Back to School

Well, summer is officially over.  Marley and Amelia started preschool last week.  They will both be attending Alki Co-op Preschool, and they are SO excited.

Marley is in the 4's class (pre-K) with Teacher Sara. He goes M-Th, from 12:30 - 3:00. On Tuesdays, I go in with him to volunteer (a co-op requirement), and Nai Nai comes over to watch Amelia.  Marley is most excited about story-writing and Spanish class this year.

Amelia is in the 2's class with Teacher Linda (who Marley had for the last two years). She goes Th-F from 9:30-11:30. My volunteer day in her class is Friday, when Jeff works from home and can stay with Marley.  After dropping her brother off for the last two years, Amelia is just stoked that she finally gets to go to her very own class!

It's a crazy, crazy schedule, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I love our little school, and am even a member of our site's board of directors.  I highly recommend the co-op experience for families with flexible schedules.  And we still have openings for this year.  So, if you know anyone in the area with preschool aged kids, send them our way!

I have to pee

No.  Seriously.  I do.  No matter what time of day or night it is when you are reading this, I can guarantee, with almost 100% certainty, that I have to pee.

Everyone knows that pregnant women pee frequently, but what you may not know is that there is a point, during the final weeks of pregnancy, where the feeling of having to pee never goes away.  When you're awakened in the middle of the night with that urgent feeling, heave yourself out of bed (with much grunting and struggling), hobble down to the bathroom, sit on the toilet and...drip, drip.

The most unsatisfying feeling in the world!  Because, in fact, you didn't actually have to pee.  Rather, that's just the way it feels when there's a head resting on top of your bladder.  I'm always amazed when I see this image.  Um, where did the small intestines go?  Also, notice the stomach.  Yup, that feels about right. 


And also, yay for 35 weeks!

Little Acorns

I've had the whole day to myself today, and here's about all I've accomplished.

Be like the squirrel, girl.  Be like the squirrel.

More -isms

Amelia rarely wakes up during the night anymore, but a few weeks ago I heard her calling for me from her bed.

Amelia: I'm cold.  Could you tuck my blankets back in?
Me: Sure, Baby.  Here you go.

I then thought I'd try to help her get back to sleep by quietly singing and rubbing her back.  After a minute of this...

Amelia: Okay, Mom, that's probably good.  You can go back to your bed, now. 

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Marley: Mom!  I thought of a really good name for my baby brother: Samurai!
Me: Oh.  How did you come up with that one?
Marley: Well, I actually thought of Super Samurai, but you said we couldn't name him anything that started with Super.

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On the bus back from downtown the other day, Amelia stood up on her seat to see the person sitting directly behind us.

Me: Amelia, please sit down in your seat.
Amelia: [loudly] I was just looking at that guy.
Marley: [equally loudly] What guy?
Amelia: [pointing] That guy, right there.
Marley: [standing up] Where?  I want to see.  [pointing] That guy?

I was able to cut them off at this point, but I imagine the conversation could've somehow continued on forever.  On this same bus ride, there was an equally loud exchange regarding my boobs.  I can't relate it here because, honestly, I was too busy trying to change the subject to listen to what they were saying.  But, I do recall Amelia saying that they were "cute" and Marley asking if I was wearing a bra. 

Countdown to Baby 2012: 33.5 weeks!

I can't believe how fast time is flying by all of a sudden!  I think Jeff and I both sighed a big sigh of relief when we passed 32 weeks, and now can relax a little.  As we head into the home stretch, I'm starting to get really sad that this pregnancy is almost over.  If you can believe it, I'm feeling even better than I was a few weeks ago (which truly wasn't bad to begin with).  Plus, thanks to Jeff taking the kids camping (again) without me, and my in-laws coming by to help, I've been able to cross lots of things off my to do list.  Check it out!

