Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Sissy

When I was pregnant with Jimi, we called him Junior until he was born and named. Now that I am pregnant with a girl, we have been calling her Sissy. Jimi began to do the cutest thing about a month or two ago. He has noticed my stomach growing larger and larger. He started to rub it. When he would rub it, I would say, "that's Sissy in there!" I know he's too young to get it, but at least he'll be familiar with the word Sissy.

Nowadays, he comes up to me, rubs my stomach and says, "sissy". He also rubs his own stomach and says "sissy". Hehe. He has new words like car, tree, shoe, bubble, balloon, more, hi and bottle.

He has recently taken up the art of digging through the garbage and pulling out miscellaneous items. It is usually a water bottle, plastic is his favorite to play with. However, sometimes he likes to throw things in the garbage. This all started on Christmas, with him helping pick up the wrapping paper and throw it away. He got so many "good boy"s that I think he decided to start throwing everything away. To date we have found a remote, a shirt, a shoe, and various assorted toys.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Waffling on Waffles

Mmm...I woke up to the smell of waffles this morning. Or, so I thought. That is, until I actually woke up and realized that there were no waffles, and there were no pleasant maple aromas. I dreamed that I was invited over to a member of our church's house (Amy Sanderson). Amy is the sister of Dana, who is pregnant with her third child and has been informed that they couldn't capture the sex of the baby on u/s because the baby was moving too much (I found that out on Wednesday at church).

So it was Amy who was throwing a party/women's ministry at her house. I was an hour and forty minutes late. In fact, it started at 7 and it was 8:35 when I checked the time. I felt bad that I was late, and knew the food would be gone, so I had brought my own. I knew they had made waffles (yes, for a 7pm party) and so I brought my Kashi strawberry waffles from home (as an aside, I'm sure the reason they made it into the dream was that I tried to look for them at Costco on Wed and they were out).

When I arrived, I pulled out the half-eaten plastic waffle bag and said, "I hope you don't mind, I brought my own". The downside, though, was that they weren't finished making waffles, and even though I had changed my mind and wanted to eat theirs, I had to eat my own because I had said I brought them. I watched in envy as they painstakingly poured the waffle batter onto the iron, and as the irons steamed. I shuffled my feet over to the toaster, and plopped mine in. It smelled SO good.

If you can believe it, I didn't really want waffles when I woke up. I guess I had had enough. Oh, I also dreamed I was laying in a big, open field and was trying to sleep under the moon and stars without a blanket. Turns out, I was actually sleeping in a king bed with a cover hog.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Name Game

I know it's lame, but I need some help with girl names. Anyone got any good ones? Oh, please make all of your submissions be of the Yoruba origin. Thanks.

I am serious. Dapo is convinced we're having a girl. With Jimi, he was convinced it was a boy. We still didn't start thinking of names until after the news-breaking ultrasound that proved our suspicions. We knew it would be easy. Well, not that a girl name will be hard, except that I want to keep a family namesake going. Not Dapo's. Mine.

Enter the complicated equation: My grandma's name is Jane. My mother's name is Janette (notice the unique spelling vs. the more common Jeanette). And my middle name is Jane. So, it stands to reason I'd like to include some form of Jane in my daughter's name. Jane, by the way, means Gracious. And I've never known a more gracious, giving woman than my mother. If it meant "fern plant", "moon" or "mother of Hamlet" I wouldn't be so keen on keeping it around. But it speaks of the nature of God and the nature of good, giving women I know.

Dapo informs me there is no form of anything even remotely close to "Jan" or "Jane" in Yoruba. So, it looks like we'd have to do a two Yoruba, one English name. We thought about doing that with Jimi and then I said "Olujimi Ayomide Daniel" just sounds like we lost our train of thought, or gave up at the end. Hence, Olujimi Ayomide Toluwani was born. Besides, the third (and fourth!) name in Yoruba tradition is usually the name the grandparents give to the child. My parents chose to pass up their side of that opportunity. That was good since his full name already didn't fit on his Social Security Card.

