It's finally time!

Tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec. 26th) is our last day at home without baby. NOW I'm starting to wonder what in the world we were thinking! :) We'll take the girls over to Jim's sister's house in the afternoon, go out for a nice dinner date, then check in to the hospital at 6am on Wednesday--surgery's scheduled for 8am.
We had all of our Christmas celebrations--we couldn't make it to Columbus this year as it's too close to delivery date--and we're exhausted! Last night, my folks and Kyle & Max came over. We went to the Children's Mass (5:00) at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ... it was so packed! I'm glad we got there when we did, around 4:30, because there were people sitting up in the elevated area near the altar, people standing in the back and up the sides, etc. Jim and I saw the OB who's going to do my C-Section (he was one of the folks sitting up by the altar). After Mass, we went home, ate chili and cinnamon rolls, then opened gifts. The most fun thing--I thought--was the tower of gifts that we gave my Mom. It's a fairly new tradition... the tower gets passed back and forth between our families each year, and it's fun when it's our turn, filling each little box with odd gifts. We had a great evening--Max and the girls always enjoy playing together!
This morning, after Santa had made his stop, the girls woke up and went through all their loot--Jim and I made out pretty well too! Then, we did our Progressive Dinner, beginning this afternoon at Mary's (Jim's sister's) house. We had appetizers there (a ton of 'em!) and everyone opened their gifts. We moved on to Anne's (another of Jim's sisters) house and had our main meal--ham, cheesey potatoes, corn, etc. Then, everyone came over to our house for dessert. I had changed our dessert menu up a bit... at this point in the pregnancy, I haven't been real motivated to do much of anything. So Jim bought all the groceries we needed... then I made almond bark pretzels, Christmas wreaths, and white chocolate macademia nut cookies. Meanwhile, Jim whipped up, frosted and decorated sugar cookies (from scratch, not the 'tube' kind I always make!), plus he made a TO DIE FOR Turtle Cheesecake, from scratch. We also obtained three small cheesecakes from my parents last night (Dad gets Harry & David cheesecakes at work every Christmas). Lastly, Jim had bought a Mrs. Smith's French Silk Pie. We had coffee, wine, and orange sherbet/7-Up punch. Just about everyone ended the evening looking as round as me! Ha! Ha! Just kidding. It was a lovely celebration!
Hope you have had safe and Happy Holidays and that the New Year brings love, happiness and good health to you all!

Gingerbread Houses Part 2

After all the houses were done, they were added to the 'residential' portion of the 'town' that the kids (and their families) had already made. Josie's contribution was the Vet's office (see the red building with the chimney in the first picture). Some of these buildings had just a ton of detail. It was fun to hear a few of the other moms talking about how hard they'd worked on their projects with their kids--knowing how hard our family had worked on ours, too. Jim's favorite thing was how the little airplanes the kids created got to use the regular street as their landing strip! A few days later, Josie and I watched a Gingerbread House Making Contest on the Food Network, and I noticed that she could totally relate to the pressure and stress these people were under to get their houses to look just right and to stay together without slipping apart or having pieces fall off. Wouldn't it be cool if we had a pastry chef on our hands? (Previous to that contest, she and I watched Emeril, and she said, "It's like he's doing magic with food!" I couldn't agree more! BAM!)

Gingerbread Houses Part 1

Here are just a few shots from the other day, when I went to help Josie's class make Gingerbread Houses. What a blast that was! It was hilarious--the teacher spent maybe three minutes, tops, going over how to make the houses... yet it took each kid probably fifteen minutes to make theirs. They had so much fun, though, and got so sticky!

USAF Christmas Concert

This past Saturday, we went to Omaha and met up with Jim's folks and his sister Mary's family... we went to lunch together at Old Chicago in the Old Market, then we walked over to the Holland Performing Arts Center. There, we attended the United States Air Force Heartland of America Band's Christmas Concert. This was Jim's parents' fourth year attending, our third year, and Mary's family's second year. It is an AMAZING event!!! This was the USAF's 20th year hosting the event with the Omaha World Herald. There is this huge symphony orchestra, along with several vocalists. They're all members of the Air Force. They perform many instrumental tunes, several vocal songs, and this year, they did a few numbers from The Nutcracker--they even had some members of the Creighton Dance Company perfroming ballet. The girls were enthralled--as was their Mommy! As in years past, just after Intermission, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived as a 'surprise'. Santa sauntered down the main aisles where we were seated, greeting children in various seats. Josie scooched out towards the end so she could have Santa shake her hand... but instead of just doing that, he pulled her out into the aisle with him and they danced for a bit. She was excited to do that, but ready to come back and be by Mommy and Daddy! The MC of the event asked Santa and Mrs. Claus to come up on stage and read a story to the children. This year's story was "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", and it was punctuated by appearances of The Grinch, as well as one of the Air Force Vocalists singing "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch". The best part, though, was that they asked children to come up on stage (as they have in years past) to gather around the Clauses as the story was read. Lindsay, Josie, and our niece, Sara, went up on stage, along with about 20 other children. Santa promptly grabbed Josie's hand and asked her to sit upon his lap. She had done this last year, too, but we'd forgotten our camera. Luckily, we remembered it this time! I think Josie's feeling like quite the superstar now, having been singled out by Santa two years in a row! The music was entertaining as well as moving. Another great part of the event was when they had a short video "hello" from soldiers deployed all over the world, sending their Christmas Greetings to family members in Nebraska. It's always quite emotional, thinking about these people serving for us not just throughout the year, but during the Holidays while we're safe at home. We love this tradition we've started, and we hope to keep it up for many years to come! 

