Fitting Picture

I took this with the timer on my camera this morning and it just makes me laugh.  Ingrid is usually nothing more than a blur in our lives!!  I'm almost 23 weeks and there's definitely a baby in there!  He's been rolling and kicking a lot and I always smile and say "Hi, Otis!" when it first starts.  Then I tell him to quit jumping on my bladder and I go pee again for the fourth time in an hour...

A Much Needed Break

Brendan and I had a wedding to go to in WI last weekend.  My mom came to get Ingrid and take her back to the horse farm, and we took off in a snazzy rental car for a 7 hour drive.  We got to lay around in a hotel, take multiple naps, and hang out with friends!  We cleaned up pretty nicely for the wedding:

The next day we lounged, ate, napped, slept, rested, didn't play with blocks or crayons, and napped some more.  We visited Brendan's parents and just relaxed.  Did I mention I didn't play once with a wooden block all weekend long?  And I didn't load or unload a dishwasher.  It was heaven.

We got home Sunday afternoon and my mom still had Ingrid.  It was so strange to not have anything to do!  I'd slept so much, I didn't feel like I should lay down again (although I did, ha!) I did some puzzles in a book, watched some TV, and felt bored.  What did we used to do without Ingrid?  Sure she makes me frazzled, but she's also so damn entertaining, it was so wierd to not have her around!

My mom called this morning and said Ingrid had been asking for me, so we each drove half way and met in the middle of nowhere for lunch and to switch.  I was excited to see my dearie, and she was pretty huggy with her ol' mom.  Considering we were at each other's throats before the weekend, I'd say we both got the break we needed.  When we got home it was raining and we played outside with the umbrella.  She kept saying she was looking for "paper leaves" which I figured out much later meant leaves to press between wax paper.  We played blocks and colored and made bread and it was great to get back to our lives again...

Fall Time Fun

Today we went to a farm that's by our friend's house.  It was pretty great for a short morning out with two crabby toddlers.  We got cider and donuts that were HOT and gooey and sugary and so yum.  Unfortunately the bees came swarming over and attached themselves to us, so instead of sitting outside in the gorgeous day, we ended up inside.  Oh well.  Better than drinking a bee (they were diving in our cups!  Gross!) or getting stung.

There were pony rides and a little petting area with piglets and goats.  I love goats.  I think I've said it before, I'd love to have a goat or two someday.  And some chickens.  Ingrid liked to pet the goats but when the pigs would come sniff at her she got the most horrified look on her face and then kept wiping her hands off.  She's got a thing about getting her hands dirty lately, MY messy child!

We'll have to go back with Brendan and get our pumpkins--they had huge ones for $5!  Wherever we went last year wanted an arm and a leg for them, so this is a much better deal.  And Ingrid didn't get to ride a pony today because we just didn't feel like it, how's that for lazy?!  Two pregnant mamas with a sassy two year old each, we were all about the donuts, not so much about the horses!

In baby news, our midwife appointment went fine yesterday.  I've only gained 7 lbs in the past five months, which totally makes me see why I'm so tired all the time--this damn baby is sucking me dry!!  I by NO means watch what I eat, I eat all day long it seems like, so there's no reason I shouldn't have gained weight.  I'm not complaining, but it suddenly made sense why I always feel so tired and worn out.  He's kicking like crazy and making my belly all alien like.  It's so funny to watch my belly and see it move, knowing there's a human being in there!  It's like science fiction, people!  And he's only the size of a small banana now, when he's a melon it'll be even worse!

Lazy Days

Wednesday we had a playdate to go to.  Ingrid was pretty excited, but unusually crabby and whining at everything.  We got to our friend's house, and Ingrid wanted to play outside.  Once outside she wanted inside.  She had food and when the dog came up to sniff she uncharacteristically started to cry.  Another girl came up to see what she was eating, and again, she started to wail.  What's up?

We did manage to have some fun though, before melting down.  Heather put lots of balls in an old swimming pool--instant ball pit! 

And of course my little piggy spied the donuts right away!

