I was talking late one night recently with my friend J. Well, it was 8:30 - that's still pretty late for us pregos! I was sitting amongst a pile of clothing, folding, sorting and the like and we were laughing. Laughing at the fact that this last pregnancy for both of us has hit hard . . . She is homebound, trying to keep her sanity and her health in tact, and I am done not being the Mama I want to be. We laughed at what this has done to our attitudes (namely we have both become grumble-monsters) and we shared the small spots where we have been finding inspiration. J has been faithful at posting on her blog about the good things each day: yummy foods she has concocted, fun times with her three kiddos out of utero, the good things about her changing body, etc. I, on the other hand, have found solace in reading other's perspectives of the good (J's, Outnumbered, and especially the ever-inspiring SouleMama). The phone call was relatively short for us (we've been known to talk MUCH longer), but it filled a spot that I didn't realize was needed.
I love having this pregnancy be shared with someone else. We are a mere two weeks apart (Lucky Duck J is two weeks ahead of me!!). Way back August, I can remember standing in J's business and laughing at how fun it would be to be pregnant together. Then it happened:) Though is has been a rough pregnancy for both of us and maybe not as blissful of a thing to share as we thought, the other night's phone call so reminded me of that happiness of sharing in this together. Of feeling the other's morning sickness. Of knowing just why she reacted to her hubby like that (cause I did earlier in the day as well). And of understanding that while this isn't the best moment in parenting for either of us, it is still a moment from which we can find encouragement.
So, while J continues to post regularly about the good things in her life, I will probably continue to post irregularly. I will however, remain a faithful reader of those who bring me inspiration to hang on to the good of each day!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
TV Has Become My Life
Wow - 32 weeks and counting. My back is much better. One Wednesday I woke up and baby had moved, so no more back pain! About a week or so later I went into early labor and and had quite a few hard contractions. We had two appointments in a week and I ended up sleeping every chance I got for the remainder of the week. Contractions lasted through this weekend (though not as hard as the ones on Tuesday). I have found myself staying at home a lot and in front of the television.
This is a pretty big switch from our normal life. Ben and I normally play games in the evenings or read together on the couch. The TV was only used as the free babysitter it should be used as:) I'm trying to give myself the freedom to embrace this time - the exhaustion, the uncomfortable body, the lack of a brain, etc. But it is hard. I am not the Mama I want to be during pregnancy. I notice it so much more this time around since Treefrog is older and will tell me when he doesn't like what's happening. He is definitely seeking attention in crazy ways (pretending to be a baby, disobeying, intentionally hurting Fish). I know many of these actions are normal 3/4 year old behavior, but it is also a reflection of how little energy I have for playing in the afternoon, or mornings for that matter!
Each day I'm starting with a simple prayer, "Help me, Jesus." I know that this is just a short season of our life and I know that God is so much bigger than my poor parenting during these nine months. Just yesterday Treefrog and I talked about how he is so lucky to have a papa here and one in Heaven who is with him all the time. He even decided to play a game with Jesus for while:) I know he is being taken care of, that he recognizes that God is with him, I just wish we could fast forward through this pregnancy to having the baby and trying to get back to "normal," whatever that will look like with three kids!
This is a pretty big switch from our normal life. Ben and I normally play games in the evenings or read together on the couch. The TV was only used as the free babysitter it should be used as:) I'm trying to give myself the freedom to embrace this time - the exhaustion, the uncomfortable body, the lack of a brain, etc. But it is hard. I am not the Mama I want to be during pregnancy. I notice it so much more this time around since Treefrog is older and will tell me when he doesn't like what's happening. He is definitely seeking attention in crazy ways (pretending to be a baby, disobeying, intentionally hurting Fish). I know many of these actions are normal 3/4 year old behavior, but it is also a reflection of how little energy I have for playing in the afternoon, or mornings for that matter!
Each day I'm starting with a simple prayer, "Help me, Jesus." I know that this is just a short season of our life and I know that God is so much bigger than my poor parenting during these nine months. Just yesterday Treefrog and I talked about how he is so lucky to have a papa here and one in Heaven who is with him all the time. He even decided to play a game with Jesus for while:) I know he is being taken care of, that he recognizes that God is with him, I just wish we could fast forward through this pregnancy to having the baby and trying to get back to "normal," whatever that will look like with three kids!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Tired Eyes
Sleep isn't coming easily these days. My back has been really hurting and I finally picked up that virus that my boys have both been fighting for two (three?) weeks now. I succumbed to Unisom last night, but still had interrupted sleep as my throat dries out considerably throughout the night. Each day I try to encourage myself that I am one day closer to being done with this cold and my night's sleep should be better:)
Tonight should be a fun night, however. Ben and I won tickets through a raffle at the college where he works and so he and I are heading in to Portland to see a Trailblazers game. This is my first NBA game ever, so I'm pretty excited. Plus, a little trip to VooDoo Donuts will be in order for after the game! Trans fats here we come!!
