What's The Use...

The other day Moose and I read a book. In it there was the line "I lost my lunch. What's the use?" For some reasom Moose picked up on this and kept repeating it over and over again. To our surprise, Monkey started repeating him, and she will now say over and over again "What use." It's so hilarious.  I said "What's the use?" to her in the car tonight to see if she'd do it, since the hubs hadn't really heard it. She started repeating it over and over again and we were all laughing. Then Moose quoted another line from the book that says something about "burgers and fries". So then Monkey started saying "Boobers fries." over and over again. We just laughed harder. She's really talking so much, and mimics everything. It's just funny. She'll also say, multiple times a day, "sis, sesen, eight, nine, TEN!" It's so cute. I know it won't last forever, but it's definitely a fun stage.

Another Day...

My plans for the day changed, but it was still a nice day. It was a tiny bit rainy, but it was in the mid-40s for most of the day, which was so nice!  My doctor's appointment this morning was first moved, then cancelled completely. My doc had a c-section this morning, which is why they moved it. Then when the nurse called, she said there were 3 gals in labor, so she doubted I'd be able to get in today at all. She said I could go in and the nurse could do the regulars, and listen to the heartbeat, but since I'm doing well and don't have any concerns, I can just wait. Since I would've been going with Monkey, I decided waiting is just fine. So now I'm rescheduled for Monday, after the hubs gets home. So I actually get to go on my own!

I'm finding that I'm more and more able to "last" until the hubs gets home after 5. It's so ironic that I'd finally be getting to this point, now that we're adding another kid, and upping the difficulty level for me. But that's always how it is. You adjust to parenting in phases, and stages.

As I was sending Moose off to bed, he came to give me a good night hug and kiss. He also kissed my belly and said good night to the baby, telling her she was the bestest. He's getting more and more excited for her to come! (And for Grandma too!) It's so great. I love feeling his enthusiasm. It keeps me going. It's also nice that he understands so much. If I tell him I can't do something or need a few minutes because of discomfort he understands. Yesterday I had him fetch me my water bottle and tylenol from my dresser and he did it happily. He's such a great helper. I just know he's going to be a big help when the baby's born. (And when he's not having a bad day. That still does happen.)

15 days til Mom comes. 22 days til the baby comes!

Decent day...

Today was a decent day. The kiddos woke up too early, unfortunately, but I dealt. Fed them, got them set up with their shows and napped a tiny bit. Then we set off for the library and storytime. Today was the first time I was able to get Monkey to go and sit with Moose during the stories. I bribed her with fruit snacks. Unfortunately, every time she finished a fruit snack, she'd come back to me for another one, then go sit back down. But it was an improvement. Naps weren't fantastic either. Moose never fell asleep. He interrupted my bath to go potty, then came out and noisily shut the door 30 minutes later, which is most likely why Monkey came out a few minutes after that. All that happening while I was still in the bathtub. So it ended a little early. It's okay though. I wasn't terribly comfortable anyhow since I've been dealing with rib pains today. The bath only helps with my back. The ribs, it seems, aren't really helped by anything.

Still sleeping okay. (I know I'm amazingly fortunate in that regard. My sister spent her last pregnancy's third trimester sleeping in a recliner.) But I'm still finding myself completely exhausted by the end of the day. As I was chatting with my mom last night, we talked about what was going to keep us busy over the next few weeks. I know this little one will be born before we know it, but it's still hard to have that perspective all the time. So I've been trying to remind myself of what I have that will keep me busy for the next 2 weeks til my mom comes, the hubs has spring break, and I can sleep in as much as I need to.

Next week I'm hosting my last round of our preschool group. So that's Tuesday and Thursday, with prep time on Monday and Wednesday. Definitely something to keep me busy and keep my mind occupied. This Friday me and the hubs are going to tour the hospital. (Our first two were born in different states. This one is the same state as Monkey, but different city. New doctors, new hospitals.) And pick up registration paperwork. The week my mom comes I don't have a ton on the agenda, but I'm hoping it'll go quickly because it's so close to her coming. We'll see. Or maybe I'll just have to keep devouring books like I've been doing to keep myself occupied? Whatever works I guess. I'm also keeping a really close eye on the weather. Spring is trying so hard to make its way. Every day is a tiny bit warmer, and each day the ten-day forecast is a little bit warmer than it was the day before. Each day still forecasts rain or snow, or both. But so far we actually haven't had any of either. So I'm looking forward to the possible 50 degrees tomorrow. Once it gets warm enough, I can start going on walks outside. Oh, how I look forward to going on walks!

