Rainy Days and Mondays

It was quite an eventful day here on Monday. I was pretty impressed with all the things I was able to get done. I made chocolate chip cookies, got the birth announcements addressed, did a load of laundry, finished the ironing, and, oh yeah, had to call a plumber and vacuum up all the water when our sewer backed up in the basement!! Thank goodness for Shop Vac and an empty steam cleaner. I think in total we vacuumed up about 30 gallons of water. Don't really know what clogged the main line, but luckily the basement slopes and the water remained in about a 10 x 10 foot area. We think the carpet is salvagable because the t.p. and black goop stayed in the concrete area. Good thing. (One moment while I stand up and cheer b/c Albert just hit a homerun).................. I'm back. Anyway, we are going to get it professionally cleaned in another week or so so all should be back to normal. You would think all that excitement would send me into labor... no such luck.

In case you were wondering...

Still no baby. I think this little guy is getting a little too warm and cozy. Although I can't complain because I am able to get stuff done. Plus, the final DVD's for Lost Season 2 came today so we should be all caught up by the end of weekend (barring any overnight trips to MOBAP) :)

Bathroom Redo

With the exception of baseboards and moving the medicine cabinet, the bathroom is done. We are pretty pleased with the results considering we did most of it ourself. I learned quite a bit about plumbing since I installed the faucet. Those p-traps can be quite tricky. At some point we will redo our master bath as well, but it will probably be at least a year or so.

Busy Day

We started off the day at Faust Park with a photo shoot for a birth DVD we are having done for us. Carlie was a real ham, and I know Dorinda was able to get some good shots of her. Then, we stuck around and let Carlie play on the new playground.
After that we went to the Homecoming game for Parkway North. We left after the 3rd quarter, but I think North probably pulled it off because they were winning against Rockwood Summit 34-7 when we left. So, they should still be undefeated. Carlie really enjoyed herself. It took her till about the end of the 1st quarter to stop yelling "Go Cards!" "Go Albert" and "Go Scotty Rolen".

Trivia Go Go (A week late)

Well we enjoyed the latest trivia night with the crew. It was Music Theme and had it not been for Whitney, we probably would have won the booby prize. We ended up coming in fifth or sixth, but it was actually all her (and Mike getting a few from some chick flick movies he was "forced" to watch- I'm rolling my eyes- because we all know he really does enjoy them). So now we have to look forward to the next one and will hopefully do better.

Any Day Now?

Well, that is what the doctor thinks. He said he would be very surprised if I didn't have the baby earlier than the due date. The dilation is at 3cm, and he said the baby is very low. We'll see. I'm still not having a ton of contractions or anything, but I guess that could change quickly. I have other stuff to post but can't get the photos uploaded for some reason. Maybe I will try again tomorrow.

Will they make it back in time??

That is the big question as to whether Grammy and Papa will make it back from Down Under in time for the birth. At the appt. today the baby has completely dropped into place and I am 2cm dilated. The doctor said I could really go into labor at any time. This was the same situation with Carlie this far out and nothing ever happened though so it is probably no big deal. But, I do have a lot I want to get done beforehand. All the baby clothes have been washed and the nursery is ready to go...

Another Sports Commentary

I couldn't go very long without giving a big "Whoo-Hoo" to the Illini for beating Michigan State in Lansing over the weekend! It is no secret how much I despise MSU after working with a bunch of Sparties when I worked for the Pistons, but I digress. I about fell out of my chair when I saw the final score. I figured it best not to subject myself to watching the game since I have such little faith in them right now. We have a big week ahead, finishing the bathroom, Mike's birthday, and another Trivia Night on Friday!! More exciting postings to come (along with doctor visit updates.)

Thank you, Atlanta

Hats off to the Braves for beating the Astros and allowing the Cardinals to make the playoffs again this year. They definitely would have lost it, otherwise (and me too-lost it that is). Maybe with such low expectations this year, the Cards might actually win the series. Well, we shall see, but at least it makes for at least one more week of good television viewing.

In Shock

You are probably wondering why it has taken so long for me to talk about the issue with the Cardinals. I am still in shock that they have lost 7 in a row, and are about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and lose the NL Central to the Stros and not even make the playoffs. I was planning on watching them in the World Series during labor but now I may have to find something else to do. Is it college basketball season yet?? Grrrr... At least Missouri can be proud to have the lowest gas prices in the nation. We are down to $1.99 a gallon and if you live in the boot hill, it is $1.80. I just hope it keeps going down.

Only 3 1/2 Weeks to Go

Yesterday I had my latest doctor appt. and everything seems to be going okay. I am looking forward to my back pain going away. I haven't been getting much sleep because of it. Anyway, should know at my next appt. if I have started dilating, etc. Have gained 20 lbs. so far.

Feeding the animals

Today after finishing the lunchtime dishes, I found several of Carlie's animals eating their lunches. I thought it was really cute how she lined them all up and gave them each a bowl so I had to take a picture. She's going to make a great big sister.

