Beauty and the Beast

I'm not as beautiful as I was Pre-lil J and it isn't because I've gotten older and fatter and lazier, either. It's due to lack of beauty sleep. I don't think there is anyone I hate more than the parent who BRAGS about how their 6 month old baby sleeps through the night... as a matter of fact, this is usually a parent whose freak child even sleeps 10-12 hours without waking up once...not one time. Meanwhile, lil J has not slept more than 3 hours straight for the past TWO YEARS. Even when highly medicated (which she NEVER is unless she is very, VERY ill, of course), she refuses to sleep like a regular human being. She wakes up several times a night with requests for such things as a cup of juice, someone to help her put her blanket back on her, a diaper change, or a larger bed in which to sleep in - one which already contains two not-so-small people. Her new favorite request is to go sleep on the couch. Which makes me wonder if maybe she's some sort of alien being. Some sort of beast from another planet - sent here to make my life a LIVING HELL.

Let me break it down for ya. The following is a typical night in my Honeymoon Suite:

9:00 p.m.: lil J goes down for the night. She is placed, ever so gently into her crib, the covers are tucked up around her and the tag of the blanket is placed into her cute, little hand. A sippy cup is placed near the rail, within baby reach should she feel parched within the hour.

10:00 p.m.: Sippy cup is empty, lil J is stirring. Both Hubber and I are fumbling around as fast as we can to fill up the cup before she wakes up for good.

10:13 p.m.: The second cup is empty and I am worried that she's probably got a full diaper by now. I reach in...and sure enough, the diaper is about to explode.

10:14 p.m.: I change the diaper while J sleeps.

10:30 p.m.: I finally fall asleep and begin dreaming of blue coconut slushies and baskets full of chili cheese french fries and money, and lots and lots of money...

11:18 p.m.: The beast is awake. Hubber tries to soothe her so that I don't have to get up (he's my hero!), but it doesn't work. I'm up, too. First she wants a new cup. Then, she wants Daddy to carry her. Then, she wants to lay in bed with Mommy and Daddy. Then, she wants more "juice" (watered down pedialyte). Then, she needs another diaper change. Then, she wants to go back to her bed (thank the lord).

11:50 p.m.: Hubber puts her back in her bed.

12:00 a.m.: Hubber crawls into bed with me.

3:00 a.m.: "MY CUUUUP.....MY CUUUUUP??!!" the beast screams in horror from her crib when she awakens and realizes her cup is not within baby's reach. Both Hubber and I wait, motionless in bed. Each hoping that the other will handle the panicky beast. Each praying that the next words that come out of the beast's mouth are the name of the other parent.

3:03 a.m.: "DAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYY!!!" I win! I win, I win, I win! Hubber has to get up. Poor thing. Foul words pour out of his mouth like poetry....taking me back to dream land...while he gets up to tend to the beast.

3:20 a.m.: The beast has had a drink and is now asleep again.

5:00 a.m.: TWENTY MINUTES from the time my alarm clock is set to go off, the beast is awake again! This time, she's wet and needs a diaper change. "Just a minute," I beg her....I MUST get my 20 minutes of sleep in before getting up for work. But, she's relentless. Her pleads for a diaper turn into screams for her cup again.

5:10 a.m.: I'm tired and I'm pissed. I change her diaper and put her back into her crib with a fresh cup of pedialyte/water. David is snoring.

Fun, huh? Yeah, we love it.

I'm convinced that God is punishing me for all the bad things I ever did in my life....Hubber is just an innocent victim being dragged along in my punishment because he was crazy enough to marry me. That's what he gets.
Remember Me?

It's hard to believe that two years of my life have passed since I last updated my blog. A lot has happened since then. Most importantly, we've subtracted two members of our family and replaced them with one, very colorful member. In short, lil J came and Kali and Rosie left (turns out the new kid was allergic to cats -- we should have realized then that our lives were about to get turned upside down). Yep, lil J in all her glorious toddler-ness has livened up things around here. Our home will never be the same again. I'll fill you in on lil J stories later, but suffice it to say, she is not yet 2 years old and she's already speaking in complete sentences, singing songs, counting from 1 to 10, and keeping us all on our toes (that's nice for "driving us nuts"). As for little, innocent J? Well, she's pre-teen now. We're going through terrible two's and teenage hormones all at the same time.

