you look so good in blue

Despite having nothing to do, I've been busy.

( Here's some pictures of Benjamin to tide you over till I write an entry.... )

Not much new. We've all been sick. Ben's got his first touch of a cold, and he's not that happy. He's got some dry skin on his cheeks still, and has just figured out he can rub it. That's why he looks so rough in that fist picture. It looks worse than it is.

I have errands all this week. Pretty much every day. Because Ben starts school next week, naturally since I go back to work. (Whhhhhhyyyy!?) I know why, it's all about the money. But still. Hopefully my mom will be better soon so she can watch Benjamin and cut our daycare costs down by, oh, two hundred dollars a week or so. You know?

Speaking of errands, I should get those done. More later!

Not much new to report... Sadly.

Things are going well. Ben is healthy. His clogged tear ducts are almost all cleared up. He's losing the dry skin/rashy thing on his cheeks. He's gained five pounds in two months. That's right. Thirteen pounds. But he's super cute. Smiley and happy. Oh, he's almost sleeping through the night! More often than not he'll fall asleep around 10ish, then he'll rustle around three. I'll give him a pacifier and he sleeps until 6. It's nice to be able to sleep again.

Norah is doing well. The usual. School, play, doing stuff. She's getting too smart for me. Gabby is sleeping over Sunday night through Thursday night. That's a lot of nights, I'll tell ya. Should be fun. I hope anyways. I've got some neat stuff planned, here's hoping I feel like doing it. Arts and crafts, movies, the children's museum, the zoo perhaps. Hopefully they'll keep busy enough

I'm still doing the scrapbook thing. I'm trying to find ways to work at home since work is allegedly going to crap. Everytime I go visit everyone tells me its gotten so bad, so I mean, it's kind of disappointing? So I'm trying to find things I can do. I thought crafts, maybe making clothes for kids, or something. Maybe turn a hobby into something to make money. The problem is it's unreliable and kind of chancey. Whereas the job is, you know, corporate, and reliable. It's a toss up.

Since this is our last child, I'd like to not miss his first year working 40-50 hours a week. I'd like to have some flexibility to go to school and finish my degree, to start a career. Because Target is just a job. Granted everyone I work with feels like family, and all of my friends are there. It's just not going anywhere. I'm not going to spend 6+ years in school to get an MBA to get the job I want there. Just for Target. The only thing that keeps me there are the people I work with. It's not rewarding, it's not changing the world. Helping someone pick out an LCD TV isn't changing my life.

Eh, it's still up for debate. Staying at home the last three months has been great, but I'll miss the money. The not worrying about what I buy and where the money goes. Not working loses those benefits. There's always part time. Or not. I'm not sure.

Anywho, gotta go.

I got my TDI check! *does happy dance*

Ah, life without a paycheck sucked. I go back to work in five weeks, that also kind of sucks. Part of me wants to go because I'm bored. Part of me wants to be a stay at home mom because I kind of like it. But work is most of my social life, most of my friends are there, it's like my second family. I need to work anyways so I can go back to school.

Speaking of school, I've narrowed it down to teaching (maybe elementary school, maybe special education?), something to do with information technology, or maybe nursing (I was thinking pediatric). Nursing's on the new side as far as career considerations for me, but I'm willing to look at it. Maybe I've been watching too much ER for my own good. ;) Maybe if I don't do nursing I could look into Occupational Therapy or Social Work. I do relate to children better than adults...

Benjamin is doing well. He's just started smiling (real social smiling, not gas) and getting vocal. He's really very cute. And Huge! Totally huge. He's already almost 11 lbs. He eats like a champ.

Billie Jo and Jeremy had their baby, hooray!

Hopefully most everyone will be at our house for a backyard BBQ on Sunday. That should be fun. I hope Jeremy and Billie Joe can come, so we can see the baby.

Norah fell two weeks ago and bashed her mouth on a table. Now she has a bruised tooth. Which is black. Yay. Norah's dentist says that it's normal and should get lighter. So that's good. Norah's doing better. Her behaviour is getting better. Now that the baby's a little older, we can spend more time with her and do more things for her. So I think she's settling back now.

