Thursday 21 weeks!

Thursday was my copy day and it only took 15 minutes! What was I going to do with the rest of my morning? Well I of course came back home and ate some more breakfast. Then I finally went and got my 'birthday pedicure'. It felt SO good! I'd been having leg cramps so my calves were pretty sore and they rejoiced at the rubbing they received! My feet look nice too, but mostly it was a pleasure getting my calves rubbed (I'll have to talk Brian or the kids into thinking it's fun). It took over an hour though and then I had a dental cleaning. 2 hours sitting in a chair was a little more than my back could handle. I was quite sore by the afternoon.

I LOVE my dentist and dental hygienist!! It's always a pleasure to go in and visit. Between my appointments and the kids' appointments I'm guaranteed 8 visits a year to catch up (Ciera goes every 3 months to stay on top of her teeth). Since I've been having difficulty brushing each day, I was definitely looking forward to having my teeth feel clean! I barely even gagged this morning, so I may go back and have them re cleaned before I'm due if things start to feel really bad again. The good news is that I barely bled and my gums look great for being 21 weeks pregnant. The dentist joked that I should find a way to stay pregnant (not my usual dentist that knows this is a surrogate pregnancy).

The weather has finally cooled off (and they say it will continue to stay cool until Spring now) and it even rained! Ciera's softball got cancelled (but not until after I'd driven the 40 minutes in traffic to get there) and Logan's football practice was also cancelled. The only consolation was that I'd get to take a hot shower instead of sitting in the cold. It's amazing how much a hot shower can alleviate back pain. I then was able to fully moisturize the belly before going to bed.

Oh, and dinner was an 'almost success'. Meatloaf with wild rice went over big with most of us (although there was only enough rice left for me to get 3 bites). Ciera had seconds and Logan chose to only eat rice (which is how I ended up with so little). The meatloaf has gone over great for lunch today as well.

Food!

I think we may have reached a point in the pregnancy where my food intake needs to be upped-at least mentally. I've had 2 packets of instant oatmeal (made with milk-should be more filling), a chicken salad sandwich, a can of Vegetable Italiano, a banana, 2 cereal bars, 2 english muffins with raspberry preserves and a double size protein shake-it's only 2:40. I'm eager to get home and make up some more meatloaf as well. At least I've stayed away from the Halloween candy today. Is it healthy to think about food so much?

Finally!

Safeway finally has my favorite Progresso soup on sale for $1 a can-Vegetable Italiano. I bought out the local Safeway, now I'll have to try to track down some more in neighboring towns. I have been waiting for it to get cool enough to enjoy a hot bowl of soup and for it to be cheap. This will be such an easy thing to fix when I'm starving and can't wait to actually make anything else. Plus it's full of fiber and vegetables! Plus, Safeway had asparagus on sale for $1.99-YUM!

Today got a little warm around 4, but most of the day was bearable in jeans and a tank top. I had another leisurely morning (after picking up some bread and soup) and then headed over to watch a friend's son for a few hours. Logan got to play with his friend for an entire 85 minutes and Ciera and Brian went out to test out Ciera's ankle. It looks like she'll be fine and the brace definitely helps but still allows her to pitch, field and run.

My Omaha Steaks order arrived yesterday so we had the Pot Roast with vegetables tonight for dinner. It was definitely easy, but I don't know that I would order it again. I have such a tough time with Pot Roast, it just never seems to come out the way I expect. Then we were off to soccer. I finished up the book I'd been working on, Interworld, by Neil Gaiman. This is another book that Ciera read, on Brian's recommendation, so I figured I'd give it a try. It wasn't too bad, but it was really only the beginning of a much larger story that they did not tell. This tends to leave me frustrated. I like to know everything and for there to be no loose ends. Give me a story wrapped up in a beautiful bow please. So now I'll be looking for something else to read. Ciera has a field trip to the new library in town on Friday, perhaps I'll find a book there. Any recommendations?

Effects of pregnancy

I have apparently lost my ability to 'deal under pressure'. This is not the first time I've noticed this change, but I now recognize it for what it is and will have to plan accordingly for the next 5 months. Tuesday was another minimum day and the kids both had friends over. The 'plan' was to take the friends home between 3:45-3:55 so that I could be back at the school at 4 for our parent/teacher conferences. At 3:45 we head out the door, right on time, and the DOG gets out!! Our Scamp is a pain in the rear and will just run and run until he feels like getting near you. I did NOT have time to run around after him for 30 minutes! I lost it! I told the friends to climb in the car, I told my kids that the dog may come back at some point and I wasn't going to worry about it. Whatever happened would happen. I then call Brian who is set to meet me at school at 4 and explain that I decided to not chase down the dog and he could go home to try and get the dog or he could leave Scamp on the street as well and meet me at the school as planned. I could not think clearly in any way. Brian chose to go home and help get the dog (the more rational choice). Within 10 minutes I get a call from Ciera that she was able to get the dog and that everyone was in the house. So it all ended well, but I obviously need to build some 'cushion' into my schedules to allow for a change of plans.

The conferences went great. We get a weekly report on Ciera's grades, so we weren't very surprised. Her teacher had nothing but positive things to say and we spent most of the time discussing how to make her days a little more enriching without giving her boring busy work. I love the fact that my child who procrastinates with everything has actually found a way to get all of her daily work done in 1/2 a day, but we do need to come up with something for her to do with the other half of her day. Logan's conference also went well. Academically he's where he should be and where we expected. Socially/behaviorally he's doing much better in the last few weeks and has had a great attitude. We are very proud of both of them. I know I expect a lot out of them, but only because I know they have the potential to meet my expectations.

Logan of course had football practice and I remembered to dress appropriately. It's still warm in the afternoon, but once the sun goes down it cools off a lot! After football we all went to McDonald's to 'celebrate' the report cards, plus I didn't have time to make a dinner. We took our time and had a very nice time together. It's always a treat when you can get both kids to open up at the same time and attempt to enjoy being together as a family.

The babies must be growing nicely. I seem to feel them a little more each day. I seem to have more energy finally, but it gets me into trouble doing more than I should. I've virtually given up naps in favor of 'projects', but then I feel like I'm dragging by bedtime. I'll have to try and work on that.

It was asked if I have issues with heartburn. I will be the first to tell you that I don't know what 'heartburn' actually feels like. There was a period where it felt like there was a burning sensation in my chest/throat. Is that heartburn? It only lasted for a few weeks and I haven't really had an issue with it again recently. I do however have an issue with the other 'H' condition-hemorrhoids! I had them with the last 2 pregnancies, but I don't recall it being much of an issue until the last month or so with the twins. There was a week that I remember being just brutal! Well, I seem to be having issues sooner this time. I'm in the midst of a flaming battle. I'm armed with my ointment and have not had to purchase any Tucks pads yet, so I'm hopeful they will recede soon.

Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash!

For those of you not fortunate enough to have stumbled upon this last holiday season, it's back!! I highly encourage you to try it before it goes away again. I'm not really a cranberry fan (I'm sure that surprises none of you), but this has a very crisp, refreshing flavor. Logan really likes it as well. I must admit that the babies seem to be big fans as well!

My first leg cramp of the pregnancy!

