Namaste

When Emmy was a baby I did a mom and baby yoga class.   It was actually really nice and I was able to meet some nice mamas and babies in our area.   I would consider doing something like that with Keane but I just haven't been able to get my act together!

I have looked at mats and wholesale yoga supplies online and it wouldn't be that hard to do more yoga at home either.   

Can't wait...

In 23 days I will be in Los Angeles with my friends!   I'm so excited.   However, there's a part of me that's scared to leave my family.   I'm going to miss the kids terribly and I have never left them.   I know they'll be fine - but still...I wish they could go with me.

I wasn't there!

I just started reading some of the back issues of Time Magazine this morning at the doctor's office.   Before I looked at the date I saw an article about marty hanaka.    I read it for two minutes and then I got called away.

It's interesting how any one source of media can portray a person a certain way.   Then in the two minutes that I read I can have an idea.   

That's pretty dangerous.   

5 more weeks!!

Til I get to go to LA to hang out with the girls!!   I'm really excited!!   Shockingly, I think I'm going to have a hard time leaving my family behind.   I'm going to miss the kids.    Especially Keane.   He's still nursing and I hope that when I come back he still wants to nurse.

I plan on pumping the whole time I'm away and I hope that my milk stays around!

Dinner

I've been trying to make some good home made meals.   I let M and the kids pick out what they want for the upcoming week and I go out and get all of the ingredients that I will need for the upcoming week.   Typically, a  meal ends up easily costing more than it would for us to go out to eat at a restaurant!!  

Tonight we are having meat loaf and rice.   It's gooooood stuff.

Old fart.

Well, it's happened.   Another year.   I'm 36 years old.   Damn, that's old.   I remember I was 14 or so when my parents were my age.   I thought they were so old.

And to think that I have a one year old?!  

I had a pretty good birthday.   It was somewhat upsetting that M didn't do anything to plan for my birthday.   I got a card.   We are broke from Christmas.   I was also afraid that my father had forgotten my birthday.   So that evening I was on the edge of tears.

Then I get the call/message and email.   It made me feel better.  

The best.

The one thing I'm a snob about is getting the kids good winter gear.   My kids spend so much of the winter days outside that they need to stay warm.   Typically, I shop online and try to pick up good deals on the best brands.   My favorite is patagonia kids.    

Patagonia offers great quality products.   Yes, they are a bit more expensive but with three kids - the jackets, buntings, and hats LAST!   

I just got my Patagonia R2 Jacket in the mail the other day and it's so warm and fuzzy!   I don't want to take it off!

Making money....

These days I've been looking for ways that I can bring in just a little extra money.   It's hard because you get to a point where if you work you lose money because you're paying out so much in daycare!!!    Then there's the aspect that I really don't want to work because I have three kids that I want to be home for.

I wish I could just pick up a little part time job that would let me bring Keane to and/or would pay good enough where I could work a few hours a week and not feel guilty about getting a babysitter!

Gold!

We are constantly looking for ways to invest.   Margot is confident that putting money into Apple is going to make her $5,000 investment into millions.  

I want to buy gold bars!   Gold has done amazing over the past few years and it's shocking the increase that it's had.   Even when the stock market was in the gutter gold prices were at an all time high. 

Pre-K

I am so glad that Emmy got accepted into pre-K.   It's been such a good fit for her.   And us.   The only downfall is that they get out early on Fridays and typically I pick her up and we hang out for 4 hours until Graem comes home.      Just if she'd take a nap she'd be in much better spirits!

Filtered!

It seems like everything in our house goes at once!   Right now we are battling the plumbing and trying to figure out why we have a slow drain in our kitchen.   Margot bought a snake the other day and wasn't able to pull anything out but sludge.

Today I'm going to call the plumber out to see if he can do some piping work to help the waterflow.

I'm glad that we don't have to buy the iqair prefilter this month!   However, we do need to replace our fridge filter.  

Bad service

Typically, I go through one of the cheaper websites to order our holiday cards.   This year I went all out and ordered through a more expensive website.   I was disappointed that the customer service was anything but good!   I waited for an online chat person for over 10 minutes and finally gave up.   When I tried to call there was a 17 minute wait time!

Next time I'm going to look at cheap catalog printing places!   Not only do they offer tons more options, but they know how to print a large amount at half of the cost of the other guys!

Bad luck

Yesterday we went out to the car to find that our battery had died!   UGH.   We ended up having to call the wrecker to come and jump the battery.  LD came down but for some reason it didn't work.

After all was said and done I had to get the new battery installed at Walmart.   It was time though...   We have had the car for almost 5 years and never replaced the battery.

