Break In...What Would a Robber Take?

A BFF's house got broken into yesterday.  Some amateur robbers stole their electronics, car keys, and some jewelry.

This makes me feel less safe and a bit concerned for our safety.  Even though we don't live in the same area, the point is that if someone is a criminal and has malicious intent, they will find a way to do harm.  That seems really negative, I know, but I think its true.

I don't think people would have much to steal at our house.  We do have a newer laptop, but it was the base model, and its nothing all that special at all.  We wouldn't lose our photos or documents, since I back them up on Google storage.  Even our printer was inexpensive, at not at all deluxe.  Our TV is from my husband's sophomore year of college... about ten years old?  Too heavy to lug around!  Our twenty plus year old truck?  Maybe its a blessing that our budget is set up for providing for mortgage payment, groceries, medical expenses, saving, etc, not flashy toys.  I guess that is looking on the bright side!

I've also considered that its fortunate my husband and I have an attitude that nothing is irreplaceable.  We have treasures in heaven, we treasure our memories, and our stuff doesn't define us.  For me, this is a newer and more mature attitude I've just developed in the past few years.  As long as we have each other and a game plan and can count on God to provide for us.

I think that the worst thing a robber would take is my sense of peace and naivety... my sense that it could not happen to me.  That is really scary. 

These Toys Would Not Keep My Interest.

I think I would have had to have something else to play outside with... a sister, a make believe game about ice fairies, a snow house (not a fort, we'd not be having any kind of war!), or ... well... scooping now was never very interesting to me, nor were trucks.

He's lucky to have a dad that teaches him about snowballs and will probably engage in snowball wars with him and teach him to build forts.

Life with a little boy does sometimes mean very stereotypical gendered toys. Especially outdoor toys.
Puzzles, stuffed animals, books, blocks, and etc... our indoor toys... they aren't nearly as gender specific and I get them!

Self Pity and Snow Man.

More days of sick.  I am now aware that I would really really prefer to not die of a respiratory disease.  My lungs hurt!

This morning I felt ohsowhiney, even though my husband took care of breakfast and toddler time, allowing me an extra hour and a half of sleep (sleep is generous though, its hard to sleep with DHH banging on the door yelling "Mom-mom!" every so often!).  He also changed the oil in my car while all I had to do was drink some OJ and sit with my child while he watched one of his favorite Saturday morning programs, Angelina Ballerina (he loves mice, cute things, dancing, and music... I don't think it shows a natural interest for ballet... just he likes little cute things).

DHH had been begging to go outside to play in the snow.  (Oh, yeah, we got more snow.  Enough to cancel school here on Friday.  The fifth snow event this winter!)

I asked my husband if he'd mind, and though he also has the bad lung cough, he suited up and took DHH out.

I used the time to take a hot shower and massage my sinus passages.  After the shower I lay pitifully in bed and felt so sorry for myself.  A pregnant woman with a fetus who spends most of her spare time doing jumping jacks and hiccups, lengthy coughing fits that cause some bladder control problems.  Oh, woe.

Then I heard a weird noise outside.  I could hear my husband and son talking and crunching in the snow, but I couldn't determine this weird noise.

I got curious and then got dressed.  When I went to the back door, this is what I saw...

The curious nose was rolling a snow man!  I laughed and laughed.  My husband truly brightened my day.

I put on my boots and coat and grabbed the camera.  I am so glad I didn't miss these latest winter frolics.

Okay guys, stand by the snowman.

 NO! I want to run away.

 Okay, hold the small child so we can have a nice photo with the snow man.

 Here's the best one of the lot.

 Because it was soon time to run away and try to turn on the faucet or tip over the bird feeder or something else that is more adventurous to a small boy.

I really appreciate my husband for having such a great sense of humor and the desire to be up and out and having fun with our son.  He has a passion for interacting with life and experiencing life so fully that I seek to emulate, especially when I am in my whiny, self pity place of sickness and pregnancy.

PS - Coughs still all around at our house.  We went out for more Kleenex and TP, having used at least 4 rolls of TP this week simply to catch the drips and sneezes.  Its been a snotty winter!  