I think I was off on my math the other day.... I said I had 28 days left, but it was actually 27. Well, now, as of today, we've got 23 days left until the little guy joins his family! I'm so ready. I've got my Christmas Cards out, I have one or two more Christmas gifts to obtain, the house is all decorated, and I've got my ideas ready for the Progressive Dinner we'll do with Jim's family on Christmas Day. (I get to do desserts, and I'm planning on a Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake, a turtle cake, some cookies, and maybe another item.) Plus, we'll have chili and homemade cinnamon rolls with my folks on Christmas Eve.
This weekend, we've got the USAF concert to go to in Omaha. This is our third or fourth year going, and it's always a real treat. Last year, Lindsay and Josie got to get up on stage while Mrs. Claus read a story--Josie even got to sit on Santa's lap!!! Unfortunately, we forgot to take our camera. We'll have it with us this year, for sure!

We're Counting Down

Since today is almost over, I feel safe in saying I've got 28 days left until the baby comes. Two days after Christmas. I am really getting ready. I mean, I don't sleep so well at night anymore, my feet haven't been their normal shape or size for weeks, and I've got a chest-cold on top of it all (but I keep saying, I'd rather have a chest-cold than the stomach flu!).... Still, I really enjoy all the movement within my tummy. Baby is still very active, and it's entertaining to have the girls lay their hands on me when he's moving around--it's not so much kicking as it is shifting or rearranging. The girls have gotten much more comfortable, too, talking to him through my belly. They love the idea that he'll recognize their voices when he gets out, just from hearing them while he's in there.
We've got the baby's room ready (well, I'd like to get a different curtain rod for the valance that matches the crib bedding, and we need a little bit more border, but everything important is taken care of), we've got diapers, clothes, etc.
I've gone from people thinking I'm having twins (I'm so huge) to people asking if I'm "going to make it" until Dec. 27th. I want to scream "Yes! I'm going to make it! Do you realize that's having the baby a week and a half early?!?" Hormones.... But really, I can't believe I've forgotten how people are towards pregnant women. All the unsolicited comments and advice. I wish people would just stick to rubbing my belly.
I've been trying to get everything in order for Christmas. I got about 85% of the Christmas shopping done in one day, and I'm almost ready to get my Christmas cards out--no postcards this year! I'd like to get everything done as soon as possible (I'm already way ahead of the game compared to past years), so that I can just kind of relax that last couple of weeks before Christmas. I won't be able to really travel anywhere, and my energy level seems to be steadily decreasing. (Last night I went to bed at 8:00--before the girls!)
It's so surreal, trying to imagine what life is going to be like after the baby arrives. I mean, it's not the first time for me, obviously, but it's been nearly six years since I've had a little baby. Going from being so big and feeling the constant movement in my belly, being tired all the time but at least being able to catch sleep whenever I can.... to no more movement within my belly, being able to sleep in any position again, but not catching much sleep at all... I know a lot of people who are pretty active and social right after they have a baby, but I'm thinking (if this is anything like having my girls) I'll be a bit of a hermit for a while.
The countdown is on!

