Still pregnant! Unless this baby makes a SUPER FAST entrance with absolutely no signs yet today, I do think I am safe to say that I will not be having a Leap Day baby. I am happy about that, I guess. I think once I said I'd rather be 2 weeks late than have a Leap Day baby. I REALLY hope the baby knows that was a JOKE. A JOKE!!! Really. I'm glad (sort of) that he didn't come out today, but now, seriously - come out. I do find it semi-ironic(?) that I was due in February with both Annie and this baby and will have zero babies in February.
Oh, and just as a fun little end of pregnancy present, I also found my very first ever stretch marks on my hip last night. They are thankfully small and in a place that's not super noticeable, but still... not what I wanted to see, that's for sure! Good thing I have no interest in wearing a midriff bearing top or swimsuit ever again anyway.
I know I'm only 2 days over at this point, but wow - these last 3 days have felt like a month. I'm SO GLAD that I have been able to work from home so I have something to do during the day and that each day I'm over is just one more day into spring that my maternity leave will go (we're now at May 24th - which sounds pretty awesome to me!). If I had to use my maternity leave at this point I really do think I may have gone crazy!
My actual due date on Monday was really a pretty fun day - I ate out every single meal and wish I could afford to do that every day :) I have been making sure to get out of the house at least once if not more than that every day, and friends have been kind enough to offer me some distractions in the way of lunch dates too - even though I'm a very boring and mopey dining companion right now.
Started off at Lucy Coffee Cafe near our house - I look WAY huge here but I swear it was just the angle...... ;)
Went to Rainbow Chinese for dinner - as you can see it was PACKED!!! I did accomplish one of my goals for the day here - the waitress asked when I was due and I could say TODAY! :)
We then walked the few blocks to The Bad Waitress and I had a malt. A good end to the due date, which is definitely an awesome idea to make an otherwise semi-depressing day more fun!
For those interested, my appointment went fine yesterday - everything still looking good. My body/cervix is "ready for labor" and she did a membrane sweep which clearly did not work to quickly induce labor. Pretty sure everyone in my life is ready for me to go into labor, except the baby! I have a biophysical profile set up for next Monday when I'll be one week overdue if I'm still pregnant then. At that point if all is looking good they will "let me" stay pregnant for another week (March 12th is when I'll be exactly 2 weeks over) before we schedule an induction. I know that logically speaking something like 90% of women deliver their babies within a week of their due dates, so I probably won't get there, but at this point I'm starting to lose faith, despite going into labor with Annie. Irrational I know. I've been ready every birth story possible that starts with "I was overdue" and does not include the words induction to help myself know that it can and does happen every single day :) Feel free to leave more stories like that in the comments :)
ANYWAY - this is also the first "last day of the month" that I'm not writing a monthly letter to Annie - but I do want to give her a shout out - she's just so funny and entertaining lately! Her vocabulary and verbal skills are exploding and she's using more complicated sentences too - I love listening to her narration of her world :) Here are a few photos and videos of her lately!
Love all of her bags :)
"hats on!"
Reading books with Jono - Annie's Chair is understandably a BIG favorite, thanks to Rebekah, Rett and Adelaide for that!!
Doing the barnyard dance :)
Liz took this one while she was babysitting on Monday - it's on the reverse iPhone camera, hence the quality. Please note there is a gouge in our floors from the little scene at the VERY end...
at Southdale yesterday, to maybe trick my body into labor because we went there to walk while I was in labor with Annie... no dice yet.
I will preface this ENTIRE post which is basically filled with complaining that I am well aware that I am extremely lucky to have so far had a healthy pregnancy with a healthy baby. I am very grateful for that, and I do not forget that even as I mope about not having had the baby yet. I thought I wouldn't care because I do know that babies are far easier on the inside than the outside, but now at 40 weeks pregnant I find myself questioning that statement a bit... I guess I don't have to change diapers or deal with random crankiness, but I do have to be sore and uncomfortable and going kind of nuts. So yeah, I'll take the baby on the outside at this point, thanks :) And yes, I also know that I am only just now to my due date. Thanks. Right now, life is just in a holding pattern until this kid is born, which is a very weird and boring place to be.
