Half Baked.

Baby ______ is half way through this whole pregnancy already. It seems to be speeding along, much unlike her sister's pregnancy, which was painfully slow. She's over half a pound, has a wonderfully strong heartbeat, and is quite the wiggle worm. Please keep the names coming!! Quite a few are on the official "maybe" list. My goal was to have her named by the end of the weekend, but I'm thinking it may be more like the end of the month. Perhaps we'll have a blog vote...

(Above: Gracen putting a bowl of oatmeal on her head, saying "Hat, Mama, Hat!" It's okay to be in awe of her brilliance.)

We've spent the past month or so in heavy discussions over whether or not to deliver at the Women's Birth and Wellness Center again or to use the midwives at UNC Hospital. We decided that with our last delivery being so fast, messy and scary (full birth story in upcoming post), we owed it to ourselves and the little one to at least examine all of our options. We went to "Meet the Midwives" at the hospital last week. I went in with what I had hoped would be an open mind, but the fluorescent lighting immediately closed it. The facilities were fine, nice even for a hospital. The people were friendly, competent, and accommodating. But the entire time, I was a big breath away from breaking into tears. It just didn't feel like us. It didn't feel like it could bring us the experience I want for our birth to be. I know the risks involved in choosing an out of hospital birth. Well aware. But I believe in my body's ability to bring this girl into the world in an unmedicated and largely non-medical manner. Because of Gracie's birth experience, we will be putting extra safeguards in place. So dear family, fear not. It will be safe. We had a long discussion yesterday with the midwife who delivered Gracen, and she feels like we're still low-risk patients, and she is completely comfortable having us back again. We will expect the next delivery to be even faster than Gracen, so I'm just hoping to make it to the center in time. There will be no laboring at home.

(Please pardon the blurry spots in above photos. Gracen licked the camera lens again.)

Gracen and I have had a very dramatic/interesting day. It started off with a busted lip on a cedar chest, moved on to several diaper removals (by her, NOT me) with the last one being "fun-filled," and then to a full body marker painting of herself. All seem to speak to maternal negligence, apparently. I hope to do better tomorrow.

I met baby Zachary the other evening. He's a perfect little man, and I love him. He's nursing well and loving his mama and daddy (and his auntie, of course). Because of some jaundice, they are keeping him in an extra day, but will hopefully be home tomorrow!! Love you guys!! (Matt's Picasa site is linked from ours if you want to see some pics.)

Way to Rock It, Laura!!!

Welcome to the world, Zachary Sagan Blanchard!!! Nice job, Matt and Laura! Yesterday morning, after 10 hours of all natural labor (including 3 hours of pushing), little man finally joined us via the big "C." We're so glad that everyone is happy and healthy. I'm dying to get there to see him!! I will try to get there this afternoon, so more pics to follow. We love all three of you!!!!

Bangs.

Try to control yourselves, friends. This is indeed TWO posts in ONE week. I think I'm back!!

Adam and I didn't get one another Christmas presents this year. Nor will we being doing so for the next five years or so. Instead, we invested in a water softener/neutralizer/filtration/reverse osmosis system. I would go on about the disgusting nature of what we were dealing with, but suffice it to say that Gracen and I had grown tired of mud/iron/bacteria baths. And I was tired of needing to clean the toilets 3-5 times a week. It's a whole new world here with good water. We can drink from the tap, so no more hauling of 10 gallons of water from the grocer. The green stains in the sinks, tubs, showers and toilets from our deteriorating copper pipes have stopped returning. Another benefit, which I had not really considered was the difference in our hair. My curls are returning, as are the frizzies, so I'm having to use product again to maintain control. Gracen's hair is remarkably softer and has lightened a few shades. Perhaps the iron deposits are working themselves out. Adam's hair is, well, unchanged.

Gracen's soft hair and refusal to stay pinned back (and my sleep deprivation and crankiness) led me to an unplanned attack of baby locks the other morning. I had literally repinned her hair 10 times before breakfast, so as she was sitting there eating, I sneaked by with a pair of scissors and snipped. After a little panic attack, I tried to straighten as best I could and am working towards acceptance. I have childhood bang issues. My mother cut mine when I was Gracie's age. They spread from ear to ear and worked themselves all the way to the back of my head. One might almost call it a mullet. I prefer to look at it as a bi-level. Business in the front, party in the rear. My sister, on the other hand, was bangless, with long, thick, lovely curls. I had some serious hair envy for many years, and I have been determined to keep Gracen's hair in a style that she can look back on in thirty years and appreciate the beauty. I might have to hide her 3-7 month photos.

