Bubbles!

Some women crave foods when they're pregnant. With Molly, I desperately wanted Cheetos and beef (which, until that point, I had not eaten in 10 years). With Rebecca, it was asparagus and Twinkies (sometimes together!). Probably because of my nausea/vomiting problem this time around, I have not really craved many foods, although there was a period of time when I drank a gallon of milk every two days. My real obsession during this pregnancy is bubbly things. Let me give some examples.

First of all, I am in love with my foaming bathroom cleanser. I love the look of it, the smell of it, the feel of it. I have cleaned my bathroom--I mean, DEEP cleaned it--four times this week, just so that I am doing something productive with the bubbles. Otherwise, I could just spray it and sniff it and that would be enough. But now I have a sparkly bathroom.

Which brings me to my next love--foaming soaps. At my doctor's office, they have some scented hand soap from Bath-and-Bodyworks. It pumps out nice & foamy and bubbles up in the sink. I find myself washing my hands and then letting the sink basin fill with bubbles as I rinse and repeat and repeat again. There's a mountain of bubbles when I am finished. So satisfying.

Similarly, I love the foaming hand sanitizer at my office. There are automated pumps--you just put your hand under and a surprisingly pleasing little dollop of foamy sanitizer just dispenses right into your palm. It smells clean and a bit like rubbing alcohol and foams a little when you rub it in, and then it just goes away. Like Purell gel, but better because it's in bubble form. I am addicted to that stuff. I use it when I go in to see a patient, when I come out of the exam room, when I pass by a dispenser in the hallway, after I touch another person, after I put down the phone, any excuse will do! I love the hands-free part, but mostly I love the look of the bubbles and the smell.

I am assuming this is pregnancy-related and that I am not losing my mind. I reassure myself that at least I do not want to EAT them (this is called "pica"--some pregnant women get this and eat non-nutritive substances such as dirt, clay, baking powder, detergent, etc.). I just want to smell and touch the bubbles. A lot.

What did you crave when you were pregnant?

Resort--I mean, apartment--Living

As you know, it has been at least 100 degrees for about 2 weeks here. Typical temps are 104 with a heat index of 110 and higher. Yesterday, Rebecca and I waited for Molly's school to be out in our un-airconditioned 13-yr-old Volvo and the car thermometer went up to 118. (Dad graciously switched cars with me until Peter returns to town with the air-conditioned mini-van, so that was the last time we'll have to do that!) All this to say, I am very grateful for the pool at our apartment complex.

It has been an adjustment cramming ourselves and our stuff into less square footage and when Baby 3 arrives, I am sure this will seem even more crammed. But we have a lovely pool, with a waterfall/fountain and a kiddie pool and overall shallow depth that makes for some fun family times. We have been in it pretty much every single day since we moved in, with Nana and Daddy and Mommy and cousins Caroline & Hallie and their friend Emma. This not only gets us out of the smallish apartment, but out of the grotesque heat. Rebecca has a swimsuit with a built-in floaty that allows her more freedom. Molly loves the "noodle" and can swim out to the waterfall unencumbered. My big ol' pregnant whale-like self loves to feel light and airy at least once a day! We also have tennis courts right outside our door, and Dad and Pete played last week. It kinda feels like we live in a resort.

There are some negatives to apartment living--no yard, so Quincy must be walked frequently; smaller space; no equity being built by living here; never quite feeling like the place is truly clean (example: kids' bathtub wasn't draining all that well and Peter fished a HUGE clump of who-knows-what out of it which was truly disgusting). However, in addition to pool and tennis, we have a car wash on-site and no one has to mow the lawn. There's a huge dog-walking area for Quincy with trees and little stations with baggies to keep the place clean. When there's a leaky kitchen faucet that we can't--or don't want to--fix, we call someone else who does it for free and without much waiting!

I can do this for a few months!

First Day of School

It is absolutely mind-blowing that I have a child in kindergarten. But I do. And another one in five-day preschool. I did not cry as they shuffled off to their respective classrooms, though I secretly boo-hooed a little the night before. Rebecca refused to have her picture taken at the actual school (does that embarrassment thing start at age 3?), so there are more of Molly, but they both posed before we left the apartment complex. They had chosen first-day-outfits, courtesy of Granna. Molly had her High School Musical backpack, courtesy of Nana. Rebecca proudly squashed her brown bag lunch. And another milestone was reached...

For more to this story, check out our Website www.babyhomepages.net/marsh.

Belated Update--Princess Breakfast 2007

In an earlier post, I promised to share the story of the Breakfast with Belle and Mrs. Potts at the "princess store" (also known as Once Upon a Time in Bartlett, TN). The girls arrived in their dresses but quickly took advantage of the magical closet of dress-up stuff--Molly chose Sleeping Beauty and Rebecca was Tinkerbell. Belle arrived in a lovely satin yellow gown. She painted the girls' nails, gave them shimmery lip gloss and added glitter stars to their cheeks. Mrs. Potts led the dancing--congo line included. They posed on the throne & with their hostesses. Breakfast was served--fruit, donuts, muffins, juice--yummy! Each little princess decorated a hat to take home and took her turn playing Pin the Horn on the Unicorn. The girls were glowing non-stop! It was truly a dream come true for these little girls. Here are a few pictures--couldn't resist a few more than the usual 2 or 3, so it's yet another slide show!

Summer Slideshow Part I