Also, this is very long and rambling. Apparently I have many feelings and thoughts about being 40 weeks pregnant :)
Due Date: February 27, 2012. Oh hello, TODAY. Really didn't think I'd see you without a newborn baby out of me already! Having your 2nd child later than your 1st really does seem to be a special form of torture. I feel for my mom who was 3 weeks early with me and 2 weeks late with my younger sister. It's funny also that I can totally realize that it's all just a guess, and that having my first "a few days early" and my second "a few days late" (HOPEFULLY JUST A FEW DAYS, OMG) really is no big deal, but in the moment? Pretty excruciating. On the plus side? I no longer care AT ALL if he comes on Leap Day :)
Repeating to myself often right now: "I will not be pregnant forever"
Weight Gain: My weekly appointment isn't until tomorrow, but I probably gained a few more pounds and maybe will have gained like 80 pounds by the time this marathon pregnancy is over. (Just kidding, but kind of hoping not to top 40 pounds gained)
Random stranger comment of the week (in the kitchen at work, as where most comments are made, hence me trying to avoid eye contact there at all costs): Her: "When are you due?" Me: "Next Monday" Her: "Oh, your weight gain is very concentrated! Do the doctors tell you that too?" ................. Me: Blank stare. I mean, thanks lady, for telling me I don't have a fat face, but really? No. We do not discuss the concentration of my weight gain.
Symptoms: Really not much, honestly, so I can't complain. I'm just basically uncomfortable and sore at all points of my life right now, doing anything. I guess I'm also feeling a bit reflux-y sometimes, which just started happening in the last week, but really only seems to happen right before I go to bed so isn't bad. Still waking up 1-2x to pee, and a million times to flip over.
Also, and this basically goes without saying I think, but I'm pretty much over the top irritable at everyone... I obviously know people are just excited and care, but I'd reallllllllly love to just crawl into a hole and sleep until this baby comes out, avoiding texts and well meaning emails and messages and all of it. I vary between not caring too much when I get a text asking if I'm in labor, or telling me that today would be a good day to have a baby, and blinding, fiery rage. Basically I vary between those emotions all the time - if I can stay distracted, I'm fine, so getting out of the house is key, but I don't REALLY want to actually see or talk to anyone other than Ben or Annie. We've been going out to eat a lot.
Labor signs: None. Feeling nothing. Just still with the super intense cervix pressure sometimes, but not always. Not a single contraction, no... anything else. Again, appointment is tomorrow and I think they may do an internal then and I will also discuss stripping membranes at that point. Unless I have no progress and they can't, which will mean I will cry big tears, despite KNOWING that means nothing. Every time I wake up and go to the bathroom and I'm not feeling anything I get pretty disappointed. That's the most irrational part right now - I feel like every day I DON'T have the baby right now, I'm disappointing everyone, including myself, Ben and Annie. I know that is not true, but I still feel that way. Especially because I can't call or text ANYONE right now without them immediately thinking I'm in labor.
I feel very celebrity like because I know pretty much all my family and friends are stalking me on the interwebs. I was feeling pressure to post frequently on twitter and to be on g-chat so people could check my status, but then a few people started freaking out when I went more than 4 hours without posting so I decided I'm basically not going to post anything until this kid comes, and I also made myself invisible on g-chat. I don't want to avoid EVERYONE, I just don't want the chats when I sign on that say "Oh, I was hoping you were in labor". REALLY? ME TOO.