Josh and I's anniversary is next Sunday. One year already. Having a baby makes that fly by. I hope to go to dinner and a movie to celebrate. Eat what's left of our wedding cake, be happy. It's been a good year, so I can't complain.

My new hobby is scrapbooking. Which seems like the quintessential lonely daytime mom activity, but I actually enjoy it. I did my wedding guest book last week. I'm trying to get my pictures in order to start Norah, and Ben. I finally got all the digital prints I wanted done off KodakGallery, and well, I printed 700. I figure, it was about time.

All my pictures of Norah exist on the computer, I only have a handful of pictures of her printed (for my desk at home and at work), so I didn't think to print them. Josh may have erased all the pictures of Norah that I had on an old computer (which he feels terrible about, even though I keep telling him it's ok). So we lost the first year and half of pictures of her. Luckily for us, Scott and Josh's mom had a bunch of pictures.

I gotta go make a food shopping list and get out to the market before the craziness of Friday starts to pick up.

I had forgotten earlier. But here is the newest addition to the Wexler family:




Snowball Rose Wexler


Josh pointed out, it's a nice name for a lady of the night. But Norah likes it, and well, we couldn't change her mind. He/She/It is happy at home in this beautiful Spongebob Squarepants starter aquarium that Norah picked out. The aquarium is actually damn cute.

Introducing...

Benjamin Lucas Wexler

4/10/07
2:03 P.M.

8 lbs. 3 oz.
21 inches.



And he's adorable! He is happy and healthy and perfect. I am doing well after the surgery and handling the two children well. A real update to come later. When I have some energy to type. :)

Updating my iPod today and getting ready for the hospital. Getting things in order. Packing and tidying. I guess the house is ready. Eh, I'm too tired to really work on it anymore. I do have to clean my bedroom, it's a mess again. (ahem Joshua). I have laundry too.

I had my last doctor's appointment on Thursday, I'm so happy I'm not tied to that place anymore. The doctor said the baby is going to be "a good size", what that means I'm frightened of. I hope he fits into all the clothes I have for him. I remember Norah lost weight and then gained it back, but I'm still hoping I'm not going out to buy new clothes in the first month. I'll cry.

Been having contractions all day, so I haven't been doing as much as I had hoped (including finishing this LJ entry). Some painful, some not. I'm always so confused as to what a real contraction feels like, but I know I'm not going into labor... yet. I don't want to miss that Easter buffet! So I watched TV and took a nap and delayed getting dressed until now. I do have to pick up Norah in about an hour.

I did spend way too much time on the internet this morning. So now it seems April 10th is sneaking up on me, because I just can't get stuff done.

Josh has two weeks off starting today, which is exciting. What is not exciting is that neither of us have vacation until next year. So the baby is our "vacation". It's a pseudo vacation.

I'm so happy it feels like we actually have this maternity leave under control. I'll need the extra help because of the surgery and taking care of Norah. We'll have more money and I'll get TDI eventually. The tax refunds will roll in soon and I'll feel better about money, seeing as how I just finished the last of my vacation and time off from work today.

I need to get moving. I probably won't post until after the C Section. I'll post pictures of the baby as soon as I can. We still need a name, by the way. Don't ask. I just can't decide.

Well, I'm still pregnant. I'm still here. I've been out of work for two weeks now. I normally shouldn't complain, but I'm starting to get bored. Especially on the days that Norah is at school. It gets very lonely. I know I'll have a whole new person to occupy my time in just ten days, but I just can't shake the lonely feeling.

I've been nesting like crazy! Cleaning the house. Organizing the house. Recleaning the house. It's tiring and I feel like I do it every damn day (actually I do). But I guess I'm making some progress?

We redecorated the living room, painted, got new couches. I cleaned Norah's room (a rat's nest mind you), our room (more of a rat's nest due to neglect). I'm working on the kitchen today I hope. I've got to clean out the pantry and find a place for Martha's collection of 25 year old booze. Where? I'll think of something. It all depends. All the stuff is totally overwhelming, but I'll do it. I need to otherwise I'll go crazy. It's hard when five adults live in a house together, but we have five adults, a four year old and an infant. It makes sense for things to be organized and the easiest to deal with as possible.

