March Madness

My camera is MIA right now, so another post with no pictures. Sorry.

I think I am the ONLY person in Indiana who HATES basketball. I especially feel this way when there is nothing on my 29348987 channels but basketball. GAG! Thank God for the Discovery Channel!

March is zooming by us and April is almost here - which means May isn't too far behind which scares me! Baby2 is supposed to cook until the end of May but I keep getting a bad feeling that he's going to come early. I hope not!

Madeline seems to be growing by leaps and bounds...every day something new comes out of her mouth and she's learned some new skill. She really truly JUMPED for the first time at her friend Fintan's house so that was pretty exciting! Yesterday the whole family walked to the creek to feed the invisible crab who lives there. On the way back Madeline informed us that she was a "Bumblebee-ah" and started doing this weird chicken walk whilest flapping her arms. Steve and I could barely contain ourselves. I don't know where on earth that came from.

She's doing GREAT in her big girl bed. She's gotten out twice and each time received a VERY stern warning from Steve or I that that is not acceptable and ONLY mommy or daddy gets her out of bed. It's worked well and she's hasn't gotten out in over 2 weeks. I really hope that continues well because it would give me all kinds of heebs if I ran into her one night wandering around upstairs. eek! I know that the arrival of baby2 may make this harder, but she is usually very good at obeying and we've tried to keep her routine as constant as possible.

She's also getting at least one of her two -year molars. We are going to the Dentist on Tuesday so we'll see if she can see any more. I don't like sticking my fingers in the back of her mouth and she doesn't much care for it either. I think that's been the source of her waking at night, and really really hope that passes soon because Steve and I are very very tired.

Pottying is going great! She rarely has an accident and does well going potty wherever we are. (She recently got to try out the child-sized potty at Children's Museum which she loved. Why don't they have those everywhere??? :) She loves picking out her undies in the morning and is still only wearing Pull Ups at night. (Oh how my wallet loves not buying diapers!!!)

My little trooper also endured one of her first real injuries this morning. We were all snuggling in our bed and somehow she got BOPPED with an elbow. She started crying really hard so Steve took her into the bathroom right away to check her out. Sure enough - bloody nose! Once she saw that in the mirror I think that wigged her out more than the pain. Steve held her while I tried to pinch her little nose with a cool cloth. Steve was cool as a cucumber - I was all spaz inside but mostly kept my cool while telling her that sometimes when you play you get hurt, and that accidents happen. I can just see her telling someone at church or playgroup "Daddy hit me!" lol! She was very concerned that she was getting Daddy "wet" when she saw the blood all over his shirt. We were able to stop the bleeding fairly quickly and she calmed down a lot. All in all she didn't even cry much more than a minute. She's always taken spills and knocks very well which she MUST get from her father. She's a tough cookie which I have to admit surprises me. I was FAR more rattled by the whole thing than she was.

Our days are ticking down as a family of three and I find tears pricking my eyes more than ever before. I know that having a sibling will be good for her,but there's still a part of me that feels like I'm robbing her of something. : ( I never had the experience of a new sibling coming home from the hospital so I don't exactly know a lot about it. I guess it's one of those things you just do on a wing and a prayer!

Daddy's Little Girl

A few weeks ago, I was invited by some friends to join in their roadtrip to Greenville, SC. One of my former students lives there as well as one of my closest friends from college. (They actually live in the same condo complex right across the street from each other - odd I know!) I was hesitant to go for lots of reasons.

1) Steve would have to take time off work to watch Madeline
2) I'm 30 weeks pregnant
3) I would have to miss her sibling prep class at the hospital
4) I hate hate hate being away from them

Steve kept encouraging me to go - that I "deserved" it and all that... a last hoorah before baby2 is here - yada yada.... so I hesitantly agreed to go. As I shared my plans with friends and others everyone was just amazed that Steve "could" or "would" take care of Madeline by himself for 3.5 days. This really took me back.

First of all - I do it every day - it's not "rock science." (as Paris Hilton would say) Yes I don't pull an "all day" shift by myself, but from 7 to about 6 I take care of her "all by myself." I don't see anyone falling over dead at that prospect.

