The 6-Month-Old Mermaid

So, I know I've been a super consistent blogger... Ok, not at all. Repenting now. :)

We haven't been spending a whole lot of time in good ole Farmtown, USA these days. I've been asked to serve as Relief Society President in our ward, and Logan has been busy with classes and other school things he is involved in. So, we've been busy here, and I've been a little short on good farm material. But, we will be back on a farm before we know it.

Logan has been applying and interviewing for internships with farms all over the country the last couple of weeks. It is kind of exciting to think about where we will be spending next Summer. We have a lot of good options. The truth is... Farm life is just a good life. We're looking forward to learning a bit about other farms [and especially their quirks]!

In other news...

Something crazy has happened at our house. I've never really liked sewing. But, all of a sudden, when it started to get all Autumnish, it is all I wanted to do! (Sewing is a stereotypical farm wife thing to do, right?) I sewed a ton of things! I made some cute little tea towel aprons, a door quieter, flannel sheets for Audrey's crib, AND a little mermaid costume for Audrey.

   

And let me tell you. If I decide to make her costume next year, I either need to start in June, or become a WAY better seamstress by then.

I found the fabric in the remnant box at Walmart a couple of months ago. It was just wide enough to go around her waist, and plenty long. I waited till the week of our church Halloween party to make it to make sure it would fit. I didn't use a pattern. I just laid her on it and eyeballed it because it is stretchy and is a pretty simple project [in theory, at least].

But, my good ole machine would not sew on the cheap, shiny fabric. It would end up skipping a bunch of stitches in a row and the thread kept jumping. I tried everything the internet had to offer. I tried tissue paper. I tried changing the needle, the thread, and the tension. Nothing helped. So, I had to hand stitch most of it. (While Audrey slept on my lap because we both had a cold and she wouldn't let me put her down.) Thank goodness I have a tiny daughter.

When I got to the fin, I cut a piece of muslin to line it with, which allowed me to use my machine, thank goodness. In the end, it was a little crooked, but it turned out alright for a noob without a pattern! And honestly, Audrey would look cute in a paper bag.

Speaking of Audrey, she is 6 months old as of yesterday!! I can hardly believe it. She loves to talk and laugh. She smiles when I say "Say cheese!" She loves broccoli and trying anything that we are eating. She's starting to imitate a few things like saying "mmmm" with us when she's eating. She's a totally independent sitter, but when she tips over, it is not graceful. She started teething at 3.5 months, but still hasn't cut any. They are so close though! She scoots a little bit, but not very much. She sure is fun!

  

   

We sure live a blessed life!

Baby Weather

[Insert great news jingle here]

Special Weather Report

We’ve been having some pretty severe weather in our area this week.

       

We’ve had scattered spit ups and a bout of blowouts. There has also been severe screaming and gusts of giggles. We’ve been especially lucky to enjoy bursts of babbling and an extended cover of cooing.

Readers are advised never to enter the storm area without a full-body hazmat suit. People may say that it is safe to enter armed only with a burp cloth, but this is simply untrue. The precipitation can and will find it’s way over, around, and under said burp cloth and onto any inch of skin or fabric within a 1-mile radius. Tarps covering any surface may also be advised.

    

One recent blowout was so severe that it affected 6 separate areas in the vicinity. Affected areas included: the couch, Mom’s pants, the burp cloth, the rug, the playmat, and the baby herself. Surprisingly enough, the outfit on said baby was unaffected. Miracles do happen, folks. (Proof below. Spot the blowout site.)

    

It has been reported that the residents are taking the damages with an excellent attitude. Their coping methods include blogging about it, laughing, taking pictures, and using lots and LOTS of wipes. The reported damages have already been repaired and spirits are high on the premises.

This Special Weather Report was brought to you by Your Local News 3. Your best source on all things Searle.

