Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Y'all! Whether you welcomed the incoming year in your jammies and slippers or a little black dress and heels, I hope it was fun....and safe! As for me, I'll be in the jammies, slippers and flat out asleep crowd when the ball drops. I know. It's a barrel of wild fun at my house *chuckling*, but I did get to hang out with family today and chill which is always nice. Oh, and did I mention that I had a few contractions? Yes, I said contractions!

The Hubby's voice went up a couple octaves when I called him at work and told him what was going on. They were happening every twenty or thirty minutes for a while, but then seemed to ease off. I was kinda tense for a while there. I put my feet up then downed some water and that must've done the trick... In any case, the baby is still his mobile self, kicking away in my tummy. What a relief!

I really don't have a New Year's resolution. I've never been one for those....mostly 'cause I know I won't stick with it. What can I say? I'm honest! The only things that come to mind are things I strive for all the time like being a better mom, wife, daughter, etc. This year comes with a unique twist. I'll be a mom to two little boys in a few months instead of one. I won't be perfect, and am expecting to make a few goofs along the way but I think I need to go into it that way. Realistic expectations take a bit of the stress out of things, don'tcha think?

Yep.

Yep.

I know the bloggy vacation has gone on too long when even the Hubby is shocked that I haven't written a post in a while. What can I say? I was having fun chillin' with my guys, enjoying Christmas festivities, baking....reading the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer.

Yep.

I've been sucked in. I've heard so many people say how good the series was that I thought I'd check it out for myself. I tried to reserve it at my local library and the waiting list was laughably long which led to me just springing the $8 for the paperback. I picked it up on a lazy day here at the house and literally finished it in one day! I'm a fairly quick reader, but the story and quick flow of the plot kept me glued. Hubby just shook his head and laughed when I told him. So what was waiting under the tree for me Christmas morning? You guessed it! The next installment in the series, New Moon. Then my parents gave me a gift card and I flew out and got the final two, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I'm already through New Moon and Eclipse and am half-way through Breaking Dawn. *sheepish shrug* I had a bit of a sick day yesterday and spent most of it on the couch reading and blowing my nose. Good times, y'all.

So I'm back, ready to blog-n-roll and catch up on what's going on with y'all! Those McSpeedy reading skills should come in handy....

Cleaning, Shopping, Christmassing...Warning, these may cause Bloggy Slackeritis

Yes, I know! I've been remiss in my overall blogginess this past week....and this week, too. Like most of you I've been runnin' around getting things done and bought, I also attended some of the Bubs's Christmassy school events and helped in Dad's class (we made candy coated pretzels since most of them had never made/had any), and........*slightly hysterical giggling* Well, you get the general idea!

The Hubs and I have also been on a bit of a spring cleaning kick. Yes, we do know it's December and, as of this past Sunday, it's winter but we're doing what we can while we can. So far we've successfully ditched, ahem, I mean donated several bags of clothes, toys, books and other miscellaneous stuff to a local charity. We can see the floor in our bedroom...even the floor under the bed, y'all! The Bubs was amazed by this. He came in one evening a couple days ago and just stared at the floor, "Wooooow. I can see the floor!" I think we say the same thing about his playroom when he's cleaned up in there. That boy is a hoot.

Now we've moved on to the *dun, dun, DUN!* craft/guest room. There's always that one room or area in the house that all the "where does this go?" stuff gets tossed and this room is it in our house. It's the smallest bedroom in the house but, honey, was it crammed! Old baby stuff, gift wrapping supplies, my paints and art items, office supplies from the Hubby's job....and the list goes on and on. Right now we've got everything pared down and now I'm going through my craft closet, Heaven help me. I'm being ruthless in getting rid of unused items and re-organizing what's left. The Hubs is so proud....and keeping his distance because he knows if he says one thing about my craft and art stuff, he's toast!

