Owner: A Mommy Story URL:http://amommystory.blogspot.com Join Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:14:46 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: One toddler warrior princess. One more on the way. And one mom trying to balance parenting, work, marriage, and create a little time for herself as well. Site statistics:Click here
And I Was So Ready To Write About My Lousy Day 2007-04-27 22:50:00 I was planning a long post about how today was a miserable day and nothing was going right. I had all sorts of things to complain about:- how our three cats took turns waking me up in 20 min. increments beginning at 5:15am, meaning I had very little sleep and woke up grumpy.- how the elder Siamese then chose to throw up on the carpet in the living room this morning, not once, but three times. And of course he moved a little between each barfing session, so I had three areas to clean up.- how Cordy and I have seen Aaron less than a half hour a day since Sunday, due to his being busy at work and directing a play that opened last night.- how Cordy has not napped in two days, and the weather has been dreary, so she's bouncing off the walls. And the stupid cable is acting up, and of course one of the channels that doesn't work right now is Disney.- how sad/pissed I was to receive a baby shower invitation to my coworker's shower, when she's due a month after me, and yet no one at work is Read more:Write
Damn You, American Idol 2007-04-26 03:54:00 I look forward to my weekly dose of mindless TV, aka American
Idol. One hour of listening to singers, criticizing their song choice, clothing, hair style, etc. while enjoying the comments from Simon. Ah, pure, snarky bliss.But no, not tonight. Tonight was their charity night. A two hour episode filled with stories of children living in poverty, some now orphans after their parents died, unable to attend school, and dying from preventable diseases.I'm 36 weeks pregnant, carrying more hormones in my body than a national sorority convention combined with the entire steroid-enhanced WWE wrestling roster.So it's no surprise I bawled my eyes out, and yet could not stop watching.Of course, this was clearly part of the show's design. By tugging on our heartstrings, they knew people would open their wallets to give to a very worthy cause.But now I'm haunted by the images. One video showed a mother travelling to get help for her baby, who was dying from malaria. Ryan's voice-over then gave Read more:American Idol
The Big Secret 2007-04-24 04:07:00 Last week in a doctor's waiting room:Woman: Oh, look at you! Not much longer, is it?Me: Only a few more weeks.Woman: Boy or girl?Me: GirlWoman: So, what will her name be?Me: We don't have a name yet.Woman: Oh, honey, you can tell me.Me: No, seriously, we don't have a name picked out yet.Woman: (laughing and giving me a knowing smile) Oh, I get it. The name is a secret, eh?Me: (sighing) Yes. Yes, the name is so secret, even my husband and I don't know it.********Seriously, people take it as a personal insult if you won't tell them your unborn child's name. I had no idea people listed this among their rights when encountering a pregnant woman. (You know, right up there with touching the belly and asking if it was planned.)But the truth is we still have no name. Nothing sounds right for this girl. I think we were close to a name a few weeks ago, but then as soon as we told relatives, they started suggesting nicknames that made me cringe, and completely drove me away from the name:"M
If You Have To Ask, It's Probably Too Fancy For You 2007-05-02 14:50:00 Wow, it's Wednesday already? Where has the week gone? Oh yeah, I remember now - I've been so busy trying to get things done before this baby comes and the rest of my life gets put on hold for a month or so.The quick update: No baby yet. I'm 37 weeks, 1.5 centimeters dilated, no effacement. No name yet. Still waiting on that burst of energy known as the "nesting instinct" and wishing it would show up soon, because I could really use a little boost to get all this cleaning done. I'm starting to wonder if I've evolved past that particular instinct, because I feel like I could sleep all day long.Last night, Aaron and I were treated to a very nice dinner. His brother and brother's girlfriend gave us a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant and promised babysitting as well so that we could have a night out as a couple before our lives are once again thrown upside down by a howling infant. It was a welcome break.When I say fancy restaurant, I mean fancy. This place was based around thei Read more:Probably
, Fancy