I'm not feeling well as of late. But that's the whole pregnancy thing. I'm swelling, sore and itchy. My body hurts, and I still have sciatica from where the baby is laying. It's super painful. Sitting, laying down, walking, standing - all difficult and painful. Mentally, I'm really very moody and can be deeply sad as of late. I'm having a hard time with that. Josh and I are having some issues, but nothing too serious. But it definitely impacts my mood and a bunch of other things. I'm lingering on it and I know I should just let it go, but I'm stuck on it.

When I'm not sleeping or cleaning I'm not doing much.

I did see 300 which I thought was fantastic.

We're taking Norah to see Meet the Robinsons this weekend. It got mixed reviews, but kid's movies always do. I think the critics need to relax a little bit, eh? It's just a kids movie. We're also probably taking her bowling on Sunday. It depends on how I feel.

A lot of our attention is on the baby and getting ready for the baby and I think that's rough for her. She's been good, but still acting out a little more than usual. I think she's pretty apprehensive although excited about the baby (funny, since so am I ha ha ha).

Sleeping was pretty rough last night, and I haven't had much of an appetite. I think it goes back to my mood. The appetite thing kills me, either I need to consume vast amounts of food or I'll only eat a pancake. When I was pregnant with Norah I couldn't stop eating. I did well with weight gain this time, I just broke about 25 lbs. (I wasn't very trim when I started). But I hope the appetite is mood related and not anything serious. I need my food.

I should get dressed. It is ten o clock. I should eat something and work on the big baby list. Cleaning the kitchen. Wooooooooo.

And I'm back.

We've been doing a lot of buying this month. Yesterday I acquired (through good timing and luck) a Nintendo Wii. Why? Well I want to play Zelda. And I just want one. There's a subliminal message somewhere in the Wii's advertising that says I need this. So that's what I've been thinking about. The games are promising, and I like a lot of the upcoming releases. I'm still not sure if I'm getting rid of my Gamecube though.

In addition to the Wii, last week Josh and I invested in an Xbox360. We got Gears of War. Which Josh likes, but I think it's too dark! And not dark content wise (I don't mind the gore and shooting and violence) it's just too dark for me to see what's going on. I see the appeal of the game and am willing to give it a go and play it, I just gotta play with the knobs and whatnot a little. I'm impressed with the system over all and I like a lot of the games on it. So that looks promising.

Two out of the three next gen systems in less than a month. Wheee. Honestly, the Wii is my birthday present and I'll be lucky to squeeze a card out of the husband this year since I spent too much on it. If he remembers to buy me one in the first place.

We also got a new DVD player, due to my solemn vow of not playing another DVD on a game system ever. Unless I wish it to die painfully like our Xbox. *sniff* Also a portable DVD player, and now after some vigorous toy shopping Norah is mostly done with her Chrismahanukwaza presents or whatever we're calling it this year.

My birthday is in two weeks. Blah - 25. I'm underwhelmed this year. I have nothing planned and will probably work the whole weekend through. I'll see if I can weasel out of Friday. Perhaps.

Norah is doing well and went for her second hair cut last night. Apparently Fantastic Sams = hacks. Well that's according to the other "cheap, quick" haircut place we went to. Alas it doesn't matter since I just won't pay that much for a haircut on a three year old.

I am exhausted this week for some reason and it's a miracle if I can stay awake past 9:00. It's so sad.

Hopefully I can get some laundry or cleaning done today. I think not anyways.

I have nothing to do but work for the next four days, so that's where my free time is going I guess. My life is all glamour. Oh yeah.

My pasta is ready! Time for lunchies.

I am alive. I'm still pregnant. Five months now. Four to go!

Yesterday we found out we're having a boy!

I immediately went shopping for baby clothes. Norah started telling strangers that she's having a baby brother. Everyone seems to be pleased with the outcome. The baby is perfect and healthy so far and I'm feeling pretty darned good.

Work is rough, and getting worse. The next two months will go by quickly, but that's a good thing.

