Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Why I Love My Husband (14)


I love my husband because-when he walks into the kitchen and sees me leaning over the counter trying to catch my breath from reaching up for a can of tomatoes-he says, "Do we ned to get pizza tonight?"

I love my husband because he is a total nerd about his career field (and I'm really just discovering this since he's only had this job for a year). The other day he told me that he had an amazing idea for a t-shirt. Something about otoliths and never growing old. (?????) Then he said-and I quote, "If I had a t-shirt with that on it I would be the coolest guy at the fish conference!" He may have been slightly embarrassed by his sudden display of nerd, but I was swooning.

I love my husband because he is a total introvert and I don't understand it at all-not even a little. While packing up his fishing gear this morning we had this conversation:

Me: Are you going by yourself? Or is someone going with you?
Ted: Not sure, probably by myself.
Me: Do you enjoy fishing just as much by yourself as you do with a friend?
Ted: Yes.
Me: Seriously???
Ted: Yes. Well, it's nice to have a friend so they can use a different lure and double the amount of casts so we can find what the fish are biting on.
Me: But it has nothing to do with spending time with the actual friend? Nothing to do with having someone to talk to?
Ted: No. Not at all.

I love that he includes Hannah in his chores and projects, even though it ends up taking ten times longer to complete them. Exhibit A-the beginning of this year's garden:


I love that he's still as excited to feel the baby kick as he was the first time he ever felt it.

And I love that when I tell him I've been nominated for a blogger award on Bonnie's blog, he doesn't say, "Who is Bonnie? You are a loser." He says, "That's awesome!" and means it.

Clearly, I have so many reasons to love this wonderful man.

And if you're in the mood to check out some really great blogs, go to Bonnie's blog and click to vote before Thursday. I was nominated for "Most Inspiring" and "Best Mommy Blog" which is funny because I really consider myself to be neither.  But I'm flattered. Thanks to whoever nominated me!

Monday, January 28, 2013

36 Weeks


Um. I'm huge. Waaaay bigger than I was at 36 weeks with Hannah. Pretty comparable to my hugeness on my due date with Hannah. Although Ted and I both agree that I'm actually slightly larger than even that-minus the puffy face.

Hard to believe the doctor's assessment that "nothing is going to happen anytime soon." I feel like I'm about a week past due.

Although  I still think I'll go late-maybe even into March-I'm starting to think that maybe I should get packing. Perhaps during naptime today.

Or I could watch Downton Abbey. (Don't tell me what happened! I've already had to ban myself from facebook for the morning.)

Friday, January 25, 2013

In a Cruel Twist of Fate

I now have insomnia.

That's what I get for complaining about being tired I guess. After laying in bed wide awake for an hour and breathing through seven or eight too many Braxton-Hicks, I decided to give up and seek solace in the internet. But not before trimming my toenails and making popcorn on the stove. Which are apparently the loudest possible things a person could do in the middle of the night because I woke my sweet husband up and he was not so happy about it. Sorry dear, I'm not used to this whole being-awake-while-you're-asleep thing. I normally fall asleep within about three minutes of my head hitting the pillow (not just while I'm pregnant either-it drives Ted crazy) so laying in bed for an hour was pure torture.

Lucky for anyone who enjoys reading this blog-it means you have a rambling post to waste about ten minutes reading. You're so welcome.

So here, in no particular order, are the thoughts in my head and the happenings in my life tonight:
*
In twenty short minutes I will be 36 weeks pregnant. That's pretty dang pregnant. Time is both flying by at warp speed and standing as still as a statue. It's strange to be soooo ready to meet this little baby and just dying to not be pregnant anymore...but at the same time hoping that s/he just stays in there forever because I-am-not-ready! And when the baby is born, then I won't feel these sweet kicks anymore. And that's a little bittersweet. Except when they're in my rib cage-then it'll just be sweet.
*
For all those wondering minds who care about effacement and dilation and that good stuff-here's the report from the doctor yesterday. Absolutely, positively, not-even-a-little-bit effaced. Baby's head is high high high in the pelvis. And I was dilated "maybe a pinky?" "Is that about a centimeter?" I asked, "Oh no," he chuckled, "That's barely a half." He ended the exam with, "Nothing is happening with this baby any time soon!" Then proceeded to measure my fundal height and tell me that-for the first time-I'm actually measuring slightly behind my due date! His interpretation is a small to average size baby.

So take that all those people who tell me that my baby is huge and there's no way I'm gonna make it to my due date. Which is every person I know.
*
I think Hannah is going to miss our regular OB appointments. She loves going to the "dah-tor" and gets so excited when I tell her we're going. She loves listening to the heartbeat and tells me "boo boo boo" when I ask her what it sounds like. She loves coloring on the paper that covers the exam bed. And she loves that she can get away with murder while I'm lying on my back and talking to the doctor about our birth plan. Open an entire bottle of hand sanitizer and rub it all over your body? Of course you can.

