Weekend Re-Cap

Sleeping in. Breakfast out at Shoney's. Shopping with the family. Buying a new cell phone. Taking a family nap. Getting Little Joe's Trucking ready for the new week. Speeding ticket. Pushing Joe's truck out of the way when it broke down in the drive through of Mc Donald's. Buying parts and fixing the truck. Picking off Peanuts. Mowing the lawn. Helping a friend move. Cooking peanuts. Another Nap. Eating Peanuts. Falling asleep while trying to watch a movie. Sunday School. Baking cookies. Playing with Jonah. Burning cookies. Birthday party for my dad. Eating way too much. Another nap. Preparing for school this week. Realizing how grateful I am that my family was together the entire weekend!

Little Joe's Trucking

Today was Joe's last day of work! Not really, but it was the last day that he worked for someone else. After months of debating and praying, Little Joe's Trucking will be back in operation first thing Monday morning. We feel that at this point, this is the best decision for our family. Joe is thrilled and I am happy for him. However, I have to admit that I am going to miss the amount of time we have had to spend with him over the last few months. For other people looking in, it may seem that people who are self employed have a more flexible schedule; but for those who have been self employed for any amount of time, you know that you never truly get a day off unless you tell no one about it and leave home with NO cell phones!

Coupons

Everyone knows what a cheapskate I am, so every since reading on my friend Melissa's Blog about how she saves lots of money by using coupons, I have been dying to try it out. I went to the ladies meeting at Community Church Monday night (a great time) and they taught all about how to shop with coupons, what stores double coupons, and how to get the most for your money by using the ECB program at CVS. I was so excited to try it out! Well Joe brought home eleven coupons that he had gotten at work for $.50 off of 32oz Gatorade. Today I went to Bi-Lo where the Gatorade was on sale 4 for $5.00. I used my eleven $.50 coupons (which were doubled to eleven $1.00 coupons) so in the end, I paid only $.25 per Gatorade. Wow, I was so proud of myself! I now can't wait to get started on the CVS thing!

Our Baby This Week

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Our baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and the mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod my abdomen, this baby will squirm and dance in response, as was evident in my first ultrasound this week. From crown to rump, our baby is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Prayer?

This morning I let Noah go out and jump on the trampoline while Jonah and I took the trash can out to the end of the drive. When we came back up to the house, Noah was jumping with all his might and flapping his arms like they were wings. He was jabbering away, which is perfectly normal for him as he talks to his imaginary friends all the time, but as I listened closer I realized he was talking to God. This is what I overheard:

"Are you ready? Are you sure you're ready? Okay Lord, here I come, I'm gonna fly up there and see you. Get ready now 'cause this next jump is gonna send me up there. Ready or not here I come! Well, maybe I will have to wait 'till next time, 'cause my wings ain't working out too good right now."

So I guess this means that we have the issue of where God lives straightened out, but I guess we are going to have to work on the visitation policy.

Only One Baby!

Yesterday was my first doctor's appointment. The doctor did an ultrasound and we could see the tiny little heart just beating away. To Noah's disappointment, there was only one baby to be found. We could not tell the gender of the baby yet, and I forgot to ask when I would be having another ultrasound. All in all, the baby and I were healthy and everything is right on schedule.

Bath Night

For my kids, getting a bath is a rare treat. Both of the boys have eczema and the more baths they take, the worse it gets. So we get bath night one night a week at my house. This time around, bath night happened to fall Friday night. Of course Noah had to use my garden tub and take all sorts of toys in with him. Joe was in charge of baths because I was getting dinner ready. (Remember that important piece of info...Joe was in charge.) By the time dinner was ready, all baths had been finished. Just as we were sitting down to eat, I saw Noah run back into my bathroom. I figured he had forgotten some toy and since he was back in less than a minute, I did not question him.