What's different this time: Oh, just the big one that I'm STILL PREGNANT. I have already informed Annie that she is my favorite child for coming early ;)
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing really gets me too thrilled right now. Kind of depressing to have to go grocery shopping and still buy food because we NEED to stop going out to eat every night. I also felt sad eating a few of my muffins this weekend that are MEANT for my maternity leave, but I just... really wanted one :(
Sleep: I actually have had a few nights of very good sleep (as in, I sleep at all), and a few satisfying naps. Sleep is a double edged sword because I can forget somewhat about my woes, but then also just really really hope to be awoken with horrible pain or my water breaking. What an odd wish.
I am loving: my beloved first-born :) She has been so cute and sweet lately. There was a few days of crazy tantrums but they were mostly funny. Ben's taken her out a few times and reported that she's just so good and nice to people so that's always fun. She definitely has her toddler moments (tantrums over no more pennies to throw in the mall fountain for example) but overall she's just been such a fun kid, and it's nice to have at least one person in my life who really has NO CLUE what's going on basically :)
Oh, also she has started to seem to GET more than there is a baby that's coming out - she gave me a hug one day, and then said, "baby too??"" and gave my belly a hug. I got the cutest little hat for the baby from my coworker Shannon, and Annie kept insisting on laying in on my belly "for the baby" :)
A ton of people in internet-land seem to have recently had their 2nd children, boys, with their firsts being girls around Annie's age - I get super excited to see their photos of their girls holding their baby brothers but it also just makes me a bit more sad that he's not out yet. I know my time will come... and actually most of them were even past their due dates too, so it gives me hope that he WILL come out soon :)
This is a random tidbit, but I'm also loving the semi-cheesy song "A thousand years" by Christina Perri (which I was informed by Liz is the Twilight wedding song. Sad). Ever since Julia used it for her gender reveal video, I've associated it with pregnancy and I basically listened to it on repeat several times this week and got a bit weepy.
I miss: right now, just want to be able to be comfortable even just laying on the couch watching a movie. Or sitting at a table. I can't wait to be able to slouch again!
I am looking forward to: the obvious. However, my immediate goal is that I am having Liz come over to watch Annie tonight so Ben and I can enjoy a DUE date :) Get it?? Thanks to my friend Marianne for that suggestion. I just arranged it this weekend because I really couldn't even fathom that it could be necessary, but alas, here we are. Nothing crazy, just going out to eat (again) but hey, it's something.
I'm spazzing about: I've been able to remain fairly calm, but I do spaz sometimes about JUST wanting him out so I can stop worrying about all the unknowns, and start worrying about him OUT of the womb and post-labor & delivery. I'm not spazzing at all yet about the possibility of induction, I know I still have a lot of time before that would need to come to pass.
Best thing about this week: definitely being done in the office! It honestly was a nice distraction, but I'm glad to go into hibernation and so lucky to be able to work from home until I deliver.
Also, I got a supposed "labor inducing" massage from the place I went to prenatal yoga - obviously did not work, but it felt really good at least.
Ben also decided we can get a monthly cleaning service - we've gotten deep cleans a few times, and were planning on doing so again very soon, but then he informed me we are going to do this monthly too - yay! He said it's his push present... to himself :)
Milestones: reaching my due date. A milestone I would have been all too happy to never see :)
Movement: I got a CRAZY video earlier this week - it probably took me 50 tries to get a video of Annie moving in my belly a tiny bit, and I hadn't even tried this pregnancy at all. One night I was just laying on my back in bed and he was going crazy, so I whipped out the iPhone and recorded it for 45 seconds and got a ton of movement including a crazy alien like limb sweeping across the whole belly. So I was pretty pleased about that :) Another night, he literally moved around for nearly 2 hours non-stop. Last night while I was attempting to relax and watch a television program, he again was moving painfully the entire time no matter my position. So yeah, movement has not slowed down. At this point especially, if I go even 15 minutes of sitting still without feeling anything I definitely start to completely freak out. Most of the time it's actually quite painful. While I'm obviously glad he's moving, really I just want him to just come out, where he can move all he wants without physically harming me anymore.