5QF - No shifting, peanut butter, or pedicures here!

With a sickly son and minimal sleep this week (and crazy uncomfortable "inside" contractions) I just haven't felt creative enough to write something ... er... creative.  So here's a cut and paste from 5 Question Friday.

1. Can you drive a stick shift?

No, not at all.  My mom did try to teach me 12 years ago, but I think that lesson has been completely forgotten.  I don't feel inferior at all because of this lack in driving skills.

2. What are two foods you just can't eat?

During pregnancy?  LOTS.  I have lost an appetite for most things in the last five months.  Hence, weight loss.  (But when I get a craving... man.  Better go find some blueberries or Jimmy John's or Ghiradelli's.  OR ELSE)

Normally though, I cannot tolerate anything peanut butter or peanut flavor or peanuts.  NOTHING.  The smell makes me have morning sickness even if I am not pregnant.  This has been the case for as long as I remember. (This causes my Husband a bit of a conflict.  He can choose to eat this food OR be around me.  So its peanut butter crackers at work and kisses with the wife at home.)  

I also cannot eat mayonnaise.  I don't think I ever tried it and liked it, but the deal was sealed when I worked as a Salad Girl at Douglas Co Restaurant and had to make home made ranch dressing.  I had to scoop out 3 gallons of this grossness into a tub and mix it with various spices, and then return the white goo to the containers.  The memories of the smell of mayo and its texture make my stomach turn even as I type this.  (Luckily, Husby also objects to Mayo and therefore we 

don't have to have it in the house!)

  

3. Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind?

I didn't buy any this year.  Honestly, I was too cheap.  Who carries around $15 these days? Oh... because I would have to buy three boxes of Thin Mints.  One to eat right away, and two to tuck in the freezer and slowly eat sleeve by sleeve through the summer.

4. How do you pamper yourself?

It was much easier to answer this when I was unmarried and a nonmom.  Budgets really cut into this for me.  My husband rarely gives himself special treats, so I have a hard time doing it, too.  I would love to have pedicures.  I would love to have manicures.  I would love frequent cuts and colors.  I would love to use the instant car washes or have someone detail my Jeep.  

But for now, I guess I indulge in different, not really pampering, but still niceties, like wearing more expensive, well fitting bras, watching fluff TV like "The Bachelor", and buying the fancy kind of salad dressing.

5. What is your nickname and how did you get it?

I am happy to report I don't really have a nickname.  I don't like the shortened version of my first name.  I started blogging and didn't want my first name on the website, so I used my new married name, which was my teacher name, too.  I am still married and I teach in a different location, so I don't really ever hear Mrs. Haid, aside from the blog.  So perhaps that is my nickname?  IDK.

A Little Funny Story: Coffee Cup of Whiskey and Student Teaching.

I did student teaching at a local high school during the spring semester of my senior year of college in May 2005.  During mid February, as what is the norm for me year after year, I caught a bad chest cold.

This photo was taken a few months after the whiskey incident.  I ordered iced tea.

I was set to start teaching full time and begin a unit on genetics.  I was psyched!  Unfortunately, the day before my solo teaching began, there was a fire in the chem lab at school.  I used my best CA voice to warn the students (for when I worked in the residence halls in college, an important role was shouting down the halls to wake up students to get out of the building, even if it was only an alarm pull, and gee, did I have a lot of practice with that during my junior year!).   I shouted (high school teachers don't really carry whistles) and organized students, and we were outside for a half an hour at least without coats.  I blame the nerves of teaching, the shouting, and the weather for a total loss of my voice.

I sought advice in home remedies.  Usually, Spicy Hot v8 can cure a hoarse voice for me.  Unfortunately, the store near my house didn't have the spicy hot version.  My then-fiance (currently: husband) called his family to ask what I should use.  His dad swore by whiskey, honey, and lemon.  I bought those three ingredients and prepared a cocktail for myself.

Though it was before 7 PM, I settled in my best sick clothes and got ready for bed.  I didn't know what ratios to make the drink in, and my apartment roommate and I didn't own a shot glass (a bit shocking, right? two 21 year old girls without any drinking paraphernalia?).

