Musings From The Mild Side

Try Not To Be Too Jealous...

2009-07-01T14:15:00.003-04:00

I know it's going to be tempting to be incredibly envious as you read this blog post, but please remember that not everyone gets this fabulous opportunity.

As those of you who have been pregnant before know, the 28th week of pregnancy or so marks that wonderful time when you get to do the glucose test. For those of you who don't know, it consits of drinking a bottle of this foul, extra-sugary Kool Aid, sitting in boredom in a lab for one hour and then having blood drawn. For your drinking pleasure, they have flavored foul liquid! You can choose from lemon-lime, orange or cola flavored. Mind you, it's not carbonated or even cold, but you have to drink it. I also have to say here that the idea of flat, warm, cola-flavored liquid seriously sends a shiver up my spine. Ick!

Last Monday the 22nd I went to have this test done, still remembering the nastiness of my first go-round with it 4 years ago. The lady at the lab asks me which flavor. I must go on a tangent here and say that asking me which flavor of this stuff is like asking a condemned prisoner if she'd prefer to be executed via firing squad, hanging or being beaten over the head with rocks by angry monkeys. Really, does it matter? The end result is just as horrid no matter which choice one makes. I consider a moment before choosing lemon-lime. I chug it down as fast as I can because your hour waiting time doesn't start until you're finished. It leaves this weird, sugary residue in your mouth that is NOT a nice way to start the day.

After my hour of waiting, I do the blood draw and then leave, hoping that my ordeal is over forever.

No such luck. Two days later I get a call from my doctor's office that my blood glucose was too high. I have been selected to do the longer 3-hour test and they want me to do it ASAP to rule out gestational diabetes.

In case some of you don't know, the three hour test consists of the following:

1. You go to a lab while fasting and have blood drawn upon arrival.

2. You drink sugary stuff that's twice as sugary as the first batch they gave you. That's their way of throwing a bone at you...instead of making you drink twice as much, they make it twice as sugary (this time I chose the oh-so-delicious orange).

3. Have blood drawn every hour for three hours. I should also add here that they won't let you leave the lab during this period so you're stuck.

Again, I drank the nasty stuff and the lady at the lab warned me that the first hour was the worst. Immediately I got a headache, my hands got shaky, I starting feeling sick and wanted to pretty much die. All I could think about was throwing up. However, I had been forewarned that if I got sick I'd have to come back, fast again, drink more stuff and do it another day. That pretty much sent any thought of barfing right out of my head.

That was Friday and I had to wait through the weekend to get the results. Finally, Monday afternoon the doctor's office called to tell me I did NOT have gestational diabetes. I have to admit that my first thought wasn't relief. It was: "I drank more of that crap for nothing?"

I can see why some of you are envious. Really, just aspire to be the best you can be and maybe someday you'll get to pick the method of your execution like I did.

Oh, and attached is my 7 months pregnant photo. I know it's very timely considering I'm now 7 1/2 months pregnant. Sorry my head is almost cut off, but when a 4 year old takes your photo you sort of live with the results. All is well. Just had a checkup yesterday and they said everything looks a-ok. Seth is still breech, but I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that that's how he is going to stay. The ultrasound tech said he looks awfully comfy in there.

The Kid Is 4, Doctor Visits, 20 And 24 Weeks And Other Random Welly Stuff...

2009-05-22T18:11:00.000-04:00

So, I must confess I've not been the best at updating everyone on our lives lately. We've been busy! We've been preparing for the arrival of 2 babies by tearing our entire house apart, celebrating a very important 4th birthday, waiting at various doctors' offices, babysitting a nephew for a few days and all sorts of other fun things.

