Eeeek!!!

Jeff and I put a bid in on a house last night...I am absolutely nauseous about it. I can't decide if I want them to accept our bid or not. The house is at 192nd and N Street. I really love the house, which is a 4 bedroom ranch (with a possible 5th bedroom). I don't like that it is so far west, but there just aren't a lot of ranches available in Millard, and they all seem to be pretty far out. It comes with a hot tub, which I love (I know, stupid reason to like a house, since it isn't even IN the house-but cool nonetheless.) I will tell more about it if they accept our bid...right now I don't want to think about it too hard in case we don't get it. Better not to imagine yourself there until it happens, right?

Snow Day Updates

It's been forever since I've written, so I am going to take advantage of the fabulous snow day we are having to update everything...


House Hunting: Jeff, the boys, and I went through six houses about a week ago, and we have looked through countless listings since then. We found some things we liked in each house, but none of them jumped out at us. In fact, they all had at least one thing wrong with each of them. For example, one had a lot that backed up to a train track, one had been reposessed and had holes in the wall, one had 2 of the bedrooms downstairs, one had rooms that were all crooked, etc etc. We did come to one valuable conclusion though. We really think we need a true ranch style house to fit our family's needs right now. This is good to know, but hard to find. We are looking exclusively in Millard because of the special ed services for Evan. There are not a lot of these homes in this area. We have a couple more to look through before we need to come to the conclusion that we will have to build. Which is also good and bad. It would give us the opportunity to make things exactly as we want them (like no stairs leading into the house or the garage) but it is also an organizational undertaking. This makes Jeff nervous and me excited. I LOVE to plan projects and organize. I love to be in charge. So...we will see what happens. Right now I am having a great time going through houses. There is nothing more exciting!!!

Charlie: Charlie had his two month check up on Friday. Jeff was off from work, so the whole family got to come along. He got his first set of shots, and that went well. No unusual reactions, just a slight fever and some discomfort. He is now 15 pounds 3 ounces, and 25 inches long. (This would explain him wearing the 9 month clothing). The bad news was that he has developed a fairly disgusting case of eczyma on his face (although this means I will never have to worry about him serving in the armed forces-a worthwhile trade off!) and a gross case of cradle cap (or cradle crap, as I think of it). He is also having some trouble with his head. Because of how he was positioned in the womb, he wants to always turn his head to the right. So much so that his neck muscles are getting shortened on the other side, and his head is getting a little flat on that side. The doctor said we really need to work on it, or he will have to wear one of those little helmets to help shape his head. Ugh. So...we are diligently pushing his head in the other direction now, which Charlie doesn't really appreciate.

Being back at work: I have been back with my kiddos for a week and a day now. I have mixed feelings here. I am enjoying being back with my class a lot, but I miss Charlie TERRIBLY! I feel so torn. My class did the nicest thing for me on Thursday. The parents came in while my class was at recess and set up a baby shower. When we walked in the room they all shouted surprise and the room was all decorated with monkeys and bananas. We played games, the kids ate bananas and banana bread, and I got a TON of stuff. Charlie is going to be the best dressed boy at daycare. My favorites are an outfit that feature the Very Hungry Catepillar (how perfect for the teacher's kid!) and an outfit from Gymboree (one of my favorite baby stores) that has a monkey sweater with matching jungle printed pants. They even had a baseball hat shaped like a monkey for me to wear during the party. What a wonderful place to work where the parents are so supportive. It makes me feel guilty for wanting to be at home. Charlie has adjusted well to daycare (since Grandma Kathy is his teacher, how could he not?) I am the one who is having issues and temper tantrums. I get to visit him during two of my breaks in the day, so at least I can have some hugs while I am missing him so much. His kissable chubby cheeks have make him a popular new addition to the baby room. Only 42 more days of school though till summer!!!


So that is life in the Micek Kleffman house. Lots of big changes coming up for us!

Babies Babies Everywhere

Tonight Charlie and Evan got to meet their new cousin Brooke for the first time at my parent's house for family dinner. She makes Charlie look like a giant! It was the first time all of the grandkids have been together at the same time-a really neat moment, so of course we took lots of pictures. It's such a wonderful experience to see our family grow and change. I can't wait to see the trouble that these 4 will cause together in coming years!

Jeff and Christy Get Older Still

I am walking around my house today feeling slightly queasy at all times...NO! I am NOT pregnant again (as Jeff asks me with a look of extreme terror whenever I have a body twinge). Jeff and I have taken a step even bigger than buying couches toward adulthood. We are in the process of buying a house. EEK!! We are in the middle of going through the pre-qualification process, and we are meeting with our real estate agent today at four to go through some houses. I feel very duplicitous (I LOVE that word!) about the whole thing. On the one hand, I know this makes financial sense for our family, as well as space sense (I can't imagine being able to crawl into bed at night with more than 6 inches between me, the wall, the bed, and Charlie). I salivate at the thought of being able to get a pan out of my kitchen cupboard without being buried under an avalanche of kitchen crap. I would also kill to have a master bathroom, in which I am not sharing makeup space with my children's bath toys. On the other hand, I want to wretch at the thought of leaving our current house. It is the first place I have lived on my own. I felt like I had conquered Mount Everest when Evan and I moved in. It is the first place I have felt like a competent mother. I also feel the love of my Dad every time I see something he and I have fixed up together. I can't stand change.


I am, however, excited to see this first house we are looking at today. It has such unbelievable luxeries as a GARAGE DOOR OPENER, a SPRINKLER SYSTEM, and my personal favorite, an INTERCOM SYSTEM!!! I can just imagine myself calling to Jeff in other parts of the house and making stupid comments to irritate him, or asking him to do things. What entertainment! I won't mind that we won't be able to afford going out anymore if I can just annoy my husband for a good laugh or two.

The Blahs

The last couple of days I have been REALLY depressed. It is bad enough that last night I was hit with a killer migraine and I am waking up in the middle of the night overwhelmed with waves of sadness, and then I just can't get back to sleep. This is really not like me, so that is depressing me further. I thought maybe if I blogged about it, that would help...


My Maternity Leave is Over Tomorrow: This is not something I am hugely stressing out over, but it does make me sad. I have so loved spending this time with Charlie, but it has also made things easier on the rest of the family and my marriage. I have more time for fun things and family time with Evan because I can get chores and errands done when he is at school, instead of cramming everything into the weekend. I have more time to spend with Jeff because being up a little later didn't bother me when I knew I could take a nap if needed the next day. This has been wonderful for my relationship with Jeff, even something simple like going to bed at the same time as your partner and having a little end of the day snuggle/chat means a lot. Now that I am back to getting up at 5:30 (after being up with the baby 1-2 times during the night) it is definitely off to bed earlier for me!

I Hate My Husband's Job: Jeff has been having to put in incredible hours for the last two months. This includes some weekends going in both Saturday and Sunday for 6-7 hours, and most week nights not being home until after 8. (Last night the poor thing worked until 9:30!) This is not Jeff's fault, there is nothing he can do about it, and I am not mad at him for it (in fact I feel really sorry for him). The fact is though that for most of Charlie's life, I have felt like I am back to being a single parent. I miss Jeff like crazy, and sometimes if I am frustrated or having a bad day, it would be nice to just have some time together, but it makes me sad that I will probably only have an hour or so with him. I have tried really hard to be supportive of him, because I love him so much, and I know it can't be helped. That doesn't mean that it doesn't depress me not to see him, or have him as a major part of our family. Right now, the boys go sometimes for 2 days without seeing him.

My Mother-in-law Makes Me Feel Anorexic: My MIL came to visit us last weekend and to meet the baby. She has never been anything but nice to me, so I am disgusted with myself that I have this reaction to her. I know that this disorder is something I will deal with for the rest of my life, and I hate that. There are still some foods, situations, and people, that for reasons I can't explain and don't understand make me feel like bingeing, purging, or starving myself (or worse a combination of all three). This includes peanut butter sandwiches, Lays Potato Chips, holiday dinners, looking at myself too long in the mirror, people from high school that I felt intimidated by ( a major reason I didn't attend my 10 year reunion), and now my MIL. I know that anorexia is not something that has logical explanations so I have given up trying to figure out why I feel this way when I see her, but it makes me feel terrible. For some reason, it has been really bad since I had Charlie. The bad part about one of these episodes is that it triggers thought patterns in my head, and I start having a lot of self hatred and negative self talk. It is really hard for me to get myself out of it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to talk with Jeff a whole lot through this because we haven't had much time together. On the other hand, since we haven't eaten dinner together, this has allowed me to feed the kids seperately and then eat dinner locked in my bedroom. I know that is ridiculous, but it helps to get through an episode by eating in private for a bit. I feel stupid talking to someone about these things because I so obviously don't look like I have an eating disorder anymore.

Saying Goodbye to Old Friends Sucks: I won't go on about this, but drifting apart from that old friend I talked about the other day has really made me feel like someone has died, or at least a part of me has died.


Anyway, I guess it is a combination of all of these things that is getting me down. I am wondering if there isn't also some post partum depression worked in there somewhere as well. I am hoping that writing about it and getting it out of my system helps.

Happy Birthday Brooke Elizabeth!

My sister Sarah gave birth today to a baby girl...

