Third trimester

When other people are pregnant, I always feel like they are prego forever. I'm one of those annoying people who are like, "When are you due again?" When what I really mean is, "Haven't you had that kid yet, you've been pregnant forever?" But my own pregnancy has gone SO fast. I still haven't wrapped my head around it yet, and I am starting to feel like I'm not prepared for a baby. I mean, psychologically I don't think I will be until it happens. But physically, I haven't done much of anything. We have a crib (thanks to Naomi!) but I haven't done much else. Finally took a childbirth class, but haven't done the hospital tour. All that jazz.

I am starting to feel very third-trimester-ish, though. You know, big as a house, swollen everywhere. This child is apparently getting ready for the Olympic gymnastics try-outs in my abdomen and when I bend over, he lets me know he is squished by kicking me in the ribs. This is really the biggest challenge, because with Viv around, I have to bend over a lot. Also, carrying her and Bert around gets really tiring. In general, everything is tiring. I feel exhausted most of the time. Just getting the girls dressed leaves me feeling ready for a nap. The other day I had to go downstairs for something and I nearly started to cry. I know that sounds insane. And actually the most tiring part of the week is going to church. At home, Viv can crawl wherever and it's fine. At church, I have to keep her squirmy self entertained, which means lots of down and up, and pulling her out of other people's diaper bags, and picking up a million cheerios and dropped toys, etc. off the floor. And I really can't bend over from a sitting position without spreading my legs all the way out to make room for my stomach. In a skirt, this does not work. So I have to get all the way up, try to gracefully squat between benches, then haul myself off the floor, sometimes while also holding a 20-lb. baby. It's just a spectacle, I'm sure.

Alright, this is getting really boring! Bottom line is: the next 2 months will be a challenge. But I'm up for it.

Also, I have a goal to get a picture of my large self on a day when I've combed my hair and put on makeup :) But for now, I toss my pride to the wind and post this lovely picture, taken with the timer and the camera propped between a couple of paint cans!

Turns out we're cool

I just want to point out that we picked the name Vivian BEFORE Brad and Angelina. We didn't use the fancy French spelling, but hey, we are still cool :) Trendsetters, even. And I'm sure that Vivian is way cuter than their kid.

Ramblings

Today I saw a scooter parked on the side of the road, and it transported me back in time. I could feel the sun on my arms and wind in my hair. It was amazing how vividly physical it was, especially considering that it's been 10 years since I rode a scooter! And it wasn't even my scooter, a kind friend loaned it to me until I could buy a car. I hadn't thought about that friend for a long time....

I am not one to live in the past at all. Maybe because I am living the life I always wanted. Some days I wonder why I wanted it :) Things haven' turned out the way I expected and it is not perfect or without challenges. But I have 2 great kids and a wonderful husband. I get to stay at home with them and watch them grow every day. I have everything I need, and lots of things that I want. We have hope for a good future.

I have lots of good memories. Most of them are simple, like the feel of the sun on my arms. My life has not been in any way remarkable, but I think I've muddled through okay. I have definitely come a long way, and I still have a long way to go to becoming the kind of person I would like to be. I'm content with my life.

Another reason I'm a fuddy-duddy

I've been looking for a dresser on Craigslist. Today, in response to my inquiry, I got this email:

Picking It up Saturday Would B Fine But I Would Need It Paid 4 2day 2 hold it.

I'm so annoyed by this ridiculous response that I don't think I'll buy the darn dresser. How much longer does it take to type "today" than "2day"????

Happy Belated Birthday to Rob

What better time than the day after Rob's birthday to talk about how great he is? Rob is absolutely the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in my life, and I am still not sure how I got so lucky that he wanted to spend forever with me. He is the most conscientious, kind, and hard-working person I know. Also the smartest.

Just for example, Rob was training a new intern last week, and he had his "power weekend", which means he was on call Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus he had been on call every other night for the last 2 weeks. He was pretty exhausted. He could have made his intern take as much of the call as he wanted, as a "learning experience", but he only gave him Sunday. Some of the other residents asked why he hadn't given him the whole weekend (and I kind of wondered the same thing....) but Rob just felt that it would be too cruel. I admire that he does what he feels is the right thing, even if it isn't the easiest path. This last year has been pretty grueling for him, but he has stuck to his values in an environment where they are not the norm. Although (those of you who know Rob will find this funny) he did drop the F-bomb once :) Accidentally, of course!

Also, Rob spent his vacation week stuck in what will soon be Grace's room, pulling off wallpaper and then reconstructing the walls so that we could paint. This was certainly not his first choice of ways to spend that time, but it needed to be done and that was the only time that was available. So he made the sacrifice and did it.

I am grateful for Rob, and the way he tries his best to put his family first and to leave work behind and just be with us when he can. He's the greatest husband any woman could wish for! Happy Birthday, dear!

Icky week

If you have a weak stomach, or are just sick of me providing too much information, please stop reading now. I know I have got to stop posting about bodily functions and other gross things. But someday, when the kids are all grown up, won't I want to remember times like this? Won't I look back and miss these days? Maybe not.....
We have been hit with our second round of stomach flu this year--my least favorite thing in the whole wide world. Thank goodness only one vomit per child, but that is more than enough. Now, if this is too disgusting, please tell me and I will delete it..... but I find it kind of funny, and very telling about Grace. I actually thought that she had made it through without any yakking, but when I went to get a pot out of the cupboard today, there was a strange kind of liquid on the bottom. I was looking and looking at it, trying to figure out where on earth it had come from and said out loud, "What is this???" Grace was at the table, and helpfully answered, "I spit up, I was looking for a bowl." Alrighty, then. Guess it didn't bother her too much.
Another highlight was the evening that Vivian had her "monkey" moment in the crib. All I will say is this: I walked in the room, and there was Viv, clinging to the side of the crib wailing, and for some reason one cheek was brown (along with the sheets, crib rails, bumpers, etc.). Heaven help me.
And, to top it all off, today my toenail fell off, which totally grosses me out. Pulling off your own toenail is as bad as having to pull a loose tooth. ICK!