That was best case scenario!   I hate having car issues and knock on wood --- we've been very lucky!

Christmas!

So I've started Christmas shopping.   I just want to be finished with it already and STOP SPENDING MONEY!   It's like we're bleeding cash.

Then there's the $1,500 that we have to spend in order for Margot to adopt Keane.  

At least she'll be able to get the tax credit and the deduction for the boy.

Toothfairy

It's been a while since the tooth fairy showed up.   THe first time she came it was somewhat unexpected and there was a major scramble to find silver dollars.   The local bank was out and so she had to leave dollars!

I saw they have susan b anthony dollar at goldeneagle.    So last case scenario, I get desperate next time I can just hop online and make a big order.   With three kids, I have a feeling that I might just go broke!

Black Friday

I'm just waiting to see the sales ads that will be going out in the upcoming week!   I am looking for a killer deal on a nintendo game boy and a Kindle fire.   Those are the girls big gifts.   The boy has totally been shopped for an he's in good shape.   Lucky thing.

We are doing Christmas pretty "lite" this year.   We decided that we're doing $200/Emmy and Graem and $100 for the boy.   Then we're celebrating Graem and Keane's birthdays a few days later!

Toot toot!

My son is totally obsessed with cars and balls.   It's so funny because the girls didn't want anything to do with them!

I just did his Christmas Wish List and put a handful of goodies on his list!

The other day we had a big 18 wheeler pass us.   I could see Keane's eyes follow it.   It had truck seat covers and everything.    I can't wait for the day that Keane starts getting them to honk!

I have a 10 month old...

The boy is almost walking!   I know my time is limited to get everything together before he's all over.  

I have a walker and jumper to get rid of so if anyone knows of someone who's looking let me know!

Shake that thing...

This Saturday we are going to the mall in Syracuse.   I can't wait.   I've been wearing maternity clothes for five years now!   I just got rid of all my old maternity clothes.

I might have some event designers in the next few weeks!   I know I want some khakis, jeans, and some nice clothing.   

I'm moving up!

10 months old!

Keane is almost 10 months old.   I really can't believe it.   His sleeping is awful!   Today was the first day that I tried to put him in his crib.   It was brutal.   At one point he cried for THREE HOURS.   The good thing was that I was able to make 24 pumpkin cheesecake minipies, a large pumpkin cheesecake, and 2 dishes of homemade mac!   I also did 2 loads of laundry, hung diapers, and cleaned up.  

This might not be so bad once Keane gets the hang of it!

Too many books...

and not enough space!

I think we are going to have to figure out another solution for all of the kid's books we have accumulated over the years.   We have way too many!

I want real wood furniture and even looked at rustic bookcases a few years ago.    

They look nice and would fit perfectly in the basement!

Dare i say it?

but I'm watching honey boo boo.    This is some seriously funny stuff!   Can't stop watching!

Finally, he sleeps.

These past few weeks have been hell when it comes to sleeping.   I wake up and I'm more exhausted than when I went to bed.

He is up most of the night thrashing around in bed.   Last night we went to sleep relatively early after giving up on sleep training.    He was awake every 30 minutes.

Finally, I left and went into the spare bedroom.   I feel like if I'm out of the bedroom he's not on top of me wanting to nurse every 15 seconds.  

Namaste!

When Emmy was younger I enrolled in a baby/mama yoga.  It was really great.  I could do as much/little as she would let me and typically the class was all about nursing and goldfish snacks.

These days I feel that with all of these children I need time away!

I'm looking at getting a gym membership and I'd really like to take advantage of a slower yoga class.

Of course, I'd need all of the gear - my own mat, yoga pants, and a yoga towel.

A neighbor friend!

We have new neighbors that seem a bit weird.  M met them the other day and said the woman is alright but nerdy.   We found out the guy works at CU and found out that BD knows him!   He thinks he's a total whack job and when I mentioned his name he said he could really be the next unibomber.

Awesome.

In other good neighborhood news...   Graem has a classmate that we didn't realize lives one street over!   Her and Emmy are over there now playing.   They have three kids and dad is a grad student in the business school.   THe bad thing --- they will be leaving in May.  

Easy come, easy go.

Almost 8 months!

I can't believe K is almost 8 months old. It's gone by SOOO fast. I just can't believe it. He's quite the little man. He's sitting, crawling backwards, he can stand, and he's so damn happy. Now, if I could just get him to sleep a little better! We talked to the pediatrician about it and when we get back from vacation we are going to start sleep training him. SO TIRED.

Mounted!

