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May 31, 2005
See My Life
Rock on, HeroBoy.
And cause my Momma asked for 'em, here are a few more:
Continue reading "See My Life"
Posted by WonderGirl at 5:09 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 30, 2005
Listy-Loo
If you are breastfeeding, your world is suddenly all about boobs. You read breastfeeding books, go to breastfeeding websites, have breastfeeding conversations, buy breastfeeding paraphenalia. Your whole life revolves around what is going on in the mammary department. Especially if you're having difficulties, which I am. Excuse me for being blunt-- blame it on the hormones. (nature's ultimate scapegoat!) Anyway, I can't think about it for one second longer, or I'm going to go crazy. So, in an effort to talk about something else entirely, I bring you a list of things I'd like to do in life before I keel over of boobitus.
1. Travel. I want to see something shockingly old. Pyramids, Greek ruins, a centuries-old abbey... just something that is so ancient that it blows my mind. I want to run my hands over something that has lasted hundreds of years, and will be here long after I am gone.
2. Dance at a ball. A real Cinderella evening-- the castle, the dress, the glitz and glamour, minus the wicked stepmother. And I got the Prince thing covered. The horse-drawn carriage would still be nice, though. And you could throw in a complete spa makeover beforehand, because every Princess needs a pedicure, especially if she's wearing glass slippers. (hey, it's my wish, why limit myself?)
3. Shave my head. Okay, so I probably can't do this one because we already have one bald head in the family and people might think we've joined a cult. But, I still want to do it theoretically. Women are so consumed with outward appearance, especially our hair. I think it would be very liberating to remove that obstacle, to face myself without that protective layer. How much of my confidence stems from physical things? It would be an enlightening experiment. Plus, think of all the money I'd save on hair products. It's economical, and you all know what a sucker I am for a bargain.
4. Hit the trails on horseback. Dusty to be sure, but what fun that would be! I'd like to spend about a week meandering the wilderness with a few friends, sleeping under the stars at night and riding the open fields during the day. Cowboy boots a must, beans straight from the can are not. Ok, so who cares if this little fantasy was inspired by the camp-out scene in The Three Amigos? If a turtle sings about it, I'm sold.
5. Build a beautiful piece of furniture. That requires the aquisition of skill, so I guess I'd have to take a class first. I can live with that. I would love to construct a fine, solid piece to display in my home. Shoot, I could start a home business like that. Everybody wants custom-made furniture. And I just loooove those plastic goggles.
6. Grow a garden. A real, thriving, food producing garden. Row after row of gorgeous plants-- and enough food to feed my family and friends, enough to can and eat in the winter. Farmer's tan included.
7. Act. I did a few plays in highschool and college, and loved everything in a theater production. The camraderie that grows during rehearsals, stepping into a different person and living their life for a few hours, the pounding of your heart on opening night, the sound of laughter and applause from the audience. It's a marvelous feeling, and I'd love to exerpience it once more. Salary is negotiable, but let's face it. Talent costs money, people.
8. Write in seclusion. I attempted this last summer, but wasn't able to make it happen. I want to isolate myself somewhere beachy and sandy and delve into writing uninterrupted. Oh alright, I'd probably interrupt it with a few dips into that crystal clear water a few times, but I promise I'd get lots of work done, too. Seriously. And I'd even keep the margaritas to a minimum.
9. Celebrate a white Christmas. Just once, I'd like to see the white stuff on Christmas Eve. We'd spend Christmas Day with honest-to-goodness Snowmen and sledding and snowball fights. But since I'm about as far south in North America as you can get, this one will require a little motion on my part. If the snow won't come to Muhammed, Muhammed must come to the snow.
10. Take a train trip. This is one I think I'd have to insist was top of the line, though. First class, baby. A private car with great windows, plenty of room, and champagne brunches. We'd roll through the countryside, marking the miles lazily on the map. Nice.
So there you have it. Ten things I would like to do someday, and not a single mention of the hoohas to be found.
(sorry for the slang, ma.)
Posted by WonderGirl at 4:40 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 26, 2005
Getting All PollyAnna
Today is Positive Affirmation Day.
