Audrey slingin'

 
One happy little momma! 

Okay, so it took much longer than I thought it would...

 

:) The custom t-shirt! 2 more to go! 

Babytalk Magazine

John sent me a CNN article about the cover, and for once I thought the author was vey balanced. It was downright refreshing. I never gave BabyTalk much stock before; I saw it as very mainstrem, unhelpful and often misleading... but for once I think they have it right. It is a beautiful cover and a well written article... maybe I'll subscribe agian!

Since Dory is nearly weaned and may or may not pick it back up when Jack is here, I miss those quite times and the closeness that is built along with it. Now I wish I had pictures of me feeding her so I could send them into the magazine. I'll just have to get some of Jack in a few months!

Bad news came on Thrusday....

My midwives are being run out of business by the hospital they are affiliated with on September 30th... meaning that I will have to find some other way to deliver Jack... It was a bit of a shock and nearly, okay- did, send me into panic mode, but all should work out fine in the end. My wonderful doula, Lara, assured me she would be there no matter where I was and that everything has a purpose. Between her and John I will be just fine. Now... this will be the week of interviews since many times practices don't want to accept someone over 30 weeks... here I am at 26! Eek!

It only took me 2 yrs and 4 mos....

but Dory is finally in cloth diapers full time. Jack now has a good stash growing and I could not be happier. It was the one thing that has been weighing over my head since she was born... something I really wanted to do but never could afford enough all at once. It is such a relief to finally accomplish it! Never again will Pampers get money from me on a regular basis... I will not continue to add to the landfills, I will be saving money. I love it. Almost all are Fuzzi Bunz, but for Jack I have some Snuggleups and Kissaluvs with Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers to begin with as well...

It feels good! Real good!

Public Nudity

It has started.... As Dory and I were at Target this afternoon, she stripped her shirt off to 'nurse' Josie, her doll. It was only in the checkout lane that I managed to wrangle it back on her with out a massive problem and keep it on! Oh, the joys of being 2. Naked baby!

I did tell her that it was too early to start a new career.

Attachment Objects.

Isn't nearly 2.5 a bit old to be just deciding on an attachment object?

Dory seems just this week to be really attached to one of her baby dolls that she finally named a few weeks ago, Josie. I mean, we've done the thumb sucking, hairpulling for comfort, and I was thinking she wouldn't ever have an object but here we are; awfully close to it. Josie has been everywhere this week with us, and was even left at the bookstore yesterday for a short peroid of time. Luckily, she didn't freak out, we ate our lunch and went back to get her.... Josie was safe with some Playdate friends. It just seems late to me...

UPDATE:
So some of the CM's have replied that their son/daughter did the same at the same age.
Ahhh... well then I guess it's normal. And I guess it's not really a security object, she seems to be mothering Josie quite a bit, offering her milkies and food and needing to know where she is. maybe she's just getting ready for a baby brother. Hum. She really didn't freak out when we left her, and was fine to go and get her later, but did remember and ask about her.

Swinging Basket

 
Just as 'Uncle' Clay was leaving town, Dory got a ride in the laundry hamper turned swinging chair... She LOVED it. 

My Peeps!

 
John and Dory a week ago out at a new restraunt in town while waiting on 'Uncle' Clay to show up after his concert. BTW- They had the BEST Cottage Pie there. (Big Ben Restraunt & Pub) 

Alexander type day

Yep... It was horrible, no good, very bad....
But it did get better, right after Tricia called just to tell me that she loves me. :)

As I found out this morning, the wonderful, magnificent fabric that I have been using for the back of the carriers is no longer available. So I drove to Gastonia to Mary Joe's and found something that is not unbleached but will work. I guess I will live, but I'm still not thrilled. Fabric World is not on my good list anymore, they were so completely unhelpful.

Also, I was supposed to pick up a local eBay purchase but had massive problems with that too... I won't go into it, I'll just embarrass myself. I hope I don't get negative feedback and that I can pick it up later this week.

Okay, past that it has gone better.... and the new Frapper Map photo gallery badge above is pretty cool....

Oh, and I have heartburn... from Cheerieo's

Custom Onesies Update!!!

Well, the first one is made, and I decided on a t-shirt rather than an onesie. It is so cute, I'll post a pic in 24 hours... promise!

The Sling Party

It was crazy crowded! I got several orders that need to go out real soon, and I am very pleased. There were so many people that I am worried that I didn't get the chance to talk to everyone; I mean, so many people that the AC couldn't keep up and we broke out the fans... It was amazing.

