Teagan's birthday party

We had Teagan's birthday party yesterday. He is the big #3! It's really hard to believe he has grown so fast. Already, I have forgotten him as a baby. :o(

He loved his construction cake, and was quite eager to blow the candles out and play with that little Tonka truck.
He got a Diego rescue sub from Aunt Krista, and a fridge DJ radio from Grandma. Oh, and a Cars outift and new big boy undies. He seemed pretty excited about the undies, even kissed the package. Weird kid.

He was quite taken with the radio.
And of course, another Tonka truck. Or front end loader, whatever this thing is.
A few fights ensued over the balloons, but Teagan made sure everyone knew they were his.

Krista brought over one of those birthday decoration catalogs. Travis took the time to mark down the decorations he would like to have, for the next several years.
Uncle Travis and Tanner spent alot of time doing this.....

I think we all had a good time, and ate a ton of pizza. I don't know why I always seem to buy too much, but I do. One of those years, I'm going to buy too little and just let everyone fight over it.

We made poop!

Well, I didn't but Teagan did! Yay! He has been peeing pretty consistently on the potty when we are at home. (Although, it is a bit of an argument in the morning to get him out of his diaper. I say Undies, he says Di-pa) And he would always ask for a diaper when he had to go #2. Today, he was walking around saying he had to poop, but he didn't ask for a diaper. I told him he could go on his potty chair, and he wasn't too keen on the idea. In fact, he may have given me a look just like this one. So, we took the top of his potty seat to the bathroom and attached it to the toilet. I even gave him a stool so he could get up there all by himself. He really wasn't interested. I figured one of three things would happen. One, he would eventually use the toilet, two, he would ask for a diaper to do his business in, or three, he would poop in his undies and I would say, Awww, man. Luckily, #1 was the best option for his #2. Of course, he waited until I was falling asleep on the couch watching cartoons. I mean, I was falling asleep, he was watching cartoons. So, I awaken to this little waddling man, who's pants are down around his ankles. He tells me, "I pooped." Now, in my half awake state, it took me a minute to process and I'm trying to think of all the places he might have pooped. He walked me to the bathroom to show me. And yay, he did poop in the toilet. (I hate cleaning poopy potty seats, so double yay.) He even tried to wipe his own bottom. Unfortunately, that required at least a half a roll of toilet paper and still didn't get the job done. After unclogging the toilet, I praised him for being such a big boy.
Funny thing is, he had to have the potty seat put back together next time he needed to pee. I'm not sure how he associates one with the potty and the other with the toilet, but hey, whatever works. He even came in from playing outside to use the potty!!! I guess our next big hurdle will be using a public bathroom. Not sure how to work that angle yet. Any suggestions? Just take him out with a spare change of clothes and hope he tells me when he needs to pee? I wonder if we are willing to brave it tomorrow. We need to go out to order his birthday cake anyway.
After checking out his potty pictures, Teagan wanted to show off his own picture taking abilities. Tatum is not the only one with mad photography skills in this house. There is his foot.
And the ceiling.
And the living room complete with it's own potty chair. I know, strange place for it, but he wasn't interested in using it until I put it out there where he had easy access to it. That is lazy, er, I mean experienced Moms potty training tip for the day. Put the little person in sweatpants and make the potty easily accessible. There really is very little else for me to do.

Okay..... UPDATE

Update: Yes, Krista, there is no actual sex in this video just clothed kissing. However, you couldn't have sex on MTV back in the olden days. Ahem, I mean, when we were teenagers. In fact, I don't think you could have sex on TV until after 11 pm. Now, you have obvious sexual innuendos in animated Disney movies. (It's true. Watch the Incredibles again).

Apparently, listening to his beautiful voice, and staring at his gorgeousness is not enough for Krista. Yes, he did only lean against the wall in that video, but wasn't he pretty? And I LOVE that song.

Watch this one, and you'll understand why I never picked up on the gay factor.



But, if you watch this one, you might wonder how I missed it. Didn't all white people dance like that in the 80's, though? What you say? The hot pants? Uh, yeah, those are questionable.

It's a..........

Boy!!!!



