We were not particularly close, but I do feel sadness for my father and aunts and uncles and for my grandmother.
His death was not sudden, but his health decline seemed very swift. He only spent one night in hospice, but I'm always thankful for quality end of life care.
This week, I donated $25 to Hospice Austin in honor of my grandfather, rest in peace.
Here are some updates in bullet point form. Please mind the warnings.
(Warning, personal body stuff.) It's that time again - time for me to put flush-able wipes in every bathroom (even at work) Now, because of Cub's age (2.5 years) you might think they were for him, but they're for me. I'm not going to spell out exactly why I need these wipes, but let's just say it has to do with the largeness of my stomach.
Last night Buttin and I meet with Doula Shelley. I really like her. I had kind of an "oh s - - t" moment realizing that Chicken is going to be here in about 3 - 4 weeks (or earlier). I spent SO MUCH time preparing for Cub that time seemed to move more slowly. On another note, it's on my agenda this weekend to pack my hospital bag.
Cash has developed a fondness for chocolate chip cookies (I'm not sure why it took him this long); however he likes to lick every cookie in the box before selecting one. Just be warned - if you eat a cookie at my house - it was probably licked by a toddler.
In other Cash news - he absolutely cracks me up (which isn't really news). Tonight we were all on the bed together after Cub's bath and he took a piece of string and put it over Buttin's mouth and said, "Now you have a mooo-stash". I have no idea where he learned that, but it made me laugh.
There is a very bad smell coming from our fridge. I haven't yet figured out where it's coming from, but it isn't annoying enough to make me want to clean out the entire fridge.
Right now we are spending a lot of time getting ready for the end of the year - holiday gifts and cards seem to be the biggest priorities for the misfits.
We're all having some fun.
Here's Cub today playing outside wearing a borrowed pair of pants (he peed on his clothes at school, but at least he was trying to go to the bathroom by himself).
I knew nothing about this movie going into it, but really enjoyed it. It's based on a true story about a physically disabled man who decides to see a sex surrogate.
I was planning to write about the movies we saw this weekend - Lincoln (4 cookies) and Silver Linings Playbook (3.5 cookies), but instead I have a little rant.
As a pregnant lady, I haven't really had that many cravings - but tonight - I wanted FRIED shrimp. Buttin said they had fried shrimp at the same place where he was going to pick up his own dinner (it's an Asian place and I haven't really wanted Asian food - but I figured, fried shrimp was fried shrimp).
Do you know what is NOT fried shrimp? Fried shrimp with the shells STILL ON! So, when you peel the delicious look fried shrimp - the shrimp just become boiled in oil shrimp. It was very disappointing (and NOT FRIED SHRIMP), but I still ate them.
I'm sure you are as irate as I am - so here are some cute pictures of Cash.
A couple nights ago - Cub started crying it is crib (still hasn't moved to his big bed yet).
There was a time when I might have let him cry a little longer, but I'm starting to feel like I'm running out of snuggle time. I went into his room and he was crying because he wanted to give me my ponytail holder (he likes to play with my hair before he goes to bed and he steels my ponytail holder). Apparently, this was a pretty Earth-shattering ponytail holder.
I snuggled with Cub in his big bed for a couple of hours - he slept, I did not (he's a horrible bed partner). At about two in the morning I put him back to his crib and went back to my bed to sleep.
I didn't sleep well that night, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. I'm looking forward to Chicken's arrival, but I'm feeling a little sad because I know it won't be possible to spend nearly as much time with Cash. Right now, I'm trying to savor every little snuggle I can with my son. Hopefully, Cash will be OK snuggling with me and Chicken.
Here is Cub today decorating some cookies.
After some cookie decorating (and eating), we had to go for a bike ride.
Not a lot of great stuff in the news this week - fiscal cliff, twinkies, and Israel - to name just a few (those aren't really in order of importance).
I really wanted to find something positive for this week. I couldn't really find one that was inspirational. However, I have been meaning to give to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (Livestrong) since the whole steroid allegation stuff started.
I'm not really sure what Lance Armstrong did or didn't do to win all those races, but I think he deserves a bazillion medals and more for all his work in the area of cancer research and support. This week I donated $20 to Livestong. I really do hope they get past all this witch-hunting crapola.
Cash has decided he really likes playing baseball.
If I stand about 1.5 feet away from him and throw the ball directly at the bat, he can usually hit the ball about 1 out of 5 times. He's quite the baseball professional.
However, he likes to pretend (because I know he knows better) that he doesn't know the difference between the ball and say, a cat or a mama. Today, I had to take the bat away after a couple of warnings and this was the face I got.
After a little protesting, he got distracted by his box of juice.
It feels weird that next week is Thanksgiving. I'm still a little in denial that Chicken's arrival is only about a month away. Thankfully, all the misfits are being very supportive and helpful.
We're getting everything ready for our company holiday gifts. In the next couple of weeks, my aunt and I will be making pounds and pounds of fudge. I will try to only eat a pound or so of fudge.