Now, with everything as crazy as it's been there've been a few evenings where I've had a whopping case of the tired giggles. Some of the women on my Mom's side of the family have the tendency to giggle hysterically and, often, for no apparent reason when we're really tired and loopy. Now take that bit of knowledge and mix it in with mine and the Hubby's habit of making up whacked out lyrics for songs and you've got the following silly tune that I was humming in my head the other night (in between aforementioned loopy giggles)~

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

All around our house

Take a look at the Christmas bins still stacked in the ol' kitchen

With decor and the Christmas lights all strowed

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

Hidden toys and all

But the prettiest sight to see is the Hubs and Bubs and me

Gathered round the tree!

Boo Mama's Christmas Tour of Homes

Hi, there and welcome! This is my first year being involved in a Christmas Tour of Homes and I wanted to make your time here special. So what did I do? I took my tushy over to Scrapblog, of course, and made y'all a slide show. Feel free to click the pause button at will so you can read the little blurts about our Christmassy happenings or click the arrow buttons to peruse at your leisure. Enjoy!

Just plain silly....but I can't help myself!

*goofily singing*

"Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to myse-elf

Happy Birthday to meeeeee!"

To dream a little dream...

I've always had dreams that were vivid and realistic. So vivid and realistic, in fact, that even when I woke up it was hard to tell whether or not I was really awake. If I was eating in the dream, I tasted it. I smelled, felt, saw and heard things as if I was walking around in a fully concious state. Trippy, to say the least!

I know that dreaming increases when one is pregnant from all the medical info I've glanced through recently. Sleeping more increases the oppurtunities to dream and those lovely middle of the night bathroom trips ensure a better recall of them. Every. Little. Detail.

Lately my dreams haven't been restful in the least. Nightmarish would be the better term. It started a couple of nights ago and hasn't let up since. One such nightmare featured me dying in a horrific car accident and the other featured the Bubs being hurt and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I've been having flashbacks of the dreams during the daytime. My husband had to lay down with me today in an effort to get me to take my usual nap. I didn't want to have another dream. I eventually drifted off after he laid his hand on my tummy/baby and quietly prayed for me.

It dawned on me earlier this evening that both dreams, if I could look past the horrific nature of them, highlighted the fact that, in both, the situations were out of my control. I couldn't stop the car or protect Bubs. Telling fact, isn't it?

I must remember that even when it feels like my life, or facets of it, are out of my control that I have a Heavenly Father who is holding my life and the life of my loved ones in the palm of His infinitely capable and loving hands. I haven't been endowed with a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. I can't let the nightmares overtake my peace and my day-to-day life.

Y'all know my life is a soundtrack...well, there's a Fernando Ortega song that goes along with how I'm feeling called Jesus, King of Angels. The melody is reminiscent of a lullaby, but the words are so very powerful. I invite you to have a listen and revel in the sense of peace it evokes.

My Christmas Heart

One of my new fave reads is Octamom (c). Her blog is always well-written, fun and so very sweet. And, oh yeah, she's called that because she has a family with 8 children! She posted a new blurt today about a cheap red velvet reindeer ornament that triggered some favorite Christmas memories for her. In turn, she asked if there was a favorite item, a special scent, etc. that triggered favorite Christmas memories.

Well, I slapped my name on her little list of volunteer bloggers to post a related blurt...and then it hit me that there are sooo many things that trigger fond memories for me. A great problem to have, yes, but still a bit of a conundrum. Should I write about the wonderful Christmas music that I practically listen to year-round, the sweet and spicy fragrances of holiday baking, or the wonder in our son's eyes as he takes in Christmas traditions, events and -most importantly- the reason we celebrate Christmas?

As much as I have favorite ornaments, favorite Christmas events to take part in, and even favorite things to create year after year, I'm drawn to the memories that involve people and not things. I remember laughter, music, warmth, love, child-like wonder and anticipation, and the joy of giving.

More vividly, I remember Dad playing Christmas songs on the piano for Mom, Aunt D. and I to sing along with one Christmas morning while we puttered in the kitchen and my husband listened from a chair next to one of the many Christmas trees in their house. Where was the Bubs? He was swaying back and forth next to the piano stool, sippy firmly planted in his mouth, watching his Poppi play.

I remember when I was little, trying to peek under my door Christmas Eve night to see what Mom and Dad were doing. I'd usually smell coffee, hear things being moved around and my parents laughing.