Or a girl!!!!! Hahahaha



No, I didn't peek. I admit, it was really tempting, when she started wiggling the wand around trying to get the little bean to move it's legs. But she asked if I wanted to know, and I stuck with my planned No. So, she stopped jiggling my stomach. Everything else looked good. All the parts are normal, nothing unusual to be concerned about. And there definitely is only one in there.

So, now I guess we're stuck not knowing since I won't be getting another US. Tatum said she wanted to know if it was a boy or girl. I asked "what if they can't tell? Sometimes babies hold their legs together so you can't see." She said, "we'll find out when it comes out". Smart girl. She's still holding out for a sister, of course.
The baby was lying with it's head towards my left side and it's spine pointing down towards my feet. We saw the little left hand waving, and the right hand balled up in a fist.

My appt was after the US. We took a quick listen just so the little kids could hear the heartbeat. Tatum said "the heart is beeping". All else is pretty normal. Still having some nausea, and amazingly, have only gained 4 pounds so far. My next appt will be April 18.

Spring has sprung

So, Thursday is the first day of Spring. And Thursday evening through Saturday, there is a chance of snow flurries. What the......? I wouldn't mind Spring so much, if it just made itself more obvious. The 40 degree temps and days and days of rainfall are rather depressing. I thought Spring was supposed to be about birds chirping and flowers blooming. My yard is pure mud. Poor Buddy has been banished to the mud room for the last few days because she just can't seem to stay away from the God awful mud.

On the potty front, Teagan used the potty several times today, and has forgotten about asking for candy. He did however, insist on a diaper so he could poop. Looks like we'll have to resort to some better candy to get the pooping on the potty chair down.

Tomorrow is the big day, my first US. Let's hope there is just one little bean in there. :op

Potty time

Okay, we're working on the potty. It helped that we conveniently ran out of diapers yesterday morning and Teagan didn't have a choice. He peed in his undies the first time, or as he told me "I peed on the ground", AKA the bathroom rug, next to the toilet. Hmm.

So, I had to resort to the candy bribes. Once he knew there were Jolly Ranchers involved, he was a little more willing to try the Thomas the Train undies. He peed on the potty three times yesterday, and only had one accident. For some reason, a diaper is required to poop. He just can't equate the potty with BM.

It did take some coaxing to get him out of his diaper this morning. He's too smart to not have noticed that Daddy brought diapers home last night for bedtime. When I asked him if he wanted Tom Train or Diego undies, he said "No, diaper." Hahaha. Smart boy. The running out of diapers scheme won't work today. But the "you only get candy if you wear undies and pee in the potty scheme" worked. He's used his potty once so far. The funny thing was, he went all the way downstairs to use the potty chair, despite the fact that their is a potty seat that sits on the toilet upstairs. Then he brought me the bowl of pee, upstairs. I think he likes the fact that he can go all by himself downstairs, where upstairs, he needs help to get up on the toilet. We'll see how the rest of the day goes.

The little prince

A gratuitous Teagan pic. These are the last days of his babyhood. :o(
He will be 3 on March 29. Does that make him, not even a toddler, but technically, a preschooler? No, I think he's still my baby. He used to be such a sweet, little man. With quiet, little tantrums. More like dirty looks and the cold shoulder. Alas, the terrible three's are here. The whining and crying have reached a level I never thought him capable of. He is still a cuddler though, as long as it is on his terms. If he is whining and crying, don't try to cuddle him, it will make him madder. But, don't ignore him and walk away, that will make him madder. And he will just continue to cry until I return and he decides he's ready for me to pick him up. Then, all will be well with the world.

Until the next time he gets an attitude because I forgot to let him stir his strawberry milk.

We have movement!

I think. While lying in bed last night, I was determined to get this little bugger to move. I am pretty sure that my placenta is up front because all I can feel in the majority of my uterus is my own pulse. But, if I press way down low, essentially, under my stomach, I might just get a little bump. Of course, I was pressing pretty firmly, so maybe it was just his way of saying "Damn, Mom. You're squishing me." See? Obstinate children.
And yes, I did say he.
No, I do not know the sex.
Pay attention.
My US is not until Thursday, and even then, I won't tell you because I don't plan on finding out. This is my last chance for a surprise so you will all wonder along with me. But, I don't like calling the baby an it, and since 3 of my 4 are boys...... well, you figure the odds.
Oh, and the nausea? Not gone, still.

