I Miss My Husband

It's 10pm, and Kasey just barely called me to say he is on his way home from work. In the last 14 days, he has put in 206 hours. That is a ridiculous amount of work by any one's standards.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of his week off. I can hardly wait to spend some quality family time together! I know that Makayla and Ellie, who haven't seen Kasey since Thursday, really miss their daddy.

Just For Amy

Okay Amy. Since you seem to take issue with the old pregnancy countdown, I've changed the ticker. If you will notice, I no longer have a floating naked baby, but rather a tiny baby in a pea pod to count down the days until this little baby's arrival.

Now you can visit without getting freaked out.

Day 4: Calling For Reinforcements

Today there was a little less crying and a little less asking for the binky, which was a nice break for my sanity. However, Ellie is starting to realize that I'm not going to budge on the binky thing. It's this realization that is forcing her to get creative in her tactics.

Tonight she was playing with her little Cinderella cell phone. I overheard her say this: I love you Papa. Help me Papa. Mama took bink! Help me!

So I said to her, "Ellie, are you talking to your Papa?"

Yep. (into her phone again) Poppy, I love you. Mama big trouble! Took bink. Help me Poppy!

I think it's hilarious that she called both of her grandpas to ask for help in recovering her binky. The child is desperate to have it back!

Randomness For Your Friday Afternoon

Ellie likes to put my shoes on and then sit down.

But sometimes she falls off; and I laugh.
I can't believe how much hair Ellie has at 21 months.
Makayla had significantly less at the same age.

Another huge difference I noticed in my girls the other day was their size. At 21 months, Ellie is wearing 24 month clothes, starting to transition to 2T. Makayla at 21 months had already switched over to size 3T because all of her 2T clothes were already too short. Maybe that's why I'm always a little puzzled when people say that Ellie is so big for her age. It's because Ellie is a shrimp compared to Makayla. It's still crazy to me how different my girls are in looks and personalities. I can't wait to see what this third kid will add to the mix.

Day 3: It Is Not Going Well

Last week after I admitted that after 6 months, I still had not weaned Ellie from her binky, I began to feel a little guilty. That, along with the thought of telling Ellie's dentist next month that she still uses a binky, convinced me that it's time to get rid of the dreaded bink once and for all.

Today is day three of no binky during the day. (She still gets it at bedtime and nap time.) I think I'm going to lose my mind! I didn't realize just how attached she was. Oh my! Every time she bumps into something, she asks for the binky. Every time she watches a show, she asks for the binky. Every time Makayla makes her mad/sad/happy/(insert emotion here), she asks for the binky. Every time we get in the car to drive anywhere, she asks for the binky. You get the point.

Each of these times, I've told her, "Sorry, no more binky," which immediately results in Ellie throwing herself on the floor or nearest piece of furniture in an all-out meltdown, complete with kicking and tears.

My head is absolutely throbbing after 3 days of this! Please, please tell me it gets better. If it doesn't, you'll easily be able to pick my child out of the kindergarten group pictures. She'll be the one with the binky.

I've Been Waiting 12 Years For This

Twelve years ago I went on a routine babysitting job for Jill, a lady for whom I babysat frequently. After I put her two adorable boys to bed, I popped in a movie to watch until Jill and her husband got home. That movie was The Net. If you haven't seen it, here is a brief plot summary.

Angela Bennett's a software engineer type who works from home and has few
friends outside of cyberspace. Taking her first vacation in years she becomes
embroiled in a web of computer espionage.

That's what the movie is about, but, you know, the thing I remember most vividly about this movie is not the actors, or the suspense, or the explosions, it's that (within the first five minutes of the movie) Sandra Bullock's character hopped online and ordered a pizza, which was then delivered to her house. I thought that was the coolest thing EVER.

I remember thinking, "Someday I want to be able to order pizza on the Internet." And do you know what? That's exactly what I did tonight. And it was just as cool as I imagined it would be.

It takes very little to please me these days.

A New TV

"I don't care what it is, when it has an LCD screen, it makes it better." ~Kevin Rose

I thought this a fitting quote for us since just a few days ago Kasey, the money-maker, asked me, the budget-er, if we could save up for a big, new LCD TV. I about choked when he told me the price, but told him we would save up for it.

I'll let you know how we like it in five years when we've finally saved up enough money to actually purchase the darn thing.

Pictures

As I mentioned earlier, I got the girls' pictures taken on Saturday. I won't get my CD until later this week, but you can get a sneak peek of some of the pictures here. I'm so pleased with how they turned out.