Up Next… The Waving Reflex

Ok, thanks for humoring me. (Not that you had a choice.) I hope you read that in your very best news caster voice. If you didn’t, I must insist that you start over and do so. It really adds to the effect. ;)

We’ve been back on the farm for almost a week now. It is just crazy how quickly we transition back into this life. We got here in the evening. Logan helped me unload the car, threw on his farm boy clothes, and was out the door and on the 4-wheeler in less than 5 minutes. Harvest is well underway, and the grain dust is giving us gorgeous sunsets every night.

The next morning as Audrey and I drove out to ride with him for a little while, I noticed that my waving reflex is alive and well. I thought living in the big city [Haha… Rexburg…] would have gotten rid of the reflex, but this isn’t the case.

Around here, on these country roads, everyone waves to each other as they pass. It doesn’t matter if you know them or not. You just wave. Another thing that is different about driving here is that it is VERY common to be driving down the road and come across a slow truck, combine, 4-wheeler, or tractor. Instead of it being something that people get really frustrated about and lay on the horn… it’s just another reason to wave. You wave in thanks and understanding as they move over so you can pass them.

Say what you will about the evils of a small town. As for me, I love the sense of community and the slower pace of this life.

We like being here even if the Harvest Widow life is even harder when you’ve got a 3-month-old. I’m sure it’ll get even tougher as we acquire more children.

Audrey will be 3 months old tomorrow! We had a bit of a weight gain battle in the first couple of months, but we are now supplementing, and she is gaining weight and growing up so fast! It was really hard for me to have to supplement Audrey. I really wanted to exclusively breastfeed. It has been difficult and emotional from the start, which I know is really normal for breastfeeding. But, she simply wasn’t getting what she needed, despite constant eating. She was losing weight without ever having regained her birth weight. But, since we started adding some formula into the mix, she has been plumping up and is getting back on track. She still nurses pretty well and will take the bottle too. She likes to keep me guessing and switch up which one she is going to prefer every time she eats though. ;) It’s been hard to do both, but for now, it is working for us.

Audrey loves to talk, laugh, and sing along when Mom is singing to her. She loves Mr Lion and all of her books. She is a Daddy’s girl to the core, and looks more and more like him every day. She is currently boycotting long naps, early bedtime (this means any time before 11:30), and any semblance of a regular schedule. She sleeps through the night and is often a happy little girl.

We blessed her on July 3rd. It was a wonderful experience, and we were surrounded by lots of friends and family.

A few assorted pictures...

         

I can now lay on my stomach! I can lift things again. I still have really messed up abs. I tried doing some ab workouts the other day and it still really hurts my incision. Random things tend to do that. We'll get there eventually. I'm glad to be feeling more back to normal. Although, I must say that I'm not sure I would have been quite so excited about my little 16 week baby bump if I knew my belly would continue to look about that big this long after having Audrey... ;)

I am learning all about humility and exhaustion. I am learning to find joy in the mundane and the repetitive. Some days are better than others. But Audrey ‘s smiles and laughs really buoy me up. It’s really fun now that she likes having “sophisticated” conversations with me all day. AND I am really lucky to have awesome family and a loving and supportive husband. I’ve learned just how awesome he really is since he’s been out of the house all day and into the night. I love you, Logan. Thanks for calling me during the day and keeping me sane. And thanks for working so hard all day. You da best!

I’ve most especially learned a lot about how our Heavenly Father feels about us, His children. Being a parent truly does bring us closer to Him if we let it.

Here is your semi-regular, end-of-blog, unsolicited tip:

The Fels-Naptha laundry bar is AMAZING! It is a buck at Wal-Mart and gets poop stains out like a dream. (I’ve also heard that it does wonders on grass stains.) As far as I’m concerned, it could only make me happier if it folded my laundry for me. ;) 

Audrey Jo: The Birth Story [Finally]

Fact: The day before my c section, I had "The Final Countdown" stuck in my head. The whole day.

