reaching the limit

Have you ever come to the point in a relationship that you don't know how much more you can take? I am reaching that point with my man and yes I have kids with him and honestly that is the only thing keeping me here I don't want to take the kids away from him but should he really be out with his friends almost every night? Is that me being unreasonable even unfair? I feel big changes coming in my life and everyone knows how much I love change (she says sarcastically).  I am afraid that I wouldn't be able to give the kids everything they need if I go out on my own, afraid that if I go I will land flat on my face.  I don't want to move in with my mother but that's the only place I would be able to go to start out.  And I don't want to never see my kids because I have to work all the time to make ends meet.  So I could stay for another year or so until my youngest starts preschool or I leave after little man gets out of school at the end of the month. Or I just live like this feeling like the town pariah because everyone knows he prefers to be down at the bar than at home with me and the kids.  I feel like the next few days are really going to tell me what I should do.  Meanwhile I have been applying for jobs in the area near my moms house and looking into getting a continuing education certificate in business management.  Its a lot to take in all at once I just don't know what to do.    

Baby #2... it's True!

I've waited quite a while to post about this pregnancy. But, I am in fact pregnant with my second child, and it is due on March 5th, 2015. Hubby and I are incredibly excited, as well as big brother!

For those of you who may not know, I had a miscarriage late last year. After that experience I was not overly excited to let everyone know about this pregnancy right away. So I've waited.

As with my first pregnancy, I have a cervical cerclage. This cerclage is SO different from my first one though. This one was a preventative procedure, based on my strange history, whereas the first one was emergent at just over 21 weeks. Having it done as a preventative measure means I can do basically everything a normal pregnant woman can do. My doctor's only  restriction was, "Don't do anything stupid. You know your limits." I am so thrilled, this is not what I expected! Apparently when you have it done in an emergency means you get all your rights and privileges as a human stripped: minimal walking, no exercise, no sex, constant checks and micromanagement from the doctors. Freedom is such a relief. This cerclage I got to use general anesthesia, last time I was awake and had a spinal. My recovery was also much quicker this time, only two days.

I'm spending every day of this pregnancy grateful that I am pregnant (even though it makes me miserable sometimes). I say, "Thank you God for this opportunity!"

~Munchkin

"12 Minute BAD BOY" in Marker, by Little Munchkin

Well ladies, I'm sorry I haven't posted in quite a long time, but today warrants a good post.

My wonderful, two year old boy decided to make my home into an art gallery in 12 minutes flat today. And of course, it couldn't have been done in crayon or something easy to remove. It was a red permanent marker. =/

Thankfully the carpet, cabinets, wood railing, trim and bar stools were able to be saved. On the other hand, the walls must all now be painted on my main floor. I really can't believe he did it, and I'm furious at him. However, the work is quite nice for his abilities.

Too bad he didn't choose paper this time.

~Munchkin

P.S. I guess I should thank him a little bit, I've personally wanted to paint my home for a long time.

Meal Planning

So I'm knocked up now, and the employee share of healthcare costs is about to skyrocket for about 2 years (Q, your husband's company rocks--Mr. Borealis' company is going HSA only starting January 1).  I have commenced a stranglehold on my household budget because I'm unsure if I will want to return to work after I pop in April.

Realizing that I've kept this decision very private up to this point, and have been very career-oriented, let me explain this logic.  Contrary to popular belief, I do not hate children, and nor have I ever said that I do not want kids.  I have said that I would be okay *not* having kids, and this is still true; I don't view the ultimate purpose of my life to be producing or raising offspring, and I am blessed with a large family and many personal goals worth pursuing.  All of that is not to say that kids are unwelcome--I just view a child as one more along for the adventure (...kind of like my husband).  