What's new

I went and got my hair cut today. I'm starting to feel, finally, like time is running out before our little boy joins the family! I had cancelled a hair appointment a few weeks ago, because my hair still seemed short enough. Yesterday I realized I needed to get in soon, before the opportunity slipped away from me! Who knows when I'll be able to get in again--I won't be due for another cut for six or seven more weeks... hmmm, that's right about the time our little bundle will be joining us. So I'm probably going to get pretty shaggy!
I'm going in for a massage on Monday. I'm SO excited! My midwife's office offers them for only $25. I asked the receptionist if she'd ever had one (she just had a baby about four months ago), and she said she had and they were fabulous. I asked if they had a table with a hole for my belly, and she said no, that's not actually safe anyway. But she said the massage therapist has special pregnancy pillows that she'll place all around me so I'll feel like I'm lying on my stomach. Honestly, I could just about pay twenty-five bucks just for that! I'm SO tired of lying on my sides all the time. My hips are starting to hurt--I read somewhere that an egg crate mattress will help that, and I know Bridget's got one on her guest bed... VERY comfy, so that might be a purchase here in the next couple of days.
I also need to get Christmas shopping done in the next couple of weeks, so it doesn't sneak up on me when I'm not feeling like going out anymore. PLUS, Lindsay's birthday is the week after Christmas, so for once, I'm going to try to take care of THAT ahead of time as well!
I've been trying to write my novel for NaNoWriMo (see the picture on my profile, check out the website), but it's really slow-going. I sabotage myself, knowing my writing is not nearly as good as I could be doing. I know that the main point made on that website is that you want quantity to start with, not quality. (Goal is: write 50,000 words in the month of November, then go back and edit and touch up, etc., in December and afterwards.) Okay, so part of the problem is that I'm sabotaging myself because I don't feel like the quality is there; but I truly do have difficulty making time for it (e.g. I REALLY needed to do this update on my blog! grin!), so getting any serious writing done is difficult. I'm at least 20,000 behind schedule right now. Yikes! But I need to keep at it. (*Please don't ask me what it's about. IF I ever get it done and presentable, I'll be more than happy to share--hopefully even publish!)
Things I'm really enjoying these days: Pandora Internet Radio--it's free--www.pandora.com; Gene Simmons "Family Jewels" on A&E; MTV's The Duel: The Challenge (Real World/Road Rules boys vs. girls stuff--totally addictive); Still Standing (TV show I can't seem to find on at a regular time right now, but I keep catching back-to-back episodes...); helping the girls count down to Baby (we're at 44 days as of today); the feel of the Baby moving around--like he's got his own swimming pool or something, I swear, he is ACTIVE and doesn't believe in just a gentle kick or nudge here or there!

These are from our trip to one of the nearby Pumpkin Patches... the girls and I went on Halloween Day, since they didn't have school that week. It was SO COLD--I felt terrible, not having put them in their heavy coats. It honestly hadn't been that cold in Lincoln, but this place is just outside of Omaha and it was freezing cold and windy and just plain yucky. But there was no shortage of kids there! And the girls didn't care. There was one section with pirates, and each girl posed in those shackle things--notice how they're each making their naughty, villain faces! All I can say is I'm glad we had two free tickets to get in--I hate to be a poopy-pants consumer, but Vala's Pumpkin Patch is highly overrated: it's too expensive, and you don't even get a free pumpkin with the price of admission or anything. It does cover a huge patch of land, but it seems like you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a snack bar, diner or gift shop! Money is the language they speak there, for sure! The girls didn't enjoy it as much as the nearer Roca Berry Farm, either. Lesson learned--and again, good thing we only had to pay for one of us to get in! Still, cute pictures!!!

Pollyanna, Baby, etc.

First, a few words about my last entry. It occurs to me, now, that I ended up not being very "Pollyanna-ish" in that monologue about how negative society has become. So, to take on a Pollyanna note: I'm glad that I'm able to stay home and watch any movie I'd like... including things like "Pollyanna", "The Music Man", the original "Yours, Mine and Ours", and of course, "It's a Wonderful Life." They may not make movies like that anymore, but thank God they're putting them out on DVD!!!

I'm super excited because I just went to visit the OB who's going to do my C-Section. We'd been hoping he would give the OK to do it on December 28th. (Jim wants the tax break, and I want to be in the hospital during Christmas vacation, so the girls don't have to go to school while I'm out.) It turns out the doctor is going to be out of town on the 28th and 29th.... So, he asked how I'd feel about doing it on December 27th (my in-laws' anniversary). I said I thought that'd be great, but I'd been told he didn't do surgeries on any days other than Tuesdays and Thursdays. He said, "Oh, no, I don't mind doing a Wednesday." Great! He called the hospital, got it all set up, and I'm now scheduled for the morning of December 27th!!! I'm supposed to go in at 6am, but we'll probably call right before we leave, to make sure everything's on schedule. I'm getting excited!!! Only seven and a half weeks!!!

Where have all the good movies gone?

This summer, when Jim's brother was in town, he and Jim and their parents and one of his sisters & her husband and I all gathered out on our deck, drinking and talking. (I, of course, was drinking water at the time... OH! What I wouldn't give for a nice glass--or two--of wine!) Anyway, usually when Jim's folks are around, the talk turns to politics. It just seems to go that way, since it's always good for a debate--Jim and his parents often have different views, or else somebody ends up playing devil's advocate. It's always a bit spicier if John is around, as well.

Except this time, the hottest conversation was actually about how they don't make good movies anymore. All the movies out there (according to Jim's mother, Kay, and Jim actually agreed with her on this) have negative messages or are scary just for the sake of being scary or they just don't have anything positive to say. I think the general message wasn't just about how bad the movies are these days, but how they're indicative of the times we're living in, and how it's just a really bad time and everyone is becoming more and more negative. I tried to play devil's advocate on this one. (I'm usually best off if I just keep quiet!) I think I was trying to say that we are just in the down-times right now. There seem to always be peaks and valleys, y'know, good times and bad, and I was just thinking that things are especially low right now. (e.g. The economy isn't so great, gas prices are horrendous, we're in a war, etc.) But Jim and Kay both felt like it wasn't as simple as that... they both felt that people's values have gone to hell and there's no bringing them back. It's just going to get worse and worse. I pretty much fizzled out after that, as I'm not exactly a historian--I can't really point out exact dates and times when things looked so terribly bad and then got better (other than the Depression, I suppose).

