Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sharing Stuff

Yesterday was Earth Hour. One hour in the evening you shut all of the lights off in your house.

I convinced Brian to shut the lights off, but couldn't convince him to shut the computer down or turn off the t.v.

We were late starting by half an hour.

We had scheduled a two hour Prison Break marathon at 9:00p.m.

Precisely when we shut the lights off.

As I hurried getting ready for bed to watch the show, I went into the dark bathroom and felt around for my toothbrush. I came up with both Brian's and my own. I took them to the window at the back of the house to try and tell who's was who's.

Mine being the purple one, was lighter.

I brushed my teeth while he cursed at not being able to see while he shut up the house for the night.

He came to brush his teeth and I handed him the dry tooth brush.

"How do you know this one is mine?"

"First of all, because I'm awesome and second of all, because I checked in the light of the moon from the window. I'm smart like that" 

"I don't trust you. You know how gross I think sharing tooth brushes is"

"What difference does it make now? I already brushed my teeth, and even if I was wrong, you aren't using mine. Plus, I'm awesome and checked in the moon light. Want me to show you?"

"No, I will just be smarter and check by the light of the fridge door being opened."

"Seriously? You are that worried about it? Here, look, I have them in the moonlight again. See, mine is the lighter one, the purple...
Um, wait, why does the purple kind of look neon green in this light?"

"Because you are not awesome and you used MY TOOTHBRUSH!! You know how sick I think that is. 
gag- I think I just puked in my mouth. Thanks."

"I'm sorry. If you are really that grossed out, just run it under some really hot water and sterilize it. I think that works. If not, whatever, I am sure you have had more disgusting things in your mouth."

"I hate you"

True story. He didn't find it funny.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Fa La La La La

I have been a bad blogger, I know. I have all these big ideas for posts and then I start to write them but just end up leaving the page open for hours on end. Nothing good to say, no good stories to tell, not even any pictures. Then the sun started shining and the snow started melting(ish) and all of a sudden I magically started to notice funny things again and pick up my camera again, and well, that may result in the worlds longest post. Just a little disclaimer.
:: The diaper situation has not been resolved. It hasn't gotten worse, but it still hasn't gotten better either. We talk to her about why she needs to keep her clothes on and why she can't take her diaper off. She nods and says ok, as though she gets it, but 15 minutes later, when we check again - naked. I am not opposed to duct tape, we just don't have any. I WILL get some.
:: Potty training... we have started, very slowly. She loves it - thinks sitting on the "pobby" is fantastic. We have had very little success with her actually going on the potty, but we have also had very few accidents, which to me almost feels like a win. Plus, Missy can hold her bladder, and as my friend Stacey told me, that's not something you can teach, so again, feels like a win.
:: The little 19month vocabulary is steadily growing. Her cognition is visible. We say it to her, she watches and nods and smiles and copies. Whenever the situation arises again, she says it without being prompted. She dumps her water on the floor then yells "MESS" at me. Today she was quietly eating her bowl of soup in the kitchen while both Brian and I were in the living room. We heard a crash and got up to see what it was. Turned out she wasn't quietly eating, she was quietly throwing handfuls of soup all over the place, the crash was her bowl hitting the floor. We both gasped and rushed at her. This is what she said: "MESS, yucky, down." While showing us her hands that were clearly "yucky". It was bad and hilarious at the same time. We hid our laughing faces from her so as to be stern, but it was hard. Her total awareness that it was a mess, it was yucky and she did want to get down was clear.  I am trying to sensor myself but honestly, I am not that good at it. I have tried to start saying "what the mother of crap"... I figure that is less offensive should she ever copy it, which I know is inevitable.
:: Elmo has become a bit of a big deal around here. We watch clips on YouTube and we bought her an Elmo doll, which she sleeps with, hugs, kisses and carts around the house. We skyped with my dad and she all of a sudden started singing Elmos song. Which for her went something like hmmm hm hmm hmmm hmm Melmo Melmo Melmo hmmm hm hm.
Elmo even gets to be in on snack time