It's OK To Be A Good Parent 2007-05-07 23:48:00 (Inspired by Rebecca's post, Good Parent
. I admit this went a little off subject, but the kernel of truth is still there.)Like most high schools, it was considered very uncool to be smart. I was a straight A nerd, trying so hard to fit in with my peers like everyone around me. So I lied about my grades. "Wasn't that math test hard? Yeah, I thought I bombed it, but I got a low C. Just enough to get by, right?" (In reality, I aced it.)If you had listened to me talk to my friends, you'd have thought I was really struggling in school, just like them. I sighed about how mean it was to force us to read Crime & Punishment (a favorite of mine) in English class, and when asked by another student how to balance a chemistry equation, I'd look at them slack jawed and say, "I have no idea. I'm awful at Chemistry! What will we ever need to know this for?"It was the "in" thing to do.It seems that having the appearance of being an underachiever is often the way to go in our society, and this even
No Baby Yet 2007-05-07 04:00:00 That may just be the title of every post from now until I go into labor, since it's the primary subject people are wanting to read about. Then again, maybe I shouldn't make it the title, or you might just skip over the post, having already read the most important news.I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow, and still nothing. I spent the weekend walking as much as possible (including getting to spend some time at the zoo with Kate and her kids!). Lots of painless contractions, but nothing regular.Aaron and I were lucky to land babysitting last night so we could see Spiderman 3. The trailers before the movie showed many of the movies we're looking forward to seeing this summer. Only I'll have just had a baby. Plus we have a toddler. And few people want to babysit a newborn and a toddler.While this baby was planned, I now realize that I should have looked forward a little to the entertainment schedule for May and June. Columbus isn't exactly a hotbed of exciting things to do, but the next two m
Win Your Own Mother's Day Gifts! 2007-05-11 01:34:00 Oh sure, we're all hoping for amazing gifts from our spouses/sigoths and children for Mother's Day. But let's be realistic - the kids will probably give you flowers picked from your own slaved-over flower beds (now trampled), and the huz may get you a card and maybe a last-minute gift, if he remembers at all.So why not take charge and enter some of the Mother's Day contests out there? At least you have a chance at winning exactly what you want. Well, other than time off. I don't think anyone out there is giving away a day off, even though it would be the most popular contest ever offered.Here are a few contest ideas to get you started:Kristen is holding a Real Mom Truths contest to win a 4GB iPod Nano, chocolates, and a link to your post on True Mom Confessions. All you have to do is write a post and include a picture with the theme of "Real Moms [insert post topic]", link back to the contest and leave her a comment telling her you're entering. Deadline is Friday, May 11 at 10pm Read more:Gifts
Who Knew Potty Time Was So Exciting? 2007-05-09 18:46:00 Some people I know have kids who potty trained, by their own desire, right around two years old. No begging, no cajoling, no reward charts. For the other 99% of us, however, potty training just isn't that easy. In fact, some of us (uh...me) are starting to worry that preschool may have to be postponed because of a lack of interest in potty training.Cordy got a potty seat shortly after she was two years old. Since then, it has served as a TV watching chair, a step-stool, a place to hide her toys, and a crayon canvas. The idea of sitting her bare bottom on that seat with the draft underneath is laughable to her. She knows when she's "yucky", but seems reluctant to give up her diapers.I was asked to review the DVD, Go Potty Go, for the Parent Bloggers Network. Sure thing, bring in the reinforcements, I thought. Cute panda bear twins and their animal friends teaching about the potty sounded like fun to me.Click here to read more...
My Chinese Fortune 2007-05-14 05:16:00 Since it was Mother's Day, I had the honor of choosing dinner, so I picked Chinese
. My fortune cookie fortune?You will soon take a very pleasant and successful trip.Let's hope that trip is to the labor & delivery floor of the hospital, and I really hope I'll be able to describe it as "pleasant and successful".My lucky numbers were 12, 34, 5, 16, 8, and 27. I'm aiming for the 16th - the 27th is way too long to wait.Happy Mother's Day, everyone!