I expected to be stressed and running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get things done. BUT, I was actually calm, and got everything done early. I had time to rest, and Logan and I got to enjoy a "Last Supper" of Chinese food, and just spend time hanging out. This is a DEFINITE perk to having a planned c section.

We woke up early and got to the hospital about 5 AM. They hooked me all up to an IV, gave me a catheter [yeowch.], and made me sign a bunch of paperwork about the possibility of losing my limbs and other such pleasantries. We had to wait for a bit while I got stronger and stronger contractions [thanks, catheter] and baby kept kicking me right in the bladder [thanks, catheter].

They dressed Logan up like a mad scientist and wheeled me into this room with bright alien lights. I was pretty sure I'd been abducted for a few minutes.

Note: The expression on my face is purely because of the catheter. Let me tell you. I really hated that thing. 

They did my spinal block and laid me out on the operating table. They even strapped my arms out to the sides like a cross, which was a little disconcerting. The spinal block started making me sick about the time they had Logan come in, seconds before they made the actual incision. The nurse anesthetist had his hands full shooting all kinds of anti-nausea things into my IV. Logan watched the whole thing up by my head. I couldn't see past the drape, but I could see the reflection of things below if I looked up at the alien lights. I chose not to look most of the time.

I felt lots of pressure and pulling. Its like I could feel everything they were doing, it just didn't hurt at all. Logan felt particularly honored because he got some blood on his little shoe cover things. Apparently there was a lot of it.

I really liked having the nurse anesthetist and Logan up by me because they kept me updated. Here's what I remember hearing.

NA:
I was a little worried that I wasn't numb enough because it just happened so fast. "They've already made the incision. Everything's going well."
"I just gave you some meds that are going to make you feel like you're floating in the clouds for a couple of minutes."
"You're going to hear a sucking noise. That means they broke the amniotic sac. Then you'll feel lots of tugging as they pull her out. You're gonna hear her cry soon after."

Logan:
"Are you doing ok? You can't feel it?"
"This is really cool."
"Woah! That's a lot of water."
And when they pulled her out, "Oh my goodness! She's so cute! She's really cute. Good job, Honey."


Usually with c sections, the drill is that they hold the baby up so the mom can see him or her and pass them through the window to NICU to get cleaned out really fast, then bring them back. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for me.

I heard the sucking, and I felt a whole bunch of tugging. This is the time that I actually looked up at the alien lights and could see a bluish little baby being pulled out, feet first. When I heard her little cry, I cried. It was an amazing feeling knowing that she was here and she was ok, and she was ours. It felt like a miracle. The waiting was over, finally! Or so I thought...

I heard Logan comment on her cuteness, and a nurse say, "She's too slippery to hold up." Then, she was gone. I didn't get to see her at all! At this point, everyone was busy getting me all stitched up and pumping all kinds of stuff into my IV. I was so sick, and I just wanted to see my baby. Stitching up is the longest part of the whole operation. I thought they'd bring her back, just like they said, but they came back and told us they'd need to keep her a little while because she needed oxygen.

Logan got to go back and be with her though while they stitched me up. They wheeled me to a room where I kept dry heaving because there was nothing in my stomach to throw up. After a few minutes, I was really uneasy because Logan wasn't with me, so I asked where he was and they brought him to me. He sat with me and showed me pictures of our little girl and told me how great she was. They would be keeping her for 6 hours. I couldn't go see her because I was sick and numb from the waist down.

Here's a lovely picture of me feeling sick and holding a barf bag.

After a little while, Logan went back to be with her. A nurse came in to give me painkillers, and she brought the ones that make me really sick. [I'd already had an extensive talk with my doctor about this, and I was so frustrated.] I finally just broke down and cried and had Logan come back.

It was pretty awful, I won't lie.

They moved me to my official room. They gave me different painkillers, which I threw up. They gave me ice chips, which I threw up. They gave me jello... Which I threw up.

FINALLY, after a little more than 6 hours, they brought her up with a cute little bow on her head. And she was everything Logan had said and more. She was perfect.