Brendan turned 4 on May 3rd. We celebrated with a family party as usual and he chose a Lightning McQueen theme (of course). It was a really fun day and we had great weather so the kids were able to play outside. That was wonderful because early May in Ohio is always an unknown. We realized afterwards that we didn't get many good photos of the party because we were too busy hosting the party. The one above is one of my favorites. It shows my nephew Carter, Brendan (making goofy face) and my cousin Michael's little boy Trent in their cool shades. After the party we took Brendan out for Mexican at his request and he got to wear the cool sombrero that 300 other people have had on their heads. In typical 4 year old fashion, that was the highlight of his day! After the party my mom left to help my sister move and I invited her to leave my nephew for a few days. It was so fun to have him here. I took both boys to the zoo. That was an adventure (a zoo, if you will) but it was great practice for twins!

It seems like we've been spending lots of time in various doctors' offices lately too. My family doctor sent me for an cardio consult/echo because my heart rate was a little faster than he'd like. Everything was normal so now they think it's a side effect of a med I take. Up to 10% of patients on this med have that side effect. The doctor's main concern was that I was pregnant with twins and he wanted to make sure everything was ok. The next appointment was the pediatric dentist, which Brendan did wonderfully at. The dentist complimented the good job he's been doing on his teeth. Appointment #3 was the pediatrician. Brendan at 4 years old: 43.5 inches tall and 37.5 lbs. He's almost off the charts for height!

Pregnancy-wise things are awesome. This pregnancy has flown by and everything is as uncomplicated as it can possibly be. The weight gain has been a little slow and they've been a little on my case about it at the doctor, but the babies are right where they should be. At my 24 week checkup today they were 1 lb. 6 ozs. and 1 lb. 7 ozs., which she said is great for twins. We want to see them stay the same size to make sure one twin isn't getting more nutrition than the other. The 24 week photos are the top ultrasound pics. Unfortunately they were not very cooperative and the technician basically got one shot of each baby's face. Right now Nolan is head down and Seth is sideways (with his head and feet wedged oh-so-conveniently up under my ribs). So, there is still a possibility they could both do what they're supposed to before they're born and we may avoid a C-section. We're learning that Nolan (AKA Lefty) is constantly active and rarely sits still, while Seth (AKA Righty) is pretty comfy where he's at and doesn't really move if he doesn't have to. In other words, Nolan is like Eric and Seth is more like Sarah! It will be interesting to see how they actually are when they're born.

I did forget to update my blog after last month's visit (although pics are posted above on the very bottom). We got some interesting news last time. At my 20 week ultrasound they told us that they think the babies might be identical twins. They are seeing several indicators (including their almost identical sizes) that are telling them that is the case. Today at my 24 week ultrasound the technician said that she is pretty sure they are identical. Unfortunately, there is no way to know until they are born and a pathologist looks things over. I'm dying to know now, but I guess I'll have to wait.

Now I start going to the doctor every two weeks and at 32 weeks I will have to start going weekly. Should be an interesting ride. It's hard to believe that I'm already 6 months pregnant. I did post a pregnant pic of me because several people asked about one. It's almost a month old now, so I will need to get an updated one soon.

We're tearing our house apart in preparation for these babies. Moving rooms around, purging junk, starting a garage sale pile and just generally cursing the fact that we have way too much stuff. It's amazing that this house seemed immense when it was just the two of us, but growing into a family of 5 makes me imagine this house literally bursting at the seams.

We hope all of you have a safe and enjoyable summer. Oh, and GO WINGS! :)

Step Away From the Pink Dress With Kittens On It!

2009-03-25T23:09:00.000-04:00

So, those of you who have known me for any length of time know that I'm not really keen on finding out the genders of babies before they're born. I love the surprise of it, and I love the suspense and guessing that comes with not knowing.

However...at 15 weeks I had an ultrasound today and the technician said she could tell us the genders of the babies. Something took over and I HAD to know. Truthfully, a lot of it was that we've been in panic mode since we found out we are having twins. Something about going from a family of 3 to a family of 5, I guess. Plus, I'd been feeling a little guilty because Eric wanted to know Brendan's sex before he was born but I convinced him not to find out.

