What's Up With Caleb?

This is my 4th blog post of the night and I'm finally getting around to telling you about Caleb's latest goings and doings.

My favorite part of Caleb right now is that he's being himself. His personality has evened out and we're having fewer and fewer tantrums and meltdowns. Don't get me wrong - he's still 3. He still whines on a daily basis and has a fit now and then, but the good is far outweighing the bad these days. Plus - he's developed a sense of humor that keeps me laughing a lot.

One day a couple of weeks ago, Caleb asked Rudy and question and Rudy (being silly) answered the question with a very technical and somewhat rambling answer. Caleb looked at me and said, "Huh?" We laughed pretty hard about it, so now he likes to ask either "Daddy, what's thunder" or "Daddy, what's an engine?", then get his technical and rambling answer. He inevitably responds with a great big, "Huh?" and then cracks himself up laughing.

Last weekend when he was with my parents while we were in Dallas, they were singing, "Where is Thumbkin?" After they had gone through all of the normal words, they continued making up some silly verses. Mom sang, "Where is Daddy? Where is Daddy?" and Caleb sang back, "He at the game. He at the game." I think that's pretty stinkin' funny!

Singing is one of Caleb's other new things. He has always liked music, but he is now actually able to sing songs with all of the words. Sometimes, the words get a little jumbled, but he tries. We are frequently serenaded with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Where Is Thumbkin, I Love You/You Love Me and Old McDonald. He has inherited his father's ability to sing the same tune over and over and over again. Fortunately, I'm usually able to distract him and "change his tune." (Sorry - I couldn't help myself.)

Caleb is still pretty fascinated with football. He loves to watch it on TV and play it in the yard and in the living room. When he's watching it on TV, he gets right in front of the screen and bends down when the players do. Then, when the ball is snapped, he runs around in circles and yells, "Get him, get him!" He also tells us that the players made a good tackle, scored a touchdown and made a good catch or throw - whether they really did or not. I love that he loves football.

Speaking of football - one of the funniest things happened about 2 weeks ago. We were watching the Cowboys and Panthers on Monday Night Football. We tried to tell him that our family cheers for the Cowboys, but he was pretty insistent that he wanted to cheer for the team with the "cat on their helmet." Well, the Cowboys had on white jerseys and the Panthers had on black jerseys. If Caleb doesn't know the team (Razorbacks or Cowboys), he cheers for them by their jersey color. Before we knew it, Caleb was jumping around the living room cheering, "Go, black guys!" Not exactly politically correct, but really, really funny!

We're still going to the "sports development" classes at Gymboree on Tuesdays. I take Caleb to his class and then we go out for dinner together. It works out great because Rudy has band practice on Tuesday nights and it gives Caleb and I some fun time together. We go to the class for him to have some fun interaction time with kids and to do something different that I get to be there for - not to actually develop his sports skills. I love that he gets introduced to new things in the class, but it's not like we have him in training to be a professional athlete. I've been watching Caleb in his Gymbo classes and have come to the conclusion that he might not have been blessed with fabulous athletic ability. He loves sports, but I'm afraid he may have inherited my lack of athleticism rather than his daddy's quick legs and sense of balance. I keep reminding myself that he is the youngest child in the class, which makes him look less coordinated than the rest of the kids. Of course, time will tell, but I'm sure hoping for an academic scholarship at this point. :)

So, that's the latest for Caleb. He loves his daycare/school, loves visiting his grandparents, loves playing with his Daddy, loves being silly with his Mama, is intrigued by the baby sister that we keep telling him about. He tells Nola good morning and good night almost every day. He makes us laugh and challenges us every day and we are grateful for each moment we have been blessed to share with him.

Dallas Trip

Last Wednesday (9/30), my parents came up from Hot Springs and spent the night. Rudy brought home pizza and we spent the night doing laundry and packing. I really needed some new maternity jeans for our trip to Dallas, so Mom and I ran out at 7:00 at night to try to find some decent looking jeans for me. We found what we were looking for and got home in time for her to give Caleb a bath while I finished packing.

When we got up Thursday morning, Rudy and I headed off to work and Mom, Mr.L. and Caleb headed off to Hot Springs. They were all geared up for a weekend of fun - full of fishing, playing and all of the other great stuff that comes along with being a 3-year-old at Pops and LaLa's house.

When Rudy and I got home from work, we packed up and loaded our bags to head for Dallas. The Hogs were playing Texas A&M at the new Cowboys Stadium and some of Rudy's fraternity brothers took the opportunity to put together a reunion. We were so excited to see those guys - most of whom we hadn't seen since we left the UofA 10 years ago!

We left home Thursday afternoon about 4:45 and got to Matt and Mandy's house in Denton at about 10:30. It was a LONG ride for this pregnant girl! I worked in the car until it got dark and then I played on my phone - texting and Facebooking - most of the rest of the way there. I was just trying to keep my mind off of how uncomfortable I was in the car! When we got to the Montgomerys' house, we visited for about an hour and then crashed into the bed.

Rudy and I had both taken a personal day from work on Friday, so we felt like we were playing hooky and it was great! Matt made us a wonderful pancake breakfast and then it was time to enjoy our day in Dallas. They guys were meeting up for golf and Mandy and I were meeting our new friend, Patty, for a day of shopping. We all met in the parking lot in the golf course and it was fun to see a lot of the guys together for the first time. Once they split up into their golf carts, Mandy, Patty and I headed for our first destination: Sam Moon.

Our shopping day was very successful and a lot of fun. I got a couple of great handbags and even managed to find a temporary wedding ring to wear while my hands are pregnancy swollen. After our Sam Moon adventure, we headed for the mall and shopped a little, then had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Yum! The rest of our shopping time included a stop at SuperTarget and IKEA. Once we had shopped ourselves to the point of exhaustion, we met the guys and then headed home for a little rest and to freshen up before the evening's festivities.

Friday night, we packed our cars back up and went to Jason Reed's parents' house. We were so fortunate to have the chance to stay in their amazing home for the rest of the weekend. Jason invited us to stay there so we would be a little closer to the stadium and not have to travel back and forth to Denton every night. It worked out great and we felt like we were in a luxury hotel. Jason, Mandy, Matt and Brandon Ward had arranged a great catered BBQ dinner for us. The rest of the crew showed up and we had a great time laughing and catching up on everyone's lives in the past 10 years. Thanks to the magic of the internet and Facebook, we were able to pick up right where we left off and were even able to know information about people who weren't even there.Here are the guys on Friday night ~ Jake Dickinson, Jason Reed, Rudy, Brandon Ward, Stacy Singleton, Matt Montgomery and Josh Adler.

I finally had to bid everyone goodnight at about midnight - about the time we would've just gotten started back in college.

My favorite summary of the night was the following top ten list posted on Facebook by Stacy Singleton (slightly adapted for this G-rated blog):

Top ten reasons not to miss the annual AKL reunion!

10. Reed's parents are LLLLOOOOOOAAAADDDDDEEEEEDDD!

9. Rudy pushes girls down when he plays basketball.

8. Blake's pledge name was Toby.

7. Lucas is so old he doesn't remember his pledge name.

6. Gomer proudly displays his mooning picture.

5. Adler and Stephanie are having a black baby.

4. There will be a sighting of Coco Beware.

3. Brandon supposedly almost got married to some crazy b****.

2. There is a lot less hair in the group.

1. Bolts wearing the classic Cousin Eddie shoes! (photo below)

Saturday morning, Mandy and I went to a nearby nail place to get pedicures and they were the worst pedis we have ever had! Honestly...this was the only negative to the whole weekend! When we got back to the house, the guys were loading up our car to head out. We met the rest of the crew for lunch at BoneDaddy's, where we were served lunch by scantily clad girls who looked like they hadn't eaten in months and talked at very high pitches. This is what the majority of the people at our table ate:

Here's Bolts (Matt Osborn) modeling his Cousin Eddie Razorback fan attire, complete with polyester knit shirt and his ever-present white patent leather shoes. It was a sight to behold.