Speaking of my boys, one of them is rather resourceful. While my roast was a roasting in the crockpot, Travis decided he would fix his own dinner. Since he is not one to actually eat real people food, I figured what the heck. So, into the kitchen I go, and this is what I find.

A hot dog with barbecue sauce. He did manage to microwave it and cut it up himself which is impressive. He has been shunning buns for a few months now. I have stopped buying them since he is the only one who eats hot dogs. I'm not sure how the bbq sauce came to be since he is a ketchup fiend, but whatever. I did take the pop tart away, because I was pretty sure he wasn't going to eat all of that. And then I swiped most of the Cheetos for myself. I think, if I try real hard I can call this a well balanced meal. I mean, we have a hot dog for protein, Cheetos for dairy?, and don't Doritos qualify as a grain and a veggie since they are CORN chips? Not sure where the marshmallows fit in, but a kid has to have dessert, right? I particularly like the way he organized his food in individual bowls to keep it from touching. Yeah, he is one of THOSE types.

He did miss out on some yummy roast. I discovered, after the roast was thawed, of course, that I didn't have any of the highly processed, powdered gravy mix that I usually use. I had to use REAL spices. Don't ask me for the recipe. Beyond throwing a sliced onion, a few cloves of garlic, and a couple teaspoonfuls of various spices into the pot, I'm not sure how I made it. It actually turned out well though. I should have taken a pic of our roast, mashed potatoes, and corn dinner. It would have made up for the scary picture above.

Note to self though, never use rosemary during pregnancy. It has an extremely strong odor and doesn't bode well for someone suffering from previously mentioned morning sickness. Even Travis kept telling me to put the lid back on because "That stinks".

March in Ohio

Yep, I'm back into full slacker mode. My energy and motivation were short lived. In all honesty though, I did try to post several days ago, and @*#**@ blogger wouldn't load my pics. So, you'll have to just hear about the week in retrospect.
For the two people who didn't already know that Ohio had a huge snowstorm and blizzard like conditions, here you go..... And yes, the grill should probably be in the garage this time of year, or at least be covered. Yet another thing on the get around to it list.
What a difference a week makes. This is the road in front of my house last Saturday, March 8. Truly, there is a road there.
See?
Another pic of my sleeping prince. Yes, this is my husband's favorite position and most weekends, this is where you will find him. Okay, not ALL weekend. Especially not this one since I went out with my girls and left him home with the kids two nights in a row. LOL Saturday night, I drove down to Cinci with a couple girlfriends to see Michael Buble in concert. We had a great time, although I will tell you, if you get floor seats during hockey season, wear fur boots. Your feet will mysteriously start to freeze as the night wears on. Sunday evening, we added a couple more girlfriends, and headed out to Olive Garden for dinner. Then finished up the evening, night, and wee hours of the morning playing Wii and board games. Note: Mixing alcohol and Taboo may cause extreme outbursts. And I still don't understand what "you stink like salmon" has to do with kebabs. :op I still love you, Missy. Even if you make no sense at times.

The Tatermeister got a hold of my camera, again. It's so funny to turn it on and discover her mad photography skills. Evidenced here.....

This is my long week off work, and I was hoping to get alot accomplished. Alas, I have not. Thankfully, I have 2 more days off. So some semblance of cleanliness may occur in my house, and we might get clean underwear before the end of the week. Has anyone noticed how much laundry children generate? My God. Just when I think I can start washing my own clothes, I turn around and there is another basket of the boys' clothes. Ugh! Do they seriously have to wear a different outfit....... everyday?

I was also hoping to finish up potty training with Teagan. He has other plans. The little booger knows how to use the potty and will when he feels like it. Which is apparently not this week. Not even Thomas the Train and Diego undies could turn him on to it. I was hoping we'd be done before his birthday March 29, since the older boys were both out of diapers a week or two before their third birthday. Not so with this little man. I tried letting him run around pantless since that is what worked with Tanner. He will use the potty once, then go hours before asking for a diaper, just so he can pee in it. Oh well, I guess we'll be working on Teagan's schedule. As long as it is before August, that is all I ask. I have gone through a few "last" pack of diapers already.

