Here I am

Actually, that should probably say here we am. are.

Here we are.  Baby boy and my gigantic belly circa 33 weeks.  And today, the struggle is real. 

Ever since dinnertime I've had intense pressure down in the pelvic area.  It is hard.  What's even more difficult is having to deal with it while having a 2 year old running around.  Thankfully she isn't too much of a handful all the time and we live in a house with my grandparents who are such an awesome support system.  More on that a different day.


The second time around has been so different than the first.  I feel like I'm diving into the uncomfortable stage headfirst, while with Ellie I didn't really get there until the last few weeks.  Maybe it's a boy thing and maybe it's a weird second child thing.  I don't know, but this little man loves to do acrobatics in there and push the heartburn button all day long.

So tonight I have decided to put off my maternity-leave sub planning and bounce on my yoga ball.  Yoga balls are amazing when you're pregnant.  I still haven't used it for anything BUT.  Maybe I'll play a video game... am I the only one who still does that?

The second time around may be a little more difficult because I'm teaching.  Teaching music to antsy kindergartners is so hard while 30+ weeks pregnant.  I want to play with them and be crazy, but my body says "sit down woman!"  I hate sitting while teaching.

Also, Nick has taken a whole career change.  He has become a certified nursing assistant and is getting experience at a nursing home/rehabilitation center with terrible hours.  2-10 is such a terrible shift.  Not to mention that he's taking 2-3 classes a quarter for pre-requisites because he's applying to PA schools in the spring/summer.  He's decided to go back to school to become a physician assistant mostly because of a great opportunity that arose.  Life is busy and a little stressful.  Thankfully he's now applying for hospital jobs with the goal of working only day or night shift.  No more evening shift.  Hallelujah.

Somehow with all of this going on I've been able to do some serious reading.  It has been awesome.  I just finished Gone Girl on audiobook and it was so intense and so good (be warned, it's a little graphic).  But, really, I could have had a different ending...

I also had a chance to read the Life of Pi (pretty awesome), Coming Clean (incredibly interesting and well-written), We Are Called to Rise (good), Orphan Train (very good), and The Fault in Our Stars (cheesy and an easy read).  

    

Other than Ellie turning 2 and becoming this talking machine (she says 'yes' to everything instead of 'uh-huh' or 'yeah'.  We've trained her well. Ha) that's all that's going on in our lives.  So, how are you?

Ellie Mae

Every stage is my favorite.  It's funny how as a parent you say "this is my favorite stage" over and over again.  I loved when Ellie was a newborn.  I loved when Ellie was starting to babble and laugh.  I loved when she started liking the swing and going for walks.  I loved when Ellie was crawling.  I loved when Ellie was talking.  I loved when Ellie was just walking.

Now, there a few things that I don't want to forget about this stage before it's gone.

-- Ellie always greets you in the morning with a "mo-ning".

-- She has a routine now of always picking out her PJs before bed.  I've started letting her pick out certain parts of her outfit (i.e. just pants and I'll pick the shirt to match).  It's fun to watch her brain work, pick up one pair of pants, say "noww" (no) and then pick four different pairs until she finds the right one.

-- She talks ALL the time.  Okay, not when strangers are around, but if it's people she knows she will talk on and on and on.  She is very good at play-by-plays.  She will see grandma coming up the steps to take her boots off from getting chicken eggs and Ellie will proceed to say "Mama (grandma) up, up, up.  Eggs?  Booss (boots) off.  Uggghhh (sympathy grunt).  Pussshhh (door opening).  Ah.  Hi!

It's adorable.  Sometimes, though, I swear she's speaking a different language.  She'll just start talking and it'll sound like full sentences, but just not English.

-- I love that she understands things now.  She knows what all done means.  She knows what wait means.  She knows so much.  It amazes me sometimes.

-- On that note, she is VERY aware.  My grandparents have a family picture on their desktop that Ellie loves to look at and point out certain people.  Well, one day she went in there to look at the picture.  The screen was off so she wiggled the mouse to turn it on.  It still didn't turn on so she went down below to push the button on the computer to turn it on.  It's pretty impressive how much she retains.

-- She is an outdoor baby.  Anything that involves being outside she will instantly be a part of.  Going for a walk around the yard, getting eggs from the chickens, going on a run with mom and dad, hanging up laundry to dry, etc.  If she's out there for less than 10 minutes it usually ends up in a meltdown because why would we go inside too early?!

-- She can really communicate with us now.  It's wonderful and frustrating all at once.  She will tell you if she does or doesn't want something, what she wants to do at that current moment, and what she's thinking.  Example: she may go to the couch, bang on it, and say "sit!".  Obviously, you know what she wants.  Sometimes, though, she knows what she wants and she won't take no for an answer.  Thankfully, we're still in this very short attention span phase so we can easily distract her mind if that happens.

She loves to be chased, to play on our keyboard, to read books, to snuggle with her blanket, to throw the ball around, to find sticks outside, to look for ay-panes (airplanes) and eat any fruit she can get her hands on.  

I love her tickle spots, her belly laugh (it cures all), her snuggl-y side that comes out before and after bed, her curly hair, her hip-swinging dance, and her love of animals (except bugs. She saw a ladybug crawling on grandma's hand and did not like it one bit).

Ellie's Wishlist

Sure it's only 5 days 'til Christmas, but hey!  Someone has to know what to get Ellie for Christmas. And so, here it is. 

These are the things that Ellie wants for Christmas (she told me):

 

Etsy

She can't fully talk yet, so this shirt will talk for her on Christmas.

 Etsy

This just explains life.  Need it say anything more?

 

 Etsy

I haven't put many things in her hair.  It doesn't seem fair compared to all the other babies with huge bows and flowers.  We'll start small then see how we feel.

 

 Land of Nod
Everybody else is reading and sleeping in adorable teepees.

 

Amazon
Yes, she wants this.  Scratch that.  She NEEDS it.  How else will she learn to be a proper housewife?
Okay, okay... I really want this.  WHO WOULDN'T?!

Freshly Picked
 She was never given adorable fringe moccasins.  She's incredibly mad at me for not splurging.

 

Etsy
 No explaining here.  She loves turtles, glasses, and all things cute and geeky.

Plus, turtles are one of her daddy's favorite animals.  She can't help but swoon him with a cute turtle of her own.

Etsy

How else will she stay cute and festive over the holidays?

Babiators

She doesn't have cool shades like mom and dad.  Lost and found guarantee?  Yes.  We need them.