Show Me

So a couple of weeks ago I started in with the "show me" phrase with Keller whenever I had no idea what he was talking about but to him he was being ever so clear with what he needed. At first I held him as he pointed the way and then I started offering my hand and he would escort me to what he wanted (99% of the time this landed us at the cabinet because he was "hunree"). Well in the last week or so, I haven't needed to say this phrase to him because now he just comes over, takes my hand and pulls while saying "showme, showme" himself when he needs to show me something. It's really very cute. Tonight however was the first time I can recall that it wasn't food related and he actually "showme'd" his crib! Nah-nite! The other cute thing he did tonight while he and I were eating our dinner was that when I sneezed, he immediately said, "beh doo"!! (Bless you!) I couldn't even believe my ears! What a little sponge!

On Pregnancy Two

Everyone says how different it is with the second. And yes, it is definitely different. I popped out really quickly and have been oh so easily putting on the pounds. I tried the gym but would come home utterly exhausted for the rest of the day. Even without the gym, I'm exhausted. I remember being pregnant with Keller and thinking "Oh my god, how do people do this when they already have a child" in reference to being so tired, and now I see how it is! What stinks for me right now is that somehow I feel as if I've been mislead into believing that the second trimester is "the honeymoon," "the easy one," "the trimester to get things done." Ummm, if that's the case then I got gypped! Let's see, trimester one: Nauseous, exhausted, and Sinus Infection for weeks! Second Trimester, starts out okay, but don't really have that "energy" that usually refers to this period. I seem to "make it through" my days, especially the babysitting ones...If Keller is in bed at 7:30, I literally make myself wait until 8:00 to get into bed. I read for awhile and then call it a night. (okay tonight is an exception--Trav is in bed sick and I'm taking advantage of that and catching up on these blog posts---gotta love the "scheduled post" option!) My patience is definitely worn thin much easier and I am capable of crying at the drop of a hat. So, yes, add to this hormonal overload the thought of moving and watch out! It's such a catch 22...We could be fine here for another year (and even in putting the house on the market, we could still be here in a year) or we could sell right away and end up in a temporary situation for when the baby comes...all overwhelming, but lucky for me, I have a sister who managed to survive temporary rentals and moving to new houses (twice) with her two babies and a sister-in-law who has her 10 month old still sleeping in her and her husband's room--and so I know that whatever ends up happening, we'll make do just fine.

And on the pleasant notes of the pregnancy:) This little bugger is a mover for sure! He/She seems very active, throughout the day and especially when I get into bed, which is when Keller was most active. And I LOVE feeling that little baby move inside of me, it's just the most amazing thing and it's also far more necessary to feel those movements the second time around because with the first, you tend to eat, sleep, and drink baby thoughts, books, websites, etc. The second time, at least for me, we're busy here, changing diapers, eating, playing with toys, taking naps, reading books, being silly, soaking up every little thing the big brother does. That little baby on the inside has to kick and punch to say, "Hey, don't forget about me! Eat healthy! Drink water! Take your vitamins! Exercise! I want to be a healthy happy baby too!! Kick! Punch!" And so begins the life of the second child:)

I am a little torn for now at figuring out how best to prepare Keller for his transition. While he's a pretty go with the flow kind of kid in social situations, can be left easily with grandparents or friends, at home with just Mommy he's a bit of a Mama's Boy (which I mostly love, but to a degree) and I'm currently able to pick him up/ carry him around when he wants me to but when I'm not able to pick him up or if I put him down and he doesn't want to go down, we get a bit of a fit out of him. So my torn-ness is feeling like he's my baby boy and his whole world is going to change in a few months so do I give him all the attention now since I can? Or do I start backing off a little more to help prepare him? (My behavior analyst husband knows exactly what I should do, but that's a professional opinion, not a motherly instinct, and so I guess there it is...follow my instincts, I'll find the right balance, and no matter what I do, we will all have to figure out how our roles change when the new little one comes along).

