What I Learned This Week

Hop on over to Musings of a Housewife to visit the "What I learned This Week" bloggy carnival. Here are a few things that I learned this week.

-Three-year old tantrums aren't any better than two-year old tantrums.
-Being away from Big Daddy is totally messing The Muffin up.
-I feel like a bad mom because of the above two things I learned this week.
-I'm ready for Baby E to arrive...I think.
-I'm not the only one who thinks that Baby E could possibly arrive before her scheduled due date of June 7. Thank You, midwife Wesley!
-Having a clean windshield makes me feel so much better.
-Having Big Daddy scrub the bugs off of the windshield makes me feel great!
-We love K.ing's Hawa.iian Bread in this house...a lot.
-The Muffin is pays attention to me, even when I think she's not. I asked when Baby E was coming out. She usually says in June, but his time she said, "well, through your birth canal". I was so proud even if some people think that's TMI for a three year old.

The Baby Belly-Week 35

Our Baby-to-be is getting bigger and I can definitely distinguish the little body parts as they poke and prod my belly from the inside. As I say often, I cannot believe we've come this far, this fast. This pregnancy really has flown by. Although I've had lots of aches and pains recently, I'm cherishing every little movement that Baby E makes...even the ones that hurt! I keep telling Big Daddy to remind me of how I feel right now when we talk about having another one in a couple of years. It has really been difficult to be a full-time SAHM to Muff and be pregnant. Once you add in the whole nearly-single thing that's been going on for the past few weeks it just gets worse. I try so hard to do all the things that I've always done with The Muffin, but it hasn't been happening lately.

I now have stretch marks on each side of my belly button, as well as two little ones right above my c-section scar. Needless to say, I don't like these stretch marks, but it doesn't really matter in the long run. I keep saying that I think this baby will arrive before the due date (June 7) and I feel like I'm already carrying a giant! The Muffin weighed in at 8 pounds and 8 ounces, so I'm anxious to see this one's weight. I think we'll be getting an estimate at the 36 week appointment and we'll also be having another ultrasound. Please say a prayer that Baby E is healthy and that everything looks okay.

My mom is getting her bag packed and we have our preliminary plan in place for what happens if I go into labor on my own. My bag is sitting in the nursery, ready to go as well. No matter what, it won't be long before Baby E makes a debut.

And THIS is what I'm doing

It's Saturday and The Muffin slept "late". What??? That never happens on a Saturday. She likes to sleep late on Sunday when we're trying to get out the door before 8:45 to make it to the early service at church. And I slept "late" too. Of course, there was a reason. We had a showing scheduled for our house at 9:00, so Muff and I needed to be out the door a little before then. (Pray that these people buy our house)
I slept fairly good and of course because I'm OCD the house was ready to show when we rolled out of bed. We gobbled down some cereal and went to The Depot for the city's Farmer's Market. I bought some beautiful asparagus and the sweetest strawberries I've ever had in my life. After that, we went to the grocery store (again) to get food for our weekend with Big Daddy. He should be home within the hour from his first Saturday having to work in over two years. I thought I'd try to cook dinner for him tonight.
I'm trying to get up the energy to go outside and plant the Mandevilla that The Muffin and I bought yesterday, but it's not happening. Big Daddy offered to do it when he gets home. How will he do that, mow the yard, wash my car (still need to ask him to do this) and enjoy a little reunion with The Muffin??? One more reason our current arrangement is causing trouble. (Pray, pray, pray)
The Muffin and I went for a nice,slow, l o n g and leisurely walk with her little duck on wheels after lunch. The duck had a hard time staying on the edge of the street and The Muffin insisted that "he wasn't a good listener and just wanted to walk straight to the stop sign". Bad duck. Bad. Duck.
Our walk totally zapped my energy and left me with horrible pelvic pain (TMI??), but I just had a small glass of P.epsi ONE and I'm determined to get planting before Big Daddy gets home. I'm afraid that I start getting that totally-pregnant-and-miserable look all too easy these days. It doesn't make me feel any better when I'm about to urinate on myself and trying to keep from using another public restroom on a short outing and then a stranger says "how much longer?" or "when are you due?". And if they have that concerned or amazed tone in their voice when I answer, it's all I can do not to cry or scream or have a temper tantrum.

