There's No Place Like Fargo

As of late Kevin has been on the road doing construction work again. His latest job was in Fargo, ND. He's been overseeing the remodel of a Verizon store up there, and needless to say all of the preppy boys in their polo shirts have been less than pleasant. Here is the latest example:

Kevin came home this past Friday at about 7:00pm. We had a nice dinner, watched TV, etc. On Saturday at about 1:00 he found out that he had to go BACK to Fargo that night and 'babysit' some subcontractors. I decided to go with him and shop the mall while he was working. Thankfully Dad agreed to watch the girls overnight and off we went. Now, Fargo is only about 3.5-4hours away, but it seems as though we went into a whole new world. Craziest people I've ever seen. Anywho, I shopped, we went to dinner, and we left at about 9am on Sunday. Kev was totally excited to come back that afternoon and just hang with the girls. We arrived at about 1:00 and he found out at about 1:30 that he had to GO BACK!! Yes, that's right, GO BACK!!! So he left at about 3:00 again to drive up to Fargo........Nice weekend, huh? But wait, it gets better....

The plan was for him to leave mid morning on Monday and come home for Monday and Tuesday. I didn't get the call that he was leaving until about 3pm. Roughly 20 minutes later I get another call. It's Kev telling me his radiator has a leak. You have to be frickin' kidding me!! Trying to make a long story short he found a part that could be delivered this morning (Tues) and he is on his way now. He should be at my work at about 1:00. So since Friday he has come home, left, come home, left, and is on his way home again now. Luckily the job in ND is done and he only has to receive a shipment tomorrow on another site...Then he has 4 days off!! :D

I forgot how crazy this whole "traveling construction" thing can be. I am doing OK handling it, but Ellie has a hard time when Daddy says he will be home and then he's not. I really see her acting out a bit more (if that's possible for a 3 year old of her kind)...My goal is to make this as easy on her as possible. And if that means I throw his phone into the lake this weekend then so be it!!!!

Little Women...Lost of 'em!

Kevin and I recently found out that our 3rd child together (and last!) is going to be a girl. What a shocker. I am really starting to believe that girls are all Kevin is able to make!! LOL!

I went in for my ultrasound, something I have enjoyed with each pregnancy. This time the little one decided to play ball with the umbilical cord the entire time, which made it hard to hear a heartbeat. She also had her legs WIDE OPEN for the lady to find out the sex. I mean WIDE open!! I hope this is not a sign of the future...

Regardless, our newest little princess is growing right on schedule and seems to be doing fine. I am less concerned with the rest of the pregnancy and focusing more on having 3 young girls living in the same house. My poor husband! And of course I am totally consumed with the "name" thing...I suggested Eva (or Ava) a long time ago to Kevin, and at the time he didn't like it. Now he does. (It was the same thing with Emma) So...Eva/Ava is a possibility...Dad suggested Eden...I also like Alexis and Abigail....I think naming the kid is almost as hard as carrying it around for 9 months!!! LOL~

Wine-O

I think I am raising my youngest daughter to be a wine-o. Not on purpose, mind you...but regardless, there it is. We have this half gone bottle of wine in the bottom shelf of our fridge door. Every time I open the fridge Emma makes a mad dash to the door, grabs the wine, and runs as fast as she can away from me. If I catch up to her she simply throws the wine at me and laughs. Now, I know what you are thinking..."Move the bottle of wine up, Laura. Duh." OK, I have tried that. I have moved it up the shelves, farther into the fridge, etc. It makes NO difference!!! NONE AT ALL!!! She will make every attempt to climb and scale the shelves of the fridge until she can get her hands on that bottle. No joke. Just this ONE particular bottle...*Sigh* I hope that this isn't a hint of what is to come.

Oops!!!!

I had a big OOPS last night. Hey, it happens to even the best of us!! :D So here's the story...I made Chicken & Dumplings yesterday in the crock pot. After the girls and I got done eating it was really close to their bed time so we did stories and such and I got them to bed. I decided to clean up the kitchen briefly and then sit and relax. I was super tired from not getting much sleep lately and fell asleep before 8:30. All through the night I kept waking up and smelling the chicken... Every time I would think "Just get up and throw it out." Finally, around 3am, Kevin called me to say goodnight as he was finishing up some work in Fargo. At that point I decided to just get up and clean that pan out so it could soak. As soon as I went to stick the pan in the sink I figured out why the smell had been so strong. I LEFT THE POT ON ALL NIGHT!! My once wonderful meal was now crusted to the sides and (literally) almost hard as a rock. LOL HAHAHAHA~~ I had to laugh because, well, it was just funny at 3am. At that point Ellie came out because she had to go to the bathroom, Emma woke up, etc. so it wasn't until about 4am this morning that I could stick that (still very hot) pan in the sink. Oops!!! I wanted a new crock pot anyways...Depending on how it looks when I get home this may just be the excuse I was looking for!

Family Fun and a Sick Kid

So this was a big weekend at our house. My mom and my step dad flew in from Arizona on Thursday evening, and Kevin arrived late Friday afternoon. I had such a wonderfully fun weekend planned, including MOA, the zoo, etc. However, as is often the case when you are a parent, that was not to be. Emma came down with a fever on Friday afternoon while we were at the MOA. She became sleepy and refused to eat. On Saturday we attempted to go to the zoo as Ellie was super excited. Emma cried the ENTIRE TIME. Now, I don't mean she cried on and off while we were there. Nope. She sat in her stroller or on my lap and CRIED for 3 hours STRAIGHT!!! Needless to say we "power walked" through the zoo. I made it up to Ellie by buying her some outrageously expensive toys at the gift store. On Sunday Emma seemed a bit better but still not 100%. We attempted a walk to the park...She was happy for about 10 minutes and then went back into pissed off mode. When we weren't out trying to be active Emma slept...and slept...and slept...and would not eat a darn thing. I was getting really worried...I figured if she wasn't OK by this morning I would be heading for the Dr.