I'm thinking now, several months later, that maybe Jim and his mother were right. We borrowed the movie "Pollyanna" when I had that free Netflix membership. (We also got "The Music Man", which was very fun and wholesome and uplifting, I thought.) Now, Jim had told me about "Pollyanna" when we first met--he actually used to call me Pollyanna. If you haven't seen it, here's the thrust: Pollyanna is a girl who, at the ripe old age of 10, has already had her share of hard times; however, rather than be poopy about all the bad stuff and boo hoo over it all, she searches for the things in life that she can be glad about--playing The Glad Game. She ends up turning this whole town on its ear, changing their bad and/or selfish attitudes into positive and helpful ones. It was an amazing movie! The only one that I can think of that's remotely similar (as far as changing one's perspective about things) is "It's a Wonderful Life"--which I plan to be watching again in the next month or two!

So, now, watching that movie has gotten me thinking: what kind of movies are out there today? What kind of TV shows are out there? What are people talking about in their day-to-day conversations? The movie "Saw III" is in theaters now--that's a gore movie just for the sake of gore. Nasty. And there are probably half a dozen other very scary (probably gory) movies in theaters or about to be in theaters as well. Other movies, like "The Breakup", aren't scary, but in all honesty, have bad values. (I'm being old-fashioned, it's true, but I'm also abiding by my Catholic Faith: living together, without the benefit of marriage, is a sin. Topic for another blog, I suppose!) Movies that aren't scary are often all about how to get into bed with someone else. And at the very least, if they're not about that, they're often about how to get the best of someone else. I saw "The Devil Wears Prada" not long ago. It was pretty good, and with the exception of one instance of fornication (which, at least, wasn't shown but was implied), it didn't have too many bad things going for it. However, the main point of that movie was that you have to be mean to get ahead, even if it means stepping all over the people close to you. The heroine finally chooses not to go that route, but you're left wondering (at the end of the movie) if she'll be nearly as successful as she could have been by staying on that track of stepping all over others. (By the way, "successful" in movies these days is clearly defined as making a lot of money and having a lot of stuff--yet another value I don't agree 100% with.) The TV shows these days aren't any better. I try to watch questionable stuff when the girls are in bed, like "Sex in the City", "Friends", any "Real World/Road Rules" challenges. Even "Hell's Kitchen" has tons of swear words bleeped out of it, and it's obvious people get where they want to by stabbing each other in the back. I'm even finding some of the shows the kids watch aren't that much better. "Hannah Montana" and "That's So Raven" often have people sneaking around and conniving to get what they want, in less nasty ways than grown-ups, of course, but they're still teaching trickery and deceit. Even some of the cartoons, like "Fairly Odd Parents", have people being mean to each other and calling each other nasty names. I try to stand by and make sure my kids know the difference between what's acceptable and what's not. But it's getting to a point where, if they're not watching PBS, I don't want them watching anything!

When I babysit at Jazzercise, I often have a few older kids come in. By older, I mean ages 9 to about 11. I'm shocked at the behavior these kids are displaying already. They're mostly good, but at the same time, they're already trying to act the way kids of my generation did when they were in their early- to mid-teens! I have a 9 year old girl come in now and then who is obsessed with when she'll get to wear a bra. I don't even remember thinking about that until about 12. It seems like kids are trying to grow up faster these days, and I wonder how much of that is coming from the movies we watch, the TV shows we watch, and maybe even the conversations these kids overhear.

Maybe I'm oversimplifying. I guess my point is that, after watching "Pollyanna", it really made me realize there are no (or very few) good, wholesome, family-oriented movies out there. Even things like "The Parent Trap" or "Cheaper by the Dozen" or "Yours, Mine and Ours"--movies that are all remakes of old, wholesome movies--needed to be 'modernized' in order to appeal to current audiences. Some of those 'modernizations' would include things like couples living together before marriage, people playing nasty and potentially dangerous tricks on each other, etc. In the old days, they didn't have to cross those lines in order to appeal to audiences. Thus, I'm thinking that we really are in a bad, negative time, and things aren't looking like they're going to get better... or if they do, it'll be a long time coming.

Sorry... kind of a bummer of an entry. My apologies to Jim and Kay--you were right and I was definitely wrong. I wish I hadn't been, though. Got any suggestions of old, wholesome movies we can watch? I'm over this new stuff!!!

Halloween Pictures

We had a little Diva and an Angel Fairy in our house this Halloween Season. They had so much fun wearing these costumes, and they were lucky enough to be able to wear them not only Trick-or-Treating, but also to a couple of parties and to Boo-at-the-Zoo! They had just as much fun posing for the camera!!!

