Maternity Update (photo included!)

After one of the church meetings on Sunday a friend leaned over the pew to chat with me. 

"So!  Any day now, huh?  You getting excited for this to be over?"

Me: "I'm not getting excited yet, since I still have eight or nine weeks. I'm not due till the end of August."

Her eyes blinked and widened and the friendly smile sort of melted as her mind tried to visualize my current state PLUS an additional eight or nine weeks of growth. 

"Wow.  Last month I thought you were on the home stretch. That's why I was surprised to see you here again, still pregnant."

This is the #3 reason why I fantacize about home-churching it until the baby comes.  The pain I see in other people's eyes when they look at me is almost as uncomfortable as my heartburn.


{The first two reasons:

#1: It's uncomfortable to sit for three hours. My ankles end up like sausages and my feet look like bear paws. After the meetings I have to limp out to my car.

#2:  I'm running out of properly fitting dresses.  Pretty soon I'm going to have to paint a dress on my ever expanding body. And my shoes have become torture devices.}


I've been trying, with limited success, to not complain when people ask me how I'm doing.  For the record, I feel extremely lucky to have a tiny human growing in me.  I recognize that this isn't an experience that everyone gets to have.  But at the same time I really want to hurt my husband or any other well-intentioned soul that cheerfully suggests, "Just try to enjoy it!"

I'll admit it: I'm a bear. I'm a big, sweaty, cranky mama bear.  Living in the hot, hot desert. 

the speed of life

Life is happening fast! #3 is is doing her best to grow up as fast as she can before #4 comes along at the end of the summer.  Here is she at 8:45 am:

"Mom, my toof really popped out!"

And here she is at 5:45 pm.

This afternoon we were swimming at a friend's house. #3 had just been showing off the hole in her gum left by the first tooth and telling the group about the upcoming visit of the tooth fairy.  Moments later she swam over to me with an even bigger gap in her mouth. "My odder toof just got lost!" She was so excited that she wasn't even bothered that her tooth was now at the bottom of my friends speckled bottom pool.

I was a little mortified. Isn't that kind of gross to leave body parts in a friend's pool?

A mom can brag (sometimes), can't she?

Before we get any further into the summer (today is our 2 week school-free anniversary) I must take a moment to write a word about my children's academic successes for the 2011-2012 school year.

#1's successes include:

• mastering all her multiplication and division facts
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• being the only 3rd grader in her school to score 100% on her benchmark exams in reading
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• making it to the final 3 of her class spelling bee and intentionally spelling her word wrong so she wouldn't be subjected to the attention of having to compete in her school wide spelling bee

Favorite book in 3rd grade: "Where the Red Fern Grows"

Hardest thing about 3rd grade: "coming up with original ideas for writing assignments"



 #2's successes include:

• upgrading to chapter books
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• writing engaging and imaginative journal entries
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• mastering his addition and subtraction facts

Favorite unit of study: Ancient Egypt

Hardest part about 1st grade: "homework!"

#3's successes include:

• greater emotional maturity
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• tons of new vocabulary words including: assume, awkward, prefer, and gracious.  (These words may or may not be used in correct context but they are nonetheless adorable in her munchkin, lisp-ridden voice.)
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•  learning that it's OK to make mistakes

Favorite thing to draw: "a cat on a roller coaster"

Hardest thing at Joy School: "when my friend took away my toy"


Let's hear it for wonderful teachers!  Hip hip Hooray!  Seriously, we were so lucky to have such excellent teachers this year.  They made such a difference.


PS. I am loving being on a schedule of our own making.  The kids are happy, I'm happy.  I love summer break!

Ava's Cafe

Saturday our abode was transformed into a little eatery, Ava's Cafe, to help celebrate a certain 5 year old's birthday.
 

On the menu: drinks, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, fruit and donuts.  All favorites of the five year old crowd. 


There were activities to keep the customers happy while they waited for the servers to take the orders.

Hmmmm.  What to order, what to order?  Should I have the chocolate or glazed donut?

The well trained wait-staff took the food orders and served most professionally. 

The birthday girl's dessert was on the house though the chef did not make her ride a bull or wear a sombrero or even sing an obnoxious song.

Later there were food-themed games: a marshmallow stew relay race and a recipe memory game.

