A much needed break

With my hormones all over the place, my sweet three year old can be much at times.  Sometimes she's a little booger (just like any other three year old) but other times she really doesn't mean anything and I still stress out.  It can be all the little Why? questions or wanting me to play with her all day long.  Little things that she means nothing by but I still get stressed.
Why?
Because I'm a reproducing bag of raging hormones.
Before I got pregnant with Babe #2 I could keep the house clean, get my errands done, make supper, juggle 14 balls and ride a unicycle, all while getting to play with A and get my time in just to spend with her.  Now, I can barely pick things up off the floor without getting tired.
And sometimes I swear there is three of her.  I mean really, how can my tiny little girl make such a mess in such a massive amount of time?? There's gotta be three.
And where there really are three kiddos running around I'll be reminiscing of the days when there was only one to pick up after.  Ha!  Isn't that the way it always is?
Well, last week A and I hung out with my bro-in-law's wife, Alyssa.  A just loves her and wanted to go home with her for the night.  Alyssa said that this week she would be happy to take A for a night.
Whoop!
So last night Brent and Alyssa came and got her for the evening.  I'm sure she had a grand ol' time even though I haven't checked.  (Oops.)  Then this morning they dropped her off at Bryan's parents for the day. We have a youth event to attend tonight and needed someone to watch her so we figured: What's better than a grandparent to take her for the evening?  A grandparent to take her for the entire day!
Bryan and I slept in this morning (without being woken up by a 3 year old at 5 in the morning), went out to eat for a late breakfast (without a 3 year old dancing around the table instead of eating her pancakes), then I took a nap and he played the wii (no barbies involved).
Re. Lax. Ing.
I do love these little things that she does and I'll be happy to have her back but it's nice to have a day that we're just US so we can appreciate being US with a sweet little 3 year old.

...That is until she says something sassy.  But it's all made up for with her sweet hugs and kisses.  And when she does the Robot.

What to blog.. what to blog...

I can't believe how ready for this baby I am at only (and just about) 35 weeks.  I know once I hit 36 weeks I will be ready at any point to have this baby but until then I'm just anxiously awaiting that week.
However, with that being said, I know that I could very well go into the new year still pregnant.  I'm okay with that too, even if I am cranky and uncomfortable.  I want to go into labor naturally as I did with A so I will wait for this baby to be ready.  Whenever that may be.

On another note...

May I just say that the 3's are the hardest age yet?  Because they sure are.  We have found that A is at that age where she wants to do everything for herself even if she can't, or struggles with it, or gets frustrated because she's having trouble accomplishing it.  It's hard to just back off because we know we can just do it faster.  But then it's not even that we want to do it faster, it's the attitude she'll give us for asking if she needs help because she's already frustrated.
The attitude, oh the attitude!
She gets it honest, that's for sure, from the both of us even!, but the attitude is sometimes by far too much.  Every now and again all we can do is laugh because it's cute or funny.  But that's only when we know she's not giving us the attitude and is just doing it to be cute.  But that one's rare.
Anyway, it's hard but I can see why God made it so we love them so much because it keeps us keepin' on.

Well, I can't even think tonight.  We have an overtired girl who won't give in and go to sleep, a worn out and sore daddy from sleeping in a tent with our kiddo last night, and a pregnant momma who's hormones are raging.  I think it's best we all just call it a night.

Catch up from yesterday

Yeah, so I'm not doing so well at keeping up with this everyday but I'm trying and I've certainly blogged more than I have in a long while. Probably last November!

Well anyway. Yesterday was a good day albeit busy. The Pastor and his wife have started a couples Bible study at church and Bryan and I are trying to attend it. Yesterday was the second Sunday of the study. We really like it so far but now I just have to pin my husband down to do the homework. (P.S. thank you Kathy for doing the nursery while that goes on!)
Then last night, we had a leadership meeting. Elected and non, so Bryan and I went. He for the music ministry and myself for the nursery. Since getting pregnant back in March, I really haven't don't anything with the nursery since I (with the help of JoAnna {thank you again}) finished the nursing mother's room. But I did get to talk about any plans I have for the nursery in the future. Plans that will have to wait until Spring but I'm sure it's all in God's good timing.

