Socializing

I've had, and will have, several different social events at my home. I would say this is unusual for us. Generally, we only have one or two social events in a whole year. But it was my turn for Thanksgiving (among those in my family who could have it this year) and next week is Loki's Christening. In between, might as well celebrate a friend's birthday while the house is clean. The weird thing is that all the social events had/will have a different set of guests. Thanksgiving obviously involves my immediate family, the birthday involved all of my friend's family and closest friends,including people all the way from Mansfield and Michigan, and the Christening involves the godparents and my immediate family.

I'm exhausted, of course, with all the cleaning and cooking. And, wow, I've spent a lot of time with family recently.

But I actually feel like I haven't been just trapped in the house. And after months of bedrest and new babyhood, I am ready to not feel trapped.

The mall still makes me feel trapped, just FYI.

Damn that shopping list.

Etcetera.

"Fool Proof" Turkey

My Jenny-O turkey breast promises it is "fool proof", right on the bag. I know how to cook a real turkey (thank you, Alton Brown), but no one in my family eats the dark meat, so I figured the fool proof turkey breast was the way to go.

Unpacking the groceries on Monday night, Alan asked where the turkey goes. "In the fridge," I said. Obviously, turkey always goes in the fridge to defrost three days before Thanksgiving. I am so smart. {pats self on back for forward thinking braininess}

Fast forward to Tuesday night. "Kristy, you wanted this turkey in the fridge, right?"

Annoyed and exasperated, "yes." {rolls eyes at hubby}

"Even though it says 'from freezer to perfect' and 'store in freezer' on the bag?"

Silent pause.

FOOL PROOF. IT SAID FOOL PROOF, DAMMIT. {exclamation point}

And why couldn't Alan mention the instructions on the bag, um, say, Monday WHEN HE SAW THEM AND ASKED ME WHERE TO PUT THE BAG? :(

I put it back in the freezer and am cooking it today anyway. It wasn't defrosted yet...and salmonella is just a silly myth...right?

Etcetera.

A Year Ago

Midmorning, a year ago, my ultrasound showed an empty sac. It seems forever ago. And it seems like yesterday.

The feelings you have when a baby is born who couldn't have existed without another baby not surviving are strange. Loki is here because that baby is not. Yesterday, I did a case involving a baby born last July, when Grace Pax (our lost angel) would have been born. I wouldn't trade Loki for anything. But that doesn't stop my mind from playing "what if." I know I'd be sadder if Loki wasn't here, but I feel guilty for feeling okay (still sad, but okay) because he is, since he only exists because that baby isn't here.

I'll hug my babies a little tighter today. Do me a favor and go hug a little one for me today, okay?

Etcetera.

Jealousy

My last post was about all the ways I am jealous of my husband. But here's a way I'm not: I am not jealous of his relationships with other women.

I adore his ex-girlfriends. One is one of my best friends. Another is one of the sweetest people I know.

I don't mind at all when he lunches with his work colleagues (and ex-colleagues) who are female. I've noticed that they often make a point to invite me along, which is cool. But I rarely go, but it's nice that I'm welcome. It means I never have to get jealous.

So when I got this e-mail while I was on-line today, I certainly wasn't jealous:

hi Kristy,

I know this is really weird, but is Alan home? Can you ask him where he is parked on Dark Pirates so I can take him out. Manoss got him once, lol. He'll know what that means,

Thanks
Debbie

But, boy, did I mock him! HA HA HA. His virtual "girlfriends" are always contacting me. Kristy, can Alan get on-line to check something? Kristy, does Alan have the link to that child development website? Kristy, can you ask Alan his Xbox call sign?

At least I know they all know about me, huh? LOL.

Etcetera.

I'm Jealous

At 6 a.m., I get up to nurse Loki while Alan gets ready for work. When Alan turns on the water for his bath, Ander hears it and wakes up. He needs his diaper changed (or he leaks out), a sippy of milk, and cartoons on. Alan leaves for work.

Then Loki needs a diaper. Then Ander needs breakfast. If both boys are taken care of, I get a bath. (Ha ha ha ha ha. Like that ever happens.) Then get dressed, pack cold milk into bags with ice packs, probably change another diaper, maybe eat (yah, right), pack lunch, turn off my laptop and put it in my car, dress the boys, put them in car seats, and, at some point, leave.

I get to my mom's house and pump.

Two and a half hours of work, and it's time to pump again. Maybe I get lunch then, if Loki isn't crying too much.

Two and a half more hours, and then it's pump and pack up the kids. Pumping involves putting together pump, pumping, cleaning the parts, and labeling and storing the milk.

At home, it's feeding and diapers all around before Natchdaddy comes home.

Sigh. I want him to do all this stuff. I want to sit in a nice office. Blog. Check Facebook. Check my message boards. I'm jealous of Daddy.

Etcetera.

Tinkle Tinkle

We have pottying going on!

Yesterday, around 3 p.m., Ander asked to take his nap. First, he wanted a new diaper. Weird, I thought, since he never asks for a new diaper, even when it's soaked and dirty. When I took the diaper off, I noticed it was bone dry.

"Ander, do you need to pee pee?"

"Yes."

"In the potty?"

"Yes."

{Kristy pulls herself off of the floor from the shock and awe of it all}

One hour, fifty songs - including several naughty versions of Rudolph and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, two phone calls, five trips to "check on your brother and be right back", one crying baby nursed on the bathroom floor (so much for nursing in bathrooms is gross...opps), and a plastic fish that squirts water into the toilet later, we had lift-off!

So he wore the big boy undies.

20 minutes later, I asked again. And he did it, again.

After supper, daddy brought him to pee pee.

At bedtime, he was still dry and had gone to the bathroom several times.

Miracles do happen.

(PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let this continue smoothly.)

Etcetera.