Once we were sufficiently fed again, we piled back into the cars and headed for Cowboys Stadium. Brandon had managed to get us some parking passes in one the tailgating lots. We got all set up and then the sky opened up and it poured down rain for most of the afternoon. We managed to have fun anyway and took advantage of the breaks in the rain. Stacy and Lisa Singleton brought some photo albums from college and we all had a great time looking at those. There were some pictures in there that brought back memories I haven't thought about in a long time. Here are a few pictures from our tailgating afternoon...

The guys: Blake Hall, Josh Adler, Jason Reed, Jake Dickinson, Matt Montgomery, Stacy Singleton, Matt Osborn, Rudy, Brandon Ward, Jamie Luck, Lucas Jobe.

The Girls: Lisa Singleton, Patty Dickinson, Haley, Mandy Montgomery, Colleen Jobe, Tracy Luck

As gametime got closer, we headed for the stadium and all its glory. The place is amazing. We joined the sea of fans streaming in and began the ridiculously long climb up ramp after ramp to our seats. When we finally made it to the upper deck, we were in awe. Our seats were amazing, even from that far up. The women sitting behind us took one look at my belly and proclaimed me a "real fan" for climbing that far for the game. Fortunately, the Hogs showed up BIG TIME and we won the game 47-19. The Hog fans were fired up during and after the game and it was so very much fun. After the game, you could hear one Hog Call after another all the way down those winding ramps that we climbed before the game. It was awesome! We knew it was raining after the game, so we walked through the stadium to an exit that was closer to where we were parked, but we got soaked going to the car anyway. We were so delirious over the win and the fun we had that we didn't even care that it was pouring on us. Besides - what choice did we have? Once we finally got to the car, we spent FOREVER in traffic trying to get on the interstate to get home. It was still raining, and as the designated driver of my car, I was a nervous wreck. But - we made it safely to the IHOP for a late night meal and final few minutes of reunion with the whole crew. After eating some greasy food, we went back to Reed's house and hit the bed hard. When I woke up Sunday morning, everyone was gone except for Reed, Rudy and I. We quickly got ready to go home and started the long trip back...in the rain. When we got home, Rudy and I spent the evening relaxing and trying to recharge our batteries from the busy and long weekend.

We can't wait for next year's reunion at the 2010 Southwest Classic.

More pictures from the weekend here.

Do I Shoot My Family or Not?

Okay, so maybe I'm not actually going to "shoot" them, but there has been some debate lately about whether or not to get shots. As everyone knows by now, the flu is already rampant in Arkansas. It's October and we're already into the 2nd (maybe even 3rd) month of what's being called a flu pandemic. At the elementary school where I work, we've had huge numbers of kids (and some staff) out every single day with flu or flu symptoms.

I have gotten a flu shot every year for as long as I can remember. There was never a question about whether or not I would get one this year or if Rudy and Caleb would get one. I work with kids for crying out loud - I'm pretty susceptible to every illness that goes around. Now that we have Caleb too, we get daycare germs mixed in with the school germs that Rudy and I naturally bring home. We are just a high risk family when it comes to getting sick. It only makes sense that we would get flu shots.

This year, we have an added risk: H1N1 virus, AKA: the swine flu.
(I realize that there is really nothing funny about this strain of flu, but that picture above makes me laugh every single time I see it.)

So, the debate this year among the Mom community is whether or not to get the H1N1 vaccination and whether or not to give it to our kids. As with any highly covered news story, this one has gotten a little out of control. Let's face it: some people are freaking out. I'm not. I'm not panicked about getting the dreaded swine flu, but I am concerned about it - just like I am about getting the traditional flu. The word from the medical community in general is that the swine flu is not any more dangerous than traditional flu, unless you fall into one of these categories: pregnant women, children under 5, asthmatic or the elderly. Hold the phone, people. Our family falls into the first 2 categories. We have a 3 year old in daycare (high risk demographic in a high risk environment), a middle school teacher (high risk environment) and a pregnant woman who works in an elementary school (high risk demographic in a high risk environment). Hmm...so what can we do to keep from getting this potentially fatal to our family illness? Well, there's a vaccination. And that vaccination comes with all sorts of controversy.

What's a pregnant mom to do? Who do I listen to? There are so many opinions and so many people saying it's untested, it's too new, nobody knows the side effects, etc, etc, etc. I always try to stay level-headed about this sort of thing. I happened to mention to my mom that I was trying to make an informed decision about it and that all I knew to do was to trust my OB. I had pretty much decided that I would do whatever Dr. Ford suggested, because she is the educated member of the medical community that I trust in this situation. Then Mom had a brilliant idea. She called a family friend's daughter who is a pediatrician at Arkansas Children's Hospital and just happens to also be pregnant. Karen's advice gave me much more peace of mind about my decision to get the H1N1 vaccination for myself and the rest of my family. She said that the risks of not getting the shot far outweigh the risks of getting it. The vaccine is very similar to other flu vaccines, but it has been altered just slightly to be effective for this particular strain of flu. The shot has been deemed safe for pregnant women - especially those past the first trimester. And - the flu is so rampant that the emergency rooms are beyond maximum capacity with people who have flu symptoms. Another person told me that her OB told her that there are 5 pregnant women in the ICU at UAMS who are on ventilators because of the swine flu.

So, my decision is to get the shot as soon as it's available. In the meantime, we'll continue to wash our hands frequently and pray that we don't contract the virus before we can get the shots. Of course, we'll also pray that the vaccinations are as safe as we feel like they are and that no harm will come to any of us (including Nola) as a result of them. I just have to trust my gut on this one.

Nola ~ 23 Weeks

Since we found out we are having a girl, it has been wonderful to have a real name for her. We've dropped the name HotShot almost completely (only said now when Caleb forgets) and commenced calling her by her name. Most of the time, we call her Nola. Occasionally, she also gets called "BabyGirl" - mostly by me when I'm telling her to settle down in there.

Speaking of settling down, she is a busy little girl. I rarely feel the thumps and bumps that I felt with Caleb, though. More often, I feel her rolling around like she's really getting comfy. Rudy laughed at me when I told him that, because I am famous for my love of "wallering" around. I love to stay in bed and burrow down in the covers or get comfortable on the couch with a blanket and pillow. He says she gets her rolling and wallering from me.

In the past week, people have really started making comments about my pregnancy. The unsolicited touching of my belly has begun. I've gotten lots of "when are you due?" and "wow, Haley, you really look pregnant." Um...yeah. I guess that's a good thing. I'd definitely rather look pregnant and actually BE pregnant than look pregnant and not be pregnant. And I'd rather look pregnant than just look like I need to lay off the Egg McMuffins. (Oh, how I do love Egg McMuffins!) I even had someone ask me this week when I'm due and when I answered February, she was surprised. She said she would've guessed November. That's NEXT month. Nope.

Not that I'm complaining, but for the sake of posterity:

• I am starting to get uncomfortable. My lung capacity has shrunk and I catch myself feeling out of breath often.
• I am not sleeping well. I wake up a lot and getting/staying comfortable (even with my handy body pillow) is difficult.
• Nighttime leg cramps are my enemy. I get them so randomly and they HURT.
• I go from really hungry to really full within a couple of bites and from really full to really hungry in just minutes.
• TMI: My digestive system is either working full-force or not working at all. There's not much in between.
• I haven't really had any specific cravings, but there are times when I just want something with a lot of taste like BBQ, Mexican or something spicy. Vegetable soup always sounds good to me - funny because that's what I craved when I was pregnant with Caleb.

So that's the latest on Nola and me at 23 weeks. We are over halfway through this pregnancy and I'm getting really excited to meet her. I've started to take notice of little girls and baby girls and even teenage girls in public and wonder if Nola will look like them, act like them or carry herself like them. I watched some high school girls when Rudy and I were at dinner last night and I couldn't help but imagine Nola sitting with her friends, giggling and having fun and enjoying like without worries. I hope and pray continually that she will be happy and healthy and bring joy to everyone around her.

What's In A Name?

