Lost in Translation

Funny conversation between myself, Evanie, and her friend, a 4 yr old E:

Evanie: Mama ah-wanna-eata-soooooup.

Me: You want soup for lunch?

E: No she said she wants shoes.

Me: I don't think she wants to eat shoes.

E: Evanie do you want to eat shoes?

Evanie: Ya ah-waaaanna-eata-soooup!

E: Do you mean MY shoes?

Evanie: Ya!

E: (very worried) Carolyn she says she wants to eat my shoes!! I don't want her to eat them!

Me: I'm certain she won't eat your shoes.

E: Evanie do you want to TAKE my shoes?

Evanie: Ya!

E: Now she wants to TAKE my shoes! I don't want her to take my shoes. They're my NEW shoes!

Me: This is getting out of hand.

In all fairness to the poor 4 year old, Evanie DOES try to claim everything of hers because she thinks the 4 year old is THE standard in all things interesting and cool. So it is completely in character for Evanie to claim and demand her clothes, her food, her toys, and her barrettes. But in this particular instance, I think there may have been a bit of a mistake.

34 Weeks

I have been pregnant for 34 weeks- might be a good time to put out an update about it. My poor second born is already getting the shaft and it's not even finished baking.

I'm already pre-frustrated at the fact that it will have the typical second born baby book. The empty one. I sincerely don't WANT that to happen, I just know it will. I've heard they make "baby book" calendars...does anyone happen to know of a good one? It opens up a slight possibility of baby #2 getting the odd event or milestone recorded. I'm open to any and all suggestions!

So here are the preggo stats at 34 weeks in:

• cravings -nada, but I've lost the will to say no to sugar and chocolate
• energy - finally finally back at 7 months. I kiss the makers of Innate Iron!
  
• heartburn - an ol' buddy
  
• headaches, sciatica, pinched nerves, wheat sensitivities, or nose bleeds - NONE!
• leggings - my daily uniform
  
• current pillow count - four
• watermelon jokes count - only 1!! (my 'oh so funny' sisters don't count)
• bathroom trips - about 50% when compared to my first pregnancy! Thank you so much little peanut!
• sleep - meh....
• movement - crazy! Easily twice as much as Evanie. And strong! Little stinker makes me gasp.
• weight - 19 lbs and counting
  
• Braxton Hicks - constantly since 20 weeks
• vivid, awkward dreams - 100s. So not cool.

Things I've done to prepare for this birth and this baby.....well....writing this post is pretty much step one. Nice.

Actually, now that I think of it, this week I've tried to stop gritting my teeth through the Braxton hicks and breathe and relax instead. That's a step. And I've been reading a book of birth stories to get me into the right head/heart space. So I guess this post is Step 3! Yay, look how prepared I am!

I even have a slightly out of focus 34 week picture.



I'm not the pregnant person I once thought I would be. I always imagined I'd have this ethereal glow, I'd be incredibly in tune with my body and my unborn, and I'd feel fully feminine and maternal.

But this is not my experience.

I find myself viewing my pregnancies as something to cross off 280ish days on the calendar. I wish I were more "glowing" and "ripe with life" but I just don't feel that way. I'm very grateful, it is 100% miraculous, and I genuinely anticipate meeting the precious life God is forming....and that's as ethereal as I get.

With Evanie I was afraid I would be as detached from my child as my pregnancy but that fear was obliterated in powerful tsunami of love for my little girl the instant she was born and I held her wet little body close. So I'm not concerned this time. I'm eager to meet this person who is going to so thoroughly imbed itself in my heart, I will become its mother in a single instant. I can't wait.

Moon Catcher

Remember when your parents were superhuman and capable of anything? They knew all the answers and were never wrong. I've just realized that right now, in Evanie's eyes, I'M the superhero.

Some day she'll be shocked to realize that I'm human and frail and chronically wrong and gave birth to her in my 20s and truly had no idea what I was doing. Just like everyone else.

But for now, there are no limits to what I can do and to what I know.