Read more:Fortune
I Still Don't Have A New Shirt 2007-05-12 04:02:00 Last week, I spent a little time to go out shopping for myself. Knowing I'll be able to ditch the maternity clothes soon, I wanted to grab a few new summer t-shirts. I do have several older t-shirts in my closet, but many have been stained thanks to the serious efforts of a toddler I know to drop things on me and use me as her personal napkin and tissue. I figured I deserved a little something new for myself.I walked into Old Navy, started to look through the summer specials on the tables in the middle of the store, examining all of the new summer colors and thinking about what I could pair different shirts with. But then I absentmindedly wandered away and soon found myself in the section of the store that doesn't fit anyone larger than 4T. I browsed the sale racks, looked at the new tank tops, and oohed over the cute summer dresses.Twenty minutes later, I left the store with two t-shirts and a tank top - all sized 4T. Oh, and just to make sure I didn't forget anyone, I also bought Read more:Shirt
Real Moms Brag 2007-05-12 03:28:00 We may underplay our parenting skills, but one thing real moms won't hold back on is talking about their children. Real moms know their kids are the best out there, and we're not afraid to brag about it.I mean, look at that face. (Click the picture to see that adorable face up close.) Those gorgeous blue eyes filled with both innocence and a twinge of mischief. That pretty, smooth skin. Those curls - oh, the curls! Her golden blonde curls attract many admirers at the playground, the mall, the grocery store...everywhere.I know my daughter is beautiful, and I happily beam with pride that I created her from the building blocks in my body (with half of the DNA coming from daddy, of course). Where I see imperfections with myself, I see perfection in her.But she's not just the sum of her outward beauty. She's also a bright, interesting little person that we're learning more about every day. She loves numbers, counting all the way to 19 in English and 10 in Spanish. She can also recogniz
And A Stroke Is Just A Headache 2007-05-17 19:04:00 Actually seen on a labor and childbirth message board:I'm 38 weeks and just took a Tylenol for a headache, but now I'm worried. What if I go into labor and can't feel it? Could the Tylenol keep me from knowing if I go into labor?Now, I'll admit up front that I've never gone through labor, so I don't have full knowledge of the pain involved. But if a Tylenol can completely mask the pain of labor, then pregnant women everywhere would be screaming out for Tylenol instead of epidurals, and drug dealers would be selling Tylenol dime bags just outside the hospital and OB offices.
Read more:Stroke
, Headache
A Broken Record 2007-05-15 21:30:00 Good god, the only thing I can think of to write about is this pregnancy. It's like it has swallowed up the rest of my life while I sit and wait for labor to start. I am officially the most boring blogger ever.Oh, and can I tell you how many calls I've had in the past week? You'd think someone had announced I was carrying the reincarnation of Elvis with the number of calls I've received asking, "Any baby yet?" Trust me, folks - when the baby gets here, you'll know. We're not secretly plotting to hide this new baby away from friends and family until she's in school.As for when she'll make her grand entrance...who knows. No impending signs of labor yet, even after walking for roughly 6 hours at the zoo on Saturday. My doctor thinks she's waiting until we pick a name for her (yes, still no name), while I think she's just prissy and waiting for a formal invitation, on parchment paper with calligraphy, to be delivered, requesting her presence outside of my uterus at her earliest c Read more:Broken
, Record
My Evil Plan 2007-05-19 22:05:00 Apparently pregnancy hormones make me a wee bit evil sometimes. Or maybe I'm just blaming the hormones to seem less bitchy to all of you.I've complained about our neighbors before. Their four kids see no boundaries between their house and ours. They leave their bikes in our driveway, our side yard is their play area, they pee on our fence, and they sometimes come up to peer into our house.Right now the neighbor kids are using our side yard to play baseball. They have put down planks of wood on our grass, and in the space between the two houses (where we can't see them, because there are no windows there), they are tossing a large bouncy ball, hitting it with a plastic bat, and running the "bases". I occasionally hear a loud thump as the ball hits our house, or the fence that they're playing up against.I'm really getting sick of this. While I'm sorry these kids have nowhere to play (they have a backyard, but it's full of dog poop, so they won't play there), it is our yard they'