When we decided to name our first child "Caleb Michael" nobody batted an eye. Everyone immediately said, "Oh, that's a great name" or "I love the name Caleb." In 2006, Caleb was the 34th most popular name. Michael came in at number 2 on the list. Caleb was named very loosely after the Razorback football player Caleb Miller - mainly because we liked his name, but also because he had a good character image on and off the field. Michael was my father's middle name and he went by Mike. For those of you who don't know, my father died when I was four. It was important to me to take the chance to name my son after him.

Rudy and I put a lot of thought into what we'll name our new baby. Before we knew if we were having a boy or a girl, we decided on names. If it were to be a girl, she would be Nola Mae. If it were a boy, he would be Harrison Daniel. One of the first questions people always ask when they find out you're expecting a baby is, "Do you have names picked out?" I would always answer, "Oh, yes. If it's a girl, her name will be Nola." I got an occasional response of, "Oh, that's so pretty" or "That is perfect for you - so Southern." More often, the response followed a pause and went something like, "...and if it's a boy?" When I responded with, "Harrison," I inevitably got a "Oh, that's a great name" or "Oooh, I like that one."

Harrison Daniel was our boy name. Harrison is the town that Rudy's family is from. It's where his parents met. He spent a lot of time in his younger years there. People frequently ask us, "Are you related to the Harrison Villines?" So - Harrison Villines had a ring to it. Daniel is the name of one of my best friends' sons. Daniel Shelton is one of the most well-mannered, funny, well-rounded kids I've ever known. I will be humbled if Caleb grows up to be anything like Daniel is now. Plus - his mom is an amazing friend who God has completely blessed my life with. I wanted to name our baby boy after her son.

When I told my mom the results of our ultrasound last week, I didn't say, "It's a girl." I said, "Her name is Nola." And it is. Her name is Nola Mae Villines and as I write this, she is doing somersaults or practicing her best dance moves. (She has been very active all day today!) Where in the world did we come up with her name?

Rudy and I have a very special connection to New Orleans. Nola is a common nickname for that wonderful city. New Orleans, LA. Rudy and I have vacationed there several times. We love the culture, the food, the music and the southern hospitality of the Crescent City. Yes, I realize it's different. You may have never heard of it. It was 918th on the popularity list for 2008. That doesn't matter to me. Her name is Nola.

Mae was the middle name of my maternal great-grandmother, who was my babysitter for the first couple of years of my life. Mama Mae was my hero until she died unexpectedly when I was three. Mae is also the middle name of my paternal grandmother, who continues to be a blessing in my life to this day. My Memmie is a spiritual guidepost for me and her faith in the face of tragedy and struggle amazes me every time it crosses my mind. (By the way, Mae is not in the top 1000 names for any of the past 9 years.)

So, now you know. We didn't choose Nola Mae to be different. We certainly didn't choose it to be cruel to our daughter. It's not a joke and it's not a "statement." It means something to us. We think it's beautiful. Just like she will be.

I Do It...All By Myself

Remember when Caleb was all out of sorts? Well, not so much anymore! He has been in a GREAT mood the past couple of days/nights despite having a cold that has lead to some mild bronchitis, complete with a trip to the pediatrician and a round of antibiotics. In addition to that great mood, he has decided that "I can do it all by myself" is his new motto.

On Sunday, he was playing in his playroom and I saw him walk by like he was going to his room. The next thing I knew, I heard the toilet flush and the water running in the sink. He decided he would just go to the bathroom and wash his hands without any help. I was shocked! I knew he could do it, he just never had before without any prompting.

Caleb loves to play outside in the backyard by himself. (The backyard is fully fenced and he can't reach the latch on the gate.) He loves for us to be out with him, but can also play independently and I'm so glad! Tonight after dinner he asked to go outside. Rudy was getting ready for his softball game and I was doing laundry, so we told him he could go out by himself. After I put a load of laundry in, I went to look out the window to check on him and found him standing on the edge of the patio, pulling his pants down. I watched in amused amazement as he proceeded to "water the grass," pull his pants back up and go back to playing like nothing had ever happened. He then went over to his t-ball set, said something that I couldn't hear and popped a ball all the way across the yard. After that, he went to the outside toy bin, got the sidewalk chalk and drew on the patio for a long time. I stood there watching him through the window in absolute amazement. He usually plays on his swingset and plays ball when he's by himself. I've never seen him initiate the use of the sidewalk chalk!

After a while, I opened the door and told him that he could either come in to watch a little TV before bed (his usual routine of either Backyardigans or Little Einsteins) or he could play for 15 more minutes and then come in. He said, "I'll clean up, then I'll come in and watch TV." My jaw almost hit the ground as he started cleaning up his toys ALL BY HIMSELF. While he was cleaning up, I heard him say, "Dark, you coming?" I asked him who he was talking to and he said, "The dark. It doesn't answer, but I asked anyway." I choked back laughter as I nodded in agreement.

My amazement continued when he came in and I told him he needed to wash his hands since he had been outside. He said, "Okay, I do it all by myself. You stay there" and he went to the bathroom to wash his hands...with soap.

When Little Einsteins was finished, he turned off the TV and he asked if he could brush his teeth ALL BY MYSELF. I told him he could start and I would finish. No argument. We brushed teeth and went to his room to put on his PJ's. He wanted to take off his clothes all by himself. I agreed and was impressed until he put his arm through the neckhole of his shirt while trying to take it off. Oh, well - he's learning! Then came time to put on PJ's and of course he wanted to do it all by himself. He put his shirt on his head, but couldn't quite get it through the neckhole. He finally gave up and said, "Oh, you do it!" - but he didn't get mad or frustrated! Then he wanted to put on his pants. He is currently in his bed with his pants on backwards, because I didn't have the heart to tell him and really - what difference does it make? He has been in my room 3 times now. Once he told me that he was sweaty. I asked if he wanted me to turn on his fan and he said, "I do it...all by myself." He then turned around and went back to his room. I realized I had forgotten to give him his medicine, so I went to do that and sure enough - the fan was on and he was in his bed.

I love this newfound independence. It makes me laugh and feel proud all at the same time. Uh-oh, gotta go...Mr. Independent just came in to tell me that he heard a monster and that he likes "my stuff" in my bedroom because it's so pretty. Is it too late to put him back in the crib that he couldn't get out of?

VERY Funny Video

A couple of my Facebook friends posted this today. Caleb and I watched it tonight and laughed so hard we had to watch it again:

Possibly the Best Calebism Ever

While hiking at Hobbs State Park..."Oooh, look, daddy! A daddy long legs! Daddy, you a spider 'cause you a daddy with long legs."

20 Weeks ~ GO HOGS!

Here's my 20 week belly shot. Halfway through with this (my last) pregnancy!

Here are the 2 maternity shirts that I had made with Razorback designs on them. I ordered them from a local lady who has an in-home company called "Bling It." I love the way they turned out and will completely wear them out between now and February!

Today is FINALLY gameday in Northwest Arkansas!

It's looking like rain tonight, but the Hogs will play the Georgia Bulldogs at Razorback Stadium regardless of the weather. We were fortunate to be invited to sit with the Wisemans and their friends in their box, so I won't have to wear a poncho over my cute shirt...or whatever I decide to wear. I might actually wear a red cotton dress tonight since we're in "the box," it's a nationally televised game (not that we'll be on camera), it's the first game of the season and it's likely to be the last game with pretty warm temperatures. I'm currently washing my red shirt just in case I change my mind. I love it when we get to sit in the box. There's air conditioning (or heat) but the people who let us sit in their box are so awesome that they leave the windows open to let in the "real" sounds of a football game, food and drink, a private bathroom and plenty of room to sit without that strange man who sits beside us in the stands digging through his fanny pack through the whole game for whatever it is that he's constantly looking for. Plus - that kid who sits right in the middle of our row isn't going back and forth in front of us a million times, spilling coke on my feet and bumping me with his popcorn-loving self. What I do miss about sitting down there is getting to catch up with the great people behind us and to the right of us who have been sitting with us for several years now. Those guys that sit in front of us have finally gotten the hint that everyone in our section doesn't want to stand through the whole game. I'm all about standing while the Hogs are playing and when it's getting exciting, but it's really not necessary through the whole game unless you're in the student section, which I'm not anymore. I did my standing time between the ages of 18 and 24 - including the 2 years that Rudy was a GA with the band.

