Who Needs Ultrasounds When You Have Madame Zaritsaka?

It is no secret that I want to know the sex of our third child and I want to know it NOW. I have a lot of friends and family who don't find out or are pregnant and not finding out and I salute them, but I am a planner and a control freak, and I need to know. So ever since, I don't know, the day we found out we were pregnant I have been guessing, checking old wives tales, chinese calendars and gender quizzes to the point that my husband just sighs at the mention of the babies gender.

A few days after my first appointment I enrolled in an on-line pregnancy board on babycenter.com. It's been really nice to read the posts there and I have even posted about not 'feeling' pregnant and the women there have been very comforting and friendly and sometime have wonderful advice. This evening one of them suggested that I visit her on-line virtual clairvoyant to find out what we're having.

With little hesitation I went right to Madame Zaritsaka's website and answered her questions as honestly as possible (I mean I don't know if I like Pine or Lavender scented things better, you know?). And here is what she told me...

The day you deliver, outside will be dark. Your baby will arrive in the late evening. After a labor lasting approximately 4 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 11 ounces, and will be 22 inches long. This child will have dark violet eyes and some brown hair.

I am really excited, I mean 4 hours sounds wonderful after my last experience and 8 lbs 11 oz. sounds a little bigger than I would like but she goes around telling alot of women they are having 14 or 16 lb. babies so I guess I should consider myself lucky. But the best thing of all is I don't have to wonder any longer, I now know I'm having a boy. Except, of course when I changed Lavender to Pine and the baby became a 15 lb. girl.

When we found out we were pregnant I thought instantly it was a girl, and they say a mother's intuition is blah, blah, blah or something but really I have no idea, the chinese gender calendar has really made me unsure of myself. And Todd thinks the baby is a boy. I just know one thing, we ARE finding out.

End of April here we come.

Because I Know You All Were Just As Distraught As I Was.

We called Sam's last night just to make sure no one had turned in Coop's shoe and someone had. We ran right over this morning to pick it up. We're still not spending more than $20 on shoes for a while but I am really glad we got the shoe back.

And because every child needs a plethora of shoes I bought some Crocs the other day for $10. I was really anti-Crocs, although I'd never owned a pair, but the mothers at Romp N' Roll love them and they're the only shoes they can keep on at Romp N' Roll so when I found some cheap I said what the heck, we're only in a recession, right?

Gosh I'm Getting Old

This morning I was perusing some blogs of my friends and family when I came upon my nieces most recent post. In it she used a term that I did not understand and decided to look on-line for some sort of translation. My buddy Ed had told me about this site called Urban Dictionary so I went there to look up the term.

It appears that bomb dot com is a term meaning better than the rest and is usually saved for only the coolest people and things. For example, That muffin was the bomb dot com.

The main reason I was interested is because this has happened to me a lot lately. I have come across blogs or been having conversations with people that I didn't even understand because of the terminology. I feel like I am so behind on the times.

Urban Dictionary can be very helpful in these situations and I have already learned quite a bit.

For example I learned about laundry limbo (rewashing clothes because you're too lazy to put them away) and kitchenheimer's (when you can't recall why you're in the kitchen) and cybersplode (to explode in anger over something read on the internet).

I wish I'd known about cybersploding last week.

IYKWIM...AITYD.

If the shoe fits it might fall off.

Cooper has wide fat feet that make it hard to shoe him. The length of his feet would make him maybe a size four or five but the width of them make those sizes too small. We have bought the kid numerous shoes just to see him outgrow them with little or no wear. In November, when we were Christmas shopping at Potomac Mills we got each of the kids Vans from the Van Outlet. They were cute, especially Bailey's, but they weren't exactly cheap. Coop has worn them about three times since Christmas. They are easy to put on him, but that also makes them easy to slip off.

Yesterday we went out for a quick morning run to Toys 'R Us and Sam's. When we were leaving Sam's and putting Cooper in the car I noticed one of his shoes missing. People always seem to point this out when I have confiscated one of his shoes but Saturday it went unnoticed by everyone. I immediately went back in and covered every square inch of the store and asked at Customer Service with no luck. When I got to the car with no shoe Todd went back in to look. Neither of us had any luck finding the shoe and being unable to give up the search for this $12 shoe we headed back to Toys 'R Us. I scoured the parking lot, the carts, every aisle we'd been on and even some we hadn't as well as leaving my name and number with the manager. I know I sound desperate but we're in a recession and I really didn't feel like parting with those shoes this soon.

We have decided there is now a $20 limit on our kids shoes until, I don't know grade school, and that slip-ons are maybe not the best choice for Cooper despite how adorable they appear in a little box.

You Didn't Think I'd Stop Blogging Did You?

