The Big-Little Sister ~

Camdyn loves to be a big helper with Rowyn, maybe too much so sometimes. It seems to be important to keep her involved, because otherwise she has a tendency to do naughty things to her instead...like head-butting.

Don't worry, no babies were injured in the taking of this picture! ;)

First Day of School ~

Today was the first day of school for Riley and Cooper, 1st grade and Kindergarten, respectively. While taking pictures this morning, Camdyn went and packed a bag with some toys, poor little girl thought she was going too. We had a great start to the school year, the kids missed the bus, so we had to bring them to school (we were planning on surprising them and meeting them there anyway). Right away Camdyn spots the playground and starts screaming that she wants to go to the park, after calming her down, we dropped Cooper off at his class, snapped some shots and headed to Riley's. She was super excited when several of her friends from last year greeted her as she came up. Poor girl is the tallest once again, I remember how tough that could be in grade school...but come high school, she'll be glad she's not vertically challenged.

Anyway, posted some more first day pictures on their websites...Camdyn wanted to be included in one, so here it is...

LOLZ :P

Truck Testicles ~

Until today, I never knew such a thing existed...and honestly, whomever had the brainiac idea to put plastic testicles on trucks ought to be shot. I've yet to actually see them up close and personal, perhaps they're just a hit in the south, either way I can already picture what type of person would decorate his monster truck with such nastiness...he undoubtedly also sports mud flaps with a naked lady on them. I have no doubt he has to dangle giant metallic truck ballz, because he's got a bad case of teeny-weeny peeny syndrome...and this you know!

Chuck E. Cheese's ~

Quite possibly hell on earth for parents, but pure heavenly bliss for kids. We moved my youngest sister, Meghan, to Davenport yesterday and afterwards we stopped at Chuck E. Cheese's. When we pulled up in the parking lot, Cooper and Riley about had a coronary, they've never been to the Cheese's place, but have bugged us about it for years. I knew going in that it was going to be a rough one, as I had a headache before we even went through the doors. Camdyn rode with my parents, and as they passed Hyvee, my mom asked if they should eat dinner there. Camdyn's response, "Um, no, I don't think so."
When they pulled up at CEC, Camdyn thought it was a park and yelled, "I go there?" She was an absolute maniac in that place, slowing down only to guzzle some juice and slam down 3 pieces of pizza. The pizza, oh the pizza, most certainly not the reason families go there to eat...it was as my dad so eloquently put it, 'one step above frozen'. I'm not even sure the cheese pizza had sauce on it.
Anyway, the kids had a absolute blast, it was fun to see them having such a good time. I have to thank Megan for chasing Camdyn all over the place, I'm quite sure she slept well last night after what Lumpy put her through! ;) My mom took some pictures and for some reason her camera date was horribly off...anyway, thanks for bringing your camera, I obviously dropped the ball on that one!































That's Camdyn in the corner trying to get on stage with Chuck and his crew

Oh my cheeks and chins!

The Fantastic Four ~

I put together some baby pictures, they are all around the same age; top left is Cooper, top right Rowyn, bottom left Camdyn, and bottom right Riley. After seeing them all together, I'm surprised Clyde didn't ask for a paternity test on Riley! Haha!

If you could kill a cartoon, who would it be? ~

Camdyn loves Caillou, we have at least 20 episodes DVR'd for her, and it's the first thing she asks for in the morning. I, however, have gotten to the point where his voice is like nails on a chalkboard. There are a few episodes where he is complaining and whining and I literally want to drive a screwdriver into my eardrums. So, Caillou has officially made numero uno on my cartoon hit list, followed shortly thereafter by the giant purple dinosaur we all love to hate.

Rowyn Pudding ~

Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot 2 months old!

Day Care Dilemma ~



I have applied for a new position within my current company, it is a part-time day position...no more weekends, no more holidays, no more nights...I would LOVE it! So, in order for it to work, we need to find day care for Camdyn and Rowyn. I've called countless places in town and haven't had much luck, most have waiting lists well into next year.

