Nothing to talk about...really

I don't really have anything exciting to say, but I feel like I haven't been a very good 'blogger' lately. Don't get me wrong, I've been out reading all of my favs, just haven't done much posting or commenting these days. Could it be that I am just over the whole blog thing?

Anyhow...all is well over here in the corny life. Abby is doing awesome, as usual. She is just about walking all over the place now, although once she falls, she prefers to just crawl the rest of the way. She still can't get to a standing position without holding onto something, but she's very close. I would imagine that as soon as she can do that, the crawling will be history. I really can't wait for her to be running all over the place. I don't know why really because I know it just means more running for me, but it just seems like life will be easier with her as a walker. And maybe I'll be more inclined to get out more often, knowing she isn't going to want to drop to her hands and knees and get filthy dirty everywhere we go.

I've been trying to spend some time getting the 'ole wine business going. I think I have been feeling somewhat guilty for not making much of a financial contribution to our family right now, and with the holidays and another baby on the way, I am feeling kind of down about it. I put it all on the back burner when I found out I was pregnant and then summer was so busy that I didn't have much of a chance to work on it. But now I am in full swing, and trying to get my business going. Speaking of...if anyone has any success tips about direct selling, I'm all ears! Or better yet...if you enjoy a glass of wine every now and again, check out our awesome wine club at www.mybranchofthevine.com!

As for my pregnancy, I am 21 weeks today. Without looking a gift horse in the mouth I must say, this pregnancy has been SO easy. Although I guess with what I have to compare it with, anything would be easy. I did have a couple of days of mass panic about 4 weeks ago that resulted in me buying a doppler on eBay. So it's been nice to hear the little peanut's heartbeat every night when I go to bed. We lost Madison at 24 weeks 2 days, and I would imagine as that time approaches in this pregnancy, my anxiety will once again rise. After we lost Madison, I rented a doppler and was only able to use it for 3 days before I was hospitalized for the duration of my pregnancy, and I was going to rent again, but when I did the math, it was cheaper to buy one, especially since when I am done with it, I can turn around and resell it on eBay...hopefully recouping most of what I paid for it.

So Abby is sleeping right now...in her high chair. It seems that our new routine involves her passing out half-way through dinner. I mean literally falling asleep in her plate. This is about the 3rd night in a row she's done it. She'll only sleep for a half an hour or so, and then will be up until about 9pm or so. At least right at the moment it's giving me a chance to do something productive. Ok, so maybe not so productive, but who cares, right?

Well, I guess for not having anything to talk about, I've done a lot of talking! So for now, I will sign off and spend the rest of Abby's naptime catching up with all of my other favorite blogs...

Gap Contest - Vote for Abby

Vote for Abby here:

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/entries/itsacornylife/417481568/

And let me know if you entered your little one and we will go vote for you too!

13 Month Well Visit

Abby had her well visit last Friday. It had been 2 months, so technically I guess you could say this was her 1 year checkup, just a month late. And I don't know if it can really be called a well visit anyways, considering she was still fighting that nasty cold she had and as it turns out, has an ear infection too. That didn't really surprise me though, considering her nose has been so runny. Abby weighed 22 pounds and was 30 inches tall. That's the 50th percentile for her weight and 75th for her height. I guess that means she's tall and thin! She sure feels like she weighs more than 22 pounds. They had run out of flu shots so I will have to take her back in a week or 2 for both the seasonal flu and the swine flu shots. And the doc is submitting a request for the RSV vaccine again this year, although she doesn't think we will get approved for that one. I am really hoping we do, especially after reading this post over on Machelle's blog. I have a quick visit with my OB today, and will be asking about the flu/swine flu shots for me as well. I've heard some scary stats about pregnant women and the swine flu lately. Anyhow, we got the ok to start on whole milk, and egg whites and strawberries are now ok too. I was pretty excited about the milk because that darn formula is just so expensive. I was actually pretty happy about the egg whites too, since now I won't have to make 2 separate batches in the morning anymore (that's the lazy pregnant lady coming out in me there). As for the walking, she is taking about 7 or 8 steps at a time, before she realizes what she's doing and gets so excited that she falls down. I've taken some video of it, but can't for the life of me figure out how to get them on the computer. I guess it's time to get out the user guide. Well, I'm off to the doc soon, but in the meantime, here's a couple of picures of Abby playing outside yesterday.

Top 10 List

I recently sent this list in an email to my fellow wine lovers, and I thought why not put it on my blog as well? After all, anyone, anywhere, can read my blog. And I am sure there are a few of you out there who also enjoy a glass of wine now and again. And we do ship to 33 different states, so more than likely if you are reading my blog, you are in a state that we ship to and can, therefore, join our awesome wine club.

So here it is...my Top 10 List...

Top Ten Reasons to join the WineShop At Home
Premier Wine Club

Number Ten...As a Wine Club member, you will receive FREE SHIPPING on all case orders (12 bottles).

