Thankful Thursday

This cold, rainy Thursday I am thankful for:

Homemade chicken pot pie, banana chocolate & peanut butter chip muffins and good conversation.  After preschool pick up today Addie and I got to lunch with Genna and Liam, as well as my friend Kelly and her kindergartner Maddie.  Genna did all the cooking and baking, so I knew Kelly and I were in for a little spoiling - I could've licked the pot pie crock.  Kelly is due about a week and a half before me and it was good to have someone who truly understands the exhaustion, aching back and uncomfortable sleep.

A rare chance for an uninterrupted phone date with Chrisite.  Me with a toddler and her with an infant is a recipe for limited phone time - today was the exception.  She's a gentle reminder of what I am about to be plunged back into and I am a gentle reminder to her that "this too shall pass".  Ahhh, motherhood.

Finally getting the nursery into baby shape.  Lamps are plugged in, decorations are on the wall, onesies are folded in the drawers.  While folding littlest lady's clothes earlier this week I was in awe of how tiny everything was - how in the world was Addie every so bitty?

Being "this" close to finishing Addie's Halloween costume.  Of course she wanted to go trick-or-treating as a princess, and without a second thought Cinderella was her choice.  I went looking for a costume early this year, hoping to find a good one, since I knew I would be uberpreggo by the time Halloween rolled around.  However, every Cinderella costume I found was cheap looking and not at all cheap to buy - I bit the bullet and bought a pattern and fabric.  This dress has not been as hard as I thought, but it was not been a breeze either.  Many phone consultations with my mom and sewing meetings with my mother-in-law have gotten me through it.  End result, however, is a pretty happy four year old.

Taking advantage of getting out of the house.  These days I am feeling about as big as a house and happily would spend the day feet propped up, eating candy corn.  Addie, of course, has other ideas.  Earlier this week we headed to Parky's Farm and frolicked in the sunshine - I was exhausted after, but that's okay, because she was pretty happy.

Addie-isms

I didn't want our day to start off that way. 
I don't like to see you crying at the kitchen table and I hate being frustrated and angry over trivial things. 
You did an excellent job getting dressed, and making your bed.  You were even doing a good job munching on your bagel and finishing your orange juice. 
And I know you want hair like Rapunzel - but to have her hair you have to have thicker skin.  You have to understand that with long hair, comes tangles and with you, tangles means tears. 
This morning the tangles created huge, cascading tears and angry words.  You howled and hit and stomped.  And then I got angry and I cried.  And maybe I stomped too.  Just like that our morning was ruined.
After you climbed on my lap and we snuggled a bit, we talked through it.  I apologized for getting upset and raising my voice.  You apologized for screaming and hitting...and then you whimpered Mama, please don't cut my hair.  Please don't make it shorted up.

After dropping you off at school, and having a few minutes of silence to myself, I started making list of the things you say, with your serious little voice, that make my heart smile.  Things that I want to remember years from now, when you are a teenager, and not saying anything to me.

These are some of my favorites:

Dad, I'm confused.  No. I mean I'm all puzzled up.
Saying spagaragus instead of asparagus.
Have fun storming the kingdom!
Can I have a sleepover with Nicholas, Dad?  No, not now!  When I am like 14 or 21.
Saying poot frunch instead of fruit punch.
Instead of saying went you love to say go-ed.
Look Mom!  It's gone!  It disreppeared!!
Lately, when your stomach hurts you tell me your wrist hurts, I believe you mean to say waist.
A few weeks ago you told Hilary that rolls are fancy greasy bread.

And, of course, your tearful plea made the list today...

Thankful on a Friday with a Photo

Early on a Friday morning I am thankful for:

My Thursday.  It was cold and rainy but relaxing and wonderful.  For Mother's Day Andy and Addie had the foresight to buy me a prenatal massage, which I cashed in on yesterday morning while Addie was at school.  So wonderful. 

After my massage I couldn't go straight home - because the cleaning ladies were there.  I actually spoke this sentence to my girlfriend, Kate:  "I just finished with a massage, but now I am going  shopping because the cleaning ladies are at my house."  And then I laughed out loud at how fabulously spoiled it sounded.  That really is no way a snapshot of my life, but it sure was fun to live it yesterday.  Then instead of heading straight to shopping I had an impromptu lunch with my handsome husband.  So lovely.

Finding a six foot long mirror at a ridiculously good price.  We took the down the three large pieces of "art" in our family to add them to our repainted basement and the enormous family room wall has looked rather naked over the past few weeks.  Now it has a huge mirror on it and today I am going to bargain hunt for a sconce or two.  So well priced.

My, Addie and Nicholas' trip to the pumpkin patch on Monday.  The weather was perfectly autumn - crisp blue skies, gentle wind, cold enough to need a light fleece.  They played and smiled and I sat and watched.  So sweet.

