Kick Counts

I had an appointment with my OB/GYN this week, and she really wanted me to be paying attention to the baby's movements. She gave me a chart so I can keep track of the "kick counts." Well, this baby never stops moving, so I think I'm going to have count something else because I definitley can't count high enough to keep up with this little mover! Should I be worried about what this means for the future?!

The Parties Never End

As you know (if you read my blog a few days ago), today was Ruth's half-birthday. Which could only mean one thing in our house: PARTY! It really just means you get to pick whatever you want for dinner and you get a little gift. Ruth chose to bring Chuy's in and eat it in the living room while watching Toy Story 2. Then we gave her a couple of board games. It's a family tradition we enjoy, and we had a lot of fun.

After the kids went to bed, Jeff and I got another party started. We put up a pole for Festivus. Then we read through some "grievences aired" and laughed our heads off. Jeff is very pleased with the pole, though he had a hard time believing that I was actually going to let him put it up. But, I would honestly rather be laughing my head off about a silly pole in the living room than grumbling through decorating a tree.

I hope you all found something to celebrate today or that you find something to celebrate tomorrow.

Pregnancy Fun

I know you are all dying to know what pregnancy-induced weirdness is going on with my body, so here you go.

• Early morning headaches
• Never-ending nosebleeds, even with me diligently following the tips of my doctor and Ruth's teacher (who used to have lots of nosebleeds as well).
• Weird lower back/upper hip pain made unbearable by sitting.
• Totally random leg cramps at completely unexpected times.
• And my constant companion: heartburn.

And that's just today's list! But even with all that, it's still worth it! We can't believe how close we're getting to meeting this little guy, and we're so excited!

*Tonight, we were all sitting on Jeff's and my bed singing songs, when Tater decided to join in with some dance moves. The kids were fascinated by my moving belly, and they began talking to the baby and giving him little kisses and hugs. It was beautiful and made it all the easier to overlook the other not-so-fun stuff!

New Cookware

Jeff and I decided to treat ourselves to some new cookware--really good cookware--because after 9 1/2 years of marriage some of our hodge-podge pieces just aren't getting it done anymore. The timing for this purchase was just right because Jeff recently received a discount coupon from one of his company's clients. Stainless steel now reigns surpreme in our kitchen, and Jeff even got his Minute rice to come out right tonight, which he credits the new cookware with--(certainly not actually measuring and timing). We are very excited about this purchase and expect everything that comes out of our kitchen from now on to be nothing but absolutely fabulous. So, please, by all means make plans to join us for dinner sometime soon.

Here A Party, There A Party

It's been one big party around here since I last wrote. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving party and enjoyed spending time with all our family while they were here. The potato martinis were a huge hit and were super-yummy. My parents and in-laws enjoyed them so much that they are already planning to borrow all the glasses for their own potato martini parties! Weston's birthday party with the family was a blast! It was definitely a boy party--complete with dirt cake in a dump truck, lots of truck and tractor toys, and a hard hat pinata. After the festivities on Thursday, we made our way to my in-laws place at Lake Buchanan, where the cold, rainy weather made a perfect backdrop for a weekend of board games, hot chocolate and visiting. Today was Weston's real birthday, so the party just continued. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to him first thing this morning (as he was sitting on the potty), and his swim class also sang to him. When I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday, he said, "Place. Booster Seat. Pasta." I gathered that he wanted to go to someplace where he had sat in a booster seat and had pasta. Jeff and I brainstormed for quite a while to figure out where that might be and finally came up with Red Robin. Jeff pulled up a picture on the internet and showed Weston, and sure enough, he said that's where he wanted to go. He ended up deciding on the corndog instead of the pasta, but we were so proud of him for communicating to us where he wanted to go. He opened his gifts from us when we got home, which rounded out the boy toys quite nicely. Now I just have to figure out where we're going to put all of them! It's been a fun few days, and we can anticipate one more little party this week as we celebrate Ruth's half-birthday on Thursday.

