Pregnant Again!

This time I feel awful. I didn't even know I was pregnant, even though I have felt rotten since July 14th or so. I had the w*o*r*s*t migraine imaginable, while usually when I am pregnant the migraines go away completely. I have been calling my two doctors complaining up and down, and demanding pain relief. Thank goodness I turned down narcotics. Both doctors kept saying: You really should take a pregnancy test, but I sarcastically answered that because I felt so rotten, did they really think I wanted to be romantic?

The pregnancy in spring made me energetic, cheerful, happy, able to eat nutritious foods, so you know something had to be wrong. This time I am so unbelievably nauseous, any food makes me sick, I want to lie down all day long, I am dizzy, cranky, foggy headed, lazy, and still with a nasty migraine. So I am hoping this will be a strong pregnancy. I already had an ultrasound so I know I am only 6 weeks along. They saw a heartbeat, but then again, they did last time and the baby still died.

The dreams I am having are so weird...dreams during pregnancy are freaky. Last night I dreamt that Vin Diesel, the actor, was all over me, trying to seduce me. I kept trying to get away from him but he would not let me be. I don't even like him, and have only seen one crappy movie he was in(besides Iron Giant). When I was pregnant with my oldest, I had a dream that I was in front of the Oriental Pharmacy dressed as a prostitute. I was ashamed and tried to find a place to hide. To make matters worse, I could see some boys I had known in Middle School walking towards me down the street. I was so afraid they would notice me that I decided to quickly cross the street. Unfortunately the street was covered with a thick sheet of ice, even though it was summer. I felt I had no choice but to cross the street on my knees, since I was wearing very high heels. Of course, everyone noticed the crazy woman crossing the street like that. I awoke to their laughter, thanking God it was only a bad dream.

The Back Garden in Full Bloom

I Don't Know Why I Enjoy Disgusting You, But I Do

Thanks to the very wet May and June (June was the wettest EVER on record) we are battling the worst bugs!!!
I used to loathe mosquitoes like no other creature on God's earth, but I have a new foe. Here is the story:

My daughter found a tiny, strange, bean- like entity on the kitchen floor one day. She brought it to me for identification, thinking it was "cute." I couldn't figure out what it was. I thought it was a seed. A squishy seed with little tiny hairs along each side. What the hairs were for I had no idea. She said, "Maybe it's a bug." I checked my bug book to no avail. So she went over to the neighbor who told her that this disgusting thing was an *engorged tick*!!!!! People, read over this carefully. I squeezed that tick! I held it and examined it, and squeezed it! How freaking vile!
I dropped the foul thing in the sewer, where it belonged. Unfortunately my daughter had grown attached to it and cried that she was its mother! This is a child who thinks E.T. is gross but a repulsive tick is in need of mothering. I found several more on the dog, but none on us, thank the Lord!

Catching Up

This month had lot going on...

First, we are remodeling. Our kitchen is almost done. We are getting down to the ceramic tile floor next.
Second, we remodeled the outside of the house (sort of). We had to get a new roof and before we did so we had to paint the exterior wherever the siding and roof line met. We still have the garage, north side and back of the house to do. Here is the before and after:In case you don't know what's different, we finally replaced *all* of the windows (the big picture window was murder) and we got rid of the shutters, and dug out the two techny arborvitaes in front, and replanted them in the back yard. The new roof is much nicer. I like it better without the shutters don't you?

Here is this year's front garden, about half in bloom:Mostly the salvias and centranthus.
Here is a view of the clematis in back, with climbing blaze:The pictures don't do it justice. I am a terrible photographer!The back garden was overhauled as I ripped out all the clumps of rudbeckia, a plant I now officially hate. So I replaced the clumps with Knockout roses. I planted 4, which was a boost. I only have about 35 to 40 roses. One rose is a Happy Chappy:
I also took out the rudbeckia in the front garden, so it is like starting over, only I like the pinks blues purples much better. Here are some other views of the backyard:

Strong Enough for a Gorilla, Yet Made for a Woman

It must be the hormones....lately, since the miscarriage, I have had the absolute WORST underarm odor...if anyone has a suggestion on how to ummm....address this issue I would appreciate it!