Craft Time

Yesterday, Carlie and I made spiders out of pipe cleaners and pom poms for our weekly craft time. Luckily, I have an arts and crafts book now for 3-9 year olds with lots of ideas (thanks, mom). Being born with an analytical mind, there is not much creativity in my bones to come up with stuff like this.

36 Weeks

Here is the 36 weeks picture taken yesterday. I start my weekly visits now with the next one being tomorrow. Getting excited to have the baby so I won't be pregnant anymore. I am starting to really feel miserable and getting very very large. Now that the home improvement is almost complete, I can start laundering the baby clothes and continue the nesting process.

34 Weeks

I will keep this brief. This is the 34 weeks picture for anyone who cares.

Another Movie Review

Poseidon- Overall, I thought this movie was entertaining. It helps to have a leading man who is easy on the eyes. It got the point across in less time than the original which was kind of nice. There is a lot of death and peril so not a movie for the little ones. Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert!... unless you are white or gay, you do not survive in this movie. The expendable minority characters (like in all movies) all go down with the ship.

Still A Boy

Yes, we are still having a boy! The ultrasound yesterday confirmed it, and I think this time I actually believe it. Now, I have so much to do... pre-ordering birth announcements, washing clothes, scrapbooking, cleaning, finishing the bathroom. I could go on and on. Anyway, he is growing fine and right now weighs 3 pounds. Only 7 1/2 weeks to go. Pretty scary. I should get a 32 week picture up by the weekend. I feel so huge.

Morning at the Zoo

This morning we met Perrin and Lia at the zoo. Carlie and Lia seemed to have a nice time. We took them on the carousel, but they refused to ride any of the animals so we just sat on a bench and went round and round.

I think they enjoyed the Sea Lion Show, but probably not as much as I did.

Hopefully we can make it a few more times as it gets cooler before the baby comes so more of the animals will be out. The nice thing was that it is practically deserted once school starts so you don't have to deal with a ton of people.

Movie Review

We are still watching Season 1 of Lost and won't be renting any other movies until we are finished with that. The reviews should start again in the next week or so because we only have 6 episodes left to watch.

28 Weeks

Yes, I know, this photo is two weeks late in posting, but at least I did it. Only 10 weeks to go now. My next visit I will meet the doctor that will be taking over for mine. Hopefully, he is nice. I also have another ultrasound scheduled just so they can check the size of the baby and make sure he is growing okay. So far, he is growing at the same rate as Carlie, which is normal, just on the small side. They think he will weigh around 6-6 1/2 pounds at birth. I am hoping at the ultrasound they can get another clear shot so I can truly see it is a boy.

New Home for Pinto

Pinto, Carlie's horse, has a new home. He has been moved to the nursery so Carlie will sleep in her new room. For some reason she is just terrified of the horse. I think she is afraid of the noise it makes (plays Lone Ranger theme and neighs) when you squeeze its ear. It also moves its head up and down. I'm sure once baby brother starts playing with it, she will quickly get over her fear.

Mississippi

Fortunately, we were able to get down to visit Aunt Beck Beck and Uncle Ray before the baby is born. This will be the last trip of any kind we take for quite some time. Oxford was a unique town with definite signs of "Old South". Ole Miss campus was really beautiful. The Square had lots of boutiques and restaurants which were nice as well. Becky drove me past John Grisham's house which you can see in the photo. There are also several other celebs that live in the area. The one downside is you have to drive through Memphis to get there, and their interstate system is quite poor (and that is an understatement).

Cardinal Baseball

We had a fun time with Grammy and PaPa at the baseball game. Luckily the Cards won 7-1. I would have to say the new Busch Stadium is quite nice, and I highly recommend the party rooms.
When the weather is 100 degrees, it is nice to have access to a/c. I think I ate enough to justify the ticket price. I had 5 diet cokes, 2 hot dogs, 3 brownies, and 3 nachos with cheese. It was all quite tasty. Carlie had fun too. She got tuckered out around the 4th inning though and managed to catch some zzz's on Papa.

Camp Carliebear

Carlie had her last day of Toddler Camp today. She had so much fun the last two weeks. She got the Brave Award. I was kind of hoping she would get best listener or smartest kid (if they even do that), but she can't win everything I guess. I think it was because she would start crying whenever I would drop her off, but she was fine once I left. They are wanting her to come back in the fall so we will see how the schedule is. I think she liked making the bird feeder best (basically a bagel with peanut butter and birdseed).

Monday Movie Review

I decided to do a little movie review of some movies we have rented lately so anyone who wants ideas on what to rent, I will try to give my two cents.

Failure to Launch, or the more appropriate title, Failure to Laugh, was ridiculous. It did have a few funny parts, but overall was quite dumb. I typically enjoy any movie with Matthew McConaghey, but this was not the case. And, I could have lived happily the rest of my life without seeing Terry Bradshaw's naked backside!!! How will I ever watch Fox NFL Sunday again??

