Magic words and Michael Phelps

Drew says please. It sounds like a cross between cheese and tease, but he knows now to use that word whenever he wants something. And since it's so stinking cute, he usually gets whatever he is "cteese"-ing. That won't last forever, right?

Also, last night he started putting his face in the bath water and blowing bubbles. I plan to sign him up for the 2028 Olympics tomorrow.

Just a snapshot of D's new tricks....

Way Back When-sday

My friend Allison has been doing "Way Back When-sday" for ages, but I never participated because I lost all digital pictures earlier than 2008 in a great "blue screen of death" episode in early 2009.  Sad.

So when my dad sent me 6 digital pictures from my junior year of high school today (Tuesday), I knew I was meant to play tomorrow.

I actually remember this day VIVIDLY-- it may be one of the most defining times in my high school life.  It was the Monday after Easter 2000.  My brother and I had just returned from spending Easter in Phoenix with my aunts.  The Friday before Easter was the culmination of drill team officer tryouts- I received the Lieutenant Colonel position.  I'm pretty sure my mom sent us to Phoenix that weekend to get me far, far away in case I did not make officer (mom, is that true?).

That explains the hand painted banners of support.

Since it was mid-April, it was also prom invite time.  My boyfriend at the time chose that weekend to ask me to prom by covering my bed in Easter grass and eggs filled with candy and the letters P-R-O-M-? in various eggs.

That explains the Easter grass.

Now let's explain me.  The day I got to Phoenix, I got really, really sick.  I remember sitting down in the airport because I couldn't walk any further.  They had to take me to one of those emergency doc-in-a-box places.  They didn't find anything.  I slept the entire weekend.  For the better part of 6 weeks I visited doctor after doctor trying to figure out what was wrong.  During spring finals I pushed up the sleeves on my shirt and found a crazy rash all over my arms and stomach.  That lead to a visit with an infectious disease doctor and a dermatologist, who finally ordered a blood test and realized I likely had mono.  (When I write it out here, it seems so obvious.  Why did we not check for that earlier?)  Who knows how long I had it for, but my poor body was fighting it hard since I never took a break.

So that explains why I look like death.  Motivational posters and being asked to prom really don't compare to just crawling in your own bed when you feel the sickest you ever have in your entire life.

I can't explain the clothing choices.  I just hope "it was 2000" is a good enough answer....

Also, I should point out the following
- very matchy-matchy comforter and skirted bedside table
- deflated balloons from some event that was obviously very special
- boom box
- black flannel over my window so that NO LIGHT GOT IN MY ROOM AT ALL.

Her name shall be Galleria.

:)

We had tossed around names of both genders before we found out peanut was a girl, but had nothing set either way. Of course, as soon as you find out everyone wants to know a name!

If our moms asked, we tended to tell them we were naming her Sharon Vicki or Vicki Sharon (our moms first names). Then we switched to telling them terrible first names, which they never believed. (No examples given for fear I would offend someone with my thoughts on a "terrible" name.)

But when my dad asked after a particularly stressful last minute trip to the Houston galleria, Rob answered his name question with a completely straight faced "Galleria." I could read dads mind right on his face as he considered if that was a true answer and decided not to laugh just in case he would be addressing Christmas gifts to Galleria next year. We pulled the same joke on Travis, and it worked on him, too. Apparently we look like the kind of people who would name a daughter Galleria.

We told my parents last night over a family Christmas Eve dinner. Instead of telling them outright, we sent it around the room telephone-style. The name at the end was Petula Anne, thanks to a jokester uncle who decide to change it to something terrible before it got to my parents.

So her name isn't Sharon, Vicki, Galleria, or Petula, but Anneliese Corrinne. We plan to call her Ellie.

In a later blog post I will explain the significance of the name. We, obviously, love it.

Merry Christmas from Rob, Lindsey, Drew, ELLIE and Sophie.

Tiny Prints

You know you are angry when you wake up at 3am and start thinking about the conversation you are going to have with a company.

Despite being told they would be here last Friday, I still have no cards and no reliable info of when the will be here.

Last Friday I emailed customer service to see what was up. I got an email
back from a rep apologizing for my "8.12" (what?) and that "per our conversation" he would refund my shipping. Oh yeah- I never spoke to this guy. I didn't want my money back. I want my cards.

On Saturday I called customer service. Another rep told me there was a delay, and that her system was down so she didn't know any specifics about my order. She said they were working overtime and my cards would be delivered that day or Monday. Nope.

