4.29.2008

Violet Hill by Coldplay

free download of one of the songs from the upcoming album this summer. (click on the title of this post).

4.26.2008

tagged: 7 random things about me.

tonya tagged me, so here i am. actually, i think this is my first 'blog tag.' here are seven random things about me.

1. i hate insects of all kinds. i can't even pick up dead insects. when i find a bug in my house, i don't kill it. i cover it up with a tupperware container, and put a heavy canned good on top (just so it doesn't escape).

2. i had a bunionectomy on both feet when i was 19. the ligments holding my big toes to my feet had become weak, causing the toe bone to stick out very far... so they broke the bone, inserted some screws to hold it in place, and repaired the ligament. all better now.

3. i am addicted to organizing. it just seems like there is always a better place for my belongings than the day before! drives justin crazy, but keeps me sane.

4. my middle name is laura, after my great grandma on my dad's side. she brought up my dad and his brother, david. she passed away the day of my junior prom.

5. the first place my husband and i ate at after we got married (with the exception of room service) was IHOP, which also happens to be the first place my in-laws ate at after they got married (at least i am pretty sure i am not making that up). i got chocolate chip pancakes, one of my very favorite meals.

6. i get really bad migraines. supposedly related to stress, but i don't know. i remember the first one i got was my freshman year of high school in 7th hour world history class with mr. bixler. i just got up and left! and i walked home; we lived about three blocks from the school.

7. i have lived in 12 different homes, not including dorm rooms. if i included those, we'd be up to 14. yeah, i am used to moving. that's probably the reason i am such a minimalist! the less you have, the less you have to move!

tagging: joyce, caron, chari, erin, cait... all from jerry's kids.

4.25.2008

full family update.

me.
only three weeks left at the most.
can't wait to sleep on my stomach again.
excited to meet the new baby, and get on with life as a four member family.
still have a few more details to iron out with becoming real illinois-ians.
been snoring a lot at night. because of extra weight. sorry husband.

justin.
really enjoys his new work, and even got a raise already!
is going to a board gaming convention tonight and tomorrow.
is getting over what we suspect to be a sinus infection.
was almost eleven pounds when he was born, and i am hoping i never have one his size!

finn.
getting really good at eating with a spoon.
not so much with a fork.
has had a gross runny nose for two weeks (which gets smeared all over his face. mm.)
loves having other people around besides just me. can you blame him!
still loves thomas the train.

rudy. the dog.
likes living in the country... i think.
loves getting into the trash cans here.
enjoys having another dog around to pester and bark with.
has actually been really good, rascally and mischievious, but good.

4.23.2008

track meet.

monday evening finn and i met grandpa and grandma at my brother in law (jordan's) track meet. he is finishing up his junior year of high school... the last kiddo in the family! i was a little hesitant to take finn, as he has never really been to an event of this magnitude, but he did great, and even the people sitting around us had something to say about him! finn was constantly cheering for someone! 'go uncle jordan!!' or 'running, running, all running!!' or repeating after grandma, whoever she happened to be cheering at the time. we started at the high jump, which jordan won. i think finn wanted to try it himself! here he is below crouching down to get a better view, and cheering the jumpers on. my camera died before we made it to the bleachers. after the high jump, we went up into the bleachers, ate our burgers, and enjoyed the races and beautiful weather. jordan won 400 with a great time, and placed in the 100 and the 4x200. i think. i can't remember... but his school won by ten points, and it was a great meet to go to.









here is finn just standing and being cute.

sunday afternoon.

we played outside during the airshow, some miles away... but we still got to see (AND HEAR) lots of jets/aircrafts. tried to teach him how to smell the flowers, but he didn't really understand.

4.22.2008

last.

here is a picture from finn's last bath in the pink tiled bathroom. so sad. not.

4.18.2008

oh my. 35 weeks and four more to go, tops.

well, i found a doctor here in illinois. there was a lot of hooplah trying to get things organized for me to actually see this doctor, but it worked out and i went today. so here's what i know.

my estimated due date: may 24.
my estimated c-section date: 39 weeks, which puts me around the 16th of may.
my baby's current weight: SIX AND A HALF POUNDS.
my baby's estimated birth weight: giant.

finn came at 38 weeks, so i am hoping this baby follows suit... although, that would mean only 3 weeks left, which is really, really insane.

only time will tell!