Number Nine...The flexibility to choose between 2 or 4 bottles of wine each month (2 bottle club is $28.50/month, 4 bottle club is $54.50/month).

Number Eight...Ability to change your selections to match the tastes of the season throughout the year (Red/White, Red/Red or White/White).

Number Seven...You'll receive recipes paired specially for each wine with every shipment.

Number Six...Receive a complimentary third bottle of wine with your first shipment.

Number Five...When you need to buy a gift for someone special, simply gift your club shipment for the month to your loved one and have it shipped directly to them!

Number Four...Receive discounts on featured wine selections.

Number Three...Pay no membership fees and cancel anytime.

Number Two...Expand your knowledge when you receive tasting notes about the wines plus information about the varieties, vineyards, and wine makers.

And the number ONE reason to join the WineShop At Home Premier Wine Club...

You know you're going to buy at least 2 bottles of wine each month anyways, so why not buy them through me and have them conveniently delivered right to your door?!

Call, email me, or visit my website at www.mybranchofthevine.com to sign up today!

Definitely, Maybe

We had our usual checkup today at the perinatologist. I'm 18 weeks along and baby looks great. They did the full anatomy scan and things just couldn't be any better. Who knew growing a baby inside of you could be so easy?! From our last experience, we certainly didn't, but we are really enjoying what we can call this "normal" pregnancy. And I guess one of the perks (if you can call it that) we have gained from our previous experience is getting to see the little peanut on ultrasound every 2 weeks. And today, we even got a look at the baby in 4D.



Peanut weighed 8 ounces today and is measuring right on target for the due date. And it has been confirmed that baby is definitely a girl. And I use the term definitely loosly, since you never really know for certain until she arrives. But, a girl she is and we are so excited for Abby to have a little sister so close in age. I am sure they will be the bestest of friends!

As for Abby...she has a 1 year checkup next week so I don't have an accurate weight or anything, but she tips our scale at a whopping 22 pounds. Her hair is getting long and thick and she is getting some adorable curls too! She is still working on walking, but can take about 4-6 steps unassisted. She gets around well though, pushing her little train. She has been cut off from therapy and the Regional Center due to budget cuts, and although we are thrilled that she is doing so well, we would have liked for her to have been followed for another year, just to make sure she is hitting her milestones. Don't get me started on the Regional Center...argh it is frustrating. I am sad for all of the future preemie babies, because due to what I think is mismanagement of their funds, they have completely eliminated the high-risk infant qualification. This is such an injustice. But again...don't get me started.

Anyhow, back to Abby...she has a cold right now and has been running a slight fever off and on for the past few days. I think the fever is more from teething than anything else. She has 7 teeth already and it seems as if all of the rest of them are coming at the same time. Poor thing. She hasn't been sleeping or napping well all week either. And she is drooling buckets! The girl won't wear a bib for anything either, so we are going through several shirts each day. Just what I need...more laundry!

Here she is having some meatloaf the other night...poor thing couldn't keep her eyes open.

College Gameday

It's our favorite time of year...Football Season! Illinois didn't fare so well this weekend, but the Sundevils sure kicked off the season with a doozy. Not that we played a ranked team or anything, but a win is a win! Abby's cheerleader dresses arrived on time so she had a couple of wardrobe changes throughout the day...









A big thanks to Cindy for the box of hair clips that came in the mail this weekend (Abby is sporting one with her Illini dress). You are awesome (and a proper thank you will be in the mail soon)! And did I mention, Abby took her first steps this past Friday night! She made it 3 whole steps. All. By. Herself. And last night she figured out that she can stand behind her little train and walk all over the place. It seems like it's just a matter of time before she'll be off and running, and I can't wait!

Video coming soon!

Abby

...IS GOING TO BE A BIG SISTER!!!

Oh, that's right...you already knew that.

Well, so far things are still looking good. I didn't hit the big "4" like I wanted to, but my cervix measured 3.7, so we'll take it. It could have been a lot worse, and the doctor seemed pleased. Once again, Baby was very uncooperative. I didn't even get a blog-worthy picture to post. Boo! The heartrate was good though, at 149.

As for the gender, well, I guess it's not so much about what we did see, but rather what we didn't see. We didn't see those 3 distinct bright white lines that are indicative of female parts. And we didn't see anything that even remotely resembled baby boy parts.

Like I said, baby was very uncooperative.

However, the technician, although she wouldn't put her reputation and accuracy statistics on the line by saying for sure, did point out a small area near baby's netherregion that did make her lean towards thinking pink. But again, it was a very difficult angle.

So suffice it to say, I won't be running out and buying up all of the cutest girly baby stuff quite yet. No, I think I will wait a while on that.

I am excited though if it is in fact a girl, because I am absolutely IN LOVE with the name we have picked for her. That though, will remain a secret for a little while longer.