Messy days

Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.
~Anonymous

I am starting with a quote today because it suited yesterday. Yesterday was one of those days.  You know the kind, where nothing goes quite as expected and you just want to throw in the towel and start over.  Or hope it ends quickly so you can have a fresh start.  Ours started with this:

Apparently we forgot to said goodbye to Dad.  Being the great guy he is, he drove back by so he could wave bye from the door. Then he and the dog camped out for a while just to be sure he was really going to work. 

Once we (more me than we) I decided to help out dear old Dad with some of the mounting to-do list in the back yard.  I broke out the cans of stain and went to town on the swingset.  I got everywhere I could reach.  The bees were not happy with me.  Preston played quietly while I did this.  That should have been my first hint.  He was too okay with me taking away the swingset for the morning.  Once I came back up to the porch (covered in stain) I realized why.  He was very diligently emptying one of my planters of its dirt. Onto the porch. I needed a shower, so I left it, and got cleaned up. 

In the eyes of a three, almost four year old, I guess if your mom doesn't pay enough attention to your mess, you attempt to bring it to her.  I come out of the shower and find him bring the dirt in. Yep, in the house. So in order to teach him that it is a pain to clean up, I give him the vaccum. I am beginning to feel like I am telling another version of If you Give a Mouse a Cookie.

He thought the vaccum was great fun, and got nowhere with it.  So I took over. He had noticed at this point that I was drained and holding onto my patience by the tips of my toenails. He went out to the porch to make an attempt at sweeping the pile of dirt. he manages to spread it across the porch instead of the pile it was in. Sigh.  I know he is wanting to make it better.

So I get the house cleaned up and head to the porch. I take the broom and wound his pride, causing the new 'tude he has been testing out to emerge.  I had no patience for it. We were both outside telling one another that we weren't happy. I know, productive. Once I get the porch cleaned up, I sit down to catch my breath. He comes in to pee.

Not two minutes later he comes out shoulders shagging telling me he made a mistake. I didn't want to know. I just wanted to be able to go inside, make lunch and put him in his bed for rest time. Poor kid. He had tried to redeem himself by emptying the vaccum canister. our trash can has a swinging lid, and swung all the dirt onto the floor. Deep Breath. Another one.

Needless to say, his lunch was hot cereal and pretzels. Not balanced at all. Kind of like our morning. I was relieved when he was in his bed though.  It meant I got to sit. Which is huge these days.

After rest though, we were given a reprieve and were invited to the park by two sweet little girls, and so we packed some drinks and snacks and hit the road.  We are probably the slowest walkers in Broadway, but after 20 minutes, we made it, and all felt right again. He had a great time with his friends, and I got to have adult conversation.  The morning was swept under the rug and forgotten.

We came home and had dinner, and ended the day like this.

Sunlight streaming, exhausted from our day.

Hokie Bird and Cankles

What a great weekend!  It was perfect!  I got to see my younger sister, who got great news literally minutes after I arrived... I am going with that I am their good luck! I ate mexican Friday night at the fancy mexican restaurant that they have by them.  Best part? No heartburn from it!  I might need another one of those extra large burritos again soon.  Wonder if she will bring me one when she comes home this weekend...

We had great weather Saturday for VT's Spring game and festival.  Preston loved the festival, and had a great time. Even said that he had a great, really big day! While sitting in the tub after a long ride home he told me that there wasn't any parts of the day he didn't like.  I felt like high-fiving myself.  He is going through a very moody phase, and I don't recall him pouting at all until we had been in the car for close to two hours and no nap. 

The Spring festival is a new must for us.  It was ridicuously hot, but we got to see the Hokie Bird, and the Hokie Warriors.  Some kids that took a bunch of random items and made costumes that look a lot like robots. Then there was the Easter egg hunt... Not sure that we will try to do that again, as I feared that we might lose our child, but Preston managed to come away with one egg. After the eggs were all gone (in seriously 30 seconds) I paused and looked around at the chaos.  I noticed several kids crying looking for their parents.  It scared the daylights out of me, and I wanted to help them, but at the same time, I was running to keep up with my three year old.  Preston was happy with his lone egg and the Jolly Rancher and Chewy candy that it held. 