Planning and executing Thanksgiving for next week. Living at the Wexler house is still ok. Looking at houses in the area and we're actually pretty hopeful about what we can afford.

Heading to work for the night. Then a busy weekend with the Wii launch. Our PS3 launch was anticlimactic, so I'm pretty happy I got to sleep in.

I'll do some updating soon. It's hard. I save most of my energy for Norah (and Josh) and work. Livejournal, feeling the pain unfortunately.

I'm here. Somewhat. I haven't updated since the wedding. I've been busy for good reason.

Work and whatnot keeping me busy.

I also have news!

I'm expecting another child in March. Unintentional and unplanned, but still a pleasant surprise. I'm so excited and frightened at the same time. Happy of course, just anxious about having two kids when one seems really demanding.

I'm about ten weeks along. Having a lot of problems with just sheer exhaustion and nausea. But I'm doing ok. Most people are excited which is cool.

That's all for now. Sitting at the computer just makes me feel plain old bad.... So I'll update soon. :)

I have the internet again! I'm all moved into the new place.

I didn't disappear tragically. I'm ok.

I shall update soon! :)

I think if I dismantle my computer, I'll get more packing done.

That being said. I'll be away until at least Sunday.

My house is a mess, the destination house is a mess. All is well! :)

I have a LOT to do.

Packing and Yard Sale Prep today, tomorrow and Friday. Ikea Thursday. Yard Sale Saturday. Moving Saturday and Sunday.

I don't want to move my couches again. It's very tempting to just sell them or leave them here. :) Free couches!

Norah's doing well at school. Learning, playing with kids.

I'll elaborate more on life and stuff when I have some time.

I've met my 8:00 internet quota for the day. And most of that was spent at the Ikea website.

8:01 gotta go! :)

Just some bullet points regarding the last two weeks until I can write a real update.

The wedding went well. Not much has changed. More proof that Josh and I really didn't need a paper to say we're married. We were married already. Geez. Waiting for the professional pics back from Caitlin, I'll post those when they come in. I'll elaborate too. It was amazing. We were goofy, but we had fun and it was small and intimate just like we wanted. A few small snags, but the important things were all taken care of. :)

Norah starts daycare on Monday.

We move into Martha's house next weekend. We're painting and cleaning and getting rooms back to live-able standards. Tough after a few years of just being storage rooms. Come to our yard sale on Saturday (the 24th!), I need to sell things. Most of my things.

Still touching up paint on Norah's room. It was the darkest shade of forset green you can imagine. Think two to three coats of primer one coat of paint and an extensive touch up. It will be cute once I get the floors cleaned and the rugs down.

Going to Ikea next Thursday to hopefully get the last of the things we need for her room and ours. Curtains. Furniture bits. Stuff like that.

I need to go food shopping today as I haven't gone since before the wedding. Two weeks ago. Our fridge contains one lonley bottle of Coke, a gallon of spring water (from Jeremy I assume), condiments and butter. Maybe an onion? Expired cheesy hot dogs? I cleaned it out and was less than thrilled with the results.

I need to write thank you notes to all the guests and my vendors. Norah needs new clothes for daycare. I need new clothes for work (I'm down to one pair of pants and a couple of shirts).

Working this weekend. Which I dread with every bone in my body. DREAD. I hate closings and it's father's day weekend. So it will be inexplicably busy. People need to buy gifts ahead of time! I should talk, I haven't started yet.

My grandmother fell down the stairs and dislocated and broke her ankle. She's in surgery now because it won't go back into the joint. I'm going to visit her tomorrow. Hopefully I can bring Norah. Someone remind me to get a card and flowers (Josh!).

Okay. Off I go to Target, Old Navy and to get something for lunch. And maybe Lowe's. But I need to measure first. So maybe not?

Heartburn! Anxiety! Exhaustion!

Weddings are too much fun.

I spent more money this week than I can to disclose. I wrote my biggest personal check EVER. Frightening.

I don't have much left. Here's the run down on the rest of the week. Just in case I forget. Which I can't since I make a new list every two minutes.