Anyway, this is the result (with a pouty face for Aunt Belle).

Adam wanted me to make sure to post this picture of his Prius with two boats. His excitement was barely containable. It really just seems sort of wrong in nature (a Prius with roof racks), as it brings the MPG down from 50-something to 30-something. A real tragedy, if you ask me. The family went for a New Year's boating trip down Robeson Creek to Jordan Lake. It was not warm. At. All. But it was fun. And much thanks to KatieKate and her wonderful wool clothing line for keeping our child warm and dry on the water.

Here are some shots of the newly updated office, which now doubles as Adam and Shanna's sleeping quarters. The transition is going well, though I sleep much less. I'm not sure if it's because I hear Gracen laughing at 3 AM or because her sister likes to have wiggle parties about that time. Whatever the case, I have resumed my napping. My hope is to fight through the urge today and try to go to sleep at 8:00.

We're off to get out of our jammers, brush our teeth and head over to the neighbor's. We have some serious name analysis to get through today. Please, keep the ideas flowing!!

Happy New Year!!

UPDATED:
And, we're back! New Year's only resolution is to return to blogging. I have no excuses to give, so I'll not bother with making one up. I've just been absorbed in family life these days and loving every moment of it.

This is one of the 100+ photos taken for our would-be Christmas card. We didn't get a single perfect shot out of the bunch. The picture was either unfocused, our hair was a mess, or a dog would sneak into the frame at the last second. I don't mind our dogs being in a Christmas card, but the only view we were presented with was the rear, which just didn't speak "Happy Holidays." So let's pretend I was trying to be environmentally conscientious and wanted to save trees and cut down on carbon emissions. We really, really, really do wish all of you a happy holiday season!! And I'll refrain from my pretend eco-friendliness next year, and send your card out in November. I did buy FOUR books of Christmas stamps, so if you get a note from me in July, you can say hello to the reindeer or Mary and baby Jesus and be reminded of this blessed time of year.

Cheeseballiness from Christmas morning. We had a very relaxed, quiet Christmas at our home with Adam's parents. Gracen had a fever and an ugly GI bug, the grandparents had colds, but we were all happy and had a wonderful day. The food was pretty excellent, if I do say so myself, and I kept it relatively tame. A couple of days later however, I was wishing we had done the overkill approach as all the leftovers ran out, and we were left with boxed mac-n-cheese and canned salmon. Gracen's big Santa gift this year was a wooden kitchen set. Adam and I got to have our first official Santa construction party Christmas Eve, which really seemed to solidify this whole parentage thing we're doing. You'd think having a child would make it real enough, but something about being Santa's little helpers made us feel all grown up. It was a milestone.

Speaking of parenting, this fine looking ultrasound photo is of our new baby GIRL! Gracen's going to have a little sister. I won the bet. I won, I won, I won. (And because I won, I get a gourmet meal cooked for me by my losing husband once a week for a month). We had another ultrasound performed by my Aunt Minerva over the weekend, and we were trying to get some good 3D shots. Unfortunately, nameless lady is a bit stubborn when it comes to sonography, and refuses to help us out. In order to get a really clear picture, you have to have a good pocket of fluid in front of whatever your trying to capture, else it comes out a little scary, as pictured above. I still think she's awfully pretty though. If anyone has any good little girl name thoughts that would flow well with Gracen, please share. I'm having a hard time with this one.

This is the beginning of Gracen's big girl room!! We're not going to use the box spring on her bed for a while, so we're keeping it as low as possible to prevent excessive injuries. Both of her parents had a tendency to fall from the bed. We have a mesh railing that I tried out for a day. She actually ended up sleeping in her bed that night, though I woke up around two AM to confused cries, with her sweet body pressed entirely between the mesh and mattress. For those of you that have been to our home and know the layout, we've moved the guest king into the office/playroom and are officially going to be sleeping upstairs. We'll be keeping all of our "stuff" downstairs, but we just feel safer being closer to the kid(s). I'm pretty sure we'll be loving having a downstairs master suite when they're older, but for now, it's good to have quick access to attend to their needs. Gracen is still on night sleep strike. Crying it out doesn't work, putting her in the bed with us doesn't work. We're lost. She does take 2-3 hour naps, which is good, but any suggestions, aside from drugging her, we'd love to hear.

