My Girls

Earlier this month, I celebrated my 30th birthday.  I think it is only natural at different milestones to start taking stock of where you are in life currently, how your past has impacted you and what you want your future to resemble. 

 

 When I started analyzing the last couple of decades, one thing has been steadfast at any point of my life.  For the last two decades, I have had the same girls, now women, surround me at every moment.

 

 

I know that having even just one friendship that has lasted nearly 20 years is rare and something to cherish. But for me to be able to say that I have a group of nine other women that have been there day in and day out for that period of time is remarkable.  

 

 

Since we couldn't celebrate my birthday in our traditional method (attempting to party like we are turning 21, but these days only for an hour or two) due to #2, I asked everyone to humor me and have professional pictures taken by my beloved Carissa Byers.  I wanted to document our friendship, I wanted to make sure that we had something to look back at when we are celebrating our 60ths.

 

 

Growing up, I always said that when I turn 30 that is when I will finally be an adult.  Now that I'm here, I don't really know about that.  I suppose on paper-owning a house, two cars, a nearly four year old and another on the way-I am one but I still feel so very young.  When I'm with my girls, I feel like we quickly transplant ourselves to 15 years ago having sleep overs and talking about boys (except now, they are our husbands).

 

 We aren't able to get together as often as we want to due to distance, time, or just life in general.  But when we do, just like any genuine friendship, no time has passed and we pick up where we left off laughing until we cry, eating all the delicious foods, and supporting each other though our trials.

 

I am beyond blessed to be able to call each one of these girls not only a friend, but a best friend.  I can't imagine where I would be now without them, and refuse to think I will have a future where they won't be a phone call (or text, or Facebook message or whatever social media we have over the next 50 years) away.  I adore each and every single one of them and appreciate each one for how unique they are.  

 

    Allie, Lindsey, Heather, Chelsea, Michele, Amanda, Stephanie, Erin and Jenny-you have enriched my life beyond what my words can say.  I love each of you and look forward to what the next 30 and beyond brings us as girlfriends.

Boy or Girl?

Sorry for anyone who might have gotten excited about the title of the post thinking this was an announcement of the sex of #2.  We aren't finding out until hopefully it comes (hopefully quickly and as painless as possible) out of my belly.     We didn't find out with Baby either.  Well to an extent-at our 20 week anatomy scan we had expressed our desire to not know if the baby had a hamburger or a turtle.  The tech had wrongly assumed we would have no idea when he was scanning over genitalia because for even less than half a second, Boyfriend and I both thought we saw girl parts but it was such a short moment that we weren't even sure that is what we saw so we still never really *knew*.  From that moment on though, I had girl feelings and wasn't the least bit surprised when Boyfriend announced, "It is a girl!"

Unlike with Baby, we did do genetic testing that also included finding out the sex chromosomes.  I had to have the test repeated, and unfortunately the nurse accidentally forgot to select the box that would not send those particular results back the second round.  When she called me to let me know the results (very low risk of any chromosomal defects, thankfully) she asked me what I thought I was having.  I immediately shouted, "I don't want to know!" and she was so disappointed that she now knows and is worried that she will spoil it, despite having never done so before.   My next appointment they removed that information from my file so there isn't the accidental spill by someone who is not aware of my desire to not be filled in, and when we have our next sonogram in a few weeks I will be asking him to please let me know any time he is near #2's crotch so we will physically turn our heads.   I wasn't sure I wanted a second.  I always said that if I could cherry pick and be promised a boy, I would have a second because I so desperately didn't want to have two girls.  Then I became pregnant and decided for the first 6-8 weeks that it was definitely a girl and decided sisters wouldn't be so bad after all-at least once we were past the teen years.   Now I am actually having boy thoughts and at sometimes I really can't decide which I desire more because I had realized all the advantages of having two girls.  Of course, the only thing I truly *want* is that I have a healthy baby, but I also think there is nothing wrong with having a sex preference.   I really will be surprised and delighted either way, as long as it isn't Baby's guess, a boy AND a girl!
    (Editor's note-when I initially wrote this, I referred to #2 as a she coming out of my belly.  I wonder if my subconscious is telling me something.) 

Mom's Guide to Handling Her Family's Flu

On Thursday night, I received a text from Boyfriend telling me he was getting sick and had a cough.  The weekend before Christmas, Baby had a terrible cough and ran a little fever but it passed quickly so I just assumed that he had caught the same.  When we woke up on Friday morning however and he was burning up and said he hurt all over-I immediately called the doctor and sent him on his way.  

 

Dramatics aside, my poor husband was sick.  I will admit, I have a hard time knowing if he is ever as sick as he is acting because he will pull the stereotypical male stunt of every sickness is steps away from death.  Regardless, with this new diagnosis, Baby and I tried our best to stay away and not catch his germs.     Unfortunately, the next morning, Baby woke up coughing so hard she puked and was running a 104.9 fever.  Another doctor appointment in, another flu confirmation. I started to quickly feel guilty.  We are not a flu shot family.  I personally do not have objections against vaccinations, however we just never get them.  This year however, I made the exception for myself since I was pregnant and had every intention to get Baby hers-we just never did.     With a prescription for Tamiflu for the Boyfriend and Baby, and prayers that I would manage to avoid it, we headed home and I prepared to play nurse all weekend to my family.  If you ever find yourself in a situation like mine, here are a few tips I learned that might help you along.   1.  Take lots of pictures of your sick baby so that you have a constant reminder of how you failed to protect them.  Just kidding, while I do feel some guilt, I also am aware that a flu shot definitely does not mean that you won't get the flu.  Your photographic evidence will be all that you have left after the trial is over and all the tissues, orange juice bottles and prescription bottles are thrown away.    

2.  Convince your child that their medicine is candy.  While I know this can definitely backfire in the future and we are very conscious of keeping all other medications out of reach, three year olds are freakishly strong when they have no energy otherwise when refusing to take their medicine.   3.  When you child throws up their "candy" because they used all their energy from fighting off the medicine instead of eating, make sure you also have a trash can in reach for yourself.  I will never be one of those moms who puke doesn't impact them.  The smell, the chunkiness, add in that I'm already gaggy 24/7 from being pregnant and my lunch is a goner.    4. Once the vomit has been cleaned off your couch (thanks Boyfriend for rescuing me, despite the fact that you too had no energy to assist!) your little one is going to want to cuddle you.  I actually am someone who is constantly cold, however you will be surprised how much heat a 28 pound child can emit while running a fever.  I suggest while at the pharmacy picking up the prescriptions, you also pick up a personal fan a few cooler packs to help offset the heat that will be clingy to your body.     5. Most of my time was monopolized by the one who couldn't take care of herself, but make sure that you pay special attention to the older baby too.  I let him have TV priority, made sure he had juice and cuddles as desired. Thanks to Tamiflu, he recovered pretty quickly and was able to help me out towards the end of Baby's run with the flu.   When it is all over and everyone in the house is healthy again, go ahead and schedule yourself a massage to relieve all your incredibly aching muscles from having to hold your child in the most awkward positions-whatever it took to help her sleep and a night at a hotel so you can finally get a decent nights rest since you probably didn't sleep much either.     Sadly, I didn't follow my advice on that last part, but I do know one thing-next year no one is allowed to get the flu.