Jacob Douglas Rhodes

We are pleased to announce the birth of our son - Jacob Douglas Rhodes! He was born last Wednesday evening (October 21), at 8:03 PM. He weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz, and measured 20 inches long.

I was actually very surprised it was a boy! Even though I've been calling the baby a "he," I was fully expecting a girl. So when the doctor was holding him and I saw boy bits, I laughed. Paul is very proud, of course. What daddy wouldn't be thrilled to have two sons?

I know you're all itching for the details, so I'll give them to you. And I'm a very detail-oriented person, so you know this is going to be long-winded. (And by details, I mean - guys, you may not want to read.) And rambling, because my thoughts still aren't coherent.

We spent all day Wednesday at my parents' house. Paul needed to work on our lawnmower, and didn't have all the tools necessary to do so, so we hauled it out there. I should have known when the "simple" belt replacement became a major undertaking, complete with having to cut off and replace a pulley, that we'd be having a baby that night. (We had a similar minor-turned-major project we worked on the day Nathan was born.)

I'd been having contractions on and off all day Tuesday and Wednesday. I'd have several 10 minutes apart, but then I'd go an hour or two without any. And they'd be varying intensity, so I was getting a little frustrated. Come on already! I was tired of wondering, "Is this it?" About 4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, I had 3 that were 10 minutes apart, and they were a little more intense. But then I didn't have one for 20 minutes. Then I had a couple more closer together. About 5 o'clock, I told Paul I'd been having some, maybe we should go home and start paying closer attention. He'd just finished the mower, so we loaded up and headed home.

As soon as we got in the truck, the contractions started coming 5 minutes apart. I was pretty sure this was the beginning of "the real thing," so we called his parents and had them meet us at our house. We finished packing the hospital bag, and both of us took a quick shower, and then headed to the hospital a little after 6. I had three contractions in the ER waiting room as we answered the million questions getting checked in. Finally an orderly comes around the corner in the office and asks, "Is she in labor?" When they told him I was, he immediately brought me a wheelchair and took me up to the delivery unit, leaving Paul to finish up the check-in process. Why it took someone that long to figure out to do that is beyond me.

By the time Paul got upstairs, I was changed into the sexy hospital robe and they were hooking up the baby monitoring equipment. The nurse checked me and told me I was dilated to a 6 - this definitely wasn't a false alarm. The nurse left to call my doctor. She came in a few minutes later and said, "Dr. Sinclair is in Kansas City. I'm sure she'll be back in time, but we're going to have you meet the on-call doctor just in case."

I had a moment of - I don't know if you'd call it panic, but I definitely was thinking, "You've got to be kidding me." I made it through a week of her being gone to Florida, only to have her here, but not able to get here? And then also, I was sick - my two worst "fears" seemed close to coming true: being sick and coughing a baby out, and not having my doctor there.

Meeting the on-call doctor didn't do much to alleviate my fears. He was really nice, don't get me wrong. But he was about my age. It's one thing, to have a man who's old enough to be your father delivering your baby. It's quite another to have someone your own age sitting between your knees. They checked me while Dr. Nichols was up there, and said I'd dilated another two centimeters. I refused to get out of the bed, for fear that gravity would bring the baby faster.

Never have I been so glad to hear my doctor's usual cheery "Hello, hello!" as she walked in the door. Paul said my relief definitely showed on my face. She checked me and said, "I feel nothing but head." She went to change, and I had a huge contraction. The minute she walked back in, they told me to start pushing, and the cheer-leading began from her and the nurses. "You're doing a great job." "You're so strong." "You're a great mommy."

I felt like I didn't know what to do, even though I'd done this before. She said push, and I pushed while the nurse counted to ten. They let me take one breath, then push again, and again. She told me to stop while she checked for a cord, and then had me do a set of pushes again, and it was over! I was like, "That was it?" I felt like I hadn't been really pushing (even though Paul told me later that I was purple, so apparently I was putting a little more into it than I thought).

This is the one part of delivery I wasn't happy with. After I had Nathan, they immediately put him on my chest. This time, the doctor handed him to the nurse and they took him over and checked him and weighed him before I got to hold him. I could hear him crying, but I couldn't even see him because of the rail of the bed. I don't know if they were worried about something, or if they just forgot I hadn't held him yet, but it was driving me crazy - especially not even being able to see him!

