Bienvenido, Myla Grace!

This post would be better if I knew how to put text and pictures in a post without making them crazy looking...  Oh well.  Since Grandma is here holding Miss Myla, I can write about her birth story.  Feel free to not read this if you aren't into childbirth in all its glory and awkwardness (I'm probably a "tmi" kind of storyteller).  Around maybe 7:00am on Wednesday morning, my water broke.  Only, it wasn't so obvious to me.  It took me approximately 3 hours of wondering whether or not that was in fact my water breaking before I called the OB and asked her to check me really quickly.  The whole thing was somewhat questionable to me until I got to the doctor, where it became clear.  It was one of those: either I'm peeing my pants continuously or my water definitely broke moments.  Awesome experience.  Dr. McDonald sent us to the hospital with broken water and zero contractions whatsoever.  (Sidenote: my MIL surprised us by coming to town a few days early.  She arrived Tuesday afternoon.  Perfect timing, huh?)  We got to the hospital around 11:30, and I got the pleasure of going on the highest starting dose of Pitocin available around 12:30 after I got the mandatory full IV bag.  Then, the contractions started.  Ok, I can do this.  I've had cramps before.  The worst part of it all was getting up to go to the bathroom with a towel between my legs and unplugging 3 monitors just to make it over there.  My whole birth plan was not to have one so that I couldn't disappoint myself too badly over pain meds or whatever.  Secretly though, I wanted to go as long as I could without an epidural.  People have done it before, right?  No big deal.  Fast forward to one hour later.  Yes, one hour.  That is how long I lasted with Pitocin-induced contractions every two minutes that felt like knives stabbing me in the back.  My mom asked me some harmless question to which I started sobbing, and the nurse came in to offer me anesthesia.  Yes, please!  My lovely sister whipped my hair up into the awesome style shown in my facebook pictures as I was hanging forward to get to the epidural.  After that, it was smooth sailing.  We watched High School Musical 1-3 during labor.  Yes, you read it right.  You can't watch something too dramatic-- you're already in the most dramatic moment of your life!  It calls for musical theater.  Long story short, I was induced around 12:30 and pushing at 5:45pm.  It was fast.  My sister even had to switch to the HSM3 dvd in between pushes.  Miss Myla Grace Livingston was born at 6:09pm weighing in at 7 lbs, 2 ounces and 20.5 inches long.  She looked so tiny!  I may be biased, but I think she's pretty cute.  I think we'll keep her.   

 This was the moment Dave's heart was stolen...

Auntie Kristen is just a teeny bit excited!

 This is Myla in her going home bear-butt outfit before she had a poop blowout all over Aunt Kristen.  Good thing we had a backup!  It's also the "here's my baby and I still look pregnant with another" photo.

GZ + Scooter

Nana and Grandma are pretty excited, too.

Aunt Lat had to come and bring the requested post-child birth meal for me: Whataburger.  The iced tea was glorious.

Here is Dave with 3/4 of his girls.  He's a natural.

We went for a little walk around the block yesterday.  The preparation for the walk took much longer than the walk itself.  Dave looks pretty good with a baby strapped to him.  On day #1 he said he can see why people might have 16 children.  I'm not really there yet. 

Dave's Weekend Project

Friday morning the house looked like this

Blah blah blah stuff happened, now it looks like this

Special thank you to Dad and Janet Livingston for giving us the flooring and to Brad and Francesco for helping install it. I'm sure there will be more pictures to come with Penny and Laci sliding around trying to get a grip.

Veterans Day 2010

I know Veterans Day has passed, but I wanted to tell you about the experience we had at school.  At FBBA, we had a Veterans Day program with visitors, songs sung by the kids, etc.  It was a sweet tribute, and I am so thankful that there is a holiday to remind us of the blessing we have in the men and women who are in the armed forces. 

During the week, we allowed our kids to make cards to give to the Veterans who would be visiting the school.  They worked on these mostly during their free, would-be reading time.  They really did do a good job, but I snapped a few photos of cards I thought were funny:


* I like the random picture of "my gun" up at the top, and the "Booms!" surrounding the cross are an interesting creative interpretation...