4.11.2008

a moment of drama.

as i was sitting here, taking my 15 minute break from doing-doing-doing, i realized today was the last day i would here the 'clink' of the metal mail slot next to the front door. as of tomorrow our mail is forwarded to that country lane i will soon call home. and the mailbox is so far from the house, you would never hear a 'clink,' even if you had super-sonic hearing. especially because the mailbox is plastic. (and i'm not knocking plastic mailboxes, simply stating that they are quiet :)!! )

and that's my moment of being dramatic.

?

where's that magic wand when i need it...

4.09.2008

embracing the spirit of sonic...


well, today (and the next five or so) i am on the move. moving faster than fast... faster than sonic. too much to do in too little time. i can't even begin to explain or go into detail, just that i am going to be doing a lot of work, very quickly... (and no, we did not sell the house)...

4.07.2008

not quite 'low key'

the day was going great. very quiet.
we went to my dr.appt. at 1 where the dr. felt that with the decreased movement i have been feeling and the heart rate that he was hearing, that fetal monitoring for 20-40 minutes was necessary.

so i got someone to pick finn up... and i was a mess, of course, thinking my little unborn child was somehow in distress. it turned out, after the 20 minutes of monitoring, that baby is just fine... and nothing to worry or think twice about. phew.

but it was still scary... and once i start crying it is hard for me to stop! that's just how i roll. so anyway, i picked finn up around 4 (no nap for the little guy today...) and we went thru the dairy queen drive-thru, because i just needed something chocolatey and cold.

i will microwave something for finn for dinner, put him to bed and then plop down on the couch and probably fall asleep to pathetic monday night prime time shows.

my eyes hurt.

i miss you, lovesac.


our lovesac left about two weeks ago with cam and erin... not that i'd be sitting in it a whole lot anyway, being the hugely off balanced person that i am right now, but i miss it. i miss it filling that space in the living room corner. i miss finn jumping on it and getting crazy electric-y hair.

lovesac, we WILL be reunited. for now, let caroline take care of you.

today.

- sit around and do nothing. needing a break.

- make something for lunch and use paper plates. that = less dishes. yea.

- doctor appointment for me with kid, during kid's nap time. this = not fun.

- sit around and do nothing some more.

- ok. you caught me... i probably will pack a few boxes and maybe do a load of laundry. sitting doing nothing does get boring after awhile, especially when there are things that need to be done.

but this day will be a low key day, full of nothing hugely ambitious.

4.06.2008

is there a difference anyway?

the last two sundays, finn has mistaken NASCAR for the movie "cars." which works out well since we don't have that movie.

4.05.2008

pop.soda.love. need....


when i would come home from soccer practice in high school, the first thing i would do, would be to guzzle (quickly) an entire can of mountain dew. after this, i would have another can, to enjoy and savor.

caffeine never bothered me. i could drink an entire can of caffeinated soda right before bed and fall asleep just fine.

then when i found out i was pregnant with finn, i was fairly certain i would die without being able to drink soda. water? you want me to drink water? are you kidding? milk? drink milk? do people actually drink milk!? but i survived, and afterward, was better for it -- it was really hard for me to drink caffeinated pop after that. i would be awake for hours, or i would get a horrible headache...

so i adapted, and adopted diet rite as my new, non-caffeinated soda. and with this pregnancy, i have done very well, and rarely miss pop at all.

until last weekend when i was in the drive thru at mcdonalds. and i had my window down in preparation to order, when i heard the lady in front of me order a DR. PEPPER. i can't remember the last time i had dr. pepper, but it's pretty much all i have been able to think about for the last six days.

i feel a bit like i might 'fall off the wagon!'no - must resist temptation...

(picture by matthew labutte...)

4.03.2008

packages.

yesterday was a great mail day. finn got a package from uncle zack, containing THREE new thomas the tank engine books. this is great, because i have managed to get away with hiding the one i have read over and over. finn even loves the mickey mouse package the books arrived in! you can't see mickey in these pictures, as he is facing finn, but he carries it around with him all around the house.



















we also received a package from my parents, containing some superb goods from switzerland... justin and i got some WONDERFUL, chocolate that just melts in your mouth. maybaby got a great little onesie, and finn got a really cute little t-shirt.



and then there is this little package... huge package. getting... heavy...

and, yes, lauren, this is a self-photo - if you want them of me, this is how you get them.... i don't trust finn with the camera yet...