Filtered and Non-Filtered Conversation 2007-05-22 14:17:00 While in line at the cafe at work today:Woman: Wow, look at you - you're ready to pop! When are you due?Me: Yesterday.Woman: Oh, that must be awful to be past due! Are you in a lot of pain?Me: (trying to avoid this conversation) I'm a little sore, but it's not bad.Woman: Well, what are you waiting for? Why not cut that baby out and get it over with?Me: *blink blink*Possible responses that flash by in my head:Gee, I'm not so fond of major abdominal surgery.Yeah, damn that little brat for being one day past the arbitrary date set by a calendar! I'll show her who's in charge!My doctor has advised me not to take advice from idiot strangers with no medical background.Huh, why didn't I think of that? Got a knife?Tried that once - not for me.It's a baby, not a tumor to be cut out at will.Oh, that useless brain in your head must be awful! Why not just cut it out and get it over with?What I actually say:Me: (resisting urge to lecture on the complication risks of elective c-sections) She Read more:Filtered
, Conversation
Due Date, With Nothing Arriving 2007-05-21 11:39:00 I wish I could tell you all that I'm in labor, but I'm not. Today is my due date, and I had my weekly meeting with my doctor this morning, but sadly I was given the medical equivalent of being told, "She's ordering curtains to brighten up the place." Nothing
has changed at all - still 1.5 centimeters dilated, still barely effaced, no real contractions. This kid has no plans to leave anytime soon.The nurse gave me a sympathetic smile today and said, "Well, at least you haven't gained any weight! That's good, right?" I'd like to share her optimism, but I know that while the scale may not show any gain on my part, the baby is still growing. She was estimated at over 7 pounds a month ago. The larger she gets, the harder she will be to get out.I suppose there's still time for her to show up today - about 11 hours, to be exact. Starting off life fashionably late may be OK for some, but in our family it isn't an endearing trait. Aaron can't tolerate being late for anything, so if she Read more:Arriving
Google Without The Spam 2007-05-21 08:53:00 As an Internet-age parent, I rely on Google
far too often to help me when I need advice. After all, I'd rather have the advice of someone going through the same things I am than ask my mom, who hasn't had a newborn in over 30 years.But Google, with its wide net, will find anything with the search terms you put in. So if you enter anything containing the words breast, diaper, bad mom, spanking, or other parenting-related terms, you are likely to get at least a quarter of your returns pointing you to spam sites, or porn or fetish site by accident. What's a mom to do when she just wants the information without sloshing through the slime of the Internet to find it?I was excited when Parent Bloggers told me about Light Iris.Click here to read more, (including how to win admission to BlogHer '07)...
What Will The Night Hold? 2007-05-20 17:36:00 Cordy loves her crib. She has a beautiful toddler bed, a Christmas gift from grandma, placed directly across from her crib, but she is still devoted to her crib. We're at the point where she will nap in her toddler bed (on those rare days she naps), but at night she cries out for her crib and insists on being placed in her cage. I think she feels safe in the confined high bars of her crib.We can't wait any longer, though. While baby #2 will be in our room for the first few months, she will need a crib eventually. So today we started Phase 1 of Operation: Crib Eviction.When Cordy goes to bed in an hour or so, this is what she will be greeted with:We took the front rail off the crib, and added the toddler guard rail. No more confinement in her crib from here on out. Luckily, she can't open doors yet (I know, a 2 and 3/4 year old who can't open a door - a rarity, right?), so no worries about her getting out of her room.So her choices at bedtime tonight will be her toddler bed......or Read more:Night
Passing the Time 2007-05-25 09:37:00 Since I'm officially past due, I had my first non-stress test yesterday. It confirmed what I already thought: she's a very healthy baby who is just choosing to take her time. Plenty of fluid in there, good heartrate, so we continue to wait. I have a feeling that I may go past everyone's predictions from the "Guess the Birthday" game at the Virtual Shower. I think the latest guess was May 25. I guess this baby just likes to prove people wrong - she may beat out every weight guess, too, as she's estimated to be around nine pounds.We've tried most of the "natural" induction methods out there, aside from castor oil. Sorry, sitting on the toilet all day with strong intestinal cramping just doesn't sound worth it to start labor. So now we're moving on to the Murphy's Law method of induction. We bought advance tickets to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 tonight, and we're making plans for the weekend.The theory is that if we make plans to do something fun, the baby will decide it's ti
