the girl who is a shutterbug

Today I finally did a little photo shoot I had been planning for a while with 11. I had all of these ideas in my head about what I wanted to do, but an infant's tolerance of Mommy's notions of artistic photography is low. Very low. Particularly when there are wardrobe changes. So I was able to get a few shots worth keeping, but not as many as I would have liked.

This frilly little outfit is courtesy of his Great-Grandmother on dh's side. She bought this for us when I was pregnant with Z. Each of the boys have worn it home from the hospital. He broke that streak though because the nurses at the NICU insisted I dress him in something warmer (even in July) because of his fluctuating control over his temperature. Still, They've each had their pictures taken in it if nothing else and one of them will get it for their children to wear. I like that we are going to have our own traditions.








I took these pictures in what passes as my backyard. It was shady and I worried about the light, but I worried more about what any passers-by might think should I venture onto the defunct golf course behind my house to get pictures in the sunshine. Particularly when I stripped off the frilly white confection and took pictures of him in the all together. Yeah, the only way to get myself out of that one is if the police officer who comes to investigate the infant sacrifice on the golf course report is a scrapper too. Then I'd just get an understanding look and we;d wind up talking for three hours about the latest CHA releases.

Mom, when you got me that pack of pastel paper and animal die cuts, did you ever think this hobby would become a way to torture your grandchildren? I promise no babies were harmed in the making of these pictures!









I took today off from work and used it as an appointment day. I had three appointments scheduled and only ended up keeping one. Frustrating.

Appointment Number One was 11's circumcision. That fell through because of an insurance snafu I am still trying to work out and probably will be for awhile longer.

Appointment Number Two was for my little Bulldozer, Matthew, who managed to give himself ANOTHER black eye last week. His legs are more black and blue than flesh colored so I wanted to just make sure he had a case of "Boy-itis" and nothing more sinister. We have some blood work to finish to rule out the nasties, like leukemia, but the pediatrician isn't leaning that way. It's just a CYA sort of thing. After examining him, she proclaimed him "All Boy" and said part of his problem was having older brothers to keep up with.








So that leads us to Appointment #3. Yesterday I did the same appointment with Mr. 2 and Mr. 3 and let me tell you, it took three hours, the waiting room was filled to overflowing with cranky kids and cranky parents and did I mention it took three hours? I had all of the boys with me except Z who was in school and I had a heckuva time keeping my public Mommy face and manners on. I came home and just collapsed. Well, I had no childcare today and I was SO not up for doing that again only this time with Z tagging along, so an hour before my appointment I called and rescheduled.

Trust me, EVERYONE benefits this way.

I think I'm going to go back full time soon. I am so going to miss having Little E with me. But it must be done.









The last picture is for my pals Jim and Holly who sent me these uber rockin' little tees for little E. Adorable, right? So they are a trifle large right now, they still RAWK!


And to wrap up this mundane little post of mine, I have a funny to share. I swiped it off 2Peas.

The boss of a Madison Avenue advertising agency called a spontaneous staff meeting in the middle of a particularly stressful week. (This is one pretty sharp boss!) When everyone gathered, the boss, who understood the benefits of having fun, told the burnt out staff the purpose of the meeting was to have a quick contest.

The theme: Viagra advertising slogans. The only rule was they had to use past ad slogans, originally written for other products that captured the essence of Viagra. Slight variations were acceptable.

• The top 10 were:
  
• 
  
• 10. Viagra, Whaazzzz up!
• 9. Viagra, The quicker pecker picker upper.
• 8. Viagra, like a rock!
• 7. Viagra, When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
• 6. Viagra, Be all that you can be.
• 5 . Viagra, Reach out and touch someone.
• 4. Viagra, Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.
• 3. Viagra, Home of the whopper!
  
• 2. Viagra, We bring good things to Life!
• 
  
• And the unanimous number one slogan:
• 
  
• 1. This is your peepee. This is your peepee on drugs.
• (although I'm pretty sure they didn't use "peepee" Still, my Mother reads my blog so I'll keep the vernacular PG)

Hope that made at least one person giggle!

the girl who is going crazy

Matthew is in his "why" phase. (Please God, let this be a phase. A short one.) Every action or request for action inevitably ends with "why-y-y-y-y-y-y?" in a particularly piercing tone of toddler that can only be described as dog whistle meets dolphin meets the Macarena. (Translation: high, piercing and extremely annoying)

What has worked with the other two (well, really only Zack, Ian hasn't succumbed to this phase. I'm still waiting) was to answer the "why?" with a detailed explanation. I mean really detailed. Bore the paint off of walls detailed. And no dumbing it down either. Just the facts. All of them. This doesn't work with Mouseling. Particularly since most of his why's are in response to such basic requests as "Go clean your room" "Stop hitting your brother" and "When feeding the kitty, do NOT put his food dish inside the litter box." (you think I'm kidding on the last one, don'tcha? Shows how well you know my kids.) My "bore-'em-to-tears-so-they-quit-asking" technique doesn't seem to work here because he just throws himself on the floor in a snit anyway and usually starts the "why" barrage before I'm more than a breath into my explanation. In panic, annoyance and perhaps some primal parenting instinct, I find myself eventually abandoning all hope and simply replying "Because I said so!"

