Ill

Last day at home and I come down with a stomach bug. That freakin' sucks!

And so it ends . . .

Today is my last day at home with George. I slept in (but only because I was exhausted), I'm wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, no makeup, and I haven't even brushed my teeth yet. It is the best (actually not the unbrushed teeth part).

I tried to get on work schedule this week, but was unsuccessful (due to the ice storm) except for yesterday. Yesterday, I proved it could be done and I'm hopeful that it will be easier with time and with Chuck's help at first. Plus, next week starts the equal sharing of nighttime duties by me and Chuck (Heaven help him). Just a little bit more sleep will be wonderful and probably give me the leg up I need to get back into the swing of things.

I have pretty much decreased my nursing and switched to bottles. George might get a little treat from the Theresa milk factory in the morning and evening, but that will be it. There is pretty much no way to feasibly pump at work since our offices have sliding doors, frosted windows, and no locks. I can only imagine what would happen if one of the old timers walked in while I had my udders hooked up to the pumps. Yikes.

For today, George will continue to be spoiled and suffer kisses on his fat cheeks. He's just so wonderfully perfect and adorable, and I will miss him terribly when I go back to work.

Pregnant Boobs

All I have to say is that they ROCK! Too bad they don't last.

Professional Sacrifices

There are many ways in which I would like my children to emulate me or my husband. I would love for them to seek education, feel empathy, strive for success, dance, sing, play an instrument, appreciate humor, etc. However, there are also several ways in which I want my children to ignore the bad habits of their parents and find their own way. For example, I want them to love exercise, eat healthy, organize themselves, have self confidence without arrogance, read intelligent subject matter, etc. I just wonder how I can prevent them from picking up bad habits.

For example, Evie lifted up her shirt the other day, poked at her belly, and said, "Mommy, my belly is fat just like yours." Insult aside, I feel terrible that she is already saying she is fat even if she doesn't know what it means precisely. We have, in the past, asked her when she has eaten a lot if her belly is "full" or "big", but we've never referenced her as "fat" (at least after the age of one - since clearly I've already told you that George is getting fat - but that is baby fat and it is different. I digress). Nor do I refer to myself as fat all the time, as far as I can recall. When I was pregnant, I always said, "Look kids, my belly is getting big." I never said fat, because, well, let's face it, it wasn't fat--it was big.

My point is that I want to instill good habits in my children that I am lacking, but I don't know how. I don't want Evie worrying about her weight or her physique, but it is constantly an issue I face in my life because there is no time and/or I am not motivated to tackle running or anything else. Being healthy does not come naturally to me, nor does athleticism. I love to dance, but there isn't a place or time for it in my life right now. Other than that, I don't know how to access my athletic side, if in fact I have one. Chuck is athletic (playing basketball several days a week), but he does that away from home so the kids can't fully appreciate what is involved. And to top it off, neither of us eats overly healthy. There are other things like music and reading that we want them to embrace, but so much of our time is focused on relaxing at home with the kids when we aren't focused like a freight train on our careers that we can't set the example by embracing those things ourselves.

So, I question whether I want Evie and Luke to focus so heavily on their careers and education. Should they so singularly work to succeed or should I tell them to avoid the sacrifices I make. Will they be happy not making the same sacrifices or not. I wish we could have it all. Maybe they can somehow.

Sorry for the philosophical post this morning, but these are the things I think about when I'm up at 3 am feeding little George.

Movie Quote for fun

This is an easy one. Love this movie!

And, incidentally, at 'Sit Up, Britain', no one ever gets sacked for shaggin' the boss.

Small updates

Underwear
Luke asked me this morning what the flap in his underwear was for. I explained how it works and he responded, "That would make me pee sideways." He doesn't like the idea of having to aim.

Infomercials
Luke was watching tv this weekend and went into the kitchen to tell Chuck with his most serious voice, "Dad, we don't need auto insurance." Chuck responded, " You're right. Thanks Luke."

