Two Toddlers, a Mommy on the Verge & a Daddy Somewhere in NYC

Popsicles in November

2007-11-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

It's 30 degrees outside and Thomas is having his first popsicle. Why not? We need to get rid of everything in the freezer anyway before we move on Thursday.

After Thomas said he was done and put his half-eaten popsicle on the counter, I said, "Are you sure? Your popsicle is going to be so sad sitting there melting." Malena then chimes in, "Mommy, the popsicle doesn't have a face." Gotta love the mind of a 3-year-old.

Future Contender

2007-11-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

Pretty cute, huh? What you don't see is the little mischievous kid hiding behind that smile. Thomas is thoroughly enjoying torturing his sister lately...pulling her hair, pushing her & yanking off her socks after it's taken her 15 minutes to put them on. Here he is with his latest battle scar. This one landed him in the ER at 7:30 a.m. the day after Halloween. Luckily, dermabond was the answer. The blood, though, my LORD!

Worst Idea of the Year

2007-11-05T05:27:00.001-08:00

When we couldn't get a sitter for Thomas so that we could take Mimi to the movies, we decided he'd be zonked out on his cold medicine enough that we could all go together...in the pouring, freezing rain...in downtown Boston. Worst idea of the year. But, hey, at least we got this cute photo!

My Spider and My Cow

2007-11-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween 2007!

I'm back!

2007-11-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

This blog started out as Baby Thomas' website, but, as you can see with most second children, that didn't last very long. Does that mean I love him any less? Depends on the day. Ha! Just kidding. He HAS turned into a bit of a stinker lately, but he is a boy + he is a toddler = he is a regular nightmare. Anyway, I would like to start posting again, but the postings will be about our family. Not just the little guy. Time to catch up.

Thomas Rocks

2006-09-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

I just love this boy. He is so sweet and so happy almost all of the time. And, I think we might be breaking through this growth spurt (knock on wood). He slept last night from 7:30 p.m. - 5 a.m. After I fed him, he slept again from 5:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m., when I woke him up so I could take Malena to "church class."

He had his first stay with Mama Shirin this morning. I was pleased that he even drank some of his bottle and slept a little bit in the bouncy seat. He was smiling the biggest smiles when I picked him up. He is the best.

3 Months Old

2006-09-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Posing for my 3-month blue chair photo.

Just my face.

I like to put my hands out in front of me and play with them.

I also like to lurch forward to try and sit up on my own.

Will she always love me this much?

Labor Day at Paradise Cove

2006-09-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

I don't really like the beach yet.

At my big sister's birthday party...

2006-09-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dressed up for the pool (but I didn't get to go in).

My eyes are still blue!

Enjoying the view.

12 Weeks Old

2006-09-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

I'm really not as serious as this. ;-)

Let me do some catching up on Thomas. He is a sweet little kid. He smiles so big and happy when he sees me or T.J. or Malena. He hardly makes much noise...people have even commented that he has a "quiet cry." He is very content to hang out in the swing, in the bouncy seat, under the play gym, and even in his crib. Thomas, in other words, is an easy going little fella.

For about 2 or 3 weeks, nighttime sleep was going GREAT. He was waking up only once a night -- usually between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. He would then wake up in the morning between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. Well, all good things must come to an end, as they say, and he hit his 3-month growth spurt last Wednesday. It has been going on ever since. We are now back to waking up 3 times at night, and he is HUNGRY. I don't remember the growth spurts lasting for this long with Malena, but then again, I am headed to the time when she started her "nursing strike," so we had different problems to deal with.

I made a HUGE mistake. I didn't take my breast pump with me to NY, so he didn't have a bottle for about 3 weeks. Well, now he refuses to take a bottle. He would rather starve than drink from a bottle. I can't believe it. How stupid of me. I am trying everything, but he just flat out doesn't want it. He'd rather scream so much that he gets tired and falls asleep. This truly sucks. So, last night I ordered the Adiri bottle. We'll see how that goes.

11 Weeks Old

2006-09-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Boy

I took this photo on the day (Aug. 26) Thomas moved into the crib. He has gone from the bassinet to the Pack 'N Play bassinet and now, finally, to his crib. Malena decided to take a nose dive out of her crib, so she is now in a big girl bed and Thomas has the crib. See how happy this made him?

