200th post and 30 weeks!

It's hard to believe that we're already marking the 30 week point in this pregnancy. I saw my midwife this week. We're currently measuring nearly three weeks ahead. She said these things "can" even out. When I go back in two weeks, we'll see where we are. Hopefully this little growth spurt will slow down and we won't have to worry about it at all, but I am trying to get my little projects all finished up so I'll be ready early if we have an early arrival.

The last part of this pregnancy has been smooth so far, which I am quite thankful for. With Kate I was starting to swell greatly by this point, and I was drinking more than two gallons of water a day. With Gabby, I had horrible hip pain and had great difficulty sleeping. So I have been pleasantly surprised so far. While I know that quite a bit can happen in ten weeks, I am quite happy to enjoy each of these days.

We're looking forward to meeting our new little one and finding out pink or blue. That's another item on my to-do list, choosing hospital going home outfits for each gender, so we will be ready either way. That's still below picking a name. This poor child is still nameless if he is a boy! We've had a girl name picked our for quite awhile (you would think we'd be running out of those), but every time we agree on a boy name Justin changes his mind, so we'll see! Just under ten weeks to go.

Little Miss Independent

Well, it appears that Miss Gabby has decided that age two has come a bit early to our house. All the sudden my compliant youngest (middle?) child has decided that she wants to do it herself. I like that in many ways, but there are some things she just isn't physically capable of. She refuses to let me talk her through it, show her (by pointing) what to do or, heaven forbid, help her.

It started with her car seat. She wants to buckle it before getting into it. Now it's buckling her booster seat (which she can actually do). And getting dressed. This would be almost comical, except that she doesn't give up after failing even ten times and kicks me every time I get close.

As big as she's being in some regards, she's very reluctant to give up the crib. I can convince her to sleep in the big bed at night, but she still gets up quite early and sometimes in the middle of the night. She refuses to nap in the bed at all.

We'll get there, girlie.

Dentist

I hate making appointments. I'm not quite sure what it is about it that I dislike so much. I'm sure at least part of it is hoping that the girls will be quiet long enough that I don't sound like a horrible parent while I'm on the phone, but today I decided to call and schedule several of them and just get it over with. Among them were the girls’ well visits. Kate is due at the end of September and Gabby in mid-October, so I got that taken care of. I was even early enough in calling to get the doctor in the practice that we really like—yay! Then I've put off getting Kate to the dentist. I was told she needed to go when she was 2 or 3, so since her birthday is a month from today I thought I better at least make an appointment. I never dreamed when I called that they would have a cancellation, so they needed us there in half an hour. We rushed out the door and got there just in time.

I took her to a pediatric dentist here in town. She (and Gabby) loved the office set up. There was a play room that was obviously not intended for adults to be in--the door was only two feet tall. I did have to go in to keep Gabby off the table a few times! There were aquariums and the office employs a service dog that is there for patients with anxiety disorders, which Kate had no problem with! She got to play games between her cleaning and visiting with the dentist. She also was allowed to put her hand print on the wall in the hallway.

She really surprised the dentist and the hygienist with her abilities. She was in the back without me, so Gabby and I waited out front for over an hour during her appointment. I had expected a short first visit, but they said she did great for her cleaning and having her teeth checked. She didn't need x-rays because her teeth are widely spaced at this point, so no cavities could be hiding. When they called me back at the end to tell me how it went, she interrupted the dentist to tell me we needed to start flossing her teeth. He said she could take it from there. The hygienist said while Kate was waiting in the hallway she was talking to an older girl who didn't care well for her teeth and Kate was telling her all about how she needed to brush and floss. The hygienist thought it was great and hoped that Kate was a good influence.

She was pleased with her two new toothbrushes—an electric Cinderella and a piglet (for traveling, as Kate told me). She also got new Chap Stick and dental floss. Hopefully she'll keep healthy teeth. She sure had a great first trip to the dentist!

Company

We've had lots of company lately. Justin's parents were here for a few days and then this past weekend my parents were here for a short visit too. They went home yesterday morning. Life with extra people is more interesting, but a bit more tiring too. I was in bed before eight last night!

While we had them here the girls visited the zoo with Justin and his parents.

Kate & Pop



Gabby & Nan

My parents and I took them to a local farm to visit the animals.

Kate & Gam



Gabby & PawPaw



Of course no visit with PawPaw is complete, without a horsey ride at this stage.



My parents are tech people, so I got this picture one night after the girls were in bed.

While they were here my dad replaced the hard drive in the computer that got smooshed. He also rearranged our antena so that the girls can watch Sesame Street, worked on our leaky toilet, and cleaned up some in our back yard.