Baby Shower

A few weeks ago, my great friend, Anita, threw me a baby shower. I hadn't thought (initially) that I needed one, having had children before. However, since I'm having a boy this time, and it will have been nearly six years since the last one, it did make sense to stock up on a few new items. (Not to mention the fact that Jim and I have still been unable to find any of the old baby clothes I had--y'know, that early newborn stuff that's often unisex.)

So family and friends joined together at Anita's beautiful house. We were treated to all kinds of delicious goodies (two different gourmet cakes, pumpkin bars, bite-size ham or turkey sandwiches, chips, nuts, blue popcorn, etc.), and the games we played were fantastic! My favorite was the poopy diaper game: Anita stuck different candy bars into individual diapers, nuked 'em for a few seconds so they'd melt, and then passed around each diaper for us all to determine which kind of candybar it was. What fun, to have a group of women sitting around, sniffing what looks like poop in a bunch of diapers. I know (or, at least, I hope) I wasn't the only one who was tempted to have a taste. We all managed to use our self restraint, though. Sniffing was as far as it went! We also played the game where you decide, just by look (not even scent) what kind of baby food is in each of several baby jars. That was a tough one--you'd never believe how many foods are orange or green! Another game was to guess how many calories were in a huge jar of Baby Ruth candy bars. That was tough--I don't think I was anywhere close. Bummer, too, 'cuz I really wanted to win that jar of candy bars!!! My second favorite game was the memory game. I won't give that one away, as it had a bit of a twist, but I do want to say I got a huge kick out of it!!!

Naturally, I got a ton of great stuff--thanks to all who were there, and to those of you who didn't make it but sent or brought gifts anyway. I'm so very blessed to have such great friends and family! One of the gifts I was most excited about--one I'd even joke was the reason I got pregnant--was my Diaper Cake. Don't get me wrong, I love and am grateful for every single thing I've received. I mean it when I say that I'm blessed--Jim and I were starting to get worried about whether or not we'd be prepared, and now we will be. But the Diaper Cake (which Anita made) is something I've seen given to other expectant moms. It's one of the most clever, yet functional gifts I've ever seen. I was just about beside myself to receive my very own, and it's going to be very hard for me to break down and dismantle the thing to use the diapers. Thank goodness I got a couple of pictures of it! (If you can't tell by the pictures, the 'cake' is accented with little bottles of baby shampoo, baby lotion, baby powder, etc., and at the top is a rubber ducky, a washcloth, and a little key-ring rattle.)

A couple weeks ago, Jim was in Texas taking a class... he was gone all week. I had been wanting to paint our kitchen for months, and I decided it'd be fun to see if I could get it done with Jim gone and surprise him! Was I ever in for a treat! The only walls I wanted to paint were the backsplash (behind the stove and between the counter-top and cupboards) and the part over the sink (which is mostly taken up by more cupboards and a window). So I wouldn't even say that space was enough to cover a regular wall. But it's a bit of a cramped space. Those two walls were that "country kitchen blue" that was fashionable about ten years ago. I've never liked it, but it worked in this kitchen... the floor has some of that same blue in about 1 out of every 5 tiles, plus the formica on our conter-top is flecked with that blue, as well. But, as I said, I've never liked that blue, and I've always wanted a sunny yellow kitchen. So I set about buying paint (something I've never done before... I got so lucky--and the lady at the hardware store was extremely helpful!), sanding the walls as I was instructed to do, taping up all the edges, and I was ready to go. Well, since that blue was on the darker side, I had to do primer first. No problem (except it stinks worse than regular paint)... except that I could still see the blue through the primer! Fine, I just put a second coat of primer on. Now I was ready to do the fun part--the color!!! It went on a little brighter than I'd really expected, but I figured it was going to be okay. However, it didn't seem that two coats of paint were enough. So I put on a third coat of paint (on top of the two coats of primer). This took me through the whole week, up to Thursday morning. By Thursday morning, I was ready to remove the tape, clean up the newspapers and debris, and hang my curtain up--get everything back to the way it was. What happened, though, was that I started taking down the tape... and ripping the paint off with it!!! It pulled away like rubber! In some spots, it went all the way down to the dry-wall! I called my friend, Anita (always my hero!), bawling and absolutely freaking OUT! She pointed out that none of those home-improvement shows ever let you see the "touch-up phase", and she said she'd be right over. And a bit later, here she came, with a specially made cookie from Eileen's to cheer me up (with a huge rainbow on it in, I swear, about two inches of frosting)! She picked up one of the craft paintbrushes I'd set out and started fixing up my little problem areas. (In the meantime, I'd decided that home-improvement tip #27 is: when the tape doesn't pull away easily, cut it with an exacto knife!) I only had a few areas that were bad, and in about 20 minutes, you couldn't even see them! Yay! Anita to the rescue! Later that evening, I went back over to put a second coat on the touch-ups, and you really can't notice them at all, unless you come close with a flashlight and magnifying glass, looking for them. So I finally got to put away all the mess from my painting. I spent Friday sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and basically cleaning up any clutter around the rest of the house. I decided that it'd be cool for Jim to come home, not just to a newly painted kitchen, but to a freshly cleaned house with a newly painted kitchen! I'm pleased to say he reacted exactly the way the girls and I wanted him to, spending a good 10 minutes fawning over the whole project, exclaiming all kinds of kind things about what a great job we did, etc. I had let each of the girls do a bit of painting, on the first coat of color, with the roller. They each were excited to point out "their wall". I think I'm done nesting for a few weeks. Will write about any further work I feel it's necessary to do!