I found an in-home day care that has openings, so I scheduled a tour for Friday. She has the day care in her basement and when we walked in the door, I about cried...for two reasons. First and foremost, because the thought of leaving my babies with a complete stranger is enough to rip my heart out and secondly, because my kids would be forced to look at her nasty mint green walls all day long. Her house is a brand new construction, she has the basement set up as one big room...kitchen area along one wall, futon and TV on another, bathroom, and a small toy area. There was a pack-n-play set up near her desk and computer and she pointed to it and said, 'That is where your baby will be during the day.' Once again, I about cried...I envisioned my little baby girl laying in that bed all day, no interaction, no stimulation, just mesh sides to look out of ALL DAY LONG. Nope, no way, no how, not happening...I could have walked right out at that point, but out of politeness, I stayed.

She talked about how she likes to take the kids outside in the afternoon, which would be perfect, but for the fact she has a 3-foot wrought iron fence surrounding her yard. Lumpy would be up and over that in 2 seconds flat...that coupled with the fact that old girl is short, fat, and pushing 70, there is NO way she'd ever catch Camdyn, she'd be off to the races.

The only positive point of the whole visit, was her price, $90 a week. Needless to say, I won't be calling her back.

Bubble Fun ~

This is what happens when you turn the jets on with too much bubble bath!

Yes, that was Camdyn! :P

David, Where Are You? ~

Clyde thinks I must be straight up crazy. I have frequent dreams that are shall we say...interesting. One that my husband constantly gives me a hard time about is one I had several years ago. I was apparently screaming out loud, so he nudged me awake. I had been dreaming that my car broke down and when I got out to take a look at it, I was attacked by a deer. This huge ass Bambi was on her hind legs smacking me with her front hooves. It was a vicious attack and completely unwarranted, I've always been anti-hunting.

Last night I was awoken to my husband, whom I lovingly refer to as Fire, smacking my arm. He said I was yelling, "David, where are you?" and he said I kept screaming louder and louder. It was one of those dreams where you're still scared, even after you're awake. What was this horrible nightmare? I was trapped in a rinky-dink gas station, owned by some David character, whose face I never did see, it was completely pitch black and apparently someone was 'after me'. I can't remember the events that led me to that ghastly gas station, but I was awake for quite some time after. Ridiculous, right?!

For the record, I have a mother who has reoccurring dreams of people chasing her with scissors, so perhaps it's genetic?

Rowyn ~

Gaelic for little red one, which turned out to be pretty fitting. I'm not quite sure why people have such a hard time saying her name, to me it isn't that tricky. When Rowyn was born, Clyde's brother, Rich, thought her name was Roling O'Neill rather than Rowyn Camille. At Clyde's family reunion this weekend, two of his aunts referred to her as Roland...both of which had received baby announcements with her name spelled out on it. When Riley was born, Clyde's mom came to visit at the hospital and wanted to know where we came up with the name, Ripley Brick at...um, we didn't, that would be Riley Breck...but I digress.

My grandmother last night kept asking how to spell Rowyn, she kept sticking a U into it...but she's damn near 90 with dementia, so you can hardly blame her. For all these other people that can't figure out the difference between Rowyn and Roling and Roland and Rowend...call your doctor, you need your ears flushed.

I've included a copy of her birth announcement that we sent out. =)

Morning ~

I am not a morning person, never have been and can't imagine I ever will be. I have to have coffee first thing, to make the morning bearable. I take my coffee with creamer, preferably Coffeemate Pumpkin Spice, but since that's seasonal I usually buy Hazelnut, Vanilla Caramel, or French Vanilla. I love the fully loaded version, but have been trying to force myself to buy the Sugar Free...which is not nearly as good as the real deal.

This morning I followed my normal routine, went to pour my coffee creamer...and I'm out, completely out. Great start to my Monday morning...having to have skim milk and sugar just isn't the same. I imagine that unless you are a coffee and liquid creamer drinker, you won't fully understand my discontent.