It's a...: boy
Exercise/Diet: I did my long skyway walks every single day, to no avail :)
Well, if this was my pregnancy with Annie, I would have had a baby at 6:19am today. Alas, I am STILL HERE (!!! people don't even need to say it, although some do... I feel it enough with their eyes).
Still not feeling anything. Which is good, I guess - if I did start to feel something and it ended up being nothing, I suspect I just might lose it even more than I have already.
Positives of this situation:
-Obviously the fact that I have a healthy, still wiggly baby boy inside of me who apparently just isn't quite ready to come out is a big one
-I get a free donut (and a free bagel later, because I'm "eating for 2")
-Caribou Vanilla Latte
-My maternity leave now will go until at the earliest May 21st, and then right after that is already Memorial Day weekend
-I can remain logical and know that I really will go into labor at some point very soon, and once it's over I'll (mostly) forget these past few weeks
-Done with coming into the office!
-Annie is completely over her cold - it was very short lived, and so far neither Ben or I have caught it!
Not the best profile shot, but oh well, you get the idea. At Java Train - Annie was having a good time, until I forced her to be in this photo with me because a solo belly pic with that many people around in a restaurant was a bit much for me :) Also, as I was perusing my belly pics, I noticed that Annie is wearing the exact same outfit and is in the same pose as she was the last time I was holding her for my pic - ha! At least I still have yet to recycle an outfit - I do still have a FEW more but...... reallllllllly hoping I don't need to use them ;)
Due Date: February 27, 2012. Will this be the last weekly update?! Trying to remind myself that the later I deliver, the later into spring my maternity leave will go... so that's a silver lining I guess :) Still hoping for later this week though. Like... Thursday or Friday would be ideal. We'll see. At least I know that MOST women deliver within a week of their due date on either side, so chances are very good that I'll have a baby within 2 weeks. My practice does not talk induction until 41 weeks, and will let you go to 42 weeks... so DEFINITELY within 3 weeks. Which obviously seems like an eternity at this point.
Weight Gain: Gained another ~2lbs at the midwife today... so now I'm up around 35lbs. Definitely past the point of even remotely caring about that.
Symptoms: Just really so sore right now. SO sore, and so tired. Still with the super intense painful pressure to the cervix too, which stops me in my tracks when walking often. Ben often looks at me, especially at night, and just says that he feels so bad for me. I know it could be worse - I don't deal with heartburn or reflux, or sciatica pain, but this still isn't pleasant.
Labor Signs: Since people ask... there are none. I've never felt Braxton Hicks contractions, and have yet to feel a single contraction, just some random crampy feelings occasionally. As I mentioned last week, I never felt anything with Annie prior to the day I actually was in labor, so this doesn't discourage me at all - I know many that have had several false labor starts and more than anything else, that sounds very annoying. I have not and will not get an internal exam until 40 weeks (unless I'm in labor before that obviously) so nothing known in that department either.
What's different this time: Way more uncomfortable (I wrote last time that I wasn't that uncomfortable, and I definitely remember taking 1.5-2 mile walks days before delivering with no problems - now those render me immobile for the afternoon, basically). It seems much harder to sleep this time too. Just in general I am more ready to be done - I think last time I really had mentally prepared myself to go late so I was just happy to be a few days early. Now I more expect to not be overdue so I already am ready to be done, even though realistically I know it could be 2+ more weeks.
Cravings/Aversions: I crave to not be pregnant anymore.
Sleep: Laughable. Thanks again to evolution for making sleep with a newborn seem better than this. The other night, I literally laid in bed for over an hour because no matter what position I was in, baby boy was just going nuts and wouldn't settle down, so thus I could not fall asleep. Another night, I was up 5 times to pee because every time I'd roll over he'd push down on my bladder. By the time morning rolls around, I need to get out of bed just because I'm so sore from side sleeping. Suffice it to say, I am quite tired right now. Not really feeling up for the marathon of labor and delivery, but I'm sure adrenaline will kick in then. Today, I actually feel pretty ok so far but will probably want a nap later as usual.
