Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Of Mice and Mint...and Other Random Thoughts

So it's been a while since I posted anything. I know the grandparents must be suffering withdrawals from the lack of pics of Clara and Jonathan. Sadly, this post will not satisfy that need, but it will at least get me back in the game. This pregnancy has left me much more tired than either of the first 2 did. It's frustrating to say the least. I look forward to one day being caught up on sleep again, and yet I know how humorous that may sound to the rest of you parents out there who know pregnancy is truly just the beginning of the sleep deprivation (even with my good sleeping kids)!
On the bright side, our mouse 'infestation' was short lived. At the advice of a neighbor, we decided to attack the problem from the attic. We couldn't figure out how mice had found their way into the house. Apparently, they like to find a way in through the attic. They find their way under the clay roof shingles and into the attic. Once in the attic, they make their way in through the walls and, in our case, under the kitchen cabinets. Lovely thought, I know. Chris laid a bunch of traps in the attic. The next day he went back up to check on them and to our surprise, just one mouse. We thought surely there would be more given the number of places we saw droppings, though there were never many droppings in any one place. The next 2 days he checked the traps again and found nothing. Then Chris had to leave for VA. On his flight he ran into someone who worked in some sort of Health Department here on base, who let him know that mice don't like the smell of mint. Sure enough I found websites explaining exactly how to use mint to repel mice, from planting mint around the foundation, to well placed mint tea sachets, to mixing mint extract with water and spraying it in the cabinets or around the foundation of your home. I took the easy way out and simmered some mint extract and water on the stove top to make the house smell of mint. A week later, I asked a neighbor's husband to go up and check the traps. I figured that gave plenty of time to catch more, but not enough time for it to start smelling -- still nothing, but no more evidence of mice in the house either.
With this whole mouse thing, I discovered exactly why nesting is the phase that comes after the nausea in pregnancy...the neurosis that comes with nesting is exactly what's needed to push past the exhaustion and get your house back in order. I emptied out EVERY closet in the house and EVERY cabinet in the kitchen, bleached all the surfaces, reorganized and put them back together. I'm not exaggerating. There was a point that my closets and cabinets were much cleaner that the house (I'm finally getting caught up with the house). So hopefully that's the last we'll see of mice around here.
Past that, there's not been much going on around here. Like I said, I'm exhausted all the time, so the kids and I are staying kinda low key these days, esp. with Chris still in VA. I have discovered that pregnancy cravings are no fun when you're not living in the region of the country you're accustomed to. So far I have craved seafood, Smokey Bones' Chicken Nachos, and pizza from the little pizza place around the corner from our house in VA. Within a week of Chris being in VA, he had eaten almost every one of those things...funny how it still did nothing for me :) Too bad I'm not craving Mexican food, or even like it for that matter!
Clara came down with her first ear infection about 2 weeks ago and she decided to do it right, with an infection in each ear. She just completed her course of antibiotics on Monday, and really, other than the first day, she never complained. In fact when we went to the doctor, he kinda gave me this look like, "Really?...she's sick?" To which I simply explained, "I know, but it's almost the weekend and I'd rather not end up in the Urgent Care Clinic." But once he looked in her ears, he assured me that she certainly wasn't faking and that actually both ears looked pretty nasty, not just the left ear that she was complaining about. Clara was simply excited that she made it to the doctor once without needing shots, since we're lucky enough to be able to say that neither of my kids have really ever been to the doctor for anything more than a well child visit.
The only other exciting thing is I think I finally felt the baby move last night and again some tonight. It's still the very beginning stages where it's faint and unpredictable, so I'm not 100% certain, but the feeling happened enough last night to make me believe that's what it is! I have always found this stage in pregnancy somewhat worrisome, when the nausea has passed and I'm not really showing. There's no real indication that I'm pregnant (other than the exhaustion this time around). Honestly if I hadn't told you, you'd never know I was 4 months pregnant by looking at me as I've only gained a mere 2 pounds thus far. I'm still early enough along that the check ups are only every 5 weeks, so that doesn't do much for reassurance that everything is progressing as it should, so being able to feel the reassurance of the baby moving around in there is the best I can ask for right now. Not to mention, something I am going to savor every minute of this time around since our family will be complete with 3 kids -- it's my last chance to feel the wonders of pregnancy first hand!
For the grandparents, I think I have some pics to share still in my camera. They'll have to wait for another night though. Most are from before Chris left for VA...some random pics of the kids waking up from their naps, our slumber party, and of course, the night Chris let Clara bring a live lobster home from Wal-mart! So stay tuned :)

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