And did I mention...

We appear to be raising a tree hugger?

*Note husband obsessing over the crab grass yet again*

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Friday, June 23, is my baby girl's 2nd birthday.

Who knew that such a tiny little being, at just 5lbs 12 oz, could cause my heart to nearly burst with such intense love, fear, worry and joy?

Today Isabella is a whopping 24lbs and a bundle of never ending chatter and energy.

Bella loves life. She loves people, especially her family. She adores animals whether they are stuffed, alive or cartoon.

She gets so excited to see her daddy come home from work. She'll hike up her little elbows like an 80 yr old brisk walker and run as fast as her little legs will take her to the door, where she immediately reverts to shyness and pointing to everyday objects as if it's the first time she's ever seen them.

Bella loves to talk on the phone (uh-oh) and will call random family by pressing buttons on my cell phone and then drops the phone when an actual person answers on the other end.

Reading is an increasing passion of hers, much to our delight. Though getting her to read more than two of the fifty books she has is a challenge. I can imitate Donald Duck only so much.

Bella is sweet with a stubborn streak. She whines occasionally but it quickly disolves into laughter with the right distraction.

She can find fun in the simplest of things, such as making "soup" with a medicine cup and the end of my makeup brush. She has conversations with her babies on a daily basis. They will be placed just so at the kitchen table for their snack, each with their own bowl of "soup".

She fibs about her diaper contents. She can have a softball size poop that has to be uncomfortablely lodged but she'll deny it all the way to the bathroom. She'll just keep insisting, almost convincingly except for the stench, "Just pee-pee, Mommy. No poo-poo!"

Bella is thrilled to be a big sister, though she has no idea what she's in for. She kisses my tummy and sings to it if I ask her (though not without shooting an odd look at me). Her little sister always kicks in acknowledgement of such talent.

I cherish this child and every single moment I have with her. She is a perfect combination of her daddy, me and her own individuality. I can't wait for her tiny sister to meet her.

Happy birthday to my sweet Angelgirl!

Biting Off More Than is Chewable

I am so blessed and thankful to be pregnant for a second time.

HOWEVER...

This pregnancy is far less enjoyable. Perhaps because I'm chasing after my very busy two-on-Friday daughter. Perhaps because my body knows what to do this time and everything is happening faster, including the aches and pains. Perhaps because we had the bright idea to try and sell three houses, move my MIL and our family somewhere completely new. Perhaps because I thought I could handle having an estate sale to help move some of the bulk we have. Perhaps because I'm just as stubborn this time as I was when pregnant with Bella and try to take on every project imaginable.

SO...I have decided to try and chill out.

To focus on my daughter in all her delightfulness.

To enjoy time as a family of three before we become four.

To go on dates with my husband as much as possible before we're strapped to the newborn clock.

To chunk the idea of an estate sale as well as selling three homes at once.

To inhale as much Tylenol as my doctor allows and swim when possible to help my already floating ligaments.

Yeah, I'm still obsessing about prepping the house for family once baby arrives. I'm gonna clean out cabinets like crazy. I'll probably scrub all the door frames. Most likely fold and refold baby clothes. But at least they are little projects.

My husband quickly clued in to my desperate nesting. Last night he said he'd made a list of things we should do before baby arrives. I calmly asked him if we could go by my list instead. A moment of silence, then recognition of the wild-eyed pregnant wife before him and quick agreement to do WHATEVER I want.

I love my husband.

A Cyclist?

My daughter is cyclical. No, she isn't training for the Tour de France. She goes through distinct phases, like her dad who bowled obsessively until he smacked himself in the ankle with the ball enough to stop. Now he's all about the weeds in the yard. He'll get up at 6am on a day he could sleep in just to sweat over some crab grass.

Bella's current cycle involves ear lobes. Whether hers or someone she loves, when Bella is tired, sad or bored, she goes for the lobes. It is strange and sweet, though also annoying when I'm trying to get ready for the day and she's asking for my ear lobes. Sometimes, if I deny her lobe clinging, she throws a tantrum...another great sign she'll be two next week!

So, I guess my question (concern?) is, will she always be this way? Ear lobes now, boys later? Hey, don't think the jump is that far fetched!

To make me feel better, what are some cycles your kid has gone through and gotten over? While I await your answers, Bella will rub my ear lobes.

It's Not "Beating A Dead Horse" Anymore...

Have you heard this story?

A woman angry that her new puppy had died pushed her way into a dog breeder’s home and repeatedly hit her on the head with the dead Chihuahua.

The 33-year-old woman told police she had taken the puppy to a veterinarian, who said it was only 4 weeks old and needed to be returned to its mother. But before she could return the puppy, it died.