Monday I get an email from a manager saying a "handful" of orders had been delayed, mine included, but they would ship Monday or Tuesday for Tuesday or Wednesday delivery, and I would get an email when they shipped.

Well Happy Wednesday. I have no shipping info, so I doubt my cards are coming today.

At this point I am LIVID. 3 delivery dates have come and gone. And I don't think the entire Tiny Prints site is 6 days behind (he did say a "handful" were delayed), so doesn't it make sense to stop the presses and make sure that handful gets moved to the front? I didn't order 100 hand drawn cards. Surely this cannot be so difficult.

If they do not ship today I am canceling my order, disputing the CC charge, and ordering from Walgreens/Costco.

Guess where I won't be getting my birth announcements?

It Begins.

Right around his birthday, I bough Drew a ton of winter clothes.  It had just gotten cold, and my pre-buying before he was born seemed to end at 12 months.  I needed some sleeves!  His grandmothers also blessed him with some clothes, and we were set.

Or so I thought.

It appears the child has hit a growth spurt.  Everything that fit perfectly in October is now too small, and everything that needed to be rolled up in October now fits perfectly.  Drew's winter wardrobe was slashed in half.  To about 3 days worth of clothes.

So today I ran to Carters.  I had the typical 20% off coupon, plus $20 in their stamp cards to use, so it seemed like an excellent choice.  I lugged Drew around the store grabbing some things for him, and even picking up a few things for sister-to-be.

When I got home, I looked at my loot.

Drew:

Little Sis:



I have three justifications for this:

1. All of the boy clothes said things like "Mommy's favorite" or "Daddy's little quarterback," which I hate.
2. Her closet is completely empty.  It looks like she got more, but really, we are just working on making them even.
3. Really, the girl stuff is cuter.

In case you are worried, I ordered some more stuff (vast majority Drew's) from Old Navy when I got home.  He won't freeze.

"Hi Da Da!"

Rob was out of town, and I was going to send him a video of D laughing.  Then this happened.

My kid's a genius.

Tinyprints is holding my cards hostage

Granted, I wasn't the most timely with the Christmas card picture this year, but by Dec 4th I had the pic done, and the card picked out and ordered. For delivery on the 9th- today. I paid extra for that.

But according to the website, my cards are still being printed. Clearly not delivered today. When will they get here? No idea. The website still says delivery will be today.

So I apologize for my late cards- it was only partially my fault.

A day of ups and downs

I spent a good hour today cleaning out Drew's room and removing all the baby stuff for his little sister. His early toys and books are all in a box in what will be her room once I figure out what to do with all the stuff that is currently in there. I moved all the grooming things (combs, brushes, nail clippers) to the bathroom, since I will need to be able to get to that stuff for both of them.

And then I sat on the floor with my boy, who brought me book after book to "read," then lost interest and walked away two pages in. I let him climb (literally) into my lap, and was shocked when he sat there rather than just using me as an obstacle course. In the last few days I have started seeing him try to express love/closeness. Yesterday I was carrying him around and kissing his cheek with a big "muah" each time. Then he started leaning his head into mine and saying "muah." He was giving me kisses. Aaaaannnnddd my heart melted.

I am so thrilled to have a sibling for him, but it's days like today when I wonder how there could ever be enough hours in the day to give each of them the attention they want and deserve. I know I will figure it out- people have been having multiple, well adjusted children for years, but right now it seems impossible. I guess Drew and I will sneak in as many "muahs" as possible between now and April.

To Do

1. Repaint office to become nursery.
2. Sew heavy drapes to drown out street noise in new nursery.
3. Put closet organizer in nursery closet.
4. Buy all manner of frilly pink clothes because we are having a girl!!

Yes indeed, I did manage to get myself into the doctors office before my December 5th date.  Impatience still reigns!

Baby girl was NOT cooperating yesterday.  I think, much like her mama, she insists on eating every couple of hours, and mama did not indulge her before the 7:30 am appointment.  We didn't get one single clear shot of her face- she kept her hands balled in fists around her face the entire time (before we knew she was a girl I joked that if it were a boy, I was enrolling him in boxing immediately).  If we tried to move one way, she moved the other.  And she was so squished into the side of my stomach (by her own choice- there is plenty of space in there) that when they switched it to 3D view it was like looking at a deformed alien.

BUT we were eventually able to get all the measurements they needed to know she looks great and is growing right on track.  And we made the lady check at THREE different points to confirm that she was a girl.... at least Peanut wasn't trying to hide that!

So though we know what we are having before the birth, I suppose the surprise is going to be what she looks like!

We can't wait to meet you, Ms. Peanut (name in the works!)