Super Gibs

So Nate's cousin Katie took a super cute picture of Gibson I had to post...
He's wearing the Superman suit my Dad and sister, Hilly, got him. He also has a Batman one (his cousin Cal was wearing it at the reunion).

Change of Plans...

I was going to do a post about Peanut's bath time but I brought the wrong pic to his Grammie's house. Oh well, gratuitous naked shot!

Mother's Day is Awesome

Pancakes, plants, tweezers, flowers, chocolates, poop, singing, candy, spaghetti, Weekend Sewing, strawberry shortcake.

And all made possible by my super cute baby, Peanut (and 36 hours of labor).

A Book You Should Read...

Just read this and loved it. I've been reading a lot lately and need to recommend some favorites but this will have to do.

Flawed Dogs by Berkeley Breathed

It's about a dachshund named Sam, a girl named Heidy, an evil poodle named Cassius and a pound full of crazy dogs. I loved it! Funny with some sad mixed in.

Top Five!!! (how many total again???)

Well I could spend several paragraphs explaining/justifying my long absense from this blog (and the lack of contact with most of you) however, how about we just skip to the fun stuff?

Today Hillary, Peanut and I took part in the Perry Fun Run. It's part of the Perry month and a half long Walk-a-thon we've been doing. And guess what??? Hilly and Peanut finished in the top 5 and I finished in the top 10!!! We will avoid mentioning how many people actually took part in total but I think those numbers speak for themselves---WE'RE AWESOME!

As you can see I'm number 2, Peanut's 2 1/2 and Hilly's 3.

Peanut started out in the stroller but it was raining and we were running into the wind so Hillary ended up carrying him while I pushed the stroller of stuff.

The happy finishers and their loot...

The Tragedy...

Last week I wanted to get some pictures saved off our camera. However, I couldn't find my little green magic piece of plastic that turns the memory card into a flash drive. So I went to Jeanne's and plugged the card into her printer memory card slot. It started transferring but then it said 'error'. And then my pictures were gone and my card didn't work anymore. There went almost all of the pictures I had taken of Peanut. I am perfectly willing to accept advice on this matter but after me, Nate, Jeanne and Josie all tried to fix it I think it's a lost cause.

To help us get over the tragedy here are a couple pics of Peanut Jeanne had.

Peanut with Daddy
Peanut with Mommy
Peanut in his blessing outfit. Jeanne made this.The vest and bow tie are made out of the train of my wedding dress.
Happy Peanut. He says, "Mommy don't worry. You already have more pictures of me than were ever taken of Aunt Hillary her entire life."

Hippy Mom Nonsense - Cloth Wipes

I am a hippy mom. I do crazy things to my baby (and force my husband to do them too). I went without drugs for my baby's birth. I refused the hospital eye ointment. I didn't let them clean my baby until I breastfed. I plan to breast feed at least a year. We use a baby wrap. We co-sleep. We use cloth diapers.

Now cloth diapers will get their own 'Hippy Mom' entry but my sister-in-law is going to send me some she's making me so I'll wait until I have more info to give you (also I just started trying wool diapers and want to have more experience with them too).

Having tried it both ways, I cannot imagine consistently using disposable wipes if you use cloth diapers. The few time we've used disposable wipes we've had to root through dirty diapers to remove them before we wash and we've always missed at least one. What a pain! Plus you can't feel all high and mighty about using cloth diapers and saving money and the environment if you're constantly buying and throwing away wipes. It's lame.

So we use cloth wipes. We have a variety. We have some bumgenius bamboo cloth wipes we purchased, we have wipes that are really baby wash clothes (for some reason we got tons of those), we have pieces of 2 cut up flannel shirts. It really doesn't matter.

We use cloth wipes in 2 different ways. In the diaper bag we have dry wipes and a small spray bottle of my wipe solution. In our bedroom we have a wipe warmer filled with wipes and my wipe solution. They're marvelous. Rarely do I need to use more than one (although to be honest the flannel ones are a little thin and before Peanut starts pooping more than breast milk I'll double them up and sew them together so they're a little thicker).

My wipe solution is a very simple one I made up after doing some very basic research.

Wipe Solution:

1 c water

1/4 c liquid aloe vera*

2 T liquid castille soap (I use Dr. Bronner's baby soap)

2 T oil, plant-based but no nuts (I use safflower oil)

2-3 drops essential oil* (I use a lavender/tea tree combo)

*optional

The aloe and essential oil are optional but I like them. This is freakishly cheaper and has nothing in it to irritate my baby's skin. I highly recommend it (plus it's kind of fun to mix it up yourself- you feel so effective and hippy-ish).

