Hodge Podge

• I really would like to write/post more but I honestly cannot make it past a few sentences.   Maybe its that my mind seems a little ADD lately, or that I am working on modules where I have to write and just do not want to put together anymore additional words... Hopefully it will come back to me soon. 
• Tomorrow morning will be attempt number 2 to find out what we will be welcoming into our family.  I am not holding my breathe.  We always had the problem with Leah that she was sitting butt down, with her butt pretty much to my back so the tech could never see.  I have a feeling this baby might be same way because I am constantly kicked extremely low.
• But whatever baby is.... OMG 2 towels for 2 kids!!
• I did go thru all of the baby stuff and pulled out any clothing that could possible work for this child.  If its a girl we might actually be OK with the except of needing a few more outs.  But if its a boy, shopping is in order.   I think we have a handful of pieces appropriate for a boy.... and we all know that with a newborn that could last about 1.5 days. ... and I HATE laundry.  The more clothes the better.
• As a result of that last bullet point, I may have told my brand new boss of about 10 days that I might be taking PTO tomorrow.  My email may have gone something like this "I have an ultrasound Thursday morning and might be taking some PTO time.  If we find out its a boy I will have an uncontrollable urge to go shopping for clothes.  If its a girl, I will probably just head back home, save some money and log on..." Luckily he is AWESOME and has no problem with it at all!
• I am so lucky to be blessed with AWESOME bosses!! I think growing up playing alot of sports and always having a mentor/coach relationship with a teacher or coach I really cherish a strong manager/employee relationship in the workforce. I think a good manager is definitely someone that is not only above you in rankings but thinks its important to want to see you learn and grow your own career as well.
• Lets talk about Leah... She is in this awesomely - frustrating phase.  One minute you are thinking "OMG you are AMAZING!" and the next you are thinking "OMG what is wrong with you!?"  Atleast she is a cute pouter!
  
• And her in pig tails? The cutest little kid ever!  
• The other night before bed I told her that when she woke up we would go play with cousin Jenna and go jump.  (at Monkey Joes bounce house).  2 am she was up, refused to go back to sleep, and just kept telling me "I want to go jump with Jenna!" ... we ended up having a talk about how the sun is sleeping and we cannot go play with Jenna until the sun woke up... over 2 hrs later I finally go ther back to sleep.
• She frequently tells us how when the baby gets big and comes out of mommy's belly that she is "gonna hold it!" She has been practicing craddling her babies and singing "rock a bye baby" to them.  We are excited about her excitement, but slightly terrified of her desire to hold and take care her sibling.  I can just picture her continuing to use her favorite phrase "No I do it!"  
• She also keeps telling us that its a "seeester".  I absolute love how she says it!
• I got the greatest news yesterday... John Mayer, my love, is coming out with a new cd May 22nd!  His last cd came out right before I had Leah and I loved just hanging out in the house listening to the cd while on maternity leave.  Looks like I will be doing it again!  Oh happy day!!
• Also, I may have a new love for Phillip Phillips from American Idol.  From the first time I saw him on the very first show he was my favorite, and its only grown.  I would totally go buy his cd today.  His style is right up my alley! I love the guitar.  He might even make me vote on AI... something I have never ever done! Cant wait to watch more of him!
• 

Lets Compare

I can tell I am a little different..... but not much... atleast not in this shirt. 

I feel like this shirt is a little more breezy and the belly pops out the bottom way more than I remember at this point... 

By the way... this is my 2002 John Mayer concert tshirt.... Its crazy that its been 10 yrs since I first fell in love with him and I still love him just as much, if not more! 

Because Baby Brain is Taking its Toll...

I feel incapable of forming complete thoughts lately.

I am at 24 weeks... awesome since its the secret age that if the baby was born today it would be able to survive with modern medicine. 

I never cared about this last pregnancy but this pregnancy I feel so much more paranoid.  Maybe its because I was just clueless last time.  Or this time I know more about all the scary things that can happen and I already feel like I got lucky with a perfect pregnancy that something is bound to go wrong this time.... but today, I do feel much better. 

