The Dancings!

The First and the Last

So, this week I have had the extreme pleasure of being at home with my girls, or, more specifically, with Devrie. About midway through the week I realized that this was my first week with her where we got to spend alone time together. And I also realized it's my last week as well because the new baby will be here next Thursday. So bittersweet. So, we are enjoying lots of Dora and Sesame Street and eating and reading together. She has made no mention of Carmen, her nanny, so it hasn't been nearly the adjustment for her that it has for me. There are times during the day she will come right up to my face and just smile, as if to say, "I am so glad you are here." It makes me want to squish her. She is such a multi-faceted child. One minute you are so frustrated with her busy-ness, the next minute, she is edible, and you really do want to just eat her up.

She has no idea what she is in for next week. I'm sure there will be LOTS of good stories. Hopefully none involving life threatening injuries of the new one by the two year old. I'm assuming just lots of "annoying" helping.

I am totally looking forward to Braelin's reaction to a new baby sister. Now that she is eight, I think she will be more motherly toward this baby than she was with Devrie.

I am sooooo ready to not be pregnant anymore. I just can't get over my bump...it's really more like a large boulder these days. And of course, you have to get up slow, because you never know what parts of your lower body are going to be affected by actually moving.

I've also decided that Dr. Braxton Hicks is an evil man. AND, I don't think men should ever be responsible for naming, inventing, deciding, or commenting on ANYTHING that only happens to women. There: I've said my peace.

Things That Make You Go HMMMMMM.....

So, the last couple of weeks have been fairly uneventful, but it seems that during times of blah, some pretty interesting things can happen.

Case in point: I changed OBGYN's with this pregnancy because I didn't want to have to travel clear to Plano for the 5,000 doctor's appts. that inevitably come with having a baby. Needless to say, this pregnancy has been VERY different from the other two, despite the fact that I'm convinced we're having another girl. I have not felt well, and the migraine headaches had gotten out of control. My new doctor prescribed Vicodin for the pain, and I will tell you that the Vicodin laughed wickedly all the way down to my stomach, where it spread into my bloodstream and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help the pain in my head. I almost gave myself a lobotomy. So, I called the nurse to talk to her about my dilemma. I do not know nurse Jenny, I had never met her. I called her very early that morning and left her a message. She returned my call at 4pm, and this is how the conversation went:

Me: "I'm am still in so much pain, and the Vicodin isn't helping at all."

Her: "I TOLD YOU THAT YOU NEEDED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR. SUMAKIA, THE NEUROLOGIST!"

Me: "Ummmm, I don't recall having that conversation."

Her: (Getting more impatient) "YES, WE CANNOT HELP YOU WITH YOUR MIGRAINES, YOU NEED TO SEE HIM. WHY HAVEN'T WE SEEN YOU IN APRIL?"

Me: (Getting more nervous) "Ummmm, my next appointment is for May 13."

Her: (frantically flipping through papers) "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GO SEE THE PERINATOLOGIST BEFORE YOUR 12TH WEEK. YOU ARE NOW 14 WEEKS. DID YOU SEE HIM YET? DID YOU? DID. YOU?????

Me: (Completely freaked out) "Ummmmm, no, to be totally honest, I was just trying not to throw up at my last appointment, I don't remember anything except for that."

Her: (heavy sigh while flipping through papers) Dramatic Pause. "Oh, wait, you know what? I am confusing you with another patient we have who also suffers from migraines and who is also ADVANCED AGE."

Me: "________________?" (What the hell do you say after that?)

I'm not even going to tell you what I wanted to say to her after she said that to me. I should've just hung up, instead I followed all the orders she barked out, and went and saw my OB AND the Neurologist the next day, just in case I DIED in my sleep from being so freakin' old! It was amazing to me that at the doctor I could actually pee IN THE CUP (no drippies) ALL BY MYSELF, after having driven myself to the doctor's office without causing any vehicular accidents along the way. I didn't even need my walker, nor did I need to park super close and take advantage of the Handicapped sticker permanently adhered to my license plate. I didn't ask for the senior discount at lunch, or at Ross while I waited for my prescriptions to be filled at the Kroger. I was pretty proud of my aging self. Stupid lady....