10 Weeks Old

2006-09-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Tummy Time

Shakin' things up with my wrist and feet rattles.

My daddy is 38 today...happy birthday!

The week after we returned home from Lake George, I decided to stop swaddling Thomas. He knew how to suck his thumb at that point, so I decided to nip the Miracle Blanket in the bud. Swaddling is such a blessing and a curse. We swaddled Mimi for nearly 6 months, and the last three of them were torture. So, I put up with no sleep for about 5 nights, and now Thomas sleeps just fine in his sleep sack.

More from Thomas' Baptism

2006-09-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Sweet in his suit.

He doesn't like the hat.

Big Smile

Big Sister Mimi is a cutie, too!

G.G. with her FIVE(!) great-grandkids.

Thomas' Baptism

2006-08-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Father Moore pours the water.

Thomas is anointed with the oil.

Uncle Brian & Aunt Gina light the candle.

Family

The important people. ;-)

Tired Little Angel

A present from Mommy & Daddy.

Cute Itty Bitty Shoes

9 Weeks Old (at Lake George)

2006-08-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

9 Weeks Old

Meeting G.G. (great-grandmother)

All dressed up for big sister's birthday!

Hugs

Lake George 2006

2006-08-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the lake with Papa.

Cranky Baby

I woke Mommy up early enough to watch the sunrise.

Thomas is 2 months old today!

Just the boys.

Just the kids.

Mommy's sweet little boy.

8 Weeks Old

2006-08-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Thomas takes his first plane trip at 8 weeks.

What a good boy!

Okay, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER again will I take a red-eye flight with these kids. Enough said!

7 Weeks Old

2006-08-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Tummy Time

Cute Little Toes

Thomas is almost 2 months old already...that is astounding. Time is flying much more quickly than it did with Malena! Thomas is already in 3-6 mo. clothing and wears size 2 diapers.

Thomas is a pretty darn good baby I must say. He spends his days sleeping mostly -- with 1-hour awake times between naps. For the past week or so, I've been putting him down at 7 or 7:30 p.m. He goes down pretty easily, but I am still swaddling him. He usually wakes up around midnight to eat and falls back asleep easily. Most nights he wakes up again at 3 or 4 a.m., but he isn't hungry, and this is the most difficult part about him. If I don't nurse him, he screams for 2 hours. If I do nurse him, he just nibbles and falls asleep immediately. Ugh. This is really frustrating. He is then up again at about 6 a.m. to eat. Like I said, some nights are better than others, but this early morning freaky routine has got to stop!

It's no use trying to force any pattern at this point...we are headed to Lake George for 10 days. He is taking his first plane ride tonight. It's a red eye flight, and I can guarantee both T.J. and I will step off the plane in Albany with very red eyes.

6 Weeks Old

2006-07-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

5 Weeks Old

2006-07-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sleep, poop & smiles

2006-07-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Thomas sure is growing quickly. He already weighs at least 13 or 13 1/2 pounds!

Last week, I tried giving him one bottle of formula at night for 3 nights hoping he would sleep longer, but it didn't work, so I quit doing that. His sleep really hasn't been too bad lately. I usually feed him last between 8:30 and 10 p.m. and he doesn't wake up again until between 2:30 and 4 a.m. Then he's usually up again at 6 a.m. I'll feed him, then T.J. usually keeps an eye on him so I can get another hour of sleep before he goes to work.

Lately, Thomas has been smiling here and there, and it is so sweet! He has discovered his hand and even sucked his thumb a couple times. We swaddle him for naps and nighttime sleep, so sometimes we have the Battle of the Pacifier. I try not to give it to him in the middle of the night or else I'll be up every 9 minutes putting it back in, and that just sucks. (Pardon the pun.) Thomas is still sleeping in a bassinet, so there is no mobile attached to it. However, he loves staring at his striped curtains, which have a lot of contrast. Sometimes he goes cross-eyed from looking at them for too long!

Thomas has a weird digestive system. He only poops twice a week. This sounds ideal, but it's not really. When the poop finally comes out, it is a flood and is hard to clean up. I'm always so paranoid this is going to happen away from home, and it finally did last week at the library. It was quite a challenge cleaning him up in the bathroom and, at the same time, trying to prevent his big sister from touching ANYTHING in the dirty place. These kids are so different from each other. For starters, Malena has always had a consistent digestive pattern. Sometimes predictability is a very good thing!