Cluster Dating

Tonight was date night number one for the week for Jeff and I. We have found ourselves (mostly) childless for a couple of nights, while the kids entertain their grandparents. We intend to make the most of it! Tonight we had dinner at Kona Grill and then did some shopping in the new Domain shopping center. Tomorrow night we are planning to go see Jeff's co-worker's husband's band downtown. Then, we might even sneak off on Friday night to San Antonio to watch the Spurs play. So much fun! We love our kids, but we cherish our alone times together!

The Factory Is Open

Jeff calls our kitchen and office "The Factory" on days when I'm busy with my sugar scrubs. Well, today the factory was definitely open, ensconcing the house in the aroma of gingerbread. And in the middle of production I got a phone call to ensure that the factory will remain open at least through tomorrow, when coconut takes center stage. But I have promised myself that, no matter what, the factory will shut down sometime on Wednesday because my in-laws will be here to spend the night, and who wants to sleep in a factory! (Besides, I need to take care of some Thanksgiving/Birthday preparations at some point)! I am just loving this sugar scrub business and am so pleasantly surprised to see how it's taking off.

*The website is functional, by the way, but just. The only thing you can do there right now is place an order. The layout looks nice, though, so if you'd like to take a look it's bodydulce.com. Hopefully, before the end of the year, it will really be like a regular website, with content and pictures and who-knows what else.

Now, That's Overwhelming

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how overwhelmed some people seem to be by the fact that I'm pregnant with my third child. Well, today I came across some facts that will just send those people completely over the edge. Apparently, the most prolific woman ever had 69 children! This was in Russia in the 1700s, so it wasn't the result of fertilization treatments. It is reported that this lady had some sort of ovulation disorder. This poor woman was pregnant 27 times and gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets and 4 sets of quadruplets. Only two of the children didn't make it through infancy. Now, that's overwhelming!

And closer to home, a former co-worker of Jeff's (i.e. someone we actually know and have some sort of relationship with) recently had quintuptlets (that's 5 babies at once!)--and he already had two kids! That's also pretty overwhelming, if you ask me.

Makes just three look super-normal and not the least bit overwhelming, huh?!

Weston's Bedtime Prayer

"Bess Dadee. Bess Momee. Bess Roo-f. Bess Wessy. Amen."

Indian Princess

Ruth's school hosted a "Thanksgiving Feast" today, which they invited all parents to attend. Her class made Indian headbands, and each child was given an Indian name. Ruth was "Red Leaf." And, of course, no self-respecting Indian princess would dare show up to a traditional Thanksgiving feast in anything but full costume, making her the envy of all her classmates. Ah, to be five again!

Just A Little Fishy

Weston's swim lessons are going very well. He is just a little fish. He isn't afraid at all (which is terrifying for me). In fact, the teacher says she's been teaching for quite a while and hasn't ever seen such a little guy be so brave. He loves to go under and jump off the side and stand in the shallow water up to his chin and bob up and down. He tries every way he can to get free of me. (Did I mention this lack of fear terrifies me)?! I even dreamed last night that he kept jumping into the pool before I could get there. After totally freaking out several times and jumping into the pool over and over fully clothed, I realized that he knew how to swim and he was o.k. and I was able to relax. I wouldn't say I'm all that relaxed in real life with Weston around water, but I will say that he is really learning to pay attention around the water and wait for me to be ready for him. I wish I could share some picutres, but I don't dare take my eye off him for even a second!

Patriotic Night

It was Patriotic Night at Ruth's school tonight in honor of Veteran's Day. The children sang some beautiful patriotic songs with all their hearts. It was lovely.

I Do

Jeff and I began our life together a little over nine years ago with these two little words: I do. What we meant by that was: "I do promise to love, honor and cherish you from now on." Well, "I do" has recently taken on an entirely different meaning in our household. As Weston approaches two, he has claimed this phrase for his very own. His meaning is slightly different than the unselfish way Jeff and I first said it. His meaning is: "I do intend to do this (whatever it is) entirely by myself without any help from anyone, thank you very much!" And any unsolicited help is immediately met with a shrill whine or real deal tears. I do love "2!"