Brooke Elizabeth
7 pounds 11 ounces
20 3/4 inches

Missing

I have been feeling really sad about something lately, but it really hit me today when I was reading how much it bothers me. I am reading the book Ya Yas in Bloom, the companion to Divine Secrets. The author talks in part of it about how women treasure relationships that offer them a sense of intense femininity and a bond/connection to other women, and how these types of friendships can inspire us to greater things. I had this with a very special friend for the last 14 years. She was someone that I felt an intimate bond with, and in many ways I felt closer to her than anyone else on earth. It is hard for me to describe what this friendship has meant to me over the years, and how much it has saved me at many different points during my life. Even through the seperation of distance and time we had managed to remain extremely close.


After Charlie was born, my family called to tell this friend all about the birth and that he was okay. I called and left a message shortly after we arrived home from the hospital, anxious for a chat about the new little one in my life. I haven't heard from her. Charlie will be two months old next Friday, and she hasn't called or written. It really devastates me. Even if I felt I couldn't relate to something that was happening in her life, if I knew it was important to her, or if it was a major life event, I would offer my support. I would CALL at the very least. I feel like someone has chopped my arm off, and that a huge part of my life is missing. It makes me so sad.


I am really lucky to be surrounded by many other women that I can rely on and am lucky enough to call friends. I know I have to let this go, and that I will continue to be inspired by the other fantastic women in my life. It just makes me sad that that is what has to happen.

3 Kleffmans on a Couch

Last night, Charlie's Grandpa John came from Harlan to visit. I took this picture of Jeff, Charlie, and John sitting together, and as I unloaded it from my camera, it really touched my heart. 3 generations sitting together. Charlie is so lucky to have John as his grandpa. He absolutely dotes on him. I can just picture Charlie tottering around behind him in the years ahead, watching and emulating what he does. I am hoping this will help to pass on the Kleffman love of Harleys to Charlie. Maybe someday my kid will take his old lady on a spin around the block on his hog.

What I've Learned on Maternity Leave

Yesterday Charlie was 6 weeks old already! As I was reflecting over the past six weeks I discovered something that was pretty unexpected for me. I have found that I would dearly, dearly love to be a stay at home mom. I didn't really expect to feel this way. When I had Evan, perhaps because I had to do everything on my own, I really welcomed the return to work as it gave me some time off from baby care. I feel completely differently this time. Maybe it is because I am older and more confident and relaxed when it comes to child rearing. At any rate, I have an intense desire to stay home and care for my own kids. I feel a little guilty thinking this, since I have about the best daycare situation you can ask for. Charlie will go to daycare in the same place where I work, and his caregiver will be a sweet woman named Brenda and Charlie's grandma. Of course, there is that part about being off for the summer too.
I love my kiddos at school, but I wish the time I spend caring for other people's children could be spent with my own. I know it isn't possible right now for a variety of reasons, and I understand that and know it can't be changed. But, I guess I just know now that my first love is being a mom, and being with my own children.

Jeff and Christy Grow Up

Jeff and I went on a shopping expedition this weekend to Nebraska Furniture Mart and we bought a new couch and love seat for our living room. I am SOOO excited! Right now we have a disgusting white sectional (white with 3 boys in the house-VERY bad idea!) that I hate because it takes up too much room, and is very hard to keep clean. Why does this mean we are growing up you ask? Because it is the first piece of furniture we have purchased together, and it is in the minority at our house, as most of the other pieces we have were inherited from other people or purchased at garage sales (this is what happens when you are a single mom living on a teacher's salary). So, this will help our house to look more like 2 adults live here, instead of 2 college roomates. The thing I love best about them is that they have 2 recliner seats in the couch and 2 in the loveseat, so we can all sit around with our feet up and be lazy. Perfect also for my late nights when I am curled up with Charlie, a book, and a bottle. They get delivered on Thursday and I am itching to rearrange the furniture. I can't WAIT!!

Pizza Heaven

Christi has introduced me to a new piece of heaven in Omaha called Cici's Pizza. We went there for lunch yesterday. As you all know, I am a HUGE fan of the buffet at Valentino's, but this place has it beat. It's cheaper, which is always good, and it has way more imagination!! They of course have all of the usual pizzas to choose from, but they also have some awesome ones for adventuresome people like me. For instance, yesterday I had spinach pizza and mac 'n cheese pizza (which was FANTASTIC!!!) I am hoping that Jeff and Evan are in the mood for pizza soon.

My dad is feeling better and is back at work, which is a relief to me. We are having to sit on him to keep him relaxing when he is home though.

I go in for my 6 week check today...I can't believe it has been that long already! I am excited to be cleared to exercise though. I am thinking of joining Jazzercize to jazz up my weight loss. Also, if I go exercise with Christi I think I will be more likely to stick to it. We'll see if I am coordinated enough to handle it. We were watching figure skating last night on the Olympics and I was lamenting that I wish I could spin around at 50 miles an hour with my leg stretched completely over my head (to which Jeff replied "I wish you could too!") but if I even try to get on the ice I am on my face in less than a second. Of course this often happens to me when I try to dance on dry land too. I am a complete klutz. Christi may be sorry she offered to join me sometimes after I knock her out with my elbow falling down for the 80th time.

Heart Problems

My dad spent the day and most of the early morning at Bergen Mercy Hospital today, after going into atrial fibrillation at 1:30 in the morning. (A condition where your heart doesn't follow any particular rhythm and can cause blood clots to go to the heart, which is not a good thing). This has happened to him several times before, but lately the episodes are getting closer together. They converted him to a normal sinus rhythm using those zapper paddle things you always see on ER when a patient goes into cardiac arrest. Luckily, they sedate you for this procedure. My dad still hates it though. I am trying not to worry too much. They are going to do several tests on him in the next couple of weeks, to figure out a plan to keep it from happening again. Meanwhile, he is on a blood thinner for the next month, and is therefore banned from using power tools, a major trial for my dad who is currently in the process of remodeling the master bath in their house.

In much happier news, we just made a reservation for our summer vacation today!! I am SOO excited! We are going to a resort in northern Minnesota called Pine Beach from July 15-22. I cannot WAIT to spend this many uninterrupted days with my husband (with no ConAgra in sight) and kiddos. The cottage we are renting is right on the beach of a lake that is clear down to levels of 25 feet. YIPPEEE!!! Relaxation here we come! (We can only hope that this trip beats our Jamaica experience...)

Business Venture

I have a great idea for some friends of mine...

On Friday, Christi came over to visit with her daughter Alyssa (the cutie patutie) and she brought dinner for my family with her. She made us some to die for Chicken Tetrazini. It was delicious! On Saturday, my friend Sarah came over to meet Charlie, and she brought with her a kick ass Apple Pie, made with an old fashioned crust. It was also delicious!

So, here's my idea. I think Christi and Sarah should open up a restaurant. I would be one of their first investors, because they would be wildly successful. And the best part would be that I could stop cooking and just take my family there to eat all the time.

Warning....Mushy Alert!

I had heard before I had Charlie that sometimes having a child makes a couple's relationship more difficult, so I was a little bit worried (never having experienced having a child in a couples situation where the guy actually wanted to hang around and raise the baby with me!). Luckily, I can report that this has had exactly the opposite effect for Jeff and I. I have been trying to explain to him why I am 100% more head over heals in love with him since going through labor with him, but I can't seem to put it into words. Jeff has tried to understand the reasoning, but I think he is just happy to bask in the glow of my not being able to get enough time, snuggles, and laughs with him. There is something so powerful about being able to look into the face that you and your husband have created, and to watch your husband love the child you have created, and to see him care for the baby. Even seeing Jeff change diapers makes me love him more! Maybe it is because I appreciate it so much more after going through it alone with Evan, I don't know. All I do know is that I LOVE MY HUSBAND!! (And I love him so much more than on our wedding day, which I didn't think was possible). Don't get me wrong...he can still make me more irritated and discombobulated (don't you love that word?) than any other human being, but I guess that is part of the deal.

We had a great Valentine's Day. Jeff actually got home before 8 o'clock, which is a miracle for ConAgra employees, so we had some nice time to talk and spend together. Jeff got me a CD I've been wanting for ages...don't laugh...Stevie Wonder. I love those wanky wank songs he did in the 70s! Charlie gave me a great present too...a night of good sleep. He is getting better and better through the night.

3 Weeks

Not much has been going on, but I thought I would write so people would know I am still alive. Charlie was three weeks old yesterday. The time is flying by, despite the fact that I have been feeling a bit seculded from the world. Sometimes I love this feeling of being together with my kids, and it gives me warm fuzzies. At other times, I wonder what happened to Christy? This is when I remind myself that this IS now Christy, although perhaps I need to get out, at least to the store or something to remind myself that I am also an adult. I have been trying to do things that I like as well, just to take care of myself, even if it is something silly like checking my email for a couple of minutes. Evan is definitely going to get me out of the house this weekend. He has two birthday parties to attend, and a Boy Scout function. (Speaking of Boy Scouts...the part I have been dreading about this organization is approaching-those stupid wooden cars they make. I can't even remember what they're called! Anyway, they give you what amounts to a block of wood and 4 wheels and tell you to make a car out of it. Who are they kidding? There is no one at the Kleffman house who is trained in power tool usage. Would anyone like to give me a crash course? I'll just tell you now that Mr. Gordon, my junior high industrial arts teacher hated to see me coming!)

