Musings

Rain, rain
Go away,
Come again some other day.

No really. I mean it. Go. Get lost. You have officially over-stayed your welcome. It's getting kind of awkward now, like you're the last guest at the party and it's 3am and the hosts are hovering by the door with your coat in hand while you resolutely sprawl on their couch with their remote and ask if you can rent "Animal House" from their On Demand.

It's SUMMER. I am HOME on maternity leave. STOP RAINING ALREADY! STOP IT! NOW! I MEAN IT!!!

Well, damn.

I had just poured myself a decadent glass of Pepsi (with lots of ice) and settled myself on the couch with the laptop, hell-bent and determined to blog already.

Then Patoot started keening for "My Mama! My Mama!" from upstairs (it's past bedtime) and the Munchkin has begun to stir from his latest power-nap. And if the boy isn't sleeping, he's eating. So it doesn't seem like I will be saying much, that's for sure.

That kind of sums up what being a Mom of Two has been like so far. I'm pretty much at the beck and call of these two wee people 24/7. The Esposo is a great, helpful, involved dad -- but, as he says, until he figures out how to lactate he can only be so helpful with the baby. And Patoot has decided that I am the preferred parental unit AT ALL TIMES. Esposo came home from a show the other night to find me sitting in our bed nursing the boy while the girl was snuggled into me as best she could manage (what with the Boppy and the baby taking up most of the available lap room). In fact, I seem to have a tiny creature attached to me at all times these days -- whether I'm nursing the baby or trying to detangle Patoot from my ankles. Esposo used to scoff at the term "touched out," but this time even he understands how I might be craving a little personal space at the end of the day.

Speaking of "touched out," I've been composing a little Writer-Mom List for you guys over the last few days (in my head, of course). So without further ado...

Things I, As a Mom, Feel Guilty About Feeling Sometimes:

1. Feeling "touched out" (and, consequently, dissing her hubby's romantical advances as a result).

2. Realizing that I don't think I would be a good a full time at-home mom after all (now that I have two kidlets). I just don't think I have the hard-core patience required.

3. Wishing I had a reason to wear Cute Clothes sometimes. I am already sick of the Mom Uniform: comfy jeans, t-shirt and flip-flops.

4. Wishing I could just make last-minute plans and go instead of needing to make babysitter arrangements way ahead of time, etc.

5. Wishing I didn't feel so guilty hiding down here writing my selfish little blog while Patoot is STILL calling for me upstairs.

Hmmm. That seems to be all I can remember of this particular list. Methinks the double-threat of Patoot's cries and the Munchkin's stirrings has distracted me. That said, I should go upstairs and tuck the poor Patoot in (a bad idea, because she will want me to stay up there all night long) before I begin my next Marathon Nursing Session with the little man.

But lest you think being a Mom of Two is just about stress and Mom-Guilt Lists, there is this part of it as well:



Oh yeah. It doesn't get much cuter than that.

Now. What was I doing again?...

Sent from the Esposo's cell phone...



...Patoot on an errand with her dad after our first Mommy/Patoot/Munchkin Day.

Today was Esposo's first day teaching summer school. He's only gone from 7am to 1pm, but today felt much, much longer than that. One reason: it seems some little girl isn't a fan of me nursing her little brother every 2-3 hours when she'd rather have my un-divided attention thank you very much. And she expressed her displeasure by weeping, shooting me death-glares, screaming and even taking a few (deflected) swipes at me and, for the first time, her wee sibling. I understand why she's frustrated, but dude. You do NOT hit the baby! I sent her to her room and she eventually apologized (tearfully). Oy.

But all in all, I guess it wasn't that bad. A little stressful perhaps, but it could have been worse, especially considering the fact we were trapped inside all day. And I think once the weather improves and we can go to the park, the three of us will be much happier campers.

Speaking of the weather, if it doesn't stop raining I am going to GO CRAZY. It's late JUNE, for God's sake! It's not supposed to be cold and rainy! Argh. This SUCKS. I am on maternity leave in the summer...if I don't return to work with a tan something is WRONG with the world.

