Come On And Ride The (CRAZY) Train

I've been slowly getting my energy back (I'm crediting the vitamins. Hello B12, and where have you been all my life?!)

The children have been acting somewhat more human that usual, too.  

My husband has been falling over himself to be Mr. Helpful, especially after I dared him to go 24 hours without acting like a playground pigtail puller.  (You like that alliteration, don't you.)  He even managed to do it -- he didn't tease, cajole, or otherwise provoke me for 2 entire days, actually.  And suddenly we were done bickering.  (Coincidence? Oh, I think not, Mr. T).

So I should have been on cloud nine.  Everything seemed to be coming together.  

And then, last week, I started falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon again.  I started crying for no reason.  I started snarling like a rabid she-wolf every time anyone came near me.

That's about the time I realized it had been a good 6 weeks since my last period.

...

Mull that over for a moment, won't you?  You'll recall I have 3 boys ages 6 and under.  Also, 2 cats, a dog, and 1 Beta fish.  My baby is exactly 10 months old.  So, you know, perfect time for a pregnancy scare!

...

I have never been so happy NOT to see that second pink line appear.  Or the second pink line on the second pregnancy test I took.  Or the third.  Or the... well, you get the idea.  See, the tests kept coming up negative, and yet... no visit from Aunt Flo.  The weeks rolled on. And on. And on.  My mental state got worse and worse, and I sorta became convinced that a positive pregnancy test was only a matter of time.

So you'll understand when I say I was about ready to throw a parade, complete with ticker-tape, when the crimson tide finally rolled in.  Relief! Not another baby!  Congratulations, WE ARE NOT PREGNANT.

So, of course, we celebrated this reprieve the only reasonable way.  Reasonably INSANE, that is. Because I am crazy.  If you doubted it before, you will doubt no longer.

Into the midst of our finally settled existence, wherein my hormones finally kicked into proper gear and the rabid she-wolf went back into hibernation, I decided to drop a grenade.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the newest member of The Family Aum.  Meet Her Ladyship, The Duchess Stevie Nicks of Cue Ball.  We call her Stevie.

Her turn-offs include being left alone for any amount of time (even if you just needed to make a tinkle and PLEASE, dog, for the love of Bob, stop crying outside the bathroom door!), and sleeping anywhere that is not in our bed, preferably curled up next to your face on the pillow (which is cool and all, except when you wake up in the middle of the night and find yourself face-to-face with doggy taint. I don't care HOW cute she is, there's nothing cute about a dog's bung hole.) 

All that said, HOLY HANNA MONTANA, how cute is she?!