Finally they put him in my arms, and it became real. That 8 pound baby was out and in my arms! I was still incredulous that the delivery had been that easy. I didn't hurt! With Nathan I had torn a lot, but I didn't have a single tear with Jacob. The only thing that hurt was my tailbone, and I have no idea why. I'm glad I opted to not have pain medication, because I definitely didn't need it. And getting it probably would have taken longer than the entire delivery!

I think it was totally God, though. Had I torn, with all this coughing and this cold, it would have been REALLY painful. As it is, my stomach hurts more when I cough, mainly because the muscles I need to use aren't there!

Two hours after I had Jacob, I was able to get out of bed - on my own - to go to the bathroom. (The nurse was right there, just in case.) During the night I was able to walk the hall while they did his hearing test (after they unhooked me from that blasted IV). When my parents showed up to see Jacob the next morning, I was sitting cross-legged on the bed. My mom about fell over when she saw that.

Janice sent us a text message that morning and told us Nathan had woke up with a fever. I told Dr. Sinclair, and she said to schedule an appointment for him and they'd check him for the flu. Paul met Janice at the clinic later that morning, and called me about 11. I don't know what I was expecting to hear, but Paul told me that Nathan has H1N1, and I shouldn't see him for 5 days.

At this point, I still hadn't slept. I had taken an hour-long nap at my parents' house Wednesday afternoon, and it was nearly lunchtime on Thursday. So I cried. It wasn't that I was worried he was going to die - I don't think this H1N1 is nearly as serious as all the media hype - it was more that he'd think we'd abandoned him, and then we'd have a new baby, and he'd hate us.

After lunch, I finally got to take a nap. I nursed Jacob, and he fell asleep. The nurses took him to the nursery and told me that if he woke up, they'd hold him and take care of him. I took two Tylenol with codeine, and passed out for about 3 hours. You know it's been a good nap when you wake up and your pillow is soaked with drool.

Paul came back that evening. He'd gone home to shower and nap and feed the animals. He started coughing when he got back. We just figured it was from the cold damp weather. When Dr. Sinclair came in the next morning to check on us and circumcise Jacob, I mentioned Paul's cough. She called in a prescription for Tami-Flu for Paul as well, as a precaution.

We got home about lunchtime on Friday, and it was naps all around. Paul said he felt weird, and I was worried, but the weather, plus two nights in a hospital, the emotions of having a new baby and being worried about your sick two-year-old, and add a prescription side-effects list to that..... It would be enough to make anyone feel weird.

Then he started running a fever.

So we called his parents, and his Dad came and picked him up to go to the "infirmary" at their house. My mom came over to stay with me. And our family was thus divided for the next few days. We talked about whether Paul should go to the doctor, but we figured he already had the prescription, so basically he'd sit in the waiting room for two hours (and possibly pick up some other disease) only to find out that yes, he did have H1N1. Since he had the prescription already, we decided a trip to the doctor was pointless.

Saturday night I started running a fever. Initially, I freaked out. If I was getting sick, how could I avoid passing it to Jacob? (Although while nursing Nathan, I was sick several times and he never got it.) I called the nurses at the hospital, and they said that hand-washing is the best defense.

Then after Jacob fell asleep again after nursing, I realized that I was completely full. Still. And I recalled that being engorged can cause you to run a fever. So decided to try pumping and relieve a little pressure. I pumped 5 ounces! That may not sound like a lot, but for only having had a baby three days ago, it's a huge amount. My fever went away pretty much right away, only to be replaced by a hormone surge (hot flash). I laid in bed sweating, with no covers on and the ceiling fan running for the rest of the night.

Saturday and Sunday were fairly uneventful. Eat, sleep, nurse Jacob, and gab with my mother. It was tough being away from Paul and not getting to share those precious first days with him. Sunday I sent some clothes and Paul's phone charger out to him. I texted him to see if he needed anything else, and he texted back: "My bed house kids and wife." Which made me cry.

Monday morning I talked to Paul on the phone. He told me they were coming home that day. I was expecting them to stay another day (which would have been 5 days since Paul got sick), so I was overjoyed. But neither of them had had a fever for 48 hours, and Paul said they needed to be home.

