The Magic Kingdom (magical parts only)

One day in the Magic Kingdom. 8:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Grandma rented an electric convenience vehicle and was able to party all day long. The Dunedin Highland Games the day before were a different story in the Florida sun; we went home at about lunchtime.

Little Suzi met Pluto, Daisy Duck, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Minnie, and finally Mickey. She hugged and kissed some of them too. I never cared about meeting any of the characters before, but this time watching Suzi do it was my favorite part.

Near the end of the day we went to a shop in Mickey's Toontown Fair. Out of all the toys in the shop, some of which cost well over $50, Suzi selected one little $12 Piglet doll. She didn't even make a fuss when I told her the large-size Eeyore couldn't come home with us and (after hugging him) she put him right back on the shelf with his friends so he wouldn't get lonely. Suzi seemed to have more fun "shopping" than she did doing anything else. She loved having a chance to walk around and do her own thing, playing with all the stuffed animals. (The shops are the least crowded places in Disney, because they involve spending yet more money.) It made me wish we'd put her down and followed her around earlier in the day, rather than running her rapidly from one attraction to another.

From about 9:30 to 10:00 pm we were waiting in line to meet Mickey. We had told Suzi she would meet Mickey and didn't want to go back on our word even though it was really time to go home. She was so sleepy. A sweet newlywed couple behind us in line made friends with her, talked to her and helped keep her awake. Suzi wants to be friends with everyone, so it's nice when she can be. Not everyone waiting in line wants to play!

If every kid took as little time as Suzi did to meet the characters, there wouldn't be a line at all. Kiss kiss, hug hug, run back to Daddy. She was starstruck. I will probably eat these words in a few years, but I don't see the point of those silly Disney autograph books.

Suzi fell asleep during the 10:30 pm fireworks show, and I've never seen her sleep so hard. She didn't wake up when we put her in the car or when we got back to the hotel and put her in bed. She didn't wake up for the day until about 8:00 the next morning when we were over an hour into our trip home. She was so sweet during the ride back, playing with her new Piglet and calling to him like Pooh does in the movie. Her version is howloooooo, Piggit!

It wasn't all perfect, but these are the parts I'd like to remember. Maybe I'll blog some of the rest later. It may be helpful for someone planning a trip.

Before I forget, since it may be a couple of years... Game plan for next time:
1) Stay at a Disney resort to get Extra Magic Hours.
2) Lie in bed or around the pool all day while the masses swarm the park in the ridiculous heat.
3) Get up around 7:00 pm and head to the park.
4) Stay until 3:00 am or however long the Extra Magic hours last, enjoying mild weather, pleasant dim lighting, short lines, and thin crowds.

Glad I figured that out.

Thanks for taking us to Disney, "Wanma and Wampa!"

Product Review: B'Mums Pregnancy Relaxation CD

I am a sort of high-strung person, and relaxation has never come naturally to me. Especially when pregnant, I have days when nothing particularly bad has happened, but I am just in one of those moods. Or perhaps there was a customer at work I just couldn't please no matter what I did. Or maybe Suzi, for instance, screeched for half an hour because I made her take her shoes off before going to bed. By the end of the day, I feel like this:

That's why I loved Sinead Hoben's B'Mums Pregnancy Relaxation CD. I started listening to it before bed. Jordan agreed to watch Suzi downstairs while I went to bed a few minutes early. Sinead has a calming voice and a beautiful accent, and the background music with nature sounds is perfect for unwinding after a stressful day. The directions and suggestions on the CD (relaxing different parts of your body, thinking of your baby, etc) were great for distracting me from nagging thoughts. The only problem with doing it at night was that I never got to listen to the end of the CD. At some point I woke up thinking what? When did the CD end?

I decided I should test it out in the morning before reviewing it, and this morning Suzi slept late so I was able to. I thought it was an equally good way to start the day. It cleared my mind and helped me relax before getting started on my long to-do list. It would also be a good way to re-energize after lunchtime, or (if you are already a mom) whenever your child is taking a nap. I know I will enjoy using it throughout the rest of my pregnancy, and probably during labor also.

I felt Ivey moving a lot when I listened to the CD. It made me feel connected to her, and I think the CD would be especially helpful during those times when a mom is concerned because her baby hasn't moved in a while. I think most moms experience this at least a couple of times during a pregnancy, and it's recommended that you lie down on your side and wait to hear from your baby. Ivey does seem to move more while I listen to the CD, but in any case, listening and relaxing sure beats worrying in silence!

If you'd like to buy a copy of the B'Mums Pregnancy Relaxation CD, visit this website. You can even listen to a sample of it. Sinead also has a CD for breastfeeding relaxation (which I may have to get later).

It's over

Sometime last week, I breastfed Suzi for the last time (and didn't even know it was the last time). It was gradual. Suzi started by ceasing to request it during the day. We were down to once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and occasionally once at night. That was about a month ago. Then she started to show resistance to the morning breastfeed (or at least waking up for it), especially after the time changed. I started letting her get a few extra minutes of sleep instead. At that point, we were only doing the afternoon session whenever she was sleepy or upset. We started skipping a day at a time and then she'd nurse the following day. Finally, two days went by without her asking, and I knew any supply I might have had was probably gone. After three days she asked me to nurse her, but I told her I didn't have any more. She whined and accepted a cuddle instead as I rocked her.

I probably would have encouraged her more to keep going, but there were issues. Her latch had for some reason changed and was leaving me with teeth marks every time. I was sore, and I don't think she was getting more than a few drops of milk anyway.

