Pamela Faith

I have a new – “here’s your sign”. Tonight while taking a shower, I decided it was time to shave my legs. Having a baby only 4 weeks ago has made my priorities shift a bit. I only shave when I know the baby will not throw a hissy fit and give me enough time to complete this task or I become so ashamed that I do it while I listen to her blast everyone’s ear drums to pieces (I keep repeating that I have to take care of myself or I can’t take care of others – I think I heard Dr. Phil say this once).

Anyways, tonight I reached for my shaving cream (yes, I leave it in the same place in the tub so I don’t create too many rust circles) and I discovered a pair of earrings nestled beneath. I laughed, yes I did. My first thought was not about the fact the earrings could have washed down the drain or fell into the bottom of the tub during my shower resulting in a painful stab in the bottom of my foot. No, my first thought was that my daughter left them under there thinking that it would be a very long time before I found them. I assume she figured I wouldn’t be shaving any time soon considering that I am just shy of becoming as hairy as a cave woman.

Not only was tonight a good night to make my legs smoother, but my family also played a couple of games that we got for Christmas. The kids and I played Qwirkle. Motormouth (my son) beat Princess (my daughter) and me. Then we played Taboo with their daddy. We all learned something new about Princess. She becomes a whole different person when playing Taboo. Her voice gets all robotic. You’d just have to hear her. She got to be partners with her dad and they won. The game was a little bit difficult for the kids. We substituted the timer from Scattergories.

My sweetie has decided to save money. He figures we can all start wearing long johns and boots in the house to stay warm. I’m thinking that the temperature outside is in the 40′s and right now is not the time to cut back on our energy bill if it results in turning our thermostat down until we all turn blue. I would like to say that it’s probably not the central heat and air, but the millions of other electronics plugged into every available outlet. I swear there are no spare power outlets in our home. We have bought a dozen or more of the surge protectors and we are almost to the point of plugging multiple surge protectors together to increase the number of things we can plug up.  I hope that we can’t develop health issues from all the electronics buzzing around us. His attempt at cutting back on our power usage is equal to that of someone ordering a diet soda with a 2500 calorie meal.

I’ve noticed that with the cold air flowing through my house today has caused me to go into an eating frenzy. There will not be any food left to eat tomorrow at the rate that I’m consuming. I’ll also have to sew bedsheets together, which sucks because they aren’t flannel and I’ll still be freezing.

On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title. The idea is that the photo itself says so much that it doesn’t need any description.

My dreams can be very consistent, unfortunately. The nightmares that plague me over and over seem to either be a night hunting for shelter from deadly tornadoes or running from a pack of wolves. Though I usually may not have a nightmare but every month or so, they seem to carry the same story line.

Rarely do I have both nightmares within a couple of days. Last night the wolves were outside this rickety shack (apparently my home) and I kept finding large holes  that the wolves could come in through. The dream started with me outside this shack in the dark when a blizzard began. I had to grab hold of a fence and walk holding onto it so that I could find my way to the shack. All of a sudden I could see the eyes of several wolves start getting closer and I could hear them howling. I made it to the shack, but I struggled very hard to get the door shut and bolted against the pack of wolves on the other side. (I’m still trying to shake off the fear pulsing through me.)

The night before I dreamed about a tornado. I happened to be standing out in a field when I spotted a tornado coming. I knew that I couldn’t make it to any building, so I started running away from the tornado, but it kept changing directions like it was chasing me. When it finally caught up to me, the tornado was very small and blew right through me without any damage to my body.

The two nights that I finally get a few hours of sleep, I end up waking up fighting for my life. I think I’d prefer to be woke up to feed the baby or change a poopy diaper, which is what happens about every 2 hours most nights.

I need more than 3 hours of sleep. 15 years ago I could have handled the lack of sleep. There are no toothpicks that can hold open these heavy eyelids. To heck with trying to be a supermom. I want to curl up under my quilt and sleep for the next 100 years.

Molly Grace

My new baby daughter was born December 5th. Recovery from a c-section has been a bit rough and caring for a newborn has been time consuming. The last baby I gave birth to was in the year 2000.  This time around was easier and not scary as the first 2 kids. My first baby was by c-section after about 22 hours of being in labor and my 2nd baby came the original way (ripping apart places better left together) and creating hemorrhoids where there were none. My new baby was breech and her c-section was planned 3 hours before it happened, but about 2 weeks past her due date. I didn’t feel the gigantic needle being inserted into my back. The iv in my hand hurt like hell. I was up and walking around by 7 pm (she was born at 11 am).

My baby looks so pretty and perfect, except for the grouchy face she likes to wear. My son also had that face. I think its because they were so big and probably felt squished in my uterus for so long. She weighed 9 lbs and 7 oz when she was born. My biggest baby yet. My son weighed 9 lbs and 3 oz. My oldest daughter weighed 8 lbs 6oz. Considering that I had gestational diabetes with Molly, she didn’t weigh as much as the doctor expected. I didn’t gain a pound with this pregnancy either (thanks to the diabetes – starving- diet the sugar doctor had me on.) I’ve lost around 25 pounds though since my baby was born.

I don’t see how I’ve lost any weight. I have binged on every sweet treat I can get my hands on and I don’t even know how many Yoo Hoo’s I’ve guzzled. I’ve told the family that once January comes, we’ll all go back to eating healthier. It’s too hard to prepare the “good” meals when your insides feel like they are falling out your stomach. I’m getting my calcium through cereal and the Yoo Hoo’s.