Other differences...Thomas does not scream all day every day like Mimi did. THANK GOD FOR THAT. The past couple nights he's been fussy for about 3 hours in the evening, but this is NOTHING compared to Malena's colic. Also, he loves the swing and will sit in it very happily for an hour! WOW! That is nice. The other great thing about this baby is that he actually sleeps during the day. Hallelujah!

They both hate the carseat, though, and that can be a real bummer.

One Month Old!

2006-07-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

One month old!

Up close!

Our Little Guy's Birth

2006-07-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Now that Thomas is almost 6 weeks old (!), it's about time I start this journal...

Thomas was born 6 days early because I decided to get induced. I was afraid he was going to be as big as his sister (she was 9 lbs.), and I didn't really want to recover from another delivery like that. Well, as it turns out, Thomas was big anyway...9 lbs., 2 oz.! WHOA!

T.J. and I drove Malena to Mama Shirin's house at 5:30 a.m. on June 7th. She knew we were going to the doctor, but for some reason she thought she was going, too. So, it took a while for Shirin to calm her down. It was a weird feeling leaving her like that...knowing that was the last time I'd see her as my only child.

We drove to Blockbuster next to drop off a movie so it wouldn't be late, then we headed east on the 210 towards the hospital. It was a very different drive from the one we took when I was in labor with Mimi, that's for sure!

I actually think I was about to go into labor on my own. The night before I'd had contractions all night, so Thomas was probably coming either way.

We got to the hospital a few minutes after 6 a.m. T.J. dropped me off, and I waited for him in the lobby while he parked. After signing a few forms, they took us straight to the L&D room (I think it was #6) where they started taking blood, checking blood pressure and temperature, etc.

They finally hooked me up to the Pitocin at about 6:45 a.m. At about 10:30 a.m. I asked them for some pain medicine, but I wasn't ready for the epidural. They gave me Fentnol (sp?), which did nothing for the pain but made me feel pleasantly high as a kite. ;-)

By 11:30 a.m., I was pretty much dying, so I asked for the epidural. The anethesiologist showed up about 15 very, very long minutes later, and he kicked T.J. out of the room. It took another 35 minutes for the pain medicine to start kicking in. I was starting to panic that the epidural wasn't going to work, but alas, it did.

At about 12:30 p.m. or so, I told T.J. he better go grab some lunch because I felt the baby was coming soon. He brought back his lunch and the nurse kicked him out because she thought it stunk. I told him he'd better eat it close by! Not 30 seconds after he walked out of the room, I started demanding that the nurse "go get my husband and the doctor this baby is coming!" She checked me and sure enough I was 10 cm dilated.

Dr. Jick came in about 5 minutes later, and I started pushing 5 or 10 minutes after that. After the first push, the doctor said to stop pushing so he could unravel the cord from Thomas' neck. Two more pushes and out he came! I didn't even get to ask the nurse to refresh my memory on how the heck I'm supposed to breathe when I'm pushing the baby out.

As I was pushing, the doctor told me to lean forward to see the baby. I couldn't see anything until that last push and I could see everything from the baby's torso up. WOW! It is such a miracle.

Immediately after Thomas was born, the doctor laid him on my stomach while T.J. cut the cord. This freaked me out because Thomas was as blue as a blueberry and was making a horrible noise trying to get air. I didn't like this one bit and was very happy when the "baby catcher" told me she needed to take him right away. I don't know how much time passed, but it seemed like ages before the boy let out a cry. What a scary two minutes.

T.J. and I both looked at each other and said, "Oh, he's smaller than Malena was!" Well, we were wrong. They put him on the scale, and I yelled, "Are you kidding me?!" when T.J. told me 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Thomas was 21 1/2 inches, though, so he was taller than Mimi (20 inches). I guess that's where the extra weight went.

Lucky me, I had another horrible tear. It took a while for the doctor to sew me up. I finally got to hold Thomas and nursed him immediately. He latched on no problem.

Eventually, Thomas headed to the nursery where they found out his glucose level was low. So, we didn't see him for another 6 or 7 hours. They had to keep testing his levels. Dr. Jick returned a few hours later to circumcise the boy, so I never even got to see his uncirmcumcised penis...not that it really matters, but I've never seen one of those.