Mommy Guilt

I realized yesterday on my way home from Nana & Pawpaw's that we're entering one of the most challenging times of our marriage. I'm thankful for the many blessings that we have, but this is still a difficult time, relatively speaking.

When I voice my concerns about what's going on with our family, I often hear that children are so resilient. It's true, they are. But try telling that to a Mommy who wants her baby to be happy.

Yesterday as we drove home The Muffin was upset and she was saying things that you never want your three year old to think or feel or say. We were both crying...before we were out of the driveway. We took turns comforting each other. She was so tired from her busy day that she cried until she went to sleep 10 minutes into our drive. I cried off and on the whole drive home. Traffic was light so it only took about 50 minutes. I try to hold it together when she's upset, but there have been a few times that she's cried over missing Big Daddy that I've cried with her. We hold each other and then we pray and she seems to feel better. She knows that she's not alone.

I spent lots of time convincing Big Daddy that this job choice was best and that we'd make anything work, that I put me and The Muffin on the back burner. Now, I wonder what I was thinking. Last night, I realized that my biggest concerns with the changes in our lives, moving and welcoming Baby E all revolve around The Muffin. In the end, we'll be fine. No matter what, she really is the glue.

I'm suffering from a bad case of "Mommy Guilt". I want to play more, do more "fun" things and for goodness sakes, take a bath with Muff when she begs me to! (I had to explain that I may get stuck in the tub and there would be no Big Daddy to help get me out. And I have no idea why she asked me to take a bath with her!) I want to make our current situation work and I don't want her to ever feel sad about missing Big Daddy. I know I'm not alone in my Mommy Guilt thanks to Lisa.

I'm also suffering from "Wife Guilt". When Big Daddy comes home I want to make things nice for him. I try to cook good meals and make sure that he gets to do things that he wants to do. I try to have the fridge and pantry stocked with things that he likes. We try to focus on what needs to be done while he's here and doing nice things with The Muffin. We get very little time alone together and it's going to be even less when Baby E arrives. (Our last "date" before Baby E was spent with Muff asleep on my lap.) Wednesday night at my parents' house I fell asleep with The Muffin and Big Daddy woke me up when he was ready to get in the bed. All I wanted was a few minutes of cuddling on the couch before I fell asleep and I slept through my window of opportunity. I felt "Wife Guilt" big time.

What is your greatest "Mommy Guilt" or "Wife Guilt"??

Finally Wednesday!

Wednesday is usually or Storytime day, but there's no Storytime this week. The Muffin and I are about to leave for a nearby city for a T.arget run and a drop off at the consignment shop. I'm going to use the cash from the too-pretty-to-get-rid-of-but-new-baby-will-never-wear clothes to buy a few new baby essentials that we need. Unfortunately, this list may have an addition of adult diapers! We'll be spending lots of time in the car and I have to pee a lot. Needless to say, I'm so tired of going to the bathroom that diapers are popping into my mind all the time.

Muffin and I have had a really nice week, but she's missing her Daddy...really bad. I miss Big Daddy too, but I can deal with it. Well, sort of. He has to work this Saturday, so we're going to visit him at my mom and dad's this evening. Miss Muffinhead is super excited! She's already asking to eat dinner at the Chicken Sandwich place with Big Daddy and they just happen to have great Sweet Tea, so I think it's a date.

Big Daddy is taking Monday off work to attend our Kindermusik class, Muff's pre-op with the ENT and my midwife appointment with Wesley (yes, Wesley's a girl!!). We have lots of things to discuss about VBAC's and such before the appointment. Big Daddy being able to be there makes me feel much less-stressed.

Now, if I can just make it through the next 39 or so days. Yes, I said 39!!

Happy Hump Day!

What I Learned This Week

I'm joining JoLynne's carnival this week. Here's a little list of What I Learned This Week.