Netflix, Bunco, Elephant Feet--Oh My!

I received a month's worth of free Netflix from a FANTASTIC friend of mine, and I am LOVING it!!! It's really a great deal (especially when it's free). I can keep the movies as long as I want, and I don't have to pay shipping when I send them back. I actually don't like to hold onto the movies for very long, though, as I'm enjoying turning around and sending them back to see how fast I can get something else. Turnaround time is usually 2-3 days. I suppose it's easier, in a sense, to just go to Blockbuster or Hollywood Video to pick up a movie, rather than wait for it to come in the mail. But I don't mind waiting a day or two, and I really love creating a list and having Netflix pick from the list for me. I can change the order of the list, in case I decide I want to watch one thing before another--that came in handy this week, with Jim out of town. I've tried moving all of the "chick flicks" on my list up, so I can watch them while he's gone. Part of what's so cool about it is that Netflix has so many movies that aren't available at the regular video stores anymore. And since I can create a list of my own, I can go add to it anytime I think of another movie I want to see--it's so much better than standing there in the video store for 20 minutes going, "What was it that I was thinking of the other day? None of these movies sound good!" Okay, enough for my plug on Netflix... if you haven't tried it, you should give it a shot. You can get two weeks free when you go to www.netflix.com.
Bunco is a new passion of mine! I'd heard about it from my friend Beth about four years ago (give or take a year), but the concept was pretty fuzzy. This past year, my friend Anita got into a group and was constantly asking me to come with her, as a sub. For various reasons, it just never worked out, and I have to admit, I was a little intimidated by the game anyway. I didn't know how to play, so how could I possibly fill in for someone? And I was scared by the prospect of spending an evening with a roomfull of women I didn't know--I would only know Anita, right? And my time with her couldn't be very extensive, knowing there would be ten other women there! But finally, after about four months, I finally broke down and joined her as a sub one night. I couldn't believe how easy (and ADDICTIVE) the game is! The very next day, I told Anita I'd love to become a permanent member, if they ever had an opening on the team. She told me there actually was an opening (one of the 'regulars' decided it'd be better for her and her family if she stepped down to 'sub' status). Yippee! Well, this month was my first turn as a 'regular', and due to unforseen circumstances, someone was needed to host at their house (the originally slated host was unavailable). I decided to jump in with both feet--gave the house a MAJOR cleaning and had everyone over to my place. It was a BLAST! I've only played twice, now, and my pregnant brain trips me up every once in a while. But this group is SO much fun, and it's exciting getting to know them all. What's kind of neat about it, too, is that it seems like there's always someone who can't make it, so there's always a sub or two--which means meeting even more new people. And I can't believe I was afraid of doing just that! I'm glad I finally pulled my head out of the sand! All I can say is: BUNCO RULES!!!
One last thing, before I'm done. It's been kind of warm here, the past few days. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, it was in the low 90's each day. Yesterday was cooler and today should be cooler, too. But the damage is done: I've got Elephant Feet! I remember my feet swelling with both Lindsay and Josie--more so with Josie--but I don't recall it happening this early in the pregnancy. (However, my memory is so fuzzy, it could have started at exactly this point last time--I just can't remember.) I'm sure it didn't help that I took the girls on an excursion through the zoo on Sunday, during the peak of the heat. And all this week, I've been on my feet, doing one thing or another. I've only gotten 45 minutes to an hour and a half each day with my feet up. So I'm not really giving them much chance for the swelling to go down. I'm hoping this is not a constant state... kankles are not a look I fancy, even during pregnancy. Thank goodness it's cool again, so I can at least cover them with jeans. I do have to wear my AirWalks, though, as socks would bind too much and there's not much chance of me tying tennis shoes anymore. The funny thing is, I bought my AirWalks about 1/2 a size too big, knowing, at the time, that I was pregnant. Now they're very snug, and if I have them on for long, my feet start molding in shape around them. Neat. Ah, the joys of pregnancy. It could always be worse, and I'm STILL loving every minute of it. Back pain, frequent trips to the bathroom, going through a bottle of TUMS each week--they're all part of the fun for me! It truly is a blessing and a miracle, and if there are a few discomforts along the way, they only make me appreciate the gift I receive at the end of the journey!