:: the Rubber Boots. Behold the greatest purchase of the year:


They are a size too big so she had trouble maneuvering them in the beginning, always tripping over the toes, but shes mostly figured them out now. Everyone we meet on the street that makes eye contact with her, she lifts her foot for and exclaims "BOOPS!!". She loves them.
:: She also loves puddles.
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:: She also loves putting her hands in the puddles and then sucking the water off them.
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:: St Patricks Day came along and we realized that due to the fact someones wardrobe seriously lacks in the green department, she had to spend the day dressed as an '80s aerobics instructor.
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But she did get to splash in some snowy slushy puddles, so she didn't care.
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Spring is coming. I am not discounting the fact that it could snow at any given second around here, but I have been praying to the sun gods that it will just stay nice for a little while longer, in hopes that the "little while longer" will get us through to April, then on into May. I am not opposed to sun dances either. We are wearing less coats and more vests and lighter hats and no mitts. We go for walks in running shoes rather than boots and we wear sunglasses. We open windows and let the dust get stirred up. We also see a whole lot more dust with the sun shining in. I, for one, let the dust stay where it is, cuz when the sun is shining, this mama is getting her ass outside. We busted out the wagon yesterday and took a stroll in it... the way Maizey sat all perfect and still in it with a big grin on her face, you would've thought she was Miss. Revelstoke riding atop the float in the parade in a pretty white dress and gloves. She could not have been happier. Soon it will be bbq's, bocci, gardening and grass.We are more than ready.

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Stonger Tape

So we are having this... I dunno, I hesitate to call it an issue... this... situation... occurrence... happening... in our house right now. Its been going on for about a month or so. I guess it could be called an issue, since three times now it actually has been an issue... I posted awhile ago about the crazy scenes we come into when we check on Maizey at night - one leg out of her sleeper, two legs, one arm, her diaper half off and so on. Then she started actually taking her p.j's totally off. Then she started taking her diaper all the way off too. Now, she won't keep either her p.j's or her diaper on, any night or morning. We find it really cute and hilarious and I take a picture of my tiny little naked girl asleep in her bed cuddling Elmo and her blankets all the time. We just get her re-dressed before we go to bed, or as many times as we find her naked before we go to bed, and we almost always wake up to a mostly naked Missy. Its not a big deal that shes naked... I always envisioned a naked toddler. Its the messes that are a big deal. It doesn't always happen, in fact, it's quite rare for there to be a mess in her bed, but when there is... its not cool. And you know why? Because out of all the naked nights and mornings, shes only peed the bed twice. Its the other mess that's bad and not funny. Its gross. Three times, that's all. But all three times, its been only me home and me that has to clean it up. Not that it would be better if Brian were home to do the clean up, it needs to not happen at all... I'm just saying, it would be easier for me. I have heard (what I consider to be) horror stories of kids taking their diapers off and playing in it, so I guess it could be worse, but none the less, its gross.
A few weeks ago we started looking for ways to get her to stop doing it, but she's outsmarted us every time. At first, she couldn't get out of two piece p.j's, so she wore them every night... till she figured them out. Next we tried putting her sleepers on backwards - genius, right? Only for two nights. Then BAM, figured that out too. Then we tried taping the diaper on, since that's really the big deal. Again, two nights was all that lasted, now we find pieces of tape all over her bed, stuck to Elmo's head, the bars and her blankets. I know now that I don't need to go on that show Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader. I'm not even smarter than an eighteen month old.
I think stronger tape (i.e DUCT tape) is our next option. Besides getting her potty trained.
Any suggestions?