Getting Neutered ~

No, not the dog...the husband. He has his consultation next week, which to me sounds so weird, what's there to consult about, either you're getting the snip or you aren't. To be completely honest, the whole concept has me torn. On the one hand, I'm exhausted, cranky, and certainly have my hands full with the 4 kidbits we've got...but, the thought of never being pregnant again, never getting to hold a tiny baby that we created just kills me. The appointment has been made and the decision made, but how do you come to terms with the idea that an entire phase of your life is now over?

Diet Rite Pure Zero Cherry Cola ~

Dee-lish! My favorite cola by far, but not easy to find around here, so when Clyde finds them he usually buys as many as he can.

0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 caffeine, 0 sodium...and sweetened with Splenda!

Felt Food ~

Oh my cuteness! This stuff looks good enough to eat!

I was perusing Etsy for felt play food for the kidblits and came across Mama Made It, such cute stuff! Check out the fruits and veggies too!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5664160

Baby Hulk ~

Uncle Brendan gets an ass whooping from a 2 1/2-year-old. That's how she rolls, fast and out of control.

Maroo ~

I heard about Maroo wraps through the lactation consultants at the hospital, they're made locally by a woman whom I later learned had a son in Riley's class. I called her and she came out to my house to show what wraps she had made and to give me Wraps101, since I was completely clueless as to what to do with all this fabric! I bought a beautiful chocolate brown wrap, it came with a tote bag and instructional booklet, all for only $35! So far, Rowyn seems to thoroughly enjoy being worn...and I'm liking it to!

I know Mari used to sell them on Etsy, but she's working on getting a website together. She told me she can't keep enough made, they're selling so quickly. If you're interested, let me know, I can get you in contact with her.

Pardon my lazy look, I'm one tired and worn out Mommy! ;)

Pour vos yeux ~

Mom always has great advise, so when she told me about Almay Eye Makeup Remover, I knew I had to try it. It has individual pads that already have the product on them. So, I got some this weekend and what can I say...love them! Mom was right again! =)

Wii Fit ~

Rocks! Fo Shizzle! Clyde bought it shortly before Rowyn was born and I've been on a mission to use it every night. It calculates your weight and BMI (which we know can't be completely accurate), and it allows you to input how much weight you want to lose and calculates it all out for you. You can do Yoga, balance games, strength training, and aerobics...fun stuff, except for the Lotus Focus, which could only be fun if you're burning one. :P Clyde is partial to the Soccer head butting game...check it out here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urLf0vgKfvE

We give it two thumbs up...and the kids like it too!

Mothra ~

My mother-in-law was well known for her love of sci-fi, monster movies; giant bunnies, killer bees, Godzilla. One of her favorite movies was Mothra vs Godzilla...no really a giant moth goes up against Godzilla, seriously, who thinks this stuff up?
This morning after going out to retrieve the daily newspaper, I am *certain* I found the inspiration for the creature, Mothra. After running inside to snap some pictures, I had to Google it to see what the hell kind of mutant was parked on my front stoop. After looking at the pictures, I'm quite sure it's a female...and apparently a blond version at that...she was laying her eggs on my front door step. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, eh? It is a Hyalophora Cecropia Moth, also more commonly known as, a Robin Moth.


Here she is...in active labor



Here is a borrowed picture of the male version, up close and personal...

How to Have a Meltdown
by Lumpy ~

Phase 1: The Work-Up



Phase 2: The Grunt, Growl, and Breath Holding

Phase 3: The 'Stop taking my picture, can't you see I'm trying to throw a good one here?!'