We just moved the flat panel television into our bedroom. There's was tons of drama involved. Included was the purchase of three different tv mounts! I couldn't figure out if I wanted the tilted, flat, or armed extension. We ended up going with the armed extension and although we didn't like it at first - it's grown on both of us. Now, I just wish we had a bigger television!

MEXICO!

We are leaving for Mexico Wednesday!! I am so damn excited. I really can hardly wait. I'm going to try to get us all packed up this weekend so that Tuesday night I can work on getting kids and myself to bed early! Typically, I'm trying to do laundry all through the night and by the the time walk on the plane I'm exhausted, my back is killing me, and I'm fighting sickness!

Carded.

A few years ago I ordered clear business cards for my consulting firm. Not only did they look great but they had my logo and information for easy contact. Clear cards and brochures is really essential in having a successful business. If you have something that looks fake or made up and home made people won't take you serious!

6 months old

I can't believe K is 6 months old!?!? He's teething now and has the bottom two teeth popping out! He's been super grumpy and the nights have been rough. I'll be glad once the teeth break skin!

What to do?

We are constantly looking for ways to invest our money. My retirement is pretty weak and we've been focusing quite a bit on Margot's. Her work has a pretty good program and the contribute annually. We have done fidelity bonds and they've worked well. It's low risk and at the end of the day it's important to have a diverse profile with a little bit of everything.

4

I really can't believe that Emmy is four years old. I remember being pregnant with her! I look at Graem and her baby pictures constantly. It's just going way too fast. I have so many incredible memories and I'm glad that I've been able to stay at home and enjoy time with the kids.

Happy Mother's Day - part deux

It's almost time for Margot's mother's day! (She gets Father's day since she prefers tools and there are better tool sales for Father's day!) I purchased her the Dewalt DCK492L2! I was able to get a great deal on it. Unfortunately, she found out where it was hidden in the garage! I figure I might as well let her use it. The more tools I get her the faster things around the house can get fixed! Of course, now she wants something else for Mother's Day since she's already seen her gift!

Birthday rescheduled.

We were suppose to have Emmy's birthday party today. Unfortunately, we woke up and it was pouring. We made the decision to reschedule for tomorrow. It just stinks because a handful of her friends can't make it tomorrow. She won't know any difference until after the party.

Cute boy

I think Keane's wardrobe is pretty good til he turns 2! Of course, I'm always on the lookout for good streetwear. I've been able to purchase some cute clothes at Gymboree and Gap. Emmy gets Graem's hand-me-downs and every once in a while I purchase her something new. Graem is getting harder and harder to shop for! She's starting to have opinions. How dare her. I mean she is only seven and has announced that she hates pink.

5 months

Time is flying. It makes me sad that the kids are getting so big! Right now we are in survival mode. Keane has been waking up every hour on the hour at night to nurse. To say the least...I'm EXHAUSTED!!! Margot took Emmy to daycare and what I should be doing is trying to catch up on sleep but I just can't seem to fall asleep during the day. My mind races and I instantly think of all of the errands I have to run, etc. Ugh.

Happy Mother's Day to ME!

We have comprised a way to get equal time relaxing. There was a point where we both celebrated mother's day and we would both sit on our ass and noone would take care of us. Now, I get Mother's day and Margot gets father's day. We figure that she likes tools and typically for Father's days there's better tool sales anyway!

Birthday time!

We are about a month away from Emmy's birthday! We haven't decided what we are going to get her yet. We saw this cool tent at Jillians. Of course, I think Margot has other intentions for the tent which include taking it to the beach and putting a sleepy baby inside! Another great birthday idea is new pjs! She wears hand-me-downs all of the time and so anytime she gets something new she really loves it! I can just imagine in a few years the boy will have all of these pink and hearted pajamas to wear too. Poor kid #3.

Dora.

I have seen endless episodes of Dora the Explorer and I'm convinced she's one bossy bitch I wouldn't want to come across.

Snow day.

THe kids were home Friday because the doctor thought that they had whooping cough. Of course, this morning I get the call that Graem's test was negative. THEN...we wake up to see snow. School called off school - SNOW DAY?! So now I'm home with three kids. It's 9:36am and I'm trying to find things for the kids to do that don't include television. I haven't had much luck.

Our biker days...

Pre-kids we had motorcycles. Margot took the motorcycle course and I didn't. To say the least...I should have! I was a total liability. We had two bikes. One was a 650 and the other was a 250. The 250 was tiny and the 650 was a monster. Since I was the bigger I decided I should ride the bigger bike, right? I mean it just makes sense. Bad idea. Everytime I rode that motorcycle I would drop it! I'm very lucky that I never got into a wreck or serious accident. Once the kids have left - I'm going to take the motorcycle class and I'm going to get a Sportster! Then I'm also going to have to get some hot harley davidson accessories!