Tonight should be a fun night, however. Ben and I won tickets through a raffle at the college where he works and so he and I are heading in to Portland to see a Trailblazers game. This is my first NBA game ever, so I'm pretty excited. Plus, a little trip to VooDoo Donuts will be in order for after the game! Trans fats here we come!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Butt Naked
Today was a rather trying day. Treefrog is finally feeling better (thanks to a 3 hour trip to the doctor's including a nebulizer, a steroid shot, a lung x-ray, and an at home albuterol inhaler). Also, with all the rain here in the Pacific Northwest, he has felt rather cooped up. Today was our first sunny day in quite sometime. Or at least I think it was the first sunny day . . . I guess I just can't be sure since I went 72 hours last week without leaving the house. Anywho, back to Treefrog. So my cabin-fevered little boy was very blessed today by the sunshine. When Fish went up to their room for his afternoon nap, Treefrog decided to go outside to play. He was in our backyard for about a half hour, maybe forty-five minutes. I heard the pitter-patter of his feet hurrying inside and looked around from my blog-viewing to see a very naked, dirty little boy.
Me: "Treefrog! Where are your clothes?"
Treefrog: "Ummmm, weeeeeelll. They're outside."
M: Why are they outside?
T: Because they are wet.
M: Why are they wet?
T: Because there is some water in the wheel barrel and I played in it.
He then proceeded to give me the sweetest and most exceedingly innocent smile I think I have ever seen him give. So, we washed him up and he spent the rest of the afternoon running around inside in his undies.
***********
Another fun scene from life with Treefrog:
Yesterday was a dessert day for our family and through a series of events, Treefrog had lost the choice for dessert. After dinner, Ben was enjoying his strawberry shortcake and Treefrog sidled up to him.
Treefrog: "Papa, can I have a bite?"
Ben: "No, buddy, you lost your choice of dessert tonight."
T: Well, what if I pretend like it isn't dessert? Can I have a bite then?
Me: "Treefrog! Where are your clothes?"
Treefrog: "Ummmm, weeeeeelll. They're outside."
M: Why are they outside?
T: Because they are wet.
M: Why are they wet?
T: Because there is some water in the wheel barrel and I played in it.
He then proceeded to give me the sweetest and most exceedingly innocent smile I think I have ever seen him give. So, we washed him up and he spent the rest of the afternoon running around inside in his undies.
***********
Another fun scene from life with Treefrog:
Yesterday was a dessert day for our family and through a series of events, Treefrog had lost the choice for dessert. After dinner, Ben was enjoying his strawberry shortcake and Treefrog sidled up to him.
Treefrog: "Papa, can I have a bite?"
Ben: "No, buddy, you lost your choice of dessert tonight."
T: Well, what if I pretend like it isn't dessert? Can I have a bite then?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Bacon Grease
Last night was a night to remember.
Ben had group interviews with college students from 5:30 - 9:30, so I was solo-parenting it. Treefrog had been feeling rather yucky during the afternoon and at about 6:30 I noticed that he was fevered. 101.8 meant a dose of Ibuprophen. He likes taking medicine (especially since it is a rarity with him) and downed it in a flash saying, "Mmmm. That's good." While I was administering the medicine, Fish opened our childproofed frig (no longer duct taped, but an actual "child-lock" that he figured out within 2 minutes of installing), pulled out our grape juice (and our cup of congealed bacon grease which becomes important later in the evening), took the lid off the juice, and proceeded to attempt to take a drink from the container. The result? Juice all over the kitchen floor. At that point was when I turned to the best babysitter known: Veggie Tales.
After cleaning up the juice I decided to go ahead and throw both boys in the tub to help with Treefrog's fever, to keep them occupied, and to get them clean - three birds with one stone, go me!!! Fish was a wild-child in the tub and was soon bathed and out (so much for keeping him occupied/contained) since water was ending up all over the floor. I dried him, clothed him, and reinforced the child-locked frig (yes, duct tape was involved again) and turned my attention to Treefrog to get him bathed and out of the tub. 2 minutes people. That's tops of how long I was in the bathroom with Treefrog and without Fish. May I repeat: TWO MINUTES.