-Hearing a three year old tell the story of Jesus' Resurrection using a piece of turkey and a slice of cheese makes you so thankful that you bought The Jesus Storybook Bible and that you take her to a great church.
-Having great mommy-friends is priceless.
-Finally asking someone what to tell The Muffin about the dead caterpillar made me feel so much better.
-Pregnant + hot weather= swollen feet
-Cupcakes make my Muffin happy.
-There's never enough time on the weekend when that's the only time I get to see Big Daddy.
-I should always have a little cash on hand for when the ice cream truck makes an appearance on our street.
-You really do get tired of people asking when you're baby is due, what you're having and then saying that you are so much bigger than the last time they saw you. (And FYI- the barber from yesterday predicts it's a boy!)
-Pregnant + hot weather = swollen feet Did I already say that??
-Sleep is rated way too highly.
-Having The Muffin fall asleep with her head on my belly makes me want to freeze time.

Second Post of the Day

And this, is the three year old girl that I love. Notice how the flip flops are way too big?? That's the way she likes them. Oh, and they don't match?? She likes it that way, too. She actually has shoes that match this dress and they used to be her favorite flip flops because they are also too big and Callie gave them too her. With her birthday came new shoes and tons of new clothes. I have a feeling she'll soon pick a favorite article of clothing to replace the "hot pink pants"...stay tuned.Now, back to the post.

So, The Muffin had a fun and exciting party. I wasn't up for a big party with friends, so we had a little party with only family. It nearly did me in. Not that it was elaborate or anything, but I'm pregnant and tire easily. Her closet is full and I need to sort through all of her summer clothes from last year and decide what to keep and what to consign...the same thing for Baby Ellie (assuming that "it"is in fact a girl!). Both girls have an abundance of clothes, so I've decided to keep the nice, Sunday clothes and my favorites and consign the things that I don't absolutely love. Tough decisions to make!

Today, The Muffin and I went to Kindermusik and then went to the barber shop with the mommies and their boys. After that, we went out to lunch. The kids behaved well, but I'm pretty sure that the entire restaurant was happy when we left.

3 toddlers + 3 stay at home mommies that don't get out a lot = one rowdy table

I really needed time with my girlfriends and Maggie enjoyed going out with her boyfriends, too.

This week is sort of the calm before the storm for me! Next Monday The Muffin has a doctor's appointment at 1:30, followed by my (now weekly!!!) midwife appointment at 2:30. She usually naps from 1-3:00, so this should be interesting. On Tuesday we'll be going to our local hospital for her pre-op work and then she'll be having surgery on Thursday to remove the bilateral ventilation tubes in her ears. And did I mention that I'm a single mom during the week??? Big Daddy has offered to take time off work, but I'm going to try and do either Monday or Thursday on my own. My mommy-friend, April, has offered to help me on surgery day. She's pregnant with an almost three year old of her own, so we would probably just end up crouched together in a corner crying! Seriously. I'm praying that we'll go to the ENT on Monday and the tubes will have miraculously fallen out! The surgery to remove them is just as minor as inserting them was, but my baby is almost two years older and she's NOT going to like this whole experience at all. Having her taken away by doctors and nurses is not going to be easy on either of us. I'm hormonal and cry easily and she's...a drama queen.

The weeks from now until Baby E makes her (or his) appearance seem to be a blur of doctor and midwife appointments. That being said, I'm not going to be around much. I'm going to try and take a little more time for myself: put my feet up (Big Daddy's orders), nest and maybe pack up a few things for moving in the future. Big Daddy and I also have some decisions to make regarding our current living situation. I'm praying that our house will sell soon to make all of our decisions a little easier.

So, please say a prayer for The Muffin's surgery next Thursday. And then that I make it through all of these appointments without losing my mind or overdoing it. And pray that Big Daddy and I make decisions that are going to be best for us and our little, growing family. And pray that our houses sells soon.

The Baby Belly- Week 34

Our Baby-to-be is around 5 pounds now and approximately 18 inches long! I'm too lazy to take a real belly picture, so here's a shot from yesterday's party.

After three days of birthday preparation and celebration and time spent on my feet, they are swollen and I officially have no ankles or "cankles" as Big Daddy likes to say. I had two men at church ask me when my due date was. Men don't normally ask this, so I'm thinking that I have the "ready to pop" look or they noticed the way that I walk and my lovely "cankles". Either way, I understand why women say that they are ready to have their babies. I want Baby E to bake for the full 40 weeks, but I understand why expectant mommies say they are ready.