I have not caught the "baby fever," and we were waiting to be prepared and ready.  Anyone paying attention is aware that last year we moved from a condo into a 4 bedroom house with a sweet backyard in a good school district.  I am not shopping for tiny booties or tiny bibs or tiny whatever else the normal female response in this situation is.  I have no desire to hold other babies and "practice".  I don't feel magical--I feel exhausted and sick, and if I have to listen to one more female relative tell me how wonderful it is being pregnant and how great I must feel, somebody is going to get smacked.  And for goodness sake, I am now entering my second trimester, and it isn't getting better, and I wish people would stop saying that I will feel better soon--my back pain is increasing, my nausea and exhaustion are now coupled with migraines in the evening, I'm told I have started sleepwalking.  

Also, my grandmother passed away on the 11th, and being pregnant at that funeral wins the awkward moment of the year award.  I'm still not over her death.  Hearing "Congratulations, you must be so happy" repeatedly during a loved one's funeral is exactly what I didn't need.  I hung out with my grandmother a week and a half earlier and she was so happy and said she wanted to babysit, and she didn't get to.  She was someone I really would have wanted my kids to have a connection with, and she was someone I was close to, and I am still messed up about her death.

...And back to the work thing.  We had privately discussed that putting our kids in daycare full time is not our preferred option, and especially not at an early age.  So, I may be taking a short career break to take care of things at home.  I'm planning to get a part-time job during that time, or I may go completely insane being trapped inside the house day after day.

To cover the lapse in income, I am investigating how to cut our food costs.  And I discovered this site:  http://www.grocerybudget101.com.  It's pretty neat; I'm going to try it.

That's all for now,

Alula

Le Retourne de Death of House Plants

DoHP!!!!  YAY!!!! You're back!!! ...and you're not dead.  I was worried.  ;P

Yes, you will have to come visit us in the new house.  We won't even make you make the bed, lol.

Yes Q, the timer moves quickly.  They grow up so fast.

I took some pics of my new backyard that I will post as soon as possible.  The apple trees are doing great, and I have a strong crop of chokecherries and crab apples.  I looked up recipes, and apparently the latter two can be used in jams and preserves and such, so I will have to learn.  I found a neat looking katydid back there, too!

Also, I need to check this blog more often.  Also, goodly amount of sales on Kindle platform this month; makes me smile.

Alula

I refuse to take the train again!!

OK so in an attempt to save money on gas, I took the train back home from a visit to the city. Plus I really needed to get away from my mother we can only stand so much quality time together with out problems. So me and little man took the train home. The trip was long, tedious and boring! So I refuse to take the train again, making it a little difficult to get back to the city for a plane ride to my uncles wedding. So my insane solution to this since Mr. Man said to take the bus if the train was so bad, once again I refuse got my fill of buses in high school. Basically that was Mr. mans way of saying he won't drive us down and my step dad has his head buried in books. He offered to come get us the day before the date to leave on the plane, which is another bad idea that seems like it would be more stress than its worth. Well any way my insane solution was to ask my mother to come get us. This will put my mother and Mr man under the same roof, and they really don't get along so well. And since they are both trying to not stress me out due to last months miscarriage will therefore make it more stressful by completely and utterly ignoring each others existence. And added to that since my mother I think is feeling a little left out since we are all leaving for the wedding she doesn't want to go to anyway, feels that getting us 2 1/2 weeks before the trip to the wedding is a good idea. I was thinking a week would be a better solution, that got shot down real quick. The only good thing is that my mother will go wine tasting with me which is kinda fun to get a sample of the drink all the flavors and textures is actually fascinating. So I will be leaving home 2 1/2 weeks before we leave on the 31st to spend 11 days on this trip and I haven't even figured out how I am getting home yet. Lets all count down to my descent into insanity and my doctor said I need to not be very stressed for the next month, yeah she has never met or dealt with my family. Oh add school work to my stress load and a way to active 3 year old at least my sister will be around to help with him. And I might be having another one eventually Mr. man and I talked about it, OK I talked he didn't say anything back, I decided we would just leave it up to mother nature. One thing I refuse to stress about. I seem to be refusing a lot of things lately must be me attempting to control my life in some way. I am starting to get my energy back and my blood chem levels are also back to where they are supposed to be. I still have a bruise from that blood draw. Well that's the rant for now, keep a look out for another one in the not so distant future.

