Every Mother Knows...

...the sound a head makes when it falls on the floor.

CLUNK!

It's 9:03am and I've heard that sound THREE times already this morning. A boy, who shall remain nameless, and his unproportionately large head didn't get enough sleep last night.

And it shows.

CLUNK!

Slow Down

I am one of the fortunate few who feel fantastic during pregnancy. I don't get morning sickness, I have the energy of a six year old boy, and I can eat anything without aversion. I learned this week, however, that I am not invincible.

Part of me feeling good is a mindset that I can get away with doing anything I did before I was pregnant. My activities are pretty mundane, so I'm safe getting away with trips to the grocery store, story time at the library, Mass, and playgroups. When we closed on our house this week, my energy went into high gear and I haven't slowed down since. This, while not the most dangerous thing I've done, was pretty stupid. I can no longer convince myself that pregnancy won't get the way of my to-do list, nor handicap me from my "can-do" capable attitude.

I've tried to be careful, refraining from lifting boxes and only carrying those things I can fit into a laundry basket, but now my back hurts. I started painting the downstairs of our house last night, and the repetitive motion of the paint roller has left my right hand numb...a less popular but very common ailment in pregnancy known as carpal tunnel syndrome. I thought I could climb up and down stairs endlessly unpacking the car, but I'm so out of breath after one trip that I need to sit down on the floor. Once I'm on the floor my knees buckle under the gravity shift of mid-section and I need to get on all fours in order to stand up.

I'm not complaining, but rather admitting what I should have realized a long time ago, that I should slow down and stop pretending that I can do things that are too difficult for me. Maybe if I had morning sickness from the beginning I wouldn't have these unreasonable expectations. So, expect me on the sidelines from now on, or at least switching from heals to flats.

Veteran

I am an expert mover. In the past three and a half years I have lived in SEVEN different homes between different apartments, staying with friends over the summer ;) , and living with family during transitions such as the one we're in now--buying a house. Now I'm starting my eighth move. I feel the exhaustion that comes from taking myriad trips from the car to the house, along with the excitement that makes me want to keep working even though my body is telling me to slow down.

I've moved while pregnant-very pregnant. I've moved with Luke as a newborn, a six-month old, a one year old, a two year old, and now while pregnant with a two year old. Phew! Fortunately I've kept my head on pretty straight to this point, and even though the task seems overwhelming, I'm just trying to do what I can and let the rest go until I can get to it.

For someone like me, moving is an intense challenge. I love order, routine, and organization. When we've moved, we've had none of these. Our belongings are stuffed in garages, basements, and utility rooms of nearly every family member whose spared us the space. Our boxes are old diaper boxes, and I've got kitchenware packed with linens and baby toys. It's a mess and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. Usually at this point of moving/packing I'm on the floor crying and begging for an Ativan (only joking), but I've been pleasantly laid back this time around.

Yes, I'm a veteran mover and I hate moving with a passion, but sometimes it has to be done. This time around I'm going to try to relax, enjoy the packing, moving, and unpacking process while only stressing about the things that are important...like not losing the crib screws or breaking the margarita glasses.

Unsupervision

How does this happen, you wonder? I had things to do today!! See post below.

Exhausted!

I have six phone calls to make,
four loads of laundry to wash,
and an unmentionable number of boxes to pack.
I have no idea where to start.

Today I'm going to take a different approach. I'm going to make coffee, cuddle with my little boy, and read Pigs in the House aloud as many times as I can tolerate. I can't delay all I need to do to until tomorrow, but in the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "I'll worry about that later."

Informer

Why I cannot, will not, and under no circumstance whatsoever vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming election. This video is worth your time and tears.

Informer

Outrage

Can I just say that public education is going down the toilet? Can I just say that there's no way I can get motivated to support funding for schools when they pull this kind of crap? Can I just say that if anyone dared to take my six year old out of school to attend a homosexual "marriage" that my child would never walk through the schools doors again nor would I support any function or levy that generated funds for that school.

Survival Kit

Items Necessary for Survival at 17 weeks Pregnant:

~CoffeeMate
~Fresh Bagels
~Fat Pants
~Puffy Vests
~Pretzel Sticks
~Pride and Predjudice
~Macaroni and Cheese, Chicken Nuggets, Frozen Pizza
~Diet Coke
~Sunglasses to hide to dark circles
~Cute socks to make up for the lack of wardrobe
~Laughing...and what happens when you laugh

Nap Revolt

What do you do when your two year old doesn't nap?

He has, up until this week, taken a nap every afternoon...for hours. Sometimes two, sometimes up to four. He doesn't go to bed until 8pm and wakes up by 6:30am, so a nap is necessary for him, and oftentimes is the only opportunity I have all day to get things done. Twice this week he has gone in his crib and not fallen asleep. He cries, sings, yells for me, and does not sleep. After two hours I give up and try to get him to lay on the couch with a movie, but he will have nothing to do with rest.

I find this very confusing since we have a busy life. We're gone nearly every morning to the library, grocery store or errands, and by the time we return home we're both a little cranky and worn out. I'm baffled that the boy isn't ready to sleep after more than a year of taking afternoon naps.

Ho hum. I'll just type away trying to distract myself from the boy who should be sleeping but instead is singing "Baby Beluga" at the top of his lungs.

Oh Boy.

Luke was taking a bath this week and inspecting a certain body part. After intense scrutiny he looked at me, pointed to his special body part and said "hot dog."

I stood there, jaw-dropped, and instantly grabbed my phone to call his father.

"Mark, did you teach Luke to call his $^&#@ a hot dog?"

"No."

"Then who did?"

It's either a mystery, or our boy has a great imagination.

Great. Just great.

Wishful Thinking?

My money-saving goal for March 30, 2009: Cloth Diapers

Can I do this?

Blessings.

Mark passed the Bar Exam. His hard work and sacrifice the last three years has paid off. We now can officially close this chapter of our lives and start a new one. This is what we've been waiting and working for, this was our goal, and it has been achieved.

We have been incredibly blessed the past few months. We are expecting another baby, we've bought our first home, and because of the housing crash, for much less than it's worth, and at a time when so many are out of work, a private practice took a chance on a new lawyer who hadn't yet passed the Bar Exam.

The economy is frightening, and the unknown future is more still. We're clinging to faith and family and wondering if this recession will take our culture a step back in time where values outweigh goods.

We've so far been removed from the effects of the economy, but as we enter as a new family we'll be thankful everyday that we have a roof over our head and food to eat, as we know that many families are struggling and sacrificing to make ends meet.

And on that farm...

...he had a dinosaur...giraffe...two white tigers...panda bear...elephant...turtle... E-I-E-I-O!

Laundry

A boy who drinks a lot pees a lot. A boy who pees a lot leaks through his diaper. A boy who leaks through his diaper goes through a lot of diapers. A boy who goes through a lot of diapers also goes through a lot of clothes...especially at night.

Here's some pajamas I've washed this morning...

Feast Day

Today is St. Therese of Lisieux's Feast Day.

Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

Therese, the Little Flower

Theresa

St. Therese

Some of the most profound lines from Story of a Soul are written in the first pages. The writing is simply beautiful.

"Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers.
And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to Lillie's and roses, but He has created smaller ones, and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when he looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being that which He will us to be."