So let's hope I can keep myself busy, so I don't focus too much on how much time is left. I'm trying to stay positive. For me, a positive mental outlook changes everything, and keeps me feeling so much better. So think happy and productive thoughts for me. :)

16 days til Mom comes. 23 til baby comes.

Packages...

I received a package in the mail today from my mom. Can I just say she is awesome? Well, this package is packed full of stuff for the baby. Two blankets, each with two matching burp cloths, a hoodie towel, and a quilted blanket. It's all so adorable. The kiddos were super excited to see what came, and then of course they both wanted to hold and carry around her stuff. So I had to go and pull out the kiddo's quilts. (They both received even more when they were born since they were the first boy and girl for us.) So now they both have their own quilts out, so they can leave the baby's stuff alone. There's just something fun and sweet about baby blankets and clothes. The clothes have been out and put away for a while now, so having our sweet package with new blankets and spit rags was too fun. My mom is insanely talented and I'm so lucky that she uses her time to make such amazing things for my kids. (They each have their own blanket that was knit or crocheted as well.)

I've been able to sleep comfortably the last few days, so I'm feeling more patient about waiting out my 3 1/2 weeks. I know it's such a short period of time really, but when you're being stretched about from the inside out, sometimes it's hard to be patient. And I can't wait to sleep without a pain in my ribs. (Or back.) I know the downers of the baby being out. (No longer having a 24/7 feeding/diaper changing service.) But I'm definitely looking forward to her being in my arms and out of my belly.

While I was reading to Moose today, the baby was doing some serious stretching. So we stopped reading his book and he felt the baby moving. When the baby moved under his hand, his face lit up, "She's moving!" It was so precious! Then I talked to him about how the baby is folded up with her feet in her face, and she'll need to come out head first, so she'll be upside down. Then he talked to her, telling her that she's "the bestest." Last, we looked at the calendar to see where we are today and when she's due to come. It was such a sweet moment for me. He's really so excited for her to come, and I think Monkey will follow suit. She's such a baby-enthusiast in general and I think she's understanding in her simple way that there is a baby coming.

17 days til Mom comes. 24 til our newest addition is due. :)

One, Two, Three...

Today was alright. Monkey is still sick, and Moose has a slight cough. They woke up normal time. Monkey fell asleep just before noon watching Baby Einstein. Of course my attempt to carry her back to bed failed miserably. So I put them down together at 1, which meant the lights didn't turn off til 1:30. And ultimately Moose was in my bed by 2. She was awake by 3. I heard her playing first, then I heard sudden crying/screaming.

When I went in, I had no idea what to expect. She was sitting on her bed sans socks or pants. I thought she might's managed to pee on herself somehow. (Despite a fresh diaper) I still don't really know what happened. But I think she was trying to take her diaper off. She had a gnarly poo in there and I think something freaked her out. She didn't get it off. (Hallelujah!) She only managed to pull off one tab. But I ended up changing her, and then thanking my lucky stars that I didn't just become a parent with a "my kid smeared poo on the wall" story. Fortunately, my kids will never touch poo voluntarily.

Anywho, we just put them down. She is so exhausted. Poor thing. On the bright side, she can count to ten. Randomly she'll say "six, seven, eight, nine, TEN". It's so darn cute. I've been trying out small "preschool" activities with her. I started Moose when he was a bit older than her, but she sees him doing it all the time, I thought it might be good to give her her own things. So we've been doing colors. She's so darn good at them, I think it's time to move to counting. She can also repeat back the alphabet. Never tried that til today, but she'll repeat back any letter you give her. I love it.

So all in all a decent day. Hoping the kids sleep better tonight and that I continue to sleep well. The better the sleep I get, the more relaxed I am about being pregnant another day. It's when I have a few uncomfortable days that I become the grouchy lady who tells people how tired she is of being pregnant. I'm really okay with it. As long as I can get decent sleep. Today was a good day in that regard. Oh, and I think the little one had hiccups today. First time that I can recall for her.

18 days til my Mom comes! (Is it sad that I had to pull up the calculator to figure that out? Don't answer that.)

Sunshine...