I am loving: that this is my last week in the office! I love my coworkers, but I'm ready to not face the looks and commentary :) (my immediate coworkers know better than this, thankfully. The rest of the world, not so much) I also love that I can work from home until I deliver so I'm not wasting my leave sitting bored at home. Although... on a message board, someone said it would be nice to be in a coma until the baby came out (once you're at 39+ weeks), and other than missing out on days with Annie, I'd have to agree.
I miss: Lots of things, but mostly having the energy and patience to keep up with a toddler. My fuse is quite short right now and it's sad. Pretty sure that DEFINITELY won't be changing anytime soon :) Sorry, Annie!
I am looking forward to: getting this baby out of me! Also, I have a massage scheduled on Wednesday which hopefully will feel great. Looking forward to Friday and saying my official goodbye to the office until late May.
I'm spazzing about: Annie getting sick again - ugh! Such great timing! REALLY hoping to avoid this illness myself obviously, since the thought of going through labor while sick ....... well, yeah. No thanks. Plus, I really want Annie to be able to come to the hospital and meet her baby brother, obviously! And, just seeing her sick is super sad. Right now it's just a cold, no fever, but of course after last time, I immediately jump to the conclusion that she'll get another ear infection and be completely miserable again... This also means she's been waking up a lot at night too, usually right when I actually am about to fall asleep. Fun for everyone! Miraculously, last night she slept pretty soundly... so hope that continues.
Also, after my midwife appointment today, I just kind of feel like I'll be pregnant yet for awhile. No real reason for that, just that at my last appointment with Annie, I'd lost a little weight and my belly measurement went down - neither of which happened this time - still measuring exactly at 39cm. Thankfully the midwife did not make any predictions other than that baby boy is probably between 7-8lbs (so, average. Good guess... I think even I could have told you that much ;)
Best thing about this week: Got a delightful pedicure on Saturday night - it makes me happy to have my feet looking nice and sparkly :) We had Rebekah, Rett, Adelaide and Harriet over on Friday night and that was a blast too - Annie had so much fun that it took her well over an hour to actually wind down and fall asleep :) I also went out to eat several times this weekend which always makes me happy. Being able to be comfortable outside was also pleasant.
Milestones: The only new thing is that for the first time, Annie seemed to actually realize that she was feeling a baby move inside me while she was sitting on my lap - she turned around and put her hand on my belly and said "baby moving?" so I said, yeah, tell him he can come out. And she said "come out!" and then said something like "then go in the chair?" pointing at the bouncy chair Ben had just assembled earlier that day. I do think it is helping a bit for her to see babies Jack and Harriet. Mostly she just thinks they are hilarious and literally cackles in their face when they move around.
Movement: Yes, still pretty constant. He spins himself around a lot, sometimes he's sunny side up, sometimes back is on the left or right. The movement is definitely crazier when he's sunny side up, with limbs going everywhere.
It's a...: boy
Exercise/Diet: Yeah, not even a consideration at this point. I am walking every day, but it's not what I'd call exercise.
A particularly long skyway walk with coworker Miranda - we made it all the way over to Target Field and back.
Once again, I just couldn't resist the urge to overdocument my life with another one of these! I was hoping maybe I'd go into labor to make it extra exciting, but alas, this pretty much was a typical day - which I guess is the whole point :) So here you have it - a glimpse into my life at 38 weeks, 3 days pregnant. As usual, it was Laura over at Navigating the Mothership that inspired me! If you are bored, check out my other days in the life. Looking back, I used to get up way earlier. Guess I'll have to return to that once I have a baby to nurse before going to work - fun! :)
1:30am - Up to pee. Need to race downstairs so I don't explode, then trudge back up the stairs. Always feel pretty much amazing after this endeavor.