It's Gameday, friends! Time to put on your red, adhere that little Hog tattoo to your cheek, watch a little Herbstreit & Corso (despite the fact that it's being broadcast from Texas), eat some cheese dip and CALL THOSE HOGS!

The Big Ultrasound!

Going into my ultrasound today, I was nervous. I don't remember being nervous when I went in for Caleb's ultrasound. Maybe I just don't remember it, but I was really nervous today. I will be completely honest and say that I hoped we would be told, "It's a boy!" My reasons for that are a little silly, but here they are:

• I know how to be a mom to a little boy. I have 3 1/2 years of experience at it.
• Little girls seem to just naturally love pink. I hate lots of pink. I hate ruffles, bows and frilly stuff. (I can take pink in small doses and when calmed down by other colors such as brown, black, green and blue.)
• I love the nature of little boys. In general, they take things in stride much better than little girls.
• I have an attic full of blue baby clothes and toddler clothes. They are primarily adorned with footballs, trucks and dinosaurs.
• I have a playroom full of trucks, balls and dinosaurs.
• I am terrified of tween and teen girls. They scare me, honestly. I didn't really like myself at that age and I'm not sure I've ever met a girl of that age who liked or understood herself at all. Do I have what it takes to make it through those stages as a mother and to guide a girl through those most difficult years?

BUT...through all of that, I have these thoughts:

• I treasure the relationship that I have with my mother. I would be honored to have that relationship with my daughter.
• The experiences that I've had with my mother as an adult are irreplaceable. I want to someday be the mother of the bride, the mother of the new mom and the mother of the daughter who shows the world what women are made of.
• God knows what He's doing. If He trusts me to raise a daughter that He has plans for, then by all means - I accept that with a willing heart and a sense of adventure!

So, I picked Caleb up at school and we met Rudy at my OB's office. We were called back into the ultrasound room and the nervous butterflies in my stomach were almost overwhelming. I gave the camera to Rudy so that he could take some pictures of the momentous event.

Here are Caleb and I waiting for the ultrasound to start:

Now, let me just say that this is the ONLY time you will ever see the bare skin of my stomach. I am not thrilled with the idea of even showing it to you at this time, but there's no way to show you an ultrasound without you getting a glimpse of my never-seen-the-sun skin.

Caleb did great at first in the room. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, so I tried to explain to him that the very nice lady (Tina) was using a special camera to take pictures inside of my tummy so that we could see HotShot and find out if we were going to have a brother or a sister. He was attentive for about 5 minutes and then started singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" over and over. Tina assured us that it wasn't the first time she had done an ultrasound while someone was singing.

Here's the monitor that Caleb, Rudy and Tina were watching and the screen that I was watching:

Here is Caleb watching "the special camera" on my tummy. He was really intrigued by the jelly that was all over me!During the ultrasound, Rudy kept saying he thought he "saw something" and knew what the baby was going to be. I just said, "oh, really" and finally Tina said that she wasn't sure what he was seeing because she was doing organ and bone measurements. I giggled a little, because I had seen that she was typing in things like "heart" and "kidneys" on the screen when Rudy wasn't looking. He didn't make any other guesses after that. Ultrasounds are hard to see when you aren't completely sure what you're looking at!

After she got all of the necessary measurements done and we were assured that everything looked normal, she went looking for the information that we wanted, but were anxious to hear. She searched and searched and finally said, "I don't see any boy parts, but let me make sure I can see girl parts." Then, voila - there they were! She typed in "It's a Girl" on the screen and I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself. I asked her just how sure she was and she said 100% sure. She told us that she has never been wrong that she knows of and then told us about one of the doctors in the office telling that fact on national TV on the show 18 Kids and Counting. She seemed pretty sure of herself and after looking at the pictures, I'm convinced.

We are having a baby girl.

Her name is Nola Mae.

She currently weighs 12 ounces, which measures perfectly at 19 weeks, 6 days.

Her heart is beating 143 beats per minute.

She is active and moving a lot, but I only feel her movements on my left side because the placenta is mostly positioned on my right side, cushioning me from feeling her movements on the right.

Here are the pictures from our ultrasound with some description for those of you who aren't familiar with ultrasound pictures:

This is her profile. She is looking toward the right. You can see the roundness of the top of her head on the left and it looks like her mouth is partially open.

This is her face. Beautiful, isn't she? :) In this picture, she is looking at the camera. You can actually see her left eyelid and the outline of her nose and jaw.

Here is her arm, bent at the elbow. You can kind of make out her fingers too.

Here's a foot. How many big steps will this foot make in her life?

No modesty here. This is the "It's a Girl" picture. These are the tops of her legs and her "girl parts." If you can't make out what's what - you're just going to have to trust me. "It's a Boy" pictures are a little more obvious, but she's a girl. I promise.

The first question everyone asks is, "How does Caleb feel about having a little sister?" Well, this is his face when Rudy told him that HotShot is indeed a girl. He was so excited! He has now started asking about Nola and even told her goodnight before he went to bed tonight. He is happy about being a big brother. We'll see how that holds up in February. :)

Rudy and I are thrilled to be given the opportunity to raise a son and a daughter. We can't wait to meet this sweet little girl and get to know her.

Now...does anyone have the name of a good consignment store? I have A LOT of BLUE stuff to sell.

We're Not Sick!!!

As I write this post, not a single person in this Villines household is sick. Hallelujah, praise be! We have gone a whole week without anyone missing a day of school and we have gone a whole week without so much as calling a doctor's office. It might be a miracle, but I'm knocking on wood just in case.

After surviving my bout of stomach flu last weekend, we all enjoyed the day off on Monday. After Rudy picked Caleb up from my parents, he stopped in Ft. Smith to have lunch and let Caleb play with his mom. When they got home, Caleb wanted to go to the pool. I was determined that I was going to do something with them, so I went along, but didn't brave putting on a swimsuit. When we got there, Rudy cut his heel pretty bad on the gate, so Caleb spent his pool time splashing around by himself.

After about an hour or so, we decided it was dinner time. We came home and changed Caleb into dry clothes, then went to Chili's. I was thinking I wasn't sure if I'd be able to eat a "real meal" but that's what both boys wanted, so I went with it. Once I took that first bite, I inhaled the rest. We had a scratch-off coupon from a previous visit and won a free dessert. I even tackled the dessert plate. I left there feeling so full for the first time in days and it was heavenly.

On Tuesday afternoon, I took Caleb to Gymboree after school and then to Firehouse Subs for dinner. He loves that he gets a plastic firehat when we eat there. I love that he actually eats his food there. It's a win-win. After that, I took Caleb with me to see one of my students who has been begging me to come to one of his football games. We watched Tyler's football scrimmage and I talked to his grandmother while Caleb pretended to play football right beside me. He would crouch down when the big boys did and then run and fall when they snapped the ball. He cried when it was time to go because he wanted to play with them so badly. I decided that I would take advantage of that and try to go get him a Halloween costume. It's pretty obvious that the boy is really into football this year and being a football player was the way to go. We went to the Halloween costume store, but they didn't have what we needed. I came home and got online to shop for a preschool football uniform. Lo and behold, I found just the right one! Caleb is now the proud owner of a Razorback football uniform, complete with a helmet and shoulder pads. I placed the order on Tuesday night and it arrived on Thursday afternoon. I love the Internet and UPS.

On Wednesday, Rudy was supposed to have a softball game, but it got cancelled, so we spent the evening at home. We watched the President address Congress about health care reform and I was so appalled by the behavior of the legislators. Between the cheering and booing and name-calling, I just couldn't believe that our "dignitaries" were behaving like that. It made me sad for our country.