When Paul walked in the door, I felt a huge rush of peace. Not that I'd been stressed out with having my mom there, but it just felt like once they were home, my world was whole again. Nathan had fallen asleep in the car. Paul carried him in, and I kissed Nathan's head. He opened his sleepy eyes and sighed, "Mommy." We sat in the chair and he just hugged me and cuddled with me for several minutes, like he was afraid I was going to leave. Then he saw all his toy tractors he'd been living without for almost a week, and he was a brand new little man.

So that's the birth story, plus some. I feel like I can't just talk about how his birth went, because Nathan and Paul getting sick plays into it so much - all the emotions. But we're all together again - that's what matters - and on the way to recovery.

Reunion snuggles.

Nathan meets Jacob. (He's pretty dis-interested most of the time, but every once in a while will come and pat his head or blanket. And tonight he asked to hold him for the first time - that lasted like 5 seconds.)

Re-acquainting with Daddy.

I can't tell who he looks like. I think he looks like my baby pictures when he's got his eyes open. But some features look like Paul, and sometimes I think he looks just like Nathan. His eyes look kind of brown at this point - we'll see if they stay that way.

Self-Confidence

As I was preening in the mirror last night, getting ready to go to a church social, I mused out loud to Paul. "You know, I really think I look pretty good for being 9 months pregnant." (I was having a good hair day.)

He replies, "Yeah!?" (in the "and you're just now realizing this?" tone - major brownie points to him.)

How is it that now my pregnancy is almost over, I finally have adjusted to my roundness. I feel confident and sexy. I don't feel awkward most days (except when I try to roll over in bed). Even day-to-day stuff I still am able to do pretty easily. And I can still carry Nathan - even though I threatened him starting about 6 months ago that "Mommy can't carry you any more." (I carried him through the grocery store Monday, because he fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up when we got there like I'd anticipated.)

When people ask me how I feel, though, I most often answer, "Fat." It's just an easy answer, and makes them laugh. But I don't really feel that fat. I actually feel less fat then I did when I was six months along, somehow.

Anyhow. It just kind of figures that when I have a week left of being pregnant, all the sudden I feel good about myself. Maybe this is just a boost I'll need to get me through the "what happened to my body??!?" I'm going to go through as soon as I don't have a baby in my belly. :)

I'm to That Point

I am now to the point in which I feel I must shave my legs every time I take a shower. Because I could be in the hospital having a baby any time now.
I hate it. I don't know about you, but when I'm going to be exposed, I like to know I don't have hair bristling off my knees and curling around my ankles. Some women would play the pregnancy card, but I just can't. I feel fat and ugly enough without the added chimpanzee tendancies. (Although, a by-product of pregnancy for me that I love is that my leg hair doesn't grow nearly as fast. I wish whatever hormones cause that would stick around a while longer!)

Note to Self:

There is not enough hot water in the hot water tank for you to get a long enough shower in which to wash your hair and shave your legs. No matter how many times you try. So quit trying.

Paul's Work

As you know, Paul's been working a lot of hours lately. They were making a special type of glass for a customer. I think they had three solid weeks of production of the special glass, which they are finished with, and now they're playing catch-up to restock their regular product in the warehouse.
Paul brought home some squares of the glass they produced. The regular glass has a bluish-greenish tint to it. The special order was called "crystal clear" and it has a greatly reduced iron content. Iron gives glass its green hue. The customer was using it in producing solar energy - obviously, the clearer the glass, the more light can pass through, the more energy produced, etc.
I thought I'd tell you a little about how glass is made where Paul works. Obviously, this is just a general idea from what he's told me and from touring the plant myself (and a bit from a cheat sheet he brought home for me).
The main raw materials used to make glass are sand (silica), soda ash, limestone, dolomite, salt cake, carbon, and rouge (which contains iron). They are mixed in what is called a "batch charger" and move into the furnace where they are heated to around 1500 degrees Celsius. There is the melter (where the materials melt) and refiner furnace (where bubbles and "seeds" are eliminated), which then feeds into the "tin bath". The glass floats on top of molten tin where it is stretched with machines to the proper width and thickness (much like taffy). When it reaches the end of the tin bath it is lifted out rollers, and gradually cooled in the "Lehr hall". There is also a coater at the tin bath exit which coats the glass, if required. The plant can produce E2, TCO, and now EPS coatings. As it heads from the furnace to the "cold end" (where Paul works), it is inspected for flaws both mechanically and manually. Then it is cut into the specified sizes. Automated stackers pick up the "lites" from the rollers and stack them in racks. Then fork trucks pick up the racks and move them to the warehouse. At various points along the line "piano keys" can drop any defective glass or "scraps" into the cullet crushers below. The "cullet" is then crushed and returned to the top of the furnace to be re-melted and reused.
That is a very general run-down of what happens at Paul's work. Paul proof-read this and corrected my mistakes in how the process works. It is very interesting (and kind of amazing) to see in person. If you're ever in the area, I'd encourage you to stop by and ask for a tour of the plant. You get to wear a hard hat, goggles, and a sexy orange safety vest.

