Hey Humble Readers...
Thunderstorms appear to be weather du jour. We've had some major downpours over the last few days, and honestly I'm loving it. After the heat wave we had before we went on vacation and the desert heat in K-town last week, I was so ready for some cooler temps. Ginny has been enthralled by the heavy cloud bursts and the thunder.
*****
AF has shown up, and I confess she's kicking my ass. All those women in my life who told me that cramps get better or at least easier to deal with after you have kids are lying sacks of dragon poop. I'm in a lot of pain here, and tyl.enol isn't touching it. Ugh.
*****
In other cycle-related news... last week I experienced the epitome of irony. I had what I can only describe as the most incredible, copious EWCM. Seriously, I have never EVER experienced anything like it. I was always one of those women who had to do internal checks for CM in order to catch the scant amount of the good stuff I would get. This was immense, and it lasted for two days. Now, when our family building days are over I get enough to sink a battleship.
*****
While we were in K-town, I saw a couple of movies, and they were polar opposites. First, I went to see "Magic Mike" with my Mom and my sister. While it was entertaining, and certainly drool-worthy, it had the crappiest script I've ever seen in a movie. Honestly, I think they were ad libbing most of it. Channing Tatum is lovely to look at, but this movie certaily didn't do anything to prove his acting chops. I suspect that it will be up for a dozen Razzie awards next winter.
The second movie I went to see was an incredible contrast. My Beloved and I had a date night while in K-town, our first since Pippin was born. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" was incredibly sweet, moving, and so beautifully acted by some of the best actors of the age. Anytime you can combine Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton (yes... Cousin Matthew's mother from Downton Abbey!) you get sheer genius. If you haven't seen this movie, please do yourself a favour and go see it.
*****
We're planning on taking the wee-lings to a street performers festival this weekend. Seeing as it's basically free, I'm hoping that it will be entertaining for all of us. I want to expose Ginny to as many different fun, cultural, and educational experiences as I can. With our budgetary constraints, anytime I can find something free, I have to give it a shot.
*****
If you are a praying type person, please send out some prayers for my Beloved. He's getting frustrated with his job search. He's in a tough spot right now. While he's been applying for a ton of different positions, so far there have only been a couple of nibbles that would be a step backward for him or would require us to move which isn't an option at this point.
He's sort of in a limbo area in terms of his qualifications. He's worked for years as an accountant and a controller. He's got far more experience than your run of the mill bookkeeper, and yet he doesn't have the accounting designations (like a CGA) to back it up. A lot of job listings have said that relevant experience will be considered in lieu of having a designation, but he's just not getting the calls. The obvious solution is to get him designated (there's a few courses he needs to take), but that costs money that we don't have. He's feeling very discouraged.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Memorable Moment Mondays: Vacation Detox
Hey Humble Readers!
The Gamgee clan survived an 11 hour road trip yesterday (with two under two), and now we are happily ensconsed in our comfy little hobbit-hole. No one was too terribly traumatized from the long day in the car yesterday, and I am diligently working to get us back onto some semblance of a schedule.
The vacation was... interesting. Awkward. Uncomfortable. I honestly felt like I was walking on eggshells a lot of the time. But it was also important that we be there, if only so that I could verify my Mom's health (physical and emotional) and say my piece. Sometime later I will give you all a bit of a clearer picture of the whole mess, but that's not the point of this post.
One of the better nights of the vacation involved me, my Mom, my sister and far too much alcohol...
and the first season of The Big Bang Theory...
and this...
(Good Mummy disclaimer: All wee-lings were accounted for and safely tucked into their beds before the games began.)
It's been more than two days since we did this, and I'm happily detoxing. I don't think I'll drink pear cider coolers again for a while though.
I know that this isn't the usual fodder for MMM, but it was certainly memorable. Today is all about unpacking, enjoying a cool rainy day, and just breathing deeply. Ginny is napping and Pippin is sucking loudly on his fist while doing tummy time.
It's good to be home!
The Gamgee clan survived an 11 hour road trip yesterday (with two under two), and now we are happily ensconsed in our comfy little hobbit-hole. No one was too terribly traumatized from the long day in the car yesterday, and I am diligently working to get us back onto some semblance of a schedule.
The vacation was... interesting. Awkward. Uncomfortable. I honestly felt like I was walking on eggshells a lot of the time. But it was also important that we be there, if only so that I could verify my Mom's health (physical and emotional) and say my piece. Sometime later I will give you all a bit of a clearer picture of the whole mess, but that's not the point of this post.
One of the better nights of the vacation involved me, my Mom, my sister and far too much alcohol...
 |
| The aftermath |
and the first season of The Big Bang Theory...
and this...
 |
| found on Pinterest! |
(Good Mummy disclaimer: All wee-lings were accounted for and safely tucked into their beds before the games began.)
It's been more than two days since we did this, and I'm happily detoxing. I don't think I'll drink pear cider coolers again for a while though.
