"It's a Boy"*

*Disclaimer: That is just based on a feeling.

Prince Jack

I really don't know what we are having, but I was looking in the mirror at my stomach yesterday and I thought, "Hmm, that looks EXACTLY like my last two pregnancies". Low, and straight out, like a basketball. It isn't higher, or rounder. I had a sense of deja vu and thought, "This has to be a boy".  I also have had a highly scientific test performed on my (it involved human hair and a ring) and that also predicted a boy. I do realize that if I wanted to know it would have been very easy at either my 1st or 2nd ultrasound. But I don't, not really. My husband hates to know. He thinks it is the very best surprise and I do agree that my second child really did surprise me.  This time, I come and go about how I feel. Some days I really want to know and be done with it all, other days I know the moment of birth when my husband says: "It's a ***" will be one of those unforgettable moments.  But at this moment, I truly believe it is another boy.

My sister sent me this article today. I started reading it and realized this was everything I had been feeling (well up until the point where she does find out what she is having) but the stares, the questions, the comments, the absolute different behavior of boys. I read it with a smile, thinking, I knew exactly what she was talking about.  I love my boys, I love how much they love their mom, but their constant source of energy tends to leave me drained.  I am working on playtime with boys  - it tends to involve cars, trains, or forts.  That or running - not something I am doing well with right now.  But they are so sweet and they are what I know.

Today at work a friend was telling me all about an incident with his daughter and sand. I added it to my list of pros for having another boy - no serious sand in the diaper issues here. Although we have a new rule: No peeing in our front yard or the neighbors yard. We are working on this.  

I am really okay either way. I will be glad to be done with the question: Are you hoping for a girl?  But I still need a name, boy or girl, we still have no real names.

Prince Micah

"Four!"

That is what Micah says when asked how old he is today.  Math is not yet his strength!

"Good Morning" to the birthday boy

Dropping Jack off at preschool

Watching the trains with Daddy

Enjoying a Mighty O sprinkle doughnut all by himself

Really loving the sprinkles

Teriyaki Chicken for lunch, because this is the one day mom isn't supposed to make lunch

Not eating lunch, probably too full from the doughnut

Running at the park after nap time

Birthday ice cream at Tutta Bella - and we forgot the candle!

Opening his present - a race track for cars

Setting up the airplane

Success!

The Name Game

People have started asking if we have any names picked out for the baby.  Every time I wish I had a good answer, but  don't. I keep thinking it is too soon to think of names. But at my last doctors visit I scheduled all my appointments until my due date. There are not that many. Along with laying awake at night finally realizing I have no where to put the baby's clothes, I also realized we might need to work on the name.  

We always struggle with names, especially boy names, and  have quite the list going before we pick the right one. I have the lists saved for both of my boys. Ones that are filled with boy names and always one girl name.  

I still remember the moment we decided on Jack's name.  I was driving across the 520 bridge on my way to work and, as usual, obsessing about the baby's name. We knew what the girl name would be but had no real option yet for the boy. Since we found out on our trip to Italy that we were pregnant we really wanted an Italian middle name, I like family names, and Brandon wants out there names you can't shorten.  His most recent suggestion was: Oscar Domiano.  I liked Jack. I always had and when I knew my baby was due on the same day as my great-uncle Jack's birthday, it seemed perfect to me. About mid-bridge I thought "Jack Oscar", I loved it, I called Brandon, he loved it. It was such a good feeling. When I went into labor on my due date and the chances were good I would deliver that day, I so wanted a boy. When Brandon said "It's a boy!" it felt like I knew it all along. My grandma was at the hospital when Jack was born and my favorite picture is her holding Jack, who was born on her brother's birthday and carried on his name.

Micah was an even harder name.  Having one child, I really obsessed over what would sound good with 'Jack'.  Everything sounded like "Jack and Jill" boy or girl.  Once again we had a girl name all picked out but could not come up with a boy name.  This was made even harder because after choosing 'Jack', it became more popular.   I would hear it on the playground almost daily. Brandon really wanted a different name this time.  On our list we had: Paul, Saul, Drew, Owen. None felt right, but we didn't like any one better.  Again, I can remember the moment we chose the name 'Micah'. It was a hot Friday in April, I remember because I was sitting on my deck enjoying the sun and watching Jack play. I had picked up this baby name book at the library that was supposed to be really good in finding sibling names.  I went through the entire book and when I was done I had only flagged one name. I went inside and IM'd Brandon: "What do you think of Micah". He wrote back "I love it" and then "Micah Allen". Allen, after my dad. I loved it.  Two weeks later, our Micah was born and I remember saying to my sister, "Now I have an Allen, too!"

12 weeks to my due date and no names. Not even a girls name. I have one I love but it wasn't an "A-ha!" moment for Brandon, so I guess that is not the one. We have one boys name that Brandon likes and it is okay, but I don't love it, yet. I want that same feeling of: "Yes, that is it!" when we say it to each other and that has not happened yet.

So, next to me on the couch is "The Best Baby Name Book" and of course our favorite, "Don't Name Your Baby". I guess it is time I open one and start my list. This time, with a column for both boy and girl names.