Beyond the "why's" there are the "where's." This is not just Matthew's game. This is ALL of the kiddos. (Well, except 11 of course, but we're not counting him until he can throw himself on the ground in a flurry of tears, pounding fists and shrieking wails) Any time I head to the door to go out, I get the "where are you going?" question. It's like being 16 again! They want to know where I'm going, what I'm going to do while I'm there, and when will I be back. And if its somewhere they WANT to go, they insist on going with me.

Nope. No Way. I am the official errand runner to get me OUT of the house. ALONE. I actually did my first grocery trip with all four yesterday: one in the sling, two in the cart, one running around trying to seem responsible so we'll let him have a bicycle. It wasn't terrible, but it is NOT my favorite thing to do. I'll continue to pawn the kids off on DH and spend the weekend "Momming" with all the saved up errands. Alone.

So I was leaving to go pick up some more milk the other evening and I get the usual barrage at the door. Trying to flummox them, the conversation went a little something like this:

Mouse: "Mommy, where you going?"

Me: "Out."

Mouse: "You go to the grocery store?"

Me: "Nope." (They always want to come shopping. It's cute that after years of being denied, they still cling to the hope I'll actually buy them everything they point at and say "Mommy, I want that!" Of course I'm not going to give them an excuse for a tantrum by spilling the beans of my actual destination. So I lie. There. I admitted it. I lie to my children. And to all of the sanctimonious people who have a problem with that, go ahead. Tell on me to Santa Claus.)

Mouse: "You go to the Dockers?" (translation: Doctor's office. Did I mention the two middle-men are hypochondriacs and enjoy going to the Doctor's?)

Me: "No."

Mouse: "You going..."

Me (cutting him off as I try to sneak out before Ian notices and joins the interrogation): "I'm going crazy. That's where I'm going."

Mouse: "You going crazy?"

Me: "Yep, crazy."

Mouse: "Oh."

then he takes the briefest of pauses while he digests this.

Mouse: "You going to work?"

'Nuff said.

the girl who has a third grader!

My baby started third grade on Monday. And I was NOT allowed to take pictures! (Apparently third grade is when it isn't cool for mom to play paparazzi in front of your friends.) I wasn't allowed to kiss him goodbye either. Hmph!

I really can't believe how big he's gotten! My goodness, I look down at Eli and totally wonder that Zack was ever that small. It seems insane to me.

He has the same teacher as he had last year, which I'm thankful for. She understands. At least understands him enough to not want me to drug him. I was so upset at his first grade teacher who told me on multiple occasions that I needed to have him tested for ADHD. It brought me back to my days with Ms. Besek in the third grade. I have zero fond memories of that woman. At least she tried to manage me by having me moved to fourth grade. As far as I know she never actually tried to drug me!

little man

Another sign of how much Zack has grown--he loves being a big brother to a baby. He is constantly asking to feed or hold the baby and is the first one at Eli's side if he so much as whimpers. He is so proud of his baby brother! At the Open House he was telling everyone about Eli's birth. (I think his teachers were more impressed than he classmates.)

You'll notice I said big brother to a baby. Yeah, the littles are wearing on him. He's a sneaky one though. He constantly scams his brothers out of prized possessions and snacks. I guess that's one of the perks of being the biggest, but I really can't let it continue. If only to spare my ears from the shrieks of "Zacky took this...Zacky did that!"

Eli update:

He had a Dr.'s appointment yesterday and had gained one ounce shy of a pound since his last visit. He has officially lost his "sack of sugar" status and is weighing in at a hefty 5 lb 13 oz. He's also sprouted an inch. Look at those chubby cheeks! I look at this face and I see a LOT of my Opa shining through. Maybe he'll be a musician too.





Taking Eli to work with me is actually working out pretty well. This is his little set up in the corner. That's the cradle my other Gradfather made for the grandchildren and it fits perfectly in that corner. He's usually a calm baby and when he gets fussy, I just put him in the sling and he calms down pretty quickly. Look carefully at this pic--he's SMILING!

And then there is THIS picture. Not something you'd expect from sweet, sensitive little Ian. Who's been teaching him bad habits?

Lol, what really happened is that he has a teeny, tiny cut on his finger and he was showing it to me. Had to take a picture you know, it's one of those things you just are obligated to do.

Plus, his "first pictures" from the hospital shows him giving the feathered salute as well.

He only LOOKS sweet and innocent!

the girl who is nostaligic

It's the summer of 1989 and the family is spread out all over the place. My sister is in Australia as an exchange student, my father is on a business trip in California. It's just me and my Mom for a few weeks of summer. My 15th birthday is fast approaching and my Mom comes to me with a proposition. She really misses my Dad, so how about we go visit him and check out Disneyland? Well, I really didn't think that was the definition of fun. I mean, Disneyland? For my 15th b'day? My teenaged angst wouldn't have such a thing. Besides, if I don't go and my Mom does, I'll have the house all to myself.