I had the oppurtunity to talk with the wife of our Associate Pastor for Families after our Sunday school class yesterday. I needed some advice on how to discusss omething with The Muffin. She had been praying over a dead caterpillar for a while and when she realized it was gone (the rain washed it away) she assumed that Jesus had raised it from the dead. I think her exact words were "it is risen, it is risen, the stone just rooolllllllled away"...or something like that. Since baking the resurrection biscuits she loves the Easter story. You should hear her version using a piece of turkey as the tomb and a slice of cheese as Jesus. Needless to say, she's brilliant and fascinating!

Anyway...after church yesterday we had lunch and then I prepped for the party. After everyone left, I loaded the dishwasher, washed a sink full of party dishes, swept, mopped, and vacuumed so that I wouldn't have so much to do today (as a single again parent). Then, we headed over to Big Daddy's friends' house for...male bonding, I guess. The Muffin played with her friend and I held the sweetest baby and chatted with the other mommy. Big Daddy and his friend went outside and played with guns. A good time was had by all, but we didn't leave until 8:30. We came home, tag-teamed The Muffin's bath and then I put her to bed. Big Daddy loaded the car for his week away and I tried to put my megaginormous feet up to reduce the swelling...and folded a load of laundry.

The Muffin has several new outfits and shoes, but she quickly picked out a dress for Kindermusik today with no drama. A picture and another post will follow later today.

Three

It's official, The Muffin is three years old!

She didn't sleep well last night and woke up early, so we started our celebration by cuddling in bed and singing "Happy Birthday". She even wanted us to sing to her feet!

After breakfast I hid her birthday presents around the living room for her to find.

I think her favorite was the "Glinda" B.arbie.

This is a thankful three year old!

We had a rough day due to lack of sleep and then Muff woke up after only an hour nap. Luckily, her "Gammy Gladys" came by with a few presents.

I had started baking cupcakes (chocolate) during naptime. After they cooled I put the pink (strawberry) frosting on and The Muffin sprinkled them.

Big Daddy and The Muffin went to the grocery store to get a couple of things that I needed to cook dinner. They surprised me with a dozen pink roses. I've had a very stressful and difficult week and these really made me feel better. The Muffin thought it would be nice if Glinda stood with the roses.

After dinner, we surprised The Muffin with a cupcake, complete with candles.

She loved it!

She ended her special day at a neighbor's birthday party. She was so tired and went fast to sleep after her bath and a little t.v.

And tomorrow, she'll be partying with some of my family. I think she's going to like being three!

Happy Birthday,Dear Muffin

At 12:28pm, you will officially be three years old, sweet Muffin!

Making your entrance! Your first picture!

Getting all cleaned up so that you could meet Daddy.

Your first full day at home and your first trip to Wal.mart at 4 days old. This is before the non-stop crying started.

Just a little bit about you now that you're three!!

Your favorite foods are asparagus, broccoli, lima beans, tomatoes, potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, corn dogs, chocolate, candy, ice cream, pomegranate, apples, Asian pears, red grapes, strawberries and cantaloupe.

You still love Slumbers, but have (just his week) rejected Hippopotamus and the pink bear that Gammy Gladys gave you for Easter.

You still love your "Baby Bop blanket" and stopped sleeping with the "Tigger blanket" in favor of your D.isney Princess sheet. Just this week you started sleeping on your regular pillow case in stead of your pillow sham.

You love church, learning and talking about Jesus and praying for people.

You love books and singing songs.

You love feeling Baby E kick and you talk about how your baby kicks and makes you have to pee.

I told you how baby's really come out.

You love to help and try to do everything just like me and Daddy.

You really enjoy taking showers with me when Daddy's not here for bath and I sort of love it too.

You love looking at pictures and telling dramatic stories about what you see.

At your naptime everyday, we cuddle and sing "Jesus Loves Me", "Jesus Loves the Little Children", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Deep and Wide" and "You Are My Sunshine".

I could go on and on and tell you for days and days how much we love you, but I'm not going to. You are so special to us and we love you more than words could ever say.

Sometimes I know exactly what you'll say or do or how you'll react to something and I feel like I know you so well. I look into your eyes and I see the sweet little girl that you are becoming and realize that here 's so much more to learn about you. Daddy and I love learning more about you everyday.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Child.