Ava's Cafe would not have been possible without the skills of one detail oriented Spouse, aka Matthew Stewart.

My baby turned 5 this week

 If you can believe it, my baby turned 5 this week.  She asked for her favorite food for breakfast: Ramen Noodles.  For breakfast.  It was painful, but I allowed it.  I made some blueberry muffins for the rest of us and thought that perhaps #3 would be tempted to give up her dream of brothy noodles and give in to a normal breakfast food.  But she knew what she wanted!  She slurped that whole big bowl down.

#3 is at the developmental age where she is experiencing irrational fears.  She has always been my most sensitive and emotional child, so this phase is more intense than it was for the other two.  Upon lighting her birthday candles we discovered yet another deathly fear: lighted birthday candles!  It took all her courage to blow them out. 

#3 loves to wear dresses.  If she had seven, I'm sure she'd wear one every day of the week.  Her grandmother sent her this one for her birthday and she wore it two days in a row.  She tried putting it on for the third day but I insisted she give it a break for washing.

#3 is a deep feeling soul, often crying in movies and at sad stories.  She is compassionate and very affectionate. She loves closeness and will often move her toys or coloring into the bathroom where I'm getting ready because "she gets lonely."  #3 has matured and progressed by leaps and bounds this year and I know with the start of Kindergarten in August I only have a few more months to enjoy my little girl.   Some of the little girl things I'm going to miss:

• Rice Kippies and muse-gik (rice krispies and music)
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• Lazy hair and her forebrain (wavy hair and her forehead)
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• The way she sings her way through life.  #3's life is a song and she is always singing about her feelings or things she's read about or what she learned about in church or the things we pass while driving. 

As if to prove her point that she's growing up and I can't stop it, today she excitedly showed me her first loose tooth!

This just cracked me up!  She couldn't hold the bubble wand without out making this funny face! I've got about 15 different pictures with the same face.

Why I'm looking tan

Over that past few weeks I've heard, "You look tan!" from several friends.  This is why:



Buster's spring baseball season involved afternoon practices and early evening games = sun exposure 

(The highlight of the season for Buster was winning the "All-Star" award in a game in which he hit the ball all the way to the fence.  210 feet!)

 

#1's tennis lessons = more sun exposure

(#1 enjoys the pacing and small group dynamics of tennis.  She has especially improved her overhand serve this spring!)

  

#3's early afternoon swimming lessons = even more sun exposure

(Is there anything cuter than a four year old in a Speedo and goggles? No, there isn't.  Those goggles make kids look so nerdy; I love it!)

 

Please understand, March-June is our tan season here in AZ.  After that only crazy people go outdoors. 

News on #4

Yesterday my family huddled into my doctor's small exam room.  The children felt strange watching me climb up on the table and tuck my shirt up. They had a million questions for the doctor, "What's that slimy stuff? And why are you putting it on my mom?"  "Where's the camera?" "Is that a t.v.?" 

My patient doctor tried to answer one question before being bombarded with the next one, all the while trying to do the job he was there to do: measure and check up on our #4.  Turning the tables on the children he asked them a question, "Who is hoping this baby is a boy?"  Spouse and Buster raised their hands.  "Who is hoping this baby is a girl?"  #1 and #3 raised their hands.  "Well, it looks like you boys are outnumbered.  It's a girl!"

#1 and #3's faces beamed.  Spouse gave my ankle a squeeze.  I felt content.  Buster's face was red and his lip went up in the funny way it does when he's trying not to cry.  I grabbed his hand and smiled to him.  The tears fell.

The poor boy has been praying for a brother. 

Later when we were alone I talked to Buster about how special he is to our family being our only boy.  I told him that God must know what a kind brother he is to his sisters and this little girl must be in need of a very loving and good brother. 

Today, after sending out a mass text announcing the gender I received many sweet responses.  I was surprised at how many were sensitive to Buster, asking how he was taking the news.  I guess he's not the only kid in the world to have been let down by the wrong kind of baby. 

The best news is that my swollen feet, my aching back and my expanding body haven't been sacrificed in vain. The baby (girl) is healthy (and big!) and beautiful!


22 (and a half!) weeks down, 17-18 to go!