It's not strep

And apparently there is nothing wrong with me. lol The doctor says she thinks it's allergies that are making me so miserable. ugh! Normally I'd take my mega-dose of allergy medication and go into a drug-induced slumber...or drink a half a bottle of wine and slip into that same type of slumber. Pregnancy takes those options away. I hope this kid appreciates the sacrifices I make. :o)

Am I just lame?

I belong to a variety of internet message boards for moms. The one I've been with the longest consists of moms who all were Due in June 2002 (though some of us delivered in May 2002). Anyway...we're talking third birthdays and there are moms who are throwing all-out bashes for their kids. One woman is going to one of those indoor party places where they will spend $150 minimum...and that doesn't include food. Am I insane to think that this is nuts for a third birthday? I mean at this rate, by the time the kids are 15 they'll be jumping out of airplanes for their birthdays!

Memories in the leaves

Today I was noting, as I hurried by on my way to work, that the flowering bushes near my driveway are sprouting their new green leaves. Why is this worth noting? During my first pregnancy, it was the weekend that these bushes were in full bloom with their wonderfully scented white flowers that I had my one and only pregnancy picture taken. A few days later, Samuel Charles was born. I truly can't remember what my life was like before that picture was taken. It seems such a miracle, blooming among the flowers on that beautiful spring day.

It's a thought that takes my breath away now because my due date is virtually the same this time. I wonder if I will see the flowers before Alex is born or after. The appearance of the leaves is a visual reminder that time is ticking toward this amazing event. And despite my lack of control over most things in my life at this point, this is one that I relish and enjoy every single day. Sure, I could do without the aches and pains...but the leaves are here...and soon the flowers and Alex will be too.

Those leaves made me smile this morning. And looking at Sam I smile too. How did I get so lucky as to be able to participate in such a miracle?

Nesting in the midst of mayhem

So they tell me there is this nesting phase that comes with the end of pregnancy. And it must be true, because I'm starting to do things like scrub my bathroom from top to bottom (a task, I must admit, that normally only gets done once every six months or so). But what they don't tell you is what you're supposed to do when the urge to nest puts you in a catatonic state, where you can only rock back and forth and babble incoherently to yourself. The sheer volume of work that needs to be done in my house has overwhelmed my urge to nest. Add to that the fact that I can no longer bend at the middle, get up and down stairs, sit on any surface lower than three feet high, walk more than five feet without getting winded, lift anything more than about 10 lbs...the list goes on and on...and I'm seriously starting full-on panic mode.

I asked my mom to come help me move furniture and she asked me, "Well what needs to be moved?" I had to tell her, "I'll make you a list." So mom...this is for you...

What needs done at Casa C...(I refer to the room as the "baby's room" because there is currently some discussion about Sam taking it over. Therefore most plans are tentative as to who will occupy the room.)

The bed in the "baby's room" needs fixed somehow so that when you sit on it you don't fall through the slats to the floor. I'm thinking some sort of platform bed needs made...or else the mattress just needs to go to the floor permanently.

The baseboards for the "baby's room" need painted and reattached to the walls.

The crap currently stored in the "baby's room" needs moved out and thrown away or stored...maybe in the basement?

The crib needs moved from Sam's room into the "baby's room."

I need to make/buy curtains for the "baby's room" windows and closet door.

Sam's bed needs moved from the one end of his room to the other (where the crib is currently).

The carpet needs removed from the stairs since it is currently coming off and poses a serious health risk to anyone travelling up and down said stairs.

The wardrobe needs moved from my room to the "baby's room."

The chest in my room needs cleaned out so it can hold the clothes currently in the wardrobe.

The sewing machine needs moved from the living room to my room.

The old carpet needs removed from the side porch.

The cat needs relocated from the front to the side porch.

The dog crates need moved out onto the front porch.

The fence to the side pasture needs reconstructed.

Stuff that I would LIKE to have done at Casa C...

The flooring in the living room needs finished.

The filing cabinet needs moved from the closet in the "baby's room" downstairs next to the fireplace. The desk needs moved from near the stairs to next to the fireplace and said filing cabinet.

The old printer stand needs thrown out.

The toy box from my parent's house needs moved into the old living room and the toys need organized/sifted so there is some system and sense.

The closet needs cleaned out, my craft stuff moved in, and the stuff currently in the closet needs thrown out or stored.

Let's not forget all the standard baby preparations. The clothes and other things need washed, folded, and put away.

And I need to have a nervous breakdown.