I got my first leg cramp this morning while trying to enjoy my last hour of sleep. It wasn't too bad as it relaxed on its own without any massage. The really fun ones don't relax without some manual assistance.

This is a fairly common pregnancy occurrence for me, but it does make everything seem more real to have them start up again. I guess I will need to start eating more bananas.

Ticker babies?

Has anyone noticed how big the ticker babies are getting? They still spend too much time floating around upside down, but they are getting so big!!

A day to be proud of!

Today was pretty productive for a Monday. Brian stayed home from work because of his 'cold', the same cold that I have I'd like to point out. The kids had another minimum day. But despite all the changes in our Monday schedule, I was incredibly productive. I got the floors mopped, air fresheners refilled, 3 loads of laundry done and put away, dishes done, counters wiped down and the bathroom wiped down, all by 10:30 (and I had to eat during this time as well). I'm not generally so productive, but it sure did feel good.

I also got Brian's car washed so we could finally put on his license plates. Logan had a few friends come play for a bit this afternoon and then the kids and I were off to pick up a special surprise. While we were out we picked up the ankle brace that the Dr. prescribed for Ciera. It was incredibly frustrating trying to find a place that sold them and would take our insurance. My hard work paid off, the ankle brace was $182! Ciera said it felt so good though and she'll even be able to wear it while playing ball to help stabilize her ankle.

When Ciera awoke this morning her ankle looked MUCH better! There was hardly any swelling and she went to school without any ibuprofen. When she got home at 12:30 it was starting to hurt a bit more, but an ibuprofen and an ace bandage later she was feeling good again. It looks like she may be able to play again soon.

On Friday my new DeMarle pans came. I tried out cookies and frozen pizza on the baking sheet and they turned out good. I was thinking ahead on dinner tonight and took out my frozen 'meatloaf muffin balls' this morning. We got home from our afternoon mission around 6 and we had a delicious homemade dinner by 6:30. Mini meatloaves (made in the muffin pan), mashed potatoes (steam and mash frozen potatoes), and corn. It was a most satisfying dinner for the babies, although my kids both opted out of the meatloaf. There's even enough left over for lunch tomorrow!

My biggest pregnancy complaint!

The 5 minutes I spend brushing my teeth each day are literally the worst 5 minutes of the entire day! My gag reflex gets so sensitive and it gets worse throughout the pregnancy. I remember this with every pregnancy! So really, if this is my biggest complaint, I'm really pretty lucky!

I think today is going to be a food day!

Some days I'm hungrier than other days. I do believe today I will be starving all day. For comparison sake I'll tell you what I ate yesterday. I woke late (so nice to sleep in) and had 1 1/2 c oatmeal, a soft taco with cheese, 1/2 a Chicken sandwich with Pepper Jack cheese, an individual frozen cheese pizza, 2 oatmeal raisin cookies, 2 slices of pepperoni, mushroom & olive pizza, 1 slice of pumpkin cake, 32 oz of hot tea, a Snapple (a real treat around here but the babies desperately wanted something besides water) and 32 oz milk. It probably wasn't enough food for one day, but that was all I could comfortably eat by bedtime.

I woke up this morning at 5am to make sure Brian got up and in the shower (softball commitment) and I couldn't fall back asleep because my belly was screaming at me for food. So I heated up a slice of pizza, surely that would take the edge of. Then another, and then another. 3 pieces of pizza and 32 oz of hot tea before I could fall back asleep comfortably. I woke up at 10 with my belly screaming at me again. I shushed it up for a few minutes with a slice of pumpkin cake, but now I must come up with some real food to eat. Maybe an English Muffin and some oatmeal.

The rest of the day wasn't too bad. I had a protein shake (a double) on the way to Ciera's softball, 2 cereal bars while there and then chili with bread after practice. The chili looked so small I was sure I'd need more food, but there was enough to bring some back home for dinner. Plus the Butterfinger's called my name while walking through Wal-Mart. I'm sure I'll wrap up the day with 32 oz of hot milk and a slice of pumpkin cake.

Backtracking to Friday, the kids had another minimum day so the teacher's can prepare for conferences next week. Ciera didn't have a tournament this weekend, so she finally got to spend the night at her friends house. Logan had some friends come home after school for a bit as well. He had pictures taken at flag football and a very good practice.

Saturday we got to sleep in for a bit before soccer at 11:30. Once again they did not win, but they worked hard and I still haven't heard a complaint from Logan. Brian and I both woke up with sore throats and some serious cold symptoms. Logan woke with them on Friday. He seemed pretty wiped after his soccer game, but said he was fine to play football at 3. I finally got to see a flag football game, but man was it hot out there! It was so neat to see him play. He has improved so much since last season and he is having a blast. After the game Logan got to spend the night at his cousins' house and go Trunk or Treating with them on Sunday.

Brian and I headed had a rare opportunity to have dinner alone with both kids occupied. We finally get a night alone and the only thing that sounds good is pizza-traditional style. After dinner we went to Sam's Club to stock up on Gatorades since I had him there to lift the heavy cases. Then we picked up Ciera. Around 3 on Saturday Ciera twisted her ankle while playing 'tennis' in her friends court. She spent the rest of Saturday crawling around or wheeling around in her chair at home. The 3 of us watched The Village before going to sleep early.

Sunday Ciera woke up with her foot hurting more than it had the night before. Her team was having their first practice in weeks though and it really wasn't something she could miss. So she got dressed and hobbled to the van. She sat on a bucket in hearing range so she didn't miss out on the things being taught. By the end of practice she was doing much better using her foot and was only limping a bit. We still went to Urgent Care just to make sure it was OK and find out how to treat it properly. The good news is she will live, the bad news is there's no way to know how long it will take to heal. We're hoping she'll be OK by next Sunday's practice. There's only 1 more tournament of the season and it would be nice if she could play in it.

Logan's cold seems to be doing better today and I'm desperately hoping to feel better soon. Brian is taking cold medicine and that seems to help. I'm still trying to suck it up and treat it with Tylenol and saline spray. I figure if I only have to take one dose of Tylenol a day I'm doing pretty good. For those of you that don't regularly consider saline spray, you really should. It does a lot to alleviate the congestion without any drugs at all. I'm sure there is something safe to take if I get really desperate, but I'd prefer to not use them if I can avoid it.

That's about it. The babies were fairly active again today and little girls movements were clearly detected while watching the practice today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring-hopefully clean floors!

The babies are moving, the babies are moving!!

I was able to notice a lot of movement today. While I was out watching Logan's flag football I couldn't believe how often I felt little flutters in my mid-belly-baby B? and just now there's a ton of flutters in my lower belly-baby A?

It's exciting to finally feel something with some sort of recognition. The really fun part will come when we can see the movement. I loved just staring at my bare belly last time just waiting for a big movement.

A look back to last time

I am about 20 weeks in this picture with P & L.

This picture is from about 1 week before the birth of P & L. I was 35-36 weeks here.

20 weeks 2 days!

Here we are at 20 weeks 2 days already! Although I feel as though I've grown quite a bit since the beginning, I know we have so far to go still!

Thursday's adventures-no details too small to share

I was SO tired last night that I did not change positions once OR get up to use the restroom! I don't think I even took the time to arrange myself in my nest of pillows! I slept good and hard!!