And she was officially Audrey Jo Searle. Born at 7:14 AM on April 27, 2016. 7 lbs and 20 inches. Lots of dark hair, her daddy's toes, and a really excellent natural latch with breastfeeding.

And yes, I cried the whole time I wrote about not getting to see her for 6 hours. I never knew that not seeing someone I didn't even know yet could be so traumatic.

But everything was fine once I got to hold her and love on her. We're bonded, and all's well.

I was finally able to keep down food and get up and walk a couple of times the next day. We stayed for one more day and left the next day after lunch.

Recovery was a little rough for me the first couple of weeks because the good painkillers make me throw up and my swelling got worse for a few days instead of going down. And my milk took FOREVER to come in... Or so it seemed to me. But after a week and a halfish, I was off of all medications and started to be able to bend and use my abs again. I'm still not allowed to lift more than 10-15 lbs, but overall, I am feeling SO much better than I was for the first week. My incision is only a little tender. Being able to sit up on my own is something I hope to never take for granted again. ;)

Thank goodness I had Logan and my mom to help me. I was pretty useless.

Mother's Day this year made me especially grateful for fathers. [I know. That's probably against the rules, but it's true.] I feel SO grateful that a loving Father in Heaven has this awesome plan that we can choose a partner to work with us through this really hard and really important thing called parenthood. I feel for those parents who parent alone. I can't even imagine.

(This is us on Cinco de Mayo. It's an important holiday for us because we met 2 years ago when we got assigned to plan a Cinco de Mayo activity for church. We bought this little sombrero as when we were first pregnant because we knew we'd have a little child to wear it in May.)

I'm especially grateful for my husband. I was so sick and weak in the first few days that I couldn't even be up or bent over enough to change Audrey's diaper. Logan learned swaddling, diaper changing, and bathing in her first days, and continues to help with them often. He is a way better swaddler than I am. He's been peed on multiple times. He's my breastfeeding coach [because breastfeeding has seriously been one of the hardest things I've ever had to learn], my own personal chef, and my shoulder to cry on. He takes shifts to stay up with Audrey at night and takes her when he sees I need a break. ["She needs her dad right now."] He falls asleep with the pink boppy pillow, and sings silly songs about pushing out toots and diaper changing. I married an excellent father. This makes being a mother so much easier.

She'll be a month old this week, and I'm sure I'll just amaze you with my next blog about her first month and my wealth of knowledge about parenting...

But really. I've learned a lot already.

And isn't she just adorable?

Prepare Yourself for Some Cheese Because...

Today is our first wedding anniversary!!

Thanks to Pinterest, I learned that the traditional theme for the first year gift is paper. Boy, is paper easy to give!

I found this cute idea about making a little "First Year at a Glance" thing, so I made one [and put it in a frame]. I had fun making it, but I had the hardest time narrowing down things to put on it!

We also got Settlers of Catan on a good sale. Cards = Paper.

Paper. Check!

Gosh, we're so traditional. ;)

There is almost nothing that is fun to do when you are 38 weeks pregnant, so instead of a trip to India or skydiving, our festivities consisted of walking around some stores and going out to eat. Then we came home for a movie on the couch. It was perfect!

I couldn't be happier, and Logan insists that his life is pretty alright too.

Picture flashback time.

Note: The best thing about this picture is that it makes it look like Logan was the bully, when I was the one who shoved the cake in his face first. Haha I'm such a victim. ;)

We started this awesome journey a year ago, and we still even like each other. It's great! It is going to be a wonderful eternity. We are grateful everyday that we started our life together the best way we could. We're so excited to add a new little friend to our family in the next couple of weeks!

What else can I say? I love him more than I did a year ago. We're very blessed.

Remember, marriages can and DO last when we do our homework and keep them strong, alive, and bright. I'm sure I'll understand the wisdom of this even more down the road. For now, we're just enjoying each step. :)

Packing for the Hospital is Exactly Like Packing for China

Warning: This post contains a soap box rant on hospital bags that may or may not be completely irrational.

