Visiting Mommy's New Digs

Wesley got the chance to check out my new department today. Grandma H. and I planned to meet in the lobby of the library after storytime was over. I went to the lobby at the appointed time to find Wesley running full speed up and down the ramp. Apparently they never made it to storytime. Wesley was having so much fun on the ramp that it took a threat to go home to get him to want to go get a treat from my desk. OK, I did have an ulterior motive - I wanted to show off my cute little boy. He was something, alright. He chanted "Treat! Treat! Treat!" all the way through administration to my new department. He picked his piece of chocolate, then spent a few minutes spinning around in my chair. When we left to go back to the lobby, his chant changed from "Treat!" to "Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!" I'm sure everyone in the Administrative wing knew we'd been visited by a 2 1/2 year old!

Dinner Games

You all know the game Simon Says, right? Apparently there is a version I was unaware of called "Wesley Says Please." Last night Wesley insisted on an unusual dinner of scrambled eggs, dried corn and peaches. He ate the eggs, tried to put the corn in my belly button to feed the baby and ignored the peaches. Once the eggs were gone he asked for a pancake. We zapped one in the microwave for him and tore it up. After a few moments of staring at the pancake, Wesley pronounced it "too yucky." Exasperated, I asked why he asked for a pancake if he wasn't going to heat it. His explanation? "But I didn't say please!"

Toddler Yoga

We call this position the Sleeping Turtle.

Searching for a Big Boy Bed

We began the quest for Wesley's big boy bed on Saturday. Wesley wasn't too keen about our search until Daddy said, "Don't you want a bed like Colin's?" Those were the magic words because the rest of the day all he could talk about was getting a bed like Colin's and seeing Colin and playing with Colin. Humm....if he has trouble in his new room or staying in his new bed (when we actually buy it) perhaps we could invoke the name of Colin again. Think of the power!

Absence

A little FYI for all my regular readers. My computer fried itself last night. I logged on to check email and it smelled really funny. By the time I was done with email, I just wanted to log off before something caught on fire. When I did turn it off, it started crackling! A friend/co-worker of Duane's is going to look at it this weekend, but don't expect any new posts. In fact, I'm sneaking this in at work!

Party at Our Place

Wesley has been busy planning a party this evening. Apparently we will be serving "candy canes and hot dogs and cheese and prunes and all kinds of stuff!" I know that sounds strange, but Wesley LOVES prunes. They even made a second appearence on the party menu. Wesley was busily naming off all the kinds of cake we would have at the party: orange cake, yellow cake, red cake, chocolate cake, and strawberry cake. I asked him if there was prune cake for the party. His reponse? "There sure is!" With all those prunes, maybe this post should be titled "Potty at Our Place."

Seriously Sleepy

Wesley actually slept for 11 hours last night and woke up feeling quite a bit better today. Mommy, on the other hand, slept fitfully with nerves about starting my new job today. Truth be told, there was nothing for me to be nervous about, I spent the morning training with people I know in the building I've worked in for 9 years. Yes, there is a lot to learn, but I can already tell I'm going to like it (once I spend a year or so figuring out what I need to know.)

I came home for work and put my jammies on immediately and tried to stay awake for dinner. Wesley had the same idea. At 5:00 he laid down on the floor in the living room and said he was tired and wanted a nap. Duane and I tried to coax him onto one of the couches, but Wesley had other napping plans. He wanted to sleep in "the big red bed" - AKA Mommy and Daddy's bed. I took him upstairs and put him on the bed. After about a minute he asked for the blankets, so I tucked him in on Duane's side. Poor little guy fell asleep with 2 minutes and slept until we woke him up at a quarter of 7:00. He's been howling ever since! Maybe we'll go with an early bedtime tonight.

So Tired

Wesley came down with some kind of ickiness on Friday afternoon, so we have spent the weekend with a feverish, coughing, vomiting toddler. What fun. Wesley slept in our bed Friday night - which resulted in having to change him and the bed three times during the night. Last night he returned to our bed, but coughed so much that no one was getting any sleep. Duane returned Wesley to his own bed, but I still didn't sleep well. I'm nervous/excited about the new job starting on Monday and flat cannot sleep no matter how tired I am. I've tried watching TV, reading, counting backwards from 1000, slow deep breaths, but nothing is working (and I'm out of the prescription that makes me super tired). Please send some ZZZZZZZ my way!

Jr. Java Junkie

Wesley and I were out shopping with Grandma today and decided to grab some lunch in the food court. I listed off choices for Wesley, but nothing must have sounded good to him because he answered, "I'll just have coffee please."

Happy Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's Day and if you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you know what that means. It means I get to brag on my amazing wonderful husband and make lots of women jealous as I describe what wonderful thing he has done for Valentine's Day.