6:00am - Wake up again needing to pee, but don't want to get up yet. Was just having a dream where I was biking home from the cabin, but I forgot something, so I had to turn around and go back. I was angry because I was already in Nisswa when I needed to turn back. In my dream I was biking SUPER SLOW (as I would be in real life too) and was panting. I'll bet I was snoring during this too, Ben tells me I snore horribly right now. Whenever he tells me this I am just happy to hear that at some point during the night, I was sleeping soundly enough to snore.
6:48am - Finally get up (alarm goes off at 6:30, 6:39, and then usually the 6:48 one is what does it), go downstairs to shower and get ready.
7:08am - I get a text from Jamie asking if I'm still "up for" doing meals on wheels today - which is code for "are you in labor?" :) I also hear Ben getting up at this point, he comes downstairs and starts to make smoothies. I go upstairs after doing my makeup and hair to find an outfit that I can still fit into right now, which is becoming challenging. Thank heavens for extra long tanks from Old Navy!
7:20am - Start my car from the house - best Christmas present EVER (last year).
I look at the video monitor, because we haven't heard anything from Annie yet - she's sitting up silently on her bed so I go in to get her up and this is the scene. (The noise in the background is Ben blending the smoothies, so you can't really hear her but oh well)
She's in a very, very good mood this morning - 90% of the mornings there are tantrums about one thing or another, but she was all smiles and giggles today which was awesome. She jumps around on the bed a bit and has no problem getting up on the changing pad to get dressed.
I get her dressed and then am on my merry way after kisses for Annie and Ben. Ben always tells me to "be careful" every single day.
Ben reads Annie a book to get her to drink her smoothie quickly :)
7:31am - Backing out of the driveway, on my way to work while drinking my smoothie. It takes me an annoying amount of time (maybe 2 minutes) to make a left turn at a road near our house and some dude honks at me which puts me in a bad mood. Also, The Current is doing their STUPID member drive, so I am forced to listen to the annoying DJs and commercials on other stations. They are talking about some app for your phone where you can get updates from daycare every time your baby poops or drinks a bottle, and get pics all day. Sounds weird to me, but then again I've never once even called to check in on Annie at daycare. Also, Sue doesn't have a computer OR a cell phone, so this is pretty out there to me :) Miraculously, remember to park in the other ramp for meals on wheels today (so I can have in and out rights without paying twice), and walk the 2.5 blocks to my building.
8:00am - Elevator up to my office - there is an annoying talky jokester on the elevator, who gets off at the 3rd floor from 2, which always annoys me (not sure why, since I often do the same thing, but I am currently 9 months pregnant so give myself a pass), especially on these elevators which are literally RIGHT by a stairwell if you know where to look. At least he doesn't work for my company I guess. I get to my desk and some dude from IT is there fixing my phone. I start up my computer, which typically takes about 15 minutes to actually work from when I log on, and go to prepare my coffee.
My coffee is cold press which Ben gets for me in a growler from Dunn Bros, with half and half and homemade vanilla syrup, made by Ben. I heat it all up in the microwave for about a minute, then fill the rest of my mug with hot water (since cold press is much stronger than normal coffee). Tastes ALMOST as good as a vanilla latte :)
8:17am - My computer is finally operating, and I start work - the IT dude is still trying to figure out my phone. Later we will find out that the entire phone system is down. Fun, especially since I have a phone appointment with someone at 9am. I get to work.
Noteables during the morning are getting the update from Ben on how drop off went (fine, she was still in a good mood), eating pumpkin bread that Aaron and Allison brought to our house the other night as a mid-morning snack, and having a frank discussion with my coworker Jen about her need to work on her gmail inbox, which has 235 items in it. We've discussed inbox zero before, and she was keeping up with it, but clearly it has gotten out of hand again! Time to stage a gmail intervention.
