Baby Jesus, Where Are You?!

Up until this year, I've always been one of those "no Christmas until after Thanksgiving" sort of people.  But I've been looking forward to enjoying Christmas with a little one who is old enough to somewhat understand things and get excited.  So I told Kris earlier this week that I wanted to get the tree up this weekend.  In fact, I never even decorated for Thanksgiving, which I usually go all out for.  (Having a needy baby played a part in this decision.)

Sadie and I were looking at a Fisher Price catalog and talking about the nativity set that was advertised. I bought her one last year and said that we should go find it.  So off to the attic we went.  I dug out boxes and boxes (big ones!) of Christmas decor.  The whole time, Sadie was saying - Baby Jesus, where are you?  Baby Jesus!  Over and over.  I'm thankful that I stopped myself from vocalizing what was in my mind.  I came so close to telling her that Baby Jesus was buried in here somewhere.  Oh my.  Under all the Santas and snowmen and ornaments, Baby Jesus couldn't be found.  My heart dropped.  Dear Jesus, I am so sorry.

I found a ceramic nativity set that she was excited to unwrap.  She found Baby Jesus and started playing with the set.  Then she dropped a piece on the floor and chipped it.  I told her we had to put it away so she didn't break it.  She immediately started crying and saying - more Jesus.  Again, conviction.

Back to the attic we went.  This time I wasn't stopping until I found her nativity set.  I dug and dug as she continued to sing - Baby Jesus, where are you?  More Jesus, more Jesus!!

That is my prayer this holiday season.  I want to have the heart of my two year old.  Let us continue to search until we find Jesus.  And may we not cover him up with Santa Claus and snowmen.  Yes, we will enjoy the lights and ornaments and presents under the tree, but I say....MORE JESUS!!

Memories....

OK, so I have nothing exciting to write about.  However, I was feeling a bit nostalgic this morning when a particular commercial/advertisement came on tv, so I thought I'd share my engagement story.  (I realize that most of you will now stop reading.  That's fine.  My feelings aren't hurt.)

Let's see....Kris and I started dating the Sunday after Thanksgiving of '04.  It didn't take long for us (well, me) to realize that we wanted to get married.  I was ready!  I tried not to push him or act too impatient, but I was getting to that point.  We never discussed rings or dates.  After a year of dating, we went to a Christmas party at a friend's house.  On the way home, he started asking me about my friends' rings since most of them were already married.  I remember calling my mom that weekend upset - mom, he's just now asking me about what style of ring I like, which means he hasn't even started looking yet!

A couple weeks before this party, I had gone home for Thanksgiving.  He stayed in Houston to study for finals.  His mom called me saying something like - Kris has worked really hard this semester, I want to surprise him by sending y'all to a play or something.  Pick a date and a show you'd like to see, I'll buy tickets, mail them to you, and the morning of you can call him and let him know that you have plans for the evening.  OK, sounds good.  I chose the last day of school before my Christmas break for us to go see A Christmas Carol.

Fast forward to the day of the surprise.  I sent him an email that morning telling him to get home from work early because we were going out, maybe we could even grab dinner before the show!  Who knew how sick I was going to get that day.  I had a migraine.  Thankfully my migraines aren't severe like they used to be, but this particular day was bad.  I came home from school and went to sleep.

When he got home and realized how sick I was, he said that we didn't have to go.  Yes, we do, this is YOUR day, Kris!  We went on to dinner, but I just sat staring at my food, too sick to eat.  Let's go home, Traci.  NO.  Can I just rest a bit before the show, though?  So we sat in his parked car and I slept until showtime.  I slept through the entire production.  As we were leaving he asked if I wanted to go look at Christmas lights or just go home.  Might as well look at lights since I had been asking him to take me.  So we got to one spot downtown and we got out of the car to walk around.

We were walking around when he began his speech with - I've been lying to you.  Uhm, what?  My heart sort of dropped.  He then goes on to tell me that the night had been all his idea because...blah blah blah, will you marry me?  Of course!  Why did it take you so long?  And amazingly, my headache went away and I felt fine!