Anyway, not much new to report. I am going back to work on March 10th, so I am dreading that. Maybe we will win the lottery before that so that we can afford for me to be a stay at home mom and home school the kids.

2 Week Checkup

We went in for Charlie's two week checkup yesterday. He is already at 11 pounds 2 ounces! He also has an infection in both eyes due to tear ducts that are blocked because they are too small, so we are now applying an ointment 4 TIMES A DAY! This really freaks me out because I have to peel his eyelids open, at which point he begins to scream, and "place a thin ribbon" as the instructions say of the antibiotic cream on the INSIDE OF HIS EYELID! The instructions failed to mention how hard it would be not to poke your newborn's eyes out at the same time. Who thinks of this medicine stuff? Doctors trying to torture new mothers, that's who! The most disappointing news of the trip is that he has what his doctor called a "functional heart murmur." (Who knew there were functional types of these?) Combined with the prolonged Q-T wave pattern of his heart detected on his EKG at 2 days old (this puts babies at a higher risk for SIDS), this has landed us an appointment with the cardiologist in 2 weeks. He said most babies grow out of it in time, but some require surgery. I am trying not to worry. The pediatrician offered to send us home with an Apnea monitor if it would help me to sleep at night. To which I responded "People sleep at night? Certainly not at our house!!" An apnea monitor alarms everytime the baby pauses in it's breathing pattern or throws an irregular heart rhythm. Evan used one of these when he was a baby until he was 6 weeks old because he also had the prolonged Q-T wave pattern. It was a nightmare. The thing alarmed falsely at least 25 times a day. I am not exagerating. It also means you are connected to wires and a machine 24/7 and even walking across the room with the baby is a huge effort. So, I declined the monitor. The doctor was okay with it, because he didn't seem to think they prevented anything, and agreed with the false alarm problem. Does this make me a bad mom? Maybe I should have taken it with us, but the thought of it was SOO depressing. Also, since I no longer sleep, I can check to make sure he is breathing whenever needed. In fact, I am so tired I am surprised I can type this.

In Evan news, we had a great weekend. We went and got some ice cream on Friday night, and then watched a movie together. Saturday I took him to the Children's Museum for a Boy Scout outing (our first time ALONE since Charlie was born), while my mom watched Charlie. Sunday we baked some chocolate chip cookies together. So, I feel like we are back on a schedule, and we are spending some good quality time together. It has been pretty much just me and the boys since Jeff went back to work. They are having a huge busy period, and he usually doesn't get home until after 8:00 each night, and he goes in on Saturday and Sundays too. I am proud of myself for dealing with the two kids, housework, laundry, etc. by myself without any major disasters and with some fun thrown in for the kids to boot. Thank God I am on maternity leave though!! I keep wondering what this will be like once I am back at work. Thank goodness I believe in that saying that says God only gives you as much as he knows you can handle.

Raisin Cords

On Saturday, Charlie had a momentous occasion! I was changing his diaper that evening right before bed, and as I unzipped his sleeper, his cord came off! (These are referred to as Raisin Cords in our house. At Evan and Charlie's daycare, Katie the director started calling them this, presumably for their remarkable resemblance to raisins. Evan has used this scientific terminology ever since). I was super excited of course, and I got Evan out of bed to come and look. He also understood the importance of the occassion, and we jumped up and down and congratulated little Charlie. Evan ran downstairs to get Jeff so he could share in the celebration, but he didn't want to come up and look. I think we were both sad he didn't see how important this was!

So, since he is now cordless, Charlie was able to have his first "real" bath today. You can tell by the expression on his face in the picture how much he enjoyed this event. I was a little sad he didn't like it more, since Evan always loved being in the bathtub. I think it is because Charlie has a pathological aversion to being naked. It is really the only time during the day that he out and out cries. He must get this from his father. Those of you who knew me in high school know what happens when I get in the ocean, jump on a trampoline, or play dumb games in our parents' basements.

I have to admit that I am a little sad about his cord coming off too. It was a little like the last sign of his physical attachment to me. But, I won't think about that too hard. I am still overly affected by those gosh darn baby blues, and am prone to crying at a moments notice.

A Miracle

A miracle from God has happened in our house today, and it is called, I ZIPPED UP A PAIR OF JEANS!!!! Granted, it was only one pair of jeans, and I won't mention here that the other 4 pairs would not zip by at least an inch. The point is, I ZIPPED UP SOME PRE-CHARLIE PANTS!!! Things like this do not happen to women in my family, who in the 1800's would have been referred to as "Good Strong German Farm Women, Good For Having Babies." (Please insert a good strong German accent there). Today people politely refer to us a "big boned". For those of you who knew me when I had Evan, you might remember it took me over a year to get back to normal. So, of course, when I zipped my pants, it made tears come to my eyes. Hopefully this keeps up! I am cleared by my doctor to go back to the supplements that were helping to regulate my cycles and metabolism in about another week, so I am crossing my fingers that I am on the path to my regular self!

In Charlie news, he went in for a weight check on Tuesday and my little guy is up to 10 lbs. 5 oz. despite being a lazy eater. It would appear that God has given me a line backer for a child. I wonder if he will keep pace with my nephew Colin's incredible growth this year.

An Old Friend and Baby Obsessed

I hope no one minds that my next few entries are a bit baby obsessed. My world has shrunk down to the walls of our house and the lives of my kids. Which right now for me is heaven! Jeff keeps asking me if I am getting stir crazy and need to leave the house (which is so thoughtful of him) but I really have about zero inclination to do so. I am definitely in the middle of the baby blues (unfortunately for Jeff and Evan) and keep crying at the drop of a hat about stupid things, but both of my bigger boys have been trying to be exceptionally understanding about the whole thing. Evan has been doing his darndest to adjust to all of the changes in his life, and has been trying so hard to be a helper and a good listener. I know he is missing our time together, so I try and do at least one thing just us with him everyday. We try to compliment him as much as possible too, so he is motivated to keep trying.

Charlie is getting over his jaundice, and is getting to be a better eater a little bit every day. We go in for a weight check tomorrow to make sure he isn't losing too much. He is having a bit of a hard time sleeping at night, but I guess that is to be expected. We took our first trip to Grandma's house yesterday to have Charlie's birth announcement pictures taken by a family friend who is a photographer. They came out SOO well! It was nice to go over to my parent's too, if only for a bit.

Last night I got the chance to see an old friend I haven't seen in years, Jeff Lukens, and to meet his girlfriend Megan. It was so nice to see both of them! They came over with our friends the Kochs. Megan was so sweet and nice, and it was great to catch up with Jeff. It was also nice to have some of the outside world come in the door! Thanks for coming to see us and meet Charlie guys!

Charlie's Arrival

Just a quick post as my sweet little angel is sleeping...Charles Michael Kleffman made his entrance into the world on Tuesday January 17, 2006 after about 8 hours of labor. He was 10 pounds, 23 1/4 inches, a record for the hospital we delivered at (the previous record holder was Colin, my nephew). I cannot BELIEVE how big his is! I don't know where I was keeping him, but now I know why my pelvis and hips hurt so much those last two weeks. Present during delivery were my parents, my sister, and Christi Koch (an awesome friend), and of course my fantastic husband Jeff. I made it to 7 cm without an epidural, but after that they started to loose Charlie's heartbeat on the monitor because he was so low in my pelvis, so they had me lie down in the bed. At that point, I couldn't stand the pain because it really intensified when I laid down. Jeff kept me so focused and helped me stay in control, especially while they were putting the epidural in. I couldn't have done it without him. It was so amazing to have my family and Christi there too, because I felt so much love and support. My dad took pictures, and everyone else helped to rub my back, and keep me standing. Somehow I was able to push Charlie out in only around 12 pushes, which was great, since his cord was wrapped around his neck, and he was a bit blue when he came out. The nurse took him right away to get his circulation moving, and I had to wait a bit to hold him, which was hard. All is well now though, depsite a little jaundice. More later when it doesn't hurt to sit so much!! We are so blessed to have Charlie with us.

Magical Baby Shower

I have just had THE BEST baby shower! My friend Christi threw it for me yesterday, it was just amazing. The invitations were perfect and had little monkeys on them to match the nursery. The games she had were not your typical shower games and everyone told me how much fun they had. One of the things I loved best was that she had matted the shower invitation and these cute little bookmarks she made as favors, and then had all the guests sign the picture matting so I can frame it and put it up in Charlie's room. Christi is extremely creative and all of the little details were just amazing, and all coordinated. I told her it was the nicest shower I have ever been to, and I can't believe it was for me!


I had the best time putting all of the stuff away in Charlie's room, and showing it to Jeff and Evan. Evan was thrilled because we got several bibs that say "I love my big brother". He keeps saying how excited he is that everyone knows Charlie loves him already. It was the perfect thing to boost Evan's spirits a bit. He has been a little clingy this weekend, and I think reality is starting to hit for him. Jeff on the other hand, is amazed at how much stuff you need for babies. He keeps asking me what is this? What do you do with this? It's neat to look at things through his eyes.


Today we are off to Colin's 1st birthday party. Sarah didn't want anyone to bring gifts because his birthday is so close to Christmas, but I said the heck with that! Every kid needs something to tear into on their 1st birthday, especially since he just got the hang of presents over Christmas. So instead of a toy, I got him lots of board books (including one about using the potty that makes realistic flushing noises) and some clothes (including a VERY cute Levi's jeans jacket). So, I guess I kind of followed directions. Hopefully Sarah is not too mad at me, but isn't that what Aunts and Godmothers are for? SPOILING!!! I love this kid tons, and I can't resist him. Hopefully the six teeth he is working on getting in (some molars in there as well) won't prevent him from putting his whole face in the cake.