I remember helping my Granddaddy get wood from the woodbox for the fireplace in their old house. He'd patiently explained why we don't want the green wood and how to keep a fire going safely, then we'd stand in front of the fireplace and roast our backsides. Not really saying a whole lot, but just enjoying the simple pleasure of one another's company...and the calm before the Christmas present mania began.

Was every Christmas Day perfect? Not a chance, honey! Family is family, after all, and perfect we're not. But I've had to make a choice and an effort to remember those precious moments where sentiments were genuine, peace was allowed to reign, and laughter abounded. Christmas is in the hearts of friends and family and now that I'm a Mom, my Christmas wish is that the Hubby and I will instill that ideal in our sons (Bubs and the one to come). Christ left His heavenly home to find a home in our hearts and that's where my fondest Christmas memories are centered...in my heart and the hearts of those I love.

Good gracious granny...More bloodwork?!

Thank heavens that the lab at the naval hospital is chock full of peeps who are great with needles. They don't come at me angry, in a hurry, or insensitively....'cause what's worse than one of those traits when they come at me with a needle and several empty vials in their hands for me to fill?

I'm used to having to become a human pincushion during pregnancy. It's just the way it goes and I'm okay with that. It's a wonderful thing to be able to screen for problems, etc. An ounce of prevention and all that jazz. So I get a call yesterday evening from my doc about the anatomy ultrasound findings. The sono lady was a little concerned about how low the placenta was and the thickness along the bottom. This is apparently indicative of something, but so far the doc is a little famisched (I love my Yiddish dictionary!) as to what that something could be. This was even after she and others from the OB/GYN clinic "cracked open the text books". She went on to say that the baby itself looks great, but they just want to make sure that there's nothing going on that will affect him later in the pregnancy or even after he's born. Oy.

Soooo, I went in to the lab this morning for another glucose test with a blood draw instead of, um, "giving a sample" (that's an hour wait for that one) and gave another vial of blood for a TORCH test. The TORCH test is to screen for antibodies which would indicate the presence of certain infections that could potentially cross the placenta to the baby. Double oy.

Next on the doctor given to-do list was to make an appointment to see the OB specialist who only comes down once a month to their clinic. Done. Unfortunately, the appointment is on the last day of school before Christmas break begins for the Bubs. I hope I can still help out with their little festivities. It's always so much fun and the Bubs always gets such a kick out of me being there. I'm enjoyin' that while it lasts!

Meanwhile, we can only wait for the results of the tests to come in. One of them they have to mail out and we won't know those results until 7-12 days from now. 7-12 looooong days. Well, at least it's December and there's never a shortage of things to do to keep me occupied and not thinkin' about it!

The Cool Parents

The older the Bubs gets to be and now that we're pregnant with another precious little boy, I can't help but think about how things will be when they both get older. Their personalities, their friends, their ways of thinking, their challenges and triumphs.....you know, what every parent wonders about. I also wonder if we will be those parents. The "it" parents that our son's friends are so comfortable being around that there's always an extra place to set at dinner or a friend over on Saturdays.

Now, I know that Hubby would prob'ly be the belle of the ball if that were to happen. Y'all should see all of the anime movies, game systems and games that the man has! A boy's dream come true. However, he's very strict about what the Bubs is allowed to see. The more adult games are only played at night or when the Bubs is with Ammah and Poppi at their house. I'm fairly certain that the same rules would apply to any friends. Smart man, that!

I've been fairly easy going with the little visitors we've had in the past. I don't mind loudness or silliness in general and have fun watching their antics. I only have a few expectations, though. They're expected to share, be safe, and under no circumstances are they to be behind closed doors. I'm sure that I might add a couple things when they get older, but those are the basics at our house.

I know a few of my readers have children that are a bit older than the Bubs....got any advice for me?

Our Thanksgiving was a little out of the ordinary this year...and not in a fun way. Mom ended up in the hospital the night before. She'd retained a large amount of fluid (in spite of being on a fluid pill) and it was affecting her breathing and energy level. She got to the point of being so lethargic that it was a little frightening and, I guess, was finally convinced that there just might be a valid reson to go seek help. I'd imagine that after she's seen a hundred and one doctors for everything under the sun and a few things in the shade, she's hesitant to go to the hospital for every little thing. I'd probably be the same way, too.