I did not sleep half as good on Wednesday night. I was just so excited to get up and get Thursday going! I started off the day with a trip to the airport. I of course needed to use the restroom after a 45 minute drive, so I left the car with STE & S and ran in. I didn't think anything of it since I wasn't leaving the car unattended and it was still running! I cam out to find the 'security guy' in a bit of a tussle with S. I then got a firm lecture about not leaving my car when coming into the airport. I thought that was it until we noticed in the rear view mirror that he was writing down my license plate number. We'll see what comes of that!

So we have a 10:00 OB appointment planned and we got to Roseville about 30 minutes early. What better way to kill some time than a quick trip into Wal-Mart. Apparently STE & S thought I'd been exaggerating about the heat and they arrived in long sleeve shirts. They quickly bought a suitable short sleeved alternative and a few other 'necessities'.

We arrived at the OB, supplied a urine sample and checked the weight. I probably gained more in 3 weeks than I 'technically' should have, but I have now gained 25lbs by 20 weeks which is exactly the goal recommended in our multiples book. My blood pressure and pulse were both great and then it was time to get down to business with the Dr. He had a med student do the heartbeats and she had a bit of trouble finding both of them, but she did in the end. Mom and Dad finally got to hear the heartbeats! There really wasn't anything else to discuss, so we tossed around dates for a c-section and STE had some great 'stumper' questions for the doc. After the appointment the med student actually came out with a book to answer STE's question and copied it for her.

We had planned to meet Brian, the kids, my MIL Nancy and my SIL Betsey for lunch at 11:00. We of course had some more time to kill so we ran into the Vitamin Shoppe. Lunch was wonderful. My burger did not disappoint and I found it a bit easier to eat the entire burger in one sitting than the last time I had it in September. I went with the California burger again, sourdough, avocado and pepper jack cheese! BJ's had a special pizhookie that is not normally on the menu-so of course we had to try it. Ghiradelli Chocolate Chunk cookie (baked fresh and still warm) with 2 scoops of delicious chocolate ice cream! It was quite rich, but delicious. Any of you near a BJ's Brewery should definitely plan to get in there and try one!

After lunch we of course had some more time to kill so we went by the Jelly Belly Store to pick up some Belly Flops (and a few other things). We stopped by In N Out so S could get a fix and then we were on our way to the ultrasound! Even with all my careful planning we were still a few minutes late (my goal next month is to be on time or even early). Melissa met us there and they quickly got us back for the big show.

We had the world's nicest, fastest tech ever. What took almost 2 hours and a lot of discomfort for me 2 years ago, this tech was able to do in less than 1 1/2 hours and without hurting me at all! She walked us through the whole scan pointing out everything and what she was looking for. Both babies looked great and were definitely moving A LOT!! I felt little sensations that I probably wouldn't have even thought anything of if they had not been saying 'oh look she just moved!'. Baby A is definitely a girl and she had a great heart rate of 150. She measured 19weeks 4 days and weighed about 12 oz. Baby B was clearly proud of his manhood and put on quite the display. His heart rate was 147 (up from the lower and more worrisome rate of last month). He measured 20weeks 2 days? (I know it was a little over 20 weeks) and weighed about 13 oz. The books are currently equating them with the length of bananas. We got some beautiful pictures that STE will post for us when she's rested up (it was a long day for them too).

For those that don't know Melissa is the one responsible for matching us all up initially 3 years ago. If I hadn't taken a HUGE step outside of my comfort zone and had lunch with 2 total strangers off the Internet, I never would've met S & STE and their amazing families. We are all still SO thankful to Melissa for the part she played in this and for wanting to make them parents more than anything in the world. Melissa is like my surrogate IM. She comes to darn near every ultrasound and is always available when I need her. I am so thankful she came into my life for many reasons beyond surrogacy!

After the ultrasound we had a couple of hours before Ciera's softball game so we went and saw Eagle Eye. It was actually quite enjoyable for a movie that we had to pay for (I don't typically see movies in the theater-the cost gets me all worked up). The movie was a little longer than we expected so we raced over to Ciera's game. She got to pitch last night so it was a nice chance for STE & S to see how we spent so much of our time and why Ciera works so hard. It was a very easy game though and not quite an accurate picture of what the games are typically like. It was still nice to share that with them though.

We left the game with enough time to drive through In N Out one last time before arriving back at the airport. By then my belly was definitely ready for some more food. I was back home by 9 and got to tuck the kids into bed before heading off myself.

I tried very hard to pay attention to any baby movement and there was some, but nothing that STE would've been able to feel. I think I rubbed on my belly through the whole movie though, hoping that I could get a big enough nudge that she'd be able to feel. Next time!!

20 weeks and an ultrasound!

We had our 20 week ultrasound today. STE & S flew down for the day-and what a busy day it was. I'll post about it all tomorrow, but wanted to share the ultrasound quickly before I pass out. The babies were both VERY active and I believe STE enjoyed seeing them move around so much. Apparently the placentas are up front, which may be keeping me from feeling the babies as much as I'd expect. Baby A had a heart rate of 150 and Baby B had a heart rate of 147. They were both measuring on target, although A is slightly smaller right now. Everything looked good and we got beautiful shots of the babies. The tech was wonderful and had no trouble determining the sexes of the babies.

P & L will soon have a sister AND a brother!! Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy!! We are all so thrilled that the babies look healthy, are active and that there's a girl and a boy. It is all just perfect!!

I've been liberated!

Last night was my last night as an active board member for anything. I've been 'slowly' trying to relinquish my position on the girls rec softball board for 2 years. They have finally found a replacement for me and I no longer have to attend 2 meetings a month. For the moment I feel very good about leaving (and not leaving them in a bind). I'm sure by April I'll have found something else to commit my time to. I did volunteer to join the school board (a co-op) and they wouldn't take me seriously because I already do so much at the school. This is actually a very good time to 'lay low' and I'm sure I'll enjoy it more than I think.

I've begun to notice a pattern in my nighttime urinary needs. For over a week I've been waking right around 4:52 to go to the bathroom. I know 4:52 seems rather specific, but the clock has honestly said 4:52 for the last week. I find that a little odd and slightly disturbing. I wonder if the babies start moving and wake me at that time. Speaking of moving, I was able to clearly notice the babies moving again last night and this morning. I'm starting to get very excited!

You might've noticed that I took a break from reading for a few weeks. After the Twilight series and Ender's Game I've been unable to get into anything else. I've picked up several different books and none of them called me to finish more than a few pages. I finally broke down and bought a new (in paperback) book by Nicholas Sparks (whom I love but don't like to confess to reading), The Choice. I stayed up until at least 12:30 reading last night before I couldn't keep my eyes open. The babies kept me company several times though and I even had to take a break for a midnight bowl of SpaghettiO's. After taking the kids to school I climbed back into bed with my book. I spent the next 3 hours bawling at the rest of the book. True to form, Sparks delivered a tear-jerking love story that leaves you wishing for more. I have a slight headache from crying and I am starving.

I plan to head to the school to make my Thursday copies since I won't be able to tomorrow. I think we'll be having tacos for dinner-unless I can talk myself into going to the grocery store for a can of enchilada sauce. Then Logan has soccer tonight.