On Thursday, I picked Caleb up from school and Rudy taught some trumpet lessons after school. Shortly after we got home, the doorbell rang and it was the UPS man delivering Caleb's uniform. When I opened the box and took the helmet out, Caleb actually giggled. He couldn't wait to put it all on. I let him put it on and wait for Rudy. He was so excited. Once Rudy finally got home, we ate dinner and had to convince Caleb to take the helmet off so he could eat. After dinner, they went out in the front yard to "be football mans." It was hilarious! Caleb insisted that Rudy wear a helmet too. The only option was for Rudy to wear his bike helmet, which looked absolutely ridiculous, but he did it anyway in the name of being a good Daddy. While we were out there, our neighbors drove by and asked what size shoe Caleb wears, then brought over a pair of cleats for him. You would've thought they had given him pure gold. We had to pry Caleb out of that uniform to get him to go to bed. After school on Friday, I brought Caleb home and Rudy took him to Fayetteville for the high school football game. He loved it of course. While they were gone, I had a girls' night out with my friend Stacy. We went to eat at PF Chang's and then walked around the Promenade for a while. We also went to see The Proposal, which was really funny. It was a good night out - especially considering how sick I was the previous Friday night!

Saturday morning, Rudy woke me up and told me that he and Caleb were going hiking. Huh??? For some reason, Rudy wanted to do something outdoorsy on Saturday and decided that hiking was the thing to do. He took Caleb to Hobbs State Park and they made a 1.5 mile hike, stopping along the way look at moss, pick up daddy-long-legs, touch a toad and check out a lizard. They both loved it! Caleb told me all about the spiders and the toad. He assured me that toads do NOT say "ribbit" and that those spiders were very nice to him. Rudy took some great pictures, but I haven't gotten them uploaded yet.

Saturday afternoon, we hung out at the house and then went to Fayetteville for the band staff dinner. It was fun to visit with everyone. One of the other directors and his wife have a 7 month old daughter and Caleb was fascinated with her. He wanted to hold her, so I held her in his lap. He giggled and sang to her and oohed and aahed over how tiny she is. He even shared his racecars with her. He then told me that he wanted his baby to be a girl. I told him that we will find out soon!

This morning, we went to church and then to lunch at Dixie Cafe. After church we came home hoping that Caleb would take a nap. It was dreary and cool and misty outside and I just wanted to get under a blanket and sleep. Rudy wanted to go play golf, so he took off for a few hours. My nap wishes were cancelled out by Caleb, who refused to nap. I heard banging around in his room at one point and when I went in to check on the situation, he was standing in the middle of a pile of toys, wearing his football helmet and cleats. I was frustrated beyond belief, but finally gave up and let him watch TV in the living room with me. After a while, he realized that it wasn't raining anymore and wanted to go outside. I took a blanket and a book and watched him play in the backyard while we waited for Rudy to come home. Once Rudy got home, I turned over kid watching duty to him, got dinner going in the oven and worked on my lesson plans for the week. They had a blast in the backyard, playing every sport under the sun and then some. Caleb came in and asked me what was cooking and I told him "chicken pot pie." He grinned really big and said, "Yay! Pie!" He was disappointed when he tasted it. It wasn't exactly what he expected from pie.

Now, Caleb has FINALLY gone to sleep, I'm about to watch the season finale of Design Star and Rudy is camped out in the recliner watching football. This is a very busy week for us, so we're trying to get a restful start. I have a faculty meeting until almost 5:00 tomorrow. Tuesday is Gymboree/band practice night. On Wednesday, I'm hosting a grandmother shower at our house and Rudy has softball. On Thursday, we have our big 20 week ultrasound, where we'll get to find out if HotShot is a Nola or a Harrison...hoping he/she cooperates with that! After the ultrasound, I have to go back to work for open house. The Fellers family is coming to stay with us on Friday night. Rudy, Chad and Owen are playing golf on Saturday. I'm not sure what Ronni, Caleb and I are doing. Saturday afternoon, Jan is coming to take care of Caleb. Saturday night is the UA vs UGA game on ESPN and we'll be in the stands doing our best to cheer on our Hogs. I hope and pray that Sunday is a relaxing day!

Funny Stuff

I decided this afternoon that I needed a good laugh. Armed with my laptop and a few hours of quiet in my house, combined with very little energy or reason to leave the house, I came up with this list of websites that never fail to make me chuckle, snort or sometimes laugh out loud.

To the faint of heart or easily offended: These are not censored and are not guaranteed to be g-rated. I personally prefer to censor my own thoughts and just skip over anything that hints at being offensive.

People of Wal-Mart: http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

Cake Wrecks: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Stuff White People Like: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/

Awkward Family Photos: http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

Redneck Pictures: http://www.lilligren.com/Redneck/new_redneck_photos.htm

School Survival (for kids who hate school): http://www.school-survival.net/comic_relief/pics/

FAIL: http://failblog.org/tag/g-rated/

Bad European Design: http://www.omodern.com/Eurobad/euro.html

1970's JCPenney Catalog: http://funny-farm.tressugar.com/771943

Funny Farm from Tres Sugar: http://funny-farm.tressugar.com/latest

There I Fixed It: http://thereifixedit.com/

You Suck at Craigslist: http://www.yousuckatcraigslist.com/

Bad Interior Design: http://www.lileks.com/institute/interiors/index.html

Glamour Don'ts: http://glamcam.glamour.com/galleries/Worst%20Don'ts

What am I missing? Any sites out there that make you laugh?

Starting off With a Bang

Two and half weeks of school behind us and we've all already had the stomach flu. Does this happen to everyone else or is it just us? Honestly, we do everything they tell you to do - frequent hand-washing, don't eat or drink after other people, wipe down surfaces often, etc, etc, etc. But all three of us spend the majority of our waking hours in a school or daycare. It's bound to happen, right?

It started last weekend. We didn't have anything planned. It was supposed to be a relaxing weekend at home before we started the craziness of football season, which leads right into the holidays. Last Friday night, we went to Frisco Festival with Grandma Voise and Kathy and had a great time. As of my last post, Rudy was starting to feel bad and Caleb and I were supposedly doing better. Not-so-much. Rudy ended up with the full-blown stomach flu and so did Caleb. By midnight Sunday, Rudy was throwing up in the bathroom and I was holding a bowl in front of Caleb. Ugh. We all stayed home on Monday (sick day #1) so that I could take care of Caleb while Rudy recuperated.

By Tuesday morning, we were back at work/school and doing fine. Caleb even went to Gymboree and then we had dinner together at Firehouse Subs. Rudy worked band practice and came home worn out! Wednesday and Thursday were quiet nights at our house - nothing on the schedule for a change except for packing to go to Hot Springs for the weekend. We were so excited to go to my parents' house for Labor Day weekend. Rudy and I were even geared up for the first Razorback game in Little Rock.

I got to work Friday morning and hit the ground running. I was doing great - rocking through my schedule and seeing my kids like normal. About 10:30, I started feeling a little woozy. By 10:45, I was struggling to stay in the game. My lunch time is at 11:15 and I wanted nothing to do with lunch. I went into the nurse's office to get my temp checked, but didn't have a fever. I decided to chill out during my lunch time and try to make it through the rest of the day. I was honestly hoping it was something pregnancy-related and it would pass soon. By 12:00, I knew that wasn't the case. I stuck my head in the principal's office and told her I was going home (sick day #1 & 1/2). I got home just in time. Between 1:00 PM and 1:00 AM, I went back and forth from the bathroom to the bed, fighting fever and throwing up. I called my OB's office and they said that I needed to call back if my fever topped 101.4, which it never did. I was also given a prescription for phenergan, which helped me sleep through some of the fever pain. The nurse called back at one point and suggested that I go to a clinic for a flu test and possible flumist. By that time, Rudy was already gone to meet my parents in Mansfield to hand Caleb off to them for the weekend. He knew that I would need his help and we really didn't want Caleb to be exposed to the flu again. Plus - Mom and Mr. L. were already planning on having us there for the weekend, so it worked out well. Saturday morning, Rudy took me to the convenient care clinic, where we waited for an hour to be seen. The nurse practitioner told me that he couldn't do a flu test because I didn't have any nasal congestion. They were most concerned because my blood pressure was so low. Urinalysis showed that I was slightly dehydrated, but not enough to worry about. I was sent home with instructions to drink a lot of pedialyte, monitor my fever and continue the phenergan as needed. Rudy brought me home and then went back to the grocery store for a stock-up on bland foods and pedialyte - and a replacement toothbrush for me. I spent all of yesterday napping and watching football, which wasn't too different from what Rudy spent his day doing.

