On Thursday we had a tv and pajama day. One of the things we watched was "The Lion King" and ever since then I've had the song "The Morning Report" stuck in my head. The only words I know are "This is the morning report. This is the long and the short." It's 2:21 in the morning and I'm up balancing the budget (yay), singing those two lines to myself over and over again (double yay). So in the spirit of that song, here's my morning report.
Me -- awake, working on finances, having snack, sitting on the sofa. Breaking up graham crackers into pieces for Nico snack baggies. Other morning activities included cleaning kitchen, putting away last of the groceries, and boiling water for tea but never actually making it. Currently debating whether having another snack is worth the heartburn.
Frank -- asleep, worked on freelance all day, looked worn out but still being extremely nice to me. He's a trooper.
Nico -- should be asleep, keeps waking up. Needed two drinks of water in the past hour (very unusual). Torn between wanting to be held and wanting to put himself to sleep. Currently being left alone to whine every five minutes and drift off again on his own.
Olivia -- getting squeezed by Braxtons, poor kid. Favorite hobby no longer waking me with kicks all night; now enjoys seeing how far my skin will stretch.
Mom -- possibly dreaming of getting "the call" in the middle of the night. Called to double check grandson's diaper size during a Sunday trip to BJ's. Best mom ever.
Liz -- sends homemade cookies to soldier friend in Afghanistan. Amazing.
Jen -- not on chat. Boo! hehe.
Monday, March 31
Sunday, March 30
Nothin' much
Last night I realized I don't have anywhere to go in the next few weeks. Well, there's food shopping and doctor appointments, but they are the things I'd usually do anyway so they don't count. I was putting dirty clothes in the laundry room, wandering back and forth down the hallway, trying to remember if I have to have clean pants for anything in the next few days. Nothing came to mind and I thought, wow, what a nice feeling! I actually started thinking about what I want to do for my birthday this year. It'll be something different than the usual crab and beer day, I think. A little change-up might be nice.
I finally finished "Raising Cain" and feel a little more informed on how to raise a boy and not have him turn out to be a complete mess. It's actually a good book even if you just interact with boys on a regular or even semi-regular basis. Today I'm going to the library to return that and pick up "What to Expect the Toddler Years". Also going to make a short stop at the market for some essentials, and try to make it back before Nico wakes up from his nap.
One thing Nico loves lately is hearing a song before he goes to sleep. Singing calms him down and makes it so much easier to put him down for naps or get him to sleep at night. I've grown bored with the standard lullabies and kiddie songs, so the other day I was racking my brain for a nice song and all I could think of was "I Shot the Sheriff". That's just what came out when I opened my mouth. Nico was asleep by the second verse. I've tried a few other Bob Marley classics but nothing works the same. So for now, Sheriff it is. Well I'm off to the library and food store. It's a nice day out so play yourself some Bob and relax a little.
I finally finished "Raising Cain" and feel a little more informed on how to raise a boy and not have him turn out to be a complete mess. It's actually a good book even if you just interact with boys on a regular or even semi-regular basis. Today I'm going to the library to return that and pick up "What to Expect the Toddler Years". Also going to make a short stop at the market for some essentials, and try to make it back before Nico wakes up from his nap.
One thing Nico loves lately is hearing a song before he goes to sleep. Singing calms him down and makes it so much easier to put him down for naps or get him to sleep at night. I've grown bored with the standard lullabies and kiddie songs, so the other day I was racking my brain for a nice song and all I could think of was "I Shot the Sheriff". That's just what came out when I opened my mouth. Nico was asleep by the second verse. I've tried a few other Bob Marley classics but nothing works the same. So for now, Sheriff it is. Well I'm off to the library and food store. It's a nice day out so play yourself some Bob and relax a little.
Saturday, March 29
Beans, beans. Good for the heart.
Allow me to toot my own horn and say that I make killer beans. Like 'rice and beans' beans. Arroz con frijoles. The rice part is pretty easy. Pour rice into rice cooker, add water, push button. The beans, though... that part took a while for me to really master. I used to add too much of one thing, not enough of another, and totally leave out one crucial element or another. I'd add cayenne and red pepper flakes, then be sooo mad when the beans were so damn hot I couldn't eat them. Tonight I laughed to myself about how I always used to add carrots. Seriously, what was I thinking?