Details...

Lots of people have been asking me for details on Tuesday, so I thought I would add them here.
We have to be at the hospital at 6:00 A.M. (Blech...) My doctor wants me to be on my Pitocin IV by 6:30. The doctor is going to be doing a c-section at 9:00, and she said she would stop by to break my water before that, and that should really start things humming (it did with Evan anyway). She told me that since I am already dilated to 4 cm, that labor should progress pretty quickly, which is always a plus. She was guestimating about 6 to 7 hours total. I hope she's right! I was in labor for 13 hours with Evan! We will be delivering at Lakeside Hospital, which Jeff views as the Tajma Hall. When we took our tour there, he was of the opinion that we should have gone there on our honeymoon, instead of goofy Jamaica. It IS a nice hospital, which I am excited about. Evan was born at UNMC, which looks like a hell hole in comparison. They even have room service there (which they didn't in Jamaica, and Jeff LOVES). We will be calling all to let you know how it goes-hopefully by mid afternoon. I suppose I should be practicing my breathing the next couple of days, but it makes me feel ridiculous, like a cow in heat. Hopefully Jeff was paying attention in our birthing classes, because I know I won't remember a thing once things get rolling. One reason I married Jeff was because I knew he could keep me entertained during labor. I won't be lacking for distractions! I also want to wish my awesome Godson Colin a very happy and blessed 1st Birthday! I can't believe it has been a year already since he came into the world. I feel very lucky to be a part of this little one's life, and I can't wait to see what he does during the next year.

Drum Roll Please...

I had my 38 week check today and......I find out when Charlie's birthday will be! But you will have to keep reading to find out. No fair skipping to the end. I had to wait and so should you! = ) I told her all about my weird cramps and how I had been feeling, and she was so sympathetic, I almost had tears in my eyes. It was nice to have her understand and listen so closely. She thinks that I actually was in labor both Saturday and Sunday night, but that there is something about the size or position of the baby that is preventing me from sustaining labor on my own. She feels like I need to have the help of some Pitocin to keep things going, and she doesn't want Charlie to get to much bigger. Usually she will not induce until women have reached 40 weeks to make sure of the gestational age of the baby, but because Jeff and I were charting my temperatures and are positive about my day of ovulation and conception she feels comfortable inducing him....next Tuesday! So, unless I manage to go on my own before then, Charlie's birthday will be January 17, 2006. She actually wanted to schedule it for this Friday, but I am DETERMINED to make it to my baby shower!!!! And, believe it or not, I am going to hold parent/teacher conference on Monday, the day before I give birth! I can only hope someone in the raise department says, "Holy Cow! What a dedicated teacher! She needs to get paid more!!" Yeah, right. She did think there is a 50/50 chance of me achieving spontaneous labor before then, so I guess it could still change, but at least I know the end is in sight. Please keep us in your prayers on Tuesday!!!

At Home...

It's been an interesting weekend around here...I had two pretty rough nights. I felt fine all of the day Saturday, and even took Evan to the park to ride his new scooter and enjoy the weather. As I was making dinner around 5:30, I started having some light cramps. They weren't TOO bad, so Evan and I still went to church where I helped to distribute communion. Which was very funny, since it was about this time that the cramping increased, and I just wanted to dance around while I stood there to relieve the pressure. (In a side bar, Evan asked me after church if he could light a candle and say a prayer. I said sure, and I just cried while he was praying. He prayed for his new brother Charlie, and that he would come out without hurting his mom, and that he would be safe. Is that the SWEETEST thing or what? I love my kid!!) Anyway, by the time we got home from church, I could hardly stand it! I laid down, and really thought things might be starting. It hurt so much I was in tears, but I didn't call the doctor because they weren't actual contraction, just REALLY bad cramps. They lasted until about 5:30 in the morning. I felt better on Sunday during the day, but really tired and sore. Then about 8:30 that night, the cramping started again! It lasted most of the night. I am spending the day at home today to try and rest and get some sleep. I have no idea what is going on. I didn't ever feel like this with Evan (I was induced with him, and I don't think I was dilated at all with him before I went in). I can't wait to see what the doctor has to say at my appointment tomorrow. I guess I just want to know if this is normal.

Pampering

I went and had a day of Mommy to be pampering this morning! My sister and her husband gave me a gift certificate to Xenon Beauty School for Christmas, so this morning bright and early at 8:00 I went and got my hair colored, highlighted, and cut. Gotta look great for those labor and delivery pictures, right? The thing I love about this place is that because they are still beauty students, they go REALLY slowly. I cannot think of anything more relaxing than having my hair done, or combed, etc. I didn't leave until 12:15! I know this would drive some people nuts, but I just found it so relaxing to sit there and relax while someone did my hair. It was exactly what I needed right now. Jeff was really nice and watched Evan while I went. It is so nice to not feel alone during this pregnancy, and to have someone supporting me, even if it is just in little ways like watching Evan, or making sure I am resting enough.

Evan was not pleased with the results (it is amazing how strongly he does not want me to change my appearance-it really bothers him) but everyone else, including me, has said it looks nice. I feel better, which is the important thing. It is nice to have some part of me feel beautiful while the rest feels humongous and dopey. Of course, Jeff knows that I will probably burst into a bout of hormone induced tears if he said he didn't like it, so maybe I shouldn't trust his compliments right now!!

I've just finished watching the 3rd season of Dallas (yes, I know this is a silly show to watch, but Jeff has me hooked-it's all his fault). The last episode of the 3rd season is the famous one where JR gets shot by an unknown assailant. I can hardly stand to wait to find out who it is!!! The 4th season won't be released on DVD until January 24th, so I have to wait two weeks. Jeff also told me today that they don't reveal the killer until about 5 episodes into the next season!!! UGH. I hope Charlie is a Dallas fan.

Manners

I had this weird situation happen to me the other day, and I have been thinking about it ever since. My awesome friend Christi (I cannot mention enough times in this blog how awesome she is-I am so glad to know another Mom, especially one like Christi, while I go through my pregnancy) is having a baby shower for me next Saturday. I belong to a Quilt Group named the Grateful Thread (isn't that cute?) and I am really close with most of the members. We meet around 2 times a month, and quilt together, share life, etc. Last month we had a new member join us. She is incredibly nice, but I have only met her twice, and we don't really know each other yet. I did not include her on the guest list to the shower because of this, but I did invite the rest of the group. I have a huge family, and I was trying not to invite everyone and their great aunt once removed friend's neighbor, and I wanted to keep the list manageable and full of people who really mean a lot to me. Anyway, a member of the quilt group called the other day and left a message on my machine telling me to send this new member an invitation. Not even asking, TELLING. My question is...is this rude? I felt like it was-I cannot imagine calling anyone and demanding an invitation anywhere! She did help to make a baby quilt that the group worked on collectively and is bringing as a gift to the shower. I can see where maybe because of this she felt that she needed to be invited. But still...it just feels weird to me. Am I wrong?

Doctor Appointment

I went in for my weekly appointment this morning, and I know that Adam thinks this is possible TMI (so just stop reading now Adam) but I am now dilated 3 cm, almost 3 1/2!!! I am really excited about this because it took me forever to get to this point with Evan, and that was during actual labor. I have also lost 3 pounds in the last week (I don't know how because I have eaten a LOT during the holidays) but for some reason this seems to be a major indicator of upcoming labor with the doctor. She made sure we went over some questions the hospital will want written down in my chart when we check in like what type of pain management I would like. She did make me a little nervous because she said that once things get going I need to be very aware to get to the hospital with no dwadling. The doctors who administer the epidurals at Lakeside like to do so at 5-6 cm dilation, but not after you reach 7 cm. She said that could go very quickly for me since I am already almost at a 4, so if I get to the hospital too late, NO EPIDURAL FOR ME! And yes, I most DEFINITELY WANT THE EPIDURAL. Call me a wimp if you want to, but gosh that is a nice invention. So, I guess now we just wait. All of us here have our bags packed, and we are ready to rumble.

New Year's Resolutions

Wow! The first day of 2006. I can't believe how quickly last year passed for me. (Maybe because there were so many huge changes in our family and life?) I usually put part of this day aside to think about New Year's Resolutions, but I just feel like I don't know where to start this year. There is so much I could improve on like...loose the baby weight I've gained with Charlie (although I am doing much better this pregnancy, only 22 pounds!)...work on being a better Mom, and balancing two children's needs...work on being a better wife and balancing the two children's needs with my husbands needs (not to mention my own needs!)...work on some professional goals at school...YIKES! I feel overwhelmed just thinking about picking one over the other. They all seem equally important. I am a one goal person though. I need one thing to work on really well, or I end up doing nothing well.

Jeff came home from Colorado and visiting his mom, step father, and sister yesterday. He got in about 6:45. I was feeling like a big slug, so we just spent New Year's vegging at home, which was what I really needed after all the excitement of the holidays. Jeff must have been tired from his drive, because he disappeared off to bed way before midnight. So, Evan and I rang in the New Year together. Evan was bound and determined to make it to midnight with his eyes open, and he did it! He paid for it this morning by needing to sleep in until 11:15, but what they hey. It only comes once a year, right? I think this is the first year he is really aware of what a "new year" really means, so it was fun to share that with him. We watched The Incredibles to keep ourselves awake until the big moment. We were diappointed Jeff was too tired to join us, but maybe next year.