Fat chance.

Mom went to CA to be with my Dad and left my sister's bff in charge to "babysit" me. (Basically just spend the night and check in) Pshaw! This is a teen movie waiting to happen! Dreams of popularity and parties danced through my head. They are only thwarted by the fact that I am hardly popular and I really have no network, grapevine, or even idea of HOW to throw that rocking and compulsory "parents are out of town" bacchanal bash.

It's a good thing too, because I was so much of a goodie goodie (although my Mom would disagree) I wouldn't have had any fun at all.

Which explains why I was home, alone on my 15th birthday.

My mother calls me about mid-afternoon to wish me Happy Birthday and tell me where my present was hidden. She directs me to go out to the storage shed in the carport. Since we didn't have a cool cordless phone (still relatively a new thing at the time) I had to lay the phone down, go and hunt and come back.

I searched that storage closet up and down and simply could not find my birthday present! I must have made three trips back and forth from the phone to the shed and back again with no success. I exasperatedly told my Mom, "There's nothing there! Just boxes and luggage and Christmas decorations."

"Julie, the luggage is your gift."

Well, I must admit, I was severely disappointed. Luggage? I'm newly 15 and you get me luggage? I tried not to let my mother know, but I think she figured out I was less than thrilled.

Really? Luggage?

Now, in my parent's defense, they always tried to fulfill both my wants and needs at the same time. Since my sister had received new luggage for her trip to Australia, they figured I must want some too and I would likely need it eventually (it actually got quite the workout my jr and sr year of HS).

Still...LUGGAGE????!!!!

So I decided if my parents weren't going to get me a gift I liked, *I* would get me a gift I liked.

So I called my bff, Laura, and told her that she was going to get me a kitten. Her job was to find a "Free Kittens" ad in the paper and find one for me.

So that is how I got Zephyr, or Zeff.

She was such a cute little kitten-a mackeral tabby with a perfect "M" between her ears. But she was dumb as a box of rocks. Sheesh. She had a habit of running into closed doors. The running joke was that when she backed up to try again, it was because she was just testing to see if it had changed its mind about being solid. The Zephyr of her name referred not just to "gentle western wind" but the gentle wind that must be blowing between her ears, lol!

Over the years she mellowed and, evidentially, gained some wisdom. When I left home, she stayed behind with my parents. She went through a "Vampirella" stage, as my dad called it, when she only went out at night and came inside in the morning to sleep. That ended when she was evidentially attacked by a dog and found bloodied and battered on my parent's front porch
one morning.

As I approached my 30th birthday, it dawned on me that Zephyr was still with us and going strong. A little slower, maybe, but still active and loving. Definitely the Grand Dame of the house. The running joke then became "she doesn't know she's supposed to be dead." Since then, I've just been waiting for the call that she was gone.

That call came today.

She turned 18 in May and was going downhill fast. Skinny as a rail and starting to get that raggedy look, she had taken to being rather indiscriminate about her hygiene (always a bad sign) and started just "letting go" whenever she had the urge. While cleaning up one of her presents yesterday, my Dad noticed what looked like blood in her stool. Being a good animal owner (pets are really FAMILY to my parents. Your kid is sick? Take her to the pediatrician. Your pet? Instant vet visit.) he took her to the family vet today. The diagnosis?

Intestinal Cancer.

So Dad had her put down today to spare her any further pain. Tonight she will join Hot Dog, Jordan, Lucille, Tut and Smokey in the family pet cemetery. I wonder where her spot will be.

I wish I had a good picture of her, but my only recent one is this of her looking like a shadow of herself. I'll have to go hunting.

So a glance into my past to explain why I'm sad in the present.

Hug your furbabies today.

the girl who has all her peeps in one place

Happy to be home!

Little 11, home at last! We are so happy to have him home and healthy! It's been almost two weeks and we are still working on our routine. Of course it is about to get all messed up again since both Aramis and I are returning to work on Tuesday, but there is a certain amount of bliss involved with having been able to spend this time together as a complete family. The boys love their littlest brother and he is the favorite new toy. We have to really keep an eye on them because sometimes they can be *too* helpful, lol. Eli is putting on weight quicker than he did in the NICU, which makes me think that maybe he wanted to be home too. He was released from the NICU on a Monday at 4 lb 6 oz. Three days later at his first pediatrician's appt, he had already gained 2 ounces! At his checkup a week later, he had gained another six! Little guy is topping out at 4 lb 14 oz and will soon be past the 5 lb mark. Quite an accomplishment for the little Slurpee!

GrandMary and all of her boys

My parents drove over from Texas to see their newest grandchild. We had an awesome visit: very low key and full of lots of "just hanging out" moments. We did a little shopping, a little playing in the park, a photo shoot and some wonderful family time. I really miss having my family close. We are actually discussing moving to Texas, which would please my fam to no end. Mom has been apologetically bringing up the subject for a few years now. My grandmother is not quite as subtle: she flat out tells me I need to move almost every time we speak, lol. My sister just jumped on the bandwagon too--which surprised me, but somehow carried more weight as she usually keeps her opinions to herself.