After dinner, we were all sitting in the living room. Jonah had fallen asleep in Joe's arms on the couch and Noah and I were watching the discovery channel. Since it was almost Noah's bed time, I told him to go use the bathroom, and then I would lay down with him and read him a story. Noah took off to my bathroom because for some reason he is convinced that there is a coyote in his toilet and he refuses to potty there. Anyway, it was not even fifteen seconds later Noah came running back into the room crying and saying that the tub was spilling everywhere. I ran to my bathroom and sure enough, water literally met me at the door. For some still unknown reason, when Noah left the table just before dinner, he went into my bathroom and turned back on the water. Keep in mind that the water had been running for about two hours. I am still unclear as to whether or not the stopper had been removed and the water drained from the tub after the baths were finished.

I waded through the flood waters, turned off the faucet, and pulled the plug on the tub. Before I got started cleaning up all the mess, I went back to tell Joe what had happened. Noah followed and was still crying. I told him that it was okay but that he was going to have to help clean up the mess. Noah then told me that he was crying because when he saw all the water everywhere, he wet himself. I look down, and sure enough there is my child standing there with his shorts covered in pee. Why I chose this moment to break into hysterical laughter, I'll never know, but it just all seemed too funny to me at the time. I must have laughed for a good ten minutes. Every time I think about it I still laugh! Joe got Jonah down in his crib and joined in to clean up all the water. The good news...I had not done laundry, so there were plenty of dirty clothes to soak up all the water, and my bathroom floor is really clean now!

Mommy Attitude

Yesterday was a tough day for me. Nothing serious, just everyday life frustrations, but combine those everyday frustrations with pregnancy hormones and I turn into a bucket of tears. This happened on the way home from town yesterday. Noah was shocked that Mommy had pulled the car to the side of the road and was crying like an insane person. I tried to calm down and told him that nothing was really wrong and that I would be okay in a few minutes. Sure enough, it was not long before I got myself back under control and we were on our way again. As we were turning into the driveway, Noah asked me, "Mommy, is your attitude over now?" Through my laughter and a few more tears, I informed him that yes, my attitude was over. The last few weeks I have been telling him to watch his attitude so I guess he doesn't differentiate between good and bad attitude, it is all just attitude to him. I am so glad I have a four year old to keep me sane!

Crawling (Sort Of)

And he finally crawls! Well, maybe crawling is not the correct term, but at least he is mobile. I was beginning to wonder if Jonah was ever going to do anything besides roll to where he wanted to go. He loves to hold on to things and walk along them, but never wants to get down on the floor to crawl. He will be 10 months old tomorrow and today is the first day that he has even attempted anything resembling a crawl. He looks like he is part crab. He puts both hands on the ground, balances on his left knee, and pushes with his right foot flat on the ground. It is very funny to watch, but it gets him where he wants to go. He was pushing Noah's tractors and trucks all around the living room today. Along with crawling came the words I have been dreading to hear; "Mom, Jonah has the truck that I want to play with!"

Our Baby This Week

Our baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. The hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under the gums, and some of the bones are beginning to harden.

Dirty Jobs

I don't know what has been causing it, because we are very careful about what Jonah eats, but he has been having some diapers that make me think he is rotting from the inside out. I thought maybe it was because I am pregnant and my smeller is more sensitive these days, but my Mom and Joe have noticed it as well. The smell is like nothing I have ever come across before. Today, as I was holding my breath for a world record trying to change the diaper of a baby who no longer wants to lay still to be cleaned up, Noah walked in the room. He took one whiff and said, "Now this is a dirty job, I think we should call Mike Rowe!" Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe is Noah's absolute favorite show and he begs to stay up every Tuesday night to watch it. The way he made the comment and the expression on his face was so funny that I had to burst out laughing, which led me to then inhale, which led me to then gag from the smell. When is the earliest that a baby can be potty trained? I don't know how much longer I am going to be able to change diapers if this smell continues. Maybe I will call Mike Rowe, I am sure this smell would rival any he has come across.