So, anyway, the moment of truth arrived when she told us that we are having TWO BOYS! We are very excited, and it truthfully makes life a lot easier to know that we can use the same baby stuff we used for Brendan and that we already sorta know what we're doing with a baby boy.

The first words out of Brendan's mouth upon hearing the news: "Oh good. We won't have any Bawbies (Barbies) at our house and I won't have to play Bawbie. I hate Bawbie."

My mom's grandchild tally stands now at 6 boys and 0 girls, which is sort of funny in and of itself.

People were surprised that we found out the babies' genders, and frankly, I'm a little surprised too. I never thought we'd know beforehand. Oh, and before anyone asks, we will not be trying for baby #4 and/or a girl. The incubator will be closed permanently after this shift. :) Our family is complete at 5.

What A Difference A Month Makes!

2009-03-02T14:32:00.000-05:00

One of the cool things about having twins is that I've been given an ultrasound every time. It's amazing to see how quickly the babies grow and change. I had my 2nd ultrasound on January 26th, and then another one on February 23rd. In the span of 4 weeks, they went from little blips on a screen to something that actually resembles human babies! We're quickly learning that Righty (as the ultrasound tech refers to him or her) is much more cooperative than Lefty is. It seems Lefty can't be bothered to turn or pose during an ultrasound. :) The ultrasound technician thinks the babies are a boy and a girl just from having done her job for so long. I'm still not sure. I think it's most likely. Based on the odds we've been given, 50% of fraternal twins are boy/girl, 25% are boy/boy and 25% girl/girl. So, I think it's most likely we've got a boy and a girl, but you know what? Whatever! We'll get what we're supposed to get. Since I found out we're having fraternal twins, I am amazed at the number of people who seem to think that your family is not complete without one child of each gender. I disagree that one MUST have a child of each gender to have a complete family. I think whatever we get is great, and I will not be disappointed no matter what the genders of the babies. Each family is wonderful and unique, whether it consists of all girls, two boys and a girl, or whatever.

Exactly at left are the 7 week ultrasound photos, and the rest are the 11 week ones.

It's hard to imagine that I will be 13 weeks pregnant in a few days. Time is flying by!

An Interesting Development...

2009-01-15T16:42:00.000-05:00

Do not attempt to adjust your monitor. Your eyes do not deceive you. That is an ultrasound photo off to the left of your screen. Yes, it's mine. Look more carefully...Yes, there are two babies in there!

We were thrilled to find out we were expecting again after suffering a miscarriage in September. I was anticipating seeing a healthy baby on my ultrasound after all of that. The minute she turned the screen on, I immediately saw TWO!! Initially, she thought the one sac was empty, but quickly realized there was a little person in there moving around. Twin left looks a little squished in these photos but he or she is the same size as the other one. Unfortunately, it was hard to get good photos. I will have another ultrasound in two weeks, so I will hopefully have better shots then.

This is what we know:

1. There are two babies.

2. I am due in September, but a more accurate date would be the middle of August since I am having twins.

3. They are fraternal, so we could have two boys, two girls, or one of each.

4. We have outgrown our home, our lives, and our sanity, all in the span of an hour in an OB/GYN's office.

Brendan knows because he had to go with us. He is now running around screaming: "We're having twoooooo babies!"

So...wish us luck. 2009 will be a VERY interesting year for family Welly!

We're Doomed

2008-06-25T13:20:00.000-04:00

What do you do when a three year old is already figuring out your parenting tricks? This is an actual conversation Brendan and I had in the store the other day.

Brendan: Mommy, look at that.

Mommy: Mmmhmm.

Brendan: Mommy, I have to tell you something important that I hate.

Mommy: Mmmhmm.

Brendan: I hate it when you say "mmmhmm" when I am talking at you. That means you are not listening to me.

Eric and I are doomed. Doomed...