Today, A and I were suppose to go to the play group that meets every Monday but A decided she didn't want to go AFTER I skipped a (needed) shower and got dressed so I could get us out the door. The booger. And of course she told me around 3 in the afternoon that she wanted to go. Too late, little sweetheart.
I got a little cleaning done but wore myself out quite quickly so was done cleaning for the rest of the day by 11. Awesome. But I did manage to make lasagna soup for supper. Bryan loved it. I thought it wasn't too bad.
I also felt that A has been watching entirely too much tv lately so I said that today was a no tv day. It worked fairly well but by 4, when I started to make supper, she was making me nuts. She wasn't being naughty by any means, it was the Why? questions and the Look At Me's and the let-me-be-all-up-in-your-face-with-no-space neediness. I don't mind it when it's not all day but when it is, even during my nap, then I do mind and just need some quiet time. So I put on Beauty and the Beast.
Thank you Belle for entertaining my kiddo long enough for me to make this soup!
So to end the night, I escaped to the movies for some much needed adult quiet time and watched The Help with Miss Jolene. It was a very good movie and had you rooting for those sweet ladies! I really enjoyed it. So go see it if you haven't. Or rent it when it comes out to DVD. But one way or another it needs to be on your Need To Watch list.

You is kind.
You is smart.
You is important.

Our day o'fun

It's a good thing that I've already failed once at blogging through out November because last night we lost our internet connection and there was no blogging for me.  As it turned out, a lot of people had lost their connection so it wasn't just us, but still, it was a bummer.

So anyway, today I took my best friend's eldest daughter M out for her birthday.  I am 11 days late with her gift but it was the first day I could do it.  However, I don't think she minded once I picked her up to get started on her birthday day o'fun.
Since this sweet girl is a fun mix of races, she has the beautiful, thick, curly, blackish brownish hair.  It's beautiful curly and it's beautiful straight.  But I figured that since she does like to do it straight now and again I would take her to a salon to have them do it for her.
Seeing as she's only 11, she's just starting on doing her hair and it's not easy for her to straighten her hair to perfection.  I'm sure I wouldn't be able to either.  Heck, I have a hard time not missing pieces on my fine wavy hair.  M at least has an excuse at the thickness and tight curls.
First we went out to eat.  I let her choose the place but I was afraid we'd be eating appetizers at one, entrees at another, and dessert at a third since she couldn't seem to decide.  She finally did and Red Lobster we went.  It was good but I was sad we were too full for dessert.
She brought up the feathers in girls hair so I asked if she wanted to get that done for her own.  She wasn't sure since it is normally curly but I told her that I thought it would look beautiful in her hair no matter how she wore it.
So off we went to the salon.
I had the lady wash, dry, straighten, and trim M's hair.  It took her an hour and a half to get it all done.  At one point when the lady was 3/4 of the way done, with a smirk on my face I told M that she looked a little to grown up and suggested the lady rewash her hair and just leave it curly. M only looked at me like I was crazy then said, "uh.. no." with a smile on hers.
I asked M if she still wanted the feathers so she took a look at them.  There was only two long ones, one was brown with an orange and the other was two red ones.  I really liked the red ones but M wasn't convinced.  The lady was nice and sent us over to the other salon knowing they'd have more of a selection.
So off we went to the other salon.
M and my favorite hairdresser was there (whoop) and she pulled out the feathers as soon as we let her know that's what we were there for.  Immediately I saw a purple one and I knew that's what M would want.  M obviously saw the purple one too.  At the first salon she could not make up her mind but here it was "Purple, yes, please and thank you".
She loved it.  Got it in her hair and she looks rockin.
Such a pretty and sweet girl.  I just love her but her parents are in trouble.

