Sweet Girl.

Five years ago today, I became a Mommy. Time flies, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

R was supposed to be coaxed (ok induced) out on March 24, I had been going to the hospital the whole week before to "ripen" my cervix, I wasn't due until March 27th, but they were preparing me early as they were afraid with gestational diabetes that R might be too big.

We'll all the ripening in the world was not going to prepare my cervix, but Dr. Vietch decided to go forward with the induction on 3/24, a Sunday. We were excited and completely prepared. Well we were to arrive at the hospital at 8:00 AM, the phone rang at 6:00 AM, induction "off", "we're too busy.'' I was so angry, they tried to reschedule for 3/25, but I refused, that was The Suit's Dad's birthday. So Dr. Vietch personally called me to find out why I didn't want to come in on the 25th, and she knew not to argue with a pregnant woman that just had a canceled induction, we were scheduled for the 26th, a Tuesday.

After a million "did she have the baby" calls, we headed into Beverly Hospital for a 7:00 AM induction. Pitocin was started (felt nothing). I had my water broken, which I will remember was the oddest sensation in my life. Then I had one noticeable contraction and hopped on the epidural train. R never dropped, we never progressed I think we got to 3 cm, and at 9:00 PM, Dr. Schreiber (the on call Dr. and Head of Obstetrics) made the call that if there wasn't progress by 10:00 PM, we'd have a c-section. He also said that saying that often "scares" the baby out.

So we waited for an hour, called everyone to let them know of the possible outcome, and waited. He came in and sure enough, no progress. Then things got crazy. Nurses were literally jumping out of the walls to prep for the c-section, shaving, all kinds of less that known things were happening. The Suit was sent out of the room and given a jump Suit to prepare for the birth of our first child.

Wheeled into the OR, the anesthesiologist became my enemy. I had a terrible reaction to the meds, and was shaking, dry heaving, etc. I felt horrible. I was strapped on the table like Jesus on the cross, to say I felt exposed was an understatement. Then the section began. My sister had warned the Suit not to look over the curtain, and he did not. Then very quickly Dr. Schreiber said, "Danyelle you'll feel some pressure and some tugging". That grossed me out, but it was an accurate statement. Pushing and tugging, and I became a Mom!

I didn't get to see R right away, they whisked her to the isolette and she was shielded from my view by nurses and the doctor. She was fine, but that is the process in a c-section, no baby on your chest, no holding up. That made me sad. The Suit stayed by my side the whole time, he wanted to see R too, but he kept vigil. Then they were taking care of me and what seemed like forever, R was held over my face. She was beautiful. I began to cry, it was over.

The Suit and R went up to the nursery to get her cleaned up. The nurse left him in the hall for a moment, and he thought that meant he was to take R to the nursery. So in the elevator they went, father and daughter, alone. They were met at the next floor with an out of breath nurse, she ran the stairs, apparently the Suit and R weren't to have their alone moment just yet. Oops.

So R was taken care of in the nursery and I was sent to recovery. I waited alone for a long time. I felt sad, I hadn't been alone in nine months and then after a failed induction, I had my baby taken from me and I was alone in a room, "recovering". I worried about breastfeeding because all I had read said to start early, where was my baby? Then finally the Suit and R came back and we began breastfeeding. I was lost, I thought it was going fine, but had no clue what I was doing. We finally got our own room.

In the room we really got to see R, it was like unwrapping a present, that you don't want to share with anyone. We hadn't yet seen her fingers and toes. So alone, in our room, we began to take a peek at our new baby. We didn't want to ruin the swaddle but we did. 1o fingers........10 toes......what's that mark?....oh a stork bite........she was long.......and thin.......she had a tiny bit of fine hair.......she smelled wonderful........she was perfect.

And she still is.

Happy Birthday, Sweet R. I love you and I love that you made me a Mommy.

Heat wave, fevers, butterflies, bunnies, eggs, and birthdays.

So we're having a bit of a heat wave here in sunny Upstate SC. We've hit 80+ the last two days and tomorrow promises another 85 day. I know all you NE friends are cursing me right now, but wait...it gets better.

This is a big weekend in the Parker House. Today was the annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt, tomorrow is R's Pump It Up 5th birthday party, I had to make 25 butterfly cookie favors (more on that Martha episode to come), and the Suit is feverishly preparing R's two tier cake with an Under the Sea theme. Times are busy.