I guess we could opt for the all English one first name one middle name more traditional in the US route, but then people might wonder if Jimi was adopted. Oh, Olujimi Ayomide Toluwani and Elizabeth Jane? Okay... Actually, I could just not give her a middle name, since here in the south everyone has two first names. Laura Beth, Betty Sue, Mary Beth, John Boy etc.

So, if anyone has any ideas on what we could do, please speak up.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Cheerio, Cheerios

I have been finding myself feeling more pregnant of late. You know, you're talking at a normal pace when suddenly a fog of nothing blankets your recollection. Questions like "what am I doing here?", "what am I talking about?" and "what year is it?" flood your mind.

Sometimes you go to get juice out of the fridge and you find a box of Cheerios. Okay, maybe you don't, but I do. I am just glad that I didn't find the milk in the pantry. Do you know the Far Side cartoon where the waitress goes to write down an order and says, "hmm...if my tampon is behind my ear, then where is my pen?" I know how she must have felt. Well, not literally!

I remember with Jimi the forgetfulness was much worse and it started much earlier on. Or maybe there is just less of my brain this time around and so the % is the same, but the bottom line is less. Perhaps now I'm accustomed to it, and it's still as bad, I am just accepting it better.

Last night I was talking to Dapo and I think he may have sat there for five minutes before gingerly asking, "Honey? You were saying?" First of all, I told him, don't wait so long to bring me back from the abyss next time! Second of all, I have learned that most "I forget" moments can be recovered from nicely with a request for ice cream.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Dreams are Back

It is funny how a word or a situation in real life can shimmy it's way into a dream. I have had a few of late that are odd enough to share. During church on Sunday, the person taking up the offering said the word, "tornado". I thought nothing of it until I went to sleep that night.

I dreamt that we were living in a two-story house that you envisage if you think of Midwestern towns in movies like Twister. Yellow, made of wood, with a chain link fence along a long, dusty road with two dogs out front. Our good friends the Dodges were paying us a visit and we got news that a tornado was on its way. At first they were like, no, it's not. Then when we could see it, I sent them all into the basement, and ran outside to get the dogs. It was really close and time was short, so I grabbed one of the dogs, the younger of the two. My rationale was that the other dog was actually quite old and going to die any day, anyhow.

If you can believe it, I realized after I got the dog that Jimi was still in his crib. Yeah, I got the dog before the baby...sheesh! I went and got him and all was well.

Speaking of Jimi in a crib, I had a dream that Jimi was in a crib with his little brother. Although, I don't give that much credit since I had dreams that Jimi was a boy and dreams that he was a girl.

Another dream I had was my family was going to a fancy gala in Longview, WA. Once we arrived I realized I had left Jimi in the car. Again with my memory! So, I hurriedly went back for him and my friend Heather had him and her little girl, Victoria. They were each in they're own stroller and she was walking them towards the event. ps, I have no idea why we left Heather behind, either! I asked her if she wanted help and she said this was not her first time pushing two children in strollers (she has 4 kids).

So we went back to the gala together and I somehow wanted to get to the other side of the rotunda, but there were too many people, so I decided to jump onto the chandelier and swing across to the other side. I grabbed a pie from someone, and hurled it down to the floor below while shouting, "Jesus loves you!"

Hmm...

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Heartbeat

Today was my OB/GYN appointment. Dapo met me there and helped me with Jimi. He likes to support me and enjoys being a part of the tests and measurements and hearing the dialog.

I know this is not in chronological order, but my friend Nicole who's daughter is 8 days older than Jimi was in the waiting room of my Dr. when we got done. I knew she had an appointment today, but I didn't know it was at the same office. I asked who her doctor was, and it is the same as mine. We've known each other for over a year, and the conversation never turned to who is your OB? So, chalk up another crazy "we have too much in common" moment for us.

Back to the appointment, my blood pressure was 128/70 and I did not gain any weight. Probably because I was too busy sleeping to eat. When the nurse went to listen to the baby's heartbeat she couldn't find it, and told me not to be alarmed, because I am still early. We went into ultrasound, and Dr. Rushing came in to turn on the ultrasound. The baby's heart was healthy and beating...hooray! Always good news. I was amazed at how much the baby has grown in such a short amount of time. We call the baby she, and she was laying on her back and I know it is ultrasound, but I couldn't help but think that the baby just looked like me.

