And Just Like That........

I suddenly have two mornings a week with no children in the house for the first time in four years.  Today was the first day that they both went to school, and I have to say, even though I know this free time will only last about 10 more weeks, I really didn't know what to do with myself, other than to watch the clock and wait until 12:45 when I had to go pick them up.  I did manage to get the bathrooms cleaned and four loads of laundry folded and put away in peace and quiet!  And then on Thursday, I have a midwife appointment; plus I have a nursery to put together and decorate, so I know I'll find stuff to do with myself ;)!

Hattie is a pro at the school stuff and had no problem at all on her first day.  She was all smiles and "Miss Social Butterfly!"  Mary Ellen did fine when I dropped her off, but then I heard her crying while I was still in the building.  She stopped after about 5 loooong minutes.  Then I left, to leave on a good note!   The director of the preschool called me around 11 a.m. to tell me she was a happy camper, playing, and there had been no more tears.  I think I needed to hear that!

I am so proud of my girls who were both smiley and happy to see me when I picked them up at 12:45.  First Day of School 2010 - a HUGE success!

Sunday Best

Don't they look like angels?  Then why are they so mean in church?!?!

Every Sunday we wake up and get ready early to make it to our church's 9 a.m. mass because that is the only mass where nursery is offered.  A big part of me feels like the girls should go to church with us every Sunday.  How will they ever learn how to act in church if they don't go?  But nine times out of ten when we skip nursery, or they cancel it, and we take them into church with us, we wind up regretting our decision by the time the priest gives the homily.  Hattie is pretty good, though she gets antsy, but at least she's a quiet antsy.  At 4, she knows how to behave for the most part.  It's Mary Ellen who is our little trouble-maker - she's nearly two, afterall!  She loves to be loud and point.  She loves to get others' attention and make them smile.  We usually end up in the narthex or cry room with her, missing most of what the priest is saying.

One thing I have learned, though, over the 4 years that I've been taking kids to church with me, is that less is more.  I use to load up on snacks and juice and books and toys.  All of this would entertain little minds and fingers for about 15 minutes, and then they would find it more entertaining to throw said books and toys.  Crumbs would wind up all over the floor and juice spilled or leaked all over the pew.  Now when we go and take the kids, we bring nothing but an extra diaper and wipes (just in case!).  Somehow that has cut down on a lot of the noise and movement, but we are still definitely working on how to act like little angels in church!  And I know adding a third isn't going to make this job any less challenging ;).

Random Summer Shots & Thoughts

I can't believe summer is almost over.  If you had asked me two weeks ago if I was ready for the summer to be over and for the girls to start school, I would have said, "No way!  We're having too much fun!"  However, last week, the dog days of summer kicked in - and so did the heat! - and I am READY FOR SCHOOL to start ;).  Hattie is READY FOR SCHOOL to start!  Mary Ellen has no clue what's coming with MDO, and I have to admit, I'm a little sad to send her.  She's my baby, but I know I will enjoy the two mornings a week, kid free, to go to midwife appointments as those are about to get more frequent with the 3rd trimester and to start decorating baby boy's nursery of which I have done nada.

Overall, this summer has flown by, minus the last week of it.  We've enjoyed lots of trips to the pool & playing outside in the mornings before the mosquitos and heat get too bad.

We've had popsicles in the bathtub.

We've had numerous playdates.  We've gone to Chickfila one too many times.  Been to the library to checkout books about a dozen times, and we've played dress-up almost every day. 

Hattie woke up from naptime and begged me to be a kittycat one afternoon.  I obliged.  And of course, whatever big sister wants, little sister wants, too! :)

We went to Splashway (located in the middle of nowhere but loads of fun) one day, Kemah another day, and Galveston beach yet another.

We celebrated Hattie's 4th birthday and will celebrate Mary Ellen's 2nd birthday in a week {sniff, sniff}.