Pictures

I finally got around to taking some pictures. Above find the changing table and crib that took weeks to collect the parts for and put together. Also, here is my gargantuan (sp?) stomach at almost 37 weeks.

Let the Games Begin!

I went to the doctor today, and I am excited to annouce that I have started to dialate!!!! Only 1 1/2 centimeters, but hey, that's a start!! Charlie is still head down, and is at a 3 station. The doctor estimates that he is about 7 1/2 pounds right now. That's a little scary since Evan was that weight at 42 weeks, not 36 1/2! Of course, I could still be 2 weeks overdue before anything happens and have to be induced, but at least I feel like some action is starting to take place. I knew something was starting to happen in my pelvis before I went in. My legs feel like they are hardly attached, and everything is so wobbly down there. I knew things were starting to loosen up, but it's so nice to have some confirmation of your suspicions. I have been treasuring my sleep this week, because I know I don't have a lot ahead of me for awhile.

Mommy and Evan Week

Jeff left the day after Christmas for Windsor, Colorado for a week to visit his mom, sister, and grandparents who all live out there. So, Evan and I are having what we have been calling Mommy and Evan week. Yesterday was so nice! We just snuggled on the couch for a couple of hours, and watched some movies that Santa brought (one of them being The Muppet Movie which I haven't seen in years! I loved seeing all of the characters from my childhood again). Then we tried out some of his Christmas toys, including an Icee maker. He made me an incredibly messy Coca Cola Icee, which ended up being really good. Today we are just relaxing again, which has been so nice after the hectic holidays and the last couple of weeks of school. I realized how much Evan and I need this time alone together before the baby comes. I also realized how much I miss it being just me and Evan against the world. Not that I don't love Jeff too, but I just can't explain how much I miss our "old life" sometimes. It's been a bittersweet couple of days. I've also been thinking about how things will change once Charlie gets here. I know they will be good changes, and that most moms about to give birth to their second child feel this way, but I just can't imagine loving two people the way I love Evan, or there being enough of me or love to go around. I hope that Evan and I are both up to the challenge! I think it might be a little easier if he were younger. It has been just us for so long though, and we are so much closer than we would have been if we had had a traditional family for the first 7 years of his life. So anyway, it has been so therapeutic for us to be on our own this week.


Christmas was nice for us this year, if apart again like Thanksgiving. We celebrated Christmas Eve with my mom's family at my parent's house and went to Midnight Mass with them, which I absolutely love. Then we celebrated our first Christmas morning together. Evan was so exhausted from being excited that I had to wake him up to open presents! Next, Jeff left for Harlan and Evan and I went to my parents for brunch and to open gifts. I wasn't able to go to Harlan again because of my travel restrictions. That evening all of the Miceks came to my house (which is tiny) for Christmas dinner. Whenever the Miceks get together it means there is at least 40-45 people at your house. It was a lot of fun, but I think Jeff was a little overwhelmed at the amount of people in our home. He always says he likes Micek gatherings best though because everyone is always loud and boisterous, and talk about anything and everything. For example, one of my uncles regailed us with stories about his recent diagnoses by his doctor with (and I am not kidding) Itchy Butt Syndrome. It included a full discussion on hemrhoids. Jeff laughed through the whole thing, amazed I am sure that my family would talk about this in the first place. That's why I love them though! They are completely crazy. Anyway, nice but busy two days. Next year will be different I am sure as we negotiate the typical new family/newlywed mess of where to spend what on the holidays. We need to work out a plan for upcoming events, but at least we have a year to figure it out.

Nesting

We got out of school for break on Wednesday at 12:00. In his usual Christmas fashion, Evan got sick on Tuesday evening with a fever, a barking cough, and a severe headache. I did a mommy/school no no (I hate people that do this so I am such a hypocrite) and I made him go to school Wednesday for the half day while he was totally contagious. I didn't want to take one of my precious sick days, and Jeff is out of his occasional leave as well. We went to the doctor that afternoon and he has something called Adeno Virus. It got worse yesterday when his fever spiked to 103.4 and he began vomitting as well (this is fun on a normal occassion, but REALLY fun while pregnant!) Today I think his fever has finally broken, but now he is coughing green mucus out of his lungs-never a good sign with an asthmatic. Evan tends to get sick with something every year either right before Christmas or on Christmas Day. Last year he came down with pink eye on Christmas morning! I think he gets so excited he wears down his immune system, and he picks up something every time.

I did get out of the house for a bit this morning, and I registerd for Charlie at Target! What could be more fun!!! I LOVE using that little scanner. It is so much easier the second time around, because I know more what I need and what looks fun but would never use. (It is unbelievable the amount of gadgets that are out there for babies). It was so much fun to pick out all the cute little things. I am getting so excited for Charlie to arrive! Now that we finally have most of the furniture and room assembled, I have put the baby clothes away. We got a carseat last weekend, and learned all the in and outs of the thing at our last child birth class last Tuesday. So, it looks like we are down to the nitty gritty, and just have to wait for labor to start and for Charlie to arrive!

My dad's side of the family is coming to my house for dinner on Christmas day so I am off to tackle a lot of cleaning and sprucing up. I've actually been looking forward to cleaning everything out. I am starting to have those intense nesting urges. I deep cleaned the kitchen yesterday, and I felt so much better. Not that the kitchen will matter much to the baby, but it made me feel better. I hesitate to open a closet lately because I get a crazy itch to clean it out right then and there.

Contractions

I have been having an amazing amount of Braxton Hix contractions all through last night and today. Our birth class guru has mentioned several times that these are not supposed to hurt. As usual, my body has decided not to go along with "normal". A few of them have been DOOZIES! I have had to stop what I am doing, sit down, and breathe through it. This happened a couple of times at school today, scaring the pants off of my associate in my classroom. I think she was preparing herself to deliver the baby in front of 30 six year olds by the end of the day. I called the doctor, and she said that as long as they are not regular, that it's okay. It's just my body helping Charlie to engage in my pelvis, and to get ready for birth. She did say to get off my feet more during the day and just sit, but this is MUCH easier said than done as a first grade teacher. I am so glad that Christmas break is coming up!!I am 35 weeks now, so at least we are almost to the end. I remember doing this with Evan, but I forgot how silly it makes me feel to be in the middle of something and have to stop and just breathe!

Placenta Thing

As you all know, I am a big fan of seeing the placenta at birth. Knowing this, my friend Christi sent me this amazing website:

http://www.birthdiaries.com/diary/48vbirth2.htm


As I hope you have just seen, this shows what some women do when having a home birth with a midwife. They use the placenta, and the blood from the placenta, to make a print which comes out looking amazingly like a tree. When I saw this I was amazed. The print is kind of cool, but I don't think I could do this. The pictures show a woman calmly sitting on the floor with a placenta that isn't even HERS, unrolling it and carefully wiping the blood on the placenta to make the print. That is amazing dedication, mixed in with an incredible power of mind over body to not get nauseous. I love the idea of the print, but I don't like to think about the method of getting it. Lucky for Jeff, I don't think my doctor or midwife would okay doing this in the hospital.

GO CHARLIE!!!

I am SO excited! I went to the doctor on Wednesday for my 34 week check, and you will not believe this...Charlie has FINALLY turned head down! I guess the weeks of standing on my own head have paid off. This means we will get to try a normal delivery!!!! We went on our tour of Lakeside Hospital at our child birth class on Tuesday night, and I was so sad thinking I probably wouldn't get to go through all the fun things with labor and delivery. Now...I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!!! I am really looking forward to everything so much. I can't wait for Jeff to experience all of this with me.
YEAH!!!!

Don't Burn Your Eyes

On Monday morning, my curling iron gave up the fight and died (it was at least 6 years old, so I forgave it). I got a new curling iron that afternoon, and was taking it out of the package when I noticed there was a warning attached to the bottom. It had a picture of a large eyeball with a curling iron sticking out of it, and the big NO circle (the one with the line running across). I thought to myself, surely this doesn't mean don't stick in your eye, who could be that stupid? So I turned the tag over, and sure enough it said "This curling iron becomes hot when plugged in. Do not stick the iron in your eye. It will burn." I am quoting VERBATUM!!! Now, if it had said don't use near your eye AREA, I could understand that. But WHO WOULD STICK IT IN THEIR EYE????? Our intelligence must be decreasing as we evolve. I am so excited to have these people in my classroom. Maybe someday I will have to teach, "No, you can't stick the pencil in your eye. You might poke it out!"


I wrote a couple of posts ago about how our changing table was missing about half of it's parts when it arrived in the package. I called last Monday to get the parts resent, and they arrived on Friday. I happily opened the package on Saturday, and got started assembling things only to discover they still hadn't sent all the parts!!!! So I had to call AGAIN. Maybe the thing was packaged by the very same people who try to curl their eyeballs with curling irons. I am surrounded by idiots.