Yep. You're not seeing double. That is indeed an official copy Froggy. For my loyal readers, which has probably dwindled down to two by now, you may remember me putting out a request via the blog last spring looking for another Froggy. Anyway, over the last few months, I've been getting emails and comments from people who have come across our blog in a Google search about stuffed animals. Strange we're so popular in the universe. A very nice lady recently, who's a big fan of Ebay, found a couple of potential frog links for me. One, I lost. The other is pictured above. I don't know this woman, but I love her!! And Gracen, of course, totally knew the difference. He didn't stink appropriately. I pretended to just take him out of the dryer, but she pinched and sniffed every single inch of him and finally threw him down. I returned our crusty, though newly bathed version, and eventually did a quick switch out with the new guy, and she's not noticed the difference. I'm waiting for him to get really dirty and then store him away for emergencies. A part of me feels horribly guilty for whatever reason.

I'm not sure that these pictures even need a caption. They were watching a Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas special. Walker climbed on the couch to chill, Gracie climed up for a snuggle. I cried and took a picture.

Adam and I at my parents lot on Reynolds Mountain. Someday, a house might sit on it. For the last few years, they have been landscaping and building incredible rock walls and Gator roads throughout the property. They have various boulder seating areas, like the one above. Really, a house isn't even necessary to love this spot overlooking Asheville.
The McDaniel-Efland sisters (left to right): Melissa, Shanna, Jenny, and Annie. Our biggest news from Thanksgiving was that Jenny and Andy are expecting a baby in May!! She is due a few weeks before us. It just makes me smile.Adam and I drove through Cullowhee on our way up to his parent's cabin over Thanksgiving. We have to pass my old college house. Yes, those are pink cinder blocks you're seeing there. We paid $300 a month for this lovely, slightly divey home back in the day. It's in the middle of a cow pasture, and so beautiful. This home started my love of living far away from neighbors (just the ones you can see--we love the ones through the woods).
A view of the Riggsbee "cabin." I use this term very loosely. The are in the midst of a massive remodel/addition. They eventually plan to live here full time. This is where Adam and I had our first date, fell hopelessly in love, first kiss, proposal and honeymoon. A big piece of my heart lives on top of this mountain.
Ghi-ghi and Pops got Gracen a Radio Flyer rocking moose for Christmas. Hands down, her favorite present to date.My sister Annie (Aunt Belle)has always been one to break into dance, often at random times, and she doesn't necessarily need music. Gracen, oddly, has this same "gift." The music over Thanksgiving and Christmas was on the entire time, and the dancing was nonstop. Seriously, NONSTOP. Gracen will come into the room, point at the listening device and start shaking it until you turn something on. At this point, the turner-oner must also dance. For hours.
Gracen and cousin Sabrina. I miss this girl. Come over, okay?!

Ghi-ghi, Gracie and Clem. We've seen a lot of my mom over the past month or two, and I have come to a new realization. I'm not nearly as fabulous to my child if her Ghi-ghi is around. She has no need for me. She won't come to me, cuddle with me, talk to me. Her Ghi-ghi gets it all. My mother, of course, loves this. In fact, Gracen's first full sentence is "Ghi-ghi, love you" (Ghi-ghi, nud-jooo). Speaking of talking, this girl doesn't stop. I can't even list all the words she has because it's gotten that extensive. She's repeating everything, so you have to be careful:) It's just amazing watching the process of her understanding so much of the language and is now able to communicate back with words. She still uses some signs, but she pretty much has the spoken words for those now, so she's using the language more.

She won't fall asleep for nap, so I just had to go get her some "mo milch" and hand her her "pashi," which she'd thrown out of the crib. It's quiet. She only took two hours to fall asleep. We're supposed to be going boating on the lake this afternoon with a picnic. So to all you people who are getting snow today, "PPLLLLFFFTTTTTTTTT!!" (that's me spitting at you) We get to play in the sorta-sun.

Gracie and Uncle Sheppie. The two were a bit rowdy together and none of the pictures had them both looking at the camera at the same time. Gracen would like to request a visit up from the ATL. We have a special Austin friend in town, so it'd be a good time to come:)

Okie-dokie...

Formal Excuses for Blogging Absence:

1. Laptop hates me and no longer wants to connect to the Internet consistently.

2. We have another computer from which to work, however, I'm reorganizing our lives, and it hasn't been a true "safe zone" for a crazy toddler.