Randomness

A la JC, prepare for the bulleted list:

• T-minus 9 days. So close, yet so far away.
• A mouse (a rather large-sounding mouse... It had BETTER not be a rat) woke me up this morning scratching and running in the wall of our bedroom. Totally gross.
• I think when Nathan gets a potty ring on his backside it's totally adorable.
• I think his tushie in general is totally adorable. Is this a normal mommy thing, or am I twisted?
• I'd forgotten that hot beef sandwiches (bread/mashed potatoes/brown gravy with chunks of beef) are probably one of my favorite meals ever. Especially when paired with last-of-the-garden green beans that have lots of bacon and onions in them. (We just don't have it that often because even though it includes two of my favorites, these also happen to be two of Paul's least favorites - mashed potatoes, gravy.)
• Operation Keep the House Clean by Visiting Relatives was a failure. Even though we were gone most of the day yesterday hanging out and helping my dad on the farm, the house still got just as dirty. I guess I failed to realize that even if we are gone, Nathan will still play with toys, I will still cook meals, and we will still wear clothes. Same amount of picking up to do, just less time to do it in.
• It's my last day of babysitting until after the baby arrives. I'm taking four weeks off starting next week.
• The boys I babysit stayed home sick yesterday with coughs. I hope to God whatever they have isn't contagious, because I do not want to be coughing while trying to push a baby out.
• This is also the last week of praise and worship until November 15. Practice is tonight. And I've actually already got two songs picked out!
• I cut my mom's hair last week. And did a dang good job, if I don't say so myself. Of course a straight-across chop is a lot easier than layers.
• Although, I was so proud of my work, that the same evening, I fixed the layers in my own hair. And I'm really happy with how it looks. (The front of my hair/bangs had grown out faster than the rest of the layer, so I cut them shorter.)
• After about 5 days in a row of Nathan pooping in his underpants, we've had two victorious days of him going in the potty (hopefully not just because he happened to be sans pants at the time). We'll see how today goes.
• Pooped-in underpants are a whole new level of gross. Not because of the poop - having used cloth diapers, I'm familiar and okay with the process of removing poop from fabric. It's the process of getting the poopy underpants off of him without smearing it all the way down his legs. And keeping his hands out of it.
• It's cold. Not that it's been an excessively warm summer/fall to begin with, but the sudden onslaught of 40-degree days, clouds/rain, and howling north wind is a bit much.
• And it's supposed to be Friday before we see the sun again.
• I will be making a pie this week. We're having a pie social for Pastor Appreciation this weekend. I was going to make Caramel Apple, but am selfish - if I'm going to put the effort into a caramel apple pie, I want Paul and I to be able to enjoy it ourselves. So I will be trying a new recipe called Cherry-Berry: cherries, blueberries, raspberries..
• So far, the only word or phrase that I've used that Nathan has repeated has been, "Oh, geez." Not that it's horrible, I just would rather he doesn't say it.
• Good thing he was in the bath, though, when I watched this video. I used a consiberably worse phrase.
• This is the eighth week that Paul has worked 6 days a week. I am so ready to have him home again, so I can nag him into doing work for me (I feel guilty asking him to do a bunch of stuff for me after he's just got home, or on his only day off - even though I have asked some). Although I would much rather have him on 8 hour shifts than the 12s he's doing this week - he got home at 8 last night (after leaving at 5:30), and he was so tired we didn't do much more than eat supper and put Nathan to bed before we went to bed ourselves.
• I get the Thomas (trains) theme song stuck in my head every time I hear it. And it's playing again. Grr.
• Am I bad for not wanting to let the boys watch a video they brought? If their mom says that the 4 year old doesn't like the first two scenes, I'm not sure I want to expose my two year old to it. (It's Monsters vs. Aliens.)
• I think part of my reason for being so careful about what imaginary (tv) things my son sees is due to my overactive imagination and dream life. I know how things I see affect me, so I don't want my son to have to deal with them before he can understand things on TV aren't real.
• This computer table is a a real crap pile. I should do something about it.
• But why do something about it when I can avoid it? I'm working on more important things - like this blog. And stalking people on Facebook.