Tree down.

I woke up this morning to around 4 inches of snow. Noone knows where in the hell it came from. The sad thing is...it took down one of my favorite trees in the backyard. TOtally bummed about it. I went to the back to try and cut off some of the branches but there are 3 big branches that have been severed. So sad.

4 months, almost 4, and 7.

The kids are getting so big! I really do wish I could freeze time because I feel like everything is just perfect. Plus, my kids still like me. I figure at some point there will be a time when they don't! Graem is such a good friend. She is so kindhearted and has so many friends at school. She's also SO smart. Everytime we have a parent-teacher conference the teacher raves about all of the great things that Graem knows. The way her brain works is very similiar to Margot. She still says she wants to be a scientist and there's no doubt that she's smart enough! Emmy is my little ham. She's really hilarious. Sometimes she says things and you ask yourself "did she just say that?" The answer is yes. She did just call her baby brother a "cute little tampon". Keane is our little man. We call him Mister Man. He's so damn cute. Everywhere we go he gives people smiles. It's funny because I'll wear him in the babybackpack and he is just smiling away and I won't even know it. Then I find out because big burly guys end up smiling back at him! I love these kids!

Get the job done...

We have yet to find a really good plumber. The last time Margot tried to do plumbing we had to call our guy out and he was here til almost midnight. Then there were curse words flying from his mouth and mutterings about what a crappy job Margot did! To say the least...she hasn't touched plumbing since. She has most of the welding gear including goggles but I really think if she wanted to keep doing it that she should probably consider purchasing welding jackets!

RSV

The boy is sick...really sick. He has the notorious RSV. I feel so sorry for him because he's such a great baby and even sick he is still such a good baby. We are on day 5 of it and last night starting at 3am he started coughing uncontrollably. I called the nurse hotline and they were able to tell me what to look for. Within an hour the coughing subsided and he was asleep in Margot's arms. We also thought that the girls had whooping cough. But I just got a call from the pediatrician that Graem has been cleared. We are still waiting on the other two kids.

The clothing never stops..

Can I just say that I'm in love with my new washer and dryer? I got the Maxima Maytag and it's so awesome! It cleans the clothes spotless and it's going to work really great when we put it upstairs.

This is the first laundry set that has ever been able to handle the cloth diapers! It gets out every single stain and makes them smell so good!!

A little boy!

Poor Keane has a birthday the day after Christmas. Graem is three days after Christmas! Couldn't we have timed this better??? YES.

I will start looking for gifts for him over the next few months. He's just going to be walking or toddling...so I have to start getting the house baby-proofed too!

Behind!

I'm totally behind on watching tv! I have some great television just waiting for me to watch it.

I wish I would have a free day of just hanging out on the couch doing absolutely nothing at all. I'd probably try to finish my book and then I'd watch my television.

Then there's sleep...

A little video goes a long way!

We try to do web conferencing every month or so with Margot's brother. Unfortunately, have of the time the connection is awful or the service crashes.

It's frustrating!

I've looked at web conferencing services and even though many people tend to do it for their job or business, I'm ready to purchase a commercial program so that we can keep talking without interruptions!

3 1/2 months!

My little man is getting so big! He's such a good baby. He has started to coo and I think he's right on the brink of giggling! He gets so excited and doesn't quite know how to get it out!

The girls are doing great with him too. Emmy is a little rough at times and we have to remind her to be gentle. Graem is just a sweetheart and loves him dearly.

On the road again...

We are trying to figure out what to do this summer for vacation. We have our timeshare in Orlando and that's an option. I was going to call and see if we might be able to go to another one of their destinations.

I've thought about getting road trip medical assistance. It just makes sense. Especially, when you're away from home and have three kids!

I'd hate to be stuck in a weird place where I don't know anyone or any of the services available!

The boys!

I'm so excited that the LA gays are visiting this weekend! Last time they visited I was pregnant and exhausted. So that meant Margot and them hanging out late at night and having a great time and me going to sleep at 10pm!

Now it's on!!! I'm sure we'll have a great time and I can't wait for them to meet the boy!

A new couch?

I have posted our old couch on craigslist list a dozen times now. It's a good couch and in perfect condition but I can't seem to get rid of it!

We were planning on bringing the bed from the basement upstairs. I figure it would be perfect for the boys...plus it's warmer upstairs.

I've looked at sectional sofas los angeles and I think if we had a nice couch in the playroom that had a great beds it might be the perfect solution for us.