I really liked how Sharon, the awesome hostess and fellow sling maker, organized her fabrics; they were in a 3 ring binder already cut and ready to go in plastic sleves. It was a really smart idea that I will have to try. Now that I have measurements down pat it would make more sense to do it that way siince it would most likely lead to less waste in the long run.

Anyway, I finished so late yesterday that John hasn't taken any pics, but I guess that I need to go ahead and take a new belly pic real soon since I am getting bigger by the moment it seems. I am most certainly in maternity now, I exhausted the other clothes.

Sewing sewing sewing....

It's all I should be doing today to get ready for the sing party tomorrow. I have fabric swatches to make, order forms to create and a few pieces to construct. One of everything to show off, two orders to complete, and I should be finished.... hopefully well before midnight. Then John gets to make gallery pictures for me.

Did I tell you I was moving the JonquilMom blog over to www.jonquilmom.com? Grand is helping me with that and a logo... I'm excited about the transition! :D

Green Mushy Peas

Green Mushy Peas
Kat and her family are abroad! Who knew? (I completely missed the announcement somehow.) Anyway, her pics are fantabulous! They ran off to Brighton, England and well, she's a photographer by trade anyway, so you can imagine!

The Shape of a Mother

The Shape of a Mother
This site was posted by someone on Charlotte Mommies, and I felt the need to share it. It is wonderful and oh so real. It's beauty in a whole new way!

Other news of the week....

Thanks to John's parents, we now have a new washer and drier! And I am catching up on nearly 2 weeks of back laundry so that we have clean clothes again. Our died , finally - after more than 20 years of service, by deciding that it was going to spend the entire cycle filling, draining and refilling. We looked to see if any one on CharlotteMommies has one to sell cheap, but alas nope. Then The grandparents were over to see us and Dory and I mentioned it off hand. They looked a bit shocked and informed us that they had just discussed giving us theirs as they wanted to move some things around and it required that the purchase a new set-up in order to do that.
God really knows how to provide doesn't he?
So, John's Dad brought the new one over on Tuesday and he and John set it up.
I love the two of them! Well, all of my family really! :)
________________________________________

John bought me a flat panel computer screen and it arrived Thursday. I really love it... but.... I think it was damaged in shipping because it has a few black lines that run from one side to the other across the bottom of the screen. We'll have to have them fix it. Other than that, I adore it!
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Dory has been a trooper this week. It has been NO fun for a toddler, and she has missed the vast majority of her beloved Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster. On the other hand, this week it seems like she is really turning into a little girl. Last night as I put her to bed, she tucked in her doll Audrey, gave her a bottle of water and provided her with a precious hair (her comfort object) and told her "happy thoughs and happy dreams" just like her Daddy tells her. It was so very cute.
That said, she didn't sleep well last night at all. I think it is because I fianlly bought more disposable diapers after her having been to bed in cloth all week... I've had no time to go to the store while buying a car! Anyway, I think her butt was cold. Poor thing.

The deal is done, this week is over!

Well, we did indeed get the car this morning! John is really pleased, as am I... but I do have to say that i am going to miss the Forester... it was such a good car, I nearly felt like a bad person leaving it there. You know, much like if you were to give one of your pets away to a new home. Yep, I was attached.
John and I spent the drive home reminding Dory not to kick Daddy's arm and noticing the little differences between the vehicles. Like there is no personal lights up front for reading a map late at night, the mirrors are not powered, the visors are very basic, there is a ton of cubbly holes, but not one right on top of the dash like in the Forester. This car is a little more basic, but still has some very nice perks. I think it will serve us well. It feels more like a car than an SUV, and that will take some time I think.
I wish we could have afforded the Tuscon that we wanted, but in all reality... this is going to be better as we are SAVING money over what we were paying with the Subaru, and the Tuscon would have been more.
I am now just glad that my life can go back to normal and I don't have to go car shopping for quite some time again. Whew.
A side note, when we were negotiating, and they couldn't come any lower, I asked for a few freebies. A cargo mat and a cargo net. This morning they handed we a 'we owe you notice' for a cargo mat and a cargo cover! I am pleased with that mix up! I didn't even know they could get a cargo cover like we had in the Forester, and would certianly love one! I will completely forget about wanting a net!

Car shopping

Well, since Monday, I have been busy car shopping with John.... We really thought we were going to buy a Tucson with Hyundai, but now we are pretty firmly in the Toyota Matrix category. We should have a done deal by tomorrow, but I am waiting to hear from several people. One is checking inventory to order from, one has one on the lot- but it has an internet deposit on it, and one is a back up in case the others fail. And, of course Grandma Marcille is praying over all of it for us. :) She's really great at that!
Today has been a bit of a break as we are now waiting in a holding pattern, and while this morning the idea aggravated me, I am glad now, I needed a break. I have done 80% of the leg work and research, and John really helped play them off one another yesterday afternoon... That is why we got to such a great position. (We make an awesome team!) I just hope it all comes out now. I don't want to feel like I have wasted an entire week! I have done nearly nothing else!