I almost forgot to share a Logan story. When I came home from my meeting last night I expected/hoped that both kids would be in bed. It was 9:30 after all. Well, Logan was not in bed. He was at the computer with Brian. Apparently Logan wanted to know more about the Presidential election and Brian was showing him the projected results by state and explaining how they make 'projected results'. It's a little hard to be upset when they are seeking knowledge for knowledge sake. How we respond to their curiosities about the process now could have a lasting affect on their political interests in the future. This election has been such a wonderful teaching opportunity and I don't think their talking about it much in Logan's classes. I know that they are in Ciera's (because I make the copies), but Logan has generated this interest on his own and it's so exciting to see. And just for the record, when we were at Barnes & Noble buying the Obama books, we did look to see if they had McCain books for kids and they didn't. They had a McCain picture book at Sam's Club, but nothing that really could give him information about this other nominee. Does anyone else find that odd?

I felt the babies last night!!

As I was lying in bed with my hands on my belly (like most nights) I finally felt what I've been waiting for-the quivery feeling rather than bumps and nudges. It went on for several minutes too. I also had a moment earlier in the evening where part of my stomach got a big hard spot-baby had moved and you could feel the change in my stomach. I'm SO hoping I can pay a little attention to the belly on Thursday and maybe STE will get to feel a big nudge.

That's right! Mom and Dad will be here in 2 days to see their little babies on screen. Hopefully everyone is cooperating and we'll get to see whose in here. My money is on one of each.

I really don't mean to complain so much about the weather, but I'm ready for a nice California winter-what the rest of the world calls Spring or Fall I imagine. I've grown up a California girl and I really don't know (nor do I care to learn) what a real winter is like. I'm perfectly content not really owning a jacket.

Thank goodness for Mondays!

This was a long weekend, but we all had a great time. We started off Saturday with Soccer bright and early. Logan's team was moved from the 1st division to the 4th division, so we were expecting a more evenly matched game, and it was. The boys still lost by a few goals, but they spent WAY more time at the other end of the field than normal. Once the boys realize that they don't have to be ready defensively all the time they should do better at being aggressively offensive.

Ciera and I left around 12:30 for Stockton. Brian and Logan hung out until the flag football game at 3:00. The boys' also lost this game, but Logan continues to have a great time and is loving pulling flags and receiving the ball. He even got to quarterback a play this week. They then headed down to Stockton to see Ciera's last 2 games of the day.

The girls had a much better weekend and played well together, with only a few hiccups. They were the #1 seed Saturday so they didn't have to play again until 12:45 on Sunday. Since we had booked a room that meant we'd get to sleep in on a tournament day-unheard of! They had another great day on Sunday and came home with 1st place trophies (Ciera's first non-participation trophy). Ciera got to pitch 2 innings over the weekend and she was caught smiling and chatting with teammates all weekend. The girls even got her to take part in a 'solo' cheer-first time EVER!!

Let me tell you about our room! Our general objective when staying overnight for a tournament is a decent room for as little as possible. We get our game times on Wednesdays and I spend the next 3 nights trying Priceline. The place we stayed last time we got for $60 (non-pricelined), so I was unsuccessfully trying to get a 2 star for less than that. I ended up with a 3 star for $70 and it was ABSOLUTELY worth the extra $10. They were doing renovations so it didn't look like much from outside or the hallways, but the rooms were wonderful. The beds were soft, down comforters AND pillows! And, the best shower head and water pressure we've ever experienced in a hotel! Because of the renovations there was no room service, so to make up for that the hotel had a continental breakfast for us. It was just cereal, juice, bread, muffins and fruit, but it was so nice to have fresh milk with cereal and there were some good choices (fiber 1 raisin bran/clusters was pretty good). If we end up in Stockton again next weekend, we'll definitely try to stay there again.

A surro friend drove up to Stockton to visit and see some softball. Stockton is about 1/2 way between her and I, so I was thrilled that she was willing to make the drive at 30 something weeks pregnant. I got to meet her boys and it was so nice to catch up with her. Unfortunately, while she was watching the games someone broke into her car and stole her stereo. I felt so bad for her and incredibly angry that people would do such a thing!

We didn't get home until 8:00 last night and boy were the babies and I tired. Logan heated up some milk for me and I took a hot shower. Then we were off to bed.

Monday was picture day, but I didn't remember until 10 minutes before school. The kids weren't too excited about it anyhow so we'll just go get them done on our own next month. This is the first year I haven't bought the ridiculously overpriced school pictures. I'm not sure if I feel like a horrible parent or if I feel liberated.

I decided several weeks ago that it was time to turn in our plastic bottles and soda cans. I finally got around to doing it today. I put a tarp down in the van, so nothing accidentally dripped in my beautiful van and spent the next 30 minutes filling it from top to bottom with bags of recyclables. It took another 30 minutes to unload it all into the cans at the dump. When all was said and done I walked away with $133, dirty hands and an emptier garage. My goal is to take each bag as I fill it up from now on AND get my van back in the garage-soon it will be cold and I hate having to wait for the windshield to defrost.

I thought ahead again on dinner and put another frozen soup into the crock pot. Friday we'd had clam chowder (and when I say we I mean I cooked it for Logan and Brian-Ciera and I had something else that I can't recall). Tonight we had a ravioli soup in a tomato base and corn bread (whole grain and tomatoes for the babies). It's one of my favorites.

One of the reasons I've been dying for the weather to cool down is that my skin is starting to need moisturizing. If I moisturize in the morning my skin feels extra hot and sticky all day. I decided today that I will start moisturizing at night and at least my body will get 8 hours of moisture therapy. We'll see how often I really get to doing it. It's good to have goals though.

You'll all be relieved...

to know that by 2:00 the burger desire kicked back in. I enjoyed another delicious at home beef/turkey burger with Pepper Jack cheese. I even added some brown mustard to my wheat bread. It's amazing how much better the meat tastes than a 'fast food' burger (had one of those last night and was so disappointed).

Why is my belly always wet?

I've noticed the past few days that my shirt always seems to be wet when I leave the kitchen, right around my belly button. How does this keep happening? While I was mixing up my meatloaf yesterday I somehow got meatloaf on my belly as well. Somehow my belly has grown larger than I realize and I'm continually butting it up against stuff in the kitchen. I've also noticed I need more room between my car and the next car in a parking lot than I used to. I parked close-ish to Brian's car last night and I had to move the car so I could get out. There just wasn't enough room to squeeze my belly through. Where did this come from and who is responsible?

The good news is my belly is now growing faster than my rear! YEAH for miracles!!
Speaking of miracles, I had planned to make myself another burger for lunch today. Guess who doesn't really feel like a burger right now? The babes wanted oatmeal instead! Fickle little things! I'm hoping this means that these two will be really great eaters when they get out, unlike their brother.