Where I've been

I haven't felt like posting for a while because of illness. First Sam got sick, the Steve, now me. If I haven't emailed you, please forgive me. I'm not ignoring anyone, I'm just not capable of forming coherent thought when I can't even breathe.

Tis Spring!

Today I picked some daffodils for my office.

Today I drove past several fields of plowed earth being prepared for planting.

Today I waved at my "hay guy" as we drove in opposite directions down the road.

Today the sun is shining and the sky is blue.

Today Sam is healthy.

Today I get to leave work early.

Today is a good day.

Spring is here.

Customer service again

We're waiting for the contractor to come out, look at the hole we have in our barn roof, and give us what is sure to be an insane estimate for the repair work. He was supposed to come out Tuesday. I was home with a sick Sam on Tuesday and didn't recall seeing anyone out there, so Steve called the company and left a message...because apparently they don't have a receptionist to answer the phones.

The voicemail we got in return was something like, "John tells me that the time he was scheduled to come out to your place was during the time he had the flu. So we'll have to reschedule. Thank you for reminding us." Apparently John doesn't feel the need to call people to cancel appointments when he has the flu...and they don't have anyone to keep their schedules in order so the clients need to remind them when they're supposed to be working.

They really do need a receptionist.

And I'm thinking we need to find another contractor.

No job offer yet

My hope is fading. I interviewed two Fridays ago for a job I would very much like to have. They said they would make a decision "within the next couple of weeks." It's been a week and a half and I haven't heard a peep. I know in my head that I will most likely be passed over due to my advanced pregnant status at the moment...but I still hoped in my heart that the decision-makers would see past that temporary condition and plan for the future. My hope is fading.

But on a good note...I passed my repeat glucose test and can drown my sorrows in a pint of ice cream if I so choose.

Maple Festival Roundup

Much to my dismay, Sam did not enjoy the parade of fire trucks and ambulances during the Maple Festival parade on Sunday. In fact, he was down right frightened by the noise and ruckus they caused. I'm not sure if we've scarred him for life or not, but I do know I'll never convince him to watch another parade with promises of fire trucks and ambulances. He WAS, however, thrilled with the freebie frisbie he got from Huntington Bank. I suppose that will have to be my bargaining chip next year...the promise of free toys. hehe

I'm hiding in my office

My colleague has returned to work, after two days of being off sick, with the most horrendous cough that you could imagine. I have my door closed, I'm washing my hands incessantly, and I'm deliberately not touching anything she touches...but I just KNOW I'm going to end up sick. She tells me all the time she has hundreds of hours of sick/vacation/comp time saved up...WHY DOESN'T SHE TAKE IT?!?!?!?!

I am so not right for this job...

"Very unique opportunity exists with a downtown Cleveland professional services firm for a very polished, experienced Director."

I read this line and stuck my tongue out at the computer screen. I don't think I should apply, do you?

American Idol fans

You must read this review.

Trees are wonderful

Trees are great. Trees are wonderful. Until one falls on the roof of your barn and costs you $450 just to lift it off and set it on the ground nearby (where you will then have the pleasure of cutting it up into firewood yourself). ARGH!!!

Poor customer/patient service

I went to the eye doctor's today to have my glasses repaired. When I called yesterday, I clearly explained the situation (that my glasses are broken) and I asked if I would have to buy a whole new pair or if they could be fixed. I was told they would need to see them to determine the answer.

So I took time off work and went into the office. The assistant showed me into the eyeglass room (you know the one, where they have all sorts of frames hanging on the wall for you to choose from), sat me down in a chair opposite her, and started eyeing my glasses. She pulled out the little plier-like tool that is used for adjusting glasses and said, in her most condescending tone, "Did we get our glasses bumped?"

She took the glasses off my face and looked like she was about to start adjusting them when I said, "No, I got a piece of hair caught in the arm and when I was removing it I noticed it was broken."

She got this alarmed look on her face, quickly set the plier tool down and said, "Oh, they're broken?"

She CLEARLY had NO IDEA why I was even there!

I said, "Yes, as I said WHEN I CALLED, I need to know if they can be repaired or if I have to buy a whole new pair."

As she scurried out of the room in a panic, she said, "Do you know when you got these? Let me get your chart."

I then hear her whispering to the other gal behind the desk, "I don't see her chart...do you know where it is?"

The other gal said, "It's still on the shelf, I don't think we pulled it."

Oh my freakin' heck! First, the room is right through the door and I can HEAR THEM WHISPERING! Second, NOBODY had any idea why I was there!

