Never Undrestimate Modern Technology

So, my story begins on Thursday night. I had already gotten two days of use out of my 1 pair of maternity jeans, and while the boys were in the bathtub, I decided to throw some clothes (including my jeans) in the wash. This is about the only multitasking I can achieve during bath time, because the laundry room is right next to the kid bathroom at my house.

I firmly believe that the blame for this event can be placed on the fact that I have only 1 pair of maternity jeans, and therefore, have to wash more frequently that I otherwise would, causing me to be distracted and more rushed. Anyway, long story short, I took off the jeans and washed them, then went to put them in the dryer when lo and behold, I found my cell phone...in the washing machine. Oops. The phone was in my pocket when I took my jeans off, and it didn't get missed in the 53 minutes that they were in the washing machine.

I have to add a little background info here. We only have cell phones at my house. We used to have a home phone (land line) that would ring once a week (usually a telemarketer) so we decided to ditch the land line save $30 a month and just go with our cell phones (one for me and one for my husband).

I am a firm believer in freebie phones, so my husband has always had the nicer phone while I got the $9.99 or less special. A couple of months ago, our phone company was doing a promotion where we could both get new slider phones (very cool, and way fancier than anything I'd ever had). So we got two new phones. I really liked the upgrade from my freebie, and even though my husband's old phone wasn't really that old, he liked his new one too. (I think its cause they are colorful - red, and blue as opposed to black and gray)

And now back to my story. So, to top off an already rough day, I now had no phone. I was pretty sure my new pretty red phone was toast at this point. My sweet kind of geeky (i.e. loves to pull stuff apart and play with it) husband pulled apart the phone and laid it out to dry, then left me with his phone on Friday morning to get me by until I could activate his old phone (thank goodness we hadn't gotten rid of them yet) with my number.

Here is the kicker to my really long, so far kind of pointless story. This morning as we were getting ready for church my husband picked up my waterlogged phone and said that he thought it might be dry now. He then proceeded to put it back together and, unbelievably it turned on. I am still kind of shocked, but we charged the battery and it didn't fry it. All of my numbers and pictures are still in tact, even though my screen is less clear than it used to be. This afternoon, I got online and activated my number back to that phone and it works! I am amazed that a phone that went through a whole wash cycle would still work. Thus the meaning of my title: never underestimate modern technology!

What's New in Our Lives?

Just a few items, that didn't quite warrant their own post, but that I wanted to get out there anyway.

1. Today was Beefy's last day of therapy (hooray!). All of his testing came back right at the 50th percentile. It was good enough for his therapists, and definitely good enough for me. Plus it means I don't have to get up early on Tuesday mornings, which I am very grateful for.

2. I have an ultrasound next week. I am excited, but a huge part of me is really scared too. Is that crazy? But, we should be able to find a gender which would be great and a definite perk.

3. The boys are very excited about Halloween. Buggy asks me every night if it is Halloween yet. I think that the thought of another week and a half just might kill him.

4. I am tossing around the idea of using cloth diapers with this next baby. Maybe I really am crazy, but I've gotten really good feedback from people who have done it, and found only raving reviews online. I am looking at using this particular version. Kind of cool, no? I would love opinions, on this subject especially.

I hope everyone has a great day.

I Got Tagged!

Kellie from Mere Motherhood tagged me with a "random things" tag.

The Rules for playing TAG:

*Link to the person who tagged you
*Post the rules on your blog
*Write six random things about yourself
*Tag six-ish people at the end of your post
*Let each person know he/she has been tagged
*Let the tagger know when your entry is up

1. I have a thing for Ice Cream. I'm picky though, it has to be good ice cream. And by good, I mean it either has to be Aggie Ice Cream, or from Cold Stone.

2. I'm a worrier/planner/control freak. It drives my husband (and probably most other people) crazy, but I always have to think about every possible scenario in my life, and make a (usually very detailed) plan for it. When something is completely out of my control, it drives me absolutely bonkers.

3. I love eating out, it is definitely my preferred form of entertainment. But, when I find something I like, I stick with it. I am not terribly adventurous when it comes to trying new foods.

4. When I am pregnant, I get terrible cravings (probably explaining all of the food related things in this post). This time around, its all about the beef, and I am going nuts trying to get a good chicken fried steak, that I don't have to cook myself.

5. I love to read, and I get bad insomnia when I'm pregnant. Therefore, I can measure each kid by how many books I got through while I was pregnant with them (mostly enjoyed in the middle of the night).

6. I love shopping. I hate spending money, (I am eternally cheap) but when I can shop guilt free, I'm in heaven. I think gift cards are the greatest inventions ever.