He's cuter than he looks

I have spent so much time trying to capture how cute George is with my crappy camera, but no matter how good the picture turns out I just can't accurately reflect how absolutely perfect and adorable he is. Nonetheless, here are some pictures of my little one in a rabbit hat (for which I'm sure he'll kill me when he's older), all bundled up for the cold. With that said, he certainly doesn't smell as cute as he looks. I've never known an infant to have smelly gas rivaling adult males. It is impressive and disgusting. Even Chuck was surprised as we continued to waft the smell away from ourselves and the poor baby. What in the world was going on in his tummy? We didn't change his diet or mine, so I'm completely baffled by the situtation.

I think he looks like a doll!

Here is a picture of the view from our house this morning. It is freakin' COLD!!!!

Cold and Miserable

I love when it gets cold and miserable outside. I love Winter Storms and all the misery that accompanies them (except death and injury). I love ice, slippery sidewalks, icicles, fires in the fireplace, coffee, warm robes, watching the weather updates, etc. However, I am currently stuck at home with three children under the age of 5 and I want nothing more than to have the house to myself so I can curl up with a good book in front of the fire. Instead, I will be subjected to a day full of Disney movies and Nickelodeon. Sadly, the kids don't even take naps anymore, so I won't even have a break from being a servant called, "Mom."

Doggie Latte

Anyone ever heard of a dog who likes coffee? My dog Fergi stole a cup of coffee off the table and spilled it everywhere three feet away. How did she make it three feet before spilling it????

Evie vs. Dance Class

And so it begins . . . Evie managed to get out of dance class by hiding her dance clothes and one ballet slipper. Chuck and I tore the house apart looking for her stuff until it was obvious we wouldn't find it in time for her class. The bad part is that the house was spotless for a showing that afternoon, and I had done all the laundry that week so the stuff should have been easy to find. We have no idea how she could hide a purple sequined skirt. If I don't find it by Friday, I'll have to buy her new stuff because there is no way she's getting out of another class -- I paid way to much for this and it's a matter of principle that she doesn't quit.

Was it the Mexican food?

Chuck was hanging out with Luke in the den watching tv when Luke walked up to him and asked, "What is that smell?!" Chuck chuckled (as all men do) and answered, "I farted." Luke's face distorted as he raised his hand to his mouth and choked out, "I think I'm going to throw up!" and he went upstairs. Of course, Luke has a similar response when I first put on perfume (minus the throwing up part), so there's no telling how bad it really was.

Umm . . . what is that?

So, Evie received a doll from her Nano and Pawpaw for Christmas. Here's a picture of her holding little "Paul."

Look closely. Yup - that's what you think it is.


As Chuck was pulling it out of the package and handing it to Evie, he felt a bulge and said, "Umm, what is that?" Chuck peeked into the underwear of the little doll and found that it was an anatomically correct boy doll. That's right. To be specific it is an uncircumcised boy doll and it pees too. Chuck's dad turned three shades of red when he found out he had bought his little granddaughter an anatomically correct boy doll. What are you going to do?

Since I basically missed Christmas altogether, here are some pics of the kids from Christmas day in front of both our trees.

This is Christmas morning with the kids' favorite toys. Luke got a lightsaber and Evie got a wand. You'll notice we got a different tree because our other tree died the week before and was starting to stink.


This picture is in front of our other tree with the kids in their Sunday clothes. They were sweet and very excited about Christmas.

We're clones.

I found a baby picture of Evie this morning and did a double take because I thought it was a picture of George. Apparently, all my babies are identical at birth. How strange is that?

GEORGE:

EVIE:

I don't have a picture of Luke because our laptop with all his pictures was stolen. Bummer.

Infomercials

Luke has totally become a victim of infomercials. It doesn't matter what it is, he is fascinated by the commercial and wants what they are selling. He wants some of the things so bad that he will actually sell them to you. His favorite is the Snuggie. What is a Snuggie, you ask? Well, Luke will tell you "It's a blanket with sleeves!" Here's a link to the commercial he watches where the wearers of the Snuggie appear to be in some kind of cult: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xZp-GLMMJ0 He loves it and has asked for a Snuggie for Christmas. Chuck is appalled at the product in general and says it is just a robe turned backward, and he would pretty much be right.

