Sunday, November 25, 2012

John Paul: 37 weeks




Man, I am good at keeping up with this ;)

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain/loss?  close to 25

Maternity clothes? I think I wear the same outfit every other day at this point. 

Sleep? Not so much :)

Movement? This kid is ready to get out!

Food cravings/aversions?  I just seem to eat whatever is in front of me...and I wonder why I've gained 25 pounds???

Gender? Boy

Labor signs?  Nothing to speak of.

What others are saying:  It's that time when others are afraid to ask how much longer you have because it might trigger labor right then and there...just lots of raised eyebrows now. 

What I miss: just a little sleep and a lack of anxiety.  Really, I just have little moments/times of losing my mind because the house I cleaned yesterday looks dirty again today and everything isn't always in its place INCASE the baby were to come any second.  I might be losing it. 

What I am looking forward to: holding John Paul!

Milestones: We're basically ready.  The induction is set for December 8th.  He has a place to sleep, and the boys are as prepared for this as they can be.  Now it's just waiting :)

Saturday, November 17, 2012

QOTW: 11/17/12


"I live in a garbage can.  Toot toot."

Carter and Peter met Stephen Ross for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  Carter was talking to Jo and saying that we were going to have a baby soon, too.  "But his name will be John Paul.  I will call him John Pope, though.  John Pope a good, good man!"

As I've mentioned before, I think a childlike faith is something we all could use and have somewhat fallen away from.  Carter ran into the living room where I was one evening with a piece of paper in his hands.  It was a guide to praying the Rosary.  His eyes were big and he practically shouted, "Mom, I have a message from Mary.  It says, 'Pray to God.'"

Carter has started imagining, which I love.  He came into the room carrying a pretend red string the other day and called it his baby.  When I asked if I could hold it, he said, "Not now, he's sleeping...be VERY quiet!"

Carter had a long bout of the stomach bug last week.  I hate when little ones get sick...and he didn't have a clue why anything was happening.  After an episode, he was upset and said, "Mommy, why is my tummy doing this???"

We've had a few rounds of discipline "problems" lately and are trying to get things in order.  Carter and Peter were playing with their Dad on Sunday and having the best time wrestling, screaming, laughing, (repeat, repeat, repeat).  I walked in to see what was going on and Carter said, "Go back in kitchen, Mommy."  He's going to be a great husband someday ;)

The next day, I saw Carter in the kitchen with his hands pressed together.  When I asked what he was doing, he said, "Please Jesus help me be a good boy to Mommy.  PLEASE help me."  Ha!

After a long afternoon of playing, we sat down for dinner.  Carter took one drink of his milk, started smiling and shaking his head saying, "OH, this milk makes me SOOOO happy.  It makes me so happy."

Jeremy was working out of town last week for a few days, so Elley, Carter, Peter and I took care of things here.  We were in the pick-up feeding cows, and I was putting feed out.  Carter said he wanted to help with the cows.  I asked him to count them and then said that he was helping so much.  He just looked at me, frowning, and said,  "I not helping.  I not doing ANYTHING!"  He really wanted to be out there with those cows.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween...

Yesterday, Halloween, was not our best day yet.  It all started out good.  The boys got up.  We had our normal routine, played outside, enjoyed each other, had a good lunch, etc.  It got a little hairy when I tried to put Carter down for an earlier nap so we could enjoy some afternoon Halloween festivities.  Well, it took him about 1.5 hours to actually fall asleep.  Maybe it was the fact that he was asking every five minutes if it was time to come out/get up.  Enough "no" answers and he finally crashed.  He woke up about 15 minutes before we were to leave for our local Halloween costume contest in town.  Well, I tried to dress him in his costume and for lack of a better phrase, all Hell broke lose.  He started screaming his head off, trying to rip the spots off of his costume while yelling, "I don't want to put on costume."  Luckily Jeremy was there and was helping wrangle him.  Finally, after basically strong-arming the poor kid, he was dressed in his attire, trying to catch his breath between sobs and causing the little man to have the same reaction to his costume.  Pure bliss. 
 
Then I thought, who are we doing this for?  Yes, us, the parents.  And, I felt terrible.  Yet, not terrible enough to cancel the plans.
 
Carter and Peter had two costumes this year.  After the first one, we almost gave up on the second.  ALMOST.  See, our cousins had the brilliant idea of being a herd of cattle following the one poor child who was dressed as a feed sack (she got second place, by the way!).  To say she wasn't excited about Halloween this year is an understatement, but God bless her, she took one for the team.  We were lucky enough to have a little cowboy in the pack, as well as a few old mama cows.  So, off we were to the bank contest.
 
The "before" - so much more pleasant than the "after"
 
 
 Peter and his cousin, Clare.  He looks thrilled, doesn't he.

Carter.  Mad.  Sans spots, horns and bell and clinging to his blanket as if there were no tomorrow.
 
Part of the herd of calves with their oh-so-happy feed sack.


 
The horns lasted .5 seconds (even that long thanks to Elley).

And the mama cows. Lovely :)

 


 
Papa saves the day with a little koolaid...

Would have rather been riding in the semi-trucks he saw driving by...

Finally home...
 
Little did he know we were just home for some fuel in the form of pizza and a quick costume change before we hit the streets trick-or-treating.
 
It was time for costume #2 -- sharks from MiMi!  MiMi sent the boys the most precious shark outfits.  Carter was a hammerhead and Peter was a great white and neither liked the costume putting on the second time around any better than the first.  I'll learn someday.  However, we managed to get them on again and loaded up to gather candy.  We went to a total of five houses and it felt more like twenty-five.  By the end, however, I think Carter decided everything was alright and Halloween wasn't too bad.  Whew!
 
The shark on his way to Aunt Sammie's (Schammie) apartment.  He was really good at saying "trick-or-treat."
 
 My photography skills are getting better by the minute ;)

The great white was in character all evening...
 





What a day :)