Ok. Signing off to drink the rest of my Dunkies latte and enjoy the rare silence of two children napping simultaneously. :)

~ WM

1. The Good.
Patoot taught herself how to pedal her tricycle! To celebrate, we bought her her first helmet:





Watch out, Hell's Angels.

2. The Bad.
It is raining. It is humid. I have been pretty much stuck in the house with a bored, tantrum-inclined toddler, a newborn, a husband home for the summer and an Insane Clown Beagle who is seriously angling to be sold to the gypsies. Said house has also reached a Mess of Epic Proportions which I can't stay on top of because I am nursing the baby every two-hours. If something doesn't change soon, I am going go go all Jack Nicholson a la the Shining on my unsuspecting family.

3. The Ugly.
This pregnancy, I got stretch marks. Angry, dark pink stretch marks. Not many, but more than none. So they plague me. Also ugly? Poor Munchkin has the worst case of Baby Acne I've ever seen. I think it's because his preferred position is nestling on someone's shoulder. And while his clothes are washed in Dreft, no one else's is. Duh. I'm such a bad mommy. Or at least, a dense one.

4. More Bad.
I forgot how poorly I adjust to sleep deprivation. I seriously have a Jeckyl/Hyde reaction to it. One minute I'm relatively normal, the next...watch out. Especially if you're my husband and you're snoring next to me at 3 in the morning when I've been awake nursing for two and a half hours (the Munchkin falls asleep while he eats, so nursing takes a while). Honestly though, the man is asking for it...flaunting his soundly sleeping self right next to me.

5. More Good (and a little Silly).
I think I mentioned how I read a lot when I was nursing Patoot, so I planned to do the same with the Munchkin. Well, after re-reading two Harry Potter tomes, the Esposo INSISTED I read something new. He teaches middle school boys, and apparently the series du jour for middle school boys is the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riodrdan. I've been putting off reading it for months (especially since the Esposo was bringing me the books out of series order...what use would that be?), but he finally gave me all 5 books at once. So I started reading them three days ago. And I'm on Book 3. That's about a book a day. Admittedly, they are short and easy reads because they are intended for middle school/high school readers, but they are also fast-paced, smart and funny. So if you're into YA literature and Greek mythology, give these books a try.

And now, the Munchkin is demanding food. Loudly. Ciao!

~WM

You guys. I am totally sucking as a blogger these days. I should have just taken an official Maternity Blogging Leave and have been done with it. I know you will all find it in your hearts to forgive me for my absence, but still. I feel bad. And out of touch!

But just so you know I'm not spending my days lounging around eating bon-bons (although that would be nice), here's a run-down of my daily activities.

* Nurse the baby.
* Pay attention to Patoot so she does not get complex.
* Nurse the baby.
* Change diapers (either size 6 or size Newborn).
* Nurse the baby.
* Dress children (CHILDREN. PLURAL!).
* Nurse the baby.
* Dress self (this does not always turn out well).
* Nurse the baby.
* Deflect Patoot-Tantrums.
* Nurse the baby.
* Feed Patoot and self.
* Nurse the baby.
* Sleep whenever possible (which isn't often or for very long).
* Nurse the baby.

And so on and so forth. Nursing, btw? Is a lovely healthy choice for both Mom and Baby and a great time to bond with Baby, not to mention cheaper than formula, but dear GOD. I feel like it's all I do. The little man takes FOREVER to eat, and eats every two to three hours FROM WHEN HE STARTED eating. So if it took him an hour to eat, he could very well be hungry again a mere hour later. In fact, he just started fussing. So I have to wrap this up and feed him again.

In short, I AM the Diary Queen.

So I'm tired and stressed and tired and did I mention tired? But the Munchkin is crazy-cute and smells SO GOOD and Patoot, while sadly learning the fine art of brattiness, is also getting cuter and smarter and more and more like a little person. So there are perks to this crazy, sleep-deprived, nursing existence.