A new day

I did not blog yesterday. Yesterday was a hard day. And by the end of it, I just wanted to go to bed.
I woke up not feeling like being a mom for the day. That's not a good start. But it was fine all the way up to my doctor's appointment and on my way home.

The appointment went good although quick. 10 minutes total. I asked about Thanksgiving and if I was able to go four hours away. He asked if there was a hospital nearby (there is, albeit small and not where I'd want to have my kid just in case).
Then figured out I'd have my next appointment right on thanksgiving if we were to go the exact two weeks. I have to have the strep B test done so he said he'd check my dilation. If I'm only 1cm then I can go but not if I'm like 4cm. Makes sense. So we'll just have to wait and see.
I trust my doc so I'll do as he says.
P.S. I'm 34+ weeks and everything is looking good. :)

After I got done with my appointment, I called my mom to fill her in. Got home and came inside.
Drama.
My kiddo has been so dramatic lately and I can't figure out why. Where did this sassiness come from? The eye rolling, getting so frustrated when we can't understand her right away, saying "forget it". Where did she learn Forget It?? And lately, if she's talking to one parent and the other one answers she'll respond with a "I taking to mom." (if I was the one she was talking to) with sass and attitude in her voice.
She responds pretty quick if we say we're going to put her in time-out. Thank the good Lord for that. She really is a good, sweet, funny kid the majority of the time. But when she's sassy, my goodness, she's all sass.
But yesterday I was at my breaking point. Pregnant, tired, my house is a mess, and we're home more often than we should be, so I decided to take her to the mall to play for a bit. They had to close the play area for 30 minutes to clean it so I said we could stay longer so she could play longer than 20 minutes. We did, and it was fine until I said it was time to go. She gave me attitude about leaving, then about her shoes, then her coat. I was done. And stressed so I was getting lots of hot flashes and Braxton Hicks.
I had to carry her out while she was crying and throwing a fit. I stopped and had a talk with her and it seemed to work. We continued walking out of the mall when she spotted a lone mall cart. She wanted to ride in it but it was time to go. Again with the not listening. I had to spank her and carry her again.
I was so frustrated and angry that she was doing this to me so I asked her why she was being mean. She laughed and said, "'Cause I'm being mean". That broke my heart. She had never acted like that before. She continued to laugh and act like it was just a game as I told her that this wasn't funny and when we got home she'd be getting a time-out.
We got in the car and I broke down crying to Bryan on the phone. I was so angry and so hurt that she had acted the way she did. And Bryan was very upet with her now as well. We got home, she got a time-out, a talking from daddy, then her and I had a talk.
She was better the rest of the day, still a 3 year old, but nothing like she was.

Here's hoping today goes better. All I can do is keep my attitude happy and loving and then hope it rubs off on her.

*Warning* Gross Topic Ahead

I am trying everything to get my 3 year old to poop in the potty.  I don't think she likes to do it so I think she tends to hold it in, then it hurts, so she holds it in more.  Vicious cycle.  Then it turns into a huge battle between her and her bowels, ending in her pooping in her underwear.
Is this all too much?  I'm sorry, I've just got to fill you in so if you have advice then you can be well informed.
So anyway, to try to encourage her to poop in the potty I promised her a Ken doll.  She has a lot of Barbies but no Ken and after watching Toy Story she felt she needed a Ken doll as well.  Can't blame her, what's a bunch of Barbies without a Ken to go with them?
She would have a small movement here and there and would do it then and again in the potty but the big ones just seemed to end up being a big mess in her undies.  Even after she would mess her undies she would know what she did was wrong and would say she's sorry.
We'd have a talk about how it was gross to poo in her undies and that it was gross for momma to have to clean it out.  That she was a big girl now and big girls don't poo in their big girl undies.  She seemed to get it but then the next time it would happen again and we'd have another talk.  It was just never ending.
So I promised her a Ken doll for pooping in the big potty and today she finally did!  A big poo and we had a celebration.  A mini one in the bathroom that contained whooping and hollering but a celebration nonetheless.
I took her to Target and showed her two of the only three Kens that were available.  One was a surfer dude, so that was out cause her other Barbies don't have swimsuits so no need to go there.  And the other two were in tuxes.  One was a groom and the other one was a Charm School prep in a nice suit.  She chose the Charm school.  Sounds good.
Now, let's hope that she'll continue pooping in the potty.  Does anyone have any advice on how to keep it up?  Any advice is welcome because I'm tired of shaking poo out of teeny tiny undies.

