14 Weeks.

So, I have moved into the second trimester of my pregnancy with Lambeau Field, and things are going well. In some ways, it's very similar to being pregnant with Ellie - I'm tired a lot, all I want to do is eat spicy things until my stomach lining dissolves, I am eager for things to start feeling more real.

I don't even really have a bump yet. I have a paunch at the end of the night for sure, but not so much a human baby. Still wearing my regular clothes, have only gained about two pounds, and not experiencing any flutters yet, though I'm hopeful. I felt my first little kicks from Ellie when I was 16 weeks along, and they say that often times you can feel a second child earlier in the pregnancy, so I spend a lot of quiet time at night with my hands on my stomach, hoping to feel some bubbling or fluttering (mostly, I feel gassy.)

Mostly, I feel like I'm just keeping on, except during Ellie's nap times, when I have to take a nap of my own to pull through the rest of the day, and at bed time, which sometimes is dangerously close to 9pm.  What can I say, growing a baby is hard work.

Though, I heard an old wives tale today that says if your older child says mama first, you're going to have a girl. If they say dada, you're going to have a boy. The exciting news is I AM HAVING A KITTEN!

I love kittens.

Things were pretty laid back this weekend. E and I both have booger noses, and yesterday I thought my sinuses were going to explode. Tim and I took her to the park, and while she ran around like a crazy person, followed closely by her father, I took a nap in the grass (also like a crazy person.)

Today we had Mimi and Pa and Ed and Erl over for Sunday Funday football watching. Which, was only fun when the Packers finally won. Why must we always be screwed by the refs? Ellie had fun the  whole time though, chasing Mimi around the house. There was a lot of delighted squealing, monkey noises, and then Ellie racing into the living room to tell us all that she and Mimi were silly.

It's good that she's having so much fun with her grandparents, because next weekend Tim and I are going to Chicago. GRANDPARENTS IN CHARGE!

Hop Hop Follow Up.

Raindrops on Roses.

This is Ellie's favorite thing. Probably even more of a favorite than Elmo.

Here is an example of how the video goes "oh, look at him! He can't get it! He can't get it! Oh, look at him. HE GOT IT!" Repeat in 22 second intervals, for about ten minutes straight.

Bad Calls.

The ending of the Packers/Seahawks game last night was a travesty. The scab refs should be ashamed.

But you know who ended up ashamed? Me. Because we kept our baby up past her bedtime (neither of us wanted to miss the end of the game) so she was right there when the call came down and I exclaimed "OH NO WAY! EFF YOU!" (except... eff was spelled with four letters.) So, she knows how to swear at the TV now. It's a life skill I was hoping she wouldn't learn for a few more years. Not until she was four, at least.

The good news is that today she's forgotten allll about it. The Packer fans are still bitter.

Workout Warm Up.

So, my friend Cara and I walk together probably an average of four days a week, five and a half miles every time (unless hell or high water hits us. Or if we get real tired, we'll skip a lap.)

The girls eat snacks, drink water (and make us fill up their cups every lap, even if they've only had two sips) play with toys and read books. And holler to one another. But their favorite time is before and after, when we turn Cara's SUV into a party bus.

Before we head out, they sit in their assigned seats and are sure to stretch.

But when we are all done, it's PARTY TIME!

Step Three.

This week I went to our contractor's show room to start actually picking our materials. Going in I had a pretty good idea of what we wanted - a fairly neutral 20" porcelain tile for the floor, natural cherry cabinets, and a light granite. Picked the tile fairly quickly, loved the cherry cabinets, and then stared at the light granites for awhile, feeling unmoved. Then I picked up a block of mostly blue granite, and it was love at first sight.

Turns out, it's also what our contractor recently put into his kitchen. He showed me a photo of the finished room and it looks great. I was also glad that I didn't pick something totally off the wall, that no one ever orders because it looks horrible when actually laid out on a large slab.

So here's what we're thinking:

Do you not love the iridescent parts? I certainly do. SPARKLY KITCHEN.

We will also have stainless appliances.

The good news is that the "business" side of the kitchen (with oven/range, microwave and fridge) lays out well, with room for adequate cabinets. Now we just need to get our estimates and do some final measuring. Still on track for a November start date. That will be step... something.

Ugh.

I am so exhausted, and ready to have Tim home with me. Ellie has slept like crap this week, including several nights where I spent more than an hour trying to get her back to sleep. And then she's up before 7, demanding that we play, and whining nonstop about this and that (mostly Elmo. While I love the half hour of shower time Elmo gets me in the morning, I am ready to break our freaking TV so that she'll stop whining for that Muppet every waking hour.) Last night and this morning has been especially rotten, and so I am having one of those days where I doubt my fitness as a parent, let alone a stay at home parent. Thank goodness I am not married to someone who is out of town on the regular. I think I would have to just put E for adoption and go ride the rails as a hobo, because I am not cut out for this shit. Especially not while pregnant and hormonally insane.