For instance, the idiots who work at Shopko. (Not inlcuding past employees of course, Adam and Asten). I went on Sunday, and noticed they had a baby swing on clearance. The model was directly above the price tag that said CLEARANCE (in capital letters) and $55.67. Below it was a box, holding the exact same model. The tag had the same wording as the model, and the box describing the product. One might assume then that the swing was on clearance for $55.67. Not so in Shopko land! After having it ring up wrong, and arguing with the person they sent to check on the price, I requested a manager. She told me, "Mam, this price is not for this swing." I pointed out the obvious about the description, the wording, the placement, and she still looked at me baffled, but refused to give me the clearance price. At this point I was a 33 weeks pregnant lady who had been waiting and arguing in line for 45 minutes. She learned a valuable lesson. DO NOT MESS WITH PREGNANT WOMEN. THEY BITE! I felt my face get red with frustration, and said, fine. Just give me your name, and I will be reporting you, your store, and your department to the Better Business Bureau. Suddenly, the swing was on clearance, and she gave me the right price. HONESTLY!!!!

Thanksgiving Stuff

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is gone and over already. I am having some Sunday night after vacation before going back to work doldrums. Why do vacations always have to go so fast and work so slow?

Our holiday was nice, if different than expected. Since I am under travel restrictions from the doctor (I can't go more than 40 minutes away from the hospital) I wasn't able to go with Jeff to celebrate in Harlan. His family got together for the first time since his grandfather died a couple of years ago, so he really wanted to be with them. I really wish Evan and I had been able to join them. I am feeling a little stir crazy stuck here in the Big O all of the time, but I guess better safe than sorry. So, Evan and I went to my parent's house, where we celebrated with my Grandma Rose and all of my siblings. It was nice, but I missed Jeff.

Friday, I got up at 5:45 and was in the mad shopping rush to get the good deals by 6:15. It's always a little crazy, but you can save so much money! I got some good Santa deals, and I crossed a couple of other people off of my list. Then, Evan and my sister Sarah and I headed over to my Aunt Julie's house where my mom and all of the Daley women always gather on the day after Thanksgiving to make our annual batch of Christmas cookies. (And I am talking HUNDREDS of cookies!!) When we're finished we divide them all up, and each family has a nice stash to offer holiday guests. I love this tradition in my family-we bake, eat, gossip, and spend time just as women. Evan was a great helper this year-he decorated sugar cookies for hours! He can have the patience of a Saint when he wants too. He really enjoys baking. It is something we have done together since he was little.

Saturday my dad came over and helped to put up our outdoor Christmas lights, and I decorated the house. In the evening, Jeff's dad John came down and we went out to dinner at Applebees. It meant a lot to me that he came down to spend time with us, since I couldn't make it up on Thursday. It was really nice to see him, since I hadn't since the wedding. He is a really nice person. I lucked out with him as a father in law!! All of the Kleffmans are such nice, down to earth, good people.

Today, we decorated our Christmas tree, and Evan and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. I really enjoyed it, but I think I would have been really confused with the plot if I hadn't read the book. They had to skip around so much and move so quickly that I wonder if it would make any sense at all to someone who just sees the movies, or isn't a huge Harry fan. Evan loved it. It was the only book in the series that I didn't read aloud to Evan, because there were so many "dark" parts, but I thought the movie did an excellent job in toning it down so that kids and smaller fans could watch in comfort. This afternoon, Jeff and I finally opened the box to the changing table, all ready to put it together and get some things done in the baby's room, only to find they didn't send us any of the hardware, four of the major sections of the piece, and two of the pieces were damaged. I would not reccomend any Ameriwood products to anyone.

Anyway, back to real life tomorrow. Blech! Only 3 more weeks until Christmas break though. That will be great. And, of course, only a couple of weeks after that and we get the best present ever-Charlie!!! I am an amazing 32 weeks today! I can't believe it has gone this fast.

Not the Brady Bunch

I think the honeymoon period of things is over. Is that normal to happen 4 months into things? I have really realized this week that we are not melding into a family very well. I know things are not easy the first year of marriage, and I wasn't expecting them to be, but it still makes me sad. For example, in the evenings when we are just hanging out or on the weekends when we are watching TV or something, 9 times out of 10 Evan and I will end up on one floor of the house, and Jeff will be somewhere else. I know Jeff has a big need for being alone at times, having lived by himself for a long time. I wonder though, if we live on seperate floors of the house, how do we become a unit? Today I was really sad because we had some important things happen which I will write about in a second, and Jeff didn't mention them or ask how they went. I think back to my parent's marriage growing up a lot, especially what they went through with Ben. Whenever my brother had a doctor's appointment, or my mom was going through something trying, my dad would call her from work to see how it was going and if she needed anything, or just to talk. Then they would talk about it again when he got home. They got through so many hard situations this way...my brother's multiple health problems, my anorexia and other exploits (which we don't need to mention!), and my mom's cancer. I am really starting to understand why they are such a strong couple and are still so happy 30 years later. I know they had to work hard to make it that way, and I know it wasn't always easy, but still I wonder. If Jeff and I were faced with some of those same things, could we handle it? Don't get me wrong, Jeff is trying really hard, and he helps me out a lot. I feel like we have been talking and talking and working and working to resolve some of these things. We always come back to the same issues though. I am a really big family person, and I want to have a family that spends quality time together and supports each other. Isn't that after all what a family is all about? I really feel like a lot of the time we end up being totally seperate. Can we build a family like this? I don't know. I only know we have to keep trying.

Today I had two wretched doctor's appointments. The first involved me going to the dentist. He had found a small cavity way back in June when I was first pregnant. My OB wouldn't let me get it filled until I was well into my 3rd trimester. I guess there are some bad things that can happen to the baby if a dentist accidentally gets bacteria into your blood stream early in the pregnancy. So, today when I went to get it filled it was no longer a small cavity but a HUGE cavity that involved what Dr. Franco referred to as the BIG GUN drill. When it was all over, he told me that he thought that I might need a root canal on the tooth in a couple of weeks because the cavity was so vast that pieces of my tooth were breaking off, and he had to drill very close to the nerve of the tooth. Lovely!! Then my mom and I took Evan to Children's Hospital for his blood work and x-rays. I was so proud of my little guy! He is TERRIFIED of needles, but he held so still as they were taking the blood. They collected 8 vials!!! It took awhile, but he didn't flinch or say a peep of complaint. He was so nervous before hand. Then we went to get an x-ray taken of his wrist so they could take a bone age/density test. The tech was great, and she let Evan see the developed pictures, which he really loved. I was so glad that my mom was with me for moral support, and that I didn't have to take him alone. It worked out well too with the x-ray since they wouldn't let me come back with Evan since I am pregnant. I would have hated for him to go alone. Then she took us out for lunch afterwards since Evan had done such a great job. Aren't grandmothers awesome?! Evan is lucky to have my mom as his. So, now I guess we play the waiting game to see what they find. One of the test they ran was for Fragile X syndrome, so I am off to Google it and find out more.

The Grumpies

I have an unbelievable case of the grumpies today! I started feeling out of sorts last night, when everything started to bother me-you know when stupid dumb small things happen and they seem like a huge deal even when they aren't? Today is our last day of school before Thanksgiving break, and my kids are REALLY excited-which equals so wound up they can hardly sit down in a chair without tipping over. Sometimes I wonder why God called me to be a teacher without including the patience of a Saint in the package. I have the unusual opportunity to teach at the same school my son Evan attends, and I got to watch him going bezerk at lunch today, just as crazy as all the others. Luckily his teacher is my good friend Gina and she is really understanding. I am trying to focus on the fact that I get a break from this for a few days, and I will get to recharge. Maybe now would be a good time to practice that Lamaze breathing!!!

Eventful Week...

A lot has gone on this week. My friend Jeff Luken's Mom passed away suddenly on Thursday. He lives in Connecticut, and it has been a little frustrating being far away when something goes wrong for a friend. I hope he knows how much his Omaha friends care for him, and that we are sending our love and prayers. As we head towards the holiday of Thanksgiving, it just reminded me how lucky I am to have such an awesome family, and to be so close to my parents, brothers, and sister. Life can change in an instant, and it is important to sometimes remember that.

My cousin Ryan, who was more like a brother to me growing up than a cousin, shipped out from Germany to Iraq on November 3rd. We still haven't heard from him to see how he is doing. His dad (who is a Major in the Army) tells us this is normal, and that it takes awhile to get where they're going, but it is like being on pins and needles. I have the utmost respect for Ryan's wife Ashley, who is waiting through this on her own in Germany. I pray for him everyday, and I know God is with him wherever he is.

The nursery is going to be finished up with decorating, paint, and new woodwork this week. Soon we will be able to start assembling furniture! I am so excited! It is finally starting to take shape. Jeff and I both admit that it is the nicest room in the house, and Jeff says this is why we can officially call the baby "Prince Charles". Blech. My Charlie would never do anything dumb like marrying Camilla Parker Bowles. We have the crib ordered, and it should be here in about 2 weeks. All we need now is a dresser, and we are good to go as far as furniture are concerned. (Although we still need a swing, a diaper genie, baby monitor, a car seat, etc. etc. etc.) I talked to my awesome friend Christi this morning about how much I love to just go sit and rock in the room, look at the walls, and feel close to my baby. She totally understood what I meant. I am so glad (all the time, but especially at moments like these) that she and her husband decided to stay in Nebraska. It is so nice to have someone that really understands what silly, emotional, strange things you feel as a mother. I am so lucky to know her!