Well, fall is definitely here now. It wasn't exactly cold or even brisk on the day I made the apple crisp... that was just a craving thing. But now it's pretty brisk, even chilly at times, and our warm days are tinged with a cool breeze. I really DO love this time of year.
My apple crisp turned out fantastic, by the way... it was all I could do to keep my face out of the pan! This past weekend, I tried another new recipe: Striped Delight. Mmm! That one was made for sharing, as it's so rich, even I found myself getting too much. I made it for when we had some of Jim's family over to watch the USC game. What a bummer... but the food was awesome! We had chips & dips, plus some breadsticks, fried mozzerella, onion rings, potato skins, etc. It was a regular pig-out!
Our Little Lump is growing steadily (of course, given my obsession with food), and he's a regular dancer! I swear, he's got the Boogie Fever! It's not just a few kicks here and there... when he decides to get moving, he's all over the place. It just cracks me up. I don't even mind when he starts in at night, as I'm lying down to sleep. It's a feeling I'll never grow tired of, and I know it's one I'll miss once he's born.
The girls are really getting excited for the birth of their little brother--Josie, in particular, is very excited and is even protective of him already. They're torn between being excited for Christmas because of presents and being excited for Christmas because it means their little brother will arrive shortly after! They helped Jim and me clean up the crib and get it set up in what used to be the Computer Room--said computer has been moved downstairs, across from the fireplace. (I'm learning to like this set-up, as it's cozy down here PLUS I'm more productive with my time upstairs, rather than running to the computer every five minutes to check for e-mail.) We need to get a rug in that room, move the spare bed out, move the rocking chair in from the girls' room, and maybe get a little dresser. Still, the crib is ready, so I'm not as worried about the rest. NOW I just need to go through our old baby clothes and pull out everything that's not too "girlie". There's always something for me to do! :)

I LOVE Fall!!!

I've got an apple crisp in the oven (I'm so excited--it's my first time making one, hope it turns out!). The Huskers won their first game. It's been so cool out the past few days, we've gone without Air Conditioning and haven't needed heat. School is in session and the girls are just loving it. We're starting to discuss ideas for Halloween costumes (and I'm already starting to think longingly about miniature candy bars). This is my absolute favorite time of year!!! When the leaves start changing and then falling, and you walk to school (okay, walk your kids to school), you can shuffle your feet through the leaves on the sidewalk. There's a smell in the air of grass and leaves drying up and dying, sometimes you can smell people burning leaves or other woody debris or maybe someone's got their fireplace lit already. Oooh! I LOVE having a fireplace! And I always think of the smell of pencil sharpener shavings and school supplies--brand new Crayons, fresh notebooks, crisp new #2 pencils with no teethmarks! Then there's the food! (Have I mentioned the apple crisp and the Halloween candy?) Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, because of all the good foods and the fact that we're all getting together simply to eat! I'm so happy! The girls are happy! Jim is happy! Hooray for Fall!!!

It's a boy!

We found out last week that we're having a boy! Jim and the girls and I all went in and saw the ultrasound together, and let me tell you, it truly was like watching a movie! He wasn't just lying there passively, like both girls did on their ultrasounds. He was movin' and a-shakin'! It even looked like he waved at us one time. It was so much fun watching him--and tonight, he's just as active. I swear, he's got the Boogie Fever in there!
I'm 22 weeks along, now. Of course, that's according to my midwife. If you go by what the ultrasound tech said, I'd be 23 weeks along. I can expect to have my baby anytime after Christmas. Now, I'd like to do it either on New Year's Eve, for Jim (he'd relish the tax break more than I would) or on New Year's Day, for myself (for one thing, if it was the first baby of the year, I'd get free stuff! and for another thing, New Year's Day is a Monday, and I just want to have a straight set of weekdays in the hospital... so nice!). However, everyone is telling me that NO DOCTOR will do a voluntary C-Section (which I'll be having) on a holiday! Fooey! So I've got to pick a day between December 26th and January 7th (my official due date). I do want to stear clear of January 5th, though, since that's Lindsay's birthday. Hmmmm...
We're so excited that it's a boy! I think maybe Lindsay was a bit disappointed for a moment or two, but she's come around. Jim's gotta be the most excited one of all. I mean, now we'll have a little boy to carry on the family name. (Not like he's the heir to the throne or anything, but I think it still means something.) I just hope he and I continue to grow healthy and strong as the next few months wear on. Will do my best to keep you all updated on MR. Lump! :)

Norfolk visit

After a nice sleep-over, it was time for more fun and games with the toys at Grandma's house. All that playing makes us hungry, so we had to go out for some delicious Ricardo's Mexican food with Uncle John, Devin, and Jim. Then, of course, right back to play-time! 

Fun with John & Kalista Rae

Once back in Nebraska, we had to make the required visit to Valentino's--for Uncle John's sake! Josie and Lindsay each took a turn trying on Casey's helmet for his scooter... They look like true biker chicks, don't they? After a week in Lincoln, John headed to Norfolk with Kalista, and we followed! The girls just love playing dress-up at Grandma's! 