Now don't laugh, but in a weird way I consider myself an Honorary Latina. And what better way to express my (say it like Agador in "The Birdcage") "Latin-ness" than with my yummy frijoles? Tonight I made a double batch so I can have burritos for the next few days, and possibly all week long. Even though I like Amy's Organics, I can do homemade burritos exactly the way I want them, twice the size, and for a fraction of the cost. It hurts me deep down to hold myself back from eating two store-bought burritos, because I picture myself handing Amy $5 for them and I know I'll still be hungry afterward. And I like lettuce in my burritos, damn it. And lime juice. And if I want some cucumber diced up in there as well, Amy has nothing to say about it. So there. I would bet my $5 that Amy's not even close to being a Latina. Not like me, La Rivera.
Over the years I've grown so proud of my beans. You know how I know they're good? Tonight Frank kept hovering around the pot on the stove. He tasted the beans a few times, and commented on how fresh they looked with the tomatoes and cilantro. Then he said they will be really good tomorrow (which is standard, because frijoles really are better the next day), and five minutes later he was back in the kitchen heating up rice and the chicken I baked last night, and topping it off with a few big spoonfuls of beans. Sí, señor.
Now don't laugh, but in a weird way I consider myself an Honorary Latina. And what better way to express my (say it like Agador in "The Birdcage") "Latin-ness" than with my yummy frijoles? Tonight I made a double batch so I can have burritos for the next few days, and possibly all week long. Even though I like Amy's Organics, I can do homemade burritos exactly the way I want them, twice the size, and for a fraction of the cost. It hurts me deep down to hold myself back from eating two store-bought burritos, because I picture myself handing Amy $5 for them and I know I'll still be hungry afterward. And I like lettuce in my burritos, damn it. And lime juice. And if I want some cucumber diced up in there as well, Amy has nothing to say about it. So there. I would bet my $5 that Amy's not even close to being a Latina. Not like me, La Rivera.
Over the years I've grown so proud of my beans. You know how I know they're good? Tonight Frank kept hovering around the pot on the stove. He tasted the beans a few times, and commented on how fresh they looked with the tomatoes and cilantro. Then he said they will be really good tomorrow (which is standard, because frijoles really are better the next day), and five minutes later he was back in the kitchen heating up rice and the chicken I baked last night, and topping it off with a few big spoonfuls of beans. Sí, señor.
Friday, March 28
I hear I look great from behind
From what I've been hearing, I don't look pregnant at all if you see me from the back. Nice to know. I guess I just look like I walk funny.
Well today was the swab test for group B strep. It was swab-a-riffic. Now I start going to the doctor every week. I'll go back next Friday, then the Friday after that, and the delivery is scheduled for the following Thursday. (Joey Lawrence) Whoa! I was pretty sure I would gain some weight and I did. I have to check what it was two weeks ago... I think it was 144. Today I am a proud 150. Just one pound short of my top Nico weight, and with three weeks to go. All is well, just the waiting, waiting, waiting of the next few weeks.
On the way out of the doctor's office today, I started crying as I was walking to my car. Maybe it's the stress on my body, or maybe it's the feeling I'm about to be hit with a tidal wave. Maybe it's a little of both. Or a lot of both. Or just knowing this is probably the last time I'm going to go through all of this. Anyway, I was walking and the baby was wiggling around, making it tough to move comfortably, and tears just started rolling down my cheeks. This whole time I've been saying oh I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore, and now that it's almost over all I want is just a little more time to have her all to myself. A little more time to keep her safe, to feel those kicks that only I can feel, and to daydream about what she'll be like. For the first time, I'm wishing that she will hang on until the 17th instead of showing up early. I know she'll be here when she's ready, but at least for this afternoon I just want her to stay put with me a little while longer.
Well today was the swab test for group B strep. It was swab-a-riffic. Now I start going to the doctor every week. I'll go back next Friday, then the Friday after that, and the delivery is scheduled for the following Thursday. (Joey Lawrence) Whoa! I was pretty sure I would gain some weight and I did. I have to check what it was two weeks ago... I think it was 144. Today I am a proud 150. Just one pound short of my top Nico weight, and with three weeks to go. All is well, just the waiting, waiting, waiting of the next few weeks.