I tag Cheronne, Desirae, Lisa, Alycia, Mel, and LaShaunna

New Cards for October

My posts have been depressing lately, so I decided I needed to put some fun stuff up. I've recently spent a lot of time in my craft room- here is a sampling of the cards, etc. I've made. Sorry if I sound a little "braggy". I haven't been super pleased with the stuff I've made lately, but this latest batch turned out great (if I do say so myself).

First up: Birthday Cards! These are mostly for card swaps, but I made a few extras for a "birthday card project" that I am working on, which I will explain about more when we are not so close to Christmas.

Hooray! I branched out from my color rut. (I've had this thing about using too much pink and brown lately) Hopefully I am starting to be cured.

I'm pretty bummed that this one didn't scan well. In the squares at the top I stamped some little dandelion looking things, in a (really) light pink. They are actually very cute. I was pretty proud of myself for incorporating the green. This almost became a casualty of my brown and pink only obsession.

And now on to: Halloween Cards! I don't know what it is, but I have been really into doing Halloween stuff this year. I never have been before, but I guess I was inspired by some cute paper.

I really loved how this one came out. It is a super simple card, using a really old stamp set that I haven't pulled out in a long time. But the result is great.

Once again really loving this one. It is an eerily similar layout to the first card above, and very simple to make, but I still think the finished product turned out pretty good.

And Now: Bag Toppers. I made this next batch of bag toppers for Buggy's pre-school class and for the boys to give to their friends. I had a hard time picking just a few to put on, so there are a lot of them for you to look at. (feel free to scroll down if you get bored) The last picture is the finished product, albeit a little crooked; someday I am going to figure out how to get things on my scanner to lay flat when I close the lid. Enjoy!

I Cried Today

Earlier, I was reading blogs- something I frequently do. A friend of mine from college who struggles with infertility and multiple miscarriages wrote a post today about National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, which is today, October 15. That post caught me off guard, and brought back a flood of memories-things I hadn't thought about for a while.

Although I am very excited about this new pregnancy there is a fear that only those who have been in my situation can understand. As I was reading about this day of remembrance my mind wandered to everyone I know whose life has been affected by the loss of an infant. It seems as if there is no one who is immune to this heartbreak in some way or another. Beefy's accident also brought these feelings to the foreground of my mind again. I am strongly reminded of how blessed I am to have the children I do have, and how I should not take them for granted.

In her post, my friend added the following link:
http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/
I'll warn you right now, that this is what made me cry. It is the beautifully heartbreaking website of a nonprofit organization of professional photographers who offer their services, free of charge, to families facing the loss of an infant. What an amazing thing. Unfortunately, I'm afraid everyone probably knows (or will someday) of someone who could have benefited from this service. Obviously it does not apply to every situation, but it is still so touching, in a way that I can't explain. I felt like I needed to pass this website along, if for no other reason than I think that what they do is important, and others should know about it.

I know that this post is kind of disorganized and random, and maybe even a little depressing, but it helps to get my feelings out of my head. Even if they don't make sense to anyone else. Have a wonderful day, and go hug your kids, I'm going to.

All Is Well

I feel like I should comment after yesterday's post. I really am okay. I definitely have been a little stressed, and the idea for that post was conceived after a long mostly sleepless night. (At the time it seemed more funny than anything else) Yesterday, I really needed to vent, but since then, things have started looking up.

We took Beefy to the doctor (second time this week) and found out that sometime between Tuesday afternoon (when he went for a check-up) and Thursday morning (after 36+ hours of 102 degree fever) that he developed an ear infection. That explains a lot. It is amazing what a little amoxicillin and some Motrin can fix. Now if only I could figure out how to make him sleep again...

Buggy has gotten a hard dose of "behavior and consequence" this week. He has missed out on a few small rewards due to his behavior, and has the potential consequence of missing a birthday party this weekend hanging over his head (at "Jump Planet" no less, I'm such a mean mom). I am pleased to say that so far it is working. He is starting to realize that if he is a whiny little brat, then he doesn't get what he wants. It is a simple concept, but surprisingly hard for some 4-year-olds to grasp.

My worries about a strike, and finances etc. will always be there. As will worries about the baby (at least for the next 25 weeks or so). But, I am good at worrying, and you just have to do what you are good at sometimes, so for now I will just keep on worrying and try not to let it make me too batty.

I have had a lot of people show concern for me recently and I can't adequately express how much I really appreciate that. It is so nice to know, that no matter how trivial my trials may seem, that perhaps there are others out there who don't think they are trivial at all. It makes me feel good, and a little less crazy. Thanks!

