Gratitude

Ok. I know that I am just getting back into blogging regularly. And my first couple of posts should be all about catching you up to speed. But I have to get this of my chest.

WHO MAILS A FRIGGIN' THANK YOU CARD FOR BABY SITTING?? TO THEIR OWN PARENTS??

Through Gabriel's new job we got last minute Green Bay Packer (football, and I don't mean soccer) box seat tickets. We asked his parents to baby sit both kids for the day and they said yes. They have babysat Mark a hand ful of times, and this would be the first time for Abby. They didn't have to change any plans to watch them.

Yes, it was a big job. Yes, we were very grateful and let them know before we left and when we picked them up. Many times.

I used to pay them when Mark was tiny, but since we have been a little strapped for cash I stopped and they were OK with it.

I asked Gaberiel's mother what she wanted for watching them, after we had picked them up. She just said, Oh I don't know, and proceeded to tell me about how the day went.

Yesterday, exactly one week after the babysitting, they came over for our weekly get-together/family dinner. And they wanted to know why we haven't mailed them an expression of gratitude that they could set on the kitchen table and look at.

ARE YOU FRIGGIN' KIDDING ME??????????

Dear Grandpa and Grandma,
Thanks again for agreeing to spend time with your own grandkids. Let's do it again in 6-8 monthes.

Ok, fine. I have no problem sending you one if you want one.

I just gotta know, am I behind in the world of ettiquette? Do you all really send thank you notes to your babysitters for each job? To your own parents?

Or is this as wacky to you as me?

The baby is getting older. She is 2 1/2 monthes now. Life is starting to come back towards normal or what passes for normal arround here. Abby is a wonderful baby. If Mark was an easy baby, Abby is twice as good. We really lucked out.
However, she has a bit of colic. She screams her head off from 6:30 - 8:30 every night. I can hear the wave of sobs now.
Boo-hoo she cries only 2 hours. My baby used to cry from noon to midnight.
But 2 hours every night is enough to make you desparate.

Otherwise, life is OK. I am on a 1200 calorie diet ( DR approved). I have lost about 10 lbs in the last month or so. I have at least 40 more to go. As long as I am steadily lossing, I am happy. Even though I would love for it to just melt off 5 lb a day. Wouldn't we all...

I have finished canning my applesauce, so the harvesting and storing and canning should be done. One of these days I want to play America's fastest growing game Name-That-Canned-Item with you all.

I have been on the internet maybe 3 or 4 times now since before Abby was born. I miss all the stuff I used to do. I am so itchy to get creative with web designing again. It is so hard to find the time to invest in going on-line and taking a big chunk of time for myself.

We are toying with getting high speed internet because we are so tired of dial-up, but the only provider in this area is Charter and that would be $50 a month plus a modemn.

Ooo, I almost forgot to tell you. Gabriel got a new job. He is now a safety director for a large construction company in Green Bay. He loves it. He is no longer a laborer and that makes him so happy. Right now he is working on a trial period until the end of the year. At that time both sides will re-evaluate the job and if they want to keep him on Gabriel will bw salaried.

I know you all want pictures. I will try my best the next time I get on-line.

Miss you all.

More pics

Life is so busy. Not just with the little ones, but it is harvest season. I canned 3 bushels of peaches when Abby was 2 weeks old. This week we are butchering the 30 chickens my MIL raises for us. Today I also received word of the 3 bushels of pears I ordered. Yesterday, I canned 28 pints of beets. I am sad to say that I am looking forward to winter so I can slow down.

I did set up a Flickr account. You can see some more pics of Abby and the family here. (I hope that is the right link.) I will need some time to figure out how to use Flickr and organize better.

Abby is starting to sleep through the night better. She has only been getting up once and pulling 5-6 hours shift overnight. Wednsday she actually slept straight through. From 9pm-7:30am!!! At 1 month old. And she has a long day nap that overlaps Mark's nap, so I have some time to myself each day. I usually use it to catch up on work. There seems to be no lack of things that need-to-be-done-today.

