I had a meeting yesterday with a neuroscientist named Henry - he's part of a team that developed a program to help improve your brain function. As we were wrapping up, I decided to seize the opportunity (how often do you have a meeting with neuroscientist after all) and asked the well-composed question, "why am I always so dumb when I'm pregnant?!?!"
Well he actually had an answer and I'm fully embracng it. The quick answer is that your brain is preparing you to be focused on something else other than yourself. If you didn't have time to warm up to the concept of taking care of something beyond your own needs, it would be a difficult transition when the baby comes.
Then Henry started talking about how it's built into our genetics from the beginning of time. He said that if we didn't have this "pregnancy dubmness" (my words, not his) to build us up for being fabulous moms, then cavewoman could have been out foraging for fruits and berries while their newborn baby was back at the cave getting eaten by a saber tooth tiger.
That's when it started to get a little intense so I wrapped it up. But the bottom line is still clear. You can't blame me for my stupidity over the next few months - it's in my blood!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Harvest
UPDATE! Week 25 is now filled in.
Every week I get an email from a website that updates me on the baby. It talkes about what body parts he's growing, how big he's getting, etc. They always equate his growth to a fruit or vegetable and I find it hysterical to get my weekly Wednesday email and picture the little "ear of corn" growing inside of me.
Here is the sequential order of our blossoming little boy:
Week 4: Poppy seed
Week 5: Sesame seed
Week 6: Lentil bean
Week 7: Blueberry
Week 8: Kidney bean
Week 9: Grape
Week 10: Kumquat
Week 11: Fig
Week 12: Lime
Week 13: Medium shrimp
Week 14: Lemon
Week 15: Apple
Week 16: Avocado
Week 17: Turnip
Week 18: Bell pepper
Week 19: Large heirloom tomato
Week 20: Banana
Week 21: Carrot
Week 22: Spaghetti squash
Week 23: Large mango
Week 24: Ear of corn
Week 25: An average rutabega
Who knows what lies ahead?! I guess when I get to "watermelon" I know I'm in trouble.
Every week I get an email from a website that updates me on the baby. It talkes about what body parts he's growing, how big he's getting, etc. They always equate his growth to a fruit or vegetable and I find it hysterical to get my weekly Wednesday email and picture the little "ear of corn" growing inside of me.
Here is the sequential order of our blossoming little boy:
Week 4: Poppy seed
Week 5: Sesame seed
Week 6: Lentil bean
Week 7: Blueberry
Week 8: Kidney bean
Week 9: Grape
Week 10: Kumquat
Week 11: Fig
Week 12: Lime
Week 13: Medium shrimp
Week 14: Lemon
Week 15: Apple
Week 16: Avocado
Week 17: Turnip
Week 18: Bell pepper
Week 19: Large heirloom tomato
Week 20: Banana
Week 21: Carrot
Week 22: Spaghetti squash
Week 23: Large mango
Week 24: Ear of corn
Week 25: An average rutabega
Who knows what lies ahead?! I guess when I get to "watermelon" I know I'm in trouble.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
What's It All Mean?
Ry is on a new kick of asking what everything means. It's funny how you just know word definitions without really thinking about it - when was the last time you had to articulate the meaning of "shrivel" to a 4 year old?
Today he's asked me to explain such words as "about" and "instead." When he was leaving school his friends all gathered around him to give him a big hug. I said, "You guys are so cute - you're making my heart melt" to which he asked "Mommy what does melt mean?"
Today he's asked me to explain such words as "about" and "instead." When he was leaving school his friends all gathered around him to give him a big hug. I said, "You guys are so cute - you're making my heart melt" to which he asked "Mommy what does melt mean?"
Although he uses these words every day, he seems to just want to know the deeper meaning. Where is Confucius when you need him?
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Ry Decided To Dress Himself
Wisconsin hat + alien turtleneck + Transformer sweatshirt + cargo pants + camo boots = a day out on the town for our little fashionista!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I Am Clearly Procrastinating
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? I've been reading the Chronicles Of Narnia for awhile. It's so long!
