The Landers' Life: 10/01/2010

Random but True

10/31/10

Last night I took Jake trick-or-treating - the real deal, door-to-door, like my sister and I used to do when we were his age, trick-or-treating. We decided this year to skip the annual Sorority Row event and the Fall Festival at my parent's church, and we went old school, Baby. So!Much!Fun - I seriously can't even put it into words right now (Actually, I'm just waiting to show you pictures of Jake dressed in his red and yellow Fireman costume and tell you all about it it later!)

I'm still getting over a cold that I've had all week (Thank you, Jake.). It's the pits! I have no recollection of a time when I've been so sore from coughing (I think I've even thought about crying over this one at times) and so tired of the smell and look of an 83 year old instead of a 33 year old (meaning the smell of vapor rub on my chest and extra padding in my underwear to catch...well, I don't think I have to go there...you get the idea).

During my ultrasound this past Thursday, Julie noticed that my placenta is low lying (but not over my cervix). Dr. W. said I shouldn't make any major changes in my routine for now, but he'll really be looking out for Parker and I both as we get closer to his due date. His goal for now is to get us through eight more weeks safe and sound, and then take each day from there one at a time.

I'm officially $112 richer today than I was yesterday...thanks to my mom and sister for their amazing help with the yard sale I mentioned earlier last week.

Actually, come to think of it, that money has already been spent. Yeah, I was already forgetting the trip Jim and I made to Birmingham on Thursday and all the things I bought while we were there.

The bumpers for Parker's bedding are officially done! And I swear to you, his crib seriously just went from a seven to a ten! Of course, the velour crib sheet, kicked it up a notch too - the one and only he may ever own since Jim saw the price tag and is still wondering how just one sheet for a tiny infant can cost almost as much as an entire set of sheets to go on our queen-sized bed.

I still have no idea what stores have opened at the new outlet mall in Leeds. Jim and I tried to go on Thursday, but we literally could not even get on to I-20 because of the amount of traffic - unless, of course, we wanted to sit it in for at least an hour (or longer).

I've been writing this blog post off and on all day as thoughts come to mind. At nearly 10, the only thought on my mind is getting some sleep, so I think that's it for this one!

Goodnight!

Parker...

10/29/10

has his photos taken in 4D yesterday...

has his head under my right rib cage and his hiney above my left leg...

weighs 2 pounds and 3 ounces...

is in the 30th percentile for his gestational age...

isn't quite the twin of his big brother, Jake, in more ways than one - He not only looks somewhat different than Jake but definitely shares some of his features (at this point anyway - and we actually have a pretty close age comparison since a few of Jake's 4D ultrasound photos were taken at 30 weeks), but he is waaaay more lively than Jake and is "much more difficult to scan" (per the best ultrasound tech in the world, Julie, who did almost every one of Jake's scans and has done two of Parker's)...

is getting the bumpers made for his crib today (Yes, I'm still working on his nursery. I know, I know, I'm super slow. These things just take time, you know?!)...

is very waited upon, and we can't wait to meet him skin-to-skin, hug-to-hug, and kiss-to-kiss really, really soon!

Pumpkin Carving

10/24/10

was the perfect thing for us to do on a Saturday afternoon!

This week has been full of _____________...

10/22/10

doctor's appointments (but not for me...for Jim). His usual neck pain has become "not so usual" over the last few weeks. In fact, his left index finger and part of his middle finger are completely numb from whatever is causing pain to shoot straight down his arm. He's been referred to a neurosurgeon in Birmingham, and she's decided it's one of four things (which only an updated MRI will tell that he'll have hopefully by the first of next week): a muscle spasm, a bone spur, a ruptured disc, or a combination of those three. Yikes!

good TV. On Jerseylicious, Tracey lost part of her hair extensions in a cat fight with Olivia, Michael and Kevin are still in it to win it on The Amazing Race, on Survivor it was a double elimination night, and Florence danced her last dance on Dancing With the Stars.

irritable moments. I truly have no idea what got hold of me at the beginning of the week, but each and every day, I just wanted to stay in bed. I honestly would have given almost anything to just remain tired and crabby all by my lonesome. But instead, I got myself up, dressed and ready and chanted over and over in my mind "This too shall pass" as I listened to my backseat driver tell me I was going too fast (or too slow), ask me why I wasn't going because the light had been green for point five seconds, and yelling at me to sloooow doooown because the light was yellow (even though I was already under it and had no other choice but to punch the gas). Thankfully it did pass, and by yesterday, I was reunited with my normal persona.

projects, projects, projects. First of all, I'm making a huge (and I mean, huge) pile in our spare bedroom of stuff to put in a yard sale that my mom and sister are doing with my Aunt Mary back home next weekend. I'm literally cleaning out every closet, cabinet, and drawer I can open to see what I can part with. I'm also putting the finishing touches on the wreath I've been working on off and on for weeks (and I mean weeks because it's made of tied ribbons...can we say very.long.process?) that will hang on my hospital room door announcing Parker's birth. And last but not least, I found an awesome idea today thanks to Kelly's blog for some super cute canvases that I want to try painting for Parker's room.