Presenting Abby

Breathe the sweet air. I have finally gone back on-line. I have been saying, maybe tomorrow I will for the past 2 weeks. I have spent the past 3 days empting out my e-mail from the past 5 weeks.



Abigail Rose was born July 24, 2006 at 10:21 AM.
She was 8 lbs 12 oz and 20 in long.
She had a full head of dark hair and strong lungs.

I had just given up on going into labor before the 26th, when I woke up with contractions at 4 am. At 8:30 we got to the hospital. The cerclage held perfectly and I was not dialated, but I was completely effaced. At that point my contractions were less then 2 minutes apart and strong. So they had to give me something to stop labor. The C-section went without a hitch. I don't have any complaints about it at all.

It seems like a million years ago now. Mark has adjusted perfectly. He loves being the big brother. He is always trying to hug and kiss the baby, only just a little too hard. Life is not as hard as I thought it would be. I have adjusted as well. Well, for the most part. Daily life is finding it's routine. We even have been going to Story Time every Monday.

Abby is really a good baby, just like Mark was. I was so affraid that she was going to be a terror, but she is very good. I am very pleased. Gabriel and I joke that we should quit while we are ahead...

More pics too come. I had picked out 20 or so to put on my Photobucket account for you all, but something happened durring uploading. I will try again.

PS. I can't tell you all have touched I am that everyone is still visting and commenting. I expected to have lost most of my readers and to have to build up my blog all over again. But you guys rock. I openned my e-mail and I had 15 just thinking of you messages for me. Thank you so much.

I'm Still Here

I just want to say THANK YOU to you all that have been visting my silent blog and sending me good thoughts. I really do appreciated it. Really!

I am still here.
I am still pregnant.
I am still big, fat, uncomfortable, and waiting...
I am tired all the time. And lazy.
When it comes to going on-line or napping, the nap always wins.
When it comes to doing anything or napping, the nap always wins.
I haven't been on-line in weeks.
I am sooooo ready to have this baby.
I keep watching for my water breaking. Nothin'.
I am actually more comfortable now than I was for the past 4 monthes.
Contrations have actually slowed down. Crap.
I don't do well with moving arround.
I am slow and uncomfortable.
Gabriel's Gramps who has heart failure and a walker moves faster than me.
I had my pre-op appointment on Monday.
For some reason that got my nerves going about the surgery.
I hate needles and try to avoid pain.
As a rule.
Only a week at the most left now.
The C-section is scheduled for 7-26-06.
I never thought I would have made it this far.
Yet here I am. Still.....

Thursday Thirteen #8

Thirteen Things That I am Sooo Tired of Hearing From Random Strangers.


I am admittedly VERY pregnant. My C-section is July 26, and that is the latest that Abby can be born. But Mark was born 3 days short of 37 weeks, which would be this Sunday...
But I am so sick of being stopped on my way to the public bathroom to hear this...

1. Wow! Your huge!
Thanks, lady.

2. When are you due?
July 26. (As I am trying to hurry past to avoid another question.)

3. Is it twins?
No, I am just that fat.

4. Do you know what it is?
It sure ain't an owl.

5. What are you going to name it?
I have never met you before, what is this 20 questions??

6. Is this your first?
No.

7. Boy, you look tired!!
Thanks for the news flash.

8. Oh, your so cute! My daughter just had a baby 6 years ago.
*silence with maybe a nod*

9. Why do you need a C-section?
Would you like my whole medical history? Give me you home address and I will mail you a report.

10. Are you going to have any more?
I don't know... Seriously WHO ARE YOU???

11. You don't look like you need a C-section.
First, I didn't know you were a DR. Second, I wasn't aware that you could tell a person needed a C-section by just looking at them.

12. Your kids sure are spaced closely.
Again, thanks for the news flash. Who made you an expert???

13. Boy, your son is cute! Do you think that this one will be as cute?
SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?!?




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