Luke is also all about Bendaroos, and quotes that "Bendaroos don't break!"

Today, he was pulled in by an infomercial for a hair removal product called Smooth Away. He watched it with such concentration, and I was only a little concerned when the infomercial announcer stated that it was great for removing unwanted hair on bikini areas and they flashed a skinny woman's crotch dressed in a bikini.

Unfortunately, Nickalodeon fills up its advertising time with commercials like this. Thank God they say you must be 18 years old to order. Luke takes that seriously . . . for now.

Picture of George to Evaluate

I was taking these pictures while I was holding George, so they're not very good and I doubt I'll get any better at taking pictures. That's why I hire a photographer. Here's one from before he got so fat. And I mean, he is seriously getting fat! Love to kiss those little cheeks!

And I just had to include this one because it so accurately reflects how much Evie likes George.

As for Evie, she told me last night that she doesn't want to go back to dance class because she says, "I don't know how." I keep trying to convince her that she is going to dance lessons so she can learn how, but I haven't quite convinced her yet. Looks like I might have an "Evie vs. Dance Class" on my hands. Wish me luck. What I really need is Grandma because Evie has been asking when Grandma is going to come watch her dance. She really wants to show Grandma her dance outfit and her dance class. How sweet is that?

Dance Lessons

I apologize for my terrible pictures. I need to figure out my camera. Evie started ballet and tap lessons last Saturday. She's sooooo excited!!!! And so am I! Here's a picture of her in her dance practice outfit and her ballet shoes. The first lesson was much like Luke's first soccer practice except she didn't actually cry like my gentle son. She pretty much just stood around and watched everyone dance. What fun for her!

George has been cranky for the last 24 hours, but it appears to be getting better. Look how chubby he is! I think he looks a little like my brother Tom (not the chubby part, of course).

Champagne

Drank too much champagne last night after a long day with the kids at home (MLK Day - no school). Poor George has a mom with a slight hangover. Forgot what that feels like. Damn.

Spent all day cleaning the house and sorting through toys in the kids' room yesterday, but when Chuck got home, the place was a disaster. I hate that I could spend all day being productive and have nothing to show for it. Today is a new day.

Also, I need to get my ass in gear about getting out of the house with the three kids in the morning. I had to take the kids to school this morning. They didn't get there until 10:00 a.m. (and that is without a shower for me). Better get myself on a schedule.

Finally, Luke has taken to walking around without his underwear on. Not sure why. It is like he is too lazy to pull his underwear up after he pees. Perhaps I should introduce him to the flap in his underwear, but I'm a little worried that he will just walk around with his wang hanging out all day if I show him how that flap works. Of course, he's walking around with his wang and everything else hanging out now, so I guess it would be an improvement. I'll let you know how that goes.

A little tidbit . . .

I was sitting on the couch in our living room looking down at my precious baby as the other kids played around me. I heard Luke say (as he does often), "Mommy, I want to tell you something." I answered (as usual), "Yes, Luke?" Still looking down at as I was working to get George's pacifier in his mouth, I heard Luke say, "Mom, this is my ball and this is my ball sac."

As you might imagine, my head snapped up in surprise. To my great relief, Luke repeated himself, "This is my ball" as he held up a little basketball, "and this is my ball sac" as he pointed to the red chair in our living room. I sighed and said, "Oh, really? That's great."

Movie Quote

I won a bet with Chuck over this movie quote when we first started dating. (That should tell you it isn't a new movie). Anybody else out there know this one?

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera and so forth.

No problems

Evie is home from the hospital and did well. They removed a lot of fluid from her left ear and some fluid from the right. They also removed her giant adenoids. Doctor predicts she will be much better. I am relieved to have her home and enjoying spending a lazy day with the whole family (most of us still in our pajamas). Evie was a brave little girl. I am so proud of her.