The girls are missing their grandparents, and I miss the extra set of hands. It won't be long until my parents are back though--they'll be traveling to help us when the new baby comes! It's hard to believe that's 7-12 weeks away.

Gabby's Growing Linguistics

Gabby Girl,

Can I ask a favor of you? Could you stop growing up so quickly? You see you're my snuggle bug and I'd like to hold on to that awhile longer. No? I didn't think so.

Love,
Mama

Gabby has been quickly adding to her vocabulary and linguistic skills. She's using her name to identify herself, though that means she often speaks in the third person--maybe she sneaking on Facebook at night. We're commonly hearing three word phrases, though often with pauses between the words.

"Gabby...hit...head."

"Sissy...play...ball."

"Hurt...self...elbow."

and my favorite so far, "Poop...Daddy's...bed." Thankfully she was wearing a diaper!

I also love the way she says certain words. When I was a kid my mom taught us to "Eskimo kiss" by rubbing noses and saying "Uga-Muga." It's quite possible that this Inuit kissing isn't real, but it's very cute, especially since Gabby does it and says "Muga-Muga."

She's making lots of animal noises, "Moo, Baa, Oink, Snort, Neigh, Quack," with a great gusto! She's been singing songs like "Twink, Twink, star. How wonder are. Up World High. Sky. How wonder are. Amen."

For some reason she's also started using a "W" for "R" in words. "Pweese?"

Then there is the new word I wish she hadn't learned, "Whhhhyyyy?"

"Please don't flip yourself head first out of the chair."

"Whhhhhyyyyy?"

"Please don't eat rocks."

"Whhhhhyyyyy?"

She's growing and changing so quickly right now. She has a great personality and she my little buddy. I love you Gabriella!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I most certainly did not drag my children out this morning in the pouring rain to get groceries and be made soaking wet because that's our schedule, when I evidently could have changed things up a bit and stayed dry doing it this afternoon.

I also did not make a baby registry at Target knowing that it is likely no one will buy anything off of it on the of chance someone would happen across it and so we can get a discount on the things we have to purchase.

I didn't waste the very short nap time from today looking at FaceBook and working on Justin's laboratory manual when I could have rested for a few minutes.

Not Me!

Sunday night

The in-laws have been here and gone. The girls are of in dreamland (thankfully--it was a rough day around here!) and the house is finally quiet. It was a busy few days keeping up with the extra cooking, dishes, and laundry created by having company (and Justin being home during the day).

While the rest of the family took a trip to the zoo (for some reason they didn't invite the seven month pregnant woman on the 90* day) I got to spend a lovely day with a friend. We went shopping, had lunch, and looked at scrapbooks, while playing with her little boy.

I have a couple of loads of laundry to finish up and then we should be back to normal, until my parents arrive on Thursday. Thankfully it seems less like company when it's your own parents coming, even after ten years of marriage.

Progress

Here's the quilt top for Kate's bed. It still needs to be quilted, but she's quite happy with it.

Busy

I've been a busy bee. I got Gabby's room darkening curtains made and hung on Friday. We noticed that she seemed to sleep a little later on dreary days, so we thought perhaps if we make all the days appear dreary in her little room it would help. It has failed miserably. Her room looks like a dungeon on the prettiest of days, but she's getting up earlier and earlier. I can't stand how dark it is in there, but for the sake of sleep and sanity I tried it. I tried putting her her back to bed, but she just gets up and stands at the door screaming. Of course reasoning won't work. Ugh. I made her stay in her room through my shower today because I just can't get my pregnant self up at five in the morning, just so little Miss Early Riser can have company. Justin rescued her while I was getting dressed. When I got down stairs, the child has collapsed in an exhausted heap on the living room floor wailing. I covered her in a blanket and handed her Tigger. She continued her sobs for ten minutes and then got up and was in a clingy but decent mood. It makes me want to put her back in the crib--we're talking about 45 minutes to an hour and a half change in sleep since the switch and it STINKS!

I said I've been busy and I wasn't joking. Lately I've been spinning quite a few projects at once, trying to get some things finished before the baby comes. Oh, and my in-laws are coming this week. And my parents the week after that. It's a little crazy around here.