good food. Pizza...not just once, but twice (a craving I'm definitely paying for on the scales - which I'm not at all excited about standing on next Thursday), Jack's for breakfast (just once, though, I promise), and Mexican for lunch today with some of the best girls I've ever worked with.

indecision - about Parker's room. I wake up at 3:30 in the morning, munch on a granola bar and drink what feels like another gallon of water (but really it's only a twenty ounce bottle) and wonder if I've chosen the right artwork, or whether or not I really need that toy chest to match his baskets, or if the rocking giraffe will really be practical (or safe) in the long run (because it serioualy could be an accident waiting to happen with two little boys playing on it). Jim has rearranged the furniture once since Wednesday (my mom sighed when I told her - she knows this is nothing new for me), and I'm sure he's pretty much terrified of what I might ask him to do over the weekend.

"ready for the weekend" moments. And I'm so glad it's here!

And Here's One of the Reasons Why

10/19/10

(He makes me smile, that is).

This past Saturday, I took him shopping with me.

I decided it was high time I added a few articles of clothing to my wardrobe to get me through the next few months (but in a thrifty kind of way...because after all...it's just for a few months), so we trekked to at least four different stores before I found exactly what I was looking for (in more ways than one...meaning jeans and a half off sale).

I grabbed several pairs to try on, and we made our way to the dressing room. Once inside, I got undressed from the waist down, and here's the conversation that took place...

Jake: "Mommy! Your tummy's gettin' big!"

Me: You're right! Parker is really growing, isn't he?

Jake: "He is, Mommy! (while nodding his head in agreement). Mommy, I just love Parker! I really do!"

Me: Awww...what a sweet big brother you are, Jake!

And then...then...he did it...he kissed my belly in the sweetest way you could ever imagine!

And I nearly picked myself up off of the dressing room floor from being melted into a puddle of moosh (I also told the dressing room attendant that, "Yes, everything is fine.")...

and, of course,...

I smiled.

And I still do every time I think about it.

Smile

10/14/10

He

makes

me

Smile!

Some Things Never Change

10/13/10

And one of those things is Jake's passion and love for some Alabama Football.

Nope!

He isn't affected by this past Saturday's loss.

35?

21?

Yeah, those are just numbers that he can't count to yet.

And 7 and 8?

He's still capable of getting those backwards at times, so those don't mean squat either.

Oh definitely!

He's still bleeding crimson...and white (He's also still quoting the 23rd Psalm more times than I can count on one hand every.single.afternoon.).

He still asks every day if it's "Jersey Day" (which is what he calls Game Day).

And Parker will now make his entrance into the world "after Santa Claus brings him his helmet" (meaning an Alabama football helmet that he spotted from outside the store at Hibbett's in the mall - Dude has got some majorly good eyesight, let me tell you).

Yep! Some things just never change!

"They are winners, Mommy!"

Absolutely...they sure are, Buddy!

Once a champion, always a champion!

Which is exactly what you are...to me!

Fridays

10/12/10

Fridays are for...taking the afternoon off!

This past Friday, I wanted to spend some extra time with my mom while she was here and also spend some time with Jake before he left home on Saturday morning to spend the rest of his weekend with his Grandma and the rest of my family.

So I called it quittin' time at noon and went home to spend the rest of my day doing something out of the ordinary...and I don't mean just spending time with my mom and Jake.

Fridays are for...trips to Critter Creek Farm!

We've been here once before - but not on a Friday afternoon and not in a very long time.

Jake was actually two years younger.

I was also two years younger and not six months pregnant.

But I got no less exercise than I did the time before...or enjoyment. In fact, I got more of both.

This time around was even more exciting for Jake and so it was for me too.

My mom also wasn't with us on our last trip here, so she got to experience the down and dirty of feeding all the hungry animals that were ecstatic to see us coming.

Actually I think they were just ecstatic to see the cups of food coming their way...

and Jake who was carrying them.

They were also pretty fired up, I'm sure, about the fact that as he extended his hand for what was in it to be licked and munched, he was steadily pouring it out of the cup that he was holding in the other. Not intentionally, of course. But when you're three, sometimes that's the best you can do.

Fridays are for...picking pumpkins!

We have multiples of these at home after our afternoon walk on Thursday to buy some (We honestly didn't think we would come close to seeing an actual Pumpkin Patch this year after our plans changed last weekend, so we decided to take the easy route and "pick" them out of a huge cardboard crate sitting in the front entryway of Publix.).

But what's one more when it comes with your admission and involves an actual hayride to go pick it?