So I grabbed a coffee cup.  I put two lemon slices in, a large dollop of honey, and filled the rest with whiskey.

I heated it a bit to mix the honey and get some lemon juices out, and then I tentatively sipped. (Note: not really a delicious drink. I much preferred the Sonic Slush I'd been drinking all afternoon!).

I sipped for awhile.  Then I just decided to finish the cup.  Yes, I chugged about 8 oz of premium whiskey.

I didn't notice feeling inebriated at all.  I had a fever, I was tired, I'd had some cough medicine... I just felt a bit hazy.

Half an hour later, I decided to get up from my cozy nest of pillows and find my cell phone.  I started dialing.
Lots of friends were out since it was a Thursday night.  My love was studying for some difficult engineering class like Structures or Bricks or Rock Bridges or something.  I made it down to the E's in my phone, and dialed the number labeled Ex.

Oh yes, I drunk dialed my ex-boyfriend.

And according to my roommate, I had quite the lengthy conversation with him.  Lots of laughing.  Apparently,we really yucked it up.

I, of course, don't remember.

I do remember the headache I woke with, as well as the fact that my voice was still hoarse.

I learned some lessons from this little funny story:

1.  A serving size of whiskey is about 1.5 oz, which meant I had at least 4 shots of whiskey in that coffee cup.
2. This honey, lemon, and whiskey as a cure for a sore throat does not work if you talk loudly on the phone for several hours.

Tuesday Happenings.

Son woke up before 6 AM, moaning, "Oh, oh.....oh.  Oh.  Mom.  Up."  We spent the day in pajamas doing a lot of skin to skin contact.  Therefore I am about "touched out" for awhile. I remember having this feeling of too much touch-time during breastfeeding.  I understand that he needs to sleep upright and its very comforting to take a 4 hour nap on your mom's lap.

He suggested doing laundry.  He found dirty clothes in his bedroom and brought them in  the laundry room.  He also pushed his helping tower closer to the washer to get in on the laundry.

I was lucky to have a substitute for my class for tomorrow.  Really lucky.  I think we'll go for attending school and work tomorrow because we need to participate in life, and its been since Thursday since we did that fully!

Husband took care of dinner, major decisions, and folding laundry.  He's still not 100%.

He has been helping pretty well these days... he can add in exactly one scoop of Charlie's laundry soap and make sure that all the clothes are pushed down into the wash basin.

Our TV wasn't working properly, so therefore; no GLEE tonight.  Bummer.

The medicines I got yesterday cost $110 AFTER insurance.  One of the prescriptions actually cost $428.  No, its not available in generic.  No, I cannot take the other brands/versions of it because they are not effective.  Yes, this terribly expensive pill has improved my quality of life dramatically, reducing acid reflux and nearly ENDING all the terrible pregnancy puking sickness and curbing my urges for purging.  Maybe this will be the medicine I am on my entire life.  Gosh, that will be pricey.

He says, "Wash!" and does a little washing machine dance during the agitation cycle.  It looks a bit like The Twist. 

I did diaper laundry today and perhaps much to your surprise, I realized that I really enjoy this chore.  It should not make sense.  When I start the first cycles, there is an odor in the laundry room that is not pleasant. The special detergent I use, Rockin Green's Mighty Mighty Marshmallow, adds a really good scent to the air though.  I usually follow this wash routine for DHH's cloth diapers and cloth wipes (plus the occasional dish towel, mama cloth, and washrag) :  Warm prewash / warm rinse.  Hot wash, heavy duty/ cold rinse.  Sometimes I add a hot soak overnight if nothing else is going on to really get the diapers extra clean and then throw in the night time diaper in the morning.  Sometimes I add an extra cold rinse if I feel there is still some detergent build up in the diapers or if they aren't quite cleaned.  Next, I hang dry the diaper covers and pail liner and toss all the cotton, hemp, and microfiber stuffings and prefolds in the dryer for about 60 minutes.  Sometimes I will put the covers in the dryer for the last 10 minutes along with the hemp inserts and larger prefolds that aren't quite dry, but other times, I let them air dry over night or for a few hours.  When I am done, I have a huge sense of accomplishment.  It feels wholesome and good.  It feels SO MUCH BETTER than taking out baby's room trash and seeing dozens of disposable diapers destined for a land fill.  And I feel better knowing that I don't have any chemicals, just cloth, next to my son's delicates.