I know that this isn't the usual fodder for MMM, but it was certainly memorable. Today is all about unpacking, enjoying a cool rainy day, and just breathing deeply. Ginny is napping and Pippin is sucking loudly on his fist while doing tummy time.
It's good to be home!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Future of the Gamgee Clan (PAIL Monthly Theme Post)
Hey Humble Readers...
When I first saw the theme for this month for the PAIL bloggers... "so when are you going to have another baby", I honestly thought I didn't have much to say on the subject.
My Beloved and I have always, from before we were even engaged, agreed that two children was going to be it for us. Of course, if we had been blessed with twins the second time around, after the initial freak out was over, we would have been thrilled. But as far as it was within our control, we wanted two.
And now we have our two precious wee-lings.
And I had a tubal ligation.
And my Beloved is going to get 'snipped' later this summer.
And then I realized that I do have something to say on the topic.
Some of our friends and family think it overkill for both my Beloved and I to take steps toward permanent contraception. And some in the ALI/PAIL/IF/RPL worlds might wonder why we are taking such drastic measures when we tried so hard for so long to get our take-home babies.
And that's exactly the point.
We tried hard. We went through our own personal hell to get to this point. After two losses, and two not-so-easy pregnancies, we are ready to be done with the family building portion of our lives. (This doesn't mean that I feel I have outgrown the ALI/PAIL community. But that's a different post, for a different day.)
Add in the fact that my Beloved is soon to be 41 and I'm soon to be 38. We aren't what you would call spring chickens. With the added challenge of my high blood pressure, the surety of gestational diabetes being even worse a third time around, the increased anxiety that would be sure to haunt me again, and the horrible c-section experience I had with Pip... let's just say that I'm not ready to walk down that road again.
I confess there are selfish reasons too. I enjoy not feeling the need to restrict myself from things like taking ibuprophen when my back hurts, a glass of wine after dinner, or colouring my hair. I like the idea of not having to take my temperature every day, of not having to be a toilet paper inspector, of not having that constant debate to pee on a stick or not, and not always living in the calendar 40 weeks from now. I won't miss worrying about the length of my luteal phase, and analyzing every little twinge in my body. And I refuse to be taking hormonal birth control for the next twenty years.
Will I ever be able to note my period's arrival without a twinge of sadness? I hope so. I hope that someday it will be just the normal inconvenience it is for millions of women. I hope that cramps become something to bitch about and not something to worry about.
There's also a family history that we had to take into account. There were 'surprises' in both our families many years ago. The fact that my Beloved even exists is due to the fact that his father's vasectomy reversed itself. And my bio-mom had two miscarraiges after her tubes were supposedly tied. Even though both situations were likely the result of shoddy medical procedures, I don't think I could face another miscarraige and while an oops-baby would be just as loved and cherished, I know that it wouldn't be good for my physical or mental health to be pregnant again.
That's why we chose to go with two such permanent solutions to birth control.
So, when some of the little old ladies at church ask when we're going to have our next one, or when my Grandpa jokes about 'number three', I tell them that we've stopped at two. And there is almost ALWAYS that little grin that says 'ahh, but accidents happen'. Yes, accidents do happen. But my Beloved and I have done everything we can to ensure that it won't happen to us.
My biological clock has officially been stopped.
And I'm totally okay with that.
When I first saw the theme for this month for the PAIL bloggers... "so when are you going to have another baby", I honestly thought I didn't have much to say on the subject.
My Beloved and I have always, from before we were even engaged, agreed that two children was going to be it for us. Of course, if we had been blessed with twins the second time around, after the initial freak out was over, we would have been thrilled. But as far as it was within our control, we wanted two.
And now we have our two precious wee-lings.
And I had a tubal ligation.
And my Beloved is going to get 'snipped' later this summer.
And then I realized that I do have something to say on the topic.
Some of our friends and family think it overkill for both my Beloved and I to take steps toward permanent contraception. And some in the ALI/PAIL/IF/RPL worlds might wonder why we are taking such drastic measures when we tried so hard for so long to get our take-home babies.
And that's exactly the point.
We tried hard. We went through our own personal hell to get to this point. After two losses, and two not-so-easy pregnancies, we are ready to be done with the family building portion of our lives. (This doesn't mean that I feel I have outgrown the ALI/PAIL community. But that's a different post, for a different day.)
Add in the fact that my Beloved is soon to be 41 and I'm soon to be 38. We aren't what you would call spring chickens. With the added challenge of my high blood pressure, the surety of gestational diabetes being even worse a third time around, the increased anxiety that would be sure to haunt me again, and the horrible c-section experience I had with Pip... let's just say that I'm not ready to walk down that road again.
