And the Winner is...

Or should I say "and the winners are" because with the exception of one voter (sorry Kylie), everyone nailed it.  We are having a girl!  As satisfied as I would've been with having another boy, I must say, my heart swelled when the technician said those sweet words.  In fact, I had tears rolling down the sides of my face.  To experience both worlds will be a treat - or at least let's hope so.

Boy or Girl

I had my 19-week check-up yesterday.  I don't know what was more pleasing - the good report from my doctor or the remarkable work of the staff getting patients in and out in a timely manner.  From the moment I walked into the office to the moment I walked out only 30 minutes had lapsed.  Why are we moving again?

The heartbeat sounded perfect according to Dr. Baldwin.  She advised me to get a swine flu vaccination while I was there as well.  I thought about turning it down, but I figured I better be safe than sorry.  Vaccinations scare me for some reason - especially new ones.  At least it didn't hurt.

My next sceduled appointment is Thursday, the 27th.  We will find out if we're having another boy or a little girl.  Let's take a vote!  Who thinks we're having another boy?  And who thinks we're having a girl?

Potty Time

So I must quickly note that Evan went pee pee in the potty tonight.  He kept saying pee pee so I asked him, "where do we go pee pee?"  He stood up, walked over to the potty, sat down and away he went.  However, when he was done he stood over the potty and stuck his hands in and started splashing around in his pee screaming "water! water!" I was so busy clapping and singing his praises I wasn't able to pull him away quickly enough.  I think we have a long way to go, but at least we're making progress.   

Missing You Today...and Everyday

Facebook sent my phone a reminder that your birthday is today.  Like I would forget.  In fact, I've been dreading this day for over a month now.  At some point today I should be calling you to sarcastically wish you a "happy birthday" since I know you've only thought of your birthday as getting older and less attractive - I believe botox was always on your wish list.  Yeah, that's right, I just let the cat out of the bag.  What are you gonna do about it? 

Birthdays - nothing to celebrate, right?  Wrong.  Now I know why birthdays should be celebrated.  Not because it's the day of our birth or that we're a year wiser, but simply because we've lived another year.  The growing patches of gray hair and the wicked laugh lines that you so despised aren't signs of vanity at all, but rather proof of each passing year...ones that should be relished and appreciated.  Life is short.  You have proven that. 

Jonathan, I miss you terribly.  I miss you so much it's frustrating.  Missing you is so IN MY FACE all the time that I struggle to believe that I'll ever be able to think of you and not be sad.  Maybe I'm not supposed to, I don't know...but it sure would make things easier.  I want the feeling of absence to disappear.  I want my overwhelming anxiety to ease up.  I want death and dying to stop invading my dreams.  All of these annoyances have lessened since your passing, I must admit, but when can I go on living free and clear of them?

Just so you know - American Idol sucks this season.  You're not missing anything there.  And this year there is no wildebeest in my pregnant future so you're not missing out on ridiculing me either.  But what you are missing is far more precious - a nephew bursting with personality - and a niece sweeter than you can imagine.  And all of that excitement is about to multiply by two in just a few short months.  It's not fair that you won't be a part of their lives.  But don't worry, they will know you through stories and memories that the entire family will be sure to share.

Happy 35th birthday to you, even if you're no longer in the living years.  I celebrate your memory since that's all I have - and I thank God I at least have that.  I love you.

Back to the Carolinas

I can finally make an official announcement that we are moving to South Carolina!  Robert has taken a new job in Myrtle Beach that not only brings us a little closer to home, but also puts us near our restaurant in Georgetown.  Robert gave his notice today and plans to work out the last two weeks - we will be moving the last week of May and Robert starts with his new company June 1st.

I was able to keep my writing gig with the publishing company I work for and I am really happy about that.  I also plan to work part-time at our restaurant.  We are still currently looking for a place to live which is becoming extremely frustrating.  We obviously don't have much time left so it's crucial we find something fast.  We are looking in the Murrells Inlet/Surfside area so we can be somewhere in the middle between Robert's job and the restaurant.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we find something by the middle of next week.