3. I could blog during Gracen's nap time, but I keep falling asleep.

4. I'm pregnant, and my brain's not working properly anymore.

5. Gracen keeps distracting me.

6. I could also blog after Adam gets home from work and puts the baby to bed, but he's cute and sweet, and I'd rather hang out with him. Carolina basketball just started back up (and he has season tickets again), so I should have more alone time on my hands.

TAG--I'm it! 10 random facts about me:

1. I once hiked the Grand Canyon from rim to river and back out in one day. It's not something I recommend doing.

2. I used to have a pet goat named Barley and a pony named Sam. I rode them both, but Barley didn't seem to appreciate it as much.

3. I once broke up with a boy because I got a dog (Athena).

4. I drink a pint of water in about four seconds (out of a beer glass). I can't sip it. I believe in efficiency of hydration.

5. Before Adam and I started dating, I would follow him around the library and observe his hottiness. He was always wearing tie-dye shirts and had long, lovely hair.

6. I scored 200 points higher on the math section of the SAT than the verbal, however, I decided to be an English major and didn't take a single math class in college.

7. In high school, my sister and I would wake up an hour earlier than necessary, wash our hair, and go back to sleep with our heads hanging off the bed. This was to make it curl properly. We were eventually introduced to a diffuser, and realized we could achieve the exact same, if not better, effect in about 7 minutes.

8. I have always been hopelessly ignorant in matters of popular culture. I have recently discovered Perez Hilton (thank you Amy), and feel a little more in the know.

9. I have Sirius Satellite radio in my car. I got it because I had been commuting an hour a day at my last job. I now travel in my car 20 minutes per week, maybe. But during this whole time that I've had the 200 or so channels of commercial free entertainment, I keep it on two channels: Sirius Hits One (to help in the aforementioned pop ignorance) and the Coffee House because it makes me happy. And Adam comes in and starts playing with all the settings and channels and gets me all mixed up. I like my little box. Please let me stay there.

10. My favorite sound in the world is Gracen saying, "Mama." She says many other things too, but nothing gets me like that one.

So now I must tag others, and you must post 10 little known facts about yourself. So, I tag Annie because she's an inconsistent blogger (she's probably forgotten her password again), Robert because he's silly and needs to step up on the blogging as well, Shannon because she's pregnant and wonderful and so far away, Leigh because she makes me giggle and I need to know her better, Brooke because her posts always have very cute pics of Lily Grey and I miss them both, and Adam because this is his blog too and should be responsible for contributing.

Lil' Riggle cousins from early Thanksgiving festivities Saturday. Gracen is a huge fan, and they seem to love her back just as much. To quote little Jon-jon, "That baby loves me!"

Gracen and Ghi-ghi being silly. She is very good at saying "Ghigh."

Cuteness.

Gracen in her new chair. We're having a hard time getting her to smile for pictures. We're also having a hard time getting her to keep her pants and diapers on. Any suggestions?

Don't Let Babies Play With Cameras

I have been noticing for the last few weeks that my pictures have not been looking particularly fabuloso. I assumed it was because Gracen sometimes plays with and also licks the the camera, lens included. After a thorough cleaning, I realized that dried saliva was not the issue after all; rather, the child seems to have adjusted my resolution settings. It should be noted that I do not know how to set my resolution without my handy-dandy owner's manual. I think we're fixed now, so upcoming pictures should be much more vibrant. Silly baby. Maybe she wants to be a photographer some day...

For Halloween, Gracen was a frog (naturally) and Walker was Curious George. Sadly, the pictures were few and did not completely capture how devastatingly precious they were. We went Trick-or-Treating at the homes of some friends and then went back to our neighbors' house for dinner. Amy made a butternut squash lasagna, which may have been one of the best things I've ever ingested in my life. We had a lovely time. But with two toddlers, two prego-ladies, and two beer drinking papas, we were quite the tired bunch by 8:30.

(Above: G sporting Mama's Oprah boots)

I thought I may have moved past my pukiness this week. I had one completely normal day, followed by two semi-normal days. I forgot how much I liked my former self. I had energy, I smiled all day, we played nonstop, I didn't take naps. But it returned, this new hormonally-challenged me. I know I'm coming to the end of it, and it can't get here quickly enough. We went to the midwives on Wednesday and listened to his little heart. Gracen went with me, which may never happen again. She HAD to sit with me during the exam, so when the midwife was checking for the heartbeat, Gracen decided to play Ride-the-Mama, jumping and laughing like a maniac. We could never get the doppler to hold the tone long enough to count. Based on my fine medical skills (and my OCD listening of Gracen's heartbeat with my rented doppler), I'd guess it was about 140 bpm. We go for our 18-week big ultrasound on December 21st. So grandparents and aunts and uncles, you may want to go gender-neutral for this little one for Christmas.

