Baby #2 Growing Strong

We had another ultrasound early last week (to monitor my alien fibroid) and got another look at stubborn baby girl. This time around, she wasn't as stubborn as she was at the 20 week ultrasound. We actually got a few shots of her profile and could see clear as day that she is in fact a GIRL. :)

All measurements came back normal, and the tech estimated that firecracker (that's what I'm calling her these days) was weighing in at about 2lbs. That's about where Layla was at the same time during my pregnancy with her, so I'd guess we're looking at another 8+ lb baby. We shall see.

Layla's still pretty excited about being a big sister. Lately, her interest is focusing on where the baby will sleep (she really wants to share a room with her) and where she'll go to school. She has also told me on a few occasions that she'd be willing to change diapers - even poopy ones. We'll see about that.

Here she is... making her debut on The Sherman Life blog:

Grocery shopping - worst task EVER

Grocery shopping. It's that necessary evil that we all have to do, regardless of how much it sucks goat balls. For as long as I can remember, I have HATED grocery shopping. I hate every last part of it. The idiots in the parking lot, the constant "beep, beep, beep" of the registers, the dirty floors, the dumb asses who act as if they've been abducted by aliens and planted unknowingly into a grocery store - completely unaware of how they got there or what they should do next, the prices, the smell, that empty spot on the shelf for the ONE thing you really need, oh, and the fact that my husband REFUSES to go.

This is what you get with my blog people - pure, unadulterated, honesty. So I'm not going to sugar coat things or bull shit you by telling you that my awesomely wonderful husband who makes me laugh on a daily basis and works his ass off REALLY pisses me off when it comes to grocery shopping and cooking. His brain is set on "that stuff is a woman's job" and I may need to pursue shock therapy to alter his thought process. In the mean time, I continue to do the dreaded task because if I don't, I shit you not, Jake wouldn't say a thing (I guess I can give him a plus one for never complaining when the refrigerator is bare and for never asking me to add something to the list). He'd just eat pb&j or apples with peanut butter for the rest of his life. If I want to provide the baby growing in my womb and the 4-year old that lives with us with some nutrients, it's on me to get my pregnant ass to the store, brave the idiots, and make the meals. I'm OVER it, but I'll continue to do it for the reasons previously mentioned. I also plan to invest in a taser gun and once I have it, I promise you Jake will be making more trips to the store.

One last thing about the grocery store that I have been wanting to solicit thoughts about for some time - What the HELL is up with Walmart greeters? Seriously? I mean come on. Seriously? Are they flipping necessary?? God bless us everyone, they are so creepy! As if I want some (excuse the generalization, but let's be honest) geriatric weirdo giving me weird eyes from the time the sliding doors open until I've walked past them and then suddenly hearing a booming, "Hello!" Which, let me say, is sometimes rattling and confusing - they often times wait until you've passed and then rattle off their battle cry, which makes me think someone is near me that actually knows me and wants to talk to me. Not the case. Just a geriatric doing their job. The other highly annoying part is if you walk past one of these drones to go put your cart away and then come back in for one reason or another (to go to the Redbox kiosk, or maybe get your husband from the line - insert loud, booming, laugh, as if he'd actually be in a store), only to leave through the same door. The robots will say "Hello!" to you again, even though they know you're just putting your damn cart away. And, they'll say, "Bye now!" over and over and over no matter how many times you've gone out and come back.

Walmart - save yourself some overhead and can the robots. Use that money to clean the floors and put a white noise machine in so I don't have to listen to the "beep, beep, beep".

Thanks.

Conversation #3 with Layla: Booger Machine

Good Lord, I remembered conversation #3 (see post below)! It just came to me out of nowhere! Looks like my short-term memory might be getting better (1 year and 3 months after brain surgery).

Here's the story, followed by the conversation:

Recently, I dug out Layla's Vick's humidifier for her room. She's been sporting the sexy winter boogers that are usually a cross between dust, pebbles and blood. Poor thing. When I put the humidifier in her room, she was naturally curious.
Layla: "What is that thing, mommy?"
Me: "It's a booger machine."
Layla: "A booger machine?"
Me: "Yes, in the winter your boogers get dry and hard and they get stuck, so this machine will help to melt your boogers or will make them go away so mommy doesn't have to try to get your icky boogs out for you."
Layla: "Oh! That's great!"

Since then, she's been very enthusiastic about turning the booger machine on every night before bed. Just a few days ago, she said to me, "Mommy, I told Miss Christy (teacher) that she should really get a booger machine for her room. I told her it'll help melt her boogers and make her nose feel better."

When I asked what Miss Christy said to that, Layla said, "She said she'd look into it."

I might have to explain to Miss Christy that a booger machine is a humidifier.

Conversations with Layla

1. While a rerun of Glee played on t.v. (Madonna episode, so yes, very fitting for a 4-year old), "Like a Prayer" grabbed Layla's attention. She stared at the t.v. for a minute or two and said, "Mama, are they singing a blessing?" My response: "Um, yeah, I suppose you could call it a blessing." Amen Madonna. Amen.

2. Layla likes it when I swaddle her stuffed animals in her blankets. She asked me this morning to wrap her Hudson animal (like I need to explain this, but it's her stuffed puppy that looks just like Hudson). As I was wrapping it:
  Layla: "No mom, wrap his whole body."
  Me: "Don't you want me to leave his head out so he can breath?"
  Layla: "No mom! He's not real! He's a stuffed animal!"
Jeez. So much for using my imagination. I didn't realize she was 14 already.