I just have to say that today was fantastic. For those who are in warmer climates, it won't mean much, but it was almost 45 outside, so we all went for a walk this afternoon. We still ended up trudging through some ice piles and the kids totally got mud all over their shoes. But it was awesome. It felt so good. I love looking at the weather every day because each day's predictions are warmer than the last. I'm hoping that within a week, it will actually look like spring in the forecast. We're still too close (degree wise) to the snow zone, that it's not spring yet. But more and more days are forecasting in the low and mid 40's. So perhaps in a while, it'll be upper 40's, low 50's? I sure do hope so! (I know my Mom hopes so too!) I really don't want my baby to be born in the winter. I want to be able to get out and walk around these next few weeks. That's what we did before Monkey was born and I just loved it. And I want to be able to get out (should I desire it) after the baby's born. Choosing to stay inside is one thing, but having to stay in because the weather is yucky is entirely another.

Today Monkey was a bit sick. Boo. She's got some congestion and a runny nose. At this point, anything she gets could be her two year molars coming in, so we don't know for sure what it is, but there is so much yuckiness going around right now that it's a no-brainer. Keeping her in, doing whatever we can to get her better. Moose has a little cough too, but it seems like kids get those constantly and it doesn't necessarily mean anything most of the time. So unless something else comes up for him, I'm not gonna make a fuss about it. I do hope they don't get sick. I'd hate to have sick kids in the house before the baby's born. Although it's still early enough that they could get better before she comes.

Slept so great last night. It was so fantastic. Hoping that whatever it was (possibly tylenol every 4) works again tonight so I can be that comfy again. Although tomorrow I won't have the luxury of sleeping in til 8:30 since the hubs has work. But I'll sleep in as long as I can. My kids are pretty reasonable about it.

19 days til Mom comes. Yay!

Day Trip...

So we did make our day trip. The kids had a fantastic time with the in-laws, for which I am super grateful. But most of all, I learned that I will never again travel 3 1/2 hours one way and 3 hours back (the way there took longer because of weather) when I am 36 weeks pregnant. Never again.

My back is killing me. We are both so super tired. The kids were tired. They're already in bed. We're going to turn our brains off and watch something on tv. Something. Then be in bed. Probably by 8:30. Hope you are all having a great weekend. Our trip was great. But exhausting. Now I'm back to counting down til this little one is no longer weighing me down from the inside out.

20 days til my Mom comes. :)  Oh, and I probably have never mentioned, I have a sister due 4 weeks after me. Probably less since she's scheduling a c-section. And I have 2 sister in laws that are pregnant. Babies are just always coming in my family. :)

Second Try...

So tomorrow me and the hubs are making a second attempt at that day trip I mentioned last week. But we won't be for sure until we check the roads in the morning. But so far this week, the weather has been much more favorable than last. We'll see.

4 more weeks. Officially. 3 more til Mom comes. 21 days exactly. I have been feeling so much more tired in the evenings than I used to. I can only blame that on pregnancy. I even slept pretty good last night. I don't remember this amount of exhaustion with my other pregnancies, but back then I wasn't tending to 2 kids while being pregnant. Makes a huge difference. I'm most certainly gearing up for this pregnancy to be done so we can move on to the next phase.

The other night I thought to myself, "Am I read to be woken up multiple times each night to breastfeed this baby?" The answer was a quick, "No." But are you ever? Again, "No." But at least I'll be able to sleep so much more soundly in between those times. Right now I probably don't wake up as much as I will, but my sleep is not nearly as restful as it could be. Back pain, rib pain, potty breaks, etc. Not to mention no more acrobatics going on in my innards. I'm ready for it. Let's cut the leash on this lady and get rolling!

No, I really don't want to deliver very early. Monkey was 5 days early and that was great. But I want to be able to take my baby home 24 hours after delivery. (After 4 days in the hospital with Moose, we left asap with Monkey. It was awesome!) No NICU for me. So I'll suck it up for the next few weeks. Although once my mom is here, bets are off. I'll be doing whatever I can to get the ball rolling. :)

Using Our Time...