When Thomas finally came back to me, I was surprised that his hair was lighter than Mimi's was and that he had blue eyes. I'm sure they won't stay that color, so I'm curious to see what color they end up being. T.J. was at home getting Malena re-acquainted with Grandma Beth. She was not a happy camper and very much understood that things were changing.

My friend Emily (who ended up having her baby Leah 5 days after Thomas was born) came to visit that evening and she even changed a nasty meconium diaper for me!

The first night there was a blur. Thomas wasn't that hungry, so he stayed in the nursery longer between feedings. T.J. and I didn't sleep too well with all the hospital noise and me having to get up and pee constantly. It was then that I realized how much I missed Cedars-Sinai!

The next morning the pediatrician came to tell us that Thomas had a fractured clavicle. I was suspicious that something was wrong with his shoulder, so it was good to know that I wasn't crazy, but heartbreaking to hear that he was in pain! We spent the next 3 weeks keeping his arm pinned up as though he was in a sling. It developed a large "callus" of bone over the break, but that is just about gone now and his movement is much better.

Poor guy...first he was evicted from the womb, then he broke his collarbone on the way out, then he was strangled by the cord, and lastly he was circumcised...all on his first day! Can't get much worse than that I tell him.

Photos of Thomas

2006-07-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I need to write some comments about Thomas...but at least I've uploaded a bunch of photos on Shutterfly:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Welcome Thomas III!

2006-06-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

Thomas Albert Marchetti III

Born June 7, 2006 at 12:58 p.m.
9 lbs. 2 oz.
21 1/2 inches
Blue/gray eyes

Final Pregnancy Photos

2006-06-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

39 weeks!

Fiber, fiber, fiber.

2006-06-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is a funny photo. Here are 7 pregnant women at one baby shower, lined up from left to right starting with the earliest due date. There's me on the very left. ;-) 38 1/2 weeks along.

Wednesday should be the big day!

2006-06-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

If this baby hasn't already arrived, I'm going to be induced on Wed., June 7th. I have an appointment for 6 a.m., which I am very much looking forward to. I am already 2 cm dilated, so hopefully things will go well and we'll have a healthy baby boy that evening!

T.J. and I went on a date last night, which was very nice. We had appetizers then saw "Mission Impossible 3" (incidentally, I saw another Tom Cruise movie the day I went into labor with Mimi -- "Collateral"). It was just great to be out with him. It will be a while before we get to do that again.

38 weeks...only 2 more to go!

2006-05-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

I am so exhausted! I just can't sleep...can't get comfortable. Pelvis is killing me. So, last night I took a Tylenol PM, which helped me rest much better. My mom is arriving on Wed., June 7th. I'm tempted to try the ole castor oil trick to bring on labor that night if Thomas hasn't already arrived. If that doesn't work, I plan to spend the entire day of Thurs., June 8th, meditating and just plain begging God to bring it on. (I did this with Malena, and labor started 10 minutes later.)

In the meantime, here is a cute photo of some little trucks that Thomas' G.G. (great-grandmother) sent for him. I finally got a shelf to put them on.

More baby shower photos...

2006-05-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

Top row: Jennifer D., Debbie, Jennifer C., Susan, Letty & Rose

Bottom row: Emily W., Malinda, Irma, Me & Nic

Already went home: Deborah, Emily S., Chu, Gwinn & Erin

An Incredible Baby Shower

2006-05-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my "Gymboree Mom" friends hosted a really amazing baby shower for me at the fabulous Villa Sorriso restaurant, owned by Karen, one of the mommies in our group. The invitation Nic made was adorable, the decorations Irma provided were perfect, the food was delicious (as was the yummy baseball cake), but the company was the best part of all. My new friends from LCJWC were also in attendance, as was dear Deborah & my southern buddy Gwinn, who is leaving me for Florida in a matter of weeks. :-( Here are some photo highlights from the joyous occasion...enjoy!

Nic's very creative & adorable invitation.

Yummy cake! Thanks, Irma!

Yay! Boy clothes!

Can't wait to try these socks on baby Thomas' little feet.

Still growing and growing and growing...

2006-05-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

Almost 37 weeks!

Okay, what if the baby really does come one week early?

2006-05-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Nursery progress...

2006-05-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

T.J. using the miter saw to cut the wood.