More about Chicago

The girls were so excited to go to Chicago, but what made it most special for them was that all their cousins on the Tibbels side were going with us! It doesn't matter where we are, if the cousins are together, we're happy! One of my favorite things about our trip to Chicago was the tour-boat trip up and down the Chicago River... we even went out on Lake Michigan for a bit! The tour was very informative, and part of what made it cool was that it was the one thing we all did together as a family in Chicago! We also did a bit of site-seeing on our own, going into the Belmont area, where I hung out a lot during my younger days in Chicago; we also made a visit to the Buckingham Fountain, which is in Grant Park--across the street from our hotel! 

Trip to Chicago

We were so blessed to have the opportunity to travel to Chicago, via AmTrak, with all of Jim's family! We had the best time doing all kinds of fun thing--dining at the Walnut Room at Marshall Fields, walking to and from Giordano's Pizza, taking in the beautiful surroundings of our lovely hotel (Chicago Hilton Downtown). Jim even got to go to a Cub's game... and they WON!!! 

NJ Family Visit

We were all so excited for the part of this summer which brought my brother, his wife, and their daughter to see us! They came for the celebration of our parents' 40th Anniversary, and they stayed at our house for several days. It was their first trip back to Nebraska in over four years! In addition to the Anniversary party (which was quite a hit, if I do say so myself), we went out to eat a few times, we had a few trips to the swimming pool, plus a trip to the State Capital and Morrill (or Elephant) Hall. There were a few BBQ'ed meals, and a few made inside. We had a lot of fun catching up and watching all the girls interact as though it'd only been a few weeks since they'd seen each other, rather than a few years! Thanks for coming to see us, C, K & M!!!  

Family Photos

My older brother and his family was in town recently for our parents' 40th Anniversary party, which was a great success, I believe. Earlier in the day, we all went in for family portraits, and this cool place we went to actually printed up our pictures the same day! (Only about 15 minutes later, in fact, AND they gave us each a disk with our pictures on it, as well!) The place was called Portrait Innovations, and if you ever need portraits done, you should see if there's one in your area. They're very reasonable, quite professional, and they did an excellent job!

Back in the saddle... sort of!

Oh my gosh, it's been over a month since I last blogged. I am so lazy! Actually, no, I'm just tired all the time from makin' a baby! I'm finally over that first trimester (I'm 15 weeks right now), so in theory, I shouldn't be as tired as I was. Funny, I'm not experiencing that Golden Phase I remembered from my first two pregnancies. I don't feel quite as drained, but I have to say, there's still nothing that sounds as good as a nap! Everything's going well with the pregnancy, though. I'm bigger than I would've thought I'd be, this early on, but the midwife said at my last visit that she only heard one heartbeat in there. So it must just be a "third pregnancy" thing, where my body is pretty much going through the motions... it's an "expert" at this stuff now. Whatever! I haven't been having any fun, strange cravings. I do seem to want more fresh fruits and vegetables than usual. More than that, though, I seem to have aversions to food. I can't stomach the idea of pork chops, which I usually enjoy quite a bit. I'll sit down in front of other things, and I lose my taste or desire for them less than half-way through. It's frustrating, trying to make up weekly menus. If I had my way, we'd eat tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelon every night!
I do have a couple of fun quotes. The #1 fun quote for now is one Josie made when her Daddy was dishing up some ice cream for her: "Do you know what's better than ice cream? Family." Not to be outdone, Lindsay had this to say, earlier that same day, when we were pretending to be running from Pirates: "My most important treasure is my sister, Josie." These girls are out to make me cry, I tell ya!

Happy News

Okay, I've pretty much blabbed to most of my family and friends--it's time to make it official: I'm pregnant! Again! Some may not have known that I was pregnant last year, and I miscarried in my 6th week. That actually went on for four weeks before I went in and found out for sure, then went for a D&C. (Delicately put: cleaning out of all remaining tissue.) It was much more traumatic than I'd expected something like that to be, and I was upset, to greater and lesser degrees, for the better part of this past year. Now, we're pregnant again. Although this pregnancy wasn't as intensely planned out as the previous pregnancy was, we did hope/suspect it could happen. Already I'm "feeling" more pregnant than I did last year, which I take as a good sign.
Today, I went with the girls to my midwife for our first visit. She didn't do an actual "check-up" this time--that'll happen next week, and I won't take the girls along for that. (They don't need that much education!) It was more of a medical history review and Q&A time... but they told me I'm about 10 1/2 weeks along, where I was thinking I had just crossed over into my 9th week. (I know, that 1/2 week shouldn't matter, but during the first trimester, especially after last year, I'm taking every little bit of ground I can get!) My midwife did pull out her little rubber models of babies in-utero at various stages of the pregnancy. I've seen those several times, of course, but it was really fun for the girls to get an idea of how big (so tiny, really) the baby is right now. An added bonus: we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat already! I wasn't expecting that until at least next week, and maybe later than that. It was so great... that's the thing that always makes it so real for me! So we're looking at early January. Yippee! Cross your fingers, pray, send positive vibes, etc., that the baby and I are both healthy and strong throughout and after pregnancy. Thanks!

Just a few pictures, from Easter Sunday to right after Memorial Day.