He is such a trooper.  We were on our feet and going from 11am until well after 3pm in the hot sun. He didn't whine or complain until he got hungry at sometime after 3:00.  So we got to see the new quarterback for a little, climb a thousand stairs, get slightly sunburned, and figure out that will cause me to start labor again! Once the belly started acting up, we hightailed out of there, and everything managed to settle once I cooled off.  I know what I am doing in two weeks though.  Finding a large amount of stairs and the hot sun.  maybe I should be a good wife though and wait until the day before Brandon's birthday... We'll see how miserable I am!

I will say though that if anyone goes to Blacksburg, and they run across my ankles, I am missing them dearly, and could they please bring them home.  I am not a fan of the cankles that I somehow swapped them out for. Thank you!

Bunny Hop

We are starting the morning with the bunny hop. I wish he would let me take his picture. One of the ears on the bunny headband has lost it's footing and is flopping. I told Preston it added character when he whined about them not working.

We had a quiet weekend, other than a quick party at Pump It Up, we didn't leave the house.  It was nice to be still. It felt like we didn't accomplish much, but now that I think about it, we got a lot done.

We weeded one of the flower beds. I say we, when it was really Brandon slaving over the weeds, and Preston and I did our best to distract. I think he even said that he attempted at planting grass in all the dead spots.  Our yard is the white trash of the neighborhood. It doesn't help that our neighbors keep theirs immaculate, making ours look that much worse!  I feel bad that I am not able to help out at all because I know Brandon is worn out from all the extra work inside and out. 

Saturday was a day of rain and rest.  Forced R&R. There were terrible storms that were laced with tornado warnings.  I saw on the news this morning that they did confirm a tornado south of us! Preston slept through the worst of it. Yes, I said slept!  The child took a NAP!!!! I don't know how it happened because I was asleep myself, Brandon must have the magic touch! He did it again on Sunday... Not sure what is happening around here, but two days in a row is huge!

Back to our accomplishments, we were lazy as they come.  We skipped bath Friday night because we were too busy with friends until after bedtime.  So we started the day with a bath.  I think this child will go to high school taking baths.  He is certain that he hates a shower.  Pretty sure he has only tried it once, but he is sure. While he swam in the tub, I managed to get up the wooden circles in the nursery!  I love them! It is exactly what I expected!

The biggest accomplishment of the day though was, we FINALLY decided on a name! Drum roll, please!!! We are going with Grant Richard. We broke the news to Preston, and his response? Nothing short of disappointment.  I think the words were "No, I don't like Grant." It has started. His protest to this baby. He informed us that he preferred Thomas.  Then William. Then Preston 2. He has no real reason for not liking Grant, just doesn't. Hope he gets over it, we had a hard enough time getting to Grant.

As for Sunday, we made it to church, almost on time. A birthday party, almost on time, and then home for naps. I did find the energy to pack up the china cabinet so it can be taken in to have the glass replaced that was sacrificed in a moment of growing independence several weeks ago. I didn't realize how many wine glasses I had. I have my favorites, and made sure to wrap those very carefully. So help me if I ever have to do it again for number two.

So maybe we did get a lot done this weekend.  Maybe we will get ready in time for this little brother, Grant. Baby steps. We are down to three weeks until operation delivery begins.  I have been eyeing the exercise ball in the basement.  I should probably find some time to clean up the strollers, so in three weeks, I can push Preston all over Broadway.  I still need a few things in the nursery, but they are on their way. 

Finishing this post with some T-Ball pictures. Had nothing to do with this weekend, but I had to add them.

Picnic Lunches

SO... I am a procrastinator, and typed this MUCH earlier in the week, and just uploaded pictures, so it is a little outdated, but I already had it written, so here it is!

Summer came for a visit yesterday, and it was lovely. Preston and I dressed in shorts, opened the windows, and did not set foot in the house until well after one o'clock. It was heavenly. The breeze was soothing and warm. He worked hard on dumping out sand that we just refilled in the turtle.  I worked on my tan. 

At some point he decided that he wanted to have Stud Lee take a bath with him, so he went out and started digging under the swing set, and dumped it on the back of the poor dog. Preston is crazy enough in the bath, don't think I will add the dog to the mix.