BABIES? 4 year old...almost 2 year old...one on the way in July!!
FAVORITE SMELL? Lemon, something sweet baking in the oven, freshly cut grass, my kids after they get out of the bath, gin (I hate the taste of it but the smell of Beefeater reminds me of Granny :-)
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? Regret
FIRST THING YOU THINK OF IN THE MORNING? Where is the remote...gotta turn on Ukee Washington
FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? Working on that one
FAVORITE COLOR? Red...orange...yellow
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE? My husband...my boys...staying healthy and happy...having good perspective
FAVOURITE FOOD? Guacamole...ice cream with peanut butter...eggroll with lots of duck sauce...chicken pecan salad from CC Bookstore...mmm I'm hungry
IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I took piano lessons a few years ago and loved it. If I had the time I'd get really good and ask Billy Joel if he'd like me to tour with him
FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK? Ice cold beer
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE? I really like the job that I have now. I'd love to be writing full time
GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? Half full
FAVORITE MOVIE? Any James Bond movie...Princess Bride...Wayne's World...The Family Stone
WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? Storage containers filled with purses...dust
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST AMBITION? To raise happy kids
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS? Ice cream with whipped cream...Cole's look of "c'mon...stop being mad at me"
BEACH, MOUNTAINS OR CITY? Mountains. Some day we'll own a cute little cabin next to a lake. I'm not a fan of sand and the city is not for me anymore
FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY? Morning
WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? 6 am
WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY? Negativity...when people talk to be heard...passive-aggressiveness...when I tell Ry to do something and he says "I want Daddy"
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DAY? I absolutely LOVE Saturdays. No worries on Saturdays
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? King crab legs with a sweet potato and a cold beer
IF YOU COULD TAKE A VACATION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE? Italy...back to London...Disney with the kids and a nanny
BABIES? 4 year old...almost 2 year old...one on the way in July!!
FAVORITE SMELL? Lemon, something sweet baking in the oven, freshly cut grass, my kids after they get out of the bath, gin (I hate the taste of it but the smell of Beefeater reminds me of Granny :-)
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? Regret
FIRST THING YOU THINK OF IN THE MORNING? Where is the remote...gotta turn on Ukee Washington
FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? Working on that one
FAVORITE COLOR? Red...orange...yellow
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE? My husband...my boys...staying healthy and happy...having good perspective
FAVOURITE FOOD? Guacamole...ice cream with peanut butter...eggroll with lots of duck sauce...chicken pecan salad from CC Bookstore...mmm I'm hungry
IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I took piano lessons a few years ago and loved it. If I had the time I'd get really good and ask Billy Joel if he'd like me to tour with him
FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK? Ice cold beer
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE? I really like the job that I have now. I'd love to be writing full time
GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? Half full
FAVORITE MOVIE? Any James Bond movie...Princess Bride...Wayne's World...The Family Stone
WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? Storage containers filled with purses...dust
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST AMBITION? To raise happy kids
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS? Ice cream with whipped cream...Cole's look of "c'mon...stop being mad at me"
BEACH, MOUNTAINS OR CITY? Mountains. Some day we'll own a cute little cabin next to a lake. I'm not a fan of sand and the city is not for me anymore
FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY? Morning
WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? 6 am
WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY? Negativity...when people talk to be heard...passive-aggressiveness...when I tell Ry to do something and he says "I want Daddy"
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DAY? I absolutely LOVE Saturdays. No worries on Saturdays
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? King crab legs with a sweet potato and a cold beer
IF YOU COULD TAKE A VACATION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE? Italy...back to London...Disney with the kids and a nanny
Monday, March 16, 2009
We Didn't Start The Fire
Ry's week-long birthday celebration came to a dramatic close on Saturday afternoon. A friend told us that a fire station near our house hosts birthday parties. For a small donation, you have the run of the place. The kids climb on the fire trucks, they get a ride around the block, shoot the fire hoses...the works.
Seemed like a good idea at the time...we invited a few cousins and friends from school and were ready to partay. The kids were knocking the first thing off the list - climbing on the firetrucks - when a really loud announcement came over the loudspeaker. And with that, the fireman came up to me and said "Soooo...we have to go." And they all climbed onto the truck and off they went, leaving us alone in their fire station.