Don't let these cute faces fool ya! They're out to get us...they would like to see us dead....they would like to suck all the life from our souls...then stomp on our heads until they explode. That's right.

I probably don't have to tell you that Hubber's hair is really turning gray. Poor thing. Me? I've really learned how to get my drink on. I've replaced water in my diet with Malibu Rum and diet coke. It's lovely....especially when downed with Xanex. Just kidding, I don't take Xanex - Errrr, much. But, it's only a matter of time.
Klump...Klump...Klump...

Hubber calls them Klump feet (you know, like Sherman Klump), I call them Flintstone feet and J calls them Chubby feet. It doesn’t matter what you call them, though, they’re huge. Youuge, huge! I’ve got some big ass swollen feet, ya’ll! And with the right shoes, my ankles just kinda flap over the sides. It’s disgusting, actually. There is no good remedy besides 24-7 bed rest to get the swelling down, either. No Epson salt foot soak. No degree of elevation. No honey/cinnamon scrub. No cold compress. Nothing. Ya hear me? NOT A DANG THING! And as if the need for size 12W shoes wasn’t bad enough, I’ve got some seriously raunchy belches. It doesn’t matter what I eat. Popsicle = squished, old cherry belch. Cereal = rotten milk belch. Salad = wilted, molded, dog run grass belch. We won’t even getting into fish or burgers or Sonic blue coconut slushies for crying out loud! Speaking of which…ya’ll. The bladder has gotten smaller. I’m like a granny…going to pee every 2 hours…including in the middle of the night.

Here’s how I spend most nights (and the baby ain’t even born yet!!):
1. toss and turn
2. finally decide to start the night on the left side
3. stuff squishy, long pillow under belly
4. stretch same said pillow to reach knees
5. stuff squishy, long pillow between knees
6. pull and tug blankets up to neck
7. be sure to leave airways for toes to breathe
8. breathe sigh of relief
9. sleep for 1 hour
10. wake up with sudden, violently serious need to pee
11. roll over to back
12. breathe
13. roll over to right side
14. breathe
15. sit up and dangle legs over the side of the bed
16. breathe
17. stand up slowly
18. almost pee on self
19. wobble to the restroom while trying hard to keep legs as close together as possible so as not to pee on self
20. find the toilet
21. pee
22. wobble back to bed

Rinse and repeat.

How do I not remember all of the ailments of pregnancy? Ten years wasn’t that long ago. I think there’s a little trigger in women’s brains that makes us forget what pregnancy and delivery is all about and tricks us into thinking it’ll be fun to do it all again.

On the flip side, though…my finger nails are growing beautifully! And my belly, ya’ll! My belly is the best thing of all! It hides the fact that I’m a fatass! I love it! Also, I lost 8 pounds in the first trimester…gained nothing in the second…and started the third with only a 2.5 pound gain! And 2.5 pounds is what the baby is supposed to be weighing right about now…which means…it’s all baby weight! Even the elephant feet don’t weigh an ounce! With J I gained 30 pounds! With this gorgeous, wonderful hunk of baby, I’ve only gained 2.5 pounds so far! Yay me! This pregnancy thing is the best diet ever! I keep stuffing my face and I don’t gain any weight! Maybe I should have 3 or 4 more. Or, maybe not.

Speaking of skinny people. Sis, too! She’s due in November…which means our kids will only be 5 months apart (or so). I told my mom to quit praying for grandkids…God’s granting prayers by the butt-load right now! What she oughta do is start praying for some lottery winnings!
Well, Hello Stranger!

Ok, so I come back to my blogger after a little hiatus and what do I find? Comments! Actual, live, real comments! You would not believe my excitement when I logged on and saw 14 COMMENTS! I was thinking --- finally! someone's actually reading this crap! I'm so popular! I'm the queen of blogger world! But. Then I read them. And people! They were not comments. They were advertisments! Did you hear me? ADVERTISEMENTS. My blogger is getting spammed! Ok, now listen here all you jerks that are leaving comments and not really reading my....my....poetry! Quit leaving me advertisements! It's rude. It does not make me want to visit your stupid sites on beauty tips and such nonsense! You are wasting your time on this here gal.

So, now I'm kinda bummed that really, no one is listening to me. No one cares about me. I'm all alone in my own blogger world. Sad.

My current life in a nutshell...