As we waited for our turn in the ultrasound, we remembered the same thing happened with Jimi on his 2nd visit. Not that it doesn't make you think crazy thoughts, but luckily we had Jimi's fridge DJ to distract us.

I read (I think in one of my pregnancy mags) that when your baby's eardrums develop, the three main sounds s/he hears is the amniotic fluid swooshing, the mother's stomach and the mother's heartbeat. It struck me as awesome that one of the first things the baby hears is my heart. Fitting, isn't it, since the first sound of theirs that I hear is their heartbeat?

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Almost There

I am almost out of my first Trimester, and I am really looking forward to it. I have had zero energy and haven't felt well for most of it. Tomorrow I am 13 weeks, and am hopeful that all these miserable symptoms go away in the next week or so!

This child is definitely different than his/her big brother Jimi! With Jimi I felt so pretty and had that pregnancy glow. I also wrote in his baby book that the period of time I was pregnant with him was one of the best times of my life. And I MEANT it! Well, there's none of that this time. And I don't even like to kiss my roommate, I mean husband. Keep your hands off!!

I also tend to be really grouchy and have suddenly forgotten that I am a 33 year old Christian woman, wife and mother of a toddler and baby on the way. I seem to be picking fights with people (i.e. at softball games, drive thrus, telemarketers, etc.). I have not acted this way in probably 15 years or so. Hormones everywhere. Help me, Lord!

I do remember with Jimi I had the most energy in my second trimester, and so I am counting on a repeat performance!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Heavy Metal

Ugh! If anyone has ever had this happen to you, PLEASE comment on what you did to relieve it.

I get this taste in my mouth like I have been eating metal chards all day long. The strangest part about it is that where the metal taste is, there are dots on my tongue.

I have heard it is a common prego thing, but it is OLD. I also get sweet tastes STUCK on my tongue. I'm always chewing gum, or a Bnatal lollipop, or brushing my teeth to get it out of my mouth.

I'm drinking lots of water, and taking the same prenatal that I took while pregnant with Jimi (and in between pregnancies, also). So, I have heard it could have something to do with being low in iron, but my vitamins have that and I get iron from red meat. It is on my list to ask my Dr. about.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Proprosal

It has been a long time since I've blogged. I've had more strange "pregnant" dreams of late. One of them, last Friday, involved me and an all girls church softball team. Jimi's nursery teacher at church was the shortstop. All of the other girls weren't very good and kept on throwing the ball and not hitting their targets, letting more runs score. The catcher kept throwing to me, except they would either roll on the ground too far away from me, or go zooming over my head. I finally yelled, "quit throwing the [deleted f-bomb] ball!"

Two nights ago I had my third ex-boyfriend dream in as many months. The moms at our play group tell me it is a perfectly normal pregnant dream. This was was about Gary. He was a boyfriend of mine in junior high. He showed up, and asked me to marry him. He got down on one knee, and gave me a ring which was too small for my finger. I wound up wearing it while I "thought about" whether or not to marry Gary. At some point during my contemplation, the dream revealed that the baby was not Dapo's, but Gary's, even though Jimi is Dapo's. So, the plot thickened as I worried about explaining to Dapo that I had been unfaithful. I found a way to tell him, and I don't remember him being too upset.

So, I told Gary the next day I didn't want to marry him. He got all upset and told me he had already booked the church and I had to. I told him I didn't want to and what kind of idiot books a church before he knows whether the girl he proposed to is saying yes? He wound up threatening to sue me over the money he paid to the church. I laughed and told him to go ahead and try and that no judge in their right mind would judge in favor of him. He said, "are you going to accept the Fed-ex, then?" I felt trapped, because if I said yes, it might be papers that I was being served with, and if I said no, it could be papers that I needed access to. I just said, "we'll see" and left it at that. That really is the type of guy he was.

