Another Update

I went to the doctor this morning, but she did not do an exam. She said if I have made progress next Thursday from my appointment last week we will break my water Friday morning (the 8th). If I have not progressed, we will add a few more days and look at the 13th-15th. Of course anytime before these dates would be great too! I'll post a status update on Facebook when he comes. BTW, the old wives tales of inducing labor do not work. The following have all been tried so far: sex, walking, stair climbing, nipple stimulation through pumping, and spicy foods. I refuse to resort to the castor oil. I might try a trampoline this weekend though.

Nothing.

This silly boy sure likes his home inside me. I can't believe I spent so many weeks trying to keep him in and now he won't come out. It looks like Cinco de Mayo will more than likely come and go. I'm not dilated or effaced any further. My next appointment is tomorrow, so I'll let you know what the Dr. says about induction next week. I'd really rather not take pitocin since it brings on the contractions so strongly, but I also don't want to be more than a week late.

Question

For those of you who have had more than one child and read this blog, I have a question. Did #2 and #3 come earlier than the first, about the same time, or later? I know every baby is different and comes on their own terms, but I'm curious. Thomas was born at 39 weeks, and it doesn't look like this guy is coming any sooner than that. I've had no signs of labor since 29 weeks when I had the pre-term scare. My doctor told me 39 weeks this time would be May 3rd according to my last possible due date of May 10th. I know waiting for a baby is one of life's surprises, but I'm not very good at it. I'm ready to set a date and move forward. Pray for me to be patient and peaceful.

Still Waiting.

I've been spending the last few weeks watching too much tv, trying to be a peaceful pregnant woman, and savoring my last days with just Tommy. Should be any time now...

Namesake Visit

Tommy had a visit from his namesake, Tom-Tom, last weekend. It was so sweet to see them together. When we named him Thomas we had no idea it would be so neat to watch their relationship unfold. We read stories, ate good food, and attended "Big Brother Class" at the hospital.

Update

I'm not ever quite sure when to say my due date is. Since I got pregnant right after a miscarriage it's hard to say when this baby was made. The first date we ever got was Cinco de Mayo. Then at sonogram #1 they moved it back to May 10th, Mother's Day. Then at the 20 week sonogram I was measuring for April 28th. SO, I've been saying May Day and hoping he is out of there by Cinco de Mayo at the latest. If I'm still pregnant on Mother's Day I might freak out. I'm trying not to let myself think April either though. Based on the May 1st due date I have four weeks to go. Yea! I was starting to feel down about two weeks ago, but I can make it four more (at the most) weeks. Here are some ways this pregnancy has been different than the first:

1. Nausea in 1st trimester, leading to Zofran
2. WAY less weight gain...I'm now at 23 pounds and will probably gain a total of 28 or less (again, miracle)
3. Discomfort in the 3rd trimester started MUCH earlier. From the pre-term labor at 29 weeks to just having the baby sitting so much lower in my body it has felt really different. Also many more Braxton Hicks contractions, which I never had with T until 38 wks. But no heartburn this time.
4. Infections. I won't go into to much detail here, but let's just say around St. Patty's Day I thought the lower half of my body was going to explode.
5. Both more fear and more joy in knowing what is coming.

Talk to you soon.

29th Birthday Celebration

Saturday the 21st was my 29th (and holding) Birthday. We went down to the Plaza with Mimi and my middle brother for Din Sum at BoLings. Tommy had fun seeing all the Easter bunnies. We came home to a visit from my youngest brother and a cake Tommy and David picked out. They also made me breakfast in bed and sang at least 10 times. A great day...very uncomfortable, but still a great day.

2nd Annual McLisenby's St. Patty's Parade

Board Member Re-election

It's that time when we may want to rotate some new board members into the club Flip-Flops-and-Chocolate. If you didn't know FFaC is a club then be sure to go to the first ever blog posts and start reading. Board positions include reading the blog and posting comments. The following are my nominations. Please let me know if you accept or have other nominations.

President and CEO: Adrienne
VP of Operations and Development: Mimi
Secretary of the Interior: Cristy
Treasurer and Math Developer: Carly
2nd Vice of Midwest Region: Tara
2nd Vice of Scotland: Julie
2nd Vice of Texas: The Fam
Sargent at Arms: Al
Public Relations and Graphic Designer: Carolyn
Music Development: Laura
Photographers: Crystal and Anne
Social Coordinator and Group Exercise Instructor: Becky
Party Planners: Michele and Libby
Club Engineer: Mae L.
Spanish Interpreter: David

Members at Large: Jay W., Kristin S., Angie, Ingrid, Krista, and Christa (If you secretly read this blog without telling me or posting comments you are a member at large and a sneaky little devil)

Happy Polar Bear Week!