*  Obviously, the best part about this one is the giant plane and parachuting soldier labeled "Amarica" and the dead man labeled "France" on the ground.  Hilarious.

 *  This is just plain good.  I like the way he or she said "shall."  Not normal for an eight-year-old...

* This is just cute.

*Sweet.

* Now this just got a little...weird.  I think it's nice that she wanted to use some scripture on her card, but man.  My teacher and I decided to hold onto this card...

* I just like here how she said "God bless America, my/our home sweet home."  So specific!















Anyway, thanks to all the men and women who serve our country.  We are blessed by your service.

The least glamorous post about boobs ever...

Calling all mamas!

That's right.  If you're a guy, you should probably just not read this.  (I realize this is cutting my readership significantly, seeing as though my dad is my main reader.  Sorry, pops).

Here's the thing.  I hope to breastfeed Scooter when she gets here.  I mainly want to do this for two reasons:

1. It's good for baby.
2. I'm cheap.  If I don't have to, I don't want to pay for cans of formula if God will custom make some baby food for Scootergirl.

Yes, I have heard and pretty much agree with "breast is best" philosophies.  That being said, I'm not one of those people who thinks formula feeding is abusive.  Everyone makes their own parenting decisions, and this is one that I don't think should be a huge controversy.  I have talked to people who have legitimately not been able to breastfeed for whatever reason, and if that turns out to be me, I hope to not beat myself up over it.

Maybe I should get to the real point of this post.  I need bra recommendations.  Hey, I warned you that this was the least glamorous boob post ever!  I am 3.5 weeks out from this baby, and I should probably be prepared.  I know I want a cami-type thing, but other than that, I'm pretty lost.  One question I have is: can I buy nursing bras now and assume the size will be ok, or am I going to swell up and be miserably huger after baby?  The main things that matter to me in this nursing bra quest are:

1. Ease of use. I hear that you have to hold a wiggly baby during the feeding process, so I need to be able to operate this contraption pretty easily without dropping said baby on the floor.  Also, I am on the more clumsy end of the spectrum, but I still want to be able to feed a kid without flashing innocent bystanders.
2. Price.  Don't you remember #2 from before?  I am sort of a budgeter, so please don't suggest a $90 bra unless it will change my life.  If you can convince me that it will indeed change my life...I might agonize over it for a while then just make the purchase.  Who even knows.  Hormones are a funny that way.

Life as we know it

So... things have been pretty much the same.  I have my first baby shower this weekend which is totally freaking me out.  When they seemed far off, the baby seemed far off too, so I had time to process.  Now, it's coming so quickly and it's scary!

We got a new "baby monitor."  Actually, it's some kind of security camera.  I think it has a lot of cool features or something.  I don't know-- Dave picked it out.   Anyway, it's currently being used as a Livingston dog monitor during the day.  Apparently, Dave checks on the kids to make sure they stay out of trouble.  And if they do act up, he can use the fancy two-way voice feature to yell at them!  (We probably won't use the yelling feature with the baby).

Anyway, not much to say, so here are some real convos from the recent past:  
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Me: Hey, did you end up getting the new vacuum belt?
Dave: No, but I just pulled about a pound of blonde hair out of the wheel, and it's working better now.
(whoops)
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*Dave is having "guys' night" tonight, so I don't have to feed him dinner.  These are in reference to the occasion:
Me: So, what are you guys doing for guys' night?
Dave: Playing poker,getting whores... (Pause).  Call of Duty.
Me: Oh, ok have fun.
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*On guy's night:
Me, over the phone: Dave can I go to Whataburger for dinner?
Dave: Sure, why would I care if you went to Whataburger?
Me: Because I don't know if I have any money.  (A.k.a. "going out to eat" money)
Dave: Oh, well maybe you should check on that before you go.
Me: I don't have any money, but I have the card.  But I really want to go!
Dave: Well I think I can't argue with a pregnant woman.
Me: Thanks!  I won't do it again.  Without money, I mean.
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And have I mentioned I love student teaching?  Strange coincidence, but there is a boy in my class who we can just call Jimmy.  Jimmy's mom is my OB.  It should probably be more awkward than it seems to me right now, but oh well.