Monday...

Tomorrow I have such a busy day! I hope that sleep tonight is good. Margot is leaving early in the morning for work which means that it's me and these three kids! I have to make sure that Graem gets on the bus and that I get Emmy to school!

Then the rest of the day is up to me to do errands.

Never a dull day...

Titles?

We're in the middle of working with the bank to refinance our home so that we can do the new addition. What a pain it has been! If there was an easier way than to fill out 100 forms and give them financial history from the past 10 years --- we would do it!

I remember when we got our car title loans New York we had to fill out a few questions and we were well on our way!

At least when we're done we'll be able to spread out a bit and the kids will have their own rooms!

I can't wait!

The Grammy's

I'm watching the Grammy's. Glen Campbell is retiring and they are doing a tribute. I guess he has Alzheimer's. He's singing now... I just keep on thinking... I hope he doesn't forget the words!

Like a rhinestone cowboy!

I'm addicted...

to Toddlers and Tiaras. Seriously.

It's incredibly trash and every time I watch it I'm shocked to see how those poor girls are treated. Giving your 4 year old daughter a pixi stick and a bottle of Mountain Dew. Really?

I also couldn't believe what they do to get the girls ready for pageants. THey typically do horrible tanning jobs. I wish they could at least find the best airbrush tanning solution so that it didn't make the little girls look orange!

RIP Whitney

We were at the hockey game last night when we heard the news that Whitney Houston passed away. That is just so sad. She was so incredible. I remember singing her songs so early in life. Then she had an amazing comeback in the 90's.

I wish she would have gotten her life together and lived happily ever after. I just read about her daughter too.

So sad...another incredible musical life lost.

7 weeks!

I don't think I've updated this blog since Keane made his appearance!!

Can I just say... I'm in love.

This little boy is the sweetest baby EVER. He's such a good baby. He sleeps, eats, and the girls love him too.

So blessed to have three beautiful and healthy kids.

Life is amazing.

37 weeks!

I'm here! I really can't believe it! He's fully cooked! Today we went in for the doctor's appointment and the boy weighs around 6lbs13ozs! Much bigger than I ever would have thought. I thought they'd say around 5lbs or so.

They also checked me and I'm still closed and my cervix is up high! Doesn't sound like he's coming any time soon!

The doctor seems to think that he will be here before 12/28 though?!

The quick solution.

So I must admit that we went pretty cheap with our flooring in the playroom. We have no idea what we are going to do with that area once the kids no longer use it for a playroom.

I've looked into the quick step flooring and it just makes sense. It's a good price plus it's super easy and durable!

I've thought about doing something like that in the basement too. Again, it's a good space, but we don't want to waste money on a room that we hardly use. BUT...the concrete basement floor is COLD.

THe weekend!

These next few weeks are going to be absolutely crazy! We have tons of parties to go to and of course we are just waiting for the boy to get here - so I want to also work on getting some house work done!

I feel like I'm a ticking time bomb and we're just waiting for "the sign".

It's shocking that I haven't had any contractions. I think next week the OB will check to see if I'm dilated. I'm guessing maybe 1cm. Sometimes I feel like he is low...other times I feel him floating up high!

Showtime!

We have been looking at camcorders for the birth of the boy. We have an old one that we spent a fortune on when Margot was pregnant with Graem. The picture is alright but it uses those cassette disks and it's hard to actually view them without using the camcorder as a player.

At some point we will just convert to one of the HD camcorders that transfers easily to a computer and DVD.

36 weeks!

Wow...1 week away. It's going super fast.

Yesterday we were at a store and I fell in a pothole. Twisted the hell out of my ankle and landed in the ER with a trip to the labor and delivery unit for monitoring. The boy was in good shape and I was released.

BUT...I have an aircast and crutches. Totally sucks.

I hope the boy holds off for two weeks because I really really really want to have my foot back!

Hitched?

We've talked about doing a little ceremony in the spring. We'd love to get our friends and family together and do something simple...but fun. Our main goal would be to have good food and a good time. Plus, we don't want to spend tons of money on one day. We'd much rather put it in the bank and go for a nice honeymoon!

One of my friends was looking for plus size bridesmaid dresses and unfortunately, they options were so limited! They went to the local bridal places and they were only able to find dresses up to a size 12. SERIOUSLY?

Then when they went to the big chains the dresses looked like moo-moos and not fitted and beautiful bridesmaid dresses.

In the end they had to pay a fortune just to have a dress that matched the other wedding party.

Jumping Jack.

So now that the boy is getting bigger I can feel him stretch out and kick but I'm not feeling the full body movement that I was once. He's learned to do a full jumping jack in my belly. I feel him stretching his arms down low and his legs up high!