Tommy and I have decided to learn about one animal per week. This week we put socks on our hands and crawled around like polar bears, ate polar bear snacks (crushed up crackers because polar bears are so strong), read 2 books from the library about polar bears, watched several videos on the animal on www.kids.nationalgeographic.com, made a polar bear cake (a white cake with white icing), and created a fort where the bears live out of a white blanket. Next week: frogs.

The first 2 shots are just some updated pregnant pics. I'm definitely starting to feel pretty big even though it is nothing compared to last time. I've decided that standing to the side like you have to when you are trying to take a pregnant pic is not kind to my double chin. I'm off bed rest now except for just one part of the day. I usually just lay down when Tommy takes his nap. Less than 8 weeks now...

Mommy War

So far bed rest has been a good thing for me. It's forced me to slow down and focus on the blessings in my life. Not having the gym and music class as outings each week has forced me to think of fun, creative things for Tommy and I to do together at home (or at least very close to home). Today was "Happy Polar Bear Day." Pictures to come. I've also been thinking about what kind of mom I want to be and have become. Of course that thought goes straight to the stay-at-home vs. working mom question for me. I've been more or less a full-time stay-at-home mom for 2.5 years now. I would have thought I would feel at peace one way or the other about working vs. staying home by now, but it is still a war inside me. Here are some thoughts about that:

Benefits to Staying Home:
1. I never doubt whether I am spending enough time with Tommy.
2. When he gets sick or something pops up last minute, it isn't a juggle to find care for him.
3. I hope I am setting David up to succeed in his job by taking care of things on the home front (although he cooks and pays bills and does a fair share of the childcare).
4. Our pace of life is slow. Tommy and I almost never rush to get somewhere, and it's easy for me to stop and see things through his eyes (like the bird on our deck today he was excited about).
5. I can go on vacation or take a trip somewhere whenever I want to without calculation.
6. I know the time will come fairly soon for me to really focus on my career goals and when my boys don't need me as much.

Cons to Staying Home:
1. The lack of intellectual stimulation and chance to use what I'm trained in really drains me.
2. I contribute nothing to the family finances, which makes me feel powerless sometimes.
3. While our pace is slow, we don't have very much structure. I thrive on structure, but it's hard for me to create it on my own.
4. Tommy LOVES school and gets bored at home at least once or twice a week. This leads to tantrums and acting out.
5. Sometimes I wonder if I would be a better mother if I spent a little less time with Tommy and was forced to make the most out of the time we do have together.
6. I don't want to be 50 before I get my PhD and am doing what I want to do career wise.

There you have it. A big decision around our house right now is whether I will student teach (I want to spend 2 years in the classroom before moving into a counseling position, if possible) next Spring or Fall. So we'd have both the boys in full-time care (well 4 days a week since they will go to Grammy's on Mondays) when they are either 7 months and 3 or 16 months and almost 4. That semester will be a tell-all for me about what it's like to work with little ones. I'd love to hear thoughts on the subject via comments.

Update

I went to the hospital yesterday for pre-term labor. At Tommy's music class I started to feel really sick and called my doctor when some contractions started. This is kind of gross, but I had also lost a ton of mucous the day before. At the hospital I found out I am 50% effaced and dilated to 1cm. Of course this could mean nothing. They monitored me for about 4 hours and then sent me home with instructions to not exercise, lift anything, and "take it easy." I've continued to have some contractions/cramping today, so we'll see. I've cleared everything off my schedule except caring for Tommy and school. I could see things going either way at this point...either this little guy is coming early or is going to make us laugh when he goes past his due date. Either way, we have a little trickster on our hands.

First Prayers

The following has become our nightly routine. Tommy does not like to pray at dinner time. If we try to say a prayer before the meal he thinks he has to go to bed and whines through the whole thing. But at bedtime, let the prayers flow like wine...

David: Dear God
Tommy: Dear God
David: Thank you for Mommy, Daddy, the baby in Mommy's belly, and Norman.
Tommy: Gank you for Mommy, Daddy, the baby in Mommy's belly, and Norman.
David: What else do you want to say thank you for? (This is where the strangeness begins)
Tommy: Gank you for playing Candyland with Grammy, Gank you Grandad, Gank you Mimi's eyes, Gank you Daddy's legs, Gank you Thomas, Percy, and James, Gank you Miss Laura's (his music teacher) mouth, Gank you Mommy's glasses, Gank you Todd's (his friend) fingers, Gank you Piper's (friend) house, Gank you Georgia's (friend) brother baby Sam, Gank you Tom-Tom.
David: (pause) Amen?
Tommy: Amen.

Notice the body part theme. (???) While we have to laugh at all the things Tommy thanks God for, it is one of the sweetest moments to each day.