This morning has been good. The kids and I all slept in for an extra 1-2 hours and went to school an hour late. This was a compromise with Ciera as she wanted to skip the entire day because her friend would not be at school. Unfortunately for her she had several projects due today. I will however be picking her up early. I just found out this week that her and her friend have been given 'extra' assignments when they finish their regular work early. This week they had to write a report on 'plate tectonics'. If I had suggested that she do extra work she would've been very upset. But since Ms. Samantha assigned it she's actually excited about it and has worked quite hard on it. It's been interesting to watch her this year. She's gone from a girl who did the bare minimum to get by me and her teachers to a girl who relishes these 'extra projects' and wears them as a badge of honor (although she's not prone to talking about it-she just does it). Her teacher has really 'reached' her and I'm SO thankful for that. Logan has had 2 very good weeks since we started our 'new plan' of getting our work done and not screwing around with his friend in class. We are working VERY hard on preparedness and HIM budgeting his time correctly to get his work completed on time and in a neat and appropriate manner.

Night 2 with my new pillow was wonderful. I'm not sure that I'm using it 'correctly', (I'll have to look up the pillow online and see how the model lies with it) but I am sleeping very comfortably again without tossing and turning too much. How exciting will it be when I get to the stage that I CAN'T toss and turn anymore without great effort!

I was able to call today and get my Nov and Dec ultrasounds scheduled. I was able to speak with my favorite scheduler that went so far above and beyond to get us scheduled last time. I had actually forgotten her name, but she recognized mine! We h ave our 20 week ultrasound next Thursday. Our 24 week ultrasound will be Nov 20 and our 28 week ultrasound is Dec 18.

We've got another busy weekend ahead of us. Logan has soccer at 9am and flag football at 3pm. Ciera is headed to Stockton for 3 games at 3:45, 5:15 and 8:00 pm. There is no way we're driving the 90 minutes back home at 10:00 at night so I'm hoping to priceline a hotel tonight. I really think these hotels are overcharging for what you get, but when you add in the gas savings plus the time driving it is worth it in the end. On Sunday they'll have 3 games to win the championship. The first game won't start before 11 though, so we'll at least get to sleep some. Yes, if you do the math Brian and I won't both be able to be at Logan's football and Ciera's 3:45 game. We'll decide tonight who goes where. The weather should be in the high 70's to low 80's, so I can handle that.

A mid-afternoon surprise post!

I seem to have fallen into the pattern of posting at night before bed (or the am on the weekends), but I figured I might forget how excited and happy I am right now if I was to wait until tonight.

First of all, we're beginning our 19th week and that's pretty exciting. Then I finally got my hair cut so I can start wearing it down again-if it ever cools off. After the cut, I went grocery shopping and ran into a friend I haven't seen in several years and my Aunt who just became a grandma last month. It was so nice to see both of them-quite the surprise. I finally bought some ground beef and Pepper Jack cheese. I cooked up 2 patties, melted cheese on them and put them on fresh sliced sourdough. YUM!!! My belly is SO happy right now-imagine if I had added any condiments or vegetables (I was too hungry to bother with extras).

I'm getting ready to mix up some of our favorite ground beef recipes (I make them 50/50 with ground turkey). This should make it very easy to pull something from the freezer and get my ground beef fix. I'm not typically a big beef eater so this 'need' has caught me a little off guard. Although some of the more observant readers were able to recognize this as a 'pregnancy craving' long ago.

So here's my new pregnancy development. It's so exciting when something happens that I remember happening in the last pregnancy. First the side stitch (which I did get again today) and now the sharp movements when I use my ab muscles (I think that's what's happening). I've found lately that when I sit up sometimes I get a sharp sensation in my belly that I do believe is baby. I do recall that as the babies continue to get bigger, this happens more often and becomes more uncomfortable. There were times during P & L's pregnancy that I'd go to turn over a little and not be able to because of the sharp, sudden sensation. Grow babies, grow!!

A little personal background info

I had forgotten that not everyone knows about my eating challenges. I may be the pickiest, most non-adventurous eater ever. I have tried really hard to 'try new things' in the last two years, but I am still a rather picky eater. S & S are aware of this and have accepted me for who I am, although they have been responsible for some of my more adventurous food attempts.

A follower has kindly been trying to make suggestions to deal with my food issues. Her latest suggestion made me realize that I've never gone into detail about things I will not eat. Her suggestion (while I'm sure it will sound good to some) is not something I could even manage to choke down-even not pregnant. Spinach salad with pears and poppy seed dressing? I'm sure there are people who eat this, but I am not one of them. I can do Spinach dip, canned spinach, spinach blended into a shake, a few pieces of spinach in a romaine salad, but never spinach salad on it's own. Pears? Where do I even begin with pears? I'm just not a fan-never have been. I do buy them because my family likes them but I can't stand the thought of it's texture-canned, frozen or fresh. Poppy seed dressing? I'll admit I've never actually tasted it and I could be convinced to stick a 'test finger' into it, but I would never start out with it poured all over anything. Even poppy seed muffins I'm skeptical of. Does it change the flavor or just give you little seeds to pick out of your teeth?

So here's the real problem right now. These babies have messed with all of my food senses. It's not that nothing tastes good, it's that nothing SOUNDS or SMELLS good. If someone was to just make me food when I'm hungry (roughly every two hours) I would eat it and be satisfied. The problem is I have to decide what to make or put in my mouth and by the time I can talk myself into anything I'm starving! I decided this morning to just throw a frozen pork roast into the crock pot with a can of Italian seasoned tomatoes. I gave myself all day to decide what to eat it with, on a roll, with rice or potatoes. By 4:00 I still could not decide. Ciera wanted it with rice, but Brian said the roll sounded good. Since I didn't have to cook the roll, rice lost out. It wasn't bad and I've been able to eat little sandwiches all night, but the smell of the sauce all day was driving me crazy. I actually had to close my bedroom door while I watched a movie so I wouldn't smell it so much. I have a bag of frozen clam chowder that should be very good (for everyone but me), but I'm so afraid of having the smell in the house all day that I can't bring myself to fix it yet.

Today was basically good, but I am going to have to take an afternoon nap soon. I watched another movie instead of napping today, The War. It wasn't bad. I got the Scholastic fliers ready to distribute while watching it. I did copying this morning at school since I have a haircut appointment tomorrow morning. One of the moms at school delivered twins last year. She offered me her big pregnancy pillow and I happily accepted. She had been worried about asking in case the thought of using someone else's pillow freaked me out. No freak out here! In fact I had just been thinking last night that I was going to have to go buy another pillow soon. I can't wait to try it out tonight! And, my Old Navy box arrived. The capri's didn't quite work out-an odd fit, but the jeans, khaki's and 'lounge suit' worked out great! I REALLY need it to cool off soon! Tomorrow's high is supposed to be 88 degrees-in mid October!! It should cool off by next week, but who knows how long that will last.

18 weeks 5 days!

How did we get here already? We are half-way through this pregnancy already!

I finally have some pregnancy related stuff to share! Although I may not be expanding 'outward' as quickly as people expect, the babies are definitely settling into all available space in my torso. My belly is now 'hard' from right under my breasts all the way down. Without a shirt you can even see the outline of baby space from my chest down to my waist. And I can notice sensations when my bladder is full. I've even found myself needing to rub/massage the outline of my 'bump' when I've been sitting for too long.

