Weekend News

We worked our tails off this past weekend. Well, mostly Honey, but I did some stuff too. Who are these alleged women with tons of energy at the end of their pregnancy for "nesting"? I swear to high heaven, all I had to do was step outside my barely air conditioned house and need to sit down. The oppressive "feels like" 109 degree heat hits you like a ton of bricks. My body feels like I am carrying around 200 extra pounds instead of the meager 30. Anyway, Honey did a lot of work. He mowed the lawn. He mulched the flower bed. He worked on creating the window sills for the addition. He ran errands and purchased necessities. He told me to sit down and encouraged me to watch Kim Possible reruns on Netflix with the kids. He told me I *was* helping, when really, I wasn't. My, isn't he great?

We didn't get everything on the list done. The window sills and a few other pieces of necessary trim still need to be painted and installed, but I am not worried about it. It will get done by Saturday evening. The reason for the timeline? We are having a photographer come to the house to take maternity/family pictures. I tried to focus on getting just a couple of spaces ready/photographable. So, I picked our front porch, our new living room, and the nursery. (Lordy, I hope these are good choices. I don't really know what to expect.) Why go through this mess when I could I have just went to a studio? Well. I'm not really interested in studio photographs. I wanted something a little more real and a little less posed. And I have always wanted to do maternity photographs, but it is especially important to me this time because it is the last.

I was thinking of doing white shirts and jeans. I am not opposed to showing my belly. This is the prettiest it has ever been when I am pregnant. I have no stretch marks! WHY IS THAT? Usually my stomach is so covered with angry red stripes, it looks like some sort of weirdly shaded tiger print. Seriously, when I was pregnant with Brother, my OB glanced over at my tum and literally said, "Wow. Those are the worst stretch marks I have ever seen." Yeah. But! I am stretch mark free. (So strange...)

I am looking for pictures that reflect family and motherhood and not so much "Britney in a mink coat and nothing else". I can't really say I understand the whole "let's make our pregnant bodies look like a photo shoot from Pl**boy". Really? Really? I mean, there is a little baby in there. A sweet innocent beautiful child. I don't want to see how you GOT pregnant. I think it is good to be body positive and to feel confident and capable when you are gestating. (And even when you are not gestating.) But not so much the naked picture thing. It just doesn't seem tasteful. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

Anyway, this weekend: Pictures! At my house! (Yet another thing I orchestrate that makes me ask myself: What were you THINKING? But...here we go.)

Weekend After: Baby Sprinkle! Anyone want to volunteer to clean my house?

Listy

• I am so tired. I really feel like laying on the floor should be seriously considered. Ug, where are you 4:00?
• Tonight we have swimming lessons for Jelly Bean. It is a million degrees out. This does not make me feel rested, to know I have to sit in the heat while he swims.
• Swimming lessons stress me out. Mentally, it is very like watching my baby stand on the edge of a cliff. My heart races; I panic. My muscles are ready to spring into action to fish him out of the water. Overall, not a relaxing experience. (Yes, I need a chill pill. At least I don't let my phobias prevent me from signing him up, yes? This is a good thing.)
• Did you know that it is exponentially easier having one child as opposed to two? I did not know this! Really. I didn't! It is a complete revelation to me. I would have said that Brother was my easy child and that Jelly Bean was my ornery bit who required so much more attention. But the past few days with two parents and one kid as Brother is on a trip with my folks? Like some sort of spa vacation. I am enjoying Jelly so much.
• Brother is having a grand time as well. I'm glad. I hope he is missing us at least a little bit and will come home with a lovely new attitude.
• Don't worry, I'm not banking on the lovely new attitude.
• Our to do list is sooooo looooong that we literally made it out and the categorized it according to what needs to be done prior to the maternity/family pictures I scheduled to be taken at the house, what needs to be done prior to the 'sprinkle', and what needs to be done prior to delivery.
• Somehow or another, Honey and I manage to get sucked into these very-important-yet-not-on-the-list tasks. HOW does that happen? I do not know.
• My last ultrasound is scheduled for this week. Last. As in am due very soon and they are checking the baby's position. Wow. How did THAT happen?
• Signed up for the cord blood banking thing today. Feel very good about it. (Here's my money, take it! I have no use for it apparently. Still, am pleased about it.)
• The nursery is almost done! Whee! We bought a beautiful new crib and washed the bedding. Very exciting. Can't wait to completely check it off the list.

Do the Right Thing

Did you know that Jelly Bean has three babies in his belly? They are going to come out of his bellybutton when he goes to the doctor for "delivery". Their names are Luke, Seth, and Will. One of these is actually the baby that is in *my* belly, so Jelly carries him around for me for a while. (Don't I wish...) One day last week, I was informed that one of the babies was a cow and would drink milk from his mommy's breasts. And please don't confuse Jelly Bean with becoming a 'daddy' soon. He is adamant that he is going to be a 'mommy' just like me.

I am glad he is finding a way, albeit imaginative, to feel like he is part of the growing family, but I am a bit concerned at the line between pretend and reality. Right now I just go along with whatever he says without supporting or dissuading him. I just hope that is the right thing to do.

Brother has not been particularly supportive in any way, shape, or form since right around January. His last report card was quite upsetting and he is therefore, required to do practice schoolwork every day this summer. Of course, he hates me for it. And of course, I really don't care how he feels about it. I would hire a tutor to help him a bit (even though it is a motivation issue, not a lack of knowledge issue) but am having the darnedest time finding one during the summer. I could pack him off to one of those fancy learning centers, but they are exceptionally expensive and I can't see justifying the cost...at this point. Things might change.

He is going to Ohio with my parents next week. I think it will be good for him to get away from me and me away from him for a few days. It makes me feel awful to want a break from my own kid. I know I will miss him. I already miss him in more ways than just him being absent. We used to have time for reading and movies, but now it is just me asking him to do a minuscule amount of practice work and him emphatically refusing and therefore effectively grounding his self. Sometimes I wish someone else would come along and parent him because I am doing such a crappy job. Crossing my fingers and toes that this is just a phase.

Honey is talking about career moves again. While he is really successful, all this jumping about gives me motion sickness. I want him to be happy and so I am supportive. I just hope this won't blow up in our collective faces. I hope whatever we decide, it is the right thing.