Wordless evening

I really don't have anything to say today. So I will just say that I am very thankful for my loving husband, sweet sweet girl, and the precious babe growing inside of me.

Hope you all have a wonderful evening!

Baby hiccups!!

They are the funniest feeling things in utero. At first it freaked me out because I didn't know what they were. I was worried it was a slowed heartbeat or something else that was wrong so I googled it. Hiccups!
I also love feeling her squirm and stretch, kick, and move her face. Even as low as her face is, it's still so cool. As hard as being pregnant can be (especially now that I have a three year old who's rough and rowdy) it is such a wonderful experience.
However, I'm exhausted! Someone want to come over and clean my house?

Some of the things I'm feeling (not to complain but to document so I can look back on it):
.my middle to lower back aches. Sometimes starts midday but generally starts in the late evening.
.I get chest pains around bedtime that'll shoot through my back into knots that are next to my shoulder blades.
.I'm exhausted by bedtime but then can't fall asleep right away and will usually toss and turn for half an hour or so until I get up, walk around, and stretch.
.my feet fall asleep if I sit on the floor too long.
.very low pressure.

There was a Monday play group this morning. I'm trying to do more with A with other kids. But I've heard that your child will respond to new situations with people her age the same way you respond to new situations with people your own age. Today I realized it's true. Its hard going into a new situation where all the adults seem to know each other and you're the newbie.
A reacted the same way with the other kids. And it's funny how no one really talked to me until we were all packing up to leave. But they were all very nice. I think it's just that they all new each other and the whole comfort thing. It's all good. We'll go back.

I like the daylight savings change. Before we couldn't get A to go to bed until 9:30. Tonight, she was out by 8:30. Yes, please and thank you, and Good Night.

My mom's here! and Babe updates

Last weekend my mom, middle sister, and grandma went three hours south to visit my baby sister, the Courtster.  I was jealous because I couldn't go.  By the time I got there it would have been a 6 hour car ride for me.  Too long of a drive for this pregnant momma. So they went without me.  Boo.  But yay for them.  I know they were really missing the Courtster and vis versa but I was sad that I couldn't have gone too.
So since I couldn't go and I hadn't seen my mom since the beginning of October, she so graciously came up this weekend to see me!  I love her.  It's hard on her to drive the four hours so I know she missed us too.
It's so nice having her around.  She's fun and funny and I just love her so!
Plus, as a bonus, she's been cleaning a bit for me too!  With me being so tired I just haven't had the energy.  And what little energy I do have, my 3 year old has drained from me with all her playing and sassiness.
Oh! And she's been taking over the playing business while being here.  So nice to have a break from Barbies and dolls. I'm not a girly girl but I do try for my kiddo that is. However, my mom is the girly girl and that's where my babe gets it from.  Diamonds, pearls, lace gloves and pouffy dresses. Things that sparkle and are fancy.  That's my mom and my girl.
I wonder what this next babe will be like.  I feel she'll be more like the side of me that's easy going and quiet.  A has a lot of qualities that are like me so I wonder if Baby will be more like Bryan.  The book worm who's smart and a thinker.  Yikes! To have two of those in the house... oh my.  What a brain fest that'll be!
So speaking of the Babe, I am 33 weeks last Thursday.  I've been told multiple times that I may not make it to December.  I've also been told a couple times now that they think she's dropped.  I think she has too.  Not significantly but enough where I can feel she's down lower.  Especially when she gets the hiccups.  That was interesting.
But this Thursday I have another doctor appointment with my OB and I'll ask him what he thinks.  I will also have to ask about Thanksgiving and if I'll be able to travel.
Thanksgiving day I'll be 36 weeks and that weekend is my family's Thanksgiving dinner.  In the middle of nowhere.  Well, there's hospitals but not very good ones.  I wouldn't want to be stuck out there to deliver my Babe while trying to do a vbac.  I just don't feel that's safe.
So be praying for us if you think about it.  About the vbac (which I really want to do but am terrified of the risks), traveling, comfort with how much longer I'm suppose to go, missing my family.  I'm getting ready for this Babe to come.  Outwardly and inwardly.