Nailing up the chair rail after painting it red.

Nice work!

I put the "stitching" on more than 100 baseballs and glued them onto the chair rail.

35 weeks and counting...

2006-05-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

34 weeks

35 weeks

Only about 4 1/2 weeks left. I'm hoping little Thomas will come a few days early, like Mimi did. Not too much to report. Baby is about 7 pounds now! My pelvis is killing me like last time. Sleeping is practically non-existent.

"You don't look a day over 30."

2006-04-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Quoted by Ben Ferrell, my brother-in-law, on my 30th birthday (yesterday).

Giant Easter Egg

2006-04-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

I am almost 32 weeks pregnant in this Easter photo. Malena just realized that the biggest egg is actually hiding under Mommy's shirt.

Yes, I do realize the jacket isn't "maternity."

2006-04-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Here is my lovely belly at 31 1/2 weeks. Thank you, Mike, for the excellent shot.

Batters Up!

2006-04-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

Aaaah. Here is my sweat shop. Instead of decorating Easter eggs this year, I rallied some troops (husband, brother-in-law & his girlfriend) to help me with a project for Thomas' room. For an 1.5 hours we spent quality time together as we painted 110 3" plywood circles, which will one day soon (hopefully) resemble baseballs. Thanks y'all!!!

Goodbye working world.

2006-04-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

My last day at my (part-time) job was Friday, Mar. 31, 2006. My wonderful boss, Peter, and co-workers, Joel, Liz, Kimberly & Tracy, threw me a little going-away party complete with a Southern-style BBQ lunch and baby boy gifts. It was such a sweet surprise. I really hope to go back to work there one day.

Greek (Vase) Goddess

2006-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Nic took this photo of me when we visited the new Getty Villa Museum in Malibu on Mar. 30, 2006. I was 29 1/2 weeks pregnant and still turning heads. ;-)

There goes the weekend.

2006-04-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

What a great Daddy. T.J. spent the entire weekend painting Thomas' nursery. I must say, he did an outstanding job, especially considering this was his first time to ever paint a room. Me so proud!

A Little T.J. Face

2006-04-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

At my most recent appointment on March 23, I had another ultrasound. The reason I had one at 28 weeks was because they needed to take another look at the baby's kidneys. There had been a dilation in part of the kidneys when we looked at 20 weeks. This time, things were normal.

Baby Thomas was very cooperative during the ultrasound. He turned towards us, so we got a really close look at his face. I never really saw Malena's face when she was in utero. It was amazing! You can really see that his face is shaped more like T.J.'s -- long, thin, with that prominent chin. Very unlike Malena's chubby round face (like mine). We could also see that he has hair. I'm sure he'll be born with a full head of hair like this big sister.

His heartbeat was in the 140's, and we looked again for a penis. He is still a boy. ;-)

Babymoon in Maui

2006-03-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

T.J. thought this would be a funny photo, and I am inclined to agree. Here I am 25 1/2 weeks pregnant and loving life on our babymoon trip in Maui WITHOUT Malena. What an indulgence. It was incredible. Our typical schedule was...

Wake up and eat a quick breakfast
Head down to the beach and snorkel all morning
Eat lunch
Laze around the beach or pool and read or sleep
Watch the sunset
Eat a fantastic dinner (and sometimes dessert!)

We did venture out a few times...once to explore a couple snorkeling spots in West Maui...once to check out the aquarium...and another time to take a boat to snorkel at Molokini Crater. But, mostly we snorkeled at the beaches near our resort on Wailea because the water was clear, the scenery was gorgeous and the turtles were all around us.

It's a BOY!

2006-01-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

T.J., Malena & I went to my 20-week OB appointment this morning. We decided to find out what we are having...and holy moly it's a BOY! I could not be happier. I cried just as I did when Malena was born and they told me she was a girl. The moment was just as special finding out ahead of time.

Deep down inside, I knew this baby was a boy, despite all the signs pointing to a girl. I am just so thrilled!!! One of my first reactions, which really surprised me, was thinking that I might have to have another one so Mimi can have a sister. What a nut. I really think I'm done.

What do you think I'm having?

2006-01-17T15:22:00.000-08:00

19 weeks down...21 to go!

