It's a girl!

So I haven't scanned any of my ultrasound photos in, but I will announce that it's a girl. As much as I'm always wishing for a boy, it doesn't make a difference with the DNA. Sam & I have suspected all along that it would be a girl, so I've been contemplating some girls' names for a while. I like Celia a lot and I've almost settled on it, but still want to give Sam an opportunity for input. It's similar to what I did with Melanie. He offered input (Ruth), but it turned out to be Melanie's middle name because he otherwise had no preference. We tried to implement another of my family names like Aurelia, but it didn't go with Ruth. So, this time, we may end up with Celia (not a family name) and try a middle name that is a family name. Family names suggested have been Vernessa, Lucinda, Colleen, Lois, Kathleen, Clarice, and Elsa. I like Elsa too, but someone in my ward JUST had a baby and named her Elsa. I would find that very awkward unless we move out before I deliver. It's like in the other San Bernardino wards when 3 girls were named Emma within months of one another. It's tacky--even though they've all 3 moved to different areas now (Utah, Idaho, and the other in CA still I think). So Elsa will probably be for later, but not for this time. And Vernessa you may say should be Vanessa, but there really is an "r" in it. Wild, I know, but it's family and my grandma seems really keen on seeing that one live on. My sister does wild extraordinary names like Daphne, so maybe she'll pick it up instead. I do like Clarice, but Sam says it's still too close to the era of "Hannibal" and the line where he creepily says, "Hello, Clarice." Give it up! It's rated R and by the time she's old enough to have heard of it, it'll only be adults talking about it. Even with the crowd we hang with, I doubt anyone will give her grief about it, much less us because it is family and was around before the movie came out!

Thus is my rant on names and congratulations on having girl #2!

Atlanta

So with all the hurricanes going about, our trip to Atlanta we expected to be more rainy than anything. As it turned out, because it was all conference and one day of play, we really only saw the inside of our hotel, and it was reasonably sunny outside. Part of the reason is that I ended up with pink-eye (again? yes, again.) and the condition makes you so sensitive to light, I couldn't wear my contacts and I don't have prescription sunglasses on purpose (because I always wear contacts), going outside would have been torture. It was hard enough being in a dark room watching a TV screen. Though my eyes watered often, it was hard to stay focused without getting a headache. I'm just glad Sam let me sleep as long as he did. I think it really helped.

We left Melanie with my sister and my mom where she ended up with a terrible rash that I've been trying to soothe for the last 5 days. She's had yeast infections before, and since the rash ointment isn't working on it's own, we're using the additional cream from the prior infections. It's calmed it down a bit, but for goodness sakes it's so persistent. Sam and I bought a potty top for the toilet before we left and let her sit on it a couple times. When I hear Melanie getting gassy, I ask if she wants to go to the toilet. She says, "Poop" and runs to the toilet for me to take off her diaper and let her on the toilet. She loves taking the toilet paper and putting it in the toilet. Though I haven't established a routine of going at a particular time (after nap, every hour, after dinner, before bedtime, whatever), it seems to work for me for now. She's actually gone poop once and pee twice. Yay! Either way, she's comfortable sitting on the toilet, and if she enjoys it enough, maybe she'll train herself enough to where I'm not buying a case of diapers once/month.
With a newborn on the way, my diaper purchases will be increasing as it is, but to buy only one instead of 2 cases would be much more preferable.

August update

I figure if I can at least update once a month, I'm doing good. I haven't even been keeping up with my facebook---much less trying to do a blog. Nonetheless, this last month has been difficult. I've been able to keep up with watching some of the Olympics and particularly loved seeing Michael Phelps win his golds. The "rip-off" of the Women's gymnastics was frustrating, even with the IOC now looking into the Chinese girls' ages beyond a passport. I'm definitely of the opinion that we were cheated at least two times for a medal--definitely on vault!
Anyway, Sam & I just celebrated our 3rd anniversary this week and we're still getting used to each other on some days. I really do think it's the pregnancy hormones that make it the most difficult. It's such a handicap to not be able to find the word you're looking for and use 10 others to describe what it is....like a bicycle: that thing that you ride with two wheels and no motor and the pedals...yeah that! Or the time that you're the only one on track with you're thoughts how two things relate, and everyone is lost as to how you got there....I hate it when that happens even when I'm not pregnant.
I still haven't decided when to do my C-section. I'm still debating to do it either on my birthday or maybe the Saturday before. (My birthday 12/29). I'm due January 6th, technically, but they do want to do it the week before to make sure I'm not going into natural labor, and I want to do it before the new year...even if it does seem selfish to get a tax-writeoff for the baby. Sam seems rather un-opinionated and leaving it up to me. I just don't want to be in the hospital over new year's....My birthday--even if I can't have cake in the hospital, I can always celebrate afterwards. Oh well--still up for debate.
I haven't found out the gender, but I plan on it. Sam & I both feel that we're having another girl, but nothing solid yet from the OB. The first ultrasound was scheduled too early to tell, so next week when I see him again, I'll request another. I'm officially 21 weeks today, so over half-way. It feels like it's been longer, but let's see...that's just another 18 weeks to go for me!
I got my haircut finally...about 6 months too late. But luckily, my pregnancy helps the hair grow thicker and faster. I love the cut, I just can't handle the styling (another of my handicaps: hair & makeup). So, it's often left to it's own shaping (a wave), and then my habit of putting it in a ponytail to avoid Melanie's sticky hands. I've only had it for a week. Funny thing though, I got it done for free: I went to a sleepover with a bunch of gals, and one of them is a cosmetologist/aesthetician. She agreed to do the girls' hair & makeup if they went for a midnight swim up in Lake Arrowhead with her. This gal is 53, and she wanted to go for a midnight swim! I immediately volunteered as well as one other lady (in her 50s also), and we had a blast! It wasn't cold at all (maybe felt that way because of my excessively pregnant body heat), and I got my free haircut! She tapered some bangs for me in a light kind of layering so it's not totally noticeable, but she also thinned out my thick hair. So A: it's shorter, and B: it's lighter (in weight). Maybe I'll have pictures later when I upload them from my camera....

Long, but it's been a while since my update...

Tadlock Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

So hard to remember to keep up...

So since I last posted anything, we've been to the zoo, done tons of swimming, and a little camping and hiking. I have a facebook that I put all of my pictures on, but I will add a couple here for you to see. The camping photos haven't been uploaded yet from the camera, but a coming attraction. Otherwise, the point is, it's been so long I forgot my blogspot address, and we've done some fun things.

This picture is from the San Diego Zoo. Melanie's been walking for a few months now (since Feb 29), and this was downhill where she got some serious momentum when daddy let go. That bench is as far as she got before she took her nosedive.

First Blog!

Testing testing, 1..2..3. I know it'll work, it is Gmail style of course. Today is my brother's birthday. Hooray! but, what I really want to post first I think would be pictures from Melanie's birthday. Hers was a couple of weeks ago, Mar 29, and it's very deserving of a picture. We grew up licking out of the bowl the leftover batter for our cake. I didn't think it was a tradition necessarily until it was Melanie's birthday. It's worth continuing, even if she does lick the wrong end. :)