Breastfeeding never made me feel like a martyr. I always wanted to do it. And now that it's over, it feels like breaking up with a high school boyfriend even though he might have been a jerk, or like when your 16-year-old cat dies, and you knew it was coming, but you cry anyway. Because how can you quit something you've been doing every day for nearly two years, and not even know you were doing it for the last time?

Just remembering all those hundreds of nursing sessions... In the recliner, at the computer while I used the other hand to type, at the Highland Games, at the aquarium, lying in bed in the morning... Seeing her sleepy post-nursing face. I know I will get to do all this again with Ivey.

So why do I have sad love songs playing in my head?

Book Review: The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

At first I thought I wasn't going to get into this book, but after a couple of chapters I was hooked. It involves a beautiful but flawed cast of characters, some of whom I loved and others I loved to hate. The characters alone could have made a good book, but the unique, intricate storyline made it great. I've read some novels which were fun to read but were forgettable due to their overused basic storyline. In one of my fiction workshops in college a fellow student pointed out that practically all new stories are merely variations of one of a few root stories. I don't think this is one of them. A story and a backstory woven together across generations, this book is one I'll remember for a long time.

It's been compared to Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone, which I enjoyed reading years ago. It also reminds me a little of A Prayer for Owen Meany, but maybe that's just me.

I would share what I liked best about the book, but that might ruin it for anyone who wants to read it. Let's just say this is Tiffany Baker's first novel and I'm ready to read her second one whenever it comes out. I highly recommend picking up The Little Giant of Aberdeen County if you're looking for an interesting read--especially if you want something a little different.

And the baby is a...

GIRL!

This is her pretty little foot.

I love this one of her hand, too.

The other day we were going through Suzi's baby clothes to sort and pack them up, and I really did want to keep them out! Now I will get to. Other than that, I didn't really care if we had a boy or a girl. I would've been excited either way, and I feel certain we'll have a boy one day. I think our two little girls will have a lot of fun being sisters--something I never got to do.

Suzi went to the ultrasound with us, and when the image came up on the screen we told her it was the new baby. She smiled really big and said baby? Then, because it was dark in the room and Daddy was holding her, she fell asleep. The student and instructor who performed the ultrasound had to get lots of measurements and the baby kept moving around, so they had to chase her and it took a long time. Apparently she is very active, even though right now I can't feel her half as often as I saw her moving in the ultrasound. They predicted that I'd have some "busy days" once she gets a little bigger! Several times we saw her stretch her legs all the way out, and she won't be able to do that much longer.

We didn't get to tell Suzi she was having a sister until later when she woke up in the car. We asked her if she wanted to see pictures of the baby and she said no! I think she is excited anyway, although she can't seem to remember that it's a sister she's having and not a brother when we ask. I don't know if it'll be real to her until the baby is born. We want to have Suzi here at home during the birth so we can share the experience with her if she can handle it, but if she can't my mom will be here to give her the undivided attention she needs. (If you have any experience with a two-year-old witnessing a birth, please share!) I'm excited for her to meet the baby.

Anyway, it's about time for a belly shot. 20 weeks and 2 days!

And this is my favorite newborn girl outfit. It was so depressing when Suzi grew out of it. She was melt-your-heart adorable in it. See?

I went out and bought another one in the 6 month size, but it wasn't the same. I can't wait to put it on the new baby, along with all the rest of Suzi's little clothes!

Uh... If Suzi will let us.

After all this rambling, I guess I will go ahead and tell the baby's name. It's Ivey Deidre... Ivey after my paternal grandmother and Deidre after Jordan's mom. We have been working on getting Suzi to say it, and so far she says I-Fee.

Jordan took the day off with us today to celebrate, and we are headed out in a few minutes to go for a walk together. The news is still sinking in.

Our annual snow quota

In our area, we've come to expect one decent snow a year, decent being at least two inches. It may last as little as six or eight hours if it happens overnight and the sun comes out the next day.
This year, we had finally accepted that there would not be any snow. Then this happened in the afternoon on March 1st...

All of a sudden there was a fine covering, and by the next morning...

Wow!


Suzi was duly impressed with the extra-large flakes.

Okay, ready to play in snow now!

Of course, we don't have a sled. What would we do with it for the other 364 days of the year? It's a purchase we can't justify. So we took Suzi out in her red ATW Radio Flyer.

Then we tried to let her slide down our hill on an extra large baking sheet, but she didn't slide very far. The snow was kind of crunchy at this point so it wasn't that slick.

That night, Jordan went out to bring the wagon in (we keep it inside). I told him he needed to put his coat and boots on, but he argued that he would only be out for a minute and wouldn't get that cold. I said he should wear them anyway because it would look stupid if he didn't. "Well, how do I look NOW?" he asked. Heh. He has a point. I told him he looked like Karen off of Frosty.

Video of us building a snowman, and Suzi singing to him, will be along shortly.

It's SALE time!

Today marks the kickoff of the Upstate Kids Consignment Sale in Clemson. We are dropping off our van full of items, plus a crib, this afternoon. The volunteer sale begins at 5:00 pm, so I hope to be waiting in line at 3:30.

We were up until midnight ironing, pricing and tagging, and Jordan had to get up an hour early to assemble the crib we are selling. Now that we're all finished I can't wait to shop!

If you are in the area, I highly recommend the Clemson sale. I've had the best luck finding deals at it. The public sale begins Friday, March 6th at 10:00 am. This time they've added a 25% off sale, which is Saturday, and the 50% off sale is Sunday! See the schedule for details.

If you can't make it this time, don't worry. There will be another sale in Anderson later this month. In fact, you still have time to register as a seller for that one and make some money off your own items! Better yet, volunteer to work for a four-hour slot and get in early (it's worth it).

Oh boy, I am excited. Happy shopping!