Belle Notte... infused with lots of laughter

Tonight we had our Sweetheart Dinner at church.  Bryan and I hadn't planned on going except that we were asked to sing so we figured we should probably actually go to it as well.  Uh.. duh.
It was really sweet.  They had a couple that had been married for 65 years go up front and tell some ways of how they made it.  It was so cute to hear the words of wisdom they had, just how sweet they are on each other.
We also had a excellent meal accompanied by a string band that played wonderfully.  At one point they had us all get up and dance with our spouse. I think it was the first time Bryan and I had really danced since our wedding.  Maybe not, but it's the last time I actually remember.
However, I think my favorite part of the evening was sitting next to our best friends, Keith and Emily.  It's not a wonder why we all get along so well.  Emily is so much so Bryan's twin and Keith and I are so much alike which is why Emily and I get along so well as do the men.  We all get along swimmingly.
I love it.
I hadn't laughed so much in too long.  The comments that were made, the booty shaking that ensued, oh my goodness it was too much.  In fact, if there are any volunteers to babysit our kids once a week only to be paid in hugs and kisses (and maybe from the kids too) we will gladly accept applications.  Or just come and get them... well, as long as we know you :)

Play Group Etiquette

I'm totally lame and didn't blog yesterday. Three days into November and I blew it! I'm ashamed. Ok, not really. I mean, I'm building a baby here! And as one lady put it, I'm doing the work of a mountain climber. And boy do I feel like it. I get tired getting dressed anymore! Hehe
Last night I went to my sister-in-law-in-law's (did you follow that ;) Norwex party. I've only ever heard great things about it but hadn't yet experienced it for myself. Pretty rockin' stuff but I didn't buy anything. I do plan on it, but with Christmas coming, I have to manage our money wisely.
At the beginning of the year I had planned on putting $30 from each paycheck into our savings to have for Christmas shopping. But then our missions trip to Ecuador happened, and that drained us. After that, I just couldn't get caught back up. Things kept coming up and more money went out. However, we're not hurting, not in the slightest. God has provided each of our needs. As He will continue.
First, new glasses for Bryan, new tires for the car, then Christmas, then the baby. It's all very good and exciting, just one thing at a time.

Today we were able to go to a sensory playgroup that only happens on the first Friday of every month. Since I had learned about it we managed to be gone or busy every time. But we weren't today, so I figured we better take advantage of it. It was very busy and crazy. Lots of kids, and each one with a parent, in a fairly small room. It was fun, though and I think A enjoyed it as well.
She was out of her element and stuck closely to me. I wasn't too concerned because she did get into the activities, just not so much the kids. However, there was one little girl that was around A's age who she interacted with a bit with the blocks.
The only problem that her and I have is when other little kids try to come over and take the things she's playing with. I don't want to offend another mother by asking her child to stop or saying "no,no". But at the same time I don't want to baby my child by constantly protecting her, so I do try to stay out of it a bit and tell her what she needs to do to handle the situation. It's slowly coming along, mostly because she doesn't interact with other children on a daily basis. Gotta love all the learning she and I must do as a parent and a child.

I promise. You did not ruin Christmas.