The New Season of Our Lives

I am coming to realize that this year is holding more change than the typical year in our group.

Munchkin, your timer in the margin is getting set to run out, and there will be another new baby in our next generation and a new dynamic in our group and interactions.

Q, your husband will be out of school and starting into the "real world" with a career.  I also suspect that you will be facing some decisions soon about school, work, and family.

Lady A has a new boyfriend (you don't know him), and is considering going on a spirit quest to figure out what she wants from life.  Our Ambassador sent me an email that he has been accepted to graduate school to study history and will be moving back home from China this summer so that he can start in the fall.  (Ironically, there is a better than normal chance that one or both of these individuals will live in my spare room at some point in the coming year.)

I am finishing and leaving school, at least for the time being, and (HOPEFULLY) getting a job in the mean time.  I plan on spending more time with family and my books.  Mr. Borealis is looking to make a change in jobs if he can, and now he will be the one in school instead of me.

We have officially launched our business, and we have a website, and it will be interesting to see where that goes in the coming year.

So in preparation of these events, we have business to attend to:

-We need a new counter for our blog.  What's our next "big thing", y'all?

-Since the Ambassador will be back in town, would we like to do another pool on his life?  (Lady A has informed me that she finds this idea distasteful, but I feel we have only done this in good fun.  He's a cool guy with a fast-paced life who would probably be thrilled to know a group of women was gossiping about him.)

-If we were a television series, all of these changes would definitely demarcate a cliffhanger ending and start of a new season.  It's time for a new blog theme--thoughts on what it should look like or incorporate?

Alula

2 Deaths and 1 Birth?

Ladies -

I am currently awaiting the news that two of my relatives have passed away, and to see when I go into labor.

My Great Uncle on my mother's side is on his second trip to hospice, and is now on only morphine, and to my knowledge doesn't even have a feeding tube anymore. He really is a remarkable man. Though he is mentally retarded (and yes I will not be PC because that's what he refers to himself as) he has a wonderful big heart, tons of friends and loves Elmo. He deserves to be remembered as the gentle, kind and childlike giant that he was once he passes.

Also, my Great Grandfather J (on my dad's side) is now on his second trip to the hospital and has had a relative with him non-stop each day to make sure he's got someone there is he goes. This has incredible strength and perseverance. At 67 years old he obtained his private pilot's license (he's the only other pilot in my family) strictly because he wanted to. He's had girl friends that just love him silly, and drove himself from place to place without issue until just the past couple years. He will be dearly missed by everyone who's met him when he passes on to the next life.

In the face of all this sadness, I am planning on bringing joy to my families by adding my newborn boy. This could happen as soon as Monday. I sincerely hope that I my Great Grandpa J can hold on long enough to let me get up there to introduce him to his first Great Great Grandchild. I've been planning on making that trip up there before he died since I found out I was pregnant. Though I would still make the trip for the rest of the family's sake, I specifically wanted to go to see him and let him meet the baby.

At this time, I pray for an easy passing for both my relatives if it is their time to go, and I pray for a delivery without complication.

~Munchkin

Oh Baby!

Oh baby!

This is a short narrative of how I remember the most exciting and terrifyong Tuesday of my life to date.

It started out just like any other normal work day, but this day was to be much different. I was scheduled to get out early at (2pm) so I could go have my twenty week ultrasound (I was actually 21 weeks 2 days but wanted to wait for hubby) where we were going to check out my little one to make sure everthing was going great and find out the sex.

The ultrasound was going great, we almost instanly found we were having a healthy baby boy, to which my husband jumped out of his chair and pumped his fist to that news. The tech let me know that after we did the abdominal she was going to do an "internal" one just to double check everything was great. The abdomial lasted another 25 minutes where our boy showed off for the camera while she measured him top to bottom.

Then we were on to the dreaded interal wandy one... during this check the tech was making sure that something she saw on the abdominal one was all in her head. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't. The tech said is a very calm and collected voice, "Hmmm.... that's what I was afraid of... your cervix is just too thin." Then before our eyes she watched my cervix grow longer. It was fluctuating between 8mm and 2.6cm, which is just plain crazy. For a healthy pregnancy they want to see at least 3cm at all times until you approach 36 or so weeks.

