Surviving motherhood...sometimes.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Letters
Dear Finley,
Please come out. Please?
No?
Ok then, please let me know when you WILL be coming out. Like, maybe an email or something.
A text? Carrier pigeon? No?
Hmmm...
----------------------------------
Dear Conor,
Please resume sleeping through the night. Please?
No?
Ok then, please call out Daddy's name when you wake up. Mommy really needs her sleep. Like, really, really.
No?
Hmmm...I see a problem here.
Please come out. Please?
No?
Ok then, please let me know when you WILL be coming out. Like, maybe an email or something.
A text? Carrier pigeon? No?
Hmmm...
----------------------------------
Dear Conor,
Please resume sleeping through the night. Please?
No?
Ok then, please call out Daddy's name when you wake up. Mommy really needs her sleep. Like, really, really.
No?
Hmmm...I see a problem here.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Potty Training
We began potty training on Friday using a system called Three Day Potty Training which had come highly recommended from two friends of mine. Both assured me that their sons were potty trained within three days and that the system was nearly fool proof.
Well, friends, this particular fool has proved them wrong! After 4 days and one successful pee-pee in the potty and 2 dozen accidents and another 2 dozen freakouts over sitting on the potty, we've decided to give it a rest.
Poor Conor practically refuses to even walk by the bathroom now and my once happy and cheerful child has turned into a sullen, recalcitrant, clingy shadow of his former self and I think its time to call this one.
We'll try again in a few months and hopefully have more success. Perhaps some naked time in the backyard this summer will encourage him to do his business in the potty instead of in his Lightening McQueen underroos.
Not to end on such a sad-sack note, Conor's a soccer star! We bought him a soccer ball a few weeks ago when he could barely kick a ball and stay on his feet. He and Morgan play a lot in the backyard and this weekend we watched him run while kicking the ball. Quite a feat of coordination for a not quite two and half year old.
And anyway, I hear soccer stars don't NEED to pee-pee on the potty. So we're gooood.
Well, friends, this particular fool has proved them wrong! After 4 days and one successful pee-pee in the potty and 2 dozen accidents and another 2 dozen freakouts over sitting on the potty, we've decided to give it a rest.
Poor Conor practically refuses to even walk by the bathroom now and my once happy and cheerful child has turned into a sullen, recalcitrant, clingy shadow of his former self and I think its time to call this one.
We'll try again in a few months and hopefully have more success. Perhaps some naked time in the backyard this summer will encourage him to do his business in the potty instead of in his Lightening McQueen underroos.
Not to end on such a sad-sack note, Conor's a soccer star! We bought him a soccer ball a few weeks ago when he could barely kick a ball and stay on his feet. He and Morgan play a lot in the backyard and this weekend we watched him run while kicking the ball. Quite a feat of coordination for a not quite two and half year old.
And anyway, I hear soccer stars don't NEED to pee-pee on the potty. So we're gooood.
Monday, June 7, 2010
The End of the Road
We heard back from Portland Fire and Rescue this weekend and unfortunately Morgan was not selected to proceed to a Firefighter Trainee. I wanted to thank everyone who has been so, so, SO supportive of Morgan as he decided to go after this dream.
There are good things in store for our family even if they don't include firefighting. We are so proud of Morgan for all he has accomplished and love, love, love him for all he does for our family. Morgan is our rock, our anchor and the lifeline that Conor and I cling to. We are the luckiest people in the world to have such a man in our family.
Love you, Babe!
There are good things in store for our family even if they don't include firefighting. We are so proud of Morgan for all he has accomplished and love, love, love him for all he does for our family. Morgan is our rock, our anchor and the lifeline that Conor and I cling to. We are the luckiest people in the world to have such a man in our family.
Love you, Babe!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Update
I had my 35 week checkup this week and so far it looks like little Miss Finley is doing well. A couple of brief highlights.
*I'm measuring a bit on the small side at 32cm instead of the expected 35cm. This is good news as it could potentially mean I might give birth to a petite little thing instead of another gargantuan monster like before. It also could mean absolutely nothing.
*I DIDN'T GAIN ANY WEIGHT! This probably had more to do with the return on morning sickness and indigestion than any strict dietary guidelines on my part.
*I'm scheduled for yet ANOTHER ultrasound in two weeks. Apparently there is still some concern that the whole umbilical cord/placenta thing is not sufficiently resolved, so back I go. Best case scenario: everything is fine and labor and delivery can proceed normally. Worst case scenario: umbilical cord insertion into the placenta is sub par and Finley and I will require continuous fetal monitoring while I am in labor. Worse worst case scenario: my already low-lying placenta could be determined to be too near my cervix for safe vaginal delivery and I have to schedule a c-section. The ultrasound will also give me an estimate of her weight which, again, could mean absolutely nothing.
I had my very last class session of my undergraduate education on Tuesday and have one final available online today and another one available online next week. Soon I will be all finished and Finley is encouraged to come as soon as possible after that. My fingers are crossed as I am tired and ready to have this baby! Because, you know, nothing like a newborn and a rowdy toddler to provide tons of sleep time!
*I'm measuring a bit on the small side at 32cm instead of the expected 35cm. This is good news as it could potentially mean I might give birth to a petite little thing instead of another gargantuan monster like before. It also could mean absolutely nothing.
*I DIDN'T GAIN ANY WEIGHT! This probably had more to do with the return on morning sickness and indigestion than any strict dietary guidelines on my part.