I was super excited for Christmas for the fact that I was going to get something awesome for Bryan. Don't get me wrong, this is not my whole or only reason to get excited for Christmas but if you know my husband then you know it is seriously hard to find something seriously awesome for him.
I love Christmas: celebrating Christ's birth, fun and time with family and friends, giving gifts, Christmas music, and cookies, snow, and hot cocoa under a warm blanket. Not to mention our baby #2 will be here around then. excIting! But when it comes to finding a rockin' gift for my sweet hubby who doesn't ask for much but what he does ask for costs a very pretty penny, well, it's tough.
But with my gifts he's very sweet and tries very hard to buy me something that I'll really like. It usually is not cheap and he gives it a lot of thought.
So this year, I had it. I knew what to get him. I was going to buy him a brand new flatscreen HD TV.
We've only had one TV our entire marriage. We bought it brand new right after we got married and it is now pushing 8 years old. It's had a few glitches here and there within the last 6 months. At one point we thought it was a goner but it's held on. So we've had it in our minds to get a new TV soon anyway. Here was just the perfect opportunity.
Well, a couple of weeks ago Bryan had his five year anniversary at his job (totally awesome babe!). And with his review he got a very nice gift card to one of the Geek stores (that I really appreciate but it's totally not my thing) to buy whatever he wanted. He wasn't quite sure what to get so I suggested some new things for his computer but he didn't need anything.
Then, THEN, he came excitedly to me one day saying that {this Geek store} sold flatscreen TV's. I knew that this is what he wanted and there really wasGn't anything else he would want to get. So I broke the news to him. I told him that that is what I was planning on getting him for Christmas. He said he felt like a heel but I told him not to feel that way because it was a difference of paying full price for a new TV OR paying the $80 of what the gift card wouldn't.
I'll take the TV for $80, please, Alex.
So, Bryan ordered the new TV, it showed up on Halloween, and he set it up yesterday. Our house is a disaster but it's nice (and fun!) watching television shows and movies in HD on such a wide screen. Ok, it's awesome.
However, now I'm back to square one of what to get Bryan. Any ideas of something awesome, let me know, please, because I am at a loss.

Here we go!...

November is National Blog Month and as of late, I am terrible at blogging. For one, I don't have my own computer and two, I am a mom of a three year old and 8+ months pregnant with babe #2. So I am tired and find myself with no time. But I'm going to try my darndest.

Last night being Halloween we took A out with our friends to go Trunk-or-Treating at a local church. She had so much fun going from trunk to trunk that she would skip. Her and her friend C would giggle with excitement and squeal.
A made it about 2/3 the way through the trunk line before tearing into a bag of m&m's. Which isn't bad considering all the candy she was getting and we kept asking her to wait.

Did I mention what A was for Halloween? Belle from Beauty and the Beast. No one would've seen that coming at all since she has been wearing that costume nearly everyday since her birthday mid-September.

After ToT we stopped at our friends parents house. More candy in the bag and by this time A had eaten all three of her allotted pieces. There was no holding her back.
Then to our friend's bosses house. She's such a nice lady, I can see why Emily likes her so much. A wanted to go inside since we had at her parents house, especially since the Boss Lady had a dog.
We stuck around the neighborhood for a bit going door to door. At first A tried going into people's houses (I think she thought that's just what we did). Then after a few houses she had a We Are The Champion going on. She would yell "I'm coming!!" as she ran after her three friends. Then she would whoop and holler after she received her candy, holding it high above her head like she had just won Halloween. It was thee funniest thing ever. Made my entire week.
After about 10 houses we decided it was getting cold and late so we headed over to another friends house as our last stop. They had candy just for our kiddos because they're getting ready to move this week and I'm sure they didn't want to deal with a bunch of trick-or-treaters. More candy for us! Or at least our kiddos.
And before we left Miss Linda made me quote Juno because that's what I looked like. Totally not on purpose. All I was missing was a skirt to go over my jeans and a jug of Sunny D.
Once we got home A crashed. Too much excitement and sugar I suppose. And, well, she was running around like a crazed woman at a 70% off shoe sale.
I would have no idea what that's like. (ahem)