A Peek Into My Shopping Cart

Here are some random things I bought today:

• 100 clear cellophane bags
• a hard hat pinata
• lunch and snack items
• 144 off-white terry washcloths
• too much junk food
• glue sticks
• a shopping cart full (literally) of martini glasses

Quiet Nights

Jeff hit the air for another business trip to Las Vegas yesterday. Ruth has been a little under the weather. And Weston has been his normal sleepy self. All that has made for a couple of quiet nights around here. I hardly know what to do with myself. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to do, but it just seems so quiet. I'm even reduced to cheesy Hallmark movies just to have a little background noise. It's funny how you can wish for just a few minutes alone sometimes, and then when you get whole hours, you feel like something is amiss. I shall relish this time to myself, for sure, but I will be glad when things are back to normal.

Just Two Weeks

It dawned on me yesterday that it's just two weeks until Thanksgiving. I guess I sort of put that on the back burner during all the sugar scrub hub-bub. Wow. Just two weeks. That means I have an awful lot to do--starting with finding the dining room table! It also means that I have neglected to share our theme with all of you. (If you're new to the blog, here's the background: We always host Thanksgiving, and we always have a theme to keep it from getting too traditional. We've had a fiesta, a luau, a farm theme, etc.). This year we are having a "Bacon, Not Bird" Thanksgiving. The bacon being ham, instead of turkey. And the special treat being potato martinis--probably stirred rather than shaken just to keep the mess to a minimum. Tater and I are VERY excited about this! Mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes with more toppings than you can shake a stick at. Oooo, I just can't wait! If you don't have plans, you should definitely drop by. It's going to be a wonderful feast, with a side of little-boy birthday party.

Back In Mommyland

Well, it was back to my real job today--complete with one sick child, one cranky child, a sink overflowing with dirty dishes, a house that looks like a bomb went off, bills to pay, a few *episodes* (I honestly didn't know there was poop in the pull-up when I pulled it off with a flourish in an attempt to get the little man on the potty quickly), and all the other things that make this truly a one-of-a-kind job. Wouldn't trade it for anything!

Sweet Success

Well, I'm back, and I should now be a bit more consistent with my blogging. My show in Temple went really, really well! I pretty much sold out of everything I took with me, and even had to stay up late last night making more! A store in Waco decided to carry the scrubs, and several other vendors were interested in possibly carrying them in the future or knew someone who they wanted to share my contact info with. Another neat thing was getting to trade products with other vendors. They wanted some scrubs, I wanted some of their things, so it was fun to use the old-fashioned barter system. I learned a lot and made some money and had a great time. I hope I will be able to do something else like this soon, and I hope the contacts I made will continue to serve me well in the future.

I Haven't Slipped Off The Face Of The Earth, I Promise.

So sorry I've been out of touch lately. Nothing's wrong, but thanks to those who have expressed concern. Body Dulce has been in full production mode in the last week, getting ready for this little trade show tomorrow and the next day and filling some big orders as well. I have been up to my elbows in sugar scrub (literally), not to mention all the other stuff that goes along with selling that I never even thought about before. I've pretty much been at it from early morning until late night every day, and by the time it's time to sit down and blog, I usually vote for bed instead. Here are some highlights from this past week:

• Jeff had a birthday.
• We all got to go to an assembly at Ruth's school on Friday where Ruth was recognized, along with other kids from every grade, for her Jaguar Pride Award.
• Weston is doing a great job with the potty. His whole calendar is covered with stars!
• We went to Houston on Saturday for a little overnight trip. We decided to experiment with Weston in a big boy bed. I ended up being his bed partner, and I can say without a doubt that I don't want to do that again any time soon.
• Today is Weston's first day of swim lessons.

I will try to be a little more connected after the trade show is over. I'll be back Wednesday night. Wish me luck!