house, while drinking a couple of 6 packs. I agree it sucks to be driving 14 hours each way, leaving our place which is really the best place to be on the 4th of July... BUT it's for family. We have never visited Utah before and can afford to give up one holiday to have a reunion. I'm sure there won't be alcohol but fireworks are legal so we will have fun lighting off our own display. I think the weekend plan is to drive up to a campsite with the extended family and do day hikes and other outdoor activities. I think we will have a good time.

My only dread is having to sleep in a small RV for 4-5 days. We are all very large people and the space is VERY TIGHT. I would much rather fly up and stay in a nice hotel room, but I can't always get what I want. By the end of the road trip we may all want to strangle each other. :) It will be a trip to remember. I'll update Sunday when we get back.

Everyone have a Happy 4th of July!!

Hotmail

Gavin has his own e-mail now. I don't know why exactly but I got the idea that I should get him an e-mail account with hotmail before someone else might use his name. My first option was not available but my second choice was so I decided to go for it. The neat part was it asked for his Birthday and being that he is only 2 years-old it asked for adult consent, so I had to give a credit card number and sign in under my account to prove that I am over 18. Nothing was charged as hotmail is free to its users, but they check to make sure I am who I say I am.

So hopefully in another couple of years when Gavin starts to make friends (and learn to type), we will remember his account information and be able to talk to family and friends through e-mail.

Those of you who would like his private e-mail address just send me an e-mail. I don't want to post it since you never know who will be reading this blog. Hopefully he won't be bombarded with junk mail in the next few months. Hmmm... I guess I'll have to sign in periodically to make sure they don't close the account? Not sure...

Saturday

Well today I finally got myself into a cleaning mode. I still managed to waste away a few hours on a computer game, but all in all I'm happy with the little I got done. I did about 3 loads of laundry (still in the process of folding and putting it all away), washed both cars, did a sink full of dishes, and picked up the living room a bit. I still haven't gotten around to cleaning the bathroom

but I can dream, lol. Jon says he will help me out with that but I honestly doubt it. Right now Gavin is on his way back from Great-Grandma's house so I'm trying to run around and get last minute things in order. I LOVE having Saturday afternoons to myself. I think it's good for Gavin to get out and be around his Grandpa and Great-Grandma for a few hours, and of course I get some time to run errands and do housework. Yay! There are a few times I actually go and get my nails done or shop at the mall... but not as often as I would like.

Anyway I should wrap this up since he will come running through the door any minute, wanting dinner and some love. This morning he decided he wanted to wear sunglasses in the house.

GOOD NEWS!

I found out that my breast tumor is benign!! Now I have no more worried nights or treatments to drive to. I am still sore and healing but I am so thankful to not have a serious issue. The Dr. said I probably won't be able to breastfeed from my left breast due to the removal of some of the ducts, but I won't know for sure until the time comes. I hate the idea of not having a breast to use but things could be so much worse. I am confident I can breastfeed just fine with one breast if I have to.

Thank you all for your prayers and/or support.

Hot Pink Nails

Gavin and I went a little wild today and woke up with our toe nails painted... hmmmm... I wonder who would have done such a thing??

Just kidding of course. I decided to paint my toes and Gavin got very excited about it and pointed to his toes so I figured why not? Now he's dancing around the house and pointing them out to everyone he sees, very cute indeed. There are lots of Metro sexual men and I would be proud regardless. Jon is pretty Metro himself (gel products, aftershaves,aromatherapy, mint scrubs, etc). Jim (FIL) wasn't too happy about it though....

No news

I still haven't heard anything about my test results and I have a feeling I may have to wait until my appointment on Friday with my Doctor before I find anything out. I hate waiting. I want to move on and find out that everything is fine or the slim chance that something is not fine... I just want to know now! My recovery has been going well but I still find I feel nauseated and some breast pain every now and then. I'm almost 14 weeks along so I don't know why I still feel like I have morning sickness all of the time. I know I wasn't this sick with Gavin.

Yesterday our family had a great day. Jon had the day off from work so he stayed home with Gavin and let me run over to UTC Mall. I got a new maternity bathing suit and a few other odds and ends and finally replaced our cell phone that Gavin had broken weeks ago. Once I got back home Jon made burgers and fries and we had a nice summer day picnic at the beach. We piled all our towels, a cooler,umbrella, and beach toys into Gavin's red wagon and spent a couple of hours spashing in the waves and laying around. The water has been warming up (65ish) so it's not terribly cold but not the warmest either. Gavin really enjoyed jumping into the water hole that Jon dug out for him.

Just as I was typing the phone rang and it was the Nurse letting me know results are not in yet for my biopsy. It looks like I may have to wait until my Post- Op appointment on Friday before finding out the news. Did I mention how much I hate waiting?! Lol. I keep telling myself it will be fine but I wish I could know sooner. Oh well...

So after our day at the beach Gavin and I took a nice warm bubble bath and got ready to go to Michelle's house. We had a great time cooking and eating with friends, and it was really nice to see how well Ari and Gavin played together. I ended up staying until 8pm, which is late for us! Gavin did not want to leave but as soon as we started driving he fell fast asleep and I got him into bed with just a few whimpers. (Oh he also slept in until 7am!! A very rare occurance).

I loved being busy and having so much to do yesterday but today I don't feel like doing anything. I wish I didn't feel so tired and nauseated all of the time. I really feel badly when Gavin watches TV and doesn't get to go out and play with other kids. I know I can't constantly entertain him but sometimes I wish I had someone I could call and just take him out for a bit so I could stay at home and relax. Hopefully I can get Jon to take him to the park this evening or even just play a new game with him. Gavin gets tired of seeing mommy's face all day everyday. :)

Sorry no pictures. I haven't been good about carrying the camera around.

Post-OP

I can barely remember yesterday since I was coming off of drugs and sedatives. My surgery was done by 10:30 and I was home by 12. As the medicine wore off I started throwing up and feeling very sick and shaky. Luckily by evening time I was able to eat some soup and ended up sleeping the rest of the day and night. The Dr. said I should get a phone call Wednesday with results so I am just going to have to wait to find out the news. Gavin has been with my In-Laws so it's been nice not having to tend to him or worry about how I can handle carrying him around. Hopefully in a few days the pain will be better and the cut will be healed more. I am taking some strong Tylenol and using ice packs and that seems to be enough. I will let you know more as I find out. Today I will probably sleep more and Jon is going to rent a movie or two for us to watch. I feel tired and groggy but much better than yesterday.

It's going to be very hot today and tomorrow (in the 90s) so the beach is going to be packed. I'll just be laying around enjoying the cool air from our AC.