 


We even had a picnic for lunch.  Preston even wanted to eat early so that he could have a picnic. He spent most of lunch pointing out all the spots where "those crazy birds" pooped on his table. He did eat though without having to be begged or pleaded with.  I swear this kid is going through another growth spurt because he ate well at lunch after having two breakfasts. 

Then we topped the day off with swim lessons and T-Ball practice.  Swim lessons went a lot smoother than T-Ball, simply for the fact that by the time we got there he was spent.  The poor guy had a BIG day.  That much fresh air and activity would wear out anyone.  He only has one more swim lesson to go, and I am a little sad for him because he has loved it so much. He really loves playing in the water, and he even went under for the first time yesterday.  He had his ears completely in! He has been putting his face in like he has done it all his life, but never just gone straight down. His teacher asked him to touch the bottom, not sure if he made it, but he came back up sputtering.

We hightailed it home and encouraged vegging out in front of the tube, otherwise he would had been out running around, and wearing himself out completely before melting at practice. He did great for 90% of practice, but by the end he was a zombie.  He couldn't even focus on the pitcher while batting.  He is such a trooper, and I can't wait to see him on a day when he isn't beat. 

I just wish this kid would nap more so he isn't so tired on days like yesterday. I almost felt guilty sending him to preschool this morning. He melted twice before I got out the door because another kid knocked over the tower of blocks he built. I know part of it was that he had spring break last week and is out of his routine, but man, I felt like a meanie leaving him to figure it out!

It will be good to get back into routines though. He does best with routines. I am just so glad that the warm weather is coming back, slowly, but surely.  This has felt like such a long winter. We need some good outdoor time. 

Bet you can't find him!

So I have had a bunch of things that I have wanted to write about in the last week, but every day has been getting away from me! Funny how I seem to have less time now that I can't do anything...

Anyway, one of my favorite blogs challenged us to blog about five things, that we love and want more of, and five that we could use less of.  I am going to get the bad out of the way.  I am making them smaller to give them less importance...

I could definitely use less thirty to fourty degree days.  Especially the ones with snow involved. I am SO ready for warmer days spent in the backyard.

I am done with all the whining. I could use some more of the kind that doesn't involve the letter H, but I have 10 more weeks before my sangria and I meet again! The kind that wears you down and causes you to give into things that you don't want to.  It started as begging, and has turned to flat out whining.  At first I thought his sweet little face, pleading "Please, please, PLEEEAASSSEE" was cute, now it has just gotten old. I admit, I shouldn't have laughed the first time...

I could use less sitting and more action.  I mentioned breaking out a Prenatal Yoga DVD that I had yesterday and got shot down.  I feel like I am packing on the pounds, and there is nothing I can do about it.  I can't wait until the doctor gives me the all clear to have this kid, I will be walking all over town! Hopefully I can still walk at that point...

Laundry. 'nuff said.

Worry. I could do without some of this worry that I carry around. I worry so much about this baby.  I constantly wonder if he is moving enough, is he facing the right way, will I make it to term (6 more weeks,) will we agree on a name, will I be able to breastfeed, will his brother hate me for bringing him home, we will ever get his room done? I could go on...

Now for the good stuff.  My can't do withouts, what I want more, more, more of! Obviously, I want more 70 degree days. I would LOVE some 80 degree days.  When we had a great warm week, I bought a pair of capris.  They are still in the closet, yet to be worn.  Maybe I will turn the heat up and walk around the house in them!  Warm days seem to give me energy and the desire to do more. Even though I am not suppose to.  Doing more at this point would mean propping my feet up in the backyard.  At least it would be fresh air though. I love opening the windows in the spring, and letting out the staleness of winter.  It is cleansing.

Manicures. Of course pedicures, too. I got my first pedicure of the season last week.  I haven't gotten a manicure before, and it was wonderful. My fingernails look great.  I got a bright turquoise on my toes, in honor of Spring. I played it safe with my fingers though, and now wish I had a bright pink. I will have to get another one when this one is done.

Swim lessons.  Preston is taking swim lessons again this year. The difference this year is, he is LOVING them. He doesn't want to leave.  He has one this afternoon. I love watching from the sidelines at how much he enjoys doing what he is asked.  He really enjoys his teacher, and thinks it's funny that he knows two Brittany's.  I will have to charge the camera and take some pictures today. I tried last week and realized the battery was dead.