Also, I've never been to China.


So, we're still breach at 38 weeks (tomorrow). We went in last Monday morning for the inversion, and learned some more about the conditions in the womb. She is not frank breach. She is actually complete breach, which means feet down and head up. We decided that because of this and a few other factors, the risk was too high, and we didn't want to risk breaking our little baby's bones before she can be out here breaking them some fun way [like jumping off of a toilet]... <--True story from the life of yours truly, by the way.

So, we are waiting, hoping, and praying that she will decide to flip around on her own. I know she is perfectly capable of it because she is a crazy ninja baby. However, we do realize that sometimes there is a very good reason that a baby is breach. We ultimately want her to be happy and healthy, and we have accepted that a C section might be the very best way to give her that. Man, isn't prayer great?! It helps us do hard things and feel peace about things that used to make us want to throw in the towel.

So at Wednesday's doctor appointment, we'll decide if we want to schedule a C section for 39 or 40 weeks. There are pros and cons to both. 40 gives her more time to plump up and develop, and also more time to flip on her own. 39 is good too because if my water breaks while she is breach, there is a higher chance of a prolapsed cord, which is a very scary thought to me. [Warning: My knowledge on this subject is fairly limited. I'm not sure I want to know more about it right now though. Don't enlighten me.]

How I understand a prolapsed cord: The cord slips out when the water breaks and it can often mean you lose the baby. It's bad.

So, we're still deciding her potential Birthday. :) We'll keep you posted.


But, I feel like the experience of going to the hospital expecting to do an inversion had some major positives to it. One of the biggest to me is that we had a kind of trial run at packing a hospital bag. And I'm going to tell you something that may shock you.

Those "What to Pack" lists all over Pinterest are stupid.

I know, I know. Here you thought I was a nice pregnant lady who doesn't say things like stupid, but I've found that since I've been pregnant, I'm sort of very mean in my head.

I am a very organized person. I've been making a list of things I want to take to the hospital so I wouldn't forget anything [like a toothbrush] when it came time to go. BUT... I had a total breakdown on Sunday night because I thought of all of those lists I had looked at online and started panicking that I wasn't bringing the right things. [What if I NEED a CD player and 3 sets of extra batteries?!?]

Thank goodness for my sweet and patient husband. He sat me down and told me to show him the lists. He went through them one by one and asked if I felt like we needed each of the things on the lists that we didn't have packed. I ended up answering no to everything and stuck with my original list.

Those lists are... dumb... because:

1) They make it seem like people who pack things they didn't end up using are dumb and should probably be made fun of for not predicting exactly how their hospital experience would go and what they would and wouldn't want throughout it.

I never even touched my pink fuzzy socks. I was so stupid to bring them. I'll know better for my next child. I wouldn't suggest them for anyone. Ever. #wasteofspace

2) They make things that are completely and totally personal preference look like essentials. (If I was going on a trip to China, I wouldn't look up a bunch of random people's ideas of what to pack...)

If you don't bring your own toilet paper, you WILL die. The papery hospital paper will probably give you an infection and you'll never have kids again. #sterilizationforfree 

3) They hit vulnerable, hormonal, pregnant ladies with product placement that often makes them feel like they have to go out and buy fancy stuff that they wouldn't even use at home, let alone at the hospital. It's the whole, "If you have this one item, nothing else will matter, you won't feel any pain, and your birthing experience will be a breeze" phenomenon.

I don't know what I would have done without my triple strawberry milkshake banana berry delight body wash. It made my whole recovery go faster. Definitely an essential!! 

This filt-o-rama water bottle is mana from heaven! I don't go anywhere without it--especially the hospital. #iwaspaidformentioningthisbutitotallywouldhavementioneditanyways... 