You Can Tell We're "Klassy" By The Mattress On The Floor 2007-05-23 17:02:00 So, uh, yeah...still here.Remember how I thought I could be all clever and take the drop rail off the side of the crib to transition Cordy to a toddler bed? Oh sure, I thought, it's still her crib - it's just missing one side. She'll adjust, right?Yeah, well...not going so well thus far. Apparently a crib without its drop rail is, in fact, NOT the same as her crib. Two nights ago, I placed her in her room, tried to reason with her (HA!) about the coolness of her Big Girl Bed for over 20 minutes, then gave up and simply raced her to the door, managing to get out without shutting her fingers in the door. She screamed for about 2 minutes again, but then all was quiet. I figured she gave up and got in bed.However, when Aaron went to check on her an hour later, he found she had climbed up into the rocking chair in the room and fell asleep there, slumped over holding one of her books. He moved her to the crib, where she did sleep most of the night. Around 4am she was up and moving around Read more:Mattress
, Floor
A message from Aaron 2007-05-27 19:39:00 I know everyone has been waiting with baited breath (and what exactly is baited breath? What does one possibly bait breath with? Oxygen?) for an update from Christina and Cordy's little sister.Well, the bad news is that we discovered the flaw in using zombies as an induction method. Zombies shamble. They take a long time to get where they're going. And so did this pregnancy. Christina went into labor at about 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, and it wasn't until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday that little Miranda was brought into this world.Miranda was 8 lbs. 6.9 oz. at birth, and 21.5" in length, just beating out her older sister in both dimensions. (Cordy was 8 lbs 4 oz and 20.5" in length). Cordy does, however, retain the title of "child with the biggest noggin around". Miranda also decided to split the differences in the gene pool with her older sister, and inherited my hair and skin tone, instead of Christina's.Christina did need to have an epidural, but not until 12 hours of labor. However, t Read more:Aaron
You Can Thank The Zombies 2007-05-26 20:58:00 I might just be in early labor right now. It's been three hours of relatively manageable short contractions, every 4-6 minutes. Now they're starting to get a little more intense, so I figured I'd better get this written before they get too strong.It's possible this will fizzle out, but at the moment it doesn't feel like it. My mom is coming up to watch Cordy for us, and my doula is at the ready.What finally brought this on? Well, if you ask Aaron, he'd tell you zombies. We went walking downtown early this evening to see the Zombie Walk, hoping that all the walking would help push me into labor. It might have worked - contractions started about an hour after we got home.So, updates will hopefully be coming soon, either from me or Aaron. I'm going to be really embarrassed if this is a false alarm, but for now, we'll assume I'm in early labor. Think good thoughts for a quick and successful VBAC.2:45am edit - Pretty sure this is the real thing. And I can now say for certain that a Read more:Thank
, Zombies
More Thoughts On The Past Week 2007-06-01 20:50:00 I have no idea what day it is right now. I think someone told me it's now June. Wow, that came faster than I thought.We're still in survival mode here, trying to get used to life with two children. Yesterday, Aaron took Cordy out for a few hours, leaving me only Mira to care for. I ate lunch, decluttered the living room a little bit, and fed Mira. As I sat there nursing her, I laughed to myself, thinking: I used to think this was hard? Taking care of one is a breeze!Cordy is handling the new addition with the grace we expected - which is none at all. She's doing her best to ignore the baby, and acting out in new and exciting ways, mostly directing her anger towards Aaron and I. She's hitting, she's screaming, she's doing things she already knows aren't allowed, and she's physically hurting herself. Today, during a time out, she repeatedly bashed her head on a wall until she slightly bloodied her nose. Fun times, people. It makes my heart ache to see her hurting so much.So far t
21 Hours 2007-05-30 06:44:00 So it turns out that the contractions I was having Saturday evening were the real deal. We're home now, life is still crazy and out-of-sync, and we're all trying to adjust to the changes.The (written with little sleep) story:After two hours of fairly regular contractions 4-6 minutes apart Saturday evening, I called my doula. She agreed that it might be labor, but they also might go away, so I continued to wait them out. Slowly they were getting more uncomfortable (and at this point, I mean "uncomfortable" - the true "painful" comes later), and I called my doula back at 11pm for an update. I didn't feel like she needed to be here yet, so she advised me to try to get an hour or two of sleep, and call when I needed her.I think I slept for maybe an hour or so, although I could feel the contractions while I slept - sort of like in a dream. When I woke up, I took a shower to help with the pain, and Aaron called my doula to ask her to come over. She arrived around 2am and went right to wor Read more:Hours
And So It Begins... 2007-06-07 17:46:00 (Mira is crying)Cordy: Mister Mommy? (Where does she get "mister" from?)Me: Yes, Cordy?Cordy: The baby is hungry.Me: You think she's hungry? Should we feed her?Cordy: Nooooo.