Should you be using disposables or just can't bring yourself to switch over to cloth wipes you can still use this solution to save money and be gentle on a sensitive babies bottom. Just buy paper towels (I've heard Viva are the best for this), cut them in half and use the solution the same as I do. You can even skip the spray bottle and pack pre-moistened paper towels in a ziplock in your diaper bag.

Go and be more hippy....

Dear Work,

You told me when we changed my position from part time to full that if we needed to change it back later we could. You lied.

I talked to my supervisor, she talked to her supervisor. I was going to go back to work part time. I went into the 'firm up details' meeting to find out the next supervisor up said full time or nothing. The feeling was 'shut up and be grateful you have a job'.

Guess what???

No job is worth me being away from my Peanut 50 hours a week (working and driving). We'll do what we can to make the money work. I will see my baby grow up. I will be there for all the important milestones. I will NOT spend 80% of my working time working just to pay child care.

Nehemiah 6:3

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Happiness is...

going from:

to:

Our heater broke right around the time Peanut was born. We just got a new one. It is the best thing ever!!! I can now move to a different room in the house with Peanut without first taking in the space heater 20 minutes ahead of time. It is also a 95% efficient one so we'll save money on our gas bill AND get a refund on our taxes. So happy!

Dear Peanut,

One day you'll be a teenager and have a strong need to hate me. I submit the following for the view of our friends on the internet to make that hate easier.
You're welcome!

Love,
Mommy

It's a Test

OK so it's been way too long since I've blogged (no internet at home remember...) to actually catch up on everything going on with me, Ox and Peanut. However the birth experience was amazing so I've prepared a short exam to see how well you know what happened...(this picture to help remind you it was all worth it)

1. L has been in early labor (reasonably regular, mild/medium intensity contractions) all day. It is 8pm and she's exhausted. She...

• a. goes to bed immediately


• b. putters around getting things ready for the baby and is in bed by 9ish


• c. decides to make sure she's exhausted (so she can sleep through the contractions when they get worse) and stays up playing games until midnight

2. T/F In triage L is asked not only the same questions she came in weeks earlier to answer (about smoking, medical history etc) but is also asked if she is experiencing any pain (at this point she has been in labor for about 24 hours). The nurse does not find her sarcastic "yes" amusing.

3. Which of the following people were with L pretty much the entire time through labor and delivery (even though the hospital told her beforehand the max was 4 people):

• a. Ox


• b. L's Dad, Papa Shawn


• c. L's Sister, Wendy


• d. L's Sister, Hillary


• e. L's Friend, Amanda


• f. All of the above
  

4. Ox, as L's birth coach, was:

• a. distracted and bored


• b. scared and grossed out


• c. irritated and snappy


• d. amazing and supportive

5. While L labored those in the room performed which of the following services:

• a. getting water/ice/juice


• b. rubbing L's feet/back/side


• c. being back support to lean against


• d. letting L use them to brace her legs against during contractions


• e. all of the above

6a. T/F L did not allow any kind of pain medication during labor or delivery

6b. If 6a is T, which of the following did L do in the midst of labor pains:

• a. hit a nurse


• b. throw the water cup when offered to her for the 8,000th time


• c. scream "this is all your fault" or "we're never having sex again" at Ox


• d. ask for pain medication


• e. tell Ox she was tired and "it was his turn"


• f. stab someone with a needle for talking during a contraction

7. To allow for the possible emergency need of fluids or medications, L had:

• a. an IV


• b. a hep lock


• c. nothing

8. The shower in the birthing room was:

• a. relaxing


• b. warm


• c. like icy needles

9. T/F Instead of wearing a hospital gown, L wore her own dress from home. It has been washed and worn repeatedly since.

10. T/F After watching Peanut's birth, L's sisters and friend, Amanda, are all very excited to get pregnant.

Answers: 1. C 2. T 3. F 4. D 5. E 6a. T 6b. E (although f was threatened) 7. B 8. C 9. T 10. F!!! :)

As I'm Sure You're Aware...

Peanut was born!!!

Oct. 9, 2009 3:20 am

Nathaniel Gibson Mitchell

7 lbs 3.7 oz
20 1/2 in

More updates to come...

Pregnancy Milestones V

Here we go...
1. Peanut has dropped. To explain what this means I will tell you a short story...

Emily, Nate's sister, once participated in a prank war with some friends. One thing they did was to put a bowling ball, holes down, covered in vaseline, into the boys toilet bowl. Imagine that image in your head.

Now replace the bowling ball with Peanut's head and the toilet bowl with my pelvic girdle. You're welcome for that mental image.