4) But mostly.... They make it seem like you don't know what you want, but they, a complete stranger that lives across the country from you, obviously know exactly what you'll need.

You NEED to make exactly 3 playlists for different phases of labor and moods you may find yourself in. The baby will remember the music if you play it before they are born and practically walk out of the womb to get to it. #ihavetheperfectplaylistsatthelinkbelowbecausewehavethesametaste 


So, if you're pregnant and panicking about the hospital bag lists, my [probably just as unwanted] advice is that you remember that you are capable of packing for yourself. You've packed for all of the trips you've been on, even if you weren't sure exactly what to expect. If you want to pack 3 pairs of shoes, pack them! No one judged you when you packed them on your trip to China. And you don't have to pack an extra pillow if you're fine with the hospital ones.

Ok. Stepping down from the soapbox now. :)

Note: I wrote that little rant last week when I was in a horrendously sarcastic mood. Logan thought it was ridiculous enough that I should publish it anyways. :) I really do realize that they are suggestions and supposed to be helpful. :) I hope you got a laugh.


In other news, foot and ankle swelling has reared its cankley head the last couple of weeks. Have you seen Ever After? You know that part where Leonardo da Vinci is walking on the lake with his boat shoes?

Here's the clip if you haven't.  Start at 1:19

That's what I feel like sometimes. Including the whole falling over part. ;) Rest and elevation are good.


I have some wonderful news to finish off this silly post! Logan and I filed our taxes without pulling our hair out, killing each other in rage, or turning into terrorists. I know you weren't sure if peaceful tax-filing was still possible, but it is!


Remember, if you can pack for China, you can pack for the hospital. And waistbands are the devil.

Our Breach Little Lady

I am 36 weeks today! This means I am officially starting month 9. Woop!

I went NUTS organizing the nursery yesterday, so it is pretty much all ready any time she decides to grace us with her presence.

Today I have been craving crab and cream cheese wontons (or rangoons), watermelon, glazed doughnuts, Taco Bell's bean burritos, and Sprite.

Everything feels a little swollen and pretty uncomfortable, which means that I am having a pretty normal pregnancy. The carpal tunnel (that really only hurts one of my fingers in my right hand) is my current least favorite symptom.

I'm having contractions pretty much everyday. Just your average practice contractions. It just feels like my belly becomes really tight for a little bit.

I'll try to take a bump picture soon. It's just been quite a long and exhausting day today. I'll tell you what I look like: Pregnant and uncomfortable. ;)


A couple of weeks ago, the doctor felt that little tater was head down. Today at my appointment, we learned that she has flipped around and is now a breach baby. :/ (Of course, this is the one appointment since moving here that Logan wasn't able to come to. Gah!)

She is in the Frank Breach position. This means she is kind of folded in half, bottom down, head and feet up. While this sounds super uncomfortable, it is not really a problem until it comes to labor and delivery time.

So I got to have a 3-hour appointment today. I had a few ultrasounds, an NST, and an AFI. [I really wanted to use the abbreviations to sound cool.]

NST = Non-stress test. They strap a fetal heart monitor to your belly to monitor baby's heart rate, and a [insert name I already forgot here] monitor to monitor contractions. It doesn't hurt. It isn't invasive. You basically lay there for 20 minutes and push a button every time you feel the baby move.

With my ninja baby, I told the lady that I just couldn't push the button every time because she is just a constant mover. Needless to say, she got enough movements in the first, ohhh, 2 minutes or so. :) Everything looks great. And it was pretty cool to hear her heartbeat [and occasional kicks to the monitor] for 20 minutes. And the other monitor confirmed that I am having contractions, which is good. :)

AFI = Amniotic Fluid Index. This is a normal ultrasound where they measure how much fluid you have around the baby. Again. Not painful. Not invasive. Just gooey, as all ultrasounds are.

I have a mid-high amount of fluid, which is probably why she was able to flip around this late in the game. It's nothing to worry about. In fact, it may just make it easier to get her to flip around the way we want her.