I Miss The School Pizzas 2007-06-06 08:02:00 I had mentioned my not-so-nutritious high school lunches in a meme a few weeks ago: Snickers bar and fries. It's true, it was my primary lunch in high school. Truthfully, I learned how to work the system with school lunches from an early age.In elementary school, we didn't have variety when it came to lunch. You had one meal, no a la carte options, and the only choice you had was white or chocolate milk. And half the time the chocolate milk was gone before you got to the cashier. As a picky eater, I generally scoffed at most of the food I was given. Vegetables? Never. Fruit? Only if it was the mixed fruit swimming in syrup. No soupy noodles, no meatloaf, and chicken patty sandwiches only if I could drown it in ketchup. If my mom knew how much money was wasted on food I didn't eat, she'd probably make me start paying it back with interest.The only days I was guaranteed to eat were the days when french fries or pizza (or both) were served. Oh, how I loved those little institutional r Read more:School
Where Does My Time Go? 2007-06-08 14:55:00 Where my time went prior to Mira:5-7 hours - sleep2-3 hours - blogging (often combined with watching TV, below)8 hours - working, or if not working, entertaining Cordy and running errands1 hour - cleaning or paying bills1/2 hour - shower, personal care2 hours - driving4 hours - watching TV (only 2 of those watching TV that isn't for Cordy)1 hour - eatingWhere my time goes now:4-5 hours - sleep (on a good day)1-2 hours - blogging (on a good day)1 hour - eating (on a good day)1/2 hour - shower, personal care (shower every other day)1-2 hours - playing with Cordy or just giving her attention1-2 hours - watching TV (blogging or nursing during this time, too)1-2 hours - doing the "stop fussing, baby" dance around the house while holding Mira8 hours or more - chained to my chair breastfeeding (not counting the hours she feeds overnight while in bed with us)You'll notice very little time in there for things like, oh, housecleaning or bill paying. We're doing the minimum needed to get by at
Keep Your Marriage Healthy 2007-06-08 13:50:00 While we've had our bumps along the way, I'd generally say that my marriage is in pretty good shape. Before we were married, an issue forced us into counseling, but through that we learned how to communicate with each other and actually address our issues before they blew up into big problems. Even now, Aaron and I often recommend counseling to friends who confide relationship problems to us. We sincerely believe it can help if both partners are committed to improving their relationship.But what if you don't have time to go see a counselor, or what if you'd simply like to do a little preventative maintenance on your relationship? A counselor isn't always the most practical solution. Which is why eHarmony (yes, the singles site) has created the eHarmony Marriage site.Click here to read the review...
Got Milk? 2007-06-11 21:42:00 When Cordy was born, I was determined to breastfeed. My daughter, however, wasn't so interested in the idea. Our first two days in the hospital were filled with frustration, as I would try to get her to eat and she would resist. She would latch on at first, then realize she wasn't getting much (it was still colostrum at that point), let go and scream. Repeat every half hour. Even the lactation consultant was no help.Our third night in the hospital, the staff checked her blood sugar levels and told me her levels were low. Whether I wanted it or not, she was getting a bottle. The look on her little newborn face when offered the bottle was one of surprise and glee. After all, this was easy! The liquid just flowed into her mouth without any effort! It was at that point, I realized we had lost the battle, as my lazy child decided that the easy way was the way to go.I continued to fight with breastfeeding for the next four months before giving up entirely. She would make a half-hearted att
Father's Day 2007-06-16 21:31:00 Before I had a child, Father
's Day was never a big deal to me. My own father and I have a strained relationship, and we have never been close. My parents divorced when I was a baby, and my father, when he did bother to use his visitation rights, never made any effort to begin to understand me. He expected me to be someone I wasn't, and I resented this man who was practically a stranger to me telling me what to do.As a child, I wanted a dad around, and was jealous of my friends who had cool dads - dads that were there for them. As a teen, though, I came to terms with my situation, and often felt I didn't need a dad in my life, since my mom did a great job on her own.Father's Day was just another day. No big deal. To my younger self, a dad was simply an extra person in the house - nice to have around, but not really needed.Fast forward to now. I can't imagine raising these two girls without Aaron. Watching Cordy run up to her daddy, begging him to tickle her, then squealing in laugh