We did have a really nice time visiting him on Wednesday. We got to LA in the early evening, and had enough time to shop at Ackerman - I bought her a new sweatshirt, and she insisted on wearing it, even though it's a few sizes too big and it was 80 degrees out. She claimed she was cold! Then we went to Drake Stadium to listen to the band practice. She was a pretty cute little girl, listening to the music, having some snacks, and then pacing around the track.

The thrill of her life was when the band split into groups and the drummers walked by us - one of the girls let her bang on a bass drum. That was of course, followed shortly by the REAL thrill of her life, which was seeing her daddy again. She informed him several times (as she'd been repeating to me for a good half hour) that she didn't like the Bruin. She liked her daddy. (We are going through a phase where bears, sharks and cookie monster freak her out, and she will say repeatedly, that she doesn't like them. Also, the frog. No like Biscuit and the Frog.)

We took her out to dinner at the pizza place where Tim and I had our first date. It was a total hit, even though Tim and I couldn't sit at our favorite date table. Boat anchor baby! I was feeding her some yogurt towards the end and she started pretending like she didn't want any more, and I told her she could get a cookie if she finished her yogurt. She crammed those last few bites in incredibly fast, and then said "is cookie time now for me!"

After devouring her cookie and milk (and getting so excited that she threw up a little bit of milk, like a sorority girl) we went back to Tim's hotel where her daddy was able to give her a bath. Then I combed the snarls out of her hair while she stood against the hotel room window and yelled to the cars on the 405 ("oh, come back car! Look at all the cars!") She fell asleep in the car and then let me roll her into bed around 9:30. All in all, a successful day.

Not like today, boo.

UCLA class of 2029.

More La La?

Today after a several week hiatus, we were off to music class with zany Miss Elena once again. This time, we're at a local community center, and slightly later in the morning, which meant Kristen and I got our coffees pre-music class, and took the girls to play at the nearby playground.

It's funny how much more grown up the girls were after just a few months off. Last round, Ellie spent the entire time in my lap, often completely stone faced. This time? She was a DANCING FOOL. Out of my lap, all over the room, hands in the air like she just didn't care, dancing and banging her sticks and clanking her instrument. It was great to see (also, it was nice to not have to carry her around on my hip during the up and active portion of our music time.)

Such a change - three months ago if I so much as stood up she'd freak out at me to hold her, and today during the play along time (aka: kids bang instruments like crazed monkeys) I slipped out to use the bathroom, and when I came back she was jamming with Kristen and Lexi, not sobbing.

She's a little ham, it's true.

Tonight we're heading up to LA to have dinner with Tim, who is doing management training courses through UCLA extension. He's having a great time and learning a lot, but we all miss each other very much. Ellie broke my heart the other day while we were looking through one of her newborn photo albums. I said "that's daddy holding his baby for the first time" and she says "dada no go to work dat day." She was so happy to see him via Skype this morning, so I can't wait to see how thrilled she is when she sees him in the flesh.

In other news, she will turn 2 a month from today. WHO AUTHORIZED THIS? Here is a brief video of us screwing around before heading to music class.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

...hopping down the bunny trail. Hippity, hoppity, another baby's on his way!

(and yes, the his is intentional. The technology is pretty amazing, and even though we're only 12 weeks, TWO ultrasound techs told me they were pretty sure it was a boy. They thought Ellie was a girl at 12 weeks, so I am inclined to believe it.) 

We are due right around Easter (late March/early April) and happy as can be. Ellie is mostly disinterested, though if you ask her, she will tell you that the baby lives in Mommy's Bellybutton. She's a good big sister already.

Saturday.

Best Play Date Ever.

Jackson (15 months), Ellie (22 months), Penelope (15 months), and Clare (19 months.)

Please note: Jackson got up on the bench himself and got the music playing. The ladies came a'running!

(Also pictured, Marco, age 6 months. Not eligible for a spot on the bench yet.)

New Funnies.

Me: Hey look Ellie, Lulu is catching a bug to eat.
Ellie: I can mmm da bug?
Me: No. No, you don't eat bugs. You're a little girl. Lulu can eat bugs because she's a cat.
Ellie: I CAN MMM DA BUG?
Me: No. You can eat some of this banana.
Ellie: I can mmm my binah!

