The Road to Monticello...

We took a drive today out to Monticello Dam. Rudy's been wanting to go, thinking there'd be plenty of water going down the "glory hole" to see. The water was far from being able to spill down into the 72-foot diameter structure. I suppose it's neat to see the "before"...so he's certain to take another trip in a few months to see it once all the snow melt has allowed enough water to run down it!

Isn't this exciting?

Okay, so this was fun!

Here she is... the hole in all her glory!

Yep, it's like one big bathtub drain.

Sure, he's content with beef jerky for now... Turkey!

We then wasted the rest of our day at the Vacaville Outlets (I think Rudy has this evil plan to make me walk more and get Devin here sooner). The boys got some new shoes, whether they needed them or not. I got NOTHING! It's usually that way. I HATE shopping, and with family in tow, it's worse. After a few hours there, the drive home was horrid. Dominic was content with his new Etch-a-Sketch that we got him at the toy store, while Donovan drove us batty the ENTIRE ride home. He does not stop talking (mostly asking questions) and is not satisfied with the answer given to him. So after coming down from his Jelly Belly sugar high, all we heard from him was:

• Mom, we go to the park?
• Mom, we go to church?
• Mom, I don't wanna go home!
• Mom, we go to Sharon's? (daycare)

Yes, the church question was rather strange. What 2-year old asks to go to church? I had to repeatedly tell him that church was closed and that we'll go in the morning. He, of course, didn't like that answer. He continued to ask...I began to ignore him hoping he'd quit pestering, but then he'd ask Rudy , "Dad, where's Mommy?". I couldn't hide, but couldn't help but laugh either.

Once we got home, Donovan was dissatisfied with the location of course, and began with:

Tantrum #1: Refusing to get out of the car, I had to pull him out myself, and that led to a meltdown.
Tantrum #2: Refusal to take a bath; to make a decision to have bubbles in it or not; and refusal to get undressed for it!

We immediately got into our bedtime routine, finished his 3 books (yikes!) and he FINALLY settled down to sleep.

I'm hoping my morning wake-up call is not Donovan, like it was this morning. I'd rather wake him up!

Duck, duck, duck....GOOSE!!!

Before taking the boys to Fairytale Town today, we stopped to grab some lunch and sat at the park to attempt to consume it. It seems we had these fine-feathered friends immediately desperate for a piece of bread, french fry or human ankle!! Yep, Grandma and Papa BOTH got goosed! It wasn't a quiet, sit down lunch at all. In fact, between the honking, quacking and Donovan wailing in fear, it was the opposite.

So after our quickly consumed lunch, off we went to Fairytale Town, where the boys haven't been during the day (we've only been there during the Halloween Trick-or-Treat nights they've had). What a difference it is during the day where I can SEE my kids running rampid!!

My 21 measly pictures had NOTHING on Grandma Gertie's 156. She did awesome, while I only attempted a few shots between juggling the kids up and down structures, etc. Here are some favorite pictures, then a slideshow of our day:

This squirrel's "happy meal" was this french fry!

Donovan was NOT so happy to be
surrounded by the honkers.

Strike a pose!

Please, no autographs on this modeled pose...

Okay, so Humpty Dumpty looks more like a mascot for
Ball Park Franks, but Donovan excitedly ran up to
him saying "Hi Dumty, Hi Dumty" while waving
his hand. Too funny!

A "Who" Review...

Because Dominic is on his Spring Break this week, and I'm on my "leave", I wanted to do some things together before Devin arrived. One of which was to go to the movies, something we rarely do. How can people afford this type entertainment? It was certainly a special treat. Obviously, we had to see something most recent and more importantly, decent for a 5-year old. I feared Dominic not being able to withstand the longevity of sitting in a theater...heck, the kid can sit through movies at home without a peep! Our last movie experience was Cars, and once the popcorn ran out, he had had enough. It was a happier experience this time.

Silly me, I attempted to get to the theater early to pre-purchase the tickets, not knowing what crowds were like. (I don't get to experience what goes on in the world while I work.) Wouldn't you know, not a single vehicle in the lot, doors closed and not a soul around? Okay, so I was a couple hours early. We headed over to the outlet stores to purchase a "going home" outfit for Devin. Although I received so many cute onesies, I wasn't sure we had just the RIGHT one that I could see him in pictures with. Wierd, I know. We hit GAP Kids, Gymboree and Carter's (...ran into Dominic's Kindergarten teacher there!) Can't go wrong in Carter's. $44 later, I think we may have something for him to wear. We didn't attempt to go to any other stores. After lunch at McDonald's (to which Dominic tells the cashier that he didn't want the toy that came in the Happy Meal) we were finally able to purchase our tickets and enter the theater. Upon standing in a line of ZERO for popcorn and soda, Dominic's buddy Jordan from school gleefully discovered his presence. He was also there with his mom. Where are all the people? $8.75 later, we joined a mere TWO other people waiting for the movie to start. Luckily, Jordan and his mom showed up (sat next to Dominic) and made the grand total for attendance to a whopping SIX!!! Half the bag of popcorn later, the movie (not the previews) finally began. Phew!