Today we were out for a walk and the following conversation happened. Evanie was in the stroller, her neck craning towards the sky, her little hands cupped as high as she could reach.

E: "The moon Mommy! I see the moon!"

Me: "Sure enough, you found it."

E: "I catch it mommy. Here moon. Coooome. I catch you!"

Me: "I'm not sure if this is going to work out like you think..."

E: "I can't reach it."

Me: "That's because it's way way high in the sky, Evanie. I'm pretty sure only God can reach it."

E: "Mommy do it? Mommy reach it!! Ok?"

You see? She thinks I could just get a little step stool and pull down the moon for a cuddle! What an adventure you have as a kid...and you never really realize it until you're not a kid...

Easter

When my current course is over (and it almost is), I will resurface. For now, monthly pictures of this cute little girl are all I can do.

She was having a hard time looking at the camera because of the sun. We're not used to the sun in these here parts!


Poor little watering eyes.


Tired princess, playing with mommy's jewelery.


This is post nap, let the Easter hunt begin! She had no idea what we meant by "easter party" but she was SO excited.


Every time she spotted an egg it was more exciting than the last one!


I love the little mouth in this picture.


This picture progression make it look like she spotted this easily but let me tell you, that is not the case. And I'm one of those 'super fun' moms that can hardly keep from stepping in to point out hidden presents and correct childish crafts and make everything as grown up and neat as possible! It was all I could do to just keep encouraging her to keep looking rather than diving for it myself.


Trying out the chalk....or colors as she calls them. She could hardly believe that we were letting her draw on something other than paper!


Little test run with the watering can! She carried that with her for the rest of the afternoon!

If all the squeals and smiles were any indication, I'd say our Family Easter Party was a success. Certainly better than Christmas when nothing happened.

Squeak Squeaker, Squeak Squeakin'

Two weeks ago Justin and I planned to go on our biannual date night and had to cancel because I had a raging fever. Sucky.

Then he got it.

Then Evanie got it.

So we rescheduled our date for this weekend because, "if we're only going twice a year, we're going to be HEALTHY and we're going to LOVE IT! And who stays sick longer than two weeks? Nobody. We'll be totally healthy by then!"

Before we had fully recovered we got some swollen, sore throat thingy which went away pretty quickly for me and lingered for him. So out of sympathy for him, I got a sinus infection.

Now those demons usually last a minimum of 3 weeks for me so I went out and begged a pharmacist for a homeopathic remedy that was effective and safe for pregnancy.

He gave me this and I AM A BELIEVER!

My sinus infection whimpered and died in 24 hours.

So I got up this Friday morning delighted....with a littttttttle tiny sore throat.

Friday evening it was full on laryngitis.

Out of stubbornness and desperation, we kept our Saturday date plans even though I literally had zero voice. Not even a squeak. After Evanie was already with the babysitters and we were driving to dinner Justin asked if we were being silly and should we just cancel again.

I gave him a thumbs down, then a thumbs up, then a thumbs sideways.

Loosely translated this means,"NO we shouldn't cancel!! It'll be great! Orrr...sort of great....hopefully...."

So we went and the food was a DELIGHT and our server was AWESOME annnnnnd we pretty much didn't talk at all. We did communicate, Justin is highly skilled at my caveman sign-language attempts and reads lips well. Although it was the quietest date we've ever been on, I'm SO glad we went.

Makes me realize how much more I talk than Justin....and how much of it isn't important.

At one point in the evening, someone we couldn't see shrieked out the loudest, squawkiest female laugh I'd ever heard and Justin and I, because we're horribly immature, nearly died laughing.

Which is really quite pathetic because we really almost DIED laughing. First of all, I had a completely silent laugh and Justin was all high pitched and hoarse due to coughing for the past two weeks, and then we both lapsed into major coughing fits and had to dive for our water to help us swallow all the phlegm we hacked up! Can't really spit that in your napkin at a restaurant.

My only consolation is that dozens of people we know are dealing with the same back to back sicknesses this spring. Otherwise I would be tearing out my hair....because, you know, that's a good solution....