So, onto the second half of that day. I am at home laying on the bed with a pounding migraine. The meds still haven't kicked in from the neurologist, but I am hopeful. These days, we throw Braelin and Devrie in the shower together. They can't drown in there, and it keeps the floor a lot drier, since they have this strong desire to see how much water they can actually splash OUT of the tub. I was laying there in all my pathetic glory, and Bradley was in and out of the bathroom playing referee. Suddenly, there was a ruckus, followed by Braelin crying, then Devrie screaming (she can communicate with the dolphins, I swear). Bradley entered the bathroom immediately (the scream insists that you do this so you can stop the noise) and opened the shower door. The conversation went like this:

Bradley: "What is the problem?"

Braelin: "Devrie stuck her finger in my bum, and it hurt REAL BAD!"

Evidently, she had bent over to pick up a toy, and Devrie, being at BUM level saw the opportunity and took it. The scream came from Braelin hitting her over the head with whatever it was she had picked up.

Okay, so don't ever start laughing hysterically when you have a migraine. It just makes it worse.

(Old pic of Devrie and Braelin in the tub, before the poking began)

Easter Sunday 2009

So, I have to do two posts today, because I can't pass up the opportunity to show off my little girls in their Easter garb.

I was up on Sunday morning at 7am (those of you who know me well know what a HUGE sacrifice this was). Had to get ready fast so I had a good hour to do everyone's hair. Normally, hair isn't one of my top priorities on Sunday mornings. We are lucky if it's brushed let alone all up in little "things". Also, I'm just not that good at doing hair. I have very little patience, and my fingers don't work like they should. And what luck that I have two daughters with the hair swirl in the back, which translated means, "Impossible to part." Everyone else at church has these perfect parts down the scalp, my kids, looks like a zigzag on crack....

Anyway, back to my story. So, I had an hour to do hair, right? Wrong. At 8:30am, I had finished Braelin's hair and started on Devrie's. She would not sit still. I had this lattice idea that I had found on a blog from a mom that knows what she is doing, and I will tell you: "Do not attempt this when you are running late or pregnant". I started to go to a very bad place when she wouldn't sit still, and I couldn't get the piggy's to criss cross. I started to get the sweats, and it was looking like she might have to go with her "helmet hair" to church. Thankfully, I pulled it together, and this is how we ended up at church...10 minutes late:

What I Wish I Could Do!

I know I am not the only one out there who at times wishes they were doing something else. Like, I really look at certain people and think, "How'd they get THAT gig?"

For example:

Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel. I mean, she gets PAID (and I'm sure it's A LOT) to go on all these fabulous vacations, eat great food, get all kinds of spa treatments...this is her job, people. How can I get one of those? I could totally do that.

Why can't I make lots of money by making invitations like the one I did today for a friend?

I'm so jealous of people who get to be cute and creative at work all day...how fun would that be?

Or how about this...You are a divemaster, and you get paid to go scuba diving every day of your life....seriously?

Now, I am NOT complaining about my job...especially in this economy and during such uncertain times, but it's alright to dream, and I am gonna do it!

I will say that my little company has been so good for me in this respect. It has been so fun to be creative and build something from nothing that people not only appreciate, but that they are actually buying! That is something to be excited about. Now, if I can just get enough people to buy all of them that are sitting in my garage...I might have room for my scuba diving equipment in there!

Lauren

Devrie Doo Turned TWO!

I cannot believe this child is already two years old. It's so interesting thinking back to when we first found out we were pregnant. It had been just Braelin and me and Bradley for so long, it was hard to imagine life with another child. But now, I can't imagine life without her. She is such a joy in my life, and, although exhausting, I wouldn't change anything about her. Well, maybe that scream of hers that travels up and down my spine and forces me to give her whatever it is she is screaming about so she will stop.

So, let me tell you a little about Devrie.

1. From the time I could feel her kicking, she never stopped moving. She wasn't one of those that slept in my tummy during the day and kicked at night, oh, no...it was constant. I would be traveling on a plane, and there she was, like an alien trying to get out of my belly.

2. Once born, she continued moving, and she really is 100 miles an hour all of the time.

3. After the first year, she finally started sleeping through the night. The 100 mph all day helps her crash and burn at night. You can hear the house sigh once her bedroom door is shut each night.

4. She can already carry a tune. Even though the words to whichever song she has in her head may be jumbled, I know exactly what she is singing.