Seemed like a good idea at the time...we invited a few cousins and friends from school and were ready to partay. The kids were knocking the first thing off the list - climbing on the firetrucks - when a really loud announcement came over the loudspeaker. And with that, the fireman came up to me and said "Soooo...we have to go." And they all climbed onto the truck and off they went, leaving us alone in their fire station.
The good news was it wasn't anything big and they were back in about 20 minutes. We breathed a sigh of relief and it was time to paaaaaaarty!
First we got a tour of the station...the big hit was the fireman sliding down the pole.
Next he gave a fire safety talk...he got decked out in all of his equipment to show the kids that it wasn't scary.
Then they all piled into the firetruck and went for a ride around the block. Ry got to sit in the front which he got a big kick out of. When they got back they busted out the firehouse and all the kids got a turn going at it.
Next stop...April 27th...Cole will be turning 2!!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Birthday Fun...And Sweatin' To The Oldies
Happy Birthday Ry! Today was the big day and he was all too happy to tell everyone "I'm 4 years old now."
Luckily Phil was home so they were able to party it up. It all started at his annual dentist appointment. He still thinks this is a fun experience, and did a great job sitting in the chair alone with the doctor while Phil chased Cole around the waiting room.
After they hit up Toys R Us for a balloon and a book, I met them at home to top off the day with burgers and cake.
Luckily Phil was home so they were able to party it up. It all started at his annual dentist appointment. He still thinks this is a fun experience, and did a great job sitting in the chair alone with the doctor while Phil chased Cole around the waiting room.
After they hit up Toys R Us for a balloon and a book, I met them at home to top off the day with burgers and cake.
While the boys were out having birthday fun, I had to work. Slaving away at the office with Richard Simmons and friends...nothing like some jazz hands in the Green Room to get you through the day.
Happy birthday dear Ryan...Happy birthday to you!!!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
There's lots of growing up happening in the Kerper house. First off, the boys are starting to play together. If it were up to Cole, he'd be on Ry all the time like white on rice. He loooooooves his big bro and copies everything he does. Ry on the other hand, has been taking some time to warm up to the fact that his little brother isn't just there to steal his toys...he's actually there to be his friend too.
The second piece of news, and one that brings a tear to my eye, is that Cole is actually starting to watch TV!!!! We can usually get him to sit down for at least 10 minutes straight, which is quite an accomplishment in the book of Cole.
I don't think he's sat still for a 10 minute stretch since he's been born, so we're quite pleased with the progress we've been making :-)
Balls And Shirts And Gorillas, Oh My!
We hit the road early and headed to the zoo on this warm Saturday morning.
Cole seemed most fascinated by the fact that the gorillas had balls to play with in their cage. All he wanted to do was look at them - every time we tried to leave the exhibit he kept running back to the gorillas saying "Ball! Ball!"
Ry was most excited by the fact that he walked past another boy wearing the same shirt that he had on.
Whatever floats your boat!
Cole seemed most fascinated by the fact that the gorillas had balls to play with in their cage. All he wanted to do was look at them - every time we tried to leave the exhibit he kept running back to the gorillas saying "Ball! Ball!"
Ry was most excited by the fact that he walked past another boy wearing the same shirt that he had on.
Whatever floats your boat!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Boys
Sent to me by the wise parents of boys...my in-laws!!
For those of you with boys you'll agree this is too true...
Boys in my House
There are boys in my house - and Spiderman shoes
And 200 papers in various blues.
There's Bob (he's a builder) and Thomas the Train,
There's a fireman coat to wear in the rain.
They have cars on their shirts and frogs on their hats
There's a glove and a ball and a red plastic bat.
There's dirt on a face and a smudge on a nose;
Grass stains on knees and sand between toes.
There's bathtime at night with bodies to scrub,
And when we're all done there is dirt in the tub!
There's bandaids and bruises and curious bumps,
There's smiles and laughter and sometimes there's grumps.