On that note...gotta go! The Dairy Queen never rests.

~ WM

I am still here. I am just really really really tired. Ergo, I am too tired to string together a coherent blog. Newborn-related sleep deprivation is one thing -- newborn-related sleep deprivation combined with already having a nearly three year old in the house? In a word: ZOMBIE. I am a zombie.

Only I don't want to eat your brains. Honest. I do move kind of slow and shuffly, though.

I did have some cute Munchkin pictures to share, but the Esposo straightened up and moved the CD they are saved on and he's out and, well, I'm just to brain dead to look for them.

So until I find those pictures or until I log on under the influence of a sh!t-load of caffeine...I am off the radar, but still forever your...

~ Writer-Mom

PS: Oh, using the word zombie reminded me...Esposo and I just saw "Hot Fuzz" for the first time the other night. Oh. My. God. Hysterical. If you haven't seen it, DO. The main character utters the phrase "By the power of Grayskull" not once, but TWICE. Genius.

The lovely and talented bostonerin has proposed a very doable writing challenge for the month of June. She calls it "30 Pages in 30 Days." You can read all about it here: http://bostonerin.livejournal.com/129851.html

So since I seem to already be over-extending my "I just gave birth" self anyway, I hopped on the writing train. One page a day, I thought to myself. I can swing that, right? Right?

Um. Let's just say I have to write two pages today to make up for yesterday.

Sadly, I thought I would be able to write last night after Patoot was in bed and the Munchkin was down for his first three nighttime hours. What I hadn't considered, however, was how bloody tired I would be. While getting the slooooowly adjusting Patoot to bed has been slooooowy getting easier, it still takes at least an hour to an hour and a half. And by that time, I'm usually feeding Mr. Man which pretty much saps whatever energy I may have had (odd fact: breastfeeding makes me reeeeeeeeeeeally sleepy. Why is that?). So instead of coming back downstairs to write my page last night, I fell asleep the instant the Munchkin nodded off.

I am undaunted, however. For I have the obvious answer. Um. Write in the DAYTIME, crazy-lady. The sunlight makes me think I'm more awake than I probably am, and the Munchkin sleeps for good stretches. Plus this week will be extra-quiet as Patoot is finishing her last week of school. Next week will be trickier with everyone home, but I will ask the Esposo to take Patoot for a walk or something once a day so I can write. If I'm only working on one page a day, I won't need her distracted for very long.

So wish me luck, LJ-ers! And if you feel game, take up the challenge with me!

~ WM

The Munchkin has a new song. I just made it up. It goes...

EA-mon!
Ea-ea-ea-mon.
Daylight come and me wanna go home.
EA!
Me say Ea-ea-ea-mon.
Daylight come and me wanna go hoooooooome.

Now he loves his song. But I am sure it will lose its appeal over time. ;)

"OMG. My mom is SO weird."

So the Munchkin is one week old today. Looking back on my first week as a Mom of Two, all I have to say is this: HARD. Hard, hard, hard, HARD.

Is the Munchkin running you ragged, you ask? Nope. Actually, sleep-deprivation aside, he's the easy one. It's Patoot that's been challenging. And I'm beginning to fear I'm not up to the challenge.

Mom FAIL:
Patoot is NOT adjusting well to life as a sibling. Well, in some ways she is. She LOVES her baby brother. She loves to hold him and pet his head and constantly says things like, "It's ok, baby" or "I got him, Mommy. I pick him up!" (um. that's ok, honey) or insists on pushing his stroller (with me covertly steering). So I guess I should be thankful that she is taking out her confusing feelings of jealousy and frustration on Esposo and I as opposed to the helpless newborn.