Some time in the middle of the night, during one of The Duke's snack attacks, I was reflecting on the current State of WonderGirl, and realized that aside from being justifiably tired and hormonal, I have also been a tad negative. (King Pen says "tad" might be an understatement, by the way. So I hit him. Kidding.) Anyway, I realized that I was burying myself in negative thoughts. My list of things to feel guilty about kept growing, and every time I turned around, I had something derogatory to say to myself in my head. Bad mom! Bad friend! Bad wife! I had absolutely NOT been cutting myself any slack mentally, even though I know this is a period of adjustment. It's hard to accept that you can't be Supermom, Superwife, and Superfriend all the time. I expected too much and I was being very hard on myself about it.
When I realized what I was doing, I decided it should be different. So, today, every time I thought something discouraging, I consciously reminded myself of something I'm doing right. I tried to see the good in the moment, and stop feeding myself such negative thoughts. How can I expect to have a positive attitude if all I tell myself is how bad I am doing? Where is the love, people? (Thank you Black Eyed Peas... you are so wise)
So anyway, today was better than yesterday. Not that it's been terrible... but it's been hard. And overwhelming. And I don't want to let that overshadow how special this time is. So, I'll continue to make the effort to see the bright side of things, even if I'm still in my pajamas at 3 in the afternoon, even if the laundry piles higher than Montezuma, and even if the kids don't get their teeth brushed until well after lunch.
'Cause I am doing some stuff right. Everybody has a full belly. Everybody gets a hug and kiss when they need it. And everybody can wait two minutes for whatever it is they need without exploding. We've got the basics covered.
Y'all should try a Positive Affirmation Day. It feels pretty dang good. And I'll bet you've been a little too hard on yourself lately, too.
Posted by WonderGirl at 7:03 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 23, 2005
By Popular Demand
I promise not to turn this blog into all things The Duke, but these are going out by request of Grandma. I think she's in withdrawl, and really, who can blame her?
Continue reading "By Popular Demand"
Posted by WonderGirl at 4:39 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Booby Trap
Breastfeeding post ahead, just to give a little warning to the fellas. (See how considerate I am?)
Posted by WonderGirl at 1:02 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
May 20, 2005
Out and About
Today was my first time out with The Duke. We had his follow-up ultrasounds and a trip to the pediatrician, all of which went well. All the excess fluid in his brain is completely gone! I had already stopped worrying about it, because we just knew when we saw him the first time that there were no problems with this kid. But, it was nice to have that instinct validated! What an answered prayer! The other ultrasound showed that, surprise (sarcasm there, folks), the cyst is still in the bladder. However, it will only require occasional monitoring in the future to be sure nothing else develops there. The ped also said that he was a little jaundiced, but otherwise doing great. We're going to sun ourselves a little tomorrow. He's trying to get rid of the yellow... and I'll be working on my own blazing white skin. People are covering their eyes in pain whenever I approach, and I figure I better do something or risk blinding all my friends and family. I'll settle for "Delicate Lily White", just not "Oh, My Eyes! White".
Anyway, the whole morning out, I was on Newborn High Germ Alert. I'm sure people thought I was unfriendly, because I was shooting the "Do Not Approach" glare at everybody not in scrubs and rubber gloves. It's amazing how paranoid you can be when you have a one week old! I swear, all I could see everywhere I looked were people who were potential carriers of typhoid, malaria, and west nile disease. I was torn between showing him off and spraying everybody down with Lysol.
Poor Duke... he'll learn soon enough just how neurotic his mother can be. For now, he sleeps on in blissful ignorance. Enjoy it, sweetie. Mom's a nutcase.
It may be the hormones though. Do you remember the Memo I wrote a while back? I may need to send out another one, because let me tell you, I am all over the place with those puppies. It's so ridiculous! I am crying at the most unsentimental things... like televised car chases. What? It's not sad at all-- and I know it, and still get teary. It's weird. I am fine though, it's just the normal postpartum stuff. But still, another memo may be necessary if I keep breaking down over Burger King commercials.
Well, that's all for now, my peeps. Go. Enjoy thy weekend!
Posted by WonderGirl at 6:28 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 18, 2005
First Days
It's hard to capture the euphoria of the last few days in pictures, let alone in words. The Duke is sweeter than honey, and I am a very happy mommie. I feel really good physically. Honestly, I barely feel like I gave birth a few days ago! Nursing is going well, and though we're lacking a little sleep, it's not unbearable. He only wakes up to eat, then he falls right back asleep, so we're not up with a crying baby or anything.