First Trip To The Dentist

2008-05-14T16:56:00.000-04:00

I'm sure some of you are laughing just reading this. You KNOW my thoughts on the dentist. I think anyone who wants to do that for a living definitely has something wrong upstairs. Of course, if you're my dentist, I'm paying for you to have a nice vacation home and all the $4/gallon gasoline you could want, so it's all good.

Anyway, so the kid was creeping closer to three and I knew it was time. I started checking with friends to get recommendations for a pediatric dentist. I thought that might be best since Brendan was already saying he didn't want to go. In the meantime, I chipped a crown and the tooth it is set in (don't ask). I was already in there, so I asked my dentist which pediatric dentist he recommends. He told me the best in town is his ex-wife. The look on my face must've said it all. He told me that she is the best and he was really serious. So, I called her. I figured if he obviously couldn't get along with her personally but recommends her professionally, she must be good.

May 7th was the day. I got Brendan all psyched up with stories of how the dentist was going to make his teeth so clean and nice, blah blah. All the while the entire inside of my body felt like Jello with the thought of watching my kid in the torture chair. I was expecting tears and panic and generally disastrous results. However, he did great. He sat right in the chair and wanted me to take a picture so daddy could see what a big boy he was. He kept asking if he was done and she kept reassuring him that he was almost done. The dental floss totally freaked him out and he began to cry a little. Overall, he did really well for a 3 year old. The dentist even commented on how well he did for his first time. He got a plastic toy spider and a bracelet for his trouble.

I had promised Brendan that we would do something fun if he was a good boy at the dentist. After the dentist we went to Build A Bear and made a black Lab named (what else?) Stanley. We even got a Red Wings jersey and shorts for Stanley to wear. We go back to the dentist again in November for cleaning #2!

The Kid is 3!!

2008-05-14T16:46:00.000-04:00

It seems hard to believe that Brendan is officially 3 years old. It's so fun watching him grow and seeing his personality develop. This was the most fun birthday yet because he finally "got" it. We just did the normal party at our house with friends and family. The highlight for him was when my aunt and uncle had balloons delivered to our house for him. The Spongebob cake was a big hit too. Afterwards we went out for Mexican food with Eric's family. Brendan got to wear a sombrero that probably weighed more than he did. Usually he won't have anything to do with a hat, but he loved that one.

He had his checkup yesterday at the pediatrician. He is 41 inches tall and 34 lbs. The doctor said he looks great and is doing very well.

The Eagle Has Landed

2008-04-24T14:53:00.000-04:00

We have a bald eagle in our neighborhood. Probably more than one, because there's a nest across the water. It sits in a tree near the river and looks for prey in the water and along the riverbank. The old men I chat with in the park sometimes while I'm walking Stanley tell me they've seen it pick up prey and carry it off. Of course, which old man you're talking to depends on which version of the story you get. Sometimes the prey is a small carp or bass from the water, other times it's a German Shepherd and sometimes it's a Volkswagen.

The eagle is sort of the celebrity of the neighborhood. Everyone's talking about it, and everyone wants to know what it's up to at all times. The people who haven't seen it yet are jealous.

I think I might even be stalking it. I sometimes cruise by the tree just to see if he or she is "home". I think about it when I'm walking my dog, and I feel compelled to see if the eagle is out for me to look at. I'm like a 15 year old girl calling my crush's house and hanging up. It's just fascinating. I love watching it in the tree. I've never seen an eagle in the wild before, and these things are just big and cool. It really doesn't move much; just moving it's head back and forth surveying the scene. I'm dying to see it take off, but so far it's just been sitting in the tree when I've seen it. I hope it continues to hang around the neighborhood, because it's cool and we need a little touch of celebrity in Northwest Ohio besides Jamie Farr & Katie Holmes.

Can We Fix It? Yes, We Can!

2008-04-18T12:37:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that my kid lives for two things: Bob the Builder & Lightning McQueen. When my mom told me that there was a traveling Bob the Builder exhibit coming to science & children's museums around the country, I knew we had to go. The closest one coming up was Grand Rapids, MI, which is a three hour hike. So...last week Mom and I packed the kid in the car and set off.