I confess there are selfish reasons too. I enjoy not feeling the need to restrict myself from things like taking ibuprophen when my back hurts, a glass of wine after dinner, or colouring my hair. I like the idea of not having to take my temperature every day, of not having to be a toilet paper inspector, of not having that constant debate to pee on a stick or not, and not always living in the calendar 40 weeks from now. I won't miss worrying about the length of my luteal phase, and analyzing every little twinge in my body. And I refuse to be taking hormonal birth control for the next twenty years.
Will I ever be able to note my period's arrival without a twinge of sadness? I hope so. I hope that someday it will be just the normal inconvenience it is for millions of women. I hope that cramps become something to bitch about and not something to worry about.
There's also a family history that we had to take into account. There were 'surprises' in both our families many years ago. The fact that my Beloved even exists is due to the fact that his father's vasectomy reversed itself. And my bio-mom had two miscarraiges after her tubes were supposedly tied. Even though both situations were likely the result of shoddy medical procedures, I don't think I could face another miscarraige and while an oops-baby would be just as loved and cherished, I know that it wouldn't be good for my physical or mental health to be pregnant again.
That's why we chose to go with two such permanent solutions to birth control.
So, when some of the little old ladies at church ask when we're going to have our next one, or when my Grandpa jokes about 'number three', I tell them that we've stopped at two. And there is almost ALWAYS that little grin that says 'ahh, but accidents happen'. Yes, accidents do happen. But my Beloved and I have done everything we can to ensure that it won't happen to us.
My biological clock has officially been stopped.
And I'm totally okay with that.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Is This Thing On?
Howdy Humble Readers...
I hope you're all doing well, whatever your mid-July is bringing you.
We're happily ensconced in the sunshine and summer breezes in K-town. Things here are actually going pretty good for the most part, considering all the family drama we've had over the last couple of months. I'm still kind of waiting fo the other shoe to drop, tho. We'll see what comes.
Ginny is so not liking the pool, and Pippin is being spoiled rotten by his Mama and his Auntie.
Pippin also got to meet a very important person... his GG!
Don't forget, there's still a couple of days left on the giveaway below. If you have wee-lings in your life, the hats that she makes are absolutely adorable!
I hope you're all doing well, whatever your mid-July is bringing you.
We're happily ensconced in the sunshine and summer breezes in K-town. Things here are actually going pretty good for the most part, considering all the family drama we've had over the last couple of months. I'm still kind of waiting fo the other shoe to drop, tho. We'll see what comes.
Ginny is so not liking the pool, and Pippin is being spoiled rotten by his Mama and his Auntie.
Pippin also got to meet a very important person... his GG!
Don't forget, there's still a couple of days left on the giveaway below. If you have wee-lings in your life, the hats that she makes are absolutely adorable!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
A Hobbit-ish Hat Giveaway!
Howdy Humble Readers!
I am soooooo excited to finally post this.
I've shown you guys my limited knitting skills before. Well, let me tell you, I CANNOT crochet. I couldn't make a crocheted washcloth if my life depended on it (and trust me I've tried).
Thank heaven my lovely friend Minta over at Life Family and the Pursuit of Sanity has some serious skills!
Minta has ensured that my two little wee-lings are stylin' this summer with some pretty awesome headgear! And she has graciously offered up one of her beautiful creations for one of your little ones for a giveaway.
To enter the give away, all you need to do is pop on over to the Baby Hooked Boutique, take a look around, and tell me in the comments here which of her adorable hats you love the most. (Ginny is rocking the little girl sunhat, and Pippin is looking stylish in the newsboy hat.) And if you are a superstar, looking for extra entries, here are some options...
Giveaway winners will be announced on July 18th!
*****
The Hobbit-Ent family is heading out today for our annual road trip through the mountains. K-town, swimming pool, and air conditioning, here we come! I'll be trying to post semi-regularly while I'm away, but I hope you all have a great weekend! I'll be back to catch up with you all on July 23rd.
I am soooooo excited to finally post this.
Thank heaven my lovely friend Minta over at Life Family and the Pursuit of Sanity has some serious skills!
Minta has ensured that my two little wee-lings are stylin' this summer with some pretty awesome headgear! And she has graciously offered up one of her beautiful creations for one of your little ones for a giveaway.
To enter the give away, all you need to do is pop on over to the Baby Hooked Boutique, take a look around, and tell me in the comments here which of her adorable hats you love the most. (Ginny is rocking the little girl sunhat, and Pippin is looking stylish in the newsboy hat.) And if you are a superstar, looking for extra entries, here are some options...
- Follow me in Google Friend Connect (or tell me if you already do)
- Follow Baby Hooked Boutique on Twitter (link on the Etsy shop page)
- Like Baby Hooked Boutique on Facebook
Giveaway winners will be announced on July 18th!
*****
The Hobbit-Ent family is heading out today for our annual road trip through the mountains. K-town, swimming pool, and air conditioning, here we come! I'll be trying to post semi-regularly while I'm away, but I hope you all have a great weekend! I'll be back to catch up with you all on July 23rd.
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