I've been trying to decide if I have pregnancy congestion, do I have a cold or am I reacting to the change in the weather. I tend to think it's pregnancy congestion and then I'm hit with an aching in my eyes. Is it because I haven't taken an afternoon nap since Thursday or do I have a cold trying to settle in? So far I've been able to manage it with saline spray, tissues and some Tylenol (one dose a day has been all I've needed). The weather has been reaching 82 degrees by the afternoon the last few days and I'm not enjoying it. I'm having to change clothes in the middle of the day just to get through. I'm also running dangerously low on fitting capri's. The pair I put on today worked fine as long as I was standing. As soon as I sat down I needed to unbutton them-quite the sight while driving down the highway. I do still have one pair that is still comfortable. I'll just have to do laundry more often or the weather could just get on with it and let me wear jeans!

FOOD! It seems that this is my eternal pregnancy struggle. I'm having a difficult time thinking of things to eat. Nothing really sounds good and there's quite a few things that actually sound and smell horrible! The family had pot stickers last night for dinner-generally a favorite for us all. The smell of the pot stickers is never good, but even the sauce smelled horrible. Oh, and we received a free Oberto Pizza-Roni beef stick. Ciera took a bite and decided she didn't like it. I thought it's a beef stick, I'll take a bite at least. I couldn't even swallow it! Do NOT try this at home! I can't imagine anyone even buying one of these. The babies have eased up on the sugar restrictions, but I'm still not operating at full sugar desires. I still have over 1/2 the tin of butter cookies. At Saturday's game I got sidetracked looking at someone's bag of fun size Snickers and Kit Kat's, so Sunday I went out and bought my own Snickers and Twix bars. It's Tuesday evening. Those bags should be gone by now and I still have enough for another day or two. I have delicious pumpkin cheesecake just sitting in my refrigerator. We had another Coldstone Tuesday trip and again the babies did not scream for ice cream! Unfortunately they are not really screaming for anything. It's a strange feeling to eat because you have to, not because you want to.

As for my Tuesday, it wasn't too bad. I went by Target for a few things and took a leisurely 'stroll' through the store. I was back in the car in under 40 minutes, not bad for a slow pregnant woman that can't remember what was on her list. By 9:30 my eyes were really starting to bother me so I thought I'd lie down for an early nap. Didn't happen! I did manage to rest while watching The Baby Lab. It was quite interesting. They followed 4 couples through their IVF cycles and births. I got some laundry going, found something to eat and settled in to watch August Rush on HBO. I really enjoyed this movie! Finally, a movie worth the 2 hours I spent watching it. And then it was time to get the kids again.

Ciera and Logan each got to bring a friend for Tuesday Coldstone. We didn't have time this week for anyone to come for the afternoon, so this was my way of trying to squeeze some friend time into our week. Ciera was then off to hit and pitch with Brian and Logan and I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up his book report book. This month he has to read a biography. He was going to read about Babe Ruth, but decided last night that he would really like to read the Barack Obama book. In the last week he has become very curious about the election, candidates and the propositions that are being advertised. It's been exciting to see our 9 year old so interested and full of questions and opinions. So when he said he'd like to read the Obama book, it seemed like the obvious choice given his current interest. At the very least the book should put to rest the rumors floating around school (Obama is a baby killer and Obama spits on puppies).

I finally tried out my frozen Yankee Pot Roast Soup that I picked up on my visit to P & L. I put it in my crock pot and it turned out great. When we got home from Barnes and Noble it was ready to eat. I didn't care too much for the meat, but the carrots, potatoes and broth were delicious. I think I will make the Ravioli Soup tomorrow. Football practice was good. Logan has gotten so much faster since August. It's great to watch him put so much effort into something and work so hard. He really is having a great time. And now that we're home it's time for bed. Not bad for a Tuesday!

Shave and a haircut...

This weekend was P's first professional haircut.  

Saturday morning, we rode our bikes across the boat canal to the local barbershop.  P watched his Dad, then felt brave enough to try on his own.  Lesson to Mom- I do just as good a job at home, with fewer tears but we never get as darling of photos!  No worries though, tears quickly dried, and then we rode over to Great Harvest for cookies and steamed milk.  A nice family morning followed by uber-naps in the afternoon.  Still trying to figure out how we're going to bike with 4 little ones, but I'm sure DH will figure something out...

(Look closely at the last photo- it's a unique family portrait!)

Another Monday!

Sunday warmed back up a little. I had to sit in the shade during Ciera's 1:00 game, as it was just to warm in the sun in my jeans. The girls played 2 games to win the Championship. The girls had a lot of fun, and I'll leave it at that.

Logan also seemed to enjoy himself despite the fact that 'softball ruins his life'. Oh my dramatic son! Logan and the other boys hung out on a hill overlooking a soccer field and 'chatted' the afternoon away.

After the games we stopped by the Halloween store to look at costumes. We've been talking about it since September and we just hadn't had a chance to get both kids there at the same time. Logan found his costume quickly. Anyone remember Scream? Yep, I was able to talk him out of the 'bloody' Scream mask though. He wore the costume the rest of the evening. Ciera was unable to find a costume that wasn't $60 so we stopped by Party City on the way home. She decided on a HoneyBee, which is hilarious because she's terrified of bees. It's 'technically' an adult costume but she plans to wear a t-shirt and leggings underneath the skimpy dress.

Brian and I were able to watch a movie Sunday night before everyone needed to go to bed. We watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall which was so inappropriate for the kids that we got to watch a movie alone. It wasn't too bad, there were many hilarious scenes.

Monday Brian got to stay home with me. Happy Columbus Day!! We watched 1408, which was quite disappointing. If anyone can explain what the heck happened, PLEASE leave a comment! We spent the rest of our time watching horrible day time TV. We stumbled across Wife Swap and that show is just so irresistible. Then it was time to pick up the kids and we hadn't even had lunch yet. We all went to Jack in the Box for a special after school 'linner'. Then it was time for Ciera and Brian to head out for Ciera's lesson. Logan and I played a round of Sorry and I won but tried not to gloat to badly. I took a quick nap while Logan and Brian went out to play until it got too dark.

The real week starts tomorrow and there's much laundry to be done. Fortunately we've all done a great job of keeping the house picked up this week, so I won't have to clean tomorrow as well. If I really try I can probably come up with something to do with chicken and the crock pot and we can have an actual meal before flag football practice on Tuesday.

The babies are doing good. I find I have to take more 'deep' breaths every now and then and I really have to pace myself when getting around. I experienced some 'side cramps' this weekend. You know the stitch in your side when you run really fast? I remember getting them last pregnancy and they appear to be back. If I press on the spot while it's happening it tends to go away quickly, but I just don't get WHY it happens. I haven't found it addressed in any pregnancy books. It is reassuring to have things 'happening' a little bit though. Soon I'll have many pregnancy related things to relay-and won't that be nice to hear about! I've also started to get 'burning burps', is it heartburn, acid reflux, I have no idea. I do know that I don't care for it though.

A breezy Saturday

Friday was a long day getting the house 'ready' for a DeMarle party (silicone bake ware). By bedtime my back was hurting a little and I knew I'd done a little too much. I debated between taking a hot shower and just falling asleep. I was already in bed though and the thought of getting up to get in the shower was just too much.

