Time to pray for Bentley

If you aren't aware, this sweet little girl is currently in open heart surgery and needs our prayers, as do her parents.  http://www.youandmeplusthree.com/  (I don't know them personally.)  You can visit their blog to read about Bentley or leave some encouragement for her parents today as they wait through her surgery.

I just can't imagine being in their shoes...

Nesting at 100mph

One of the most satisfying feelings in the WORLD to me in my current state, which is prego with a long list of things I'd love to get done in the next 6 weeks before our sweet baby girl arrives, is checking things off my to-do list.  

Before you get all 'life is not a to-do list' or 'enjoy the journey' on me, please remember...

I have baby #2 coming in (most likely less than) 6 weeks, after which I will have 2 kids under 2 years old.  I am pretty much assuming that this is going to mean that life as I have known it (even with one young child) is going to be turned upside down, and at that point I might consider going to the gas station or grocery store 'going out' and reason to 'dress up' (read: change out of sweats and into jeans and a T-shirt that is hopefully clean or at least recently wiped clean of spit-up).  Who knows how long it will be until I am able to emerge from that phase, right?

So combine my tendencies towards Type-A personality with my prego nesting urges, drop that into my current 6 week countdown, and you get where I'm at mentally.  My brain is experiencing Braxton-Hicks along with my belly.  Enjoying the journey for me, right now, means Getting. Things. Done.

And today was like something out of a dream.  

Robbie woke up late, was happy, and ate a huge breakfast.  Then he took a 4 hour morning nap, during which I:

• watered the new and transplanted bushes Rob planted this past weekend
• got myself ready for the day (you know this is an accomplishment, don't laugh)
• had an estimate given to us for an upcoming home project that I pray is completed before our baby girl's arrival
• researched wetsuits online
• cleaned the kitchen, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher
• ran a load of laundry
• ate lunch
• cleaned out my van
• packed Robbie's diaper bag up for the afternoon

Once he was awake, we bolted out the door to get some shopping done.  We went to Dick's, the outlet mall, and Fox Valley Mall and shopped in 6 different stores.  Successful purchases included:

• summer shorts for daddy (only took one try this time, usually takes about 5!)
• wetsuit for the lake house this summer

After we got home from shopping, I put Robbie to bed just before the carpet installation crew arrived.  It might as well be Christmas Day - now I can let Robbie walk and crawl around in this room, watch TV, etc. without worrying about exposed carpet tacks and him falling or tripping and cracking his head on the cement floor!  I was so excited, I took 'before' and 'after' pictures.  (Please ignore the drapes and wall color... I know they're not awful, but they're on my to-do list.  More like my to-dispose-of list.)

BEFORE

AFTER

While the carpet was being installed, I packed my bag for our upcoming trip to the lake house, picked up Rob's and my clothes, sorted dirty laundry and dry cleaning for tomorrow, and straightened our bedroom up - a surprise for Rob from his 'little tornado'.

After the carpet installation was over, I vacuumed it as well as the couches.  

I even remembered to DVR American Idol for Rob since he was working late this evening.

I almost feel euphoric just typing this all out.  I was long overdue for a day like this.  :)

Definitely a Monday

It was a fairly uneventful day... until 'the diaper' happened just before bed (well, bedtime #2).

**********************

I took Robbie to the pediatrician this morning because he woke up feeling worse, not better (getting a chest cough, no sign of the nose drying up).  Turns out he has an ear infection as well.  Baby = falling apart.  Poor guy.

Had a blood-pressure-raising moment during the office visit when another baby was taken out of the office by stretcher to an ambulance because of respiratory distress.  I felt awful for the parents, who were obviously upset, and after our nurse left us in our little room but before the doctor came in, Robbie and I prayed out loud for them.  

Picked up Robbie's prescription and my 8x10 prints at Walgreens.  I can't wait to get the pictures up on our mantle!  

Grandma came by to nap Robbie for me while I went to my every-two-weeks-now doctor's appointment this afternoon.  It was delayed over an hour because the receptionists booked the doctor with patients for a full hour before she was scheduled to be in the office.  Therefore, this became the biggest event in my day.  ::seriously?::

Went to Grandma and Grandpa's house to spend the afternoon and evening with them while Daddy worked late.  Attempted to eat out together at Cracker Barrel.  Destroyed Cracker Barrel, like we do all restaurants these days.  