Out of Gas

Noah and I had an interesting adventure Saturday evening. Noah had been invited to a "Back To School Bash" at Carter's Ford Church. We decided that Joe and Jonah would go to the auction while I took Noah to his party and then we would meet up at the auction later. We ran out the door late as usual. I knew that I was getting low on gas, but my gas light had not yet come on, so I figured I still had several miles to go. Let me say here that I DESPISE pumping gas. I will ride on fumes for 50 miles if there is a possibility that at the end of those 50 miles Joe will be with me to pump my gas for me. I was planning on waiting until we left the auction and having him stop by the gas station with me on the way home to pump my gas.
It did not work out quite as I had planned. After the party, Noah and I had gotten just down the road, on our way to the auction, when my car shut off. For the first time in my life, I actually ran out of gas! I was able to pull over to the side of the road and called Joe to come and get us. Noah was so funny. As cars were passing us he kept saying, "I am getting madder and madder! Why isn't anybody stopping to help us? If I saw a car sitting by the road, I would go get my tractor and pull them home. I can't believe they aren't stopping."
It only took Joe about five minutes to get there with a can of gas. My sweet husband did not say a word, just put some gas in my car, followed me to the gas station and pumped my gas for me. My excuse for running out of gas is that my gas light never came on, but as it turns out, I ride around with my gas light on so often that the bulb is burned out!

Mouse Count

First, second, and third mouse caught in my bathtub.
Fourth mouse found dead from poison.
Fifth mouse caught last night on a glue trap.
Think we are done?

Jonah's Smile

Is this not the cutest baby ever? Jonah loves to have his picture taken. Mom snapped this picture last week just before we went swimming. I had been putting sunscreen on Jonah and it made his hair stand up. You can see his two bottom teeth very well. Just the last few days he has started cutting a third tooth on the bottom. It has almost broken through now. Still no teeth on the top!

Food Allergies

We finally got Jonah in to see an allergist on Tuesday. It only took him fifteen minutes to determine what has been Jonah's problem all along. It turns out that Jonah is allergic to eggs. Not that he has been eating that many eggs, but I have been eating eggs and he gets it through my breast milk. You would be surprised at how many things contain eggs. We are both on an egg free diet and the doctor is thinking that will not only take care of the stomach problems but will take care of his horrendous eczema.
Jonah also showed slight allergies to other things that we already knew such as soy, watermelon, and peas. Soy and eggs are two of the most common allergies for a child to grow out of and it is a good sign that Jonah is already showing less of a reaction to soy than he used to have. Hopefully he will eventually grow out of the soy and egg allergy. Right now the doctor wants us to come back once a month for testing to monitor his progress.
I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally figure out what has been going on with him. Already we are noticing differences in his skin. Hopefully the worst is behind us now!

Swimming Lessons

Noah finished up his last swim lesson of the summer on Saturday. As much as he likes swimming, I think he and his swimming coach were glad to see the lessons end. On the last day of classes, he told his coach that he just couldn't kick and use his arms at the same time because the water kept getting in his way. He also says that he can't put his head under the water because he might see something that he is not supposed to see! Even after his second summer of lessons, he still is not as comfortable in the water as I would like for him to be. I think it is because he really does not get that many opportunities to swim in a pool.
Some friends, Jerry and Kathleen Mixson, just had an in ground pool installed. Joe was off from work on Monday because of a doctor's appointment, so I convinced him to go swimming with the boys, my mom, and I at Jerry and Kathleen's house. We all had a good time and discovered that while Noah may still be a bit hesitant about going under the water, Jonah has no such reservations. For a child who hates a bath as much as he does, he certainly does love the pool!

Our Baby This Week

Though barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighing less than a quarter of an ounce, our baby has now completed the most critical portion of development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in the body rapidly grow and mature. Our baby is swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including the kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout my pregnancy. If we could take a peek inside my womb, we would spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.
By the way, don't think that I just happen to know all of this stuff. I copy it from the baby center website.