This happened today:
Jimmy: Since when do you drink coffee?
Me: Um, I don't know.  Don't tell your mom.

Busted.

The Big Decision...

has been made.  Well, kind of.


Some lovely friends of mine have confirmed Dave's desire to wait until we meet Scooter to name her.  He wants to see what she looks like, or rather, "who" she looks like.  I think it's sweet, but I am so part of the other camp.  (Really, are there even camps for this?)

I think babies all come out looking like cottage-cheese covered aliens.  Don't get me wrong, I think childbirth is a miracle straight from the hand of God, and yes I cry watching A Baby Story (especially these days).  I just think that newborns look like little pink old men with swollen faces.  I can't imagine myself being like, "Oh!  Her name is Myla!" right then.  I just figured that if we named Scooter, we could call her by name for a while, and when she shows up, that's who she will be. 

But alas, I love my husband.  If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be having this little tyke.  (That is true on so many levels).  Recently, many have told me that they just knew when they saw their baby what his/her name should be. And I don't think those people are crazies.

So, we are waiting until d-day!  BUT, Myla and Rory are the only names allowed on the table.  That way I won't get too overwhelmed.  Also, I should probably remind everyone that I do love my child.  She has been swimming around in here for a while now, so I think we are pretty tight.   

But thanks for all the votes!  I keep reading them, because they make me smile.

Life as We Know it

We finally had to go to James Avery to get a cheap fat ring for me.  My wedding and engagement rings are size 6.  We just bought a size 8 today!  Scary.  I know I should just suck it up and go ringless for a while, but I don't want to look like a teen mom.  So sue me.  No, don't.  That's...the opposite of the point I'm trying to make.

(The Office, anyone?  Remember???)

I think the kid is already on her own feeding schedule, and she isn't even here yet!  It is definitely either a feeding schedule or a dance party schedule, because it gets a little crazy in there.  I just think it would be a lot more convenient for me if she adopted my sleep schedule at least until she is born.  And having kids is supposed to be convenient, right?

To close, these are a couple of real conversations from the past few days:

Dave: What is that condition called where you're not just big-boned or obese, but everything is just larger    than everyone else?
Katy: I think it's called elephantitis.  I'm thinking Abraham Lincoln had it or something.
Dave: Oh.  I thought it was called gigantorism.
(I'm lucky I didn't pee on myself from laughing).
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Dave: You need to clean out your sink. (Pause).  I shouldn't have to tell you that.
Katy: But I like it better when you do it.  I shouldn't have to tell you that!

Odds and Ends

I feel like I had some things to blog about this week, but as it turns out, I forgot them all.  I'll just put these updated pics up and see if anything else comes to mind...

Oh wait, I remember one thing.  I went to Starbucks before work one day to order my new usual: tall decaf cinnamon dulce frappuchino.  Yes, I know there is still some caffeine in decaf coffee.  No, I really don't care.  On my way in, a man says, "Almost due?" and I said, "Yes!  Well, in two more months..."  Then I proceeded to walk in thinking..."Oh crap, I'm huge.  We're at that point now."

25 Week Review

26 Weeks

27 Weeks (aka the photo in which I unintentionally pay homage to America's beloved purple dinosaur)

28 Weeks (aka the point at which I have gained the total 25 pounds I was supposed to gain over the entire pregnancy...)

29 Weeks

30 Weeks (the point in which I realize that I am already huge and there are still 10 weeks to go.  Uh oh.  Somebody will just need to carry me around soon).

So, we went to our childbirth class. 
Highlights:
     - The hospital seems nice
     - Dave won the baby doll diaper changing contest
Lows:
     - It lasted a looong time.
     - I just might be terrified of the epidural

Next time I think of something to blog, I'll be sure to write it down before the baby brain strikes again. 