If I would let him, he would put the clean clothes in the dryer straight back into the washer and start the process over again.  He likes this THAT much.  What a strange hobby the kid has!

Maybe Wednesday will be more exciting.  Today is ultra low key, ultra make up free, and almost over!

Dear Winter, Enough. Please End Soon. We're All Sickies. Plus all the winter holidays are over.

We stayed home this weekend, and we stayed in, mostly, aside from Husby taking a fun little excursion to a shooting range (little because its hard to have fun when you are still kind of sick!), and the two boys going to church on Sunday.  I only went to HyVee for groceries Saturday morning and then to an OB appointment today and a regular sick visit doctor appointment this afternoon.  Oh, just kidding, we went to the park for half an hour on Sunday afternoon because our (slightly sick) son was just chomping at the bit to be OWWWt.

We nearly have to hide his coat and shoes these days... he thinks that when they are visible, its fair game to go outside and play!   The fresh air did us good on our short playground adventure Sunday.

We were both off of work today, so that made from Friday night until tonight as a weekend time of recuperation.

I am so glad we didn't have any commitments or outside drama this weekend to contend with.  Maybe we are over the hump and on the mend!

So DHH had a minor flu like virus the first weekend of February and then has had continual running of the nose and gooking of the eye, Husby had a major bout of food poisoning or some GI bug for 24 hours the first weekend, I got a cold the first weekend of February that has lingered and progressed until now, and we ALL have a smoker's cough and sinus congestion right now.  Y-uck!

I did some great self- care on Thursday and went for a massage.  It was mostly a sinus and reflexology type massage, and the lymp started to flow.  The mucous did, too.  It was a good experience and probably did do a lot for getting some rapid healing going, but it did wipe me out for two days or so.

I"ve alternated between taking it easy and doing regular life stuff, like mopping the floor and pouring my son a sip cup of milk.  The regular life stuff brings on coughing spells that bring on contractions that bring on a fear that I will have this baby and be too sick to enjoy her tininess!

 Today the OB assured me that I cannot cough so hard that my water breaks.  I was pretty worried after last night's insane amount of hacking (and contractions).

Anyway, I am diagnoses with a sinus infection and a likely case of bronchitis.  Apparently, they don't treat bronchitis with antibiotics anymore.  The doc assumed that the rest of my family has bronchitis too, or this fake sounding condition called "post viral cough", which can last up to six weeks.   I have to take four smaller doses of amoxicillan each day, rather than 2 enormous doses since I cannot swallow enormous pills, and I got an albuterol inhaler which has immediately helped me.

I've also been drinking smoothies, whining, and not spending time at all caring about my hair or makeup.   All of these things help immensely, I am sure.

We have been so much sicker this winter than ever before.  I wonder if its due to day care influence?  The new locations my husband and I worked this year?  Weaker systems?  The pregnancy?  Not enough germ-x in our lives?  I feel like when its SPRING we'll be healthy again.  Maybe its too high of an expectation, but I am hoping for the best!

I Think We're Going to Have a Beautiful Family!

My husband is very handsome.  He has great bone structure and posture, and his skin tone is really even.

My son is just lovely.  He has an easy smile and such clear, blue eyes.  Lately I have spent a lot of time staring at him (when driving in the car, when holding him as he's sick and sleeping upright next to me) and I worry that he won't have to use any of that intelligence to get far in life!  He is baby model handsome.

This morning we watched our daughter (still unnamed) on the TV screen as she batted her eyes, smiled, and moved her body around.  She looked really pleasant.  This 31 week ultrasound looks so much like our son's ultrasounds from that time, so I think she'll look pretty similar to our baby model.

I never really imagined a future with a photogenic family, but I thought about that today, and it made me smile a lot inside.

Spring Fever.

My family has spring fever.

Actually, my husband and son do.  Husby wants to go fishing and to the shooting range and to see more sunlight after work.  DHH wants to run around and play in the yard and just be OWWWW! (out).