In any case, she's much improved and should be coming home later this evening....we hope. Even though our Thanksgiving may not have been what anyone would call ideal, we were relieved that she was being helped. The Bubs was a bit teary that his Ammah wasn't there, but once we explained what was going on he seemed to calm down a little. The rest of us - Dad, Aunt D, Hubby, Bubs and me - shared our meal at home. We would have taken a plate to Mom, but her diet was understandably restricted against salt. A quick visit was had later. Mom had a lot of trouble staying awake, so we kept it short for her.

To distract the Bubs the next day, we drug out all our Christmas decorations and commenced with the spreading of household pretties and cheer. Yay! Not to mention, I don't think that Hubby has had a Christmas in two years....

Here are some pics of the Christmas mania thus far~

Totes, totes and -guess what?-

more totes!

Even in the middle of the madness, a little twinkle light of hope shines through. And, yes, we know that the tree is leaning. It'll be fun watching Hubby try to straighten it later! *inappropriate giggle*

These ornaments are among my faves. I made them the year we got married to save money on decorations for our tree and to give for gifts. It's been 8 years and they're still intact. Hmm, well most of them, anyway!

Happy decorating to you all! May the string lights magically untangle, your tree stand straight, and your decorations be intact and easy to find.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm really hoping that y'all are able to see my Happy Thanksgiving do-dad up above! I had fun making it and I wanted to share the love...it is my first Scrapblog publish to my blog, though, so be forgiving (like y'all usually are!).

Now for the really big news...*drum roll*

It's A Boy!

I know, I know! I kept saying that this pregnancy must be a little girl because everything felt so different from when we were prego with the Bubs but, Honey, were we wrong! The sono lady knew almost instantly that it was a boy and the child was not shy about showing that bit of himself off. We did have some trouble seeing other parts, though. She really wasn't able to get a good, clear shot of the heart and its four chambers so we might have to go back later. Developmentally, she said that it looked to be almost a week and a half further along than the due date indicated, but she wasn't going to change the due date at this stage in the game.

We had fun watching the kid jump all over the place and even, at one point, put his hands over his little face to avoid all the pokin' and proddin'. We were a little in shock over the "boy news", but extremely happy nonetheless! Now if we could just agree on a boy's name......

Sonogram day tomorrow!!

Woo-hoo! Tomorrow is sonogram day! Hubby and I are excited to see the baby and make sure that it's healthy and developing like it should be. Oh, yeah! And to see if it's a girl or a boy!

The last time I had a sono, the baby wasn't very cooperative. It was very, very active and a little annoyed at bein' poked and prodded. In fact, it got a 'tude after a while! The thumb went in the mouth and a tiny tushy cheek was turned on the doc when it rolled over. Even the doc laughed at that display of cheekiness....and, yes, I had to go with that pun.

I'm hoping that I'll have a minute or three to hop on here tomorrow and let everyone know what the deally is. I'll be cooking up a storm after the sono. Sweet potato pies, deviled eggs, homemade cranberry sauce, and dressing are all on the to do list. It's a yummy to do list, dontcha think? Well, the Hubby is asking me to put the laptop down, so I'm gonna run!

Head 'em up, move 'em out!

Alrighty....this'll be a quick post today. We're getting ready to take the Bubs to his pulminologist appointment that's at a facility a couple hours away. I'm not complaining about the drive, I'm just happy that the appointment was able to be bumped up from the date it originally was set for--the end of December. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the appointment lady kept calling me to bump the date up. The Bubs needs some intervention now, not a month from now!

So send a shout out to our Abba Daddy on the Bubs's behalf, pretty please and thank ya! We're hoping for a positive prognosis and information to help us prevent this sort of thing from coming back to haunt us. Have a great Monday!