So, we go for a walk almost every morning. She has to get on board with it, whether she's ready or not. Some days, she is really excited to get my shoes for me. Some days, she will take the second one and cry when I try to put it on.
Me: I need to wear that shoe so we can walk.
Ellie: I can have it?
Me: No, you can't have it. If you want, I can use it to kick you in the butt.
Ellie: Kick my butt?
Me: Yeah, turn around. I'll kick you in the butt.
Ellie: Dada can kick my butt wid his sock?
Me: Yeah, daddy will kick your butt too, go over to him.
Tim: Turn around, let me kick you in the butt.

After her nap, racing into the living room:
Ellie: I'M AWAKE NOW!

At 7am in the morning.
Ellie: I'm awake now! I climb up to mama. Hug hug hug. I snuggle on dada pillow. Mama be awake now?

Ellie: Dada car?
Me: Daddy took his car and went to work.
Ellie: Dada at his work.
Me: Does your daddy work hard for the money?
Ellie: NO!

Ellie: mama put on some make up?
Me: Do you think I need make up?
Ellie: Yes!
Me: Do you think I'm looking ugly?
Ellie: Yes!
Me: Okay, let's put on some makeup. How do I look?
Ellie: Good!

Busy Day!

Last week was our final week of tumbling class, and we don't start back up with music class until next week, so today seemed like a perfect day to take the girls to the petting zoo. And indeed, it was. We got there at 9:30 and the place was empty, so all of the rabbits and guinea pigs were excited to see us (and our carrot sticks.) The girls got their fill of petting the animals (the first time) and then it was fun time in the corn box, some playing on the swing set they have there, and back to say a final goodbye to the small animals. We did feed the goats a bit, but generally, the pen with the pigs/goats/sheep is avoided, because they are large, slightly aggressive, and incredibly smelly.

It's just fun to see Ellie so excited - delighted by the guinea pigs squeaking, in love with the rabbits, spending a good half hour just rolling around in a bunch of dry corn (I found a kernel in her diaper at 5pm, even though I'd shaken her clothes out and already changed her diaper earlier in the day. How that corn got there, I have no idea.) She's very gentle and sweet with the animals, and overjoyed every time I get one to sit in her lap with her.

Afterwards we got lunch and the girls were very cute, splitting a grilled cheese and begging for fries like little puppy dogs. We stopped by to say hey to the knitters, and then Ellie sacked out for a fat nap on the way over to Gigi's house. Then she cried when she woke up at Gigi wasn't home yet. It's hard to be a little girl.

Funny: the past two days she has looked at me while playing with someone else (last night Tim, this afternoon Gigi) and said "go away mama!" I know I'm supposed to be all hurt and weep because my child rejected me, but in reality, it's like, "oh well, bye then, fart face!" I would have paid good money for her to be happy with someone else back when she was a tiny, colicky baby, and so I'm in no place to resent it now! MORE ALONE TIME FOR ME!

Tonight we went with Gigi and Grizz and Sara to a Tip a Cop fundraiser at Chili's, to raise funds for Special Olympics. Ellie was a bit of a pill when we arrived, but Grizz saved the day with the monkey game on his phone, and she was actually much improved by the arrival of a cup of milk. Her main motivation was getting some of Auntie Sara's french fries (and I can't blame her, they were good fries) so I bargained with her, and induced her to eat a couple of bites of chicken and a handful of cherry tomatoes (which I am now carrying with me everywhere because they are a good, healthy snack for her) in between fries.

OH THE CHILDRENSES! Tomorrow all we have is a play date, and then the moms and I are ditching the kids with our husbands and going out for some Professional Development. That means cocktails!

Go Pack Go.

Hey Grizz, sorry your team lost on your birthday.

How's about you cheer yourself by feeding myself more birthday cake?

Then she went on to cheer, using the tissue paper leftover from Grizz's presents.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

 

A few months ago, Kristen mentioned that it would be fun to take the girls to a baseball game this summer. So we checked the calendar, found a night game with an early enough start, and booked ourselves a couple of tickets in the cheap seats (BUT they also included a free hot dog and a free small soda, so it's like they paid me to attend. Paid me with hot dogs.)

It had been kind of a rough day - Ellie woke up early and was whining the second her feet hit the floor. She fought nap time for close to an hour, and I was just about to kill her when she finally shut her dang eyes and went to sleep. Tim and I were trying to get out to go look at appliances, and we had the game, so she HAD to go to sleep. (We left her in the care of Gigi.) Funny: Gigi was apparently just about to come upstairs and rescue me, but when she came to the door she heard me lecturing "if you don't take a nap, then no Gigi, and no Lexi tonight." She wisely chose not to open the door and say "GIGI TIME!"