I finally lumbered out of bed and into the living room to watch the Razorback game at 6:00 last night. I was determined to watch it on the big TV in the living room, instead on the little one in the bedroom! Nothing better than starting the season with a kickoff return for touchdown, right? We beat Missouri State 48-10 and now we have a week off before Georgia comes to town on the 19th. I fell asleep during the 4th quarter, but woke up in time to see BYU beat Oklahoma before I fell back into the bed. I tried to watch some of the Alabama game and some of the LSU game, but couldn't keep my eyes open.

I woke up at 10:30 this morning without fever - HALLELUJAH! I've managed a shower today and have eaten a bowl of noodles. I'm feeling a little hungry now, so I think I'll try to eat something else soon. Now I'm sitting on the couch watching some more football, while Rudy has gone to play golf and enjoy this beautiful day. He is going to pick Caleb up tomorrow and they are having lunch with Jan. I'm looking forward to having Caleb home, but I don't have the energy just yet to keep up with him. I'm hoping by the time he gets home tomorrow, I'll be ready to roll.

As for HotShot - I'm a little worried, because I haven't felt any movement today. I'm hoping that he/she is just as drained and worn out from this bout with the flu as I am and having a day of rest. If I don't feel some movement by Tuesday morning, I'll call my doctor's office. I'm not trying to borrow trouble unnecessarily, but I can't help but worry a little. According to my bathroom scale, I've lost about 9 pounds since Friday morning. I'm 2 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight, so this is kind of like starting over in that realm. I'm not worried at all about that. I know it's all fluid and it'll come back.

As for Caleb - he has been for a couple of boat rides, wore his new Razorback jersey yesterday and has had a generally great time at Pops and LaLa's house. I'm sure he's not looking as forward to coming home as we are looking forward to having him home.

The Day Mama Bear's Cage Got Rattled

Thursday, 9/3/09, will go down in my book as the day I officially became a Mama Bear for the first time. My cage got rattled, my temper got challenged and my composure got tested. Let me preface by saying that the past several days with Caleb have been challenging to say the least. We've had lots of strikes against us: he's been sick, Rudy's been sick, I'm still not back to a normal level of energy, it's a full moon (yes, I believe in this 100%) and the weather is changing. It has been a very difficult week and a half to two weeks for us. Caleb has been very emotional and has had a hard time keeping it together. He's crying easily, having lots of tantrums, being defiant and generally showing us lots of behaviors that we just normally don't see. Rudy and I have been struggling with it and getting frustrated, but trying to weather the storm like we always do - with compassion, but without giving too much on our expectations.

When I picked Caleb up from daycare on Thursday afternoon, he was on the playground. As I got to the gate, one of the adults told me very kindly that Elizabeth (Caleb's teacher) asked her to let me know that Caleb had been very emotional all day. Elizabeth has been excellent to give us reports on how Caleb’s days with her have been and we are very grateful for that. I thanked her for letting me know and told her that we had been dealing with the same thing at home for several days. I also told her that he was very sick this past weekend and has been emotionally volatile since then, both at home and at daycare. After I said that, one of the other adults (not his classroom teacher) suggested that I might need to talk to his pediatrician because he might have “generalized anxiety disorder.” I was taken aback by the suggestion and told her that I didn’t think it was anything that serious. He, like most three-year-olds, just goes through phases of being whiny and throwing tantrums.

By the time I got Caleb buckled into the car, I was past being taken aback and was absolutely astonished. After a while, I was getting angrier and angrier about it. I decided that I needed to write a letter to the director of the daycare. In the letter, I explained the situation just as I did above, but used the names of the adults involved. I went on to say this:

"My concern is solely with the idea that XXXX would so nonchalantly suggest a psychological diagnosis without the appropriate training to do so. Fortunately, I am familiar with this diagnosis and know that Caleb does not fit the profile of a child with GAD. Therefore, I knew not to be worried, but was still angered by the fact that she suggested it. This is not the first inappropriate situation that we have been involved in with her. XXXX regularly tells Caleb that she loves him and asks him to give her kisses when we pick him up in the afternoons. I feel that while that is very kind of her, it is inappropriate behavior for a daycare worker. Hugs are appropriate, kisses are not. We don’t ask Caleb to give kisses to anyone, particularly people who aren’t family."

Mama Bear's cage was rattled. My mom told me not to write the letter, because it would draw unnecessary attention to me and to Caleb, but I felt so strongly about it that I had to do it. Anyone who knows me well knows that I don't usually go against Mom's advice, but this was a situation that I had to address.

I shared my frustration with friends on Facebook and was comforted by the astonishment and shock that they shared with me. I got some comforting words from people who know me and people who know Caleb. I got some 'attagirls from people who were just shocked about that fact that it happened.

At this point, we are keeping him in the daycare where he is and still planning to take HotShot there next fall. I have to talk to a couple of people before I make that decision for sure, but that's where we stand now. The range of emotions that I went through in a short period of time was wild. I went from feeling defeated, to astonished, to angry, to hell-bent, to doubtful, to helpless, to angry all over again. I now feel confident in my decision and confident in my ability to weather the storm of raising a 3-year-old.

August in a Nutshell

A summary of August in the Villines house...mostly for scrapbooking purposes, if I ever get caught up to this point!

August 3-8: Rudy had Fayetteville High School band camp. Caleb went to daycare. I wrapped up some final things for back-to-school and got in my last days of resting, napping and not living on someone else's schedule.

August 6: We went to the NWA Naturals game with some of my co-workers. One of my fellow SLPs was singing the National Anthem, so we went to support her. Kat did a fantastic job! Caleb, as usual, loved the baseball game and wore Rudy completely out wanting to play at the kids' size baseball diamond. The funniest part was when Rudy took him down into the seats on the 3rd base line, by the visitors' dugout. The outfielder from the visiting team was running in with the baseball that had been the last out of the inning. A whole bunch of kids (and some adults) were standing there, clamoring for the ball. Rudy had Caleb on his shoulders and the player tossed the ball right over all of the other kids and straight to Rudy. Caleb was excited that Daddy had caught the ball and Rudy handed it up to him. A few seconds later, he saw that everyone in front of him was starting to duck. Sure enough, Caleb tossed that ball right back out. He almost made it onto the field. Everyone around us was laughing and pointing. Rudy turned beet red and Caleb couldn't figure out why the ball didn't come back. After all, it always comes back when he's playing catch with his Daddy.

August 8th - We went to the Tontitown Grape Festival. We started off with a fabulous spaghetti and chicken supper and then enjoyed the evening people-watching and letting Caleb ride the kiddie rides. He loved it and even ate some grapes until he realized they had seeds in them:

August 10th - Stacy and I hit the outlet malls in Branson for some back-to-school shopping. We got lots of great deals and despite a nasty day of thunderstorms, had a great time! The drive home was nerve-wracking, but Stacy kept me company and we made it just fine.

August 12th - The day I dreaded all summer! Back-to-work!!! We made it fine with the alarm clocks going off and getting to work on time. We've fallen back into our morning routines pretty well. The best part of the day was getting home and finding our Razorback season tickets in the mailbox.

August 15th - Dinner with Jan, Kathy and G'ma Voise at G'ma Voise's house.

August 18th - Mom and Mr. L. came to get Caleb. They were at our house when we got home from school and took Caleb to their house for the rest of the week. It was such a blessing for Rudy and I to be able to work a little late and not have to worry about coming home and entertaining Caleb at night. We missed him tremendously...but knew that he was well cared for and it worked out great. He spent his days fishing, swimming, playing, visiting family, following Pops every step of the way and even did a little shopping with LaLa. He got to go to Anna Joyce's birthday party on Saturday night and loved getting to help blow out the candles!