But as much as I was logically prepared for Patoot to act out, I never expected such a dramatic change in her little personality. She has gone from sweet and occasionally sassy to down-right BRATTY in a matter of 7 days. She throws things on the floor. She storms into the other room and pouts at the drop of a hat. She kicks. She screams. She throws wailing, tear-flooded tantrums over seemingly nothing. She and her Daddy seem to be constantly at odds (this especially makes me sad: she even said "I don't like you, Daddy!" last night!). I mean...dear GOD. She's 2 going on 3, not 2 going on 13!

Why is this natural acting out phase a Mom Fail, you ask? Because I have absolutely NO idea how to deal with it. In the past when Patoot acted out, I was always able to distract her and redirect her energy elsewhere without resorting to stern tones. And this was a good thing, because I actually have a hair-trigger temper and NEVER wanted to be one of those Screaming Moms. You know the ones. You hear them caterwauling from across the mall: "JACK! You get back here RIGHT NOW, young man, or I will give you something to CRY ABOUT!!!"

*shudders*

So instead of giving in to my Primal Self, I've been trying the old tactics. Logic, humor, even pleading (bad idea, btw). Nada. The only thing I can say, is that my post-partum hormones have helped me a little...I have gotten weepy in frustration a few times, and that always prompts Patoot to give me hugs and apologize for whatever new misdeed she's committed. But I can't rely on CRYING. For one, that's lame. And for another, once the hormones have settled down I won't be able to anyway because I'm not a huge crier.

So that is this week's Mom Fail.

Mom SUCCESS:
I took a shower while home alone with the Munchkin. I don't know why I consider this a huge feat, but considering I could never figure out how to do this when Patoot was a newborn I guess, for me, it is. After soliciting advice via Facebook, the obvious was presented to me. Just put the little man in his car seat or bouncy chair and plop him on the bathroom floor. Problem solved (and Mom of Newborn, cleansed).

Now if only I could get him to stop pooping every five minutes, we'd really be in business.

Anyhoo. I guess that is what Mom of Two-hood is all about. Tempering Epic Fails with small but satisfying Successes.

~ WM

Patoot: (running up to me) Mommy! I take my shirt off and go outside with Daddy? It too warm out!

me: Why don't we just switch your long-sleeved shirt with a short-sleeved one?

Patoot: No! I want to be like Daddy!

Esposo: (walks back in from deck, looking sheepish)

me: But see? Daddy has a short-sleeved shirt on!

Esposo: Um. Actually I just had my shirt off.

me: (considers this a moment)

...

me: Oh, whatever. She's only two. Sure, honey. Go ahead. (and then allows only daughter to run outside topless)

~ WM

Today I...

1. Attempted to read a story to a Patoot with one hand, while scooping the new Munchkin out of his bassinet to start nursing him with the other. Being a Mom-of-Two? Going to take some practice.

2. Nursed the Munchkin while reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." For the record, Mr. Man is a VERRRRRRRRRRRY slow eater. He falls asleep whilst nursing. Ergo, our nursing sessions tend to be marathon like. Thus why a need a big book like Deathly Hallows.

3. Smelled the Munchkin's head, like, a MILLION times.

4. Had a visit from my Adorable SIL and Wee Niecer. Adorable SIL brought me Dunkies iced coffee and watched Mr. Man so I could....TAKE A SHOWER. My brother wasn't the only lucky one for finding and wooing this wonderful woman.

5. Fielded multiple Happy Birthday phone calls. My two favorites: a call from my Grandma in Florida. She isn't a phone person, so this was HUGE. Also, a call from my mom during which she informed me she had made me My Special Birthday Cake and would be bringing it over at some point this evening with the take-out of my choice (I chose Yucatan Cafe, a yummy Mexican place). Mole poblano + an Esposo-made margarita + Mom-made cake = birthday perfection.

Have lovely weekends, my LJ peeps!

~ WM

Totally worth the wait...



Meet Eamon Alessandro (shown here with his fam), born May 25th at 2:17am. 8 pounds, 5 ounces. All rockstar baby.

More story to come; right now I am home adjusting to splitting my attention between an almost three year old who totally missed us and a newborn who, yanno, has newborn needs. But man, he smells good.