Well, the coffee needs a re-charge. And I think that's about as much randomness as those not accustomed to my rambling can handle.

And PS - he pooped in his underwear again. GRR.

Two Weeks to Go

After the first 6 months dragging by, then the summer absolutely flying by, now the last couple weeks are just d...r....a....g....g....i...n....g..... It's so soon now! But the doctor says I'm not close (which can change in a matter of hours, I'm sure). And for now - I'm just fine with not being close! I found out my doctor is going to be gone next week. Paul is also working 72 hours - 12 hour shifts Monday-Saturday - and will actually be gone 5:30 AM to 8 PM every day. So if there would ever be an inconvenient time to have the baby, it would be next week. But apparently my doctor is confident enough that it's not going to happen that she told me I can skip coming in next week (since the only day she's there would be three days after yesterday's checkup), and just come in the following Monday (10 days between appointments). And maybe it's not confidence - maybe she'd rather I not know if things are looking like they're getting closer so that I don't stress and worry while she's gone. (And maybe she doesn't want to stress and worry!)
I know any doctor can deliver a baby, but there's the familiarity of having your own doctor - having 9 months of "bonding" during checkups, not to mention having her there for my whole pregnancy and delivery with Nathan! And, in our town, she's the only female doctor. Now I know these male doctors deliver babies probably every day, but to me - having a woman, who has the same parts, and has had two kids herself.... It's a bit more comforting!
But I've started telling myself that every little twinge is not a contraction. Babies shove. And push. And stretch. That's probably all I've been feeling. It's gotta be getting boring in there after almost 9 months, so he's just exploring the confines of the womb.
Paul has decided to go ahead and take vacation starting the Monday before I'm due. I thought at first that I wanted him to keep going to work, so he could have more time to help me after the baby arrives, but then I realized that he needed a few days to catch up on sleep and things around here so that he actually can help me after the baby gets here! And hopefully his schedule will be back to Monday-Thursday by the time he goes back to work, so it won't feel like he's gone absolutely all the time.
I'm definitely nesting. Operation Keep the House Clean has been going really well. The kitchen and dining room are picked up almost every day (or maybe I should put it as they are "almost picked up every day" - I do some cleaning every day). I sweep them about every 2 days. The living room gets deep cleaned (toys sorted and counted, DVDs put away, floor vacuumed) about twice a week. The bathroom could use a little picking up right now, but I have cleaned the toilet and wiped off the counter this week. I'm working on Nathan's room today. I've sorted stuff and picked up in there recently, but not done any sweeping or vacuuming (who wants to haul the vacuum up those stairs, anyhow?). I'm kind of at a stand-still until Paul wakes up, because Nathan's bed needs moved, mainly so I can move the area rug out from under it, so that the rug is actually being used. I scrubbed the hard-wood floor on my hands and knees using a brush - for two reasons: 1/the wood is so old (and the finish so bad) it would catch the fibers on a mop, and 2/there's apparently been a lot of milk dribbles up there. The part of the floor I've gotten done looks SO much better - and actually kind of pretty! I really need Paul to build me some book/storage shelves for all the children's books I've recently acquired - they're just sitting around in boxes. Also, I've realized that some of his toys (matchbox cars especially) are going to have to be somewhere that a curious crawling baby can't chew on them, so his room is the likely area. (Another reason I need to get that rug moved - so it can be a play mat.)
We'll see what nesting projects I can come up with next week to fill my time. Or maybe I'll get the house clean and visit family/friends next week so that we're not home to get it dirty? My dad mentioned harvesting corn........
Well, I think I'm going to go finish the movie I started last night and repaint my toenails (if I can reach them). I figure if I'm going to have my feet in stirrups, the least I can do is have them looking their best. :)