Phase 4: Fling Yourself to the Floor and Thrash All Extremities Up and Down

Mama Bargains ~

http://www.mamabargains.com/

I'm a Woot fan, love that site...so when I heard about Mamabargains.com which is the baby gear equivalent of Woot, I had to check it out! They've had items up like several Timi and Leslie diaper bags or a Uppa Vista stroller, Baby Star bedding...and at fabulous prices! I'm definitely going to be watching this site closely! ;)

First Years Swaddler ~

http://www.learningcurve.com/product/detail/Y7114?locale=en_US

I bought a First Years Swaddler at Target, I believe it was $9.99...so worth it! We swaddle Rowyn in it every night for bed and she's been doing awesome with it! It's so simple to use (they even include a step-by-step instruction on the bottom of the swaddler), machine washable, cute, and inexpensive. Unlike swaddling with a regular receiving blanket which inevitably comes open after the baby moves a little, this is secured with two velcro tabs.

June 4, 2008 ~

I'd been having

contractions on and off since 3am, they were painful, but sporadic. At 3pm we headed to the hospital for an induction. After getting admitted and getting settled in the room, the lab came to draw blood and my nurse, Shannon, started my IV with fluid and antibiotic. Shannon checked me and I was at 2-3 and 80% effaced. Finally, at 4:38pm, they started the induction with Pitocin. Shannon checked me again and I was now at 4. Around 5pm, Clyde ran to the cafeteria to grab dinner. The nurses had me up walking around to let gravity help...boy did it! I was having some helatious contractions that I could hardly stand through. Clyde was gone 15 minutes or so and when he came back, Shannon was checking me again...I was now at 6. Clyde called my mom and told her she'd better head over, things were progressing pretty quickly. My contractions were one on top of the other and I was begging and pleading at this point for an epidural. Shannon said she'd call them, but that I needed more fluid first. I apparently started a deep moaning, which Shannon later told me can be a sign of completion...all I know is I was in some wicked pain! Shannon called for help and the room filled with nurses. Shannon was squeezing the antibiotic trying to get it in me as fast as it would allow, another nurse was trying to get the damn mesh underwear off me, I guess I wasn't complying much at this point. lol My midwife had still not made it to the hospital, why hurry, she figured she would have plenty of time. Thankfully, Dr Tinsman happened to be on the floor, he came in and checked me and I heard him say, "I need a gown, we're going to have a baby in about 2 seconds." I remember asking him if I could push, he said if I felt the need, to go ahead. I remember pushing and Clyde said the bag of water was bulging, so the doctor broke it and out came her head. OMG, when they call it the ring of fire, I can see why...Yowza!! I'm pretty sure they heard me hooting and hollering 2 floors down! One more push and her body was out, thank you Jesus! Rowyn Camille was born at 5:26pm, 48 minutes after they started the Pitocin. Clyde cut the cord and just as he finished, my mom got there...poor mom, she so wanted to be there, but apparently Rowyn had other plans. The labor was the complete opposite of what I had planned. I had envisioned a nice relaxing 4-hour labor, my miracle epidural, some snoozing, some pressure, and then my little girl being delivered. So much for that, this little girl was in one helluva hurry to meet us! My midwife walked in about 10 minutes later in total disbelief...and disappointment, since she's been with us since the beginning and the delivery is the reason she loves her job. She commented that my body was made to have babies...maybe so, but the baby factory is having a going out of business sale now!

Rowyn Camille was totally worth it, and we are completely in love with her!

Cooper Graduates ~

Cooper graduated from preschool today, it was a cute program; they sang a few songs, had a video montage, diploma presentation, and a cookies and punch reception followed. Cooper did an awesome job...we're so proud of you Cooper! Off to Kindergarten he goes! I posted more pictures on his website:

http://cooperflynn.aboutmybaby.com/

Um yeah, about Saturday ~

Want to know how to make a pregnant woman maniacal? Tell her she's being bumped from her induction and will have to wait 4 more days to meet her baby. I happened to run into my midwife at work last night and she told me I wasn't going to be able to be induced on Saturday, she offered today, but I would have had to miss Cooper's graduation. The next day available was Wednesday June 4th, so they penciled me in. UGH, talk about frustrating!