These photos are from the first afternoon we spent OWWWtside. We were out a whole five seconds before he grabbed the push car and ran, ran, ran.

I don't have that much spring fever because I don't really have any spring clothing I want to wear.  I am too pregnant for the last pregnant spring clothing I bought... like twice as pregnant... and I also have been failing miserably at some basic self care like proper shaving.  That enormous belly is just getting in the way of things.  Oh, and then it will be sandals time... and how on Earth can I manage getting a good toe polish?  I am sure THAT would look and be so ridiculous!

Also, the longer it is winter the further it is from being a family of FOUR with two car seats and two criers and  twice as much laundry.  On the whole I am excited about all of these things, but really, its still winter-y and thus its not really REAL yet.  I bet once March hits and I see more Easter things out, it will set in.  Because the baby should be here by Easter.

Come on, Mom... hurry up!!

I Can't Believe How Pregnant I Look!

So I will show you.
Finally.

These photos were taken on a whim.  DHH and I had just come in from playing outside... well, one of us was playing! I was on the phone with a friend, actually, and he was transferring dry potting soil from a dump truck to a large flower pot to the empty garden and so forth.  He got good and dirty!

I decided to put him in the sink for a little bird bath.  However, it got a little out of hand and became like Play Time Part 2.

While I took photos of him being so silly and looking so large in the sink (he had a bath in there once as a newborn! And there was extra room!!), I noticed my abdomen was encroaching in the shot.

So I took a self photo.
 Or five.
And they all look so silly.

And then I tried them in black and white.
Still, looking Super Silly in them.
And the flash really makes the mirror look even dirtier.  (I'm not sure why it is... we don't brush teeth in there. Can we really splatter that much water from hand washing?  IDK.)

I'll also be VERY honest... I wore that maternity shirt for a little sympathy, too, on Friday.  I took DHH to the  1 year old story time at the library, and there is a very whiny and snobby mom there, and I wanted to be like, "HEY! I am preggo, too.  And my son is six months younger than your equally whiny and snobby daughter.  I know, its tough!  Let's just enjoy singing 'Zoom Zoom Zoom, We're Going To the Moon', okay???"


I didn't say anything like that though, because even though pregnancy is making me grouchier, I still have some manners and social dignity.

When I Am an Old Lady, Please Don't Call Me Hon.

But you may refer to me as Mrs. Haid or mam or perhaps Miss My First Name, if I am single then.

Last week I had the experience to accompany my husband's grandmother to a battery of scans, tests, and procedures while she was in the hospital.  Every patient transport person and most of the other medical professionals did not look at her chart to see her name (at first, at least) but instead just called her,"hon".

I am sure I rolled my eyes a dozen times that day.  She is 85!  It doesn't seem right to call an elderly person honey or sweetheart or babe.  It sounds ridiculous and disrespectful.

For one case in particular, a former high school student of mine (now 19) who was working at patient transport called her hon the entire afternoon.  It grated and grated on me, especially when he called me Mrs. Haid as a sign of respect (or habit, since I taught him two classes).

When I am older, I want to be treated with dignity.  Especially if I am sick.  Especially if I have compromised dignity due to having to wear hospital apparel and have assistance with basic self-care.

I know that my name will be pronounced incorrectly, as it is 80% of the time, but being called Mrs. Hayd is way better than being referred to as doll or something.

End rant.

(Need?) New Toys.

These last few nights I've been playing with my toddler son.  He has four wooden puzzles... and he can put each one of them together in under a minute.  I dumped all the pieces out and mixed them up; then I lined all the puzzle boards up.  Sure enough, he could do the puzzles quite easily.  He thought it was a neat game.  He's a pro at all our stacking and sorting toys.  I realized that we need some new materials.

I spent some time looking through preschool toys on Amazon.  I was looking for two main things: low cost and novel ideas.  Here is what I ended up ordering!

So soon DHH will have a puzzle with safari animals (skills: small, large, momma, baby, etc) and a 20 piece puzzle (various items - vocabulary builder).   The peg board is something we had at our last PAT meeting, and I know he loved doing this (skills: sorting, stacking, in/out, colors).   All of these products are fine motor skill related and can stimulate problem solving.

