cleaning help

I'm on the look-out for cleaning help again.

Years ago, when DH & I were first married, we had a fantastic cleaning lady. She was referred to us by a friend, and she was wonderful. She was willing to do anything . . . she cleaned out the refrigerator, organized cabinets, folded laundry, did the dishes, etc. Her hourly rate was unbelievably reasonable, and she was fast! I loved her! But, unfortunately, we moved away from the area.

When we first lived in AZ, and I started working part-time, we hired M*rry M*ids. They did basic cleaning only - no dishes, or laundry, etc. but they did a good job of major cleaning and it was worth the $$$ we paid to have them come twice a month. It was nothing like our previous cleaning lady - but it was worth it to us. I can't remember exactly when we stopped using them, but I'm sure it was because our finances had taken a hit.

Fast forward 7 years and I'm looking for another great referral. I can't keep up and I can't stand the mess. I want (and need?) someone who will come in and take care of the dishes and basics -- but I'm willing to have someone who will come and do major cleaning only.

I'm fortunate that my husband is not the type to complain or snipe . . . but I do believe we all deserve a nice house to live in. I'm just not capable right now of doing it, and I realize I need to ask for help. DH is willing, to a point, but he's busy with work and outside chores. It doesn't make me less of a wife or mother . . . it will make me a better wife and mother when I don't have the added stress of not being able to stay on top of things! (Can you hear me trying to convince myself of this? arggghhhh)

feeling pukey

I know I posted that my morning sickness had seemed to disappear . . . but it came back with a vengenance. I wonder if I had a mild virus before (which I thought was morning sickness) and now the real deal is settling in.

It's funny to me how each pregnancy has been so different. I had hardly any symptoms with C (thus not knowing he was coming until I was 28 weeks along). With N, I was throwing up so regularly that when I headed to the bathroom, C would begin to mimic me throwing up (he was 11-13 months old at the worst of it). To be honest, I don't really remember the last one if I had much morning sickness or not? And, this time, I feel pukey all the time, but it never gets past that stage. All I want to do though, is sit and try not to move.

Today, though, I'm feeling pretty good.

We have had a blast the last couple days finally swimming in our pool. Of course, the weather has taken a turn and cooler temps are settling in. DH plans to pick up a solar cover so hopefully we'll be able to use the pool a while longer. I'm excited that the yard is coming together - but it still needs so much more! ARGH! We need about 20 tons of rock to fill in, I need to amend the garden soil, I need to replace the plants that died over the summer on the garden side, we need to repair and stain the playfort. Ok, looking at the list it doesn't seem like that much . . . but we're looking at a few thousand dollars (and that's doing all the labor ourselves.) OUCH.

No more complaining. No more complaining. No more complaining. It'll all fall together as it is supposed to :)

unknowns

This past week has been pretty useless. I let Wednesday's ultrasound bum me out, even though I realize that it might be perfectly right. I may only be 5 weeks along! But, my morning sickness has also pretty much disappeared . . . and 5 weeks seems pretty early for that to abate.

We did homeschooling this week, but it was very laid back. I didn't clean house at all, or do laundry . . . but I am in the midst of piles of clean laundry right now. I also plan to give the house a quick run through this evening after the boys are in bed, so we can start the week off with clean clothes, and a neat home.

The highlight of the week was our plants being delivered and planted in the backyard around the pool! The pool is still not finished, but if all goes well - it SHOULD be next week.

The weather is starting to cool off - which means trips to the Botanical Gardens and the Zoo are in our near future. I'm hoping that we can make a visit next week to at least one of those places. I've missed them over the summer ;)

This coming week WILL be better. There is nothing I can do, and moping/worrying won't change reality. I need to pick up and carry on. I need to move forward, assume the baby is growing as it should, and do all I can to remain healthy and positive.

ultrasound

I had an ultrasound this morning.

The tech saw an empty gestational sac - which would be typical for around 5 weeks. Since I don't know when I conceived, I'm dated at 5 weeks - due date of 5/16/2007.

I thought I was farther along than that. If that date is accurate, I had a positive hpt around 8-9 days after conception. Not impossible, but not likely either.