"Give the Birthday Boy a Hug"

This is what I heard from my now 4 year old all day long. In between wanting to know where his party was, crying, telling everyone he was still 3, and taking a long nap, we did have some fun.

Waiting for Friend Jen to go to Top Pot doughnuts

Still waiting....

Walking through the SAM Sculpture Park with Daddy

Running through the park

Watching for trains

Lunch of hot dogs and mac and cheese

Using our brand new paint supplies - Thank you Friend Jen!

Dinner at Tutta Bella

Our birthday ice cream

The 'infamous' lemon cupcake (we did get carrot cake which he does NOT like)

Opening one present before bed - kites!

And of course, our new big-boy bed!

Maybe It's a Sign

Then this article is in the Seattle Times this morning:

"The Face on Your Plate"

Hmm....

Why I need to stop eating at McDonalds (or why Seaside will really suck this year!)

Months ago now, my husband sent me this lovely email titled: 10 Reasons to Stop Eating at McDonalds. I have to admit I did not want to read it, in fact it sat in my in box for a looong time before I finally decided to just read it. It wasn't as bad as I had assumed it would be, but it obviously wasn't good.  The part that bothered me the most was the part about the slaughter houses and how the animals are treated there. I won't go into details but it was upsetting to think about.

On our trip to California we saw a bumper sticker that said: Meetyourmeat.com. Of course as soon as Brandon got home he went there and read it. Not me, I love steak I have no desire to be a vegetarian. I am going to put my blinders on and continue to buy my meat at the grocery store and eat my hamburgers at McDonalds (not often but it is a nice treat!).

Then the other night my husband is gone again, nothing on TV, I've watched all my taped shows and I have some time to kill. Hmm... what is on On Demand?  I love the HBO documentaries so let's check that out. One is called "Death/Factory Farm". I, wrongly, think that this is about the Holocaust, and as I try to balance my trash TV with some serious learning, I choose to watch this. 

Well, it is not about the Holocaust, it is about animal cruelty on a factory pig farm. I lasted 10 minutes before turning it off. I wasn't even to the part where they show how they slaughter the animals, I just saw the sows being forced to nurse 24/7 with no room to move and the baby pigs crying and I turned it off. I ended up watching "Sex and the City" the movie - much less upsetting, although I did still end up crying!

Unfortunately, the last few days these thoughts have stayed with me. Where does the meat I eat come from, how are the animals treated, and what can I do about it? Seriously, I can not be a vegetarian, I've tried and lasted 2 days before I didn't know what else to eat! 

So, where does that leave me and my boys (I exclude Brandon because he would love to be a vegetarian!). Well, I thought the first thing to do was to stop eating at McDonalds, even if I don't eat the cheeseburger sans onions, the boys love the chicken nuggets and I just can't continue to buy them food that I know has been mistreated. But what do we eat as a special treat or when we are driving? This is the dilemma of fast food. It is so easy, and cheap, and the kids LOVE it. I haven't figured out the answer yet, but I am working on it.  

What does this have to do with Seaside? Well, our options for lunch on the road was already kind of challenging with all the different personalities, throw this in and I don't know what we will do. PB& J, anyone?

Stay tuned for a post on raising chickens in your backyard - my husband is determined that having our own chickens will be a good thing for us to do. Well, at least I will know how my chicken was treated before it ends up on my plate!

Alone Time

I was originally going to title this post "Are You in the House Alone?" but realized no one would get it but my older sister. One of my fondest and scariest childhood memories, but not the point of this post.

Tonight I find myself alone at home. Totally and completely alone. My husband has gone to meet friends, my boys are at a sleep over with grandparents.  One of the things I have struggled with the most since having kids is the lack of alone time. I used to get home from work before my husband and enjoy time in the house alone. Saturday morning he would go on a long bike ride, and again I would be home alone. I enjoyed my time by myself; to clean, garden, read, sleep, I just liked being home alone.

Now it is very rare that I am at home with no one else. My husband will offer to watch the boys while I go do something. But all I want is for him to leave with the boys. I'm not a shopper, not very athletic, and siting at coffee shops tends to distract me. I would rather be home alone.  

When we first realized the boys would be gone tonight and Brandon had a meeting, he invited me to come along. He was sure his friends would not mind. Um, that is a very sweet offer but sitting in a bar listening to guys talk about computers would be worse then spending an evening having my entire body waxed. I was looking forward to being in the house by myself. No waiting until bedtime, doing the night time routine before I could sit down, but just cleaning up after dinner and being done.

I have several TV shows taped that my husband would rather not watch, I've been to the library and have a couple of good book options, and I also have work to do. Research reports to read, lesson planning for a class of preschoolers and for a class of adults (I wonder if I could somehow do the same lesson for both classes, would be a lot easier! ) and lots of laundry to fold.  I have been looking forward to this evening all day long.

But on the way to the grandparent's house my oldest boy said, "Mommy, I want to stay with you". He didn't really. Once we got there he could barely standstill for me to kiss him good bye. He was having too much fun. I am happy for him. But I miss both of my boys. I even miss my husband (I know!).  Maybe it is the hormones, but, while I will enjoy my TV and books, I will really be missing my family.