Well...let's see....my last entry was back in April. Back when our house was still new and fresh. Back when we were rich in love and cash. Back when we only had one kid to worry about. Did you catch that? ONE kid. Yep! You guessed it. I'm pregnant! 15 weeks to be exact. Did you catch the "cash" thing, too? No, I'm still working. It's hubber. He's been a house-husband since mid-September. In a way, it's been nice having him around all the time. But, we're starting to miss the moolah associated with actually having him go to work to collect a paycheck. Hey --if someone's actually reading this, you can help! Go here: www.cyfairhomeinventory.com and give his new company a little business. Or better yet - forward the site to all your friends...and all your friends' blogs...and to stranger's blogs, even. Or...I've got something better! Just send cash!

How's that for advertising?
Getting Into The Groove...

Now that I'm a homeowner, there seems to be less hours in the day. When my eyes are open and I'm floating through what's supposed to be my real life (not a dream), I sometimes find myself on some bizarre and strict schedule which includes driving for THREE. HOURS. A. DAY. Not all at once - but pretty damn close. When it first started I thought I was going to drive myself right over the side of a bridge and end it all. Who ever heard of driving THREE. HOURS. A. DAY. to get to and from work? Even when the hubber helps with the carpooling and cuts about an hour off my time, we're still talking TWO. HOURS. A. DAY. And who'da thunk the simple act of buying a home would cause such nonsense?

Then, I got to thinking. I'm the dumbass that asked for this.

Moving to the country comes with certain inherent responsibilities. One being yard work. And lots of it. Another being driving. And lots of it. After a few weeks of swearing, honking and bashing my forehead against the steering wheel, I decided I'd better calm my ass down if I wanted to live a life free of migrains and ulcers.

So, I caved. I became a commuter. And a serious one, at that. I've learned how to apply makeup while in traffic. I've learned to quiz my kid on spelling words while in traffic. I've learned to allow people to merge in front of me even after they skipped to the front of the line while in traffic. I've learned to catch up on phone calls to family while in traffic. I've learned not to shoot the bird when other drivers won't let me merge after I've skipped to the front of the line while in traffic. Now, if I could just learn to send text messages without taking my eyes off the road like my sister does, I'll be all set!

Things that make it all worth while...

Sometimes, when I'm not behind the wheel, I find myself floating through life in a sparkling pool located in the best backyard EVER. Or piddling away in my greenhouse. Or walking J up the stairs while she says "good night" to Hubber 25 kazillion different ways. Or sipping on a Cruzan & Coke while Hubber's outside flipping Pappa burgers. Or staring in amazement at this huge thing I own - of this new, wonderful life I'm a part of. Those are the hours I lose track of. So, maybe they make up for all the time I spend driving.
1st Time Homebuyers

Back in December, when the Hubber and I first began our search for a house, we were so nervous and timid and unsure of ourselves. Back then, we didn't know what to expect....from realtors and lendors to inspectors and insurance agents...the thought of going through this process made us ill. Back then, we were clueless. We thought that once we found THE house, we'd be spending hours and hours in stuffy banks and offices with agents in power suits and ties. We thought it was the stuff we'd seen on TV.

Boy, were we shocked to realize that people are handling business right from their own homes. They actually work a 9-5 job and sell houses in their free time! They sit around at home in their underwear, scratching their asses with one hand and typing our financial info into their computer with the other. All the while, the dog is barking, the kid is crying and the TV is blaring. It's kinda hard to talk business with someone over the phone when you hear "Daddy...Daddy...Daddy" in the background on the other end of the line.

The other day, I listened to a voice message that went something like this: "Hello Mrs. Hancock. This is [So-and-So] Ward. I'm with [So-and-So] loan company and have been assigned your file. There are a few items I need clarification on. Please call me at your earliest convenience so that we can expedite your loan. *BARK*BARK*BARK*. I can be *BARK* reached at *BARK* [blah, blah number] until *BARK* 5:00 p.m."

There was a little yapper in the background. So, I'm thinking...hey, that's cool...they let them take their pets to work! Then, I started thinking a little more clearly...this "WARD" person....could she be related to our loan officer? Why, I wonder if she's his wife? The other day when we met him at his office [Starbucks], he said something about his wife helping out with the business. Hmmmmmm.

So, I call her back and I ask her if she is by chance [So-and-So's] wife. And she said she was! I thanked her kindly for the very professional message she left me and let her know that I thought the dog barking in the background was a nice touch. She laughed a little, but I could tell she was embarrassed. That's when the baby started crying. Well, I'll be.

