Rachzilla

Rachel + 37 weeks pregnant + Hot weather + 10000% humidity + demanding Audrey = Rachzilla

Watch out world!

Did I ever mention that I really and truly do not enjoy being pregnant? I keep imagining going into the hospital and demanding to be induced. I think I am 2 steps away from going totally insane. In case you can't tell, I do not handle pain or discomfort well. I would have been a really bad pioneer.

No-Go

Today I had a Dr's appointment. I saw the nurse instead of the Dr, and I asked her if he would induce me early...she said not unless there are health concerns. I talked to her about my hips and back...but apparently they weren't good enough reasons. So I guess it is up to Phoenix when he comes. Hopefully he follows Audrey's lead and comes early. I am ready to have this baby!

Skin Care

I went in for a skin treatment on Thursday (consisting of microdermabrasion and a "mild" chemical peel)and I learned a few things from the lady that I thought I would pass along. These should apply to everyone, no matter what your skin type/condition is.

1. Wash your hands before you wash your face
2. Wash your face in the sink, not the shower (she said washing your face in the shower is just rinsing your face, not washing it)
3. Use gauze (she called them sponges, but they are really just squares of gauze) to wash your face. (put the face wash on the sponge/gauze and then rub it in circular motions on your face). This method works much better to clean the makeup and grit off your face.
4. ALWAYS wear sunscreen, especially on your face. There was this box that you could look into with a mirror and a special light and you can see all of the sun damage on your face. Let's just say my face was entirely covered in freckles! So, even if you think the sun isn't damaging your skin, it really is. Wear sunglasses to protect your eye area.
5. Use good quality products on your face. I started using Dermalogica products about 2 months ago and I saw a dramatic difference in my skin. Even using them the first time I felt a difference. So, they may cost more money, but I would definately say it is money well spent.

I was interested to learn some of these things, so I thought some of my loyal readers would take an interest as well.

Angel Girl

Traveling with kids is no picnic, but the after-effects are the worst to deal with. I went to NY for about a week (May 13-19) and of course Audrey came with me. Ever since we got back to NC Audrey was very needy, extremely clingy, and sometimes impossible to deal with, and did I mention that her attitude was off the charts? That was a result of her missing sleep for the one week that I was in NY.

Two days ago she finally started acting like her normal, sweet self. I am so happy. I love being around her when she is like this. The good thing about going through the rough patches with her is that I appreciate the good times so much more.

LiMe GrEen...

...is a fun color for candy, Popsicles, shoes, but not for a Dr's exam room. What possessed my Dr. to have the exam rooms painted lime green and bright orange? Shouldn't the goal be to feel calm, and relaxed? I wonder if I should say something to him about it or not.

I had a Dr's appointment yesterday. Everything is looking good. The Dr. said he thinks the baby has dropped. Then he lectured me on when to go and when not to go to the hospital (I am guessing it is a pet peeve of his when people go into the hospital when they aren't in real labor). When I was in labor with Audrey they sent me home the first time I went to the hospital, and I cried. This time I am definitely not going in until I know for sure I will be admitted. Also, yesterday marked one month exactly from my due date. Audrey's Dr. predicts that the baby will be born July 4th. I can deal with that, as long as the baby is not late-- I am pretty sure that would kill me.

Overcoming and Outgrowing

This week Audrey overcame two major fears that she has (public restrooms and Dr's visits). We went to a public pool and she had to go to the bathroom...which presented a problem because she won't usually even let me use the bathroom with her. I told her to just go in the pool (one more kid's pee wouldn't make any difference) but she was too civilized to do that (what kind of parent am I?). So I took her to the toilet and we made an agreement that I would wait for her to leave the stall to flush the toilet. It turns out it is the loud flushing that really scares her. Well, that worked! She used the bathroom another two times after that, which is saying a lot (public swimming pools are not known for good looking bathrooms).

Today we took Audrey to the Dr's because she has been having constipation issues ever since the post I did on her constipation (at least 2 months ago). Normally at the Dr's she would scream and fight and say "leave me here, leave me here" (referring to the waiting room) but today she was very calm. I explained to her before we went that the Dr was going to help make her stomach feel better. She sat in Travis's lap almost the entire time we were in the examination room (she goes to him when she is really scared) but she didn't cry once. Maybe it is because the last time she went to the Dr's he didn't give her a shot, or maybe it is because her Daddy was there to offer her strength.

I am so proud of Audrey because these two things have been rather large issues for a while.

Baby BUMP

I am pretty sure I know the real reason a pregnant belly is referred to as a "baby bump". It is because you bump into EVERYTHING with your protruding stomach (or at least I do). You would think you get used to it after a few months, but I guess years of having a flatter mid-section get you in the habit of moving around more freely than a Buddha belly allows. So, if I accidentally bump into you...now you know why.

Tornado

My house is messy. Really really messy. Like a tornado blew threw and there were no survivors messy. 4+ loads of laundry to fold, dirty diapers scattered upstairs and down, sink full of dishes, sticky kitchen floor...do you get the picture? Don't get me started on our bedroom/bathroom! Now...if I could only work up the courage to tackle it all.