I woke up at 4am this morning to one wicked contraction. I continued having random contractions, low back pain, and abdominal cramping, so I got up and took a bath. I figured I'd better shave my legs, just in case. Let me tell you, that's hard enough when you're 9 months pregnant, add contractions in there and it makes it downright taxing! So, I laid back down sometime after 6am, woke up around 8ish...and nothing. I feel like a Weeble Wobble, but for the fact, they can't fall down...and well, I can't get up. :P

So send me any kind of labor dust you've got, this little girl is teasing me!

Saturday ~

I'm heading to the hospital Saturday morning at 8, finally there's an end in sight! I'm so excited to meet this little girl and see what she looks like. I went from 10 hours of labor with Riley, to 8 with Cooper, 6 with Camdyn, and now I'm under the gun to hit 4 with this little one. I have to have antibiotics since I was GB + again, she'll start the pitocin, and then break my water after my first round of antibiotics.

I have to admit that as excited I am about meeting this baby, it's a little bittersweet, as I know she'll be our last one. I'll never be pregnant again, never feel that little life kicking me, hiccuping, pushing on my bladder, making getting out of bed at night an accomplishment in itself. Can you tell I'm a hormonal mess? :P

Riley's Graduation ~

Riley had her graduation program last night, she did an awesome job and we are SO proud of her and all she's accomplished this past year. WTG Riley Breck!

The Flashlight ~

While I was cooking lunch, my son the rocket scientist, decided it would be fun to take apart one of the flashlights in the house. He chose one that doesn't require a battery, it instead, has a magnet and coil that you shake to make it work. When I called him and Camdyn for lunch, he came out and asked me what the big purple dot was on the television...can you see where this is going? Sure enough, the little turd used the magnet on our tv. I think, perhaps, I'll have them admit me to the psych ward once I pop this kid out.

Contraction, traction, I need more action ~
(yeah cheesy title, but remember Schoolhouse Rock and Conjunction Junction :P )

I saw Joyce today and I've finally had some progress! I'm dilated to 2 and 80% effaced. She seems to think I'll be having this baby in the next week, but I'm not holding my breath. I do think I'll pack my hospital bag, just to err on the side of caution. ;)

Bye-Bye Binky? ~

The last two binkies Camdyn had were accidently left at my parents house on Wednesday, she went to sleep without a problem that night. She went all day today without a bink, and at bedtime asked for one, so we told her we'd look for one. She fell right to sleep shortly thereafter. Fingers crossed that this is it, no more binkies! Bottles gone, binkies gone, now she just needs to keep her pants dry consistently!

More Baby Names ~

I still like Rowyn Camille, but some others on my list for the day...

Teagan
Maisen/Maisyn/Mason/Masyn (or some spelling)
Ellery (could I get past Ellery Celery?)

Come on people, brainstorm with me! :P

Chronicles of Camdyn ~

Life is never boring with Camdyn around. While at my parents house tonight, Camdyn and the kids were playing hide-and-seek. Camdyn went and hid behind a huge, old tree in my parents backyard. My Mom said she watched her run from there to behind the garage. After a minute, my dad peeked behind the garage to make sure she wasn't getting into trouble---nope, she was just standing there. Another few minutes pass and Lumpy emerges from behind the garage, missing her pull-up, pants down to her ankles...soaking wet. My mom asked her what she was doing, to which Camdyn responds, "I pee outside, like Poopah (Cooper)." Yep, my 2-year-old dropped trow, and in an attempt to pee standing up, peed all over her pants, shoes, and socks...but hey, her pull-up was dry!

I have no idea when she would have seen Cooper peeing outside, we certainly don't condone it. Lovely.

My Clowns ~

Daddy took the kids to the circus last night, and since he couldn't figure out the camera, I had to take a picture of them the next day. He said they did really well, although Camdyn was getting pretty antsy by intermission. The goofy hats they're wearing are what their cotton candy came in. Mom got to stay at home and veg out with Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra and a movie.