Later Hubber and I share notes. Apparently this lovely lady called him today, too. She called him on his CELL PHONE....

Hubber: This is Hubber with [So-and-So] company.
Lovely Lady: Can you transfer me to HR please?
Hubber: Uhm. This is my cell phone. I can't TRANSFER calls.
Lovely Lady: This is [So-and-So] Ward calling to verify employment for Hubber.
Hubber: Well, this is Hubber and I verify that I work there.
Lovely Lady: I'll need to speak to someone in HR.
Hubber: Well call this #: [blah blah number]
Lovely Lady: Thank you. *BARK*BARK*CRY*CRY*

Click.

Very strange that one. Very strange. With a dog and kid like that, I'd probably lock those loud little heffers up in a sound proof room while I was on the phone CONDUCTING BUSINESS.

Maybe I'm in the wrong business. Is there money in processing loans from home? This is something I need to look into. My ideal job would be sitting my fat ass in a hot tub, clicking away on a lap top and yammering on the phone about hundreds of thousands of dollars each day....while people are sweating bullets and signing their lives away.
Claw...

That's our new nickname for Rosie, the hell cat. At first we called her Stitch. Because she reminded of us Stitch...you know...from Lilo and Stitch? "Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind." We hated her. But we loved her.

Since we got her declawed, though, we haven't hated her so much. She's been pretty docile. And the thing I like best about the new Rosie is that she lets me manhandle her. I grab her up...I rub her down....I carry her like a baby....and she doesn't fight to get away from me (like Kali does when I show her too much attention). Rosie turned into a dog. And I love her for that. Because I love dogs. She's our new cat-dog. (I watch way too many kid shows). Anyway. My point? Yes. Well. As you know, Rosie's been recuperating from declaw-surgery. Which was a traumatic experience for the entire family. We've finally gotten our household back to normal. No more antibiotics to force down a cat's throat. No more fake (paper-type) stinky-ass kitty litter to endure. No more shit-stained leg bandages. Just plain ol' normal-ness. Or so we thought. First J noticed something odd.

Ju: Rosie's still got claws!
Me: That's absurd.
J: Seriously! Something on her paw got stuck to my shirt.
Me: Maybe it's poop.
J: MOOOOM! it's a CLAW!
Me: Can't be a claw. Maybe it's just the stitch. It probably got hooked onto your shirt somehow.
J: Nope it's a claw.
Me: Whatever. Go take a bath.

And that was the end of that conversation. I mean, seriously! It made no sense that a declawed cat would have a claw. My kid was obviously nuts.

So, then a few days later, Hubber notices the same thing.

Hubber: I think Rosie still has a claw.
Me: Not you, too!!
Hubber: Something sharp just poked me in the balls!
Me: Uhm. What?!
Hubber: I'm serious! (he said as he attemped to inspect each and every cat toe for a possible claw.)

Sure enough...Rosie had one claw...her middle finger on her left paw. Maybe it was her way of shooting the finger at us! That little heffer reserved the last laugh!

Me: How can she have a claw?!
Hubber: They must have missed one?
Me: They don't miss CLAWS when they declaw!
Hubber: Maybe they miscounted.
Me: How can she have a claw?!

So I call the vet. And I talk to a person named Kimberly who was no help at all. I explained the situation.

Kim: What do you mean she has a claw?
Me: SHE HAS ONE CLAW. She got declawed. But we found a CLAW!
Kim: I've never heard of that.
Me: Well, neither have I!
Kim: So, you say she still has one claw?
Me: (pounding my head against a wall) Yes. So, how do we handle this situation? Does she have to have surgery again? Do I get reimbursed for the one claw? Do I get free vet visits for life? What?!
Kim: I don't know. Declawed cats aren't supposed to have claws. (well duh!!) You'll have to bring her in so the Dr. can look at her.
Me: (very tired of this conversation) Ok.

Then later that night Hubber suggested we demand our $260 back so we can take Rosie to a vet who knows how to count to 20. Or that we demand free claw-clipping for life. But I don't want to take that heffer to the vet every week for a clipping!! He thinks that once a week is better than enduring the hellish-3-week-post-surgery lifestyle.

If anyone's reading this and you have advice regarding the demands I should make...email me, quick!

Maybe I'll just leave the claw there and let her poke people with it. It's actually kinda cute.