It's not as bad as I thought. I figured I'd have to catch up like six months worth, but it's only been two and a half! I think that's what I need to come to expect as my new normal...life has been and never will be the same since we discovered we are expecting baby #2. Poor child...I have been so meticulous about documenting Sylvie's childhood and here I am, 19 weeks pregnant and I haven't even blogged about it. So here's the beginning of the "you never did (fill in the blank) for me like you did Sylvie" and the ever-famous "you love Sylvie more than me." Bless it. Second-child syndrome is a toughie.
We had a positive pregnancy test the day after we moved the bulk of our belongings into our new, mid-renovation house (Sept. 29). God is funny like that. We'd been wanting a new house and new baby all year, and yup, ok, here ya go, all at once, see what you can do with that, tiny, insignificant humans! Ask and ye shall receive! Notice there was no chance at an addendum there, like, "We'd like a baby, but not right now, maybe in six months once we're settled, and can you go ahead and throw in there an easy pregnancy while you're at it, and how about no debt on the new house, yeah, thanks God." Sadly it doesn't work like that, thus most preacher's advice to heed God's will. Cuz now I have a house I can't afford and I get to feel like poo poo most days due to the tiny being sucking the life out of me slowly over nine months. Oh, the joys of getting what you ask for. I for real had it made: one super kid, all things under control, no diapers or pacis or spit up...what was I thinking?? Oh that's right...Sylvie is going to be the best big sister and telling her she was getting a baby was one of the best days of my life. I am thrilled that she and I are in this together. This kid is going to be so loved, I can't even believe it. Oh, and Parrish is pretty happy, too.
We told Sylvie on Halloween that she was getting a baby brother or sister, and let her tell the rest of the family. I think everyone was pretty surprised...I think I'd secretly gotten the rep of a cold-hearted snake for not wanting a second child. But I think I'm the smart one...Sylvie has already volunteered to change every dirty diaper and do night feedings by keeping baby food by her bed. Score one for mommy. She really has been a trooper...I have been fairly sick with this baby (nothing like my first pregnancy), and she just curls up next to me and scratches my back. All is well with the baby, though, and we will hopefully get to find out gender later this month. Of course Sylvie is dying for a little girl, but she understands that Jesus gets to choose, not us, so hopefully she won't be too mad if it's a boy. We are due June 9.
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| Cutest Jessie you've ever seen. |
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| Monster cookies for Little Friends. |
That being said, renovations on the house were kind of tough on me. I really needed to rest each afternoon (most of which were spent in nauseous agony), but having men all over the house and so many glitches arise didn't create a restful environment for me. They probably thought I was nuts and I am, so that's no surprise. I yelled at a painter so bad one day for flooding the new bathroom I think he may have wet his pants and he never did come back. I was so glad when they finally finished, and although not all jobs are done, we love our new house. It's perfect for our family and quite pretty, in my humble interior decorator opinion. Affording the pretty has become my new passion...I recently went back to the grocery store to collect the $4 they had shorted me. Seriously, I waited in line for $4? Yes, I did, that's how tight our budget is and will be for the foreseeable future. Add financial worry to my already overloaded hormones and you get one cuckoo mommy. Luckily I'm blessed with a super patient husband whom I don't deserve and a child who is just like her daddy. We did get a random offer on our Diane Drive house, but it turned out to be a scam from Japan. Of course. Fingers crossed our renters decide to stay put until that baby sells, or I might implode from the stress. Again, poor baby #2. With Sylvie, I lounged on the couch, read all the books, exercised and ate right. This one's getting a lot of chocolate milk and powdered donuts. Here's hoping it comes out and doesn't need immediate therapy for its mother's anxiety disorder.
Even with all of the events occurring at the same time in our life this fall, we still managed to stay pretty busy with all of the fun things we normally get to do. Our Christmas gift from Mimi was a trip to south Louisiana for Parrish and I to stay at two different plantation bed and breakfasts, while Mimi and Poppy got to spend the weekend with Sylvie. This was a really neat trip, full of history and great food. Kind of perfect for both of us (me being the eating one, duh). Sylvie of course had a ball on the bayou and got to go to a wildlife safari, which she loved.
Sylvie started art class with Cathy Powell (love her!), who was recently hired at the elementary school to teach art and music. I only hope she doesn't retire before Sylvie gets to kindergarten. Our school system really lacks a fine arts program and it's only because of teachers with a heart for that type of curriculum that keep these programs going.
We got to spend Thanksgiving at the lake with the Fortners and my parents. This was a great trip...the girls play so well together, even little Lucy (a real doll) got in on all the action. I think the food was the best ever, too. We did have a botched photography session, Ferguson-style, but managed to get a few cute photos of the girls together, courtesy of the camera timer and a ladder. I am really looking forward to the cousins coming out for a visit in February...we of course never get to see them enough so I covet the time we do get to spend together.