The tech went quickly to inform my doctor of her unusual findings, and they gave me a room and an appointment even though the appointment portion of my visit wasn't scheduled till today. My doctor got on the phone with a high risk OB office in Denver and she let me know that I needed to go get a couple stitches to keep my cervix from opening and letting the little guy out.

I was driven to Denver that night and had an emergency operation performed on my cervix to save my pregnancy. The whole night and day were absolutely a blind siding. I'm now on bed reast at least until Tuesday when they can check out the stitches to make sure they are good.

I'll keep you all posted on the status of my stiuation, but until then just hope hard for my mental sake that I won't have to stay in bed until the kid is born.

~Minchkin

New Frontiers

Hello Ladies!

Sorry I've been absent for such a long time (though I have been secretly keeping tabs on your lives via this brilliant blog). I have much news to bring, and thought that I should probably give it all at once just to make sure you get the maximum effect.

The first new frontier in my life is that my husband has made drastic career move, a literal 180 degree switch from what he has ever done. He is now a natural gas driller! Who would have ever thought the man who graduated 3rd in his class, and got a Micro-biology degree with a graphic design minor, would end up as a real working man.

This career move means that I am without my husband for half the year, and with him for the other half. He works 7 twelve hour days and then has 7 days off. He's done one week so far, and though I missed him terribly, the monetary rewards far outweigh any grief that I have for the week he's gone.

The next life changing frontier Mr. Munchkin and I have ventured to is one the one of parenthood. Yes, that's right ladies, I am pregnant and apparently due April 10, 2011. More news along these lines is the possibility that my doctors either have my due date incorrect, or I may be having more than one child dwelling in my body. This discovery was made by my doctor while getting my normal check-up (with no ultra sound scheduled for a month). My doc was feeling around down low when she suddenly states, "You feel a little farther along than 8 weeks, let's get you in for an ultra sound sooner."

So... Mr. Munchkin and I are off to the doc's office this Friday to find out my fate. I'll keep you all posted. Alula if you wanted to put a countdown up, just be warned you may have to adjust the date if you do it before I get the word on Friday.

Wish me luck all!

~Munchkin

Attack

Well my three injuries have happened glad to have that over! I massively sprained/bruised by foot and ankle falling down some stairs. Fell over some bricks in my front yard getting a nice slice in my other leg probably should gotten stitches didn't, and then I had a girl scout land on me when I was running the climbing wall at work completely messing up my back those girls need to listen to directions like telling me when they are coming down. Well that's over we will what the klutz comes up with next! Working on the online store not as fast as I would like but I am trying I promise. Little man and I will be visiting this weekend to have some fun and do some business stuff. Oh and little man decided to see if an entire roll of toilet paper would flush down the toilet guess what it doesn't. And my fish are trying to eat each other for some reason I just can't figure out which one is doing it and no I don't know their names. And my plants are dieing because I have no Garden to put them in because Mr Man is working 12 hrs a day 6 days a week so he has no time to help me. And it just rained for 2 days straight and the river is running even higher here come the floods. Well that's the down and dirty on my life what everyone else up to? See who I will see this weekend.

Fuzzy

Ulcers, Job Interviews, and Quiet Babies

He went off of his prednisone about two weeks ago, and weird symptoms have been popping up ever since. He sleeps 16+ hours a day and is still tired. He has no appetite but he's always thirsty. And he's really nauseas at night, and sometimes has to get up to vomit (sometimes more than once, and the anti-nausea medication doesn't help).

Worried? Yes, I am. The doctor thinks he has stomach ulcers. I think he may have an adrenal deficiency since stopping the pred. And for reasons of his untimely success, he's having trouble getting in to the doctor.