Hungry Hippo

So, babies are supposed to gain one to two pounds per month. My child gained 2 lbs 3.5 ozs in two weeks. The kid eats all the time. He now weighs 9 lbs 3.5 ozs. It's a little ridiculous. He is also 21.5 inches long (a gain of two inches). With that said, he is only in the 50th percentile for his age group. But, geez, my body is really working overtime to provide him with enough milk to gain that kind of weight. The nurse just couldn't believe it. And to top it off, George was hungry the whole time we were at the doctor's office and would suck on anything he could get his mouth on - my shirt, my hand, his pacifier (a little), the doctor's hand, his blanket, etc., but he just couldn't be satisfied. Final word from the doctor is that George is healthy and getting plenty of milk.

As for the other two, they have started asking if George can sleep in their room. I'm glad they like him so well. Hugs and kisses for little George all the time. In fact, I'm surprised his big little cheeks aren't chapped from all the kisses he gets. He's definitely our little angel.

One Month Old (officially)

As my mother pointed out, George is one month old today. So, happy birthday George. Here's a picture of him.I swear, he's gotten so big! We go for his one month check up tomorrow. Yesterday, we went to the plastic surgeon to discuss the removal of a skin tag on George's ear. You can see it in the picture.They say this is very common, but I've never seen it before. Here are some pictures of his skin tag. It will be removed by the plastic surgeon in the next couple months sometime. It amazes me that I wasn't the first one in the family to visit a plastic surgeon. Nonetheless, I picked up some pamphlets for myself while I was in the office!

This week is filled with doctor's appointments and hospital visits, so I've been pretty swamped trying to keep the schedule going. Plastic Surgeon yesterday for George, pre-op and registration at the hospital today for Evie, George's one month check up tomorrow, Evie's surgery Thursday, and a day of rest on Friday. Hectic. Plus, it is difficult trying to lug George everywhere and feed him while we're in and out of doctor's offices. I guess, such is the life of a mother of three.

Pictures of George

George will be a month old tomorrow. Hard to believe that time can fly by so quickly and that I'm so behind the curve that I'm just now posting pictures of him. I blame the holidays. Enjoy these pictures of my very sweet angel.

Obviously just a few minutes old.

Evie's first chance to hold George. She looks a little unsure at first, but really gets to like it later.

The proud big brother. Luke wanted to show George to all his classmates.

A double hug from big brother and big sister.

Just being adorable.

Some Big Fish bonding with Daddy as Daddy tries to convince George that the Texas A&M football team will bring world peace when they win the National Championship.

George sleeping in his bassinet and showing off his jaundice. (sorry for the fuzzy pic)

And my favorite even though it is a little fuzzy.

Carpet man

The man who was scheduled to come to my house to measure for our new carpet arrived as scheduled, but I had let the time get away from me. When he arrived I was sitting in front of our front window openly nursing George and then I almost opened the door with George still attached. I'm clearly losing touch with the real world. Luckily, I removed George from his luncheon feast and pulled my shirt down before opening the door.

I won't have to worry about that much longer since George is demanding more milk than I can provide. He continued to cry for more the other night after he ate everything I had to offer. In desperation, I turned to formula. The kids were thrilled to see that I was finally going to use a bottle (weird). As I offered it to George, I swear I saw a look of relief on his little infant face and then he proceeded to gulp down 2 1/2 ozs, taking to the bottle like a champ. He slept for 5 hours after that. Poor boy was starving. So, I've resigned myself to supplementing with formula. I know George would kiss my feet in appreciation if he could.

What else is she saying?

As I was driving Evie to school a couple days ago, she announced proudly, "Mommy, my legs are scratchy just like yours!" I let out a grunt/sigh before laughing out loud. I glanced at her the back seat and saw her rubbing her bare legs in wonder. I couldn't really contradict her, because my legs are scratchy more often than not. So, either I need to shave more often or she needs moisturizer on her little legs, or more likely, both. But the worst part of this is the true possibility that she announced this at school. And I wonder, what else is she saying?

