Glorious Day

There are days that being a mom is pretty un-glamorous: mundane chores, dealing with whining and tantrums, and the sheer exhaustion of an 80 hours-per-week job. There are other days that being a full-time mom feels downright luxurious - I even feel a little guilty that I am enjoying such a great day with my kiddo while my husband works so hard in Corporate America.

Today, I am happy to report, was one the latter. It was one of those rare Spring Texas days that wasn't too hot, cold, or windy and it wasn't raining. KK and I met Nanna and PopPop at the fabulous Fort Worth zoo right when it opened. We enjoyed strolling in the wonderful weather and all the animals were out to play. Katelynn was unusually mellow and compliant.

We took a break for a wonderful picnic lunch, prepared mainly by Nanna. Nanna and PopPop eat very healthfully these days and lunch was yummy! We had ham sandwiches with hot pepper and olive mix, hearts of palm, pickles, cherry tomatoes, carrots, greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom, asian cabbage salad, apples and grapefruit. What a feast.

After lunch we rode the zoo train and looked at a few more animals. KK didn't throw a fit when it was time to leave because she knew that Nanna and PopPop had an Easter basket waiting for her in the car. All in all, it was the most relaxing and enjoyable Monday I have had in a very long time.

Puppies & Snails....

So, I must admit that little boy clothes are pretty cute too - and shopping for clothes is always fun no matter what! Nanna and PopPop gave us these two adorable newborn outfits - the first for LittlePeanut2.

They are so tiny and it is hard to believe we will have a baby in the house again soon!

Regression

My imaginative little girl has been very focused on pretending to be a baby lately. Hmmm - wonder where that could be coming from? Mostly her Nanna, Daddy and I have been trying to humor her. She has five months to get it out of her system before it could be a big problem...

At Nanna's she begged to sleep in the crib which Nanna allowed as long as she promised not to climb out. KK agreed and also insisted that she could not have a pillow because "babies are not allowed to have pillows." She stayed put the whole night as promised. She even played in the crib during the day! She also sat in the high chair for all her meals there; she has seen her baby cousin Izzy use that high chair lately.

At home she often asks to be wrapped up in a blanket "like a tiny baby" (i.e. swaddled). She sits on her daddy's lap and asks him to "feed her a bottle" - which is her sippy cup filled with milk. Daddy obliges and then "burps" her.

Most recently she has also begged me to sleep in a crib. I decided to humor her and got out the pack-n-play. The big crib is in the attic and will be brought down in the next few months, but I don't want to start that as it sounds like a recipe for disaster once a real baby is on the scene again. However I let her sleep in the pack-n-play, figuring she would quickly tire of the hard bottom with the non-existent padding. She is also so tall that she doesn't even fit properly unless she lays on a diagonal.

Three nights, and she is still going strong in the pack-n-play. Yikes - what have I done?!

The Negotiator

My hubby has always been quite the negotiator in many aspects. He is always on the hunt for the "great deal." This even applies to his own wife, particularly when it comes to food choices at restaurants. When there are two entrees he is craving, he is frequently able to talk me into ordering one of them and sharing. I don't mind as long as it's a win-win. When it doesn't work out his way, he jokes in a dramatic voice: "Negotiations FAILED!"

Last week, I told KK she could pick out an ice cream from the little freezer at the car wash place. She was agonizing between the ice cream sandwich and the orange push-up. The next thing I knew, I was being convinced that mommy needed the ice cream sandwich. KK chose the push-up. Guess who knew she would get a bite or two of mommy's ice cream?

The little stinker comes by it honestly!

Rite of Passage

Today, my baby girl got her ears pierced.

It all started this morning when KK and I had a conversation about why I had holes in my ears. She was upset that didn't have these holes because she wanted to wear earrings. I explained that (a) you have to go to a special store to have the holes made; (b) they will put a special little gun in your ear; (c) it will hurt a lot for a second, like a shot. All this discussion only made her more enthusiastic. Constant discussion and begging ensued all morning long.