When I awoke Saturday I felt much better. We were able to sleep until we awoke on our own (9:07). We spent the day down in Folsom for Ciera's tournament. The girls ended up winning all 3 games, but they certainly had to fight in 2 of them. The worst part was that we should've won all 3 easily. Brian and Logan went to football that evening. They did not win again, but Logan still had a great time. He made several diving flag pulls and caught the ball several times as well. I love that both of my kids would rather play than win. Of course winning is nice, but the are out there because they love playing the game. Logan also seemed to have a good time at the tournament playing football with the other brothers. Although the weather got a little too cool, it was so nice to not sit out there burning up. It was very breezy and that made the evening games VERY cold, fortunately I have 2 built in heaters.

We only have 2 games today to win the championship. If the girls can hit and not make silly errors than we should be just fine. We should be done early enough in the afternoon that we can even watch a video tonight.

18 weeks 1 day!!

How have we gotten so far along?! Have you checked out the ticker lately? The babies look so darn cute spinning around in there.

The weather turned breezy yesterday and the temperature has finally dropped! It feels so nice to not be deathly hot! I've never had a great internal body temperature regulator, but these babies have really put my regulator out of whack. Poor Ciera has taken to closing the vents on her side of the car because I've had the air up so high.

Ciera has also come to the conclusion that my eating desires are 'messed up'. Logan was complaining last night because I never want to eat Chinese Food anymore. Ciera pointed out that really I don't want to eat anything other than a burger, and she's getting sick of burgers! I pointed out that soon the burger thing will pass and we'll only be eating something else. It's been sort of fun to see her 'get' the irrational pregnant behaviors this pregnancy.

I'm also pleased to announce that the babies are loosening up on their sugar restrictions. They still really want hot milk and burgers, but they did allow a fairly large sum of chocolate to pass over my lips yesterday (calcium and protein). I'm eager to see if they allow me to enjoy the pumpkin cheesecake tonight.

Yesterday was a short copying day since the copier ran out of toner. I took a much needed afternoon nap under the covers with the wind blowing through the windows. This was the first nap I'd taken all week. I had a bit of an energy boost earlier in the week and skipped the daily naps. I'm contemplating climbing back in the bed right now just to snuggle up with the blankets.

We have another busy weekend ahead of us. Fortunatley, Ciera plays fairly local this weekend. It will only take about 40 minutes to get there each day. Unfortunately, Logan's 2nd flag football game is right in the middle of Ciera's 2nd and 3rd game on Saturday. He's still not sure which parent gets to see his football game, although I think he's leaning towards Brian. Sometimes I feel a little sad that I'm no longer the 'it' parent, but then I remember how incredibly lucky we all are that Brian is such an amazing father and that is exactly what I had wished for. I try to remember that we each bring something different to the kids as their parents and it's OK for him to be the fun guy that they want around.

Bumps and nudges

At my OB appointments they give me a 'newsletter' about what to expect at each point of the pregnancy. The 16 weeks issue talked about first fetal movements. Here is what it had to say, "The first fetal movements or quickening are usually described as a 'fluttering,' or like a butterfly, or tiny bumps or nudges. They may be mistaken for gas pains or hunger pains." Well I have been waiting for a feeling similar to gas pains or the fluttering. Apparently these babies prefer to nudge and bump though. I get quick little nudges that I've wondered momentarily what they were, but then they are over and I don't get a chance to confirm that it's movement. I'm very hesitant to claim movement without any sort of proof. It's nothing regular enough to count on either. I lie in bed at night with my hands on my belly waiting to feel or see something and I have such a hard time sorting out my breathing and heart beating from my hope of having felt the babies. So at the risk of sounding crazy I've not mentioned my obsession with movement until now. Hopefully in the next few weeks it will become more obvious. Feeling a baby move inside of me is one of the only things I miss about not being pregnant for myself. It's amazing to me that I can still enjoy fetal movement but not have to care for a newborn every night. I also wish I was better at putting those sensations into words for STE. I don't think I was ever able to adequately describe what things felt like. If anyone knows of a great site that is very good at explaining the sensations let me know.

I had a leisurely morning and watched Things We Lost in the Fire with Halle Berry instead of taking my nap. I finally found some more of the Raspberry Preserves that STE sent me last March, so I had a few english muffins with butter and Raspberry this morning, as well as a peanut butter and raspberry sandwich with a large glass of hot milk. For lunch I had a Chicken breast sandwich with Cheddar Sunchips, an apple and 2 chocolate pudding cups. I think the prohibition of sweets may have been lifted by the babies. I'm debating on another pudding cup as I type (it does count as protein and calcium). While thinking about dinner last night I pulled out a lasagna I froze a month ago so we have an actual dinner planned for tonight. Unfortunately, Ciera and I already ate the sourdough bread. We do have fresh romaine, perhaps we'll have salad as well.

For those of you wondering about the hamburger craving, no it hasn't gone away I'm just trying to move on to other food options so that someday I can still eat a burger. If only I would buy some ground beef, propane and pepper jack cheese I could make burgers at home. The funny part is that this JUST occurred to me and it wouldn't be too hard to do.

A surprise for me and you!

This is the beautiful necklace that was awaiting me when I finally checked my mail this week. Apparently it came a few weeks early, it was supposed to arrive for at 20 weeks, or so says STE. Either way I love it and there's no way I'm waiting until October 23 to wear it. That's right in just 2 short weeks I will be 20 weeks along, more than half way there. Hopefully the necklace will take the guess work away for people who aren't quite sure if I'm pregnant or just putting on an alarming amount of weight!

Here I am yesterday at 17 weeks 4 days! I get my hair shaped up next Thursday, at 19 weeks, and hopefully then I can start wearing my hair down. Currently it just puffs up and looks really bad. I am so thrilled that I was able to wash these jeans and they didn't shrink up. They still fit! These were my lucky find, only $10 at Old Navy because they are 'last year's model'. I'm guessing that they will no longer fit by Thanksgiving, if not sooner.

Monday was a nice but busy day. I got a little involved organizing the snacks and pantry foods in the morning and then I got to have lunch with my mom for my birthday. I was so pleased with my BJ's Brewery burger from last week that I thought we should go again. I ordered the California Burger and it was delicious. Avocado, Pepper jack Cheese, 1/2 lb of beef on toasted sourdough bread! I then bravely headed to Motherhood Maternity in search of a pair of capri's since I've decided it may never cool down here. This store is never busy, but Monday at 1:00 in the afternoon all 3 fitting rooms were full. I had finally talked myself into going in to a store I hate shopping at and I had to wait for a fitting room!! Of course nothing seemed worth the cost and they really didn't have much to offer with it being October. Apparently I was supposed to buy capri's several months ago. I did luck out and find a few short sleeve t-shirts at Old Navy that will help tide me over until it cools off.

Monday afternoon Ciera had a pitching lesson with her dad and Logan and I worked on his book report that is due on Friday (yes, I type it for him, but he has to decide what to write and we talk about how to format it as we go). I haven't been doing to well at planning dinner so of course I was starving and couldn't possibly wait to decide what to cook. Brian stopped at Burger King for me. I ended the day with a soak in the tub and a wonderful conversation with STE.