Today he has a job interview for a field economist position. He also got a call back for an examiner position with the government last Friday, and returned the call this morning. They want to fly him out of state for the final interview this coming Friday (this position is local to our state, but involves a good deal of travel to neighboring states--it's kind of the job he has now, but at the federal level instead of the state level). He also has a blood test this afternoon.

So between taking most of the day today for interviews and blood testing, and taking Friday to fly out of state for an interview, he's hitting a time crunch with his job. Next week isn't much better, but he *needs* to get in to the doctor if he's having some kind of complication here. I told him to call his doctor with the new symptoms--I'm hoping he actually does it.

Also, we attended the birthday party of our niece this weekend. It was held at one of those giant indoor playgrounds, which I remember as being totally awesome when I was a kid. The kids (probably around twenty of them) had a great time, and the whole family was there. I didn't want to let Mr. B come with me, but he had done nothing but sleep all weekend and he wanted to get out of the house. I insisted that indoor playgrounds were cess pools of bacteria and viruses, and I didn't want him going to one without an immune system. He insisted he would use a lot of hand sanitizer. So we went, and had a great time, and then halfway through the party I turn around and see this:

That's my husband. Holding my cousin's 9-month-old, cheerful, quiet, perfect baby that never cries. And they're both laughing and giggling and having a great time. Then my cousin comes back and takes the baby back from him, and he looks all forlorn until she leaves to go down the slide with her 3-year-old (also a very well-mannered, quiet, sweet child) and gives him back the baby. He's all smiles the rest of the day when he gets to play with the baby--he's tickling her chin and "booping" her nose and letting her hold onto his fingers so she can stand up and trying to get her to crawl to him.

Oh boy--not before the PhD, if ever. I swear, he does this just to get on my nerves.

Alula

We are Coming

Look out girls we are (little man and me) coming to visit town! If I can get the Tahoe working all that wrong is the battery and we need to buy one. I just spent the day running from store to store all morning and cooking all afternoon! And News flash I can still ride a bike I'm sorta shocked.
While we are visiting I will be having a garage sale at my mothers house the weekend of the 24Th. I also want to take little man to see how to train your dragon that movie that's in theaters I think he will do very well he likes the dragons. Well if anyone want to do anything let me know in town April 19Th to April 26Th or so.

Change of Plans Again

OK so to anyone who wants to be at Little Mans party I just found out that Mr man will be bringing us down on the 28Th next week and I'm thinking about having the party on Friday night the 30Th something simple. Well I just need to know what people think I need a best day Friday night or Sunday night? Too many choices my brain is going to explode.

Cars, Business, Wasps, Screaming, and Camping

Once again, I find myself in the situation that a lot has happened in my life and I'm behind on posting. I've written a summary in prose for those of you who don't want to read the novel:

Mr. B's Outback had just gotten fixed and gone to Pueblo,
It got into a fight with a hailstorm and to more fixing insurance said "no",
Went car shopping & tried to trade in the '93 trooper C4C,
Found it wasn't eligible due to procrastination by Mr. B,
Then went Rolla on a business dealing,
Mr. B found a wasps' nest in the kitchen ceiling,
Had to beg Q for assistance due to husband's vanity,
Q of course came through and saved my kitties and my sanity,
Mr. B freaked out and decided to clean basement,
Apparently got rid of my stuff with permission and still hasn't f-ing apologized,
Got off the plane just in time to fight with husband,
Packed my crap post haste and almost decided marriage was canned,
Briefly discussed if free education was prudent,
Got accused by Mr. B of being perpetual dirty-hippie student,
Went camping one hour later with Q, Munchkin, and spouses,
Banned fighting for the weekend even though all men are louses,
Had 6 hours to share alone with Mr. B on Sunday,
Then we both woke up and went our separate ways.

And the long version:

Well, in case I didn't say this already, Mr. B's Outback had just gotten fixed from the run in with the deer when he drove it down to Pueblo and got stuck in a hail storm. It didn't do any real damage, but apparantly it dinged every exterior portion of the shell of the car to the extent that insurance called it a total loss: cost of repair exceeds total value of car. So we took a settlement and now have a no-value dinged up car.