*I'm scheduled for yet ANOTHER ultrasound in two weeks. Apparently there is still some concern that the whole umbilical cord/placenta thing is not sufficiently resolved, so back I go. Best case scenario: everything is fine and labor and delivery can proceed normally. Worst case scenario: umbilical cord insertion into the placenta is sub par and Finley and I will require continuous fetal monitoring while I am in labor. Worse worst case scenario: my already low-lying placenta could be determined to be too near my cervix for safe vaginal delivery and I have to schedule a c-section. The ultrasound will also give me an estimate of her weight which, again, could mean absolutely nothing.
I had my very last class session of my undergraduate education on Tuesday and have one final available online today and another one available online next week. Soon I will be all finished and Finley is encouraged to come as soon as possible after that. My fingers are crossed as I am tired and ready to have this baby! Because, you know, nothing like a newborn and a rowdy toddler to provide tons of sleep time!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Fire!
The results of the Chief's Selection Interview were supposed to be announced today. At 7:24 yesterday morning I was online trying to find out if a list had been published. While the list wasn't yet available, the website did indicate that the list would be published on June 1st so I figured I needed to wait a few hours and give the administrative staff a little time to get it up. Here is what I found later in the day:
----------------------------
All trainee candidates who successfully passed the written test and the physical agility test are on PF&R's current eligibility list.
- Please do not call the Recruiter to ask about the list's ranking -- there is no rank assigned to Trainee Candidates.
- The results of the Chiefs' Selection Interviews should be mailed within the next two weeks.
Your patience is appreciated.
Updated 06/01/10
---------------------
- Please do not call the Recruiter to ask about the list's ranking -- there is no rank assigned to Trainee Candidates.
- The results of the Chiefs' Selection Interviews should be mailed within the next two weeks.
Your patience is appreciated.
Updated 06/01/10
---------------------
Hmm, not exactly the "list" we were hoping for. So, it looks like it will be another two weeks before we know what the course of the rest of our lives will look like. No big deal, right? I'm ALWAYS super patient.
What does this even mean? Anyone? Anyone?
*crickets*
And so we wait.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
A Memorial Day to Remember
Why yes, it does appear that I've changed the name of this blog again! I might make this a monthly occurrence.
We went camping on this glorious Memorial Day Weekend. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and I wasn't 8 and a half months pregnant. Oh wait, the opposite is true in all three instances.
Yeah, it rained while we were camping which is only the very worst thing that can happen while one is camping. I should say that I really do enjoy camping with the only caveat being I like a formal campground. You know, one where you pull your car into your camping spot and there is a nice paved area with a log telling you right where to park. And the ground is already flattened from hundreds of campers and tents before you. And the bathroom (even if it is only an outhouse) has had the muck and sewage and (let's be real here) poop pumped sometime within the last 18 months. And maybe, if I'm real lucky, there will be a shower available.
What I don't like is camping where there are none of these things. Where we went camping there were none of these things. But! The one thing this wonderous place did have? Peacocks! Hundreds of them! Beautiful, be-plumaged peacocks! With feathers! And REALLY FREAKING LOUD SQUALKING ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY!
Really, I should have known better when we pulled up to the "campground" and the first thing we saw was a band of gypsies (one wearing a damn elfin hat for crying out loud), followed by the peacocks, and the first thing we heard was "Are y'all here for the hootenanny?"
So we pull up to our "assigned spot" and we find a mud pit. Morgan called our trip Mud Fest 2010 because the mud was quite literally everywhere. Yucky, sticky, suck your shoes off mud. Fortunately we went a little away from the people we were supposed to be camping with and ended up finding a nice grassy spot that was wet (oh, indeed it was wet) but at least not muddy.
Overall though, the three of us had a nice time. Once I got over the fact that it was not camping as I had expected we managed to have fun. Morgan and Conor even got in a little fishing.
We went camping on this glorious Memorial Day Weekend. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and I wasn't 8 and a half months pregnant. Oh wait, the opposite is true in all three instances.
Yeah, it rained while we were camping which is only the very worst thing that can happen while one is camping. I should say that I really do enjoy camping with the only caveat being I like a formal campground. You know, one where you pull your car into your camping spot and there is a nice paved area with a log telling you right where to park. And the ground is already flattened from hundreds of campers and tents before you. And the bathroom (even if it is only an outhouse) has had the muck and sewage and (let's be real here) poop pumped sometime within the last 18 months. And maybe, if I'm real lucky, there will be a shower available.
What I don't like is camping where there are none of these things. Where we went camping there were none of these things. But! The one thing this wonderous place did have? Peacocks! Hundreds of them! Beautiful, be-plumaged peacocks! With feathers! And REALLY FREAKING LOUD SQUALKING ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY!
Really, I should have known better when we pulled up to the "campground" and the first thing we saw was a band of gypsies (one wearing a damn elfin hat for crying out loud), followed by the peacocks, and the first thing we heard was "Are y'all here for the hootenanny?"
So we pull up to our "assigned spot" and we find a mud pit. Morgan called our trip Mud Fest 2010 because the mud was quite literally everywhere. Yucky, sticky, suck your shoes off mud. Fortunately we went a little away from the people we were supposed to be camping with and ended up finding a nice grassy spot that was wet (oh, indeed it was wet) but at least not muddy.
Overall though, the three of us had a nice time. Once I got over the fact that it was not camping as I had expected we managed to have fun. Morgan and Conor even got in a little fishing.
Some time was spent sittin' on logs and contemplating the good life.
Even I managed a smile (this is as we are packing up to come home).
So, moral of the story. Camping is only fun in proper campgrounds. Camping is only fun when it hasn't rained for 21 of the last 28 days. Camping is only fun if it cannot be nicknamed Mud Fest 2010. Camping is only fun when peacocks are not involved. Oh, and camping is only fun when these two are involved.
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