Immunizations

I'd like to start off by stating that I am not anti-immunization. I think that immunizations are great and have done wonderful things for the health of society world wide. Also, I have nothing against you if you have decided for your child to get all of their recommended immunizations at the recommended times.
What got me thinking about this was when I went to the hospital to fill out my pre-admission paperwork (a bajillion questions about your health history). They asked me if I wanted to have my baby immunized for Hepatitis B at birth. I read over the information sheet, and I wonder why the heck they recommend newly-born babies be immunized for this desease! Basically the only way you can contract it is through sex or sharing needles with someone who is infected. It does mention that a baby can be infected by "contact with a mother's blood or body fluids at time of birth." So that makes sense..... Or not. Because by the time the baby has been birthed and is able to receive the shot, they've already been exposed. And someone is not considered fully protected until they've had the entire series of shots (3 months later). Paul phrased it as, "There's no need for it when they're just out of the chute." (Lovely imagery.)
Nathan has been immunized for Hepatitis B (only because he could get it in the same shot as another - when he was 3 months old), Polio, Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. And he didn't get immunized for any of those when he was "supposed" to. I refused to let him get more than one shot at a time.
I consider the ones he's been immunized for the "dangerous" diseases. And maybe not all of them (like Measles, Mumps and Rubella are all together in one shot) are dangerous, but I wanted him protected against mumps (can cause sterilization in males), so he got the MMR shot. Polio can cause permanent damage to nerves/paralysis. Pertussis (whooping cough) can be deadly in a short amount of time. These are what I wanted Nathan protected against, so these are all I've had him protected against.
The flu vaccine is recommended, and so is a chicken pox vaccine. Whereas I wouldn't enjoy it if Nathan contracted one of these illnesses, the likelihood that he'd die from it are very slim. I read that when given statistics of how many children die from things like these, they don't take into account what type of living situations they are coming from (such as druggie parents, who neglect their children). Also a lot of the things we're immunizing children against are not a big deal if you just pay attention to your child and take care of them when they're sick. The recommended vaccines Nathan will probably get when he's older, I just saw no reason for him to recieve them when he's not going to be exposed to them. (Although the flu shot he will probably never recieve - that's a whole 'nother rant!)
Some moms have told me, "Well, I just don't have the time to research it." It took me all of a couple hours one afternoon to research ALL of the vaccines. I had a sheet that listed the routine immunizations, and I opened the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) government website, and a "responsibility in immunizations" website, and then Googled the disease to see what it was. I jotted down notes and made my decisions from there.
Part of it also is pity for my child - if I followed the schedule, they are to recieve something like 20 shots by the time they're a year old. I just couldn't do that to my baby. I also don't think that they're little developing bodies need the added stress of dealing with an antibody.
And I'm not anti-medicine. I take Nathan to the doctor when he's sick - if he's REALLY sick. I don't take him for every cough or sniffle. I see nothing wrong with doctors, but I think medicating our children (and ourselves) for every little thing can actually cause more harm than good. (And as an aside, I don't medicate with homeopathic remedies either.)
Anyhow.
That's my rambling rant and thoughts on immunizations.

Frustrating

I have officially reached the point in my pregnancy where shirts no longer cover my belly. Even maternity shirts.
Do you know how frustrating and embarrassing it is to be waddling up to walk into a store, and catch a glimpse of my reflection and see my white belly hanging out the bottom of my shirt? I'm sure it looks pretty klassy to others, too.
And the frustrating thing is - I don't feel that big! I finally have adjusted to my size, apparently. I struggle to get out of bed and off the couch, but don't really have trouble bending over or anything else. I wish my clothes would have learned to cooperate, because I've still got three weeks left! Is this a common problem for women, or it it just because I'm tall?
I'm going to have to go through Paul's shirts and confiscate a few. I already have claimed one that's nice and long. I just don't want to stretch them out for him.
I'll just have to double check anything I wear to church or elsewhere in public.