The witty observations don't stop with Evie. Yesterday morning, Luke felt my stomach and asked, "Why is your belly empty?" I tilted my head slightly and said slowly, "Uh, because George came out of my belly, remember?" I have to admit that I know the concept of child birth is difficult to grasp. Even I have a hard time comprehending that a little being is inside a pregnant woman, even when I'm that pregnant woman. I swear, I don't think I grasped the fact that I was really and truly having a baby until I saw George actually arrive. You'd think I would have a better comprehension of the fact since I had done it twice before. Oh, well.

Hope you all are having a wonderful week. I'm exhausted, as is to be expected. Hopefully things will become a little easier soon and I'll have more energy for posting and cleaning my house.

Happy Anniversary

Shout out to brother Mike and sister-in-law Lisa

Wishing you both a very happy and romantic anniversary!

Can you believe you've been married so long? Is it 20 years now?

Just like an after school special . . .

Well, we've had our first negative experience with the kids since George was born, and my poor heart is broken because of it.

Last night, Chuck picked up the kids from daycare and brought them home. Both kids walked into the living room where I was nursing George. While Chuck was upstairs changing clothes, I asked the kids how their day was. Instead of receiving informational tidbits about what they did at school all day, they began demanding attention. Luke wanted to watch a movie. I said, "Sure, in a little bit." He responded (with a whiney 4 year old voice), "Buuut, I wa-hant to watch it no-how." Me, "I've got to finish feeding George and then I'll put in a movie for you. Why don't you decide what you want to watch while you're waiting." Luke threw his shoulders down in defeat and collapsed next to me on the couch, "ugh huh!"

Then I turned my attention to Evie who had simultaneously been saying, "I'm hungry, Mommy." Me, "What's that, sweetheart?" Evie, "Mommy, I'm hungry." Me, "Okay, we'll get you some food in a minute. What do you want to eat?" Evie, "Kix." Me, "With milk or without?" Evie, "Without." Me, "Okay, I'll get it in a few minutes or Daddy will get it when he comes downstairs." Luke then distracted me with another request for a movie, and I reminded him to think about what he wanted. Instead of picking a movie, he openly complained about the program that was currently on the television - as if watching it caused his eyes to burn. Then Evie repeated in frustration, "Mommy, I'm hungry." indicating that I hadn't just had a conversation in which I promised to feed her. I responded (and here's where things go poorly), "Sweety, I'm busy feeding George right now, but when he is finished eating I will get you some Kix." Evie's bottom lip stuck out, she crossed her arms over her chest, bowed her head, and left the room in silent sobs as I called after her desperately, "Evie, sweety, I'm going to feed you, I just have to finish feeding George . . ." I trailed off as she left the room.

Chuck showed up just a minute later and I explained that I had upset Evie. He went off to find her since I didn't see where she had gone. Later Chuck told me that he found her sitting silently behind her door in her bedroom, in the dark, arms crossed, knees drawn up, head resting on knees, tears in her eyes. He asked her what was wrong, and she said with little sobs, "Mommy's too busy for me." And that was it. It broke my freakin' heart. Chuck smoothed things over, and I did my very best to snuggle with her that night, but I can't seem to shake the mommy-guilt. My poor baby girl. I hope this gets better once George transitions to formula.

Tube Time

Evie had tubes put in her ears in September 2007 and we went for a check up on Christmas Eve 2008 and discovered that both tubes have fallen out and her ears are once again filled with fluid. The ENT prescribed a second round of antibiotics and we went for another check up today only to discover that the fluid is still there and her hearing is really bad in the left ear and only pretty bad in the right ear. The doctor ordered x-rays and my sweet girl cooperated like a champ - not even a whimper or any hesitation. The x-rays revealed that her sinuses are completely filled with fluid. The doctor recommended replacing the tubes, removing her adenoids, and flushing the sinuses. So, we are scheduled for surgery next Thursday. Poor baby girl. And she is such a trooper about everything!

George and I also went for his second state-ordered PKU test where they prick his heel and bleed him onto a piece of paper. I hate this test! I know it is to check his health, but damn, it kills me to watch them hurt my baby. They pricked Evie's heel three times! By the end, I was crying too. It wasn't that bad with George, but he did cry all the way home.