Tuesday was just about like every other Tuesday. The kids went to school, I did laundry and cleaned up around the house. After school we went to Coldstone for our Tuesday special. I actually found something that sounded and tasted good, sweet cream with butterfinger. It's just a kid's scoop, but it was just perfect. At 5:00 I still hadn't really thought about dinner, but I knew it needed to be something quick since football was at 6. I ended up making a recipe from the Stovetop stuffing box (thanks Steph). I added a can of Turkey, a can of cream of mushroom soup and a bag of mixed vegetables together and then covered it with the stuffing. Throw it in the oven until heated and voila! Dinner was ready and not too bad. It had too much stuffing for Ciera's taste and too much meat for Logan's, but it was a home cooked meal that took very little effort or thought, plus it was done quickly.

At football practice tonight Logan got a turn as quarterback and may get a few plays in the game as quarterback. He was very excited and did a pretty good job for his first try. After football I came home and put the Scholastic orders in for the school. And now I'm ready for a snack and bed.

A non-burger related craving!

Saturday night I dreamed about Butter Cookies-you know the ones in the blue tin that you always see around the holidays. I have never once bought these cookies, nor do I generally eat them. I actually had to call Melissa to find out what they were called, where you can buy them and if I would be able to find them before the holidays. The answers to these questions are Danish Butter cookies, you should be able to find them anywhere and at any time of the year. Here's the truth, Safeway doesn't carry them but Long's does and they were only $3 for the whole tin! I have had a few already and they are very tasty. I'm looking forward to having some with my hot milk tonight before bed.

The weather on Saturday was BEAUTIFUL!! I actually got to wear jeans and a sweater and I think my belly was quite noticeable in it so I will take a picture in this outfit tonight for your viewing pleasure. It was probably mid 60's for most of the day with the sun only popping through every now and then. Ciera and I spent the day in Lodi for softball. The team had 3 games on Saturday. They won 2 of them, but they played so badly they are very lucky they won at all. Sunday's play didn't get much better. They lost the first one and won the consolation game. It was a truly disappointing weekend. Ciera got to pitch 1/2 a game on Sunday and had some pretty good hits though. She still had fun and hopefully they learn from this weekend and next weekend we see some better play.

Logan's first flag football game was on Saturday. They ended up losing but not by a lot considering they have his 3rd/4th grade team playing against a 5th/6th grade team (not sure how that worked out). I hear Logan did great and had a ton of fun. He got to play most of the game and was involved in many of the plays. I'm looking forward to seeing him play next weekend. Soccer was about the same as last week. The boys played hard but were not able to score. Logan did a great job of maintaining his position and being where he was supposed to be (this is a big thing for the coach this year). We have a bye week next Saturday and the teams will be reseeded (we've been in the highest division of 12 divisions for 5 games and we don't belong that high). We are hoping for more evenly matched games for the final 5 games.

While in Lodi I did stop by a recommended burger place, Andre's Cafe, for what has been voted the 'best burger in town'. Quite often it comes down to which burger option you order. They had many different choices. I chose one with grilled onions, jack cheese, avocado, lettuce and tomato and one with grilled onions, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato, for Brian and I to share. I'm assuming that the burgers were 1/3 lb of beef since they offered a 1/4 lb burger for $.99 less. It was a tasty burger and we enjoyed both of them, but it still wasn't quite right. I wasn't disappointed, but I'd say the Squeeze Inn burger might've been a bit better and I definitely enjoyed my BJ's burger better. I could've just ordered the wrong one though. I think I've decided that the crucial element of my 'dream burger' was the garlic pepper sauce. I wonder if the burger place would release the recipe or sell a bottle of the special sauce? It's also entirely impossible that the burger was really just not as good as I'm remembering. Thankfully the butter cookies are even better than the were in my dream!

By special request

On Thursday when I chose to have a Carl's Jr. burger I was simply looking for something that sounded OK, that I could get in my hungry belly quickly. I really should've eaten something at the mall, but by the time I returned from the bathroom Ciera had already finished her food and it didn't seem like a wise use of our limited time to search out 'something' in the mall.

So when we pulled up at Carl's Jr. it was just a matter of did I feel like American Cheese and Bacon (Western Bacon Cheeseburger) or did I just feel like a regular burger (Famous Star). I decided on the Famous Star but when I made the giant leap to make it a combo it came with cheese-American cheese. They kindly swapped it out for Jack Cheese for me. It was most definitely not a satisfying burger other than my belly stopped shouting at me for 30 minutes so we could get to Target. The lettuce was green and the condiments were plentiful. The tomato was an odd texture (but I did eat it) and the burger was a little 'overdone' on the outside edges. It was a nice fresh bun though.

Friday was a nice day, finally into the mid 70's and we got a little rain. Not a lot but enough to cancel football practice. Brian and I finally got to watch Mr. Brooks. It had been sitting on my desk for almost a month-not a wise use of our Blockbuster pass. I was expecting a mediocre comedy and it turned out to be a psychological thriller-not the movie to watch right before bed. I must've been really tired though because I did not dream once about it.

Today Logan has a 9am soccer game and if they don't cancel it, his first flag football game of the season. Ciera and I are off to Lodi for softball, apparently they play through the rain, just not thunder and lightning. I am equipped with the address for 'the best burger ever'. We'll have to see if it beats the Lunch Laboratory.

The babies are treating me well. I was even able to eat a few Dove Bliss chocolates last night. My nephew gave me a bag of them 2 weeks ago and I'm still enjoying them one or two a day. These babies really do not like sweets and it's killing me. I have an entire jar of caramel sauce in my refrigerator and I haven't even been tempted to eat 1 spoonful, not even with an apple!

I just want to reiterate...

I am feeling totally sane and way less emotional today. Wednesday was just a bad day and probably one that I won't even remember by the end of this pregnancy.

I'm back!

Wednesday I was an emotional basket case! I'm not really sure what happened or how I'm better, but Wednesday I spent most of the afternoon in tears one way or another. Happy tears, sad tears, tears because I can't believe I'm still crying and tears because it was still SO darn hot! Who knows what brings something like this on, but I'm glad it was only one day.

I woke up Thursday feeling much better and proud of myself for not having to cry myself to sleep. I slept great and woke up ready to tackle a Thursday. The kids didn't have school so I got to sleep in until 9:15. Logan went to a friend's house for the day and Ciera and I headed to the mall to do some exchanges. Ciera had lunch at her favorite place in the mall, The Cajun Cafe, and I stopped off at Carl's Jr for a burger fix. Ciera had decided the other day that it would be worth doing her own laundry to have it all smell 'girly'. So we stopped by Target to pick out her favorite scent. She started her very first load of laundry Friday morning. We'll see how long this lasts. I give it 2 weeks. Place your bets now.

Thursday night Ciera had another softball game. The girls did win again and Ciera got to start on the mound and pitched the whole game. This was a first for her this fall season. It was incredible to see all of her daily hard work on display.

Here we are at Friday. We are now 17 weeks and 1 day. I'm definitely over due for a picture. The belly is definitely growing and expanding daily. Fingers crossed we get the picture taken and uploaded tonight.

Music and Lyrics

You know you're one hormonal, pregnant woman if the movie Music and Lyrics can bring you to tears. I definitely don't remember crying the first time I watched it. It's not a horrible movie, but it really shouldn't have brought me to tears as early as it did.