That's definitely what makes this one special...

and, of course, the fact that he picked it all by himself.

After we finished our hayride, and Jake found his pumpkin of choice, we took a look at lots of homemade scarecrows...

fed a llama...

and some sheep...

and a goat or two with the last little bit of food Jake had left.

My mom and I also watched Jake as he slid down slides, tried to climb a rope ladder, met new friends and told them all about his brother, Parker, and absord most of a Diet Dr. Pepper that my mom willingly gave up because he couldn't wait for me to go get his drink out of her car.

Fridays are for...times like this!

And I'm so glad I got to spend my afternoon this way.

She's Here!

10/7/10

My mom...my role model...is here...

and I'm so happy!

I'm also eating way more than I should - just sayin' and keepin' it real.

Jake is also still on Cloud 9. He has been since the minute he woke up and realized it was G-Day (Grandma Day). She picked him up from school, and he hasn't stopped loving every minute of her being here since.

One of the great things about her visit is that we have no agenda. We're just doing whatever we decide on from one minute to the next whenever that minute strikes us.

It's wonderful! And Mom, I'm so glad you're here...even if it does mean my mid-section, legs, and thighs will expand just a little bit more.

Curb Appeal

10/6/10

About this time last week, I wasn't sure if I would tackle decorating our entryway for the Fall.

But I did some digging for ideas on the Internet, did some brainstorming, and finally on Sunday afternoon, did some extremely thrifty shopping.

Those three things combined led me to creating this for our front door...

and these for the two rocking chairs that sit on either side of it.

This was definitely some much needed curb appeal for the Fall!

Oh! And now I'm completely addicted to making wreaths and pillows as the seasons change.

It might be a stretch to start planning what I'll do for the Christmas holidays right now, huh?

Two more months...two more months...two more...

I wonder...

10/5/10

...if people really buy more pizza from Little Cesaer's because various employees stand on the street corner of the shopping center it's located in and hold signs and foam fingers pointing towards the restaurant while dancing to music on their ipods.

...what possessed Jake to call me a nerd last night. And where in the world did that come from? Jim is forty years old, and I'll turn thirty-four exactly a month from today, so the word isn't even remotely in our vocabulary.

...who will be eliminated on Dancing With The Stars tonight. Margaret Cho...Bristol the Pistol?

...if the parents of the students on campus taught their sons and daughters to look both ways before they cross a street. Certainly they did right? Just in case they forget, though, I think I need to put the "Crossing a Busy Street Refresher Course" on my To-Talk-About List before Jake and Parker start their freshman year's in college. Just.in.case.

...what my mom and I will do with each other's company this weekend. She'll be here Thursday, and I can't wait!

...if I'll ever find all the little white balls that Jake has scattered everywhere tonight that belong to his Hungry Hungry Hippos game. Maybe the vacuum cleaner will find them for me. It's waiting for me to come push it back and forth some more like I was doing before I sat down to write this blog post.

...how long it will take for our front door to dry (Thank you, Buddy, for helping me put a fresh coat of stain on it tonight!) so I can hang the new Fall wreath on it that I made for it this weekend.

...how much longer tonight Jake will wear his Finding Nemo floatie that he has on his right arm. To bed maybe?

...lots and lots of many more things I could write, but the vacuum hasn't begun to operate itself in the last few minutes, so I guess I'll call it a night!

Parker and I

10/4/10

In case you may have been wondering what Parker and I look like these days...

well here...

we are...

at 24 weeks...

and counting!

Bibs, Burpcloths and Laundry

10/2/10

This morning I spent a couple of hours at our breakfast table sewing four sets of these...

for Parker.

Oh the numbers of these I went through every day with Jake.

If Parker is anything like him, I'll need at least five times this many.

But at least I've gotten a good start on being prepared...

and a good start on filling up one of four of these...

that I mentioned I bought for his room in my last post.

And because laundry has been almost all I've done for the remainder of my day today, I'm also remembering the dramatic increase these added to the number of loads we had to do each week.

Sigh...

This and These

10/1/10

So I think it's safe to say that Fall is officially here! I base that on the fact that this entire week, I've driven every single day with the sunroof back in my car (No air conditioner here, Baby!), the windows in our breakfast area have been open to let the breeze blow in every single afternoon, and we have given our screened back porch more hours of occupancy than it's had since March (and of course, the forecast that I've been checking religiously for the next ten days).

Weather like this makes me want to just get all crafty and make something similar to this for my front door...

and put some of these...

in the planters outside on our front entryway.

But considering that fact that I just bought this...

and one of these...

and some of these (Now you're getting the picture right?)...

that may not be on my list of things to do (or purchase) for this weekend.

So I guess I'll just keep enjoying the breeze coming in through my windows and relaxing on the porch some more.

That sounds pretty good actually.

Think I'll go open my windows now!

Random but True 10/31/10

10/31/10