The Pronunciation Leaves Something to be Desired

This morning I was reading an analysis on CNN.com. The comments had a picture next to them, and when Ellie walked up next to me, she exclaimed, "The prophet!"

"No, that's not the prophet. Should we find a picture of him?"

"Okay."

So I clicked over to lds.org in order to find a current picture of the prophet. (Shame on me, I still don't have one hanging in our home.) "There you go, Ellie. That's the prophet. Can you say 'President'?"

"Present-dent"

"Monson."

"Muffin."

"President Monson."

"That's Present-dent Muffin!"

Well, at least she tries.

An Entertaining Drive

Yesterday I was driving to the place of my birth to see my parents and sister and also to meet up with a most amazing photographer. (I can't wait to get the pictures and show them off!)

On the drive over, I was rocking out to the Beatles while Makayla and Ellie watched a movie. Makayla wanted to know what I was singing, so I paused her movie and started singing to her the words of "Come Together." There's a part where the lyrics say, "I know you. You know me."

Makayla scrunched up her face and said, "I don't know him. Why did he say that to me? Mom, he doesn't know me!"
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On the same drive, a passing motorcycle caught Makayla's attention.

Oooo! What's that?

It's a motorcycle.

I like to ride a motorcycle, but not with that boy.

Who do you like to ride with?

I just only ride with my papa.

That's right! Your papa takes you on his big motorcycle, doesn't he.

Yeah, I like to ride with my papa. I don't want to go with that boy, though. I'm too shy of him. I just want to ride with my papa. Can we go see him today? I want to ride his motorcycle.
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I did a lot of laughing on our drive yesterday. I wish I could remember all the funny things that Makayla said. That girls kills me!

Note to Self

Eating a large piece of the delicious cake you made last night will cause you to stay awake for hours, writhing in pain. Don't do it again!

The Ultimate Threat

Tonight, I was teasing Ellie with her binky (which I still haven't taken away from her), and it really upset Makayla. She stormed into the kitchen and yelled, "Hey! You give that back to her right now or I'm going to call your sister."

In the straightest face possible, I said "Oh no. Don't do that."

"I'm going to!" She started dialing on her fake cell phone and talking to my "sister." "Hello. I'm angry with my mom because she is teasing Ellie. (pause) Okay, bye." To me, "Your sister said to be nice to Ellie, or she will come see you."

Really, at this point I couldn't keep it in any longer. Quiet snickers quickly became loud guffaws. Makayla indignantly turned around and marched out of the room, flipping her hair as she went.

Oh, that girl!

Get To Know Me Some More

What are your initials? LJN

What is your favorite thing to wear? My new maternity capri's. They are so comfy and apparently pretty cute (see Makayla's comment to the right).

Last thing you drank? Sprite--shame on me, I should be drinking water.

I say "shotgun," you say? go for it

Last person you hugged? Makayla

How many US states have you been to? 16

How many of the US states have you lived in? 4

Does anyone you know wanna date you? Yikes! I hope only my husband.

Name something you like physically about yourself? my eyes and my clear skin

Why are you still up? I'm just posting this, and then I'm taking a nap. I'm so exhausted.

Who/What made you angry today? I haven't been angry today, or annoyed which is actually the bigger surprise.

Favorite food? spaghetti and garlic bread, but I also really like steak.

Favorite holiday(s)? Thanksgiving

Do you download music? occasionally

Do you care if your socks are dirty? of course!

Name one of your bad habits. Sitting around in my underwear/pajamas all day and then putting clothes on right before Kasey gets home from work. I don't know why I bother since sometimes he doesn't get home from work until I'm getting ready for bed anyway.

What are you wearing? Contrary to what you might believe from the previous answer, I am wearing clothes: new maternity capri's and polo shirt. But really, the only reason I'm dressed is because I had to leave the house this morning.

Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally? yes

Do you love anyone? definitely

Have you ever bungee jumped? not yet. . . or ever, probably.

Have you ever gone white-water rafting? Yes. Kasey and I went on a week-long rafting trip about a month after we were married. Riding the rapids and eating dutch-oven cobbler on the beach were awesome, but peeing in the river for a week was not for me.

How is the weather right now? sunny, hot, and surprisingly not windy

What are you listening to right now? Guster My sister got me hooked on them several years ago.

What was the last movie you watched? Waitress. I found it on sale for $1.99! Definitely the best buy of the season.

Do you wear contacts? I tried them for the first time last year, but my eyes are way too sensitive. I could only keep them in for about 4 hours at a time--even after wearing them for 6 months. Not worth the hassle in my opinion.