All in all, I am thrilled about this change.  Robert's new job provides a Monday-Friday, 9-6 schedule which is completely unheard of in his industry.  We may actually have a normal family life.  It will be nice to have my husband around more and for us to be able to spend more time together as a family.  I couldn't be happier about that.  With another baby on the way, this move couldn't come at a better time.  Looks like we might finally be planting some roots!

Wish List

I have a closet full of baby gear that I've been storing for the arrival of baby number two.  It can get very expensive purchasing all the things "they" say you need so I made sure to hang on to everything to prevent any outrageous purchases.  I did find however that the few items we frequently used are either extremely worn or damaged.  Because we used them so much with Evan I know we will again use them for the next baby.  Which brings me to my very short wish list:

When Evan was an infant I kept my sanity by going on daily walks with him in his stroller.  His infant carrier snapped right into the stroller and away we went - sometimes twice a day.  This hasn't changed now that he's a big boy.  We still stroll around the neighborhood quite frequently.  Basically, my stroller has been through the ringer.  The wheels aren't very stable anymore and its maneuvering is much more difficult now.  That is why I am now looking at a double stroller.  This particular one is a sit and stand.  There are several different positions for the seats, which I like a lot.  Evan can ride in the front and I can have an infant carrier in the back.  When the baby is old enough to ride in a regular seat, they can both ride one behind the other or the baby can ride up front and Evan can stand on the back platform.  It's very versatile.

Baby Trend Double Sit N Stand - Green Tea

Our infant carrier also took quite a beating.  Between frequent attempts to soothe crying by driving Evan around and many long trips in the stroller the carrier now appears to have seen better days.  I also attempted to wash and dry the covering and it seems drying was not such a smart choice.  In its now shrunken state, the cover can not fit over the frame.  A new infant seat is a must have.

Baby Trend Columbia Infant Car Seat - Green/ Gray

Please note:  If you're noticing a pattern with the Baby Trend brand it's because I need to be sure the new infant carrier will fit into the bases we already have (our last carrier was Baby Trend) and the Baby Trend carrier will, without question, fit into the Baby Trend stroller - so there ya go.

We also used our pack n play like it was going out of style.  Evan slept in it as an infant the first four months.  We also took it with us everywhere we went just in case he needed a nap.  All the traveling and use really took a toll and one of the support legs finally broke and we aren't able to use it anymore.  One thing we learned too is that we have no need for the fancy schmancy ones.  All those extras ended up in a random closet.  We definitley plan to use a more simplistic version for the second baby.  

Safety 1st Travel Ease Deluxe Play Yard - Alphabet Soup

I'm sure if we find out we're having a girl I'll have other pretty little things dancing around in my head that I'll want to purchase, but at this point I'm trying to be realistic in what we know we'll need.  I also now know that the more expensive brands don't always have the best products - which is why I live at Target. :)

Romper Nation

Remember looking back at pictures of your mom and her friends and thinking how hideous the fashion was back then?  Well we all know that styles come and go and many tend to make there way back in the spotlight.  Some I don't mind so much; others need to be erased from fashion history for good.

Browsing through magazines and various clothing stores I was shocked to see the romper is making a comeback.  First of all, aren't rompers for babies?  And secondly, any one-piece made of denim should be burned.

Amanda and I were shopping around yesterday and came across rompers of all styles and materials.  Denim, terry cloth, cotton, silk...belted, buttoned, ruffled, ruched...halter, sleeveless, strapless...and worst of all - suspenders!  You name it, we saw it.

We found a terry cloth number that was striped, strapless and was only $9.99.  We were laughing at the thought of wearing them to the beach and decided for that price it was worth buying just to put on and take a picture.

After putting Evan to bed we reverted back to our college ways.  We dressed up in our hot new outfits, set up the camera and put on the self-timer.  We probably took 25-30 pictures hysterically laughing the entire time.  We literally had tears streaming down our faces as we looked at each other in those ridiculous one- pieces.  The pictures will never make it into a frame I'm afraid, but they will certainly be put away for another day when I need a good laugh.