Unfortunately, there's something with me getting sick during major events in my life.  Just wait until the day I decide to talk about my wedding week!

To Laugh or Cry? Or Both.

So this afternoon I had to go to the grocery store.  I mean, milk and eggs cannot wait in this house.  The world crumbles if Sadie doesn't have her milky.

I load up the kids and talk up the Randall's shopping cart with the little red car in order to get Sadie excited about going.  (That's the one thing that Randall's does better than HEB - provide easy to maneuver kid-friendly carts.)  I only go to Randall's in emergency situations.  Like being out of milk.  Anyway....get to the store, Sadie gets in the red car, and I put Harrison in the cart while still in his infant carrier/car seat.  This only leaves the rack on the bottom of the cart for your groceries.

I had planned on making soup for dinner but had yet to start working on it at 4:30 when I went to the store.  Since Harrison started getting cranky on the way to the store (because, of course, he was tired but wouldn't nap), with his crankiness only getting worse, I thought I should come up with Plan B while at the store.  Milk, check.  Eggs, check.  We go through the freezer section and Sadie says - stop! Open that door!  She wanted me to open the freezer door so she could show me which popsicles she wanted.  Oh, that child!

OK, what if I get some chicken from the deli and go home to make some sides.  You know, something nutritious (and quick/easy) like macaroni.  And salad, which consists of lettuce, dressing, and croutons. So off to the deli we go.  The 79 year old lady working the counter says - I'll be with you in a little while.  She said it as though it was going to be quite a wait.  I asked how long?  With annoyance in her voice, she says - I gotta get this lady a half pound of cheese.  Fine, I think I can wait while you get a half pound of cheese, how long will that take?  Uhm, long.  As we wait, Sadie wants out of the red car.  I help her unbuckle.  I finally get my chicken....Sadie, let's go.  She climbs back into the car and we head to the checkout.

Checkout at Randall's - ugh!  It's 5:00 by now, why don't they have every register open?!  Remember how I mentioned that Harrison was tired and cranky?  He's now tired and cranky and crying.  Has been for a while.  We finally get everything paid for and head to the car.  But we didn't make it.  Sadie leans her head out of the cart, and with excitement in her voice says - mommy, look!  She proudly shows me a cheese tray that she had in the car with her.  Yes, it was a tray decorated with Christmas ribbons.  However, the ribbons were gone, and the price sticker was in shreds.  Seriously, Sadie?  aaahhhh!!!

So, I take the cheese tray from her, which makes her cry.  There's no sound more beautiful than two crying children in the grocery store while everyone looks at you to see what's wrong.  I turn the cart around and go back in in search of a sympathetic looking cashier.  I stand in line again and finally had a chance to share my story.  I'm so sorry, I already paid for my groceries and was leaving the store when my daughter showed me what she had.  Unfortunately she took off the ribbon and shredded the price sticker (and shook the whole tray so that the cheese is a jumbled mess)....I sort of trailed off thinking I'd get a little laugh, maybe a grin, hopefully a - oh, don't worry about it, I'll take it.  But when I saw no expression on her face, I said - I guess I need to pay for it.  She rang it up, and now we're the proud owners of a $10.38 cheese tray.  Party at our place?  We'll provide the appetizer!

Kids still crying, we get to the car.  Sadie's cries now aren't just whining cries.  What now?  Her lip is bleeding.  I didn't even try to figure out what she did.  I just put them both in the car and drove home.  When we got home, what did we do?  We ate cheese.  And I laughed.  That about sums up what my days are like lately.  My children....how I love them!

Mama Said There'll Be Days Like This....

There'll be days like this, Mama said!

Wait, who am I kidding?  My mom is the most positive person in the world.  She would never tell me that there would be days of misery.  But oh, let me tell you, there are!  And I've had a couple.  Days when....