Where was the last place you went besides your house? public library

How many piercings have you had? My ears have been pierced once, but I haven't worn earrings since my wedding day. And before that, it had been several years.

How many pets do you have? None. Wait, do children count?

What's one thing you've learned today? How to deflect the millions of questions coming out of my 4-year-old's mouth. The trick: ask her what she thinks the answer is. I'm not looking forward to the day she figures that one out.

What do you usually order from Starbucks? hot chocolate with peppermint or occasionally a carmel apple cider.

Are you currently missing someone? Yes. Only 6 more hours until Kasey gets home from work.

Favorite TV shows? Grey's Anatomy and Lost. When I had cable, I really loved watching Ellen.

Do you have an iPod? yes

Who would you like to see right now? I'd love to be hanging out with any number of friends right now. After my nap, that is.

Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to? who hasn't?

Have you ever ridden in a limo? Nope, it kind of seems like a waste of money. I have a perfectly good car to drive me where I need to go.

Do you like Michael Jackson? I like some songs.

What's your favorite smell? cinnamon--like cinnamon bears or hot tamales, not cinnamon that you cook with.

Favorite baseball team? I don't really watch baseball, but when I did I liked the Yankees.

Favorite cereal? Healthy with a little sweetness. Example: Frosted Mini Wheats, Clusters, oatmeal with brown sugar

What's the longest you've gone without sleep? 4 days--what's that, like, 90 hours or something. Torture! I'll never do that again!

Last time you went bowling? I think it was August 2003 with the Porters.

Where is the weirdest place you have slept? On an air mattress in the back of the big brown van with 6 other people the night of high school graduation. Not very creative, I know. I usually opt for my bed.

Who was your last phone call? I think I talked to my mom yesterday. I've had ample opportunities to talk with telemarketers today, but I've ignored all of them.

What's the closest orange object next to you? price tag sticker on Ellie's coloring book.

Kissed anyone in the past two weeks? you betcha!

I got this from my sister's blog. You can read her answers here.

Pickles and Ice Cream

I think I'm finally getting over the morning sickness stage of pregnancy. Now that I can eat actually food again, the cravings have really started to kick in.

I know this is so cliche', but I'm really craving pickles and ice cream. No, not together.

Although, now that I'm thinking about it, that combination might not be too bad.

Cafe Preggers

I read this in one of the many magazines the doctor's office gave me at my initial visit. I thought it was funny--probably because it's pretty close to how things actually are for me.

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

We always have just what you want, at any stage of pregnancy--from the queasy beginning to those last weeks when the baby has taken up every ounce of spare room in your belly.

---------------------

First Trimester Menu

Appetizer

Tums compote

Entree

Fresh Saltines on a bed of Saltines, lightly seasoned with Saltines

Beverage

Ginger ale (IV drip available upon request)

Dessert

Ten minutes in a dim room with an ice bag on your head

-----------------------

Second Trimester Menu

Appetizer

Half a roast chicken, extra crispy

Entree

A succulent leg of lamb smothered in pork chops, served with BBQ ribs and garnished with cheeseburgers (all burnt beyond recognition for your safety)

Beverage

Toll House-pie smoothie, prepared with 1/2 pint heavy cream

Dessert

9" x 16" pan of double-fudge brownies

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Third Trimester Menu

(Each course followed by 15-minute neck massage and/or bathroom break.)

Appetizer

Three bites of tossed salad

Entree

Two bites of lasagna

Beverage

None--so you'll have room for dessert

Dessert

A Tic Tac

I Hate Drunk People

I've been sitting at the computer for the last hour, trying to catch up on emails and blogs. And outside my window, some drunken idiot is screaming some nonsense about Brett Favre. I just want to go over there and hit him over the head with his stupid beer bottle.
I HATE stupid, loud, annoying drunk people!!!!

There. I feel better for having blogged about it. But not better enough that I'm not going to call the cops in about 3 minutes.

7 Years Ago Today. . .

I was enjoying my last night as a teenager with my 3 best friends.

The next day I headed for college and adulthood--something for which I'd been waiting for quite some time.

Now that I've experienced the adult life--paying the bills, making the decisions, being in charge of other people's lives--I've decided that life as a teenager wasn't so bad after all.

Why didn't I know that when I was one?

Parting Thought

I'm going away for a few days. I've got ten thousand things to do before 11am. So all you get today is a quote that I like. It makes me think of my girls; that's probably why I like it so much.

