Reasoning with a Toddler + Pregnancy Hormones = Much Hilarity

If anyone is counting, I am now seven days past my due date.  We've been walking, running errands, going to the zoo; I've been toting groceries, and a toddler, and forcing myself to pick things up off the floor.  Anything I can think of to get this show on the road.  While I do have the occasional hormonal meltdown, I am really working on being at peace with the process, trusting God and "leaning not on my own understanding."

In the midst of this process, Benjamin's verbal skills have been just exploding lately … forming sentences, asking questions, pretending and role-playing … generally being funny, and sweet, and only occasionally ornery :)

The combination of these two scenarios has resulted in some pretty remarkable conversations lately… primarily resulting from my inability to think up anything to say but the matter-of-fact truth.

Yesterday at the park, Benjamin decided he'd rather be at the zoo.  In response to his continual no's, I said, "Well, we're at the park Buddy, so you gotta deal with reality."  He responded with an energetic, "Deee wit re-ad-a-wee!"

Benjamin loves seeing trucks and construction equipment while we're out … problem is that one is never enough.  The excitement is always followed with, "More digger!"  "More school bus!" etc.  Today, after hearing enough "More dump truck" to drive a momma crazy, I said, "Ya know, Benjamin, there's a thing called contentment.  You see something cool, you say, 'Oh wow! Dump truck! Awesome!' then "OK! Movin' on!"  He responded with a perfectly pronounced, "O-tay! Movin' on!" as if he totally understood what I meant.  And who knows, maybe he did?

Honestly, I have no idea if these matter-of-fact responses are good parenting strategy or not … it's just all I can think of right now.  And I don't know if his affirmative responses are actually good signs of progress in attitude, or just a reflection of how much he loves to try new words and expressions.

But, for right now, it's working for us.

Still Waiting...

So, we are still waiting on Baby Brother to make his arrival.  In the meantime, I offer this list…

Ten Ways to Know Its Time to Have Your Baby:

10. You no longer fit in your maternity clothes.  You no longer fit in your husband's clothes.  You longingly wish you could wear a mu-mu and still look respectable.

9. You've maxed-out your daily Tums dosage for the last five days straight.

8. You love the cooler weather and are not even considering turning on the neat, though it's 60 degrees in your house and your toddler's nose is running.

7. The only downside to the cool weather … not being able to wear flip-flops.  You can't bend in any feasible way to get your socks and tennis shoes on.

6. Come to think of it, your feet don't fit in any of your shoes anyway.

5. You dropped your grocery list this morning in the store and just stood looking at it for a full 60 seconds before deciding to make the sacrifice and bend over and pick it up.  How rude would it be to just leave it there?  Could I remember everything that was on it?  Could one of those "Helping Hands" employees walk by right now?  I would be totally unashamed to ask him to pick it up for me!


4. You've crossed nearly everything off your "Pre-Baby To Do List" and the remaining items you've decided you no longer care about.

3. You're considering buying stock in toilet paper because going to the bathroom 20 times a day uses up a surprisingly large amount of the stuff.

2. Both you and your toddler have the "Baby Brother books" completely memorized.  (By the way, kudos to our local library for having not one, but two board books on the topic of welcoming a new baby to your family … "Sweet Baby Coming" and "When You Get a Baby" have been so much fun to read - and I hope they've been at least semi-helpful in preparing Benjamin for this transition.)

1. You are so excited to meet your new little one you can hardly stand it!  Will he look like his big brother?  Hair or no hair? Will he be a thumb-sucker or a paci-man?

We love you already, Baby Brother, and though we can't wait to meet you, we are content to wait for God's perfect timing to introduce you into this world!

Some of you have been waiting a while...

I've recently received some requests (you know who you are … wink, wink :) for some "pregnant pictures" on the ole' blog.  It's not that I've intentionally not posted any, it's just that when you have someone as cute as Benjamin running around, it's hard to take the camera off him and put it on yourself.  Not to mention the fact that life is infinitely busier with a two-year-old than when I was pregnant before - unemployed, with nothing better to do than take multiple naps per day and bake cookies.  :)

So, anyway, here ya go … :)

Easter 2011 - 4 1/2 months or so

My birthday (yup, the big 3-0) - 6 1/2 months

And now, here we are at the very end … 38 weeks, 3 days … because yes folks, I am now counting the days!  Anytime you're ready, Little Brother!

(and you'll have to forgive these pictures … fingerprints on the mirror, laundry on the couch, unmade bed in the background … that's just the way life is at this point! :)

Giving "Littuh Brudder" kisses

Where is Little Brother?  "Wite heere!"