But then, sometimes things just don't go as you plan. Like I really hadn't planned on being in Wal-Mart this morning at 5:00 AM, really, that was not in the plan.

Seems that R and C have some peculiar fever, which is accompanied with an odd pain on the roof of the mouth (I know this symptom because suddenly this evening I've developed it). Started Friday night, and I was hoping it was just a Mystery Fever that would resolve itself by morning. Dosed them with Tylenol and Motrin, and sent them to bed. They did go to sleep, but then R woke up at 3:00 AM with "Frow up in her bed". Ahh......great timing.

So the Suit cleaned the bed, I cleaned the furnace, and we all climbed into our bed to watch a little Nick at Night Cosby Show marathon. Good times. We'll R was producing a lot of heat, so we re-dosed the meds, woke up the baby sister, dosed her, and then back to bed.

Well R did not sleep. Nor did I, so I had to go to Wal-Mart to get last minute party stuff, so 5:00 AM seemed logical to me. So $75.00 later, with the Chicken Little DVD I arrived home at 6:00...thankfully Noggin starts at 6:00 AM, put Frick and Frack on the couch with puffs, sprites, and pillows and went for my Saturday morning walk with Tina. That was actually good considering I knew what my day would most likely hold.

Got home, kids were asleep, did laundry, wrapped the cookies, and created this masterpiece! I'm quite braggy and proud of myself so feel free to tell me to stop being a bragger. I came up with the idea, the Suit made the cookies and baked them, I decorated,, bagged, assembled, carded, etc. They are the favors for R's party, because I detest goodie bags with fruit snacks, pencils, erasers, and little nickel tracing things. I decided I had to be "different". They look awesome, but I get the kids will be disappointed that they don't get that Bag 'O Shit, don't care. The tags say: "Thank you for sharing my 5th birthday. Love RC" I considered having it say, "Thanks for coming to my party, hope you had fun, a treat for you as you go home to fight the flu. Love, RC" Decided against it, let it be a surprise.


After assembling my masterpiece (BTW the cookies are on lollipop sticks, hence the"bouquet", I checked the temps (99-100), put them in the tub, ironed their dresses, fed them lunch, and off to the Egg Hunt we went. Figured we should share the "illness" with 'hood. The girls had a good time, we only stayed 40 minutes, long enough to score some eggs, but short enough that we didn't melt completely (it was so hot!). So wish me luck that we can maintain low to no grade fevers through tomorrow, because I really am not going to go to this party without the guest of honor!
They don't look so bad considering......

More tomorrow....hopefully all good!

Springtime.

My life is so spectacular really, I love it....blah, blah, blah. Ha, ha, don't you hate people like that? Happy, happy, happy.

Well Frick and Frack have been quite the social butterflies in the neighborhood. The warm weather is here.....should I tell you? 80 degrees baby! So nice, but that means we have to be chatty. I swear I've been outside for 5 days straight now, visiting with neighbors, and while I enjoy the interaction, sometimes I'm not feeling so chatty. I shouldn't complain, this is why we moved here, but when you have 3 unplanned playdates in one day it gets exhausting. Not to mention that my kids aren't ready for unsupervised playdates, so all this makes Mommy tired.

R got Heelys. Do you know what they are? Yes, they are those annoying shoes with the wheels that the kids almost knock you down in the store, yep those are the ones. Our neighbor got them (she's 2 years older) and you know how that goes, R had to have them. Let's just say that 2 years is a lot in coordination. R is finally doing it now, but it was rough going for a while.

Oh she had a roller skating birthday party a few weeks ago. Who the fuck has a roller skating birthday for a 5 year old? An idiot that's who. Don't know about your kids, but my five year old is not adept on roller skates. It wasn't a fun party. R liked it, I did not. I actually walked around with her the entire time, wearing my sneakers. The funny thing is that this party was at the Roller Drome....the same Roller Drome that I frequented from ages 7-13. Oh the memories. All the love affairs over Endless Love...Couples Skate......ahh.....brings me back. It's a lot different when you have those thoughts while walking around with a 4 year old on clumsy skates.


I've started Proactiv, I want to wake up and look like Jessica Simpson. I decided that I can't stand my skin, so the infomericals got me, and here I am with a crazy twice a day skin care regimen. It's only been 5 days, I can't tell a difference yet, but I fully expect to wake up tomorrow looking like Jessica. Wish me luck.

