They say you can never really go back home

And boy were they not kidding! Don't get me wrong, I love my family. They are the quirky background that has helped to shape who I am today. However, I am truly grateful that I was able to get out of Longview and make my way out here to Arizona. I loved growing up in a small town but damn if when I got there, people who should not have known that I was there, knew within a day! I love being in the city and being able to just melt away and become part of a faceless crowd.

Anywhoo, it was really great getting to see my family. I also got to introduce my boyfriend, his son, and the new baby to everyone. Dad took the Dylan for a ride while we were there and apparently (insert dramatic theme music) really likes him! Told him that he is a guy that Dad can respect! Talk about a win right there!

Driving down there, we had some issues with the van but we made it there and back in one piece. We ended up having to replace the alternator and the battery on it.

I did go see Granny. Turns out before we got there she fell off her back steps and banged her arm up pretty good. I guess this means that she really is getting old. It is hard to believe that she turned 74 this year. I guess to me, Granny will always be in her early 50's. Luckily, she is OK and all she did was pull a groin muscle.

I fixed Pocketlint's laptop while I was in town as well. She had gotten a nasty virus on it and was unable to do anything with it. Now it is up and running and she is loving it. I am glad that I was able to get that done for her.

I also dyed Stevi's hair while I was there. It is now a beautiful shade of bright pink! The dye we used was called crimson blood but totally did not come out the red that we were hoping for, LOL. He let me use a little bit of it for Lilith's hair as well and now she has two pink streaks in the front of her hair. It looks really cute. ^_^

Well, that's it for now.

*smooches*

Ravn

New beginnings

Well folks, I am finally comfortable in the new house! I am still not done unpacking but I have got everything out that we need to have out and just have the non-essentials still packed. We had a housewarming/pot luck on Saturday that went well, IMO. It was good to see friends that I have not seen in a while and show off the new place.

In education news: Lilith will not be going to the performing arts school that I want to put her in yet. The school does not start until 6th grade and she is only going into the 5th grade. However, this will give her another year of orchestra and playing the violin under her belt. She is going to have to write an essay on how the arts aid in her development as a scholar as well as get TWO letters of recommendation from adults that are not related to her. In addition to that, she has to go through an interview process so it is going to be some work to get her into this school for next year. I have already talked to her about it and she is willing to put in the work for it so I am going to let her. Nu-Isis is going to be going to the same school that Orion went to last year. Academically, the school is in the top 20 in the nation so she is excited about that already. Plus, she has the uniforms needed that were passed down from a friend of mine from her kids. I am also looking forward to starting school this fall with the kids. It is another step towards achieving my goal of becoming a mad scientist! ^_^

In entertainment news: I totally love Glee! This show brings out the music lover in me! Hearing some of my favorite songs sung in different styles is really fun. Besides, who doesn't love a story about a rag tag band of outcasts who work together to achieve a common goal?

In health news: I am currently dieting. I can't do a whole on that end since I am breast-feeding but I can cut back on the calories that I consume and that seems to be helping take off some of the weight. Now that I am 30 and have had 3 babies, the weight is harder to take off but that is just more motivation to do it!

Baduhenna is now 13lbs 7oz as of June 4th. The Dr said that she is in the 95%'ile for babies her age! She is eating food now and so far we have tried applesauce, peas and carrots, mangoes, lima beans, bananas, black-eyed peas and a smoothie. (That is not counting the baby cereal that she also eats) So far, she has liked everything except the bananas.

In travel news: We are getting ready to go on vacation! Time to take the old man, his kid, and the new baby to meet the family. I have met most of his family already and now the tables are turned *insert evil laugh* Just kidding. If the man can put up with me, he will do just fine with my folks.

That is all the news that is fit to print for today my fine readers. Here's to hoping that you all have a great week!

*smooches*

Ravn

Hanging out, downtown by myself

Lots of news today. We moved into a house the last weekend of May. 3 days of moving to get everything! Talk about being pooped! The good news is that we are now in a three bedroom house and the kids have a huge backyard to play in. I am currently working on getting everything unpacked and good lord who knew how much crap we had! It is definitely different being in a house. I have always lived in apartments or trailers so it is pretty cool.
Baduhenna is now 2 months old and going to the doctor today. She is now trying to sit up on her own and trying to talk.
We are thinking about enrolling Lilith into an arts school next year. Her orchestra teacher sent me a note saying that she is musically gifted and she really enjoys playing the violin.
I am still waiting to hear back from the school regarding Isis. She was tested in May to see if she could be accepted into the gifted and accelerated program!
Orion is going into the 2nd grade which means that he passed! We are very proud of him and all the kids.
That is all for now.
*smooches*
Ravn

It was fun in the beginning.....

Now it is really starting to drain me.

In housing news: I am really tired of the stress that comes from apartment hunting. I am just trying to find a simple 3 bedroom apartment or house so that we can all fit comfortably and am having almost no luck. I am really hoping that the place that I called about on Friday is a go. *crosses fingers*

I was really hoping to get some housework done today but spent most of the day searching for a new place.

In health related news: I went to the doctor on Friday as well. Plumbing is in good shape and I got a script for birth control! w00t! On the 24th, I go back in to have the Essure procedure completed. Irreversible, permanent birth control FTW!! Once it is completed, I have to stay on the pill for 3 months and then no more worries. I really like this procedure better than having my tubes tied as there is no need to cut me open. It is a totally outpatient procedure done under light sedation with no cutting! No cutting means less recoup time! YAY!!!!! If you want to learn more, feel free to ask me or check out the website.

In academic news: The kids are doing well at school. Lilith was just awarded a medal and certificate for Academic Night at her school. My nerdy baby made the principal's honor roll all year long by making straight A's all year! Nu-Isis was recommended for Mesa's Extended Learning Program (ELP) AKA the gifted program! This little nerd is being tested today to see if she is able to join the gifted program for the district for the next year!

For the mothers out there: Baduhenna is now weighing in at almost 12 pounds! She is a little oinker! We finally got her a swing yesterday and it is handy, let me tell you. I was actually able to eat lunch today without her on my lap.

Well, that is the news report for today.

*smooches*

Ravn

Obligatory post-baby blog

Well, as most of you know and as promised, this is my first post baby post. Labor was not too long and it went by fairly easily. I was only in real labor for about 6 hours total. Once they gave me the epidural, I was in heaven! It was definitely different in that they have changed the medicines used in the procedure and I could still feel my toes but not the contractions. Once the baby was ready to be born, I could actually feel her coming out! It was definitely odd having that feeling again!

At 9:46AM on March 31,2010, Baduhenna Eir was born. She was welcomed into the world by myself and her daddy, Dylan. She weighed 8lbs 13oz and was 20.5in long. Much bigger than my other two girls when they were born!

Because I know that some people are going to ask about her name: Baduhenna is the Norse goddess of War and Eir is the Valkyrie of Medicine. I have given all three of my daughters strong names in the hopes that they will grow up to embody the independence and strength that the names represent.

Baduhenna is now just over a month old and is growing like a weed. It has taken a while but I think that I am getting back into the swing of things. I had forgotten how much time a new baby takes away from a person!

On April 8th this year, I turned the *spooky music* dreaded 30! I have decided to pursue on of my dreams! I am getting ready to go back to school this fall. I filled out my FAFSA and now I have to get my other loans in deferment so I can get funding. I am finally going to go after my PhD in genetics! I am really excited!

That is all for today!

*smooches*

Ravn

Getting close!

I went to the doctor on Monday. I really despise going to the doctor's office in general but going to see an ob/gyn is just annoying. I am so close to the baby being born now that it is a weekly visit and one in which I get to be prodded to see how far along I have dialated! BLECH! So far, I am at almost 2 cm so hopefully she will be here very soon. ^_^ I have noticed that she has dropped considerably and defintely waddling more when I walk. Going to be doing some walking this week to see what happens there.
I also found out that my insurance covers the Essure procedure! What does that mean, you ask? It means that I will have permanent, irreversible birth control for life! I have already got the referral in with my doctor since there are only a few doctors that do it currently since it is still a relatively new procedure. Completely outpatient and will be done at my 6 week checkup. No cutting me open, no anesthesia, dr said they will probably just give me a valium to take, insert the blocks and send me on my merry way. w00t!

Evony

I just started playing this game yesterday. So far, I think that I am going to like it. I then found out that my mother frikkin plays this game! I am probably more excited about that than I should be but I gotta admit that it is pretty cool. LOL.

Other than that, life kinda sucks right now. I am about to go crazy with this whole pregnancy thing. I am sooooo ready to have this baby because she is making me terribly uncomfortable. She likes to stretch so that she is up in my ribs and I feel like I am going to have a perma-bruise by the time she is done. Not only that but it hurts to walk because my pubic bone on the left hand side hurts anytime that I walk on it. I ended up having to get a maternity belt. It is uncomfortable and moves and rides up on me but it helps with some of the pressure.

On the job front, I am back to looking for work again. Just a couple of weeks ago, they told us that the contract was extended for another 90 days until May 1st. Yesterday, we were notified that the contract ended today (Saturday). My final paycheck for this contract is only for like 16 hours. It totally sucks. At this point, looking for work is not going to be easy because I am obviously pregnant and no one wants to hire a chick who is not going to be there for very long.

Well, that is all for tonight. Hope that you are having a great year and if anyone out there knows of anyone that is hiring, drop me a line or comment please. Thanks!
*smooches*
Ravn