(Also, appliance shopping was fine.)

So, rough day, feeling frustrated, over tired child did not take a great nap, but she was SUCH a good little girl at the game. There was a lot of clapping, a lot of chatting with Lexi, and a lot of dancing. 

 

We managed to hang on until the middle of the 8th inning. The Angels had it well in hand and it was bed time, so we figured, better to be fairweather fans (aka, almost all California fans) and leave before the end of the game, rather than push the girls just to say we'd stayed the whole time. Mostly, I'd wanted to stay until the 7th inning stretch, because on the car ride over, Ellie had demanded we'd sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" about ten times in a row, and said "baseball game?" about a million times. She very much enjoyed singing and dancing with us, though I can't believe they didn't put her and Lexi on the kiss cam.

The other hit of the night was the ice cream sundaes in baseball caps that Kristen and I escape to get.

Poor Ellie apparently melted down the second she realized I'd left, and Tim had to take her for a lap. When I got back she had huge fat tears on her face, and then she said "mama come right back! I don't know what happened. I sad." Ice cream cheered her up, as it always does.

In addition to the Angels, the Twins won tonight, as did the Bruins! Hopefully the Packers can also pull it out tomorrow, in honor of Grizz's Happy Day. During the game tonight, Ellie took the liberty of screeching "go Pack go" at the top of her lungs. She's ready for some football!

Step Two.

My construction supervisor (my dad) and I met with the general contractor today, and he is a hit. He had some good ideas about how to maximize the space in our kitchen and make it more useable, and he's got a pretty enormous shop, so the cabinets, granite and tile will all be supplied by him. The project can start in eight weeks, and he estimates it'll take about two and a half weeks to get the job done (which I know means ONE MILLION YEARS) so while we won't be hosting Thanksgiving, we'll have a kitchen for Christmas and beyond. 2013, the year I make turkeys every week because I can!

We are officially doing this, and Tim and I will be shopping for appliances this weekend. We've gotten our fair ration of shit for "procrastinating" on this project, but after the crap show that was being 34 weeks pregnant and having holes punched in my ceiling, combined with being a full time dairy cow for the first year and a half of Ellie's life, I haven't been mentally ready to tackle this project. And in the end, even if we'd waited another two years, it's not like our kitchen is a condemned, moldy hole in the ground that we've been refusing to fix. Now, it will have beautiful new counters and tiles for the new year. MIMOSAS FOR EVERYONE!

Ellie continues to crack me up. This afternoon she suddenly burst into the living room and yelled "I'm awake now!" after her nap. Oh, indeed, I see you are. She then spent the next half hour reading with me and eating raw green beans, washed and snapped in half. Then we went outside for a good hour of chalk time.

She was a happy, dirty little chubba cheeks.



She's just so funny lately. She made me draw her some bunnies, and then started petting the chalk drawing, saying how soft and nice the hop hops were. Later, she was talking about how hop hops hop away to their mamas, and she could fly like a bird, so she was running around waving her hands in the air. Like she just didn't care.

Step One.

Called a contractor today about getting the kitchen redone.

Because I heard somewhere (read: from anyone who has ever owned, used, or walked into a kitchen) that renovating one takes awhile. I thought it was going to be like a reality show, where the crew comes in and then two days later I walk in with a blindfold over my eyes, take it off and burst into tears about how I got a beautiful new kitchen for free. But apparently, that is not the case.

The good news is, the process is officially started. Sadly, I hear I will also have to put a bunch of money where my mouth is. It will be worth it, to have counter space and non-melamine cabinets.

Jubilation Day.

You know what is allllllmost more fun than this sweet, innocent little face?

Spending an evening with my boyfriend, listening to some fantastic music. Did you know that Steve Martin is playing banjo with a bluegrass band? And that they are AWESOME?

I then made Tim walk with me to Amoeba Records so that we could buy some additional Steep Canyon Rangers CDs. Their live version of this song absolutely gave me chills.

We had a very nice night out in Hollywood, and Ellie was apparently a little angel baby doll for her Mimi and Pa. We very much appreciate their willingness to take on the entertaining of tiny, overnight guests.

We were able to all reunite at Gigi and Grizz's house for a Labor Day BBQing of bratwurst, and some delicious popcorn salad. It is my new favorite mayonnaise based salad, by a long shot (brats are always my favorite.)

And we convinced Ellie to go in the pool at dusk to do some tricks for Mimi and Pa.

She was even convinced to jump off the back wall for them

She's in there.... somewhere...