I am hoping that he's going to be a laid back baby. Some days I think he's calm and laid back...other days I wonder if he's not going to pop out that minute and he doesn't sit still for a minute.

I started having some BH contractions a few days ago when I was walking in Target. Nothing to be alarmed about...just my uterus practicing for the real thing!

Bad home theatre...

It's been acting up again. We bought it a few years ago and decided to go with the Samsung home theatre that has blu-ray and DVD. I wish we would have gone with a panasonic home theater system. There have been less problems and I can't imagine that the customer service is any worse than Samsung!

Last night when J was babysitting the kids the DVDs kept skipping and the DVD player shut off completely.

I hope that it can at least make it a few more months. I'd like to pay off some of our credit cards and get through Christmas before we have to purchase another home theatre!

Almost 31 weeks

Shit this is going super fast. I haven't started freaking out quite yet because I know that I still have to get through the holidays ... or at least Halloween and Thanksgiving before the boy gets here!

He's getting bigger. I feel his rolls and they aren't the same small kicks I used to feel. It feels like he's running out of room and I know at some point I'm going to feel him right under my boobs!

Almost old enough...

This Christmas we've been racking our brains on what to get the kids. We're not going to overdo it this year since the kids really only play with a few toys and each year we buy way too much.

I think we might start looking at pc desktops for Graem. She's at the age where she could figure out a computer and would benefit from some of the computer programs that are out there.

29 weeks!

So I can't seem to get motivated to do things on my "to do" list. Today I have a full day of no kids and so I really need to get my poop in a group! I figured I'd try to clean out the fan, get the stains out of the carpet, vacuum and make an attempt at installing the baby seat.

I also have laundry coming out of my ass. Serious loads of laundry that need to be done, clean the house, and then start installing baby gear.

Ugh.

Maybe I should just sit on the couch and watch Housewives of Beverly HIlls.

Merry Christmas!

Early.

We are starting to gather thoughts on what we are going to get the kids for Christmas. They haven't been watching television and really have no idea at what they want from watching commercials!

At one point we were looking at pc desktops. We figured Graem would probably need one over the next few years and it would be a good thing for her to get used to over time.

We don't need anything fancy and more than likely we don't need to spend tons of money on it.

We have also been tossing around the idea of renting a piano. She's become really good at piano and our piano is pretty old and out of tune.

Breech.

The nurse came out to the house today and sure enough...the boy is bottom down. Breech.

I was told by her that I should really try to get him to flip over - especially, by the time that I'm 30 weeks. That gives me 10 days. I know women can have babies butt first...but OUCH. I don't want my woo-ha to be totally ripped apart by the boy.

On the other hand, I don't want a c-section at all. I figure if he doesn't flip over in the next week or so then I'll start up the acupuncture and chiro appointments weekly.

Another lawsuit.

Over the past few days I have received two notices in the mail regarding a class action lawsuit for toys we had purchased years ago. Of course, the payout is around $5 or less and I threw them right in the trash. Let's talk thousands or millions?!

I also read about the Crestor lawsuit. It's shocking that these medications that go through so much testing and FDA approval that take years to get on the market are not safe!

It really makes you wonder if there's some dirty stuff happening or if it just takes years to figure out the harsh reality that these "perfect" medications aren't so perfect after all.

Margot's been on medications for her cholesterol for a few years now and I can't help but think that at some point they'll say that it's unsafe. I guess as a user we have to do our dilligence and make sure that we're getting the proper followup care and testing.

Good ole' Emmy.

Emmy has reverted back to being a baby. Good times, right? Her therapist came yesterday to work with her and said this is totally normal when a new baby is in the picture.

Yesterday she insisted on drinking out of a bottle. Even when she was a baby she never drank out of a bottle!

I've been trying to bring out baby stuff slowly so that she doesn't notice it. I can just imagine walking into the living room and seeing my 35 pounder sitting in the newborn's bouncy chair!

Ms. Helpful.

One of my ex-employees used to work as a homecare aid and on the side she was a local paramedic. She finally got all of her certification and was able to do Paramedic Jobs full time.

Last I heard from her she was doing great! She had a little boy, owned a house, and had been at her job for a few years.

It's good to hear these success stories. So many times you would see the situation where someone had kids at a young age and never could quite move to the next step.

27.5 weeks!

We just got back from Disney Friday. We had a GREAT time! The kids loved it!

I was glad to get back home because truth - be - told...I'm getting a little anxious about everything getting done before the boy comes in December/January!