The whole dream was strange, but the weirdest part was that he wanted to sue me because I wouldn't marry him. I am really glad I waited the extra time and married a great guy like Dapo.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Two Beaches and Softball

Last night I dreamt about a girl on our softball team that had a cabin. Dapo, she and I went to the house. You had to walk on a narrow beach with a railing to get there (similar to the wall in Wipeout I watched before going to bed). Once we were there I noticed that the beach was beginning to get swallowed up because the tide was beginning to rise. We weren't going to be able to get home. I told Dapo about it, and by the time he would do something about it, we were trapped. I threw a harpoon (we just watched fools gold, where a guy gets shot in the leg with one) at a raft and anchored it so that we could have a mode of transportation to get supplies. Don't ask how the raft didn't become punctured and unusable.

So Jessica (the girl from softball) started making sandwiches and there were ants with kidney bean bodies all over. Yes, I made red beans and rice for dinner last night. The ants were just sitting on the prepared food, so I asked her why she was just letting them sit there and she said that there were so many of them that she didn't bother. I had Dapo come in and take care of the pests. That is his job in real life, too. I will never forget the time we were dating and playing pool at my old house and a rather large spider ran across the room and I shrieked and he caught AND killed it with his bare hands. He has been my hero ever since.

Then we started going through the house and the girl from softball turned into a girl from church, Cheryl, who has a son a couple of months older than Jimi. It was a seldom used cabin, so there were some dusty areas and things and when I realized I was going to have to sleep there I started looking for creepy things like dust bunnies, bugs, etc. It wasn't long before we decided to take the raft into the forest and that's when I woke up.

The next dream I had this morning, during a nap. My old friend from high school Brenda Compton (although she is married now, with a new last name which I can't remember) was the main character. She lived even further from town than I did by a couple of miles, and would give me rides. She was (probably still is) an AWESOME softball player. I find it interesting that I had been thinking about our softball game last night before falling asleep. In the dream, I went back to my parent's neighborhood, down to a house that used to be the owner of the Pro Shop. A bunch of my hoodlum friends broke into this house once in real life to steal the guy's liquor. I went along with it, and got into a fair amount of trouble as a result.

In the dream it was Brenda's house. I wasn't going there to see her, I was just going to see the house. As I got close to the door, I realized that Brenda was there, sunbathing topless. She hurried inside and said she'd be right out. Meanwhile, I noticed that instead of the house being at the end of a culdesac, it was at the beginning of a sandy beach. Eventually I went into the house, where she lived with her husband. That's all I remember about that one.

I think it is interesting that both dreams had beaches in them and both dreams have softball ties in them. I know I was thinking about softball, but I didn't know I was thinking about the beach!

Monday, June 30, 2008

Walking in my sleep

We have a double-sided fireplace which separates our living room from our "sun room". You can see through the fireplace into the sun room. I had a dream that I was watching Jimi from the living room and he was walking all around the sun room. But, once he'd see me look at him, he'd get down and start crawling. He had been walking all this time and we didn't know it because he didn't want us to know that he could.

Which reminds me of an anecdote. I was at Costco recently and a lady told me how cute Jimi was and asked me how old he is and if he was walking. I told her he was 11 months and no, not yet. I mentioned that he is heavy (26 lbs), so I am ready whenever he is. I also said that I have been told I will regret ever saying I wish he'd learn to walk. She relayed, "you spend the first year of their life wanting them to walk and talk and the rest of their life telling them to sit down and shut up".

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Poker Face

I guess this is more of a dream blog than a pregnancy blog, but that's all that there really is to write about with this pregnancy. "I am very tired" every day would get old.

Last night I dreamt that this fat guy with Jersey gold chains and a limo challenged Dapo and some other guys to a poker game. Dapo was losing but so was everyone else, because the fat guy was just going to town. I have a bad habit of intervening when loved ones are struggling, and even in real life I do this way too much to Dapo. It can come off as emasculating. Anyhow, in the dream all these guys were losing and I waited to help because I am trying to do better.

I could finally bear it no more and asked to be dealt in. Dapo handed me a $50 to buy in with and I said, "can you afford to lose this if I fail?" He said yes, that he could and it was mine to lose or win with. My plan was to sit to Dapo's right and this guy's left, taking hits where I should not take hits so as to make him not to get good cards. I guess my plan wasn't to win, but rather to stop the fat man from winning. I didn't want to win, I just didn't want Dapo to lose.