Late night/early morning cuddles. Early this morning (just before 5am) Preston came over to tell me he was wet. So we went and changed his pull-up.  Thank God I held out one more night, I almost suggested we try underwear last night.  He has woken up dry for a week straight. It is rare that he wets a pull-up anymore. Anyway- there is something magical about cuddling with this little boy in the middle of the night. He squeezes right up to you, and puts both hands together like praying, and puts them between the pillow and his cheek, and he looks like an angel.  It takes my breath away, and brings tears to my eyes.  I could lay there and look at him for hours hoping to never forget those moments. There are nights that I am awake and can't sleep, and I want to go lay with him, but I am  too afraid that it would wake him, and then I would be stuck when I am ready to go back to sleep!

Yes, I woke him to take these pictures...

Road trips. I am feeling stir crazy.  I don't know if it is because I have been on lock down, or because we had some warm days that are now just a memory, or if it is from my childhood of moving so often. I like to think that because I moved so often as a child it has given me a desire to go and explore.  Find new adventures, see what there is to see, do what there is to do. I almost booked a room for Saturday night in Charlottesville, just to do something different.  I then realized I had Sunday school the next day, and it would be cold, and so I decided to stay put. Instead, we had a good friend over that we haven't seen in a while, and he entertained us with new conversation. It was good.

So those are my fives. I have finally hit the 30 week point. For some reason I thought I would never get here, it always seemed so far away.  I feel like I am in the the home stretch now. My doctors will give me permission to have this child in 6 weeks!  I am sure that now that we have had our scare this baby has settled in and will stay put for 12 weeks.  I am counting down the next six weeks though. It can't pass soon enough. Mainly because that will remove 90% of my worry.  I will know that this baby won't have a long road ahead of him when he comes.  That he will be big enough to hold his own. So, I am dilegently working on his room, as much as I can.  What I am not able to do, Grandma has picked up the slack.  Thank goodness she has helped as much as she has.  Otherwise we might still have all the furniture in the middle of the room waiting for paint! All his clothes are clean and hung thanks to her, too! Now if we could just get some warm weather so that we can get the yard ready before this baby takes over...

Limbo

So I have neglected this. Mainly because I just want to move on. However, I am not allowed, I am stuck in this state of limbo. I want to get on with life, and spring, and everything else that comes with a three year old.  I am stuck because my doctors don't want me having this baby at 28, or now 29 weeks. I am going to tell this one last time, and hopefully it will help me move on...

Last week I started having some cramping in my stomach, and it got the point late Thursday/early Friday that I started writing down times, and they were happening every five to ten minutes.  I guzzled as much water as i could find, and things settled down. I felt run down, but promised myself to take it easy that day. I even took a nap.  After I woke up and started getting ready for the evening (I don't remember what I did) I started cramping consistently every five minutes.  They weren't painful in the slightest, just annoying. I was thinking Braxton Hicks. I called my doctor and they wanted to see me, and to be there in an hour, HA, good one! So I rushed out the door, and of course got stuck in an accident before even reaching Harrisonburg. I called the doctors office, informed them that I would not be making it, and they told me to go to labor and delivery at the hospital...

I DID NOT want to go to the hospital. I wanted to turn around and go home.  So I did the next best thing, I called a good level headed, non-panicky friend.  I had Brandon and Preston with me, so we drove to her house, if for no other reason than for her to tell me it was fine, and we could hang out for a little. Well, she played the "it wouldn't hurt to be checked" card, and Preston can stay here and play. Okay, fine, I decided to go, still feeling a little ridiculous because whatever was happen didn't hurt in the slightest, and wasn't even lasting a full minute each time.  So we get to the hospital, fill a cup, put on their silly gown, and settled in. The nurse confirmed contractions, had the doctor do the same, and then proceeded to give me a little cocktail that put me to sleep.  I wish it had tasted better... After a cat nap of who knows how long, they woke me in a panic, and wanted to check me. Being groggy, I was slightly annoyed.  I remember being annoyed at Brandon too because while napping he kept pacing around the bed.  I later found out it was because he was watching my labor speed up.  The doctor checked me, and here is where I sobered up.  I had started dialating. She immediately starts handing out instructions to ship me off to UVA where they are more prepared to handle a 27 week and 5 day baby. I woke up very quickly and starting telling everyone I saw, just do whatever you need to, make this stop.  I am NOT having this baby tonight.

