Preggers Update

Somehow I've managed to go almost the whole 9 months with little to no updates on our pregnancy. Maybe this is the norm, with our second kiddo and all. ;-)

Things have progressed smoothly with no complications. While i was spared many of the common 'side affects' such as morning sickness (only had 'evening queasies') and varicose veins (negative), bulging belly button (negative), splotchy skin or acne (neg and neg - thank GOD, had the zits with Sam) as well as a few others, I have experienced some discomfort, especially now that we are down the homestretch.

Finding a comfortable sleeping position is a challenge, but not that it really matters since actual SLEEPING is so foreign to me. I'm up and down all night. In fact, i'm still walking around coherently thanks to the mid-day naps i squeeze in when i'm not at work. I also find that a lot of my energy is sucked dry and by 5pm, i'm a shell of exhaustion. i do think some of this has to do with being overweight. I can't even chalk it up to "having an active toddler" as Sam is not that much of a burden. I do not have to CARRY him everywhere and he's pretty easy going. He is, however, having a wonderful time clawing at and growling at my belly, being Papa Dinosaur.


I've decided to have a planned repeat c-section, after a great amount of thought, consideration and at times, angst and frustration of thinking about trying the 'natural' way this time around. Sam was an emergency c-section, and I've weighed all the pros and cons, as well as talking with my doc and midwives. Due to the scar on my uterus from Sam's c-section, I'm just not going to take the risk of a VBAC (look it up). It's an odd feeling to KNOW that i'm going in for surgery to remove this baby; everything happened at lightening speed with Sam, and i had very little time to feel disappointed or like a 'failure.' This time, i've had time to THINK about that notion, and decided months ago to stop beating myself up. In the long run, no one cares HOW our Bun makes it into this world - just as long as s/he and I make it to the smiling stages immediately following. Recovery might be rough, but i have vowed to ask for help a lot more, especially now that I DO have a toddler to challenge my strength.

Anyhoo... the next update will most likely be the BIRTH - - scheduled August 14. We do not know if it will be a boy or girl. I had a dream a month ago it was a girl - a pretty vivid dream, i might add. So who knows. I can easily picture Sam as a big bro to either a boy or a girl. Either will certainly give him a run for the money; I'll make SURE of it!!!

Our Lil Spelling Bee

So as a follow-up to the YouTube clip we have of Sam spelling his name, I'd like to add that he is QUITE TAKEN with the alphabet and spelling in general. One day, he completely shocked me by spelling S-T-O-P from the backseat as we approached a stop sign. We did not teach him this. Neither did daycare.

*insert "Twilight Zone" theme music here*

Since the YouTube clip, he's learned to spell (aka, recite upon asking) the words MOM, DAD, RON, EGG sometimes CAT, and the Mother of Big Words (for now): BABYBUG (his little magazine we read). I've been actively showing him the letters of the alphabet, randomly, and asking him to point to them. Aside from "Q" and "Z" (uh oh - the high letter scorers in Scrabble!), he knows them all. In fact, i don't think he knows the Alphabet Song yet, which a lot of times is just a memorization "jingle" for kids this age. I'm siked that he's taken interest in all this. I often ask him if he'd like to know how to spell this-n-that word, and he nods enthusiastically while repeating after me. I think it's REALLY important to establish a strong grasp on language and spelling and grammar in this world, and if it's coming at an early age, all the more advantage. Spelling came very naturally to me growing up - maybe i've passed this gene on.

It's also funny to note HOW he recites the words/spelling back to me. Very "Spelling Bee"ish. There's inflection at the end of every letter, and when he's done spelling it, he repeats the word. So dang cute.

"PYE-durh bite, Mommy!"

Poor Sammy. Almost 2 weeks ago, i noticed Sam had a bug bite on his leg. It looked like a really hungry mosquito had her way with my son. Welty and itchy. But he really didn't pay it much attention.

The next morning, i noticed the bite had 'progressed.' It was no longer just an itchy white welt with a small center. It was a large red circle with tiny blisters near the middle. And it felt hot to the touch. I wondered if it was a spider bite, but i have no personal experience with them. Ron thought it might be too. I called the doctor on-call (as it was a Sunday morning), described it, and they asked me to come in. Sam, i should mention, was not phased by the bite at all. His demeanor didn't change, his energy level was still oh-so active, etc.


When we got there, the doc agreed it looked like a spider bite, but i guess spider bites are identical in looks to a staph infection, which we could not absolutely rule out since i did not SEE the spider bite him. I just had it in my head that the spider got him on our porch, and more specifically, from the couch we have out there. Nooks and crannies, you know. She gave him some oral meds (mm.. cherry flavor) and sent us on our way.

Within 2-3 days, it was definitely clearing up. We still don't know which it was, and just yesterday, i peeled off a pretty good "slab of a scab" of it, so now it's practically clear. Good.

"Mommy... don't PICK my pye-durh bite!"

Newsflash Sammy-Sams: Mommy is a PICKER!!!!

Supertunia - - Then and Now.

I bought this, what i call, Supertunia (as in Super-Petunia) at a local nursery/ice cream joint. I couldn't NOT buy it, as it were. The thing was GORGEOUS - so full, so vibrant; all this coming from someone who does NOT have a green thumb, though i have the knowledge of a Green Thumber, considering my mom is quite the flower connoisseur. Anyhoo, i digress.



I bought it right before The Heat Wave of the season a few weeks ago. It hit temps in the 90s and near 100s for about 4 days straight before breaking. It really did a number to the 'tunia. That, paired with what my mom claims to be an unhealthy life in the plastic pot it was sold in. She said she watched Martha Stewart talk about this very topic (a once healthy plant dying quickly because of the plastic pot).


While ST is still alive, she is not the crazy woman of her day. She is no longer dancing the disco til all hours of the night, and still looking like a million in the morning. She is a woman that needs some perking up. Some luvvin and huggin. I'm trying to give it to her. But i still have to buy her some 'breathable undies,' so to speak...

Another Visit to Emily's

On May 21 (i told you, I have to play catch up here a bit!), we ventured to Cazenovia again, this time to not only see Emily and Oscar and Wes (and Mia) again, but to see Ron's friends Adam and Cheryl, in town for a short visit. He had not seen them since college and it was nice for me to meet them as well. They brought their 4 yr. old daughter Nessa (NOT short for "Vanessa") who had just come down with a case of pink eye. We joked that we almost did not bring Sam due to a runny nose and a slight cold he had (thus exposing lil one month old Oscar to some germies), but that they "trumped us" with the pink eye. It is safe to report that none of us got it, eventhough i was fully prepared to. Goes with the territory of having kids.

Little "To Do List" Reminders...

This list is a reminder for me, and a teaser for you. There are some pics and stories to upload, and i'm trying to find the time (when i remember!) to post them.

~ Sam the Spelling Bee (S-T-O-P)
~ The Spider Bite
~ The Sr. Art Shows in Alfred
~ My Supertunia or Yore
~ Preggers Update

Check back soon!!!

S... A.............. M !!!!