Being one week closer to meeting Baby.  My belly is constantly shape shifting and there is no denying that she is getting positioned to make her grand entrance.  I am up at 6 a.m. because she's been up since 4:30 - might as well keep her happy and enjoy a few moments of sweet silence, as I think I am going to be rather short on silence and solitude in the coming weeks.  So much anticipation.

My very clean house.  The bathrooms and kitchen alone make the price of a cleaning lady worth it.  I promise not to get used to this arrangement, it's only to get me through the last moments of pregnancy and first moments of mothering two, but I will enjoy it.  So sparkling clean.

A planned lunch date with Kate, the possibility of baking Funfetti with Addie, an XU evening of fun with the family tomorrow and an hour or so sitting in my chair with my cup of decaf this morning.  So relaxing.

Earlier this week I tried to do a self "portrait" of 35 week pregnant me but was unable to get any kind of decent angle using the timer.  Instead snapped a picture of me and my mini me that I am positive 10 years from now, when she's telling me she hates me and that I don't know anything, I'll look back on and remember that at one point in time she loved me more than chocolate.  Okay, as much as chocolate.

Five Weeks

We are in the final five weeks. 
Five weeks until our little family of three turns into a family of four. 
Five weeks until incredibly sleepless nights and endless diaper changes.

Five weeks until tiny onesies and the sweet smell of baby.
Five weeks until toothless, gum filled grins enter our house.
Five weeks until I can stop fretting about being pregnant.
Five more weeks until I start worrying about raising another daughter, sibling rivalries and being able to do it all.

Five more weeks until we meet her. 
Her, our still nameless daughter. 
The one who forms right angles in my belly and dances each day around midnight. 
Her, the baby we took years to decided whether or not to have and now can hardly wait for her introduction.
The one who will inherit tons of tutus and pink and purple.
Her. 
Addison's little sister. 
Our littlest lady.

Who will she be?
In her infancy will she only be calmed by the soothing voice of her father?
As a toddler will she endlessly seek the shelter of my lap?
Will she demand hairbows and skirts and be in love with all things Princess?
Or will she wear ponytails and jeans and not be caught without her shin guards?

Will she have dark hair and chocolate eyes like her father?
Will she share her sister's cheeks?
Will she be feisty or sweet or a mix of two?
Will she like tummy time and stories, rocking slowly and the cat?
How will she feel about green beans?

Five weeks to get the house organized.
Five weeks to fill the drawers with sweet baby clothes and decorate the nursery.
Five weeks to stock pile sleep, patience and sanity.
Five weeks until our world is turned wonderfully upside down again....

Just five more weeks.

Photos on Friday

Of the 1300+ pictures that were on my Blackberry, there were a few that I couldn't quite part with.  Here's a glimpse:

 In this one Addie, Grandma Patty & I went downtown for Reds Opening Day Parade.  I don't know who had more spirit, Addie or Grandma.

 Mich is Addie's favorite photography subject (besides herself) and this looks like a morning spent cuddled up in my chair.  It's quite the slimming angle on Mich, don't you think?

 This must have been two Easters ago.  To give Genna a break I would attempt to steal Elise on Tuesdays for story and craft time before she headed to school.  They both look so dang little.

 There is something that melts my heart seeing my little lady snuggled up with my Dad for bedtime stories.

 This was a year and a half ago at my Aunt Ruthie's - we were supposed to be helping clean out her house, but I think Addie was more of distraction than an asset.  It's great that my Mom's shirt is able to more or less caption the picture.

 When we moved here my sister, Kelly, said that I lived in the south.  When I stated I didn't she told me that if I could find okra in my grocery store then I was southern.  That week at Meijer I saw these.

 Addie and I both call Karen princess - and I think this photo illustrates perfectly why.

 My cousin Jill made this rocking hat (Kate C. made the fuzzy scarf) and Addie wanted to wear both one cold visit to Chicago - this was when I officially realized that I was the mother to a fashionista.

 One look at this picture and you know, without a doubt, that my little lady was getting sick.  Minutes later she fell asleep in my lap and was unable to finish out her week at her first dance camp.

 When my brother saw this picture on Facebook he asked "How did you get them to sit and tilt their head the same way?".  Little did he know that Carolyn and Addison are suckers for fruit snacks.

 Two buddies in a turtle shell - what's not to love?  They are so little here!

 I am not sure what Emmett and Addie were up to, perhaps avoiding bedtime, but it's clear they were having fun together.

 A diva on her way to Disney world with color coordinated glasses, outfit and luggage.

 There is very little in life better than sharing a chocolate shake with one of your best buds on a beach vacation.

This summer at lunch on Oak Island - summer curls on her, vacation smiles on him.  Perfection.

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday I am thankful for:

Addison's suggestion of spaghetti, meatballs and Italian sausage for dinner.  It's cold and rainy and a big pot of meatballs seems like the perfect antidote to the gray skies.

The discovery of  the Green Lantern pizza at Dewey's - mozzarella, artichoke, mushroom, garlic, pesto and goat cheese.  Um, what??  I am also thankful for eating that pizza with a good friend in the middle of the week.