Put Robbie to bed at G and G's house while we watched the season finale of 24.  He woke up right at the end of the show, coughing deeply and crying.  Headed home...

Robbie and Daddy wrestle and play for a little while - until Robbie has the foulest smelling diaper and Rob needs to go to bed.  I take him to his room to change him, and in one quick movement after I have opened up his diaper, Robbie yanks on the top of it and pulls it off of himself and up his belly.  He's never done this before.  Poop everywhere.  Stinky, sick-poop.  On my hand, his arm, his belly, clothes, back... awesome.  He has a fit of giggles and seems proud of his accomplishment.  I am grossed out, exhausted, and wondering what I was thinking when we decided 15 1/2 months apart was enough.  Enjoy a few moments of Braxton-Hicks (sarcasm)... Relax.  Was going to run a hot shower and sit in the bathroom and read with him to de-congest his sinuses.  Decide on throwing him directly into a bath instead.  Bath is fun, but has to end eventually.

Meltdown when I lift him out of the bath.

Meltdown when I try to get a diaper on him.

Meltdown when I put his arms through his pj sleeves.

Meltdown after I let him flip the light switch and then try to carry him out of the bathroom.

Lay my little boy down in his crib and say goodnight, and never hear another peep or see any movement from him.  Is it possible to fall instantly asleep?  I think he did.  

Snot, poop, fits and all - I love this boy with all my heart.

A nice little collection of randoms

What do you expect?  

Some of the profound and not-so-deep thoughts that are swirling through my head right now...

- I must pack my hospital bag before I forget and one day soon go into labor and find myself totally unprepared.  (A paralyzing thought to someone like me.)

- I have been considering removing my 'baby girl' ticker at the top of our blog, because it makes my heart pound every time I look at it and realize our countdown is nearing its end!

- Although we had a lovely life before starting a family, sometimes looking at pictures of Rob and I before we had Robbie makes me sad.  I can't believe there was a time that he did not exist as a part of 'us'! 

- People told me not to buy clothes for Robbie and our little girl on the way that would require ironing.  Crumply cotton outfits, shirts with collars... and you know what?  Turns out, I LOVE ironing baby clothes!!  It hasn't stopped me yet and I'm not sure it ever will.  Plus when the clothes are the size of your hand, all you are basically doing is setting down the iron once and boom, the shirt/outfit is pressed.  And oh, how I love a crisp button down shirt or tidy polo on my little guy.

- Some of my maternity tanks are actually starting to do that thing where they pop up over my belly underneath whatever shirt I have on over it.  Meaning: my belly is getting to big for MATERNITY TOPS.  Ladies, you know what I am talking about.  Please tell me you know what I'm talking about.  

- If I get the nurse at my doctor's office tomorrow that laughs after I step on the scale, it's going to get ugly.

- I really want to wallpaper a room in our house.  I probably never will, but I just love what I've seen lately.

- It's going to get into the 80's this week!  I'm breaking out Robbie's new $5 pool for the back deck.  I may throw some bath soap in there too, if I'm feeling lazy / lunch was especially messy / the neighbors aren't looking.  The whole idea reeks of class, doesn't it?  Don't worry, I'll take pictures just for you.

- I feel like I am in my favorite place in the world when I look out the back window at my husband working in the yard, while my son is eating (smearing) his lunch (all over his head).

- I want to be smarter about frugality.  This weekend I bought Ginger Peach tea bags, and paying $5 for the jar of 50 sachets seemed indulgent.  However, I am IN LOVE with this tea (hot or cold).  It was a good buy.  50 cups of tea for just 10 cents each!  If I forgo one Chai a month (or one trip to Dunkin Donuts), that pays for the whole month of tea.  Why is it hard to think that through rationally?

- I caught Robbie climbing / scaling the banister today.  When we walk past a light switch he wants to flip it on or off.  He is enamored with the garage door.  When I start to put him in his car seat he immediately looks up at the video screen and points and wants me to turn a movie on.  When it's over and the screen goes black, he literally yells at me!  And all I can think is: WHERE IS MY BABY?!