And I miss them! We've been doing things on our own for so long with long-distance support and our Florida Family's support, but it just isn't the same as having your fam right there in the same city. (or town--I don't think my hometown quite has earned "city" status, lol) And as the kiddos get older, I wish I had the luxury of allowing them to play outside. Somehow my hometown seems "safer."

3 generations

This was taken the last day of their visit. My Mom looks so sad! This is what I will look like in 30 years--not a bad future to look forward to. I love how well my Mom has aged and really hope genetics are as kind to me. She does not fit my internal picture of a 60 yo woman.

Pa plays with his favorite furry grandchild, Parker

This is my Dad with Parker. I think he had more fun playing with the dog than seeing his grandchild! lol! Dad has this "way" with animals. Every stray in the area will seek out my family because they know we will feed them, pet them, love on them and try and find their home. And if you don't have a home, well--something is usually arranged. This is probably why they have 5 cats and 4 dogs. Most of whom were strays that just "showed up." )and I'm not counting the two feral kittens, Hiss and Spit, that they are currently hosting.)

Pa carrying Eli

What is it with men and this kind of hold for carrying a baby? ALthough, I must say, Eli was perfectly content to be carried this way. Still, it is such a "guy thing" to do.

*****************************

Class clown in training

Two funny Matthew stories from the visit. The first comes from him playing with Pa. My Dad got a bridge recently and was pushing it in and out of his mouth, trying to freak out Matthew. I asked him, "Can you do that with your teeth?" and he said "Sure" in that faintly Bronx accent of his (have no idea where that came from!) and started thrusting his jaw out, trying to emulate Pa. Then my Dad said in a deadly serious voice, "But can you do this?" and takes the bridge out completely, showing him the four teeth on it.

Matthew had a combination of shock and curiosity on his face and responded with a very smal "Oh!" It may be one of those things where you had to be there, but considering how LOUD Matthew is most of the time, this subdued and simple "Oh!" was hilarious to us all.

The second cute Matthew comment comes when we were playing at the playground. First, Matthew's outfit was hilarious. He managed to find the shortest pair of shorts--which ordinarily, no big deal since most of his shirts come to his waist, but on that day he was wearing a shirt handed down from his cousin that was about 2 sizes too big, but HAD to be worn because it had Lightening McQueen on it. Couple that with a pair of hand me down hiking boots that he insisted on wearing as well and he looked adorably mismatched! How did I not take a picture? Anyway, we were at the playground and he came to a part where he could choose to go down a slide, slide down a pole or climb down a ladder. I was coaching him to go down the slide as I didn't want him to attempt any of the other options. He turns to me and yells out, "Mommy, I can't fly, I go there!" (pointing at the slide) It was adorable!

Anyway, that is the past two weeks in a nutshell. A too short visit, a couple of cute stories and an update on 11's status. And I will leave you with my Mother's observation to add to the coincidences of Eli's birth: he is also the seventh grandson on my side of the family!

the girl who is celebrating!

After 12 days in captivity (i.e. the NICU, lol), Eli Eleven Martinez is home. Everyone is in love with him and tv and video games have taken second place to our new favorite past time of baby watching!

Pictures to follow, but I'm off to watch again!

the girl who is finding it hard

It hit me on Wednesday that it had been a week that little Eleven had been in the NICU. It was a good day--he was moved to an open air crib, a graduation of sorts since it meant he could maintain his temperature enough to be out of "the box"--but it was the first day that I cried seeing him and leaving him. It had been a week since he had been born and he wasn't home. It had been a week since he had been born and I was leaving him--again. It hurt. And it has really hurt more every day since that little anniversary.

All in all, though, Eli is doing well: each day is an improvement. Day 5 saw him taken off IV. Day 6, his feedings were increased. Day 7, he graduated to an open air crib. Day 8, he was taken off his monitors. And Day 9--today--he was given a hearing test (he passed) and car seat test (to make sure he wouldn't get apnea at the 45 degree angle of the carseat--he passed that too) and a head ultrasound to check his brain development (waiting on those results.)

About an hour ago I was struck with an urge to go see him. Usually Aramis and I split shifts at the hospital, trying to make it to all of his daytime feedings for some kiss and cuddle time and bonding. Our last visit is usually the 9 o'clock one and Zack and Ian have both made individual visits. (Matthew has had a little cough, so he hasn't had a turn yet.) Tonight I really wanted to just go steal him away and lay down with him. One of the best experiences of a new baby is when you lay down in bed with them and look at all of their little pieces and parts. I haven't really seen my little guy in all of his glory since I handed him off to the EMS guys. The nurses in the NICU are so professional. Nothing wrong with that, and I love them for all they do for my little guy, however--every time I loosen up the baby burrito, one of them comes along and briskly tucks him in again. Exasperating! I had to ask if his umbilical cord had fallen off yet! There is just this loss of control that is so unnerving.