First of all, the car experience. Since all of our family lives elsewhere, he is a good little car traveler. However, now that he's older, he's become quite the tyrant in the car. My mom and I were forced to listen to the theme highlights CD from Spongebob Squarepants...over and over and over. The CD is 20 minutes long, so imagine how it was hearing it 3 times an hour. If you ever want to test your mental health on the cheap, buy this CD and play it repeatedly: http://www.amazon.com/SpongeBob-Squarepants-Original-Theme-Highlights/dp/B00005NKK1

The hotel: Brendan just totally didn't "get" it. He thought we were at another house of my mom's. He kept asking why she had so many pillows and why she had a big pool at her house. We tried to explain several times, but he was mystified. He did like that Holiday Inn Express has a Froot Loops dispenser on their breakfast bar. If you want to impress a 2 year old, have Froot Loops. His favorite thing about the hotel was that mommy helped him "vump" (jump) on the bed. Mommy doesn't really do that at home.

Bob the Builder was like heaven for 2 year olds. It was basically science-themed Bob exhibits but the hit for Brendan was life-sized replicas of Bob's team for the kids to play on. Like a good mom, I took photos of him on all of them: Dizzy, Roley, Bob, Wendy, Muck, Scoop, Lofty and Benny. Is it bad that I was able to rattle all of those off without thinking about it? Too many Bob the Builder episodes for me, I think.

After Bob the Builder, we spent a lot of time at "Fuckee Fee" (Chuck E. Cheese for those of you without 2 year olds). He loves to go there and play games and ride. He was SO excited because he hit the jackpot on one of the machines and he got 35 tickets at once. He was jumping up and down and pointing. He won over 1200 tickets on that visit, so it was a big deal for him!

Ice cream: We went to get ice cream. Getting him to choose is like waiting for someone to make a life and death decision. He ponders his choices as if it's the only thing in the world worth thinking about. Finally, he chose some frightening neon monstrosity in the primary colors. It looked like Play Doh. He was also thrilled because they had a kid-sized table. He got his ice cream, and proudly went over to the "big boy table", as he called it. The first time he went to pull the spoon out of the ice cream to get a bite, the scoop of ice cream plopped out and onto the floor. My quiet and mild-mannered child let out a blood curdling scream and pointed at the ice cream on the floor as if he were looking at a corpse. The lady made him another one, but he wouldn't go anywhere near that pint-sized table after that. It was as if the table caused his bad karma with the ice cream.

We ended up staying 2 nights and spent both of them at Chuck E. Cheese. You haven't lived till you've spent two evenings at Chuck E. Cheese with a bunch of screaming, rude children during cold season, not to mention the pizza ovens putting out heat like a blast furnace. For as bad as their pizza tastes, why not just microwave it and save your guests the sauna action??

For those of you who live far away, if Bob comes to your town, I highly recommend paying him a visit. Project Build It was a hit with my kid. If you bring a paintbrush or a paint roller, you'll get one free admission per family. As another side note, the Grand Rapids Children's Museum was very cool too. If you get the chance, it's another good place to go.

Can we fix it? Yes, we can!

This Rock Star Will Self-Destruct In 5 Minutes

2008-04-17T14:40:00.000-04:00

So...music. Everyone knows I love it. No surprise there. I started this entry back on April 8th, but I thought it sucked so I scrapped it and started over again. I started it because I wanted to commemorate the 14th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's body being found. Not to be morbid; more because I'm truly curious what would have happened had he lived, and I'm truly sad that he died. He was 27 when he died. That's just young; way too young. He left behind a very young child, and I imagine there will always be a hole in her life where her dad should be. I still remember the way I felt when he was found dead. I thought Nirvana was this crazy and cool new sound; way different from the hair metal I had been listening to up to that point. Once Nirvana came on the scene, it changed my thought process about music. I stopped listen to the "party, girls, booze" type stuff and started listening to things that were much more introspective.