What an odd dream. I wish I could tell you I saved the day by saying "hit me" but I don't know, because the dream suddenly took a turn towards the airport. I had to land a plane to pick up my friends the Dodges and her parents. Landing a plane is hard, at least in my dreams. I can't exactly piece the rest of the parts together, because they were so obscure.

Gotta love those hormones.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

January 29th

Now, for a real life update~! We went to the Doctor yesterday and saw the baby's heartbeat. I never get sick of seeing that. Truly amazing. I got the ok to continue playing softball, paint, sand, let Jimi kick me, pick him up for a very long time, get dental work and eat ice cream.

Alright, so I threw the last one in there. Dr. Rushing measured the length of the fetus and s/he is 8w5d gestation. I remember the last period I had and that was right on. The nurse gave me an EDD of Jan 30th, and Dr. Rushing gave an EDD of Jan 29th, with the tag, "of course you know what that means. [beat] nothing". That doc, always a jokester. I'm going with the earlier due date because...well, it's earlier.

Jimi's gestation on ultrasound was always a little off 1) because I didn't exactly remember the date of my last period and 2) I think he was secretly planning on coming early. Not that this one isn't, but you know. Jimi is full of surprises.

I was thinking today that how Jimi kicks today is the same way he kicked in the womb. He was VERY active the last 4 weeks or so, especially with his kicks. I am just in awe that he still kicks that way...and that my inerts were ever able to withstand such brutality!!

It just goes to show what a very special place mothers have in the life of a child. We get to know them 9 months before the rest of the world.

I feel pretty good. With the exception of doing silly things like putting the ice cream in the pantry and the cereal in the freezer, and saying things backwards. There are occassions when I TOTALLY have no idea I said something that several witnesses will swear I said. Somehow the words I were thinking didn't make it outside of my head...that type of thing.

I don't remember being so tired when I was pregnant with Jimi. Then again, I didn't have Jimi! Even when I take a two-hour nap it seems like I was only sleeping for 10 or 15 minutes. I really rely on naps because I don't always sleep well at night because of snoring, arm flailing and other bed-sharing hazards.

Well, Jimi is napping, so I'd better go take a shower while I can. Till next time!

Blue Lace Skirt

The other night I had a dream that I went to visit SLC. All of my friends and everyone in general was acting rather strange towards me at a party I went to. At the end of the night, I saw myself in a mirror and I was wearing a see-through navy blue lace skirt (you know, like those horrible fish net stockings, only a full skirt's worth). The worst part was that I was wearing a thong, not the shoe wear kind. AND even still, it was not exactly positioned correctly. I guess you could say I was not only trying to make people laugh I was trying to crack them up! I was mortified, and spent the rest of the night walking around sideways attempting to hide my shame.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Mascara and Paintings

I had a dream that I was at a general store on a busy street where I ran into this famous painter lady. She kept talking about needing mascara, asking me if I had any, asking the clerk where they stocked it, etc. She had three empty bottles and kept trying to shake them down to get some out. I told her I was sorry I didn't have any, and she insisted on making me a painting of anything in the whole world. I said that's easy, it'd be of my son. So she said oh I'm not good at portraits so I will connect you with a friend of mine and they will do it for you and she gave me a business card.

I went outside to catch the train/bus and left Jimi on the opposite side of the street in his stroller while I went to go get the tickets. Women would walk up to him, ask where his mother was, and I would wave from across the street. Once or twice my vision of him was obstructed when a car would go by. When I got back across the road, Jimi was gone! I was panicked, and asked everyone where he was. They said that the bus got there, and so they loaded everything up in the bus...including the baby! So I went to the back of the bus where all of the gear was being stored and there was Jimi! Whew! Lesson learned :)

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Getting Excited

My OBGYN only sees pregnant women after their 8th week of pregnancy. I did have a dream that my progesterone blood levels weren't doubling, until they realized they did the math wrong. Oh brother!