***Update~ We're home now and everything went well. A chest x-ray, some breathing exercises, a thorough examination, and a couple scripts later we were on our way out and feelin' much more at ease. The Bubs doesn't have asthma or any lung damage. He does, however have what the doc thinks is a persistent infection. We hope to see some improvement over the next few weeks. Yay!

Hubby and I had a busy day yesterday and it was bliss. I know that may sound weird, but I can't remember the last time that he and I took care of business together. It was rather nice to have the company and help.

I had a 7 a.m. meeting at the Bub's school (I was asked to be on a committee), my guys came to school together and I said a quick hello before I was off to volunteer in Dad's class. --On a side note, Hubby has completely enjoyed being actively involved in the Bubs's school the last few weeks and even went to an open house type event the other night. He came home full of information and excitement....especially when he found out that the Bubs was learning about the 50 states. We scoured the local Wally World the next day to find one of those U.S. map placemats!-- Next, I got some gas before swingin' by the homestead to pick up my man on the way to my doc appointment for the baby.

The appointment went well, even if the Hubs was a little concerned at how absent-minded the doc was. The belly was measured (ugh) and was within the normal range, although a bit smaller than when I had the Bubs. We got to hear the heartbeat, too, and it was nice and strong! I signed off to have bloodwork done to screen for several kinds of birth defects and will get the results in a few days...or was it a week? We're scheduled for an anatomy scan next week and we're hopin' to find out if our Sweet Pea is a boy or girl. Everyone can hardly wait to find out that bit of news! Our parents only have boy grandchildren and my grandparents only have boy great-grandkids, so there are a few relatives just chompin' at the bit to buy something pink and girly. Of course, everyone just wants it to be healthy, either way.

After running around the base hospital for a while, we ran home to grab something to eat before braving *bum, bum, bum!* Wally World at lunch time. We made it out alive, though, with our pictures of the Bubs that we had taken at the portrait studio and a few essentials. Okay, so a few non-essentials made it into the buggy, too! I would blame it on Hubby, but some of it was my fault.

On the way home, I started to fade...fast. While the Hubs ran in to a barber's to get a quick haircut, I was sawin' some serious logs! I was so pitiful that when we got home I made a bee-line for my J's (as in p.j.'s) and fell into bed. There was prob'ly some snoring and drooling goin' on, but Hubby took pity on me and didn't comment. He ended up getting the Bubs from school, which I know he didn't mind in the least. Good man, that one.

Yes, Anna, there is carpet under all those toys...

I can sure tell that Hubby is on leave (marine-speak for vacation)! 'Cause lookey, lookey to the left, my peeps. That is the carpet in the Bubs's playroom...toy free...vacummed....Febreezed within an inch of its life....Fab-U-Lous!! Hubby was a little bemused by me snapping pics of the newly cleaned area, but I couldn't help myself. As tickled as I was with the Hubby's efforts, the Bubs was both ecstatic and a little in awe of his Daddy. He has flat out enjoyed playing in the space and has worked extra hard to keep things clean for his Daddy. We've both been quite impressed.

I know I've often mentioned how many Thomas the Tank Engine toys the Bubs has and now here's some proof. And this isn't even all of it! Five containers of tracks, a pile of buildings and accessories, a huge plastic drawerful of trains....and lions and tigers and bears, oh my! This is why he was told to pick out one Thomas item for Christmas this year. I think that family members will also be given alternative gift ideas. Obviously, the child doesn't need any more trains or tracks!

Now, Thomas videos on the other hand......well, at least they take up less space!

He's down but not out, Y'all!

Today makes a week that the Bubs has been sick and out of school. Well, technically four days since Tuesday was a holiday. He's still blowing his nose like a fiend, still got a double ear infection, and still hacking until he's yacking. I know....that last phrase was a horrible rhyme! Most of you know that the reality isn't that funny.

Thankfully, the fever that he's had seems to have dissipated and we have (even more) new meds to battle back the "snottery boogs". His teachers have been helpful in getting me his missed assignements that the Bubs was actually eager to do, by the way. He doesn't know it, but he was not only chosen to be Star Student of the Week, but he was also one of eight kids from his class to get an award in the kindergarten award ceremony yesterday. Y'all, he's been waiting for months to be the Star Student thing! It hurts my heart that he's been sick this week and missed out on so many fun things...some tangible success for his hard work. I think his teacher is going to reschedule things so he's star student another week and, hopefully, do something to make getting his award momentous for him. I know that his dad and I will be doing something to congratulate him, but I remember how big it was to be recognized in front of your peers.