• you wake up with the headache you went to bed with
• you pray that your newborn stays asleep because all you can do is shiver under a blanket on the couch while your two year old crawls all over you
• you can barely keep your eyes open
• you take your temp and find that you have 102.4
• your dog wants in
• your dog wants out
• you want to kill your dog
• you keep taking your temp to find that it continues to rise
• your two year old is hungry at the same time as the newborn
• your dog wants in
• you're "trapped" feeding the baby when the toddler starts crying because she needs a diaper change (yes, you're still working on potty training), so you manage to get the diaper at least off but can't put a new one on yet...next thing you know, she has taken off her gown that you had yet to change her out of even at 11:00 because you had no energy, so she ends up running around the house naked for a while
• said dog that you want to kill throws up on the rug while you're trapped nursing and the toddler is running around naked
• your eyeballs feel like they're on fire
• your toddler cries for 30 minutes because she wants to eat
• you finally make yourself get up, almost pass out while trying to dress the naked toddler
• you realize you have no energy to prepare a meal so your toddler gets cold lunch meat and goldfish for lunch
• you email your husband every 30 minutes letting him know that you're about to die because your temp keeps climbing - all the way to 104.9
• your back aches, and your head, and your neck
• you put a screaming child in bed for a nap, only to have her escape and come downstairs five minutes later
• you sit outside in the sun when it must feel like 105 because to you it feels wonderful
• you just want to crawl in a hole and cry

(OK, so I probably should have put everything in first-person, right?  Should have been writing 'I' instead of 'you'?  Ugh, never a good one at English.  And to think I had to teach it to third graders?  My apologies to all my former students.  You know what I meant.)

Anyway....thankfully Kris came home from work early on Friday so I could take a little nap.  He washed bottles for me (my least favorite thing to do these days) and brought me my medicine.  He didn't even tell me how awful I looked.  I love that man.

And to quote the most positive person in the world....this too shall pass.  She says that a lot when I complain to her.  I love that woman also.  But she's right.  It shall pass.  And I'll laugh at my dramatics when it's all behind me.  

Things You Just Can't Do in Houston

Climb fences.....

Wear your cousin's boots with your skirt.....

Walk hand-in-hand along a fence....

Play so hard that your hair is soaked with sweat....

Shell peas.....

Play in the yard until bedtime with cousins and dogs....

Visit with your miniature horse.....

Good times, people.  That's what we had!

Ready or Not.....

• I'm ready to not be so uncomfortable.
• We do not have names picked out.
• I'm ready to shop for clothes that will make me look/feel more "normal".
• The nursery is not as ready as it should be.
• I'm ready for this baby to hurry up and get here.
• I'm not so ready for this baby to hurry up and get here.
• I'm ready to see how Sadie will act with her new sibling.
• I do not have any bags packed - should probably start thinking about that in the next couple of weeks.
• I'm ready to stop having bathroom breaks every hour.
• Am I ready for this life changing event?  Yes and no.  

The Most Intimidating Place in the World

The community swimming pool.  Ugh.  It's bad enough during a "normal" summer, but this being a pregnant summer....the intimidation level is multiplied.

Moms, you should not look that good after having children.  It's really not fair at all.  Do you starve yourself and/or workout like crazy five days a week?  Please say that you do.  If you say that you're just blessed with such bodies, I will gag.  And must you wear such small swimsuits while I'm wearing one as big as possible to cover up?  Skinny pregnant women....I just have no words.

Women, is it really necessary to wear your giant rings to the pool?  You realize when the sun hits multiple carats of diamonds it can be blinding, don't you?  Oh, you do know that.  Of course you do.

Dads, if you're sent to the pool with the responsibility of watching your children, please do so.  Watch your children and make them behave.  Don't let them climb up the slide or let your big kids run over the little ones.  When the lifeguard has to correct your children, don't act like you didn't see what was happening when you were standing right there witnessing it all.

Men, please don't wear white swim trunks or Speedos.  Please.

I wonder if Kris will ever let us build a pool of our own.  Hhmmm.....

It's Been a Day!!

Today's been one of those days.  After one of those nights.  We had a rough night with Sadie not sleeping well, as usual.  It was a rough night, but the morning was actually pleasant.  Sadie played downstairs for a while and then decided she'd play in her room.  Alone.  Amazing.  I was getting a few things done when she started calling me.  I went up to check on her and found this standing at the top of the stairs:

I let her pick out her clothes today since we were staying home.  I take no credit for this lovely outfit.