11:00am - Meet Leigh and Jamie to go to Meals on Wheels. Discover once we get to my car that with 2 carseats now in there, there is literally no room for more than one passenger. Oops. Thankfully Jamie is skilled with these things and removes the infant base so Leigh can get in. We get to the church to pick up our meals to deliver, and it turns out our route was double booked and someone already took it - so back to the office we go! Kind of a waste of time, but oh well.
Yeah, that's Jamie's butt.
12:00pm - Coworker Miranda suggests a walk - she's been my primary skyway walking buddy. I need lunch, and she needs something at Target, so we head in that direction. The walk back I am seriously going at a snail's pace because I am so exhausted and also, it feels like it's 1000 degrees. Elect to get lunch at Au Bon Pain because it's easy. I would estimate that this walk in total is a little less than a mile.
Start of our walk
Target!
Taking a breather in IDS.
ABP
12:30pm - We're back, and I'm eating my grilled chicken avocado wrap at my desk while working. Baby boy is all up in my business every time I'm eating it seems - he must love or hate food - whatever causes him to move like a maniac. I really want to take my sweater off because I am seriously SO HOT, but decide that even though I have a tank top underneath, no one needs to see that at the office.
1:40pm - Decide I need a pick me up, so go get a Coke. Probably too much caffeine, but really, what's the harm at this point? Am kind of shocked to see that it's snowing, given that it was sunny over lunch. Also, overfill my water and decide I need to capture that with my phone, because obviously. Water is very exciting. The second I have ONE sip of Coke, baby boy again goes insane. It seems impossible that it could "hit" him that quickly.
2:00pm - Have a meeting where I know a baby shower is happening for me, but am unsure if this is a surprise or not. I got no meeting notification of said shower, but it was supposed to happen the previous week and was to be moved. Am a bit confused, but just go with it. Sit through the half hour of actual meeting while feeling extremely uncomfortable in the chair and trying to cover up my belly because again, the boy was going insane in there and I feel like everyone must notice.
Finally it is baby shower time! Decide to just ask straight up if this was meant to be a surprise - apparently not, my boss had a calendar invite but forgot to add anyone to it :) Ha! One of my coworkers made blood orange panna cotta as a treat and it is seriously delicious. We all chat and I open a few gifts. Love my coworkers! I am excited to be "off" for 12 weeks, but I will miss them for sure.
GET IT?! Because I WAS the captain of the debate team. Ha :) Thank you, Old Navy! (and Jen, of course!)
4:15pm - Leave work. Feel like I've run a marathon.
4:23pm - Get in my car, just in time to hear Mark Wheat (subbing on The Current for the normal DJ) announce my very favorite part of my afternoon commute, Bob Collins' newscast. Lots of good interaction and laughs between Mark and Bob. Always entertains me for my 15 minute drive, and sadly is the primary way I get any news these days. Get a call from Ben that he has to go back to the grocery store to get black beans for the enchiladas we plan to have tonight - he said he is "internalizing his rage" about this because he was literally just at Target getting an eye exam and picking up groceries but didn't realize we were out.
Get to Sue's and see Sienna and Annie peeking up to watch me come down the stairs. Thankfully Annie is cooperative about leaving - just wants to hold her "sloth" craft. Get away without TOO many awkward comments from Sue about how that baby is coming "any day now!" and how I must be "so excited" - WHAT?!? I had NO IDEA!
Annie pulls her chair extra close for me to put her shoes on
This is a 5 minute process every day because she won't ever let me hold her "craft"
4:52 - Leave Sue's, get home 1 minute later and gather up Annie's 2 crafts, Annie herself, and my loaded purse. Feel bruised by the time I get to the house, which is 30 seconds later. Ben is already home from the grocery store, so that's a good sign that his "rage" will have subsided :)
The SECOND I get in the house, I take my coat off, hang it up and go upstairs to put on my yoga pants/Ben's t-shirt combo - AHHHHHHHH. And then take out my contacts - AHHHHHHHHh huge sigh of relief.
Ha - pausing to take a photo before letting Annie down made her ANGRY!!!
