Be A Good Mom

A cute picture of a Monkey and a Pigeon. They became friends when the Monkey needed one most.

I found this link to White Dudes and Gang Signs and it reminded me that Pookie was cool right from the beginning. What do you think? Is he cuter tougher than these other guys?

I am attempting to get some posts in the pipeline, so that if I cannot post when the baby is born, at least something will show up on my blog.  So, some of you might notice that some of these posts are out of order or deal with topics that seem a week old.  That’s because I am blog-nesting.

Scene: Geetle, Pookie and BAGM in the kitchen. Pookie finds an accordion folded coupon packet that yesterday had been very important to Geetle. It was her instructions on how to care for a pig.

Pookie: (unfolding accordion packet several times, then turning to BAGM): For Aunt Shel.

Geetle: No! That’s mine. Mom, he’s going to give my constructions to Aunt Shel!

BAGM: He’s just telling jokes.

Pookie: For Aunt Shel.

Geetle: Stop him Mom! He’s going to do it!

BAGM: Geetle, Aunt Shel is not here, how is Pookie going to give that to Aunt Shel? Is he going to drive to her house? Can he drive a car?

Geetle: He can drive a Gator.

So, there you go. If you are 4 years old and your Papa lets you hold on to the steering wheel while he drives the Gator, you are qualified to drive a real car across town, just to peeve off your sister.

Here are some of my smaller hats. I could not find the monkey when it was picture time, but his hat is variegated pastel rainbow yarn.

I started to make a scarf last night, but something went awry, so I started another hat. I like hats.

According to StorkNet.com this is where I am right now, somewhere between these two….

8th Month

The lungs are maturing further. Continued rapid growth is occurring. Kicks may be visible by watching the mothers abdomen move. The baby occasionally gets the hiccups. If delivered prematurely, the baby has an excellent chance of survival. The baby is about 16-18 inches long now and weighs 4-5 pounds.

9th Month

The baby deposits body fat at a rate of nearly 1/2 ounce per day. The lungs are mature. In these tight quarters the baby may seem a little less active. The normal position for the baby to be in as it prepares for birth is head down and facing the mothers back. The head engages in mother’s pelvis. Mother carries the baby lower, making it easier for the mother to breath. At birth the average baby weighs 7-1/2 pounds, but weight can vary between 6 to 9 pounds. Average length is 17 to 22 inches.

I think my baby is a bit lower, but that might not be her fault….that could be my superior abs. My rock solid abs are probably so tight that she could not get her heiney up in there, so she had to move lower. But she is definitely head down. She has been for at least 2 months. I get most of my kicks on the upper left side. She gets the hiccups alot; those I feel very low in the center, which makes sense. She moves alot more than I remember with Geetle and Pookie. But being that they were twins, the Dr. always said by the time they were big enough to kick me hard, they were too crowded in there to actually do it. That must be why they are such nice people now…they were not trained to hit and kick.

I have never really had a “hobby.”  I do alot of things, but I never really considered them hobbies.  I read, I do photo projects and albums on the computer, I make things for the kids to play with, I like to cook.  But those are just things I do, they are not hobbies.  Right?  They are things that I need to do and I like to do, but not something I do for relaxation.  Hobbies are things like playing the guitar, playing golf, bird watching, etc.

Being pregnant, I decided I needed a real hobby, something that I could do that would require me to sit still and focus on something other than TV and whether or not the floor needed mopping.  So, I bought a knitting jennie, a Knifty Knitter from Provocraft.   A hobby like this is still hard for me, because I cannot see spending hours making something that has no purpose.  So, I did not want to knit a  shawl that no one would ever wear.  So, I made a hat for the baby.  Then I made one for Geetle.  Then I made on for Pookie.  Then I made one for Rocklyn.  Then I made one for the girl at work who is pregnant.   The lady across the street is also pregnant, she could use a hat for her baby.  And so the list goes.

I now make a hat a day- pretty much every day.  I think I am at hat #13 or 14.   Pookie’s monkey has one.  Geetle’s bear has one.  Geetle and Taco Supreme have matching ones.   BAGD does not have one…because he keeps teasing me.  And because I like the immediate satisfaction of being able to finish a hat in one sitting.  A big ol’ grown up hat like he would need would take several nights and I just don’t have the time for that.

I am just about ready to branch out to other projects.  But I find comfort in the hats.  I can make them without even thinking about it.  They just roll off the loom.  And this whole “hobby” thing is just to keep me from going crazy while I sit still.    My Nonie used to make hats for the babies born at the local hospital.  If I have extra hats when I am done, maybe I will take them with me to the hospital and pass them out.  Either way, its a good use of my time.

Geetle came home from school on Monday and gave the usual report…she played dinosaurs with Matthew, Eric wore his wheelie shoes again, etc. Then she casually told us that Sunny had died. Sunny is the class hamster. Given our recent Winnie problem, we were taken by surprise.

BAGM: What does that mean, that Sunny died?

Geetle: She went away and is not coming back.

BAGM: Does that make you sad?

Geetle: No.

BAGM: What did the teacher say about Sunny today?

Geetle: That we are taking a break from pets.

Given this turn of events, we decided to rethink our Winnie plan. It seems like Geetle is ready to learn about the death of pets. So, today BAGD took a “phone call” from the Hamster Groomer while Geetle was at school. When she got home, we told her that the Groomer called to say that Winnie had died. She got very quiet. BAGD asked her if she wanted to pick out a new hamster from the babies born to BAGD’s uncle. She said yes, but turned away. Later BAGD asked her what she was thinking about and she said “Winnie.” I think that got him right in the Daddy, so he asked if she wanted to go get a new hamster today. Of course she did, so off they went to the Petstore.

We now have a new Winnie. This one is caramel colored. But her name is Winnie. Geetle says she likes the name and wants to use it again; she likes the letter “W”. I think she is totally over the old Winnie. But she did ask me tonite if Winnie and Sunny were together. I told her yes. I do not think she understands death, but I think she understands it means going away and not coming back.

So that problem is solved, somewhat. Now our next problem is whether or not to force Geetle to rename the new Winnie. It sounds harmless enough, naming the new hamster the same as the old. But remember Pookie. That is pretty confusing to him. So, we might just hijack the naming. BAGD and I are pretty confident that if we start calling new Winnie something else, the kids will follow. Right now, we are tossing around “Cupcake” “Hammy” and “Waffles.”

Aunt Bean made this sweater for Geetle. It won 1st prize in its division at the County Fair. Watch for pictures of Taco Supreme coming soon…wearing the hat, sweater, booties combo that Bean made for her. Bean took up crocheting when she was on bed-rest with her last baby. As you can see from this prize-winning sweater, it was a good investment of her time and she has gotten very good!

Thanks Bean!