Then, as the woman drove away, she waved the dead puppy out of the car’s sunroof and yelled threats at the breeder.

I'm thinking that puppy might be better off now rather than having lived with an owner like that!

The Serious Gymnast

Look at the concentration. The determination. Or is that more of a look like she's not about to accept the hand Mommy's going to shove at her in a heart-skipping moment to keep her from falling?

Bella has graduated from Little Gym. There was a VERY quick ceremony where Miss Robin gave each child a medal. Quick because once the first kid got one, the whining, screeching and frantic looks of possibly being forgotten began. Totally cute!

Gym class did wonders for Bella not only socially, but advanced her monkey skills as well. I highly recommend anyone who has a gym for babies in their area to enroll their child. We've decided to give her (okay, me) a break over the next 2 months until she starts preschool. Don't worry, she'll still see her main squeeze, Mitchell, whenever possible.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week! Just 17 days till my baby girl turns 2 years old! I can hardly believe it! She's been singing "Happy Birthday" alot. She takes huge steps (symbolic?) and sings "Happy Birday to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" over and over...and over...

I love my life. I love my family and my friends. I am truly blessed.

Say WHAT?

When people see a pregnant woman who's just found out that she's having another boy or girl, is it so hard to say, "That's wonderful! Congratulations and I hope you have a healthy baby!"

Then how come when I tell people I'm having another girl, I get a look of sympathy? Or I'm told that we're "in for it" because we'll have two teenage girls with raging hormones. Or THEY were hoping we'd have a boy.

I'm sorry our sperm and egg's uniting did not result in an opposite gender sibling of the child we already have. I'm sorry some may think it "cliche" to say we really just want healthy children, regardless of gender?

Guess I'm a little grumpy because it has not only been friends and family, but perfect strangers who seem displeased with the results of our sonogram. Displeased with this precious gift from God!

So, I'm making a mental note (I know, making a mental anything during pregnancy is dangerous) to have a more sensitive reaction to women during pregnancy. Unless they are smoking. Then it is ON.

Mommy! Look at me!

I'm simmin!

Think Pink!

We went for the 20 week sonogram yesterday and it was so exciting! I got to see my sweet angel moving about, her skeleton in plain view.

Yes, I said HER.

Bella's going to have a little sister! My husband is elated, not at all disappointed she's not a he. I'm so glad because this is our last baby and he's the last in his family line.

Baby girl is about the size of a zucchini and perfectly proportioned. Her profile looks just like her sister who has tiny but prominent features. It is very hard to imagine what this baby will really look like because Bella is a such a mix of my husband and I. We can hardly wait!

We had a couple of names we were tossing around but now that we're certain baby is a girl, we've wiped the slate clean. If you have name suggestions, they are more than welcome!

Now we move on to planning Bella's 2nd birthday. My little big girl is going to be TWO! She's already singing Happy Birthday. I think she'll embrace the idea of celebrating her birthdays the whole month just like her aunt and I have always done :)

Experience Does Not Make All-Knowing

I am now 18 weeks along in my pregnancy and FINALLY over the daily nausea and yelling at the porcelain bowl.

I guess I thought being pregnant the second time would be a piece of cake. Everyone said I wouldn't be sick. Okay. I was just sick-er.

Everyone said I'd have bundles of energy during the second trimester, commonly known as the "honeymoon phase." I still require the same two hour nap with Isabella every day and 8:30pm can't get here quick enough.

There are, however, a few things different.

I am already feeling the Braxton Hicks. To most seasoned breeders, this would not come as a shock. It sure as heck did to me! I frantically emailed my sister about it (knowing she was already perched in front of the screen for the evening) and at the same time Googled all I could about this surprising turn of events. Seems that around 17 weeks, it is normal to feel the false contractions, as long as I get no more than 4 in an hour. So I lay in bed till about midnight, waiting as each hour passed to see if I felt any more than the two I'd felt three hours prior.

My back and hips ache sooner than with Bella. I've only gained 2 lbs, having puked off 7 lbs in the previous trimester, but I'm sporting a nice little soccer ball. It has always weirded me out, however, that when I lay flat, the soccer ball disappears and I'm not so sure it doesn't all slide to the back.

In all, I feel great, but it has been interesting to compare this pregnancy with my first one. I definitely don't have time to obsess about it every moment this time around. I even forget how many weeks along I am! For now, we're focused on May 24, when our little peapod will hopefully be in the mood to show his/her wares so the name game can narrow down a bit.

The Light's On But No One's Home

Have you ever done something for a really long time and thought nothing of it until one day you realize you're a moron?

My husband and I shared that moment on Friday night, thanks to our daughter.