She's holding diaper cream and was very proud of herself.  She then runs into her room to show me this:

Yeah, she's going to be a great helper when her little brother or sister gets here!

Her legs were covered.....

As I tried to clean things up, she did this:

I tried not to laugh too hard as I was telling her that diaper cream is messy (and not cheap) and she shouldn't be playing in it.  Anyway, it was funny, we got things cleaned up, and all was well.  She ate a good lunch and started getting tired.

When she began yawning before her usual nap time of 1:00, which is no surprise since she didn't sleep well and was up before 7, I put her in bed.  Everything was fine for a few minutes until she started coughing.  Lots of coughing.  Then crying.  I tried to settle her down.  Yeah, that didn't work.  We came downstairs, more crying, I got her calm....and then FedEx bangs on the door.  That set things off again.  Then the phone rings.  And the dogs bark.  Then it's UPS.  I give up.  Well, not really.  I got in bed with her for a while.  That didn't work.  Long story somewhat shortened....it's almost 6:00 and she's been in bed for about 30 minutes now.  Time to go wake her up.  What will things be like tonight?!  I think I'm going to send her to the park with her daddy.  I need a break!

A Bit of Baby Anxiety

Please know that I/we are thrilled about our baby who will be here in July.  We can't wait to meet him/her, however.......


I'm beginning to get a little anxious!  From the beginning, I've had moments of thinking - I'm happy with one baby, Sadie is our world, we love her so much, how could we love another as much as we love her?  In the past, I heard other parents express the same concern, and I always thought - OF COURSE you can love a second baby as much, why would you think that?  But now I totally understand.

How am I going to deal with two little ones?  People do it all the time and have much "worse" situations like twins/triplets/etc. in addition to other children.  They survive.  So will I.  But how will I go grocery shopping?  Target?  Anything?  Will I be able to take a nap?  I pray that they get on the same afternoon nap schedule.  This is seriously a concern.  I need my rest!  Speaking of rest.....Sadie still does not sleep well at night.  Will I have two children on different schedules at night?  Will I be up every single hour?  Stress!

Names.  We can't decide.  And it's not that we can't decide between multiple names that we have picked out.  We can't even decide on one!  I might like one but Kris doesn't, and vice versa.  Oh, and since we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl, we need TWO names!

Do I have a nursery ready?  Nope.  We moved the crib into the guest room, along with all the other furniture that was already in there.  It's crowded.  Oh well.  But I do know that it's time to get serious about figuring out how we're going to set things up.  This baby deserves a cute room just as much as Sadie did.

Speaking of being crowded.....Sadie has taken over our living room since we have no play room (I really wish she'd learn to play in her bedroom).  So, where will we put a baby swing and other baby gear?

Went to the doctor today.  Everything is good.  But when the doc told me that it's time for me to start coming every two weeks, it hit me.  Wow!  this is really happening!  And soon!  I need to get ready!  Names, nursery, organization, mental preparation.....where do I begin?

Oh dear....this is overwhelming me.  I think it's time for a nap!  I better get as many as I can before this baby shows up and rocks our world.

My Life in Pictures

Kris's office

The living room.  Come on in, have a seat.  Wait, scratch that.

Stairs that should have been completed on Monday.   They might look finished, but they're not.

Our bedroom.   But where is the bedroom furniture?  Behind the plastic doorway, in our bathroom.

I know, I know, this won't last forever.  But since last Friday we've been without a place to sit, Kris and I are in the full size guest bed (until one of us ends up in bed with Sadie), our closet also has furniture in it, there is dust EVERYWHERE, things are scattered, people in and out of the house all day, Sadie feels trapped since she can't run around and play in the house.... thankfully, we are getting away next week.  That's when all the sanding and staining *should* take place.  I'm praying that when we come back, everything will be in its place - because this is getting old!

That Makes Me Crazy!!