Somehow Gracen is still thriving, despite the fact that she eats about four bites, three times a week. Last night, however, I fed her some plain whole wheat spaghetti noodles, which turned into 45 minutes of the best eating experience of her life. She was amazed by them and ate tons. While I realize there is very little nutritional value in plain noodles, perhaps we are turning a corner in our palate development. Towards the end, she decided to throw the remaining pasta high into the air. It really is very pretty when it flies.

Before we lose power...

Hi. 'Member me? I have absolutely no excuses for being such a loserbloggerwoman. All I can do is ask your forgiveness. Here's some randomness from our blog vacation:

1. Gracen can take off all her clothes without any assistance whatsoever. She hides behind the couch and does this (and sometimes in the crib), and pops out to reveal her great accomplishment. She also removes her diaper. This is becoming a problem.

2. Walker Blue has been TWO for a whole week now. We love him. Gracen hasn't seen him yet today, and I think she's upset about it. She calls him Wau. She just saw his picture here on the computer, and keeps yelling his name and shaking the gate to go downstairs. AND, he can say my name!!! I almost cried the first time he did it.

3. It's raining. This is huge. We're are in a desperate drought, and we have a very real threat of losing water altogether. We might possibly get 4-5 inches out of this system, so we're hoping for the best. Bring it on. I'll even be okay with losing power for a while, which we typically do every time it rains. Of course, it hasn't rained in months, so this hasn't been an issue.

4. Gracen has been permattached to me all day. It is very hard to write this post. We're in a very sweet, slightly frustrating, clingy phase.

5. I hate diapers of all varieties. The disposables leak now too. EVERY NIGHT. Adam missed out on a lovely playdate last night from 2-4:30. We're 10 minutes away from nap time. I get one too.

6. I'm ready for Christmas.

7. And snow.

8. Gracen LOVES farmer's market blackberries. And Curious George and Clifford, which she's watching in the above photos. I hate letting her watch TV, but we have such a difficult time getting her to eat anything, and TV seems to focus her long enough to eat while she watches. I know. Don't judge.

9. I seem to still be pregnant. I haven't thrown up since yesterday.

10. We're convinced this baby is a boy. I'm not sure why, but I'm convinced in the same way I felt Gracen was always a girl. He'll be wearing an awful lot of dresses and pastels and flowers.

11. I'm already showing. Seriously. I'm nine weeks pregnant and I look at least four months along. I'm trying not to freak out too much, but I got me a belly. Again. Amy, who is only a week ahead of me, and I are trying to continue working out. We're doing a surprisingly good job, considering we both feel likes piles o' poo. I WILL NOT GAIN ANOTHER SIXTY POUNDS!!! I have to keep reminding myself of this, as the desire to head to a fast food chain for some fries and a milkshake is a little overwhelming at times. I would like to proudly add that I have not had a milkshake yet. We're not going to talk about the fries (or hashbrowns or cheesytots).

12. My back is not in good condition. I had these same sciatic issues when pregnant with Gracen. I went to chiropractor the other day and learned that they now have massage therapists, and MY INSURANCE COVERS THIRTY MASSAGES A YEAR!!!! I think Adam may be as excited as I am. Guess what I'm doing Saturday at noon?!!

13. Fleas. I don't want to talk about it.

14. I still haven't started Gracen's baby book. She's 17 1/2 months old. Nor have I printed out pictures in over a year. I'm a terrible mother.

15. Due Date: May 27, 2008

16. G's down for nap time. I'm going too...

Before I Brush My Teeth...

I thought we should talk. If I wait until after I brush my teeth, I will be crumbled on the couch in the fetal position, making my 17-month old child wait on me. She's an excellent nurse. I'm afraid her development is going to be hampered until after this trimester, as my energetic, creative, educator-self is long gone. I am a pathetic shell of my former self.

I don't remember feeling this way when I was pregnant with Gracen. I think in part it was because I had started a new job at new school as a counselor, and the learning curve kept me engaged and focused. I do recall getting sick on my 30 minutes trek home and coming home to take 3-4 hour naps, waking for a few hours, and going back to sleep. Perhaps I don't remember the ickiness because I slept through most of it.