So the other day (when the internet went on the fritz) I had a blog all planned out. So I'm going to share it today. Lately I've had a pretty genius idea that I stumbled upon but has been awesome. It's a new way for using Moose's computer game time and movie/show time. He gets 1 hour of computer games each day and 2 hours for tv/movies. (His longest movie is 2 hours. Cars.) On occasion he would get so bummed out because he'd use all his computer time at once, and then not be able to play the rest of the day. So the change we've made is, I give him computer, and occasionally tv watching, in 20 minute increments. It works awesome for his computer time. When he is watching episodes of shows (lately it's been 1984 Transformers via Netflix) they're generally about 20 minutes. He rarely watches movies anymore, so this works great. In between his computer or tv time, he'll do school activities (practicing writing, activity books, reading, etc.) or just have active playtime alone or with Monkey. Normally he's not allowed to do either tv or computer back to back anyhow, just as policy. But this really spreads his inactive time throughout the day instead of clumping it into big chunks, and I've found that there are days now when he doesn't even use all the time. Like today. He only used 40 minutes of computer time, and maybe one hour of tv time. All of which were spread out throughout the day. And it gets him doing more of his school activities at home, which is always a plus. As I've gotten further along in the pregnancy we've done less of our school stuff. But he really enjoys it when I buckle down and do it. His reading is improving dramatically as well as his writing. And I feel better when I can keep him doing productive things, outside of sitting on the computer or infront of the tv. I know once spring and summer hit, that won't nearly be as much of a problem, but it's still nice to keep him more active now.

I had my doctor's visit today. I'll be back there next Thursday. My weight gain is now around 24 pounds. As of tomorrow I'll have 4 weeks left. 22 days til my Mom arrives. The rib pain is still there, although not nearly as bad as yesterday. Yesterday was pretty awful. Since I had to get a "lady swab" done to make sure I don't have some bacterial deal (which I've not had for my previous two kiddos) the doc asked me if I wanted to be "checked". (To see if I'm dilating or effacing yet. Pre-delivery preparations.) I figured, why not? So she did. Nothing yet. Which is good. It's a bit early for me to start dilating. She did say things were soft, which I take to mean that the effacing should move along as the weeks whittle down. So far that's the pattern for me. I'll be totally effaced, and just dilate a tiny bit. Then when labor picks up, I'll dilate super fast, and it'll be pure pressure as the head moves south. So great to think about, I know. But I think I'm finally figuring out how I do labor and delivery. As long as this little one doesn't try to throw any curve balls. Like being breech. But let's not think negatively, shall we?  I've had such an awesome pregnancy. I know I'll be uncomfortable until she drops, which will probably be in 2 weeks. And after that I'll be much more comfortable. So I'll deal with these 2 weeks, and then take it from there. Until then, tylenol and tums will be my good friends. :)

Owies...

Today was a day of owies for Monkey. She literally had 3 breakdowns within 15 minutes while I was cooking dinner. This morning, she fell next to the piano and hit the corner of the piano leg with the side of her head. She had a nice white welt after that one. My favorite of the day was when she got mad at me for taking her off the table (she was literally laying on the table, which is not allowed, and didn't take my offer to get off on her own.) so she ran full speed into the kitchen and right into the oven door. Her forehead hit the long handle for opening the oven. It was so sad and so pathetic. Even better, she was mad at me - since the whole thing was my fault - so Moose had to comfort her and make her feel better. She can be so much more dramatic than Moose ever was at this age. Must be a girl thing. :)

I've had my own share of owies too, unfortunately. The last few nights I've been unable to lay on my side without a nasty pain in my right rib. So last night I did my best to lay on my back (propped up, of course) the whole night. For me, that's just not natural. So I slept much better than the night before, but still not great. But I've been dealing with the rib pain for a large portion of the day. (I always forget to even try tylenol during the day. It might not even help, but I need to remember to try.) Then by the time the kiddos went to bed, my back was hurting too. Fortunately, a nice long - hot - bath helped the back pain. It doesn't help the rib pain. I've tried. I'd have to be in a jacuzzi sized tub for it to help that, I think. This discomfort is making me feel more and more ready for this little lady to be out.

Now I just have to prep myself for the pain of labor. I haven't mentally geared myself up for it yet, and when I was thinking about it earlier today I was feeling less than ready. But I've done it before, I can do it again. 4 more weeks. 3 more til Mom comes. We're officially counting down til she gets here. (me and Moose) 23 days. :) I told Monkey she was coming and she got so excited. I doubt she really remembers my mom, but I know they'll have a blast. Well, I'm going to go veg on the couch until the hubs gets home. Perhaps chew on a tums. Doctor's visit tomorrow. Every week now. Oh goodness. :)

PS, I was totally prepped to blog last night, but the internet was on the fritz. I wasn't just being lazy.  :)