Also, while he was ultrasounding, I had the doctor check again and confirm that tater is, in fact, a little lady. And, she is. :) All the pink outfits we have won't go to waste. Whew! [Because we all know that is the most important thing... Haha]

So our options are pretty much:

1) Hope she flips around on her own. I can try old wives tales and things that people swear by to try to get her to move too, I guess.

2) Try an inversion. This is where I go into the hospital in the labor and delivery department and get an IV. Then doc will try to manually turn the baby around. They give you something to soften the uterus a little to make manipulation easier. They don't force it.

There are some risks involved with this. Sometimes this means that you have to have an emergency C-section right there, which is why they do it in the hospital. But, if it works out, I could still have a vaginal birth.

3) Schedule a C-Section for about 39 weeks. This is not my first choice. I'd rather not have a C section if I can avoid it. That being said, we will do what is going to be best for a happy, healthy baby and momma.


So, we'll see if the little ninja decides to flip by Thursday, and make decisions from there. We feel peace about the situation. We don't know how it is going to work out, just that it will according to the Lord's plan. Any prayers and happy thoughts are welcome!


Remember that prayer works, and that if your husband wants a carpet rake for your first anniversary, it's a good sign that you found a keeper. ;)

A Reminder to Laugh... And to Mop.

It is not very often that I see something that causes me to actually gasp out loud, but...

The most exciting thing happened in our kitchen today!

And no, it definitely wasn't cooking.

Today is the glorious day known as laundry day. I finally finished all of the baby laundry and sorting yesterday, so I decided to do our grown up laundry today. I was feeling so ambitious, that I decided I'd do a load of towels and other linens too.

I know. Look out.


Important background information:

In our little college apartment, our washer and dryer are across from each other in our kitchen.

We are VERY used to random water sounds in our apartment. It constantly sounds like someone is peeing down our wall or that a pipe upstairs burst and is leaking into our apartment. We're good at ignoring them by now.


Scene.

The last load, of towels and linens, was in the washer. I had just finished organizing a bunch of baby stuff. I decided that it was time for a break. I would put my feet up, listen to Harry Potter, and crochet for a little while.

All of my hopes and dreams of putting my feet up walked out the door the moment I did. I heard the sound of gushing water and looked toward the kitchen to see a fountain of it!! [Good thing I had just emptied my bladdder.]

The output hose on the washer decided to disconnect itself from the drain and shoot straight out towards the dryer and into the basket of my freshly cleaned and dried whites. It was quite an impressive jet of water. How long it had been like that, I don't know -- Long enough to pump quite a bit of yummy water onto the kitchen floor and everything else near it [including my basket of clean dishtowels].

I was so shocked, the only thing I could think to do was run over there and shove the hose back in the drain. So I did, soaking my socks and myself in the process, along with my stack of cook books. It worked to stop the flow though.

I didn't even try to clean it up right away because I was so stunned. I called Logan and laughed for about 5 minutes with him before getting to work on cleaning it up. It was quite a process, made especially exciting with my protruding belly.

I guess it was time to mop the floor anyways...

Moral of the story... There isn't one. But, it just goes to show that things tend to get really exciting right when we think we have it all under control.


And boy, did I find a wonderful excuse to enjoy a big bowl of ice cream with my feet up. ;) [As if I needed one. Hehe]



Also, 34 weeks now. Baby's got developed lungs! "Everything looks good." [I feel like this phrase just doesn't describe my swollen, pregnant body, right now, but it is what we say, isn't it?]

Normal faces and poses are overrated this week.

Baby girl is still extremely active. She kicked the doppler while they were listening to her heartbeat this morning. Apparently it is not ok for anyone to invade my her space. Also, she is head down. Woop!

Everything is swollen and uncomfortable. My fingers have started to feel like they are broken when I wake up each morning because the fluid likes to build up there in my sleep. My doctor informs me that this is probably going to get worse. Yay! [At least he's honest, right?]