I have a coworker that I chat with a lot about music. He's my parents' age, and he's very, very religious so our views sometimes are divergent. He likes some pretty cool music, but he doesn't know much about the people who make it. I've always been one of those people who feels that you have to know where the artist is coming from to "get" their music. I do a lot of research on musicians I love. It helps me enjoy their music 100 times more just knowing who they are and what their lives have been like. I was the one who burst my coworker's bubble that James Taylor hadn't lived a white picket fence life and had been a raging heroin addict. I have that effect on people. Maybe next week I'll tell him how Elvis died. ;)

Anyway, one night we were discussing music and the people who make it when the subject of self-destruction came up. We both had different thoughts about WHY so many creative people are hellbent on hurting themselves. He thinks it's the lifestyle. Do I think the lifestyle helps? No. However, I think there's more to it. I think that the creative arts attract tortured people. To be creative, I think one has to have a certain amount of pain inside trying to get out and vying for attention.

The interesting thing about Kurt Cobain is that he just liked playing music by all accounts. Fame was actually the worst thing that could've happened to him. He didn't handle the spotlight well and didn't enjoy being looked up to, according to those who knew him best. It does make me curious why someone like Cobain even wanted a recording contract. I've heard it's because he never thought Nirvana would get famous. It still makes me think...

I think certain people are just self destructive because they want to be, because they don't cope well with life or because their lives have just been too full of pain to continue. Kurt Cobain would've bottomed out on drugs, alcohol, or some other vice if he had been Kurt Cobain, real estate agent in Omaha, NE. Jim Morrison would've led a troubled life even if he'd taken a different path. There are scores more, and it's worth considering what would've happened if those people had lived. A lot of really creative people die young and some by their own hand. Janis Joplin, Hendrix, Morrison and Cobain were all 27. That's really just at the beginning of life. What would've happened to them, to us, to the arts in general had they lived? What else would Kurt Cobain have accomplished? He'd be 41 now. What would he be doing? Would he still be famous? Krist Novoselic & Dave Grohl have said Nirvana died with Cobain (which on a personal note, is what I feel should happen with any band when the singer leaves or dies. John Corabi or Gary Cherone with Motley Crue, anyone?). Would Nirvana have continued had he lived?

There are absolutely scores more celebrities who have lived lives that could be called ticking time bombs. Brad Nowell was 28 when he died. He overdosed before his group's major label debut was even released. Would it have still produced hits if he'd lived, or was morbid curiosity the cause of its success?

Would Jim Morrison have continued to write music and live a nomadic lifestyle? Would The Doors still be performing together like the rest of the members are doing now? The "New" Doors, anyone? Didn't think so...

Is this just pretentious pontificating on my part? Thoughts?

The Mild Side

2008-04-02T15:00:00.000-04:00

So, it takes me forever to fall asleep at night. From the time I crawl into bed to the time I fall asleep it's seldom less than an hour. While I wait for sleep, I think. Sometimes about what I've done that day, sometimes about what I have to do the next day. Sometimes I plan out scrapbook layouts in my head or silently will myself to hurry up and fall asleep.

The other night in the midst of this process I started thinking about how my life has changed since I became a mom. Before I became "Brendan's Mommy" I was just Sarah. I liked to go to concerts, travel and have a few drinks with friends. I still enjoy those things, but life has taken a different turn so that those things matter less. An enjoyable day now might be spent looking for bugs in the grass or playing with Play-Doh. Having a child allows the parent to revisit his or her childhood all over again with the benefit of hindsight.

In effect, my life has gone from the Wild Side to the Mild Side, and that's ok. I was never a person who had a career path that was set in stone in my head. I was never one of those people who woke up in the morning knowing that someday I was going to be a nurse or a teacher. All I've really ever known is that I wanted to be a mom. The rest is just details.