Last Month We Had A Terrible Storm

That nonetheless provided some interesting pictures....Here is a blown manhole cover:Apparently the sewer systems were filled to the absolute maximum and the pressure burst the sewer covers and released the water sky high. The streets of Milwaukee looked like Yellowstone. Here are more pictures of the streets in Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Racine:






Street in front of someone's house



Uprooted trees in Whitefish Bay
Someone's backyard
A street in Oak Creek (Nicholson?)They got 11 inches of rain.


Anybody looking for a house?

Thankfully we only got a little bit of water. I had the kids bailout the sump and when the storm let up I re-graded the side of the house where the water was coming in. I managed to get finished just as another storm hit. It was so weird to see the storm move in. A solid sheet of rain just moved down the street until it hit the house. I barely got in in time.

Thelma Keane, My Role Model and Inspiration Has Died!!!

Wahhhhhhh! I was going to write a post on how much I admired Mommy from the Family Circus since the day I was born, and so I thought I'd google her name for some real pictures. Then I discovered that she just *died* a few days ago....on May 25th, 2008.
I especially loved the comics from the 60's and 70's....kids riding loose in the huge station wagon, Mommy in curlers and quilted house coat changing a tire in the pouring rain during morning rush hour traffic after dropping her husband off at work...Mommy and the kids dressed to the nines to have dinner in a diner, and the joke is the kids are asking if this is really going to be dinner (it took me awhile to"get" that joke)...Billy wearing a tie to school, Mommy dressed up to go shopping...Mommy leaving the kids home alone without supervision (with promises of a treat if they behave) so that she can shop...Mommy threatening to spank Jeffy...

I have Mommy to thank for never attempting to camp with young children.

I hated it when Bill Keane changed her hairstyle. Mommy should always have a flip hairstyle and tiny waist. She should always be cooking in a seventies kitchen and driving a gigantic station wagon and sitting around in 1960's furniture and decor.


Eternal rest grant to her O Lord! And may perpetual light shine upon her.
RIP Mommy!

Thanks for the Prayers, but I Lost the Baby at 12 weeks.

We named the baby Gabriel. I have to go to the doctor on Monday to get the baby out. Apparently the baby died at around 9 1/2 weeks, but I never miscarried. The only sign was very light bleeding and tons of cramps, which was yesterday. I wasn't too concerned, because the doctor told me after a heartbeat was confirmed at 8 1/2 weeks, the chances of miscarriage were slim. I went in for an ultrasound just to be sure, thinking nothing was really wrong. The technician told me the doctors would have to tell me the results. So we went home, just a little worried. Then the doctor called and told me there had been no heartbeat.

Thank God I at least have the ultrasound pictures at 8 1/2 weeks. We framed them.

Now I am going to cry my eyes out. Happy Mothers Day.

The Glorious St. Anthony's of Padua Church in Milwaukee

The pictures are a bit blurry, but these were the best out of many.
To the left of the statue of Jesus with lilies is the baptismal font, an antique from the late 1800's, with beautiful carving and a statue of St John the Baptist baptizing Our Lord within.


My great- grandparents, Charles Fischer and Philomena Kihm, were married here as it was the "German" Church.
The church has a gazillion statues and they get changed around constantly.
The Right Side Altar. The Left Side Altar.
We get to receive while kneeling.
The Pulpit.

The Usher.

Some prayers needed if you all have a chance!

This is what is happening here... trying to finish school, trying to get my gardens in order (this is the most important time of the year in the garden) trying to remodel our kitchen, plus we need to paint our house before the roofers come sometime in May, *and* I am pregnant!!! Hurray! This doesn't happen as easily as one would think, only have been trying for what, 5 years now! I don't have much morning sickness, if any at all, and my migraines disappear whenever I am pregnant. So that is the good news!

But, we need some prayers!! Number one, we are getting to the removal of our old sink base cabinet and two lazy susan cabinets, also known as the Grand Central Station of Mousedom. I know that there are rotting mouse carcasses under there. I know that there are millions, possibly trillions of mouse turds covering every square inch of particle board underflooring. I also was given the disgusting knowledge that mice piddle as they run, to the tune of 3 times more piddle than turd. It was not something I ever wanted to contemplate. My husband says he is so grossed out that he has to work on that repulsive surface, measuring, sawing, etc. I don't even want to be in the same state when he takes out the cabinetry. I am planning on being in my bed, in a fetal position, the covers and pillow over my head. The small part of the kitchen so far, with old countertop and some cabinets and knobs missing.

Two, just getting all this done by May 31st. My husband can work from home during this time but there is so much!

And of course, for baby...