Deep down inside, I think this baby is a boy, but all the signs are pointing to a girl. I have the "estrogen rash" that I had last time I was pregnant. This time it's a lot worse. My previous doctor said the rash was caused by excess estrogen making my capillaries burst.

In addition, the baby's heartrate is consistently 157 beats/minute at our check-ups. This is the same as Malena was in utero.

I don't think I can stand the suspense this time, so I'll probably find out next Wednesday what we are having.

Unfortunately, I am sick again. My darling Malena is catching nasty germs from daycare and spreading them around our house. Even T.J. (who never gets sick) got this cold. I felt so badly today that I had to call in sick to work and send Malena to daycare just so I could get some rest. Hate doing that.

It's so boring at home alone! I can't remember the last time I was home all day without the baby. So, I've been reading a toddler training book and trying to decide when to get Mimi to start. She's showing all the signs of readiness even though she's only 17 months old. It would be nice not having two babies in diapers at one time. We'll see.

Just an update

2006-01-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I am now 17 1/2 weeks pregnant. I look like I'm 6 months pregnant. That really sucks.

My pelvic pain kinda died down for a couple weeks, but now it is back and I'm having trouble sleeping. Every sleeping position is uncomfortable.

I can't decide whether or not I want to find out this baby's gender ahead of time. My big ultrasound is Wednesday Jan. 25 when I'm 20 weeks pregnant. Part of me really wants to know, but the other part wants to be surprised like we were with Malena.

It's so nice not being sick. I was sick throughout the entire holiday with some sort of flu. Then, just when I got to feeling better, I got a stomach virus. What a bummer. I finally felt well enough to return to work on Thursday. There was a lot of work to do, which was nice because I was so busy that the day just flew by.

Jumbo Shrimp is now Large Onion. Large Onion has been enjoying his/her sleep during the day this week and having playtime at night. That's the other reason I can't sleep. It's worth it, though.

Where in the hell are my maternity clothes?

2005-12-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

We've looked all through the garage and they are nowhere to be found. I don't know why anyone would want to steal them, as they were very ugly and nearly threadbare. But I desperately need those jeans because the ones I'm wearing are so uncomfortable.

Braxton Hicks, you're a bast___.

2005-12-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

Who was this guy and why would he go and invent something like contractions?

I have been having BH contractions a LOT lately. They started at 12 weeks and they are so annoying. And, yes, I've been drinking plenty of water, so please don't offer any to me.

Is there a such thing as a pelvic transplant?

2005-11-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

I need a new pelvis. How can this be? The horrible pelvic pain I endured during the last 3 months of my first pregnancy (and until Mimi was 8 months old) has ALREADY RETURNED. How am I going to withstand the next 28 weeks?!

Well, other than that, I'm feeling pretty well. A little nausea here and there, but nothing like last time. I'm tired all the time, too, but that is normal during the first trimester.

This blog is no longer a secret. Thanksgiving was our day to break the news!

What should I do?

2005-11-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

For this pregnancy, I had to switch to a new OBGYN. Mostly because Dr. Brock is too far now that we've moved, but also because his partner, Dr. Schulman, forgot to remove my placenta (until I reminded him when he was almost done stitching me up) and left a freakish amount of gauze in you-know-where (which was discovered days later in the middle of my kitchen).

Anyway...I have a new doctor...Dr. Jick. He came highly recommended. At my appointment a couple weeks ago, the nurse was going through the roster of all the tests I'll have at the different stages of the pregnancy. She mentioned the "First Trimester Screening Test," which I never had with Malena. Apparently, through ultrasound, they measure the baby's neck fold at 12 weeks gestation and can give you an indication if the baby has a genetic abnormality. A blood sample is also drawn. If necessary, they then do CVS, which means removing a sample of the placenta, to run further tests.

I told them, sure I'd do the test. Then, I heard a very sad and unfortunate story from a woman who had just miscarried as a result of the CVS procedure. The crazy thing is that she is only 26. I'm only 29. So, why are they screening us in the first place? It's really only for women over 35.

Right now, I'm leaning towards passing on the screening altogether. There is no way I'm going to do CVS...and there is no way in hell I'd abort this baby anyway, so the whole thing seems pointless, right? Is there any good reason why I should do the screening?

Didn't she see "Super Size Me"?

2005-11-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

I don't plan to write too much about Malena on this website (because the spoiled little stinker has her own), but I can't mention this on her site because, as of right now, this whole pregnancy thing is still a big secret, just like this blog.