Next week is going to be crazy too. We take Evan in for his testing at Children's Hospital on Wednesday, since we have the day off from school. I still haven't told Evan since I don't want him to worry ahead of time. Besides, I am doing enough worrying for the both of us!

30 Weeks...

Wow...today I am 30 weeks pregnant! It seems like just yesterday that I was taking the test and telling Jeff, and now we are almost done. It has gone so fast! I absolutely love being pregnant so I am a little sad that we are almost done, but I am so excited to meet Charlie for the first time. Jeff and I start our Birthing Classes in about a week. I think it is going to be HILARIOUS to watch Jeff at these classes. He is more than a little squeamish about blood and yuck, and sex, body parts, etc is something his family never discusses. I can't wait to see him have to sit through the movie of a birth and have to talk about all the things that will happen. Is that mean? At least I will be able to have something to distract me while I am in labor. I am totally the opposite of Jeff. When Evan was born, I asked for them to bring the placenta closer so I could see it up close and personal. I think Jeff would faint if he had to see it up close. Any guesses on when the baby will get here and how big?

I HATE LEAVES

Today I spent about two hours raking leaves. Jeff is in charge of the backyard, and I do the front since it slopes so much, and it is hard for him to keep his balance. We have a HUGE 40 year old Maple tree in the front, and I despise it with a passion. Every spring I pray that it will be hit with lightening, or be struck with a terrible tree disease. In the fall it dumps buckets of leaves on the ground, and in the spring it dumps buckets of those stupid helicopter seeds. So, we basically end up raking about twice a year. We looked into having it removed but when we discovered that would cost about $3000.00 we knew we were stuck with the wretched thing. I felt really good while I was doing it, and was so impressed with myself that I was able to say I am 7 months pregnant and I raked the yard! Then I went inside and sat down for awhile to relax. When I tried to stand up-OUCH! I feel like my hips are disconnected from the rest of my body. The sad part is that the tree isn't even finished losing all of it's leaves! I know the ground will be covered again tomorrow when I wake up.

In baby news, Charlie's room is painted, and the wallpaper came in yesterday, so we are going to put that up soon. It is SOOOO cute! It has little monkeys that are reminiscent of Curious George everywhere. I will post pictures when it is finished. Meanwhile, my dad is replacing all of the woodwork in that room with white woodwork, and the doors with six paneled white doors. It is the nicest room in the house! I have the changing table ordered, and as soon as the wallpapering and such is done, we are going to get the crib. I am feeling much better about being prepared for little Charlie to get here. At least things are moving along! My awesome friend Christi has generously offered to host a baby shower for us. I can't wait!!!

Conferences

I am in the middle of my least favorite part of teaching-conferences. I don't dislike the concept of conferences-I LOVE getting the chance to talk one on one with my student's families. Having a relationship with the parents completely enhances the school/home relationship. What I HATE about conferences is talking for 13 hours straight. I started at 7:30 this morning, and I won't be done until 8:30 tonight. I feel bad for the parents who are scheduled at the end of the night, because by then, I am completely tongue tied, and I have no idea who I've said what to. This year, it has also been a struggle to sit still on a 12 inch high chair when the baby is sitting on my nerve, and my tailbone is aching like the dickens, and to not go to the bathroom for 3 hours straight. TORTURE!! On the bright side, I have the best class ever this year, and I have the pleasure of sharing a lot of good news with their parents. The next time you attend your child's conferences, make the teacher deliriously happy and bring them a Diet Coke. They will love you forever, and treat your little one like a prince or princess. Not that we can bribed or anything...

Perfect Sunday Afternoon

On Sunday, I had the BEST afternoon! Jeff went in to the office for about 5 hours, and Evan went over to my mom and dad's to play with my brother and spend some time with his grandparents. Sooo....I was ALONE IN THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!! This never happens to me. I can count on one hand the number of times I have been alone since I moved back from Lincoln almost 8 years ago. So what did I do? I took a bath, a nap, and I curled up with this great book I'm reading. I also snuggled with the dog. What more can you ask for in life? Once when I was pregnant with Evan, I read a book about a pregnant lady who liked to take time for herself to just sit and "grow the baby". That's what I felt like I was doing for the afternoon. Relaxing and growing the baby. What heaven!!

Bird Flu and Other Medical Woes

I took Evan in today for his 7 year check up. In most areas, everything was great, but the doctor was concerned about a jump that Evan has had in his growth this year. For all of Evan's life, his height and weight have hovered around the 50-54 percentile. In fact, when he was a baby, he had a terrible time gaining weight. His pediatrician said that for the most part, children should remain through their elementary years in about the same range. Today, we found that Evan had jumped above the 95 percentile in both his height and weight. (Which I already knew from the huge jump in clothes sizes we made over the summer. He called this an abnormal growth pattern. Next week, we are going to go in to have all kinds of tests done, like pituitary, hormone, bloods levels, insulin levels, x-rays, etc. The doctor said that this jump in growth could be indicative of several different things, like a pituitary disorder, a genetic condition, growth disorder, childhood diabetes, or early onset puberty (ugh!). He said not to worry too much, (yeah right) until we get the test results. Please keep him in your prayers!

Evan also got his flu shot for the season, which made me think about something else I have been worrying about lately. Is anyone else worried about this Bird Flu thing? I guess maybe part of it is being pregnant (I remember worrying about nuclear war when I pregnant with Evan-I guess we want the world to be perfect when we bring a new person into the world). I keep hearing about this pandemic on the news, and I know that if it comes here, it would probably affect myself and my babies in a bad way. Evan and I both have asthma, and are particularly susceptible to the flu. I am praying Charlie doesn't inherit the asthma, but that doesn't seem to happen very often in our family. I know worrying doesn't help, or change the situation at all, but it just seems to be in the back of my mind lately.

Sitting On My Head

When we went in for our ultrasound, we discovered that Charlie is breach. He is sitting with his head under my ribs and his feet closest to my pelvis. This is bad. If he stays like this and refuses to move, I will have to get a C-section, which I have NO desire to do. The doctor thinks it might have something to do with the fact that the placenta has attached at the top of the uterus, perhaps making it uncomfortable, or even impossible for him to turn the other direction. In the meantime, I am supposed to sit in this ridiculous position for 20 minutes each night. I call it sitting on my head. I have to lay on the floor, with my feet against a wall, with 4 bedpillows under my hips. Now, this is not comfortable at any time, much less when you are pregnant. All of this is supposed to encourage Charlie to turn a somersalt and get head down. Charlie hates it as much as I do. He pummels me the whole time as if to say, "What are you DOING to me lady?!!!" I also am supposed to play music to him at the pelvis level to encourage him to turn that way. So far, I have tried John Denver and the Mamas and the Papas, which Jeff says is just encouraging him to stay where he is. After the 20 minutes are up, all the blood has rushed to my head, I am nauseous, and my hips feel out of joint. Charlie has turned twice after doing this, but he always reverts back to his old position. I am really worried he won't stay put. So, if all of you could offer some prayers, or good brain waves in our direction, I would really appreciate it. I keep trying to tell myself only 14 more weeks of standing on your head while carrying a bowling ball in my stomach, but somehow this just doesn't make me feel better.

Oh my GOSH!

I was just checking my email this morning when I received my newsletter from Pregnancy Weekly who so kindly reminded me that as of today, I only have about 14 weeks left to get ready!!! Eek! Do we have the painting done in the nursery? NO! Do we have any furniture ordered or picked out? NO! Have I cleaned out the closet in the baby's room? NO! Have I gotten all the baby clothes up out of the basement? NO! Have I prepared ANYTHING? NO!!! Can you tell that I am panicking?


The only thing I feel better about is that we have finally officially decided on a name for the baby...Charles Michael Kleffman (Charlie for short). He may not have a place to sleep, any clothes, or a spot to get his diaper changed when we bring him home, but at least he has a name.

Croup

I was peacefully asleep the night before last, dreaming about eating pickles while shopping for prego underwear at Old Navy (yes, pickles are my current INTENSE craving. Not just any pickles, mind you, but Vlassic crunchy dill pickles. I may have eaten an entire jar recently myself, but that is beside the point) when the door to our bedroom opened and in walked a barking seal (aka Evan with a bad case of the croup).

I hate the croup! Poor Evan gets it at least once a year, and it is always a doozy since he has asthma. So, at 4:30 in the morning, we were up and getting in a good nebulizer treatment, and getting him full of Ibuprofen. The interesting thing for me about this bout of the croup, is that I didn't get up in the middle of the night by myself. Jeff got up with me too! And then...he stayed home with Evan, so I could be with my class who were in charge of our school Mass. He even took Evan to the doctor, got his prescription filled, and then bought him a Blizzard from Dairy Queen. What a guy! This is a new concept for me, having someone else to share the yuckies with.

So today it is my turn, and I am home with the barking Evan. He is a little buggy, since he is on a presription for steroids to help his lungs. He always has a hard time sitting still and he wants to eat EVERYTHING! But, whatever we need to do to get him better is fine with me.

Babies are a LOT of work!