The top left is the baby quilt I've pieced for if our baby is a little girl. It's cute pinks and greens. I love baby quilts! Next up, Gabby's freshly stitched curtains. The stack of material is for Kate's quilt. All of that material has since been cut up into pieces and made into squares. Lots of squares of butterflies and flowers cornered in pink, blue and green. I may make one more set. I'm trying to decide if I should frame what I have in green and be done with it or make another set of blocks. I'll choose today. Then there is baby J's quilt. He has used his quilt quite a bit in these first few months and it needed some repair work. I finished that up last night and it is currently in my washing machine, awaiting it's turn in my dryer. I have (not pictured) also begun to start cutting for a baby quilt for baby P. She's the newest addition to her two big sisters (The ones Kate wanted to visit here, and who I made these little bags for.).

I also cut up papers for baby #3's birth announcements. Kate helped me choose a yellow paper with cute little stars. We lucked out an hit a big sale--the pages are usually 59 cents each, but we got them for 19! For the card stock and paper we save $13.20, spending only $6.27 for what will make nearly 100 birth announcements. I have left over vellum from the girls, so all that's left is the ribbon to tie them together, but we'll wait to see if baby is a boy or a girl before I choose that! Oh yeah--and agree on a name for if it's a boy, since Justin has changed his mind so many times that I think my head is going to spin. We keep going back to one name, but he second guesses it every couple of weeks. So we'll see which week it is when baby comes!

Well, dishes, laundry, and grocery shopping are all calling my name today, so I'm off!

3 Months to Go

I was saving this little jewel from earlier this week for my seven month post:

Kate asked to visit our friends who live in Tennessee. They have three little girls, one is a little older than Kate, one is about a month older than Gabby and they have a new little gal who was born in June. I told her that we really couldn't travel that far right now because the baby is getting too big and is growing quickly.

Always one to add to everything, she pipes up, "You're growing too."

"Yes, Kate I'm growing too."

"You're going to get so big you'll break the car."

Laughter from my darling husband.

"What will we do then?!"

Instead of telling her that I'm not going to get that big, or helping defend me in any way, the man says, "I'll fix it."

We are three months until my due date. The baby is measuring two weeks ahead already, so this little one might not be quite so little. My midwife is estimating a bit over 8 pounds for a delivery weight at this point, of course we have a good way to go before we get there, and much will depend on whether baby is late or on time.

We did discuss how quickly Gabby's birth occurred. She told me if I'm having contractions and my water breaks that I'm to grab the girls and meet her at the hospital. Yikes! She said it wouldn't be the first time.

Gotcha

We've had quite a few "ring and runs" lately. They are, of course, annoying. Last night we were finishing dinner and I was at the sink when we heard the noise of our doorbell ringing. What the little fellow didn't expect was that right behind the kitchen curtain sat my husband, who yanked it back and saw him. Justin has never been one for running shoeless, but I (barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen--ha!) took off after him. His excuse to me was that his friends told him to. I looked him right in the eye and told him, "You are old enough to know better. Take me to your mother." His mother sent him upstairs and he came by to apologize (with his big brother as a witness) later. He's not happy with us at all, though we thought he was let off rather lightly being allowed back out to play within the hour. He glares at us every time he sees us now, hopefully this will end well though. If he is held accountable for these childish shenanigans, perhaps as a teenager he will stay out of bigger troubles.

Random Silliness

This is what I found when I went to Kate's room yesterday.

She had put her dress from church on her bear. Because, of course, StarBear needed to be pretty! Justin asked, "Isn't StarBear a boy?" Kate's reply, "He's a she!"

* * * * * *

I've been trying to teach Kate how to do a somersault. She just doesn't get it and seems to be quite scared that she's going to hurt herself. So what's a thirty year old, nearly seven month pregnant mother to do? I did one in the middle of our living room. I'm sure it would have been quite comical, but thankfully my only witnesses are a one year old and a three year old!

One of those days...

Ever have one of those days?

I woke up this morning not feeling well, after a night of restless sleep, even though I went to bed early. Off to church we went. Gabby, who always is excited to see me when I come to get her from the nursery cries and kicks me because she wants to stay where the little baby was getting his diaper changed. We get home and I pull out the food I had planned to prepare for lunch--it had expired. We can always eat peanut butter right? Nope. We don't have enough bread because I wasn't planning sandwiches for today.

I spend the afternoon nursing a headache and tending to the girls. Drag myself to the kitchen to make dinner. Where I burn the rice. I've never, done that before. Some kid throws a soda bottle at the kitchen window (they've played ring and run a lot here lately, but I guess that's not exciting enough anymore).

After dinner we head out to buy a tool that Justin needs to make a repair to his car (he's had one of those days too). I knew how to get to the mall, so I didn't bother with directions. Guess what--the mall doesn't have a Sears! We drove all the way up there for nothing!

Can I have a do-over?