We inherited a beautiful home 5 1/2 years ago from a wonderful woman who loved my husband as her own son. She was a very unique person and that is evident throughout the house.

In our room, next to our bed, is a light switch. She stayed in this room when sick with cancer and was bed-ridden for many months before her death. Naturally, we assumed that light switch was there to help her control a certain aspect of her room from the comfort of bed. First, we thought it was for the lamps. No. Perhaps the ceiling fan? No. Maybe she could turn off the music from the living room that was wired to play throughout the house? Nope.

We finally decided that maybe the switch just no longer works and really was meant for the lamps, like in a hotel.

I mentioned that Isabella is a curious little somebody. She's quite the prowler, especially in our house. She found that light switch about 4 months ago and has played with it pretty much daily since then. Why not? The dang thing didn't work anyway.

Friday night, we were all laying in bed watching America's Funniest Videos and she was fiddling with the light switch. All of the sudden, I noticed through the bathroom windows that the outside lights were flicking on and off.

Yes. The bedside light switch controlled the OUTDOOR LIGHTS! That means for 4 months, my daughter has been sending out what our neighbors must think is some strange SOS signal to UFO's or else we have really big electrical issues. My husband and I just stared as she continued playing with the switch, dumbfounded that it took the actions of a 22 month old to unlock the mystery of something so simple.

He's No Weenie!

This is Zeus.

Some of you may remember me posting about the emergency surgery he had to have when two of the discs ruptured in his spine. At the time, it was a major gamble because Dachsunds are notorious for this degenerative disease. What made it more difficult was the surgeon expected one disc rupture and not two when she began operating. She gave him slim to none odds that he'd ever walk again.

Well, there he is. Seven months later and the little fighter not only walks but can run...like a rabbit, but run nonetheless! He is hump-backed to compensate and I really don't think he has much feeling in his back feet, but the SOB (well! He is!) has resumed chasing the squirrels and annoying the neighbors on a daily basis. We couldn't be happier!

I plan to forward the pics and huge thank-you to Zeus' vet and surgeon. Had they not moved as quickly as they did, he surely would've died within days as the paralysis took hold.

Funny. We always swore we'd never spend more than $1500 to save an animal. That was the best $2500 we've ever spent!

Sweetest Words

You think there's nothing like hearing your child repeat "I love you"...until you tell her that you love her and she says, "I losh you too, Mommy".

Pitter-patter.

One Tired Easter Bunny

Easter weekend in the country was fun and exhausting. Three little girls, all under the age of 3, running around screeching, giggling, fighting and playing so hard they nearly all passed out an hour before bedtime. I'm sore all over but can't figure out if it's because I was bending down so much to interact with the little ones or from sitting on that tiny picnic table of theirs trying to maintain some order during feeding times.

I think Isabella confused Easter with Halloween. She appears to be an Easter pirate.



This is before church, a day after TWO egg hunts. Barely functioning. In fact, she slept on her daddy the entire service. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

It was a wonderful weekend and I'm taking this week to recover from it. We look forward to Easter next year with her other cousin, Dillon, who I'm sure will be roarin' to go for Bella to boss him and her new brother/sister on the proper way to hunt a candy-filled egg.

Want A Giant Pickle With That?

Today I had my first real pregnancy food moment.

After running some early morning errands, I was starving so we stopped by a Starbucks drive thru. I ordered a decaf white chocolate mocha latte and a blueberry muffin. When I pulled around to the window, I asked if they had the sandwiches made already. She said they were just delivered fresh that morning.

So at 9:30am, I scarfed a ridiculously expensive tuna sandwich while Bella happily munched on a blueberry muffin.

Monkey See...Monkey Do

I know now why people call little children monkeys. They climb on anything and everything with no fear. They poop or pee whenever necessary, diaper on or off. They mimic whatever they see or hear.

This past weekend, Bella's Aunt Amanda (AnAmana to Bella) and her cousin Dillon (D or Diyon) came for a short visit. It is always fun to spend time with my sister and nephew but even more entertaining is watching Isabella worship her AnAmana. She follows her around, asking what she's doing or where she's going. She'll give sweet kisses to Dillon and acknowledge me occasionally, but really it is all about Aunt Amanda.

One thing Amanda does is pump breastmilk for Dillon. She's done this diligently for 7 months and I'm in awe of her commitment. Apparently, Bella is in awe too. Not so much that Amanda does it for Dillon, but that Amanda puts those huge suction cups on with a machine that sounds like it could mow lawns.

So during bathtime after Amanda and Dillon left, my little monkey proceeded to put the suction cups from her mesh bath toy bag on her boobies. She concentrated real hard and got frustrated when they wouldn't stick. She didn't seem to appreciate me laughing either.