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| Sylvie's first Pow Wow at Little Friends. |
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| Mom and munchkin. |
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| At best bud Banks' bday party. |
Our Auburn Tigers have had a really spectacular football season this year, so a lot of our time was spent at games or glued to the TV. Highlights of this included an Iron Bowl win, an SEC Championship win and a super close game in the National Championship (maybe next year, boys). It's a lot of fun, but I have found that there are a lot of sore losers out there who take football WAAAY too seriously, which kind of puts a damper on the whole sport. I love Auburn for MANY more reasons that the football team, mainly that I met my husband and best friends there, and oh yeah, I earned my college degree from AU. Who cares that I don't use it! I have it on my wall!
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| Mom and daughter breakfast at Huddle House. We both ate for less than $6. |
Anyway, thus brings us to the Christmas season. I love Christmas in Andalusia. There are so many things to do with kids and it's such an active month. I was on the fence about our city's "Grinch" theme this year...I really hope we don't get PC about this particular holiday and remember that it wouldn't exist without the birth of Jesus Christ. It's about the biggest common sense thing I can think of but people still insist that He has nothing to do with it. I'm so glad a typical lifespan is only around 80 years...I don't think I can take the stupidity of what our world is resorting to much longer.
Anyway, to kick off the season, I was asked to sing at the annual tree lighting and then we got to watch the parade with good friends and JJ & Ferg. I really liked this event because I had back-up singers, which I could totally get used to. Then we had our annual children's program at church. This went pretty well but of course I will try to improve it for next year. It's a fine line between serious and cutesy when it comes to children's Christmas programs and I just want to make sure we toe that line. Whoa, I'm getting way too serious in my old age.
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| Christmas program at Mother's Day Out. |
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| Watching the Grinch together. |
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| LF party with powdered donut snowmen. |
We, of course, went to the Nutcracker ballet, where Sylvie got to give the flowers to Mrs. Murphy at the end, complete with a curtsy. I'm pretty sure she was distracted by the men's GIANT, er, muscles that were right at eye level. I know I was the entire ballet. Why highlight them in white tights, I ask you? Ew. She also got to go to her first gala, which was a big deal until she realized what a gala really is (boring adults in semi-fancy clothes eating weird-to-her food at an hour past her bedtime).
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| Fancy night out. |
We spent the weekend before Christmas at the lake, having presents with JJ & Ferg. I was also asked to sing at their new church, which was an honor, one which I dreadfully bombed. I blame in on these darn hormones and not being able to control my nerves as I normally can. Blast. They've caused me numerous trouble so far during this pregnancy...uncontrollable laughter with intermittent crying. Like that commercial defending those people who can't control themselves...it's not a disease, it's a neurological disorder! I totally feel their pain.
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We found this inappropriate representation of the nativity at my parent's church. Crazy Baptists.
We fixed it before it killed any little old ladies. |
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| Lots of goodies at JJ & Ferg's. |
We hosted Christmas in our new home this year. After lunch at Aunt Jan's and Uncle Frank's, we attended the Presbyterian church's Christmas Eve communion service with the whole family, courtesy of Nanie getting me a singing gig that night. Sylvie got a bike from Santa and a whole slew of American Girl doll paraphernalia, along with a new AG doll, Elsa. Guess what I got? I got a new house! Whoo hoo! We had a delicious meal here for lunch, followed by more fun at Papa & Nana's house that night. Sylvie was gifted a pink four-wheeler and a giant trampoline (to keep at their house) and couldn't have been happier. I loved Christmas this year...low-key and fun. We will have a new little one next year...hard to believe!
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I took precious little pictures at Christmas this year.
I'll have to gather from all involved parties who actually remembered their cameras. |
We also hosted a New Year's Eve bonfire and fireworks in our backyard, with nine kids and their parents. Even not pregnant, the idea of going out on NYE just doesn't appeal to me anymore (cue the Bengay, Alka Seltzer, pink curlers and blue hair of my near future, apparently). But I had a much better time at home with good friends, eating hot dogs and s'mores, and endearing our new neighbors to us with Parrish's seemingly professional fireworks display (that resulted in Rosie pooping in fear on the back porch. Ew).
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| Good friends. |
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| Tired munchkins. |
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| This one asked multiple times to stay up to midnight. She made it to 10:30 pm. |
So that pretty much sums up life to this point, less the heartburn and ligament pain that I get to enjoy on a daily basis. I've also just gotten over a weird ailment where I thought my uvula was choking me from the inside out. A narrow miss, I must say. This weeks looks pretty normal...a new Downton Abbey (my absolute favorite indulgence) and Sylvie's off to visit JJ & Ferg for the weekend. Oooh, a trip to the fabric store and sleeping in is on the schedule for me, boy, do I live life on the edge or what.
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| My sweet sassy baby. |
God Bless and happy 2014,
Katie