In the Family Room of the NICU they have copies of Preemie magazine. I picked up a copy and took it home with me. Reading this magazine, I realized how good we have it. I don't think a single "miracle story" involved a baby older than 30 weeks. Some of the preemie products they have out there sort of baffled me ( a pair of beanbag hands you are supposed to sleep with to get your scent on and then wrap around your preemie in the NICU so the baby feels like you are holding them--???, really? ) but I found ads for lots of preemie clothes suppliers. Hopefully, I won't feel like ordering some stuff from them though. I sincerely hope he doesn't need a huge preemie wardrobe.

The good news is that if he continues feeding as well as he is today (but not yesterday, yesterday was a step backwards) he may be home by next week. So we are hoping for that. We are slowly getting the house ready for his arrival.

Here's hoping it's soon.

The last few days in pictures:

Day 5: and looking like he's kind of wondering, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Day 6: Such a sweet, wide-eyed look!

Day 7: it's a blurry picture, but it's a sweet little half-smile, I have to share!

Graduation Day!

Day 8 and the nurses found me a different hat for him. I was tired of the pink and blue. The pom-pom on top is nearly as large as his head!

Another cute shot later in the day.

And here is a comparison so you can see how tiny his little head is! When I call him an apple head it's not just the shape!

Day 9: Today I managed to unwrap his hands and hold his tiny little fingers without a nurse spotting me, lol. Instinctively his little hands go up to his mouth. I wonder if he'll be a thumbsucker like Zack and Ian, or suck his fingers like Matthew.

That's is for today. I hope that my next update is a joyful announcement that he's coming home!

the girl who is giving an update

Day 2 in the NICU and peeking out of the baby burrito swaddling

This is how tiny his little feet are! (My hands are not huge, I promise!)

Getting some love from Mommy

Day 3: Such a perfect, sweet, little face! I wonder what he's dreaming of?

Day 4: Eyes open and looking like a grumpy old man.

Another illustration of how teeny this little Slurpee is!

Eli is now off oxygen and antibiotics. He is taking feedings by bottle and I'm about to bring him some Mama Juice. I'd much rather be feeding than pumping, but he's still learning. Apparently the sucking reflex doesn't fully develop until about 34-35 weeks so just the fact he's taking feedings by bottle is noteworthy--I'm not about to frustrate both of us with the breast. We'll let him get a little stronger first and I'll build up my supply in the meantime.

The big thing right now is his weight and inability to maintain his own temperature. One will correct the other so it's not necessarily anything to worry about, just something to watch. The little Slurpee just needs to grow!

Thanks for all of the comments and well wishes. It was quite an experience and, looking back, I myself wonder how I did it without freaking out completely. (Do not doubt there was some freaking out! Things just moved too fast for the panic to actually set in and interfere!) The human body is just completely amazing. My body was able to take over and do what needed to be done without my mind getting in the way.

I will admit to a slight feeling of superiority while in the hospital, lol. A totally uncharitable thing and I'd be highly offended if anyone approached me with this attitude, but when I heard the poor woman in the next L&D suite over moaning and crying for a solid hour before she got her epidural (I assume, since she stopped and I didn't hear the baby cry until about two hours after that) I couldn't help but feel slightly smug. Of course, it was probably her first child and it was probably term. Everyone is different--still, I really felt superior! (And then, of course instantly guilty. Too much of a Catholic upbringing to maintain that arrogance, lol.)

Anyway, I'm off to see my little "baby in the box" as Ian calls him. I'll add anything pertinent as it happens.

the girl who thanks heaven

What a morning I had! I am happy to announce the arrival of Eli, our newest son. Yes, he is early, but he was determined to meet everyone ahead of schedule...and that is a story in itself.

I woke up around 3:30 this morning when Aramis kicked Matthew out of our bed. I realized then that I was having labor pains. I waited until about 4:20 to get a good idea of the timing and then I had to get up. I took a shower and woke up Aramis about 5. Called my OB who told me to go ahead and get checked out at the hospital and started to brainstorm what to do with the kiddos. Initially, I tried to get a hold of Larry to come watch the kiddos until it was a more reasonable hour to impose on the sitter. He was not answering his phone and the pains were becoming more insistent. Finally I broke down and called the sitter, woke her up and asked if I could bring the boys by.

Fast forward to actually leaving the house. We left about 6:15, dropped the boys off about 6:30, and stopped at a nearby 7-11 so Aramis could get the all important Red Bull and some cash back for tolls and hospital parking. At 6:40, in the 7-11 parking lot, my water broke.

Gushed actually.

Aramis asked me if we should go back to the house and call an ambulance or just go on to the hospital (at least 30 min away). I was in pain and knew I was close but had divine faith in an epidural so I told him to just go!

Aramis pulled out and the big one hit, I felt "the ring of fire" and knew it was too late. I told him, "He's not going to wait! Pull over! He's crowning!"

The 7-11 we were at was on a corner so we ended up just turning the corner and pulling back in. As we crossed the curb I felt a huge contraction and quite involuntarily, I pushed. I felt the head come out and then the shoulders. I was half-way out of my seat and wearing pants! Aramis pulled into a parking space, I unbuckled my seat belt, yanked down my pants, and there he was! I slid him out and just held him, too stupefyed to really absorb what had happened.