Top Gun Hilarity

I meant to post this the other day, but baby George tends to suck every witty thought from my head these days since he recently learned how to complain. Anyway, Chuck and I came across a trailer for Top Gun which had been recut and it is seriously one of the funniest things I had seen on YouTube since Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel battled it out. Anyway, here's a link to the trailer. You tell me if you think it's as funny as I do, or if I just need to explore YouTube a little more and find the stuff that is really funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekXxi9IKZSA

Posting w/ baby

typing w/ one hand is slow and frustrating. just thought you all should know.

Weight commercials

I've spent a substantial amount of time in front of the television lately, and I have to gripe about the number of weight loss commercials that are flooding the programing! I'm soooo sick of seeing how I can lose weight. Don't they know that we all want to lose weight, but none of us want to actually do the work to make it happen? I'm particularly offended by the commercials for NutriSystem. Their food looks disgusting and small. If it looks that bad on TV (when they make it out to look its best), imagine what it actually looks like when it arrives at your doorstep. Oh, and that's one more thing - all of it is unrefrigerated - how disgusting is that?! Okay, done with my rant.

Best of luck to all of you who are trying to lose weight in 2009.

Brrrr!

Damn, it's cold! Icicles on the trees. Too cold and wet to even get firewood!

George and I had our first day together alone and it was more productive than most. I started sorting out my maternity clothes and hope to make a full transition to regular clothes soon. I'm back in my regular jeans, but this isn't a real accomplishment since I was a size too big before I got pregnant. Nonetheless, I don't have to go buy new clothes hopefully.

George calls. I'll check in later!

I'm a Jungle Gym

There is nothing like holding a sleeping baby to attract other little children to you. Not only do my kids swarm around me when I'm holding George, but they also climb on every part of me and ocassionally George too. There's not enough room for the kids, the dog, George, or anything else like a glass of Champagne or a beer. Too bad for me. Of course, working on the computer has almost the same net result. Luke is staring at the computer as I type this asking, "Mom, what are you spelling?"

This week has been worse than I think it usually will be just because I'm with all three kids 24/7. This week has confirmed that I could NOT be a stay at home mom. There's just no way I could maintain my mental health and stay at home with these three precious kids all the time. Not only would I go crazy, but I'm certain they would too. Nonetheless, I do wish I could spend more than six weeks at home with George. This feeling is amplified when he is crying in someone else's arms and quiets as soon as I hold him. Sadly, I won't be there to comfort him when he starts day care, and the thought of him crying without me being able to comfort him breaks my heart. Hopefully, he will adjust quickly. I'm sure I will adjust as I have in the past, but it is still a little painful to think about it.

Okay, enough of my boring posts. I'm sure to come up with something interesting soon, but being holed up in this cave (aka my house) allows for little interaction with the outside world leading to interesting commentary. Instead, my life is filled with arguments/discussions about whose turn it is to pick out a movie and whether we're going to watch Star Wars or a princess movie and the whining that ensues by the losing child. Ugh.

Happy 2009

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy 2009. Much love to all of you.

- Theresa

Tutorial: How to Post a Comment

Okay, so I've spoken to a few of my frequent viewers and some of you have expressed that you would post comments but you don't want to have to create a blog to do so. Well, I'm here to tell you how to post a comment without having to create a blog.

When you see something witty, interesting, dumb, boring, insightful, or otherwise which makes you want to post a reply or a comment, just go to the bottom of that post and click on "Comments". At that point, Blogger will pop up with a Comments box and you can read all the comments that have been made. If you scroll to the bottom of the Comments box, you will see the following options to choose from:

Google/Blogger
Open ID (use only if you have a LiveJournal ID or other ID)
Name/URL
Anonymous

Each option has a circle next to it and you can click on the circle to choose how you would like to post. If you do not have a Blog, you can click on either Name/URL or Anonymous. If you click on Name/URL, then fill in your name, leave the URL blank, and then fill in the box with your comment and click on "Publish Comment" and you're done. You can do the same thing for Anonymous.

At the end of this post, I have posted comments under each type of option for your viewing pleasure.