- I wonder when my (used and very cheap) copy of a book about blogging will arrive?  I need inspiration!  I know, you couldn't tell, could you?

No title, since this post is fairly unfocused.

If you know Robbie, you know he's a giver.  He likes to share his food; he reserves the pieces that he's already chewed for those who hold special places in his heart.  He'll plug your mouth with his paci on his good days and crack himself up.  Naturally, as his mommy and main play-mate, I am on the receiving end of many of these gestures.  So why am I surprised that Robbie has recently given me not only his love and affection, but his cold too?

It is with that disclaimer that I post the following picture - me, 8 months pregnant, and sick.  I am actually sort of sad that I haven't gotten more pictures of myself throughout this pregnancy, but it's my own fault.  It's just not that fun seeing images of yourself this big!!  Anyways, a few of you (dear friends) have been asking for belly pictures.  You might not after this post!  This one's for you.

Sorry, you get black-and-white for this picture.  Color would have meant running upstairs to throw on some blush, which was entirely too much effort. 

Today was a really fun day (aside from waking up with glands swollen to the size of golf balls and subsequently spending an hour in my dr's waiting room as I attempted to squeeze in for a sick visit and strep test).

We had a meeting at church in the morning, so my mom watched Robbie for us.  After lunch, we took Robbie with us to the nursery and picked out a few bushes and plants for our yard.  Can I just say that I love the nursery!?  (Not surprising, since it is a form of shopping.)  I told Rob today that I'm really sad that our yard overall is pretty shaded - the choices of flowers and bushes that require mostly sunlight were just beautiful!  I love what we came home with though.  And it was really fun to play with Robbie in the front yard while Rob planted.

Robbie prefers my water bottle to his milk bottle.  Mainly because it's 'not for babies'. 

Content to play in his parked wagon... not trying to escape, just pulling at the grass!

"Saturday in the Suburbs."

Lighten up!

It's spring - and it was time to freshen up our blog!  Hope you like the new look.

Speaking of freshening up...  This morning I got to enjoy my Mother's Day gift from my boys (thanks to Mom, who took care of a snotty little boy for me) - a prenatal massage and pedicure!  I was really thankful for Rob's thoughtfulness, as it was the best gift he could have given me right now.  I'm no longer able to paint my own toes, even though I tried last week, and I don't have to (and won't) explain to you what the home stretch of a pregnancy feels like.  For an hour, I forgot what it felt like to lug around my 30 lb hunk-of-a-little-man atop my prego belly.  Even better, no one was kicking it or headbutting it, from the outside at least (I would have asked for my money back).  

Especially memorable was the pedicurist who got a laugh out of the ridiculous tan lines on the tops of my feet.  I wasn't lying in my last post about those Privo's that I love and wear all. the. time.  And just because I KNOW you want to laugh along with her... (please know that the color of the polish is very distorted in this picture, and not at all that neon in real life!)

She was also pleased (??!!) that I didn't require the use of toe-separators since my toes are not fleshy and all squished together, like normal feet.  Right now, my little sister is laughing somewhere in Upland, Indiana about our Armbruster-finger-toes.

The inside of our house could use a little spring-infusion also...  I'm playing around with the idea of enlarging these images I took at the Arboretum the other day, framing them, and propping them up on our mantle.  I'm mainly including this tidbit of information because I feel slightly uncomfortable about the fact that this post has only a picture of my foot in it so far.  Hopefully this evens things out for you.

And that's about all I have the energy for right now!   I would love to make homemade cut-out silhouettes of the 3 of us to put in oval frames, learn to sew, try a few new recipes, and disassemble the stroller and high chair for a thorough cleaning (which WILL happen eventually)... but my next crafty project is to transition the nursery decor for our baby girl.  Mom and I are brainstorming a basic mural for the crib wall.  Stay tuned!

Aren't they cute!?

Drippy.

Poor Robbie.

These red eyes and drippy nose earned him a date with the bulb syringe at 2am last night.

Here's to hoping it's not the pig flu.