WHY do I have a video camera if I don't tape these things???

The Sounds of Music

Today, our little peapod is officially 12 weeks and 2 days. My, how the time flies when you're puking every day.

I swear now that it is my second pregnancy, I've suddenly joined a secret club at my doctor's office. On my first visit to confirm that I'm pregnant, the nurses were uber friendly. Almost to the point of bringing on more nausea. My favorite nurse, Maria, filled out all the paperwork (apparently Pregnancy Brain Mush begins earlier second time around) and chatted with me for a good half hour. When my doctor came in, he actually made conversation with me rather than the usual instructions on how to put my feet in the stirrups.

The second checkup, which was yesterday, went just as peachy. Now I'm called "sweety" and "honey". I waited five minutes to get into a room. The nurse checked for the heartbeat, which was located quickly, much to my delight, and the doctor was in to see me, poked my tummy once and I was on my merry way. He even said I'm his easiest patient. That's exactly what a mommy-to-be wants to hear!

Not sure what I did to deserve this royal treatment but it is a far cry from the first pregnancy. The desk clerk, who was surely going to choke to death at the hands of some frazzled pregnant woman, if not by me, has even been...pleasant.

So now I imagine baby's birth day will be filled with rainbows, unicorns and lucky charms in the operating room. My doctor will sing, the nurses will hum and a great white light will emerge from my tummy as they deliver my newest angel.

That'll happen. Right?

Always My Baby

Today I took the first big step in facing the fact that my baby girl is growing up to be a little girl. I enrolled her in preschool. And I was so nervous about it!

Filling out all the paperwork, reading the curriculum and meeting the teachers was overwhelming. For me. Bella, on the other hand, was quite comfy in her new school surroundings.

How do I know?

Because when we showed up at the preschool, she immediately went to mingle with the other kids. She wanted to follow the 4 yr olds to their class. She began climbing the stairs to the classrooms. Started rattling off her ABC song as if to impress the sweet old lady who greets the children. She was ready to start today!

Granted, that was all done under the watchful eye of Mommy. How she'll do when I drop her off that first day is still up for debate. How I will do that first day is pretty much decided. I will bawl. Me and my big belly full of baby will heave and sob.

In all, I'm very excited for Isabella. She loves learning and socializing. She's just like her Aunt Amanda that way and will soak up everything the school has to offer her. Two days a week, I will have time with my newborn, which will be nice.

I'm sure as the first day of school nears, I will panic, wondering if she's too young, if she's ready, if I'm ready. Her first day may be full of panic or it may be blissfully fun. Either way, it is one more step in her wonderful journey of life that we take together. She will always be my baby, after all!

I'm Having A....

...Chicken...

Yes, ladies and gents, it appears that I'm going to have a chicken removed from me in October and not a child. Why? Because on the sonogram, my wee little inhabitant apparently has a yolk sac. When pregnant with Bella, I was told she had a placenta. But on the printout of this one's sonogram picture it is spelled out for me. Yolk sac.

So, any name suggestions for my little chick will be greatly appreciated.

Chicken will be born by c-section scheduled on Oct.2, if all goes well and he/she doesn't peck his/her way out sooner.

I love to plan in advance! I"m already obsessively redoing Isabella's room on the other side of the house as well as Cluckie's next to her. Think I'll go with yellow.

Got milk...somewhere else?

I'm a huge proponent of breastfeeding and the rights women have to nurse wherever, whenever necessary.

Note that I said "necessary."

Bella's gym class is 45 minutes. The children in her class range from ages 18 months to 2 1/2 years. At this stage in their life, a child does not need to be demand fed, correct? We have, at this point, taught them that no drinks are allowed in class but they are more than welcome to a snack before or after class.

So when 22 month old Emma drops the purple ball she'd been bouncing off the shy girl's bum and runs to her mom on the edge of the mat screeching "boobie! boobie!", you'd think the mom would quietly take her obviously breastfed child over to the side and explain now isn't the time. Or at least take her to the little office and feed her there.

Did that happen?

No.

Instead, the mother very loudly fake whines "Emma! Right here? In CLASS?" and before the word "class" escapes her mouth, her shirt is up, child attached. Then the big to-do about her child biting her and hurting mommy. Then her FRIEND who was visiting for the one freebie class decides to nurse her child too.

Seriously?

Neither woman could wait to nurse their child? The children couldn't just be distracted with some other activity? Ooooooh, I was irritated. Those two mothers are what make so many uncomfortable with public breastfeeding.

In my fragile state, I'm not sure I can keep quiet next time...