Her favorite part of the adventure is definitely watching me pee in a cup. She knows the routine. She grabs a cup from the little shelf and hands it to me with a label. After I write my name on the cup she closely and carefully watches me try to aim my stream of urine into this tiny cup while barely being able to reach around my giant belly. When I'm done she points to the cabinet that I'm supposed to put it in and then smiles at me as if to say, "Way to pee in that cup mom!"

We were in the office for a full two hours yesterday, so naturally I had to go to the bathroom again before we left. She tried to hand me the cup and label and again and was not too happy when I told her I didn't need it. So what does she do? Dips the cup into the (flushed-thankfully) toilet while my back is turned washing my hands. Clearly-she knows better than I do about what is supposed to go in that cup.
*
Hannah learned her first color today! Purple. A very fine color for her first if I say so myself.
*
She also saw me mop our kitchen floor for the first time ever and was quite impressed. What's not impressive is that this is a pretty good indicator of how many times I've mopped in the last two years. And before you go patting me on my back and telling me that I shouldn't work so hard when I'm pregnant-our kitchen is all of 4x5 feet. It literally took me less than two full minutes-start to finish-to mop the entire thing. But don't worry-I'll be sure to wait at least another eight weeks or so before mopping it again.
*
I should post more often about having crappy days. I got way more comments on that post than I do on a normal one. And I looove getting comments. Little treats throughout my days of talking to no one but Hannah.
*
We had our last meeting with our doula tonight. If you're pregnant-do you have a doula? You should. We are two of the cheapest people you will probably ever meet, but when it comes to hiring a doula-we find the money. Non negotiable.
*
Still not tired.....
*
We had a playdate at our house this morning with all my Hannah's friends. Four moms, six kids, and three more in bellies. It was chaos. It was loud. It was glorious. There's something so great about having playdates in someone's home. It much easier to actually talk to the other moms when you're sitting on the living room floor than it is when you're chasing your toddler across the playground and hoping they don't jump to their death before you can make it. And nothing beats sitting outside on my back-porch with a cup and coffee and some good conversation. We're trying to make these dates an every Friday morning thing-so refreshing to my soul.
*
I'm now officially 36 weeks pregnant.
*
I'm going to be really, really tired tomorrow.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

A Really Crappy Day

Yesterday was a really hard day. I wanted to blog about it before going to bed because, honestly, I wanted to document how crappy it was. I read back over old posts and 99% of them are upbeat and talking about how great things are. And I would hate it if anybody reading this thought I didn't have bad days. If someone was ever jealous of my life because it looks so rosey on this blog. But the day was so bad that it didn't leave me with enough energy to organize a coherent post.

Nothing in particular happened to make it so terrible. I was just....tired. Every single part of me was worn out. Just two hours after waking up I was putting on a movie for Hannah so I could lay down on the couch. Then I took a second nap during her naptime. But it was never enough to give me the energy I needed to get through the day. Just taking her out of the tub and drying her off had me out of breath for the next 45 minutes. I didn't make dinner. I barely made lunch. I didn't change my clothes or fix my hair.

After finally coming up with enough energy to boil noodles and defrost some meatballs for spaghetti I couldn't get the damn jar of sauce open. At all. All I could think was "I'm going to starve." And the harder I tried to open it-the louder I yelled and the more I cried. Which obviously made Hannah cry. And now she's afraid of spaghetti sauce. Great.

And the entire day I'm beating myself up about what a crappy parent I am. The tv was on three separate times. Nothing she ate was healthy. I was quick tempered and snapped at her constantly. I let her cry in her crib for 10 minutes after she woke up (from her wonderfully long 30 minute nap....) because I just couldn't drag myself off the couch to go get her.

And when Ted gets home-what does he say? "You kept her alive. Good job today!" He picks up burritos for dinner even though it was across town. He cleans up all the toys and feeds Hannah dinner. Then he has a sit-down talk with me about how I need to take care of myself more.

We are one month away from our due date. And being pregnant is hard. I think I'm forgetting that. Not that it excuses my behavior, but at least it puts it in perspective. Our to-do list is overwhelming and my energy level has hit the floor. I need to cut myself a break.

And just coming to the realization that-yes, this is difficult and it's ok that I'm not perfect-has made today oh so much better. I got dressed and showered. I folded laundry. I did dishes. I even got groceries. And bought myself lunch from the deli even though we're already over our food budget for the month. Because I'm big fat pregnant-I need more food. I bought creamer even though I'm trying to wean myself from coffee because if a cup of coffee is the only treat I allow myself during the day-then for now I need to keep on treating.