Second of all - my husband is not 5 years old. He is fully aware of "how" to take care of a 2 year old. YES Madeline can be trying, YES it's exhausting at times, but that doesn't mean he can't do it. She's not really a Mommy or Daddy's girl and we've worked hard to make it that way. She's had her phases where she prefers one of us (usually him) over the other - but they pass and we make sure that both of us "know" what her currant phases/needs are.

Third - It's good for both of them! I get to be with her alllllll day almost every day. I know she must get tired of my ugly mug! Daddy plays different, Daddy feeds her different, Daddy disciplines her different - tell me it's not good for her to have a few days of all Daddy all the time!

Am I being naive? Is it really such an AMAZING prospect that my husband would WANT to take care of his child for 3 days? Don't get me wrong - I am soooooo thankful for it - and for him in general. I don't have a "typical" husband who comes home from work, turns on the game, and doesn't even acknowledge his family (but, are there really husbands like that anymore??) - he loves coming home and playing with Madeline. He's not in the door one second before she has a list of things for them to do together. After a quick change of clothes, he's 100% focused on her
until she goes to bed - which, gasp, he does 99% of the time. He is a gentle giant with her - focused and loving, but not "afraid" to discipline her when she needs it.

I guess I was just surprised at how many people asked me who was going to "watch" Madeline while I was gone - as if my husband couldn't possibly be an option.

The best part is - he FILLED her days with fun stuff to do. They went to the car wash, the library, the Childrens Museum (which was packed from what I understand), her sibling prep class, church, long walks, and much playing in the yard. It wasn't some type of Disney movie marathon ; )

I guess, shocking or not, I'm so proud to have a husband who is willing to get into the child-rearing as much as I am.

Fee Fii Fo Fum

So here I am in all my 30 week glory. I am going to try to dig up some pics of me at 30 weeks with Madeline but I know I am MUCH bigger this time round.

I have entered that "I can't stop eating all day long" phase. But especially over the last week my uterus has grown so much that my stomach feels totally squished so my meals are small but constant.

I still want breakfast food all of the time and anything chewy... My feet hurt a lot and nosebleeds are pretty common, especially if I get the least bit stressed out. Meanwhile baby2 has gotten a lot more "human" in his movements. Instead of just random pokes and bumps I feel an entire arm or foot slide across my tummy. This morning he woke me up tickling my entire left side. Sigh. My favourite thing to do is spoon Steve so that the baby kicks him in the back. Hee Hee misery loves company right?

The nursery is almost finished. It just needs curtains and a few finishing touches and then it'll be ready for our little pirate!

Music to Push by

So as the time draws closer to D-Day, I am doing what many other soon to be moms are doing - nesting, preparing the laundry, buying clothes for the baby (which thanks to the GRANDMAS) I haven't had to do too much of. : ) and preparing my push list. I didn't have music on the first time I was in labour. I had Wheel of Fortune on (why that is so vivid I don't know). But this time around I'd like to try some music. There seems to be two schools of thought on this - soothing, yoga-esque music or workout music. I can see the rational behind both.

For some reason I was thinking of songs I did NOT want to be on the playlist - say like "Big Spender" by Peggy Lee or "London Bridge" by Fergie. Tee heeee...... so what else should NOT be on my playlist?

I work all night, I work all day

Most days Madeline asks about Daddy and where he is during the day. I always try to use it as a time to remind her that Daddy doesn't leave us because he wants to, but because he has to. I want her to know that it's because of Daddy's hard work, that Mommy gets to stay home with her.

This morning we all three had a conversation before Daddy left for work.

Steve: "Ok, Daddy's going to work!"
Me: "Why does Daddy have to work Madeline?"
Madeline: "To make money! Make money Daddy!"
Me: "Why does Daddy have to make money?"
Madeline : "So we can EAT!"
Me: "That's right! Daddy brings home the--"
Madeline "BACON!"

Out of the mouth of babes