Not to make light of a sad situation...

Just to make light of my sweet mother.

Me: Did you hear about the shooting at UT?
Mom: Yea, I couldn't believe it!  They said he was running around with a ski mask and an AKA-47.
Me: (laughing) Really?  An "AKA" 47?
Mom: An A-47-K?  Whatever it was.

We obviously don't have a lot of experience with firearms...  :)

I am supposed to be cleaning house, so I'll blog instead.

I was hoping the "nesting" thing would hit me during this pregnancy, but it really hasn't.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I love to have the house clean.  The problem is, I don't want to clean it...  I refuse to pay a person to clean the house, but I also don't want to clean.  See the issue here?

I have always been pretty lazy.  I like to think that I do the things I need to do with jobs and such, but I do lazy things like... waiting to go to the bathroom because I don't feel like getting up off the couch yet or trying to make it into the house in only one trip so I don't have to go back out to the car.  Maybe the baby will change all of that.  But I thought being pregnant would change all that, and it didn't!  I don't want to nest on weekends, I want to take a two hour nap and then have someone bring me dinner.  Is that too much to ask?!  Anyway, enough of that. 

Our domestic situation is sometimes pretty hilarious.  Example: this is a conversation that took place after I picked out a polo shirt for Dave to wear today to church:
     Dave: See, the only problem with this shirt is that it's missing a button.
     Me: Oh, why didn't you ask your mom to fix it while she was here?
     Dave:  I was waiting to see if my wife would want to do it.
     Me:  Do you realize I once hot-glued a dance recital costume to hem it?

See, I don't know how to sew.  I also am not great at ironing.  I tend not to have real jobs where I need to iron clothes, or I buy clothes that don't need to be ironed.  For Dave's birthday, he asked me to iron his shirts, and I did (because I'm an awesome wife)!  Apparently, I did it wrong.  Honestly, how do you know when to spray that stuff on the shirts?  I maintain that it's not common knowledge. 

In other news, I made Dave let the lawn guy go.  I am willing to let Dave suffer in the heat for hours and hours every other weekend so that we will be $60 richer a month.  In my defense, we also got rid of cable.  I have to tell you, I do miss the Duggars a little.  Our cable-less life is only super-boring on weekends when I am being lazy and Dave is tinkering with things around the house. 

This is dragging, so I'll get outta here.  But fyi, our baby is still nameless.  We use a different name every week to see if one feels right, but who knows if that will work.  Our backup plan is just to name her "Scooter."  She won't mind, right?

Nursery Happenings

Like I mentioned, we have the cutest nursery ever.  It's a tiny little room, but we're pretty sure baby will fit in there just fine.  These pictures don't really do it justice, but they are all I have right now! 

(Taken from mama Sue's camera)...

Nursery Reveal / Fajita Night.  Notice how I'm sitting in a chair while other people do all the work for dinner.

Purple!  We weren't too thrilled about an entirely pink room, so homegirl gets bright purple.  (In real life, that pack-n-play will be in our room for a while, and the crib will move over toward the corner to make room for a glider...)

Here comes the series of Dave hard at work while I took a nap...

Reading directions is sexy.

Yes, he moved the dog crate out of the nursery.  Thanks for asking.








Ta-da!  Storage + a place to clean poop all in one! 

Remember, these pics don't do the fabric work justice, so I will have to post again to show all the pretty little finishing touches.  But now, a series of the final product:   

Cute, huh?  Pretty much the only thing cuter than this room will be the baby we stick in it.  Oh, and check out this toy from grandma that the dogs went ga-ga over:

I'm not really sure who that man is....                                    

Fake Smiles all Around

Yea, I know I don't post often, but the truth is, life is pretty ordinary around here (besides the whole bun in the oven thing).  I like bulleted lists, so I'll just give some quick updates before the belly pics.