Yesterday: Cleaning. Laundry. Work. Today: Pedicure, Hair trim, Eyebrow waxing, Food Shopping for Rehearsal Dinner, Josh's Haircut. Pick up tuxes. Friday: Clean Martha's house, get ready for rehearsal dinner. Get everything together. Pack for overnight. Saturday: Manicure. Up Do. Make up. And oh yeah. Wedding. :)

Norah's excited. I can't contain my insanity. And Josh is blase. At best.

Oh! I lost my engagement ring. If anyone finds it, let me know. I'm quite sad about it. But I'm hoping it will turn up when we move. It was so sparkly. I can't have anything nice, it never works out. : /

Work was awful yesterday. I didn't want to work, but yet I was assigned tasks I wanted to blow off until Monday. Why can't they let me loaf the last night of work for the next four days. :) I don't understand.

Time to go, coffee's ready! :)

If I don't update until Monday, sorry. Depends on what's on the plate. I'll try and post preliminary pictures then. Did I mention it's going to rain? All day? Yuck. At least it's all indoors.

Today starts the wedding anxiety. Well, technically it's already started, this is the first day I'll admit it.

I'm planning for the rehearsal dinner and taking care of the last minute things. As far as things left to do goes, all I can do now is try and write things down in my notebook as I think of them. I don't have much else.

My heartburn has been non stop for at least four days. I can't sleep, I can't think of anything else. I'm anxious about everything. So anxious I'm totally overwhelmed by everything else. Work. Cleaning the house. Food shopping. It's driving me crazy.

Josh's dad gets fitted for his tux tonight. And hopefully we're having a relaxing non wedding related weekend. That's right. Friday evening through Tuesday (Yay Memorial Day!) with nothing wedding related. Just hanging out (hopefully outside) as a family. I'm excited more about that than the real wedding. ;)

Tuesday after work I go drop off about six grand at the Westin. Wednesday I close. Thursday is manicure and waxing. Also shopping for the rehearsal dinner. Which did I mention, I'm hosting myself? (CRAZY). Friday is rehearsal dinner cooking/cleaning/preparing. Saturday is hair, pedicure. Oh and WEDDING.

I'm out of my mind at the moment.

Oh and I don't like Whitestrips. They make me gag and don't sit on my teeth right. *sigh* Curse you coffee!

So. I'm at Fenway Park.

I don't know if I'm more excited about the food than the Red Sox.

Look for us on TV!!! We're five rows behind home plate on the left.

I'm wearing a hot pink Jem tshirt.

Some guy is up to bat that I think is bad. Yeahn he sucked.

Johnny Damon is up, I suppose I should pay attention!!

Bye.

Two weeks and the whole wedding thing is swinging into high gear. Financial woes for the wedding have been miraculously alleviated thanks to a generous gift from Sherwin and Martha. I think Josh and I were floored by the whole thing. It was the most amazing thing they could have done for us.

After the wedding we start moving into Martha's house. I'm on wedding related stuff for the next solid week. But hopefully I can take a night and stroll the paint department at Home Depot and find something good for Norah's room. It's going to be nice to have a little spending money again and not have to worry about where the rent is coming from.

Mostly all that's left for the wedding is final meetings and payments. Everything seems to be planned out. I just gotta get a few odds and ends. And hopefully my work schedule is cooperative for that week or I'm going to cry and call out a lot! :)

Going to the mall today with my sister. Buying make up from MAC, figured it was worth the expense. Have to pick up some small things and then probably going to WalMart or Michael's to pick up the rest of the wedding junk I need. Then I just gotta finish my dwindling list of printing jobs that I've lined up for myself.

I. Need. Coffee. Badly.

Work is work. Last night sucked due to complete lack of any staffing. I was left to run the sales floor (cover calls, help people, get stuff from the stockroom) essentially by myself. For the whole night. Yay! It was awesome.

I'm really putting serious thought into what I want to do when I go back to college. Retail sucks, and I love Target, but I can't stay here forever. I'm thinking Teaching or Computer nonsense. Either has its benefits and drawbacks, but I figure something out.

Off to make coffee. Apologies ahead of time if my updates are sparse, it's going to be a busy two weeks!