Aramis was in shock too. He dialed 911 and took off his shirt for me to wrap Eli in. Then he pulled out a shoelace from his shoe and tied off the umbilical cord while I cleared out his mouth.

He cried and my heart leapt!

About five min later the ambulance arrived. They clamped the cord off correctly and were going to cut it but I insisted that I be allowed to cut it. After all, I delivered this kid on my own!

After some delicate maneuvering on the part of the EMS guys to get me out of the front seat of the van with my pants still around my thighs and the umbilical cord dangling while trying to avoid all the curious looks of all the construction workers getting their morning Big Gulps, I got an ambulance ride to the nearest hospital--not the one I was heading to, but I was technically in the next county by about a quarter mile so the ambulance had to take me to that county's nearest maternity ward.

We arrived, Eli got whisked off to the NICU and I got to do all the post-delivery stuff and then admitting. It took longer to admit me than it did to deliver! lol!

Don't believe me? Wel, I AM a scrapper, of course I took pictures!

(Note the t-shirt swaddling, the van interior, and the waistband of my pants half-way down my thighs.)

So, Eli is in the NICU and will likely be there for anywhere from a week to 6 weeks, depending on his progress..

So, by the numbers:

• On July 11, 2007 (07/11/07)
• I delivered Eli 7 weeks early
• in the 7-11 parking lot
• at 11 minutes to 7

Oh Thank Heaven, indeed! this ought to earn me free gas (or at least Slurpees) for Life! I am definitely sending this to the good folks at 7-11 Corporate offices!

He weighs 4 lbs, 9 oz and is 18 in long. He has the cutest little apple head and definitely has the "Martinez/Merson Blend" look.

Its hard because I haven't been able to hold him since the ambulance ride, but I've been visiting every couple hours. I will probably be home tomorrow, Eli is a little less certain, but is doing well, all things considered.

One more pic of the little guy and I'm off to sleep and beg the nurse for some more pain pills.

Eli Eleven Martinez

Yes, we have decided on Eleven as his middle name. It's not official yet and is subject to change (could end up as Seven) or as the number in another language. We'll see. But you can be darn sure Aramis went back to that 7-11 and bought lottery tickets!

the girl who needs a nanny...but not THAT nanny!

So I'm driving to work on Friday and Larry suggests going for a drive after work with the kiddos. Whenever Larry suggests something (especially something involving bringing the kids) I am usually a bit suspicious. And, as usual, my suspicions were correct.

Apparently, ABC was holding a casting call for Super Nanny. You know, the show where a stranger comes to your house and on the basis of "hidden camera" footage that has probably been edited to show your family in the worst possible light tells you everything you are doing wrong as a parent and then broadcasts it on national tv.

Listen to me: I know I am not the "perfect" parent. I do not have perfect children, a perfect marriage, and I damn sure do not have a perfect house. However, I am quite aware I am not the parent I would like to be. I am also quite aware that to be the parent I want to be will require resources I don't have. There alot of things I can do without being a SAHM and until I have the resources to be a SAHM, I'll do the best I can with what I got. I know my children are not perfect--but that would make them clones of Dick and Jane and totally NOT what I want them to be. Each of my kids is unique and each one makes me happy to be their Mom at least once a day. I don't have the perfect marriage. We bicker, we argue and we don't agree on a ton of stuff. We do agree that we love each other and our kids and we are ultimately in this together. He loves me with my faults and failings and I return the favor. I constantly say we are the only people on the planet who would put up with each other, so that makes us pretty darn lucky. As for my housekeeping--I'm not even going to go there. I'll just leave that with a simple, "It could be improved."

I am not a fan of reality tv. (Although I do admit to being an American Idol junkie) It just seems the whole point of reality tv is to embarrass the people who participate in it. I've never been the type of person who revels in other people's discomforture, and I'm not about to start now. I have been known to change the channel or walk out of the room if someone is getting embarrassed--simply because I am too empathic and I feel embarrassed to witness their embarrassment. This includes fictional characters!

So Larry, sorry. I don't think that my family would be perfect for the casting call. I think SuperNanny should loosen up, realize families who LOVE each other don't always need a stranger butting in and telling them they are "doing it wrong" and I certainly think I will NOT be "auditioning."

But I wouldn't turn down a regular Nanny! (along with the huge house that would justify me even hiring one, lol!)

the girl who is NOT a sucker

Ok, somewhere along the way SOMEONE got hold of my email addy and sold it around the world. I have never really had a serious issue with spam--my Yahoo filter blocks most of it--but somehow I got on some list somewhere and now every time I open my email inbox I have someone telling me my email addy has been picked for the UK lottery, or would I be someone's agent? there's a part-time job (laundering money) waiting for me, or someone I've never heard of has passed away and I could be named the next of kin to avoid an unscrupulous government claiming the money to fund terrorism. Here is what showed up in my in-box today:

			3k
			Mr Patrick K.W Chan.	FROM PATRICK K.W CHAN..........BUSINESS PROPOSAL	Thu Jul 05, 2007	3k
			peter djaba	From Peter Djaba	Thu Jul 05, 2007	7k
			annenkova Iosifovna	can i trust you?	Thu Jul 05, 2007	4k
			FREE LOTTO AWARDS	FREE LOTTO WINNER...REPLY NOW	Thu Jul 05, 2007	2k
			ub.uba33@ zipmail.com.br	URGENT REPLY	Wed Jul 04, 2007	3k
			Mrs. Rabi Aliu	CAN I TRUST YOU IN THIS PROJECT BELOVED?