August 19th - First day of school. Whew!

August 23rd - Rudy and I met Caleb, Mom and Mr. L. for lunch in Ft. Smith and brought Caleb home with us. It was so good to have our CalebBug back!!! We expected a major grandparent detox, but that wasn't the case at all. Things were pretty smooth.

August 24th - After a full day at school, Caleb and I went to his Sports Skill Development class at Gymboree and then met Stacy and her kids at Mad Pizza for supper. I had had one of the worst days at work that I can remember in a long time. It seemed like if something could go wrong, it did. I needed the downtime after work to chill out and shake off the events of the day. When we got home from supper, I was hoping to put Caleb to bed and head that way myself. No such luck. I put him to bed, only to see him standing in my bedroom doorway a few minutes later sobbing. He wanted nothing to do with going to bed and just wanted to see his daddy. Fortunately, Rudy came home from band practice shortly after that and Caleb calmed down. He did end up sleeping in the bed with me and Rudy slept on the couch. That's not unusual on band practice nights. He needs to lay on the couch and watch TV until he falls asleep.

August 25th - Caleb learned a new word: armpit. I was washing him off before putting him into bed, since he only gets a tub bath every other night. I told him to raise his arm so I could wash his armpit. He said, "I not have armpits." I said, "Yep, they are right there." He then thought that was really funny and I think he might have said the word "armpit" about 100 times. Another day this week, he learned the word "eyeball." That one struck him as humorous too. Now, we're all about armpits and eyeballs.

August 27th - I had my monthly OB appointment with Dr. Ford. After that, we went out to dinner at On the Border. Caleb acted like he had never been in a restaurant before. He wallered around on the booth, wouldn't eat worth a flip and was a royal pain in the rear. (At least he wasn't bothering anyone else, but ugh!) When we got home, I put Caleb in the bathtub and he continued to act like he had lost his mind. He splashed water all over the bathroom and I asked him why he was making bad choices. He said, "Because I not like you." I said, "Oh, really? That's fine, but you need to start making better choices." He replied, "You not my best friend in the world anymore." I tried not to laugh at him as I scrubbed him with soap and then washed his hair. Bedtime came quickly for the little one with attitude.

August 28th - Rudy, Caleb and I picked up Kathy and G'ma Voise and went downtown to Rogers Frisco Festival. We enjoyed a wonderful fried catfish dinner and then milled around among lots of people. Caleb rode a carousel and a train. He and Rudy rode the SuperSlide after waiting in line for what seemed like forever! After a snowcone for me and ice cream for everyone else, we made it home by 9:30.

August 29-30th - Caleb woke up at 4:30 and climbed in bed with us. Rudy took him to the bathroom, brought him back to sleep with me and went to the couch. (Our next bed will be king-sized!) I noticed that Caleb felt really warm, but he was sleeping (and so was I) so I didn't bother taking his temperature. When I woke up, they boys were gone to eat breakfast at Cracker Barrel (one of their favorite Saturday morning activities). Shortly after they got back, Caleb said he needed to go potty and had diarrhea. We took his temperature and he had a fever of 101.1! We decided it was going to be a movie day and made him a spot on the couch to watch Bolt. He didn't have anymore diarrhea until much later in the day, but wasn't in the mood to eat or do anything. He and I took a nap at 2:00 and we finally woke him up at 5:30. By that time, I was feeling awful too and took my temperature. It waivered between 99.0 and 99.5 all evening. (Not high enough to worry about, but enough to make me achy.) I didn't have the D that Caleb had, but had a sore throat and pressure in my ears. Caleb and Rudy slept in the guest bed last night with full intentions of letting me sleep in this morning. Everything was fine during the night. Caleb woke up feeling great and wanting to play football, then he looked at Rudy, said he didn't feel good and threw up in the living room floor. Rudy came to get me to clean up Caleb while he cleaned up the floor. I was still feeling horrible, but mustered the strength to do what needed to be done. Once everything and everyone was cleaned up, I went back to bed and stayed there all day. No fever, but feeling achy and miserable was enough to keep me in bed. Caleb felt great the rest of the day, but his appetite still isn't back to normal. Rudy put us both on a strict BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) and that's all we've eaten today. Rudy and Caleb spent the day playing and watching golf and even went to the batting cages so Rudy could get in a few hits before his first softball practice tomorrow night. They went to the park too, but Caleb didn't have much stamina and they came home pretty quickly. Now, it's bedtime and Caleb is asleep. I'm feeling a little better, but still achy. Rudy seems to be coming down with whatever this is. He says he feels nauseous and just "not right." Let's hope he gets over it as quickly as Caleb and I have. It's miserable and it's way too early in the school year for this mess!

HotShot's Heartbeat

I had my 16 1/2 week OB appointment this afternoon. Dr. Ford answered my questions about the bizarre feelings that I've been having in my abdomen as "muscoloskeletal movement." Layman's terms: everything's shifting and getting out of the way. I also had the chance to record the doppler heartbeat on my phone but can't figure out how to get it to post on here! The heartrate was 143 and Dr. Ford had no concerns. My blood pressure remains normal, which is just shy of a miracle during the first 2 weeks of school. Dr. Ford asked me to come back in 3 weeks for my regular appointment and the big ultrasound. So, we are just 3 short weeks away from finding out if HotShot is a Nola or a Harrison!

I have more to write about - back to school, Caleb's visit to Hot Springs, etc - but it'll have to wait for this weekend.

Shiny Crowns, Burnt Cookies and a Belly Shot

Lots to write about, so I'm going to sum it up by giving shiny crowns ('cause what could be better than winning a shiny crown?) and burnt cookies ('cause what could be worse than expecting a yummy, warm, fresh cookie and being given something that looks charcoal-esque?). I have to give props to Dana at Mamalogues for this idea. She regularly posts things that she'd like to fling in a trebuchet and I love it! Let's start with the burnt cookies, so we can end on a positive (and shiny) note, shall we?

I hereby present this BURNT COOKIE to:

• The end of summer. Pretty self-explanatory, huh? It's been a tough summer for me, but it was summer nonetheless. I spent most of the summer feeling like I'd been run over by a truck, but at least it ran over me at home and without many obligations instead of at work with MANY obligations. We started back to work last Wednesday (8/12) and the kids come back to school this Wednesday (8/19). So far, we've been in meetings and spent a little time getting materials and space ready.
• Lingering urinary tract infection. Ugh. I've had this UTI for 2 months now. I've done 2 rounds of antibiotics and I truly believe that it's still lingering. I won't find out for sure until I go back to my OB on the 27th, but the symptoms are still there.
• Lingering nausea and exhaustion. I had hoped that by the time we went back to school, I'd be over the nausea and exhaustion of early pregnancy. And...I thought that might be coming true last week. I felt GREAT Monday through Thursday. I was tired from the back-to-school stuff, but I wasn't parking lot tired. Thursday afternoon, it all came back, though. I was nauseated I was the whole month of July and it was all I could do to keep my head up at work on Friday. I slept most of the day on Saturday and took a long nap today after church. I'm hoping it was a flare-up from the busyness of re-entry, but good grief.
• Scrapbooking. Basically, I haven't done any since June. What??? I know, it's my creative outlet - but I just haven't felt like it. I don't have the creative juices right now and I don't have the energy to drag all of my supplies out to get anything done. Actually, the dragging out isn't so bad - it's the cleaning up that I dread enough to keep me from doing anything. So, I'm caught up to the beginning of May. I'm hoping that as my energy picks up and our routine returns, I'll be able to start cropping on the weekends again.
• The Hogs' Schedule. We are on the road at Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and LSU. Plus, the season opener is in Little Rock. There's not a real home game until we play Georgia on September 19th.
• The traffic circle of death. Someone in Rogers decided it would be a good idea to put a traffic circle in front of the new WM Neighborhood Market. That's all well and good, but this one is very poorly designed. Someone is going to get really hurt in that thing.

