Pimp my ride

I'm lucky when pregnant in the sense that I don't get morning sickness at all. Ever. Maybe a little gaggy, but that's about it. But my body makes up for it in other ways, and I don't get a respite for the entire nine months. First, exhaustion. Now, I know everyone is exhausted when they are pregnant, so nothing new, but I swear sometimes I can't even lift my arms. The worst part for me is back pain. BAD back pain. In fact, a shooting, spiking pain that starts on my left hip and goes all the way down my leg is usually my first indication that I'm pregnant. I'll have days where I wake up okay, but as I'm walking, it will literally feel like I've been shot - the pain is that sudden and severe. Sometimes my leg will buckle beneath me. I had this with Ewan, but only at night. With Fynn, it was so bad there were days I literally couldn't take care of Ewan and had to call someone to come get him because I couldn't even walk through the kitchen to make him food. This pregnancy I've had it as well, but there have been good days interspersed. Until this past Friday. It has been so very, very bad. And no respite. And I'm so frustrated. The pain really is so awful, and I consider myself to have a pretty good tolerance for pain. The problem is that I also have a high tolerance for medicine, and mere Tylenol does absolutely NOTHING to help this pain. I don't even bother taking it anymore, because it's pointless. Nights like tonight, where even laying down doesn't help, but merely makes my leg throb as if reminding me, "Hey, at least you didn't throw up like some people," I feel like I just can't do it anymore. I just want one normal day, pain free, where I can walk around my house without stumbling or shrieking. I am a pretty melodramatic person by nature, but I really try to hold it in with this. I try so hard not to react - it throbs constantly - but then the shooting pain comes so suddenly, so sharp that it completely takes me by surprise. There's no real point to this post, just to express my frustration and tears and MAKE IT STOP!

I told Bryce I'm going to buy a wheelchair (only half-joking.) I'll need help from my friends and family to "pimp it out" for me. I want a 20 oz. Coke holder and a compartment that keeps my chocolate chip cookies warm while also keeping my milk cold. A guacamole and chip dispenser would be nice, an outlet for my iPod to charge, and some nice rims would be good, too, 20 or more inches please. An arm that pops up with a water-misting fan will be absolutely necessary as well. I'm sure I'll think of more later. I'll accept blueprints and prototypes by mail. Hurry, I have two months left.

TWO MONTHS! Waaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!

(Disclaimer: I am so excited to be having this baby. I've accepted this is my lot when bringing a new little guy into the world. I'm grateful for this pregnancy- it just doesn't make it any easier.)

My personal leech

Back in May, what was once very cute and sweet...

Now, not so much...

Lovely Things

My little sister, Amy, had a baby shower for her first baby last Saturday. Her baby boy will be coming at the end of September, and we're very excited. (Pictures of the shower will be coming in the next week, which I'm excited about because I don't have many pictures of my two sisters and I together as bona-fide grown-ups.) Anyway, as I was leaving the shower, Amy ran out after me saying she had something for me. She is a very talented jewelry maker, clothes-sewer, creative type person (which I envy enormously) and she has been working on embroidery. She had embroidered a bag for me using a Black Apple pattern. Voila:
Very cute, sorry I couldn't get a better picture. Thanks, Amy.

On another note, I am with music the way I am with friends. I am very much a loyalist to a select few bands/friends, and I very rarely let a new person/song/band into my life. For example, I am very much a loyalist to The Cure and Better than Ezra, as well as the good ol' 80s guys like Erasure and Pet Shop Boys. It takes forever before I accept something new. A few weeks ago, Bryce and I each allowed ourselves to buy one album off of iTunes, and it took me over a week before I could pick something. I've always heard of Death Cab for Cutie, but never tried to listen. But, oh, when I did... I have a new favorite. It joins the ranks and status of The Cure and BTE. I bought their album Plans and then later Transatlanticism. And my new favorite song, you know, in addition to all my favorite Cure songs, is "I Will Follow You into the Dark." I love the simple guitar, I love the words, I love his voice. It makes me sigh in happiness. The addition of this song to my limited music obsessions must be documented.

You try coming up with a title on three hours of sleep...

Maybe it's because I went to bed at nearly 2 am, woke up at 5 am in pain and feeling weird, spent one hour in the bath, and am now sitting at the computer at 6:17 am eating RitzBitz Cheese Sandwich crackers (sooooo good) and drinking a Coke, but I think this story is awesome.  Except for the stupid mother, but you know, hey, be inspired where you can...