No More Passy

Since Noah never used a pacifier, I have never had to break a child from a pacifier before and I wasn't even sure how to start. Sunday before last, we lost Jonah's pacifier and did not find it until that Tuesday. He really didn't use his pacifier all that much and I figured that if he had gone two days without it, he may as well just give it up. We are now two weeks into the no pacifier thing and it really has not been bad at all. Of course I have no idea how he will react when he comes into contact with another child who still has one. Any tips?

Updating

Thanks for all of your concern, I can't believe all of you are that interested in my mice! I know it has been a while since I posted. I don't know what happened, it is not like we have been incredibly busy, I guess I have just been lazy. Anyway, back to the mice. No, we have not been overtaken ... yet. Noah found a dead one under the pot rack in the kitchen, so I guess the poison did help some. However, they are not all gone. A few nights ago I saw one scamper across the living room floor. After two trips to Wal-mart, I finally got glue traps. So far the only thing I have caught is Jonah. Let me tell you, it is no fun scraping super sticky gel like glue off of a nine month old while trying to keep him from putting it in his mouth. Today I am going to try to make up for my lack of posting over the last week. Bear with me as I try to remember what we have even done!

Mouse Update

So I went to Wal-Mart specifically to buy those nasty glue traps that everyone says will work. I got home this evening to put them out and wouldn't you know it...the glue traps were not in my bag! AAHHH, I think the mice are conspiring against me! The good news is that there have been no more mouse sightings, but I know they are still here somewhere.

Our Baby This Week

Our baby is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. Our baby is starting to look more and more human with the essential body parts accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Our baby's heart finished dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do tiny teeth. Our baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.

Mice, Mice, Mice

About two weeks ago, I saw a mouse in the house. Joe and Noah tried to trap it, but that didn't work, so Joe put out some poison. The poison is supposed to make them very thirsty, so they go outside to find water and die. At least that is what the box said. However, I think that the poison just made them fertile because now we are infested with baby mice.
This whole thing started Sunday night. Everyone had gone to bed except me, I was up trying to get Noah's schoolwork ready for the first day of school. When I decided to get ready for bed, around 11:00, I saw a mouse in my bathtub! Somehow, I refrained from screaming and frantically ran to wake Joe up. I know he must have thought the house was on fire or something because I said "hurry, get up, hurry, please help!" He finally woke up enough to understand what was going on and said that he would take care of it. He cut open a milk jug to catch the mouse in (what he was going to do with it once he caught it I do not know), and tried to scoop it up out of my bathtub. When the mouse saw the jug coming, he ran down the drain! At this point, Joe places the plug over the drain hole and fills the tub with water. After the tub was filled with water, he pulled the plug and no more mouse. This satisfied me just until we got back into bed and I had visions of that mouse climbing back up out of the drain, soaking wet and ready for revenge. In order for us both to get some sleep, my wonderful husband got up and put the drain plug back in for me. If it ended there I would be happy, but unfortunately the saga continued into the next day.
Monday afternoon, the boys and I had to run some errands. When we returned Noah went into my bathroom and came out saying that there was a mouse in the tub. I had told him about the episode the night before and figured that he was making things up. When he insisted that there really was a mouse in my tub, I checked it out and sure enough, a new mouse was in my tub with the drain hole still plugged. I called Joe and he said he would take care of it when he came home, so we left the mouse there, with Noah checking on him periodically throughout the rest of the evening. When Joe did get home he faced and even bigger dilemma, how was he going to appease me (I wanted the mouse DEAD) and Noah (who wanted to let the mouse live in a shoebox in his room). Joe finally caught the mouse (in the same milk jug he had tried to use unsuccessfully the night before) and he and Noah let in go out in the woods. I say once again, if it ended there I would be happy, but you know my life and you know that it doesn't end there.
That very same night I was again up later than everyone else. As I went to prepare for bed, what did I see in my bathtub? Yep, another mouse, and no I am not kidding, which is what Joe thought I was doing when I once again woke him up for the second night in a row to come get the mouse out of my bathtub. At this point, I was sort of getting used to seeing them in the tub and I knew that they could not get out once they were in there, so I proceeded to perform my nightly rituals while Joe was chasing the mouse around the tub with the milk jug. This is when the night goes horribly wrong. As I am doing my thing, I see another mouse come running out of the corner. I can not stop the screams this time as mouse #2 runs around and around in circles and then dashes into the pair of Joe's dirty jeans that are on the floor. I am sitting there, not able to run, holding my feet as far off the ground as possible, praying that mice can't climb porcelain, and screaming to Joe, "he's in your pants, he's in your pants, the mouse ran in your pants." Joe, who is still leaning over the tub trying to catch mouse #1 does not see mouse #2 and assumes that I am screaming about mouse #1 and that the mouse is in the pants that he is currently wearing. As he begins shaking his pajamas, trying to get mouse#1 out, I realize what he is thinking and scream again that it is a different mouse and he is in the pants on the floor. Joe leaves mouse #1, and heads to the dirty clothes to flush out mouse #2. Just as Joe reaches for the pants, mouse #2 takes off and runs again, this time into my closet. Joe goes back to mouse #1 and decides that it is best just to pull the plug on the drain and do away with this mouse like he did with the mouse the previous night. I try to regain my composure and perch myself in the middle of our king size bed, convinced that mice can't get up there. (Please, no one take away the last bit of sanity I have by telling me that I am wrong.) I wait and wait for Joe to come to bed, but it seems like it is taking a long time. Then I hear the plunger. This can not be good. I guess mice are not meant to go down bathtub drains since this one stopped up the drain. Joe worked on it for a while longer and then just left it for this morning. He got up early and fixed it while I was asleep. I have such a good husband.
Anyway, with all that said, it is still not over. Mouse #2 which is really mouse #4 is still loose in my house and there are probably more than that. So people, I need help. Any ideas on how to get rid of them? The poison obviously does not work and they are too tiny to trip a mouse trap. I just can't stomach the thought of those glue traps, but I really can't stomach the thought of living with mice either. Please help, any advice would be great.