Formula For Crazy

Take 1 used-to-be-semi-normal woman (be sure to get the compassionate/worrier type otherwise known as a mom).

Add 1 part high-fever two-year-old who hasn't slept for four nights

and

1 part 4-year-old with a serious case of the whine-ies.

Mix together well. Sprinkle on top the following:

• An economic situation that is creating a slight personal financial crisis.
• A possibility of Daddy (i.e. sole breadwinner) having to go on strike in two months time.
• Trying to economically Christmas shop for aforementioned kids, so they will still get presents when the time comes.
• Worries about whether my preparation for aforementioned strike will be sufficient if the time comes.
• Worries that I did my best, but still didn't prepare well enough, and its too late to remedy.

Cream in one part high-risk-pregnancy and all associated ailments.

Simmer until point of breakdown and then serve hot with a side of tortillas (or other fill-in-the-blank side dish). Enjoy!

**But on a more serious note, I really needed to vent. Thanks.

Halloween Costumes

It is a well known fact that I am always willing to flaunt cute pictures of my kids. I will freely admit that I am biased; then again I have the right to be, I gave birth to them. Anyway, "AM" had the boys come into the studio today to practice some Halloween pictures. I think we got tons of cute ones. As per the norm, I will only post a few so as not to seem too overbearing, but I really had a hard time picking out just a few with this session. Considering that on a whiny scale of 1-10, they were both an 11.5 today, I am amazed that we had as many good ones as we did. Enjoy!

September Cards

Alas, the end of the month is upon me again (where did it go). Obviously this month has been more than a little hectic for me, but I did manage to eek out a couple of cards earlier in the month that I am just now getting around to posting. I promise October will be better (it has to be, for my own sanity's sake).

First was the card for my shoebox swap. It was a really simple card, and the scan wasn't fabulous, but here it is anyway:

Second is a wedding card that I made for a good friend of mine. I was super bummed that I couldn't make it to the wedding, but I am really happy with the card. I know is isn't super wedding-y, but I got to use patterned paper (a challenge for me), and I love the colors. The inside is is a gift card holder, but I wasn't able to get a good view of it on the scanner.

**On my own personal note, I love the quote I used on this card. It is from a John Lennon song (that has been remade about a hundred times) that I absolutely love called "God Bless Our Love". It also happens to be a very popular wedding song.

Neglected News

I realize that it is almost the end of September, but for some reason my brain is still stuck back in late July, or mid-August at the latest. Either way, I confess that there are things I have been neglecting when writing on my blog, and it is probably time to remedy the situation.

Buggy started pre-school at the beginning of September. Not a real pre-school, just a joy-school with four other kids from church. He really loves it though, and I am so glad we did it for him. Every week he goes to someone's house, and every fifth week, they all come here. We got, what looks like, a really fun program for them and so far it is turning out to be great.

Pre-school is something that I have struggled with for about 6 months or so now. We make decent money, but traditional pre-schools are very expensive. I could not ever quite figure out how we were going to make it work in our tight budget. I also had a really hard time getting a strong confirmation that it was a good idea for him. A few days before Beefy's accident, I got a phone call from someone at church saying that they had room in their group and heard we might be interested. It has definitely turned out to be a huge blessing for us.

And so, now onto my other piece of neglected news. I am, with some addmitted trepidation, pregnant again. I had my first appointment two days after Beefy's accident, and my second this week. Because of my history, not just with my last pregnancy but also with the boys, I am not only seeing my regular OB-Gyn, but a Perinatologist (high risk doctor) as well. I have had two ultrasounds to date, and so far everything looks really good. The baby is normal, very active, the right size, and has a strong heartbeat (all of which is a huge relief).

Unfortunately, this all comes with "less-than-pleasant" parts too. I haven't been terribly ill, but I do get the great pleasure of giving myself injections everyday (my stomach is starting to get a collection of little purple bruises). I also monitor my blood pressure and pulse from home at least twice a day, and additionally I have 5 (with a potential of one more) different medicines/supplements to take each day (I currently have very strong opinions about my prescription plan, but that is a rant for another day). All of this is being done in hopes of making sure this one works. I really, really hope it does.

I also have to comment on the baby ticker. Some of you have noticed that it has been up for a few days with no explanation or anything. That was my husband's idea. I really struggle with telling people I'm pregnant. I don't really feel it should be a secret or anything, it is just really awkward for me to come out and say it. He (my husband) thought it would be pretty funny to see how people reacted if I just put it up there without saying anything. So, there you go.

On a side note though, it was pretty funny.