I finally called my mom to see what she thought, since I clearly remembered that she took me for the great piercing around 4 years old after my own incessant begging. Her friend recommended finding a place that had two people on duty so that both ears could be pierced at the same time. Good idea... I didn't want to leave with a little girl with just one earring.

After continued discussion with KK, I took her to the mall. I continually reminded her that it was going to hurt and told her - over and over - that she didn't have to do it. She was a determined little girl though. She picked out some tiny pink sparkly heart earrings. She sat quietly in the chair while the ladies cleaned and marked her ears. Then - pow - it was over and KK was shocked by the pain. Poor little thing jerked backwards and broke out into a flood of tears. It scared me because she jerked so hard; I feared bleeding ears or holes in the wrong spot. But the gun was much faster than her and she was perfectly be-jeweled! Once she realized it was over, she stopped crying pretty quickly and happily accepted the lollipop they offered. She then called Nanna to brag.

She looks so grown up. Mama is happy and sad all at once.

Ballerina Girl

Katelynn has, all on her own, become obsessed with being a ballerina. Isn't it funny how this happens? Or, rather - how DOES it happen?! The kid has been walking on her toes since she learned how and, at the tender age of 3, has some pretty amazing calves. Her Aunt Doris sent a cute pink tutu for Christmas, and she frequently wears it, whirling and twirling in circles. She will choose clothing with little ruffles on the edges, saying they are "ballerina clothes."

One of her favorite shows is "Little Einsteins" and June, the little girl ballet dancer, is definitely her favorite character. (Side note - I also find it cute that June is the Asian character on the show...) She pretends to be June all the time. Lately, she has even started telling me that she wants to "go to ballet classes." Not sure how she even knows you can take a ballet class... but it may be time to stretch our budget in the fall a little for our budding dancer...

Pregnancy - the second time around

I have always heard that "every pregnancy is different" and I am now learning this first-hand. My experience thus far....

(1) I lost my love of food with the first pregnancy. There was a loooong list of foods I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Thank goodness that has not happened this time! I don't eat too much meat these days - just doesn't appeal to me. Other than that, I am game for just about anything.

(2) Tummy pooch - I couldn't believe how quickly my tummy popped out this time! I was into maternity clothes by about week 16. A friend at church is due within a week of me with her first and, at week 19, still has not made the switch-over!

(3) Exhaustion - Well, this is kind of the same with both pregnancies. It is hard to grow another human! However I remember laying on the couch every night after work when prego with KK. This time hasn't been quite as bad... maybe because I have a pre-schooler to care for and really don't have a choice.

We will see what other differences reveal themselves. I remember horrible charlie horses from pregnancy #1, plus I had some nasty issues with heart palpitations and feeling faint. I'm hoping those problems won't rear their ugly heads this time, but I do still have 5 months to go... Here's hoping for a more laid back pregnancy AND a more laid back baby!

"LP2" - Long Overdue

So.... I have been a blogging loser lately. Honestly, lately if I must choose between digital scrapbooking and blogging I choose the former rather than the latter. Alas, this blog is where I capture my non-visual memories so I need to get back on track. Maybe I can find more blogging time if I eliminate Facebook time...

ALAS I DIGRESS! The real reason for this post is to share that we are expecting our second baby, Little Peanut 2 ("LP2") in mid August. Being pregnant with a little pre-schooler around to comment on the subject has been fun and entertaining. A day after we told her she would be getting a little brother or sister, she announced to her Nanna: "Mommy has a baby in her tummy. It's a sister. Her name is Concer." (No clue where she came up with this name...)

Today we found out that LP2 is a little boy! KK came with us to the appointment, along with daddy and her Nanna and PopPop. After finding out, she very loudly announced to the OB/GYN waiting room: "IT'S A BOY! HE'S WEARING BLUE!"

My heart is smiling!