13 weeks under my belt (literally)

Second trimester, here I come! I am now 14 weeks pregnant, and though I may still make strangers wonder: Pregnant or beer belly? I am definitely starting to get "round." Energy is starting to come back, nausea is starting to go away, and Oreo Cookies don't stand a chance against my cravings. I am starting to get really excited about this pregnancy. Bring on the baby--Just not until mid-August!

Good Ol' Uncle Sam

Is there anything worse than the tax information scavenger hunt that Caleb and I have been on for the past several weeks? All the work that we put in to getting our taxes ready just makes me tired. I'm thankful that our job ends when we drop off our forms with the accountant. I really hate tax season!

But, seriously...

If you looked this cute (and completely pathetic) throwing a fit, wouldn't you bust it out of your bag of tricks every once in a while, too?

Cry Baby

This picture pretty much sums up our day. Makes me want to scream and cry, too!

Bathroom Remodel: Take 2

This is the current state of our master bathroom. No shower, no toilet, no vanity, no flooring. But we have a working whirlpool tub. Caleb hopped in the other night to test it out. He said it reminded him of his days in college: Hanging out in the hot tub with a beer, and immediately throwing on shower shoes when exiting to keep his feet from getting grungy. So basically I have a "frat house-type" get-up for a bathroom. Classy.

Confession

I HATE our new camera. I plan to put the memory card (the one that wasn't lost by someone, somewhere) back in my works-perfect-so-why-again-did-we-replace-it camera tomorrow, and pick back up on catching Jacob in action. Until then, another boring blog entry with no worthwhile pictures.

New Record

Jacob slept until 7:45 this morning. A new personal best. Now if we could just get him to practice these skills on the weekend!

Thanks, but no thanks.

Caleb and I read an article yesterday about VBACs and how they can actually be less risky than having a repeat c-section even though most doctors and hospitals won't allow them because there is a risk--albeit a very small .5 percent chance--of having your uterus rupture during the birth. And since I didn't think I would have a c-section with Jacob, and then I didn't think I would have to go under general anesthesia for Jacob's birth, it would make sense that I would make up the .5 percent whose uterus explodes (just my luck). So sign me up for the c-section, and my goal this pregnancy is to just be awake when this kiddo is born, and--as one woman in the article said--do in 30 minutes what takes some women 30 hours to do!

A Quiet Night... Not by Choice

It's snowing (not that hard, mind you), and our satellite is out. This means I am missing Desperate Housewives, Guilliana and Bill, and the Olympics--none of which are reruns. Remind me again why I pay way too much for a service that can't stand up to a little snow?!

May the Best Man Win

Evan won GOLD last night! I don't know if it was the caddy comments, the cocky attitude, or the fact that the Russian skater was "the competition," but I have never been happier to see someone lose. Yevgeny's raw physical ability and choppy moves could not stand up to Evan's charisma, class, artistic talent, and incredibly refined skating. Whoever said you have to have quadruple jumps in your program to win the gold obviously doesn't understand or appreciate the true art of the sport. So happy for you, Evan! WAY TO GO!

Baby Needs New Shoes

With Jacob's walking just around the corner coupled with the fact that his toes curl around the ends of his current shoes, my mother-in-law decided that today would be a good day to search for some new kicks. We found some cute, impractical deck shoes at Gymboree, but Jacob's fat feet just wouldn't squeeze in. So we headed to Stride Rite and found some practical shoes that would suit his needs better. But with a $51 price tag, those shoes went back on the shelf. There is no way I can justify spending that much money on 5 inches of leather (is it even leather?) when I can hardly justify spending that much on shoes for myself. So on to Target we go...

Sk8 Gr8

I will be tuning in to Men's Figure Skating tonight to catch my man Evan skate for the gold. We skated together growing up, and I even have him on home video. Go, Evan! Go USA!

Lame Observation

I was watching snowboarding on the Olympics last night and was amazed with all of the twists and turns the athletes were doing. Then I found myself watching the ski lift transport skiers in the background and realized I was equally amazed at the skiers' abilities to exit the ski lift without falling. In my book, that talent should qualify as an Olympic event...

Bring on the Tears

Am I the only one who cries every time this commercial is on TV? I blame pregnancy hormones, but I seriously need to get it together.

Men at Work

Deconstruction has begun in our master bathroom. And by the looks of how Jacob handles his hammer, it looks like this remodel could take a LONG time!

I Need to Collect Myself. NOW!

Let me preface this post by stating that I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT BABY #2. But with that excitement also comes a load of anxiety. How am I going to grocery shop with two kids in tow? Will there be any room left in the car for anything else with two car seats installed? How am I going to juggle two nap schedules, two feeding schedules, and my schedule? Will I ever have time to shower again? In true Morgan fashion, I am FREAKING OUT!
Am I the only mother in the entire world that has had all of these overwhelming feelings of doubt and anxiety when it comes to having baby #2? I sure hope not.