To put things in perspective, I need to let you know that Duane and I decided not to do gifts for Valentine's Day this year. We recently bought a 42 inch flat screen tv and we have to buy all new furniture for Wesley's big boy bedroom, so gifts weren't really in the budget. We made reservations to go to dinner tonight, but that's really all I expected. I really should know better by now - Duane never lets Valentine's Day slip by without making it something really special.

I woke up this morning and looked at the clock on our tv stand in the bedroom - only to see a dozen roses of various colors, a heart-shaped box of candy and a card sitting there. Needless to say, I jumped out of bed (as fast as a 15 week pregnant woman can jump) and teared up while I read the super sweet card. Next stop was the upstairs bathroom - a normal morning stop - where I found a small vase of carnations, another card and another small box of chocolate! I crawled back in bed to read and wait for Wesley to get up. When the boy did wake up and I went into his room I found another small vase of flowers, a card from Wesley and a bag of M&M's (Wesley thinks they are the best chocolate in the world, so that's what he got his Mommy.)
Wesley and I went downstairs to start our morning and what should I find sitting on the stove? Another vase! This time filled with yellow roses (my favorite!), another box of chocolate and another card. The downstairs bathroom held still more flowers, cards and chocolate.

By this time I caught on and quickly ran into the dining room (red roses, card and chocolate) and into the living room (2 pink roses, a card and a solid chocolate heart). I was laughing and crying and poor Wesley was following me around saying "Mommy? What's wrong?" How do I even begin to explain to a two-year-old that I love his father so very much? That Duane makes sure I know I'm loved every day of my life and that Valentine's Day is just the little extra. How do I tell Wesley that he and I and 2.0 are so blessed to have Duane in our lives?

I think I'm going to spend the rest of the day putting laundry away and playing with Wesley. Grandma and Grandpa P. are coming over tonight so Duane and I can go out to dinner. We're not going anyplace real fancy or anything, but as long as Duane is there, it will be perfect.

I hope you are spending your Valentine's Day with someone special and that you have someone in your life who makes it as wonderful as Duane makes mine.

New Job

As most of you know, I have been a children's librarian for the past 8 years (plus a few working in the kids department before getting my library degree.) It's been a lot of fun, but for the last year or so I've really been itching for a change and a chance to try something new. Well, the itch has been scratched! I begin my new job as Technical Services Manager for the library system I currently work for on Monday. I'm excited and nervous and a little bit scared. This is all behind the scenes stuff - lots of budget work and details, but I'm looking forward to it too. Wish me luck!

How Do Kids Know?

How do kids know when you have a morning to sleep in a little? Somehow they know and that's the exact day they need to be in your bed at 3:00 in the morning (when the snowplows at the hospital start.) Then they toss and turn, and start whining that they want juice/their daddy/to go downstairs at 6:30. And just when you are about to scream they crawl into your lap and say "Hug me Mommy" then repeat the request half a dozen times. Somehow they just know.

The Day from Hades

I am so exhausted! I don't know if I should whine, cry or just yell. I have been a snarlyhissypuss all day long and all I want to do is drown my sorrows in a non-alcholic beer and go to sleep!!!

In case you don't live in central Ohio, the weather forcast was for a big winter storm to hit overnight and most of today. Snow, rain, sleet, freezing rain, you name it. For once they got things almost right and I woke up to a decent covering of snow. Actually, that's a lie. I woke up to the sound of the snowblower in the hospital parking lot behind our house at 5:30. From the time I got out of bed at 6:30 until I gave up hope at 7:30, I begged for the library to be closed. Now you need to know that the library almost NEVER closes, but I can hope, can't I?

Knowing how awful the roads would be, I planned to leave the house 30-40 minutes early. I did mangage that incredible feat, mostly because Duane had already shoveled the steps the walk and swept off my car. So once I got Wesley bundled up I only had to coax him down the steps (he HATES getting snow on his boots) and into the car so I could clear the windows again. I decided to be brave and try the freeway. Bad idea. I got off the freeway at the first exit an opted for High St. which is much less curvy and was moving at about the same speed. By the time I was halfway to Grandma and Grandpa H.'s the gunk falling from the sky was causing the windshield wipers to freeze up. What fun. Let me tell you I was doing a lot of praying out loud, along with uttering a few choice phrases for whoever decided to keep the library open and make a pregnant lady with a toddler go out in that mess!

We arrived safely at Grandma's. She was waiting on the porch for us and Wesley was so excited to see her that he didn't even complain too much about getting snow on his boots when he got out of the car. In fact, he hollered, "I'm here Grandma! I need a paper towel - there's snow on my boots!" What a pumpkin.

I inched my way the rest of the distance to work and spent the morning snarling in the backroom. I was working too, but snarling took up most of my energy. Other than that, today has been one big grump fest. Paperwork I couldn't find, meetings that I didn't know about, and the dread that the weather would turn disgusting again before I got to leave.