I attribute a lot of the ease to my mother. She's been here, taking wonderful care of us all, making great meals and cleaning like a crazy lady. The kids have loved having Grandma to pester... poor Mom. They've enjoyed it though, and believe me, so have I! She left today and took them with her, to my mother-in-laws house through the weekend. They'll be running country wild for a few days, which I love. They'll be back by Monday, and we'll start our official life as a family of five on our own. I am excited, a little scared, but mostly just content.
I have a lot to say, and I promise I'm going to get to it all, plus I'll add more pictures! But for now, it's time to feed the little cowboy.
(click the link for a few more pics)
Posted by WonderGirl at 7:00 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
May 15, 2005
Mumsie Again
Hi, everybody! We are back home again, and before I crawl into the lovHeroBoyness that is my own bed, I wanted to post a few pictures and stats like I promised.
The Duke was born on 5/13/05 at 12:32pm after a really great labor. (I will write more on this later-- I absolutely CANNOT believe how easy this was compared to my others!!) He weighed 6 lbs and 11 oz, and was 19 inches long. He has his own look-- it's hard to say that he resembles Czarina or HeroBoy because he is just his own unique self. He has been a terrific baby, very sweet and cuddly. He absolutely loves snuggling, and we are happily accomodating!
All his newborn assessments were good, and the ultrasound of his bladder showed that the cyst was still there but non-interfering. They didn't even do one of his brain right now, because there was no neurological reason to do it. He passed his tests with flying colors, so they will just look at that fluid pocket in the brain next week, when he has a followup sonogram of his bladder. Our hopes, it will continue to shrink and disappear - the fluid AND the cyst-- and the dotors think this is what will happen. They say all signs indicate he is just fine and perfectly normal! Praise God.
He's beautiful.
Click for more pics...
Continue reading "Mumsie Again"
Posted by WonderGirl at 3:25 PM | Comments (22) | TrackBack
May 13, 2005
BREAKING BABY NEWS
WonderGirl's sister, Ashley here (shameless plug).
Just wanted to share the news:
We welcomed a new peckette to the family! At 12:32 PM, WonderGirl and King Pen had their third child, a beautiful, healthy baby boy!!
Say your prayers for them as they recover and adjust to new life!!
I am sure she will be posting pics soon!!!
Posted by WonderGirl at 1:15 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
May 11, 2005
And The Rambling Continues
I need to superglue my camera to my hand. I keep missing these fantastic photo ops... today it was old Mrs. Ruby and her dog Rufus at the park. Rufus is apparently quite fond of the kiddie swing in the playground-- Czarina and HeroBoy squeeled in laughter as Mrs. Ruby swung Rufus high. Then she walked him around in a Little Tykes pushcar. Rufus put his paws on the steering wheel and everything. (HeroBoy was actually a bit jealous of that, he thinks that's his toy.)
Next time, I'm bringing the camera. Mrs. Ruby and Rufus are known for their antics around the neighborhood, and I don't want to miss the next installment of bizarreness.
Sadly, that trip to the park nearly did me in. I'm still technically on bedrest, but I had to take myself off of it here lately. Don't worry - the baby is fine, I had a checkup yesterday and the amniotic fluid was low but I've got enough to last me until Friday. But with King Pen finishing his school stuff, I have had to tend to the kids. After almost two months of not doing that, it's been a bit of a shock to my system to pick it back up. It's frustrating to feel weak, and I guess it's just going to take a while to build my strength back up again. My inlaws would have taken the kiddos again, but I really wanted them home this last week. I wanted to enjoy these last few days before things change, ya know?
But tomorrow, I am determined to rest as much as possible, because it's truly the last day!! Whoohoo!!
In other news, the kids are now sharing a room together, and it's going surprisingly well. Bedtime is still a bit tricky, but I've found it's better killing two birds with one stone. (Somehow, that analogy just doesn't work, does it? Eh, I'm too tired to think of another.) HeroBoy is one side of the room, and Czarina is on the other. So far, the novelty hasn't worn off, and there have been only minimal problems. They like having someone else in the room, I think. Less monsters that way. This has freed up the other bedroom for company, and baby stuff, and eventually it will be the nursery. We always keep our little ones with us in our room for a while though, so it will just be the spare room till then.
Okay, what else? I know this isn't my normal blogging, but I feel like I've been so out of touch lately that I just need to update! I guess that's pretty much it for now.. I'll write again tomorrow, and then hopefully, I'll have a guest blogger Friday to let you all know how things go (and post some pics of the new kid.)
All for now.