Treefrog and I walked out of the bathroom to Fish who had gotten the bacon grease cup off the counter (where I had stupidly put it instead of locking it into the frig). Apparently, he felt like the cup would make a pretty good shoe. And who wouldn't, really? So, my lovely fish had a foot all bacon greased up and had walked throughout the kitchen and dining rooms and into the carpeted hallway. Do you like the smell of cooked pig? Cause I'm pretty sure my house will now permanently smell like so.
Oh, wait, folks! That's not all. Both boys went to bed around 7:30. Ben got home at 10:00, and by 10:30, Treefrog was back up and feeling rather warm. A mere 104.2 temperature greeted us. A call to the advice nurse determined that we should monitor the temperature throughout the night and flip back and forth from Tylenol to Ibuprophen. So, my committed hubby slept on the pull out couch with our sick guy, checked his temp every two hours, and administered the meds. It was a bit of a flashback to our first days with Treefrog as he had a heart condition at birth that required around-the-clock meds for two years.
So, all in all, I'm trying to find the positive things in this:
1) Ben - amazing, loving husband who sacrifices so much for us!!
2) My wood floor is now more conditioned than any other product could have made it.
2a) Sliding around on the slippy floors with socks, oh yeah.
3) Spending time one-on-one with Fish as Treefrog sleeps away in our bed.
4) Sweet, sweet Treefrog snuggled down, wanting some hugs, a little juice, sleep, and nothing more.
5) It's a rainy spring day here in the Pacific Northwest, so at least we aren't inside on one of our rare sunny days.
My plan is to cling to these positives throughout the day (and the next two) as Ben leaves each morning, only to return around 5pm or so. Jesus, you are strong in our weakness!!
Ben had group interviews with college students from 5:30 - 9:30, so I was solo-parenting it. Treefrog had been feeling rather yucky during the afternoon and at about 6:30 I noticed that he was fevered. 101.8 meant a dose of Ibuprophen. He likes taking medicine (especially since it is a rarity with him) and downed it in a flash saying, "Mmmm. That's good." While I was administering the medicine, Fish opened our childproofed frig (no longer duct taped, but an actual "child-lock" that he figured out within 2 minutes of installing), pulled out our grape juice (and our cup of congealed bacon grease which becomes important later in the evening), took the lid off the juice, and proceeded to attempt to take a drink from the container. The result? Juice all over the kitchen floor. At that point was when I turned to the best babysitter known: Veggie Tales.
After cleaning up the juice I decided to go ahead and throw both boys in the tub to help with Treefrog's fever, to keep them occupied, and to get them clean - three birds with one stone, go me!!! Fish was a wild-child in the tub and was soon bathed and out (so much for keeping him occupied/contained) since water was ending up all over the floor. I dried him, clothed him, and reinforced the child-locked frig (yes, duct tape was involved again) and turned my attention to Treefrog to get him bathed and out of the tub. 2 minutes people. That's tops of how long I was in the bathroom with Treefrog and without Fish. May I repeat: TWO MINUTES.
Treefrog and I walked out of the bathroom to Fish who had gotten the bacon grease cup off the counter (where I had stupidly put it instead of locking it into the frig). Apparently, he felt like the cup would make a pretty good shoe. And who wouldn't, really? So, my lovely fish had a foot all bacon greased up and had walked throughout the kitchen and dining rooms and into the carpeted hallway. Do you like the smell of cooked pig? Cause I'm pretty sure my house will now permanently smell like so.
Oh, wait, folks! That's not all. Both boys went to bed around 7:30. Ben got home at 10:00, and by 10:30, Treefrog was back up and feeling rather warm. A mere 104.2 temperature greeted us. A call to the advice nurse determined that we should monitor the temperature throughout the night and flip back and forth from Tylenol to Ibuprophen. So, my committed hubby slept on the pull out couch with our sick guy, checked his temp every two hours, and administered the meds. It was a bit of a flashback to our first days with Treefrog as he had a heart condition at birth that required around-the-clock meds for two years.
So, all in all, I'm trying to find the positive things in this:
1) Ben - amazing, loving husband who sacrifices so much for us!!
2) My wood floor is now more conditioned than any other product could have made it.
2a) Sliding around on the slippy floors with socks, oh yeah.
3) Spending time one-on-one with Fish as Treefrog sleeps away in our bed.
4) Sweet, sweet Treefrog snuggled down, wanting some hugs, a little juice, sleep, and nothing more.
5) It's a rainy spring day here in the Pacific Northwest, so at least we aren't inside on one of our rare sunny days.
My plan is to cling to these positives throughout the day (and the next two) as Ben leaves each morning, only to return around 5pm or so. Jesus, you are strong in our weakness!!
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