My son the pole dancer

Love when the stuff I love gets trendy...

...then I can stock up on pointless odds and ends. I went to Target looking for a three-ring binder, and in the school supply section I found this owl folder:
It's so cute I want to pinch its cheeks and squeeze its legs.

Four Tag

Four random things I love about my husband :
1. Not really random, but he is an AMAZING father
2. Very blue eyes
3. He likes cats
4. He looks at me like I'm Angelina Jolie no matter what I look like

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Salesperson at Victoria's Secret
2. Assistant teacher at multiple daycares
3. Waitress (for five days)
4. Telemarketer for Olan Mills

Four movies I have watched more than once:
1. 13 Going on 30
2. Out of Africa
3. Lonesome Dove (weird coincidence, a commercial for this movie just came on...)
4. Quigley Down Under

Four TV shows I watch:
1. 30 Rock
2. The Office
3. Lost
4. Scrubs

Four random places I have been:
1. Tillamook Cheese Factory (just like Shannon)
2. Um.... your house
3. The Goonies house
4. Um... your mom's house

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Pasta (the cheesier the better)
2. Avocados in any form
3. Coke (yeah, that's a food!)
4. Taquitos

Four places I would like to visit:
1. Ireland
2. Egyptian pyramids
3. New York City
4. Fairyland

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
1. New babies, mine and Amy's. Especially mine.
2. Fynn's second birthday, which is going to be a blowout because his first birthday blew.
3. Hopefully, toward the end of 12 months, a new house
4. Christmas

Four people I tag:
1. Ashley
2. Erica
3. Cristina
4. Grace

5.  Oh, and I'm adding an extra:  Missy.

So much to catch up on...

... and I'll probably forget most of it. Last weekend, we made a last minute plan to drive down to Glen Rose and see the wild animal safari. Afterward, we planned on checking out the dinosaur prints at the river. The safari was a huge success with the boys. We had taken Ewan once when he was very little, and he didn't care, but he loved it this time. Fynn was also very excited and grinned and giggled the entire time.

Random deer. LOTS of deer there.

Ignoring the warning to not feed them by hand. He was pretty.

Ignoring the warning again for Ewan.
Not the best picture, in fact Bryce looks a little like a serial killer. But he was the photographer for the trip and Fynn practically needs to be surgically removed from him, so a self-portrait it was.

I almost kidnapped this one. Seriously. If he'd only come a step closer...

What's up, Giraffe?

And the crowning glory of the day, letting Ewan drive for part of the safari.

After this, we went to the river, where we soaked for a little while. And where I totally bit the dust on one particularly slimy rock. A couple of women there were pretty sure I was going to go into labor, but I was totally fine. I was more impressed with myself because I was carrying Fynn and was able to completely shield him from getting hurt at all. I actually think those women were disgusted with me for even doing anything like that while pregnant, but one of their husbands shushed them by yelling out, "That baby's fine in the embryotic sac!" Indeed. Then we couldn't find the path back up the river wall to the parking ground, and ended up doing some serious hiking. Like, for real hiking. The best part was when I had to climb up over a rock that was almost taller than me.

Anyway, that's all for now. Although I did get my hair done, with Missy - which she posted about here. I loved the girl who did my hair, she was awesome. I knew I was looking pretty blah before the haircut, but I didn't realize how bad until I saw how good it looked after. The day before my C-section is scheduled, I am so going back to her to trim and fix my hair so I'll look good in the hospital. You know, at least until the trauma wears me into looking awful. I'm just going to post one of my after pics. Check out Missy's blog for the rest of the pictures, because hers was totally cute, too.
First on the agenda after Baby comes - get rid of that face fat!

Dumbest Parents EVER Award Goes To...

... these folks.  I honestly think they should also be charged with... with... something!

The newest addition to the Taylor family

Does anyone hear angels singing?  Because I do.

Lots to blog about

I swear I have lots to write about, but the last thing I have wanted to do is get on here and spout my mouth and post pictures.  I've gotten so lazy.  But hopefully tomorrow I will feel up to it.  Sad, I know, it's just sitting at a desk and typing and using a mouse.  But it's more than I can bear.  *Sigh*  Just tired.