This suddenly feels very similar to my last pregnancy, which ended in a miscarriage. DH tells me that we need to remain positive.

I don't have much choice but to wait and see. I see my OB on the 25th and we'll see what she thinks / finds. I'm sure I'll be going for another ultrasound in early October and then we'll have a better idea of what's happening.

This also means that if that date IS correct, I'm very early and at higher risk for the dental work.

I'm tired.

dental fun

After my recent tooth extraction, I had another tooth break. I found myself referred for 2 root canals and crown lengthening (a process where they cut away the gum and some bone to expose more tooth to fasten the crowns.) The 2 referral appointments were made before I found out about my pregnancy.

The appointment last week with the specialist for the crown lengthening was okay - I knew I was pregnant, and she was fine waiting until the 2nd trimester. My appointment today with the endodontist was not as good. He recommended doing the work as soon as possible, and while he prefers not to do any work on pregnant women, he didn't think I should even wait until my 2nd trimester. The root canals could cause a miscarriage, an infection might occur if I wait much longer, and THAT might cause a miscarriage. He also told me he will not prescribe any painkillers because they cross the placenta.

So, I don't have much choice, do I? I've been trying to google to see if there are any risks OTHER than miscarriage (while that may be the worst risk -- am I risking birth defects?) and I haven't gotten any clear answers.

I still don't see my OB for 2 more weeks. I called and did beg for an ultrasound, though -- at least if I know my dates I can have an idea of how far I can push the remaining dental work needed. My most liberal estimate has me about 8 1/2 weeks pregnant right now; my most conservative estimate puts me at 5 weeks. I am having an ultrasound on Wednesday. None of the dentists will do any work until they receive an "OK" from my OB, and I'm hoping that she won't make me wait until after my appointment in 2 weeks. Or maybe I'm hoping she will? I don't know right now.

I'm asking for prayers - and also any dental knowledge anyone might share.

Things I'm Grateful For

In no particular order . . . (inspired by Rachel)

1. My DH
2. My 2 happy, healthy boys
3. Netflix
4. enough money to take care of all the basics, plus some extras
5. homeschooling
6. my family and all their support
7. gentle, cooler winds outside
8. our local library
9. dental insurance
10. kisses and hugs from my children
11. unexpected emails from friends
12. a working washer and dryer
13. our newly installed spa
14. late night snuggle with DH
15. the sound of my children's laughter

Fine Art Friday #13

Mother Nursing Her Child (Aline and Pierre)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
1886

This is one of my all-time favorite paintings. I love the sweet look on Aline's face, the plumpness of them both, the soft colors and the joy of being outdoors.

caught up

I'm happy to say that after a slow start this week, we managed to almost catch up with what I wanted to accomplish. The only thing lacking is the completion of the art project -- and that's because I can't find the supplies! I bought some remnants last week, and left them in the van. When I went to get them . . . they were gone! Which probably means that B took them out. I just don't know where he put them, and he claims he didn't touch them. (I'm sure he did, and he put them down, but it never registered in his head that he even had them, since he didn't even know what they were. He was trying to help by bringing things in out of the van.) I'm sure they'll turn up quickly, but I was hit with a wave of exhaustion late afternoon and decided to leave it be.

Tomorrow I've got our mom's group meeting and then the boys would like to visit the natural history museum.

still here

Hmmm, I drop my news and then disappear for a bit! Sorry about that!

Thanks for all the well-wishes! I know some of you had a hard time leaving a comment -- this change to blogger beta clearly has some bugs! I have had a hard time logging in, and commenting as well :( Hopefully it'll be fixed soon! My email link is always on the far right, near the top, if you want to send me a message. (Suzanne - can you read more than the top 1/2 of the screen now? I'm still not sure why it was doing that?)

I had planned to wait to tell others about the pregnancy, but I told my parents last weekend and they were thrilled. I also told my sister and was able to catch my brother online to tell him (vs. sending him an email - this way we got to converse.) They are all happy.