I don't know how many days like yesterday are looming ahead in the next month. I hope not many. For Hannah's sake especially.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

2012 in 12 Photos

I started a "2012 Reflection" post about three times but was never able to finish it. And I know January is almost over-so I'm a little late to the reflection party. But this link-up was too fun not to join in. And really, my exhausted pregnancy brain should probably keep any reflections to pictures anyway.

January: Moving


February: One Year Old


March: Life at the Beach (our third time in as many months!)


April: Meat


May: I don't have a single picture from the entire month of May! How did that happen? I guess I'll just have to do two in June-it'll still be 12 total right?

June: Family in Missouri


June: BABY!


July: Homeless


August: Still Homless


September: NOT HOMELESS!


October: Monkey


November: A Sweet Getaway


December: Snow!


Here's to a beautifully photographed 2013!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Quick Takes


-1-
I'm finding that when I log into blogger to write a new post, I'm sucked into reading old entries for faaaar too long. I think I'm getting all sentimental and nostalgic with a new baby coming. But really, I love reading old posts. I am so grateful that I've kept up this blog for as long as I have. And so grateful that people actually read it so I stay motivated to continue.  So, thanks for reading!

-2-
Another reason I love blogging is the instant advice I can get from like minded people. For example, anyone have any advice helping a toddler transition into becoming a big sister? I'm confident that she's gonna do great. She LOVES babies. Obsessively. But I know her fascinationwon't last forever. Any little tips to make life a little easier for my sweet Hannah?

-3-
And while we're at it-I could use some good book recommendations. Hannah's attention span for book reading has quadrupled in the last few weeks. We are reading real stories and she's following along and loving it. Yesterday I caught her reading Corduroy to herself. "Bear. Oh no-button! Bang (the lamp falling)"

I should be able to think of other titles she would love-but I'm just drawing a blank. What books do your toddlers love? Simple stories with just a few sentences per page. Mom-what were my favorites? I can't even remember! Our library account awaits your comments!

-4-
Every mom reading this should check out this article by Jen of Conversion Diary. So very good. Long-but worth the read!

A meditation on the shocking idea that maybe we're not just lazy whiners

-5-
We'll be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow! I don't think I've mentioned that baby is happily head down! Laying upside down and putting frozen veggies on his head did the trick. Mean-I know.

I'm constantly waffling between "Oh my gosh I'm not ready for this baby-I need more time!" and "When will this baby get here??? I can't wait any longer!" I re-read Hannah's birth story a few nights ago and cried like I always do. It got me super excited for labor....in a this-is-probably-going-to-suck-but-be-totally-worth-it kind of way.

-6-

My heart gets so full when I look at this picture. She's so big. The cradle is so little. We are so very, very blessed.

-7-
Ted and I are going to the movies tonight! We're going to Les Miserables together-I've seen it once and can't wait to see it again (yes-I'm actually getting him to go to a musical!) A much needed date night-we're so excited. Our next date night will be on the baby's due date (February 24th) as is tradition. And the one after that will probably be early 2014.....

Have a fantastic weekend!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Why I Love My Husband (13)


Allow me to be a disobedient wife for a moment. Normally, I take my vow of obedience very seriously. Rarely do Ted and I disagree on an issue to the point of me having to just suck it up and "obey" him-we almost always find some sort of compromise. This is not one of of those time. He told me not to brag about him online...... but I'm doing it anyway.

My hubby is a published author!

A paper from his graduate research was just published yesterday in a fisheries journal (yes-there are entire peer reviewed journals dedicated to fish. why do you ask?) And he has two others in the works that will hopefully be accepted. 

This is saying so much for the 18 year freshman I started dating who was "never, ever going to go to grad school after he finished undergrad." He didn't like school and was just trying to get through it so he could be on the water and work with fish all day. Years later, he has a master's degree and his first published journal article. He takes the research aspects of his job (the "school" type stuff he hated so much) very seriously and works very, very hard at it.

I couldn't be more proud of the biologist he's become.

Now please pray that he doesn't get too mad at me when he reads this. At least I didn't post it on facebook babe. :)

Sunday, January 13, 2013

A Good Weekend


Snuggling in bed for an extra half hour Saturday morning while Hannah lays next to us playing on my phone.

Beautiful, beautiful weather.

Taking down Christmas decoration and getting the house back in order.

Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa over breakfast.

Cooking dinner while watching my two loves play catch outside the window.

Watching Hannah ride the "tractor" with daddy.


Getting to go to 10:00 am Mass instead of our usual 8:30. All our friends go to 10:00 and it's always nicer to chat with friends after Mass.

A beautiful liturgy with wonderful music.

A really, really well behaved toddler who said "Jesus!" at the moment the priest elevated the chalice.

Finally acting like we're having a baby next month and checking multiple items off our expansive to-do list.