And I've been reminded over and over again how blessed I am to have this life with these beautiful children and this hunkiness of a man! :)

But now, this mom is tiiired!  And summer couldn't be ending at a better time.  I know the heat will last long after school starts, but it'll be nice to spend the 3rd trimester of this pregnancy a little more relaxed and low-key.  I think I just might nap through the fall before things get crazy again with the birth of our son and then the holidays!  But, I think, as Robert Frost says, "I have miles to go before I sleep."  Life's not gonna slow down for this worn-out preggo!  But the blessings are definitely worth the time and energy.  100% worth it!

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails..........

Hello Lover!

My reference to Carrie Bradshaw in the title has nothing to do with the perfect pair of shoes.  Rather, the thing that provokes such passion in me at the moment is the perfect sandwich.

Hello Lover!

I am at the point in my pregnancy where I eat everything in sight.  The middle trimester is when I pack on the pounds, which can only be blamed on my insatiable hunger, which can only be blamed on the growing baby in my belly.  While I'm eating breakfast, I'm thinking about lunch.  While I'm eating lunch, I'm dreaming about the perfect snack to eat while the girls are napping, ect. Right now, as I type this, I'm eating some Paula Dean homemade mac-n-cheese that I made earlier.  It's bad.  And how bad it is doesn't quite hit me until the nurse asks me to get on the scale at the doctor's office at the start of every check-up.  You pregnant veterans know the drill.  The nurse marches you right up to the scale in the middle of the busiest intersection of the doctor's office where tons of other people are around to glance at your ginormous number on the scale.  Then if that isn't bad enough, the nurse calls out that number as if she's calling out a to go order at a noisy restaurant.  Humiliating.  Way worse than all the blood that's drawn and cups that are peed in during pregnancy IMO!

I have been spared that humiliation this pregnancy, thank goodness!  This time, at the midwives office, run by women (key phrase!), you get to discreetly go into the bathroom and get your own weight.  Then you deduct however many pounds you think is water weight (3-4 lbs ;)!) before you discreetly tell the nurse your weight when y'all get to your examining room.  I love it!  Takes the edge off the shame of packing on the pounds.

I do try to watch it, though.  With Hattie, I gained 40 lbs.  I think with your first, you eat whatever you want because you think you can.  For me, eating constantly helps with the nausea in the beginning.  But it's what I ate with her that made all the difference.  I wisened up with Mary Ellen and, while I still ate a ton, I stuck to healthier options and only gained 25 lbs.  I am shooting for that 25 lbs. again.  Am definitely trying to watch it.  Not sure how I can come to terms with typing that while I eat Paula Dean's mac-n-cheese, but still.  25 lbs.

So back to that sandwich.  With all of my pregnancies, the number one thing I have consistently craved is sandwiches.  I love them when I'm pregnant.  LOVE THEM.  The only difference is that I crave one specific thing in the sandwiches that I don't usually want on my sandwiches when I'm not pregnant with each specific pregnancy.  Does that big run-on make sense?  Like with Hattie, it was tomato.  If you know me at all, you know I pretty much hate tomatoes, but I loved them and had to have them on every sandwich I ate when preggers with my first born.  With Mary Ellen, it was avocado.  I like avocado in general, but just normally don't put it on my sandwiches.  When pregnant with her, though, I had to have it on every single sandwich I made; otherwise, the sandwich wasn't worth making.  With this one, it's mayo.  I am usually a mustard girl when it comes to sandwiches, but these days, all I want is gobs and gobs of mayo slapped on the bread.  Not good for keeping the weight at 25 lbs., though, I know, but that's what it is.   So that's my weird craving story that I'll probably forget if I don't write it down. ;)

And the sandwich story does have a more meaningful point that I wanted to make: We find out this Thursday, in two days, what baby #3 is.  Boy or girl.  My newest realization is that I craved veggie things on my sandwiches with both girls, but this time I'm craving mayo.  So maybe it's a boy.............or maybe it's a girl that just likes her mayo?  We'll soon find out! ;)

Stay tuned!  Appointment is at 8:30 a.m.  Hopefully this little one will cooperate and show us the goods. And please pray with us in the meantime that everything checks out healthy and developing normally with our little baby on Thursday.  We'd appreciate it!