Because I'm not. I've been wanting to change my url for a while anyways, I just didn't want to lose all of my many readers. Now that it appears I am more popular than ever, I figured I would go ahead and change that URL. Unfortunately, everyone is so crazy and wise ass were already taken so I really had to dig deep to find something that would work.

Then I thought of this, and it just seemed so...I don't know fitting?




I have changed my philosophy on life and blogging over the past few days and I am really hoping that good change will come from this disaster upon us. I was able to import all of my blogs to my new blog and am in the process of going through every single one of them. But I have two kids and an increasingly dirty house and a lot of those posts weren't very good so I may just give up in the next day or so. I don't imagine I will have many other readers who want to read my entire blog catalog the whole way through, maybe even twice, so I am not too worried about losing a portion of my old posts.

So I've changed my url, and my profile name, and my mission statement, but other than that it's the same as it ever was.

Song 9

Because you're all dying for something new to listen to. Again, Amazon recommended these guys to me and they were right on.

Fleet Foxes:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Ward says I should have saved "In Your Eyes" for my number one, but I just love the song I picked for today, it came to mind immediately when I heard about this little countdown, and it's one of my all time favorite songs. However, please excuse the my choice of video but 'Valley Girl' is where I first heard this song and it is this song coupled with Nicholas Cage dancing down her sidewalk that originally earned the song a warm spot in my heart.

Modern English "I Melt With You"



Wasn't Nick Cage a hottie back then?

Cracker "Guarded By Monkeys"




I can't get GlowDay to make my poll this morning, so today we are going to try something a little different. You will post a comment (go ahead, it won't hurt, we promise) letting us know which of these songs you would dedicate to your Valentine or which song we should have choosen as our number one.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

This Is Almost Over

I hope you are all just giddy with excitement as we countdown these last few 'relationship' songs. I hope you are tapping your feet and swaying and counting down the moments until your loved ones are off of work, or home from Target, or whatever. I'm cooking up something good for Ward and I don't mean with like chocolate and flour. Actually, I'm not cooking at all, that was just a means to tell you I'm scheming.

So anyways, for today...

U2 "All I Want Is You"



Tom Petty "Here Comes My Girl"



Tom Petty Here Comes My Girl Music via Noolmusic.com



Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Coming in at number three...

I tell you they're just getting better and better.

R.E.M. 'You Are the Everything'



Peter Gabriel 'In Your Eyes'





Get This - Survey Results - GlowDay.com

This Will Be The Day

I have decided I hate naming posts. It's just something that takes too much time and effort and never comes out sounding the way I meant it to. So please, just ignore them and remember that they're only here for organizational reasons.



Now on to my actual post. In the past twelve hours I have had two new friend requests on my facebook. This in and of itself is amazing because I am not that popular and never get friend requests. But seeing that I was always picked last for dodgeball, I'm not at all surprised. But what is even more surprising to me, maybe not to you, is that the friend requests came that close together and are from my mom, yep you heard me right and my half-sister (my dad's child from a previous marriage).

I May Find This One More Difficult Than You

James 'Sometimes'




The Cure 'Lovesong'



Cure - Love Song - Music Video via Noolmusic.com



Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Is this getting Tedious yet?

R.E.M.
The One I Love





INXS
Never Tear Us Apart




Get This - Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Today we bring you...

Paul Westerburg 'Dyslexic Heart'



Bright Eyes 'First Day of My Life'





Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Forever is a really long time

For your entertainment:










Get This - Survey Results - GlowDay.com

And the countdown continues...

For Your Consideration.

Songs Number 8.






Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Really, I'm Not Ignoring Them

If you have noticed that I have posted like four blog posts today and if you happen to be the recipient of upteen emails from me this afternoon you may have begun to wonder if I am totally neglecting my children. OK, some of you may already be thinking that, but the truth is my children won't stop sleeping. They MUST be going through a growing spurt. This morning they slept until 9 am. More than 13 hours. I don't think they've ever slept that long. And then this afternoon they have been asleep for almost three hours. I probably should wake them.

We had plans to actually leave the house tomorrow. Not without our kids but we had been invited to someone else's house to play games. I just got an email cancelling because the person may be getting a cold and doesn't want to get 'mommy' (me) sick. Now I appreciate the thought, really I do, but sometimes I wonder if the "i may be getting sick and don't want to get you sick" is code for "someone cooler and with less children invited us to hang out and we are totally there". We'll be OK, this happens to us all the time. We appear to be getting less and less cool all the time.

A child is crying. Finally. Someone to play with.