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what
nobody has thought." ~Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Reasons I Love My Doctor

*He is quick, yet thorough.
*He makes me feel like I'm the only patient he has.
*He teases me about having 10 kids. (It must be because of these birthin' hips of mine.)
*When he says, "I'm glad you're feeling better," I feel like he actually means it.
*He takes time to answer my questions.
*I almost always have a book with me, and he shows an interest in what I'm reading.
*He's been delivering babies longer than I've been alive. He could do it in his sleep!

After I had Makayla, I was convinced that I'd never find another doctor that I loved as much as Dr. DeMeyere. Lucky for me, I did!

Who Needs the Sunday Comics? I've Got Makayla!

Tonight as I was transfering dinner from the skillet to a serving dish, Makayla wandered into the kitchen. She was sniffing the air and exclaimed, "Mmmm! Are we having that smell for dinner?"
"Why, yes we are."
"What is it?"
"It's BBQ chicken."
"Is it going to taste good?"
"It's going to taste fabulous!"
"Hmmm. . . I don't like that flavor, thank you."
Then she turned and walked out.

As it turns out, she does like the flavor of fabulous. She ate 3 servings of chicken.

Dancing Queen

Last night I was organing some photos and videos. I came across this hilarious video of Makayla dancing. Once again, I wish my camera recorded sound. If I remember right, she is dancing to the credits of The Little Mermaid. But since this is from last November, I can't be sure.


(Sorry about all the shaking. I was laughing so hard!)

Picture Post

I had so much fun finding the pictures for all of these. Why don't you all try it so I can see how your mosaics turn out!

The Concept:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your nickname.

The Answers:
1. Laura
2. spaghetti
3. LCSC--where I went to college
4. blue
5. I don't really have a crush, but I like Gerard Butler.
6. It's a toss up between orange juice and water.
7. Alaskan cruise--maybe someday
8. pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting
9. organized
10. my husband and children
11. content
12. Lola--this was kind of my nickname in high school. It's the best I could come up with since I don't have any nicknames now.

Picture Update

Hmm. . . for having a camera full of pictures, I sure don't have very many to share. For my third week of vacation this summer, I went to stay with my mom & dad. It was like my own little vacation from my vacation. That's because my mom lets me sleep in when I stay at her house, and she does all the cooking, too. (Thanks Mom!)

While there, I got to meet up with my old high school friends. We haven't all been together since August 2001. Oh my, how things have changed in those 7 years. We are now all married and have kids. There are 9.5 kids among us. Wowza! That made for one crazy, fun day. I was a little busy catching up and chasing kids around to take too many pictures, but here are two from that day.

Ellie & Kamrie playing the piano. I couldn't get both girls to look at me at the same time.

7 of the 9 kids. The other 2 were too small to sit on the slide.

I made a cake one Sunday, and then foolishly left it on the kitchen table. Ellie climbed up on the table and licked off all the frosting. I think she was pretty pleased with herself.

This was one of those times where I thought to myself, "I'm such a cool mom." I have this big roll of paper. So I ripped off a big piece, had Makayla lay down and then traced her. Then she got to use chalk and crayons to color herself. She had so much fun, and I got a nice, long shower.

Sorry I don't have any more pictures than this. I guess I better whip out the camera more often to capture little bits of our life.

Little Reassurances Go A Long Way

A lot of times I question my parenting abilities. But every once in a while, I get a little reassurance to put my mind at ease.

Today my reassurance came from Makayla when she said, "I want more peas and carrots please." When I told her we were all out she said, "Well, we might go to the store and buy some more then."

I must be doing something right if my children are asking for more vegetables.

What Could Be Better Than Free Entertainment?

My kids crack me up!

When Makayla doesn't know a word for something, she tries to describe it to me. But her descriptions leave a lot to be desired. And instead of understanding what she is talking about, I usually end up covering my mouth so as not to laugh out loud. I'm not always successful.

Today's description went something like this.

Mom, I just saw this cool thing!
Where did you see it?
On my movie.
What was it?
Well, it sort of went like down and then up and down again.
I don't know what that is.
Yes you do! It goes like this. (Then charade style, she tried to act out what she saw.)
I'm sorry, baby, but I don't know what that is.
It's just gray with a little, little yellow. And it's round with a down, up, down.
(This is where I started to laugh) What's it called, Makayla?
Well, I just think it might be called. . .um. . .I don't know. Light. . . ming?
Lightning?
Yeah, that's it. That's what I saw. On my movie.
(laughing continues)
Thanks. I love you. Bye. I have to watch my movie again.
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Ellie's vocabulary has really exploded over the last month or so. She knows a lot of words and tries so hard to repeat any new words she hears. But the best is when she misuses a word.