On the way out of the doctor's office today, I started crying as I was walking to my car. Maybe it's the stress on my body, or maybe it's the feeling I'm about to be hit with a tidal wave. Maybe it's a little of both. Or a lot of both. Or just knowing this is probably the last time I'm going to go through all of this. Anyway, I was walking and the baby was wiggling around, making it tough to move comfortably, and tears just started rolling down my cheeks. This whole time I've been saying oh I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore, and now that it's almost over all I want is just a little more time to have her all to myself. A little more time to keep her safe, to feel those kicks that only I can feel, and to daydream about what she'll be like. For the first time, I'm wishing that she will hang on until the 17th instead of showing up early. I know she'll be here when she's ready, but at least for this afternoon I just want her to stay put with me a little while longer.
Thursday, March 27
Deliciously cute
The latest in Nico cuteness is not only cute, but funny as well. He's so clever, I swear. When we sit down to eat, as soon as he sees his food he goes, "mmmMMMmm" and smiles. Even cuter is the way he started doing it whenever he sees food in a book or on tv. He also goes "aaah" after he takes a big sip of his drink. Or if he sees me take a big gulp of my drink, he says "aaah" after I'm done. Every time he takes a bite and makes his cute little noises, I just want to scoop him up and squeeze him and tell him what a fantastic kid he is.
I'm guessing he got the whole mmmMMMmm thing from me doing it when I feed him. The same way I say "bzzzzt" when the dryer buzzes or "whoooo" when the tea kettle whistles. I'm a parrot. I know it's queer but I can't help it. So when the dryer goes off and Nico and I both say "bzzzzt" we just crack up. It's not just the repeating of the sounds that I find so interesting, he also seems to understand so many things now. Like last night I had the kitchen gate closed while I was doing dishes and he was standing in the living room looking at me. I said, "What are you doing? I know you know how to open that gate." He lifted the (unlocked) handle, pushed the gate open, and ran in giggling. Smarty pants.
I'm guessing he got the whole mmmMMMmm thing from me doing it when I feed him. The same way I say "bzzzzt" when the dryer buzzes or "whoooo" when the tea kettle whistles. I'm a parrot. I know it's queer but I can't help it. So when the dryer goes off and Nico and I both say "bzzzzt" we just crack up. It's not just the repeating of the sounds that I find so interesting, he also seems to understand so many things now. Like last night I had the kitchen gate closed while I was doing dishes and he was standing in the living room looking at me. I said, "What are you doing? I know you know how to open that gate." He lifted the (unlocked) handle, pushed the gate open, and ran in giggling. Smarty pants.
Wednesday, March 26
The Dolly Lama
I adore Dolly Parton. Ever since I was a little kid I've been fascinated by her. The clothes, the sparkles, the hair, and yes the gigantic boobies. Every time I see a documentary or any kind of television piece on her, I absolutely must watch.
We watch Sunday Morning on CBS every week and they do something about her every now and again. PBS too. I think she looks better now than she did ten years ago (thanks to some nippin' and tuckin'... and implantin'), but that's not the thing that amazes me anymore. It's just her. She's super smart, unbelievably kind, and one of the savviest businesswomen out there. Did you know Elvis wanted to buy part of the rights to "I Will Always Love You" and she turned him down? Because her father told her to always own as much of her work as possible. And her generosity... some of the things she's done personally and business-wise just blow me away. In a weird way, what's hers is hers alone, but at the same time she shares it with everyone she loves. She is the goddess of the music world as far as I am concerned.
I just Googled some Dolly quotes and this is my favorite one: "I'm not going to limit myself just because people won't accept the fact that I can do something else."
We watch Sunday Morning on CBS every week and they do something about her every now and again. PBS too. I think she looks better now than she did ten years ago (thanks to some nippin' and tuckin'... and implantin'), but that's not the thing that amazes me anymore. It's just her. She's super smart, unbelievably kind, and one of the savviest businesswomen out there. Did you know Elvis wanted to buy part of the rights to "I Will Always Love You" and she turned him down? Because her father told her to always own as much of her work as possible. And her generosity... some of the things she's done personally and business-wise just blow me away. In a weird way, what's hers is hers alone, but at the same time she shares it with everyone she loves. She is the goddess of the music world as far as I am concerned.
I just Googled some Dolly quotes and this is my favorite one: "I'm not going to limit myself just because people won't accept the fact that I can do something else."
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