 

Yep, I am looking mighty large and in charge.

Ladies at work, who I do not know at all, seem to love to comment on this fact once they find out I am not weeks away from my due date, but rather 3.5 months away.

I honestly cannot be upset because lets be honest. I am!  I feel like I am just growing straight out.

I did received the comment that someone thought I was caring "like a boy"... you know low and out there... I have to agree that I do feel like I am caring lower and straight out... only 2 more weeks till we can try to get an answer... again.   When I was pregnant with Leah someone did randomly come up to me around 28 weeks and ask what I was having.  When I said a girl she said "I knew it by the way you are carrying!"  So hmmmmmm.

By the end of the day my back hurts, I have problems getting up off the couch already, and I am breathing heavily from doing anything at all... it will be a long 15 weeks.   Hot baths at the end of the day are my new best friend.

With so much to do still... (a list is needed of course):

• Buy a new rocker
• Buy a new swing
• Buy a new stroller (really only bc we want a new one, but we hope to get it from the resale shop or craigslist or something. I dont believe we are actually willing to pay full price for a new one)
• Buy some new summery gender specific baby clothes
• Check out my bottles stash... are they all OK? Do I need new nipples? Or just buy some new ones in general.  Lets me honest, the thought of those 5 piece Dr. Brown bottles kind of make my cringe when I think about them right now. 
• Buy a new car! ;) ... to drive around my KIDS
• Buy a new camera ;) ... to take 800 pictures a day on maternity leave
• Buy new furniture for the deck so I can happily sit outside all maternity leave with my Baby.  This is totally FOR THE BABY because we all know babies just love to be outside.  

Man... everything is buy, buy, buy.... 

Good thing I just had an awesome, above average review! ;)  Raise and bonus are more than welcomed!  It will definitely be an expensive next few months... 

In Honor of the 14th

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

Brian and I met the Saturday after the 4th of July 2005. 

oh college apartment... 

favorite college bar.... these were the days

 

2. How did you meet? {What’s your “love” story?}

We had a mutual friend Jeff who was GIRL CRAZY (and exactly like Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Makeover) who would always ask me where my girlfriends were.   I always responded with "Where are your tall boy friends?" and he always responded with "I have the perfect guy for you!"  Jeff tried to get us together a few times earlier that summer at different parties and such but it never worked out that we both went. Finally one random day just the two of them were hanging out and he called to ask what I was doing that night. I happened to have had 3 invites that night, a party with highschool friends, a party with a college roommate, or meeting this mystery boy.  I decided I really wanted to meet this mystery guy that Jeff thought was perfect for me. My friend Kate was nice enough to come along.  As soon as I saw Brian my first thought was "oh he's cute! He's kind of perfect looking actually." Then 5 minutes later I was already thinking about how the following summer I wouldnt be able to stay down at school in my apartment like I had hoped because I would be wanting to come back to hang out with this guy. Seriously, I was already planning my life a year from then over a guy I just met. I just knew... and we have been together ever since. 

Oh Niagra Falls.... This picture will always crack me up!

 

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

We were married June 21st 2008, almost 3 years after meeting. 

 

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?  If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We were married in the same church that Brian's parents, aunt and uncle, cousin, and sister were married in.  The overall wedding was on the bigger side with the reception at a hotel. Brian's one request for the wedding was that the reception was at a hotel.  It was the most fun night ever. Even though it cost my parents probably more than they wanted, they loved every minute as well and admit they would pay for it all again in a heart beat.... BUT that was the only wedding for me!   Im sure my sister someday will have an awesome wedding! 

 

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

I most call him Brian, husband, Mister, hubby bubby... and Brian calls me Kim, Kimmy, Rimmie, and a wide range of other random names.  The one thing I learned about Brian after we got married and lived together full time was that he talks/sings randomly and constantly.   Its kind of like terrets.  Its so random the things he comes up with.  I really wonder what is going on in his head sometimes. 