• My in-laws are in town.  It has been awesome.  My mother-in-law has been working nonstop to make the cutest little nursery for our little nameless babe.
• Yes, the babe is still nameless.  We're working on it. 
• Speaking of the nursery, my in-laws on both sides have rocked the house.  Dad and Janet helped with all our awesome furniture.  Mom and Rick came to decorate!  Baby Livingston has a lot of grandparent love in her little room.  
• My parents are awesome, too.  Duh.  I'm not trying to leave them out.
• I started student teaching!  So far, it has been great.  I am working at a lovely Christian school in Sugar Land, and it has been such a blessing so far.  The atmosphere is great, and it doesn't hurt that my mommy works there, too!  Please pray that I finish my Clinical Teaching Practicum (which ends December 3) BEFORE baby comes (due December 15).
• I had gained 10 pounds total up to my 20-week OB appointment which led me to think, "Awesome, maybe I'll just gain 25 pounds during the pregnancy.  Easy Peasy." Fast forward to my week 24 appointment.  9 more pounds.  What?!  I guess the new goal is a pound a week from here on out to put me at a total of 35 pounds at the end...  Ah well.  I don't really care enough to limit my ice cream sandwich intake.
• I had to switch to aforementioned ice cream sandwiches to limit my total ice cream intake.  The bowls I scoop for myself are way huger than a simple sammy.
• Too many bullets.  On to my expando pics:

16 Weeks, crazy smile reminder:

17 Weeks, yes, they're pajamas:

18 Weeks:

19 Weeks:

20 Weeks:

21 Weeks:

22 Weeks: 

23 Weeks:

24 Weeks + "Yikes, I shouldn't put that on the internet!":

25 Weeks:

Once again, the fake smile has a mind of its own.  I can't control it!

Besos.

Doggie Dentist

*Disclaimer: if you have better things to do than view pictures and videos of my dogs, you should skip this post.

When I first got Laci, I knew that owning a dog costs money.  In fact, my ever-so-wise parents told me I shouldn't get a dog because I didn't have any money, but I didn't listen... 

There were things that I never knew you had to pay for.  $15 to cut her toenails?!  No thanks.  I'll do them myself.  (Actually, Dave does them himself, because Laci is a little less drama drama for him.  I like to think that's not my fault, though.  Let me keep thinking that, please). 

Anyway, Laci Wiener's teeth have been looking a little bit dingy, and of course the vet's suggestion is to spend over a hundred dollars in a teeth cleaning.  Instead, we picked up some $5 doggie toothpaste and left it up to Dr.. Livingston.  Here are the highlights:

Laci's "before" shots:

Now the big brushing session:

Penny didn't have a "before" shot, but here is her dentist visit:

All in all, I'd say it was a success!  Dave still won't kiss the dogs, though... I guess there's no hope for that.

Chicago + Ceci's Visit

Our trip to Chicago was lovely.  We spent some time with family, ate amazing food, and bought some baby furniture!  I brought my camera, of course, but I took zero pictures.  Whoops!  Dave also got to play with his dad's Ipad, so he got his technology fix for the weekend.  It was great to be in the city and actually see everything because my eyes weren't frozen shut.  Fun times. 

Una amiga mia, Ceci, came to visit this weekend with her wiener, Thumper!  Thumper is the cutest mini dachshund ever (don't tell Laci).  We took a few pics of the ween team, but these pictures do not express the love relationship that Thumper and Penny now have.  They wrestled nonstop for three days, and Penny keeps going into the guest room to look for him now.  Poor little girl. 

Dave loved having another man around the house, even if he was only an eight pounder...

He enjoyed spooning with Laci a little more than she did... 

Another weekend highlight was seeing Step Up 3D!  We actually didn't go to the 3D version for two reasons: 1) I'm too cheap for that, and 2) 3D movies haven't really been blowing my mind lately.  Either way, it was great!  It was the perfect dance movie: mediocre acting, shallow and predictable plot compacted into about 15 minutes of dialogue total, and DANCE scenes!  It was neat seeing some old contestants from So You Think You Can Dance as well. 

Only a few more weeks until I start my clinical teaching semester!