Nathan.....

...has been walking (running!) for over a year now. I can't believe how fast time has flown.
...is 37 inches tall.
...weighs 32 pounds. (I think those measurements may be a bit skewed due to the boots he was wearing.)
...has a surprisingly large vocabulary, with some words that even surprise me. He pointed out a "snail" when he saw one on a TV show, and I couldn't figure out where he'd even heard that word before.
...loves milk. Still. He'd be on an all-liquid diet if we let him.
...still doesn't let you kiss him. You have to "steal" kisses, and if you're aiming for his mouth, you usually will get his teeth because he's giggling.
...looks a lot like Doug (Paul's dad) in his facial features (especially his mouth), and is built just like Paul. But I still catch glimpses of myself.
...would rather be naked.
...is probably 95% potty trained. He maybe has a 2 accidents a week (usually when he's playing with friends and highly distracted). I only wish he could go by himself and didn't need help with his clothes.
...is nowhere close to being nighttime/naptime potty trained. (But that's only one-two diapers a day!)
...is rather dramatic. Telling him he can't put parmesan cheese on cereal could (and probably will) incite a meltdown.
...has a very strong will. And I need to develop a backbone to match, rather than giving in so much.
...loves TV. And watches way too much of it, because I'm a lazy mother. (In my defense, I think I do a pretty good job of monitoring what he's watching.)
...loves his cowboy boots. He wears them all the time. All. The. Time. Even when he's not wearing pants.
...doesn't understand anything about a "baby in Mommy's belly" but thinks my big belly and outie belly button are hillarious.
...would rather play with any toy that has wheels. We have blocks, puzzles, books, stuffed animals, etc, but he still plays with cars, trains, or tractors 90% of the time.
...hates vegetables. No matter how I cook it or disguise it, they get spit out. But I keep putting them on his plate, hoping he'll try them again.
...loves his grandpas. Doug because he will always play/explore with him, my dad because he gets to ride tractors with him.
...has yet to say "I love you." To anyone.
...will not say please. (Strong will?)
...loves the sandbox Paul built under the playset. He will randomly collect a few tractors and just walk outside - with or without pants/shoes.
...is going through a stage of hating baths. Which is getting really old.

......has absolutely no idea how much his world is about to change.
But I really do think he's going to be a good big brother.
Eventually.

I Like These Cravings!

Every once in a while, I'll get a real craving for a salad. Totally weird, but I'm not going to complain. (I probably crave it because my body is getting dangerously low on nutrients from vegetables - something we don't eat nearly enough of.)
All this week, even though I had a weird stomach/intestinal thing on Tuesday, I've been thinking how great this salad sounds.
Now, normally, I'm not one for "hoity-toity" foods. Bleu cheese? I'll settle for cheddar. Spring greens? I'll take a head of plain ol' lettuce. But when Paul's cousin Amy fixed this salad for us last year, I knew I'd never be happy with plain ol' again. (However, plain ol' is what we usually have. Because I'm lazy. And my husband likes it better.)
I don't know what to call it, so I'll just call it this:

Fancy Salad

• 1 bag Spring Greens (or Field Greens, depends on the brand) salad mix
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• crumbled bleu cheese
• candied pecans (I use plain, because they're easier to find)
• olives
• 1 pear, finely sliced
• dressing: equal amounts balsamic vinegar and olive oil

I also add some plain lettuce (not iceberg) to make it go further. I usually make the "salad" part (green stuff) and store it in the fridge, then add the rest whenever I'm ready to eat, since Paul's not particularly fond of this recipe (he fixes his own salad, his own way). You just toss the ingredients all together and enjoy!
Today, I forgot to get the pear at the store, so I used an apple instead. It's not bad, but the pear is definitely better. And if the dressing is too strong, add a little water to tone down the vinegar.
It may not sound good in writing, but you have to try it. It's the perfect blend of tangy and sweet. It's a great "company salad" - the type you may not fix every day, but it will impress the guests. In fact, I'm making it for our church potluck on Sunday.
My only complaint is that I can't seem to keep the toppings evenly distributed as I eat the salad, and I get to the bottom of the bowl, and there's a pile of blue cheese, pecans, and olives. But I have this trouble on any type of salad, so maybe it's just my eating technique.