~ Writer Mom-of-Two

PS: Carrie, I didn't forget my promise to post Baby Toes pictures! To come... ;)

Ok, kid. You're now officially late.

In other news, Patoot has a new movie obsession. Disney's "Lilo and Stitch." This obsession has led her to declare herself Lilo and will only respond when you address her as such.

This is Lilo:



She is cute, but her character DOES leap atop another little girl and punch her in the face. Repeatedly. Probably not the best role model (although, admittedly, a REALLY funny part of the movie).

Oh well. At least Patoot doesn't want to be Stitch:



She declared the Insane Clown Beagle Stitch instead. Which actually makes more sense.

Ok. As usual, I'll let you know should anything, yanno, HAPPEN. Or someone will, as I expect if it does, I might be busy.

~ WM

1. Yeah. Still pregnant.

2. I just realized that I was home alone ALL WEEK, and never once thought to work on Book 3. What kind of suckass, wannabe writer am I? That was my LAST CHANCE at complete solitude, and how did I spend it? Cleaning an already clean bathroom, taking Facebook quizzes and fielding daily phone calls from my entire family (in-laws included). Oh well. Maybe over the summer I'll do better because writing will suddenly be an escape instead of just something to keep me occupied while I'm home alone.

3. God I love popsicles when it's 90 degrees out. I could eat a whole box. I don't drink enough water, like, EVER but I am pretty sure I could keep myself well-hydrated with a daily intake of popsicles. I just finished an orange one. Next up...green!

4. Patoot has been super-cute today. I don't know how, but perhaps she realizes that today could be her last Alone With Mommy Day. She was only bratty once: she accidentally whacked me in the face when we were playing, and when I said "Ouch! That hurt, honey!" she started cackling in my face. After three failed attempts to get her to stop laughing and apologize, I just walked away. Five minutes later, I found her curled up on the rocking chair of the nursery. She looked up woefully at me and said, "You mad, Mommy?" Duh, honey. So I got my apology, a kiss and all was well. If only it could always be that easy.

5. So what DOES a heavily pregnant woman do on Memorial Day Weekend when she's due to drop a newborn any minute? Going to the Cape is out...it's an hour and a half away. Too far for my comfort zone. But it's going to be BEAUTIFUL this weekend. Wahhhh. bostonerin's Chicken's 1st birthday party is Sunday. I never thought I'd be able to attend, but since I'm apparently going to be eternally pregnant, maybe that's what we'll do. Other than that, I think I'll just be spending the long weekend rocking out on the deck. Maybe we'll even break out the kiddie pool. Woo-ha, I'm a wild woman. ;P

***

OMG. Speaking of wild women...whoa. WHOA. Ok. So I just did a quick image search to see if I could find some funny clip art of a grown-up in a kiddie pool. I had NO IDEA the demand out there for kiddie pool porn. Like, there were a TON of different pictures of nearly to all-the-way naked girls posing and/or doing lewd things in kiddie pools. Thank God Patoot is napping. I'm so not ready to have that kind of conversation yet...

"Mommy? Why that lady sticking the hose in her bum-bum?"
"Um. It's very hot out, honey."

OY.

Ok. On THAT unsavory note, hope everyone has a great long weekend. I'll let you know if I have a baby.

~ WM

Sigh.

Ok, so I'm still pregnant. I feel like I will never NOT be pregnant. That I shall forever remain round, waddling, sore and forbidden to have sushi and beer.

Siiiiiiigh.

I'm also running out of nesting steam. I was going to sterilize all of the new bottles and my breast pump accessories yesterday, but instead I got a hair-cut. There was a fair amount of superstition involved in that decision: the day before my water broke with Patoot I got a manicure, pedicure and a new hair-cut. So I figured, "I need a hair-cut. Why not try and recapture history?" But, no dice. Maybe I needed the holy trinity of pampering?