Having started Addie's Cinderella Halloween costume.  I've put together the bodice and most of the skirt and haven't yet cried.  Of course I have called my mother a dozen times and set up a sewing consultation with my mother-in-law.   Who knew sewing could be so darn hard?

Last weekend.  It was wonderful to be among friends and their unconditional love.  Not to mention the laughter, appetizers and the sweet smile of baby McKenna.

Getting some sleep.  I still wake up and need to pee constantly, but somehow I have managed a few hours of consecutive sleep each night this week. 

Watching Addie experience the theater for the first time.  Her wonder and awe made my cup runneth over.

My health, the directive from the doctor to take it easy and stay off my feet and my amazing husband who has picked up the slack without a complaint.  He paints, he builds bars, he cooks, he does the dishes, he reads bedtime stories.  Oh, and he works full time.  So very thankful.

Having cleaned off the 1300+ photos that were stored on my Blackberry - no worries, I kept a few of my favorites.

Seeing these darling faces in my rear view mirror - their friendship truly makes me smile.

Don't worry, I wasn't driving - we were parked in the preschool carpool line.

Tale as old as time....

I have a fuzzy recollection of going to Boston with my mother and brother when I was little to see Peter Pan.  I am pretty sure I was all dressed up, I haved some memory of braids and a white sweater.  I think we rode the Swan Boats in the Public Garden.  I remember Peter Pan soaring out into the audience and falling in love with the song I've Got to Crow.  While the recollection is fuzzy, the memory is still magical.  I have gone on to see many musicals since Peter Pan, from high school productions of The Sound of Music and  Man of La Mancha, to Les Miserable on Broadway with my high school chorus, to Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat and Showboat with Loyola pals, to The Lion King and Wicked with Andy.  So quite obviously, I kind of like my musical theater.
Last night, however, I saw it with renewed eyes - through the eyes of my little four year old.  Andy scooped us up tickets to Beauty and the Beast.  We didn't tell Addie about our plans until an hour before we left for dinner and the show - she jumped in the shower, tolerated having her hair blown dry and slipped into her fanciest get up (yes, she added the floofy hair bow herself).

After a very grown up dinner of fresh fruit, lemonade and a hot dog at Rusty Bucket off we headed to the Aronoff Center for some musical magic.  Addie gaped at the size of the size of the theater.  She exclaimed that all the lights were beautiful and loved the plush of the seats.  During the play she hopped from daddy's lap to Aunt Nikki's lap to my lap.  She clapped with enthusiam after each number, ahhhed at Belle's dresses, hummed along in places and let out an enthusiatic woot woot! when Mrs. Potts finished singing Beauty and the Beast.  Without a doubt Addie was completely swept away by elegance and beauty of the theater - and when she was handed a rose as we left I think her heart just about exploded.

The Sound of Silence

Thankful Thursdays

This Thursday I am thankful for:

Finding a greasy pizza joint that is nowhere near my house, but worth the trip on a Wednesday night with my little family.  The crust was so thin, with speckles here and there of a crispy burn; the pepperoni was plentiful and fabulously greasy; the cheese was salty and the ambiance was that of a unclean gas station - Pizza perfection.

Early afternoon naps snuggled in a twin size bed with a beautiful toddler nestled by my side, her hand on my endlessly growing belly.

Purple tutus.  Black leotards, tights and ballet slippers.  Blond hair pulled back in a pony tail.

My Kindle and a hot, soaky, bubble bath.  There is nothing like a good book to sweep you away from the uncomfortableness of pregnancy, coupled with warm scented water.  Oh, and silence, because I have finally smartened up and now lock the door when I escape to the tub.

Neighbors who will mow my lawn for a fair price - Andy spent the beginning of the week painting our basement (and yes, I am super thankful for that too) and the end of the week traveling for work.  He'll also be traveling a majority of next week - if we held off on cutting the lawn until his return I am afraid that it would be over Addie's head.  Enter neighbor David who had it all done by 7:45 tonight - Thanks neighbor David!!

Beautiful summer like weather this week - 70s and 80s and clear skies.  Perfect for a fire pit at night - which hopefully we'll do this weekend when Karen and Matt get here.  Not ideal for a pumpkin patch, but we'll make it work anyway.

The colorful mums on the front porch.

My freshly painted basement in "denim blue" and "smokey charcoal" and the new bar stools - in just about two months I will finally be able to cozy up to that bar, on a new bar stool, and not have juice box.

My ultrasound today.  When I went into the doctor earlier this week there was concern that I was "measuring small" (which I couldn't understand because I feel enormous).  I was  scheduled for an ultrasound "as soon as possible" which was today.  For 48 hours I didn't obsess about the possibility of there being something wrong, but I did fret.  Luckily, there was no reason to worry.  The littlest lady is doing just fine, THANKFULLY, with what the ultrasound tech called a full belly and a good sized head.  She also reported that as of right now the weight estimate is 5 pounds 1 ounce...and we still have seven more weeks of marinating to go!