They sent Brandon on his merry way to UVA, and started pumping me with whatever they could find.  They stuck me in an ambulance and off we went.  I was panicked, I don't think I said five words the whole way.  All I could think was that I didn't even give Preston a hug and kiss before we left Teresa's.  I knew he was fine, and sound asleep, but I felt terrible, his world was about to be rocked if I had this baby.  They got me in a room, and hooked me up to a bazillion more monitors, and told me to relax.  Right, on it. At some point, I fell asleep, and everything stopped. I woke up around four Saturday morning, and watched the monitor, and nothing was happening, all had stopped.  I was relieved.

Through that night, I had been told things like, get comfortable, you may be here until you have this baby, it might be tonight, it might be 80 days.  They told me that they had a great NICU, and that my baby would be fine if born right then.  They said he was breach and if things didn't settle down I was going to have a C-section. Thank God for all the drugs in my system helping to numb me.  Thinking about all of that now scares me.

I thought I was done, and so I would get to go home, well to make an already LONG story short, they locked me up until Monday. Three days.  This is the longest I have ever been away from Preston. He came to visit every day, but he didn't understand me in a hospital bed, and wanted little to do with me. I missed him like one would miss their right leg. I so wanted him to climb up in the bed and sit and cuddle with me. I held out hope for when I came home.  Even then he was standoffish and almost nervous around me, it sucked, bad. I was on lock down, and couldn't do a lot with his busy self anyway.

Brandon, thankfully, was able to stay with us all week last week, and was a huge help.  It has been the biggest adjustment for him.  Duties have shifted, and it has been hard to let go.  Things are slipping, but slip away, I don't want this baby here yet. He has more growing (and some flipping) to do. Today is our first day back to normal.  Meaning, Brandon is at work, and Preston and I are going to figure it out. Thankfully it is going to be a gorgeous day, and we have new sand in the sandbox. I am going to paint my toenails while he builds castles.  Cross your fingers that I can reach them okay.

I will remain in limbo for now, I will be given the all clear in 7 weeks.  I suspect in that time this baby will settle in, and decide to stay until I need to be induced. Which would be fine, but I hate the constant worry I carry that I might over do it, and land myself back in that nightmare. I so want to move on, and get back to normal. I want to be able to walk to the park, and run and play in the warm weather, and chase after Preston on his bike.  I guess I will have to settle for watching him from my lounge chair in the back. I am going to remind myself that it could be worse. I could be pumping and driving over to Charlottesville daily to see a premature little boy. This is better.

What's in a Name?

We have finally begun work on the nursery.  Preston prefers to take all the credit.  He did a great job don't you think?!

I am hoping/praying/crossing my fingers that the chair rail goes up today, and that maybe, just maybe the person cutting out circles for me calls and tells me they are ready!  I am stressing about this room because I know what weekends I have available between now and June 5th and I know there is one.  Maybe two.  Next week we are off to the Homestead for Brandon's sales conference, and then there is April, that will be consumed with the consignment sale.  Once it is over, I will have two weeks before Operation Delivery begins.  I am determined to have this baby early, even if only by one day like his older brother. 

There is also the whole, find a name for this child that is the perfect name, that I will be happy with for the rest of his life, deal.  I would like to put his name on the wall in wooden letters, but I need one first.  Brandon and I are not on the same page when it comes to names.  We prefer completely different styles. I am working on acceptance, and trying to be open to his ideas. I admit this is a fault of mine.  I am pretty good about getting stuck on ideas, and not budging.  I blame my mom for this.  I am her daughter.

I am sure that we will figure it out, and find a perfect name, but in the meantime, I am going to continue to lay awake at night.  Mainly because I am reaching the point of no return- meaning I am just plain uncomfortable, no matter what.  I feel like this point came a lot later with Preston though.  I thought I didn't reach misery until the last month with him, does anyone remember?  I still have 12.5 weeks (yes, I have started counting!) It will be less than that though.  I WILL have this baby early, even if only by a day.  I have convinced myself that if I put that out there enough, it will happen! So keep your fingers crossed for me!