 

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

I love that he takes such good care of me and our family. I truely believe that supporting us is his goal in life.   I love that when I drop something or do anything that makes a loud noise he immediately yells to make sure I am ok when I am in the other room.  It really is the little things with Brian that make me know how much he cares.  And most of all I just love the way we are together.  All of it.. I feel like we just mesh so well. We are the perfect partners to take on this life together. 

 

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

We were headed to a sunset dinner at a local winery for our 2 year anniversary. I had been expecting him to propose soon since we had been ring shopping and talked about getting married the following summer.  Dinner was great, we had someone take our picture who then asked how long we were married, but the proposal never came.  After he got me drunk he told me "I am not proposing here. You should know I would not do it in public.  But I promise to do it sometime in the next 6 weeks."  I at some point had promised him that when he proposed I would buy him an x-box bc he always complained that he wanted one but had to save his money for a ring... so in my drunkeness he got me to say Ok to stopping by Game Stop on the way home to buy him his xbox since he promised to propose soon.  So we did.... and when we got back to his house I walked into the house to find flowers, champaign, and the ring.  Drunk me just kept saying "Where did this come from!? Its magic!" He actually had a good friend come over while we were gone and set it up... It was pretty perfect. 

See! Drunk!

me proposing to Brian.

 

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

He used to be a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy.... but of course since we are out of the honeymoon stage now its a "We will go to dinner."  Its find by me. 

 

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

If we had the opportunity for a sunset dinner on the beach, then yes! We would both like that every now and then. (Remember our anniversary/proposal was a sunset dinner at a winery)  But usually we are 100% happy with a movie at home.  Sadly we have had gift cards to the movie theatre for over a year because we prefer to just hang out at home. 

 

10. Tell us one thing you’d like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

For our 5 year wedding anniversary we definitately want to try to go on a second honeymoon. I am thinking mexico or domican republic! I CANNOT WAIT! 

 

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine’s Day.

According to Brian... "just dinner" but I have no idea when we will actually go. 

 

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine’s day?

No... we have a few big purchases coming up so money will be saved for those... 

 

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Having respect for eachother and our relationship. 

 

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Our kids are the greatest representation of our love

Can We Quickly Get Past This Stage??

Leah has been terrible two-ing it up lately!

Driving to Brian’s parents’ house yesterday, I think she asked us “Where are we going?” 100 times during the 15 minute drive… that may or not be an exaggeration.  We told her “Grandma and Papa’s house” repeatedly… but eventually we started to ignore her since she was ignoring our answer.

While sitting on the couch last night with me, her with a coloring book and pen…

Leah: “I want to color this.” (pointing to the couch)

Me: “No!”

Leah: “I want to color this,” (pointing to the pillow)

Me: “No! We only color on paper!”

Leah: “Mommy I want to color things!”  

She tries to test every boundary possible.

Usually when I tell her no and try to remove her from whatever situation, she either:

1.       Throws herself on the floor, face down, crying

2.       Tries to hit, pinch, or bite me.

So off to time out she goes….

Our time outs are usually putting her in a bedroom (not her room), on the bed, and closing the door for 2 minutes.

Usually we find her still on the bed, still whimpering a bit. 

I ask her if she is ready to be a good girl and ask for her to tell me sorry if she tried to abuse me.

The sweet little girl usually takes over and she nods yes, whispers sorry, and hugs me to pick her up.

Time outs usually go pretty well for us. She usually changes her behavior after giving her some time to calm down.

But yesterday morning we had 5 time outs within 4 hours of her waking up!

The time outs were just not working too great…

I question if the time outs even work.

But what else is there to do? 

How do you punish a 2 year old?

I cannot bring myself to spank… and can barely even slap her hand.

How can I smack her hand for something while I am putting her in time out for hitting me?

I feel like it’s a completely mixed signal.

Don’t hit mommy… but mommy can hit you?

This age is exhausting mentally and physically…

I just keep trying to remind myself THIS IS JUST A PHASE.

*** I wrote this earlier... when I picked her up from daycare I was informed she bit a friend for no reason at all. Her friend was trying to climb the steps and go past her and Leah bit him/her!!  She is definitely going thru some sort of phase right now...