PS - I will post more photos from the days when I organized and sorted and removed most of the toys from DHH's toybox!  And also some of the things I've found that are great Montessori style toys!

PPS - I was really tempted to just spend the same amount of money on a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD ... he loves that silly show and doing the Hot Dog Dance.  I feel like this choice made me a little stronger of a parent.

Tuesday Was Great!

1) Dear Son ate three banana-cocoa-wheat germ muffins while watching Curious George quietly while I got ready for work... therefore, I didn't forget mascara or the now necessary pregnancy belly band (chilly torsos do not rock).  I love a little privacy and total concentration in the morning!

2) Taught my short class today!  Worked less than 2 hours! Fun class!

3) Lunch date with husband to celebrate Valentine's Day!  One day later, but perfect timing! It was so special to have time in the middle of the day with my husband.  It felt like college or something.  Perfect meal, too... favorite food at Bangkok Gardens - Lahp (ground chicken in this amazing sauce with hints of mint and cucumber and lime and green onion... seriously, I at a family sized portion and wanted even more!).

4) Chocolate!!!  I walked downtown with my husband and he bought me two of my favorite confections... dark chocolate champagne truffles.  OH WOW.

5) Glee and Bieber fever!

6) The birds sang today.  My walk on campus was beautiful (walk is an exaggeration maybe... I started to park in a parking garage and its only 5 minutes instead of 20 like last semester!).  The sun shone and it was only chilly, not frigid!

Is My Love Language Chocolate? Presents? Sweet Cards?

Yes, probably all of those count for how I can experience love from others.
Also: flowers, gift cards, kind gestures like volunteering to do something for me at my own leisure, and going out to eat.

Here are some of the ways I felt loved yesterday for Valentine's Day!

Flowers (I actually don't prefer stereotypical red roses... and I would rather have less expensive arrangements more times per year than just one really pricey one on 2/14)

Kind cards that my husband selected especially for me.

My first Valentine card from my son... he delivered it to me himself!  And helped address the envelope and sign his name inside.

He acted very bashful when he gave the card to me, which was PRECIOUS.  It looked like a Valentine cartoon for how shy he was giving me the card!

Thoughtful card and meaningful handwritten note from my parents/mother.

Chocolate and Panera surprise gift from my mother in law!

And lots of frilly details in the package for our family from my MIL.

And here is the very masculine card I gave my husband... it was brown, dark red, and gold.  Not frilly at all!!

I had to be gooshy in the inside love letter, of course.  What with all of that BROWN on the card!

I thought it was cute to see that my husband arranged all the cards on our bathroom sink last night.

And here is a glimpse inside the goody box my MIL prepared for us!  Actually, these things are some of DHH's favorite things!  He got goodie bags full of muffins (possibly his all time favorite food!).

He also likes fruity oatmeal.

His Gma also added his own bottle of sprinkles... which we call DOTS! (or at least the toddler says it that way) at our house.  We use DOTS! on most foods that he helps make.  Its only a tiny amount of sugar, but its good hand/eye coordination for him and he LOVES them so.

My MIL also gave my husband a fuel gift card and sandwich store card... both really nice!  

New Baby was given gifts too... actually some little gowns I've been trying hard to not purchase these items myself because Carter's spring line for baby girls is just TOO cute.

BTW... is it inappropriate to call these nighties?  I called them this, and then I thought... Valentine's day and PJs... is it over the top to say that for a baby girl's clothes?  Does nightie = lingerie?

I also received a care(ing) package from my BFF because she knew it would be a hard week for me, what with personal stresses and all.  It included a bag of Dove chocolates (opened immediately!), some Burts Bees bath salts (not yet used, probably tonight!), a kind giftie for my son, and frilly baby clothes (for me and the little one... I guess mostly for me right now!)

Here is one of the cute things:

And these:

And this is the handmade kitty doll she made for my son... though not the best picture, its already in use!

I really like Valentine's Day.  Mostly because I feel appreciated and there are lots of cute, curly ribbons to be found, but probably because I have fantastic people in my life who really show they care!