I feel like the kitchen is 95% done and we still need moldings, and patchings throughout. Plus, the house is a disaster.

Today is my last official day of work so I'm guessing within the next few weeks I'm going to try to conquer a to-do list.

The countdown begins...

Nothing on.

My favorite show "Flipping Out" is over. I'm totally bummed because there is nothing else that I've been watching. I have quite a few shows taped but I can't get into any of them. I'm also scared to start a new series on television because it seems like the ones that I like never make it to a second season and then I feel robbed of the hours that I sat in front of the television watching the one and only season of a show!

I've thought that maybe I should look into download videos so that I can watch at my own pace and also not feel like I have to watch in a hurry or that I'm paying a fortune for a video mailing service.

Baby stuffs...

I've been trying to get all of the baby stuff togethere! We only have 16 or so more weeks before this baby comes! We are actually in pretty good shape and all of the baby stuff that's on my list is "extra" and not totally necessary.

I was glad to find out today that I can get a liner for the stroller that covers up the fushia pink in the Maclaren 250$ stroller! I had started to look at other strollers and quite honestly, that's the last thing in the world that I want to spend my money on!

For better or worse..

We really should start looking at better life insurance. Especially, with a new baby on the way and me not working again. Margot is the sole supporter. God forbid anything were to happen to her. THe last time we looked term life insurance quotes we became very overwhelmed and couldn't sort out the best one for us.

Not to mention, Margot's got asthma and I'm fat so that puts us in a higher bracket than your typical couple.

Bummer.

Dinner.

I've been in charge of dinners for the past days and let's just say...it hasn't been good. Tonight I'm taking the kids to Moe's for kid's night while Margot works late.

I went to Wegman's yesterday and dropped $200. That has to last us until we go on vacation in a week and a half Of course, I'll probably have to stop by next week for a gallon of milk and some eggs.

We eat and poop away so much money!

Holiday shopping...

I know I should start thinking about Christmas shopping because it's going to be here before I know! Plus, I could be giving birth to the boy and won't be able to do the last minute shopping that I typically do.

The hard part is that my kids constantly want different things. I know that Graem would probably love a new game or two for her Nintendo DS and I've been trying to find good gamestop coupons.

I'm really going to try to do most of my shopping online this year because it's so much easier and I'm hoping to skip the lines and dealing with big box stores!

24 weeks!

We went for our 24 week appointment and ultrasound and it went perfectly. THe boy is getting bigger and in the 26th percentile for weight which we're happy with. He was cooperative during the ultrasound and I must say...he has Emmy's nose!

I went to BRU this weekend and picked up the carseat and stroller combo. It's nice and I'm glad that I didn't spend tons of money on it.

Just maybe?

We will have a little boy by Christmas time!

My little girls will have to think in advance for christmas gifts for brother!

Of course, he will probably only be a few days or week old...but still! We need to find him a little something under the tree.

Speaking of which, this time last year...I had a few gifts picked out for the kids. I haven't chosen anything!! They are so fickle and half of the time they want something and then they decide they don't want it!

I figure maybe I should just wait til Christmas Eve like most of the other parents do!

Appointment tomorrow

So I'm 22 1/2 weeks and have a midwife appointment tomorrow. I figure this would be a good appointment to take the kids to. There isn't much internal stuff they are going to do and more than likely it will be measurement and then doing the baby's heartbeat.

I have one or two more appointments and then it's going in every week!!!

This is starting to go fast now.

Constantly...

I feel like we're buying batteries! It could be that the children have every toy imaginable and each one uses 4 batteries. We've tried the reuseable/rechargable batteries but for some reason we'd forget and throw them away and after a while they just don't keep a charge and they are triple the cost of regular batteries.

Just a few days ago my friend was telling me about vtech batteries. SHe said that she loves the fact that they last a long time and like most of the Vtech products they are a fraction of the price!

With #3 on the way...I think I need to stock up!

Totally lost count...

So today I had no idea how far along I am...I don't know if it's 20 or 21. I could easily look back at my calendar and find out...but alas, way too tired.

I've been cleaning like crazy today so that my cousin doesn't think we're complete white trash. Yes, there was a full layer of pubic hair on the bathroom floor. I used pure bleach on that shit and the vacuum! Had to bring in the big guns..

Bad cars.

Our cars are out of warranty. Which means that when they break... we're responsible. I thought about getting roadside assistance a few years back when I was traveling a lot for work and we were driving back and forth to NYC for Margot's dad.

Now I'm thinking that it's a good idea because we have three kids, don't have tons of money to spend on road side help, AND...I don't want to be STUCK and waiting for long periods of time!