Still no definite plans on the delivery thing. Thinking that if we go into labor early then we'll try the old-fashioned way but if we get beyond the due date, then C-Section it will be... A little early would be good, although I must confess that the idea of a natural childbirth is daunting to me after recalling my experience with Keller and knowing that I didn't even experience the whole thing...It's nice to be so distracted with everything else in life though to not dwell upon that part of things! It will all work out the way it was meant to.

Where to Begin...

So yes, a bit of overwhelm perhaps, but in a good way, eventually at least! I think that Trav and I have decided that we might as well just bite the bullet and do what we need to do around the house and put it on the market...soon. We've been slowly chiseling away at the To Do list and now we need to up the ante a little. This is the part about moving that I've been dreading, the fixing up all those little things that you just deal with and live with on a day to day basis and accept as one of your home-sweet-home's charming quirks...The outside stairs and trim were replaced last spring and fall which were big jobs, the inside trim has been band-aided, but needs a bit more TLC before we move forward, the bathroom needs a little shining up, the living room walls may need a fresh coat of paint, and Trav and his friend took care of the light switches in the kitchen that weren't working (one switch stopped working probably last spring for the outside light and the other switch stopped working about 3 years ago! It had tape over it because it seemed to short out the light/make it flicker so we only ever just used the other switch for that light---thought nothing of it for our own needs but didn't think a prospective buyer would think highly of the shipping tape covering the switch!) And then there's the cleaning out and organizing of EVERYTHING! Keller's toys! Yikes! And really there's already a bunch in the attic already...we only have allowed a certain amount in plain sight at a time...I've just decided to get a little more creative about where to store them...which means getting rid of other stuff hiding in cabinets so that we can now hide some toys in cabinets. I splurged at Target and bought A LOT of bins and have been organizing the attic little by little, thinning out my closet/dresser between Goodwill, a consignment pile (which I'll never get around to actually doing), and a "Post Preggo" bin to remain undisturbed at least until the fall...Unused kitchen appliances, etc. get their own special bin as well. I'm trying to be careful about what I'm packing and where and if it should be packed or tag-saled. Who wants to keep carting crap around from house to house if you don't really need it/use it...I can be a "but it will come in handy when I _____" rationalist...which is good and bad. But really, I think we have a lot less stuff than a lot of other people out there, partly because we've had to keep things to a minimum with such a small house...

And so, after my initial wondering of Where to Begin, I don't think I ever answered my question and have been beginning all over the place. A little here, a little there, a mess here, a filled bin there, a pile for the attic, a pile for the basement, a rest on the couch, a rest in the bed...I guess once my scattered attempts at cleaning/organizing are done, I'll make an official list of what needs to be done from there...And then comes the crossing the fingers part in hopes of the stars and planets aligning just so that just the right person/people come along and fall in love with the little yellow house that I have grown to love. As for the timing thing, we're figuring whatever...while for awhile we were in the wait until things settle down with the new baby on the scene, but now it's more of the idea of sleep being a good thing and with a baby in our bedroom indefinitely, already compromised sleep will only be compromised more--not good! AND then would come the showing of the house with two kids on the scene (and therefore a less likely chance of the house being in it's optimal condition when someone comes to look) or else there being a mommy who NEEDs to sleep when someone wants to look, or napping children (being hopeful) etc, etc...So whether we put it on the market now or later, it's going to be a pain in the ass pretty much so why not just give it a whirl now. I guess a realistic goal is by the end of March...and so if anyone knows of anyone interested in a charming home in a great little friendly and convenient neighborhood, let me know!!

In the meantime, I really have to get stuff done in the mornings because come afternoon, I'm done, beat, exhausted, which brings me to my next post...stay tuned!