Seeing the Doctor

I had a Dr.'s appointment on Tuesday. I should mention before I go on that I have been planning on talking to Dr. into inducing me 1-2 weeks early (I am not going to lie...being pregnant bites). On my first visit he told me that I would not be able to have a big baby, so my argument for getting induced early was to make sure that the baby wouldn't be too big. Well, on Tuesday he said that I was measuring small and he wanted to get another ultrasound. So...I am pretty sure I will have to think of a new argument. Everything looked fine in the ultra sound. The Ultra sound Tech asked me if the Doctor said I was having a boy (Audrey kept talking about her baby brother), and I said yes. Then the tech started shaking her head and saying "Doctor Lane..." so of course I got very excited at the thought that I would be having another girl. Alas, after the baby moved a minute later the tech said the Dr. was probably right that it was a boy. Still, it was an exciting two minutes. So I have about 6 weeks till my due date (July 8th) but if things go as planned and the baby is born June 21st, that is less than a month away! June 21st you ask? OK, so I am a MAJOR nerd (like I have to tell you that) and I really like multiples of 7, 21 being one of those. Also, the only thing I ever learned and retained from earth science was the solstices, June 21st being the summer solstice. We are planning on naming him Phoenix, so I think being born on the summer solstice would be appropriate. My favorite thing about the city Phoenix is that it is sunny roughly about 360 days of the year.

So, to sum it up, the baby is small but healthy, he is still a boy, and I hope he is born on June 21st.

The Skinny

Yeah, I know, I have been absent for way too long. But I have a good excuse (I think so anyway). I went to NY for a week and then two of my wonderful sisters came down to NC the next week. And for the last two days I have been trying to get some pictures off of my camera...unsuccessfully. I am not sure what the problem is. So, I will do this post without the pictures I was planning on.

While I was in NY I got to spend time with my family. Between Jessie, Jo, my Mom, and my Dad and my brothers, I got to relax a lot of the time (Audrey would go to them when she wanted something...not me). Joanna even put her in time out a few times! Me and Jo sang a few Christmas carols in opera voices (she played the piano), I ate some delish ribs that were smoking all day, compliments of Ben, and I got to rejuvenate myself. In the past I have had to lay down with Audrey to get her to go to sleep when we would visit my parents, but this time she actually kicked me out of the room "don't lay down for me" which means "don't lay down with me" is what she would say to me. I fully took advantage of that. I also got to spend some time with my friends Jill and Cherrie. They are literally the only people I keep in contact with from high school, which means they are especially good friends.

Jessie flew down to NC with me and Audrey. Can I just say that it is so much easier to travel with another adult when you have a toddler? Jess helped out a lot. I also tripped over the stroller in the terminal. I am usually pretty clumsy, but I can catch myself before I totally wipe out. Not this time. Embarressed you ask? Yes, I was. Luckily only two other people saw. I laughed at the time, but I probably would have cried if I was alone. Moral of the story: don't push a folded up stroller in front of you, it is much safer to drag it.

Me, Jess, Trav, and Audrey went Strawberry picking the day after we got to NC. The strawberries were the most delicious strawberries I have ever tasted (yes Jo, we will go again when you come). Audrey kept herself busy tasting as many berries as she could. Leah flew in that night. We went to the beach the next day, and although it was sunny outside, it was too windy to be ideal beach weather for me (I like the sweltering hot, sun so bright you can feel your skin crisping, sweating so much you have to get in the water to cool down kind of weather for the beach). It happend to be Leah's birthday so I made her her favorite chocolate cake, and it turned out rather well if I do say so myself. I might have to make another one soon. The rest of the week was fun, how could it not be with my sisters in town? Hopefully I will get my camera working so that I can post some pictures soon.

Daddy Daughter Date

I had an appointment out where Travis was working today, so I asked Travis if he could meet me and watch Audrey for an hour, he immediately agreed and then he said that he would take her out for lunch at a place with a playground (McDonalds). He talked to Audrey on the phone this morning to tell her about his plans. When she got off the phone she could stop talking about Old McDonalds Farm (aka McDonalds) and how much fun her and Daddy were going to have. So I met Travis as planned and he took Audrey out. When I was done and Travis brought Audrey back she was totally exhausted, but she said that she had a really fun time. Now she is taking her much needed nap. We should do this sort of thing more often...

Day at the BeAcH

Last Saturday Travis decided that we should go to the beach. We couldn't leave until about 2 in the afternoon, so we got there a bit later than I would have liked. The good news is that a lot of people were already gone from the beach, so the cigarette smoke was minimal (seriously, who still allows smoking in public?).

I love pictures like this...
One of the first things Audrey did when we got to the beach was make a sand angel. She loves playing in the sand.
Travis and Audrey dug this hole and Audrey insisted on being buried. Travis had to re-dig the hole about 6 times and then bury her.
It was fun to do something together as a family. We all love going to the beach, and Travis didn't bring his surfboard so that meant some quality one on one time with Audrey (I got to relax).