Posted by WonderGirl at 9:31 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 10, 2005
Yakkity Yak
(I wrote the following entry yesterday, and was unable to post it right away because of technical difficulties.)
Hello world! Did you forget me? I can't believe blogging has been so infrequent lately. King Pen has been hogging the laptop for school, of all things. Doesn't he know I've got blogging to do? (Just teasing, honey. You do your thing.)
Speaking of school, this is his last week of the semester. HooRAY. I'm doing a waddly happy dance right now, because this has really been one of the longest and most stressful semesters! I like to think though- that this time next year, it will be the VERY end. No more school. It will be graduation WonderGirl and King Pen style, which means beer, people. Lots and lots of beer and raising of the roof, with all our friends and family who've helped us on this journey. I shall boogie like it's 1999. Mark your calendars, because that is one party you do not want to miss.
Anyway. On to other news.
We are primed and ready to go for the newest Short One-- which is three days away now. I picked up the last of the things I needed today, and I'm getting anxious. Not worried per se, just READY!! It's time to know if this is a girl or boy. I just can't take the suspense much longer! I've resisted the temptation to find out on a WEEKLY basis with all those sonograms, and I've reached the end of my willpower. Must. Know. NOW!
I've got all my plans set, bags packed, papers in order, and the only thing left to do was give in fully to the "nesting instinct". Not like you can fight it anyway. When it strikes, it is a compulsion you cannot resist. I knew I was well in it's throes today when I put something in the garbage can, and looked at the inside of the lid and said, "Oh NO. That won't do at ALL" and preceded to scrub the entire thing. It's so sterile now, I could deliver this baby right inside the can. I won't, of course. I may be nesting, but I'm not crazy. I'm just trying to paint you a picture here. Would it help to admit I've disassembled box fans to clean the blades? Tomorrow, it's the microwave. I actually feel a little sorry for it, because I will be brutal. And believe me, if I wasn't on bedrest, I would be pressure washing the house right now, too. I am NOT kidding. I'm still pretty creeped out by the fact that it was covered in caterpillars a few weeks ago, though thankfully, most of those have coccooned, or been squashed gleefully by my two year old. Gotta love that kid.
But I ramble.
I just wanted to let you all know that we are alive and kicking over here, despite the quiet of my blog lately. I will try to write a little here and there over the next few days, if the computer isn't tied up, and I'm not too busy regrouting the kitchen counter. (It really does need it though. Seriously.)
I will also take one last picture before the baby comes, because you really have to see this belly. It's gianormous.
Posted by WonderGirl at 8:50 PM | TrackBack
May 6, 2005
Juicy
Oh the citrous joy to found in the vivacious tangelo!
*Please, don't rush all at once to comment.*
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:27 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 3, 2005
The Zen of Ten
Cursor blinks expectantly at me... and I begin to move my fingers across the keyboard, hoping something compelling will come before the eventual. Period.
Oops. Not that. Not interesting, not even to me.
Backspace to whitespace.
Cursor blinks again.
This has been my writing experience lately, and I know why. In only a week and half, the world will scoot over to make room for a new being. In ten short days, a new voice will join the comforting noise of my life. Ten days from the birth of a child, ten days from an eternal change. Ten days, ten tiny toes... how can I fit anything else in my mind right now?
I have the fears all mothers do. Can I do this? Even more, can I do this well? Can I give what needs to be given, teach what needs to be taught? Will my arms stretch far enough to hold all these things, each so special, so precious?
But fear is fleeting. I stand before the carousel of life's emotions, and fear is only one of the many blurs that passes ever so often. Behind it and before it are so many other feelings-- confidence, hope, assurance-- they all wave and laugh as life spins by, rising and falling to the merry tune ringing in my ear.
That's it. That's what I feel. Each year of my life is a turn of this carousel, with the joys and sorrows making oh so brief appearances. It's too fast, I know. Ten days. Becomes ten years. Becomes ten decades. Until this ride is over and the music winds down.
I want to live every second of it, I want to know that my quarter was well spent.
Ten days... they rush forward sweetly. My mind and body and soul are preparing for that moment. I am crouched low, arms outstretched, ready to sweep this little one up that comes so fast towards me. There is my inspiration, there is my creativity-- it's all poured into that one anticipation. It's why this computer screen blinks whitely at me, it's why there are no other words in my head right now.
And that's okay. There will be plenty to say, to share, very soon. For now, maybe just the turn of the carousel is enough.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:51 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack