Pico DiPaolo

Chris commented that one of his co-workers had gone to Garner State Park for Thanksgiving.  I thought that was interesting, since I had been there for two of my own Thanksgivings back when Joey was at Trinity.  We went with Sarah and her family.  I have to confess that I don’t remember a whole lot about those trips, but I do remember some funny stories and am once again reminded of how lucky I am to know Sarah. 

The best and most hilarious thing is the cranberry sauce.  Sarah and I were both accustomed to homemade cranberry sauce, so the molded blob from the can caught our attention (still in can formation, standing at attention on the plate).  I have no idea why we thought to do this, but we took a knife and cut a tiny little pie piece out of the top.  We conjured up a story that a bee had come along and done it.  Much to our surprise, everyone believed us!  It was much, much later when we finally told everyone the truth. 

As a parent myself now, I don’t understand how my parents could handle this.  On the way home from the park, I swear we sang our own versions of our very favorite song at the time over and over and over – maybe the whole way home.  “We like the cars that go boom.” (Tigre and Bunny)  We would make up our own lyrics though….  “My name is Sammy (my dog) and I like the fleas….”  Obnoxious, right?  It makes me laugh to realize that I still do this today – I like making up my own lyrics and Joelle has taken to it as well.

The last magical moment I recall is playing by the Frio river with Sarah.  We glanced down and saw colored marbles in the water.  What a find!  We fished out all the ones we could find and treasured them.  I have to remember that myself as I question why Joelle holds on to stuff I would label “junk.”  Sometimes it’s not what you find, but how you find it.  I wish I still had those marbles or at least the insight to share with Joelle of how two friends could have such a special bond that we didn’t even fight over who got which ones.   How do I tell Joelle about that?  I hope one day soon she’s blessed with a friend as beautiful, unique and special. 

I successfully completed my 3 hour glucose tolerance test today (no, I don’t know the results.  My precious 4 vials of blood were sent to the lab.)  I’m so relieved that it’s out of the way.  Yay!  Goodness, if I got this riled up over a test… imagine how I’ll be before my c-section.

The 100g sugar drink is awful.  I thought the 50g one was ok…  It just tasted like a sweeter minute maid.  The 100g glucose tolerance drink was so sweet I think it burned off some of my taste buds.  My tongue is still tingling.  I was repulsed by all carbs and sugar until after dinner.  I was craving meat!  me. 

I don’t know why they don’t market this stuff for those high energy obsessed people.  You can try it out yourself…  http://www.medicalmailorder.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=707

Joelle has developed her own “see you later” phrase, “Kiss ya pickcha!”

She’s developed her own version of “eye candy.”  She told us that Lauren has missed a lot of school because of “ear confections.”

At first, Joelle told Nana that she wasn’t going to talk to the Santa at the mall because she’d already talked to other Santas.  When she saw him sitting up there, she couldn’t resist.  She told him what she wanted and that she’d bring her baby sister with her next year to see him.  Afterwards, she confided in Nana that he had been the real Santa.  She’s already getting so smart.  I hope the magic isn’t already gone next year for her!

To my relief, Joelle is starting to play a lot more with kids at playgrounds.  She’s learning how to communicate with the kids.  Nana told me today that Joelle was very unhappy with some boy who was playing rough.  (She hates when boys try to “shoot” her or poke sticks at her.)  She talked another little boy into protecting her!  Wow, she’s going to be something else if she can already talk a little boy into “saving her.” 

Tonight for bed, Joelle conjured up a malady about her hand.  She said she needed her whole family, even the baby, in order to make it feel better.  We went off on a tangent about the baby and how she wouldn’t really be able to do much when she first gets here.  We told Joelle she could rock the baby, kiss the baby and sing to the baby.  She then proceeded to sing the whole Rock a Bye, Baby song.  She even added with her own original flourish (per her parents methodology), “down will come baby sister… Jori or Jordan.” 

Last night at our “Thanksgiving” dinner with Chris’s parents, Danny, and Noonie, we told everyone the story of how Joelle had found our extra star stocking holder in the Christmas loot.  She asked what it was for and Chris replied, “It’s for your baby sister’s stocking next Christmas.”  (Two notes:  1. Our stocking holders currently spell out “JOY”, so hopefully a star won’t be too random  2. After Chris explained to Joelle what the star was for, it dawned on him that I had bought this last year on sale.  He thought, “so, why did she give me such a hard time about having a second baby – obviously she was kinda planning on it.”)

Chris then quickly told Joelle that she could have the star if she’d rather.  We’re being careful to let Joelle have first dibs on what we can.  She responded, “Nah, I’ll stick with the ‘J’.”  Everyone at dinner last night said, “Well, of course, ‘J’ for Joelle.”  I said, “The second baby’s name might start with a ‘J’, too.”  Chris was quick to jump in with, “We’re thinking of Jorana.” 

From across the room, I saw Joelle’s face.  It was hysterical.  She was so pissed.  So, I laughed and said, “Joelle knows that isn’t it.”  So, everyone figured out that she knew the name, but were too busy talking when Joelle said, “It’s baby Jori, Daddy.”  I told everyone they missed it and told Joelle to say it again.  I think it’s pretty cool that Joelle got to tell them all what name we’ve currently picked. 

We may wait until we meet baby #2 though because I’ve also decided that Elise is pretty much tied with Jori.  Either Jori Elise or Elise Jori. 

I’m currently reading Madame Bovary (by Gustav Flaubert) and found this passage particularly entertaining. On the one hand, picking a name for your child is so very arbitrary. On the other hand, so much thought and energy is put into it. It’s an interesting process. I like that this passage also packs a lot of ideas for names in it! Napoleon, anybody?

“Whilst she was getting well she occupied herself much in seeking a name for her
daughter. First she went over all those that have Italian endings, such as
Clara, Louisa, Amanda, Atala; she liked Galsuinde pretty well, and Yseult or
Leocadie still better.

Charles wanted the child to be called after her mother; Emma opposed this. They
ran over the calendar from end to end, and then consulted outsiders.

“Monsieur Leon,” said the chemist, “with whom I was talking about it the other
day, wonders you do not chose Madeleine. It is very much in fashion just now.”

But Madame Bovary, senior, cried out loudly against this name of a sinner. As
to Monsieur Homais, he had a preference for all those that recalled some great
man, an illustrious fact, or a generous idea, and it was on this system that he
had baptized his four children. Thus Napoleon represented glory and Franklin
liberty; Irma was perhaps a concession to romanticism, but Athalie was a homage
to the greatest masterpiece of the French stage. For his philosophical
convictions did not interfere with his artistic tastes; in him the thinker did not
stifle the man of sentiment; he could make distinctions, make allowances for
imagination and fanaticism. In this tragedy, for example, he found fault with the
ideas, but admired the style; he detested the conception, but applauded all the
details, and loathed the characters while he grew enthusiastic over their
dialogue.
When he read the fine passages he was transported, but when he thought that
mummers would get something out of them for their show, he was disconsolate; and
in this confusion of sentiments in which he was involved he would have liked at
once to crown Racine with both his hands and discuss with him for a good
quarter of an hour.

At last Emma remembered that at the chateau of Vaubyessard she had heard the
Marchioness call a young lady Berthe; from that moment this name was chosen;”

So, I found out I didn’t pass my 1 hour glucose tolerance screening.  I now get to go in for a three hour glucose test where I drink twice as sweet a drink and get to have my blood drawn 4 times (one “resting” level and three samples taken 1, 2 and 3 hours after I drink this stuff.)  Oh, and I can’t eat, drink or move during the screening.  Fun times.  I honestly think this test may be more painful then actually getting diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  Almost… not quite.  I really don’t want to have it and pray I don’t.  I’ll let you surf the internet to find out for yourself more about it.

To me, the really interesting part about the whole fiasco is the special diet I have to follow three days prior to the screening.  It’s a carb lovers dream and one diet I think I could actually follow for a long time!  It’s so counterintuitive to me, but here is what I should eat every day for three days prior to my test (exactly):

2 cups – milk, any kind
1/2 cup – cereal, ready to eat or cooked
1 piece – fresh fruit OR 1/2 cup canned fruit in light or natural juice
1/2 cup – fruit juice,any kind
12 oz. – regular soda
3 slices – regular bread, any kind
1 cup – potatoes, rice or noodles
1 cup – vegetables
2 each – cookies
as desired – meat, fish, poultry, cheese
as desired – butter, salad dressing and other fats

With Christmas around the corner, we’re beginning to get a few chuckles from Joelle about some of the holiday traditions:

* She told me tonight that, “The turkey comes to town so we can eat.”  I think she’s confusing Santa “comin’ to town” with the Thanksgiving turkey tradition.

* Running in the room holding a reindeer, she announced, “This must be frosty.  He has white feet.  We need to paint his nose red.”

* At school, the teacher asked the kidoes what they were thankful for.  All of the answers, literally all of the other answers, were “family, baby sister, pet, etc.”  Joelle’s answer:  “presents and birthdays.”  At least she’s honest! 

Well, I’ve decided that if I had to lose one of my five senses, it would be my sense of smell.  Although there are many lovely scents, there are also a lot of bad smells.  I’m going on my fifth week of being sick and I lost my sense of smell about a week ago now, so I’ve had a chance to test it out.

Example one, driving home from Wimberley last weekend, Chris commented from the backseat, “oh, are we in stairtown?”  (aka: stinky town, although we still haven’t figured out why.)  This town is right outside of Luling and it stinks.  It stinks really badly.  The people who live there must get immune to the smell.  I couldn’t smell a thing.  It was bliss.

Example two, Joelle had a sick episode.  I hate to get too graphic, but there was throw up all over the floor of her room.  This is actually the second time it’s happened in two weeks.  The first time, I was gagging and almost sick myself when I had to clean it up.  This time, no problem.  I just went about my business of cleaning it all up. 

Since I also suffer from migraines and have had the unusual bad luck of having to sit by cube mates in the past who choose to wear cheap smelling cologne, I can see not being able to smell a big asset in some situations!  I will note that the only negative is that you also lose a lot of your sense of taste.  The other night at dinner, Chris said, “So, these potatoes are pretty plain.  Just in case you’re wondering.”  I said, “Really, huh.  I wouldn’t know.”  I can taste certain spices and bitter vs. sweet, but the whole spectrum of tastes (which are obviously really smells) just isn’t there.  Ironically, there is a benefit to this though.  I’ve been eating healthier.  Why have fries?  I can’t taste them. 

In April,a group of kids decided it would be a good idea to rob a guy and two female companions exiting a performing arts center in West Palm Beach, FL. Unfortunately, that person was David Copperfield.

Copperfield, 50, and two female assistants were walking from the Kravis Center to their tour bus when they were approached by the teens April 23. The assistants handed over money and a cellphone, but the illusionist turned his pockets inside out to reveal nothing, although he was carrying his passport, wallet and cell phone.

I had forgotten about this story until I saw an update this morning. I can’t wait for the Law & Order episode about this case.

We’re discussing girl names.  Luckily we agree on our top 5 or so names.  But we’re still having a hard time deciding.  We might actually wait until the baby is born to decide for sure (although then we don’t get to put cute letters on a shelf spelling her name before she gets home – I’m not sure she’ll be able to adjust…).

One of the things I personally like about names are the different options that the kid has.  For example – naming a boy Bob leaves you pretty much nothing as far as name-related nicknames.  “B”?  (Actually, that is a boy’s nickname in Joelle’s class so maybe I shouldn’t be so hasty there)  Joelle has options like JoJo, Ellie – not a ton but some choices, you know?

One of the names we are considering has a long version and a short version (e.g., William vs. Bill) and we are considering just naming her the short version.  But then, I say, she doesn’t have the “option” of using the longer or shorter as she wishes (as I can with Christopher or Chris).  Then I thought, why can’t they go the OTHER way?  Why can’t you name a kid Chuck and call him Charles as a nickname?  Go with Danny on the birth certificate and let him go by Daniel if he wishes?  This should be done more often.  Unless we name our daughter the long one, then it’s just a silly idea, naturally.