My garden is all prepped ready to go. I have ordered 18 heirloom tomato plants, they are being Fedexed (I like making that a verb) on April 3rd. Guess how much, $50.00. I hope I get some really freakin' awesome tomatoes. We had 4 yards of mushroom compost delivered. Just an FYI 4 yards of mushroom compost is a freakin' boatload of compost! Just ask the Suit he wheelbarrowed it from the driveway to the backyard about 50o times. Good Suit, Good Suit.
I've already planted broccoli, lettuce, spinach, and strawberries. I'm a regular Mr. McGregor.

Oh and just a word.....all Bradford Pear Trees should die! Puffy white balls of nasty pollen....every last one of them, die. I hate allergies.

Fact: Greenville, SC #2 worst city for allergy sufferers in the country.

Don't believe me? Go here.

I never had allergies before I moved....now I'm dying!

This is the title.

Ho hum...this thing is really starting to feel like that effing box of Creative Memories scrapbook shit I bought back in 2000........to blog or not to blog that is the question? Guess I'll plod on tonight since I already started, right?

I saw The Departed last night. Loved it. Normally wouldn't go for such a shoot 'em up flick, but I guess hearing Matt with his perfect Boston accent and looking at Marky Mark with a mushroom haircut made me happy. You should see it, does Beantown proud. Made me wish I was in the Irish Mafia.....did anyone catch that Leonardo DiCaprio's character "living on the Nawth Shawe" was living in Bevalee? I read it right on the Oxycontin pill bottle. I think the writer's should have researched a little better because Bevalee is no longer privileged, it's more like Lynn, and Lynn is more like East Boston, now when Hamilton becomes Peabody, we've got a real problem!

The Hood is in a state of duress.....appears that a neighbor is erecting a non-compliant/non-approved shed. That's right, you read it here first folks! Trouble in da Hood! Know what I love when my bra is poking me at 3:00 in the afternoon, so I decide to throw caution to the wind and just take it off....then I go outside to grab the mail, braless and shoeless and I see like everyone in within a 20 mile radius? That rocks. Note to self: don't take bra off at 3:00 in the afternoon and then go get the mail.

Tomorrow begins another exciting season of soccer. I'm one of "those" parents. Soccermom, you think? Nope, over scheduling Mom. Tomorrow R will attend school from 9-2, home from 2:30-3:30 to eat a snack, unwind, then get dressed for swim team. Swim team from 4-4:45, then sitting in the lobby at the Y with Mammy eating a sandwich dressed in her soccer clothes, then it's a mad dash from the Y at 5:30 (the time I get done with practice) to soccer at least 30 minutes away from 6-7. Fun, huh? Luckily she'll only be doing swim team and soccer on Thursdays, and she has nothing on Friday, no school, nothing. I can say with certainty that she will not be doing two afternoon activities next year, kindergarten will nip that scheduling conflict in the bud!

Speaking of Kindergarten we go for the tour of the school Friday (ok, so I lied we do have something to do), that should be fun, we were supposed to go a few weeks ago, but I totally spaced and missed the whole thing. Nice, not like me at all.

C has been a little spit fire these days. Tantrums and turning on the tears at the drop of a hat. It'll be fun to see her play soccer this season now that she knows what to expect. She's a riot at her swimming lesson, just floats along, in her own world then she'll catch my eye as I walk by and wave madly.

Well that's about it, I might shut this down, I'm not sure yet.

Having visitors sucks.

Because they leave, and that makes me sad. :( When you see people that you haven't seen in ages, you realize how much you miss them, and that sucks.



Going back to anti-socialness, it's far less upsetting.

BTW: R took this picture, not bad for an almost 5 year old.

In case you were wondering....

The Target Gift Cards have been located! That's right, Internet, THEY ARE NO LONGER MISSING. Cancel your search, leave the dump, cease checking the garbage. AGAIN...to REPEAT....THE TARGET GIFT CARDS HAVE BEEN LOCATED!

The culprit is Winnie the Pooh. Apparently Mr. Pooh took the gift cards and decided to stash them with his ABC cards, he's in BIG TROUBLE.

Again....cease the search.

Snow Day, SC Style!

I have to laugh, it's a "blizzard" here. Read: an inch of snow and a few inches of rain. Tee, hee..... Here's a few pictures.

Only in SC would we have umbrellas in our "blizzard".