And, now...I would like to bestow this beautiful, sparkling shiny crown to the following recipients:

• Rudy. The man has stepped up this summer and taken over so much responsibility with Caleb and in our home that I can't even believe it. He has recognized that I'm not just being a big ol' baby...I'm growing one and it's kicking my butt. His patience and energy have not gone unnoticed.
• My parents. Mom and Mr. L. are driving to Rogers on Tuesday to pick up Caleb and take him to their house until next weekend. They say they are doing it to help us out so we can come home without responsibilities on the first week of school. We all know they are really just clamoring for some Caleb time. :)
• Calebisms. You just never know what he's going to say. Yesterday, he was going to go out to the garage to get something, but couldn't get the door unlocked. He said, "Well, I guess I'm not going out there." Our other favorite lately is "Zyeah." It's his way of saying "yeah", but it comes with a little giggle attached. We hear it when he's really agreeable.
• Return to routine. I know, I've already complained about going back to work. But...on the other hand, some return to normalcy is definitely welcome. I was about to go a little stir-crazy. And, really - I'm only there until February and then I'm off for 12 weeks. I'll go back for the month of May and then it's summer again!
• Tontitown Grape Festival. We went to the Grape Festival last Saturday night (8/8). It was so much fun! Caleb loved the rides and we all enjoyed the awesome spaghetti supper. Plus, the people-watching was absolutely stellar.
• Razorback Tickets. They came in the mail on Wednesday. It made back-to-work day all better.
• Stacy. I do love my friend Stacy. We went back-to-school shopping at the outlet malls in Branson on Monday. We braved a rainstorm and some crazy people to do it and had a blast as always.
• Project Runway & Design Star. These are my 2 favorite TV shows. Design Star is rocking along great and Runway starts Thursday night!

Here I am at 15 weeks pregnant. My body has changed so much differently this time. The baby isn't really all that big yet, but apparently, my insides remembered what to do and they are getting out of the way quickly. It seems that everything has shifted upward already. Depending on what I wear, I swear I sometimes look much more pregnant than I should be at 15 weeks.

New Calebisms

3 going on 13
One day earlier this week, Caleb was right under my feet as I was trying to get something done. In addition to that, he was being particularly contrary and I wasn't in the best of moods to begin with. He repeated the same *demand* about 5 times in a row and I finally snapped at him. His response: "Okay, Mom. Relax." This came complete with the exasperated voice of a 13-year-old and, if I'm not mistaken, an eye-roll. I have seen the future and it is not pretty.

Albert Pujols
Caleb and I were watching the Cardinals baseball game on TV on Sunday and he was asking his usual million questions. The biggest question that he asks is, "What his name?" In this case, my answer was, "Albert Pujols." I told him that Pujols is a great player and we always cheer for him: "Go, Albert Pujols!" He responded, "Go, Alice Poophole!" After I choked back some giggles so I wouldn't encourage him to repeat it, I corrected him. He then said it correctly, but asked me "Why he have a hole in him?" I never cease to be amazed.

Dace at the Cardinals Game
I have no idea who Dace is, but Caleb insists that Dace is a baseball man at the Cardinals game. He sits way up high and I should be able to see him on TV. He even goes so far as to tell me, "There he is!" but I have no clue what he's talking about.

Potty Mouth
Caleb has recently decided that he likes having a potty mouth. I know that most kids go through this and he really has no idea what he's saying, but my blonde-haired, blue-eyed, sweet-cheeked 3-year-old has started saying "dammit" when things don't go his way. We're not 100% sure where this came from, though we do have some idea. (I'll never rat out the culprit!) When he says it, we don't make a big deal out of it, we just correct him with a more appropriate response: doggonit! Sometimes he says, "dadgummit," but he usually mixes up the /g/ with the first /d/ and that doesn't work out so well either. We're really pushing "doggonit" or "oh, man!" Any suggestions?

2 Minutes
We use a timer often in our house. We use it for time outs and for counting down how much time Caleb has left before transitioning to a new (usually unpreferred) activity. He has apparently gotten so used to this that he now responds to us, "I need 2 minutes," whenever we ask him to do something. Fortunately for us, he can't tell time or read numbers yet, so 2 minutes varies...

Screening Results and More

I got a call this afternoon from my OB's nurse. She informed me that my early screening results came back from the lab and everything was clearly marked "within normal limits." That's great news! That does not rule out the presence of the 3 genetic abnormalities that are tested for, but it does indicate that the likelihood of one of those is slim.

On the other hand...my urinalysis showed that I either still have or have another urinary tract infection. My doctor said that the in-office quick test didn't show anything, but the full lab test did. (How glad am I that I told her that I strongly suspected it? A girl has to know her own body and stand up for what doesn't feel right, people!) The nurse said she'd call in another round of antibiotics. I quickly requested that I have a different antibiotic than last time, since that one made me feel like death warmed over within 30 minutes of taking it! She said she would ask the doctor and call me back. A short while later, she did call back and said that I would be able to take good ol' Amoxicillin instead of the whatever that evil stuff was that I had last time. Rudy stopped to pick up my prescription on his way home and I started round 2 tonight.

I'm 13 1/2 weeks pregnant now and starting to feel a little more human:

• I am taking Zofran less often and I'm able to tolerate more normal meals without gagging.
• I get full really quickly and then I'm starving again within a couple of hours. I keep Tums handy all of the time.
• My energy level hasn't gotten much better, but I'm hoping that will change some when I get back into a routine next week when I go back to work. I'm sure the long workdays will be exhausting in themselves, but getting up and out of the house regularly will surely help level me out. At least I (hopefully) won't be wide awake when my head hits the pillow and sleepy beyond belief at 11:00 in the morning.
• I am feeling a lot more hormonal than I did with my first pregnancy. I seem to feel very weepy all the time. Everything sets me off and I find myself wiping away tears unexpectedly.
• I continue to feel occasional flutters in my tummy when HotShot moves, but not every day.
• I (surprisingly) still find it comfortable to sleep on my stomach, which is how I normally sleep. It feels a little like I'm sleeping on top of a hot water bottle - definitely something there, but nothing too uncomfortable. My doctor said that's safe until about 20 weeks, then I'll have to start sleeping on my side all the time. I practice that some with my body pillow for support, but it's really not my favorite way to sleep and I don't rest as well.
• I won't go in to the perils that pregnancy plays on the digestive system, but suffice it to say that some days/weeks are better than others.
• None of my "regular" pants fit and only my biggest t-shirts and some of my empire waist shirts fit. I have taken to wearing maternity t-shirts, 2 pairs of Old Navy maternity shorts, 1 pair of shorts purchased in a larger size and my new best friend...cropped gaucho pants.

I have to publicly thank my sister-in-law, Tammy, for her encouragement this week...and she didn't even know it was needed. She e-mailed to see how things are going. Through a couple of exchanged e-mails, she gave me some much-needed words when she told me how much she's enjoying having two kids and how great the transition from one to two has been. It seems that everyone wants to tell me how unbelievably difficult it is to have two children. I hear nothing but horror stories about sibling rivalry, how much Caleb is going to have to adjust, how hard it is to do anything with two children, how much harder it is to get out the door in the mornings, etc, etc, etc. I needed so badly to hear Tammy's happy words about how her life has improved and somehow she delivered them at just the right time!

On that note...I have to just ask WHY it is that people feel the need to tell pregnant women their pregnancy horror stories??? Why is it that everyone I meet seems to have a story about how someone they know just lost a baby in the 2nd trimester or how difficult their 2nd child was compared to their 1st one? I know how much pregnancy bonds women together and how everyone wants so badly to tell their story because it is so important to them. I feel the same way and I have told my pregnancy story many times...but I always keep it light and only talk about the good stuff unless she asks, "Did this happen to you too?" Please, people - when you're talking to a pregnant woman about being pregnant - keep it positive! I promise, she's already gone through all of the "what-ifs" in her mind and she's worried enough already without you adding fuel to the fire.

Okay, enough of my soapbox. I really should get back to my re-reading of the Twilight series. I'm almost at the end of Eclipse and it's getting goooood!