So Kev left at 3am this morning and mom left at 5am...at 6:30am Emma woke up HAPPY AS CAN BE!!! No fever, ate about 3 bowls of cereal and ran around playing with all of the new toys she totally ignored this weekend. You have to be kidding me. My dad insists that it was simply because she missed her grandpa...I think her teeth finally broke through. Either way I hope when I get back from work today she is still as happy and upbeat as she was when I left.

Disturbing!!!

I heard the most disturbing thing on the radio. A friend called in for what the station calls "Group Therapy"...This is where a person phones in with an issue and other listeners can phone in with advice. Anyways, a girl called in about her friend. Apparently her young friend (Late teens, early 20's) got pregnant. Shocker. The "boyfriend" refused to pay for an abortion, and the girl claims to not have enough money for one. So what is her brilliant plan? Perhaps adoption or a social service agency? No!! That would be too easy (and humane!) Her plan is to DRINK THE BABY TO DEATH!!! Yes, you read that right!! She wants to drink so much alcohol that she just eventually kills the baby!!!!!! Now, obviously I have certain words that I would like to say to this girl and sadly I cannot post any of them on here! The response from the public was (understandably) overwhelming. Most were concerned for the baby, some for the baby and the girl. Part of me says screw the girl, save the baby. If she wants to drink herself to death so be it but don't hurt an innocent child. The other part of me says that it's (probably) not her fault because she wasn't taught any better. Where are her parents???? However, both parts cry for that little unborn child and the life that it may or may not have....I almost don't have words to put down for what I was thinking and the flood of emotions when I heard this.

That poor baby!! It won't die it the womb, but WILL be born with lifelong problems. I deal with clients every day who have FAS, and it is one of the hardest parts of my job. With so many women unable to have children why not choose adoption?? That was the best thing my birth mother or Kevin's birth mother ever did!!!! Whether it is stupidity or lack of education this girl seriously needs somebody to sit down with her and explain a few things. NOW!

Anniversary

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Kevin and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary this past weekend. He surprised me by coming home early on Friday...When he walked in he handed me a CARD and after that a brand new Guess watch and pearl earrings!!! I couldn't believe it!! It has been FOREVER since he has gone and done something like that...Usually I just pick out my own gifts, and for most holidays (birthday, valentines, etc.) we don't do much (Guess that happens when you spend everything on your kids, lol) But this time he actually went by himself, with his own money, and picked something from the heart! Totally meant the world to me. On Saturday it was pouring rain so we just walked around the mall together and had a really nice lunch. That night we watched movies and had a steak on the grill (NUMMY!) He left Sunday early afternoon, but I wasn't nearly as sad this time...We had spent such a great couple days together I had a hard time being anything but happy :D

It amazes me that we've been married for 4 years. 4 years!!! AHHHH!!! When I look at my life now (wife, mother, etc.) it is certainly not what I had always pictured. I was the girl who was never going to have kids...Well, obviously things didn't go that way, and I am thrilled that they didn't. I love my Ellie Bean, my Ellie Coo-Coo Bird, and the little Britting-To-Be. And I love my husband, more than words could say. Sure, 4 years down...but hopefully so many more to go!

Tough Week

This has been a terribly tough week for me with Kevin being gone. Granted, it was only for a few days this time...I think what bothers me most about his going back on the road is the memories it brings back from the last time. That and he didn't have time to tell Ellie goodbye so I had to do it for him. That stunk. But mainly it's just the flood of returning emotion from the year he was gone. We were not a happy couple then, and our marriage almost didn't survive the ordeal. I get terrified that will happen again this time, and with two children and one on the way I am unsure of how I would handle that. I would like to think I am a strong woman who could pull her own and do it all if needed, but I don't want it to be needed. Not at all. Ugh. Still, I am trying to focus on the positives from this week...Here are a few:

1) Kev comes home for the weekend so we can celebrate our 4 year anniversary
2) Ellie rode her bike down the block and back all by herself
3) Emma learned the word "nana" (banana)
4) Mom is coming for a visit next week
5) I get to sleep with the window open when he's not here
6) I have a lot less laundry to do when he's gone
7) The baby is a movin'!

Those are all things that made me smile a bit throughout the week, so those are the things I hold on to. Sometimes that's all you can do!

Single Married Female

My fears have become a reality. Kevin is back to working on the road again in a traveling construction job. We found out he got the job last night at about 6 or 7, and he left this morning at 3am. Great. I will be the first to admit that I did not react well. The last time Kev worked on the road it was the worst year or so of my life. Our marriage all but collapsed, I wouldn't hear from him for days, etc...and that was when I just had Ellie. Now I have Ellie, Emma and the baby-to-be. I know that we really need the money as he has been laid off for about 3 months now...but I guess I wasn't quite prepared. I hate being a "single married female." I hate waking up every morning and going to bed every night alone. It sucks.

It's my hope that this job will really be what he said and he will be home every week or every other week. Once thing is for certain; If it goes back to being months at a time that he is gone I won't deal with it...And I think, this time, he won't either.