Well, today I have a doctor's appointment at 3pm. And I have to pick-up a painting of Fenway Park we had framed for the nursery. Plus I should stop by CVS and get some hairspray because I'm almost out and I'm pretty sure I allowed myself to get a complicated hair-cut yesterday. I did this to myself last pregnancy too. Why do people let heavily pregnant women made drastic, change-related decisions regarding their looks? EVER? CLEARLY they are not functioning with a full deck when they're at the end of their ninth month! The hairdresser kept my length, which is MUCH longer than it's been in ages, gave me layers, which is a good thing, but instead of "face-framing" layers in the front I have these super-short pieces. Almost like side bangs. Which, in theory, are cute...but when you have naturally wavy hair it means you have to do your hair EVERY DAY or they will look like insane poodle bangs.

And I'm about to enter Newborn Baby Land. Where such things as personal primping do not occur.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

Ok, I'll stop sighing at you guys now. I know I'm not "officially" due until Saturday, so I really shouldn't be complaining that I haven't had the Munchkin yet. But I have never felt so ready to NOT be pregnant anymore. Not only would I like to meet my new kiddo, but I'd like my body back, thank you very much.

(refraining from sighing)

The silver lining? My mom said that she went into labor with my younger brother after having her doctor's appointment when she was about as pregnant as I am now. So cross fingers!

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

~ WM

P.S. Ok, before I go, a funny Patoot story, because I feel bad for whining...
Last night while I was making Patoot some pasta for dinner, she was playing VERY QUIETLY in the living room. My Spidey Sense should have been tingling, but I was also on the phone so distracted. When I called her in to eat, she sauntered into the kitchen sporting self-applied full-sleeve "tattoos" of purple marker.

Behold:



She is so badassed, my daughter.

Also? Thank God for Crayola washable markers. ;)

So this is nesting, eh?


(Note: this is just a representation. I do not resemble a duck. Although I am walking like one.)

When I was pregnant with Patoot, my last day of work was a Friday. My water broke the next day. She was born Sunday afternoon. So if I'd been bitten with the Nesting Bug a few days before she made her grand entrance, I never would have known. I was too busy setting up the freelance writer who was filling in for me at Then Job.

But this time, because Now Job is an hour and 15 minutes away from home, I am out on maternity leave a week earlier than I was last time (just in case). At first, I thought I would go mad with boredom because I've felt so awful and sluggish and uncomfortable that I wouldn't be able to do much. And Monday was pretty much what I expected.

Then yesterday -- BAM. An unexpected burst of energy took over. And while it did fizzle out before I swept the deck, I did manage to complete two things off of my three thing list. And today? Today I have cleaned the bathroom, moved some stuff out of Patoot's room that shouldn't be in there (for example, the ironing board -- wtf??), and straightened up the nursery, including vaccuming the new rug. Then I got all frustrated because I also wanted to put the baby's freshly-cleaned clothes away, but the drawers are all broken on the dresser and the Esposo hasn't had the time to fix them yet. I also want to bring the bassinet upstairs into our room, but am refraining from heavy lifting. Even Mama Birds have their limits.

Also? Dear God, I'm weirdly hungry. I haven't been able to fit much in the ole tummy recently since SOME little baby seems to be taking up all the room. But I just finished my second bowl of pasta. I mean, it was a light pasta dressed with just a little olive oil, but it's still PASTA. Is this part of nesting too, do you think? Eating my face off to store energy?

Ok. Actually, now I feel a little too full. Blech.

Being full aside, I do still feel like I have energy to burn. The only problem is it IS uncomfortable moving around. My huge belly is so low, I feel like I'm carting around a medicine ball strapped to my pelvis. And I have a constant leg pain from a pinched nerve (not even born, and he's already testing mommy's nerves!). So I have to be smart about my next projects. I WANT to sweep the deck since I didn't yesterday. But instead, I think I'll take all of the new bottles and my breast pump stuff and sterilize them. Because the Munchkin probably won't care if there are leaves all over the deck. But he WILL be hungry, I reckon.