Lost, Season 1: Right now, we are sucked in to what is going on on this strange island. There are still a lot of characters to get to know, and I am hoping it stays interesting. Although I did hear Season 2 got really stupid so we shall wait and see. At least so far I recommend it.

What's the Deal?

With the Cardinals? They can't beat the AL, and now they can't beat the Cubs!! How embarrassing! Now, Pujols is day to day with his hyperextended elbow. He better be playing on Sunday when we are at the game (and they better win)!!!

Disappointment on the Clearance Shelf

I've learned over the years if you see something on the clearance rack, you better grab it or it will be gone. Well, I got burned again. I was at Home Goods while Carlie was at camp this morning and found the cutest wall hanging print for her room that matched her colors exactly for $10. Since it was quite heavy for me to be lugging around the store, I went to get a cart up front. When I returned with the cart, I noticed a lady with a little girl and she had it in her cart. Grrrr... I guess it wasn't meant to be, but my sadness is great. Maybe I will find something similar elsewhere.

I'm Back

Hello... I have several things to post but I just realized Carlie is not taking a nap. She was tucked in but has now managed to get out of bed, open her door and is parading around the upstairs. I better go check and see what she is up to... I'm back. Carlie was pulling her stuffed animals around the kitchen in a laundry basket. I guess there is no nap today. Oh well, that just means earlier bedtime. I will try to get some stuff from last week posted as well.

Safe from the Storms

Thankfully, unlike most people in the St. Louis area, we came out of the storms pretty much unharmed. We never lost power, phones or had any downed trees so we are very lucky. Mike's work did lose power, but he was able to go to one of their other buildings to get some stuff done. They are hoping to have it up and running by Monday.

Busch Stadium is now reviewing their safety procedures for storms due the injuries caused by several of the press box windows getting blown out and flying glass going everywhere. There were also overturned concession carts that caused injuries as well. They will also have to replace the tarp since the one on the field was shredded. (Glad we didn't have tickets to that game.)

We are looking forward to some cooler temps this weekend and can hopefully spend some time outside.

Aquaport Adventure

Yesterday we went to Aquaport to cool off from the 100+ heat index. Carlie spent most of her time splashing around in the kiddie pool. She did manage to take some time to sit in the shade and have a cold one (sip of water). We also rode around the lazy river which was not her favorite thing once the buckets of water would tip over on us. (I found it quite refreshing). Now we are just trying to figure out which free museums to go to this week to stay out of the heat.

Fun at the Mall

After Carlie's haircut (notice the new placement of the hairbow), we went to the mall so she could run around. She really enjoys the playland.
I was impressed with how fast she runs, just a blur in the camera, I know.
Actually I think it has more to do with the photographer not knowing if there is an action shot setting on the camera. She was a little intimidated by this boy that kept chasing after her wanting to play.

She just kept giving him the brush off till he got the message. I felt bad for the little guy. We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, using Daddy's gift card he got from the lacrosse team. Carlie consumed 4 slices of the brown bread as well as 4 banana slices, 2 white bread slices, and 2 chicken strips. I was amazed, but glad because it kept her occupied so I could eat my lunch.

Carlie's First Haircut

Well, she didn't actually get a hair "cut", more like a trim to even things out. We went to Cool Cuts for Kids. I probably won't go back. Not that the lady did a bad job, but it took less time than it does for Dora to cross the troll bridge. After careful observation of the procedure, I think I could do just as good of a job for free. Carlie did do a very good job, and sat very still.
That may have had something do with them having a tv so she could watch Dora. She did think it was fun, again because she got to see Dora, but I think she was a little skeptical of the hairbow placement/"style" at the end.

Cardinal Kudos

Finally, I have to give kudos to the Cards for pulling a victory out of their behind yesterday and making it two in a row. You do have to give some credit to the Astros and Mr. Lidge though for tossing us some softballs to blast over the wall. And to the Fox Network, please learn that it isn't over until it is over and refrain from giving Player of the Game kudos until the game is over. Granted we were down to our last strike- twice- buwahahahaha...

Yes, You have an Uncle Sean

Carlie also got to see her Aunt Heather and Uncle Sean. She hadn't seen Sean since she was 8 months old. They read books to her and kept Ginger at a safe distance. I was hoping to get a picture of Carlie and Ginger together but Carlie never got close enough to her.

4th of July

We had a fun time down in Kentucky. Carlie had lots of fun with her Aunt Casey playing with Casey's childhood Rainbow Brite and My Little Pony toys. She also performed her first recital of Cat in the Hat Comes Back. We were able to get a lot of it on video. Including the part where Casey just couldn't figure out why they didn't just wipe up the pink spots. Carlie did play with The Cheet (the chinchilla), but didn't want to have much to do with "Cousin Ginger Baby Dog" even though she says she was not afraid of her. She did manage to play a little croquet as well.

24 Weeks- Only 16 to go

I guess I could have at least put on some mascara for my photo shoot. Oh well.