life is what you make of it...: May 2009

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Girl vs. Boy

So, if you're anything like me, when you're pregnant you weigh the pros and cons of having a boy or a girl. Ultimately, it did not matter, but I'll share with you my list and explain why this even matters since we already know we are having a girl.

A Boy:
Pros:
we quickly agreed on a name.
we'd get a whole new persepective on life.
he'd have lots of nephews to play with.

Cons:
We'd need to gather boy clothes and toys.
We'd be faced with the decision...to circumcise or not?
We'd have to worry about getting sprayed during diaper changes.
The fear of unlimited energy little boys potentially possess.
Everyone and their brother who thought we were going to have a boy would feel like "they knew it." Nobody knows it, it's a 50/50 guess. I didn't feel like hearing 95% of the people I know say "I told you so."

A Girl:
Pros:
we've got clothes for years to come.
we've got lots of pink and girly toys.
they are so cute to dress up.

Cons:
THE NAME....there are many names Brian loves, many I love; but the problem lies in the lack of names that we both love. I can't say that there are any that we both like, rather a lucky few that we don't cringe over.

We are on the cusp of my third trimester and the name game hovers over us like a dark cloud.

Believe me, I've heard it all before...

"Will you continue with the "A" names?"...This was not intentional the first time around. We just happened to like two names that began with the letter "A". I will neither avoid, nor go out of my way to have another "A" name.

"Will the babies middle name rhyme with the big girl's...Paige and Sage?" Again, not intentional. Sage was just as big a contender for the first name. They were names we liked, they just happened to rhyme. (FYI: don't use up all of your favorite names on one kid, then there is nothing leftover for the rest of them).

"You could name the baby after yourselves.".... no, we can't. Our names have served us well, but aren't anything we want to pass along. Sorry.

This little lady can't go unnamed forever. We'll let you know when she's born in 13+/- weeks.

Now, let's see if we get lucky and get another fun birthday.
Abigail kicked off the trend with 05-04-03.
Autumn followed up with 11-11-05 (in addition to having the redunant number, she also always gets her birthday on a holiday).
Baby girl Murphy...will you hold out until September to get a fun 09-0#-09 or will you try to convince me that random numbers can be just as fun? Only time will answer these questions.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Desire Escaped Me

Well, I meant to get back to posting about my birthday extravaganza, but did not feel compelled to blog anything. Too much school, no job, no vacation stresses. But, I did have a delightful birthday. A visit from my mom was enjoyable and she stuffed us with lots of delicious food. A birthday gift from her included a trip for Brian and I to the Melting Pot. Delicious. If you've never been, you are missing out. Top it off with sushi (no raw fish, of course) and Belgian pecan waffles and I may as well count on gaining 5 pounds this month. Brian got me lovely gifts, including maternity tops, movies, music, carrot cake and unconditional love.

Now, it's back to reality. I have spent the last 5 days attending class, working on my Capstone project, 24 hours of clinical, 2 assignments, and many school related emails. I'm am feeling a slight bit of relief knowing that I can cram in a bunch of clinical hours over the next few weeks in hopes of getting my hours completed around the first week of July. With the burgeoning belly, I will do just about anything to get this requirement off my shoulders. It is far easier to stand on your feet for 12 hours the smaller the belly is. Given that I am in the NICU, I am no stranger to concept of premature labor. Two post-term pregnancies is no guarantee it can't happen to me. So, I will try to get as much done as early as possible. On the plus side, I get to walk around the unit and see how big my baby is it weren't contained in my womb. It's amazing.

Brian is still on the job hunt and is juggling the children excellently while I am fully immersed in finishing up this degree. Hopefully everything will work out soon and we can just enjoy being an employed family. I know money isn't everything, but those pesky bills seem to feel otherwise. I would have no trouble paying in hugs or cuteness.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

All About Me-Mother's Day

Well, this week has been one big Kerri-party. It kicked off with an amazing Mother's Day. I got to sleep in a little while Brian did some dishes and got the girls dressed. Then we enjoyed delicious Dunkin' Donuts. If you've know me for a while, you may recall the food sensitivity ordeal I've juggled since before I got married. Well, three pregnancies and chemical changes later and I seem to tolerate just about anything that crosses my path. I haven't had a Dunkin' Donut in about 9 years and it was deliciuos. That Vanilla Kreme donut pretty much sugared me out for the day. I then got to open presents from the most thoughtful family ever. The girls made me cards and decorated flower pots at school. I now have the task of trying to keep those babies alive. I am completely capable of sustaining life (evidenced by Abigail and Autumn), but when it comes to plants the desire is lacking. Abigail also made me a rainbow-painted clay turtle. Brian thoroughly pampered me. I got a super fluffy white spa towel to go with a bubbly, massaging foot spa. Given the pregnancy and the long clinical shifts this summer, this is a dream come true. He even got me a Cosmo to read while soaking my pups (you know, the sex issue, because which issue isn't?). To indulge my love of period-era movies, he bought me The Duchess. How have I never heard of this movie? It is totally me. Then, since Abigail was Brian's shopping helper, I got some Lip Smackers lip glosses in Vanilla and Birthday Cake. Sparkly fun. I even got a card from the new baby. Brian took the girls to visit his mom for the morning, which gave me the house to my house for a bit. I flipped through the ads, took a nap, and read my book. Then Brian brought home some KFC for lunch (I know. I must be pregnant). Then the girls just played sweetly all afternoon while I relaxed. I made a light salad for dinner (Given I was stuffed from the food earlier) and caught up on some Heros with Brian. Nothing better than curling up on the sofa my man.

Well, the rest of the week will have to wait until another post. This one was much longer than I had planned and it's time to get my baby girls tucked into bed.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

A Baby Boy

My friend, who went into preterm labor 2 weeks ago had a baby boy. He's in the NICU, but both mom and baby are doing well. The little guy just needs to grow a little, breath, and learn to eat. At 34 weeks, he overcome many of the hurdles. Let's think positive thoughts and hope for smooth sailing.

What a Week

To save time, my week will be summed up in pictures and bullets.

I was on a cooking frenzy: cinnamon muffins for Teacher Treats Day, dinner for a friend in need, sugar cookies for classmates, brownies for Abigail's party, Rice Krispie Treats for Abigail's class....

All of the girls' clothes were organized by age (0 months-7 years)...we could open our own boutique!
Classes were completed on Thursday with a presentation. Woo Hoo!
To celebrate I got a "warning" ticket for parking over the "stall lines". $45 dollars when cars were able to park on either side of mine and no one had to squeeze to get into or out of the car....

We set up bunk beds for the girls and reorganized their newly shared room.

The nursery is still a work in progress.

According to Abigail (and all of her teachers), she had the most awesomest 6th birthday party-May the Force be With Her. (Note to self: boys are WAY more active than girls)

We enjoyed a visit from my friend from high school. It was lovely to catch up with her and her husband and the girls were absolute dolls.

Autumn and I took Abigail a Happy Meal as a special birthday lunch. Abigail is not a shy child and took full advantage of the fact that the Asst. Prinicpal was willing to lead the cafeteria in singing Happy Birthday to her.

Torturous, I know, but Abigail had to have her allergist appointment on her birthday. Starting tomorrow we Abigail will be start integrating Abigail into the mainstream nutty tables.

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