Thank goodness the roads were only wet when I left and I arrive home to find a hot supper, non-alcholic alcohol substitue and cut out cookies waiting for me. At least it ended well.

Bubble Bath Boy

Duane gave Wesley his first ever bubble bath while I was asleep on the couch yesterday. Luckily Daddy remembered to take the camera upstairs. Why do I have the sinking feeling I'll have to hide my bubble bath and fight my son for the hot water in a few years?

News Flash

A pregnant woman and a toddler can put away a box of 20 Timbits (donut holes) in record time. Seriously. It's a frightening thing to watch.

Happy Lunar New Year

Yesterday was quite the day for the W. family. We got our taxes done (whoo-hoo) and even more importantly, I had my first latte since discovering I was pregnant. As with my first pregnancy, I lost my taste for coffee rather quickly, but since my nausea has abated with my medication, I decided to go for a sugar-free vanilla, non-fat, extra hot, decaf, latte. Ahhhhh, heaven in a cup!

We also celebrated Chinese (lunar) new year with Cathy, Sho and Kei yesterday. The boys go to Chinese school on Saturday and the whole school had a big celebration. There were games, tons of food - which Cathy assured us was very authentic and traditional - and performances by different classes. It was a lot of fun, but Wesley has been hit with some kind of crud and is having diarreah, so we left as soon as both Sho and Kei performed.

Sho getting ready for his big role.

Sho is all the way on the left here.

Kei is in the plaid shirt on the left (having stage fright)

We spent the rest of the day hibernating at home. Wesley insisted on wearing his boots and hat and coat inside. I'm not sure why, but it was really cute.

Wesley also spent some time taking care of his Mommy and sibling to be. Wesley must have thought the baby was hungry because he kept shoving plastic food under my shirt for the baby to eat. Of course, the cutest thing was when he sang me a lullaby. Wesley stood in front of the couch with his hands clasped in front of him and rocked back and forth, singing the following words to the tune of Braham's Lullaby. "Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep tonight today. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep tonight today." How sweet!

Not Lost

I'm still here. I'll bet you thought I'd gotten lost somewhere and would never blog again. I'm sorry I've been lousy about posting lately. Every day does have something in it that makes me smile, but my meds combined with just being pregnant, make me so tired that I often go to bed before Wesley.

I did have two wonderful things from yesterday to report. Wesley and I spent some time playing peek-a-boo with a blanket on the couch. It was so much fun! I love hearing him belly laugh. The other wonderful thing to report is, of course, my hubby. I just cannot get over how amazing he is. Get this, last night he went out at 9:30 and went to three different stores because I was craving big gumdrops. They had to be fruit flavored and not spice drops and they had to be the big ones. Not only did Duane not complain at all about this task, he even removed the nasty licorice ones for me. Now that's true love.

So THAT'S Where Thunder Comes From

We woke up to a heck of a thunderstorm today. As I was getting Wesley dressed, we talked about the sound the rain made. A very loud crash of thunder interrupted us.

Wesley: I hear that funder.

Mommy: I hear the thunder too.

Wesley: But I don't see the funder.

Mommy: That's right. Thunder is a sound, so we can't see it.

Wesley: That's cause funder is from under the tushie.

I just about died laughing!!!

In a Daze

In case you were disturbed by a minor earthquake or a train passing way too close to your house last night, don't worry it was just me snoring. I slept for 11 hours last night! It's not that I was that tired, but the new medication my doctor put me on knocks me out!

I had an appointment with my OB on Friday and the poor woman had to listen to me whine and whine and whine. Apparently for the second month in a row, I have actually lost weight which is not ideal during pregnancy. When the doctor asked me what was going on, I told her that I was still throwing up 1 or 2 two times every day and that the only thing I can consistanly eat without getting sick is a peanut butter sandwich. She said that the throwing up 1 or 2 times a day wouldn't bother her on her own, but coupled with the weight loss, she figured it was time to put me on medication. The kind doctor gave me a choice. I could go on an anti-nausea medicine that makes you sleepy, or one that makes you constipated. Um...I'll go for sleepy, thank you very much. Which explains why I slept for 11 hours. But guess what? When you are comotosed, you don't throw up.

I must have whined enough about my heatburn too. I didn't get heartburn this bad with Wesley until I was in my third trimester. Once again, my doctor took pity on me and recommend a stronger over the counter heartburn medicine for me. I love that woman.

The good news about the appointment is that 2.0's heartbeat is nice and strong and was super easy to find. Doc said she wasn't surprised by either of those things since I've been so sick and miserable. Maybe there's something to that old wives tale about the sicker you are, the healthier your baby is. Let's keep thinking that since I'm most likely going to have the test for Downs, Trisomy 18 and something else I can't remember at my next appointment.