Ok, so, I'll either talk to you guys later or I'll be having a baby. I'll let you know either way. Sound good? ;)

~ WM

Oh my God, you guys. I suddenly feel like I have...ENERGY. Apparently my choice of lunch, a grilled Dubliner cheese and sliced apple sandwich, has magical properties. Because I haven't felt an energy boost like this since...since...huh. Since I don't know when.

That said, I'm going to leap up as soon as I'm done eating/writing this and attempt to accomplish the following:

1. Finally move the rest of Patoot's clothes out of the baby's changing table/dresser and into her new big-girl dresser we got over a week ago.

2. Put my bedroom back together. After the cleaners came they left a pristine house, yet clearly couldn't remember where to put back the stuff they moved to dust. My dresser, for example, is mostly devoid of the objects that were once atop it; my belongings are now scattered randomly around the room. I've been putting off doing this because it will be annoying and time-consuming, but better do it now before I fall into the haze of sleepless baby nights.

3. Sweep the deck. I hope I have enough energy to follow through with this last task because the deck is really sad-looking at the moment and it's finally getting nice enough out to enjoy being out there. Somehow I doubt I'll manage it. I got tired just folding laundry yesterday. But I thought I'd put it in here just in case...I really DO feel feistier than I have in ages.

Oh! And...

4. Call and make hairdressing appointments for Esposo and I. He's so funny...after all the compliments his new, shorter 'do received, he seems to want to keep up with hair cuts (a new phenomena). He said he wanted to get it cut before the baby was born because, "we'll be in a bunch of pictures!" That said, I need a hair cut too. DESPERATELY. It's probably been a year since my last cut. My hair is long and unruly. 'Tis time. Plus, I had my hair cut the night before my water broke with Patoot. No reason not to explore that as a possibility again...

So, like, I have to get started NOW before this random energy surge wears off. Ciao! Wish me luck!

~ WM

PS: By the way? OH MY FREAKING GOD, NStar Electric has decided to camp DIRECTLY in front of my house and start jackhammering like they are digging to China. My head is KILLING me from the noise. And I can't even leave because their damn trucks are blocking me in. Oh, and they're digging up the street. That would also make driving away problematic.

Baby: Still stubbornly in my belly.

Me: Home on my first day of maternity leave. It feels very WEIRD to be home sans a new baby. Patoot was very punctual. Actually, she was early. My last day of work for her maternity leave was August 4th. She was due the 8th. I figured I'd have a few days of rest. Instead, I woke up (late) the next day and when I was about to hop in the shower, my water broke. Nearly 24 hours later, Patoot was born -- two days early. Thus why I'm home a week before my due-date this time. But for some reason, I feel like this kid is NEVER coming out. Despite all of my "practice" contractions (which happen every day), I am convinced he's not budging.

Beagle: Asleep on the couch. If I had written this 20 minutes ago, however, I would have said, "lapping up the entire glass of water she just knocked on the floor. ARGH."

Everyone Else: At work/day care.

I would like to use the quiet time home to do the rest of the pre-baby prep, but I also know I should be taking it easy. On the other hand, if I over-exert myself, I could trigger actual labor. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

All righty. If something interesting happens or I have an amusing thought I'll blog again today. But for now, I need breakfast. Oh, the mad-cap life I lead.

~ WM

1. Remembering Patoot's "pink bath" last night. Ah, the wonders of a Lush bath bomb...



2. Looking in the nursery, and realizing it's *almost* done...

Giggling Turtle!


According to the Esposo, those are Tibetan prayer flag-things on the window:


And that's a borhan, an Irish drum, which I probably spelled wrong, hanging on the wall:


3. Getting my family's bassinet from my cousin today (my mom slept in it as a baby!)...



4. Eating the Munchkins I got for the visit from said cousin (and her big-boy baby)...



5. And finally, finding Patoot and the Insane Clown Beagle like this when I checked in on Patoot during her nap...



Hope everyone has weekends full of picture-worthy smiles! :)

~ WM