There's odors most icky; there's boogers so green
There's more yucky things than I'll ever get clean.
There's piles of laundry; there's stories at night;
There's bedtime and bathtime and dinnertime fights.
There's cars and there's trains and there's books about trucks
There's Scoop, Lofty, Dizzy, and Travis, and Muck.
Sometimes there are bugs, and sometimes there are frogs;
Sometimes they are lions, or dinos, or dogs.
There are cute little vests and darling neckties
Dragged right through the mud - oh what a surprise!
There's running and climbing and jumping and falling
And laughing and crying and hugging and brawling
And rolling and losing and finding and creeping
And whining and stealing and sometimes there's sleeping.
There's tantrums and time outs and extra loud noise -
There's love in my house shaped like two little boys with puppy dogs eyes
For those of you with boys you'll agree this is too true...
Boys in my House
There are boys in my house - and Spiderman shoes
And 200 papers in various blues.
There's Bob (he's a builder) and Thomas the Train,
There's a fireman coat to wear in the rain.
They have cars on their shirts and frogs on their hats
There's a glove and a ball and a red plastic bat.
There's dirt on a face and a smudge on a nose;
Grass stains on knees and sand between toes.
There's bathtime at night with bodies to scrub,
And when we're all done there is dirt in the tub!
There's bandaids and bruises and curious bumps,
There's smiles and laughter and sometimes there's grumps.
There's odors most icky; there's boogers so green
There's more yucky things than I'll ever get clean.
There's piles of laundry; there's stories at night;
There's bedtime and bathtime and dinnertime fights.
There's cars and there's trains and there's books about trucks
There's Scoop, Lofty, Dizzy, and Travis, and Muck.
Sometimes there are bugs, and sometimes there are frogs;
Sometimes they are lions, or dinos, or dogs.
There are cute little vests and darling neckties
Dragged right through the mud - oh what a surprise!
There's running and climbing and jumping and falling
And laughing and crying and hugging and brawling
And rolling and losing and finding and creeping
And whining and stealing and sometimes there's sleeping.
There's tantrums and time outs and extra loud noise -
There's love in my house shaped like two little boys with puppy dogs eyes
Sunday, March 01, 2009
It's A...
Drumroll please...
We had the ultrasound on Friday and we're having a...
BOY!!!
Not only are we syked to add another brother to the mix, we're also thrilled and relieved to hear that he's healthy and right on track.
Most people that we tell are sad for us that we're not having a girl. Even though I'm only 5 months pregnant I've been asked about 25 times when we're going to work on the next one so we can have a girl!!
I appreciate everyone's concern, but assure you that we didn't try for #3 to have a girl...we tried for #3 to add another member to the family. We look into the future and picture the boys cheering each other on at football games, having each other's backs in school, most likely trying to kill each other at times, playing hockey in the alley, and best of all...hand-me-downs!!!
The first picture below is a view of him looking straight on. The second is a 4D shot which is almost too vivid to believe. This was the first ultrasound I had where I could feel the baby move at the same time as seeing it on the screen...he's really in there!!
We had the ultrasound on Friday and we're having a...
BOY!!!
Not only are we syked to add another brother to the mix, we're also thrilled and relieved to hear that he's healthy and right on track.
Most people that we tell are sad for us that we're not having a girl. Even though I'm only 5 months pregnant I've been asked about 25 times when we're going to work on the next one so we can have a girl!!
I appreciate everyone's concern, but assure you that we didn't try for #3 to have a girl...we tried for #3 to add another member to the family. We look into the future and picture the boys cheering each other on at football games, having each other's backs in school, most likely trying to kill each other at times, playing hockey in the alley, and best of all...hand-me-downs!!!
The first picture below is a view of him looking straight on. The second is a 4D shot which is almost too vivid to believe. This was the first ultrasound I had where I could feel the baby move at the same time as seeing it on the screen...he's really in there!!
Rico Suave
The boys had their school pictures...again...seems like the school is hitting us up for cash every other month for these things. But they totally suck you in when you get a winner like this one...Cole's slicked down hair and ding on the nose was too much to resist.
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