For today, we'll focus on keeping him well, happy and *gulp* entertained. After five days, the options on the entertainment side of things have run a little on the thin side. I've let him play on some educational web sites, color and play with some balloons that his Ammah, Poppi and Aunt D sent to cheer him up. Unfortunately, he's also watched waaaay more t.v. than I'm comfortable with. What can I do when he's too weak to do anything else, though? Sometimes, I just curl up with him on the couch when nothing else makes him feel better. His dad has been sticking close, too. He feels like he needs to stand watch, I guess. I can understand the need. Simply having him here has been a help and comfort for both of us.

It's a new day and even if the Bubs isn't feelin' a hundred percent, we'll make the most of it and encourage him to move around when he feels like it. You know, prepare him for when he's feeling more like his regular self so he doesn't get tired out so easily. I don't want him to feel like sickness needs to be such a focus for him. What kind of parents would we be if we allowed him to be blinded by the circumstances of "right now" instead of looking ahead to the possibilities of "soon to come"? This sickness is only temporary, after all......and thank our Heavenly Father for that!!

"Momma! C'mere and look at this!"

I never knew that such a simple phrase could wreak such havoc on my "Mommy Psyche"....otherwise known in these here parts as "my last nerve".

Those words, when strung together by the Bubs, can mean I'm in store for a plethora of things. From a lizard in his playroom to a major spill of some kind. And when it was time to start the fun task of potty training...well, let's just say it took on a whole other meanin'!

There are variations of the "c'mere" phrase complete with different wording and tone of voice. I know I'm in trouble when he comes in the room and very quietly tells me, "I had a little accident, Mommy."

He just did this, in fact. While I was typing this post. Not kidding.

I know it's not gonna be particularly pleasant when he goes all quiet and solemn on me. *sigh* I followed him into the living room to see the window curtains in a pile on top of the loveseat. As I'm takin' in the fact that the solid wood curtain rod is still attached to the curtains and the rod holder on the wall has cracked in half, I hear this small voice behind me, "It didn't fall on me, though, Mommy. I'm okay."

All I could do was whimper in confirmation.

So now when Hubby comes home from work he's gonna hear me say the phrase, "Honey, c'mere and look at this!"

To them it was just a job...

"It's just a job," my husband tells me. He often refuses any acknowledgement of his service in the military. He has stacks of certificates, plaques and commendations that he's earned over the years tucked away in his closet. The only time we see his "stack" of ribbons and medals is when he has to break out the dress blues for a wedding, funeral or inspection. That stack has become considerable.

I've noticed that he's not the only one to eschew any praise or acknowledgements that are offered. Many see their service as "just a job". There's nothing wrong with that. It may be a mindset that helps them cope or see their demanding jobs through. Demanding, by the way, is such a gross understatement. They are asked to give everything and more...sometimes on a daily basis.

Where is my place in all this? I stand, I watch, I support, I love, I forgive and I understand. I stand for him when others may not be able to, I watch out for him when his eyes are focused on others, I support him when he can't hold himself up, I love him for who he is not for who he thinks he should be, I forgive him because the obligations placed on his shoulders aren't his fault, and I understand because that's what he needs, not judgements.

To my Marine~ My love, I may not see every sacrifice you make for our family and others', but I know that they're being made all the same. Thank you.

Look, Momma, I lost my toof!

The Bubs has lost his other front tooth...the last one to come out after the pre-school injury (pushed into a merry-go-round). We noticed that it was a little loose this morning. I figured that it would be ready to fall out sometime tomorrow.

Nope! The Bubs had other ideas.

For a couple of hours this evening I watched as he twisted, yanked, pulled, tongue-flicked and generally grossed me out as he tried to finagle that thing out of his mouth.