I wonder who actually falls for this crap, but then figure someone out there must be that gulliable as these scams keep popping up. I actually got one linked to my bank site--and it was damn convincing too! Only because I am aware such scams are out there (and I actually read my bank emails that tell me they will ALWAYS address me by name and ALWAYS use my security question) did I not fall for that one.

My mind just doesn't think this way, I could never come up with this crap. However, my naivete is mixed with just enough cynicism that I know that when someone is promising you huge amounts of money for nothing, is really is too good to be true. And if I EVER think something just *might* be plausible, I usually research it on Snopes.com (my best friend) and then feel stupid for nearly falling for it in the first place!

That being said, I was lucky enough recently to win a lottery...but I can't claim it due to the fact the government might deport my husband. If you forward me all of your personal info (including ss#) and your bank account #, I'll put it in YOUR account and pay you a percentage for the trouble of transferring it to me.

Plus I have some beautiful oceanfront property in Arizona I've been just itching to sell!

the girl who is cheering!

ok, enough already. Let's call a moritorium on Paris stories!

the girl who overheard

This is the conversation I recently overheard between my eldest and my youngest.

Matthew: "these are my boobies!"

Zachary: "Those aren't boobies, those are nibbles. Boys have nibbles and girls have boobies. Mommy has boobies. You have nibbles. I have nibbles. Ian has nibbles. Daddy has nibbles. Even Parker has nibbles! Maceo has nibbles too, but they're hard to see because of the fur. I've seen them though."

the girl who got crafty

So this was my project this weekend! I had fun with tie dye and iron-ons and fabric paint. You should see my hands! lol! I might add some more stuff like some hand stitching...or maybe not. Not all of them turned out as I envisioned, but my faves are the dragon, the gnome, the cycle and the skull. Right now, I know Eli has some rockin' new duds and this was just size 0-3 months...he'll grow and need more! Plus all the other boys loved watching me play and the results, so maybe I'll make some matching tees too.

the girl who is doing a recap

So quite the eventful week I've had! On Tuesday I got a phone call bright and early telling me that Judy had a kidney waiting for her at the hospital. So I leapt out of bed, threw on some clothes and sped off to play chauffeur. This was at a quarter to 5 in the morning, mind you. Only for something of this magnitude would I WAKE UP that early. Go to bed that late, yes, more than probable, esp. if I'm on a scrappy high, but WAKE UP??

Anyway, this pic was taken on the way to the hospital. Who knew that the sun was up at 5:30? The good news is that Judy got the kidney! The weird news is that it took until about 9 pm for the surgery to actually take place. The even better news is that after one week recovering, Judy is scheduled to come home today! She had orange juice for breakfast for the first time in years! The kidney is doing well (as is Judy) so I hope everything continues well for her!




So while I was in the area last Tuesday, I went ahead and hopped over to the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and babies. Previously, I had delivered at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Women and Children, but Winnie has been built next door since then and Arnie is just a kids hospital now with Winnie being for delivery and babies.


Oh. My. Goodness! Let me tell you, this hospital is worth being pregnant again! In fact, if I wasn't already knocked up and found out about this, I'd seriously consider getting pregnant just to deliver here! It's gorgeous! The rooms are about as close to hotel-like as you can get for a hospital room. There are Murphy beds for guests and the showers are full-sized (not the dinky little tiled slits in the wall that Arnie Palmer had. The vanity counter tops are granite for goodness sake! They have a concierge service! You can upgrade for extra comforts (paid separately from Insurance, naturally) and even have a post-delivery, gourmet, 4-course meal. It's just beautiful! This picture is of the atrium at the entrance. The only thing that bugs me though is that the parking garage is next to Arnie Palmer and even though Winnie is across the street and not too far a distance (although ANY distance is too far when you're waddling over in labor) there is no crosswalk between the two! I guess that's why they offer valet parking!

This cutie picture is Matthew in the morning in all of his bed-head glory. After I took this I realized how long his hair really was! (Ok, maybe the fact the sitter keeps putting it up in a pony tail should have given me a hint.) Anyway, I decided to take care of that this weekend too and all three boys got haircuts. Zachary even got a "faux-hawk" BUT his hair has a mind of its own and the world's most dangerous cowlicks. Even with a TON of professional product in his hair it just would quite go into full "hawk" mode. It's cute, in any case. Maybe I'll go old-school 80's punk mohawk on him and use Elmers. (Yes, that is what was used.) Then again, I don't want the other kiddos putting it in their hair--which they totally would--so I guess I'll just stick with trying to find some styling wax and see if that will work.