Lisenby Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Geneology - Free family tree template

The Grocery Game

I've been telling some of you about this website called www.thegrocerygame.com. You get a free trial for a month and then it's like $10 every 8 weeks after that. It is WELL worth it. This lady (looks like a Texan to me) finds all the deals at your store, beyond the weekly ads, and then gives you recipes or ideas about what to make each week. So far this month I've saved over $50 on groceries just by printing off her list and buying what she tells me to each week (unless we don't like it). I'm in a challenge with some of my mom's club friends to spend less than $350 on groceries per month. I knew I would need some help to do this, and the grocery game so far has been a breeze.

Also, it seems like things always change right after I post an update. I've now gained 16 pounds and am hoping for a grand total of less than 30. I've also had to cut back on my workout schedule due to the discomfort. No more yoga, weights only 2x per week, and just a little cardio. Oh and our son will not be named Hung, although we do hope he is more hung than his older brother. My brothers like to say that Tommy's penis must have come from the Lisenby side because it is so small.

Home Stretch

I'm officially in the 3rd trimester of this pregnancy. Since I had a miscarriage last July and then got pregnant again right away it feels like I've been pregnant forever. I'm excited to have these next 12 weeks with Tommy and then see what God brings us with little boy #2. Hopefully I can enjoy this last trimester instead of feeling uncomfortable all the time. Knowing this will probably be my last time to carry a baby should help, as well as knowing how hard it will be after the little chicken comes. I'm not looking forward to the no sleep and huge bazumbas phase. But I also can't wait to hold my little guy in my arms.

Status at 28 Weeks:
Weight gain: 13# (plus 10 I should have gotten off pre-pregnancy, so total of 23)

Exercise: Still lifting weights 3x per week for an hour, doing cardio for 30 minutes 3 times a week, and trying to get to yoga 1x

Name Choice: Hung. David is SET on one name, and I am SET on another. Either we are going to have to come up with something totally different or compromise somehow.

Breast/Bottle: Still undecided about this. I think I will try breast again unless something goes wrong. Then I will switch immediately to bottle without feeling guilty or weighing in the opinion of every person in the universe.

Problems: None except insomnia and some back pain

Baby: Probably weighs about 4 pounds right now, is MUCH more active than Tommy, and is a night owl. Hoot hoot.

By Popular Demand...

Here are 4 pictures for your viewing...1. The zebra rug. Suggestive photos for a Valentines gift for your spouse can be scheduled by appointment when we are not home. 2. Pregnant belly almost 6 months. 3. Side view of the belly. 4. Tommy's latest shot.

Embracing Zebras

About seven years ago I was first introduced to the idea of taxidermy. I'm from Kansas where the largest thing ever shot is a deer, and even then it probably wouldn't be worth the money to have it hung on the wall. My father-in-law, however, is a taxidermy animal (pun intended). I've never been hunting and probably never care to go, but when I first walked into my in-laws' home and then their farm I was shocked. A million animal eyes were staring at me. And not just the eyes you see on this continent. Giraffe eyes, elephant eyes, lion eyes. David had tried to explain to me that his dad was an African hunter, but nothing could prepare me for what I saw.

I fully admit that at first I was judgmental. Especially after David told me how much an African hunting safari and then returning home with stuffed animals cost. I still think the money would be better spent on feeding hungry people (although John says they eat all the meat they shoot or give it to the natives). I was sad for the animals too; their lives taken by a wealthy Texan to put in his trophy room. But as time has passed I've loosened the reigns a bit on my judgment. Everyone gets to choose how they spend money, and hunting is just my father-in-law's deal.

So you can imagine David's shock when I excitedly accepted the offer of a zebra rug for our living room. The Lisenbys have about 7 zebra rugs (yes, shot and killed in Africa and then flattened into rug form) in their house and offered to give us one. I just set it up in our living room and have to admit, I like it. It's funky and interesting. While Tommy Lisenby will NEVER be allowed to hunt outside the state of Texas or own a riffle, while David freaks out a little bit about our values being misrepresented by the rug, and while our neighbor asks us if the rug is a "real" zebra because as a fellow Kansan he has never seen anything like it, I am embracing my in-laws and the part of me that wants to have conversation starters in my home. One zebra at a time.

Forgot One

I forgot one of my resolutions: Wear my hair curly. What is the point of having naturally wavy/curly hair if I blow it dry straight every day? I spent my Christmas money on a new diffuser and some product that works miracles. With my new tools and the pregnancy hormones my hair is looking gooooood, if I say so myself.

PS-Went to the OB today and gained 7 pounds in one month. Boo. Four months to go.

New Year Resolutions

1. Build the practice of yoga into my schedule at least twice a week, and use that time to re-center and be with David.
2. Re-enroll Tommy in music class, and use that hour each week to have special Mommy/Son time.
3. Take 15 minutes every day to do an activity eye-to-eye with Tommy. Be present in that time.
4. Read 30 minutes every day. Something not on the computer. An article. A novel. Stuff for school. Less TV, less computer.
5. Continue to eat well and exercise throughout this pregnancy and be content with what happens.