The other day, I heard noises coming from the kitchen. Noises that alerted me to a crime in progress. I walked around the corner to see the girls sneaking treats. They noticed me and quickly tried to dispose of the evidence. Makayla threw hers in her mouth and Ellie hid hers behind her back. So I said, "Ellie, what do you have?" Very innocently she looked up and said, "Nowhere." At that point I just turned around and started laughing to myself.

I'm telling you--Kids are the best!

Who Knew?

I have a geeky secret to share.

I subscribe to a dictionary word of the day. Every day I look forward to learning a new word. The chances of me using these new words in my vocabulary are rare, but still, I feel smarter for having read a new word.

Once in a while, I come across a new word that just complete dumbfounds me. Like today for example: vexillology. My inner geek got all excited when I saw this word. I was thinking "Wow! This is going to be a good one."

Turns out that vexillology is the study of flags. Seriously? Are there actual people who do this?

My curiosity got the better of me, so I googled it. As it turns out, there are actual organizations dedicated to the study of flags. Don't believe me? Look here or here. Or if you want to know who the actual people are (which apparently, I did) check out Wikipedia.

Okay, I feel a little vulnerable right now for sharing this deep dark secret. Try not to make too much fun of me. How about a redeeming picture update post later today?

Little Tummy Flutters

This past week has been fun. I started feeling the baby moving around. I always forget how much I love that. It's still mostly little flutters, and I really have to be paying attention to feel it. But a few times, it's been an actual kick. Only 4 more weeks until I find out if we're having a boy or a girl.

A Reason to Celebrate

I have a closet half-full of clothes that don't fit. (Doesn't every woman?) These are clothes that I've grown out of, but I'm determined to wear again one day.

One Day--that magical place existing in the mind of every woman desperate to fit into those high school jeans. Welcome to my "one day."

A pleasant side effect of pregnancy for me is weight loss. Without even trying, the pounds just seem to melt off. I'm sure it has a lot to do with my inability to eat a normal sized meal or keep it down 100% of the time. Whatever the reason, the doctor isn't concerned. And neither am I.

Over the past 3 months, I've lost about 10 pounds. Combine that with the 15 I lost shortly before I got pregnant for a grand total of 25 pounds. Woo Hoo!

Today, out of curiosity, I decided to open that other half of my closet and try on a few things. To my utter astonishment and delight, I pulled on and zipped up a skirt that I haven't worn since before I got pregnant with Makayla. That was 5 years ago.

I was so excited and so sad at the same time. Even though I got the skirt zipped up, it was really tight around my growing baby bulge. I'd never be able to actually wear it anywhere. But there is hope!

When I put that skirt back in the closet, I put it a little closer to the "this fits me" side of the closet. Now I'm looking forward to January for 2 reasons: the arrival of this new little person and being able to wear my favorite skirt again.

Today, life is good!

Spoiled, But Not Rotten

I don't think I was spoiled growing up. I have realized as I've gotten older that certain things in my life were easier than they were for my older siblings. But I think a lot of that just comes with being the fourth out of five children.

I had chores to do. I had to help with the yard work and garden in the summer. When I was a little older, I had a curfew. I had a job all through high school so that I could participate in the activities I wanted. My parents taught me good values and how to work. And for that, I'm very grateful.

But today I realized that my mother did spoil me rotten in one thing: watermelon.

Seems a little strange, I know. Let me explain. I remember maybe 3 times in my life where my mom would cut up a watermelon in wedges and have us eat the meat off the rind, spitting the seeds out as we went. With every other watermelon that came through our door, she would seed and chunk the entire thing and put it in a bowl in the fridge to chill (if it ever lasted long enough to get into the fridge). Then all we had to do was grab a fork and spear perfectly bite-sized, seed-free pieces for our enjoyment.

I don't think it ever really occurred to me that this is a rare thing to do, especially the seeding part. In the 7 years that I've lived away from home, I've attended many picnics where watermelon is served. But to my dismay, it's always either cut into wedges or chunks with the seeds still in it. I'm sorry, but after so many years of the way my mother has cut up watermelon, I just can't eat it any other way. It sounds a little snooty and perhaps a little lazy, but I don't care. I like it the way I like it.

Here's the problem. Whenever I buy a watermelon now, I have to slice it, scrape the seeds out, and cut it into the perfect size chunks for my little munchkins to enjoy. At 4 and 1 they have come to expect it, much the way I expected it of my own mother.

And so, I'm carrying on the tradition of spoiling my children. But I'm not spoiling them rotten. They still have to pick up their toys before they can reap the benefits of all my hard work.