Lots of things are happening at casa la Dana Files. None of which include delivering a baby. Not yet, anyway. I have a doctor’s appointment this morning, and if I’m dilated “enough” (whatever the hell that means) my doctor may wish to induce labor. This baby is close to 8 pounds according to the last ultrasound, and carrying to 40 weeks might bewill be painful. I’m a day shy of 38 weeks, but I’m ready to have this baby.
Big changes are ahead. A few I’m not at liberty to discuss just yet, but soon. One of the big things is starting a new blog. I cannot reveal anything just yet, I’m still working on some things. But after getting some crummy news on Saturday, I decided to stop procrastinating and start believing in myself. I’m on a mission and I’m determined to succeed. I promise to reveal when the time comes.
In not so happy news, yesterday afternoon we had some excitement in our subdivision. Our neighbor’s house down the road was on fire while they were at work. It’s devastating. Several firetrucks, police cars and first responders were flying down the street, and I nearly had a heart attack.
Then my mother called to ask if it was our house on fire. I asked her how she heard the news already, and she told me she heard it on the dispatch radio while she was on her bus route (she’s a school bus driver and their dispatcher relays information like this, including the street name so that bus drivers can alter their routes to avoid traffic delays). She was very happy to hear we were fine, but sad that our neighbors are dealing with this tragedy.
I drove past on my way to the library, and the south side of the house is pretty burnt up. Siding was ripped apart and there is a hole in the roof, but for the most part the house is in tact. I’m thinking they’ll need to repair damages to the corner of the house that was on fire, which is their living/dining room area. And imagine the water damage! I’m sick just thinking about it. Plus, it had been pouring rain all day yesterday, so that can’t be good. It looks like it might have been an electrical fire.
Dawson has been learning all about Fire Safety Week in school, and when the firetrucks drove by he was in awe. He relayed all the information he learned about fire safety and showed me how to stop, drop & roll. Then he said, “Mumma, we should pray for the neighbors. Fire is scary and they can’t stay in their house until it’s fixed from the fire.” The boy makes my heart melt. He’s so compassionate and caring. We said several prayers for the neighbors. I do hope they aren’t displaced from their home for too long.
In other news, my father-in-law is doing better. He’s still in the hospital right now, but will be discharged sometime this week. He’ll be admitted to a nursing home for rehabilitation, which is has lifted the burden on my mother-in-law. There is no way she could take care of him 24/7, especially because he’s rather stubborn. At least the nurses can get him to cooperate.
That’s about all that’s happening with me and mine. Just waiting for a baby. And waiting some more. Any day now!
This was the first song played on my iPod this morning. I forgot I had it on my playlist, and I immediately went to YouTube to search for videos of Bread performing the song. Lo and behold there was one!
I love the guitar solos. The words make me think the writer was in a trip when he wrote the song, but I love it anyway. Enjoy!
More Nesting and Another ER Visit (This Time Not For Me)
Remember when I told you I was nesting? Yeah, that was just a trial run, because the real nesting began Saturday, the second I got home from the hospital. It’s like a fire has been lit under my bum.
It started with this intense desire to start organizing the bedroom that Dawson and his baby brother will share for awhile. Doug took the doors off the closet and I went through every single item in that space. The urge to purge hit me like a ton of bricks.
Three large boxes of stuff were sealed up and are now ready for donation to the Easter Seals. I got rid of toys no one has played with in years. Clothes that Dawson cannot wear and the baby wouldn’t be able to wear for years were packed for others to use. Anything that had not been worn or used in a year or more was tossed into the boxes as well. I realized that Dawson had a lot of clothes when he was born, more than the new baby could ever wear. Gone it is.
It took a few hours to figure out the correct floor plan for the room. The furniture was arranged with efficiency in mind. I delegated while Doug moved things around several times. It’s very functional now. I should have taken before and after photos.
Next, we took a trip to Target and bought one of these awesome toy organizers:
All of the most played-with toys were sorted into these 12 magic bins. Because I had sorted through everything first, we ended up with two smaller bins being empty.
After the kids’ room was complete I crashed into bed and slept like a rock. It was a long, rough day.
Sunday morning we went to church and after we got home Doug made a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and toast. It was delicious. I decided to tackle our closet after that, and 5 more boxes of clothes, shoes, purses and other miscellaneous items were donated.
I finally got rid of all those clothes that had sentimental value or emotional feelings attached them. I haven’t worn them in more than five years. Someone else can use them. It was tough to let go of some of those things, but I noticed that an uncluttered house has also cleared my psyche.
Doug did all the grunt work and heavy lifting, and I’m so grateful for his help. After tackling closets we cleaned out the pantry together, as well as the linen and coat closets, too. My house is almost perfect.
Shortly after we finished our work, my mother-in-law called to say that my father-in-law was having health issues. He has been feeling disoriented, experiencing hallucinations and memory loss, as well as sleeping a lot and not wanting to get out of bed. I’m not sure what the medical condition is, but it reminds me of dementia. My grandfather suffered from the disease. I also wonder if my FIL was experiencing a mini-stroke.
We went to Doug’s parents’ house to help get my FIL to the hospital, but later decided an ambulance was a better choice. Doug’s dad was taken to the ER and later admitted to the hospital for observation. We got home a few hours later. Doug’s brother and uncle stayed to help my MIL. Doug wanted to stay longer, but he had to work very early this morning, and his mom said not to miss work until they know exactly what my FIL’s condition is. We’re praying that he recovers from whatever it is that is ailing him.
After we got home last night, we all crashed into bed. Another long day under our belts.
I’m hoping today is uneventful, and that no one else is admitted to the ER. They say bad things happen in threes. Here’s hoping that’s just an old wives tale, or a myth.
Later this afternoon I’m taking Dawson to see a free matinee showing of Transformers 2. The theater is offering this show for customer appreciation week, and my little guy cannot wait for the DVD to come out on October 20th. It’s our last mommy/son “date” before little Baby O arrives. I plan to treasure every second of it.
Dana began her Mom career in 2004 with the birth of her first son, Dawson, aka The Doodlebug, and little brother, Owen, was born in 2009. She spends her days putting out fires, climbing mountains and chasing monsters. More About Dana.
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All of the most played-with toys were sorted into these 12 magic bins. Because I had sorted through everything first, we ended up with two smaller bins being empty.