Watching Hannah's eyes light up a second time when we took all of her Christmas presents out of the suitcase.

Taking a snuggle break on the couch and watching football.

Grilling on the back porch.

A glass of wine with dinner.

Hannah playing "mommy" as always-but this time in her new rocking chair.


Spontaneous berry cobbler for dessert.

Reading and blogging next to each other before going to bed.

These are my favorite types of weekends.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Quick Takes


-1-
Quick-someone tell me how to stop this terrible and sudden shooting pain in the ligaments that attach my legs to my pelvis.I got this with Hannah, but only the night before I went into labor. I have six-ish weeks left people! It seriously feels like my legs are being pulled off of my body. I told Ted that I think I now know what it would feel like to be quartered. I'm scaring Hannah with all my sudden screaming. And I'm afraid I might drop her if it happens while holding her. Any tips? Dr. Google only tells me how to stop round ligament pain-which this is not.

-2-
I managed to do almost everything on my to-do lists this week. Including watching Downton Abbey. Wasn't it wonderful? My favorite parts were the cute little comments about what was to come "after the wedding....". They were so sweet and innocent. Just the way it should be.

-3-
Hannah hit a big growth spurt this week. Her fat thighs have made a comeback and her chipmunk cheeks have returned. After being the same weight for over six months, she gained two pounds! (after my monthly prenatal appointments are over, I'll never know how much she weighs again.) To celebrate, we turned her carseat forward facing. (What?? She's not two yet you say? We're three weeks away people-I'm going with it.) The results-a MUCH happier girl in the car who talks even more, sings even more, and stays awake! I think it's as much fun for me as it is for her. Today I watched as she took off her socks and shoes and proceeded to count her toes. Her precious fat toes.

-4-
We got a Costco membership for Christmas! I'm going for the first time this weekend. Anything I should keep my eyes out for? Any great deals you love and buy on a regular basis?

-5-
I have so many posts in the works but am just too tired to finish them. When nap time rolls around I can hardly make it to the bedroom before collapsing and praying that she sleeps for two hours. I'm even sleeping in later than ever thanks to Hannah still being on Central time. I slept until 8:00 today! And got a two hour nap. And it's not even 8:00 pm and I'm already fighting to keep my eyes open. How do you know when you're just regular pregnant-with-a-toddler tired and when it's something more?

-6-
The reality of this baby coming is starting to set in. I'm much more anxious than I was with Hannah-which is weird because it's not like I haven't done all this before. I think it's because we're so much farther from family this time around and none of them will be here when the big day comes. If baby numero dos comes around the due date, the first family member won't even arrive until almost two weeks later. And there's that sweet little almost-two-year-old I have to take care of this time around. Couple that with the fact that I haven't had the energy or motivation to pack, wash baby clothes, make freezer meals, etc etc etc.....well I'm starting to get a bit stressed. It's going to come together. Right? Right??

-7-
Today is January 10th.....and I had the windows open at 11:00 am.....because it was warmer outside than inside. Quite a change from the 10 inches of snow we had in Missouri last week. I, for one, am hoping that it cools back down and we can have a few more weeks of fake winter here in sunny Florida before the nine months of summer hits.

-Bonus-
We're taking down the Christmas decorations tonight and realized we never took a family picture in front of our tree! This last minute photo shoot will have to suffice. Hannah obviously didn't get the goofy face memo.


Happy Weekend!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Dueling To-Do's

We just got home from our Christmas vacation to Missouri. Whew.

We were 31 weeks pregnant when we left. 33 on the return. I looked, walked, and complained like I was about a week past my due date. We fielded comments like "So you only have about two weeks to go?" by responding, "Ummmm, try two months."

16 total days

4 flights (one layover each way)

6 towns visited

6 Christmases attended

1 hour round trip to get some unexpected bloodwork done

7 different napping locations for Hannah

3 separate occasions of unpacking and re-packing

we.....are.......tired.

To help me get through this next week, I thought I'd type out my to-do list instead of scribbling it on a piece of scrap paper.

The Non-Negotiables:
-go to my doctor's appointment tomorrow
-go to the chiropractor if baby is still breech
-buy groceries
-feed family

The Should-be-Done's:
-call the bank about that charge
-call butchers about hamburger prices
-tour hospital
-revise birth plan
-unpack
-upload pictures and videos from the trip

and What I Wish my To-Do List Consisted of/What I Will Probably Actually be Doing:
-find a way to watch the Downton Abby season premier online since I was too busy packing to watch it
-catch up on my favorite blogs
-convince Ted that I now need a daily prenatal massage
-update my blog header with cute pictures in the snow
-use movie gift cards to watch Les Miserables a second time
-meet friends at the zoo (seriously- it's going to be in the high 70's this week!)

Shall we take a vote? Which to-do list do you think I should follow?