Honestly, of all the Dr. Seuss books that were read to me as a child, and of the ones we currently have on our bookshelf, I can say I don't recall this story. The animation was fabulous and Jim Carrey always portrays his characters "right on". I loved hearing Carol Burnett as the voice of the Kangaroo. Perfect! Dominic and his buddy were giddy the entire time. (I think I've had enough of the "what the heck?" and "that's awesome!" phrases -- seriously, I'm sure I must have whacked Dominic a few times for I was DONE hearing it.) I really don't know how long the movie was, but I caught myself dozing off a couple times...not because of boredom I'm sure. I forced myself to watch the entire movie. It really was cute.

With Devin's arrival nearing soon, I'm sure we won't be seeing any movies in the theater for quite some time. Hopefully Dominic got his "fix" in for now. I think I might be up late tonight with "popcorn heartburn". Joy!

I'm EGG-sausted!

Here are pictures of our day taken by myself, Grandma Gertie and Tio Phil. Had to get the grounds covered I suppose!

Thanks Easter Bunny (bock, bock)

Darn rabbit. Here I am, up from a bi-hourly excursion to the bathroom, when I witnessed the getaway of a large-eared intruder. Checking out the stash he left behind, I thought it'd be best to do some quality control on the large candy-coated chocolate eggs that were scattered in the boys' baskets. They passed.... and well, here I am. I'm hoping to get SOME sleep before having to get the boys ready for Easter Services in the morning. I must remind them NOT to eat the eggs until after Mass. I'll be ready for a nap by then for sure.

Egg-cellent Saturday

We spent most of the afternoon outdoors at Grandma and Papa's today. I was surprised at how warm 70+ degrees felt. FOOD is a gathering favorite in this family, so we had plenty of it. The little ones enjoyed chalking the sidewalk/patio, while the big "kids" tossed a football and barbequed. Our napless kids got an Easter Egg hunt before being rounded up, cleaned up and wound down.

Rarely do we get a good pic of Dominic, and this one has to blur... Grr!

Sydney samples a sweet strawberry!

Dominic shows off his "loot" found inside an egg.

Peyton closely inspects her chocolate

Papa shows off his artistic skills,
but started off misspelling Sydney's name!

Donovan has been sleeping in the "Big Boy Bed"
for about two weeks now. I'm a bit jealous of the
comfort level portrayed here.

I heart my job!

...most of the time. I love my job, mainly for the people I work with day to day and it gives me satisfaction to know how appreciative I am in my position. There are certainly days where I cringe at the thought of going in, but it's a rare occasion. This past week was only slightly difficult for me. I have hopefully successfully trained a "temporary" to do my duties while I'm away on Maternity Leave. Given the fact that it was Spring Break for most families, the work load was quite minimal, and the Project Manager that handles 4 of our projects took 3 days off, thus making MY work load VERY minimal. Sure, it was easier to train the temp without so many interruptions, but now I fear next week will be a whirlwind and the office will be moving full speed ahead. I am now officially off work and Baby Devin is now allowed to give me grief while I'm at home (which is nothing new). I'm glad to be home though, as this labor stuff is so unpredictable. I've got TONS to do before Devin arrives, but have no desire to do it of course. I so need that "nesting instinct" to kick in.

Dominic has Spring Break this week and we will be able to buddy around a bit before his little brother arrives, interrupting any time I usually have with Dominic. I have a couple days of fun planned if the weather, my pocket book and the cooperative kid allows.

For my last day at work, the girls (it's always the girls) put together a breakroom table full of good eats for me. Thank goodness the Glucose Test has been passed! In traveling around the office, I made sure to take the long way around just to sneak by the table to "graze". Ahhh, yum yum goodness!

The office all signed a card for me, which I chose to open toward the end of the day since I don't do well with emotional goodbyes. Everyone had so many nice things to say. It was a "Good Friday" for sure.

My favorite entries,
signed by The Boss and The Office Dog.

Are you serious?... (Take 2)

Shall we call him "Flipper"? I am now told, via ultrasound, that Baby Devin has "assumed the position". It was a tense few seconds waiting for the picture to show up on the monitor. Even the doctor tensed up awaiting the first view of the sonogram. High fives all around!!! Let's now hope he stays that way. I have not been void of the discomforts of his awkward positioning and continue to "tested" by his mobility.

Are you SIRIUS?

Okay, so perhaps I'm behind the times. I'm just not savvy on the techno stuff these days. All these iGadgets and such are beyond me, and honestly, I have no interest in them. BUT, I gotta tell ya....after a desperate search of something decent to watch on TV the other day, finding NOTHING, surfing past the movie channels and pay-per-view channels, out comes the SIRIUS satellite radio stations. My favorite...Sirius KidsStuff. I had no idea! Sure, there's nothing to "see" on this channel, but I confess, I can sing along to MANY of the songs they play. Songs by kid artists, like Dan Zane, Laurie Berkner, They Might Be Giants, etc. Songs are also played from the kids' favorite shows, like Dora, The Wiggles, Bob the Builder, WonderPets, etc. It's awesome!