Anyhow, my appt with Dr. Rushing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24th at 945. Updates to follow. I'll be asking him if I can sand and paint and do those types of things while pregnant. I want to repaint the cabinets in my guest bath, that's why. Although, frankly I have no energy right now to do so. I've been taking average naps of 2 hrs a day, and when I wake up I say, "that wasn't long enough". What a luxury I have to even be able to siesta!

I am encouraged that I "only" have a month or so left until the infamous 2nd trimester energy return. Dapo did not snore last night and I actually was ready to get up with the guys today at 630. Normally Jimi plays in his pack 'n play while gets ready for work, while I try to sleep. I sound horrible, but it is as though I have been super glued to the bed. Not to worry, though, I'm not. If he has time, Dapo will feed Jimi otherwise, I will.

Well, Jimi is up from his afternoon nap. e-ya later.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Crazy Dreams

Thursday night I dreamt that an old boyfriend of mine, Pete, came to me. He had aged and looked more mature, with salt and pepper hair in the front. He went on to profess his love to me in great depth, and how if loving me was wrong he didn't want to be right. (Thanks, Conway). I was really caught up in his heart-felt speech, until I remembered I was married. I asked him if he had heard I had a baby boy last year. So, not only am I married, but I have kids to seal the deal.

That dream wouldn't be so strange if I had not dreamed about another old flame, Brooks the week before. He came back in, and courted me like the good ol' days. Just as it seems I was falling for him and he was asking for me back, I remembered I was married...happily, and turned him down.

Next, I had a dream that I was showing this guy to the pastor's office, and he shot the guy in front of me and shot at me also. I ducked and the bullet hit my shoulder (as an aside I have been having a strong shooting pain in my shoulder lately...which I think may have been happening while I was sleeping through this one). Thankfully Jimi was not with me, and neither was Dapo. Evidently this guy went all around the church shooting people, and in the parking lot, too. When I finally met up with some one familiar, it was a lady we go to church with, LaJoyce. In real life she is sweet as pie and always calls you "SUG". Anyhow, I met up with her and Dapo and she had blood all over her from helping victims. I had put on a coat after I was shot, and didn't want the medics to bother with me when there were otheres with life-threatening wounds. She made me take off my jacket, and I had lost a lot of blood from my shoulder. She had the medics come, and they asked me if anyone had removed the bullet yet. I said no, this was the first I'd seen of anyone, and they took a pair of tweezers and removed the bullet. The blood dried up and the pain went away.

I guess I should be thankful I am not running from tornadoes or actually cheating on my husband in any of these dreams but they are a little bothersome. Chalk it up to hormones.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Dizzy

I have been feeling dizzy off and on these last couple of days, especially today. I remember when I was pregnant with Jimi I felt dizzy when we came here to Huntsville to house hunt. At that time I was about 5 weeks pregnant and didn't know it (except for my "I feel fertile" comment I made in my sleep to Dapo).

I should be 7 weeks now. I really have more things to do than to count weeks. I know, lame-o! But, my energy comes in small patches and so when it hits, I do constructive things like blog, catch up on TiVo, er...i mean, laundry, dishes, vacuuming!

Friday, June 6, 2008

Sneezing

Jimi has been sneezing a little bit this last week. I think the sensation of it is amusing to him, because I no sooner get out, "God bless you" than he is cracking up laughing.

It never ceases to amaze me what happens in those tiny little heads, evidently it is funny to sneeze until the age in which a sneeze results in a really embarrassing dash to the Kleenex box.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Sensitive to Smells

I was just changing Jimi and I was reminded of one symptom I have for sure: I am very sensitive to smells. My darling husband has washed three different garbage cans out with Lysol this week...because they stink like garbage! I know that he is doing it to appease me, and I know I must seem kinda silly. Yesterday morning I chopped up strawberries, and discarded the leaves etc in the trash. I walked by the garbage bin yesterday afternoon and was repulsed by the stench of rotten strawberries. You have to understand...I know in my rational thoughts that there is no possible way that could have happened so fast. At least, not indoors. But my super schnauze just picks it up.

So, as soon as he got home and got comfortable I made my request known. He is so loving and kind, he did it right away!

Also, you can imagine if the regular trash with strawberries smells ad nauseum, what the diaper genie does to me at this point. 'Nuff said.