Faux "faux-hawk" See what I mean? No points at all! Poor guy, he really wanted to be "cool."

On Saturday we went to a birthday party for my sitter's eldest son. He and Zacky are good friends so it was a no-brainer to go. I learned something though. When you are invited to a party given by Puerto Rican's, add 2 to 3 hours to the start time listed on the invitation. Silly white girl that I am, I showed up at 3 (the time listed on the invite) and my sitter said "Oh, you're early!" lol! Now I can say this and not be politically incorrect because my sitter kept telling eevryone how I showed up on time like it was a huge joke. That will teach me!

The bright side is that the kiddos had the bouncey house to themselves for a long time. Note that Matthew's underwear is on backwards. There is a simple explanation for this. Kids character underwear usually has the picture printed on the butt. Long ago Zachary decided that he wanted to see the picture, not sit on it and his brothers picked up his habit. Zack has since outgrown it, but somedays it isn't a battle I really care about fighting, lol.

I love this picture right here. This is something that I would expect of Mr. OCD, Ian. But no, it's Matthew. All the sandals were higgledy-piggedly all over the place outside of the bouncy house. Matthew matched them up and then arranged them from smallest to largest. lol! I love my kiddos quirks!

Another favorite picture from the party. Poor little guy, he sometimes doesn't feel very social and doesn't particularly want to be included in all the fun and games. This is typical Ian. Mommy is trying to love on him and take a picture of the two of us and he doesn't want to look at the camera. At the same time he looks sorta thoughtful. Out of all of them, he'll probably go goth when he hits his teens. He is the one who looks the most like me, but he has definately inherited his Daddy's anti-social tendancies.

This is more like it! This is my sweet boy when he bothers to give me a natural smile for the camera. His cheesy smiles always looks like he's looking into a really bright light and it hurts somewhat. lol!

So that was Saturday. Sunday was Father's Day and I gave my DH the best present...I let him sleep in until noon! Of course, I was frantically trying to clean the house because our landlord was coming over to sign the new lease, but he got to sleep in! We didn't "do" anything for Father's Day because that's the way he likes it. We just chilled at home and I kept the kiddos under control so he could play WoW all day. Then I made us some nice steaks for dinner (droool!) and the boys and I made brownies for dessert. One kid got the beater, one got the spatula, and one got the bowl. (Yes, Mom...I know...salamonella. But I figure that I survived so they will too!)

And I end this lengthy post with a picture of my furry son, Maceo. Sometimes you take a picture of an animal and you can see the human in them. This is such a picture.

Can't you just see that he's thinking he's about to shove that camera down my throat if I don't stop taking his picture? LOL!

the girl who had fun with da Jens!

So I also may have gone overboard with the slideshow extras, but lets pretend I'm in jr. high and this is cool, ok? lol!

These girls are so much fun to hang out with! This weekend was my baby shower. Unfortunately, the guests seem to have forgotten that and nobody showed up except for someone who was working anyway. So that kind of sucked. (I'm trying not to be bitter.) Anyway, instead of tasting baby food and measuring my massive belly, I ended up gorging on fruit and dip and cupcakes and doing a wacky photo shoot. With the Jens around, I really don't need anyone else there to have fun! Plus, they got me the most gorgeous diaper bag from Wendy Belissimo! I had been coveting a real, trendy diaper bag--I've always just used the hospital freebie. But this is my last baby and I deserve to go out in style!

Then we went scrappy shopping and I picked up some Love, Elsie and we ended up at Panera Bread for "real food." Princess had to leave at that point, but I dragged Island Jen off to the mall to check out Lush and get some Buffy the Backside Slayer soap. Seriously, this is the best stuff evah for those bumpy backsides and I needed something to make me feel pretty. I tried to turn Jen onto it, but I think she balked at paying $10 for a bar of soap. Her loss! It is sooooo worth it!

So, my baby shower may not have gone off as originally planned, but I think the day itself was perfect! Look at these pics, can't you see the fun we have when we are together?

the girl who asks...

Seriously...have you ever seen a cuter belly shot?

So I am 28 weeks tomorrow--which means that I am 7 months along. Which would seem somewhat "on the homestretch" encouraging until you take into account that pregnancies are 40 weeks which really is 10 months, not 9. I suppose people just never count that first month because you really don't know, but for goodness sakes! It's just depressing when you finally hit your third trimester and figure out how much further you have!

Anyway...tomorrow is my birthday. 33--I guess that I should consider it a "lucky" b'day since good things come in threes and that's double threes. I continue to remain optimistic about this year. I know this is OUR YEAR, the YEAR OF NOW. I'm just impatient and want to get this pregnancy over with, I feel like its holding me back in the sense that I just want to go do things and I keep having to say "when the baby is born" and that was so NOT part of my word for this year. It isn't WHEN, it's NOW.

And NOW I must get back to work, lol!

the girl who misses Texas

My mom and dad have taken to driving around the Texas countryside on the weekends. Dad has been sending me pictures of the wildflowers. I'll admit it, I miss Texas! Check out the beauty of my homestate.