But something was off, and that night Ingrid woke up an hour after falling asleep and cried and cried for an hour.  I felt so bad, I just sat there trying to be supportive even though I couldn't do anything, but then she'd yell "Mama, go 'way!"  Then cry out "I want my mama!"  Oh, heartbreaking when you can't calm your child!  The next day we woke up to lots of snot and the first cold of the season.  We vegged on the couch all day long, watching a cool Imax Under the Sea video and some Sound of Music.  I have to admit, it was the perfect day to be sick.  We had a thunderstorm and it was dark and dreary anyway, so it was relaxing to lay around all day.

Today is the same, although Ingrid is feeling just better enough she wants to do stuff but still feeling crappy enough she's whiny.  My favorite stage...We went on a walk and picked up some pretty red leaves that have started to pop up here and there on the trees.  We tried to press them between wax paper but somehow I don't think my iron is hot enough?  Or something, it just wouldn't work as easily as I remember it going when I was a kid.  Now we're drinking hot cocoa and wearing our cozy pants and starting our weekend early.  I don't like when she's sick, but it's actually kind of a nice slow change of pace!

Tricycle Time

Tonight after dinner Brendan took Ingrid over to the church parking lot next to our house to do some riding on her tricycle.  She had fun, as the parking lot is on a slight hill so she can just put up her feet and let gravity do its thing!

Notice her adorable new orange shoes!  We just got them today from See Kai Run, and after an afternoon of tough toddler wear, they are nice and scuffed and worn in.  I was going to be upset at first, but I do know my child, and she will probably always wear out her clothes and shoes more than I'd like her to...

Go, go, go, crash.

On the way home from the park today, this happened:

Ingrid has never slept in her stroller until after she turned two.  Now if we're out for a bit she'll conk right out.  She is so not ready to give up her naps but she has to be in her stroller or the car for it to happen.  How frustrating.

But look at this:

So cute.  So calm, so quiet.  I went inside and cleaned up the living room while she slept it off out in the beautiful day.  Unfortunately she woke up crabbier than before...Oh well, it was a nice half hour.

A Trip to the Zoo!

We went to Toledo to make use of our membership to the zoo there.  It was a beautiful day, the perfect jeans and tshirt weather, and Ingrid was excited to see the animals.  There was a baby shower event going on so we snuck into the special mom-to-be super close parking!  I have no shame.  I am a mom-to-be, after all...

We finally stopped to see the baby polar bear, which we hadn't gone to before because of the lines.  But on a nice fall day, no lines and we just cruised in and watched the seals swim by.  And the baby was playing in the water with a ball!  It was super cute and made me realize how similar animals are--kids will be kids and they love to play!

We also checked out a spot that's for kids under 8, Nature's Neighborhood.  It's got a treehouse that leads to a slide, which Ingrid would've spent the whole day at.  Also you can go in this building and they have a really big bird section.  And all around the room is a clear tube where you can watch ants working away.  These things were carrying HUGE pieces of leaf, it was kind of cool to watch.  They had a bee section with costumes and a bee hive to climb.  And a clear plastic thing that showed a real live hive, which totally induced shudders in both Brendan and I.  A bee here and there is one thing, but masses of any bugs are just creepy.

We got lunch, saw the polar bears again, and left just in time for the rain to start.  Ingrid played quietly while Brendan and I napped, and now we're having a cozy afternoon in the rain.  Brownies are baking in the oven and we just had hot chocolate.  It's my favorite time of year, yay fall!

Labor Day

So bummed I forgot my memory card this weekend!!  We went to visit my mom and it's the most beautiful place ever, complete with a mama deer and her three babies meandering through the backyard.  But no, stupid me forgets the most important part of the camera...

Anyway, after some discussion with Brendan about our Labor Day weekend and finding out he planned on working, I was loathe to sit at home by myself.  Ingrid and I packed up the car and headed the three hours to my mom's.  She has this great job of dog/house sitting for a very generous woman who lives on a horse farm and small lake.  So there are tons of things for kids to do and Ingrid had a blast!  Gramma took her on a golf cart ride to meet the horses, they went swinging and playing in the play house, we found a basket of maracas and tambourines.  Non stop action!