We also told the boys. They are very excited and keep talking about "our baby" non-stop. C imediately told me to stop eating sugar because we had to keep that baby healthy. He was also concerned that we pray more for this baby so that God doesn't decide to take it away to heaven before it's born. B & I have tried to talk to him and tell him that I didn't miscarry the last baby because we didn't pray enough - but in his 5.5 year old mind - he can't be convinced. N is a little more matter-of-fact; he declared "Well, if this baby doesn't live, then POOF, it'll be an angel like the last one. It just happens sometimes!"

Yea, I think I would have cried even if I wasn't pumped full of pregnancy hormones!

That's it, though. I have a doctor's appointment in late September, and then there'll be an ultrasound to determine dates. Once I know how far along I am, I'll know when to announce to other people. I think I'll wait until the 2nd trimester to do a "family & friends" announcement.

Homeschooling is going slow this week. I feel puke-y, the house isn't neat, and I haven't done the prep work for some of the projects I wanted to accomplish. I planned on today being a big catch-up day, but it's 11:30 and I still haven't done any prep work. SO, here's to making the push to get some work done!

surprise

I've been feeling funny the last few weeks. Food hasn't tasted right, and my stomach has been feeling pukey. I realized at the gym this week that I've lost a few pounds. (something I could stand to do - but I hadn't been working at it.)

A month or so ago I picked up a pack of pregnancy tests on clearance and had them in the bathroom. My cycles are very irregular (anywhere from 45 days to 8 months) so I like to have a few on hand.

And, sure enough, last night, 2 lines came up on the test almost immediately. (I always lose weight in the first trimester - which is why the gym weight was a clue for me.)

From what I know, I likely conceived in early August, so we're looking at a new baby sometime in April.

For the first time, I waited until B was home before telling him. (the previous 3 times I told him over the phone.) I decided I wanted to see his face this time. He was stunned and happy. It's been 2 1/2 years since my miscarriage and this is the first pregnancy since then. I'm a little nervous about miscarrying again, but I realize there's not much I can do.

I'm also concerned about my age (39 in November) and the fact that this baby won't have a built-in playmate like C & N do. N will be almost 5 years old, and while I know they will love their new sibling - I know how close and inseparable they are, which is aided by the fact they're only 18 months apart. I'm also worried about the family dynamic. This last year it has gotten so much easier with no diapers, no naps, etc. etc. It'll be interesting to be thrown back into that again.

But, what a blessing! My parents have planned a family reunion and big 40th wedding anniversary party next summer in WI; so we'll be going with a new family member. I'm not sure when I'm going to tell them - I think I'll wait until I visit the doctor and have a clearer picture of when the baby is due.

Fine Art Friday #12

Laundresses Carrying Linen in Town
Edgar Degas
c. 1876-78

I love the bright yellow wall in this painting, and I can feel the pain in these women's backs and hips from carrying those large loads of laundry. I chose this one because I have a mountain of laundry to get through myself . . .

August's Reading List

As expected, a good portion of my reading this month was taken up by Dickens' A Bleak House. It was long and difficult to read in parts, but I'm glad I read it. I do love the lengthy descriptions he used and while there were almost too many characters to keep track of - it was still a worthwhile read.

My favorite book this month was Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. It was a fascinating book about a woman homesteader (duh, obviously!) in the early 1900's. I liked it so much that I sent a copy to my mom because I know she would love it too! I also requested another of her books from the library and actually got the call today that it was available.

Here's the complete list:

**** Bleak House by Charles Dickens

*** Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich. Her Stephanie Plum novels make me laugh out loud. Her romance novels aren't quite as funny, but still an entertaining read . . . and I really don't read many romance novels as it is.

***** Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart

**** Magdalene by Angela Hunt. Interesting look at who she might have been in the Bible. Well-written.

** Islands by Anne Siddons. This book was okay. I'm a little torn about it -- while at times it felt that there was a lot of character development, it also lacked quite a bit as well. I didn't like the ending at all; and I don't believe the characters would have played out as she wrote.

*** Lilah by Marek Halter. Another fictionalized biblical story. I didn't enjoy it as much as Magdalene, but maybe that's because I'm not familiar with Lilah's story at all from the Old Testament.

All Books Read in 2006