Anyway, I'm going to hell because I took my child to McDonald's.

I was having double-cheeseburger-and-small-fries cravings and figured Mimi deserved a treat for putting up with two nasty vaccinations she'd just received at her 15-month check-up.

She had her first cheeseburger Happy Meal (with Apple Dippers, of course). However, she was much more interested in watching the crazed children running around the indoor playground.

Afterwards, I had the worst stomach ache and Malena gave us the poop of her life.

We are done with McDonald's for another few years.

Oh. So you believe that one.

2005-11-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our first doctor's appointment. There IS a baby in there! But, more importantly, there is ONLY ONE. I always have this fear of being pregnant with twins, so it is a total delight to find out I don't need to worry about that.

Following in the footsteps of his or her big sister, this baby is already measuring bigger than normal. I was 8 weeks at the ultrasound, but the baby's size indicates 8 weeks 2 days, which changes my due date from June 13 to June 11, 2006. I'm betting June 10...T.J. thinks June 7.

Up until yesterday, I was convinced this one was a boy. Now I'm very confused because the heartbeat (which we were able to hear beautifully loud and clear) was 160 beats/minute! I yelped, "Oh no! It's another girl!" I don't know why that came out, because I'd be thrilled for Malena to have a sister (and I can use all those adorable dresses that Malena hardly ever wore). So, I've decided to wait until I hear the heartbeat again to make my prediction. We may just have to find out for sure when I'm 20 weeks along.

Recipe for nausea

2005-10-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well, it started yesterday. Nausea. I wouldn't call it morning sickness. It's not as bad as when I was pregnant with Malena. Of course, it's only been one day.

I had the bright idea to make chicken sausage gumbo. This is funny, because I did the same thing when I was early pregnant the first time.

First thing you have to do is cut up a whole chicken. The sound of the bones cracking beneath my super sharp Henkels knife was disgusting. I looked down at what I was doing and just felt sick.

Second thing you gotta do is look at the recipe. I happened to be following the one from Vernon Roger's Cajun Cookbook. It took me back to my days in Louisiana when good ole Vernon was the anchorman for WAFB-TV channel 9...until he got busted with Baton Rouge's own version of a Heidi Fleiss while he was wearing a diaper doing God-knows-what. Ugh. The very thought of a grown man in a diaper made the nausea return with a vengeance!

Third thing you do is make a roux. Easy enough. Just keep stirring. Don't let it burn. And, DO NOT, whatever you do, DO NOT TASTE IT. Duh! I forgot it tastes like sin. Urge to puke continues.

Fourth thing you must do (which isn't mentioned in the recipe...I wonder why) is drain the nearly two cups of pure artery-clogging orange grease from the top of the delicious brew. It is a result of boiling the tasty yet FOUL (ha ha get it!) faux-andouille sausage from Portugal and the chicken skin. Score another one for nausea.

I had to stop singing "Jambalaya Crawfish Pie-a Filet Gumbo" just so I could eat my lunch.

With this ring, I declare thee a crazy woman.

2005-10-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

I just spent, literally, a good 3 or 4 minutes trying to remember on which ring finger I'm supposed to wear my wedding rings. Is it the right...or the left? What the hell, I can't remember! How can I not remember?!

Is it possible that pregnant brain is already kicking in?

Google, how do I build a bomb?

2005-10-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Who wants to help me blow up a Rite-Aid Pharmacy?

It took these idiots 6 whole business days to fill my prescription for my prenatal vitamins. They weren't even deterred by my every-half-hour phone calls on Wednesday of this week.

If this kid has spina bifida, I swear I'm suing the shit out of those people.

Didn't the glasses give it away?

2005-10-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

63% scored higher (more nerdy), and 37% scored lower (less nerdy).

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is: Not nerdy, but definitely not hip.

My friend Deborah sent this to me. GOD! I was sure she was nerdier than me! Just kidding. ;-)

4 weeks 4 days

2005-10-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

How to know you, unfortunately, are not the first-born child:

2005-10-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

When your Mommy buys your very first toy from the local sheriff station's rummage sale, throws it in the washer, and when it comes out, she proclaims, "Good as new!"

Anthony Kiedis, you're my boy.