Speaking of yummy things to eat, Cash man and I tried to decorate a gingerbread house. It doesn't look very yummy (or pretty), but he had a good time concentrating on his work (for about 30 seconds).
Yesterday while Mormor and I did a bunch of work organizing for Chicken and decorating for Christmas - Buttin took Cash for an "adventure" - the train ride
Today, after Mormor left (after doing lots more work) Buttin, Cash and I all went for a train ride.
One of my baby mama friends, Heather, is on the board and they had a wine tasting fundraiser in October. (A side note: the winner of the wine tasting got to bring home oodles of wine, which is totally my kind of fundraiser). I wasn't able to attend the fundraiser, but I wanted to make a contribution.
Not all moms are as lucky as me to have found a group of supportive women to help me with all things postpartum. Looking back, I'm not so sure what I would have done without all those Wednesday meetings and play/cry/get pooped on/eat gatherings. Most new moms feel the need to cry and it's much better to cry in a group.
I'm not sure the PPHAT's goal is to help women find co-crying groups, but they do want to give women help and resources. The most important thing in being a new mom is knowing that you're not alone.
Some days Cash doesn't want to play outside. I have no idea why he picks beautiful, sunny, 80-degree days to stay inside and humid, 100 degree days to play outside. It probably has something to do with Cash being a toddler who wants to do the opposite of anything I want to do.
So, no fun outside pictures or key stories. Just this boring car picture.
When you were in my tummy - we ran many, many miles together. While running - we listened to books, podcasts and music. One band I listened to a lot while running with you was The Avett Brothers (your dad and I even considered Avett as a middle name, until we learned how it was actually pronounced - A-vett, instead of aahh-vett).
One of my (and your dad's) favorite songs was Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise and your dad and I would sing it in the car at the top of our lungs and think of you.
Today is election day (voting is very, very important and you even get a sticker for it) - so it seems to appropriate to share some lyrics with you from this song. Your dad and I always talked about how these lyrics were for you (even though we didn't know you yet).
When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn’t change by the man that’s elected
If you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it
One of your new favorite things to do is read/look at the pictures in Time magazine when we go to bed. You are every picture - man or woman, child or adult (if you see an older person you say, "that's me old"), black or white, cartoon or photo. When I ask you why you are in EVERY picture - you say, "because I'm cute". I can't argue with that logic. I find it adorable that you are all the people - even though it's probably just a self-centered toddler thing.
My little sugar man - you really can be anything that you want to be (with a few exceptions, probably) - so decided what to be and go be it.
I'll leave you with you some more song lyrics - also from The Avett Brothers:
Always remember there was nothing worth sharing,
Like the love that let us share our name.
Please continue to be sweet to me and your dad and don't grow up too quickly.
Love,
Mom
Here you are today playing on your dad's desk. You love to talk on the phone (especially to aunt Patty in the office next door).
Most sales meetings quickly derail into very odd conversations.
Last week, one misfit came up with a holiday photo card idea. Conversation quickly moved to awkward family photos and we spent the rest of the meeting trying to find the perfect company photo card idea.
I put one misfit in charge of the photo. If it all comes together - it should be pretty funny - at least to us.
This afternoon when Cub and I got home, he took the house key (I help him unlock the door) and threw it off the top of the front porch and onto the yard. The key was by itself (so very difficult to find) and I was still unloading the car when he threw it, so I had no idea where it landed.
When I ask Cub where he threw the key - his response was: "It Be Somewhere".
This is the look on his face as we're searching.
Eventually, Cub got a great idea on how to help me find the key. It's a key-finding-stick.
The stick did not help me find the key (and Buttin was picking up someone from the airport, so he was about 1.5 hours from home) and we had been searching for about 20 minutes.
Then, I thought of a brilliant scientific experiment. I made Cub stand in the exact place where he threw the key and told him to throw acorns. I stood below to see where the acorn hit the ground. On the fourth try, the acorn hit the key. This might have been luck, but I prefer to think of it as science.
There are really two big stories in the news this week - Hurricane Sandy and the election.
I donated $20 to Operation Homefront. They provide emergency financial relief and other services to military families and veterans. There were many veterans and military service professionals affected by Hurricane Sandy and I really wanted to help them this week.
In election news, my friend Liz posted a quiz from iSideWith.com about the issues. You take the quiz and then it tells you which candidate you are most closely aligned with on various issues. It even allows you to rank issues that are more important to you. Most voters could probably use a little more voter education before making their decision and even though it's just a short quiz - I thought it was very informative. I was most closely aligned with the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein - who I had never heard of before taking the quiz - (97%) , followed by President Barack Obama (86%); coming in last place (no big shocker to blog readers) - Mitt Romney (6%). My friend Liz is a lot more centrist - she had about 50% in common with almost every candidate. I guess I am the crazy one.
Anyway, I donated $5 to the quiz to help educate other voters because I found it entertaining and informative.