It Breaks My Heart

This morning while blog stalking I came across this video. Within twenty seconds I was bawling my eyes out. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and hormonal or maybe it's because I really feel for these people, maybe it's because I don't understand why some heterosexual people who are happily and legally married don't want the same thing for other people. Maybe it's because I don't understand that kind of hate. Homosexuals don't love differently than heterosexuals.



"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

This One is Tough

I am finding it increasingly harder to find videos on You Tube. Apparently many original videos have had their embedding disabled but I had to bring you these songs today so excuse the video quality and enjoy the tunes.


The Boss "I'm On Fire"



The Proclaimers "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"



Don't forget to vote:


Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Because We're Followers

So my sister-in-law and her husband are having a Top Ten 'Relationship' Songs Countdown from now until Valentine's day, you can read all about it on her blog and get the gist of it. Ward and I are following suite. Every day we will post two songs without telling you whom choose which song and everyday you can vote on your favorite song-thus proving once and for all that I have better taste than Ward.







Now for the fun part, you get to vote!


Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Song 8

Last night Cooper was crying after Bailey took a clippo from him and Todd asked me what was wrong with him, I began to sing "Jealous guy" and Todd had never heard the song. I thought he might be mistaken so I immediately went to Rhapsody and played it for him but it was still unfamiliar. This tells me a few things about Todd, for instance, he must not be the avid fan of Look Who's Talking 2 that I am. In case you too are unfamiliar with one of Lennon's best.

Where else can I read?

I love to read. I read a lot. I can't just read anywhere however, not for any length of time. Before I became pregnant with the twins I used to take baths and read, it was sometimes the highlight of my day. When I became pregnant I was told, by someone whom I can't recall, that I shouldn't take baths, so for weeks I refrained but when leg cramps set in, I was really missing our jetted tub. Finally, around 14 weeks I asked my doctor. I don't know why I waited this long but I finally just went ahead and asked and she gave me the go ahead. For the remainder of my pregnancy I remained in the tub, sometime taking 4 baths a day, especially in the very end. It was the only time I felt anything near good.

And I read about four dozen books as well as completed a lot of crossword puzzles (until I fell asleep and dropped my book in the tub). But as soon as the babies were born my life completely changed. I could no longer take two hour long baths. Or even thirty minute ones. It was one of the hardest things to deal with, I know that sounds silly but it was. I remember the day after I came home crying at the sight of the tub remembering all those late nights with just me and the babies. They moved more at night than any other time. I remember the rolling and poking like it was yesterday.

In the past few months with the kids sleeping from about 8-8 I have slowly squeezed in more and more baths. After I found out I was pregnant and I started getting nauseous the tub is where I would head (it eased my stomach more often than not). And I find I have been reading a lot more, already four books this month. My baths are my quiet me time. It's the thing I do for myself.

I can sometimes stay in the tub for two hours when I'm reading a good book. I just prop my feet up so they don't get wrinkled and immerse myself in a good novel. I wish there was some other place for me to read but it seems that the bath is more comfortable than any other spot in the house for reading.

It's probably time I got a new crossword puzzle book, too. I got really addicted the last time I was pregnant and haven't done one since I dropped the other one in the water.

Snow Day!

Last night we finally got snow, only about an inch, but it looks really pretty and didn't really even cover the roads. That's the best kind of snow.

Song 7

People often talk about favorite bands, favorite albums, favorite artists. I often don't know who my favorites are, they seem to change occasionally and I hate to leave anybody out when listing these things. However, there are several artists and albums that I seem to be forever fond of, for instance, Tori Amos.

I remember first hearing Tori Amos on 120 Minutes with my dad, he was far more impressed than I was but after he purchased 'Little Earthquakes' each song slowly grew on me until it became one of my favorite albums of all time. Even after all of these years, I still hold a place in my heart and my collection for this album.

I also went through a period of adolescent depression in which Tori Amos was my go-to feel sorry for myself pick. I think in the period of one month I listened to 'Boys for Pele' 600 times.

In memory of 120 Minutes and those times with my dad,

Song 6

Ward and I have very similar music tastes-for the most part. But sometimes we see things so completely different it's surprising. He, for one, loves Tom Waits. I have grown to stomach Waits because my husband is such an avid fan. I like The Smiths, he prefers Morrissey solo. One place we have never come to terms over is Simon and Garfunkel. He believes the only good that ever came out of their union was Simon's solo career. I beleive that the two made a lot of beautiful music together. Sorry hun, this is a classic. Is now, hopefully always will be.

Simon and Garfunkel "The Sound of Silence"



It may also surprise you to know that I also love The Everly Brothers.

Song 5

A few years ago I bought Regina Spektor's album because of 'Fidelity' but it is this song, 'Samson' that really impressed, it's one of those songs that is so simple sounding but incredibly beautiful.