What do Dominic and Donovan think? ...who cares? Nah, really, they love to dance around to the songs they recognize. We have now eliminated the battles of "what are we going to watch".....and replaced that with "NOTHING! We're going to listen!". We've even created a little game out of it. While sitting down for dinner, we play Name That Tune and see who can figure out the song that gets played first!

BONUS....around "wind down" time for the boys, they play stuff for us parents. Remember Schoolhouse Rock, Speed Racer, Huckleberry Hound, Mr. Magoo, The Banana Splits and more? I find myself looking at the screen to see what theme song they're playing sometimes. Perhaps some of it is OLDER than me? Definitely a blast from the past feeling.

Anyway, just thought I'd rave about my discovery. Now everyone can sit back and laugh at my "out of tuneness" to today's latest "in" thing. I never knew!

WRONG WAY!

Do you see where this post is going?

Yesterday's doctor appointment has left me feeling perturbed, perplexed, stumped, angry, disturbed, frustrated, pissed off, dumbfounded, heartbroken, confused, speechless and robbed.

Being just under 36 weeks (according to my records at the office, AND depends on WHICH Doctor I see) I was scheduled for the Group B Strep test and an ultrasound to see how Mr. Devin is currently positioned. (hear my sigh?) We skipped out on the Strep test because of the antibiotics I'm currently on may have an influence on the results of the test. We will do this test at next week's appointment when I'll be clean of the antibiotics at that point and will still be within the time frame that this test is normally performed.

Checking Mr. Devin's position was still looked at. Needless to say, he's NOT where we'd like him to be at this point. If he's determined, he will flip to where he's supposed to be. BUT if he's anything like his brother Donovan, he's most likely content in the current position. Me, on the other hand, am not favoring the discomfort.

This appointment was anything but "routine", and I left the office with many questions unanswered. Apparently, getting out of the office was on my mind more than knowing exactly HOW Mr. Devin is doing.

• What is Devin's approximate weight now?
• How is my belly measuring in relation to gestational age?
• The heartbeat: A very routine doppler check for baby's heart rate. It's usually a comforting sound to hear. It wasn't performed during this appointment.
• Is Devin STILL a Devin? Really, while we were looking at the ultrasound anyway, why didn't I ask for a sneak peak of gender verification? Why?

Provided nothing "pops" before then, my next appointment will be next Thursday. I hope to cover the "unanswered" above, have the Strep B test performed and check Devin's position once again (in case by some small miracle he has found which way is OUT!) If Devin's arrival will be by C-section, then the Strep B test results are pointless. I will not be taking any extra measures to force Devin to turn, due to the risks involved.

Send us some healthy baby and healthy mommy vibes!

Showered with Kindness

Carmen with Kalyn, Me (duh!) and Kristie

My sister-in-law Kristie so kindly put together an awesome Baby Shower for me, and managed to do so while being out of town 2-3 days a week for the past month. Wow! She rocks! We had a great time with family and friends, played fun games and ate yummy stuff! Baby Devin got lots of new goodies, as well as his own starting collection of onesies and rompers so that he wouldn't have to wear his older brothers' hand-me-downs.

Many special thanks going out to....

...Kristie, for hosting the shower for Devin. It all came together superbly.
...My mom (who is always behind the camera and never in pictures) who printed the invites and took all of these fabulous photos for memories down the road.

...my sister-in-law Carmen for the 254 diapers
so nicely arranged in this Diaper Cake!

...my mother-in-law Carmen (yes, another Carmen) who prepared
the delicious "chilequiles" for us to enjoy.

...to Adrianna (spelling?) for the most awesome cake.
Congrats going out to her upon today's graduation from an elite
Pastry Chef School in San Francisco.She followed her dream and will get everlasting oohs and ahhs for her work.

...to Bianca, who was immediately robbed of her clothespins,
after finely demonstrating and handling all of the B-A-B-Y games.

...to Ana, Kalyn, Emma and Bianca for all their help catering to the "gift opening" extravaganza. Every mom-to-be needs a gift giver, card reader and collector, tissue paper handler and package-cleaner-upper!

...to Baby Luke, for being such a sport in
eagerly waiting for his cousin's arrival.

...to all who came to shower me and Baby Devin.
It meant a lot to be "pampered" (huggied?) with all of the kindness given.

Another Candid Canine Moment...

Pulling cards...

In conversing with other mom's of kindergartners across the nation, I find it common for their teachers to use the "card pulling" system on students. In in effort to teach the kids what's acceptable behavior during class, this system seems to work fairly well. Although, I'm not sure what the colors of the cards mean to the students, I do know that having more than 3 cards pulled in one day could mean some serious "time" for the child. I assume a trip to the Principal's office is a hefty lesson to the kids. Luckily, Dominic hasn't made that trip....yet! This kid loves to talk.... and talk he does! That's what gets him in trouble the most. He hasn't quite mastered the appropriate times to withhold his need to "tell all".

Completely unrelated, the class was visited by a local Police Officer last week and fingerprinting took place, as well as a tour of the police car. Do you think he endured enough punishment for the week? He certainly "high-tailed" it through the vehicle, probably in fear of being taken away in it!

One giant leap...