Realizing we were nowin possession of two cars in need of replacement, we decided to make a move on Cash for Clunkers because my trooper is 16 years old and gets 15 miles to the gallon. Well, thanks to the fact that my husband dragged his butt getting it registered (and had me driving it without registration for 3 months without knowing it), we have not technically "owned" this vehicle for 1 year so it does not qualify. And my husband's procrastination has finally screwed us over in the form of losing a $4,500 coupon for a new car.

I went to Rolla, MO for my first business trip last week; I feel I should note here that they took really good care of us because the flights and hotels were awesome. On Wednesday morning I get this phone call just as I walk through the door to my first meeting:

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Oh, hey Mr. B--unless something serious is happening, can I call you back around lunch?"

"Oh, um, well...I woke up this morning and there's wasps inside the house?"

"Inside the house?"

"Yeah they're coming through a hole in the kitchen ceiling."

"Uh...okay."

"Can I take care of this when I get home tonight?"

I laugh. "Not unless you want to come home to a house full of wasps--they could swarm and kill our cats. You need to take care of this like now."



Said in irritated tone: "Well, Alula, what do I do?"

I sit there in stunned disbelief for a moment. Then I respond: "Well hon, I'm in Missouri right now, so you're going to have to take care of this one by yourself."

"By doing what?!"

"Call someone."

"Who?!"

And about this time, in my head, I'm going well, there are bugs in the house and you don't want them there...who the bleep do you think you call? I say: "I'm guessing anyone from your dad to 911 depending on how many there are and what they're doing. Jesus--just assess the situation and take care of it. Or keep calling responsible adults until you find one that can help you!"

And I hung up and went to my meeting. I text him that he needs to call Orkin and then let it go. I call his father a little later to be sure he isn't suffering death by wasps alone in our home. Turns out Mr. B has gone to work.

The irony of the situation? I call Q later and she starts with "I got this frantic call from your husband earlier. He needed to know what to do to get wasps out of the house..."

The wasps really freaked him out. Orkin came the next day and gased the invaders and the nest, which was apparently inside our kitchen ceiling. We're still dealing with stragglers trying to rebuild.

Apparently Mr. B thought the basement was too dirty for Orkin to see (no kidding, that was his reasoning) so he "cleaned" it. By breaking a lot of my stuff and donating some of it without permission. I'm still not okay with it and much screaming ensued.

Then when I got home I saw the real damage and there was more screaming. And then I tried to talk to him about how my work is now offering to pay for me to get a PhD--literally pay for it. And pay me regular salary in addition and accomodate my scheduling needs for school. Mr. B said I can't do it because I was "going to become a permanent student" and blah blah blah. We were both pretty pissy and yelly and angry.

Then we took a fifteen mminute breather, started over, and just packed our crap and went out to the camp site where Q and Munchkin and spouses were waiting. We had a lovely weekend of geocaching, s'mores, and freezing our chicklets off. The tight sleeping arrangements of our tent allowed me the perfect excuse to get an albeit amature form of revenge on my husband by breaking gas while we were forced to spoon.

Then we got home, watched some TV, fought a little more, went to bed, and woke up. Now I'm back at work and he's back in Pueblo and we're getting along fine and missing each other terribly. I'm exhausted and I have to plan Movie Night for tomorrow and my family is not making things easy.

Ociffer and Snow were having a rough time of it with Post Partum Depression--she kicked him out and basically absconded with his child for a couple of weeks only allowing him visitation. According to my mom they're "doing better now". God bless him, I hate to see my brother going through these situations. My sister is having some sort of issue now too that she won't tell me about, and my cousin had her baby--another August baby--a healthy little girl. And my grandmother wants to spend more time with me, which I feel guilty about because she lives literally on my same block and I have like no time. I'm setting something up with her for later this week.