Okay...most of you are probably thinking "DUH!" But, when you haven't had one around for awhile, you forget! I babysat for my nephew Colin yesterday while Sarah and Luke went to the game. I love spending time with him. He is the sweetest little thing in the world. It is also good for me to have him around, because I have completely forgotten what it is like to not even be able to go to the bathroom by yourself, because you have a baby underfoot. They are so worth it, but my goodness. You have no time for yourself!
I also took him out to lunch with me. We went with my Aunt Connie, who was in from St. Louis. He was an angel the entire time. The experience reminded me though that leaving the house involves planning for a World War III invasion while packing the diaper bag (where you have to imagine every possible event and bring a piece of baby equipment along to deal with it), and that once you get there you look like a pack horse as you carry in the baby, the diaper bag, your purse, etc.
It is amazing to me how many people feel comfortable commenting to me on my sex life when I travel with Colin. Last weekend, I took him to the grocery store with me. People inevitably look from me (and my stomach) to Colin, roll their eyes, and jump to conclusions. The checker said to me, "Well, you and your husband are certainly productive aren't you!" Sheesh. Yesterday as I was waiting at Ruby Tuesdays for the rest of my family to get there, a guy who looked to be in college actually LAUGHED at us! He said, "I guess you've never heard of birth control!" People can be so rude. Evan inevtiably will tell them "It's not our baby!" I'm really not sure if that helps the situation, because that could also be taken in a million wrong ways.

Pictures

Our new computer is FINALLY up and running, so I get to post my pictures today! Here is a picture of our Mom Mobile, which I am getting used to driving. It still has some bells and whistles I haven't figured out yet, but we can get from point A to point B without any major mishaps.


The other picture of course, is my whale of a stomach. This is me at 24 weeks. As we approach this weekend, we amazingly (and scarily) only have about 15 weeks left! We are getting ready to start decorating the nursery. I think I am going with a monkeys/jungle animal theme with this little one.

Tekla and Samson

It has been FOREVER since I have posted anything! Not having a working computer at home is driving me nuts. We had one rigged for awhile but then the screen went out on my old monitor too, and everything is blue. Hopefully Creighton will make it over soon.

We had a really sad weekend this past Saturday and Sunday. Jeff, Evan, and I stayed at my parent's house while the wood floors in Evan's room were being sanded and varnished (which made the whole house reek). For about a month, Tekla, my parent's 12 year old westie/cocker mix (who I grew up with and all of us love to pieces) has had a little bit of a cough. On Sunday, when I went downstairs, it was REALLY bad. She sounded like a vacuum cleaner, and she was having a hard time breathing. I took her in to the emergency room with my mom and she had a lot of tests done. They discovered she has congestive heart failure. Her heart is VERY enlarged, she has a heart murmer, and she has a leaking valve in her heart. She stayed overnight at the hospital. After going to her regular vet the next day, she was put on an antibtiotic because she also had a lot of fluid in her lungs, Lasix (a diuretic my dad also takes), and high blood pressure medicine. They think she has about 6 months to a year if we are lucky. My sister and brothers and I are REALLY sad about the whole thing. She is everybody's baby, and it has been hard to think about.

Meanwhile, Samson, my classroom guniea pig, has been at the vet since last Thursday because he has a mystery illness that is causing his back legs to be paralyzed. He is on an IV, getting pain meds, vitamin C, and other things. I am hoping we don't have to put him to sleep. The kids would be so sad (and so would Mrs. Murphy and I!!) Before you think I am crazy for doing this much treatment for my guinea pig, the vet is donating her services since it is a classroom pet. What a saint of a woman! I cannot reccomed her enough.

What a sad week!!!

Nothing Much

Well, I haven't posted anything for awhile so I thought I had better get to it. Not a lot going on here except that I spent the last week getting over a lung infection that made breathing extremely difficult. I think that it probably got worse than it had to because I was pushing myself to be at work everyday. I only have 20 sick days saved up, not really enough for a maternitiy leave, so I am trying to not loose any of them on other things. This is a goal that is proving to be harder than it looks when one works in a room of 30 people who pick their nose, wipe snot on their arms and sleeves, and flick boogers at others for jollies.


In other news, my awesome Evan got a 100% on his spelling test on Friday for the first time in 1st grade!!! I am so proud of him. He works so much harder to get things like this than other kids do. We are going to see a movie this afternoon to celebrate.

22 weeks pregnant today!!

Marriage

I don't want to annoy anyone with mushy stuff, but I have to brag about Jeff for a second. The three of us have definitely been going through an "adjustment phase" lately. It seemed a lot easier right after the wedding when Evan and I were still out of school, and not really on a schedule. Now that we are doing homework, Boy Scouts, yada yada yada every day stresses have been higher. Plus, I don't make things any easier with my hormone riddled emotions, and the tears that seem to always be lurking under the surface. (I cry at EVERYTHING!!! I even started crying while reading my first graders a book the other day. That took some explaining.) Anyway, I lost it last night and was really crying, stressed, etc. after Jeff and I talked about some things. He was so patient and kind and understanding with me. It's so nice to know I am married to such a kind person, and to know I made the right choice.

IT'S A.......

BOY!!!! Yes, we had the ultrasound yesterday, and it was VERY obvious that is a boy. Before the ultrasound tech even said anything we got a legs spread shot of the little guy, and I said "Hopefully this is a boy, because if not, it has 3 legs!!" To which she said, "You know, I'm very sure you are right!" So, it looks like a little Charlie (or maybe William) Kleffman is on the way. Am I sad it isn't a girl? Yeah, a little bit. I still have 2 more chances though, so I haven't given up hope. I also know how much I really treasure my relationship with Evan, and I am looking forward to having that with another little guy. Although, I am getting seriously outnumbered around here. Thank goodness for Trudy!!!

I will post some of our ultrasound pics once the new computer is here.

IT'S ALMOST TIME!!!

I can hardly STAND it!!!! Tomorrow is our ultrasound!!! I absolutely cannot wait to find out what we are having. I will be SOOO disappointed if they can't tell what it is. After the ultrasound, Jeff and I are going out to dinner to celebrate at The Outback. I owe him a steak dinner for a REALLY stupid bet that I made on the same night we conceived the prizefighter (TMI?) Anyway, I bet him that we would not have conceived within the first six months of our marriage. Wasn't that stupid? I think God is punishing me just for saying it.

Hopefully I will be writing this entry in PINK tomorrow night!!!! Send me good brainwaves everyone!!!

Halfway There

As of yesterday, I am 20 weeks pregnant! I am already halfway there. I am excited, but freaked out at the same time. It's been so long so there has been a baby in the house. I know what to expect this time, and I know it will be a bit of a shock! I know I really need to start mentally and emotionally preparing myself.



There is still a bunch to do at home as well. As soon as we know what the prizefighter is (as Jeff has called the baby this weekend-it is REALLY a big kicker) I will be able to start seeing what we need, what we already have, and getting stuff done. I can't wait to decorate the baby's room. I think that will really help me to feel like this is happening. I am SOOOOOO hoping that I can put some pink in the room!!! I will still be excited if it's a boy though. I love the relationship that Evan and I have. I think there is something really special about a mother son relationship. I'll be happy either way, but what fun to have a daughter!!



In about 8 weeks, Jeff and I get to start taking birth classes. We are going to deliver at the new Lakeside Hospital where my sister had Colin. It is really nice, and I am excited about that part of things. It will be so nice to have Jeff with me during "the event" this time, and have someone special to share it with. My parents and sister will be there as well. I can't wait to make it to the main event!!!

New Home

Well, sorry to confuse all of you already. I have already found a new home for my blog. I had a bunch of requests for pictures on the old one, and it didn't have that capability. So here we are at blogger. As soon as I have the new computer set up, I will add some pics of my stupid new minivan. We have affectionately (or not so much) named it the M Squared. That stands for Mommy Mobile. I don't know why Jeff gets to refuse to drive it.

I will also add some pics of my stomach, which is rapidly getting to be of a ridiculous size.

Not a Virus

For crying out loud! Luke came over last night and took apart my computer. He discovered it wasn't a virus after all-the mother board and the power supply are fried. The computer is 5 years old, so I guess I shouldn't be terribly surprised by this, but I am still annoyed. Nothing like making 2 major purchases in a week!!! So, Luke rigged up Evan's computer combined with my hard drive for us to use in the interim. We ordered a new computer from Dell today, but it won't be here for a couple of weeks. BLECH!!

Sienna It Is!

Sorry about no entry for so long...my computer has picked up the STRANGEST virus at home. It now has the power to turn itself on and off at will, which is does joyfully whenever it is connected to a powersource. Luckily, my brother Creighton, and my brother in law Luke are computer gurus, and are going to get me back in business this weekend. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't related to them.Well, Jeff and I have made our first major purchase together!!! On Tuesday night I wheeled and deeled with the car salesman (I didn't do to badly if I do say so myself, thanks to my father's upbrining. He is the eternal arguer). We talked them down on the price, and I am now the proud (or mostly proud I guess) driver of a Mommy Mobile. We went with the Toyota Sienna, and we are so far really pleased with it. I think the most excited is Evan, who now gets to sit up high in his "captain's chair" and can see everything out the window finally. His poor teacher on Wednesday-it was ALL he talked about at school.I also went to the doctor's office on Wednesday afternoon. Our Quad test came back negative (YEAH!!!), the heart rate was 150 (very girlish-everybody THINK PINK!), and we have our ultrasound scheduled for next Friday. Since I have NO patience, we are of course going to find out the sex. Any guesses? What kind of a Kleffman do you think is on the way?