2. Reached the 36 week mark which means full-term. Anytime now Peanut can be born and not be considered a 'premie'. This is a stress relieving milestone for any pregnant woman!
3. Set up the car seat (at least the back up car seat; our real car seat is traveling from Cali with my Dad and Hilly)- they won't let you leave the hospital with the baby without it. (ps name the above movie)

4. Created the following lists:

1. Birth Plan
   
2. People to call when Peanut's born
3. Activities for Family to do while in town (so they don't drive me crazy)
4. Where/When/What to spend gift cards on
   
5. Items to be returned (not what you sent us...your stuff was exactly what we wanted)
6. Things to be done on maternity leave before Peanut comes, in order of importance
7. Dad/Son-in-Law Chores for Nate and my Dad to get done while he's here
8. Meals to make and freeze before Peanut comes

I refuse to hear that I might be getting a little ridiculous. Thankfully, Nate has not suggested this possibility.
5. Have officially taken my last trip farther than an hour from home. I'm hunkering down!

6. Finished all birthing and breastfeeding classes. Took hospital tour.

Remember how in elementary school you had to spend an extra hour on fractions because that one kid didn't get it??? These activities are obviously catering to the lowest common denominator... (ha ha. get it? fractions...lowest common denominator...)
7. Started setting up specific days/times for my sisters to come and help me get stuff done. They have their assignments!

8. Created an ipod "Peanut is Born" birth music playlist that I will probably be in too much pain to listen to.

9. Wore stretchy yoga capris to work twice now. Have lost all sense of dignity.

10. Went to a funeral showing where I was the #2 topic of conversation. Strangers touched my belly after touching a dead man. I was not alarmed.
11. Went to bed 3 out of 4 work nights this week, before 8 pm. Once night I was in bed, asleep by 530.

12. Can no longer fit into restaurant booths where neither the chairs nor table move.

13. Last day of work is today!!!!! Put on my out of office, transferred my phone, refuse to help anyone do any course maintenance or classroom scheduling until Thanksgiving!

Tragically Unfulfilled Milestone - My belly button area has gone flat but refuses to become an outie. I was really wanting this to happen. I remember the first time I saw an outie belly button I thought it was way cool. Pregnancy fail!

Snippets

So most of this post is not going to be about pregnancy stuff but I had to remind you...
Any day now, for sure in less than a month, people are going to let me take a real live baby home to keep at my house. Seriously. You have been warned.

Sexy Story:
Ahhh my inherent sexiness strikes again. Last night I awoke at 4am to an awful ear ache. Ear aches for me almost always mean a small sinus infection- which I'm pretty sure I have. I sat up. This cause the bloody nose I'd apparently had for some time while asleep, to start dripping down my face and the back of my throat. I ran (ok waddled quickly) to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I decided to brush my teeth to get rid of the taste. That irritated my already queasy stomach and I spent the next couple minutes crying and vomiting strawberries into the bathroom sink. Nate woke up to come rub my back.

Sad Story:
While Nate was having furloughs at work he started doing some extra work in a mower shop. This mower shop is owned by one of his best friend's dad. It is also one of the local hangouts for the 'Old Men of Perry'. They would come in small groups to sit around the shop and BS. Nate's jokes and attitudes took a definite old man feel onto them during this time. I teased him about it (he is almost a whole year older than me). He talked with them, ate lunch with them and became friends with them. He was already familiar with most of these men but a definite kinship happened during this time.

This last week one of those older men died. He was only 61 or so and Nate really got along with him. Nate's been asked to be a pallbearer. Although we have no doubts he is happier where he is now, Nate has been very sorry to lose a friend. It feels weird to be grown up enough to have friends dying of 'old age'.

Story in Which I Try to Remember I Actually Like Animals:
This past week we were changing the hinges on a door in our hallway. We had let the dogs into the living room and they were lounging around. Hoss, whose attention span is ridiculously low, came over to see what I was doing. I noticed that his foot was glowing like a little girl's night necklace at Disneyland. I yelled for Nate. We searched the living room to find that Hoss had gotten into the first aid/emergency kit and chewed on the emergency kit glow stick. Luckily these are non-toxic. The above is a picture of our couch cushion (sorry for the bad pic it was really hard to get it to show) with glowy stuff on it. The glowy stuff was also all over Hoss and the living room floor.

Happy Story:
We bought this yellow watermelon for $5 off a guy on the side of the road. He threw in a tiny cantaloupe for free. It weighed 45 lbs and was delicious!

Dear Peanut,

While everyone in the world has been increasingly demanding about when you should descend, in a sticky, cheesy mess, from my uterus, I have been more accommodating. I told you to stay in there until you were ready. Relax. Grow. And when your lungs are working and you're tired of your feet being squished up in between my ribs, lungs and other internal organs, to come out and play with me and your Dad.