Alula

One Day at a Time

Alula all I can tell you is for you to take one day at a time. And Enjoy the good things that come your way. Above is a picture of my little garden my zucchini are taking over and my tomato plants (not in the picture) are getting really big. Lots of random things in this garden like some onions and strawberries even my lavender is growing. Now if Mr Man remembers to water the garden in my coming up absence from the house. Little man and I will be coming into your area next Saturday we will try to convince Mr Man to go to the Flea Market Sunday and then the big water Park on Monday. I just have to get little man watched on that Monday he's just too little to be going to such a big water park and I love my mom but I don't think she will be able to keep up with Little Man. So then Mr Man will be coming back home and to the garden, I will stay with my mom and leave for a family reunion in Florida on the 29Th Thu the 10Th. And then Mr Man will Have to come get us because he doesn't want to be without the car for that long. Who knows how much longer that truck is going to last. And if anyone wonders for this trip to Florida Mom will be on oxygen a cpap for the plane, Nessy the "Service Dog" will be going on the plane actually with us not in the baggage area, and Little Man is going as a lap Child for this very long flight. Please wish me luck that I don't completely loose my mind, not that I haven't lost it already. Well fun and games, one day at time.

fuzzy

When it rains...

...it pours.

My first sunflower of the season. Yes, it really does appear pink in real life--I have no idea how this one hybridized into pastel colors, because all of them last year were bright reds, oranges, yellows, or some dusted combination.

It's pouring in my life right now. Don't expect me to take your phone calls.

Mr. B's father had to be rushed to the hospital Wednesday morning due a blocked coronary artery. This is essentially a heart attack, but no one wants to say it around Mr. B's mother. The man is only 50, and he really didn't have that many risk factors. At the hospital they immediately inserted a device into his femoral artery and put in a stent to unblock the artery, and he was doing very well Wednesday evening. On Thursday (yesterday), he dislodged the plug that was put in his femoral artery from inserting the device for the stent, and had some significant internal bleeding in his leg. It was incredibly painful for him, and last night they had drugged him basically into a stupor to get him through it; seeing his father like that really didn't go over very well with Mr. B.

Mr. B is not well with this, and his whole family is pretty much in shock. Thursday evening he came on pretty strong about how we had to have a baby right now so that he wouldn't die alone in a hospital and there would be someone to remember him. Blame me if you want to--I told him I didn't think he was thinking clearly at the time and we'd discuss it later.

Last night, Ociffer and Snow finally delivered (their first attempt to induce was last Thursday at the hospital). It's a girl! She's absolutely beautiful in the pictures I've gotten, 7 pounds and some odd ounces, 19 and a quarter inches long. Full head of dark hair; Snow was apparently joking last night that her hair is already so long she might be able to braid it. I'm making the long drive later today to meet my new niece.

Other than that, I will be at the hospital with Mr. B and family, which I very strongly feel is where I belong right now. To cap it off, I have a group project worth half of my grade I was supposed to turn in today, and half of it isn't done yet because I lost Wednesday and Thursday as well.

Mr. B is supposed to be doing out of town work the rest of this month, and I don't know what's going to happen with that.

Alula

whats new

first I don't know any chicken recipes that are actually good just bleh. Sorry about your rat Alula and congrats on the new car Q hopefully its good for you. Well lets see for me whats new I really want to quit my job because it is horrible but I need to stick with it for a little longer just a couple more bills to pay off then I can quit and Mr Man said he would pay my insurance and all the bills because that's still cheaper than paying for a babysitter. And bills paid or not I will have to quit come hunting season because Mr man has trips planned for California, Idaho, Nevada and a few other places this fall. Next month he will be going to Florida to go deep sea fishing with some buddies, shark meat is supposed to be really good. My mom is planning to come up for that week to be my babysitter because her daycare kid is gone for the summer and Bug will be at camp, plus it gives her an excuse to make Bugs dad act like a dad for a while. I'm still hoping I can find an online job that I can do to earn a little money but most of the ones I find look like scams. Little man is doing great decidedly a little boy loves being outside though it has rained for the last 3 days giving this child cabin fever. Yesterday was a little nice so we all went out on the ATVs with Mr mans little brother. Of course as newtons law requires it started to rain and hail on us at the top of the trail we were on. So just because I felt like it I called in sick today actually I called in my kid is sick though he is doing fine. My schedule had me off for two days work one day and off another two days well I don't like that idea so I called in. OK little man is demanding attention so I have to cut this off now.

fuzzy

Week of the Sisterhood

It's finals again and I'm tired as all get out. Emotional, too.