Finally, finally a pair of bloody fingers waved that tooth around in front of my face. I thought he'd be tickled with himself, but I think he was just relieved. I was too, honey! A quick phone call to his Ammah and Poppi to share the news, which was greeted with happy exclamations, and he was ready for bed. We'll do the tooth fairy thing tomorrow night. Hopefully, he'll leave it alone so his dad and I can pull the whole thing off...

Nothin' new to report...

We're finally seeing some sunshine around here after almost a week of clouds and rain. It's another "beautiful day in the neighborhood" and I'm itchin' to get out and enjoy it but I must stay the course and finish up some things around the house. It'll be worth it to have things finished before the Bubs and Hubby come home. I'm very protective of our time together in the evenings. It's important for us to have time together and not loose touch with one another in the weekly grind. I'm feeling more of a need for this since the Bubs has started school and the Hubs has been coming and going for work and I get the feelin' that they appreciate having that time in the evenings.

There's not a lot goin' on around here at the moment. The Hubs will be starting some much-needed leave sometime next week. He's already counting down the days and so am I. I'm sure he'll take a day or two and sleep in a bit, but after that we'll be going through the house with the purpose of decluttering and de-junkifying it. Whether we move or not, it's something that definitely needs doing. I'll also be able to see what baby stuff we have that's still usable and what needs to go. It's all put way up in the laundry room and the Hubs doesn't want me climbing up to take a gander...especially now that I'm pregnant.

So even there's not anything noteworthy goin' on at my crib, I know that by the time the holiday season rolls around, I'll be begging for a day like today!!

Yes, it's me, Procrastinator Extraordinaire...hear me groan!

I woke up this morning all excited at the idea of voting later today. I've only voted once before and was looking forward to making my voice heard again. Not to mention, with a Hubby in the military I take the right to vote seriously.....but not seriously enough, apparently.

I started to fish through my wallet for my registration card. A frantic but thorough search turned up nothing. Nada! Suddenly it dawns on me that I don't remember amending my registration card after we moved. *insert groan here* I felt like a complete dolt as I sat there with my demolished wallet and a hand slapped on my forehead.

If you were able to vote today, I'm so proud of ya, Baby! I understand that we had a huge number of new people register to vote....if that was you, don't be like me and let the privelege slide by you from negligence. Keep up with it, and take pride in the right so few people in this world are fortunate enough to have. I sure wish I had!

So, to continue with the cliche theme from yesterday, I shouldn't have "put off 'til tomorrow what coulda been done today".

I hate to be so cliche, but...

It's okay to be cliche! Today is Cliche Day, after all. I found a website that's all about cliches and I took a few minutes to pick out a few phrases that I've actually used and some that just caught my eye.

"As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party."

"bass ackwards"

"Darned if you do, darned if you don't."

"Busy as a one-legged man in a butt kickin' contest."

"You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip."

"His left hand doesn't know what his right hand is doing."

"Madder than a wet hen"

"Take it with a grain of salt"

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

"It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice."

So there you have 'em! I wonder just how many cliches we all use in a day......

I promised I would and I did....

Here it is, y'all. Proof that I wore my delightfully gaudy Halloween hat to the Bubs's school~

Yep, that's me in all my goofy, ridiculous glory! The kids loved it and everyone got a giggle. Mission accomplished and it felt so good to see the Bubs laugh right along with everyone else...without coughing until he hurt.

I hung out with him and his classmates most of the day at a carnival. A local nursing home facility put on a small event for the school's kindergarteners. It was a simple affair, which I think was just enough to keep the kids entertained but not enough to totally overstimulate them. The kids got to dress in their costumes for the carnival and they were all adorable! We had everything from pirates to a little 50's girl. David was, of course, Thomas the Tank Engine. Take a look~

Since the Hubs came home yesterday afternoon (glory hallelujah!) and it was too cold to take the Bubs out trick-or-treating, we chose to hand out candy. It wasn't a big letdown for any of us. Hubby loves handing out goodies and seeing the kids smile when he loads them down while the Bubs gets a kick out of all the people coming to our house. I got to sit back and watch all the fun ensue. Bliss, people, pure bliss!