This go around, however, I become nauseous as soon as I brush my teeth. The longer I can put it off, the more time I have to feel "normal." But you have to break down eventually. If we can manage to leave the house in the morning, I feel much better, but by the time we get home for Gracen's nap time, I'm ready to crash too. And I do. Yesterday, she woke an hour before me. I heard her, but she was reading her books, playing and laughing in the crib, so I fell back out. I'm trying to justify my poor parenting as giving her independent learning time.

The rest of the afternoon seems to be a downward spiral of pukiness, and I fall asleep feeling like I have a stomach flu. The idea of food is disgusting, and my husband and child are going to starve.

I don't mean to complain, though I obviously am. I am excited about who is growing in there and hold none of my pitifulness against him. I think it's a boy, though my dreams so far are split on the sex.

We plan on going back to the Women's Birth and Wellness Center, a free-standing birth center, as the idea of a hospital is more scary to me than the pain of labor. I would love to have a home birth, but after our drama last go around, this is probably our best option. Gracen entered the world very quickly (13 minutes), which caused some issues for both of us. If all goes well with this delivery, we can leave 4 hours after the birth. I'm trying to avoid thinking about labor. Adam thinks I've forgotten the pain of that day, but I assure you, I am very well aware of it and am less than enthusiastic about feeling that again. I'm sure that as my body becomes increasingly uncomfortable, I'll change my perspective on the process.

So, the due date. I have no idea. The sonographer has no idea. Based on LMP, which was actually an early miscarriage, it's is May 27th. According to the measurements of the fetal pole, it's June 2nd. According to measurements of the gestational and yolk sacs, it's around May 30th. According to my calendar, I'm clueless. Nothing adds up. I go to see my midwives next Wednesday, so the doctor yesterday said that we'll let them decide.

Okay, we have to go to the grocer, which means I have to brush my teeth. I'm a woman on a mission. Wish us luck.

Photo above: a Binky Kiss

Let's Make it Official.

Alrighty, I have the go ahead. We can make it official. Gracen's gonna be a big sister!! I would write more now, but I want to throw up and am going to nap while the kid is slumbering.

I will really update later today...

The Battle

Check out my new teeth!!

I don't really believe in wars. I don't like unnecessary deaths. I don't like conflict. I'm what one might call a pacifist. I believe in getting along, living in harmony, the pursuit of happiness and unity. I don't kill spiders or mice. And I'm generally okay with our copperheads as long as they stay 100 yards from the structure of the home. And I've ignored the black snake living in the siding. I figure he can deal with the mice, so we don't have to. We have pet squirrels and deer. And the people couldn't be more perfect. Typically, we have a nice lil' piece of Utopia out here on McGregor.

Well, it was until the Invasion. And my sweet, gentle, peace-loving nature, has become bitter, hateful, and 75% of my thoughts have been on death and destruction. I've been doing exhaustive research on how best to become a murderer, to KILL.

Friends, we got fleas. Our dear dogs (we love you ladies), while appropriately Frontlined, have managed to hit a pocket of neurotoxin-resistant parasites. I hate them, the fleas. With a very intense passion, I loathe them from the very core of my being. I'm sure they serve a place in the evolutionary world, in fact, I know the specifics of this because I am ridiculously learned in the history and life cycle of the flea. I don't want to know this much. It angers me that I might become a leading expert on the subject.

I really tried to be nice about it. I started gently, with excessive vacuuming, bathing of the dogs, warm lamps at night over little bowls of soapy water. We moved on to Borax on the carpets, the flea shampoo, the re-washing of all potentially contaminated linen and stuffed animals.

But sometimes, you just have to break down and go for the big guns. Adam sent Gracen and I away to his parents' house, which was a wonderful visit. While we socialized, ate good food, napped, etc., he was home recleaning everything in preparation for the bombing. I'm very proud of his fumigation abilities, but hopefully he won't have to use such a wonderful skill set again.

Since our arrival home, we've only had a few unwelcome visitors. At first we were afraid the fogging hadn't worked, but have since learned that they were probably just in the "pupae" (otherwise known as the unkillable) stage during the bombing and emerged afterwards. I vacuumed again for about three hours Monday and again yesterday, and I think they're gone. The dogs have been "Capstared" and "Advantaged," and seem to be at peace again. Seriously, if you ever have any questions on anything pertaining to a damn flea, I'm your woman.