Today has been a day.....things making me crazy:

• barking dogs
• maternity pants - they just will not stay up.  I need suspenders!  Actually, let's just say maternity clothes in general - shirts included.  Gross.
• waiting.  and more waiting.
• the fact that it's a nice day and I can't go out and enjoy it.  Why?  Because I'm waiting....on people, on projects, on paint to dry, etc.
• And the fact that I'm letting stupid little things make me crazy today when I have a friend who is going through things way worse than this.  Who am I to complain about such things?  

So, how about things that I should be thankful for today instead:

• the fact that I have dogs?  uhm.....maybe.  ok.
• the fact that my baby is growing and I need bigger clothes
• the projects being done around my house.  Even if it requires a lot of waiting, I'm blessed to have improvements going on.
• so thankful for my strong friend and how she fiercely loves her special little boy!!

Beautiful Cloudy Day

I love springtime!  Everything about it - especially flowers.  Kris is not adventurous when it comes to fun little day trips, and my mom never seems to have time for anything.  Thankfully, I have a willing friend Amy who is ready to go exploring for wildflowers with me.  A few years ago we went when her little boy was....close to two, maybe?  Now we've added two more to our brood.  Two more little girls.  So we couldn't let this spring pass without making a trip to Brenham to see the flowers.

We've had today's date marked on our calendar for weeks.  The last few days we've been watching the weather.  10% chance of rain, no big deal.  Then yesterday it was up to 20%.  Still, no big deal.  We wake up this morning and it was up to 40%.  What?!  But we didn't let that stop us.  We met up at a central location to follow each other (there's no fitting three car seats in either of our vehicles).  As soon as we met, the rain started.  NNOOOO!!!  It rained on us all the way to where the flowers really started, and then it stopped!  Hooray!  It stayed cloudy the rest of the day, but I was still able to get some good pics.  Here are a few:

Three friends deep in "conversation"

I don't think I'd have a problem living in this area.  I wonder why more people don't?  It's so pretty!  Soo....it might have been a cloudy and dreary day, but it sure was a beautiful one!  I'm already looking forward to going again next year.  By then there will be four little ones to chase around!

No Glow

I look through magazines, see people out and about while running errands, and I wonder.....why can't I have that pregnancy "glow" like so many others do?  I have totally jumped past that cute little baby bump phase and gone straight to gross.  Well, I have never had the body that would show off a baby bump, it just looks like extra fat on me.  Anyway.....

I'm not going to say that I'm huge, but I definitely can't fit into my regular clothes anymore.  Some maternity tops are a bit tent-like on me, so I've bought a few t-shirts in a larger size to get me through this weird phase.  The thing is, I buy something after trying it on, get it home, and hate it.  That's really nothing new with me, though.  But it's especially bad now.  Why can't I find anything that I'm ok with?

I don't know where I'm going with this post.....just frustrated after trying on clothes today.  My face is already puffy (I know, I know, eating Chick-fil-a for lunch doesn't help that problem), my arms are fat, my belly sticks out....like I said, gross!  And to think that I have to go through the summer months when I'll want/need to be wearing shorts and a swimsuit - GASP!  The thought makes me sick.  And I know the sight will make others sick too.  I want to look cute.  I want that glow!  But alas, I'll just have to deal with dull and flabby.  I think I'll just focus on dressing my little Sadie in cute summer clothes.  Maybe that will get my mind off of my own sad appearance.

Catching Up

Wow, it's been a long time.  My one loyal blog reader told me a couple of weeks ago that she misses reading my posts.  How sweet.  Let's see.....there was lots of morning/noon/night sickness for many weeks, Christmas, and now I'm stuck trying to think of anything exciting that has happened since the last time I wrote in December.

Sadie is growing like a weed and keeps me on my toes.  Oh, I know....lots of ear infections.  Sleeping has gotten a bit better, especially her naps.  She is still waking up in the night, but at least she's not awake for hours crying like before.

hhhmmm....what else?  Lots coming up in the near future.  A few trips to my parents' house, Easter, and a little getaway for Kris and me (without Sadie - sniff!).

Looking forward to spring and some inspiration on something interesting to write about!