As a matter of fact, I think I am feeling up to cooking bigger meals than heating up Hot Pockets in the microwave or Ramen Noodles on the stove. I’m planning a trip to the grocery store this evening. Hopefully, I’ll not fall apart within 30 minutes and beg to go home like I did the first grocery trip since my baby was born. We are running out of more than eggs and milk this time.

Well, tonight is the first time in many months since my children have spent the night somewheres besides home. I think it’s actually been over a year. I’m having separation anxiety. You would think that my kids being 9 and 10 I would be comfortable with them spending the night with someone else. Go ahead and make fun of me. They are spending the night next door with their uncle and aunt. It’s not like they are across town.

I would have already called and told them to come home, but for a couple of reasons I can’t. One of those being the fact that they have all gone bowling and the other is having to be at the hospital at 8 a.m. in the morning. It’s probably too selfish of me to want them to be at home anyways.

It’s so hard to be a mommy. I’m so worried about my son’s sleep walking and my daughter’s sneaking into our bed at night. Will they miss me being there for them tonight?

I know this may sound ridiculous, but I think that this pregnancy is causing me to shrink. I bet I’ve lost at least an inch in height. I was walking earlier with my hubby when I noticed that the pavement seemed an awful lot closer than it use to. When I was changing clothes after the doctor’s visit, I also noticed that the curves I had not too long ago were no longer visible. This baby is causing my belly to grow not only forward but side to side. The extra bulk is also pulling my upper body down to the ground.

I’ve never been tall. Quite contrary. I am only 5’3″. I can’t afford to lose any height. Perhaps this is from being nearly 42 weeks pregnant. Yes, the baby should have been here about a week and 1/2 ago. I go Saturday to the hospital for the baby to be monitored for a couple of hours. This has the hubby a little worried. Not because he thinks something might be wrong with me or the baby, but because there is an important football game coming on. (ROLL TIDE).

I am not a football fan. My hubby, however, is a big football fan. I’m already working on plan B if I am in labor during the football game and he’s glued to a television somewheres. This involves scissors and a drawer full of boxer shorts. I might not be able to accomplish my goal for a few days, but I will eventually be back on my feet.

Actually, I don’t plan on slicing up his underwear as punishment, but I will however demand that I be treated very well after the game has ended. For starters, diaper duty. From there, meals for my other 2 children.  I may need a back rub every few hours. Oh the list I’ll have for him.

On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title. The idea is that the photo itself says so much that it doesn’t need any description.

Ingredients:
7 oz Martha White Blueberry Muffin Mix
1/2 Cup of Milk
1 Egg

Mix everything together. Spray frying pan with Pam Spray. Heat on medium. Pour small amounts of mix (to whatever size pancake you like). Brown both sides.

Tastes so yummy.

I have done the responsible thing and asked my husband to take my keys away from me. So for any of you who think he was the one to “put his foot down”, you’re wrong. He wasn’t even with me the last 2 times I was nearly in an accident (both would have been my fault – and both within a couple of weeks ago). I admitted to him that I was dangerous on the road and didn’t trust myself to come home in one piece.

It’s not that I’ve taken to driving under the influence or anything of that nature. Unfortunately, my belly has grown too big for me to look over my shoulder without becoming wedged under the steering wheel. There’s nothing like trying to look out your window while going down the road to see if a car is in the next lane and finding your car running off the road because your belly has taken over the wheels. I could be clever like those people who use their knees to drive so they can eat whatever fast food they want to (selfish people – where’s my portion?). I can’t see my knees and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t hold them high enough to grab the steering wheel.

So the responsible and adult thing to do at this point is to admit that I’ve become too pregnant (I refuse to say too fat) to even drive a car. It’s also the reason my family is eating some really quick meals lately. I am not about to stand on my feet longer than what it takes to throw something in a pan and into the oven – or at times the microwave. They are very lucky that when I take my nap in the afternoon, I even attempt to get up again before morning. If it wasn’t for the every 2 hour urge to potty waking me up – I’d probably sleep on through.

Anyways, I got up this morning and fixed my small pitiful bowl of oatmeal (portioned for a diabetic) while the rest of the house stayed curled up under the covers. I plugged the Christmas tree up and sat down to check my email. Out of the corner of my eye, I couldn’t help but be distracted by the fact that we haven’t put any presents under the tree yet. It’s not that I haven’t bought most everything already, it’s the fact that I need some wrapping paper. So once the family started moving about this morning and I fixed them breakfast. Yay Me – I made some strawberry cheesecake pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. I casually mentioned to my hubby that I really wanted some paper so I could start wrapping.

Believe it or not, the sweety pie volunteered <<<—— yes, volunteered to run to the store and get my wrapping supplies. Everyone who knows my family will find the miracle in this. Not only does my husband hate shopping, but he hates to go to town. Yep, we live so far from the city that when we go shopping – we say “we’re going to town”. I can’t explain the mixed feelings I had with this new husband I woke up with this morning.

A part of me (the hormonal crazy pregnant part) wanted to be in an argument about me being lazy, so I could beat myself up and possibly him too. The other part of me wanted to sit and cry (ok – so this is still the hormonal crazy pregnant part too), because it was soooo sweet of him to offer to do this for me. The rational and normal me, took it in stride and made him a small list of a few things he could grab while making this trip: wrapping paper, clear gift tape, gift labels, some bows, stool softeners (don’t ask), and dish liquid. No, I don’t wash dishes by hand, but I use it to clean the George Foreman Grill that I use very often.

I’m wondering what he’ll buy or not buy. At this point, I just hope wrapping paper comes back with him. I have some glue from my kids craft stash. The bows don’t really matter, because they just fall off anyways.