2005-10-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone has heard the phrase "time flies." This is so true. We all know it. Here is one pathetic example of how time has flown for me.

I'm walking out the door on my way to the dentist, just after finding out that I'm pregnant again. I decided to drive the Honda (formerly my car, but ever since we moved, for some strange reason T.J. and I have switched cars) so T.J. would have the other car with the baby seat in case he wanted to take Malena to Mexico to escape the life of being a father of two.

The radio stations were playing crap, so I turned on the CD player. And there it was. The tunes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers...bringing back those familiar moments of being fat, hot & pregnant. And there I was...pregnant again. I had never taken that CD out of the player. In nearly 2 whole years, that Greatest Hits CD had remained snugly in that slot. The most embarrassing thing about this is that the Honda doesn't have a CD changer. There is only one CD, and those Chili Peppers better flippin' feel honored. Perhaps they are my fertility good luck charm.

So, I suppose that is what happens when you have kids. There is no time for anything.

Still not convinced...entirely

2005-10-08T02:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, when I got pregnant with Malena, it was pretty obvious. At least now, looking back at it, it was pretty obvious. I was really hungry, waking up at night to pee, and of course, my boobs were KILLIN' me.

It is different this time, which is why as soon as the sun comes up I'm taking another test because I just don't really believe it.

I am having some nosebleeds (which happened later in pregnancy the first time). My hearing is becoming supersonic dog-esque again (damn that TIVO squeal!). I have been waking up at night, but mostly because I have a toddler who, on occasion, likes to belt out in the early morning hours...many times for NO GOOD REASON. But, so far, that's about it.

I mean, what about my boobs! Why don't they hurt? Oh...probably because this little creature named Malena transformed my once perfectly perky size A love toys into deflated mammary glands when she decided to reject them after a good 7 months of lactation abuse. Oh God, does this mean I have to do that AGAIN?

Heard it from a guy in India

2005-10-08T01:26:00.000-07:00

Do you know what this is? Yes, it's one of those "easy to read" pee-on pregnancy tests. What do you think those lines mean? Let me break it down for you...

Angela: Hurry, hurry, come in here! I couldn't hold it in any longer, so I took a test because I wanted to know before I went to the dentist. Don't be pissed, I swear I didn't peek!

T.J.: (Not believing his wife) Where is it?

Oral-Hygiene Obsessed Woman Insanely Brushing Her Teeth: I'm scared! You look at it! I can't look at it.

T.J.: (Digging under the pile of clothes where crazy woman hid the pee stick) How many lines is it supposed to have?

Angela: (Flossing madly) Two...I think.

T.J.: (Very confused) It's negative...wait, where's the box?

Angela: (Swishing some low-alcohol-content mouthwash) It's right here. What does it say? I can't look at it!

T.J.: Yeah, it's negative.

Angela: I knew it.

T.J.: (Staring at the pretty directions) I don't know.

Angela: (Suddenly realizing it's a stupid plus/minus-graphical-read-out-type-of-a-test) Oh my God, did we read it wrong?! I think we read it wrong! Call the number, CALL THEM!

T.J.: (Walking briskly towards the kitchen) I'm calling!

Angela: (Running quickly behind) Hurry! They close at 5 p.m. Eastern time! Shit! I think they're already closed!

T.J.: (Speaking to someone on the line) Yes, um, we took one of the EPT tests and, um, if there is one line going up and down...

Angela: (Idiot!) Speaker phone! SPEAKER PHONE!

T.J.: (How the hell do I put it on speaker...oh, orange button) You there?

Customer Service Guy in, Of Course, India: ...yes, mum, dat is indeed a puzItive an-sa, mum. It duzn't matta if dee line is ver-dee faint.

T.J.: (Smiling ear to ear) Thank you, sir.

India Boy: Thank you fa calling EPT, suh. Should you have any ma questions, please call..blah, blah, blah.

Angela: (Yes, I wanted to get pregnant, but what the hell have I gotten myself into...again!) I can't believe we had to call a guy in India to find out if I'm pregnant. You think that's right? (Hugs and kisses and I-love-yous all around.) I don't think it's right! I mean, I feel like I'm about to start my period! I have to go to the dentist. What do I tell him if he asks?

T.J. (Very proud) I'm a one-hit wonder! (Story NOT to be told later...T.J. would kill me. Just ask Dr. Shettles.)