Custom Onsies

Create a customized onesie » Rookie Moms
Okay, so as I was out buying a maternity tank top today, I ran across some great clearence t-shirts that I intend to make into creepers for baby Jack.... So far, this is all I have found in way of patterns.... and it seems like a really cool site!

Well, after searching just a bit more, I think I will tear apart an old onesie that is stained to use as a pattern. That should work. I'll let you know for sure, but give me some time!

Where vs. Why

So, I really thought the question was supposed to be "Why?"

Apparently, I was WRONG.
It's "Where?"

Where choo-choo train?
Where tracks go?
Where Daddy?
Where Ba?
Where Mr Craig's house?
Where bikes?
Where vaccumes?
Where our car?
Where Emily?
Where choo-choo train? (yes, again)

So on and so on..... that was only a very small fraction of our trip to Target this evening, many repeated many times.
ARGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!! :shocked:
I thought this was supposed to wait until 4 or 5 and then be "Why?"

The psychic child & lunch from Hell

John: "Dory, what are you going to do today?"
Dory: "See Jeremy, Monkey, Ba and Uncle John"
Me: "Well, that's not quite what I had planned."
(My intentions were to call High School friend Kelly to see if she wanted to go for lunch today.)
Moments later.... The phone rings.
It's Ba.
Then it rings again.
It's Sara, Jeremy's mom.

Then we all went to lunch... From hell apparently.
(That story in a moment.)

So, Uncle John was missing... But we did see everyone else! Can you say spooky? Dory knew just what the day held!

Okay, Lunch from Hell....
Scene: Olive Garden on Independence Blvd
Time: 12-1:30 or so.
Server: Girl who can not handle having... get this... 4 tables!
Problems:

1. took forever for drink order,
   
2. salad and breadsticks came pretty much when food did,
   
3. no drink refils without being requested a minimum of 2 times and
   
4. then often by someone else,
   
5. no stop by asking if everything was okay,
   
6. near refusal of refilling the salad bowl
   
7. (half empty when first brought, not enough for two people!),
   
8. breadsticks or any drinks,
   
9. when late party arrived, 15 minutes before we informed the waitress that she had not even taken a drink order
   
10. much less food for our extra person,
    
11. 40 minute wait for Sara's check after requesting it 3 times,
    
12. checks not right,
    
13. ice cream melted,
    
14. sorbet missing from desert,
    
15. checks messed up even with the manager's help,
    
16. no clearing of the table in any sort of timely manner,
    
17. placed all hot items directly in front of a toddler,
    
18. brings a baby a chipped plate,
    
19. mamager even seemed a bit unhelpful,
    
20. need I go on? there certainly was more to tell.

The manager comped our deserts and Sara's meal. She also gave us a gift card for us all to eat together again... not sure for how much though, Sara has it.

It was, quite simply, the worst service I have ever had, in my life.

The highlight? The company, and the food... except the deserts.

Becky, Sara... tell us more, I know I left a ton off!

just for the record...

yes, she has a bathing suit... and she took off her own diaper to go swimming!

Finally Jack gives him a swift kick...

Daddy that is. Just like his big sister, Jack has been hiding from his Daddy for quite some time. 22 weeks! Dory has felt him, Megan has felt him, Ba, Emily, Auntie, Grand.... the list goes on.... and as of Sunday morning, Daddy! And he got the best swift kicks yet! (He must like his new name.)

Answered Prayers

Are always so very awesome when you actually notice them. Sammy is back home and doing very well. The vet has no explanation as to why he is even still alive, let alone why his levels are still elevated and he is doing just fine.
Also recent.... The washer finally died. After 12 years of service to me and countless years before that. In fact it is so old.... That I have never remembered it working on more than a single setting, all of the others were broken! Well, I asked around Charlotte Mommies to see if someone else had one for sale before I headed off to the store this weekend. Amazingly, I just missed out on the rash of them a month ago. John's parents were over on Friday night and I casually mentioned it.... And they had just discussed offering theirs to us since they need to move a water heater and get a different set in the process! So, but he end of this week, I will have a much nicer, fully working, matching and super duper sized w & d installed free of charge, well... For a hug and a kiss and babysitting privileges...
Anyway, huge prayers of praise and thanks are going up.