Names

Less than 2 weeks away and you'd think we would have settled on some names. Ummm...nope! We have 2 boy names on the list and 4 girl names, and I think we are going to the hospital with that list and will choose when we meet the baby. We know the middle name will be Shepperd (family name from my side), so it is just the first name we are stuck on. Stay tuned!

Help locate lost song!

Trey has been asking me to sing the penguin song, and I have no idea what he is talking about. It is probably something he learned at school and I keep forgetting to ask the teachers. When I ask him to teach me the words, all he says is "Penguin. STOP!" If anyone knows what song this could be, please let me know.

In my search for this song, I went on youtube to find it. I couldn't find it, but somehow we stumbled on a random song (search for Kids Penguin Song on youtube.com) and he asks for it about 3 times a day. And it makes him giggle for some reason.

Pregnancy Magazine

Wee hoo! Tiny Tales is in Pregnancy Magazine!

You can see the article on my press page, just click on the cover photo.

http://www.tiny-tales.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7

Surprisingly this has not translated into sales, even with a circulation of 1.25 million, but either way it makes Tiny Tales look more legit. I am having stickers made for the outer packaging that says "as seen in Pregnancy magazine." Now I just need to score a spot in Parenting or Parents!

Happy 37 weeks to me and the baby!

37 weeks today. The c-section will be 2 weeks and 2 days!

It's potty training season!

I was going to the bathroom yesterday and Trey said "Mommy! You tinkled! I'm so proud of you!"

Goofing around with the baby tub

Concentration

trey: "i'm making a big tower mommy so please leave me alone."

me: "ok."

trey: "stop talking to me mommy."

me: "sure."

How come this doesn't work the other way around?

Ideas for unfinished basement

Does anyone have any ideas for using an unfinished basement as a playroom? I'm not planning to finish it...just want to use it unfinished for a spare room where the kids can be kids. Any thoughts?

Outfit

Who do you think dressed Trey this morning? Discuss.

[click photo for a closeup]

The Famous Moyers Bran Muffin Recipe

It is normal to have cravings this late in pregnancy?  Or maybe I just LOVE these bran muffins.  They aren't typical - they are really light and fluffy.  So light, in fact, that I had 7 the other day in a span of 2  hours (with no side effects if you know what I mean).

In the words of Yo Gabba Gabba - "Try it!  You'll Like it!"

4 c. flour (I use whole wheat - makes them a bit heavier but not enough to really notice)

2 c. wheat bran

1 1/3 c. sugar (you can use Splenda too)

4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

4 c. buttermilk (1 quart)

4 eggs

1 c. canola oil

 

Mix these ingredients together.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 18-20 min.

This makes a lot of batter, but it is good for 3 weeks in the fridge so you cook just what you need.  Of course, you can always halve the recipe as well. 

 

Note:  You can add anything to this batter like millet just for a little crunch, fresh fruit, nuts, or anything that suits your fancy.

Enjoy!  And thanks to Sydnee for the recipe.

The coolest product I have seen in a while

Isn't this so cool? It is just a little plastic thing that hooks onto the phone charger, then has a platform to rest your phone on. You wrap the cord around it so it doesn't hang. Looks so much neater!

Happy 36 weeks to me and baby!

I am 36 weeks today. If the baby continues to cooperate, my c-
section is scheduled for July 10th. 3 weeks and 2 days from today.
Yikes!

On Sunday we went to the pool because it was hot hot. Well, hot for
Colorado which is like upper 80s. Trey had the best time! He has
never really loved the pool, and sometimes when we go he doesn't even
get into the water, or he'll go up to his ankles. This time he had a
blast! He was laughing and goofing around the whole time. The pool
has spray things like a fountain in the "beach" section (the side
with the gradual decline), and he was running through them giggling.
He also jumped off the side to us, and "swam" between us. He didn't
want to leave. During adult swim I swam a few laps and it was good
to get some exercise without feeling like I weigh 750 pounds.

Look at that pout!

Pregnancy update (mine, not the magazine)

I forgot to post after my last checkup last week. Everything was
good! The scheduled c-section date is July 10th, and my doctor will
be on vacation so his partner will do the surgery. I took Joe along
to meet the other doctor and he was very nice and VERY spunky. Not
sure how I'll feel about that when I am coming out of major surgery. ;)

He said i was measuring 2 weeks early - meaning 36 weeks instead of
34. I am having an ultrasound tomorrow so they will take
measurements of the baby and determine if the c-section date needs to
move. Last time the baby measured normal in the abdomen, small in
the head, and long in the legs - just like Trey's body type! It all
evened out to the age of the baby, so it could be that the reason i
am measuring big now is that the baby just has long legs and is
stretching out my uterus. It sure feels like this baby is running
out of room!!

It is starting to be hard to get through the days I can't take a
nap. I am exhausted pretty much all the time now. Strangely enough
the sciatica back pain that was so terrible for about 6 weeks is
basically gone, so I am trying to go for short walks. Just a little
over 4 weeks to go!

I'll post photos of the ultrasound tomorrow.

Pregnancy Magazine

I haven't seen it myself because it doesn't hit stands until June
17th, but I have heard that Tiny Tales is definitely in the August
issue of Pregnancy Magazine! This is so exciting - my first big
magazine press! It is in the Editor's Letter section as the "product
we love" of the month. Circulation is 1.125 million! We hoo!

Toll bridge

Tonight before dinner Trey was being a little feisty and not behaving, so I decided he needed a change of scenery and we went out for a walk. This nice little bridge is right down the street from our house, and he had fun running across the bridge over and over. That is, until I told him it was a toll bridge and to look for the troll like on Dora. He was a little freaked out after that and wanted me to protect him. The whole walk home he talked about the "troll bridge."

New word

This morning there was a pirate with an eye patch on Dora, and Trey said 'he has one sunglass!'

More made up words

Trey has an adorable Life is Good bucket hat with a chin strap. Joe put it on him today and Trey said "I don't want to wear the beard daddy" (meaning the chin strap).

The Daily Routine

We have settled into a nice routine here in Colorado. Of course it
will be changing again in 6 weeks when the new baby is here!

- 6:15/6:30 - Trey wakes up and yells "Come get me please!" from his
bedroom
- we watch Dora and Yo Gabba Gabba on the sofa downstairs while daddy
sleeps in. we cuddle and Trey has his milk.
- around 7 or 7:30 I call Joe down and go into my office to start
work. Its nice getting an early start without having to take a
shower or drive anywhere. trey knows not to go into the office when
the door is closed. we have a routine when it is time for me to go
to work, Trey will come in and get a "sticker" from the desk (one of
those sticky tab things that mark a place in a document), give me
hugs and kisses, then shut the door "ALL BY MYSELF."
- while I am working I can hear Joe and Trey playing together. Their
routine is different every day - sometimes they go to the park that
is just a block away, sometimes they run an errand, sometimes they go
for a run in the jogging stroller. during breaks between calls I try
to come out and visit.
- i usually take a break during lunch, and I'll come out of the
office to eat lunch with Trey or put him down for his nap
- I'm done with work usually around 4, and Trey and I try to sneak in
a quick trip to the pool while Joe relaxes

about every other night we'll eat at Mari & Scott or they will come
over here. The kids are learning to play together well.

I've got to say...it's a pretty good life right now!

Baby's size

According to Parents.com, this is the size of the baby:

 

Baby's Length: 19.5-20 in.

Baby's Weight: 5 lbs.

Baby's Size: Medium pumpkin