First Day of School

So today was the day that I had been both anticipating and dreading. Joe and I decided early in the summer that we were going to home school Noah this year instead of placing him in a traditional 4-year old school program. We looked around, found a good curriculum, and dove in head first. I was not sure how this morning would go. I knew that we had made the best decision for us at the time, but I had fears that I would not be able to get him to learn or that I would not have the patience to deal with teaching a 4 year old while tending to a nine month old.
This morning, Noah was so excited about starting school that he was actually shaking! I was shaking too, but more from nerves than from anything else. I was just beside myself last night and this morning thinking that I had made a BIG mistake. I don't know why I was so worried, everything turned out just fine. We breezed through all of the lesson plans for the day in less than two hours. I was very surprised at how much Noah knows already. He did not want to stop when his lessons were over and is already looking forward to tomorrow. Jonah cooperated with us as well. All in all, the day went much better than I had expected. Once again I am feeling that we have definitely made the right decision. I am posting this now because I may have to come back and read it in March when I am teaching Noah while taking care of a one year old and an infant!

Our Family

Last night we dropped Jonah off with Linda and my Dad so we could take Noah to finish shopping for his school supplies. Not that he really needs that many supplies for K-4, but it was the tax free weekend and we decided to take advantage of the sales. After we finished, I jokingly asked if there was anywhere else we needed to go before heading home. Noah promptly told me that we could not go home yet because we had forgotten Jonah and that if we went home without him he would cry until either myself or his Daddy went back to get him. This is the conversation that followed:

Joe: So even though Jonah cries, you like having him in our family?
Noah: Yes
Denise: Are you going to like having the new baby in our family too?
Noah: Mo-ma, that baby is already in our family.

Amazing isn't it? That simple statement brought tears to my eyes. We are now a family with three children. I know that the pregnancy hormones are raging, but I don't think they are to blame for the tears. I'm only nine weeks pregnant and already we are all so in love with this child! I can't wait until we actually get to show this love to our newest little one!