The Bubs got his Thomas the Tank Engine pumpkin~

"Ma'am step away from the Swiffer mop...."

The Hubs will be home in a few days. Yippee! Finally some conversation that isn't in a text message and lasts longer than a two minute phone call. And, you know there are other delightful perks to the man being home, but I'm not going into detail since this is a family show...er, blog. Anyway, he's coming home and we're all aflutter about that.

So here I am, once again, trying to catch up on my cleaning to-do list before he gets home. This is turning out to be quite a pattern with me and, to be honest, will prob'ly continue to be so for a while. I don't wanna get a few things done because I'm worried about what he'll think -he knows how crazy things have been around here with the Bubs being so sick- but because I'm looking forward to spending time with him and the Bubs. I'm not in the mood to be chained to a sink, washer, or a Swiffer product during the entire weekend. Heck, I'd be tickled pink if the Bubs were to simply have a weekend where he wasn't sick as a dog!

I'm saying all of this to say.........Wait a minute! Why am I sayin' all this?! I don't have time to sit and "chat" (although I reeeeaaaalllly like to chat with y'all), I have chores to do! Now where did I put that broom......

**Update~ We've been sidelined by another earache. I was so hopeful that the Bubs would be able to get rid of his runny nose in time to bypass another ear infection. Poor guy. I'd take it on myself if I could...I may have already done that to an extent. I'm not feelin' so peachy right now, either. Oy! Anybody know things to do for a cold while pregnant...other than curling in a fetal position and beggin' for Momma?

Will she or won't she?

You bet your sweet tushies, I'm gonna do it!

*crickets chirping*

Oh, didn't I say what I'm gonna do? Whoops. Take a look and see if you can guess....

Yes, that is a purple satin Halloween hat with flowers, feathers and netting. It's delightfully gaudy and I'm going to have a blast wearing it Friday to school! Oh, and don't adjust your monitor or bifocals...the second picture is a bit blurry. I'll try and get a better picture when I wear it in a few days. The Bubs will be dressed in his Thomas the Tank Engine getup for part of the day and I thought he'd get a kick out of his mom having some fun. He hasn't quite reached the age that he'd be embarrassed by that, yet, so I can get away with it.

Besides I think it's important for kids to know that their parents can have fun and laugh at themselves. Especially for the Bubs, right now. He's been sick so often lately that, understandably, it's become a big focus for him and he's begun to act like a bit of an "old man". I want him to laugh and have a good time again. Laughter does, indeed, do us good like a medicine!

What?! Well, dang. These fit last week!

Today I'm 16 weeks pregnant and today was my first day in maternity clothes. Well, the pants anyway. Even though the pair I wore were comfy, I was in shock at how quickly I needed them. Ever since we found out that I'm further along than I thought -almost a month further- it feels like someone has hit the fast-forward button. I'm not complaining one bit, I just have to catch up!

I've been so concerned with getting the Bubs into clothes and school uniforms that fit him after his latest growth spurt that I completely put off getting maternity clothes...I know, I know. How silly of me, right? The only reason I have the one pair of pants that I wore today is because Mom spotted some decently sized items on clearance at the JCPenney website and I was able to get them. So now the baby is pokin' out and I need to get some things that fit....fast.

I've been price-shopping different stores online (the brick and mortar variety don't carry a lot of plus-size maternity clothes) and have actually managed to find a few things that might work. I just need a few basics at the moment. My going to church clothes will just have to be unusually casual for a while. With the Bubs's b'day, Christmas and a possible move in the near future I have to be mindful of what we spend on extras. For right now all I want is a pair of knit pants and a nice shirt, something C.O.M.F.Y.!

Other than a rapidly expanding waistline, this pregnancy continues to be nothin' like my first one. For a while there, I was always faintly nauseous but would only worship the porcelain god occasionally. With the first pregnancy, I felt like I was always hanging over a toilet or trash can -even at work. The last few weeks, hot flashes have been coming on more frequently and out of nowhere. Even when I'm sitting down, all of a sudden I'll break out into a full sweat. Gotta love all these hormones runnin' amuck! Is that how to spell "amuck", by the way? I have not a clue....