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Pregnancy Bump...In The Road

I don't always have the easiest time admitting it when things change. I am fully aware of my capabilities and limitations and of myself. I am honest about what I can do, want (or not) to do, and what I am still learning to do. I very rarely think I can't do something. When I am physically unable to do something, I first think about a way around it, then either continue or pass it off to Brian. Take shoveling the driveway right now, for example. The banks are too high on both sides for me to throw the snow over them (thank you short genes), or atleast even get it to the top. So with every shovel full, I get all that snow, plus what comes with it, back on the ground a few feet in front of me. I don't mind doing the shoveling at all, so I tried another way... shovel it all to the end of the driveway, onto the street and let the plow take it away. It sounded good in theory, but honestly, it's SO heavy and we aren't guaranteed that the plow is going to make it down our street. So, I handed all the shoveling duties off to Brian. He respectfully declined, and now our driveway hasn't been shoveled for the last three snows. Whatever, I was told a long time ago to choose my battles wisely. I am okay with knowing that I can't shovel right now... there are plenty more winters to come where I will do my fair share. That being said, I don't love admitting that I can't do it, and seeing that it needs to be done and knowing that I can't go do it.
Yesterday I met my first pregnancy related limitation. I didn't love learning this lesson, even a little bit. I have kept up my 5 day a week (usually) workout regime since I found out about Swarly. I admit I was nervous to do much, but once I saw it was fine, I was fine. So far I have maintained pretty much the same intensity I always did. I was feeling proud and strong. Then yesterday happened. Stacey wanted to do some squats. Jump squats. So we came up with this pyramid structure... she does one, I do one, she does two, I do two, etc etc, until 10, then come back down, she does nine, I do nine, she does eight, I do eight. We have done it before with push ups and it was awesome. I made it up to the 10... then I had to lay on the floor and let the sick feeling pass. I needed water and a break. After 55 squats. I can't remember the last time that happened.
It was a very rude awakening.
Yes, I stopped and let it pass. And no, I did not continue at the same intensity. But, I did feel ridiculous and weak. I had both Brian and Stacey assuring me I was neither of those things, so I was thankful for that. But it was still hard on my head, to have it happen. It's easy to see the physical changes going on - any random person can see it, its not as easy for my head to admit it. Or give in to it. I like being capable of anything I want, that's how I roll. So this? Not cool, okay?
I finished my work out yesterday and didn't cry (right now, I totally consider that a win). I will take it down a notch next workout. I will remember that my body is growing a baby, its not in training for a marathon (well a running marathon, anyways) and that that is hard work. I will be kind to it and appreciate that I am strong and capable and this doesn't mean I'm not. It just means that things are changing and I have to go with it.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Swarly

About 6-ish weeks ago I was sweeping the floors. It was a very very snowy day in January. I felt the need to open all the windows wide just to get some air and ease the crazy hot flash I was experiencing.

What the mother of crap is going on? Menopause? So young? Seriously? Oh my effing god, am I pregnant?? Yes, yes I am. I think. Am I? Let me do the math. For real? How did this happen? So, uh, Bri, I think I'm pregnant. 

And that's pretty much how our conversations went for the next two days until I did, in fact confirm, that yes, I was (and am) pregnant!!! Those conversations have changed now to yayyy, I'm pregnant!! Bri, we're going to have another little baby, yayyy! 

Our little family is about to become four. September 25th is our official due date... two years and one month between Maizey and this little one, who from here on in will be referred to as Swarly. No, that name is not in the running to be an actual name, its just a funny name that we got off of How I Met Your Mother. I had an ultrasound on February 18th that confirmed there is only one little Swarly in there, and that he/she was approximately 23mm long. We could see little arm and leg buds and a little flickering heart beat.


 Now for the kicker. I am 11 weeks along. When I was pregnant with Maizey I diligently took monthly photos of my belly. The first 5 months of photos there was very little change in my belly size... just a big change in the rest of my body size. Believe me, it was not awesome to hear people say 'ohhh I couldn't even tell" when I was 6 months along and 20 pounds heavier. This time, I don't think that will happen. Here's why:


The left photo is Maizey in my belly at around (edited to say) 9 weeks. The right photo is Swarly at around (edited to say) 10.5 weeks. So I know its not that far along, despite me looking really far along... its alright with me, as long as it stays belly!!!
I loved being pregnant last time, although the hot summer almost killed me. I am looking forward to all of it again.

(and p.s. I don't need anyone to explain how this happened. I know how this happens... I just don't KNOW how this happened! if you know what I mean!!)