I have changed my mind. I am currently still working. I will stop working in less than a week and a half. You will wait until I have had a couple of days of vacation before you come! This morning you were causing me some pain and it took everything in me to continue getting ready for work and drive in. Please stop this. In a week and a half when you cause me pain I can lounge around in my underroos and try to get comfortable. And while I will actually be farther away from the hospital while at home, I will be closer to your father- which is how I want it.

I appreciate that the ultrasound tech didn't see any reason for alarm at the ultrasound yesterday and yet let me know you were just a little small. This is acceptable. It is not acceptable to come before your lungs work and I've had a chance to clean the kitchen floor. I know you don't care but it makes a big difference to me. Should you disobey me be prepared to live out your first several days in the bathroom, since that is the only room I've gotten close to being clean enough. You can sleep in the tub.

Remember, Mommy loves you. Please mind her!

from Not Always Right... III

Look I can't help that they're having so many funny pregnancy ones right now...

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Pregnant Woman Scorned

Candy Store | New Jersey, USA

(A man comes to my register with a mint chocolate candy bar.)

Me: “Anything else?”

Customer: “Can you break a $100 bill?”

Me: “Actually, I can’t. We just opened and I haven’t gone to the bank today.”

Customer: “Oh, no! Do you know anywhere I can get change? I need this candy right away!”

(At this point I notice his panicked look. Coupled with the fact that he’s buying the most unappetizing candy in the store, I jump to a conclusion.)

Me: “Sir, these aren’t for you, are they?”

Customer: “No.”

Me: “Did your pregnant wife send you out at 8 in the morning to buy this candy?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “For the love of God, man! Get these home to her before you’re in even more trouble! You can come back and pay me later!”

(The customer bolts out the door. He later came back, visibly calmer, and paid.)

(485 Thumbs Up!)

Email | Print | Digg | Stumble

Snails Rule! Other Mollusks Drool!

from Not Always Right... II

10 Little Pints Of Joy

Grocery Store | Florida, USA

(A guy comes into my register with a pretty standard basket of groceries.)

Me: “Sir, did you only get one pint of Ben and Jerry’s?”

Customer: “Why?”

Me: “Well, it’s ‘Buy one, Get one free’ this week.”

Customer: “Hold on.” *runs off and returns a minute later with 9 more pints*

Me: “You must really like Ben and Jerry’s, huh?”

Customer: “I have a pregnant wife.”

Weekend Updates

***Update below***

1. Best new game ever: Chore Poker. Like Strip Poker but played for chores.
Before the hand we decide on a chore that needs to be done around the house. We took turns picking chores that could be done by either party (i.e. cleaning out the litter box wouldn't work since I'm not allowed to do it for Peanut safety reasons).

Then we play poker, loser of 2 out of 3 hands has to do the chore. Their name is written by the chore on 4x6 card. They have until the end of the weekend to get it done.
After 10 or so chores we took time to trade. Nate was willing to take 2 chores just to not have to hand mop the bathroom. Marvelous! We got to play a game, our house is cleaner and this was 'The Weekend Without Nagging'!!!

2. Football Madness Weekend or Nate's Best Weekend Ever!
First, Friday night Nate talked me into going to the Perry High Football game. I didn't last the whole time (those seats are honestly too much for a pregnant lady, especially by Friday evening). Yes, we are one of those little towns where the streets roll up for the local high school football game- and we're not even good! However...we won! We beat Blackwell, apparently our fierce rivals, whom we haven't beat since 2000. Nate was oh so happy.
Then Saturday OSU beat Georgia. Nate loves OSU. I work for OSU. They won and Nate got to listen to it on the radio as he did chores. I thought he might cry for joy.

But then, just when you thought things couldn't get any better...
OU lost. OU and OSU are rivals but OU is the rich, hot rival and OSU is that kid you root for even though you're pretty sure they're not going to win. So OU lost and they lost to...BYU! Hello crazy! OU was ranked 3 going into the season, BYU like 20. It was a very close game and now Mormons all over the world are convinced God really does love us best. Just kidding!!! ;) But we are excited because every Mormon on the planet knows every other Mormon so it's like your best friend just dunked on the hot rich guy.
All of this leads to Nate wishing Monday wasn't a holiday so he could get to work to hug and kiss other OSU fans and mock endlessly OU fans and tell everyone his Dad was tempted into watching the BYU game on Sunday (he had Tivo'd it) etc. Much rejoicing was had by all the non-rich non-hot kids. Yea!!!
3. Peanut is trying to escape through the side of my abdomen. Just thought I'd let you know in case I end up in the hospital in an Alien-like incident.

Update:

The Polls!