Step One

It took a lot of coaxing and some enticing toys, but Caleb and I were able to trick Jacob into taking his first solo steps. I counted three, but Caleb said it was more like one-and-a-half. I'm going to stick with my count. I think we are still a ways away from convincing Jacob that walking is faster (and easier, and cleaner) than crawling, but at least we are taking baby steps in the right direction!

Back Off!

A word to the wise: Be considerate of pregnant women, and think before you speak. I am EXHAUSTED. I am IRRITABLE. And I am NAUSEOUS. All. Day. Long. And if I have to hear my husband tell me to "suck it up and deal with it" just one more time, I promise to make him more physically miserable than I am. Thank you.

I'm a Survivor

Apparently an earthquake rocked Chicago at 4 a.m. today. I didn't sleep through it. In fact, I was up rocking a fussy, congested little baby boy. But even awake, I didn't feel or hear a thing. I am starting to wonder if this was a hoax or if I am just completely oblivious to all things happening around me.

Call me Crazy

Today I might have went overboard. What started out as a quick de-germifying of Jacob's toys quickly escalated into a full-blown nesting attack. It started in the bathroom, spread to the baseboards, and ended with me washing (yes, washing) our decorative candles in a sink full of soapy water. I am now waiting for the last batch of winter coats to finish washing and drying, then I am off to bed. Exhausted!

The Difference Between a Grandma and a Mom

Jacob is sick. A runny-nose, chesty-cough, head cold mess. And he isn't eating much (a HUGE indication that our little guy isn't feeling so hot). So over my lunch break, I packed him up and we headed to the grocery store to buy a can of chicken noodle soup. Such a good mom, I was thinking to myself as I tossed some soup into the cart. And then my mom called. "Do you mind if I make chicken soup at your house this afternoon while I watch Jacob? I always used to make soup when you guys were sick, and I think it would make Jacob feel better." It was at that point I realized why you always love your grandma more than you love your mom when you are growing up: Among everything else, grandmas take the time to cook homemade soup while moms feel they have fulfilled their duty by picking up a can of Campbell's.

Dangerous Information

Did you know that Olive Garden sells actual bottles of its salad dressing? I think I'm in love.

Oh, Brother!

Duties as big brother are slated to begin in late August. Additional details to follow.

Quick Trip

Caleb and I are throwing around the idea of spending Memorial Day weekend at Niagara Falls. We have never been, and that is one place we would like to cross off our list. But before we commit, I have to know: Where should we stay? What do we have to do when we are there? Will the weather still be cold at the end of May? So many questions and so few answers. Advice, anyone?

On the Menu

I haven't had one of these in years, but today I had a Hershey Bar Sandwich for lunch. It's just a Hershey Bar shoved in the middle of a French bread baguette, and it was delicious. Seriously. We had these in French class every Friday in high school, and I think I might bring it back into my weekly lunch rotation.

Just Plain Gross

Jacob has discovered--and become obsessed with--sticking his fingers down his throat. I try to shrug it off and joke that he just learned how to point to his tonsils, but he is constantly making himself gag... and always when we are eating. Gross!

Voting Day

Today is election day, and because I don't feel educated enough to make good choices, I have decided that I will just vote for who my mom has asked me to vote for. BUT... I have made this verbal agreement with both myself and with Caleb: I am promising that, in the next local election, I will educate myself on each of the candidates and decide which ones are proposing to tackle the issues that I feel are important in a way that I would like to see them addressed. Mark my words: I will NOT vote for candidates based on their cuteness in TV ads. I will NOT vote for candidates because they have catchy names. And I will NOT vote for candidates because they are female. I am promising to be an educated voter--at least the next time around. I am feeling exhausted just thinking about the work ahead of me...

Nervous Laughter

Until my family pointed it out this weekend it didn't occur to me that Jacob is constantly laughing. It's not a belly laugh or even a sincere laugh. It is more of a Beavis and Butthead laugh, or as my sister-in-law coined it: a mad scientist laugh. But nonetheless, this kid is always chuckling. I just wonder exactly what is so funny?!

There is No Place Like Home

We spent the weekend in Iowa getting our townhouse ready to put back on the market. And Jacob was entertained by his cousin and grandparents during the day, but wanted nothing to do with being away from home at night. In fact, our little booger spent the better part of Friday and Saturday nights screaming (not sleeping) in the pack-n-play. Not poor him--poor us as we had to listen to, confront, and deal with an inconsolable child. So I have unofficially decided that we will no longer be taking any overnight trips until he is, say, 16.