The first lady returned, finally having located my chart, and said, "Laurie will have to check and see if that frame is even still available and give you a call. Do you still have VSP as your insurance?"

SO...what you're telling me is that you could've answered my question over the phone after all?!?! And what does my insurance have to do with anything?

I said, very calmly, "OK...but I'm kind of worried about how my frames will hold up with the broken piece."

Her advice? "Be very careful with them."

She did, very kindly, adjust my frames anyway. And she proudly announced after doing so, "There, that looks better...not crooked anymore," as if she had just fulfilled my life's dreams for me.




So off home I go. Before I even get there, they call me to tell me that I'm due for an eye appointment and I might as well have that done so my frames will be covered...otherwise it will cost me over $100 to replace/repair the pair I have. OK...no problem. Let's schedule an appointment.

"What time of day would you like?"

"As late in the day as possible, because I work. But I can take anything really, I would just prefer not to take time off work."

"The earliest we have is May 21st."

Now mind you...my frames are BROKEN! And if they break entirely, I will have no way to SEE! But I maintain my calm and say, "Well, I can say yes, but I'm pregnant and due June 9th, so who knows."

Laurie laughs nervously and says, "Oh well, you'll have to keep us posted. Do you still have VSP insurance?"

"Yes."

"Umm...let me see, I think there may be something sooner. Oh yes, but it's in the middle of the day."

"Sign me up...I'll just take time off work."

"Great, see you April 15th at 1:50pm."

HOLY MOLY!!! I'm surprised my hormonal pregnant self didn't go kung-fu on someone!

Is it just here...or has customer service gone completely down the drain in the past few years?

We're terrible with secrets

So...I think most of you know by now. And those of you who don't, we've just decided we might as well tell you. If, in fact, this baby is a boy, we are planning to name him Alex Gerard. Alex, because it's about the only boy name we can agree on. And Gerard, after Steve's Dad...because it just seems right.

We had planned to keep it a secret until the baby was born. But neither one of us is any good with secrets apparently.

They're going to be great friends

Sam climbed up in my lap last night and laid out full on top of my belly, with his head just about where I imagine the baby's feet are.

I said, "Sam, you're squishing the baby."

He looked up at me with the most wonderful grin and said, "That's ok mommy, he kicked me in the ear."

I have the best friends in the whole world!

When my friend Holley found out I was pregnant, she got me this great gift of pamper-mommy stuff. It was so sweet, and I love her for thinking of me.

When my friend Melanie found out I was stressing about this baby wearing all hand-me-downs, she sent me a BIG box of baby boy clothes. With what she sent me, and the things grandma and I have already bought, this little one is set for the first three months.

As I sat there in my living room, looking through the box and crying yesterday, I realized what wonderful friends I have. And maybe it's the sun shining, finally...or maybe it's the daylight savings time change...but I feel truly blessed to know such wonderful women and to be able to maintain friendships with them through the years and distances. I know we don't have a lot of time together, and sometimes we don't see each other for months, or even years, but I know in my heart I can always count on them for support and love. I need to make it more of a point to say thank you and I love you too to these wonderful women. Lucky for me, I know they read this blog. :o)

Thank you Holley! Thank you Melanie! I love you both!

A very important lesson

This weekend our son learned a very important lesson. Ask him about his trip to McDonald's Playland and he will tell you about the boy who didn't know how to share the slide. It was a hard lesson to watch him learn, as this other child climbed over him and told him to "get out of the way." James (what his mother called him from across the room...without getting up or even trying to stop him from misbehaving) apparently has no boundaries. And Sam looked over at me from the bottom of the slide and said, "Mommy, he's not sharing." As the "confrontation" became physical, Sam came running over, tears in his eyes, saying, "He's not sharing, he's not sharing, he's not sharing." I had to explain that some children don't know how to share. And when Sam followed up with the inevitable, "Why?" I replied, loudly enough for the mother-of-the-year to hear, "Well, maybe his mommy didn't teach him how to share or be nice to others." I'm afraid the lesson was lost on that mommy. But Sam learned a lesson that I hope he remembers for a long time. You can hope that others will be reasonable and responsible, but don't bet on it.

Say it isn't so!

The Maple Festival POSTPONED?!?!?! I have NEVER heard of such a thing! Of course, the foot of snow and the hurricane-force winds weren't really inviting. I'm surprised the rides and the tents didn't blow away, quite frankly. We lost a tree in our yard...right into our barn...I HOPE the damage isn't too costly...a tree down by the back gate, and several branches up near the house that we'll have to clean up.

Guess I'll be hitting the maple sugar high this weekend. :o)