5. She is a bilingual wizard...every day she amazes me that she can understand both languages so completely.

6. Nothing gets past this child...you know how with some kids you can hide the remote or the chapstick, and they will think it just mysteriously disapearred? Nope, not her, she will look until she finds it, she knows you hid it somewhere in the couch!

7. Everything right now is "MINE"!

8. Before you leave, she will ask you for "mos", which means Eskimo kisses, which means you won't want to leave.

9. She loves to dress herself, and if you pull out the wrong thing, she will let you know it.

10. She loves shoes...a crazy love for shoes already. She says, "Patas", which means feet, and she wants to try them all on and look at herself.

11. If she could be outside all day, she would do it, no matter the weather.

12. If you say the word "shower" or "bath", she will sprint to the shower, strip down, and scream until you turn on the water.

13. When her daddy comes home from work, you would think he'd been gone for 2 weeks, she is so freakin' excited to see him.

14. When you try to leave her in the Nursery at church, she vomits so you'll come back. It works.

15. When she wants you to be quite, she says, "Shhhh.", and holds her finger to her nose instead of her mouth.

16. She has these amazing brown eyes, and we have no idea where they came from...we are guessing my mom's side, but who knows...

17. She thinks Desatin is face cream, and hand sanitizer is shampoo, and toothpaste is a treat.

18. She can get into anything and any place you have tried to lock. The other day I locked the bathroom door for some privacy, and she came busting through the walk in closet and out the other side, like, "hey, I almost missed you, lady! What gives?"

19. She can program a cell phone better than I can.

20. She wants to do everything her big sister does, including, dancing, singing, tumbling, swimming, talking. If Braelin is doing it, she is gonna try.

21. She can beat the tar out of Braelin.

22. She can beat the tar out of Mommy.

Here is a picture of her after she ate her birthday cake after her 1 year old party.

Here is a picture of her after she ate her cake at her 2 year party:

Still crazy, just older...

It's been too long!

So, here it is, almost the middle of March. Devrie is about to turn two, and I haven't even posted Christmas yet. What is wrong with me? Oh, wait, I remember...I need 29 hours in the day. That way, I can blog, work out, make a healthy meal instead of a drive thru meal, work, commute, help with homework, say more than 3 words to my husband (Goodbye, Hello, Goodnight)....etc. etc. Does anyone else feel like there just isn't enough time? Honestly...

So, here is a picture of Christmas!

It's not a picture of us, but I still think it's funny. I just think duct tape is funny, I always have, I don't know why.

So, this weekend, I plan to take pictures of Devrie for her birthday so I can at least keep some sort of record of her growth. I will post something more entertaining shortly.

Signing off....

Lauren

Ear Plugs, Magnets and True Love...

Before I blog on our Christmas festivities, I have to tell you about something WONDERFUL that has happened in the past couple of days.

Let me preface this with the fact that I have been VERY patient the last few (years) with the snoring. Up until about 3 months ago, I very rarely kicked Bradley out of the bed. But, lately, it's just gotten to the point where I can't be nice anymore. My poor husband has slept out on the couch more in the last few weeks than in our entire 10 years of marriage, and not because he is in the "dog house." His snorning can
peel.
paint.
off.
the.
walls!!

So, last night on my way to a drive-thru dinner of I know, I know, NOT nutritious, but OH, so yummy!!!

I stopped by the CVS pharmacy to get some earplugs and look for something to help the snoring! After much looking, I found this:
Evidently, you put this nose ring in your septum, and the magnets attached magically make you stop snoring.

I also picked up some of these fabulous earplugs, and an US weekly (I'm a sucker for trashy magazines)

So, I took it all home. When it was time for bed, Bradley and I began our normal nighttime ritual, and then we began the new one: Nose ring for Bradley, yellow and pink earplugs for Lauren. We looked at each other and started cracking up! Nothing like true love to keep you both in the bed together...we'll try anything!

Okay, so let me just say...in the midst of a sick 21 month old who was up all night, that nose ring WORKS! Hallelujah! For all those wives out there who are at their wits end, go to CVS and get this contraption...it helps A LOT. If your husband has sleep apnea, you might be out of luck, and if you can figure out how to get him to the doctor, and to wear the sleep machine, you are a better wife than I, and you need to blog about how you have that kind of control...

Anyway, check it out. I am sooooooooo excited! Life is good!