My sister and her family and brother and his family all came on Monday.  Instead of being 81 and sunny, it was rainy and 60, so we put the kids down in the basement with toys, lit a fire in the fireplace, and had a great day.  In the afternoon it finally cleared up and they got to go fishing and swimming in the pool (seriously, this place is like a kid heaven!!).  I got to cuddle with my one year old nephew, which Ingrid was very unsure of.  Graham was all cuddled up to me with his blanket, Ingrid came up from the basement and stopped short when she saw me.  "Mama!  Put that baby down!"  Oh honey, are you ever in for a rude awakening...

Ingrid did pretty well this little road trip.  She napped on the way there and was cheerful until just before we got to my mom's.  For some reason she started crying "I don't want to go to Gramma's, I wanna go to the area."  I still have no idea what "the area" is, but she was adamant we go there instead!!  She forgot all about it once she saw the horses, though.  She loves to play with her cousins and eat food, and despite whining that she was soooooo tired, she made it through the day in a fairly good mood. 

We're starting a new nap regime tomorrow, trying to get her back into the napping game, since she cannot function on 10 hours of sleep at night alone.  Hopefully the "I'm soooo tiiiiiiirred, Mama!" will cease and she'll go back to being a cheerful person...

Back to "Normal"

From how things were going at the beginning of the week to how they are now, it's like a whole different family lives here!  I haven't been on my prozac for a month or so and it's been so hellish.  I have been on this medication for years and thought, after forgetting to take it for a week or so, why not see what it's like off it?  Oh my god, not good!!  I am such a bitch without my meds, I yell and get crabby and, therefore, Ingrid is in a bad mood and upset and Brendan gets that way as soon as he comes home to a houseful of stress.  Aaaahhh!  The other day I finally broke down and wanted out of my life.  I just wanted to not be a mom, and certainly not a mom of two.  I wanted to be able to SLEEP and take a break and watch non cartoons on TV.  I started to cry and then suddenly it hit me--honey, your depression is coming back with a vengence.  Take your stupid pills!

Two days later and here we are, happy as can be.  Ingrid and I had a lovely day today.  We went to Trader Joe's and they have these little kid sized shopping carts that Ingrid just loves.  We did a lot of block tower building and coloring and reading books.  We played outside after lunch in the amazing cool windy weather.  Ingrid's obsessed with the rocks in our driveway lately, she will sit for an hour just looking at each one, putting it in her little wagon, and then going on to find another perfect one. 

We had a gift certificate to a local brewery so we went to dinner.  Ingrid was a model child, coloring quietly at the table and eating her veggie soup.  Brendan and I got to have a conversation and it was just so pleasant and I realized how awful the past few weeks have felt. 

Another thing that helps in the calm is putting Ingrid back in diapers part time.  For two weeks she boycotted the toilet so I was changing her clothes and mopping up pee at least five times a day.  Not fun.  And the horrible thing is even though I KNOW you're not supposed to yell or make a big deal of it, after the third or fourth time a day, after days of this happening, I would yell.  Why didn't you tell me?  Why won't you go on the potty?  And then I heard myself and stopped and read up online about setbacks and how common they are and how you just have to let them have their time and they'll get around to it.  So back in diapers she went, but she now will tell me when she has to go.  And I haven't had to worry about pee on the couch or rug for two days!  I see a major change in her attitude already, so here's hoping she'll get back on the potty train soon.

Otis's First Photo Shoot

Well, folks, the day is here.  We had our ultrasound this morning, and after a hellish 40 minutes to go 2 miles (seriously, people, we are in a small town in MI, not Manhattan...) we made it to the clinic and got going.  We got some nice pictures this time:

And our favorite one of all!

It's a BOY!  I'm so excited, it's what I wanted (other than a healthy baby of course!!) and now Ingrid will have her little brother.  And I won't have to come up with another girl name, whew!  We were getting nowhere with that one.

A boy!  I'm so geeked!