16 Months...

(This is a December picture...bad mommy)

16 Months Already...I guess that's what happens when I do my 15 month update 2 and a half weeks late...I guess to some thing up, the little boy is just so stinkin' cute and so much fun, but also so very beginning to assert himself more and more and "explore" defiance and contrary-ness:) His two most common words to say in the course of the day are "Oh, no!" and this can be used for anything and everything...oatmeal on the finger, a drip of milk or water on the high chair, BoBo stealing a sock, Mommy dropping a crumb on the floor, Keller finding a bit of paper, a toy not working properly, or for what often seems to be no reason at all. We are trying to teach him to chill out a little about certain things and often respond with "That's okay" or "No big deal" or ignore him, but man, can that little boy repeat that phrase a lot!

He cracked us up the other day when Trav's friend "Tupper" came by to help with some electrical stuff..."Tuppuh, Tuppuh" he kept saying, actually for a week or so he was talking about Tuppuh and when he finally came it was like a dream come true! He just stared in awe at him, especially after he woke up from his nap all cranky and saw that Tuppuh was still here. I tried to snap a shot of his gazing at Tupper, but alas, the camera is still not working so good.

What else...The little boy loves the snow. We bundled him up for one of the recent storms and I dragged him around the yard in his sled. He enjoyed that but then I got tired so I stood him up and he just stood there without even moving...I think between the super-stuffed-I-can't-put-my-arms-down coat and the snowpants and the boots, he was physically incapable of movement. And then when he finally tried to walk and fell in the snow he got all upset---He didn't like getting snow on him, even when he was all covered up. So, since then, we've been working on being better about getting snowy. He has been walking to the house from the car with me lately--partly because I always seem to have a billion things to bring in, partly because he's heavy, and partly because I want him walking outside more in the snow and also partly because he's been saying "Walk, walk"...So we've hung out outside a little bit without the boots and snowsuit, and he's much happier in the snow, to the point of kicking and crying when it's time to come inside.

About a week ago, Keller and I went to our first storytime at the library for toddlers. All the moms and kids sat in a big circle and sang songs to begin. Keller sat on my lap and watched all of the other kids (he was one of the youngest there) with absolute fascination, seeing them singing and dancing and making hand gestures to go with the songs. I loved watching him watch everyone:) I guess that's a 16 month thing for him, singing songs...He'll break out into "Baaa, baaa" (as in baa baa black sheep) or "Hoppy" (as in Happy Birthday) interchangeably whenever he either sees a sheep or a birthday hat or if I say let's sing a song. In fact, on the drive to the library that day, he was falling asleep and I was talking and talking to him trying to keep him awake...and when I said we were going to sing songs, he said "Baa, baa" AND the very last song we sang, the encore, if you will, was Baa Baa, but alas, he paid no attention to it because the little boy next to us had a far more interesting book to look at:) So, we'll probably go back to the library when we can, although I think the next couple of Mondays are babysitting days for us...It was good to get out for a little while though. I'm such a homebody, and I think Keller is too, but he so needs to be around other kids so that's my job to make sure he gets out into the world a little more!

Status Updates

Stop biting the computer.

Are you eating plastic?

Today at the grocery store, Keller finally realized that he can reach out and pick out his own fruit, candy bars, and gum...oh no! Grocery shopping just got more difficult!

Get off the freaking computer and do something productive.

Why am I so tired?

I should go to the gym, but I don't want to...

I need something sweet to eat.

Do the dishes.

Straighten up and THEN sit on the couch and relax with a little less guilt.

Are you serious? ANOTHER poop in your diaper? *nod, nod, nod*

But really, checking in on Babycenter now and then is good to do, and checking WTNH keeps me sort of in the loop, and checking in on blogs is essential, and email, too...Then there's the stroller research every few days, and we really needed that cast iron pan, and it was important that I look up the dangers of the 3D ultrasound...

Now I will officially get up off my butt and straighten the house and put my baby boy to sleep, after which I may relax on the couch knowing the house is straightened, the boy is asleep and my obligations for the day are fulfilled.