This week I got to see all of you, which was a rare treat. If Fuzzy had been able to make the wedding, we all would have been together for the first time in who knows how long--even so, I'm still glad I got to see all of you.

DoHP, you need to move back, sweety. We all miss you more than you realize. You can stay in our front room cheap, and we'll find you a job. You can have your own bathroom if you're willing to deal with our OCD cleaning nueroses. I can't even tell you how much you were missed after you left--they way we all kept staring at the empty spot on the couch. This time around, the couches were full, and it was good. Plant those black eyed peas I sent you home with, because we need to break your black thumb curse. And thanks for not killing my orange trees.

Munchkin, congratulations on getting married. I can tell you it's the most frustrating and rewarding thing you'll ever do in life. Just remember--that first year is a doozy. Everyone thinks they will be different, but the first year is hard. It's like dating all over because suddenly you think he's going to change, and he will, but probably not the way you want him to. Just weather that first year, and as a subtle recommendation, don't add pregnancy hormones to the mix. One year either way won't make a difference at this point, and when you're screaming about dishes or trash removal or money, he won't be able to throw it in your face that your just hormonal.

Fuzzy, when did that boy get so big? Seems like just yesterday I was sleeping on a wooden hospital bench at 3am while you were sitting there in the worst pain of your life, trying to bring new life into the world. Remember when we were like 12 and we rode our bikes around the block? Remember when we read Animorphs? Remember when we used to get dropped off and picked up together in middle school? Kiddo, you need to move back too. I don't see enough of you anymore, and I really want to know your kid.

And Q, these last few weeks were really special. I'm sorry if I creeped you out with all the smiling--I just kept looking up and seeing you and Mr. Q, all cuddly and together again, and the two of you just look so happy. You're a different person when he's around; it really is like the two of you own a piece of each other, because I can tell when he's been away too long. You fake smile a lot and you're a little hallow when you talk. This past week you really smiled. You really laughed. And you looked really, really happy. I'm happy to have my old Q back, because when you shine, the rest of the world does too.

Alula

Baby, School, and Work

Well, Snow is doing a little better now; I watched my brother's kids Monday morning because he had something police officer-like that he had to do, and then we hung out for a while. He showed me all the new ultrasound videos they had and complained about how the hospital put the video to "elevator music" (dude, my kids can form to the tune of Blue October or Pink, not that I'm ever having any!). When I asked about May 1st, he said that because Snow's hypertension and blood pressure were doing better, the new plan was to wait and see and leave the kid in as long as they could. He's a proud daddy, showing me all the different angles in the ultrasound--"that's an arm," "that's her foot," "Oh look! She's smiling/yawning/sucking her thumb in that one!"

Then I dropped off my time off application to my Ling program; the department secretary was all shocked. Apparently she'd thought I'd changed my mind at some point and had false memories of me being in her office all the time that semester like usual. I told her that no, in fact I AM poor and I had to work. She said that was okay and she'd see me next semester.

And I spent the night at Q's on Monday; her guest bed is comfortable and I like the way the sun comes through the window in the morning. Incidentally, she tells me Munchkin is looking for a place to crash during Mr. Munchkin's Bachelor Party. My place is available--let me know if you need it.

The hiring process moves forward--my potential new boss has asked for references, which I have supplied. I am hoping so badly I get this job. It's weird because back in college my husband always wanted to work for this particular government agency, and now I find out at movie night last night that another one of my friend's wives wants to work there, too. And somehow I'm lucky enough to be the one being considered.

Today my plan is to nip up some school projects; I have a group paper to write before work(enough with the GD school projects, right?). I also have to do an online certification for doing research with human participants; having done the cert twice before for my other program, that's another 3 hours of my life I won't be getting back.

Alula