1. Repair crib.  I bought the part we need, now just to reassemble it.
2. Rearrange furniture upstairs. Jeff needs to do this.  I just need to point.
3. Clean out upstairs closets/dressers to make room for baby stuff.
4. Paint closet and add shelves.  Already bought all the materials, now I just need to find time to do the work.
5. Wash and put away baby blankets, bedding, and clothing.  I'm kind of waiting until the furniture's in place to do this.
6. Inventory newborn diaper stash and make a few purchases, as needed.  
7. Wash newborn diapers and covers.  See #5, plus I have a few out on loan that I need to get back.
8. Install car seats.  Still waiting on one from Amazon, but I'm pretty sure I have the arrangement figured out after playing around with it a bunch this morning.
9. Wash old car seats/covers and install in Nai Nai's car.  This installation will be pretty quick and easy, but I'd rather not do it while in labor.
10. Prepare emergency home/car birth kit (towels, receiving blankets, infant hat, bulb syringe, cord clamp, sterile scissors, gallon zip lock bag). Yes, I am actually scared of not making it to the hospital in time.   Thanks, Mom, for the extra supplies!
11. Pack labor and delivery bag (lip balm, hair ties, hard candies/mints, sleep nursing bras, tennis ball, snacks for Jeff, camera, phones, chargers, lap top, pocket doula handbook).  All packed, except electronics, which we'll have to grab on the way out.
12. Pack hospital/going home bag (tooth brushes, tooth paste, hair brush, deodorant, jammies, slippers, clothes/jammies for Jeff, coming home clothes for me and baby, swaddle blankets, nursing pads, boppy).  Once everything is washed, I can get this bag packed.
13. Buy postpartum/nursing supplies.  I tried to visit my favorite boutique for this (Birth and Beyond), only to find that they had closed their retail shop! Nooooo!
14. Make notes about school schedules, etc. for Nai Nai.  Now that I know what they are!
15. Name the baby!  See previous blog post:(
16. Take pregnancy pictures.  We have taken a grand total of ZERO so far.
17. Get a pedicure.  I had to add at least one fun thing to my list!

 And some numbers, for record keeping purposes:

Number of progesterone injections left: 2 (woo hoo!)
Number of weeks Amelia was born after my last injection: 3 (yikes!)
OB appointments: Weekly, beginning next week until baby is born
Pounds gained so far: 30
Latest belly measurement: Right on track, 33 cm at 33 weeks
Baby's heart rate: 142 bpm
Baby's most active time of day: 10pm - midnight
Location of most kicks felt: upper right side

Moonlight Windbreaker

Jeff and I are having a hard time (as usual) choosing a name for our newest edition.  I'm sure, like his siblings, Baby Eyeball will have to officially meet us before we will be able to settle on anything.  In the meantime, Marley has decided to take on the role of naming his baby brother.  A role he is taking VERY seriously.  As you know, he initially dubbed the baby "Eyeball", a nickname Jeff and I both rather like.  But, not long after that, he decided that the baby should instead be named "Moonlight".  He was really proud of himself for coming up with such a great name, and announced it to people every chance he got. 

Marley: "I'm going to have a baby brother soon, and his name is Moonlight!" 

Random Stranger in the Bathroom: "Oh!  How...romantic."

I worried that he was becoming too attached to the name, so thought I'd better start preparing him.  But, not before suggesting to Jeff that we secretly name the baby something else, and just tell Marley we named him Moonlight.  We could get everyone we know to go along with it.  Jeff  didn't think that would work.  

So, I started suggesting other names to Marley.  Ya know, actual names. 

"How about Liam? Jackson? Caleb? Ethan? Owen? Lucas? Eli? Mason?"  I went down the list of popular names.  He wasn't too excited about any of my suggestions, but at least I'd planted the seed that perhaps we wouldn't be naming the baby Moonlight after all.  

Except now, he was on a quest to find an acceptable alternative.  At the park one day, he heard a mom calling to her son.

Marley: "Ooh, Mom!  Did you hear that?  That's a great name!  I think we should name the baby Rayker!"

Me: "I think she was saying Ryker."

Marley: "Hmm...I like Rayker better!"

Okay, so maybe it wasn't enough to just tell him the baby wouldn't be named Moonlight.  I needed to be more direct. 

Me: "So, probably just Dad and I will pick a name for the baby.  It's kind of traditional for the parents to name their kids."

Marley: "Well, I think the whole family should agree on the name.  Amelia, what do you want to name the baby?"

Amelia: "Windbreaker."

Marley: "Okay, actually all of us except Amelia should agree on the name."

Moonlight, it is!  Right, everybody? *wink, wink*

Thanks, Mom!

I think my mom is worried about my stress level. I guess posting my to-do list didn't help with my appearance of calm:) By the way, it's one week later and I have not been able to cross off a SINGLE thing! I've begun several tasks (painting the closet, gathering items for my hospital bags), but nothing has actually been completed. So, maybe I am feeling the crunch a little bit. Enough, I guess, to deserve this beautiful hydrangea plant.

Hopefully, it fares better than my old hydrangea plant.

Hey, it still has one little flower on it.