The day's craft projects
Times after this point are a bit fuzzy. Annie IMMEDIATELY wants to get down when we get in the door, and takes her coat off and puts it away. She then helps Ben chop vegetables for awhile - I got this extremely thrilling video of her peeling an onion. This was the first time chopping an onion seemed to actually make her eyes water. We are making the enchiladas for our freezer meals, and eating one dinner of them tonight. This takes awhile.
The video gets a bit more exciting toward the end when I have Annie sing a song, and then Ben yells at her for touching the cutting board ;)
Watery eyes :)
Annie is pretty good during this time about playing by herself - she colors for awhile, takes everything out of a basket, and plays in the office playroom with her kitchen. I go in there for awhile and she serves me up some food. I love watching her play and listening to her narration! ("Egg? egg in the bowl? One for daddy too?") At one point before dinner, she takes down all of the tupperwares and gets EXTREMELY angry at Ben for putting them away, even though she wasn't even DOING anything with them.
Not the most flattering photo she's ever had taken :)
After Ben put away the tupperwares - poor Annie, her life is SO HARD! :)
6:20pm - We finally sit down to eat dinner - phew! It was delicious. Annie was fairly calm, mostly choosing to eat straight sour cream. We finished off our dinner with clementines, which Annie loves to peel herself - a great way to keep her focused and calm at the table for longer.
The cheery yellow tulips Ben got me for Valentine's Day are still looking good! :)
After dinner, I decide to just make the last item of our freezer stash, banana nut muffins, with Annie's help. She enjoys mashing the bananas greatly. This takes us pretty much up to bedtime.
Ben gets Annie's jammies on while I clean up her toys, then I read Brown Bear (her request every night lately - she can recite it with me now) and Goodnight Moon. Ben then helps her brush her teeth (she gets to brush first, then it's Ben's turn), and then it's in bed. She whines a bit for no reason, but goes to sleep pretty quickly tonight, a nice change from the past few nights where it's taken her nearly an hour to actually sleep.
NO JAMMIES!! WANT TO PLAY! (too bad!)
Thankfully got over it
Also does not want to be carried into the bathroom, wants to WALK!
7:25pm - We close Annie's door and she's in bed.
7:30pm - Muffins are done - I take them out to cool, and then set up my spot on the couch with multiple pillows for support. Then I start downloading all the photos from the day from various cameras to my computer, editing them and uploading them to flickr. (interested in my photo management system? See this post for details :)
8:15pm - Ben goes in to put the blanket on Annie, because she never wants it on initially, and if she does she kicks it off.
Love how she finally cuddles with her bunny now!
8:40pm - I get a bowl of Raisin Bran Crunch - mmm boy. By this point, I think my photos are all ready, so while I'm eating cereal I'm checking google reader, twitter, facebook etc. Once I'm done with the cereal, I get started on writing the freezer meals post, which as you know if you've read it, is epic.
10:00pm - Decide to try to heave myself off the couch to get ready for bed. This is the battle I have every night - don't want to go through the process of getting ready for bed, just want it to happen. My whole body is screaming in pain at this point. Get ready, and then go up to bed where Ben gets me tucked in and we have our nightly chat where I relay again to him how WEIRD it is to know that ONE DAY I'LL JUST HAVE A BABY. Like, very soon, but yet it feels like I'll be pregnant forever, the first person in history. Seriously, I say this to him every night lately. Because it IS, just so weird.
10:43pm - Look at the clock and quickly send Ben away because it is SO LATE! Ben reports that when he came upstairs at about 11:30pm, I was "snoring like a mofo" so I guess I fell asleep fast :)
I live in St. Paul, Minnesota with my husband Ben, daughter Annie (born 1/31/10) and son Luke (born 3/4/12). We have been married since September 24, 2005 and live in a small house built in 1920 that is in constant need of fixing up.
Feel free to contact me at erinkkr at gmail dot com with any questions!