The little bean has been pretty quiet. There have been a few times here and there where I think, hmm, maybe, I felt movement. But it happens so quickly that I don't have time to remember what it felt like to decide whether it truly was baby, or just gas bubbles. Yes, gas, yet another of the glories of pregnancy. Don't even get me started on the leaking urine.

My ultrasound is this Thursday. I am a little apprenhensive. I will be 18 weeks tomorrow, and had already been feeling Teagan for a week at this point. I don't know if it's just the way my placenta is lying this time or what. Of course, I have fallen and jarred the poor thing twice already. Maybe he's just ignoring me. Payback for shaking me up, Mom. I do have obstinate children. I never was worried with any of the other kids, which is why it concerns me this time. I usually just assume that all is well and there is nothing to worry about. But, I just can't shake the bad feelings this time. It's like, I've had my share of healthy babies, it must be my turn to have something wrong, kwim? I know I'll feel better after the US, it's just the waiting. My US is at 10 am, and it is the fear of "seeing" something wrong that is eating me up. My appt with my midwife, Kim is after the US. I wish I could see her first. She has such a calming, compassionate presence, I know she would reassure me, after easily finding the heartbeat with the Doppler. She always knows the right thing to say and she seems genuinely excited for me, despite that this is my fifth child, which is just way too many to some people. I love Kim.

Okay, enough of my misty eyed musings. I will update when I have more news.

16 weeks!

I thought I was going to brag about how the morning sickness is going away. Then I woke up this morning. Ugh! When will it end?

I shouldn't complain too much. It is a little better. Now it's just a little nausea, compared to feeling like I may hurl at any second. It's just never lasted this long before. Does this mean I'm getting old and can't handle pregnancy anymore? Hmm....

It's hard to believe we're at 16 weeks already. It's going by so quickly, I just know I'm not going to be prepared when this baby comes. Everything seems to be going okay though. I'm still fitting into my regular pants, amazingly. Good thing they are stretch jeans. Of course, I still have the issue of whether I want to eat or not look pregnant. :op Still not feeling the little bean wiggle around yet, but hopefully in the next week or so. I think I felt Teagan squirming around 17 weeks.

Tatum is convinced this is a baby sister. I told her we needed to get a new carseat for Teagan last week. She said we needed to get a girl seat for her baby sister. I asked her, what if you don't have a baby sister? What if it's a baby brother? Her response? He'll have to sit in the girl seat. She told me we would have to have another baby if this is a baby brother. I said, another one? How many do you think we should have? 10!!! Uh, I don't think so, honey. You may just have to settle for being the only princess.

She also has this habit of patting my stomach and saying, "Hi baby." Then she'll say, "no, that's your belly, this is the baby," as she pats lower on my stomach. She'll pat and say, "Baby, baby, baby, I'm your sissy." I think she may be the only one who's really excited. The older boys could care less. It's just one more kid to get into their stuff.

Randomness

See my new toy? Isn't it pretty? It is a Britax Diplomat. I ordered it online last night because Britax was having a very rare sale. We went to Babies R Us to try it out first. Teagan thought it was pretty plush and didn't want to get out of it. It was listed for $260 at BRU, but I got it on sale, with the shipping, for only $208. I know, still quite expensive for a carseat. But, they are one of the highest rated carseats out there. I like that it has the side impact protection. Not to mention, this is baby #5, and I have NEVER bought a new carseat. My Mom and sis bought my first one for Tanner. I bought a used back up convertible carseat a couple years ago. And I got my infant seats from a cousin and my SIL. So, I figured it was time for a brand new one, and since we'll be using it for another 3-4 years, I figure I'll get my money's worth.
Just wanted to point out that they did take turns playing "puppy".
And another sleeping prince pic. Bobby was, of course, faking, because he hates to have his picture taken. He uses this position frequently, especially when he knows I'm cleaning the house. Oh darn, Teagan fell asleep on me, I can't get up. Yeah, you just wait buddy. Oh sorry, I'm nursing the baby, I can't make dinner, wash your underwear, clean the bathroom..........
Bobby's birthday was a couple weeks ago. This was our attempt at making a cake. Yeah, Tatum helped with the decorating. Since I had to work that night, and the next two, I didn't actually see Bobby until a few days later. Hope he enjoyed his cake.

Don't forget, go VOTE tomorrow!!!