We are less than one month away from the big day and I'm panicked by all the things I have to get done. Not to mention all the money I have to drop this month on various expenses.

Work is tiring. We were all sick AGAIN for about a week. It started with Norah and then to Josh and then me. I seemed to get the least sick. I just had a fever and body aches, luckily nothing else.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow and my day off. Then I work late this weekend, which I don't mind since I'm closing with one of the better managers. Then I have next weekend off, which is the reception food tasting and the finalization of all that. I'm in awe of how much that is going to cost. But I digress. We still have a lot to pay for (photographer, DJ, florist are the big ones left).

I went and had my dress bustled last night by Martha's friend Diane. Martha got to see my dress for the first time. I'm so lucky it fits perfectly, even though I still had to buy a new dress. And it's pretty comfy to wear (I still haven't sat down in it yet, though, I'm too afraid to try.) So the dress is out of the house for a week or so being altered. I still need to get my sister a dress.

I have a page long list of stuff typed that I need to do for the wedding. Tuxes, dresses, jewelry, planning, I still have a lot to go. I'm kind of in a slump (and a month before is not the time to be in a slump). But I think it's the sickness not laziness.

Norah is doing well, she's very excited still about the wedding.

I can't wait for this planning nonsense to be over. I just want to get it over with so we can be married already. In retrospect I should've saved the money and just eloped. Ha! Josh will kill me. :)

Someday soon the wedding entries will stop, just not today!

I'll have to get a picture post up to show off all the stuff that I've done. But that's at the bottom of the list. I still need to write our ceremony and write out the music list for Derek. That's today's task. Luckily I don't have to work until 4:30, so that's kind of a blessing.

Wedding planning is draining my soul.

Norah was pretty sick for a week or so. Between fevers, vomitting, lethargy and some other stuff. So she seems better. Has gone a day without getting sick. She's back to being bright and sunny like she normally is.

We went to the park last week when she was sick on my day off to fly kites and play soccer (Norah's new hobby). She had fun, but I could tell she didn't feel good. So we're going back this week if the weather is nice (which is questionable). That way she'll be good and ready to enjoy it. Plus it takes me away from the wedding planning. If not Thursday then Sunday. Whichever.

I'm still on the music, I've got some good stuff and it's getting better but I think that when I run out of the stuff I want to hear at the wedding we'll just play some crappy top 40. Or maybe just jazz? 20% of the guests are young, but really don't dance (Josh and I included. I won't even dance when I'm drunk). 60% of the guests are old or can't dance. So they probably won't. The last twenty percent may dance, but I'm not sure to what. So whatever. I'm done with music. :P

I have a huge list of things to take care of. And someone's procrastinating. *cough* JOSH. He has stuff he needs to take care of so we can move on! That and I have a bunch of stuff myself. So I need to get off my butt and working on that massive list.

I should be folding laundry... But I'm not. Yikes.

I promise the wedding entries will stop soon! But sadly, that's the excitement in my life at the moment.

We're meeting with the DJ tonight to talk music, and I just need to be prepared. We don't really dance, so I just want some hip and fun mingling music. I want to go the whole reception without hearing the YMCA or the Electric Slide or any other annoying dancy type song ever. ;)

I'm on this quest to find some great and unusual alternative, punky and indieish songs to play at my wedding. I have a list of about 20 songs so far, but I need more! Luckily iTunes had a great Essentials of indie love songs (saved!)... I got quite a few from that list, but I'm still looking for more. *sigh* (I need a particular hard-to-find Bright Eyes song if anyone has it, I'll love you FOREVER!).

( Here's the songs I have now: )

It seems like so little when I type it out. I need to pick classical music for the ceremony too... This wedding junk is too much work! :) I have about five hours of music to plan.

I really want Panic! at the Disco's I Write Sins not Tragedies as the going away/last song, but I don't think my mother would like the whole: "I hear the poor groom's bride is a whore" line... But it's such a good song! :)

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Otherwise, I have no idea what to do today! I was going to go food shopping, but I don't know what we want to eat this week. I seem to be fixated on the whole wedding music.

Somewhat cross posted to weddingplans.