Never a Dull Moment ~
My husband called me at work tonight to tell me I'd never guess where he had just found my son. I asked, "Inside or out?" He responded, "Outside, but inside." Ok, I'm completely stumped. Apparently, Riley was outside screaming, "Cooper come out, Cooper come out!" and she was visibly upset. Clyde found Cooper and the neighbor boy in the street standing under the grate in the SEWER! I guess there is a culvert down past the bike trail that leads up into the sewer, and apparently, my son thought it would be great fun to be a sewer rat. Two days ago we had to call poison control, for the second time mind you, because Camdyn got into my aunt's purse and was apparently sampling some medication. Lucky for her, the pills were extremely bitter and she didn't care for them. The poison control woman did call back 2 times to check on her...I thought that was pretty nice. How these two haven't put me into pre-term labor is beyond me.

Baby Names ~

I keep going back and forth, but here are my faves today...keep in mind that my husband doesn't like any of them...imagine that.


Briggs Genevieve
Rowyn Camille
Maddyx/Maddox Amelia

Gas ~

As if gas prices weren't bad enough, having to fill up a tank twice, because someone stole the first tank is straight up ridiculous. Yep, that's right, someone siphoned the diesel out of Clyde's dump truck right at the job site. Thieves suck. Get a job, loser.

Lumptastic ~

Visit Lumptastic City, move in, buy a dog...

http://lumptastic.myminicity.com/

Wons a Pone a Time ~

Riley came home from school with a story she had written for me during center time. After reading it, I feel like Cinderella's wicked step-mother. Hopefully her teacher doesn't think I really lock them in their rooms. (Although, that isn't a half bad idea) :P

Leittlee kids for good niss sacs

By Riley

to my mom

Wons a pone a time thar was three litle kids. thar names wre Riley camdyn and cooper. Thay were notey litle kids for one day util tare dad came home. thar mom was mad so she lokt them in thar rooms. thay falt soreey for thar mom. wan she herd thay were sorry she lafe thom out. Thay pict up thar rooms befor thar frands came out. Thar frands got to stay untel midnite. the end.

Mascara ~

I'm on a mission to find the perfect mascara; something that plumps, extends, doesn't clump, and doesn't dry out lashes. My current favorite, Avon Super Shock Mascara. I was a little apprehensive after seeing the size of the applicator, it's monstrous! After trying it, I was impressed. It really defines and plumps my lashes, which seem to be dwindling each year. It doesn't seem to dry out my lashes and comes off easily with baby oil.

It's Wednesday ~

...and in honor of Hump Day *swoons*

Love Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), in fact, I tried suggesting Boothe for this baby girl. Clyde promptly vetoed.

The Creature ~

My dad affectionately calls her, The Creature, but she's also been referred to as, Lumpy, Lumptastic, Cam, Baby Cakes. The newest addition to her bevy of names, Houdini. Camdyn has proved to put even the great Houdini to shame, she seems to literally escape, scale, conquer anything she puts her mind to. As my mom likes to point out, she's all brain without an ounce of common sense. I honestly think a childproofing company should hire her as a subcontractor to test their products. The biggest challenge for us are the outside doors. We started with the doorknob covers, but that was short lived as she figured out she could simply break them apart, we then resorted to duct taping the door knob covers so she couldn't snap them off. Well, now she's figured out how to roll them with her forearms until she catches the right spot and the door opens. She's sneaky about it too, on Saturday, Clyde and I were in the kitchen, the older two were outside, and Camdyn had been playing in Cooper's room. Suddenly, we heard Riley say, "Does Daddy know you're out here?", followed by Camdyn running past the kitchen window wearing Cooper's windpants, sweatshirt, baseball hat, and crocs (on the wrong feet, of course). She had opened up the front door and escaped, all without making so much as a peep!

So, that leads us to our next level of security, the fliplock. We have steel doors, so it has presented a problem trying to find something that won't destroy the doors. We found these at safebeginnings.com after looking all over town for them. They attach to the door frame, rather than the door itself. With a pond 100 feet from our front door, I'm a nervous wreck, so hopefully these do the trick!