The mustard craving is back! Mustard on tuna sandwich. Mustard on fried potatoes. Mustard on everything! MMMMM is for Mustard.

I look significantly pregnant enough now that strangers often ask me "what I'm having." [When I feel particularly spicy, I want to say, "A Human." But, I am good at keeping a nice exterior most of the time. ;)]


Don't be spicy. Don't think that laundry day is always boring and monotonous. And DO eat ice cream. :)

Traditions! Traditions!

Today I realized how into St Patrick's Day I apparently am. My family is pretty much European mutts, but we do have a tiny bit of Irish in us. As such, I have a lot of happy memories and traditions that were beaten [or rather pinched] into my very being.

I noticed this intensity in myself when I changed out of the green basketball shorts I was wearing [just to drive Logan to class, mind you] and HAD to find a bracelet with green on it. Just to drive Logan to class! Old habits die hard. I'm feeling pretty nostalgic, so I'll share some of my memories and our traditions.

The Food:

I have wonderful memories of my mom making green eggs and ham, green pancakes, green milk, green everything for breakfast. [Side note: The green milk always kind of grossed me out. I swear it tasted different. Milk just shouldn't be green, however fun.]

Corned beef and cabbage. And potatoes. Oh my! Corned beef and cabbage. This has to be my favorite tradition. I am depressed this year without it. But, I just couldn't justify making it for just Logan and me and having a bunch of leftovers. I am a strictly once-a-year corned beef eater. Plus, I really don't like cooking these days... Especially meat.

... And let's be honest. The latter excuse is the real driving factor here. But don't worry. I told Logan I am never allowed to be pregnant on St Pattie's Day again... Ha! ;) Today we had "leprechaun's gold" and "four leaf clover trees"... AKA Mac n Cheese and Broccoli. 

The Attire:

My siblings and I would plan out our green outfits in advance--definitely including pajamas the night before--because you couldn't wake up without green on!!! Absurd. You'd be woken by pinching for sure. Our underwear also always included green. Amelia and I used to share a room. If you didn't have green on your underwear, you just might get pinched while you change from pjs to day clothes. Usually we had to paint our nails too, just to be safe.

As we got older, we liked to wear as little green as possible so that maybe, just maybe, someone might be tricked into pinching us so we could pinch them back. I remember my wonderful mom [almost surely intentionally] not wearing green pajamas so we could pinch her in the morning. It always felt so sneaky and satisfying.

The Superstitions:

I don't know about at your house, but leprechauns liked to get into some mischief at the Clark house. The one I remember most was all of the clothes being dumped off of my closet shelves and onto the floor. Those sneaky leprechauns. *Cough* Amelia *Cough*

But better than that.... When I was about 4 or 5, my siblings convinced me that I was adopted. From leprechauns. Yep. You read that right. And they told me that on my next Birthday, the King of the Leprechauns was going to come back and claim me.

I was terrified. They described him quite vividly and told me that if I paid attention, I'd start noticing that I had leprechaun powers beginning to develop. I was soon going to be one of them. I was so afraid of this little bearded man hopping out of a hole and kidnapping me. It was awful.

Other myths included the typical one about the gold at the end of the rainbow, or the one where every time you hear a bell ring a Leprechaun wedding just happened. I also spent some time searching for four-leafed clovers.

I doubt my older siblings remember half of these things. They must have just happened when I was at a critical age or maybe I'm just silly. BUT, with this little baby coming, it has me thinking. I sure hope that our home has as many fun memories and traditions, even for the little holidays. My mom [and siblings] were just so good at that. I hope I can create that magic here too.

And chances are, since I still have to paint one of my fingernails green before I get into the shower on St. Patrick's Day... I'll pass on the crazy.

Just call me Tevye.

From the little bit of Irish inside of me [and the whole lotta leprechaun] I say to you, Erin go Bragh! (Ireland forever!)