19 weeks!!!

This is going fast. Real fast! The baby has started moving and it feels so nice. I can't wait til he gets bigger and I can actually feel him on the outside! I think Margot and the girls are also ready to feel him on the outside too.

I've been sleeping better. The only problem is waking up to pee every few hours. My body is really demanding a lot of water and so I'm drinking tons of water... but you know what that means!

No more smokey treats for me.

I haven't smoked in a very long time. IN fact, the last time I was around a smoker it was too much for me and I had to get away.

I have a friend that only smokes alec bradley! Not only are they hard to find locally but they are suppose to be some of the finest cigars on the market.

I wonder if the trend pass out cigars after the birth of a baby is still around or if it's changed to gum?!

Almost 17 weeks...

I've been feeling some little kicks here and there! At first I thought they were gas bubbles...but then it feels like the baby is completely rolling. I feel it every few days and it's nice.

I'm still listening to the baby every morning and every night to make sure that she's in there.

Still thinking it might be a girl!

The car.

I must say that we're pretty disappointed in our Toyota Matrix. We purchased a Toyota because we thought it'd last forever.

TO say the least...the house is falling apart!!

We were told that one of the corrugated metal hose parts needed to be replaced. Then there's the tires, the plastic tire guards, and the clanking that we hear in the back of the car.

The last thing in the world we want is a new car payment! However, we're going to have to put some money into this car in order to keep it on the road.

A day of rest...

This morning we went to a kid's birthday party and we came home. I thought I was going to try and rest but I couldn't get comfortable. My hips were achy and when I did go down Emmy kicked me.

So, we decided not to go to the music event at the park tonight.

We're hanging out tonight and folding laundry!

Eating disorders.

When I was in college I roomed with my best friend from high school, Jenny. We had a great time. Our sophomore year I noticed Jenny was losing weight. I admitted to her I was gay and she admitted to me she was anorexic.

I didn't realize how serious it was until she went into the hospital and weighed 75 pounds. We went to Houston to visit her and she looked awful and so frail.

She didn't return that semester and I moved to New York. We kept in touch via email for a year or so then lost touch.

A few years ago I talked with a mutual friend who told me that Jenny passed away. I really couldn't believe it.

I wish she would have been able to beat anorexia and go to an eating disorders treatment centers.

I think about Jenny often.

Hoarders...

I try to watch this show at least once a week because it doesn't make me feel so bad about the lousy housekeeping job I've been doing! I have one more month of work and I can't wait to go back to doing little things around the house like CLEANING and LAUNDRY.

For the past year of me working things have been quite neglected. It will be nice to have a good 4 months to get things together before the baby comes.

Bad phone.

Margot's phone is absolutely WORTHLESS. It's such a shame because she treats hers like gold. In the next month we're going to upgrade her and hope that the new phone has better luck!

I've heard that new htc incredible s.

Just last night we were over at M and L's and the dog knocked his phone into the dog water bowl. To say the least...it's dead. They went out today and picked up a new phone. I hope they got something good and didn't have to pay an arm and a leg!

The pool.

This year we purchased a pool pass. For some reason I just don't like going. I feel overly boyant and it makes me a little nauseaus. I feel like I can't swim on my belly cause with the boobs and the belly I float right up! It's weird.

Margot has been taking the girls to the pool regularly and it's been nice to have time to do laundry, clean up, and pick up toys!

Christmas...

If I had my act together I would be shopping for Christmas gifts right now! Knowing that our December is going to be a little hectic with the possible arrival of a baby!

I've started looking online for gits and I saw the best personalized gifts for dad.

If you truly are organized about it you can get some great deals right now and not have to worry about fighting the crowds at the Christmas rush!

16 weeks!

And I'm feeling really good. Pending the 2 ice cream sandwiches, guacamole, chips, and cheeseballs I just ate!?!

I've felt some movement and it's been nice. I can't wait to actually see the baby move. That is my favorite part of being pregnant.

We have another ultrasound in a few weeks and I can't wait to see how big the baby is.

Yikes.

We had a great time in North Carolina. Too good of a time. We ate way too much! Margot gained serious weight and so did I. However, I can blame mine on pregnancy!

At one point she might even want to think about the safest diet pills that work! With life being so hectic and us loving food the way we do...we've got to figure out something!

Obviously, what we're doing isn't working!

15 weeks!

Wow...this is going super fast. I can't believe it. Before I know it I'm going to be 37 weeks waiting for this little one to get out!

We had a good midwife appointment last week. The next one is in 2 weeks. We'll get an ultrasound in Syracuse the day before.

I'm excited to see how big she is!