Polliwalks ~

Some seriously cute footwear for the kidlets; functional, well made, and so stinkin cute! They're available in frog, croc, lady bug, and duck.

http://www.polliwalks.com/polliwalks_products.html

ThinkGeek-USB Pregnancy Tests ~

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/pteq.html?cpg=70T

Where were these things when I was testing? Ingenious and I love that they indicate baby, no baby, or multiples...cause everyone needs early heart failure by seeing the little baby head with a + sign come up! When the time comes, one of my computer geek siblings have to try these...and yes Brendan, I realize these would be for your spouse, not you. :P

One line or two. Yes or no. Pregnancy tests are binary by their very nature. So when we found p-Teq's USB Pregnancy Test Kit that's chock full of extra scientific information, we knew we had to get this geeky goodness to our potentially spawning fans.
The process starts off like most pregnancy tests. You pee on a stick, specifically the absorbent test strip at one end. But everything's different after that first step. Remove the cap from the other end of the stick (cleverly provided to keep you from accidentally contaminating the wrong end) to reveal the USB connector. Pop it in your computer. The power from your USB port starts the electrospray ionization process, creating a spectrograph of the various masses for your analysis. Get it? Your analysis? Urinalysis? *rimshot* Moving on.

You don't actually get to see the spectrograph yourself. The mass analysis happens inside the device. And p-Teq's device only analyzes for specific chemical makeups, so you don't have to worry about this thing busting you for that "poppy seed bagel" you had yesterday. The mass spectrometry software on the device comes with several sequenced hormones, including hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin), hCG-H (hyperglycosylated hCG - for detection before your first missed period), and LH (luteinizing hormone - for detection of your most fertile days). We like the fact that it does all three. After all, if you're not pregnant and you wanna be, you need to know if now's the time to be gettin' it on.

While most home tests can detect a level of 15-50 mIU/mL of hCG, the enhanced methodology of the USB Pregnancy Test Kit can detect 5-50 mIU/mL, and will show you the exact concentration via its friendly onscreen interface. In addition, the LCD display on the device itself will light up and show you the symbol of a baby, no baby, or multiples and your Estimated Delivery Date based on the concentration of hCG, hCG-H, and LH in your urine. So you can clear your calendar in advance.
After you're done reviewing your test results, just pop the device out of your computer and change the test strip. The display will remain lit for five minutes and then automatically power off. Note: We recommend the use of horizontal USB drives for this product to prevent accidental moisture transference.
No batteries required - draws power from USB
USB 2.0 compatible
Plug and play, easy operation
Operating Systems: Win 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Linux 2.4 or higher, Mac OS 8.6 or higher
20 test strips included
99% accuracy*
* 99% accurate in detecting hCG, hCG-H and LH. However, these hormones do not necessarily indicate pregnancy or ovulation, respectively. Extenuating circumstances can affect levels of these hormones in your body.

THE Car seat ~

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? I'm such a procrastinator, always have been, and now because of that not so lovely personality trait, I've missed out on ordering the car seat that matches the stroller I bought. After several phone calls yesterday, including Toys R Us and Chicco corporate, I've learned the Chicco Keyfit in the color Iceberg has been discontinued. Wonderful. TRU was able to check stock in stores nearby, but to no avail. I've got some friends and family checking their local TRU, but at this point I'm not holding my breath. So, worst case scenario is my car seat and stroller don't match, C'est la vie, I guess. The baby will grow out of it within a year anyway, and then I'll be hunting for deals on a Britax. :P

Who-Cakes ~

We recently went to IHOP to try the limited time only, Who-Cakes. Riley has been bugging us for awhile to go, so we went with Grammy, Grandpa, Brendan, Meghan, and Megan. When the waitress set them in front of the kids, they were amazed! Camdyn waisted no time opening and eating the sucker on top, neither did the other two. Unfortunately, that was about all they ate of the Who-Cakes...they were all kinds of nastiness, nobody liked them. So, our advise to you...skip the Who-Cakes, Green Eggs and Ham, but be sure to try the Beezlenut Juice (which my mom says looks like blood clots, yum!) ;)