3. Pregnancy brain has captured this loving, hystarical memory. It's gone. I only remember reminding myself that there were 3 funny stories I wanted to share. Shit the bed. Let's see how long it takes for that final converation to resurface - and man, it was a good one too (is it ironic that I remember it was really good and funny, but don't remember a thing about the conversation itself?).

First winter Layla WANTS to play in the snow!

Maybe it's because we have a "princess" for a daughter (Jake loves this, let me tell you), maybe it's just the girl in her (no offense to girls or feminists out there), but up until this winter,Layla has wanted nothing to do with the "joys" that come with winter and playing outside. We'd suit her up and take her outside to have fun in the snow and she'd last, I kid you not, 5 minutes before she'd start complaining about it being too cold (except for when daddy would take her snow mobiling, in which case she lasted so long she'd fall asleep on the sled - but God forbid she just get outside to play while we shovel or go for a walk). And before you ask, yes, we did dress her appropriately. I think she was just a little freeze baby or something and one thing I know for sure is she HATES wind. I honestly think she thinks it's out to get her and blow her away into never land.

But finally, on Friday morning, as we were walking out to the truck for school, Layla got super excited and jumped into the snow and said, "Yeah! Can we play in this snow!? Can I eat it? Can we build a snow man? Can I make a snow angel? Can we have a snow fight?!" Since these are all your typical cliche ideas of activities to do outside with kids in winter, I have to assume they've been talking about this all at school and that the discussions have helped plant the seed about winter being fun and not the devil. Whatever the case may be, I'm jazzed about it.

We came home Friday night after a trip to McDonald's play land (reward for filling up her star chart for listening and helping out around the house) and went out to play in the snow. Layla had a blast, but I was frozen. I didn't know where all my winter gear was and mama's snow pants DO NOT fit these days. Thankfully, the next day, Jake let me where his snow pants for our sledding trip, which accommodated the pregnant budah.

Here are some pics of Layla's fun.

 Layla eating snow - looks more to me like she's planking or like she took a serious face plant. Funny.

 Mmmm. She loves her some snow.

 My lil' snow angel.

 Shit - this stuff isn't yellow is it?

Yeah baby. I'm a snow bunny. Let's do this.

I'm back!

Alright, I'll admit it. My attempt at being a better blogger and picture sharer by moving from Blogger to Shutterfly was a flop. I'm going to pull the pregnancy card on this one - I made the "switch" in July, and one month later I'm on my ass from "morning" sickness and all the other physical joys that come with early pregnancy. The first trimester grossness lasted almost 4+ months for me, not 3, so I'd say I've been back on my feet for about one month since getting our wonderful news in August. And when I say "back on my feet", I mean, I don't feel like I may barf at any moment, and my headaches have faded away (Thank the good Lord). However, now I'm just big, uncomfortable, and TIRED as hell.

In any event, I've been thinking about the blog and how much satisfaction it brought me in my final months of pregnancy with Layla. It was therapeutic to write about everything I was experiencing and anticipating during that time, and I think it'll be the same this time around. Plus, I owe it to fam and friends to keep them updated on our day-to-day adventures (or lack thereof) and photos (eh hem, this means I need to get the camera out and actually start using it again).


I've also decided to come back to Blogger because my "fan base" (insert sarcastic tone and chuckle here) has notified me that they're not as happy with my Shuttefly site as they were with my blog. I owe my fame to my fans, so I'm coming back - by popular demand (insert louder chuckle).


For now, since I haven't touched the camera in months (oh my poor Layla), I'll just give you a quick write-up on the happenings for the Sherman's over the past six months:
- Got pregnant
- Layla started pre-K at a new school (the Dream Center) and LOVES it. She's so happy that when I come to pick her up at night she pouts and asks me to go home and make dinner and then come back for her - such a night and day switch from the way things were at her old school.
- Got sick and felt like shit for 4 months
- Keeping busy with Layla while Jake works his face off at school prepping for the tech department's open house in February
- Had an MRI (two weeks ago) that showed no regrowth of my tumor and gave me a good bill of health and permission not to come back until June!
- Attended one too many gatherings with friends who could drink and get loud while I watched and slept with my eyes open
- Layla had her first "high profile" dance recital in December


Layla is continuing to grow into the shining diva I know she'll be. Some days I'm shocked at the things she says... Not necessarily in a bad way, but more so in a "Holy shit, this isn't supposed to be happening for at least 8-9 years." Man, are we in for some excitement when we've got that second little girl in the house - especially when the two of them are 17 and 13. Ohhhhh mamacita. ;)


That's about it - nothing earth shattering or overly exciting. But I'm fine with that. I've learned to appreciate the greatness that comes out of a low key, non-event filled life. We are definitely due for a big event soon though. Obviously, the birth of baby girl #2 comes in first on that list, but we're praying for the house of our dreams to fall from the sky and be a good fit for us because I cannot go through another school year living in Hartford with all that comes with Jake's schedule / commute to and from Plymouth. Ohhhh no (said in the voice and tone of Clark Griswold from Christmas Vacation when he's on the brink of his nervous breakdown after finding out he's been enrolled in the jelly of the month club instead of getting his usual Christmas bonus)! If we need to take a few steps back and rent a house, that's what we'll do, but we're not staying here. Not gonna happen. I believe good things come to those who wait - but I also believe if you want something done, you do it your damn self. I'm not waiting around for the universe to shift in my favor people.


More to come. Happy New Year to all!